Alistair and Elissa had made an attempt to introduce Solona to their other party members, but it hadn't exactly gone well. It didn't help that Elissa saw no need for socializing beyond what was necessary, and Solona froze like a halla facing a werewolf at interacting with other people. Solona shook Alistair off when he asked if she was all right, saying something about how there were rarely new faces in the tower and meeting new people was overwhelming. Alistair gave her what he decided was just enough time alone – an hour and twenty-six minutes, since he got impatient waiting for two – and found her sitting next to the fire, absently staring at it. He took a seat beside her, hoping he wouldn't be intruding.

"Solona," Alistair greeted, and she briefly glanced over to him, which he took as not a bad sign. "I wanted to talk to you about the Fade ritual."

"I wish there were something I could do, but Cousland is right," she said with a frown. "I don't know what she meant about the army, but even with all the time in the world we couldn't find enough trust-worthy mages right now."

"Right, about the army… The demon…" Alistair hesitantly said, very much not wanting to give Solona information that would prove Elissa correct. "It summoned an army of undead to attack the town. We held it off, but without us it would've ended… badly."

"Oh," Solona said, looking sick. "I didn't even know demons did that. Maker, I've had enough of them to last me a lifetime. I thought we'd be killing darkspawn."

"Plenty of those to go around," Alistair said cheerfully, encouraged by her raised eyebrows. She almost looked amused. "Just wait til we find an ogre. Oh, and if you ask really nicely, maybe Elissa'll let you slay the archdemon. Doubt it, though, she's a bit of a glory hog."

Solona laughed in surprise, looking happy for the first time since Alistair met her. It was a rather nice expression, actually. Very pretty, even with the bit of corpse gall stuck in her hair. He picked it out and tossed it aside, and Solona wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"I do not want to know what that was," she said.

Alistair laughed. "Not used to the latest fashions for traveling? Maybe you can ask Morrigan to enlighten you about the joys of having mud splashed all over you by a passing caravan."

"Morrigan is… the grumpy-looking feathery one?" asked Solona, and Alistair burst into laughter.

"Oh, I like you," he said jovially. "Last time I said Morrigan looked like a giant bird, Elissa told me she wouldn't help if Morrigan turned me into a toad for it."

Solona rolled her eyes. "Do you really believe that? That mages turn people into toads?"

Feeling a little sheepish, Alistair grinned, stretching his legs out in front of himself and getting comfortable. "Well, you know what the Chantry is like regarding mages. And I think they lay it on a little thick in templar training."

Solona frowned, mood instantly destroyed. "You're a templar?" she asked, and with her tone of voice it didn't exactly seem like a neutral, get-to-know-you type of question.

"Was. Almost. I was recruited to the Wardens before I could actually be made a full templar. Is that… that's not a problem for you, is it?" he asked, thinking back to the templar in the tower. Cullen, his name was, and that whole thing hadn't exactly ended on a positive note for Solona. He mentally kicked himself for bringing up the templar thing. It was obviously an issue for her right now.

"No," Solona said, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "So long as you don't make me turn you into a toad, we'll be okay."

"I'd make an awful toad," he agreed, very much wanting to get a genuine smile out of her again. "All slimy, and making annoying sounds all night at camp."

"So you'd basically stay the same?" she asked, a grin tugging up the corners of her mouth.

"Ha ha," he said, returning her smile with one of his own. "Very funny."

The two lapsed into a companionable silence, both staring into the fire, sitting comfortably close.

"You two look cozy," said Cousland, startling both Alistair and Solona. "We're heading off tomorrow at sunrise, I'd get some sleep if I were you two. Especially you, Amell. I need you ready to slay a demon. We're not losing Connor."

Solona smiled grimly. "I promise you, killing a demon will never be an issue for me. Darkspawn? I make no promises."

Cousland half-smiled. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, recruit."

"Heeeey," complained Alistair, "No fair, you've only known Solona two days and she gets a smile. Took me a month!"

Solona laughed and Cousland smirked.

"Hilarious as always, Alistair," the Warden said, crossing her arms. "Good night."

"Night," echoed Alistair and Solona together. The two sat together another moment before Solona yawned widely.

"I suppose I really should get to sleep," she said sheepishly. "Good night."

"Solona," he said, seized with the desire to ask her – he sure what: was she all right, did she need to talk, how did she feel about not saying goodbye to Cullen? – but faced with her innocently questioning expression, he hesitated. "Good night."

She smiled softly at him and made her way to the tent Elissa set up for her.