I'm a Bit late putting this up but for some reason it wouldn't load last night, so here it is! Chapter 12, hints towards one of the pairings in this chapter :P hope you enjoy!

Elissa lay awake as she watched the sun began to rise; the sky had turned to a purple hue as the light slowly bled in to the sky. She didn't know how long she had lay there, it had been hours since Jarvis had taken over the watch for her, but it felt like only minute had passed. She couldn't remember waking up, or falling asleep, doubting that she had.

With a sigh she sat up from her bed roll and looked around the camp. Ruari was sitting talking quietly to the young Elven man, Soris she reminded herself. Everyone else appeared to be sleeping, but as she looked round she notice Kallian was missing.

She had taken off her armour the night before, sleeping in her leather britches and linen shirt. Untangling herself from her bed roll she stood and pulled her boots on and attached her daggers to her hip, before making her way over to the two men by the camp fire. Not wanting to startle the two men she walked loudly as she approached the two chuckling men.

"Good morning Soris, Ruari." She smile and nodded at them both.

"Good morning my Lady Cousland, I was just telling Soris about the last training session myself and Aeden ran though, Nan ended up throwing a bucket of water over us because we were making so much noise outside the kitchen."

"Don't forget the part where I threw flour over you as well." She laughed at the memory of her brother and Ruari white as ghosts and getting scolded by her mother. She felt a slight pain in her chest that she still did not know what had happened to them. If what the Arl's son had said is true then something horrible could have happened at Highever.

She had left two days before her brother had left for the battle against the darkspawn, three day before Arl Howe was due to arrive. She hadn't wanted to stay there encase he had brought his brute of a son Thomas. It was selfish of her, she left her family to face Maker knows what without her, all because she couldn't stand the attention of the Arl's son.

Pulling herself from her thoughts she looked over to Soris "Soris, do you know where Kallian is?"

"Ah, yes she said she was going to the stream over there to clean up."

"Thank you." She smiled before walking back to her bed roll to collect her bag of belongings. The stream was not very deep but it was far enough away from the road and covered by enough trees and hedges that it gave you enough privacy to bath. As she walked gingerly down the bank of the stream she seen Kallian standing in the deepest back of the water scrubbing her long blonde hair with a bar of soap she must have borrowed from one of the guards.

"Morning, Kallian." She called as she sat and began to pull her boots off.

"Good morning Lady Cousland" Kallian twisted to look at her as she spoke.

"Please call me Elissa," she smiled as the young Elven girl smile and nodded. She looked over to see the white blood stained dress hanging wet on a low branch of a tree. "Her wedding dress" she thought.

"Kallian, I know you haven't got any other clothes so I brought a pair of my spare britches and a tunic. They might not fit you exactly, but they are clean and warm."

"Thank you la- Elissa" she said smiling again.

They bathed in silence for a few minutes before Kallian spoke again. "I never said thank you, for helping us, for saving Shianni, and taking us with you. If we had returned to the Alienage the guards would have torn it apart to find us."

"You do not have to thank me; it was the least I could do after what happened. I'm sorry about your wedding day." Kallian ducked her head under the cool water, washing the foam of the soap away before offering a simple hum and nod in answer. "Will your betrothed be joining you in Redcliffe?"

Kallian paused for a moment her hands stilling in untangling her hair before she answered. "No, he came with Soris to get us out, but a guard killed him." Elissa stared at the young woman, unsure what to say. "It was an arranged marriage," Kallian continued sensing her discomfort. "He came from the Alienage in Highever. I thought it was strange that he risked his life by trying to save me, he had only met me that morning, I didn't even want to marry him, but he still lost his life trying to save me."

Her expression remained blank as she spoke, and again Elissa was at a loss for words. "He was very brave." She said finally, internally wincing at the words. Kallian only response was to hum and nod again.

"Why were you at the castle? I heard you say something about an assassin?"

"Ah yes, an assassin attack me in my room at the guest house we had been staying at. When I questioned him he said he had been sent by Arl Rendon Howe. When I didn't believe him he showed me a letter from Howe to Bann Vaughantelling him how much to pay the assassin and how thing on his side where going well."

"He said something about your family didn't he?"

"Yes, Arl Howe was visiting my family in Highever before he went to join the troops fighting the darkspawn with the King. His men were running late, my oldest brother had already left to join the fighting; my other brother was to stay behind and run the castle while my father was away. I'm worried about what has happened to them, I'm hoping to hear news when we stop at the next village."

"I hope that they are safe."

"Me too."

They quickly finished bathing and dressing to join the others back at camp, Elissa clothes, as she thought, did not quite fit Kallian. The britches curled down over her heels, and where slightly loose at her hips, the tunic hung on her shoulders slightly but it was better than the blood soaked clothes she had. The rest of the Elven women had woken and where heading to the stream they had just left. Brian was sparing with Soris, Jarvis was tending to the horses, while Ruari cleaned his armour getting it ready to wear again.

Elissa went to pack her bed roll away and collect her armour while Kallian moved towards where Ruari was sat. Sitting down beside him she looked over to where Soris and Brian where sparing.

"You friend is quite a good swordsman." She said as she continued to watch.

"Yes" Ruari laughed slightly, he suddenly felt nervous sitting beside her, he glanced over at her profile quickly, taking in her straight nose and full pink lips. Her hair was still wet from the stream making it darker, tied and trailing down her back. Her dark green eye flickering as she watched the quick movement of the men in front of her. He coughed when he released he had been staring, hoping she hadn't noticed, "Yes, Brian help train young Lord Cousland, Elissa brother Aeden. Though I must say you are quite skilled as well, where did you learn to fight?"

Kallian cheeks pinked slightly at the praise, "My mother taught me when I was younger before she died, my father didn't like it very much, the elves in the Alienage are not supposed to learn how to fight or have weapons."

"Everyone, make sure you have everything packed up, we'll be leaving as soon as we can, I want to get to the next village before it gets dark, if we're lucky we might find an inn to stay at." Elissa voice rang out over the camp as she finished scraping the bottom of her houses hoofs.

Ruari sigh slightly as everyone began to busy themselves, he turned and smiled to Kallian before he stood, "Perhaps we can spar together when we are not in a rush, after last night I obviously need to improve my skill against rogues."

She smiled brightly at him, and he couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked, as she said "I look forward to it." With a nod she walked away towards the stream again to inform the others that they would leave soon. He watched her disappear from view with a smile on his face and feeling lighter than he had since they had fled Denerim. When he looked back he noticed Elissa watching him, he quickly looked down hiding his blushing cheeks.

"So, you and our dear Elf maiden are getting along." Elissa smiled and teased lightly, "What were you talking about that cause her to blush."

"Nothing, I complimenting her sword work."

If it was possible Elissa smile grew wider, "Mmm her sword work.."

"Yes, I was talking about sparing with her when we had some free time."

Elissa burst out laughing at this statement and Ruari felt his ear heat up.

"Your impossible." he said as he turned away to continue collecting his belongings.

#Hint Hint# ;) The little bit at the end where Elissa tease Ruari wasn't in the original but I thought I'd add some light fluff to make up for the angst that's coming. So I had I had a bit of a mad week and wrote loads! so if it continues I'll probably post again this week to make up for the late posting. Review to let me know what you think.