Whether they'd been cowed into silence or were buried in their own shame, none of the four women said a word as their party descended down the ridge line. Not until the ruins were well in the distance did Herah open her mouth, and even then, she was careful to speak softly enough that only one other person could hear her. "So, Sera," she began tentatively, "Do you think we should talk?"

Sera looked up from the rock she'd been kicking down the path. "Talk? About what?"

"Well, there was that kiss." She put on her most winning smile as she spoke, trying to make it clear that while they might need to discuss what had happened, that didn't mean Herah considered it a problem.

"Oh, yeah. That." A goofy grin covered Sera's face and Herah felt a surge of optimism. In the past, their flirtations had been followed by quick retreats, and she'd worried that after the elf had taken the brunt of the artifact's power, history would repeat itself. "Not sure why we need to talk. Finally figured it out. I like you, and you like me, yeah?"

Can it really be that simple? "I kind of knew that already. But before, the stuff with my magic kept getting in our way. Is that not a problem anymore?"

Sera fidgeted before she spoke again, her slim hands fiddling with the string of her bow as she considered her response. "Magic's still bollocks, but… but you're not. I mean, you're strange, but that doesn't always have to be a bad thing, right?"

Herah smirked, and she decided to risk a little teasing. "Definitely not. I mean, I like you, don't I?"

A burst of laughter escaped Sera's throat, causing the other two women to look up at them. Neither said anything though, Morrigan just giving the couple a dismissive roll of her eyes while Cassandra's gaze quickly returned to the ground. Once their attention had departed, Sera continued. "See, that why I like you, Inky. For a high and mighty Inquisitor mage lady person, you're still real funny." She gave Herah an approving look, one that sent a little thrill down the Inquisitor's spine. "That, and tall. Real tall."

"That's it? Funny and tall is all it takes to win you over?"

"They're good. But no. You… you're solid. Like, I knew you wouldn't leave me there with that stupid eye brain thing. That you'd make it stop." Herah nodded, not sure what to add to that, but Sera seemed happy to keep directing the conversation. "There. That good? Does it make sense? Can we get on to the kissing and, you know, all other good bits? With our bits."

She laughed at her own double entendre, although thankfully she was quieter this time, and Herah bent down to give her a quick peck on the lips. "I'd love to. Although we might want to wait a little bit longer, at least until we're back to Skyhold." Sera made a pouty face while Herah explained further. "Hey, I understand your frustration. Believe me, I do. But do you really think Morrigan and Cassandra are in the mood to listen to us?"

Sera's lips pulled into an uneven grin and a sly look crossed her face. "Prob'ly not." She cast what she obviously thought was a sneaky glance back in Cassandra and Morrigan's direction. Both of them frowned at her, but she didn't seem perturbed. "But they've got no room to talk, yeah? We had to watch them rolling around in the middle of spooky magic ruins. Least they can do is pretend not to hear the noises coming from your tent."

Herah winced, flashing Cassandra and Morrigan a look of apology. Cassandra refused to meet her eyes, while Morrigan's upper lip curled with barely-contained disgust. "You might not want to bring that up anymore," Herah whispered. "And it wouldn't hurt to lower your voice either."

But Sera was hardly listening. "I don't think so," she sang. Her measured pace became more of a skip, and her uneven bangs bounced above her eyes. "You can bet your breeches I'm telling everyone once we get back to Skyhold."

A choked gasp came from behind them, and Herah didn't need to turn back to imagine the look of horror on Cassandra's face. She and the Seeker both began to protest, but Morrigan beat them to it. "T'would be most unwise of you to do so. I had figured you for a fool since our first meeting, but this surpasses all my expectations, low as they were."

Sera stopped in the middle of the path and whirled around. The gleeful look on her face disappeared, and she stuck out her jaw in defiance. "And who's gonna stop me? You? Because that stuck-up, snotty, 'I'm-better-than-you' attitude doesn't work so well after I've seen you with your smallclothes down."

Once again, Herah prepared to intervene before Sera ended up as a smear on the path, but to her surprise, Morrigan remained outwardly calm. "The thing you hate most in the world is people in positions of power who abuse those without it, yes?" She didn't bother waiting for a response, although her expression and posture still radiated icy contempt. "The Tevinter artifact removed our power of restraint, and instead of sympathizing with that, you have chosen to further humiliate Seeker Pentaghast. It seems to me that your behavior is not unlike that of the nobles you claim to despise."

Sera's shoulders slumped, and she had the decency to look ashamed of herself. "Andraste's tits, you're awful even when you're talking sense," she mumbled, turning back around and continuing swiftly down the path. Herah mouthed a quick 'well done' at Morrigan before hurrying to catch up with her. Thankfully, it only took a few strides with her longer legs and once they were together again, Sera's face brightened. "I'll only make fun of them to you then, yeah?"

Herah sighed and shook her head, giving Sera a resigned look. "All right, it's a deal. I'm not sure you'll be able to help yourself anyway."

Sera smirked. "Oh, don't be so glum. Y'might like it when I decide to put on a re-enactment."

Cassandra slowed her pace, allowing Sera and the Inquisitor to put several dozen yards between them; far enough, she hoped, to shield her from any further conversation. Although Morrigan had done an excellent job of stopping Sera's smart comments, Cassandra knew the peace wouldn't last. She tried to keep her eyes fixed firmly on her feet, but they kept drifting up and settling on the woman who had remained beside her. It wasn't surprising that Morrigan had chosen to walk with her instead of Sera, but she wasn't sure how she felt about it.

Part of her wanted to stay as far away from the witch as possible. Simply looking at her brought back uncomfortable memories, and Cassandra's embarrassment was still fresh. However, she found herself grateful for the company as silence set in. It was good of Morrigan to have come to her defense, even though it was likely for the witch's own benefit. She cleared her throat, trying to dislodge the nervous lump there. "That was tactfully done," she said at last, hoping her voice didn't sound too strained.

"Life in the Orlesian court demands tact," Morrigan said. "I was not raised to understand the thoughts and motivations of others, but my position forced me to learn quickly. I will admit, it has proven useful at times."

Cassandra stole another glance. She couldn't stop staring at the way Morrigan's pale, slender arms moved as she walked. Those same arms had been wrapped around her a little over an hour ago, and the thought made her stomach lurch uncomfortably. "It certainly has in this case. I doubt Sera will continue bothering you."

Morrigan laughed. "The elf doesn't have the power to bother me, at least not by referring to what happened in the ruins. I am not ashamed of my body's urges. No, that was done on your behalf." Cassandra's eyes widened. Her jaw gaped as she struggled to process that statement, but Morrigan didn't seem to notice. "The constant chatter, however... that might indeed drive me mad, regardless of the topic."

"Well, whatever your reasons, it was appreciated."

She didn't entirely mean it though. The motives did matter. There was something about the idea of Morrigan defending her that made Cassandra twitch. She couldn't quite explain the feeling, but it was safer and more comfortable to believe that the witch simply didn't want to listen to Sera any longer.

"'T'was nothing," Morrigan replied dismissively. "Strange as it may seem, we seem to find ourselves with a mutual interest in moving past this particular situation, so perhaps I might offer you a morsel of advice. Taunts can only harm you if you put stock in them. It is true that if foolishly indulged, desire can be a weakness, but in itself, it is only natural. Since it was the magic that made us forget our restraint, there is no shame in what we did."

Cassandra wanted to believe in what Morrigan was saying, but her formulation was too simple. "But why did we want to do that, of all things?"

Morrigan shrugged. "Who can say? The answer to such questions is as elusive as any lost art of the Imperium. Consider the Inquisitor. An intelligent enough woman, a capable mage, and now a personage of great power. One would expect her to be paired with some duke or princess. Instead, she finds herself drawn to an odd little rogue who constantly spews vulgarity and nonsense, and whose main talent is aiming pointed wooden shafts at people she finds objectionable. I should like to think that the idea that you and I feel some measure of physical attraction toward one another is no more ridiculous than that."

In spite of her distress, the description of Sera was enough to draw a small smile out of Cassandra. "Perhaps you are right."

"That we would never have acted on those feelings without the influence of magic is of no account. We did what we did, but now that is in the past. 'Tis no use worrying about what others may think of that."

With a sigh, Cassandra turned away from Morrigan, staring out into the vast, desolate sands of the Western Approach. In truth, it wasn't really Sera's taunts or even the fact that she'd humiliated herself in front of the Inquisitor that bothered her. Perhaps to someone like Morrigan, it seemed natural to have attraction so decoupled from emotion, but Cassandra had never thought of herself as such a person.

The notion that she could have wanted a woman who so thoroughly frustrated her was not one that sat well with her. And she hadn't just wanted Morrigan. She had needed her, hungered for the witch's body with an urgency that she had never felt before. The magic had sharpened her cravings perhaps, and it had certainly blotted out her good sense, but the further they got from the ruins, the harder it was to blame Tevinter sorcery entirely for her predicament.

Not when Morrigan was still there, walking beside her. Not when the sight of her pale skin, so tantalizing revealed by the tattered remains of her clothing, was still drawing Cassandra's gaze every time she so much as glanced in the witch's direction. Not when it was become undeniable that, no matter how horrifying the truth might be, she really was drawn to Morrigan.

Maker help me.