Varric was a city dwarf and he liked it that way, but even he had to admit that this little forest clearing was idyllic. If Hawke would only drag them to peaceful places like this a little more often…
…then he would have much less fodder for his stories, but also probably fewer scars. He supposed he would take the scars as fair trade for the tales.
He rubbed a small block of wax over Bianca's stock while he watched over his friends. It was midday, but they were all exhausted after finally fighting their way out of that cave Isabela had promised would be filled to the ceiling with treasure.
Spiders was more like it.
She lay sprawled on a blanket, her kerchief pulled down to shade her eyes looking completely carefree in her doze. Only Varric noticed the knife hidden in the grass under her hand.
Hawke had dipped a rag in the pond at the edge of the clearing and draped it over her forehead before she fell asleep using Isabela's thigh as a pillow.
Briefly Varric wished he was as accomplished an artist as he was a storyteller. If he could sell the image of the two women asleep like that, he would be rich beyond even the golden dreams of dwarves.
And Daisy… his eyes swept the clearing and found her lying on her stomach by the pond. She had squealed with delight when they had found the pond and seen the tiny minnows darting under its surface.
He set Bianca aside to stroll over to squat at Merrill's side. "Did you find anything good in there?"
Her fingertips trailed in the water, the minnows curiously nibbling and bumping at the intrusions into their little world.
"Daisy?"
Bending down, he saw that her eyes were closed, her face slack in sleep.
He chuckled softly to himself and lifted her hand out of the water to settle it on the grass.
"Only you, Daisy, would find a way to sleep with the fishes that was actually adorable," he murmured before going back to reassure Bianca that he was not neglecting her for another woman.