Glimpse 2

Soris was standing on the edge of the cliff looking out onto the Amaranthine Ocean. It was a beautiful scene at night, moonlight shimmering down across the water. The water lapped gently against the bottom of the cliff. Clouds hung just around the full moon. They were colored in the most beautiful of silver shimmers. Leaves floated down out to the ocean and beyond whatever lay beyond. Soris had been the only one to see the beautiful spot when they arrived. Their camp was about a hundred yards away in a . Soris found himself unable to fall asleep so he walked out here.

It wasn't that he was afraid to fight the Darkspawn. Yes, they did terrify him. But he knew the company he was with. Both Sten ad Lariel were amazing warriors and had been teaching him things as their journey continued. He had learned so much and had even gotten a hit on Sten just yesterday. They had bought him a new, lighter sword to use and a better shield as well. It had helped him substantially. He still couldn't ever hit Lariel. In fact, it seemed more like the other elf was almost toying with Soris when they spared. But that was okay. As long as he was getting better. Yes, if there was anything he truly feared...it had to be...-

"Shit." He made a smudge on the canvas and quickly wiped it away adding more paint in its place.

"What are you doing?" Soris jumped a foot into the air and dropped his pallet. He almost lost grip of the painting as well, but firmed his grip at the last moment to hold onto his prize. He whipped his head around to see Sten in only a pair of night pants, glaring down at him. His chest was covered in white hair, the same color as that on his head, and a small line ran down to his belly button and from there to beneath his trousers.

Soris became even more flustered than normal at the sight. He was still a little afraid of Sten. True, the last time they sparred when he had gotten that hit on the man, Sten smiled a little. But than he just went back to his normal agitated self. Sten made Soris extremely nervous. He thought at any moment the man would come and pound him into the ground or maybe rip him in half and drink his blood or maybe grind his bones up and sprinkle them like sugar on one of those cookies he likes to eat.

"D-don't sneak up on me like that..." Soris began. He could feel how red in the face he was and looked down at the ground, glad that the light was dim enough that Sten wouldn't be able to see his immense blush.

"Speak up." He barked. It was his normal tone of voice, Soris knew. It still made him flinch, and he was sure, enough to be clearly visible. Yet Sten remained unreasonably calm.

"I was...um...painting..." Soris said, now looking at the painting in his hand. Sten looked at him a little more intently.

"Painting? Like painting with a brush and paint?" Sten asked very seriously. Soris looked up at him with a quizzical expression as he picked up the fallen instuments. The Qunari was completely serious, his expression incredibly grim as it always is. Soris started laughing.

"I fail to see what is so funny." It was as angry as Sten gets, just a slight move in his tone to show agitation. Soris could tell that he was only slightly irritated at the moment.

"You are! Sten, is there any other kind of painting besides with a brush and paint?" Soris said still giggling a little. Sten just looked at him for a moment as Soris smiled up to Sten. It was the first time Soris had see the man's eyes at night; they almost glowed in the moonlight.

"I suppose not." He said with his agitated voice, "May I see your painting?" That however, was not in his agitated voice.

"Um...sure, I guess." Soris handed the painting over to the other man. Sten help it right-side up for quite a while staring at it intently. The landscape was painted on a special thick paper more absorbent than canvas when using watercolors. It was about a foot long and another foot wide. Sten rotated it soon after spending more time to stare at it, then rotated it again and then once more. The sight made Soris chuckle again.

"I see nothing but random color in this painting." Sten said back to his agitated voice, though this time with a little something else. Was it impatience...? Soris couldn't tell.

"That's because you're looking at it the wrong way. Here, let's go back into the light and I'll show you." Soris tugged on his arm, though only slightly; he was still afraid to anger the man.

They trekked back to the camp as soundlessly as possible so as not to disturb Lariel. He had obviously not been sleeping well, even before Soris started traveling with them. He was fast asleep now, however, and both men were trying their best to keep it that way.

"Now," Soris said taking the picture and holding it up, "stand over where my tent is." Sten glared at the painting before he stepped backward a good twenty paces. He turned around and looked at the painting again. Again, he stared at the painting for quite some time, and it brought more a smile to Soris's face to see Sten's eyebrows slowly creep up in amazement.

"How did you do that..." It was a question. Soris just chuckled and shook his head at Sten's statement/question.

"I paint in a style my aunt taught me called impressionism. Up close it looks like just a bunch of random colors but from far away...when you're far away you can see what is really there." Soris said. As Soris started to lower the painting Sten continued to stare, only this time, at Soris. At first it didn't bother him. But by the time he had finished rolling up and tying off the painting it had made him incredibly anxious, and he wondered what he could have done to anger the man so.

"So, uh...-" Soris started. He looked up to the man's eyes which pierced into his and held his gaze, an angry on the others face. Almost against his will, Soris kept his eyes locked with the Qunari's even when the hulking man started walking toward him. He took a quick intake of breath, trying his best not to shake or to look at all afraid as he was feeling. Sten stood over him now looking down at Soris's eyes with his same angry scowl. As Sten's hand extended forward Soris shut his eyes and balled his fists in anticipation. As it made contact with his head, he flinched yet again. This time it obvious for the Qunari felt it and yanked his hand away as if in fright. But he brought it back again, this time more forceful and unmoving.

Well, almost unmoving. Sten's hand gently ruffled through Soris's short hair. Soris didn't know what to think. Was Sten petting him?

"May I have it?" Sten asked taking his hand away. Soris looked up at him. He heard something new in his voice; not the patience like in practice, not the normal seriousness, but something...Soris didn't know. He couldn't tell at all.

"Uh...sure, I don't mind..." He said. He put the roll into Sten's outstretched hand. Then it happened.

Sten smiled...kinda.

It wasn't a real smile, or a full smile or anything. It was this very subtle half-smile. The fear in Soris's stomach twisted around making knots in his gut.

"Thank you." He said. He ruffled Soris's head again. "Now get some rest. You will need it for the fighting that will come." Soris just nodded his head still in a bit of shock. He turned around to go to his tent. "And stop flinching. It is annoying and weak." Although there was an edge in his voice, Soris noticed the same odd quality it took on when he said that.

"Okay...Good night Sten..." He said walking away towards his tent.

"Good night, Imekari."