Night watch
Morgana
She moves her bedroll outside her tent for one night to take watch, now that there are enough of them, and she reminds herself that of course she isn't scared, look how clean the air is, so clear and... untainted, but there will be no tent to be knocked over this time...
She continues to torture herself in this fashion as she moves the bedroll and her sword next to the fire, but is distracted for a moment as she takes her sheathed sword, trying not to smile. Since she still isn't used to lifting it, she's using a dagger on the field at the moment, and Alistair seems to entertain himself with giving her all sorts of exercises "to build muscle strength" that look ridiculous. It's hard to keep your dignity when you're sprawled on the ground doing something with your legs and your fellow Warden is trying hopelessly not to laugh.
She wonders when she started thinking of him as such. Her fellow Warden. The word "templar" hasn't been used for quite a while now. She shrugs, shaking her head at these thoughts, and he stares at the odd movement as he takes his own bedroll and places it at the other side of the fire.
"What are you - ?" she begins, frowning, but he cuts her off.
"Er... Secretly rehearsing the Remigold?"
She looks at him like he's insane - and, truth be told, for a moment, she wonders. "The dance with... the dresses... and the legs?" She has the image of him in a dress for a moment, and struggles not to laugh.
"Familiar with it, are you?" he says, lightly, as he gathers his own belongings and puts them next to the bedroll. "No, I'm here to keep watch. And... feed Brian." The dread laces through this last sentence quite obviously.
"I don't think he hates you," she says, and he looks for a moment as if he's reminded of something; she dismisses it. "He seems to trust you."
He shakes his head. "Until he tries to take my fingers off when I put any water near him. He's imprinted on you, he won't trust anyone else."
"Not true. There was a time when I was healing you and he managed to keep two hurlocks at bay single... pawedly?"
He looks at her, surprised, for a moment. Why?
"What?"
He shakes his head. "Nothing important." With that, he wanders off to feed Brian, and Morgana winces, unsurprised, at the loud "Ow!" she hears a couple of minutes later.
When he arrives at the fire, she touches her hand to his before he can protest, healing his freshly-bleeding hand.
"Thank you," he says, and she looks up at him, puzzled.
"Why do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Thank me every time I heal you."
His words come out in an awkward rush. "Well, it's... you risk your life every time you do, and I know how much it drains your mana, and it just seemed... right."
She frowns, remembering when he basically rushed through an exact explanation of healing. "You know about mana?"
He rolls his eyes. "Templar training, remember?"
Something inside her tenses at the mention of it, the way the Chantry has overshadowed their lives; it is clear from his expression he's seen it and is ready to back away from the conversation, but she carefully relaxes, because he's never used his powers once, or backed away from her magic, and the man in front of her is not a templar.
She can't help smiling at the realisation.
You think that "die, templar!" is solved there? Nope. I enjoy this plotline too much, so this isn't quite wrapped up yet.
OK, I know I don't do multi-chapter, but this will be two shorts in about the same time-period. I'm just writing up the second now, and I wanted to keep it... well, short, which is why I divided it up.
Ridiculous, I know, but has anyone actually explained what the Remigold is? I always have the image of it as a can-can, for some reason.
Before you ask... Yes, Morgana's fearsome wardog is called Brian. Also before you ask, yes, the chapter title is a nod to karebear's outstanding piece, also called Night Watch. If anyone's reading this that hasn't read that... really, read it. A great example of Amell/Alistair done well, and the pre-cursor to let Me Be Your Shield (also worth taking a look at).