A/N: Just a brief unrelated note, I love the Anders/Amell pairing. Well...to be fair I love Anders in general! When I first began this story, I was going to involve Anders into the triangle, but I don't think he suited my Fem Cousland as a romantic interest. As always, thanks so much for the encouragement!

Forgiveness

"That was quite fun. Let us never do that again." Anders groaned, leaning against his rod like a crutch.

"They gave us much more of a fight than I had bargained for." Elissa muttered, looking around to make sure her comrades were still alive. Anders was healing his injuries with what little strength he had left. Oghren's armor was singed from the fire breathing menaces, but he was fine. Velanna was covered in soot and hysterically looking around the cave for her sister. Nathaniel was covered in blood, but it was not his own.

She let out a small sigh of relief. The worst she received was a deep cut on her left arm, which she could easily ignore for now.

Two lifeless bodies of dragon thralls lied at their feet. The sunlight that escaped through the cracks in the cave dimly illuminated the rubble strewn about from the fight.

Nathaniel yanked his sword from one of the dragons and proceeded to wipe off the blood on its skin before sheathing it. "Where's the bastard who ordered these to us?!"

"Over there!" Velanna yelled, pointing towards a ledge above them.

Elissa squint her eyes. The cave was too dark to make out the details of their enemy…one was definitely an elf, most likely Velanna's sister. The other was…a darkspawn? However, darkspawn never held themselves in such a regal way.

"Seranni!" Velanna ran towards the two shadowy figures.

The shadowy figure raised his arms and the cave walls began to tremble and shake. Rocks and gravel began to fall from the ceiling.

"A cave-in!" Oghren shouted.

"We need to get out of here now! Run that way!" Elissa pointed towards the direction in which they came. Anders and Oghren immediately obeyed her orders. Nathaniel followed Elissa as she ran towards Velanna and grabbed her arm. "Hurry!"

"No!" Velanna struggled angrily. "That's my sister with him!"

"This is no time to be stubborn!" Nathaniel angrily took hold of Velanna's other arm.

"I swear we will come back for her! We need to escape!" Elissa pulled Velanna by her side, saving her from the rockslide that spilled down from the ledge.

She made sure Velanna was in front of her while they ran towards the exit. She heard Nathaniel's footsteps by her side. It was difficult to see where they were running with the cloud of dust that was engulfed around them. Just as she saw the white sunlight revealing their way out, Elissa felt a strong shove from her back that made her stumble forward and fall to the ground.

"Commander!" Anders and Oghren both yelled simultaneously and ran towards her. They pulled her to her feet and paused. The cave stopped its quaking and the dust began to settle.

Elissa began to look around frantically. "Where's Nathaniel?!" She yelled in panic. "He was right next to me!"

"Here he is!" She heard Oghren shout from behind.

She quickly turned around and her eyes widened as she saw an unconscious Nathaniel on the ground, his body trapped under several large rocks, with blood slowly beginning to pool around his head.

Pain. A dull persistent pain. It was what woke him up from his dreamless slumber. As he slowly opened his eyes, he found himself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. He blinked to clear his blurry vision. He was inside a room…not the outdoors, which he had become so accustomed to. He was lying in a large bed and covered in blankets. The windows were open and the sun was pouring in, brightening the tiny space. He felt a deadened throbbing coming from the back of head. As he reached up to feel it, his fingers found pieces of linen that were tightly wrapped around the wound.

"Ah, awake are you?"

Nathaniel tried to sit up but found himself wincing from pain as he adjusted himself on the bed. He looked up to see where the voice came from and saw Anders at the doorway with a vial of liquid in his hands that was suspiciously smoking.

"Anders? Where am I? Ugh…" Nathaniel felt a sharp stab of pain from his back.

"Hey, now. Take it easy." Anders set the vial on a nearby stand and walked over to the bed. "We're in the city of Amaranthine at the moment. It was closer than Vigil's Keep. We're currently in one of the rooms at the Chantry."

Nathaniel's mind felt muddled and cloudy. "What happened? Last thing I remember is us running out of that dungeon while it was caving in."

"Good to know you remember that." Anders grinned and crossed his arms. "You apparently saved our commander by pushing her out of the way as a gigantic rock pile was about to flatten her. Ended up flattening you instead…luckily, you're quite a hardy man…I think if it fell on her, she wouldn't have survived."

Nathaniel recalled it as Anders explained. He was running beside Elissa when he noticed the ceiling was about to fall upon her. Without thinking, he had lurched towards her and shoved her out of the way.

He let out a relieved sigh. "I never thought I would be so relieved to be injured then."

"You were completely out cold. It took us a while to get the rubble off of you. I don't think I've ever seen the commander so frantic." Anders noted. "Unfortunately, both Velanna and I were drained of magic from the fight with the dragons. But we were able to heal you just enough to keep you from bleeding to death. Oghren helped carry you to the city…for a dwarf, he's quite strong."

Nathaniel looked at his hands and found them bandaged up as well. He must have been in worse shape than he thought. "I owe you my thanks then. Where is our commander?"

Anders nodded to Nathaniel's right. Nathaniel turned his head and was shocked to see Elissa kneeling by the side of his bed. Her head was rested upon her crossed arms and her breaths were slow and quiet. Elissa also had a white bandage wrapped around her forearm as well.

"You've been out for about three days. The commander didn't leave your side for a second." Anders said softly. "Even I could tell she was terrified that you would be lost…I think this is the first time I've seen her asleep since then."

Nathaniel frowned. A few days ago, they swiftly left Vigil's Keep early in the morning. Nathaniel knew it was because the King was leaving that day and it was most likely that Elissa did not want to face him again. Ever since that day, she has not been sleeping well. She was always the last one to sleep and the first to awake. The others were also aware but chose to keep it to themselves.

"Well then…don't forget to take the stamina draught I made." Anders pointed to the smoking potion on the table. "I'll go and notify your healer that you're awake."

"Healer? Wasn't that you?" Nathaniel asked, lowering his voice so it would not disturb Elissa's sleep.

"I wish I could take the credit, but no. All Velanna and I were able to do was to treat the life threatening wounds…like I said, we both ran out of strength by then." Anders sighed, flexing his fingers. "When we arrived in Amaranthine, first thing Oghren did was carry your unconscious body to this chantry. Apparently, a skilled healer was on visit here. Luckily for us, our commander and Oghren knew her quite well and she immediately tended to your nastier injuries. I'll be right back…try not to go anywhere." Anders turned around and left the room.

Nathaniel rubbed at the pain in his neck. He was glad that the pain was a dull soreness rather than an infected wound. He would have to thank Valenna as well for her swift first aid assistance. He glanced down at Elissa, who was still asleep at the side of his bed. The kneeling position she was in could not be comfortable…she must have been exhausted to fall asleep in that pose.

He reached over and brushed stray locks of hair from her face. He caressed her cheek with his knuckles softly, smiling as she wrinkled her nose in her sleep. He was grateful that he was able to save her at least. Anders was right…if she was the one who had been trapped by the falling rocks, Warden Commander or no, she would have been crushed and good as dead.

Elissa let out a small moan and her eyes began to flutter. Nathaniel took hold of her hand as she awakened.

"Nathaniel?" She mumbled sleepily.

"Yes, I'm here." He replied, squeezing her hand.

She turned her head slightly and gazed at him with her eyes half open. "Are you okay?" She asked, her voice almost a whisper.

"Yes, I'm fine. It was only a flesh wound." He waved at her with his bandaged hand. "It'll take more than something than a mere cave-in to kill me. I'm not some fragile flower."

Elissa's eyes went misty as she rewarded him with a small chuckle. "Yes…I remember telling you that there was nothing fragile about you Howes."

Nathaniel smiled at the memory. "If that's a thank you for saving you from that avalanche of rocks, you are quite welcome."

Elissa slowly shook her head. "I am going to have to yell at you later for that. I was terrified you were dead. I should have been the one under those rocks."

"Do not say such depressing things." Nathaniel ordered and lightly pulled on her hand. "Come now, only mabari hounds sleep on the floor. Get on the bed…I promise I will be a gentleman."

Instead of giving her usual quip of refusal, Elissa surprised Nathaniel by obeying his request and slowly climbed onto the bed. Elissa kept hold of his hand and tightened her fingers between his. She sighed as she laid her head on the pillow next to him. "Speaking of hounds…I sure do miss him."

"Are you talking about Fergus?" Nathaniel asked in a joking tone.

Elissa gave him a pinch on his leg. "No. I mean my mabari hound, Dog. I had to leave him behind in Highever. I miss him so." She wistfully sighed again.

"Ah…you got a hound. I did not know that." Nathaniel murmured, leaning back into his pillow and facing Elissa. "Is there anything else you haven't told me of?"

"A lot of things changed while you were gone." Elissa spoke lowly, holding Nathaniel's hand and rubbing circles into his palm with her thumb.

Nathaniel paused and stared into Elissa's eyes. Clear and blue, she gazed back at him with no guile or deceit behind them. He took a deep breath and moved his head closer to hers. "Including your relationship with the King?"

Elissa simply stared back at Nathaniel, her face serene and calm as he patiently waited for her reply. It was time for her to come out with the entire truth. Assumptions were going to get them nowhere. Nathaniel wanted the truth straight from her. Only then will I know if she is ready to let go of her past, he thought as he continued to gaze into her lovely eyes.

Elissa nodded reluctantly. "Yes." She finally answered.

Nathaniel took his free hand and gently stroked her face. "Are you scared that I would get angry because you have fallen in love with someone else while I was in Free Marches?"

Elissa paused again, delicately biting down on her lower lip. "Yes…"

He smiled at her. "I am only mad because you did not tell me of it sooner. I had to find out, might I add…very awkwardly…from Oghren. I don't fault you for finding someone else while I was gone. Three years was a long time. I understand."

"I'm sorry." Elissa whispered unhappily. The memories came back…the day in which he agreed to wait for the answer she was unable to give. She had conveniently forgotten about her promise as soon as Highever fell.

She had so many awful and suspicious thoughts that Nathaniel had been involved with his father's attack on her home. Nathaniel…who had been in love with her for years. Nathaniel…whose father she had slain in revenge. Nathaniel…who had saved her life by endangering his own.

"Don't apologize." Nathaniel held his hand to her cheek and caressed it tenderly. She shook her head, refusing to allow him to lessen her guilt.

He sighed and gazed at her longingly. "Elissa…if things have been different…if I never had decided to ride off to the Free Marches…and my father didn't do what he did…and you never had to become a Grey Warden…do you think you would have fallen in love with me as deeply as I did with you?"

Elissa felt her heart shudder at those words. Nathaniel was hitting the target dead center as always. "I do not know…" She answered honestly, her voice hoarse.

"And now?" Nathaniel's face drew closer, their foreheads touching. "Here we are…your parents dead…my father dead…your past with the King…If I told you that I loved you, how would you answer me now?"

Elissa's breath ran ragged as her heart beat faster. "I…do not know." She repeated her answer.

"I gave you three years to decide before. Apparently that was not the smartest decision I have made on my part." Nathaniel smiled…his boyish smile. "I am not so stupid as to not learn from my past mistakes."

He leaned forward and his lips met hers. It was not a passionate kiss or a lusty kiss as they had shared when they were young. His lips were gentle and tentative. Elissa closed her eyes and opened her mouth to his. It was kiss between two people who were unsure about their future but just as curious. As they broke apart, she felt as if her breath was taken away.

Nathaniel squeezed the hand he held and then brought Elissa's fingers to his lips. "Maker help me…I love you Elissa." He confessed huskily. "Even if you do not return the feelings, I vow that I will do whatever I can to make you happy."

Elissa felt tears spring into her eyes. Were they tears of joy or tears of heartbreak? She could not distinguish between the two. Nathaniel nuzzled his nose against hers and they both let out a soft chuckle.

"I am glad to see that our patient is better."

Both Nathaniel and Elissa quickly lifted their heads towards the kind female voice that came from the doorway.

Wynne stood at the door, her hand politely held over her mouth, trying to keep her smile to herself.