Lothering
Alistair
The touch on his arm is light, but he still jumps - it's been placed precisely between the plates on his armour, so that he will feel it.
He can't quite explain it, but something... softened in her when she gave him that smile, and, with darkness, death, and a Blight hanging over them, still - for some stupid reason - he wanted to return it.
They came to Lothering to get supplies - along the way they seem to have acquired a mildly insane Chantry sister and a giant. Of course, Morgana has barely batted an eyelid at any of that.
Her voice is quiet - it's the first time she's spoken to him since she apologised after that screaming row about their respective terrible childhoods - and it sounds a little like she's having to force the words out. "Can you... help me, please?"
Supplies are scarce in a town so ravaged by the Blight, but they've managed to pick up plenty of weapons, if only through killing their owners, and, through the means of three of them and two backpacks, managed to keep carrying them.
He looks back to where Leliana and Morrigan are sitting - no doubt having an argument about something Chantry-related - before following her as she walks to and sits down on a grassy slope. He debates with himself before sitting next to her. "Soo... what do you need my help with?"
She gestures to his pack while taking off her own - he gives it to her, and she empties both on the ground, turning to him. Her speech is awkward, as if she's feeling her way through the conversation, afraid to put a foot wrong. "I just... needed to sort through this. Give everyone a weapon."
"And you're asking me about this?"
She shrugs. "You're a warrior. You know about swords. And, well, Sten..."
"Not exactly approachable, is he?" he chips in. She actually respects his opinion on something? He tries not to be too surprised. That, and the fact that this is the longest thing she's said to him since their first conversation about standing in a circle and holding hands to defeat the darkspawn, before she heard of his background and clamped down on any feelings but resentment towards him.
They sort through them, and he notices that she puts all the staves to one side with a murmur of "Morrigan". He frowns. "Wait... what are you wielding?"
She picks up a sword and eyes it speculatively. He adds, "But... you're a mage. And there are plenty of good staves - "
She carries on holding the sword. "Not... sharp enough. Can't stab people with a bloody branch. Besides..." She looks to the horizon, mumbling something that sounds distinctly like, "...A reminder."
She adds, "That's why you're here."
Ah. He knew there had to be something. She makes true eye contact with him since that moment by the fire. "Alistair..." Not templar, spat between clenched teeth? Wow. That's new.
"... Will you teach me to use a sword?"