Special thanks to Brelaina for beta reading my story and reviewing. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. :)

Ch. 7 Reunited

It was another clear night. The stars twinkled and the moon continued its bright smile. Violet sighed as she listened to Leliana's tale of Alindra. She thought it was a sad story, but Leliana's voice was soothing and reassuring. Violet wondered if Leliana truly believed Alindra will one day cross the river; to be with her love once more.

"That was a beautiful story," she told Leliana. The girls were sitting near the fire. The atmosphere was so peaceful that Violet didn't want the night to end. Sodding Darkspawn, she thought. Her smile was bittersweet. If it wasn't for the blight, she would still be at the tower. Despite the danger, she really enjoyed their little adventure – especially during nights like these.

"Sometimes I ask myself, does such a love exist? Can it exist?" Leliana admitted.

Violet looked thoughtfully into the fire. "If we lose hope in love, then we are truly lost."

She remembered her nights at the Chantry. Violet had terrible nightmares of her parents and the bandits almost every night. She never got to tell Alistair how much it meant for him to be there. He would calmly shake her awake while calling her name. When she came too, he let her bury her face in his chest and cry. She loved how he patiently sat there and held her. He would stroke her hair and whisper that everything was all right. When she was finally ready to go back to sleep, he laid down next to her and let her nestle into his arm. The first time she woke up curled around his arm was unintentional. Apparently, she had a nightmare and grabbed him in her sleep. A couple more nights of that prompted her to just assume the position before closing her eyes.

Sleeping never felt right since she left the Chantry. She sought comfort from her fellow apprentices, but no one was as willing or as understanding as he was. Even Jowan, despite how close they became, would simply tell her she was dreaming and to go back to sleep. Those nights were always restless ones. If it weren't for the few dreams of Alistair between nightmares, she might not have been able to manage it on her own. They were the only things that kept her sane and her morals in check. The Templars weren't exactly a sentimental bunch.

There was also that childish hope that she would return to him one day, just like Alindra and her soldier. She wanted to grow brave and strong, to remember to laugh, just like Alistair. That is why she not only had fun testing the Templars, she felt it was her duty. It kept them both on their toes.

When Leliana said the story of Alindra was one of her favorites Violet silently decided it would be hers too.

"I never thought you would say that. It is… a pleasant surprise." Leliana was smiling.

Violet's cheeks flushed. "Don't tell the others I said that," she said quickly. Since Alistair made her "leader" of the group she had been trying to act more independent and confident. She was silently trying to prove to Alistair that she was worthy of the position he granted her – even though she accepted it reluctantly at first.

Leliana giggled. "Of course not. It will be our secret." Violet let out a sigh of relief.

"I have to say, there is a certain severity to you," Leliana continued. "Finding a person behind that all is nice. Maybe you should let your softer side out more often. Sometimes following your heart, not your head, leads you to remarkable places."

Violet nodded thoughtfully. Being in a leadership position was still very new to her and she had trouble deciding whether to follow her heart or head on multiple occasions. More often than not, she tried to follow her heart, but to also justify her actions with logical and practical reasons. She did worry if that approach would come around to bite her in the "arse" one day, but it seemed Leliana was encouraging it.

"Um… Violet?" Alistair said as he approached the girls. He was dressed comfortably in a simple white long sleeved shirt and brown pants. "May we talk for a moment?"

Violet could feel her face getting hot, but she tried her best to repress it. "Of course," she said in the most authoritative tone she could muster. She thought it was best not to jump to assumptions and treat his request as one of business. She thanked Leliana for her story and followed Alistair to the edge of the clearing.

"So, what would you like to discuss?" she asked calmly; even as her heart began to race.

"Well… We'll be nearing the Circle Tower soon and I… um…" Alistair looked like he was struggling to find the right words. Violet tilted her head out of habit. "I wanted to see if you are all right. I know the Circle Tower isn't exactly a walk in the park for mages."

Violet grinned. "So, you're worried about me?"

"Yes, of course I am. You- are my traveling companion and fellow Grey Warden," he said, seeming to build his self-confidence back.

"Yes, I think I will be all right. It's not like we are planning to stay long anyway," she giggled.

"You know… you never told me about your childhood," Alistair said, a bit reluctant. "I've told you about my dreary childhood and we've just recently discovered my future circumstance."

Violet took a deep breath. Is he testing me? How much should I reveal? She wondered.

"There isn't much to say," she started. "I spent most of my life at the Circle Tower. I didn't love it there, but I had friends and I learned to control my powers. My friend Jowan and I would bother the Templars guarding our doorway at night." She chuckled. "I once turned one into a toad – on accident of course," she quickly added when she saw Alistair's face pale. "But, such antics are frowned upon and after being beaten for my crime we stopped playing tricks. Needless to say, living there became a lot duller after that."

"See, I knew mages go around turning people into toads," Alistair laughed.

"I never denied it," she said coyly.

Alistair cleared his throat nervously. "But, what about before you went to the Circle? Do you remember?"

She thought for a moment before replying. "That story is a bit… depressing… Are you sure you want to know?"

"Only if you are comfortable telling me," he said seriously.

She looked at the ground and played with a patch of weeds with her foot. "Up until I was eight, I grew up with my parents at the Alienage in Denerim. I don't remember much, but I know my mom would call me into the house a lot and hid me away whenever shem- um… humans came to visit. My parents decided to leave the Alienage and travel to a Dalish Camp that had settled nearby. But…" She bit her lip nervously and continued to stare at the ground.

She remembered telling him the story after she woke from her first nightmare all those years ago. Until then, he was friendly, but kept his distance. However, when she revealed her past, he held her tightly. From then on he kept her close. Except for the day I left, she thought sadly.

"But a group of bandits attacked us on the road. I… I watched them murder my father. My mother was raped. I didn't really see it, but I heard her pleas. I'm sure they killed her when they were done. As for me, I was tied up and was going to be sold off. Somehow I escaped and ran to the first village I could find. I stayed at a Chantry for two years before they found out I had magic and whisked me away to the Circle tower."

Finally she looked up at Alistair. His eyes were sad and he remained quiet. "If… it weren't for a little boy I met at that Chantry, I don't know what would have happened to me." She watched Alistair's surprised expression. "You remind me of him." Her heart was beating heavily. She was certain her cheeks were blushing. Violet wondered if she was saying too much. Follow your heart, she thought.

"He took me in, would teased me a little, but was always there to comfort me." She watched Alistair smile, but his eyes seemed longing and still a bit sad. "He taught me to laugh again. To this day, I hope to find him and tell him thank you… for everything." She stared into his eyes, waiting.

"I believe… you just did," he said softly.

"You!" she gasped and punched his arm.

"Ow! Hey, what was that for?" Alistair rubbed his arm and looked at her with confusion.

"You knew! And you didn't say anything?" Her face was red with embarrassment, but she fought harder to hide her excited smile.

"All right, I'm sorry. I just… wanted to make sure."

She couldn't hold it anymore. She shook her head and quickly wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest. "I thought you forgot about me," she muttered. She closed her eyes tight to suppress her tears.

Then, he held her and rested his head on hers. His arms squeezed her tightly, just as she remembered it. "I couldn't forget about you… and I hated the day you left." She couldn't hold her tears back anymore.

Alistair pulled away, but still had his arms around her. "Are you all right?"

Violet nodded. She sniffled and wiped the last of her tears away. "I'm sorry… I expected my reaction to be more… subtle," she laughed, but Alistair's face was sad.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a mage? Didn't you trust me? And how could you leave without saying good-bye?"

Her face grew somber. "So, no one at the Chantry told you?" she asked.

Alistair looked confused again. "…Didn't tell me what?"