On the Road Again chapter 10

Juliette was up before the men, disappearing behind the tree line to attend to her morning routine, if you could call peeing on a bush, and splashing your puffy face with ice cold creek water, a routine. She refilled the camps water bucket while she was there, as she had used it all the night before washing Nathaniel.

When she returned to the camp, it was to see that Oghren was stoking the fire, and Anders was sitting by Nathaniel, checking his work.

"I really am good. Honestly, I am an absolute genius," Anders praised himself, as he scanned Nathaniel's side and back. "I don't even think there will be bad scars."

"Too bad boy, a good scar gets the bad girls all worked up," offered Oghren. "Guess you'll have to impress them with your fancy girl fighting moves. He he he."

Nathaniel watched Juliette return and she wondered if he recalled any of last night. Considering the dreams it had inspired for her, she rather hoped not. She placed the water bucket by the rock ring and asked him how he was feeling.

"I'm well, Commander. Thank you," was all he offered.

"When you are well enough, Nathaniel," she began, "we will speak about your decision to place yourself in such danger," Juliette finished, her tone harsher than she intended.

"I'm well enough now," Nathaniel answered, fixing her with a look that said nothing short of I dare you.

"In private, then," and she pointed to the tree line.

Nathaniel got slowly to his feet, and pulled a fresh tunic out of his bag. He tugged it over his head, and followed her path out of the clearing towards the creek.

Juliette had sat on a fallen tree, her feet dangling. She looked up when he was a few feet away, "What in Andraste's name were you thinking?" she said quietly.

Nathaniel was caught off guard by her tone. He had expected to be scolded and lectured, instead saw genuine upset in her eyes. The bluster went out of him, "I was not about to let that thing maul you," he came to sit next to her. "It was instinct."

"Unacceptable," she shook her head. "Nate, you are not to do anything like that again," Juliette said, using her Commander's voice. "I won't have you taking such risks."

"Not to do anything like that again? You do realize that I saved your life?" his voice becoming hard. "That monster was as big as I, and I tower over you," Nathaniel rose, proving his point. "I could not allow him to get to you. He would have had your throat out before anyone could have stopped him!"

"You are no more expendable and I am!" Juliette rose, looking up at him. "You can't kill yourself looking after me!"

"You've got that all wrong! I am completely expendable!" Nathaniel argued. "The people of Ferelden don't need me- they need YOU!" he looked away from her. "My father brought misery to this land; I will not have your loss bring more."

She raised her chin, her eyes narrowing. "No Nate! You are NOT expendable!" she jabbed him with her finger in the chest, his eyes snapping back to hers. "I have lost all that I am going to lose! I cannot face the idea of you dying out of some distorted sense of guilt, or dying at all for that matter!" Juliette said, emotion betraying her. "Don't you get it? You and Fergus are all I have!" she whispered to him.

Nathaniel felt a jolt go through him, he couldn't believe what she was saying. He just stared at her.

"I'm done discussing this, Nathaniel Howe, DONE," she said, asserting herself again. "You will not pull a stunt like that again, EVER." and he watched as she stomped away from the creek, heading to their camp.

What had just happened? He sank onto the log and played the conversation again in his mind.

Juliette was clearly very angry with him, which in Nathaniel's opinion, was completely insane. He had saved her life for Maker's sake! The beast would have had her dead and gone before any of them could have reacted.

"Yet she's MAD at me? Are all women this mad?" He got to his feet and thought it through again. He was having a very difficult time not becoming incensed with her, "She never even said thank you!" he huffed. Nathaniel left the creek just as angry as she had.

Back at the camp, she was stomping around, gathering their things, flinging them into packs. Oghren and Anders smartly stayed quiet.

Nathaniel returned a few minutes later simmering with anger. He too began packing. Oghren and Anders looked at each other and again came to the same silent agreement, staying quiet seemed best.

Anger being a sure motivator, very soon, the camp was broken down and the animals readied. Juliette approached her mount, and Nathaniel helped her saddle. She snarled out a 'thank you', he bit out a 'you're welcome'. Nathaniel mounted his own horse and without saying anything else said took point, heading down the road.

Anders and Oghren watched Juliette's eyes narrow at his power play, and started her horse after him.

Anders pulled himself into his saddle, and turned to Oghren who was bumbling with his own. "You think they know how bad they've got it for each other?" he asked.

"Wish they'd just get it over with. Never saw two people who needed to bang each other to get their own sense back, more than those two." Oghren replied.

"Well said, dwarf" Anders said, nodding."Although, they are kind of cute like this."

"You really are a pansy, mage."

"Eat nug dung, dwarf."