There's a little revelation in this chapter that I've been building up to for a while ;) It may surprise some of you. Nothing to do with Isabela and Hawke's journey but rather one that came before... Those of you who have read any of my other stories (one in particular) may notice it ;) I'll say no more...

Hope you enjoy :)

"What the—I don't believe it!"

The slim figure crouched over one of the bigger tombs in the Grey Warden graveyard, delicately tracing the engraving on its surface with her fingers, oblivious to Hawke, who was standing a short distance away. Hearing her voice, the woman jumped in surprise and turned to face her, recognition shaping her expression. Sister Leliana's short red hair lit up in the faint light shining from the lanterns nearby, almost as much her face when she realised who had spoken. She had not expected company tonight, especially not company in this form, having been searching for Hawke within the fortress to no avail so far and being constantly blocked by Warden guards as she tried to enter certain buildings. Hearing the reproach in Hawke's cold tone of voice, Leliana placed a small bunch of Andraste's Grace at the foot of the white tombstone she was standing by, and straightened up to greet her.

"Lana!" she exclaimed with a gasp, startled by the shout and covering her chest with her hand. Hawke glared at the well-known face from her past, her mind momentarily flashing back to a life that had been torn from her as a result of the Blight that had threatened Ferelden over a decade ago. After everything, Lana couldn't believe just how much anger was flowing through her veins in that moment. It was not an emotion she normally associated with Sister Leliana. Their past relationship (or whatever it had been) had always been tender and caring, affectionate...unlike the now broken relationship between her and Isabela, which had always been, for the most part, a fiery and passionate one. However, despite everything that had happened between them and the history they shared, an unrelenting, bubbling, scorching sensation of rage consumed Lana's entire body and burnt its way up her throat. Her eyes flickered down to the woman's bronze armor, noticing, for the first time, the Chantry emblem of a white flaming sun etched across the front. Leliana smiled at her. "It's so goo to—Ah!"

Before she could finished, Hawke had closed the short distance between them and grabbed the Chantry Sister by the arms. She shoved her roughly, holding her up against the massive, white tombstone behind her and pinning her there.

"Is this what we do now?" Hawke hissed angrily through gritted teeth, her face mere inches away from Leliana's, "Betray each other to the blasted Chantry? Spy on each other!? I thought I could trust you, Leliana! I thought we were...and then you...What in The Maker's name are you doing here?"

"L-Lana!" Leliana pled, surprised and winded from being pressed hard against the cold marble of the tombstone by Hawke's chiseled forearm. She had never before seen such fire in her friend's eyes (Well, fire that was directed at her). Instead of its usual warmness, it mimicked the expression Hawke had worn quite regularly back in Lothering, when she had spoken disgustedly of the Revered Mother and the Templar Order. Realising then that she had made a big mistake in thinking this reunion would be a warm one, Leliana suddenly began to fear for her safety. She stared into Lana's brown eyes and opened her mouth to speak."Wait! Let...Let me explain."

"Explain what?" Hawke snarled back, shaking her a little too hard and pressing her forearm further against Leliana's throat, "How you led the Chantry to me? How you roped my sister into spying on me? How you've followed and cornered me? When they said 'spy' I...I had no idea it'd be you."

"No! No, that's not...You've got it wrong!" Leliana plead, her blue eyes shining with tears as she stared into Hawke's cold brown ones, seeing they were full of reproach.

"Don't insult my intelligence, Lel! I heard everything those bastards said outside the walls," Hawke growled, absolutely seething with the one person from her life in Lothering whom she had trusted, "You'll never take me alive. The Chantry can go an rot for all I care. Don't think I'll hesitate if I have to kill you."

"Lana, stop! Please!" Leliana begged, feeling the woman's grip around her tighten once more and knowing she had to talk quickly where hot-headed Hawke was concerned. She held back her wrists, trying to hold off Hawke's explosive energy, knowing that even though she was a talented Bard, Lana's skills as a rogue were simply unmatched in all of Thedas. She wasn't the Champion of Kirkwall for nothing after all. "Give me a chance to explain before you do something rash!"

"Oh alright," Lana said, indulging her just for a second, "Explain to you me why you're wearing Chantry armor and sneaking around in the dead of night."

"I...You know of my connection to the Chantry," Leliana replied weakly, hesitating.

"As a Lay-Sister!" Hawke countered, "As an Agent of The Divine! Not the bloody Templars...or...Holy Army? Maker, I don't know...Shit, Leliana, what are you here to do? Kill me or something?"

"No, of course not! It's not what it looks like, I promise," Leliana implored, knowing how this all must seem to someone like Hawke, who she knew had a severe mistrust and dislike of the Chantry from the moment they met (and realised Hawke wasn't at all afraid of voicing it either, to The Void with the consequences). "Blood and damnation, Lana, don't you trust me at all?"

"Right now, after everything that I've just heard? ...Not in the slightest," Hawke replied darkly. She shook her head and shoved Leliana roughly once more, then released her, stepping back before she did something stupid in a fit of rage. This explanation had better be good...There was a time when she would never have dreamed of laying a finger on Leliana (at least not that way), but Lana found her patience was in short supply these days. Leliana choked a little, trying to get her breath back after the building asphyxiation brought on by Lana's tense, well-placed forearm. She straightened her armor and stared at Hawke warily, remaining backed against the tombstone as the woman began to pace restlessly, running a hand through her brown hair as she tried to wrap her head around this night's incredible turn of events. "Speak then, Leliana...before I do something I may live to regret."

Leliana swallowed hard, realising that the woman she had once fallen in love with all those years ago had changed drastically since the last time they had encountered each other. Her humour, normally in full flow, was now in short supply it seemed. Normally a beautiful, light-hearted woman, Lana was starting to look her age a little, holding herself in a way that made it look like she had been under a considerable amount of strain recently. A lifetime of fighting would do that to you, Leliana supposed. At times it crept up on her as well. She found herself wondering why this change had come about now though, but decided not to ask. Now wasn't the time. They weren't as close as they had once been, and it had been a couple of years since they had last met in Kirkwall.

"I'm not a Templar," Leliana began, choosing her words carefully, seeing the muscle in Hawke's jaw twitch dangerously at the very word, "In fact, quite the opposite. We, The Seekers of Truth, keep the Templars in check, making sure they don't go rogue and pose a threat to The Divine."

"Oh, well why didn't you say? You're doing a bloody fantastic job," Hawke said sarcastically, applauding her with a wicked smile, "I'm sure the Free Marchers would all agree...If they were still alive."

"Well, that's why I'm here," Leliana continued, beginning to pace slowly herself now, "After what happened in Kirkwall we are all needed now, more than ever, no? At least...that's my official reason for being here. My real motivations are more...personal."

"How?" Hawke demanded, a little more confused now.

"For a number of reasons," the Orlesian woman replied sadly, turning away then and staring down at the white flowers she had placed at the foot of the tombstone just a few moments ago. "You, Bethany...and this..."

Curious, Hawke slowly walked over towards her, standing shoulder to shoulder with Leliana then following her gaze. She glanced down at the bunch of Andraste's Grace at the foot of the grave, then scanned the elegant white marble stone, up towards the writing that was carefully engraved on the face of the tomb. Her heart beating rapidly, she leaned in closely and began to read:

Here rests the soul of

Navarre Mahariel

Hero Of Ferelden,

Warden Commander of Ferelden

Proud Dalish Warrior,

Friend And Dearest Love.

In War, Victory. In Peace, Vigilance. In Death, Sacrifice.

Her eyes lingering on the name, Lana's mouth dropped slightly agape as her eyes poured over the epitaph once more, realising in that moment just exactly whose tomb she was standing by, and instantly regretting her angry outburst at the foot of a legend. The Hero of Ferelden...She shivered, feeling slightly ashamed of her actions towards Leliana then, no matter how angry and confused she was right now to see her here. At least one of her reasons for her presence makes sense now, she thought to herself. Hawke turned to the Chantry Sister beside her, whose blue eyes were reading over the words she had undoubtedly read countless times in the last few days since arriving here, trying to wrap her head around it all. Hawke knew how devastated Leliana had been upon hearing the news of her love's death. When they had encountered each other back in Kirkwall, it had still been fresh in her mind. Now, a few years later, Leliana's grief was a lot more controlled, but her blue eyes still bore the hollow effect of having lost someone she loved. Hawke had supported her back then. How could she not do so now?

"She was an Elf?" Lana asked gently, questioning how she knew so little about the woman who had saved Ferelden, and by extension, all of Thedas from the Blight by slaying an Arch Demon and living to tell the tale. Well, tonight it seems I'm going to get all of my questions answered, she thought, laughing inwardly. Leliana nodded, seemingly becoming lost in her memories.

"A Dalish Elf," she corrected with a smile, remembering the woman's unrelenting pride and abrasive attitude towards all so-called 'Shemlen' and her distaste of their 'Flat Eared' slaves. "A very gifted one... Maker... The Arch Demon never stood a chance, Lana."

"What was she like?" Lana continued, smiling a little as she heard the awe in Leliana's voice. In spite of everything that had happened tonight, Hawke was curious.

"Beautiful, graceful...Proud," Leliana said with a snort, remembering, "Very proud...and bitter. She had a smart mouth on her. Many didn't like her actually. We clashed a lot when we first met you know. Navarre had a severe lack of trust for humans, especially Alistair. Maker, she hated him during the Blight!" The Chantry Sister chuckled as she remembered, "They only really became friends afterwards, when she took over as Warden-Commander of Ferelden and had loosened up a lot. Her sarcasm and snarky comments got on Alistair's nerves. Mahariel told him he would be a great king once, though I don't think she ever really believed it at the time. I think she just wanted him to stop whining."

"Yes, he does that a lot," Hawke joked, chuckling a little herself then. Leliana giggled. "He made it sound like they were friends through the whole thing though."

Leliana snorted, "Oh, quite the contrary," she said with a knowing smile, "They fought a lot. Both of them were under strain, being the only two Grey Wardens for the most part. They didn't really understand each other. After The Blight they were quite inseparable though, after she took over as Arling of Amaranthing and Commander of the Grey."

"How did she become a Grey Warden in the first place?"

"Rather reluctantly," the Seeker answered with a quiet snort, recalling the Hero of Ferelden's indiffierence to most of them during nights at camp, "Secretly pinning over her lost love, Tamlen, and missing her clan dearly. She felt abandoned. It was what drew me to her in the first place. I empathised, for I too felt lost and alone, as you know better than anyone. I never spoke of you to her, but I had enough experience with Marjolaine to help her through her woes...Strange...," she said then, frowning as though realising something for the first time in that moment, "You were the only secret I ever kept from her. I never spoke of our relationship to anyone since the day you left Lothering to fight at Ostagar, Lana. I thought you were dead...It was too painful. In the end though, Navarre gradually grew to trust me and we fell in love, but we still continued to clash here and there, over our religious views more than anything."

"Just like we did," Hawke joked, grinning at her. Leliana chuckled, turning to face her.

"Yes, it became something of a theme for me after meeting you," she teased, "Only this time I was the one unintentionally insulting with my words. I offended her more than once with my inept knowledge of the Dalish, reminding me of all the times you used to tease me about being a Chantry Sister."

Lana grinned, thinking back to the first time she had met Leliana and insulted her more than once with her smart mouth and cheeky banter. Bethany had scolded her about numerous times, afraid the Chantry Sister would be offended. She never was though. If anything she rose to the challenge and accusation with teasing of her own.

"Who knows?" Leliana continued, "Maybe if I hadn't had that experience with you, Navarre and I might never have fallen in love in the first place. You really opened my eyes back in Lothering, Lana...Showed me just what a fool I'd been, hiding in the Chantry, afraid to confront my past. Only when the Revered Mother blackmailed you into fighting at Ostagar, did I realise then just how manipulative the Chantry could really be. It was like Marjolaine all over again. Fate had played the same cruel joke on me, not once, but twice...and I fell for it..."

"And now here you are again," Hawke said bitterly, feeling angry once more as her curiosity over the Hero of Ferelden was sedated for the moment, "Third time's a charm it seems. You're doing their bidding again, letting them use you... and as usual it's me getting screwed. This isn't the first time they've asked you to spy on me, Lel... or don't you remember?"

"This isn't like what happened in Lothering, Hawke. The Seekers are here by chance," Leliana revealed, "They originally wanted to make sure Mahariel was dead, not believing I was telling them the truth because of our relationship. They thought I simply wanted to protect her, and broke up into two factions. The first was to find her, to ask for her help with this war against the mages to try to bring all this fighting to an end somehow. Realising I was in fact telling the truth, and seeing her tomb, the other faction set off after the next person on their list they thought could help...You."

"Me?" Hawke repeated in disbelief.

Leliana nodded.

"We've... been following you for months, Lana," she revealed, ashamed of her secrecy, "If not for The Qunari, you would have been caught. Our ship wasn't far behind when they attacked you. I saw the whole thing from a distance...Blood of Andraste, I was so worried!"

Hawke snorted, "Now there's a silver lining if I ever saw one! Tortured by the Qunari or captured by the Seekers of the Chantry. My, my, what a treat! The Maker really smiles down upon me, doesn't he?"

Leliana gave her a wry smile. Hawke sounded a little more like her old self now, sarcastic and teasing (Not to mention sacrilegious). "When I saw you'd been taken, I knew that, given your history, it could not be good. I sent word to Tallis."

"Tallis?" Hawke repeated, "You warned her we had been captured? I was wondering about that...I gathered you two didn't particularly like each other when you met back in Chateau Haine."

"We don't," Leliana replied lightly, "There's a little bit of history there...But we have something in common in the fact that we both like you, so I knew she could be counted on to help. I was right."

"And so she did. Here I am," Hawke said sarcastically, "Barely in one piece, but still looking good and kicking ass."

Leliana chuckled and turned back to the Hero of Ferelden's tomb. "You know, I think you both would have really gotten along," she said sadly, staring at what remained of her love, "It's a shame you never got to meet. You're exactly the type of person she would have respected."

"Or not," Hawke said jokingly, re-reading the epitaph herself and scanning the white Griffon engraved below it, "People tend not to like their ex lovers new partner. We might have ended up killing each other instead."

Leliana giggled. "Oh, I would have paid to see you two fighting over me. As would half of Thedas I presume. It would have been quite a duel!" The smile slid off her face then. "It's too bad she's...gone..."

Her words caught in her throat then and she took a deep breath, re-tracing the engraved letters with her fingers.

"I'm sorry, Lel," Lana said then, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Really, I am. I didn't realise this was her tomb. I'm sure the last thing you would have wanted was to be shoved up against it and almost throttled to death."

"Don't be sorry," Leliana replied harshly, looking up at her seriously, "This doesn't change the fact that you have every right to be angry with me right now, Hawke, but I'm begging you to believe me. I didn't come here to kill you, despite what you may have heard. I came here under the pretext of catching you, to help you instead...and Bethany as well. She's in a lot more danger than she realises."

"Help me?" Hawke repeated, frowning in confusion, "I don't understand." Leliana took one look back at the Hero of Ferelden's tomb then grabbed Lana's arm, leading her away from the Warden graveyard. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere more private," Leliana replied, "It's not safe to discuss such things out in the open. You never know who is watching."

"True...I mean, it could be your own bloody sister spying on you," Hawke replied sarcastically, jogging after her as quickly and as swiftly as she could. Leliana shook her head as she led her through the backstreets of Weisshaupt Fortress.

"Bethany is in a difficult position...We both are. The Revered Mother of Ferelden had cast her poison before she died at the hands of the Darkspawn during the Blight, Lana. The Chantry knew everything about our relationship back in Lothering, of my connection to Bethany and ultimately, our connection to you. They manipulated us both into this...but we have some plans of our own up our sleeves."

"Stop speaking in cryptic and just tell me what's going on, Leliana!" Hawke snapped, her frustration getting the better of her again.

"Not yet. Wait until we're inside. Then I'll answer any questions you have."

After several minutes, Leliana stopped suddenly, causing Lana to almost fall over her own feet. She pushed open a wooden door on the right-hand side of the alleyway they found themselves in, and pulled Hawke inside, closing it tightly behind them and lighting a candle on the wall. The small, dark room lit up instantly, casting a faint, flickering light across a small table, surrounded by three chairs, and a tiny cot in the corner.

"Please, sit," Leliana said, placing herself down on one of the stools and gesturing to the one opposite her. Lana sat down and leaned her elbows on the table, crossing her arms. "Now, what do you want to know?"

"Who is the woman outside? The one with the short black hair," Lana asked.

"That's Cassandra Pentaghast, Seeker of the Chantry, native to Navarra. She's the one who is hunting you."

"And she wants, what? My help to stop the war?" Hawke asked, snorting in derision, "I'm part of the bloody reason the war started...Well, sort of. It was really that bastard Anders who-"

"Exactly," Leliana replied, interrupting her before she went on a cursing rant, "She believes tracing your steps, companions and understanding your actions in Kirkwall is the key to preventing the war from spreading any further. She questioned your friend Varric back in Kirkwall not too long ago for that very purpose."

"What? Why didn't he tell me?" Hawke asked, shocked that the dwarf would hold something like that from her.

"I think he thought that it had put you in the clear after Cassandra interrogated him, but it had just made her want to seek you out even more. The dwarf likes to embellish the story a lot. At one point he had you flying to Gwaren on a dragon."

Hawke sniggered. "Sounds like Varric...That part's actually true though."

Leliana gave her a sceptical look before continuing. "I tried to divert Cassandra, but then that's when I fell under suspicion...and finally, that's how Bethany became involved," she revealed, "As a mage, she had to agree to try and find you, otherwise they would have killed her on the spot and branded her an apostate. Your cousin wanted to come too but I made her stay. I knew that having Bethany in immediate danger would be stress enough for you. The other Seekers are hoping that either she or I can use our history with you to convince you to help us, since it's clear you won't ever do it voluntarily."

"You're damn right I won't!" Hawke blurted out angrily, "The Chantry has been a pain in my backside since well...Shit, since the day I was born. They stole everything from me at one point of another. I'll never work for them. This war is their own doing for how they have treated mages over the years...And that war has absolutely nothing to do with me, Leliana."

"I know," Leliana agreed, "Which is why I'm going against my vows to the Chantry and The Divine. I'm trying to to help you, Hawke. I'm here to help escape so as you can continue your quest with Alistair."

"You...What?" This night was becoming stranger and stranger as it went on. Hawke's head was hurting with everything she had discovered. After everything so far she just wanted to go to sleep and deal with it in the morning.

"Think about it," Leliana continued, "They wouldn't need this many Wardens to watch over an old fortress, Lana. They're standing guard on Alistair's orders to protect you, keeping the Seekers and their spies away from you, myself included. It's why I haven't found you before now. Alistair's still trying to figure out how Sten is going to help him with his quest...And that's where I come in."

"How?" Hawke asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Unlike Alistair, I won Sten's respect during the Blight," Leliana revealed, "Even though I used to tease him about being a big softie, and the fact that he didn't agree with me being a priest as I was a woman, he eventually warmed to me when the Arch Demon was slain. I think Mahariel and our relationship had something to do with it too. His lack of respect for Alistair was because, as the Senior Grey Warden, it should have been him to take the final blow against the Arch Demon, not Navarre. Alistair was supposed to lead us all, but he shirked his duty more than once during our quest, left the entire responsibility to Mahariel, and ultimately shied away from all leadership that was rightfully his. He only became King because Navarre didn't contest it and put Anora in his place...She had no interest in human politics. She couldn't stand either of them at the time actually."

"Oh," Hawke replied, having never known or thought to ask Alistair about any of this before. Now that I think about it, Alistair did seem to appear out of nowhere to become King. I don't remember seeing him with Cailan any time the royals visited other parts of Ferelden. "So...You're going to help us escape and travel back to the Qunari Fortress with us?"

"Yes," Leliana replied, glad to see that it was starting to make some sense now, "I will convince Sten to give you a ship and join you in your battle against Titus. Bethany will go with you. I'm sorry, there's no other way to keep her safe than to leave her at your side. Afterwards, I will return to the Seekers and lead them in the opposite direction."

"Can't...Can't you come with us?" Hawke asked, feeling, as she so often did, that unexplainable connection between the two of them. No matter how long they were apart, it seemed to always be there, scorching almost as much as the first time they had laid eyes on each other over a decade ago back in Lothering, when they had been young and foolish.

Leliana gave her a little smile, "I...You know I'd like to but...I don't think Isabela would appreciate me tagging along," she replied, remembering just how jealous the pirate could get over what she and Hawke had shared before the Blight. "She didn't seem too pleased to see me when you all arrived here."

"Wasn't she drunk?" Hawke teased, a wicked grin appearing on her face then. Leliana chuckled.

"Isn't she always?" Both of them laughed. "How are you two, anyway? Still getting yourselves into all sorts of mischief?"

"She's...We're just...It's..." Hawke stopped her stuttering at once, realising she had no words to explain just what she and Isabela were to each other now, without making it sound like an invitation to Leliana, who she knew still held something for her after all these years. She now understood the pirate's reservations not to say who exactly had been waiting to see her outside the infirmary since their arrival. She's still jealous...But jealous of what? "Nothing," Hawke finished weakly, "Same old shit. You know how it is...Probably best you don't come along."

Leliana's face fell, apparently wanting and waiting to hear a different answer. The last few years had been lonely indeed. The time they had met previous, things with Lana and her pirate lover had been rocky to say the least, and that was years ago. Despite allaying Isabela's fears that Lana didn't love her when they had drinks in The Hanged Man, Leliana had admitted to the pirate back then that despite this, she still held a torch for the woman, one that just didn't seem to want to go out no matter how hard she tried and no matter how much she had loved the Hero of Ferelden. Travelling in such close proximity to them, even on the short trip to see Sten, would be difficult for her not to show her true feelings towards Hawke. Still though, it needed to be done. It was the least she could do after deceiving her. The look on Lana's face was a lot more disappointed than she had expected it to be upon telling her she would not be staying with them though.

"Are...Are you two alright?" Leliana asked softly, seeing Lana was lost in thought then as she recalled the last few months between her and Isabela. When the woman didn't answer, she reached her hand over the table and placed it over Hawke's comfortingly. "I'm here for you, you know? You can talk to me."

Lana grinned a little, enjoying the sensation she got when hearing Leliana's delicate Orlesian accent. "You always are, Lel," she replied thankfully, staring up at her with those warm brown eyes. "It's just...complicated. I wouldn't know where to start."

Feeling rather awkward, she slid her hand from under Leliana's and got to her feet, walking to the window and leaning against its sill, staring out into the darkness of the night. She heard the Chantry Sister follow her, hovering by her side. Please don't follow me, she thought to herself. Leliana was always such a warm person, and after months of Isabela's coldness she would find it hard to say no if Leliana got under her skin enough and through her emotional walls.

"Lana..."

Leliana placed a hand on the woman's shoulder, watching her as she stared out at the starry sky in the distance, lost in thoughts of her pirate love and lamenting what had become of them. "Talk to me."

"I'm fine," Hawke said cheerfully, smiling at her, trying not to give herself away. "Unless you want dirty talk. I'm always full of that."

Hmm, that was a weird thing to say to a former lover, she thought then, as Leliana chuckled and blushed a little. That was more like a joke that should have been directed at Isabela.

"Hey," Leliana soothed in her gentle Orlesian accent, "You're not fooling anybody with these jokes. I can see it in you eyes... It's just me, Lana. Talk to me."

Hawke sighed, knowing she had been found out.

"I'm lonely, Leliana," she revealed, feeling rather stupid in that moment for saying it aloud. It was true though, however much she wished it wasn't.

"What do you mean?" Leliana asked, confused. Hawke's head dropped. She leaned against the windowsill, her knuckles tightening in frustration, and sighed.

"Isabela...She...We..."

She cleared her throat uncomfortably. Leliana gave her a sympathetic smile, seeing her stutter again as she tried to speak of the Rivaini. "I see," she whispered gently, placing a comforting hand on the woman's back and understanding then. "When?"

"Two days ago," Hawke replied hoarsely.

"I'm so sorry," Leliana replied sincerely. She herself had done her best to keep them together after all their troubles back in Kirkwall and at Chateau Haine. "Come..."

She took Lana by the hand and led her back to the table, sitting her down and going to get a bottle of Orlesian wine from the cupboard. Lana stared into the empty mug Sister Leliana placed before her and watched it fill with red wine, while recalling her and Isabela's last frolic in the woods a few days previous (not to mention the pirate's revelation afterwards).

"Thanks," she said gratefully, raising the mug to her lips and watching her old friend sit down opposite her.

"What happened?" Leliana asked sympathetically, placing a comforting hand over hers on the table, like she had done before.

Hawke snorted. "Oh the usual, crazy sex then a sudden lack of it," she joked. "What didn't happen? We really had it tough, Lel. Kirkwall was just the bloody beginning..."

As Hawke launched into her and Isabela's story, Leliana listened intently, caressing her hand in comfort, her face contorted in sympathy in the dim flicker of the slow-burning candlelight. Lana forgot just how much she had missed her company in the last few years. For a few minutes it felt like they were back in Lothering again, two young people just catching up over a drink in the Tavern, getting things off their chest that no one else would understand or even have the time for.

"I can't imagine how tough it's been for you two," Leliana sympathized, when Hawke had finally finished, "From what I seen in Lothering, your relationship was always a strange one, but it worked for you...at least for a time. I can't believe Isabela slept with someone else! How could she?"

"Well, technically she had already left me by that point," Hawke replied, not really knowing why she was jumping to Isabela's defence, but feeling as though she had to. "She only returned because she..." Her voice trailed off then. I must sound insane. Hawke sighed and got to her feet, placing her mug back down on the table. "I have to go, Leliana."

"Already?" the Chantry Sister asked, getting to her feet as well. "You can stay here you know, if you want to? It can't be easy having to be so close to Isabela after everything that's happened between you two."

"I...Its fine," Hawke replied, "We're...friends..."

"Really?" Leliana gave her a sceptical look. When Hawke nodded she added, "Good," giving her a smile. "I wish the best for you both."

"Thank you," Hawke replied, smiling back. "I must get back before anyone notices I'm gone. They'll skin me alive if they know I've snuck out. Aveline will have me hanging from the rafters by my ankles."

Leliana chuckled, "Some things never change with you," she joked. "Since the first day we met you've always been rebellious."

Hawke winked at her, "Indeed. What's life without a little risk? Remembering some of the finer moments of our time in Lothering, are you?" she teased. "Windmills suddenly springing to mind?"

Leliana blushed, giggling shyly. "You're so mean," she said, punching her lightly on the arm.

"I forgot how easy it was to embarrass you," Hawke joked, nudging her playfully then walking towards the door and peeking out. "SHIT!"

She quickly blew out the candle on the wall then turned back to Leliana and knocked her to the ground, lying flat on top of her as the faces of three guards peered in the window. The two of them lay in close proximity, hearts pounding, hearing the voices of unknown foes outside.

"...said Sister Leliana would be here."

"Well, it doesn't seem like anyone's inside. Maybe we should check. I've been looking forward to this."

"I haven't seen a woman that fine in years. The Wardens really don't have enough women, and that ginger Guard Captain we just recruited has a face like an Ogres arse."

There was an outbreak of wheezing and jeering laughter as the Grey Wardens outside joked around together. Hawke's blood boiled as she realised they were talking about Aveline. She could only guess why they were here looking for Leliana tonight, and it sickened her to her very core. It seemed even the Grey Wardens had a darker side. Well, the do recruit from the best and the worst places in Thedas. This was nothing like the heroic, fearsome killers of Darkspawn Hawke had heard about in the past. Leliana looked up at her in the darkness, her eyes wide, coming to the same conclusion in her head. Lana could feel the Chantry Sister's armor sticking into her tender ribcage as she lay on top of her, but didn't dare move for fear of attracting the unwanted attention of what seemed to be a very unsavoury section of the mighty Grey Wardens. The two women lay still and held their breaths, listening.

"...Maybe we should check inside, Devlin. I claim her first. I don't fancy stiring your sauce."

"Oh shut it, Vernus. You wouldn't even know where to stick it. A woman like that needs a real man."

"Ha! And you think that means you? My mother's got more balls than you do."

The Wardens laughed once more as their banter continued. Hawke could feel Leliana's breath on her face, distracting her at possible the worst time. Focus, Lana. Now's not the time. She ignored the saliva watering in her mouth, the fleeting desire to lean in and kiss Leliana, and strained her ears to listen to what was going on outside once more.

"Why don't we go inside?" one warden was saying, "Can't see shit from out here. The window's caked with mold."

Leliana gasped then, knowing what these men had had in store for her tonight and hoping that they wouldn't come in. She and Hawke were barely armed and against three fully fledged Wardens, even they would have some trouble. Hawke placed a finger over her lips, silencing her, and then aised her hand to the handle of the dagger on her back, getting ready to pounce up and kill them if they set foot inside.

"Forget it," one of the other voices said then, "She ain't bloody 'ere. Let's just go to the tavern for another ale and come back later."

"Argh, damn it. I was looking to seeing what that bitch looked like under all that armor."

"Later," the other voice replied again, more firmly this time.

There was the shuffling and groaning as the men began to make their way back to the Grey Warden tavern, howling and laughing drunkenly as they did sure they were really gone, Hawke's hand relaxed on her dagger and she exhaled in relied. She got to her feet, pulling Sister Leliana to hers.

"Those men," she whispered, rushing to the window to check if they were gone. "I can't believe this. They were coming here to—"

"I know," Hawke interrupted, taking a step towards her, "And for that reason, I'm not leaving you here alone tonight. I can't.

Leliana turned back to her.

"You have to get back," she replied, shaking her head. "I'll be fine, Lana, I can more than take care of myself. And you'll be in trouble with the others if you stay and have disappeared without telling them."

Hawke knew that by "they" she meant Isabela.

"Don't worry about me," Hawke replied, "Let's...Let's just get some sleep. I'm shattered...My blasted ribs are killing me."

"You should have said! Let me see," Leliana said, reaching out to her as Hawke hunched over, holding her side which was hurting after tackling the Chantry Sister to the ground. She flinched at Leliana's touch, not wanting to get too close. Finally, she loosened up a little, allowing her to raise her shirt just enough for a better look. "Maker...That still looks bad," she said worriedly, tracing the bruised skin with a gently finger.

"I'll be ok," Hawke replied quickly, taking a step back and pulling down the hem of her shirt again, avoiding Leliana's eyes as she did so. "I'm staying, alight? End of. Let's get to bed."

"I...Ok...Thank you," Leliana replied gratefully, giving her a little smile. She greatly appreciated Hawke staying to protect her, knowing the woman would get scolded tomorrow by her friends for sneaking out at night without telling them. The two women walked towards the small cot in the corner. Leliana hesitated and turned to her friend. "Um...you can ...eh...take the cot," she said awkwardly, "I'll...take some blankets from the cupboard and sleep on the floor."

Hawke snorted, "Come on. We're not five years old, Lel," she teased, rolling her eyes, "And it's not like we haven't shared the same bed before."

"Yes, but that was when we were...when we...Uh-Hmm," The Chantry Sister cleared her throat awkwardly. Lana chuckled.

"It'll be fine," she reassured her, taking off her robe and dropping it onto the floor, "Besides, I've already seen you naked anyway. That's nothing new."

"Oh shush," Leliana whispered, blushing as Lana sniggered to herself, then kicked off her boots and slipped under the covers without further debate. Rather reluctantly, Leliana began to peel off the pieces of her armor until she was wearing nothing but her smalls. When she turned back to the bed, she realised that Hawke's back was to her and that she was facing the wall as though purposefully trying to avoid any temptation of staring at Leliana's nakedness, almost afraid of what would happen if she did. I have to resist, Lana thought, I must resist! The Chantry Sister climbed into the tiny cot beside her, getting shivers as legs brushed up against the others. She turned and lay back to back with her, both facing opposite directions, trying not to touch at all. After several seconds, and realising it was actually impossible get comfortable this way in such a tiny bed, Leliana cleared her throat.

"Um...Do you mind if I turn and...p-put my arm around you?" she stammered, feeling a little strange. Neither of them had ever felt this awkward in the entire lives. "There's not enough room for both of us like this."

Hawke hesitated, lying with her eyes closed, contemplating. "Uh...I...Y-yeah, sure. N-no problem."

Feeling she softness of Leliana's forearm as it slipped around her waist, Lana's eyes sprung open wide. She froze, swallowing hard, feeling the woman's breath on the back of her neck, making her quiver. Uh-oh...Maybe this was a bad idea, she thought then, wishing those damn awful excuses for Grey Wardens hadn't of taken it upon themselves to try to do something unspeakable to her friend tonight. I couldn't leave her alone. Lana's blood pounded in her ears as she felt the shape of Leliana's breasts press against her back, hearing the woman's sigh of contentment as she finally got comfortable in the tiny cot. Her breasts were a lot smaller than Hawke was used to, considering how blessed Isabela had been in that department. It was still enough to make her body tingle though, enough to send sparks shooting down her spine. Thinking of the pirate then, Hawke wondered what Isabela would say if she ever knew about this. Would she care? Would she do the same thing in Hawke's position? Something told Lana she would be furious. But why?She thought to herself then, We're not exactly doing anything wrong...And besides, she did sleep with someone else, however much she regretted it later. I'm simply protecting a friend, right? Feeling the warmth coming from Leliana's body pressed up behind her, Hawke's eyes remained wide open, with a million (mainly dirty) thoughts of Leliana and Isabela floating around her head. She knew then that, no matter what way she lay, no matter what position she placed herself in, no matter how much she tried, falling sleep would be all but impossible this night.

For anyone curious about the Leliana/Navarre relationship, read my story 'Bittersweet' ;)