Chapter 7 – Snowdrops

Lyla was happy. Creators, kill her now but she was. Really happy. Happier than anyone being hunted by shemlen royalty and darkspawn had any real right to be. She blamed Leliana, and it made her laugh out loud.

A fortnight they had been traveling, a long, cold, snowy fortnight but Lyla's smile hadn't diminished. Marriage. Creators, she was getting married. She giggled softly to herself as the rest of the clan stared at her. She didn't care how crazy she looked.

Revas bounded up to her, kicked snowflakes up as he ran. He bumped into her leg and barked. Bending down, she scratched his ear and laughed again. Happiness was a strange feeling.

"Lissa!" Natalie shouted as her dog ran towards them, desperate to join in with their love, and Lyla accepted her willingly. She loved animals, all animals. "Sorry, Lyla, I couldn't stop her."

"It's ok, lethallan, she just wanted some attention, no?" Lyla smirked as she looked up at the tall woman. "Is she behaving herself then?"

"Oh yes, she's a wonderful dog," Natalie asked bemused.

"Oh! Ir abelas, lethallan, I was speaking to Lissa," Lyla stuck her tongue out at the human and looked into Lissa's eyes. The dog stared back and barked happily. "Oh, I am so very glad to hear it, falon! She is a very good human, yes?"

Natalie began to laugh as Lyla kept up the conversation, she knelt down beside her mabari and Lyla, wrapping her arm around the war dog. "So does she say nice things about me?"

Lyla wore a sly smile as she looked up, "Oh I couldn't betray her confidence like that! Lissa's secrets are just that! Secret!" Lyla jumped to her feet giggling. "Unless you can catch me!" She took off in the opposite direction, heading to the main group.

Her laughter echoed through the caravan as she sprinted through the middle of it. The wagon Shale was pulling acted as a perfect hiding place as Lyla jumped into it. They had found it in Haven and felt it was perfect for them, small enough that Shale would pull, and the golem was surprisingly ok with it. It seemed to be happy to show off how superior it was to the fleshy creatures it travelled with.

She pulled a blanket over her head and giggled quietly to herself as she heard Natalie searching. Before too long, hands were grasping at the wagon, pulling little things out and Lyla could barely keep herself quiet.

A callused hand burst through the blankets and grabbed her wrist, pulling at her but Lyla was a warrior and a warrior would not be beaten. She pulled back and to her immense surprise, a familiar body fell upon on her.

"Well hello, ma cherie," Leliana hummed, "fancy seeing you here." The bard's hands wrapped around Lyla's waist as she lay on top of the elf. Lyla ran her hands through her lover's hair and pulled her in close, crashing their lips together in a desperate frenzy. Their tongues battled, and Lyla's hands wandered. They were wearing their armour, Lyla always insisted on it, but her fiancée's armour was tight enough to leave little to the imagination. Creators, she loved this woman.

"Urgh," Shale groaned as it looked over its shoulder, "the fleshy things are doing fleshy things. I almost wish I was back in the village."

Lyla's face lit up as she flushed but Leliana just giggled and pulled a blanket over them. This was the only way to travel.

OoOoO

Redcliffe castle was more inviting than the first time Lyla had approached its gates but she still felt uneasy. A shemlen castle was a monument to the very world she had opposed for so long but the very nobles she had grown up hating were now her only human allies and she could not afford to lose them, no matter how much she disliked it. The Arl would owe her for this, his life, his wife's life, and even his young son's were all saved thanks to the wardens, that was not even mentioning the small village below. She would make him help her, if he did not offer it outright.

Small specs of snow began to fall and not for the first time, Lyla wished she had some furs to pull around her, she opted instead for pulling Leliana closer, wrapping her arm around the woman's waist. It had become much easier for Lyla to show her affection publically, the little voice of anxiousness disappearing as the much larger voice of joy overwhelmed her. She loved holding her woman.

"Party approaching!" A watcher on the castle walls shouted out, "Identify yourselves, strangers!"

"Grey wardens!" Lyla replied back.

"We come with the Sacred Ashes of Andraste!" Alistair shouted up, and they revelled in the cheer that erupted from the men.

The castle gates opened slowly but they were soon ushered inside. Lyla let Alistair take the lead, opting to stay back with her lover, Alistair was better with the humans anyway, and that was as much excuse as Lyla needed.

There was a niggling doubt in the back of Lyla's mind as they walked through the courtyard. She had proposed to Leliana without proving herself worthy. In the clan, one had to earn the right to propose, hunting or crafting something for the loved one was common. She would have to ensure she did something special for her Leliana, nothing but the best was good enough for her. Perhaps Neria or Natalie would know what sort of gift was suitable for a human like her love, as much as it pained her to do so, Lyla would even craft something Andrastrian if she needed. She had always struggled with craftwork, it was her biggest failing by far but it was too close to winter to hunt anything impressive enough for her woman, and the animals that were still around would never venture close enough to the castle for Lyla to kill. She would have to do her best and hope to her gods, and Leliana's, that it was enough.

The throne room was warmer than Lyla had imagined, and again she marvelled at human architecture, aravels never got this warm in winter, at least without Merrill's help. The fires roared either side of the throne and the warm furs on the cold stone where no doubt a blessing to Neria, the first had the typical soleless shoes of a Dalish keeper.

"Warden," Bann Teagan sat on the small throne, and was very careful to stare directly into Lyla's eye, she knew he was talking to her, "welcome back. I hear you have good news for us?"

"Indeed. We have the ashes, though it came at great price." Sten and an eye specifically.

"May I have it? I need to give it to our physicians right away, let them work to save my brother as quickly as possible." Teagan walked towards her and Lyla reached into her bag, grabbing the pouch of ashes Leliana had thrown at her weeks ago.

"Thank you!" Teagan gasped, holding the pouch close to himself, as carefully as a new-born babe. "Please excuse me. The steward will show you to your rooms, please stay with us until Eamon awakes."

A balding man led them through to the halls and Lyla took Leliana's hand as they climbed up the large stairs to the many guest bedrooms.

The steward offered them all individual rooms, but Lyla would not be separated from her fiancée, they took the biggest bedroom, with the comfiest looking bed.

Lyla squealed as soon as the rest of the clan left, running to the bed and jumping on it with a contented sigh. "Vhenan, come snuggle!"

Leliana joined her and all was well.

Translations

Elvish

Ir abelas – I'm sorry

Lethallan/lethallin – Close friend

Falon – friend

Shemlen – Human (quick child)

Vhenan - Heart (Dalish term of endearment)

Orlesian (French)

Ma Cherie – my sweetheart