An awkward and tense silence permeates between them as Alistair leads Ana to a half-crumbling building at the far end of camp. The light breeze blowing through the ruins and wafts the smell of warm food past them and Ana feels her stomach knot up in response. As they approach the structure, she notices the line and groans. "A line at this hour?" She complains making her companion roll his eyes.
"Many of these people may be new to Ostagar as you are." He says tightly, his own stomach rumbling with expectation. "It shouldn't be too long. Look." She turns to look as he points past her as the line moves forward a little. "It's already moving."
"Yeah, slowly." She complains. Crossing her arms over her chest, she pouts as she watches the line. "This better be some of the best food I've ever tasted."
Sighing, Alistair turns away from her so she can't see him roll his eyes. Finally, when it's their turn, Alistair grabs a bowl and tries to hand her one but she ignores him.
"Excuse me." She says sweetly to one of the men ladling out stew to the soldier ahead of her. Wiping his nose on his sleeve, he looks up at her with his watery, bloodshot eyes and tries to resist the urge to scrunch up her nose. "I'll take roasted pigeon or duck if you have it."
The unkempt woman standing beside him looks over at her, her eyes moving looking her up and down before snorting derisively. Ana barely hears her mutter something under her breath which is something along the lines of "Wrong tent, Princess."
Ana pointedly ignores her and waits a moment as the main watches her with a bored expression before sighing. "All we have is Mabari stew."
Ana wrinkles her nose as her eyes flick toward the half empty cauldron before him. "What?"
"I know it sounds gruesome but it's not made of mabaris." Alistair reassures from beside her. "It's just all types of meat thrown into a stew like how mabari eat all types of meat. It's actually quite tasty once you get used to it."
She doesn't even look at him. Instead looks at the man with a horrified expression. "Is this what you feed the king?" She says crudely.
"Of course not!" The woman exclaims. "The king has his own private cooks."
"Listen, sweetheart." The watery-eyed man interrupts. "Are you going to have the stew or not? If not, move along so that the people behind you can eat."
Glancing behind Alistair, Ana sees the tired and annoyed people standing patiently in line. Two of the men waved her on impatiently while a few others simply glower at her.
"Hurry up, girl." The man urges. Ana's eyes once more glance at the pot with a grimace before Alistair sighs and thrusts his bowl out ahead her.
"Yes, she'll take some stew." He says quickly, his cheeks pinkening. "We both will… please."
"As you wish, Warden." The man says, ladling up some stew and plopping it in Ana's bowl then in Alistair's before motioning them on. Handing the bowl to Ana, Alistair urges her on, trying to not touch her in the process for fear of being yelled at again.
Once in front of the woman, she plops a hunk of dark bread in the bowl and some of the stew sprays Ana who flinches as it lands on the small opening of her shirt and her chest. She glares at the woman who only smirks before waving her on.
With a muttered apology to the woman, Alistair motions for Ana to follow him as he takes a seat the one of the few vacant tables and waits as Ana sits down across from him. Setting her stew down, she glances down at the opening of her shirt. "Great." She mutters.
Shoveling a spoonful of stew in his mouth, he pauses as he looks up as Ana opens up the top of her shirt and wipes the spilled stew off the tops of her breasts. Watching, Alistair swallows and quickly averts his eyes at his own stew.
"She did that on purpose." Ana murmurs, trying in vain to wipe the stew stain now on the fabric around the opening. "I was just simply asking a question." She looks up to see Alistair quietly eating his stew and her brows draw together. "Hello?" She snips. "Are you listening to me?"
"You insulted the food." He says, not looking up. "Perhaps try to be nicer next time. You know what they say about catching flies."
"Nicer?" She hisses. "I was nice! I simply asked if this was the food the king ate and what do I get? Stew splattered on me! Look!"
Subtly shifting under the table from his growing arousal from his brief glance, he shrugs. "I seen. After the Joining, you'll be issued a new uniform to replace your current clothes."
Ana's eyes narrow at him. "Why won't you look at me, Alistair? Afraid I'll bewitch you with my beauty or something?" She sneers.
Looking up, he keeps his eyes trained on her face and could feel the blush radiating up from his collar as he resisted the urge to look down once more at the tops of her breasts showing in the opening of her shirt. "You should eat. It's going to be a long couple days while we're waiting for that other recruit."
The pang of grief wells up in her stomach and she looks away, nodding. "Yes." She says, quietly as she pushes around the grey-ish slop in her bowl. "Hopefully he comes soon."
"So, it's a man." Alistair says, curiously watching her thoughtful expression. "Do you know him? Is he from Highever as well?"
She looks at him and her gaze hardens. "You ask a lot of questions." She snips. "Perhaps you should ask Duncan if you want more details."
A wave of emotions wash over her and she feels the tears begin to well up as she abruptly rises from her seat. She feels her stomach rumble and snatches up the bread from her stew as she looks down her nose at a confused looking Alistair. "I need some air." She mutters before storming off.
His brows furrow as he watches her storm out of the mess tent. "What did I say?"
The sky is a dusky pink, purple and blue and the sun hangs low and partially hidden by the dark purple Southron Hills when Alistair finally finds his charge. Ana sits on the edge of an old walkway at the far edge of camp, her legs dangling off the cliff overhanging above the forest filled valley below. She leans next to pillar to where she had been weeping for the past couple hours over everything that has happened recently.
"Don't jump!" Alistair calls out jokingly, only to receive an annoyed look. His smile falls as he comes to a halt a few feet away. He awkwardly clears his throat. "I've been looking for you."
"Yeah? Well, you found me." She mutters, turning to look back at the foggy treetops below. "Now you can go away."
He sighs. "I would love to let you sit here all night looking out at trees." He says. "It would help the lookouts. However, if you can recall, when Duncan sent us to the mess tent, he stated that I was to show you around a little then return you to his tent to discuss sleeping arrangements. Seeing as it's almost dark, now would be a good time to figure out where you're sleeping."
As much as she wanted to argue, he had a point. She was tired from the day's journey and from crying the past few hours. Sleep was a welcome distraction. "Fine." She mutters, carefully standing up. She turns away from him and hugs the pillar for support to both help her off the edge and to stealthily her wipe her tears away with her sleeve.
They walk in an awkward silence back toward the bulk of camp, passing patrolling soldiers to a campfire surrounded by men in the famous grey and blue tunics of the Grey Wardens lounged about, nursing their bottles of conscription wine. As they approach the group, one of the younger wardens glances over with a smirk. "What do you have there, Alistair?" He teases. "A girl? About time!" Those nearby glance over and chuckle while Alistair's face reddens.
"Settle down. I'm just bringing her to the Warden-commander." Alistair starts to protest before being cut off.
"Oh, so she's the Commander's?" The man smirks, his eyes moving over Ana's form in the light of the fire and licking his lips. "He has good tastes. She looks like—"
Hearing the others mention him, Duncan – who had just been discussing the newest recruits with one of the other Senior wardens— turns to look at the blushing Alistair and an annoyed looking Ana. Ana glares at the man and is about to say something when Duncan quickly intercedes.
"That's enough." He gently chides the others before turning to look at his youngest warden and new recruit. "There you two are." He says, approaching them. The warden who was just teasing Alistair calls out to the Commander to congratulate him on his choice in bedmate only to receive a look that instantly silences him which makes his fellows snicker. Duncan turns his gaze back to Alistair. "Thank you, Alistair. You may turn in for the night, if you wish. Ana will be in my care."
Alistair bows his head before offering a small, friendly smile to Ana. "Good night, Ana. I'll most likely see you tomorrow at the mess tent."
His smile falls as she says nothing. She doesn't even look his way until she notices Duncan raising a brow at her. Sighing, she turns to him. "Yes. Goodnight."
Alistair walks dejectedly away to the campfire as Duncan motions for her to follow. Shifting her ill-fitting corset, she curses under her breath.
"Did something happen between you two?" Duncan asks, referring to the coldness between Alistair and her. She shrugs.
"I just don't see why he of all wardens was sent to help me." She says. "He's terrible at making conversation and he's rude."
Duncan chuckles. "Rude?"
She pauses so does he. "He implied that I'm an idiot and then told me I should be nicer to people after simply asking a question to the servers in the mess tent."
Duncan's brows shoot upward. "We're still talking about Alistair?"
She crosses her arms over her chest with a scowl. "Yes. Do you not believe me?"
He shakes his head as he tries to think of what could make the shy Alistair say such a thing. While asking somebody like Ana to be nicer to people sounds like him, he has never heard him insult a woman, of all people, outright. The poor boy is a good swordsman and takes his Warden duties seriously yet he does have a tendency to speak without thinking. Motioning for her to once more follow him, he waits to speak until they reach his tent. Pausing to open the flap for her, he follows her in and pauses near the war table at the far end. "If you don't mind, My Lady," Duncan begins. "Tell me about what led up to Alistair insulting your intelligence."
Ana, who was glancing down at the map still rolled out on the table, looks up at him. "He was surprised when I told him I was one of your new recruits." She begins. She precedes to tell him what had happened up until his ill-advised comment then waits hotly for his response.
"I see…" He says, thoughtfully stroking his trimmed beard. His eyes meet hers. "I can see why you would be upset."
"I still am!" She exclaims, crossing her arms over her chest. "You should punish him. I don't know how punishment runs in the Wardens but he should learn his place. Perhaps being whipped—"
Duncan shakes his head. "I know Alistair and, while what he said was hurtful, I don't think he said it on purpose. He simply wasn't thinking before he spoke—"
"That's it?" Ana seethes. "You're just going to let him go?"
Duncan sighs. "I will speak with him—"
"Speaking won't do anything!" She exclaims. "Actions speak louder than words." Turning away from him, she feels her lower lip tremble before taking a deep breath. She turns back around. "Regardless, I was brought back to discuss sleeping arrangements, not Alistair." She says, raising her chin. "Where is my tent and how many guards will be guarding me?"
His brows furrow. "I'm sorry, Ana, but there is no tent or guards for you."
Mimicking his confused expression, she crosses her arms over her chest. "I don't understand. Where will I be sleeping then?"
His expression softens as he motions to the sleeping area behind him. "You'll be sleeping in here with me."
Immediately, she steps back as though hit. "Excuse me?" She asks. "I don't care if you're the Warden-Commander, I am not sleeping with you."
Patiently, he shakes his head. "Fear not, My Lady. I did not mean together. I will be sleeping in my bed and you will be sleeping on a cot of your own nearby."
He motions behind him to the where his bed is set up and, tucked away behind a dresser and writing desk, she sees the pathetic looking cot and wrinkles her nose. "Yeah, no thank you." She says. "I prefer a bed. Perhaps I could sleep in yours and you—"
"Ana." Duncan interrupts. "I am the Warden-Commander. You are a recruit. You do not get to pick where you sleep or on what; I do."
"Yes, but—"
"No buts." He says, firmly. "This is just until you go through your Joining. After that, recruits are then assigned to a bunk in the Warden dormitory tent where you will sleep alongside your fellow Wardens. Normally, I wouldn't have a new recruit sleep in my tent but, given your circumstances, I'm making an exception. In here, I will be able to keep you safe for the meantime."
"Like from the men around the campfire?" She asks.
He hesitantly nods. "As one of the few women in our order here, it is paramount that we ensure your safety, especially since you do not possess any fighting skills. If need be, I will teach you a few things for self-defense in the coming days."
"And what Ser Gilmore?" She asks. "When he arrives, where will he sleep?"
Duncan watches her for a moment. Of course she would rather sleep in the arms of her lover than in her old Commander's tent. Perhaps even celebrate their reunion and rekindle their union, which no longer needs to be a secret. "That will be decided upon his arrival and how late it is."
Turning from her, he strides over to the dresser and shuffles the contents around, muttering under his breath. Ana shifts uneasily as she glances around. When Duncan returns to her, he holds out something to her. "Here. After all the riding we did to get here, I'm sure you want to clean up and change. You may use one of my nightshirts to change into. There is an ewer of water I had brought in earlier along with a basin" He motions over toward the small table between the dresser and writing table. "You can wash and change in here. In the meantime, I will ensure my guards keep people away and I will be away dealing with some Warden business to give you some privacy."
Walking back towards the flaps of his tent, he pauses as he hears her say his name.
"Thank you again, Duncan." She says. "I know it may not seem like it but I am grateful for all you've done for me. Had it not been for you and Ser Gilmore, I would have been dead like my family."
He smiles even though he's turned away and she can't see it. "You're very welcome, My Lady. Goodnight Ana." Ana says goodnight and then he disappears through the flap.