Surprise! Merry Christmas (Albeit a little early)!
I decided to get a Christmas present lined up for my readers this month, and I'm going through and posting a bunch of chapters on different websites for different fan fictions. I got way too eager to post this one and my Zelina Star Wars one so I jumped the gun and just posted these ones early, though I'm still writing the other chapters, or at least scheming to get around writers block and technical issues for some of the others.
Plus, I have officially graduated and am looking for freelance on my own time remote positions, so I might have more time to write them, too!
Anyway!
Sorry for the hiatus. Here is the next chapter, sorry if she feels a little off character wise, it's been a while and I'm writing all my Femme Fatales all at once so some characteristics from the others might unintentionally blend over into the other characters.
PLLEEEAAASSSEEE review, it will help restart that writer engine of mine and keep me going while I try to get back into the swing of things.
ENJOY!
After Aurora's blatant and frustratingly easy override of their authority regarding a mage that apparently was not very liked by the templars in the tower, the templars got back at them in their own underhanded—but rather obvious—way, stating that they had no boats to spare for their small party to get to Redcliffe faster. Some of the group seethed, or were at least offended—Alistair, Wynne, and Leliana, basically—while Morrigan and Sten remained indifferent. Anders didn't seem that surprised, and nor was Aurora—she'd expected the templars to try and get even somehow for her undermining their authority.
She didn't like losing time getting to Redcliffe, especially since that was part of the reason they'd decided to go to the Circle Tower first, but it wasn't the end of the world. Their trip would be longer on foot, considering they'd have to go around Lake Calenhad instead of across it, but they would still make it to Redcliffe.
They only lingered at the tower long enough for Anders and Wynne to gather their possessions—which apparently wasn't much, the only thing Anders was really concerned about getting being his staff, which was understandable-and for Aurora to sell some of what their group had salvaged and pilfered on the way through the tower to the quartermaster. After they'd been all but dumped at the shore away from the tower, they got ready for their longer trip around the lake to Redcliffe, all of their stuff packed up and loaded into Bohdan's cart, and fresh supplies—namely tents and sleep rolls—gathered for their two new companions. Seeing the state that Aurora was in, her injury still needing some time to heal, and how weak Anders still was, the two of them were given the temporary privilege to ride in Bohdan's cart instead of walking the next morning. It didn't escape Aurora's notice that while they rode in the cart, Alistair stayed protectively close to where Aurora sat.
It also gave Aurora a chance to get to know her rescuer and one of their newest members a little better. It seemed Anders was about as chatty as Alistair, as he was the one who initiated the conversation between them.
Anders took a big breath of fresh air, leaning his head back against the cart. "Ah, do you smell that? That is the smell of freedom!" he tilted his head, glancing at the older of Bohdan's wares and Alaron following the cart. "It comes complete with the smell of dogs and dust, but the freedom's in there too!"
"I wouldn't use 'I'm a Grey Warden' as your ticket to freedom quite yet—we're not in good standing with parts of Ferelden right now. It might make you even more wanted to mention that," Aurora told him, resisting the current urge she had to just lay down and take a nap.
"I'm still out of that blasted tower, aren't I?" Anders replied cheekily. "So I'm to be a Grey Warden, then? I wasn't expecting that when I rescued the beautiful damsel in distress."
Aurora thought she saw Alistair fidget at the flirt, perhaps saw his eyes narrow slightly in Anders' direction, but she ignored the reaction, focusing on the mage sitting opposite her. She herself wasn't used to humans reacting positively around her, least of all flirting, but she was learning to take it in stride.
Still, his question made her glance at Alistair, an unspoken question in her eyes. He caught the look she was giving him, shaking his head slightly in response. She looked back at Anders, a soft sigh escaping her. "Eventually, yes. But we won't be able to officially make you a Warden…for a while. You'll just be a recruit for now."
"Well, so long as it means I'm not going to get locked up again, I don't really mind."
"Don't go boasting to the masses you're a Warden and you probably won't."
"Bad time to be a Warden, is it?" Anders asked, eyebrows raised in question. Right—he'd been in solitary confinement all this time. He needed to be caught up on what was happening, especially if he was going to be travelling with and helping them.
"Unfortunately, yes…have you heard anything about recent events from gossiping templars, perhaps?" Aurora asked. Anders shrugged.
"Hardly. A bit about King Cailan fighting darkspawn around the Wilds."
"Right…" Aurora murmured, clearing her throat before launching into a summary of Ostagar and the current state of Ferelden, what they had managed so far, and their plans. She also mentioned how their next stop was Redcliffe to see the sick arl they may need a healer for, which made it very fortunate that Wynne and Anders were coming with them.
When she finished, Anders shifted a little uncomfortably. "So I've been pulled out of the pot and thrown into the fire? Lovely."
Aurora shrugged. "At least you're out of the Circle—and we'll spend plenty of time traveling. Not to mention the templars can't touch you so long as you're with us."
"You're going to a lot of trouble for little old me," Anders said suspiciously.
"And the Warden who brought me into the Wardens put his neck on the line to recruit me—it seems to be a running theme," Aurora returned easily. "Listen…no one's going to keep you here against your will. But your help would be much appreciated—we're going to need it. And running around Ferelden with us is going to guarantee you as much safety as it is some dangers. Not many people are going to ask about the mage traveling with the group armed to the teeth. Besides all that...we really could use the help, all that we can get."
"Sounds like it," Anders murmured. "At least there'll be plenty of traveling-sounds like I'll see every inch of Ferelden traveling with you."
"Pretty much-we came from Lothering, so there's still everywhere else to go, and everything else to see. I hadn't traveled outside Denerim myself until recently, so it's all new sights for me."
"Denerim, eh? I've made it that far on one or two of my jaunts outside of the Circle. Didn't get to see much of it-are you familiar with the Pearl, by any chance?"
Aurora shrugged. "Not really. I know what it is, and where it is-but I rarely left the alienage and didn't travel farther than the marketplace."
Other than that one time I was at the arl's estate.
"You weren't very adventurous, then?"
Aurora shifted to hide her flinch. "I was-I am. I just learned early on it wasn't safe," she said softly.
Anders scoffed. "Of course it's not safe. Nowhere is, not really-it's still worth it to be free to explore the world, though, rather than be trapped in one place forever."
"I had other things keeping me home."
"Like what?"
"A sense of duty, perhaps. Family. Nostalgia. Though I did contemplate running away to join the Dalish a few times. There was more to keep me in the Alienage then there were forces drawing me away."
"But not anymore, clearly," Anders surmised, inclining his head as a way to gesture to their surroundings, indicating her current situation.
"Now, it's the other way around. There's more for me out here, a stronger sense of duty, other people. Not to mention it's safer if I avoid Denerim."
"What, did you ruin some noble lady's favorite pair of shoes?" Anders asked teasingly.
"Oh, no, single-handed mass murder-quite the horror show, worst they've ever seen." Aurora said with enough levity it would sound like she was messing around. "I ever show up again they'll probably mount my head on a spike for all to see."
Anders rolled his eyes. "People do love their severed heads. Really, though, what made you leave?"
"Maybe I really did kill someone-someones. Maybe I stole from the wrong person. Committed treason. Spoke blasphemy. Vigilantism. Summoned demons. Maybe I was just an elf living in a city full of humans."
Aurora was well aware that Alistair was listening just as closely as Anders was-though even if Alistair wasn't listening, or it was just Alistair hearing her, she wouldn't have said what it was. Nobody wanted to hear about what she did. She worried her companions would look at her differently if they knew. She didn't regret it-Vaughn deserved it, and everyone else she killed had been accomplices or tried to stop her. She just didn't want them to know. She wasn't sure if everyone would see it the same way she had, or if they would be disturbed by the level of brutal violence she'd committed, and she certainly didn't want to see any pity turned on her for the disaster that had been her wedding day.
When Aurora continued to simply gaze back at an expectant Anders with a faint smile that didn't reach her eyes, he shook his head. "Right, you're not gonna tell me. You do this a lot? Tell just enough to get someone curious, then leave them hanging?"
"I don't like to pour out my past to people. Where I come from doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm here, and what I'm doing now. Not then. Not what was. I'd rather that remain in the shadows of Denerim, not on the roads of a new life. Especially one that's been monumentally better...overall." She tagged on the last part as she thought of the tragedy of Ostagar, the current state of Ferelden, and her own current health, as they were both slumped over in the back of Bohdan's cart.
Then again, she'd had a relatively low bar for what was 'better' to start with.
Before any more inquiries to her past could be made, Aurora turned to the goods packed into the cart next to her, including the group's supplies and gear. "You need something to eat-don't even try to refuse. I'm no healer, but I can tell," she remarked as she tried to shuffle through their stuff to find the food bag.
"I wouldn't dream of turning you down, milady."
As he spoke, Aurora's search was interrupted as a familiar gauntlet-covered hand appeared to push some of Bohdan's heavier supplies out of the way. Alistair had jogged up to the cart and was currently lifting one of their food bags out from its hiding place for her, placing it carefully between her and Anders.
"Y'know, I'm injured, not crippled or helpless," Aurora complained as Alistair fell back to his usual spot, though it was in good humor. By the small smile that appeared on his face, he knew she was teasing.
Aurora pulled the mouth of the bag wide, grabbing a crust of bread and handing it to Anders, as well as a wedge of cheese, some preserved rabbit jerky, and an apple to start. Looking back at Alistair as Anders immediately started on the food she'd offered him, she lifted a pear in offering to Alistair, tossing it to him after he'd given a nod of acceptance. She took a crust of bread and some cheese for herself, famished to the point where she wanted to do a number on the bag in her lap, but taking care to restrain herself until dinner so she didn't do too much damage to their food supply.
Aurora waited patiently for Anders to finish before she spoke up again, handing over a waterskin to top off his small meal. "I almost forgot-you'd probably like to get everyone's names."
"It would help, yes," Anders said when he stopped for air, taking another pull from the waterskin. Aurora didn't mind-they needed their supplies, yes, but he was malnourished, and needed to recover. She still had all the coin from her trading in Lothering and with the Circle's Quartermaster, and had pilfered quite a bit of valuables in the Circle that could fetch a good price away from the tower-not that she was going to tell anyone that's where said valuables came from, or the money once she sold them. She'd lump it in with the profit from Lothering, if she could get away with it.
"Right, well, I already gave you my name. I'm sure Leliana introduced herself in the tower. The wise-cracking warrior following us is Alistair-" she earned a snicker from Alistair for that, but kept speaking, "-and he's also a Grey Warden. The slobbery one is Alaron, he's mine. Morrigan is the black haired mage-she's...not a people person, let's put it that way. Just as a fair warning. The glaring Qunari is Sten, he's...well, I haven't talked much with him yet, I can't tell you much. Not anything to put you at ease, anyway. Oh, and the two gentlemen driving this cart are Bohdan and Sandal-they're merchants that travel with us for safety."
"Are the others recruits as well?"
"Maker, no. Morrigan's mother-who rescued me and Alistair from the massacre at Ostagar-asked we take Morrigan with us for help. Leliana found us when we were passing through Lothering and insisted we bring her as well so she could help stop the Blight. Alaron apparently survived Ostagar and found us afterwards on the way to Lothering-I suppose he imprinted on me before the battle. Sten, I had put in my custody so he could fight with us, though I didn't conscript him. Finally, before I conscripted you, Wynne requested she come with us."
"Just a merry bunch of volunteers, then," Anders mused.
Aurora suppressed a snort. "That's one way of looking at it, I suppose." She shuffled in her seat, debating treading more dangerous waters in their conversation. He'd already done that for her, she might as well return the favor. "Might I ask...how long you were down there?" she asked carefully.
Anders shrugged, making quite a show of appearing nonchalant. "Months, probably. There's not really a way to tell how long you've been down in those dungeons, you know?"
Aurora felt a fresh wave of indignation rise up inside her at his words, shaking her head. All this time and the cruelty of men still managed to surprise her. She shouldn't be so shocked by now. "Inhumane," she muttered bitterly.
Anders didn't bother to hide the fact that he strongly shared her sentiment.
"The problem is that mages are tolerated—barely," he said hotly. "It's like you need permission to be alive! There's nothing a mage can do to prove himself, everyone needs to be protected from you. The end."
Aurora nodded, a bitter scowl playing across her features. "Seems to be the way of the world, determined to break down any minorities."
Anders didn't look very sympathetic-he looked borderline annoyed, like she was missing his point. "Yeah, I know elves have it bad, but I don't see anyone locking you up for being what you are."
"They do," Aurora said sharply, feeling her skin prickle at his words, a flash of vexation at his accusation that her people's suffering was less than the mages. "We're already quarantined into Alienages, and whenever something bad happens-sickness, crime, protests-we get locked in. When those doors lock, there's always death happening behind them. It's just not as talked about because no one notices or cares."
Anders had the decency to look chastised for his misstep, looking away only to find a judgmental stare from Alistair trained on him as well. Anders looked away again, ducking his head apologetically before Aurora. "I apologize, that was...unworthy of me. I just...I get so frustrated over how mages are treated-"
Aurora, relaxing now that it was becoming clear Anders hadn't meant to offend or at least hadn't been trying to be insensitive in any form, cut in. "It's easy to only think of your own people's suffering when you see it more than the suffering of others. I get it. I honestly hadn't given much thought to what mages go through before coming to the tower. It wasn't a problem for me living in the Alienage-abuses to my people, on the other hand…"
Anders heaved a sigh, leaning his head back against the cart and closing his eyes. As the cart rolled along the road, his head tossed to and fro from the movement, but he seemed unbothered by it. "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools."
Aurora smiled at that, stifling a soft snort. That would be nice. "You're aiming too low."
"True." Anders' smiled slyly, peeking at her without moving too much. "I want a harem, a banquet, and the ability to rain fireballs upon every templar in creation."
Aurora grinned, barely stopping herself from laughing as she was well aware of the trained almost-templar within a few paces of the cart. "Well, not every templar—they're not all bad."
"Don't make it technical, let me have my fun," Anders grumbled, though the shadow of his smile told her his complaint was all in good fun.
He seemed to be hoping to get some rest while they were in the cart, and considering how exhausting surviving that tower of terrors for however long must have been, coupled with the fact he still had magebane in his system, Aurora let him be. She stole another crust of bread from the sack that had been situated between them before securing the bundle in place among their supplies in Bohdan's cart once more. She, too, leaned back against the crate and got as comfortable as she could manage, letting her eyes close and making an attempt of her own to get some rest.
Aurora woke up when Bohdan came to a less than graceful stop, probably because there was a dip in the ground the wheel was caught on, that knocked some of the supplies in the back of the cart loose, falling onto or against Aurora.
She looked around in confusion, pushing the burlap sack of herbs off of her shoulder and lightly tossing some leather armor back to the top of the pile as she blinked her eyes blearily, figuring out where they were. It was much later in the day, with night approaching, and the group appeared to be stopping to set up camp for the night. Anders was already sliding off of the cart, looking a little better than earlier-he was still clearly malnourished and weak, but he looked like the magebane was wearing off.
Aurora started to sit up, grimacing slightly as her middle pulled painfully, some healing still needed, it would seem. Before she could even finish swinging her legs over the side of the cart, Alistair appeared at her side, not touching her but offering her his gauntlet covered hand.
"Would you like some help?" Alistair asked her. She noticed that he asked not if she needed help, but rather if she wanted help, still treating her as perfectly capable despite being injured, instead of treating her as helpless.
She appreciated the thought. She also couldn't help but feel as if her answer would show the level of trust he had earned from her. Did she trust him enough to show some weakness in front of him, outside of the moment she'd been hurt? Also, did she feel comfortable enough around him, did she trust him enough, for contact beyond the accidental or necessary touch?
The last one she had to admit was already answered, since he'd held her while she was being healed without any complaint or discomfort beyond the pain of her injuries. Then again, she didn't have much of a choice at the time, or at least had been in too much pain to care.
No use in scrutinizing the moment to painful lengths, though. No matter how she looked at it, this was a moment that would show how much trust she was giving Alistair, a moment that would show them both how much she trusted him now compared to when she'd first met him.
Hesitantly, Aurora took his hand, movements cautious and slow as she gave him a slight nod. "Thank you, Alistair."
Alistair gave her a reassuring smile, a glint of humor in his eyes to lighten the mood and his shoulders sagging in slight relief that she had accepted his help. "It's the least I can do. You watch my back, I watch yours, right?"
Alistair guided Aurora's hand to wind around his arm, his other hand supporting her by the elbow as he helped her ease out of the cart. Once she was no longer sitting on the wooden transport, Aurora was grateful for his help, as the stiffness in her limbs raced to the front of her mind, and the full extent of her weakness as she was recovering became evident when he knees shook trying to support her. Alistair moved from standing in front of her to beside, letting his other hand drop away for the sake of her comfort as she tightened her grip on his proffered arm and leaned into him.
"Steady," Alistair murmured needlessly as he guided her towards the clearing they were going to be using to set up camp. Sten was already setting up the campfire while Leliana and Wynne started unpacking the tents and sleeping rolls, Morrigan already disappearing to set up her separate camp. Anders had already picked a spot to sit by the fire in construction, and Alistair guided Aurora to rest across from where Anders sat.
As soon as she was on the ground, Alaron came over to lay down beside her, resting his head carefully in her lap with a whine. Aurora smiled faintly, scratching behind the loyal Mabari's ear to calm him.
"It's all right, boy, I just need some rest," she soothed.
Alistair stopped Leliana when she came close, taking a bundle of canvas from her. "I've got this, if you want to start looking for dinner."
Leliana murmured a thanks, soon disappearing into the woods with bow prepped in case she found something. Aurora was content to sit with Alaron for a moment, watching as Alistair helped finish unpacking their stuff before setting up his tent and Aurora's. Anders was staring rather intently at the firepit in front of him, and Aurora was sure he was trying to muscle past the remains of magebane and see if he could cast spells again.
"Staring at the wood isn't going to do anything, dear, until the magebane wears off," Wynne chastised the younger mage before she herself lit the fire, and Anders scowled, muttering something under his breath about being better with ice or lightning anyway before he settled for sulking and staring into the flames. Aurora felt bad for him, though she was relatively sure that he would get better once the magebane wore off-the realization of quite a bit of freedom would settle in, and he'd cheer up...hopefully.
Once Alistair finished putting up the tents-everyone else having already put up their own, and Wynne having some foresight to put up a tent for Anders after she'd finished hers-Aurora waved him over to her side again.
"You're done setting up camp now, right?"
Aurora's question was strictly rhetoric, and she was about to push forward with her request when Alistair gained that sly smile of his. "Not at all. I've just finished setting up the tent for the dog-I still need to start constructing my log cabin for the night."
Aurora rolled her eyes, gesturing for him to come sit beside her. "You'll have to settle for a tent for the night, Your Highness," she mocked, looking away briefly to coax Alaron into moving his head off of her leg. If she hadn't looked away, she would have seen Alistair blanch at the title, even if it was made mockingly. "I request you keep me company, while I'm stuck with bedrest and there's a warhound on me," she continued, looking back up at Alistair once she had feeling in her limbs again.
Alistair was already crouching down beside her, messing with one of the straps on his armor to get comfortable now that they were stopping for the day. "Of course, Milady."
Aurora couldn't help the snort that escaped her. "If I'm a lady, Alaron is the Maker incarnate."
Alistair gasped, a feigned look of offense on his face. "Such blasphemy!"
"Which part, that I'm not a lady, or Alaron is the Maker?"
Alistair chuckled, managing to get his splint mail breastplate off to reveal the simple tunic beneath. Aurora had the idle thought that the next time they were within range of a blacksmith-probably when they arrived in Redcliffe-she'd have to see about getting him something better to wear. Surely she had enough coin for some armor upgrades? They were both in need of a good armor change, since they were wearing the same armor from Ostagar, patched up.
"I'm glad to see your wits survived the tower," he said, a slight falter to his smile. For a moment, Aurora worried he was going to try and have that talk about the Fade he'd obviously wanted to have earlier, here and now in front of everyone. Thankfully, he didn't push the topic-he simply moved on, attention on the armor he was in the process of peeling off, piling it on the other side of him, away from Aurora. "If they hadn't, who would I trade witty remarks with day after day? I'd have to start screaming to stave off boredom, like I used to do in the Chantry."
Aurora didn't bother to hide her amusement. "Well, Anders seems to have a good set of wits on him. Maybe we should start a cult or something." She threw the mage a small smile after she'd spoken, letting him know she wasn't ignoring him or treating him like he wasn't right there before turning her attention back to Alistair.
It was Alistair's turn to snort in amusement. "The Witty Cultists, hmm? We'll have to get started on the heraldry, I'm sure it'll catch on."
Aurora laughed softly, shaking her head. His witty remark about the chantry, however, had brought a question that had been bubbling in her subconscious for a while to the forefront of her mind. She waited until the mood calmed some from their playful banter before bringing up the slightly more serious question.
"Why have you remained a templar if you hate the Chantry?" she asked curiously. Across the fire, Anders' head snapped up to fix Alistair with a startled, suspicious stare, though Aurora and Alistair were too wrapped up in each other's company to notice.
Alistair's sly smile returned in full force, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Have you seen the uniform? It's not only stylish, but well-made. I'm a sucker for good tailoring."
Aurora felt a faint smile flicker across her face, eyebrows raised in mock surprise. "Oh? I don't think I've ever seen you wearing it..."
"I keep it hidden under my pillow," Alistair said conspiratorially. "Sometimes I'll take it out just so I can hug it fondly and remember the good old days."
He sniffed, pretending to wipe away a tear. "Brings a tear to the eyes, you know?"
Aurora rolled her eyes. "Do all templars make these jokes? Or just you?"
"Oh, you know…between all the guilt and the hours spent in solemn prayer, any good templar or priest is just bursting to tell a few good jokes when the opportunity arises," Alistair said with a grin. The smile on his face faded to a doubting frown as he passed the teasing that usually preempted any attempts Aurora made to broach serious discussions about his life. She briefly wondered if what she did to deflect people from investigating her life was any different before Alistair claimed her full attention once more. "You don't really want to know about my being a templar, do you? It's really quite boring."
Aurora shrugged. "Then make up something more exciting."
Alistair grinned once more. "You know, I like the way you think...But I guess if you're really curious, there's no harm in obliging. I have a couple of interesting looking moles I can show you later, too, if you're interested." The way he said the last line had her blushing so quickly she felt the sudden heat in her face, sucking in a sharp breath and nearly choking on the sudden intake of air as she momentarily looked away.
Damn bastard looked pleased with himself that he'd elicited such a reaction. She wasn't sure how she felt about the comment, or if it made her the bad kind of uncomfortable or just embarrassed.
Once it was clear she wasn't going to be choking any more, Alistair continued in a normal tone, all teasing gone. "The truth of the matter is that I did hate going to the monastery. The initiates from poor families thought I put on airs, while the noble ones called me bastard and ignored me. I felt like Arl Eamon had cast me off, unwanted, and I was determined to be bitter. But I took some solace in the training itself, I guess. I was actually quite good at it."
"What did you enjoy about the training?" Aurora inquired, tucking some hair behind her ear as her blush cooled and she shoved his earlier comment to the back of her mind to think about later.
"The education, mostly, but also the discipline. You need to have a disciplined mind in order to use the abilities we have. It was difficult, but rewarding. I never really felt at home anywhere, though, until I joined the Grey Wardens. And Duncan felt my templar abilities might be useful for when we encountered darkspawn magic, so I kept it up," Alistair finished with a small shrug. The silence lasted a few heartbeats, before Alistair spoke again in a tentative tone. "What about you? Do you have anywhere you consider home?"
The question surprised Aurora-one, because she hadn't been expecting it, and two, because she hadn't thought of home, or even a vague concept of home, since she'd left Denerim. She looked away, staring into the fire without actually seeing the flames, a fuzzy picture of the Alienage in Denerim pushing from her mind's eye to project into the flames before her.
Constant squalor, having to hide half of her identity because it could get her killed, how freely the humans took advantage of and abused her people, what had happened to her mother, to Shianni, to Aurora herself…
She'd taken the full blame for the slaughter at the Arl's estate, and she was certain no one who knew it had been her had forgotten her face. The guard had demanded she be removed from Denerim when Duncan conscripted her, and she doubted she would receive a warm welcome, or even a mild cold shoulder treatment should she return and be recognized.
Even if she had a desire to return to the Alienage in Denerim-which she didn't, strangely enough, considering her father and two cousins still lived there-she couldn't, as it would put her life at risk to do so. Even if nothing bad ever happened to her, she'd never feel safe there, not truly. She'd always be looking for some human seeking retaliation for her crimes in the shadows. Even now, aware that they would certainly have to go back to Denerim once, perhaps twice, she was dreading the return, and what such a thing could result in. Not only for herself, but for her companions, as well-what if they were made guilty by association?
Aurora had to resist the urge to shake her head, blinking away the fuzzy mental image and slowly coming back to reality as she shoved the thoughts as far back as they could. She could feel Alistair's gaze on her as he patiently awaited her answer, the curiosity burning almost as warm as the fire before them.
She didn't have a home.
Not a place that was home, not a city or a village or a hut.
And yet...she didn't feel homeless, as some of the wanderers or elves in the Alienage had been. She felt...comfortable, content, surviving on the road with their group of outsiders. She had a purpose, as an Ostagar survivor trying to find some justice, as a warrior-or a rogue, more accurately-finally given the chance to exercise her abilities, as someone who had always loved to learn finally in a position where she could travel and grow, as a Grey Warden trying to save Ferelden, as a companion, trying to keep those traveling with her alive...as a friend, finding comfort and companionship in the human man sitting beside her, of all the people in Thedas.
"I guess my home is with the Grey Wardens, now," she said softly, pausing briefly before adding a hesitant, "With you."
Alistair seemed genuinely surprised, and she caught his ears blush a shade darker. "Really? I…I guess I like the sound of that…" He looked bashful, and for a moment, it rubbed off on Aurora, who shifted self-consciously and looked away, trying to keep from blushing and thinking of the deeper implications of what they had each just said. Alistair leaned in, just enough to catch her attention before he started speaking again. "We won't always be traveling like this, you know. Once the war is over, once the Blight is…well, a time will come when we'll have to think about having a real home again. Though that seems like a far ways off."
Aurora looked at him curiously, wondering where he was going with this, though their conversation was interrupted when Leliana reappeared through the trees, a few rabbits and a squirrel her prizes.
"Would you like to help me make dinner?" Leliana asked Aurora, clearly wanting to help Aurora feel involved despite being injured. Aurora gave Alistair an apologetic smile, coaxing Alaron off of her lap.
"Of course-what do you need?"
Dinner was only slightly more eventful than normal, with two new additions to their little party that needed to find their place socially within the group. Leliana was as sociable as ever, easily roping Wynne into conversation and even getting Anders to speak up a few times. Morrigan and Sten didn't join them for dinner, which was usual. Alistair cracked his jokes, Aurora joining in with some witty banter of her own. Anders deflected practically any and all personal questions about himself with jokes and sarcastic remarks of his own, though none of them crossed a line into being rude. Eventually, the personal questions stopped, and Anders relaxed, integrating himself into the fireside conversation without anyone needing to put him on the spot.
Once dinner was finished the debate started over who would keep watch at what times for the night. It normally wouldn't be difficult to figure out if Aurora volunteering to do a watch shift hadn't immediately sparked protest. Namely from Alistair.
"No, you're sitting the watch out tonight. You need all the rest you can get so you can recover before we reach Redcliffe," Alistair said in a surprisingly firm tone of voice. Aurora briefly noted she'd just seen a flash of leadership from him, and wondered if he was hiding more potential and capability for taking the lead before she returned to the matter at hand.
"I can still keep a watch, I'm not completely useless right now," Aurora started to protest. Unfortunately, their new mage companions were united with Alistair against her, and considering they were the healers and therefore ultimate authorities on what she should be doing for the sake of her health…
"He's right-until the magebane passes, the best thing you can do for your recovery is rest. There's plenty of people in this group to fill your spot with the nightly watch until then," Wynne told her, nodding towards Anders to show she'd been talking about him in the beginning.
"You shouldn't have to wait too long-I've already gone quite a while without any fresh doses, I'll be fine soon, and you can go back to staring into the darkness looking for any foolhardy bandits," Anders said cheerfully.
"There, healers' orders-you're exempt from the watch tonight," Alistair proclaimed, a little too smugly for Aurora's taste.
"I'm going to remember this when it's your turn to be on bedrest," she mumbled, pointing an only partially playful glare in Alistair's direction. After that the watches were divided out, with Alistair securing the first watch for the night. To Aurora's mild surprise, Anders snagged her attention when Alistair ducked into his tent for a few moments, pulling her aside to avoid earshot.
"Did I hear you correctly, earlier? Your friend's a templar?" Anders asked suspiciously. Aurora's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise.
"Um...Not quite-"
"Don't you think you should have given me a heads up that I was traveling with a templar?" Anders asked, tone suddenly hot. Aurora countered his anger quickly with a firm tone devoid of any hostility.
"He's not a templar. He has the training, yes, but he never took any oaths, didn't join the order willingly, and actually isn't very religious, from what I've seen. Besides, he's a Grey Warden-you leave whatever life you had before far behind when you take those oaths." Aurora's gaze flickered back towards the tent. "Don't worry about him-he'd not like anyone I saw at the tower, and if I understood him correctly, the only reason why he still uses the Templar abilities is because they're useful against darkspawn mages. Don't write him off because he got shipped to the wrong place at an early age-he's a good man."
Anders didn't look convinced, and frankly, Aurora didn't blame him. "But that's for you to decide, of course. Just...give him a chance, all right?" Aurora added, eyes following Alistair as he left his tent and crossed the campsite. "I'm going to go ahead and turn in, so…"
Anders nodded, following her line of sight. "Right."
He didn't believe her, and he wasn't entirely wrong-she already had it in her head to talk to Alistair before she went to sleep.
Aurora gave Anders a small nod and a murmured goodnight before following after Alistair.
Once he saw her approaching him where he'd taken up a spot for his turn on watch, he gave her a smile that somehow managed to look disapproving.
"You're not joining me on my watch, either. Rest," he scolded her, and she rolled her eyes.
"Relax, that's not why I came over here." Aurora made to slowly sit down next to him and he moved his sword out of the way, reaching out a hand to steady her. She didn't want to admit she was already weary from standing a while and walking around, though it appeared Alistair could tell anyway. Once she was settled, she tucked her knees together and pulled her legs close to her before looking at Alistair, one hand on the ground to keep herself steady.
"You said you wanted to talk, after we left the tower," Aurora ventured to say, despite her trepidation about the many things he no doubt had questions about from the Fade.
"I did," Alistair agreed, glancing at her. She felt like some part of herself was trying to retreat from his gaze, to hide, as if that would start some of the unwelcome questions he had. She felt like she stayed composed on the outside, though. Unless Alistair was aware of a tell she didn't know she had. "But I'm going to give you a little more time. Wait until you've got your strength back."
Aurora gave him an odd look, and Alistair expanded on his reasoning. "It will feel unfair to me if I tried to talk about it now, like I was taking advantage of you or something," Alistair said with a mild frown, and Aurora glanced away briefly at his choice of words. "I'd rather you had the choice to leave the conversation if you wanted to."
Aurora nodded. Since he was giving her the out, she didn't even continue the conversation, she just let it end there instead of pushing her luck or accidentally suggesting that she was open to the conversation now.
She didn't want to have it, and there were some things she just...she couldn't talk about. No matter how badly Alistair wanted to know. But when they talked she could at least tell him that it was something she didn't want to talk about.
Ever.
Alistair was the one who spoke up after the temporary silence, seeming to accept that she wasn't ready to go to bed yet and he was going to have company for a while. "I'm wondering something. I'd like to know your thoughts about some of our...travelling companions. Do you mind if I ask?" he asked curiously.
Aurora chuckled slightly. "Time for the juicy gossip, I take it?"
A sly glint appeared in Alistair's eyes, a smirk curling his lips upwards. "I've got this nefarious plan to go around to tell all the nasty things you said. That way they'll mutiny and I shall become the group leader!" Alistair finished his playful speech with an exaggerated evil laugh, complete with his head thrown back for effect.
"If you want to lead, all you have to do is ask," Aurora returned without missing a beat. As much as she was playing around and using her knowledge of-as Morrigan put it-Alistair's preference to follow, she actually liked the sound of Alistair taking charge for a while. At least then all the stress wouldn't be on her shoulders. Besides, she had the general plan laid out, he'd just have to guide them along the way and figure out details-which sounded easy.
After their experience with the Circle, however, Aurora had the sense that was much easier in theory than in practice.
At her offer, Alistair kept his joking air, but he was also rapidly backtracking. "What? Lead? Me? No, no, no. No leading. Bad things happen when I lead. We get lost, people die, and the next thing you know I'm stranded somewhere without any pants!" Aurora snorted at that, mental image and all, but remained reserved enough not to give a full laugh. He'd have to earn that one. And if she was figuring him out as well as she thought, that was probably a goal of his. He'd gotten short laughs, snorts, smiles, but he hadn't gotten a real, soul deep laugh from her yet.
Eventually, she was sure he would. They seemed to be on similar wavelengths with their humor.
"Seriously, though, I'm only curious. I've had enough time to form my own opinions and I just want to see if yours are any different," Alistair added after a few moments to together their senses.
"Only if you tell me your opinion, as well."
Alistair gave a brief, wicked smile. "Just try and stop me. Let's see...where should I begin? What about Sten? The way he looks at me, with those eyes...creepy. And he's so quiet for someone so big."
Aurora tilted her head to the side, considering without letting her gaze wander in the direction of Sten's part of camp. She hadn't talked to Sten really since setting him free in Lothering-not successfully, anyway. She'd have to try a bit harder, though. She wanted to know the people she was travelling with, if only to feel a little bit safer. "I agree, the Qunari are unsettling."
"Yet he doesn't seem quite so bad as the Chantry tells us. According to them, his philosophy is vile and evil, yet he seems so reasonable. And yet, he killed all those people. He doesn't even deny it. Doesn't that bother you?"
Aurora's gaze turned a little hazy as she considered her stance on Sten's...past. Was she really in a position to judge him? Sure, there was the argument that the people Sten killed were innocent and she'd slaughtered people trying to harm her and her people, but still.
She went with a more diplomatic response that didn't reveal the reason for her...reserving of judgement for what happened with Sten. She needed the other side of the story before she developed any solid opinions...and to get the other side of the story, she had to get Sten talking, first.
"He seems to regret what he did."
"Hmm. I'm not so sure that his regret means the same as it would for us. The Qunari sense of honor is...a bit hard to grasp. For me, anyway," Alistair relented before moving on. "What about Leliana? Is she crazy? Or do you really believe in her visions?"
Ah, yes, this question. Admittedly, her first impression had been yes. Leliana was definitely crazy. But that was also a knee-jerk response to hearing someone say the Maker spoke to them.
Now, despite being loosely religious, Aurora didn't think the Maker had spoken to Leliana, but what Aurora thought about Leliana's vision didn't matter.
Maybe it was nothing more than a dream and Leliana's subconscious pushing her to act on a desire to get involved and help. Maybe the Maker really did send Leliana a sign to put the bard in Aurora's path. Either way, it had pushed her to act to make a difference, and she was here helping them now.
"I believe that she believes in her vision. And that's what matters."
"That's...one way to put it," Alistair said with a thoughtful frown, looking off into the forest. "I don't know what to make of her. If you look at her when she doesn't see you, she just looks so...so sad. I almost feel guilty taking her away from her life."
Aurora studied him for a moment. He really was far more perceptive than he let on, to have caught that. Even Aurora hadn't noticed, and she talked to everyone-almost everyone.
Dammit Sten.
Alistair really had a soft heart under all that armor and muscle. Maybe there was even a soft spot for Morrigan, to some extent.
Far, far, far beneath the surface, with the way their bickering went.
"It was her choice," Aurora said semi-reassuringly as she focused back on the moment, as if her tone was meant to cast out that guilt for recruiting willing Leliana.
"Yes, I know. Still, I feel badly for her." Alistair sighed, and then his face morphed into a scowl.
Oh boy. She knew who was coming up next.
"Morrigan. Do you trust her?" Alistair turned slightly to face Aurora and emphasize his point. "Think about it...maybe Flemeth sent her with us for some other reason than she said."
Aurora's eyebrows rose slightly. "You really don't like each other, do you?"
"Well, aside from the fact that she's a complete and utter bitch, no...I don't like her at all. Why? Do you?"
"I like her just fine."
"Great. I am thrilled beyond words. No, really," Alistair deadpanned, and Aurora had to look away and bite her lip to hide a slight smile of amusement.
"She's not bad at all once you figure out her view of the world, get on her good side, and get to know her better." Aurora swayed slightly, almost like she'd planned on playfully shoving him with her hip but had decided against it halfway through.
Alistair mistook the motion for a sway of fatigue and reached out to steady her. She had to wave him off, planting both palms on the ground and holding herself up firmly with a flip of her hair to show she was still steady before Alistair retracted his hand and continued their conversation.
"You know, I tried to be friends with Morrigan...once...but it's like trying to be friends with an evil snail."
"...a snail?"
"Shut up, I couldn't think of anything else."
Aurora snorted again, shaking her head and letting the subject drop, waiting to see if he'd ask anything else. Wynne and Anders were still new, so she wasn't sure he would ask about-
"Now, I know he just joined, so I don't really have any solid thoughts on the matter yet, but I want to know…" Alistair started with a surprisingly serious frown on his face. "Anders. Why did you ask him to join? Was it just a return for saving your life, or was it something more than that?"
Aurora had a slight frown on her face, considering his question. "It wasn't just returning the favor...do you want the charged answer, or the logical one?"
She wasn't about to outpour her sob story to Alistair no matter how much she liked him right now, but she would at least have the dignity to give him an answer, if he asked.
"Give me the logical one, first. But then I want to hear some of those intriguing other reasons."
"Well," Aurora started gaze roaming slowly over the forest in front of them as she spoke in an even tone. "With all the danger we find ourselves in, we need a healer. And Wynne said he was extremely gifted in healing-from what we've seen so far, he's capable of defending himself. And from the news out of Radcliffe, we already agreed we were going to see if healers could do anything to help. If you're asking why I chose to conscript him, specifically, instead of just trying to remove him into our custody like with Sten...I didn't think it would work. They were pretty set on killing him. We already talked about rebuilding the Ferelden Wardens...but in the end I think I want to leave it up to him."
She saw Alistair frown at her from the corner of her eyes. It wasn't hard to guess he didn't necessarily approve of that last statement. "Conscripting isn't some wishy washy, 'oh, maybe I'll do it later,' it doesn't work that way. You conscripted him. He has to join, now."
Aurora shook her head. "I know how conscription works, Alistair, I'm not stupid. But part of my more charged answer, I wasn't trying to conscript a new Warden, I was trying to save his life. And I think he's been forced to do enough things in his life-I don't want to force him into more. Especially as the first step of what could be a new life, if he chooses it. If he decides he doesn't want to be a Grey Warden, I'm not going to stop him or hold it against him. If he does decide it's what he wants...great. I think he deserves the chance to choose."
Alistair mulled her words over for a moment, still frowning but not looking as disgruntled anymore. "Is that all to your charged reasons?"
"No...I also wanted to help. Clearly, it was hell for him in the Circle. He wanted out. I understand what that's like, and I wanted to give him a way out."
That was the short answer, anyway.
Seeming to sense they were approaching more sensitive topics, Alistair let a few beats of silence follow her words before wrapping up the conversation.
Maybe it was becoming instinct for him to do this kind of thing, with how much she avoided personal or sensitive topics.
"Well, that's enough of that. I think my curiosity is sated. You should probably get your rest for the night-you are one of the ones who need it the most."
"Damn, Alistair. Let me have a few more moments to get my strength back before you banish me from the watch post. Maybe I'm waiting until the uneventful watch makes me sleepy to disappear into my tent."
"You're surprisingly good at this excuse thing."
"Years of practice."
Alistair rolled his eyes, but-for the moment-he let it slide again, and a quietness settled between them. The breeze was a little cold, and the body heat was gradually leaving her, but it was still a beautiful night. There were a few clouds that covered some of the stars in the sky, but if a cloud drifted in front of the moon, its light was bright enough to luminate the cloud as it passed by. In the darkness, the shift of the trees in the wind looked like shadows traveling through the night air.
Maybe not the best thought to be having during a Blight. Definitely not after coming face to face with some shades earlier.
At least the ground wasn't muddy. Not here, anyway. It was hard and cold out here, which also told her she was going to want to sleep close to Alaron tonight for warmth.
And then, of course, there was the man sitting next to her. Since he was on the first watch, he was still in full armor as he sat on a larger log rolled into camp courtesy of Sten, his sword lying on the ground next to him since he wasn't far enough off the ground for the weapon not to be jabbing into his side awkwardly if it was still strapped to his side. The firelight caused his armor in the back to glimmer faintly, his face partially cast in shadow until he turned his face so some firelight illuminated his features instead of just slight moonlight. His eyes were suddenly dark, his stubble a stretch of darkness along his jawline that could almost appear as a trick of the light beard. His hair was slowly getting longer-he'd need a trim soon to keep it from getting too long. The shadows made his already gentle and handsome features softer, and she could hear his quiet breaths beside her through the night sounds of wind, forest creatures, and the fire behind them.
And, for the first time in a while, she felt safe sitting here beside him in their camp in the woods with Alistair on watch, hunted by Loghain's men, darkspawn creeping further and further into Fereldan.
Well, as safe as they could be with all that going on.
Not to mention...she was slowly feeling more like herself the more time she spent in their little group, particularly with Alistair, who helped lighten her mood and breathed life into her humor with his own.
And after how cold and rude she'd been in the beginning, she was still rather intent on making it clear how she'd acted when they first met wasn't really who she was...just bad timing for their introduction to one another.
"I wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your company," Aurora piped up, her voice a little...small, with the admission. Hopefully, the darkness hid the creeping warmth in her cheeks.
Alistair looked over at her, a smile creeping across his face instead of surprise, almost like he's been expecting or at least hoping she would say something along those lines.
"You know, I was just thinking the same thing. Given the circumstances, things could have been so much worse. I'm so grateful that you're you, instead of…some other Grey Warden." His voice was full of tenderness she had not yet heard from him, tenderness that made her cheeks flare and her chest warm. It came off as something more than friendliness, and she didn't even realize what was wrong with that last line until Alistair rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment and rushed to correct himself. "Umm…that sounded better in my head. I just mean to say that I can't imagine having done this without you."
"It's all right, I know what you meant. I feel the same way."
They seemed to share a smile in that moment, both of them well aware of the implications in what they'd both said...and neither of them taking it back.
"Now we just need to be rid of that pesky archdemon and everything will be back to normal, right?" Alistair said with a chuckle, chipping away any awkwardness that might form with the simple joke. "Anyway, I've taken enough of your time. Go, sleep-before I drag you into that tent myself."
It was too easy.
"Didn't you tell me you were taught to be a gentleman? Court me a little while before you make a move like that."
Even in the mostly darkness, Aurora could see his face flush at the comment, and he cleared his throat after a few coughs. "Maker's Breath, that's not what I meant and you know it. Stop trying to distract me, go to sleep."
"All right, I'm going," Aurora said, getting shakily to her feet and starting to walk away. She paused just behind Alistair, turning to look at his back. "Good night, Alistair," she added quietly before she ducked into her tent.
She shed the last of her armor she'd been keeping on for an extra layer of warmth, stretching out gratefully on her bedroll with a sigh, aching body relieved to be getting the rest as Alaron slipped into the tent. It seemed Alistair had set it up with the possibility of the war hound joining her in the tent in mind, because Alaron fit inside just fine. Aurora curled up next to the mabari from under the blanket for the extra warmth, and within no time, she was drifting off comfortably to sleep.
*Alistair's POV*
When Alistair woke up the next morning, most of the camp was still asleep, save for Leliana who had taken the last watch, and Sten who always seemed to wake up just before the sun rose every time. Since he was awake and moving around camp, Leliana had left her watch to find something for breakfast while Alistair tended the fire to get it to something larger than embers and a few pitiful flames.
The camp came to life fairly slowly by their party's standards, everyone still exhausted after their ordeal at the Circle, and at least two of their party still recovering from ailments of some kind.
When Anders emerged from his tent, though, he looked significantly better. A good rest and proper food alone could do that, but it seemed the last of the magebane was starting to wear off as well. The first thing he did when he settled down near the fire to warm and wake up was focus on it intently like he'd been doing the night before. Except this time, Alistair could feel the stirrings of magic in the air. It was faint, but it was there, and after a few minutes of struggle and concentration, the flames temporarily flared and grew larger before settling back down just as quickly, and Anders allowed himself a smug smile for his success before he focused on keeping the magic flowing longer for the remainder of the morning.
On the downside, he made their fire unpredictable enough Alistair was worried about breakfast getting burned.
Aurora was last to wake up, much to her chagrin it seemed. It didn't help her case whenever she protested that she was doing all right and recovering. Alaron trotted out with her, sticking right at the woman's side as she came out of her tent looking stiff and sore, her movements slow and careful like she was avoiding unnecessarily hurting herself. She sat across from Alistair for breakfast-right next to Anders, actually, which caught his eye.
How long did it take her to sit comfortably beside Alistair?
The group exchanged some pleasantries, the normal good morning's and how are you feeling's, which was better but not great for Aurora and Anders. Aurora talked comfortably with everyone around the fire-not just Anders-during breakfast, keeping up appearances despite her still healing injury. A few times she caught Alistair's eyes from across the fire, giving him soft smiles that would have been a little more surprising if it hadn't been for their talk last night that cleared the air a little and made where they stood in regards to one another clearer.
It was hard to tell sometimes with Aurora, with how reserved she usually was. So hearing her tell him last night that she enjoyed his company was helpful and reassuring.
Watching how easily she was interacting with Anders, however, made Alistair worry. Was it just him she had started out uncomfortable around? Was there something about him that made her uncomfortable to some degree? Anders was another human man, yet she was taking to him much quicker than she'd taken to Alistair.
Maybe he was a little jealous and looking too far into it...but once that thought wormed into his mind, he couldn't keep his eyes off of them or stop wondering. While they packed up camp with Aurora and Anders doing anything that could be handled while sitting down, while they loaded up everything into Bodahn's cart with enough room for Aurora and Anders since neither of them were in a state to be walking all day yet, and as they traveled with Aurora and Anders talking in the cart-Alistair watched them the entire time. He didn't know what they were talking about this time, he wasn't close enough, but he was sure Aurora could feel his eyes on her the whole time. No doubt he'd be getting questions about that later tonight.
By their standards, it was a slow and uneventful evening, and there was far less socializing going on during the walk as there normally was when Aurora was on her own two feet. They did, however, break around midday, finding a clear spot and putting up a single tent while a fire was prepared to make everyone something to eat.
And Alistair finally got an idea of why those two had been talking so much today. Sometimes it had looked rather serious while they talked, and considering it was Aurora and Anders who ducked into the tent while the others rested or worked on getting something to eat, there had been plenty for them to talk about.
It seemed Anders was going to take a stab at finishing healing Aurora's injury. They'd probably been talking logistics while they traveled, since Aurora had never been healed with magic before they'd been to the Circle Tower. No doubt Anders had briefed her on the process and what he was going to do to quell any nerves, maybe they'd even been building a rapport so Aurora would be a little more comfortable while he was looking her over. Hell, now that Alistair was thinking about it, he was a little nervous about how a simple checkup would go over.
So they were stopping so Anders could try healing Aurora, and not just for a meal. Normally they would have eaten as they got hungry and while they were walking, but this was going to take a while. Especially if there was still some lingering magebane in Anders's system, which Alistair was sure there was at least some left over in his system.
Some of the others were talking, namely Leliana and Wynne, with Alaron playing with Sandal and Bodahn. Sten and Morrigan were keeping to themselves, as always. Alistair, while he normally would have been conversing with the others, kept to himself for once, instead watching the tent Aurora and Anders were inside, which seemed extremely quiet.
Hopefully that meant things were going well.
He didn't sense any magic in the area the first several minutes, almost half an hour. But then the tingle in the air that he could feel with his templar abilities wanting to reach back brushed against his senses, and Alistair knew that Aurora's healing was officially underway.
It was longer than a normal healing session, and since Wynne had already healed Aurora's injury in part, Alistair assumed the length was because Anders wasn't at full strength again but didn't want to make Aurora wait any longer if he had magic flowing again. So healing her would take a little longer than normal.
Everyone outside the tent finished eating, the pot their stew was in sat in a pile of embers and ash to keep what remained of the stew warm for when Aurora and Anders emerged, and the group for the most part wandered off for various reasons of personal time while they waited for Anders and Aurora to finish.
Eventually, the magic in the air settled, but it took a little longer for Anders to emerge. Alistair expected him to leave as soon as he was done, but he stayed in the tent for some time.
When he did emerge-just Anders, as well, Aurora remained inside-there was the briefest moment where Alistair saw a truly solemn or serious look on the man's face that he had yet to see. It surprised and worried Alistair, but within moments Anders made the look disappear and appeared lofty and easygoing once more, coming over cheerfully to grab his portion of the stew.
"Is everything all right?" Alistair asked, gaze drifting over to the tent before focusing on Anders once more.
"She should be out in a few minutes," Anders returned, as if Alistair had asked if Anders had successfully healed her injury.
"I mean you looked a little worried, so was everything-"
"No worries-I was focused. Healing's tricky business, especially when you're fighting a leech on your abilities. But I'm just that good," Anders said with a cocky grin.
Well, it seemed he could keep a patient's secrets, Alistair would give him that.
Deciding he wouldn't get any answers from Anders, Alistair's attention shifted from the mage-who was now watching Alistair discreetly while he ate-to the tent, waiting anxiously for Aurora to emerge.
Finally, the tent flap rustled, and Aurora appeared. Alistair's concern was only amplified when he saw that Aurora seemed withdrawn and guarded, on edge, similar to when he first met her. Not to the same degree, not at all, but it was still there.
But she didn't shy away from Anders when he offered her a bowl of stew, so it wasn't the mage's fault, as Alistair would have thought first considering the abnormally long time in the tent. She didn't speak to Anders, but he didn't take it personally, so apparently he knew exactly what was going on.
And once again, she seemed more comfortable around Anders faster than she had been with Alistair, which frustrated him even though he tried to throttle those feelings into oblivion.
However, Aurora didn't sit particularly close to either of them. She kept to herself, eyes showing she was far away and she wasn't particularly here. She was in her own head, and after his glimpse in the Fade, Alistair knew that could be a dark place.
Before Alistair could think of something relevant to say that would distract Aurora from wherever her thoughts were taking her, Morrigan appeared out of nowhere to stand beside Aurora.
"I must speak privately with you, Warden," Morrigan said-ominously, in Alistair's opinion.
Aurora set aside her somehow empty bowl and stood up to follow Morrigan without a word, and Alistair was reluctantly freed from the responsibility of snapping her out of her thoughts.
Next time, then.
Instead, he turned his attention to one of their newest companions-one he had not failed to notice seemed to have grown a little jumpy around him since hearing the conversation between Alistair and Aurora about how he was trained as a templar.
"My templar training isn't going to be an issue between the two of us, is it?" Alistair asked. "I promise I have all the shiny perks with none of those nasty side effects. No lyrium, no vows, no successful indoctrination, just the ability to stop a darkspawn mage from hexing someone and the like."
He'd hoped the tinge of humor would help thaw some of the ice between them and warm the mage up to him, considering he'd noticed Anders seemed to have quite the sharp wit.
Unfortunately, the skepticism hadn't faded from Anders's eyes. "That's a little hard to swallow from someone who was a willing part of the Order."
"I wasn't so much a devout volunteer as a problem dumped on their doorstep, to be honest. I wouldn't even be keeping a nice shine on the abilities if the Warden's hadn't asked me to keep them," Alistair corrected him. It was a fair assumption, even if it was incorrect in Alistair's case.
Anders appeared to relent a little. He was still on guard, but Alistair would take being given a chance over being condemned on the spot.
"I'll try to avoid jumping to conclusions," Anders replied. He was still...distant, but he didn't feel quite so standoffish and icy anymore.
"Good enough for now, I suppose," Alistair, moving to pick up Aurora's bowl and start cleaning and packing up to start moving again, now that Aurora was healed.
He glanced over to where Morrigan and Aurora seemed to be having a quiet but intense discussion. He hoped whatever was going on with her, she was going to be okay...