Chapter 31) Lothering

Nuada POV

It was strange. This country was home, and this man chatting with Father was an old friend, but both were unfamiliar. Still, I kept the smile on my face, balancing out Elspeth's stoic observations by keeping track on the conversation. Even though the smile hurt my face, it was better than letting anyone know I was shaken. Ferelden couldn't be that different from Orlais, right?

"So, these are your youngest, Bryce?" Father's friend asked. His looks were Orlesian, but he's a powerful Arl here in the South. "Maker, I thought I felt old with Habren toddling about, but now I'm really feeling it." Surprisingly, the man offeeds his hand to us, instead of simply patting us on the head. "I doubt you two remember me at all. I'm Leonas Bryland. Your father and I have been friends for more years than I care to admit." His smile was warm, open, and that was unnerving.

But I knew to hide that. "Hi, Uncle Leonas!" I chirped, bright and cheerful. I took the hand enthusiastically, shaking it up and down, watching as his face softened further. "Nice to see you again!" Please don't be like Orlais. Please don't be like Orlais. "I'm Nuada!"

The Lothering in my memory was bright and cheerful, always on the edge of a festival, with people singing and skipping. The Lothering in front of me was probably the exact opposite. It was frantic and shaking, overrun with terror, and few people were out and about. They probably already knew about Ostagar and the Blight.

"You know, you could be helping us!" Blinking slowly, I turned to find a strangely irate Morrigan scowling up at me. It took another few blinks to realize Alistair and Layla were knocking out the 'toll givers'. "Well?"

"I think they have it well in hand," I answered after a moment of studying. These were simple bandits, and it showed in their armor and fighting. Besides, they were aiming to knock them out and, well, I was rather bad at that. "When did the negotiations fall apart?"

"When Layla said they were Wardens." That was an odd response. "There was a mention of collecting a bounty." There was a…? Oh, that was clever. It was incredibly stupid in the long run, but for something that had probably been conceived on the fly, it was quite clever. "How could you not notice?"

"I suppose there wasn't enough screaming." I smiled at her and she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Still, if there are bounties, then collecting information has gotten just a bit harder."

"They are fools to take us."

"Yes, desperation can make people quite foolish." She frowned and I shrugged. "Morrigan, have you ever gone hungry?" She shook her head. "People around here have. They do their best, but these aren't good lands for random foraging, and the planting can only do so much." That wasn't even going into how half their workers either had been conscripted into the army before Ostagar, or were about to be to rebuild the army lost there, significantly reducing the chances of getting a good harvest. "A decent bounty can feed a family of five for a good three or four months, and times are about to get even harder." She scowled, and I grinned. "They could, also, just be idiots. You might not be wrong!"

"I hate you." So long as she didn't try to hide frogspawn in my pockets like she did Alistair, I could deal with that. "How do you know all that?"

"Believe it or not, I did take my duties as a noble seriously." She frowned again. "You're already plotting a way to get me back, aren't you?"

"Yes." At least she was honest. "Something you know nothing about."

"I'm sure you can school me about magic." She smirked. "I'll gladly listen to your lectures later."

"Well, here's Lothering," Alistair muttered as we walked down the stairs. "Pretty as a painting, right?" If we were going with dismal pictures, then yes, it was.

"Ah, and you finally choose to rejoin us," Morrigan noted lightly. Her tone was joking, but her eyes were not. "And here I thought you were just going to fall on your blade in grief."

"Is my being upset so hard to understand?" Layla and I exchanged a long suffering look as Morrigan and Alistair fell into another argument. "What would you do if your mother died?"

"Before or after I stopped laughing." In her defense, I would probably laugh myself silly too if someone told me they'd killed Flemeth. It was still rather harsh. "Nuada showed no such inclinations, and I dare say he had some more personal stakes than you."

"Sorrow is not a competition," I interrupted heatedly. "Everyone grieves different." I reached the bottom of the stares and glowered right at her. She scowled right back. "That is the end of the matter."

"A-are you all right, Alistair?" Layla asked timidly. She gently touched his arm to make sure she had his attention. "You have been rather quiet."

"Oh, I'm sure he's fine," Morrigan snarked, crossing her arms as she hit the last step. "Idiots seem to be."

"Oh, I get it," Alistair sighed, rounding on Morrigan. "This is the part where we are so shocked you never had a friend in your life."

"I can be friendly when I desire to." Layla seemed to choke on a startled squeak at that. "Alas, desiring to be more intelligent does not make it so." I knew quite a few scholars who were the epitome of friendliness, and it was sheer stupidity to purposely alienate potential allies.

"Not even going to comment." Alistair sighed and shook his head. "Regardless, we should… probably try and figure out where we're going to go from here."

"I thought we were going to see if we can find information on the others," Layla whispered. Alistair smiled slightly in relief. "I am not sure how to ask around, though."

"You need a back-up plan," Morrigan pointed out, just a little testy. I sighed and rolled my shoulders, nodding in agreement. "There could be no information at all."

"Well, aren't you a ray of sunshine," Alistair snarked. Layla tugged my arm in silent question, but I shook my head. This wasn't going to be something that could be solved so easily. It was better to let them trade little barbs to prevent something worse from happening. "I must wonder why you think it's such a strength to be so cynical. After all, you're just going with the flow of the world." On the other hand, we were not going to be indulging in philosophical debate right now.

"Enough, she is right on finding alternatives," I interrupted, stepping between the two. Morrigan, at least, showed some reluctance in attacking me. "We're not sure they came to Lothering." We weren't even certain they made it out of Ostagar alive. "This is a case of being realistic, not cynical, for once." I hoped someone else took over with playing peacekeeper. I much preferred acting the fool and getting laughs and rolls of eyes. "So, suggestions?"

"I still think Arl Eamon is our best bet for help." I was glad Alistair was willing to let the matter rest for now. "Especially since we don't have any treaties." That was probably true. "I'd prefer finding the others first, but if there's no trail…"

"W-what about Fergus?" Layla whispered. A wave of pain shot through me at the mention of my elder brother, but I kept the smile on. "Would he help?"

"Fergus was last seen going into the Wilds," I reminded lightly, with a shrug of nonchalance I didn't feel. "If we were going to hunt for him, we went the completely wrong way."

"But-!"

"We don't have time." Anger bled through the words and I flinched and looked away, to the village filled with people who were going to lose everything. "It's not an option." I shifted my weight and winced as fresh pain ripped through my side. Maker, what did I do to aggravate the wounds this time?

"Well, looks like it's my turn to ask if you're all right." And I had a worried Alistair in my face. I smiled, but he frowned. "You can voice anger, you know," he pointed out. The notion was funny enough to almost make me laugh. I was close to snapping, yes, but there was no reason to encourage my temper. "No one is going to laugh or anything. Well, Morrigan might, but she's a bitch." I heard a wordless protest from the woman in question. "So…"

"Don't we have work to do?" I asked, still smiling. Alistair's frown just deepened. "I think so, yes?"

"I seriously worry for your health."

"I promise it won't get in the way of things." Alistair looked like he was going to say something, but he sighed and shook his head instead. I had to say, though, being around these three was seriously disconcerting. I'd never had anyone outside of my family pay so close attention to my mental and physical health. "Regardless, if that's the plan, let's just split up and meet at the tavern. I'll head with Morrigan." I could keep up with her barbs, at least. "Everyone always meets at the tavern." Though I sincerely doubted we'd find much of anything. "So, let's go."

So, the good thing about the bounties is that people were, in fact, keeping an eye out for them. The bad thing was that there were four separate bounties, instead of a more general 'Wardens' one like I'd assumed, with one for Aiden, Cleon, Layla, and Alistair respectively, meaning that I'd accidentally concentrated the danger instead of spreading it. I was mildly amused and disgusted there wasn't one for me, but I wouldn't think of the reason behind it for now. It was far more important to find Alistair and Layla before some would-be bounty hunters caught them and they were forced to defend themselves. I doubted either of them would take well to it.

"Why is the one for Alistair higher than the rest?" Morrigan growled as we stepped inside the tavern. She glared at someone who tried to shake her hand, making them skitter away. "He might be six months your senior, but a mage would be far more dangerous."

"One, Layla has an aversion to killing things," I replied, stepping into the crowd. There were murmurs and whispers, hinting of a conflict up ahead. "Two, I don't know and it's not important." The only thing that was… was how high they were. Was there even enough in the treasury to support those bounties, on top of everything else that was going to have to be done? Highever would lend, certainly, but we weren't in a state to do so for now!

"It could be." She… had a point. But it wasn't immediately important, and that's all I cared about for now. "You like dismissing things that you think aren't important. Mother warned me of that."

"Then you get to say 'I told you so'. I'm simply trying to be accommodating."

"I look forward to it." I just walked head first into a trap. At least I wasn't in a court. She'd do well in Orlais.

"Didn't we spend all morning asking about two people of this description?" That voice rang clear through the crowd. I took advantage of my height to see over some people, and grimaced as I caught soldiers in the armor of Gwaren standing in the middle of the drinking area. I couldn't see who they were talking to yet, but I had a very good guess. "Everyone claimed they hadn't seen them. It seems we were lied too."

"Or maybe they just got here, you miserable sods." To my surprise, a woman with a braid as long as my ponytail and a hunting bow in hand stepped up to glare at them. "Is that too much a leap of logic for you?"

"Please, mistress, stay out of this." That was Alistair. I could see the back of his head from here. Layla, I assumed, was standing next to him; she was too small to see quite yet. "You don't know what they'll do."

"It's Diana, not 'mistress', and if they cause trouble here, the templars will be on their asses in a heartbeat. Ours are the good sort, who care more for keeping the peace than hunting innocent mages."

"Protect these traitors, and we will exact the law no matter what your templars claim," the soldier growled. I twitched at the word 'traitor'. No. That word would never be associated with Alistair and Layla. "We will be within our rights." I caught a glow out of the corner of my eye and grabbed Morrigan by the shoulder in silent warning. Magic couldn't be used openly here. "We'll take the criminals in at once." I was almost there. I could grab them if need- "Leading the King to his death, delaying the beacon to ensure it.

I felt something snap in my head as I forced a smile on my face, casually grabbed the man by the arm, and twisted it sharply to snap it at the elbow. "A little pain is good for waking the brain up," I noted lightly, letting the smile fall as it got too painful. The soldier gasped in pain, looking up at me. I leaned back against a table to make it a little easier on him. "Did it work?"

"Who in Andraste's name do you think you are?!" he snarled, for very good reason. But I was angry, so I didn't really care.

"I am Nuada Cousland of Highever." The man instantly paled, and not just from the pain. "I was one of the three who lit the beacon." More of the color left his face. "Perhaps it was an unfortunate decision, but Cailan made his own damn choice, and I will not let you insult him or the Wardens by twisting the truth of the matter." I grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up, shifting to accommodate the weight. "If Cailan overreached himself, then maybe it was because a certain person kept constantly comparing him to his father and making him feel inadequate." My grip tightened and the soldier coughed. "It was not the Wardens who chose to leave, you son of a-!"

A gentle, calloused hand touched my shoulder. "Easy." A soothing voice whispered in my ear, the words in harsh Nevarran to stand out against the lilting King's Tongue of Fereldan. "It's okay." I knew this voice. I knew this presence.

"Hey to you too, Elspeth," I whispered, feeling myself calm instantly. I felt her lean against my back. "Yeah, I kept my promise. I'm fine."

"You're absolutely wretched to make me wait," she muttered. Her hand tightened on my shoulder. "Let him go."

I did after a moment, steadying the man so he didn't fall. "Tell him that Elsepth and I live," I ordered. There was no need to clarify the 'him'. "Tell him that there are still Wardens who know the true threat." It was not Orlais, no matter what his paranoia said. "Understood?" The soldier nodded quickly. "Then leave." As he scrambled away, tripping over himself, I sighed. "Alistair, for the record, this is why I try to not get angry."

"Duly noted." At least Alistair didn't sound too afraid. "Layla, you can stop hiding now." Of course, I scared her. Argh… "You were right. He stopped before punching someone." …Wait, what? "I'm sure someone more suited to lecturing will talk about the bad things about anger, but I'm… really not one to talk either when it comes to decision making and tempers." Huh?

"I volunteer for that," Morrigan offered. She gave me a sour look, and I wondered if it was just because I'd left her behind to be horribly dramatic in my anger. "I have a lecture already planned."

"Not sure if you're the person for that, but whatever." Alistair shrugged. "Who's behind you, though?"

"So, it seems our theory was correct," Elspeth murmured as she poked her head from around me. She had a hooded cloak on to hide from strangers, but I saw her wear a small smile anyway. "It is good to see you two are well, Alistair, Layla."

"Elspeth!" Layla gasped, lunging from Alistair's side to tackle my sister with an unexpected hug that took both of us by surprise. "Maker, I thank you for your mercy! Where are Aiden and Cleon?"

"Aiden is at the market where I left him." Elspeth hesitantly returned Layla's hug. "Cleon is at camp." They were alive too? Haha… I felt like crying from sheer joy. "Alistair, are you all right?"

"I-I'm fine!" he squeaked. I couldn't help but snicker as I caught his blush. Morrigan laughed out right. "Oh, shut up, you."

"Oh, that's reminds me!" I murmured, before gesturing to Morrigan. "Elspeth, this is Morrigan. She and her mother saved us."

"Then I am in her debt." Elspeth bowed to Morrigan and, to my surpsie, she looked a little uncomfortable by that. "Thank you, truly. I know Nuada is a horrible patient." Hey! "We can talk more on the way, though. It will be better for us to leave, and quickly." She already started for the door and I gestured for the others to go ahead of me. As they did, I noticed something that almost made my smile slip. Elspeth was limping. It was slight, but noticeable. How had… no, I shouldn't question. She was alive, and that was more than I could've hoped for. I was content with that. I had to be.

"Hey." Startled, I whirled, and came face to face to the woman from earlier. I'd forgotten all about her. "Sorry, the name is Diana," she greeted with a slight bow to her head. "That girl you were traveling with... what's her name?"

"Which one?" I asked cautiously, facing her fully. "There were three there."

"I know the noble huntress." If she was talking about Elspeth, she... didn't really know Elspeth at all. I'd call her more of an assassin than a huntress. "I'm talking about the mage who dressed conservatively. And don't say you don't know mages. I know those two were."

"Why do you want to know?" I would reveal nothing. "Are you a bounty hunter?"

"Me? Well, I hunt, but only animals, and I don't call attention to myself." She sounded almost bitter about that. "She looks a little like my sister, so I was curious, nothing more."

"...It's Layla. I don't know her family name, if she has one." That was a lie, but I would tell that to a stranger. "She might've discarded it in the Tower."

"I see." She sighed, shaking her head. "Sorry for the weird question. Get your wounds treated when you leave." How did she...? Wait, there was a faint glow in her hands, almost hidden by the gloves. I immediately stepped back, even though I knew magic didn't have a range. "I promise I won't hurt you. I'm not even healing you, at the moment."

I had some not so fond memories of that phrase. They never ended well. "You shouldn't reveal your secrets so easily."

"You did." My name was no secret, and any survivor would know who was assigned to the beacon. "Perhaps I'll see you again."

"Well, if that's true, then until then." Deciding to be cheeky, I bowed with a flourish and turned to walk outside of the tavern.

Layla was waiting for me. "Why did you linger?" she asked, tugging my arm. Her eyes were dark with worry. "We turned around and you weren't there. Elspeth wasn't fretting, but..."

"I was just chatting with the patrons and apologizing." No, that was what I should have done, but I couldn't go in now. Maybe if we lingered a day, I could sneak back and at least pay the owner for any damages. "I'm sorry. Here, lead the way." She nodded and took my hand to tug me in the right direction.

For some reason, her hand was far warmer than I expected. How... peculiar.

"Stupid shemlen and your lack of good timing!" Cleon's words might have been angry, but the way he clung slightly in his welcoming hugs and kept his head down to hide tears spoke far louder. "Idiotic…!"

"Are you going to cry?" I teased. This promptly earned me a punch to the shoulder. "Ow."

"You're the worst of the lot!" Cleon whirled away, going back to cooking stew on the fire as Elspeth partitioned out the supplies. There were enough bedrolls for everyone, but not enough tents. Luckily, the tents were large enough for multiple sleepers. "Ugh… I lost so much sleep over you lot!"

"Aw, I didn't know you cared so much!" Alistair laughed. He'd flopped next to Elspeth by the fire, carefully warming his hands. Layla was behind him, close enough for the warmth, but still unable to see the flames. "Morrigan, you can get a little closer. Or will too much heat melt your witchy skin?"

"I fear catching your stupidity," Morrigan snapped, building her own fire a distance away from us. She'd already stolen one of the few tents, and I doubted she intended to share. Perhaps the next shopping trip should include trying to procure more, as well as armor for Alistair.

"Oh, ouch, that hurt my feelings."

"Please do not fight," Layla sighed, pressing her back more firmly against Alistair's. She closed her eyes, looking even more drained. "We are all reunited."

"Well, mostly," Cleon said. He gestured for me to sit down, so I flopped next to my sister. She gave me a smile that quickly turned to a frown. Oh, what did she notice that I had forgotten about? It was going to bite me in the ass soon, just like always. "Aiden is still out. Elspeth, weren't you with him?"

"Yes, but we heard of a commotion in the tavern," Elspeth explained. She set down the last of the bedrolls and scooted a little closer to me. "I figured the only one who could be causing trouble with soldiers would be Nuada, so I went to confirm my suspicion." I stuck my tongue at her childishly and she frowned slightly at me before continuing. "That's all."

"I see." Cleon returned to his stirring and Elspeth started helping me take off my armor. I almost protested, but relented. She probably wanted to have it cleaned and fixed. "So, I'm assuming we'll be staying an extra day or two. Alistair needs armor."

"Yeah, sorry," Alistair mumbled, running a hand through his hair sheepishly. "It… well… broke up there on the Tower. Ogres don't appreciate fine equipment."

"You fought an ogre?" Cleon's face paled and his hands shook slightly. "Well, I'm glad you got off better than your king." So, Cailan had been killed by an ogre. Well, it was dramatic enough for him, if I had to find a bright side to this. "And… and Mythal, help me, Nuada, what is with those wounds?"

It took me a couple of seconds to realize Elspeth had long since removed my armor, and pushed up my shirt. "I know my clothes are a mess, but you didn't have to do that," I groaned, shifting to better glower at her. She simply shrugged me off and poked at the stained bandages. Blood was seeping through. "How did you figure it out?"

"You were sitting stiffly, favoring one side," she answered easily. A quick shift confirmed that. I hadn't noticed. "You also had your eyes narrowed, like you always do when you're hurting." Aha… Well, that part made sense because this did really hurt.

"I can heal them!" Layla dismissed. She jumped to her feet, heading over with magic already in her hands. "When did you get them? I did not know you were injured!" I scooted back as she approached and she stumbled into a stop, looking confused. "Um…"

"I'll be fine with a quick change of bandages," I refused. She took another step closer and I moved back farther. Elspeth left my side, likely to get bandages for me. "There's no need."

"But…" She still came closer, and I still backed away. "I can make it better now, though?"

I tensed at the words, tensed more as she reached for me. I remembered a time someone said that phrase to me, and the result was… "I said 'no'." I batted her hand away and winced at how she flinched, looking so hurt. Part of me wanted to try and explain, but… B-besides, I had a right to refuse. "I will be fine without it."

"I…" Please tell me she wasn't going to cry. Please…

"Layla, you mind making sure Alistair doesn't mess up this stew." Surprisingly, Cleon came to my rescue. He ruffled her hair, smiling gently. "Leave the stubborn idiot to me and Elspeth." Layla looked ready to refuse, but then she looked down at her hand and nodded. "Right then." He nudged her towards the fire, where Alistair waited with a comically scared expression that got her laughing before long. I was glad for that. "Now…" Cleon knelt next to me, prodding my stomach wound. Pain rippled through me, but I grit my teeth. "There's an odd magic on them." Hmm? "Did Asha'bellanar request you not get these healed by magic?"

"No," I answered, slightly confused by his reaction. But maybe that type of magic was better known to the Dalish. "There's simply no reason for it."

"There's plenty of reasoning. You ripped your stitches." Oh, so that was why it kept hurting. "I'll have to sew it shut. You mind taking off your shirt?"

"Well, if such a handsome lad insists…" Cleon rolled his eyes and mimed a blow at my head as I obeyed. "Looks like that's the only troublesome one. The rest are healing fine." That was good to know. It was hard to see the ones on my collarbone. "Elspeth, you have that needle?"

"It's right here." Elspeth dangled it in his face by the thread and, to my surprise, actually playfully tugged it out of his reach a couple of times before handing it over. It was nice to see her so friendly with others. "Thank you, very much, for volunteering to sew it," she whispered, prodding my temple with her finger. Knowing it was her form of 'punishment', I took it without comment. "I… don't think I'll be able to again."

"You might, if it was needed, but I'm here, so there's no reason to make yourself sick." Cleon sat down fully and took off my bandages. "I'm afraid we don't have anything to numb it."

"To be blunt, Cleon, I'm in enough pain that I doubt I'll notice," I informed him quietly. He gave me a questioning look, but a quick look to Elspeth made him shrug and set about stitching my wound. "…Thank you."

"Unnatural for you to be reasonable." I fought the urge to roll my eyes as Elspeth went to go check on Morrigan. "Say something that'll make me want to hit you."

"Alack, alay, I don't know how to comply with your demands!" That did earn me a bop. "Well, maybe I do, then."

"Maybe I should muzzle you."

"We'll need a safeword first." Well, that got a flush. "So… actually, maybe I shouldn't say that while you're poking me with a sharp object."

"A needle can't do much." A needle could do a lot. "Tell me how you got out of the Tower."

I hesitated before nodding. "Yeah, you're probably the only one who will believe parts of it." Where best to begin…?

"Well, I'm glad I bought that extra tent." That was Aiden's first response after staring at everyone for five minutes with an open mouth and wide eyes. "As well as bowls, rations, bandages…" He babbled out a list before shaking his head and grinning. "I am gladdened to see you all are well, just as we theorized." Oh, so they'd come up with theories too? It must've been the bounties.

"Who's your friend, lethallin?" Cleon asked, snatching the bowls from Aiden to dole out more portions of the stew that had miraculously survived Alistair. He'd tried to hand one to me, but Elspeth and I both shrugged and shook our heads. We didn't mind sharing; we'd done so a lot as children. "Hope you don't mind stew."

"I promise I'm not picky," the woman laughed, stepping to accept the bowl with a smile. She bore a soft, but distinct Orlesian accent, though she wore the robes of a Fereldan Chantry sister. "My name is Leliana. Aiden has graciously allowed me to join your company." That name was familiar… oh, wait, I knew her. She was one of the bards in Marjolaine's employ, though not one of the ones she'd sent to try and tempt Fergus. She seemed… softer now, warmer, but I was still certain of her face. "Don't worry. I know my way around bows and knives." I glanced at Elspeth, curious if she'd recognized her as well. Noticing my gaze, she nodded, frowning slightly. I thought a little about it and shrugged. After all, the only danger from her would be if she were trying to assassinate one of us and only an idiot put out a contract on a Warden, especially with darkspawn about. She was a bit more hesitant before agreeing with a simple nod and slight smile.

"What are you two talking about?" I blinked slowly at Morrigan's question. She frowned heavily at us, eyes darting our faces. "Well?" she demanded, crossing her arms. Her half-eaten stew sat at her feet. "Tell me."

"Why should we tell you about our private conversation?" I asked back, smiling as she scowled. "It's nothing important anyway." I glanced again at Elspeth, who nodded. We'd watch her, of course, but no need to talk about it here. "So don't worry about it." Morrigan's scowl deepened, but I just continued to smile. "Are you done with your food?" With a small start, she picked up her bowl and continued eating. "I thought so."

"You took a while to get back," Alistair noted, speaking around the spoon in his mouth. He was sitting between Elspeth and Layla, and I used him as a very convenient shield when Layla started frowning at me worriedly. "Everything all right?"

"I…" Aiden's eyes flickered in pain before shaking his head. "Unfortunately, some farmers recognized me from the bounty, and tried to ambush me," he mumbled, sitting down between Layla and Cleon with his bowl of stew in hand. "I was fortunate Leliana came when she did. She spun quite a story to convince the templars I was completely innocent of wrong doing." A bard had to be a talented liar, almost by trade. "That's when she offered to help, though I know not why."

"I feel it is the Maker's wish," Leliana answered easily, sitting next to Morrigan. Morrigan, of course, glared at her, but Leliana ignored it, digging into the stew. "And I didn't just happen to be there, as I told you before. I had been looking for you." I really hoped that just meant she was a good intentioned crazy person, and not sent to spy. It wouldn't change much, but it might cause complications later.

"Did you have to kill them, Aiden?" Layla asked softly, cupping her bowl in her lap. Her face fell when Aiden winced. "I see. I suppose… you did not have a choice…"

"So, if it wasn't obvious before, those bounties mean we can't stay in places for long," Cleon pointed out. He seemed perfectly comfortable with the notion as he sat back on his heels, but, then again, as a Dalish, he was likely very used to moving around. "We need to leave soon." But no one had an answer as to where, and the crackling fire filled the far too long silence.

"Well, we do have the treaties, but perhaps we should wait a day to decide on what to do with them?" Aiden suggested hesitantly after he ate all of his food. His eyes flitted over all of us, as if begging someone else to take charge. His gaze lingered longest on me, likely because I was technically one of the highest ranked person here, but I paid attention to Elspeth, who seemed more than content with Aiden leading. That was enough for me. "We are tired, and have just reunited, so…"

"Sounds good to me!" Alistair laughed, easing the tension somewhat. "So, how are sleeping arrangements going to go? Sneaky witch thief over there stole one and I somehow doubt she'll share."

"Leliana, Layla, and I can share one," Elspeth offered. For a split second, I thought it strange, but then realized it was the perfect place to keep an eye on her, and that was enough for her to swallow her discomfort around strangers. "I think the three of us are small enough."

"So, that just leaves us boys to divide the last two tents, yeah?" I asked, reaching back to undo my ponytail and finger-comb my hair. I'd borrow a brush from Elspeth in the morning. "Cleon would probably prefer to be away from my sense of humor in the evenings." A laugh bubbled out at Cleon's playful nod. "Since Alistair has a similar sense of humor, that rules him out too."

"So, we throw the two smartasses together and let them joke their ears off," Cleon declared. Without meaning to, I laughed again. "Is that all right with you, Aiden?" He paused before grimacing. "I want to make it clear that it's their sense of humor I have a problem with, not that they are shemlen, because otherwise this is going to be awkward."

"I probably would be too tense to sleep around them for the same reason," Aiden muttered. The sudden wide eyes and darkening of his face made me wonder if that was meant to be aloud. "B-begging your pardon, my lord, Warden Alistair."

"One, you're a Warden too, so don't call me that," Alistair informed him cheerfully, but there was strain in his smile and panic in his eyes. Why? "Two, considering some of the things I've heard, I can't say I blame you." Aiden still looked mortified. "So, is it sleep time? Because I'm about to pass out."

"With the amount you ate, I am not surprised," Layla gently teased, earning a laugh from the group. "I am… tired myself, though."

"I'm afraid I'm still eating, so you two go on ahead," Leliana urged, smiling as she set her spoon down. "I'll join you when I'm done."

"That sounds wonderful."

There were a few other murmurs, excuses, as people either closed in around the fire or went to their tents. I debated staying up, but the wounds were still keening, so it would probably be best to rest and try not to stress them. So, after pressing my forehead to Elspeth's in a silent goodnight, I followed Alistair into one of the tents, stepping past him when he stopped in the middle of the entrance.

I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw the bedrolls already spread up, opened slightly to make it easier to get in. "Well, it's nice to see a familiar sight," I noted with a small grin. Elspeth had always done the same when we had to camp out, and it was comforting she continued it now. "This is perfect." Noticing Alistair still lingering behind, I chose a roll at random and flopped down on it. "Hey, these are good quality." It must've been because we managed to raid the leftover treasury before… no, damn it, I didn't need to remember.

"Way more comfortable than the ones I had during training," Alistair agreed, sitting on the other bedroll. "Shame we don't have any caramels."

"Where did that come from?" I sat up and pulled off my shirt, storing it under the bedroll for a little bit of an extra pillow.

"Cullen would give them to me." Who? "Ah, right, sorry. Cullen was one of the trainees with me, though he was super studious, so he got to take his vows early." I glanced back and noticed Alistair smiling nostalgically. "His sister, Mia, would constantly send him sweets, especially these caramel things, and he'd share them with me. We'd often share tents during the training camping, so I started craving them."

"Caramel treats are cheap closer to the mountains." Satisfied with the makeshift pillow, I worked on setting my shield where I could grab it easily, yet wouldn't crash down and give us heart attacks. "There's this village called Honnleath just within the Arling of Redcliffe that has some of the best I've ever had. If we get a chance, maybe we should buy some."

"Sounds good." There was some silence for a moment, and I heard sounds of metal suggesting Alistair was also setting up his weapons for the night. "Those wounds you have…" he began just when the silence was about to get stifling. I bit back a sigh and tensed for the expected questions of why I wasn't letting the mage heal me. So, of course, he said nothing of it. "They don't fit."

"Hmm?" Having finally gotten my uncooperative shield in a good place, I set my sword close by and slipped inside the bedroll, back to Alistair. "What do you mean?"

"Where the wounds are. You shouldn't have any. Not based on your armor." …Ah. "In fact, based on the placement, there are wounds I would expect to have myself, but don't. Rather curious, yes?"

"Alistair, it's been a long day." I wasn't going to explain this. "Let's just go to sleep."

"Yeah, good point. I'm sure this is just rambling theories of the exhausted." I snorted at the joke. "But, you know… Layla really does want to help you. Just consider it." I pretended to be asleep to avoid having to commit an answer. "Sweet dreams, Nuada."

Unfortunately, even as Alistair became lost in his dreams, sleep eluded me, trapped in my thoughts. I knew Layla wanted to help. She really wanted to. She was pushy over it. That was the problem. That's why all of my warning bells rung with each insistence. Just why would someone be so eager to heal a fellow who had already said 'no'? It reminded me of Orlais and the Game, with people so eager to get others in their debts. It might not matter, with her being an ally, but the mages of the Circle had their own politics, and it could be as cutthroat as the Game. Granted, she looked innocent, acted innocent, but was it all an act? I didn't… think so, but betrayal was painful. I didn't want another one so soon.

Then there were even darker questions. Was she like that healer in Antiva who…?

It was easier just to forget everything and sleep. I had duties to uphold, and none of them involved remembering things that no longer mattered, because the lessons they gave, I knew from long ago. Just sleep and forget. It was so much easier.

Author's notes: Whee, the gang is all together! …Maker, I hope I can balance everyone… anyway, not a lot here. Just… getting the group together, and getting Leliana off screen. Sten shall join next chapter. I like the interpretation that Morrigan is actually pretty sheltered and naïve for all of her cynicism, for multiple reasons, including making her a good counterpart to Layla. I'm choosing to believe that the Chantry Uniforms differ between different countries, considering how I think they've looked different in all three games. If you're wondering about the Cullen reference, Cullen is the same age as Alistair according to Word of Bioware (or a year younger), so there's a decent chance they'd been in training together until Cullen became a templar at eighteen (according to Inquisition). I find this mental image hilarious, SO.

Next Chapter – Attack on Lothering with Cleon.