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Leliana was tired. The party had been traveling for a good surplus of hours now, and the bard's plain fatigue had turned her joyful and entertaining hums still. Instead she began to focus on the heavy footsteps of Shale. They were very regular and steady making it easy to ignore the unpleasant throbbing in her thighs. She looked forward. The warden was whispering to the witch and the bard tried her hardest to overhear but wasn't successful, so instead she studied Morrigan for clues of what they were speaking of. She saw her brows crease and her pouty lips move furiously. "They must be talking about Alistair," She thought. She glanced at the rest of the witch's body. It was a bit … thin but there was potential. Before the bard thought she blurted out, "You're very beautiful Morrigan."
"Tell me something I do not know." She replied gesturing her hand in the air as if to swat the bard away.
"But you always dress in such rags. It suits you I suppose. A little tear here, a little rip there to show some skin. I understand." The witch stopped walking and burst out in response, turning to the bard, "You understand I lived in a forest, I hope?" The bard continued still, "Maybe we could get you in a nice dress one day. Silk, no, maybe velvet. Velvet is heavier, better to guard against the cold in Ferelden. Dark red velvet, yes, with gold embroidery. It should be cut low in the front of course; we don't want to hide your features." Morrigan flushed furiously, "Stop looking at my breasts like that; tis most disturbing!" The others, specifically the warden and Alistair, desperately tried to stifle their laughter.
"You don't think so? And if it's cut low in the front we must put your hair up to show off that lovely neck." Leliana smiled temptingly.
""You are insane. I would sooner let Alistair dress me," she said walking away beckoning the others to start the repetitive steps again. "It'll be fun, I promise!" the bard teased, "We'll get some shoes too! Ah, shoes! We could go shopping together!"
Morrigan shivered. "How can you stand that vile woman?" she asked turning to the warden who was still trying to keep her laughter under control, smiling like a fool. "Oh you think it's funny? You do know that you are also not immune to her wandering eyes?" The elf blushed and replied, "I don't care, bodies are just bodies, should one admire mine let them." The witch raised an eyebrow in question, "You feel that way? Well don't say it again or people might feel… privileged."
"Too late!" cawed the Antivan crow. The warden grabbed her temple realizing her mistake.
"Well anyway," the witch continued, "it isn't practical to me for a woman, who I already loathe, to be undressing me with her eyes. So next time you speak to the lying lyricist, please tell her that I do not have the time for her flirting and talk of shoes."
"But what's wrong with shoes, don't you like pretty things like jewels?" The elf said tilting her head mockingly. Morrigan went quiet for a second and the replied softly, "You're sharing too much company with her, its preposterous". The warden smiled and turned back at Leliana who waved back eagerly. "Nauseating…" The witch muttered. "I really do not understand how you can be friends with her…"
"Trap, right ahead!" Leliana pronounced, allowing Alistair to fumble over his own feet and set it off anyway. They all fell back startled by the flames. The men for hire came out. It became instantly apparent that they were not roadway bandits when a large armored Qunari came rustling out of the bushes towards the warden, who was nearly shadowed by its size. Leliana pinned the enemy down skillfully with the Fox's bow allowing her friend to slash forward with both of her blades making him fall. However Morrigan was not as lucky as a rogue slashed her arm as she was casting a transformation spell. The warden went to the witch's side defensively and Wynne followed to offer her healing expertise. Sten was about to kill the last man but Leliana cried out "Wait, don't kill him."
"Uhg, there she goes again with her morals." Morrigan winced grabbing her arm.
"What, why not?" The dalish asked.
"He's no common bandit, none of them where, their weapons and armor are of fine make, and they're well trained." She turned to the man cradled on the ground, stared at him sternly and asked aggressively "You know what I'm talking about, don't you, who are you?" The warden was set back by the malice in Leliana's voice, and turned her head at her. The bard's face was… actually showing its age lines in her disturbance, and her eye's they were searching for something. The man spoke, "I was told it would be an easy job, kill the little red head girl…"
"Kill the… you came to kill me?" The elf though back at to what Leliana had told her a fortnights ago at camp. The lying, escaping, Marjoline, and the succor of the chantry all first… hurt the elf, but understood why Leliana would want to keep such things buried and behind her. She also remembered what they spoke of after.
And how could she deny the story of how she became a Grey warden after Leliana just told her explicit story of escape. Of course it wouldn't have been right to deny her the fact of telling the story of Tamlen, the mirror, and Duncan. "I told him not to touch that mirror but he was always so observant of everything and always had to try new things…" the elf sighed out. She was teary eyed but not open and weak like the night in the tub for she believed armor guarded her physically and mentally.
"What's wrong with trying new things?" The bard questioned with a tilted smile.
"Nothing, it just shouldn't be a hobby taken lightly, it can be … risky." Leliana laughed at the elf's innocence. "Lots of people are adventurous in many ways; do you know what they say in Orlais about trying new things?" The question was redundant because it was quite obvious the dalish would not know. "You should try everything once, incept incest and Qunari cuisine." The warden laughed, bitter sweetly, for the tears she was holding for Tamlen came out with a snort. Silence past between the two as Leliana stared eagerly at the warden, what for exactly, neither was sure of.
"Well, I remember when Tamlen and I… came across intruding shems and we robbed them of their food, and they had wine. I had never had it before and Tamlen was insistent that I must try it…"
"I love wine." Leliana commented, tuning the strings of her lyre. It was rare for the warden to tell one of her own stories, so the bard smiled and listened heart fully, as she always did.
"I ended up liking it as well; it gives you such a giddy feeling. That night Tamlen and I we…" The warden blushed and went silent no longer wishing to speak of her drunken actions. Leliana frowned, "You can't just start a story like that and not finish its rude."
"I… haven't talked about it with another woman." Leliana's brows perked, "But you spoke of it to men? Strange…"
"At least I am not a vague as Alistair; he calls it licking a lamppost in winter." The warden blurted out with a chuckle mocking Alistair sarcastic voice. Leliana stared at Alistair who was across the camp poking the campfire with a stick, and looked at the elf puzzled. "Did he tell you if he's 'licked a lamppost in winter'?" She asked between her giggles. "He has not." The elf the said, looking bewildered.
"Well I guess that makes sense seeing as he was to be a templar… although he is very handsome. What did Tamlen look like was he handsome?" Leliana was extremely interested in the wardens past love but elf found it a bit intrusive, for she did not ask about Marjoline. She didn't want to ask about Marjoline. She didn't even know that two women could… the elf flushed red looking at Leliana's plump lips, her armor and its suggestive studding.
"He had hair the color of the sun, interesting markings, and a clever tongue. He… was not as handsome as Alistair… but better looking than Zevran." The vague description was unsettling for Leliana, who shifted in her seat. The bard saw the uncomfortable look on the girl's face, but it was too tempting not to ask one more question. She needed to know if the beautiful woman across from her, who was such a good friend, knew what it was really like…"Was he a good lover?" The elf looked at her sternly. "What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean."
"I don't know what you mean, I mated, with a partner… there are action's that make one better at this then someone else?" The question was asked so honestly, it nearly tore Leliana apart. But to the dalish woman it was a natural thing that all animals do. Something she had watched the halla do and mimicked. She admitted to herself that it was … pleasurable, but shortlived.
"Dear Maker…" Leliana thought to herself.
"Tamlen, was my friend, and he was to be my partner and I liked him… the act was so awkward… that's why I don't like to talk about it with other women. The other hunters spoke of how nice and wonderful it was to have a mate and a spouse. But I never loved him… or rather it wasn't the love you speak of in your stories, like Alindra and her soldier. I never felt that with Tamlen. I tried to… I…" Leliana was silent as the warden went silent and held her own sides and looked across the fire at Alistair.
"Love just happens…" Leliana murmured, remembering Marjoline grabbing her and kissing her roughly, "it enraptures you, leaves you vulnerable but safe in ones arms… assuming those arms are always there for you." Leliana began to pray, as the elf said goodnight.
Hmm... Sorry I took so long to update. I had alot of things going on. My mother recently got a hip replacement, right during the week I had finals. So anyway I took all of my spare time tonight to bring this chapter to you. Originally I had planned for it to be light hearted but... thats a bit of an emotional ending isnt it... ^.^' Anyway I like it better then the first one...
Reviews are especially appreciated.