Five Sovereigns

Morgana

She's woken by Leliana, looking surprisingly fresh for a woman who's just come off watch; sticking her head in her tent, the ex-bard smiles. "Wake up, sleepyhead!"

Morgana emits a very unladylike groan, rubbing a hand over her face and untangling herself from her bedroll. "'M awake," she mutters, and Leliana steps out of the tent with a trill of, "Breakfast is waiting!"

She looks longingly back at her bedroll, then sighs, pulling on her clothing and ducking out to the campfire, preparing to find a river later; she winces at the daylight.

Something's missing, and it takes her a moment to realise that it's the slightly bleary - at this time in the morning - presence of Alistair. She swears, they're getting as bad as each other; a good, undisturbed night's sleep is damn near impossible for a Warden to have, and it shows. Leliana gives her a sly smile, saying, "He's over there. I know you were about to ask."

She finds her cheeks heating, and looks down into her porridge for a moment before following Leliana's hand with her eyes.

Obviously having been caught out by time again, he's leaning against a tree, deep in meditation, hands on his knees. She cocks her head, watching him; she's certain she'll never look that peaceful - the first time she tried to meditate, after many years of rustiness, she'd opened her eyes to see him trying desperately to hold back a laugh. When she asked him what exactly was so funny, he'd replied with a grin, "You're trying too hard. You look constipated. Relax into it."

After a quick breakfast and a dip in the river with someone's soap - she recognises the familiar smell of lye from the Tower, and realises with surprise and a little embarrassment that she's grabbed Alistair's in a rush, rather than Leliana's frilly Orlesian stuff - she wanders back into camp and asks to see Levi's stocks, remembering that both her and Alistair's armour is starting to show its wear. The merchant seems more than a little shocked, but nods, and then is enthusiastic about trying to sell her everything in his Blighted cart.

Aware that she probably looks ridiculous with her legs nearly dangling out of it, she moves aside the flimsy, basic chainmail and the leather stuff - perhaps for Leliana, but she refuses to leave her legs vulnerable to the world - until she happens upon... Oh. More splintmail. She turns it over, noticing that this seems heavier - and shinier, she notices with a slight smile - than her usual armour. Still weighing it in her hand, she jumps at the voice of her fellow Warden, close behind her. "Silverite, from the look of it."

"I... I see," she murmurs, still frowning at it - of course, expecting to stay in robes all her life, she knows nothing about this sort of thing; once again, she thinks she's lucky to have him around. "A little help, perhaps?"

He pauses, and she can just tell he's laughing about her ridiculous position in the cart; then he joins her, leaning an elbow over the side and grinning at her. "Still have the old Fade Striders, I see."

Ah. The boots she found in the Tower. Wait... She glares at him, remembering where her legs are at this particular moment. "Alistair, have you been watching my rear?"

The words are out of her mouth without thought, and she's unsure whether to repent or burst out laughing when he pales, then looks as if he's about to flush very, very badly, running a hand through his hair and looking to the sky. "Of course not. As if I would. That would just be..." He trails off. "A-ny-way... You said you needed help with the armour?"

She lets him off the hook, handing him the set. "Thought you might need this. Seems in fairly good condition, but..."

He checks it over with the practised eye of a soldier, then looks back to her. "It's certainly serviceable, and it's better than what I have. I'll just pay Levi..."

She shakes her head. "I'll settle it. Now I just need to find a good female set."

She looks around with plenty of clanks and crunches, eventually finding another set of splintmail. She looks back to her fellow Warden - she can't help feeling that it's become somewhat of a uniform, and, oddly, she's glad to pick it up; it feels like... being in it together, somehow. She passes it to Alistair, notices him raise an eyebrow, and climbs ungracefully out of the cart, then thanks and pays Levi.

"Oh, no, Warden, thank you," he smiles.

She notices Alistair frowning, staring at her, and asks, "A problem?"

He shakes his head hastily. "Oh, not at all. Just... It's not important."

They go their separate ways to change into their splintmail, and when she comes back, she straps on her belt, surprised at how heavy it is.

Leliana smiles, standing, at she notices her friend look back over her shoulder at Alistair, wondering why.

They are soon packed, heaving rucksacks onto their backs, and begin to take the road at a slow pace, behind Levi.

They have barely set off when she hears Leliana giggle, and turns. "Oh, Alistair," the woman sighs, "is there a reason you are sniffing her?"

Both Wardens simultaneously redden - quite a sight to behold - and he mutters something that sounds like, "Dog upbringing," before looking sheepishly to Morgana, and asking in an undertone, "Do mages really use Chantry soap?"

Pretending she doesn't hear Leliana's, "Oh, how sweet!" from behind them, she grits her teeth and replies smoothly, "Indeed they do. Brings back memories of apprenticeship." That part's true, at least; she'd just stopped using it when she'd gained a friend with slightly less skin-grating soap.

He nods, with a, "Makes sense, I suppose," returning his eyes to the road, and they trudge on, her looking for her Reflection amulet in her belt; there's a clink that isn't jewellery, however, and she lifts her hand out to find five heavy gold sovereigns resting in her palm. She thinks for a moment, recounting the price of the armour, and looks at him. He avoids her gaze, and she rolls her eyes, before she says, "It really wasn't needed, but... thank you, Alistair." She finds the amulet, and Leliana, not far behind, starts to put it on her for convenience's sake.

He looks up in surprise, giving her a small smile. "Not a problem."

They spend a few minutes in companionable silence, then he calls to Levi to stop. It hits her, the newer Warden, a half-second after him.

Darkspawn.

She ducks the fireball aimed at her by an emissary - no, two - and sees Alistair tense beside her. Shrugging off their packs and drawing their swords, she sees him slowly exhale, flexing his fingers, and knows what will come next. He looks at her cautiously, asking permission, and she tells herself she will not flinch; she nods, backing away and praying the meditation and his lessons have paid off.

He glances at her one last time, and she sees something unfamiliar in his eyes, before unleashing an onslaught of pure will.