Before either Oghren or Anders could answer her about the drinks, Leliana had already set her turned her attention towards the bards. Anders looked back towards the table for the moment, feeling a bit sheepish and in a fit where he'd probably have to give an answer this time around.
"We're not going to run—" He paused a moment and then shrugged a little shyly and grinned, reaching back for his mug once more, "—okay maybe…"
"Don't worry. Stroud's been keeping a tab on this place for the Grey Wardens." Sigrun reassured him with a nod.
Oghren started to lean more comfortably back into his chair and stretched his arms up over his head. "Yep, yep… Me and the Miss's here can just sit back and get drunk 'till one of the others show up."
"On Stroud's tab, huh?" Anders grin sprung a bit wirily at the sound of that and raised his hand towards the waitress for another quick round. "Hey, barkeep! Keep'em coming. My Captain's made o'solid sovereigns, he is!"
The woman behind the counter swung a salute to him and proceeded back towards making drinks, leaving Anders to relax more back against his chair again.
"Now, this is probably the only real thing I miss." Anders admitted to his friends.
"Not even Nathaniel?" Sigrun questioned quickly, "Or Valeria?"
"That elf was crazy enough to set my hair on fire—if she could. And Nathaniel was a complete prude!" Anders shrugged a bit in thought. "…Alright. Maybe a little… I did they ever find a sense of humor?"
"They've lightened up quite a bit. Still a couple of sticks in the mud, but not as bad." Oghren shrugged back in response.
Anders laughed, finding himself still being drawn into conversation. Part of him wanted to shock the other two; almost missing speaking with them as well. However, he knew better than to do that. The mage didn't know of what they probably knew of them and such things were dangerous. It was better when people were oblivious of him, his intentions, or simply just believing him to have been dead.
However, his thoughts had been taken from him when he heard his name being called in such a gentle tone. His eyes looked towards the hands that stretched for him and then Leliana and blinking away his slight haze of the alcohol. The song was slow, and that meant close contact, surely. He gulped some and started to shake his head, feeling his grin unable to wipe away for the most part.
"I can't, I can't." He quickly started to excuse himself.
"Oh, get up there." Sigrun waved her hand at him; wanting to see Anders happy still.
"No," the mage insisted.
Oghren laughed a bit, "If you don't I will."
"N-no, I-I have a bone in my leg and two left feet." He explained with a silly pitch to his voice and reached for his cup. Drinking down the liquid, he then turned his chair slightly away from the table and more towards Leliana's dancing. "Although, I'll watch you with most interest, milady."
"I might take you on that offer Oghren." She replied, smiling back to her old companion. "Though I think you should dance with your lady first. It is the right thing to do after all." Looking back to Anders she placed her outstretched hand on her hip that she shifted out to the side. "Now Anders." She started. "That won't be much fun. Not without you." She said taking a few steps in to where she stood only, maybe a foot away from him now. Maybe less.
Looking back to the bard, she listened for a moment while they played the song. Her smile widened on her lips, she understood why Anders hesitated. After all it would be a bit awkward, him being a mage, and her a chantry lady but no one knew this besides Oghren and them. But she was still was going to give it her best, and get him out there. "Pleaseee." She pleaded like a child would to their parent. Her hands reached out to his once more. Her gloved hands grasping and cocooning around his own. "You know you owe me… Letting me get hit by those arrows. That really hurt you know… I'll forgive ya if you dance with me." She said, as she tried to make her tone serious as possible as her body and arms gave a soft tug to his. Usually she wasn't so persistent, but it did get lonely dancing by herself, and even if she didn't blame Anders for what happened she still thought it might be a good enough for a guilt trip. For this one time.
Perhaps it had been the pleading, or the alcohol, or perhaps both. Either way, Leliana's pleadings were tugging at Anders's heartstrings. She did have point, though there wasn't much logic to it; somehow it was valid at that moment. In his mind, Anders questioned the Maker to what he was getting into and threw back his head to gulp down the rest of his tankard. He placed it on the table and started to attempt at balancing himself to his feet.
"No you won't. You're going to hold that against me forever." He laughed and looked back towards his companions as he was being dragged away to the dance floor. "Make sure the next ones are coming."
He stumbled forward a little, wondering idly just how many he had. It had to have been enough to loosen his nerves quite a bit. He had to drink, just to relax in such a place—a place that was closer towards the darkspawn; though in truth, there was really no place he could relax. Between his need for rest and a moment of peace, these cravings caught up to him where his body wanted to simply shut down.
So, he found himself standing in front of Leliana, and lifting his hands to press against his palms to hers. Taking a few steps towards a dance that seemed (similar to an irish culture) foreign other than to anyone to studied the Anderfels, the blonde male couldn't help but to have his snickering bubbling over in small fits of laughter.
"I'm too big and clumsy for anything fancy." He warned lightly.
"You two should join in. Dancing is good for the soul." She stated to the two dwarfs.
Clapping her hands a few times in excitement followed by bouncing up and down upon her tippy toes showed her happiness that she had gotten her way, amazingly. Her emotions got the best of her obviously as she tightened her grip onto Anders hand and began to lead him to the dance floor. She saw how... Loose he was, making a chuckle escape through her lips. Looking over Anders shoulder and to Sigrun and Oghren she spoke out. "I don't think this fella should have anymore." She called out before looking back to Anders smiling. "You're probably right, I'll hold that over you for a while yet. It was very embarrassing you know to have my garments off for no reason. I don't do that just for anyone."
Looking to their hand's Leliana began pressing back with her palms, her fingers interlacing with his. She slowly began following his lead, swaying her hips back and fourth. Until she made a sudden movement, twirling herself around, their hands still bound. His arms would of course wrap around her body from this sudden change of motions, along with her arms resting on top of his. Her back rested against his chest for a moment as she began to close her eye paying attention to nothing but the music filling the room. "Just don't fall on me... I don't know how stable you are." She questioned, peaking through her eye, as she began to spin once more, and out of his arms. One hand released from Anders as the other stayed. Stepping out from the side of him she began walking forward, making the duo to walk in circle like stroll yet still in a form of a dance.
Of course, Oghren and Sigrun were waving their hands away and shaking their heads. They seemed more content with drinking the rest of the ale If Leliana and Anders weren't going to dance. The mage had pouted some at the thought of not having another full tankard. He would have to swipe it fast when he returned later. His eyes had soon shifted back towards Leliana curiously when she spoke about having herself exposed to him, and it left Anders rather compelled to answer.
"I hear the role plays between mage and the Templar order are quite popular. Any Lay Sisters or initiates would be no less." He teased, carrying his grin firm. "So, you've just given a sinner a dream come true at best."
Her change in motions and switched position had done all but fumbled Anders just to keep up with her. She was moving in too close, and he was certainly at a delicious buzz. While he felt that he was treading on air, he was actually stumbling and the dwarven dancers around were the ones to really notice. Her dance moves were slightly different from his; which Anders couldn't decide if it was something he could keep up with or not. It left him a little stiff, what he did know, were things that were fast paced.
"If you keep that up, I'm not making any promises." He finally laughed upon catching her back into his grasp.
As she started to lead them more in a circle, his left arm had slid more around her waist and his right held it still interlocked with her own to hold it respectively high. He shifted his stance some, trying to take over the leading position but it just hadn't quite worked out for there couldn't have been two leads. So, he had stepped back and pushed the dance steps into a few more splits between them and twirls and then pulling tight against her lastly.
Tight. Too tight; too close. He was looking down at her with both of his arms wrapped around her waist. Escape. He needed an escape before drunken intendancies would have caused him to react on the closeness. For after all, it had only been a few months since his last relationship problems. Drunken actions caused even more.
Anders's eyes darted away and his tongue barely had split between his lips until he caught it with his teeth. Spreading his arms out wide and stepping backwards, the mage tripped over a dwarf near him and fell to the floor.
"Oh yes you should of seen those Templar's eating right out of my hand." She joked, while raising one of her palms out for a moment before quickly retreating in back and onto Anders. "You're no sinner Anders. Your just you. Remember everyone can be forgiven."
She snickered at his words of him not making any promises if she had continued what she was doing. Looking to her waist, she felt his hand cup her hip. She reached out resting her free hand on his arm. While her eyes had traveled up looking into his golden ones. She wasn't expecting when Anders took control. And once again she was in his arms. She shifted her head back to rest on his chest while her hands laid over his own. The tightness surprisingly didn't bother her, closing her eyes once more she began to feel the heat of his body draw closer into hers... It was relaxing. Something she hadn't felt in such a long time that she was becoming lost in the sense. It wasn't until the release of his arms that caused her to open her eyes in shock and look around curiously.
The sound of crashing filled the small room. And Leliana didn't hesitate to turn around, and jolt to his side. A rather confused look came over her face. Not knowing if it was something she did or something completely different. Maybe he had too much to drink?
Kneeling down near his side, she grasped his arm as she began to pull him up at least to a sitting position. Her hand stayed on his shoulder patting it a few times before she spoke. "What happened?" She questioned shifting her head to the side curiously. "I think you might of made a dent in the floor. But your falling it wasn't something I did was it? Or was it the Ale?"
Anders stretched some, arching his back and looking over his shoulder to rub his sore rear-end from where he landed. "Maker's breath! That's smart… I didn't think I landed that hard…"
"What did you think you landing into? A bed?" The dwarf he tripped over grumpily snarled and started to stumble his stubby limbs back to his feet.
"I was, kinda hoping…?" Anders joked in a dizzy manner in his attempt to play his embarrassing tumble off. He looked back to Leliana and smiled some, rubbing her arms for comfort and leverage in his decision on how he was going to stand back up too. "I-I'm fine. I just… lost where I was, I think… You're right. Too much ale."
Meanwhile, leave it Oghren to laugh his butt off at the commotion and Sigrun to try and reassure the other dwarf that Anders had meant no harm. He just hadn't seen where he was going.
"You shoulda seen the look on his face! Way to take one for the team, Sparklefingers!" Oghren teased…or was it a cheer? He was too drunk to really make sense; but at least he was able to balance himself – at least one thing he could hold a candle to in his difference.
"I think I should—should lay down…" Anders mumbled out; still breathing a sigh of relief from his clutzy save. He started to move, standing back to his feet and stretching against before slinking next to the table Sigrun and Oghren remained.
"Anders, you can take my room to the right over there." Sigrun pointed quickly in her concern and started to move out of her seat. She took his hand and lead him somewhat bewildered over towards the area.
"Ar-Are you sure?" Anders slurred, stumbling and leaning between her and Leliana to the room.
"Course. I'm bunking with Oghren tonight." She started to laugh and then patted his arm. "You and Leliana can take this one."
"Sigrun." Anders began after her. "You! Are a cupcake."
Oghren raised his mug up from the table towards Leliana soon enough. "How's about I steal that dance real quick?"
Leliana nodded. She was thankful to hear he was okay after all. And to see a Dwarf coming out from under Anders actually was a funny sight. That was one thing she wasn't expecting. Since she hadn't seen the dwarf nowhere near when Anders had taken his fall. Then again dwarfs were tiny.
Looking to Oghren as he bellowed out in laughter. She shook her head at the name he had given Anders. She would have to write that one down for sure. "Now Oghren be nice. We don't want Anders waking up in the middle of the night and drawing funny faces or drawings on you." She joked. Just as Anders spoke of a room, she was about to go book one. But stopped herself when Sigrun mentioned him to take hers. With him leaning against the two, she began to lead Anders to the direction of the room. At least that was until she heard Oghren call out to her.
Glancing over her shoulder, Leliana would halt in her steps for a moment as she looked over Anders and then Sigrun. She figured it wouldn't take long and after all she needed to catch up real quick with the dwarf. Just him and her. Taking Anders arm that was wrapping around her shoulder, she would lay it to his side. And before retreating she made sure he was stable enough to stand on his own, with the help of Sigrun of course. "I'll see you shortly?" She questioned to Anders, giving him a quick smile as she ran in the direction of Oghren.
"Shall we?" She questioned, while holding out her hand to the dwarf. A smile accompanying her features. "I don't know how much longer these bards are going to keep going for." She said, no longer waiting for another minute as she grasped onto Oghren's hand and began to lead him out on the dance floor. "No getting to friendly." She joked. "I know how your mind works. I haven't forgotten."
"Well isn't that just my luck." Oghren snickered while taking the lead quickly on the dance floor. 'Course he was still grinning ear to ear, dancing with the tallest woman in the room for a change. "You know, once you grease up the ol' bronto, there's no falling off!"
He took the form of dancing much closer than Anders's invited form, of course. He didn't mind the closeness, and his thoughts were practically all over the place under heavy alcohol as it was. The dwarf 'drank like a fish' as the other Grey Wardens would boast, and he handled it better than most taller than him too.
When the music had started to pick up at a faster pace, it was clear that they were playing this one song for an encored finale. Oghren took that opportunity spin Leliana around; or at least from where he could at his height, and introduced a few dwarven steps—which had soon started to pull other dancing dwarves into more of a lion dance.
"So, what'd ya think of Sigrun?" The dwarf asked happily; unable to keep his school-boy antics to himself. "Quite the looker for a stone-born cast, huh?"
"Grease up the ol- what'o?" She questioned as she attempted to lean down to where her body wasn't completely hovering over the dwarfs. Even though this made it more difficult to dance, she still made her moves almost look flawless. Her arms rose up, moving along with her bodies form. When she was pulled by Oghren. Most unexpectedly, she widened her eyes not even thinking he could maneuver her so... Well. Since this was a first for her amazingly to dance with a dwarf. And he actually wasn't to shabby at it either.
As the others had joined in, and the pace had picked up she found herself tiring as she picked up her pace. The last drink she had gulped down not too long ago was not helping at this moment. Almost as if making her light headed and weary. To push this aside, she shook her head as she fought it and continued to dance with Oghren to enjoy the rest of her night. "Hmm?" She spoke over the roaring crowds of dwarfs surrounding them, making it slightly more difficult to hear. "Oh Sigrun. Yes. She's beautiful. And you know me and appearances. I never lie about that." She stated. "I think you should ask her to marry you. You're not getting any younger anyways."
"No, see, that's the beauty of it!" Oghren smiled back in his moment to take the lead. "We're in a relationship that's not defined by titles. All these other dwarves here are usually looking to marry for each other's casts. We don't need it."
Upon the downbeat of the song, the dwarves had started to spread out and at last ended their dance with a common pose used from their subculture. Oghren took a whiskey-drained breath to relax when the step was done and wiped his brow for the moment before at last having his breath caught up with himself in order to speak.
"Besides, you know I ain't the settling down type. Felsie kicked me out the minute I started to even think about joining the wardens…" He shrugged some and then moved slightly towards Leliana's side to reach up and reset her standing position again. "Hey, don't get caught stuck that way now—"
Sigrun sighed some upon returning back to the table. She sat down in the chair, half expecting the others to come and join her for a few more drinks. Which mostly came to Oghren's calling soon, and he headed back for a refill.
"So, how you've been holding up anyways?" He started to ask Leliana and plopped down in his chair next to Sigrun once more.
Leliana shrugged her shoulders in his response to not wishing to get married. It made sense after all, for him at least. She on the other hand. If were given the chance with the right person of course, she would want to marry. But that was her way of looking at things not Oghren's. "I see your point. Is that okay with Sigrun though? I know how some women wish to be bonded that way with their lover after all."
As she was pushed up from Oghren pressing against her shoulder, she felt a relief come over her back. Squinting her eyes for a moment, she reached back rubbing her spine to sooth the area for a moment. "Yeah I don't want to be looking like an old lady, when I'm still in my youth years." She added with a bright smile.
Looking over, and following the dwarf slowly behind. Leliana stopped as she rested her hands on the table while leaning into it. "You're a bottomless pit when it comes to you ale aren't ya?" She joked. When she was asked what she had been up to. The most recent thought passed through her mind. When she first met Anders, hunting for him with everyone that was out to get him. And then freeing him from the Templars, she knew they wouldn't remember this even if she did mention it from their drunkenness but she didn't want to take that chance as she replied. "Nothing much... Just been keeping my mind preoccupied you know. If I don't then I get myself in trouble." Reaching over their table, Leliana grabbed her drink she left their earlier before the dancing took place. Pulling it to her, and pressing it against her lips. It was warm from sitting for too long. Twitching one eye, she sat the cup down and looked over her shoulder, and to the room she knew Anders would be in. "Mind if I go? I'm sure we'll be here tomorrow to catch up, and this way you can have some fun time with your lady."
Oghren had nodded most to Leliana's questions and spoke up quick in response. "Sigrun? Oh, yes. She's fine with it. Probably the happiest decision either of us could have ever made."
"What decision was that?" Sigrun asked him quickly.
"Oh, Leliana's just asking about us not tying the knot." He explained to her and reached for his tankard to drink from; and then giving a belly-laugh from his friend's 'compliment' to drinking.
"Absolutely not. I wouldn't want a wedding. I'd have no place to hold it." Sigrun shook her head and smiled back to Oghren. "My cast disowns me and his cast disowned him, so there's no room for a marriage topside or –even less—a stonesetting. It's almost like a forbidden romance…"
"It get's pretty hot. You should try it sometime." Oghren winked back at Leliana and watched as she started to take her leave. Of course, that his next drunken verbal celebration. "Oh! Heh-heh. You're sure the mage is awake to be going to the boneyard? You might find a blanket monster."
"Oghren!" Sigrun gasped at him quickly.
"Oh, don't get your beard tied in a knot, woman." Oghren raised his arms up and turned slightly towards the one scolding him. "It's pretty obvious, she's been looking to mount that anvil. There's been polished glances all which-a-way tonight."
"The only thing polished up, are those beer-goggles poking out your big head." Sigrun teased and folded her arms. "Besides, if you can't put it any nicer than that, then you shouldn't suggest it in public."
"You got a better one, Roll-stalker?" Oghren was quick to challenge her.
Sigrun pondered for a moment and then leaned towards Oghren with a bright smile. "Love is a sensation that is caused by temptation a boy puts his location into a girl's destination, do you get my explanation or do you want a demonstration?"
Oghren started to chuckle some and looked back over towards Leliana, giving her a slight wink. "I'll catch ya in the morning."
Leliana halted in her tracks at Oghren's words. Looking over her shoulder she gave the dwarf a small death glare. She hadn't even noticed her actions. Let alone them being obvious. "I swear Oghren, you still surprise me to this day." She said with a shake of her head. "Sorry to disappoint though dear. There is nothing going on between Anders and I. So don't get your hopes up..."
Looking to Sigrun, she of course smiled to her. As she said what she said to the nasty minded man dwarf. It was one thing she didn't miss about him. But at least she could get a good laugh at it years later. "Don't worry." She started with a short pause. "I'm use to it, kinda. It just takes time to get use to all over again." She said as she begun to pick up her trail again and with a wave of her hand, and begun walking to the room.
As she met the door, Leliana looked over to Oghren and Sigrun before she leaned into the door placing her ear against the wood of the frame. "Hmm." She began humming to herself as she positioned herself back to stand straight once more, and raising her hand she balled her hand to a small fist knocking on the door about three times. She was going to wait for an answer but after a second she reached down, turning the knob of the door and swung the door open as she gave a fair warning. "Anders I'm coming in."
Leliana quietly walked into the room, carefully closing the door behind her. She examined the room, standing near the door way. Then her eyes stared at the bed, seeing Anders there. A smile smeared across her lips as she slowly began to make her way over to the bedside, as she made herself comfortable by sitting on the edge. "Anders are you still even up?" She asked, leaning into the bed and looking over the Mages shoulder in hopes to see his face or something showing he was still awake.
Anders had been laying on the surprisingly plush bed and staring up at the ceiling. He figured it was probably for the wardens. The wardens always got special treatment nearly anywhere, these days. So to Anders, it wasn't much of a surprise in the end after all. His mind wasn't truly focused over the bed, how soft that it was, nor of the lush green comforter that he was nestled on top of at the moment.
The only thing that was really bugging him at the time was Justice. He could hear the voice in his head; his voice—no that wasn't right—his own voice. This was because himself and Justice were a whole, and continued to operate as a whole. However, as a whole, his feelings of mixed anxiety and lust stirred an even bitter emotion of confusion and lastly: rage, from it. Ultimately, he was disappointed in himself; even for a little bit to have allowed the flirtation and the booze truly get to him.
He heard the door knock, causing the mage to jump from the bed and sit up. After hearing Leliana's voice, Anders quickly laid back down and rolled over to his side. He closed his eyes and tried to think quickly. Sleep! That was right. He could pretend to be asleep. Nuzzling the pillow some, Anders thought it if he played it off correctly, he could act like he was having a good dream-probably too good of a dream to even be woken up from, and then confrontation could be avoided.
"Oh, Lay Sister, your breasts are so perky!" He beamed in his pretend sleep and then took in a large snore after feeling the presence Leliana stepping closer.
Leliana began to crawl on the bed as she shifted her head to the side curiously. One thing she was good at was seeing when one was faking a sleep. As she almost hovered over Anders she braced herself with one arm reaching over him as the other planted in front of him while the other was behind him. "You know I saw your eyes open the moment I stepped in." She stated her body slouching down closer to his own. As if on purpose just to make him feel uncomfortable.
"You'll have to do better than that." She began to say as she braced herself on one arm and reached up, and with her index finger and thumb she would give a soft pinch to his cheek. "My teacher had taught me much better then to fall for the sleeping trick." She whispered into his ear in a lean into his features as she spoke of one of her only mentor Marjolaine. The woman had taught her so much in the years she had served her, mostly what she had learned was to read the people around her and learn to make them do as she pleased. Though her people reading skills were coming more in handy at this moment more than anything.
When Anders muttered the words through his faken sleep she almost lost her balance from being stunned, but caught herself. She raised her hand as if to smack the mage, but then stopped. She knew he was either trying so hard to fake this slumber or play with her mind. With this thought she finally she reached down, and with her hand she grasped onto his taking it, and placing it over her breast. She held it there, as a smile began to form on her lips that moment as she finally broke the silence once more. "Tell me are the dreams as good as the real thing?"