The Grey Wardens' Leader

1.0 - Closer

Song for Another Time by Old Dominion
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   Sitting at the camp fire, Leliana strummed her lute softly, watching the leader of their small group toss Tamlen's shirt in the fire. She played in slow rhythm with the Dalish lullaby Avril sang, putting Tamlen to rest one last time.

   The elven girl sat next to her as she finished singing,"Leliana?"

"Yes?"

"Would you tell me a story, cheer me up? I like that one that you tell me, the one about that warrior...Aveline, was it?"

   Leliana put her instrument aside and let the younger woman lay her head in her lap while she told the story for the hundredth time, combing her fingers through the Warden's hair.

   She cherished her friendship with Avril. While Avril and Morrigan were about as close as sisters separated at birth, she was as close with the elven girl as old friends would be. Late at night when one of them couldn't sleep, they would crawl in the other's tent, laughing until their ribs hurt with one another before falling asleep. Their friendship was special, and Leliana valued it more than nearly anything else in the world.

   Avril yawned and hugged Leliana's calves as she murmured, looking in Alistair's direction,"He's too good for me, you know. He'd walk to the ends of Thedas for me with a smile on his face...I'd do it while griping about how much my feet hurt. Makes me wonder if I deserve all this happiness, given my broody nature..."

   The red head giggled and began braiding a very light blonde strand of hair that framed the Dalish woman's face,"You've grown a lot since I first met you, that's for sure. You aren't the woman you used to be, and it's about time you stopped doubting how beautiful you are, inside and out."

   The Grey Warden sat up and looked at her friend with an eyebrow raised,"And what do you mean by that?"

"I see the way you look at yourself in the reflection of the water...You don't like the scars on your body, do you?"

"Who would? I'm merely eighteen years of age and I'm covered in them...I look less like a young woman and more like somebody who's been jumped by the Carta."

Leliana nudged her with her leg and glanced over at Alistair,"He seems to like how you look."

"Alistair could find somebody better, somebody with a lot less problems on their plate...Sometimes I wonder what he thinks of-"

The bard stood up, helping the other girl to her feet,"How about you go talk to him, ask him all of those burning questions you have? He's bound to have answers."

"It's late, he might be heading to bed soon and I don't want to-"

"Go on, it can't hurt.", she smiled and knocked their shoulders together.

"Why am I getting a sense like I've been through this before...", she sighed before walking over to the blond.

The elf gave him a quizzical look as he rocked back and forth on his feet anxiously,"If you're about to end things-"

"Andraste's flaming sword, no!", he shook his head.

His lips stretched into a lopsided grin as he held a rose out to her,"Here, look at this. Do you- Do you know what this is?"

Avril gingerly took it from him, shaking her head,"Is this a trick question?"

"Yes! Absolutely, I'm trying to trick you. Is it working? Aw, I just about had you, didn't I?"

She couldn't help but crack a smile,"Oh, yes, you're wily alright."

"Nefarious, even!", he laughed before going into a coughing fit, clearing his throat. "I picked it in Lothering. I remember thinking 'How could something so beautiful exist in a place with so much despair and ugliness?' I probably should've left it alone, but I couldn't...The darkspawn would have come along and their taint would have just destroyed it. So I've had it ever since."