The rain had started to fall. It wasn't heavy, just a light sprinkling. The air had cooled dramatically. A breeze whistled nearby before it reached her. The moon was nonexistent, which left no amount of light for her to see, but a soft lightening in the distance illuminated.

She looked to her right. The man next to her seemed smaller without his armor. Spaulders, weapons, and the majority of his clothing, except for the thick leather pants, had been removed. Though he seemed smaller, he wasn't the least bit vulnerable. His muscles tightened with every movement, catching her eye. The rain had begun to draw streaks of red down his form.

"Return with me." His words echoed, barely audible.

"I've already made up my mind."

"Is there anything I can do to convince you?" His voice seemed distant, but it's depth never ceased to make her tremble.

"Probably not." She shivered against the cold. The rain had become a mild one and against the breeze, it seemed a lower temperature than it was.

He had turned towards her, his arms at his sides. One would think it was painful, but even with his clawed hands and crushing strength, his touch was gentle. He had placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. Her heart began to race as he placed a finger beneath her chin. She was frozen.

Opening her eyes, she shuddered. It was just a dream. She drew a quivering breath. But it was just getting to the good part, she whined to herself jerking the pillow from under her head and burying her face into it. She tossed her pillow aside and stood. She stretched and looked over at Gwen who was busy playing with her hair, trying to get it in just the right place.

"Bad dream?" Gwen asked picking up her comb. Sicilia groaned as she pulled her nightclothes off. "Oh, a good dream," she giggled. "About the Arishok?" She laughed as Sicilia tripped over her own feet as she walked to her pack. "Have you told him yet?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," she mumbled as she pulled her pants on.

Markl was at his normal table. The tavern had only a few people, the most of them gathered around a table playing Diamondback. Noticing her walk in, he looked at her curiously. When she drew near, he asked, "What are you doing here so early?"

"I could ask the same of you," she laughed. It wasn't even dinnertime and he was already at the tavern. "I, well, the Arishok came to see me at the coast last night. I think he's willing to cooperate now."

"What? Damn, did you really get to him that much? What did he say?" Markl's eyes were wide, his ale long forgotten.

"I won't go into much detail, but he should come again tonight so I wanted to see you before then. I have a plan about what to do about the Tevinter ordeal." She told him the details of her plan. They worked out a few minor bits so that it all made sense. With Markl's approval, she was sure everything was set. Sicilia only had one more question, but it was a bit more personal. "I had something I wanted to ask you, but don't laugh, ok? I actually feel a little bad for tearing into him yesterday and I wanted to do something nice. Do you know of anything food-wise that would maybe remind him of Par Vollen?"

Markl smiled, trying not to laugh, he said, "Well, there's quite a bit, but anything spicy. My father would always complain about the food not being spicy enough, not enough depth of flavor. I'll tell you what, go to the stall about three streets over; there's a woman who makes this amazing mix of spices. She puts it on everything. Get the roast sandwich."

Sicilia had done exactly as Markl told her. The woman had even let her sample the meat before she ordered. The meat was a bit gamey, but the spices was the perfect amount of heat. She could taste a bit of cinnamon at one point, but it was quickly overwhelmed by the heat of another spice she couldn't make out.

She had always loved food. At home, her mother had taught her to cook at a young age. She enjoyed learning new things, but since coming to Dairsmuid, there hadn't been a kitchen for her to use. Sicilia had been too busy to miss it, but now, tasting the moist meat covered with the right amount of spicy sauce, she wanted to know the recipe. Of course, the woman wouldn't give any hint.

With the sandwiches wrapped tightly in her pack, she made her way towards the coast. Markl had told her that, if he saw Haiden, he would tell him that she had other plans. She couldn't help, but think about her dream. A part of her wondered if it had been a dream or if it had been a premonition. There had been no pain, but she had other dreams before that would come true that didn't have any pain. It was just that all those with pain would always come true. In all honesty, she wanted it to be true, but feared the decision that she had made.

The sun was just above the horizon. He watched as she quickly shed her boots and weapons to run into the water. Her childlike actions made him halfway smirk. The Arishok had debated even coming that night. This woman hadn't left his thoughts all night; he had barely slept. It frustrated him to no end that she could've done this to him. He had told himself that the only reason he was here was because he needed to know of her plan.

He stood on the coast, just off the docks, watching her. She would wade further, just to her knees where her pants were rolled to, run away when a wave rolled in, then wade back in and kick at the water. The wind had picked up slightly and her hair blew into her face as she turned away from it. She had walked out of the water, just far enough for the waves to still lick her toes. She turned towards the sunset, the light tunic she wore clung against her curves when the breeze blew.

She really was a mystery to him. One day she reminded him of a strong warrior, another day she would seem like an atashi spitting fire in his face, and now she seemed like a careless child, but a beautiful woman at the same time. How she managed to hold so many personas was beyond him. This woman will be the death of me, he thought as he moved towards her. He had almost given up arguing with himself over the matter.

Sicilia had gotten the simplest pleasure out of running through the water. She had settled down next to her pack before she saw the Arishok. "I had thought you might not show," she said as he said down.

"Will you tell me of your plan now?"

"I'm still thinking about it." She watched the sun glint of his gold earrings. The wind blew his white hair off his shoulders.

"I grow tired of waiting."

"Well, here, it'll take your mind off waiting," she handed him one of the sandwiches. "I'm guessing you haven't eaten yet?"

"Why do you insist on feeding me?" He took the sandwich from her only hesitating slightly.

"Because I'm nice, now eat," she said with a mouthful. She watched his slightly stunned expression as he chewed. Smiling, she took another bite, savoring the flavor.

Sicilia could tell that the meal was a good idea. The Arishok seemed a little more calm now that he was finished. However, she wasn't ready to bring up business yet. She searched for things to talk about.

"How long will I have to wait?"

"Did you like the food?" she fished for conversation starters.

"Yes, the taste was familiar."

Sicilia watched his profile. To her, most Qunari looked the same with only slight differences, but the Arishok was his own in every way. Other than the fact that, overall, he was of larger build, the angle of his horns was more intricate, his jaw was stronger, and his brow seemed heavier. He was pure male. "I got it because I thought it would remind you of home; maybe you wouldn't feel so homesick, at least for one meal." He turned to her, his dark eyes searching her own questioningly. She smiled and said, "Questions left unanswered will only bring suffering, Arishok. Ask."

"Why do you care about such things?" His voice, deep as is was soothing, had a gravely undertone that shook the core of whomever he spoke to.

"I don't know. It could just be that I do because I want to. In general, I'm a nice person, but something about you makes me want to be a little nicer to you. I don't know what it is, but I know that it's not pity, guilt, or anything like that," she thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "I see a different side to you than what others see. Others fear you, cower before you. It's hard to explain. I guess, in light of everything, I have begun to see you as a friend. Kadan."

A/N:

Kadan - "friend" or "brother."

Atashi - dragon.