Apologies
They camped outside of Lothering that night. They ate in silence, the tension almost palpable in the air. When Alistair volunteered for first watch, Elaine quickly volunteered as well. He scowled, then shrugged and settled in. She came to sit next to him. He glanced at her suspiciously.
She bumped him as she rummaged through her pack, and he grunted in annoyance. With an "Aha!" she pulled something out of her pack and handed it to him. It was a small figurine of a nude woman.
"Um, what's this?" he asked, willing himself not to blush and failing.
"It's something I picked up in Lothering. It reminded me of you."
He looked at her in alarm. "Um…thanks? Why did you – I don't – Look, it's not that I'm not grateful, but I don't really – I mean – why exactly did a naked woman remind you of me?"
She laughed. "No, well, it didn't really remind me of you. I just thought you'd like it."
He grimaced. "I'm not sure that's better."
She laughed again. "No! No, it's not that. Look here." She pointed to a symbol carved into the woman's back. "It looks like your ring," she said.
Alistair looked down at his worry rune ring. It didn't look anything like the carving on the statuette. "Oh, yes, I see. Well, thank you. I shall – uh – treasure it always."
She laughed a third time, and he was struck by the loveliness of it. It had been a while since he heard laughter. He looked at her again, and she grew serious as she met his gaze. "I wanted to apologize," she said. "You were right. You've lost just as much as I have, and I haven't been very sensitive about that. I'm sorry."
He was surprised. He hadn't expected this from her. He thought she was shallow and self-absorbed and wouldn't listen to anyone, and then she humbled herself and admitted she was wrong and gave him a gift and noticed his ring? "Oh, right. Well, I – I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. Leliana was right. I was taking my own feelings out on you. I'm sorry, too."
She smiled at him and he was momentarily dazzled. "Forgiven." He smiled back. After a few moments of silence, she asked quietly, "Do you want to talk about Duncan?"