A/N: Happy one year Anniversary Stormbreaker, Alim's tale is one year old today! Thank you to everyone who has kept me motivated with the great reviews over the last year! My first story to hit over one hundred followers! Enjoy the latest chapter everyone, and thanks so much again!

Chapter 68: L and S

"Stop that."

Kally looked up at Gus, she and the knight had been walking together since they had left Soldiers Peak. The elven girl seemed a little distracted this morning, her fingers kept going up to her eye-patch, a small spot on her cheek was already red from where she was rubbing it.

Her hand started to rise again.

Gus rolled his eyes; the girl was worse that Oren!

"Andraste's sake girl, stop that!"

"I can't help it," Kally moaned, "It itches."

"Wynne said that your eye is healing nicely, but if you don't want to spend your life wearing that patch you need to leave it alone."

"Yes Dad," Kally snorted.

"Please don't call me that," he mumbled.

"Yes Dad," she repeated.

"Kally!"

"Yes Dad?'

He threw up his hands in exasperation.

"Maker girl, you're as bad as my son is!"

What he said hit like a blade then, loss overwhelmed him like a tidal wave…he…he had thought he was over this, but…but what had happened came rushing back.

Oren…his son…his poor little boy was gone!

"Like my son…was," he said sadly.

All amusement faded from Kally's face. She lightly touched his arm.

"I…uh…I'm sorry, I did not mean to…"

"No," Gus sighed, "It…it is not your fault. I…I miss my family, but they…they are gone now. I…I just have to accept that."

Kally gave him a pitying look, she…she never thought that she would actually feel sorry for a shem, but she did.

Her ears lowered in shame.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, "For what is worth I think I know what you are going through. That bastard Howe…I…I heard he purged the Alienage, the guards at Fort Drakon told me." She clenched her tiny fists in rage.

"My family might all be dead too."

At the mention of Howe's name, Gus's eyes turned cold. He could not bring his family back, but by the Maker he would make Howe pay for what he had done!

"It sounds like we both have a reason to help the wardens win this war; we can't stop the Blight as long as Loghain and Howe are provoking the nobles to war."

"Then we stop them," Kally said fiercely, "We convince the nobles that they need to support the wardens and if Howe and Loghain try to stop us…"

Gus nodded grimly.

Part of him still hoped that Loghain might see sense, the man was the Hero of River Dane after all, he had worshipped the man as a boy, but Howe…

After what happened to Highever Castle, the massacre of his entire family…

…Fergus Cousland owed the bastard a blood debt.

He would see it paid in full.

IOI

The wardens were making good time as they made the journey south; they took the road back towards Lake Calenhad.

Part of Alim wanted to make for Redcliffe as fast as possible, but…he had given Sten his word, if the weather permitted, they would make a quick side trip back to Orzammar and recover his lost sword.

He had discussed this with the others last night; surprisingly none of them complained too much, the weather had turned very wet and very cold in the last few days.

A day or two in a soft warm bed in the warden compound seemed to appeal to everyone. Plus, it would give the wardens a chance to make sure that King Bhelen was honoring his word to them.

That could not hurt either. The dwarf was not the most trustworthy ally after all.

Alim found his eyes drifting to Leliana, he found himself watching her when he didn't mean to. The way she moved, the gentle sway of her hips, the way the wind tussled her short red hair.

Maker's breath she was beautiful.

She glanced back at him, giving him a shy smile and a little wave.

He waved back, but diverted his eyes feeling like an idiot.

Maker this was hard. What he was feeling now, it was so intense, even Belle had not made him feel this way, and he thought, no he was sure had had been falling in love with her.

There is the difference right there, the little voice in his head said, you were falling in love with Belle…

But you are in love with Leliana, madly, deeply in love with her.

He could not even deny it anymore.

He had come to enjoy the nights they spent on watch together, just sitting together under the stars. He enjoyed her company, and he thought that she had enjoyed his.

The elf's brow furrowed.

The problem was…where did they go from here?

Should he try to take the next step?

That thought made him sweat a little, the next step was speaking his heart, and perhaps…a little more.

He felt his body stirring at the thought. He…he had started to have dreams about Leliana, not the kind of dreams you tell a woman about.

Even thinking about them now brought a blush to his cheeks.

He had loved her many times in those dreams, made love to her many times. He awoke to found his body frustrated that she was not with him.

Those mornings were the worst; it made him wish that they were near a lake, a very cold lake.

The warden sighed.

He knew that this could not go on forever. He needed to do something, but how best to proceed? He was in uncharted territory now, at least for him.

In the circle, girls thought he was a joke, to have found Leliana, who looked at him more than the little elf that Irving had taken pity on; it was a new experience for him.

He…he realized that he needed advice.

Wynne was out, he heard her giving Alistair a thorough tongue lashing about his relationship with Morrigan the other day, about how he needed to focus on his duty as a warden.

Alim did not need to hear that right now.

Alistair was out, he and Morrigan might have been making out in every dark corner in Thedas, but that had not made it any easier for the former Templar to talk about sex. He had blushed horribly during Wynne's little talk with him.

Theron had a girl waiting for him back with his clan, but the ways of the Dalish were not the same as with a human woman. Alim doubted that Leliana would react to his advances the way that this Merrill girl did with Theron's.

Oghren…well, he would not be talking to Oghren, next.

Zev, he had no desire to hear the assassin's innuendos.

Morrigan did not care.

Sten, he wasn't even sure if the Qunari liked women.

Shale would be disgusted; the affairs of the squishy people did not matter to her.

Seri likely would have just rolled her eyes at his inexperience.

Kally was too new to the party.

Alim sighed.

That left only one person, Alim thought with a sigh.

He hoped that he would be more receptive than the others.

IOI

"Gus?"

The warrior turned to find Alim walking beside him.

"Yes warden?" the knight said.

"Can we speak?"

"Of course."

Alim looked at Kally.

"Can we speak privately for a moment," he added.

Kally nodded, she got the hint, guy talk.

"Sure warden, not a problem" the she-elf said, "I can see if Bodahn has any of that jerky left."

Bandit barked at Alim's side, the dog wagged his tail.

Kally laughed.

"Let's go boy," she smirked, "Hopefully the wardens left something for us to snack on."

The dog bounded after her.

Gus looked at their leader, awaiting his questions.

Alim sighed.

"You were married, right?"

"Yes," Gus said sadly, "almost ten years."

"How did you meet your wife?"

"To be honest," Gus sighed, "It was arranged, Oriana came from Antiva. My Father was high enough placed that her Father wanted an alliance with our family. She came to meet at seventeen."

"Did you love her?" Alim asked.

"It turned into that…eventually," Gus admitted, "Once we got over our mutual shyness. She was scared being away from home, and I wasn't sure about marrying a girl I had just met. Why do you ask?"

Alim cursed under his breath.

"This is sodding embarrassing," he spat.

"Warden," Gus chuckled, "I've seen you call down lightning on an entire village. I have seen you battle demon and darkspawn both, after doing that…you have no reason to be embarrassed about anything."

"That was easy by comparison to…well…this."

Alim looked up; a hint of a smile came to his face.

Gus followed his gaze, and saw that it fell on Leliana.

"Ah," Gus said, "I think I see the problem now."

Alim gave him a weak smile.

Maker's breath, Fergus thought, when I joined this company I never thought it would include having a talk about the birds and the bees with our fearless leader.

Part of him would have thought the elf was having him on if not for the desperate look in his dark eyes.

Gus did not laugh. He should not have been surprised, the elf and the sister had grown close in the last few months, and after what he had seen in Soldier's Peak, it was clear that the feeling was mutual.

Leliana clearly did not mind the elf's advances, now he just had to muster his courage.

Not an easy thing to do, as he remembered.

How many failed conversations had he had with Oriana, far too many to count? It was not an easy thing letting go, dropping your guard to another person. Father had had to counsel him many times before he got it right. Had Alim still been in the tower, he likely would have sought out his master, alas the First Enchanter was not here.

He was.

Gus sighed.

He often wondered what he would say when asked about this stuff. He had expected to have this conversation with Oren one day, but…but that would not happen now.

The knight sighed.

"Do you care for her?" he asked the elf.

Alim sighed, and nodded.

"Surely you have spoken with women before?"

"I know how to be a gentleman sure," the elf admitted, "It…it is the next part I have a problem with, when a woman wants me…to stop being a gentleman."

Alim gave him a sheepish grin.

"Thing are…different in the circle, the Templars watching us all the time. There are no secrets there; rumors float through the air like dust. Far too many times, I got in trouble because a girl said she liked me. After a while…I…I stopped trying I supposed. I got tired of the rejection, what girl wanted to be with a too short elf with two big ears."

Gus quirked his lip with amusement.

Alim snorted.

"It wasn't like I could leave the tower and just go courting you know. I lost count of all the times that young mages got caught trysting where they should not have been, broom closets, classrooms, two even got caught in the larder once, I never looked at the circle pantry the same way again."

Gus laughed.

Alim shot him a glare.

"My apologies warden," he snickered, "But am I to understand that you…?"

"Yes," Alim grumbled, he was blushing.

"That you have never?"

Yes Gus that is what I'm saying."

"Hm," the knight said.

Alim gave him the most pitiful of looks.

"Please don't tell anyone," he begged, "I would never here the end of it from Zev and Oghren."

Gus smiled.

"Your secret is safe with me," he said.

"Thanks."

Gus shot a look at Leliana, he had to admit, the elf had good taste. Leliana was quite attractive, and it was clear that she was quite fond of him.

He was a very lucky man.

"What do you want to say to her?" he asked.

Alim's blush darkened; he pulled his hat down to hide it.

"That she is my world," he said, "my life…I know it sounds pathetic, but that is how I feel when I look at her now."

The elf shook his head.

"I just don't want to make a complete and utter ass out of myself," he said, "I'd die of embarrassment."

Gus chuckled.

"Embarrassment can't be helped," he said.

"Wonderful," Alim said throwing up his hands.

"But it is worth it," Gus said, "Breaking down that last wall is the hardest thing to do, to let go of your pride, accept the embarrassment, and let another person into your heart."

"What if I'm wrong?"

"You can only know that by trying," Gus said, "It will hurt sure, but you will be able to let go and move on…eventually."

The elf shook his head.

"Can I kill an Archdemon instead?" he asked dryly, "that sounds like an easier challenge."

Gus laughed.

"It probably is," the knight chuckled, "But the reward here is much greater. Someone to share your life with, to share your heart…and your bed, that is worth it."

Alim's blush darkened.

Sex was what this was eventually about, he desired Leliana, hungered for it.

He did not want to mess that up. He treasured her friendship, but he could not help but want more.

He needed more.

Gus was right, it was worth it, now he just had to go and do it, and hopefully not fall on his own sword in process.

"Thanks Gus," he whispered.

The warrior nodded.

"Thanks for the help."

Gus chuckled.

Alim thought he helped him, wonderful.

Still, he had done his best, he liked to think that he would have been able to have this conversation with Oren when the time came, but who could say.

He had done what he could for their leader.

The rest was up to him, and Leliana.

He wished them both the best.

A/N: Not much this action this chapter, I promise to make up for it next time, a return to Orzammar up next. Thanks again for a great year. You all rock!

DG