"It looks they're still rebuilding…" Anders spoke softly in the response towards Aragorn's statements about looking around more. Though, this was because he was still somewhat lost in thought. "…Or so I hear…"
"And I bet you're just giddy with excitement, over that." Fenris mocked at his tone, but didn't turn to face him. He glanced towards Aragorn and then pulled the reigns up to a halt. "She's in the Gallows—"
"What?" Anders interrupted with a slight heart-attack pinching in his chest. He would have lurched forward even, if it wasn't for the carriage coming to a halt.
"—in the Knight Commander's office." Fenris finished, but raised his voice slightly towards Anders in order to shut down the mage's sudden panic.
That seemed to have calmed Anders down for a bit. He remained near Leliana's side, still clutching onto her hand as if it was the main life-support he had. There were too many memories wafting over him, that it was difficult for his other hand to keep from twitching. He wanted to run as far as he could from this place already. There was no telling how Naomi would react around him; she was an unpredictable one, and yet he had a good hunch that she wouldn't be happy to see him.
Walking to the back of the carriage, Fenris pulled from the trunk a large cloak with a hood. He raised it high into the air and gave it a hard shake to free it from any dust, while Lasher had stepped out and held the door for Anders and Leliana to follow. Before Anders could start to inch towards the Wilds in his mid-panic to escape, Fenris gripped his shoulder and dug in his clawed gauntlet hand a little in order to grasp the mage's attention to hault. He then roughly handed Anders the cloak to wear.
"Put this on—Maker. I can't believe I'm actually doing this either…" Fenris started to grumble under his breath. "But if you manage to somehow keep your mouth shut, and your head low, there will be a way into this place without causing too much of a commotion."
It was mostly as the elf had said. Anders only whimpered a little and finally complied to the request. He pulled on the cloak and followed Fenris and the others past the back gate. Hearing the iron bars clamp shut behind him, still caused his shoulders to flinch though. Looking around the stone walls and outside concrete, Anders came to notice not much as really changed. In fact, a lot of things were still being repaired from the damage Knight Commander Meredith and First Enchanter Orsino had done.
They approached the main courtyard of the Gallows, and seeing the slew of templars that were there did cause Anders to still twitch nervously. He couldn't decide if he was withholding back his inner rage from the sight of them, or if he was trying to keep himself from running from them. The final broken link in his patience was seeing the Captain of the Templars, still standing proud as if nothing had ever seemed to phase him in the slightest.
This was an exaggeration though; because the Knight Captain actually did look as if he was worn worse for wear. His skin looked a little clammy and there were obvious dark circles under his brown eyes, that seemed so deep that it may as well had been a permanent feature in him. His wavy brown hair looked slightly thinner than it had in the last six years—even brittle. However to Anders, just the fact that the man was even alive had meant that he was well. It was enough to still scoff at; …perhaps it was a slew of jealousy in him.
"Ah! Fenris! Back from your mission already, I see." Cullen greeted the elf with a wave, when the group had started to approach him. He paused some and looked from the man in the Black Divine armor and then to the one in the Grey Warden attire. Naturally the confused expression had started to form on his face in the response. "Neither one of these gentlemen are King Alistair—I take it. Unless… He's the one in disguise behind you… Are we in some sort of trouble?"
"Nothing like what you're thinking." Fenris sighed some in the relief that Cullen hadn't really paid too much attention to Anders wearing the cloaked disguise. Perhaps his paranoia about having a mage for a Knight Commander was too alarming for him already. "This is Aragorn, and his companions… The Grey Warden would like a word with Naomi."
Anders was having a difficult time in keeping his mouth shut after all. Fenris was trying his patience with mentioning Hawke constantly by her first name. How he hated that; it would have been enough to strain his irritation with this entire ordeal already. Keeping silent, grinding his teeth, and giving a heavy sigh for restrained paitience was all he could do for the moment.
"Always a pleasure to meet with the Wardens… I am Knight Captain Cullen—" He started to say in his greeting, but of course quickly took his sights to the man in the black Chantry armor. "—I… can understand the Wardens wishing a word, I suppose, but why is a Black Divine Initiate among you?"
"A templar can't travel where he wishes?" Lasher asked and raised a slight eyebrow at him.
Within that moment Cullen folded his arms and leaned back in his stance a bit. "You'll have to excuse my abruptness to the matter, but if you seek to confirm the rumors of our Knight Commander being a mage, then allow my word instead. She won't wish to see any Tevinters."
"What's her problem against them?" Lasher started to question and soon earned a glare from Fenris, but seemed to ignore it.
Cullen sighed some and glanced away. "Oh, the usual propaganda… The constant letters being sent, treaties, request forms for some kind of political meeting. Like I said before, if you're here on the account of her to benefit the Imperium, you're wasting your time. The Slave Wars in The Silent Plains was enough to wear down her judgment against them."
"I… didn't realize she was so well-informed over the Slave Wars." Fenris admitted and finally looked back towards him once more.
"Are you kidding? The bickering among Caimen Brea, Nessum, and Trevis have even reached Highever by now." Cullen gave a slight chuckle and started to ponder out loud. "There was one Commander…I think from Nessum—who was said to have abandoned his post. Just from the rumors alone to that began riots in the streets. They said thousands had feared him, gave him the title Reaper, and that he would pluck the eyes of his victims and eat them. A nightwalker who glides on oceans of blood—"
"Oh, you dirty bitch, work the shaft!" Lasher grinned proudly and propped his hand back against the hilt of his blade.
Cullen paused for the moment and lifted an eyebrow at the redheaded male. "…Excuse me?"
"Oh, I'm sorry it's just, I like to talk dirty—" Lasher started to laugh but soon the chuckles had died down and his glare had returned upon him. "—when someone's sucking. My. Dick."
"Perhaps, I should just skip to the point." Cullen winced but soon had returned the slight glare. "She would rather see your head on a pike, then allow any time to speak with you. I'd suggest you steer clear of her altogether."
"Well, sod. That just ruins my whole damn day." Lasher boasted sarcastically and rolled his eyes.
Fenris glanced back towards Lasher for the moment, seeing as how agitated he was, but certainly could obey specific orders. At any rate, Lasher's presence wasn't needed anyhow. In fact, having him here for Cullen to 'babysit' would have been a better idea anyway. "We'll leave him out on the doorstep with you then, if you'd wish."
"If you must…" Cullen shrugged his shoulders some and took one step aside to allow the rest of them to pass.
Leliana glanced down to the clenching of Anders hand grasped around hers. That she had to extend her other hand to just begin to pry off his fingers. Until her hand was free, which she had used again to wrap a tender hand around his as she leaned down to glance into his eyes. "It's okay Anders." Leliana whispered in a reassuring tone of voice. She knew the mage was probably going through a frenzy at this moment from coming back to this place. That it made her worries for herself seem so substantial. A part of her wished there was something she could possibly do.
As they exited the carriage, Leliana hadn't bothered in such attire. Instead the rouge watched as Fenris readied the cloak for Anders. Thus bringing her hues to the mage as Fenris dug his metal gauntlets in which brought a winch to come forth as her facial expression. It seemed as if tension was rising between everyone, and the sooner they had gotten this done the sooner things would be back to normal hopefully. Turning upon her heel she stepped forward to look to the gates ahead, sighing as she stayed in the back of the group, possibly like Anders. Figuring most of the attention would either be on Aragorn or whoever was speaking.
Upon approaching the courtyard, Aragorn made sure that he was in the front and center of attention with Fenris. As it was one other attempt to get the main attention off of Anders in his cloak and Leliana. His hues scanned the area, taking in a visual memorization of every single Templar they passed. Well the ones that happened not to wearing the helmets at the time. It wasn't until he was cut short and his attention was solely on one Templar. Cullen.
Not only was it him walking up to Fenris speaking to the elf. But also due to him remember from years and years ago that he recalled this man when the Warden 'saved' the circle of magi. He was certain he saw the male before. That he had hardly paid any attention to Fenris introductions until Cullen happened to speak of it always being a pleasure to meet a Warden.
Aragorn smiled briefly for a moment, as he downed his head in a response. "Pleasure is mine." He responded as his orbs continued their scan over the male. He hadn't much time to speak as he heard Lasher spout out a few unnecessary revolting words, that it caused the Warden to whip his head around in shock. "Lasher!" He announced with a shake of his head before turning his attention back to the Templar. "I'm sorry for this. Sometimes the boys in my party just don't know how to keep their mouths shut…"
"…I'm sorry if this seems sudden but weren't you in the Circle of Ferelden years ago when Uldred had gone nuts? And… You… Were that Templar that thought I was an abomination. Whatever brought you here? Kirkwall, that's far from Ferelden." He asked curiously but then the Warden shook his head some as he glanced over his shoulder knowing of all times this was no time for little talk, as he did need to get everyone to a safer area before they found out who he had truly traveling with him. "We should be on our way though. I bet the Champion is busy and I'm sure we can catch up a later time?" Aragorn began to question. Without waiting for a reply he began to step forward in which he believed was the right direction. "And Lasher, wait for us before you dig into anything. I don't want a mess to clean up."
Cullen had offered Aragorn a polite smile, as showing he would have probably answered the rushed questions, but there was surely a better time for the conversation later. He bowed his head slightly and glanced away to allow them to pass. Of course, even after given Lasher his instructions, Cullen still remained at an alert to keep the redheaded warrior clearly out of the building.
"Yes, Mom!" Lasher taunted in response just to make certain that he was heard and then turned his attention back to Cullen with a sudden weird interest. "So. Gee-willackers, Mister! Have you ever seen a dead body?"
"How did you 'ever' get into the Order?" Cullen asked in a dead-panned tone; clearly not amused.
Anders sweat-dropped from overhearing, but he was being pulled out of ear-shot anyway. He looked further down the hallway to eventually see the office that lead to the Circle and a bit further downward that lead to the Knight Commander's room. He groaned a little at the loss of not having Leliana's hand, and instead having to be lead by his arm.
Fenris opened the door to the Knight Commander's room and walked practically in a casual manner. He moved towards Naomi's desk and peered over the blonde maiden clad in the iron heavy armor. She had her ironed gauntlet hands hair-deep in her blonde tresses, overlooking a piece of paper as if it was the spawn of some unknown demon.
"Tell the men if they want chow earlier, they'll have to arrange their care for the mages earlier as well. There is no excuse for poor conduct." Naomi spoke in nearly a demanding tone, but she obviously hadn't been paying attention to who she was speaking too.
When the elf didn't get the instant attention he wanted, he reached down and tapped her desk with his clawed gauntlet. Naomi quickly lifted her head and looked up at him. She blinked a couple of times before pulling herself to her feet.
"Fenris…" She spoke the name almost in the surprise of actually seeing him, and then started to smile. "I didn't expect you back until… well at least not for another four months."
"I was reassigned." Fenris answered and then tilted his head slightly towards the others who started to enter the room. "His Majesty said it might be a loop-holed move to pull by having me guard Ser Aragorn, here, but he also said you wouldn't mind."
Naomi laughed and slightly pressed a gloved hand to her cheek, in remembrance of him. "That cheeky-ham."
"More like cheese." Fenris started to say, but after catching the odd look Naomi flashed him, the elf only shook his head with a sharing smile and turned back towards the door. "Trust me, there wasn't an hour that went by he didn't talk about it. Now, let me turn your attention to his Grey Warden Commander-in-arms, Ser Aragorn. He's been wishing to speak to you for some time."
"Oh… Pardon my manners. I'm not exactly the most patient person in the world." Naomi excused herself and moved from her seat to walk around the desk. Her eyes soon glanced towards Leliana and then Anders's cloaked form before finally resting to Aragorn. "Ser Aragorn, the Grey Warden Commander, yes? Thank you for traveling this far to see me. I suppose whether out of your own will or by an order from the King of Ferelden, I should be flattered still."
Aragorn dropped his head the moment the words of Lashers left his lips. It took all of him not to turn around and smack that twerp over the head. But he was already on his trail and he was set on it, and instead of acting as Lasher probably wished, he continued forth until he stepped into the quarters where they eventually found the one whom he was set to see for the past few months.
The Warden couldn't help but chuckle the moment of speaking of his king. He was a bit of a chesse ball. Though he hardly admitted it until he knew of whom he was speaking to more so. Nonetheless the Warden had a wide grin plastered across his features as he listened further.
As for Leliana she stayed near Anders side, the moment they stepped into the Champions room was when the rouge had tried to peer over Aragorn and Fenris just sneakily enough not to be noticed; hopefully. When this failed she planted the four corners of her soles onto the ground before hesitantly reaching out for Anders hand.
Aragorn's icy optics followed Naomi as she stepped forward as she spoke out towards them, and he shook his head to her in a slight quick reply before parting his lips. "Its alright m'lady… Or should I say Serah, Or Champion?" He asked briefly before continuing "Before I begin I should possibly inform you of who I brought with me…" He paused to glance back to Leliana and the hooded Anders. "The red head there is Leliana, but if I'm not mistaken you've met before, the other next to her… Is… My advisor." He added with a nod before turning his full attention back to Naomi. "I was sent here on behalf of Alistair, he wanted to ask me of your help… And I'll just cut to the chase so I don't waste your time. He figures since you are of Ferelden, or once was that you would help us with the current wars? I know it's a lot to ask, seeing as you have a life here now in Kirkwall, but he figured it was worth a shot, seeing as how old I'm getting and he thinks I am of no use." He joked towards the last spoken sentence, with a roll of his eyes. "Clearly I don't need an answer right away, as I had to go far to get my comrades who are here with me now. So a wait will not hurt."
When Aragorn had asked her about how to address her, Naomi had just flashed another pleasant smile and took the time to slide in a casual joke in between. "Oh, anything but that m'lady term, …not unless you're bringing flowers. I'm surprised I get anything done with so many names..."
She waited and nodded some, still in a passing admiring glance towards Leliana. She had to, for it was no secret that Leliana was of the few who had ended Blight, but that such stories were about as far as Naomi knew—and that was only due a previous conversation she had once before with the woman. However, hearing the request for Naomi's help did cause her smile to being molding into a look of confusion. The moment of silence had remained briefly, almost as if she wasn't certain if she had heard correctly.
"Well, that depends…" She admitted and her eyes darted away. The light chuckle that she gave was a growing nervously sigh afterwards. "He certainly knows how to place me on the spot though, doesn't he…? I won't ask why the Nightingale is present but,… clearly I'm at a disadvantage."
Fenris shifted his gaze from Naomi and looked towards Leliana, who was the only person he figured that the Knight Commander was talking about. He wasn't one of the ones who had went to that secret meeting all those years ago. So, the news of Leliana actually having a different alias was slightly a bit of news to him—not extremely big news, but something to remember.
The blonde woman shifted her stance and folded her arms as a brief thought had passed through her mind carefully. "What would he have me do, exactly? And by what means…? Wait. Is Prince—or no… I should say King…or the new Viscount? Viscount Sebastian… Is he involved in any of this request?"
"No. I can honestly say he is not." Fenris answered her quickly to end the twitching suspicion before it even began.
She remained silent then. Her blue hues glanced away, looking down towards the floor and then to the nearest window that lead outside. Why hadn't King Alistair asked her of this request last year? Naomi could have taken all of those who were willing, and she could have left Kirkwall before the huge tension of this city was so suddenly placed around her. Was it something that he wanted all along? Though, such thoughts were selfish and wrong to think, but it didn't stop them from filling her head at a moment like this.
"This isn't a ploy to conveniently pull you out of office, Naomi." Fenris started to explain calmly.
"Isn't it?" Naomi questioned and turned away, walking back towards the window.
"If I am to leave Kirkwall, who would take this position and defend it properly? My Knight Captain? He is just as susceptible to Sebastian's bleeding heart as he is to the will of the people. Not that I blame him for it, because I know Cullen is a good man, but … things are still touchy here… And the last thing Kirkwall needs is a bleeding heart like Sebastian preparing to swoop down on the remaining mages."
Anders couldn't take this form of blasphemy. She had no right—no right at all—to speak in such a way! Naomi slaughtered mages within the Circle. Maybe not all of them, but who could put a price on a soul the way she seemed to do? What if she made a mistake and killed an innocent? It was just as bad as Meredith—she was just as bad as Meredith! No! Naomi was worse, actually, because she was a mage! Anders couldn't take of what he was hearing from her, the thought of her, nor the very sight. Just knowing that she was near had caused his hands to sweat.
"How dare you… Trying to claim that you're protecting them by remaining as the opposition…? That's the most twisted and sick of an excuse if I've ever heard one." Anders growled from under his hood.
Naomi's eyes quickly looked up from the window and she turned her head towards the hooded figure afterwards in suspicion. She recognized the voice; almost too well. Her eyes narrowed some, more-so as to study the person rather than to show any feeling of being insulted.
Nevertheless, her actions still left Fenris slightly on the edge for a brief moment.
"Would it be better to just hand-over the Order to a man bent on having what's left of the Circle here destroyed?" She questioned quickly and her arms had tightened in the hold around herself. "The Right of Annulment is not an order meant to be spouted from the lips of those who seek revenge."
"He speaks out of turn. A. Lot." Fenris excused Anders's outburst with a glare towards him before looking back to Naomi once more. "You'll have to ignore him."
"If only it were that easy everywhere…" She spoke bluntly and closed her eyes.
Though she appeared to have been clearing her mind, Naomi was actually trying to pin-point the hooded man's voice. She wouldn't dare believe that it was actually Anders talking to her right then, but he sounded so… familiar. Not wanting to make any questioned accusations, Naomi slowly developed an idea that might bring an answer to her question—through more baited conversations. The Knight Commander then returned her attention back towards Aragorn with a bright smile. Her hands retracted against her hips in a slight idle pose in her moment of suddenly thinking out loud.
"I have to say, King Alistair certainly missed out on getting an immediate approval from me by not showing up in person." She started to laugh. "There'd be no way I could have refused a man so capable of fixing any situation: Ferelden's quarrels, the Blight, my pants—"
"Alright! We get it! You've got the hots for the King!" Anders finally shouted and started to move abruptly forward.
Though the moment he had done this, he didn't grasp the edges of the hood, and so due to his sudden force, the fabric fell from around his head and dangled at the end of his ponytail. Anders hadn't really noticed though since he was too busy grinding his teeth at his ex-lover in an obviously jealous rage. It was only moments after seeing Naomi's widened eyes and soon-growing-scarily grin, that he remembered suddenly: he was not suppose to have had himself revealed around her.
Fenris reached up and smacked himself in the face at Anders's …. Well stupidity…
Naomi just pointed at him as her eyes started to quickly narrow down in her laughter. "Ah-ha-HAH-HAH-ha! I knew it! I knew it was you! Oh! You had best keep that hood folded back down when you head right out of this building, Mister."
"And you had best stop worrying so much about me and start worrying about your precious Alistair!" Anders seethed upon marching towards her and attempted to loom over her. "If you don't join his side soon there's no telling what dark forces might cross his path."
Naomi had hardly budged though, due to her heavy metal armor, and instead she ended matching his angered glare straight back with a taunting smirk. "Are you sure you'd want that? 'Cause I've been pretty lonely without a 'real' man in my bed."
She noticed his hands shaking and starting to turn into fists, so by then Naomi started to back away and inch behind her desk. Though the minute she started to distance herself from the angered mage, Naomi had found that Anders started to follow in pursuit. This had left the two pacing in quick circles around the large desk; one trying to keep a distance from the other for the time being.
"You barely knew him for five minutes!" Anders scowled back, and braced his hands against the desk. He tried to make a jerking movement to one direction, as to attempt in tricking her so that he could finally catch up to her.
"Um… Anders…" The elf started to attempt in speaking—but was soon drowned out.
"Which is exactly the same amount of time you're use to putting out, and I didn't complain then either!" Naomi scowled instantly in her retort, and eventually mimicked Anders own movements in reverse.
"Naomi-?" Fenris attempted to speak again, but again was drowned out all the same.
"Fine then! Go! See if I care! I'm sure his rat-infested-cot is free of fleas by now!" Anders shouted back.
"By the BITE of my tongue, Andraste! Since when has anything revolved around you? You are so dense! Why did you think I sent Fenris to him in the first place?" Naomi scowled and once she came to a weapon rack hanging on the wall, she took the nearby sword from its handle. Pointing at him in her silent warning to keep him away…
"Let me make this clear once more... To leave would mean to leave the Knight Commander's chair empty. Now, I am not releasing Kirkwall's Templar Order over to you, to Sebastian, or to that new First Enchanter—or to anyone else! I would have to be nug-tied and burned at the stake before I leave this chair. It's actually quite cushy…"
"Well, be prepared to move from that 'cushy' chair because all of that pain can still be arranged!" Anders snapped back, and within that brief moment, his skin started to flash cracks of blue light.
Fenris groaned and hung his head at how awful this whole situation was starting to become.
Anders had to quickly turn around and leave before he'd end up doing something his Commander or himself would regret. He tightened the hood back around and underneath his chin and grasped Leliana's hand tightly. He wasn't going to take any more of this. He didn't have to! Anders could leave at any given time he wanted, and this was probably the best time. So, he ended up dragging Leliana out with him, without so much as a word. The only things that kept replaying in his mind, fueling his jealousy was Naomi's stone-cold-chiseled voice. How he hated her, everything about her, and everything she was attempting to do. She was under his skin in the worst way, and Anders could not stand it…
Naomi flinched some, watching as Anders had left the room with the Nightingale spy; hand-in-hand no less. That didn't make any sense—not at least from what she remembered of Leliana anyway. Leliana was a woman who helped end the Blight, alongside the Hero of Ferelden. She was also a White Spire spy for Justina VI and her plans to test the status of other Andrastian-worshiped cities. Leliana had even warned Naomi that the Grand Cleric would not have been safe in Kirkwall before the bombing. Not that Naomi was about to question of her involvement to such a thing—because that would have been ludicrous. However, to see Anders depart with a woman of seemingly pure Andrastian faith, really had put her mind in for a complete loop!
Her bottom jaw stiffened and she dropped the sword onto her desk. Naomi's arms folded and soon walked back towards the window. Looking outward to the others, she was watching to make certain that when Anders did walk out, he would hopefully keep his hood strapped down still.
"…I think you have my answer, Commander." Naomi spoke almost in a sad, though hardened tone. "I am sorry, but I don't think I have a place in any wars involving Ferelden just yet. Though, when I have free time—and if His Majesty would still have me—I'll be sure to join the front lines without disappointment."
As the tension rose in the room, the Warden could do nothing but sulk his head down in defeat. Listening to the Champion, and Anders bicker like two little children. It was probably worse than listening to him a Fenris going at it for Makers sake! Though when he heard the harsh but hilarious statement of not having real man in her bed, brought a chuckle to rise from his lips as he shifted his optics to follow the two mages. "Well I know a man who could please you." He annoched with a short pause. "Fenris! Just look at him such a catch."
"Lovers-quarrel…" Aragorn muttered, upon looking back to Leliana for a moment to smile to the rouge with a sly lifting of his lips. "Reminds me almost when we had first ran back into each other, yet you were doing all the yelling."
Leliana averted her irises off of the Warden to place them on the two sprinting around the room. Maybe Anders was right when he told her there was no compromise, no common ground. As she was seeing for herself finally that the two had a shattered past not capable of fixing, but she couldn't help but hope. She sighed some dropping her gaze towards the floor momentarily at least that was until suddenly she saw Naomi go to her weapon rack, pulling out a sword and throwing the tip to Anders. In reaction, she took a step forward, then hesitated as she had only took one step. She knew if she were to show any form of emotion towards this incident it probably wasn't the best of times. As Aragorn was trying to get an alliance with this woman and she didn't want to strain it, just in case.
"You know." Aragorn began to spout out, unsure if his words would possibly even be heard by the two as Fenris was completely ignore moments ago. "Not all us Ferelden have fleas, Anders. Especially the king I think they treated him for that before he rose to his status as king."
Clearly nothing was being heard by any of them. Which is why Leliana had stayed silent in the background. Though it seemed the men were too dense to grasp this. The rouge was about to leave herself of the mess, and wait outside, at least that was until she felt not only a warm hand but a tight grasp wrap around her hand. She paused in her turn, and looked up to see Anders had already begun to pull her out. She didn't fight, but looked back, seeing Naomi's reaction and the two males disbelief at what had just happened.
"It was nice to see you again…" Leliana stated, before turning her attention back to Anders and following the mage out the door.
After the area had come to a calm. Aragorn sighed briefly, allowing Naomi to get situated and speak her thoughts on the matter before he spoke. He couldn't help but feel defeated upon hearing her decision, as all the Warden happened to do was look up to the mage with a warm smile. "There's no way I can change your mind? Possibly do some work some of these guards aren't man enough to do? A drink, or even a moonlight walk on the beach." He joked with a small chuckle slipping past his lips. "I am sorry for him though. And for not letting you know ahead of time who was truly with me."
Outside the room, and after Leliana and Anders happened to hopefully get to an area where there were less people wandering about, especially Templars. The rouge slipped her hand from the mages as she stood firmly on her ground, before crossing her arms over her chest. "Hey" She whispered with a pause. "What was that all about? You do know that could have gone way worse than what it went… You're lucky she didn't slice your pretty little head off your shoulders."
Naomi smiled some to the invitation given moments later, but her eyes remained staring out the window. She could hear from over her shoulder, Fenris who was clearly calming down from a risen blushing fit.
"Just so as long as you're not trying to auction any of the rest of us with your propositions, Aragorn." He stated, though Fenris did half-way expected to have known better. Afterwards, he quickly turned back to the Knight Commander in his slight worry. "And I owe my apologies to you as well—"
"It's alright. I'm… glad to see his face." Naomi admitted after finally seeing the blonde mage down below skulking outside and dragging the other woman along with him. She lifted her head and looked away, not wanting to see anymore in fear of her heart completely shattering. "I'm actually surprised you were able to travel with them both in the same carriage."
"We might have been here sooner if it weren't for the mage… " Fenris stated and shrugged his shoulders a little. "He just doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut."
"Neither do you." She teased back and moved to slightly rest her hip against the corner of her desk. She could only imagine of what shenanigans they may have came across before coming to Kirkwall. Returning her attention to Aragorn, she folded her arms once more and flashed back an attempt for a warm smile. "I didn't say that I 'would not help,' Ser Aragorn. I said… maybe… within time."
She paused a moment and shrugged her shoulders a little as her head tilted slightly to the side. "Right now, I don't see how I can do anything. I'm not all that special. If I was to do anything within my capabilities, it would be to send a few of my men from the Order… but that would cause a lot of unwanted propaganda… and I doubt that's what King Alistair wants."
"King Alistair asked for you not what you command." Fenris restated and folded his arms against her attempts at dodging the critical choice.
Naomi closed her eyes and gave a slight sigh before shifting her head to look at him next. "Then this is his punishment for requesting me to watch over Kirkwall in the first place... I would not feel comfortable leaving The Order while Viscount Sebastian sits on the throne. With that said, the real person I think you should be speaking to at this time is our new Viscount. Right? He actually controls the coin and regular man-power of this city now, so he is the one you should be talking to; not me."
Anders spun from his heel, looking back towards Leliana as he spoke, still somewhat angered. "And she would be welcomed to try!"
He had to stop himself, and attempt to calm his rage so that his glowing skin wouldn't give anything about himself away. Shaking his head and looking down to the ground, the mage had to think. He needed to plan, to regain his ground within the under-city, or to at least hide for the moment. Anders didn't know if Naomi would try to have him hunted down or killed, or even if she would have been behind anything at all. Either way, she was dangerous regardless if she knew his location or not.
"We need… We need to part ways for now." He said, and looked towards Lasher who was starting to approach them. "This is as far as I should be risking having you near me, Leliana. I mean it, this time. "
Anders soon reached to her and grasped her forearms. "If you trust me—if you truly love me, you'll stay at Aragorn's side for right now. Understand? This should not take me long, but I have to a few things on my own."
"Oh come now Fenris, here I thought you would be all for it. Seeing as how you never shut up about this Champion of Kirkwall the whole time we traveled here." He teased at Fenris' reply towards him knowing the elf was already on edge of a bursting blush like a flower ready to bloom.
As the two spoke of how he surprisingly got here in one piece with both the elf and mage. It brought a shallow chuckle to flow out deep within his throat. "I don't know how I did it matter of fact I wanted to kill them a few times myself; though our newest recruit is possibly the funniest one of all. Is my little secret weapon on these two." He muttered upon looking to both Fenris and glancing over his shoulder to where Anders had left from.
Aragorn nodded some to the Champions words of never refusing him. He just wished there was a way to actually have her come along with him sooner instead of later. If he came back empty handed he would have never heard the end of Alistair's whining, bickering and stomping of feet as he was in the east hall and he to the west. "I understand. It's the king that is hard to please. Always has been. Always will be." He responded briefly.
"So is this Sebastian really that horrible?" He began to question. "Though you shouldn't put the blame upon Alistair's doorstep, as you could have come home all those years ago and you would have all this nonsense problems." He shook his head for a moment, raising an arm to press his two first digits above his brow as his thumb rested near his socket in thought. "Very well." He replied with a pause, as he dropped his hand back down to his side. "We will go see this 'Viscount.'" With a turn of his shoulder he stepped towards the exit and turned to glance to the elf, commanding a word towards him. "Come Fenris… Unless you have other business to attend to here?" He teased upon his last spoken sentence.
Leliana took a slight step back in Anders shout. She knew it wasn't directed at her, but still seeing him so angered, just by one person was shocking enough.
She wanted to help him. She even wanted to run out of this city with him. She felt by being here was if she was being squished by the walls narrowing in on her, almost suffocating her. And hearing the name 'Sebastian' in Naomi's quarters bought the rouge even more worry. A part of her knew she was safe with Anders, and yes even Aragorn. So why worry, somehow she just needed to switch her mind off of these thoughts; and Anders speaking of them 'partings ways' did just this.
"Are you serious?" She blankly said, taking a step closer as she ducked down to glance under that hooded cloak of his. "I want to stay at your side, so much…" She responded, sighing as she looked down momentarily until she felt the warmth of his hands wrap around her arms that it brought her gaze back up to him. "Promise me… One tiny little thing; that you'll be safe. I don't want anything bad happening to you, I would go crazy if I lost you." A part of Leliana had wanted to tilt up to give him a departing kiss, but she hadn't not only in fear of his hood falling but if Naomi had saw. Leliana wasn't an idiot she could see right through her that through that hate was love still buried deep. "See you later?"
Naomi had her curiosity peaked upon Aragorn's mentioning of a different recruit but she wasn't going to question it since the gentleman was clearly in search for more important things. It was just a moment that was bound to slip through her fingers one way or the other. She smiled though, and gave a polite bow upon his leave.
When Fenris had done somewhat of a double-take looking back towards Naomi, as if to have been confirming any permission from her, she only chuckled and waved her hand away to dismiss him from her. After all, in a sense, Fenris's task was to continue through following King Alistair's orders—by following through Aragorn's orders—until Naomi was free to move and personally help on her own. So, in a sense, his job was still not done.
"No, I'll be right there…" Fenris called after him and quickly gave Naomi a polite bow in his departure—as he always seemed to have done now-a-days. He quickly moved in step behind Aragorn once his redness had finally died away from his cheeks. "Well, that was fun… She's still a spitfire, as always."
Anders smiled some after finally having the reassurance that Leliana was going to do as he requested. Though he hated to have been away from her, Anders still knew that his priorities had to come first. At last moving his arms around to hold her against him, he pressed his lips over her forehead in an endearing manner.
"It will be sooner than you think. I swear." The mage promised, and reached up to his hood to keep it tugged low as he lowered his head to kiss her lips.
He didn't care where they were, and much less of what Naomi would have thought even if she did see them. Anders was determined to have given his confidence in as much ways as he could to his love, and so for that moment, anyone around them would know that she belonged to someone. She belonged to him.
"Kissing in the Gallows… I'm not sure—is that forbidden or not?" Lasher asked once he came within ear-shot.
Anders quickly retracted and turned his head slightly towards him. Of all the times for him to show up… No. This was actually good for him, perhaps, after all. Anders glanced towards Leliana and tilted his head towards her. "You are to obey my orders, correct? Then I'm ordering you to stay near Leliana's side and guard her."
"Ah-ah. I told you." Lasher mentioned and lifted his daunting finger into the air. "I'm on borrowed time."
"Fine. Then from the moment you take you take your leave. Just keep out of my sight and stay in hers." Anders huffed at him and moved away to leave from the alley-way as quick as possible.
Lasher shook his head as he watched him leave. "He is such a stubborn ass…"
Meanwhile, by the time Fenris and Lasher had left the building and outside into the Gallows, Cullen waited near the door-step and handed Fenris a stack of papers. The elf almost fell over from the pile of citations being given to him all at once. He looked surprised, tilting his head back up to Cullen who had seemed slightly agitated during the moment.
"Blighted damnation…!" Fenris started to huff and shift his arms to hold the stack of papers. "What's all this?"
"Just a list of charges your companion has been given." Cullen sighed and finally looked away to keep an eye on the redheaded male off in the distance. "They're all pretty minor, which is why I refrained from detaining him—but they do tend to stack up. I thought perhaps you'd like to take a look at the report."
"We weren't even in there that long." Fenris complained but his eyes looked back at the report. "—And …how did 'painting the Order's dormitory doors with goat's blood' even get started?"
"Well, it all started with him asking about if White Spire ever had soldiers who've seen dead bodies." Cullen answered and reached up to scratch his chin in thought. "From the way he lunged at the First Enchanter afterwards, I thought he was going to eat him."
Fenris hung his head and groaned.
Aragorn chuckled some from Fenris' statement of Naomi being the same, a spitfire. After all it was his first time meeting the woman, and she did have a lot of fight and her, that was true. Its probably what caught Alistair's attention most. But being the cocky jokester as Aragorn was he couldn't help but pop off one last joke as they trailed out and to their next desination. "But she isn't a red-head."
Leliana savored this moment. With extending her arms out, but instead of wrapping them around the mage, instead they went to his chest to clench onto his cloak as she was held within his arms. Her eyelids came to a slow shut as she felt his lips brush across her forehead unexpecting the next kiss which was laid on her lips. That her hands grasped even tighter around him as she brought herself closer to him, while returning his affectionate kiss with a deep tender one.
Opening her eyes Leliana glanced to Lasher and his spoken interrupted sentence. She smiled for an instant before switching her attention back to Anders as she released her hold on him. But this was about to change as she heard his words of wanting Lasher to protect her… Of all people. He… Was supposed to protect her? A part of her wanted to reach up and shake some nonsense into that mage, but she ceased in doing so as she shook her own head. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." She added with a nod and aggravated sigh… "But if it makes you feel any better I will not refuse."
As Anders made his departure for Makers sake how long, or for whatever reason Leliana watched as a part of her wanted to chase after him, but she gave her word… She did kind of promised. Again her mind began going a million miles per minute. Thankfully though as Lasher spoke it brought her out of this at least momentarily, that she was thankful enough that she turned to glace to the male as she responded. "A cute stubborn ass though."
Coming to the Gallow's yet again… Aragorn glanced from Fenris to Cullen as he was handed the bundles of papers. "Whats this—" He began to question in a small whisper, which was actually being answered in the middle of him asking.
Aragorn couldn't help but drop his head in disbelief, not only at Lasher. But at the authorities here writing up so many damn charges, after a while it would seem they would give up seeing as they wrote more than just a few. "And this is why you should of allowed him to come with us." Aragorn stated, as he took the papers from Fenris arms and took them in his own. And with them he trailed in the far end of the Gallows where he left them, before returning back to the two males. "Have you've seen Leliana? We need to speak to the Viscount next it seems. Soooo we really don't want to leave her behind now do we?"