"You were supposed to tell us you're leaving."

He finally found her on the battlements. What was left of the battlements after the darkspawn siege. She sat wrapped up against the cold in a thick woolen cloak. If Nathaniel hadn't caught sight of her soft brown curls flicking in the frigid wind under the hood, he would have thought she was just another archer and moved on in his search.

Elissa's head turned slightly at his voice. "Apparently I don't need to. News travels fast."

Nathaniel Howe walked closer, and then hopped up onto the neighboring merlon of the battlement wall. He sat beside her, and let his legs dangle over the edge. "Not really. Father used to hold all sorts of meetings and arguments in the study. I was six when I discovered that I could hear absolutely everything said if I pressed my ear to the floor of one of the guest room closets."

She looked at him, one brow arching. "You were eavesdropping?"

He lifted a shoulder as he looked back at her. "I've never seen Woolsey so rattled. I had to know what was going on."

"Which guest room?"

"The, ah, one to the east. It used to have red curtains and hideous tapestries. Glad you got rid of those, to be honest."

She turned away again, overlooking the Vigil grounds. There wasn't much to see at this late hour. Everything was bathed in dark blue shadows. The watchman's flame inched through the bailey, past the little houses kept by the Vigil's staff.

What could be seen, and what he was watching, was her soft face. Pale blue eyes were cast down, half hidden behind thick lashes. And that thin scar across her eyebrow, another thicker one under her chin. He really shouldn't be staring at her, taking in every detail of her face. He shouldn't even be here. He shouldn't have sought her out. His list of 'shouldn'ts' was growing by the hour.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Mm." Nathaniel nodded a little, squinting off at the horizon. "You could have stood up for yourself a bit more."

Elissa let out a bitter laugh. "I've done more than a few things I regret. I deserve this punishment."

"I think you've been punished enough." He was silent a moment, then looked at her. "You know that I was in agreement in regards to the Architect. You wanted to stop the cycle of Blights and Old Gods. It's what we all want."

She nodded a little, closing the cloak more tightly about herself. "But what does it mean to be a freed? Or worse, one that is twisted by the Architect's experiments?"

"You believe in giving every loathsome creature a chance," he murmured in a low voice. "Whether or not they deserve it."

Elissa looked at him, and despite the chill he was warmed by the smile she gave him. "You are not a loathsome creature, Nathaniel."

"Yes. Well." He cleared his throat, "There are many who would disagree." He sucked in a breath, "Besides. If the darkspawn no longer answer to the Old Gods, you have nothing to fear from… the babe."

"Ah, you heard that as well. Of course you did."She buried her face in her hands, "Maker's breath."

He felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, "So you actually asked him-"

"Nathaniel."

"-to sleep with another woman. A witch."

"To save him!" She threw her hands up and turned to face him. "Andraste help me, it was to save him. Had there been another way, I would have taken it. But it was that or death. What would you have done?"

He met her angry gaze, and his own expression remained calm with a hint of wry amusement. "To save you or him?"

"Not funny."

He dropped his chin, "Had I been in your shoes, I doubt I would have acted any differently."

She sighed, and her breath came out as a vapor that surrounded her pretty face. Somewhere in the distance thunder rumbled, hinting at an approaching autumn storm. "You know I have a week to remain here."

"I do." He gathered a few chunks of chipped and broken mortar into his palm, and began chucking them over the edge of the tall wall. "And I should like to join you on your journey to Nevarra."

"That isn't up to me, I don't think."

"Then I shall request it."

"Nathaniel," she was frowning at him again. "You should stay here. You know the land, the people. If Paien had an ounce of sense, he'd put you in charge of the Vigil."

"I'm a child by Warden standards." He shook his head. "If you aren't experienced enough to be a Commander, I'm certainly unworthy."

"This is your home. Vigil's Keep should be yours."

He scowled then, tossing another small stone off into the darkness, "If I cannot earn it, I do not want it." He threw one more and turned to face her, "I wish to remain at your side."

He was wearing too much of his heart on his sleeve with those words, wasn't he? She blinked at him before she looked away quickly. "You'll need to discuss that with Paien," she said.

"I plan to." He dusted his hands on his trousers. "You should get out of this cold. Everyone else has gone to bed. You won't be able to share any of the news with them until morning." He slid from the wall and back to his feet. "Get some rest while you can."

Elissa spun and slipped from the edge of the wall as well. "I doubt that will happen. Thank you, Nathaniel."

He watched her walk past him, hugging the cloak tight around her form against the frigid wind. She soon slipped through a doorway and out of sight.

Nathaniel added another 'shouldn't' to his list.