A Life's Worth

The Bastard Prince

"Are you sure this is Redcliffe, Eloriel?" Leliana asked with her singsongy voice. The group had just reached the cliff to a village by a river, or a lake, Eloriel couldn't tell.

"Yeah, do you doubt my navigation skills?" Eloriel questioned with a smile.

"Well, you did take off into a barely explored part of the woods," Morrigan said, scowling.

"Alistair, you've been to Redcliffe before. Is this it?" Eloriel asked, ignoring Morrigan.

"Oh, um, yeah. How'd we get here so quick?"

"My amazing navigation skills," Eloriel said, puffing her chest in pride.

"More like her luck," Morrigan said.

"She was blundering around the woods, hoping for a way out," Sten added in continuous monotone.

"Damn it, Sten! How'd you know?" Eloriel asked sarcastically, elbowing the Qunari.

"Because it was painstakingly obvious."

"I was joking.... You really know how to drag me down, don't 'cha?"

"You are easily bendable, weak, and emotional," Sten informed her.

"Dread Wolf take you," she mumbled under her breath. Eloriel sighed as she turned back to the village. "So, what? We go to this...Arl? Arl Eamon? What do we ask? Who do we ask if he's still sick? Will he, or whoever is in charge..." she then paused, looking at Alistair, whose face fell at her choice in words, like the Arl's death was set in stone. "Temporarily in charge, aid us?" She looked at Alistair again who was lightly smiling at her consideration, but still something in his face, she'd noticed this ever since they arrived, but something, concern? Guilt? Something was bothering him, sos thing he wanted to say, but didn't.

What's wrong with Alistair?

She had thought that he was over (as one could be) Duncan's death. Eloriel herself had already stopped having nightmares of Tamlen, she had even stopped crying when she was alone. This of course, felt strange to the Dalish elf. She knew what it was like before, losing someone, losing people. Before she was even past three years she had lost someone, then another, then a whole group she had known vanished a month before she met Tamlen.

I guess I've just grown used to it, accepted it as a part of life. I have realized that to grief would waste my own time, and so my own life. This is how I survive.

"Eloriel, the dog is whining again," Morrigan huffed.

Eloriel looked down at Tamlasan, who was indeed whining for her attention, and petted him. Afterwards he immediately took off running away.

I thought I was good with animals!

Eloriel slumped forward, much like how Alistair was and released a large sigh. She looked at Morrigan who had been staring at her ever since the dog bolted.

"You know I was talking about that one?" she questioned.

"When talking about Alistair you tend to say mutt. Tamlasan is called dog, like just now," she explained.

"Well it took you long enough."

"Haha, guess you're right."

"As usual."

Eloriel jumped up, squealing. Morrigan looked at the woman as if she were a psycho. Still squealing, Eloriel hugged Morrigan, now getting the whole groups attention. Leliana giggled with confusion as Sten just turned his back to her, not wanting to be associated with the elf. Alistair just stood, dumbfounded, but a smile tugging at his frown.