A/N: Hey there! How've been? I'm fine, but some things are a bit out of control. Last week was a busy one, everything seemed to happen at once! I got a bit sick, then I had some A/C problems and now I'm experiencing some problems with my computer, so this will probably be the last chapter I will post for a while. My laptop will be send to repair still this week, so I don't have any idea about how long it will take to get it back. (Soon, I hope, but there's no way to know.)

Don't worry, tho. I will still be working on the chapters, of course! And thanks for the reviews of the last chapter. Is nice to know that you're still there :)

Okay, enough talk! Enjoy and see you later!

Chapter 29

Giant problem

.

Kallian

I'd crossed the corridors and climbed down the stairs, hoping to reach Grumpy before he could leave the Chantry. He was pretty fast when he wanted to be, and even being reasonably quick myself, I highly doubted that I would get to him in time.

To my surprise, I'd found him standing near the main entrance, but I did not speak to him at first. In fact, I found myself hiding behind one of the pillars when I heard a little elven boy calling his name as he ran towards Noah .

Did I mentioned that Grumpy was smiling?

Part of me was afraid reveal myself and ruin the moment. Grumpy apparently knew the boy, because as soon as the little one approached him, my bipolar companion held the boy in his arms with great affection. So, who would have guessed that our Grumpy had a heart made of butter behind all that grumpiness? How cute... The boy hugged him affectionately as well , and it was impossible to contain my own smile.

I was right to give Noah a second chance. I knew he had something good hidden behind all those spikes.

"So, how's your mom?" I'd heard Noah asking, running his hand on the little boy's messy hair.

"She's better!" The boy smiled. "It seems that the mommy's foot is not hurting anymore. We're gonna leave town still today!"

"Very good." Noah smiled again. "Where are you going?"

"To Grandpa's house, in Denerim!" He replied proudly. "There's a big, big tree there that rises so high in the sky that we can climb forever and never reach the top!"

Vhenedhal ... I'd smiled again. I think the dream of every child in the Alienage is to reach the highest branch of the tree, only to feel the sky stroking their hair and to be able to touch the stars with their fingertips ... It was my brother's dream, but he never made it.

No... That was my dream. He was very afraid of high places, but even so, he was always climbing higher than me, to encourage me to overcome my own fears and go in search of my dreams. I never made it either. Ironically, I'd never tried to climb it again.

It was too hard.

Before my stupid nostalgia could end up in tears, the boy's sweet voice broke through my thoughts.

"Ah!" The little boy began to blush. "I forgot to give it back ..." He began to unwind a bandage from his small arm, but Noah stopped him.

"You like it, don't you?" Noah asked.

"Y-yes," the boy stammered bashfully, blushing violently from his cheeks to the tips of his little ears.

"Do you wanto to keep it, then?" Noah asked, and the way the boy had burried his head in Noah's neck had given him his answer.

The innocence of a child was invigorating.

"If I wear this bandage ..." He asked so quietly that if I wasn't an elf, I wouldn't have been able to hear. "Can I be as strong as you?"

"Yes, little champion," Noah smiled. "If you try really hard, you may be even stronger than me when you grow up."

The boy nodded vigorously, with such a contagious smile on his face, that for a brief moment, I believed once again that magic that can make us feel as if we could touch the sky, only by standing in a spot high enough .

"Nihael!" A female voice cried almost at my side, and I had to hold myself to not to jump. I didn't see her face very well, but she was a black-haired elf, apparently. Perhaps the boy's mother, because in the next moment, the so-called Nihael was back on the floor, running towards her. Grumpy's smile never left his lips as he followed the boy with his eyes until they both vanished up the stairs.

I waited a little more before I talked to him, of course. I didn't need him angry with me for for spying on him. I expected him to leave before I could follow, but you know how unpredictable Noah can be, right?

"You can get out of there, elf," Noah growled, still smiling, but in his usual tone of an angry troll. Emphasis on the part where he was looking toward my pillar, please. I could not pretend that he was not talking to me.

"How did you know?" I asked, stepping out from my hideout with both hands raised in a sign of surrender.

"You have no idea how loud you are," he replied, frowning in that very familiar way, and breaking the magic of the moment.

"So...?" I asked as I came to stand by his side. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing," he replied crossing his arms. "But you will witness my sword flying on your head if you don't shut up."

I laughed. I think he hadn't done that before, and even though his expression was not even close to being a nice one, I was satisfied. This was a breakthrough - the fact that he was joking around - and every second I'd spent smiling, the deeper his frown became. And I'll tell you, his ability to contract his eyebrows was amazing. One day they will end up on his chin, so intensely does he force them down.

"Okay, Grumpy, right." I said, clearing my throat, but still smiling. "Forget what I said."

He growled quietly, his lips twitching as if to bite me, but he just opened the door for me to pass.

The day was an almost perfect replica of the previous night - gray sky with heavy clouds obscuring the sun, with a slight chill breeze blowing once in a while, carrying the fine drizzle that fell on us.

Noah realized that I was still staring at him from the corner of my eye and soon became suspicious - he took a stride and stood in front of me, blocking my way.

"Speak." He demanded, crossing his arms.

I pretended I didn't understand, "Speak... what?"

"I know this particular silly smile very well," he shrugged. "You don't fool me. Sooner or later you'll end up saying some stupid comment, so save my time and patience and speak at once ..."

"If I say what I'm thinking right now ..." I crossed my arms as well. "You'll really want to throw that sword of yours at me."

"I have craved that since I met you." He growled, emphasizing each word. "So it makes no difference."

"Oh, I feel flattered." I strayed from Grumpy and started walking toward the road, and he soon followed me. I knew he was still waiting for answers, but I couldn't help but take a little time just to spy the curious expression hidden behind his scowl.

"You know it was really cute, right?" I teased with a smirk on my face.

"It was not cute." He muttered, upset, and making a slight pout.

"Sure was," I threw back my head, so I could look at his face. He walked the few steps behind me, and soon I saw the pout writhe in frustration over his clenched teeth. Wait, what was that on his cheeks? A flush?

"You're spending too much time with that Templar," He muttered, looking away. "That stupidity of his is starting to affect your judgment ..."

"It is a done deal, Grumpy ..." I stopped abruptly and held in my laugh when I saw him nearly falling to the ground to avoid running over me. When I turned to face him, for some reason, his blush deepened. "You're getting soft!" I said smiling, putting my hands on my hips.

"What?" He said shaking his head slowly. "You lost your mind!?" He threatened, even with his red cheeks. "Stop talking nonsense, elf!"

I laughed. "Our Grumpy is softening!" I teased.

"You have no idea how much I want to hit you ..." He growled under his breath, looking away.

"... Or should I call you Bashful* from now on?"

I thought he was really going to punch me. Really. Or that he would growl, yell, swear, break a tree, anything of the sort. But he did nothing - not even deepen the frown that was already on his face. He only said one word, a single magic word, in a voice strangely calm and low.

"Run."

I was out of Lothering before he could pull the sword from his back.

Noah

Son of a ...!

Let her be. Let her think that she'd won. The first opportunity I have, I'll return the favor.

Little bitch.

She stopped running when we reached the city limits, and soon we were walking side by side again, in a comfortable silence. I noticed that, this time, she carried her daggers firmly attached to her waist, both loose inside their sheath.

Apparently I wasn't the only one who was aware of the storm we would probably face. I just think that even someone like her had no idea of the real size of the problem.

The Qunari was stupidly huge - and I was not just talking about his height. He was tall and strong, nearly as large as an ogre. He had no horns, only white dreads on his head, and violet eyes just like Shaw-Shaw's.

It was possible to see the trail of destruction he'd left, from the small, modest house to the plantations, which was where he was now. There were broken walls, bodies and various brands scattered everywhere. Blood dripped from his hands and his armor as if it were water, and he seemed quite comfortable with it. In fact, I'd say he was angry enough that nothing would bother him.

Swords and spears didn't seem to bother the Qunari either - He grabbed blade after blade with his own bare hands as if they were made of wood, before knocking down their owners. One by one, the remaining guards of Lothering fell to the ground, moaning with pain or fainting after a few blows from the dark giant. Those who were still standing - most Chantry Templars - their morale so low that they were about as useful as frightened kittens. Bunch of useless ... I can only imagine what that Qunari would do if he had a weapon...

Well, he might be strong, but I was too. I don't get intimidate that easily, and it was past time for someone to teach a lesson to these incompetents.

This beast would fall, in one way or another.

Kallian

Never in my life had I seen a Qunari. Only in books, but that didn't count. If everyone were like him, then Qunari was a new definition of the word big. He was even taller than Noah, and I had already thought that Grumpy was a giant ...

Height complexes aside, I felt sorry for the guards. They were so afraid that I could hear the metal clanging of their trembling legs. They were afraid for good reason - The Qunari had just raised a Templar with both hands above his head, growling menacingly, and I didn't doubt that he would break the poor guy in two. In his struggle to get down, his helmet fell to the ground, and when I saw the face of the red-haired boy behind the armor, my heart stopped.

He seemed to no older than thirteen years.

I felt an urgency to save him, not just because he reminded me of my brother, but because he was still a child... He wasn't supposed to be wielding a sword. Incidentally, none of them should have been.

Looking around, I realized that all those Templars didn't seem to be older than me. Their bodies were lost in the great armor, and most were holding their swords with fear and probably without proper training. And worse, I don't doubt that they were there because they were forced to be.

War is hell...

Daggers in hand, I ran towards the Qunari. He would not kill that kid, or anyone else. Not while I was around.

Or at least that was the initial idea. Grumpy had other plans, apparently. He grabbed me by the collar of my blouse and pulled me back, right to his side. I felt like a desperate dog running after the cat without considering the rope tied around his neck. I guess I just didn't fall back because he was still firmly holding my blouse, probably afraid that I would try to run again.

"Noah!" I exclaimed indignantly, trying to get free, but he was keen to keep me in the place. "Noah, he'll kill the boy ..."

"He'll kill you if you go there," he said, pulling his sword from his back. "Look at him; he can tear you in two with only his pinky."

"Noah, I'm not joking," I warned him with my best serious tone, but he wasn't convinced.

"Neither am I. You won't go anywhere." He said, nailing the sword in the ground in front of me, still holding my blouse. The Qunari threw the boy against the others and fixed his gaze on us.

I growled loudly in response, but before I could protest, Noah cut me off, "No growls." The sound of footsteps approaching made us break eye contact immediately, turning our attention to him. "Take care of my sword." he grunted one last time, before putting himself between me and the beast, intercepting him before he could lay a finger on me.

The clash between the two was almost surreal; hand to hand, forehead against forehead in a demonstration of savagery and brute force never before seen by my eyes. Noah's feet sank into the ground with the immense pressure that the Qunari was making with his body, but Grumpy didn't flinch - He kept the beast firmly in place, in a duel of muscles, growlings and glances that left the young Templars even more scared.

For a moment, I thought Noah would beat him easily, but then I realized how wrong I was - The Qunari headbutted Noah so strongly and loudly that I almost felt his pain. Grumpy staggered for a second, and as a result, he'd received two powerful punches, one on each side of his face.

When the beast lifted both hands like a guillotine, my heart stopped. It was only Grumpy's cry that had kept me in place.

"No!" he ordered me before rushing against the Qunari, throwing his shoulders against the beast's stomach. That had stopped his attack, but didn't prevent the giant from launching another assault on the vulnerable back of Grumpy. With alternating and quick punches , the Qunari hit Noah in his ribs incessantly three, four, five times, long enough for Grumpy to lock his feet on the ground and hug the back of the beast tightly. I could already hear the sounds of broken ribs when he surprised everyone - Noah literally took the Qunari's feet from the ground, lifting him at least thirty inches into the air before throwing him to the ground violently. Once his back was pressed against the ground, the beast had no chance to react, and that was exactly what Noah wanted.

And I'll tell you one thing: Grumpy used this great breach in the enemy's defense very well, because the giant barely touched the ground and Noah was already on him, returning tenfold every punch he had received. Not long after that, the Qunari lost consciousness.

Noah stood gasping, spitting blood before he motioned for the Templars to act. They were still half stunned, paralyzed by what they had just witnessed, so it took a few seconds for them to properly understand the message. Even I was kinda impressed, to be honest. Even a little proud of Noah, I admit, but he would never know.

Grumpy staggered again, but before he could fall to the ground, I quietly put one of my hands on his lower back, supporting him to keep him standing. He just looked at me, still groggy from the effect of the punches, and that was enough for me to understand what he meant. He didn't thank me, but leaned his body against my hand to compose himself as he breathed.

The redheaded boy, the one who almost got killed, came to me while his companions tried to lift the body of the beast from the ground. He looked down, shy and reserved, as if I was somebody important. I smiled, to try to let him feel more comfortable, but that only made him blush even more.

"Are you okay?" I asked, after seeing he would not say anything. He nodded more times than necessary, before bowing in our direction.

"Th-thank you for saving my life!" He said, his voice trembling, offering me a coin purse.

"H-hey," I said, not trusting my own voice. It was the first time that a human had bent to me. Incidentally, it was the first time someone had ever bowed to me, and I felt very strange. You know, I don't know why kings feel so happy to see others bowing. It was a very bad feeling, as if I had a hole in my stomach or something. All I could do was touch the boy's shoulders and pull it gently, so he could return to normal. "Don't do that." I pushed the bag back to him, still a bit embarassed.

"But... but you saved me ..." He stammered again, uncertain whether or not to keep the coin purse.

"He was the one who beat the Qunari. I did nothing ..."

"You cared, Serah Warden, when no one else did, and so I'm grateful." He tried to bend again, but this time I held him.

"You know who I am?" It was weird. I don't remember talking to anyone about who I was. Well, but since the incident at the Inn, I highly doubted if there was someone who didn't.

"Everyone in Lothering knows who you are," he replied, now with a bright flash in his eyes. "You are heroes!"

Now I was the one who was blushing. The boy looked at Noah, however he didn't seem as surprised as I was. I don't know, maybe Grumpy was used to receiving these heartfelt glances of admiration, because of his Champion reputation and everything, but I wasn't.

The boy respected me - an elf, a Scrapper, the lowest caste of human society. Maybe ... Maybe it was just the innocence of a child. Someone who has not lived long enough to know how ridiculous it was to bow to an elf. Yet... I felt happy. Happy, not because of what he did or what he had offered, but knowing that I wasn't risking my neck in vain. If purity still exist in this land, cursed by its own god , then there was still a reason to keep fighting.

"I must return to my duties." The boy said, and instead of bowing, he put his fist against his chest, towards his heart.

"How old are you?" I asked, feeling Grumpy's breath finally returning to normal under my palm.

"Eleven, Serah." He replied, but before I could finish my line of thought, a roar split the air. The Templars who held the Qunari were thrown away with a simple shake of the shoulders of the beast, who suddenly had regained consciousness. The thick rope that bound him shredded, as if it was made of silk, and soon he was free again.

But I must say that he didn't stay standing for too long. The reeling Grumpy soon was facing the Qunari, and the his punch was so strong, but so strong that Noah almost fell forward along with him. The Giant sat down, conscious and perplexed. His wide violet eyes staring at Grumpy as if he were a ghost, and for the first time I could tell that his eyes were closer to a person's than a rabid animal's. I think he didn't expect that.

"Stay... On the ground ... DAMMIT!" Noah yelled, still with clenched fists, breathing large portions of air. Though still groggy, I think the Qunari was finally coming around. "Bind him, in the name of Maker!"

The Templars nodded, and soon they were trying to bind him again. This time, the Qunari showed no resistance. The boy tried to join the others, but I held him by his shoulders.

"Go home." I said.

"But I need to ..." He started, and I could see that hope shone in his little eyes with the possibility that he could drop that sword. "They said I have to stay. That is my duty as the only man of the house to bring honor to my family and my country ..."

"Just go." I replied. "Go back to your family and take them somewhere safe. When you grow a little more, you can join the Templars, if you wish to do so."

The boy had a new sparkle in his eye, and then nodded frantically, so determined that I had no doubt that he would do the right thing. He repeated the gesture of the hand on the chest once more before leaving, and I did the same for him. When I turned to Noah, his gaze made my mood change from happy to help to regret to have gotten out of bed.

And I didn't even have to ask.

"You know that it was really cute, right?" He scoffed. When you think that someone has reached the maximum potential of sarcasm, you discover that apparently it was just the tip of the iceberg. And I'll tell you, he topped himself this time.

"You would be very adorable if you were not so vindictive." I replied, rolling my eyes.

"And you would be very adorable if-"

He did not finished the phrase, just turned toward Lothering, pale as a sheet of paper.