Amell had a restless sleep that night. Her wound was healed, but she still felt phantom pains once in awhile; the bed was also unfamiliar and uncomfortable. The next day, as she left the inn, she thought she spotted something suspiciously corpse-like in a ditch. She did not stop to investigate.

The ship was set to sail around noon and Amell arrived at the docks mid-morning, after asking directions from some very helpful merchants. She considered going on board right away, but if she appeared on the ship and Ashaad did not, it would have no doubt signaled foul play to the other Tal'Vashoth. So she waited until minutes before the catwalk was to be raised, hoping this would make it seem as if Ashaad had merely missed the ship. She had no great hope for this plan, but under the circumstances, it was the best she could manage.

As the ship left port, she went to do something she should have from the beginning: talk to the captain and have Sten released.

* * *

"It honestly seemed like a lot of effort to go through for so little information," Amell commented as they walked back to their cabin.

"It is more than I could have gotten out of them," Sten replied.

"Yes, but what is anyone going to make of it?"

"It is the Arishok's place, not my own, to employ this knowledge. My duty was simply to collect it. Or attempt to do so, as the case may be," he added with a sideways glance at Amell and one of his typical almost-smiles. "I am grateful--"

"There is no need," Amell waved her hand awkwardly. "I... I'm just sorry you had to spend this entire time locked up."

"It was necessary, at the time," Sten only said.

"It was-- Sten, did you... get yourself locked up on purpose?" she asked, frowning in thought.

"Do you believe so?" Sten asked in turn.

"Sten! That's horrible! Why would you do something like that?"

They'd reached the cabin and Sten unlocked the door quietly. They were inside before he replied.

"I have learned from you, kadan, that twisted paths may lead to the desired result."

"Yes, well, you do seem to have learned a lot from me, don't you?" she muttered as she shrugged her cloak off and folded it over her arm.

Sten looked at her strangely.

"What?" Amell asked at this.

He strode over to her and raised his hand to her left shoulder. Amell realized that her robes still had a rip there, from Ashaad's sword. Dried brown blood stained the robes, around the hole and down her chest. A long red line of puckered skin could still be visible where the wound had been.

Sten did not know about her marks from the fight until she took her cloak off, but now he brushed a thumb over the closed-up remnants of the wound, sending tingles throughout the over-sensitive flesh.

"Ah, that," Amell smiled weakly. "You know how I am at fighting in close quarters. But it's fine, I healed it-- not as good a job as Wynne would have done-- but it's not even going to scar. Sten?"

He was still looking at her shoulder, face unreadable, oddly delicate fingers tracing the signs of her injury. She was not sure what to make of this, but his hand was very warm and the contact oddly comforting, so it was with great hesitance that Amell finally raised her own hand and placed it over his, putting a stop to his strange probing.

"Sten, what's wrong?" she asked so softly, she surprised even herself.

Sten snapped out of his strange mood and met her eyes.

"Nothing, kadan. You should be more careful," he said and pulled back, his hand slipping away, but leaving lingering heat behind.

He turned around and started quietly unstrapping his armor.

Amell remained rooted on the spot. She touched her cheek and felt the heat of a blush coming on, though she did not know why.

* * *

The next days of the voyage proved uneventful. They did not see the remaining Tal'Vashoth on the ship, but did not go looking for them either. They settled into a routine of sorts, meals in the galley and long hours on the deck.

Amell stalked the deck like a caged animal lately, finally tired of the bland monotony offered by life at sea. She watched the horizon with an almost palpable impatience, despite knowing there was at least another week until they reached their destination.

It was around this time that she acquired a map of Thedas. Sten walked into the cabin one day to find it spread across the desk and Amell leaning over it, watching with a far-away look. He approached her and she turned her head towards him, offering a slight grin.

"Ah, just thinking," she answered his unspoken question. "Do you think we'll get any trouble going through Tevinter?"

"You less than others," Sten replied.

"Why?" she queried, tilting her head curiously. Sten gave her a level look until she realized the answer herself. "Oh... mage. Right. I forgot about that." She shifted awkwardly. "I was given the impression that Tevinter was a... dangerous place."

"There are dangers everywhere. The Tevinter Imperium is run no more poorly than any other of your human nations."

"Hmm." Amell considered this as she traced the Imperial Highway on the map. "Still, I thought the Qunari were at war with the Imperium. Won't your presence raise suspicions?"

"The Imperium wars with all of its neighbors," Sten replied dismissively. "If they were to bar all foreign presence from their territory, they would become bankrupt. And one lone Qunari passing through is hardly an invasion force. If you are concerned by this, we will travel the side roads."

"Side roads?" Her finger came to rest on a small dot marking something to the west of the highway. "Do you think... do you think we might visit Weisshaupt on the way?" She looked at Sten hopefully. "I'd like to see it awake at least once."

"Awake...?" Sten repeated.

"Oh, that's right... I never told you," Amell remarked. "Weisshaupt. That was the dream I was having, when the Sloth Demon imprisoned us. I was at Weisshaupt and the Blight was over. Duncan was there," she added thoughtfully. "He was telling me about about the battle having been won, but I couldn't remember any of it." She finally shook her head. "Never mind, it's just..."

"We will go, if the roads allow," Sten offered.

Amell beamed.

"Thank you," she said, then returned her attention to the map.

That night, she had indistinct dreams of elegant white arches.