"Well, maybe you should ask her why she likes me so much, instead of bothering me with it," Alistair snapped at the Golem.

Silence fell over the group when Shale slowly turned towards Allira and cocked its head. Morrigan and Zevran followed suit. Alistair was blushing and avoiding her eyes.

"Eeh…what…I…." Allira started to say, very eloquently.

It had all began when they took a break on the road back to camp. Everyone was tired after the fight, everyone except Shale, it seemed. The Golem had instead reverted to an extremely talkative mood. The descent into disaster had begun without Allira even noticing. She had been lounging in the grass, dinking a little water when she heard Shales first question. It was difficult to ignore, so she tried to appear oblivious, while listening intently.

Shale had started innocently enough, stating to Alistair that he had become very close to the other Grey Warden. She could not but agree, and had to hide a smile at Alistairs answer. Sweet and flustered but not too embarrassed. She was glad he wasn't ashamed of her anyway.

"I find this difficult to comprehend. It is whiny and weak and constantly laughing," Shale continued, his voice stonily neutral.

Morrigan snorted somewhere to the right, and even Zevran could be heard to snigger. Alistair and the Golem stared at each other for a moment, while Allira held her breath for his witty comeback.

"Then I guess a romance between you and I is completely out of the question, hmm?" he answered, rather calmly.

Having seen him get very riled up by Morrigan on occasion, Allira could not help but feel a surge of pride. Then she registered what he had said, and was left breathless yet again. Did he just describe their relationship as a romance? He did! Not as a friendship, or brotherhood or wardenhood or anything. Romance indeed. She had to take calming breaths, and make an effort to control the corners of her mouth. Her whole face wanted to smile, and since she wasn't officially listening, that would be weird.

Therefore she missed what Shale next said, and only snapped to when she heard Alistairs answer.

"Well, maybe you should ask her why she likes me so much, instead of bothering me with it."

Ah. They had her on that one. Difficult to pretend she hadn't been listening when she was staring back at them with her mouth hanging open like a dying fish.

"Eeh…what…I…." Damn. She could hear Morrigan snort again, even though Zevran was only looking at her with raised eyebrows.

"I like Alistair because…."

Great start there, Tabris.

Shale was looking at her questioningly. At least she guessed that was the emotion on the Golems face. Alistair darted a quick look at her, his cheeks somewhat red, and then he lowered it to his boots again.

Allira swallowed. She could do this. Nothing difficult about it at all really. If she could slay dragons and darkspawn and stand up for the weak, then she should be able to do this. Wait, why did she like Alistair so much?!

"I like Alistair because he doesn't look at me like I'm some dirty elf from the Alienage," she began hesitatingly. "And because he makes me laugh and forget that we have a world to save."

She squared her shoulders and tried to release her death grip on the water bottle. She could feel Morrigans gaze burn into her forehead. Allira tried to ignore her, and glanced at Alistair again, only to find him watching her intently. His eyes were smouldering and she could not look away.

"He is always there for me, whenever I need support in a fight or someone to talk to when I'm lonely. He might not always be the brightest or the strongest, but he has the kindest heart I know, and that is worth more than brains or muscles," she could hear her own voice growing in strength. "And despite everything that is happening, and the fact that we are the only Grey Wardens left in Ferelden, he is still standing by my side. And for how long or short time we might have left, I know he won't abandon me."

Silence.

Not even Shale, who had started it all, said something. Morrigans eyebrows had rose so high they had disappeared under the fringe of her hair. Zevran seemed somewhat displeased, but the reason was unclear.

Finally, after a lot of staring, it was Alistair who moved. He rose, walked over to Allira and offered her his arm, in a courtly manner. His smile was very slight, and his eyes were still doing that smouldering thing. It made her knees tremble.

But she rose, and took his arm, trying to keep her face composed. She could feel his arm clasp hers in some sort of understanding.

Together they continued to walk leisurely towards camp.

After a hurried scramble, everyone else followed.