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Blood Bond	By : Hikari86 Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 4278 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Bioware owns everything Dragon Age. I claim no ownership and make no money/profit.

Chapter List
- 55
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- 57
Diligence

Arawin watched the dragon fall and twitch. Smoke came from the dragon’s mouth as well from other parts of it’s body. She walked over to it and saw the scales around it’s head were charred black and it’s eyes had melted from their sockets. When she saw Dar’Misaan, the sword looked to have nothing wrong with it. The blade was still the same color with no marks or charred areas. Not even the leather hilt was melted or fringed. Arawin was very impressed with the Dalish blade and glad she had it.
She went to pull it from the dragon’s teeth but once she touched it an electrical shock went through her body making her fall on her bruised backside. “Sodding little sh—Ah!”
“You should be more careful, Hermosa,” Zevran chuckled. “That dragon carcass is still hot.”
Arawin growled. “I want my sword back, damn it!”
“Well here’s one out of two,” he said handing her Fang. “Do you need help getting up?” He lent down his hand and Arawin took it. He pulled her up but Arawin fell into his arms as the pain in her back caused her to lose her balance. Zevran caught her and held her steady. “You don’t keep your balance very well, do you?”
“You try falling from a dragon’s head and tumbling into a rock and see how you feel.”
Zevran chuckled softly as Arawin soon erected herself. They stood there for a moment with his hands on her waist and hers on his shoulders. Arawin glanced into his eyes and saw some type of uncertainty. A confusion that she knew was probably in her eyes as well. What Shianni had told her in the Gauntlet ran through her mind and her stomach fluttered as she realized he was still holding her. She gently pushed away from him but regretted it. He also seemed to regret it but neither of them verbalized anything.
Arawin was brought back to the moment when she heard Zelda’s cries. Running over she knew what Zelda was crying about, but it still hit her hard when she saw the scene behind the rock. Zelda was leaned over Alistair, holding him and crying hard. Arawin could feel it, her pain and misery, her love and despair. It nearly made Arawin want to cry.
“Please!” Zelda pleaded. “There’s got to be something we can do! Morrigan?” she said seeing the witch behind Arawin and Zevran. “Can you do anything? You know different methods, different spells. Please do something!”
Everyone could hear the desperation in Zelda’s voice and Arawin knew Morrigan wanted to do something, but the witch only shook her head slowly.
Panic fluttered across Zelda’s face and she began quickly searching around the area, looking for anything that could help. “There’s got to be something. Anything!”
“Zelda, you need to calm down,” said Arawin. “You panicking like this isn’t going to make things better.”
“Shut up, Arawin!” Zelda yelled. “We wouldn’t even be in this situation if it wasn’t for your damn mouth!”
“Hey! I wasn’t the one who took the blood. I believe Kolgrim was going to take you because of that. It didn’t matter what I said.”
“You know what, Arawin,” Zelda said standing up. “I’ve had just about enough of your attitude.” She picked up Alistair’s sword and began advancing on her. “I think we need to settle this once and for all!”
“Fine by me,” Arawin said as she grabbed Fang. “Bring it on, Princess!” She went at Zelda, both of them lifting their swords, ready to bring them down on each others heads.
“Stop!”
They froze in position, only inches away from each other. Wynne ran between them and yanked their weapons out of their hands. “This is going absolutely too far!” she lectured them. “I have had enough of your fighting. I swear, it’s worse than when templars and mages fight. Can none of you control yourselves?” They could only move their eyes, and both of them looked down at the ground. Wynne had her hands on her hips and looked at both of them in turn. “I am really ashamed, especially with you, Zelda. Do you really think Alistair would want you acting like this? Especially in front of the temple where we just found Andraste’s Ashes?”
Zelda’s eyes shot open at the mention of the Ashes. She stared at Wynne and blinked fast to alert her. Wynne waved her hand over Zelda and soon she was able to move again. She then did the same to Arawin.
“That’s it, the Ashes!” Zelda exclaimed. “The Ashes will cure him. We could go back in there. I’m sure the Guardian will let us take another pinch. He has too, we’ve already been through the Gauntlet and were proven worthy!” Zelda grabbed Alistair’s sword again and began making her way to the temple.
“You don’t need to go back,” yelled Arawin.
Zelda stopped and glared at her. “Of course I do! The Ashes I have are for Arl Eamon, and I know the Guardian will understand.” She turned back around and began heading for the temple again.
“Are you forgetting something?” Arawin cried after her. “Are you so stuck up that you’ve forgotten already?”
Zelda stopped and glared at her again. “Forgetting what?”
“That I also took a pinch of Ashes.” Arawin pulled out the little pouch they were being kept in from her pack and hung it in the air. “Now do you remember?”
Zelda stood still as she stared at the pouch. She felt sick and stupid, can’t believing she had forgotten something so important. Time had been wasted, precious time that Alistair might not have had. She slowly began making her way back. “Are you going to give them to him?” she asked calmly. “Please say you will.”
Arawin snorted and crossed her arms. “Unlike you, I don’t have a grudge with him, so yes. Just stay back.” Zelda nodded and stopped her approach. Arawin then made her way over to where Alistair still laid. “I need a cup and some water,” she said. Wynne came by her side and handed her a chalice while Zevran gave her his waterskin. Arawin opened the pouch and sprinkled the Ashes in the chalice. There wasn’t much and they layered the bottom of the chalice like a fine dust. Opening the waterskin, she poured water in and mixed the contents together. “Alright, I just need someone to lift up his head and open his mouth.”
Wynne who was already knelt on Alistair’s other side gently tilted his head forward. Arawin placed the chalice to his lips and poured the mixture down his throat. Alistair coughed and groaned from the effort. Once all the water was gone, Wynne placed his head back down and hovered her hands over his wound. She stayed there for a moment before gasping.
“I can feel them,” she said. “It’s... incredible. I can’t really describe it.”
“Will it work?” Zelda asked. She had gotten closer and peered anxiously over Wynne’s shoulder.
“A simple healing spell should do it,” said Wynne. She closed her eyes and concentrated. A blue light emitted from her hands and everyone watched with anticipation. They watched as Alistair’s wound began to mend, flesh and muscle knitting itself back together, bones reforming, and his skin growing darker. When his wound was closed fully, Wynne took her hands away and all that remained was a long scar that went under his breast and around to his back.
He breathed in sharp and Zelda gasped, covering her mouth and ran and knelt beside him, pushing Arawin away. “Alistair?” she said through her tears.
Slowly he opened his eyes and peered into hers. “Zelda?” he said weakly. “Are you hurt?”
Zelda laughed out more tears. “No, silly.”
“Then why are you crying?”
“Because you didn’t leave me. You didn’t leave me.” She hugged him, placing her head on his chest and crying out fully. Alistair wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.
“I would never dream of doing such a thing.”
Arawin had stood and walked around the rock when Zelda had pushed her away. She really wasn’t mad at her, understanding how she had felt when she lashed out. Arawin had of course just been the one in the way. And even though she would never admit it out loud, Arawin felt she might have acted the same way if it was Zevran dying.
She looked down at the two of them, feeling happy that no one had died and Alistair would be just fine. The Ashes worked, which meant they would work for Arl Eamon as well. Something caught her eye and Arawin looked over at the temple door. There standing next to it was the Guardian. He and Arawin’s eyes met and he nodded toward her. She nodded right back and watched as he disappeared through the stone.
***
“Ah! I can’t get it out!”
“Then allow me to help. On the count of three... One... Two... Three!”
Zevran and Arawin pulled on Dar’Misaan as hard as they could. The longsword was still wedged tightly between the dragon’s teeth. Grunting, together they finally pulled it free, flipping it in the air and having it stick in the ground several feet away, electricity sparking from the blade.
“It’s still charged?” Arawin asked as she cautiously walked up to it. She grabbed the hilt slowly and pulled it out of the ground. Small bolts of electricity ringed across the blade in arches and Arawin felt a tingling run through her hand. It felt powerful and good.
“That is, of course, the wonder of a Dalish blade,” said Morrigan. “Any other sword that had that much electricity run through it would've been destroyed. Yet this one doesn’t even have a scratch.”
“It does look the same except now it has bolts going across it.”
“It’s molecular structure must have been changed during the assault. Not even a Dalish sword can come out the same after conducting a massive amount of electricity straight into a high dragon’s nervous system.”
“Well as long as it doesn’t shock me, I think it’s pretty cool,” Arawin said as she studied Dar’Misaan, twisting it in her hand and testing it by striking it against a rock. The bolts flickered and jumped from blade to rock with a zing.
“That’s pretty awesome, Arawin,” said Zelda as she came over to the elf.
“Yeah, I know,” Arawin smiled. “So you better watch out.”
“Of course, but I wanted to come over here and apologize to you for how I acted earlier. It... It wasn’t right for me to say such things to you.”
Arawin replaced Dar’Misaan back in it’s sheath, the bolts staying contained within. “It’s all right, Zelda. I understand. You were upset and dealing with a tough situation. I forgive you this time, but next time I might not be so forgiving.” Arawin eyed Zelda as she walked past, heading toward the slanted bridge.
Before heading back they first gathered everything they could. Zelda found Silverbrand amongst a pile of rubble while Wynne went to work fixing Alistair’s undershirt the best she could in a short time. His shirt was patched, but barely and still red, although most of his blood had been washed out. Alistair put back on his breastplate despite the hole, as it was the only armor that he could wear. Zelda worried over it, but Alistair assured her it would be fine.
“It’ll last until we reach Redcliffe,” he said. “And there I’m sure Teagan can find me another set.”
“I know, and I also know there really isn’t anything we can do until then,” said Zelda still worrying. “But from here till Redcliffe is a long way. What if we run into darkspawn, or bandits, or even Loghain’s troops? You’ll be a target for sure with that large gash in your armor and we don’t have any Ashes left to give you.”
Alistair chuckled at her string of concerns. “I highly doubt that. Darkspawn we can avoid, and as for bandits or troops, I’ll have you by my side when they attack, or at least I hope.”
“Of course,” Zelda said getting closer to his side.
Making their way back through the temple was easier as they encountered no resistance. No Disciples or even dragons attacked them. They weren’t sure if all the Disciples had been killed already, but they really didn’t care as long as they left them alone. It wasn’t until they went past the room where they had been first attacked that Zelda and Arawin heard a familiar sound echoing through the halls. Instantly two large bodies, one brown and one red, turned a corner and came right for them. Kunjo knocked Arawin down, licking her face and slobbering all over her in his excitement. Zelda knelt down as Rupee came up to her, barking and leaping as she was happy to see her mistress again.
“Did you miss us, girl? Sorry we left you behind, but I’m glad we did.”
“Okay! Okay! Get off me, boy!” Arawin pushed Kunjo off and the hound sat with his tongue hanging out. “I missed you too,” she said scratching behind his ears.
A gleeful cry brought everyone back to the corner where they saw Leliana dashing over to them. “Oh, thank the Maker you all made it back safely,” she said. “We were beginning to get worried, so every so often Sten and I have been coming about this far with the dogs to see if you were coming. It’s nearly been two days!”
“Two days!” exclaimed Arawin. “We must've been in the Gauntlet longer than we thought.”
“The Gauntlet?” Leliana asked.
“It’s a long story,” said Zelda. “But basically it means that we found the Ashes.” She pulled out the pouch and handed it to Leliana. When the bard opened and looked inside she was astonished.
“I-I can’t believe it,” she stuttered. “They do exist, and you saw the Urn? It must have been glorious.”
“You had a chance to see for yourself.”
“I know, but holding these Ashes, seeing them, and knowing you really did pull them from the real Urn is enough for me. I can’t wait to see if they do cure the arl.”
“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” said Alistair. Leliana looked at him curiously.
“You see,” said Zelda. “We’ve already seen first hand that the Ashes really do cure anything. Alistair here is proof of that.”
“What?” Leliana said confused. “I don’t—Oh.” She saw the gash in Alistair’s armor and knew immediately what Zelda was talking about. “Oh my, Alistair! What happened?”
“We can tell you on the way back,” Zelda said as she and Leliana took the lead.
Zelda told her about their trek through the temple and also about their encounter with Kolgrim and the Guardian of the Ashes. She spook only briefly about the Gauntlet, only saying that it was different for everyone and that it was about testing oneself to see if they were worthy enough to approach the Ashes. By the time she told of what happened with Alistair and the high dragon on the mountain, they had arrived back in the main hall where they had first entered the temple. They found Brother Genitivi leaned over a small statue, making a tracing of the writing carved on it’s stand. When they approached, he looked up with a huge smile.
“Welcome back!” he exclaimed. “Yes, welcome back in deed! You were gone for quite some time, so please tell me, were you successful?”
“Indeed they were,” Leliana said as she handed him the pouch containing the Ashes. Genitivi took the pouch and looked inside.
“Is that... oh, there is some dust on—no, that’s not dust... oh, Maker... I’m not worthy to look upon...” He glanced up at Zelda and Arawin. “What... what was it like? Coming to the Urn, I mean?”
“Nothing has touched me quite so deeply,” said Zelda, meaning what she said.
“I’m sure it was,” said Genitivi. “I would've loved to have gone with you, but I know that with my foot I wouldn’t have made it.”
“No, you wouldn’t've,” Arawin said. “Not with what we had to go through.”
“I can see that very much so,” Genitivi said as he gazed upon the gash in Alistair’s armor. “You ran into more of the Disciples, I assume?”
“Yes, well,” said Alistair. “I don’t think I’d be here right now if it wasn’t for the Ashes.”
“What? You mean you took the Ashes in? I can’t believe it! That’s remarkable.” The brother went over and examined Alistair’s armor, seeing that where the gash was would have been life threatening. “Magnificent young man! You are truly fortunate, but now you are exposed. This armor won’t do anymore.”
“That’s what I told him,” said Zelda. “But unfortunately there is no other armor around here that he can wear until we get back to Redcliffe.”
“Wait, Brother Genitivi,” said Leliana. “What about that armor we found in the library? I think that might fit him.”
“Ah, yes my dear. That would be perfect.”
“Wait, what armor are you talking about?” Alistair asked.
“A very special armor,” said Genitivi. “Come, follow me, I’ll show you.” Limping, Brother Genitivi lead them into a side hallway and into a large room that was full of books. Sten was in here, studying a large painting on the far wall. He turned his attention to them when they came in and nodded his head, but then went back to studying the painting.
“After you left,” Leliana began. “The three of us decided to explore the area to see if we could find anything more about Andraste. Sten found this room, and well... look at it!” The room was quite remarkable even with the layer of snow on the floor. Books were everywhere, large tombs were lined on shelves and some were even piled on the floor. Some of the snow and ice had been swept away and one of the tombs was laid open on a table located next to a fire place where a fire was burning slowly.
“Wow,” said Alistair. “Are any of these books still readable?”
“Oh yes,” said Genitivi. “Or at least they will be. All the books I’ve looked at so far have been written in cipher, which means I can’t read them. Won’t matter however, as I know a very enthusiastic young woman in Denerim who is very renowned for her ability to crack such codes. I’m sure she’ll be tickled pink when I present to her one of these tombs.”
“I’m sure she will,” said Zelda. “But what about this armor you said you found?”
“Ah yes. It’s over here.” Genitivi lead them around a bookshelf where they came across a decorative silver chest. “It took us a while to open it,” Genitivi said as he knelt in front of it. “Leliana wasn’t able to pick the lock so we finally had to settle with Sten breaking it open. I was sad to have done such a thing, but once we opened the chest, I was glad we did.” He opened the lid and everyone looked in to see an exquisite set of silver armor within. It was beautiful and sparkled in the torch light. The breastplate was designed in intricate detail of holy symbols, some they recognized, and some they didn’t.
“After studying the designs on both the breastplate and chest,” said Brother Genitivi as he took out the breastplate. “I have come to believe that this is the legendary Armor of Diligence.”
“Armor of what?” asked Arawin.
“Armor of Diligence. The very thing Andraste’s first disciples wore when they fought for her. If this really is one of them, then it’s a wonderful find.”
“I think you’re right,” said Zelda as she took the breastplate and examined it herself. “The Guardian was wearing something very similar to this, if not the same thing.”
“If that’s the case, then next to the Urn, this is the find of the age! This whole temple is!”
“And I think it’s perfect for you, Alistair,” Zelda said handing him the breastplate.
“What? Oh, no. No, I-I’m not worthy of wearing such a set of armor.” Alistair backed away from her.
“On the contrary, my dear boy,” said Genitivi. “The Ashes saved you. I think you’re more worthy than anyone at this point.”
“But you just said they were the find of the age. I’m sure the Chantry would be-”
“I insist you take it,” said the brother. “After what you’ve been through, I suggest you all take something from this place besides a pinch of ash. I think you all deserve it, and besides, if what Zelda said is true, then I’m sure the other sets of this armor are still around. They may even be hidden in this temple somewhere.”
“But what if they aren’t?”
“If not, then so be it. I’ll know at least two sets exist and that one of them is being used for a good purpose.”
“Please, Alistair,” Zelda pleaded. “I won’t worry about you so much.”
Alistair took the breastplate from her and examined it. “Well it does look like it would fit.” He then looked back at Zelda and sighed. “Alright, I’ll wear it. But after the Blight is dealt with, I’m donating it to the Chantry.”
“Thank you, Alistair. That’s all I could ask for.”
“Right, now let me see.” He went over to the chest and shifted through the contents. “It looks like everything is here: breastplate, greaves, gloves, boots, even a few undershirts. Still clean and fresh.” He pulled out one and unfolded it. He then looked toward the others, as he noticed everyone was watching him. “Do you think I could have some privacy, please? So I can change.”
“There’s no need to be embarrassed, Alis,” said Arawin teasing. “Not unless you have something to hide.”
“From you, yes, now get out.”
“Spoil sport.”
Everyone soon began making their way around the bookshelves and out of the room, Zelda behind them.
“Zelda, wait,” said Alistair. She stopped and stared at him. “You can stay,” he said slowly. “I might need your help getting it on.”
“Oh, of course,” she said clearing her throat. She went over and helped take pieces out of the chest. They then carried them around the shelves to the more open area and placed them on the table. Everyone was gone with the door closed, leaving them completely alone.
Zelda began organizing the pieces as Alistair took things off. When he removed his bloodstained undershirt, Zelda turned to see his bare chest, muscled and hard. She brought him one of the clean undershirts and handed it to him. “So how do you feel?” she asked.
“I feel great,” he said looking at the shirt. “Actually, I feel better than I ever did before. I wonder if I’m even still tainted.”
“Don’t worry, you are,” Zelda smiled. “I can still feel it within you.”
“So I guess the Ashes can cure everything but the taint.”
“No, they still might be able to, but it wasn’t the taint immediately killing you at the moment.” Zelda went closer to him and laid her fingers over the scar along his left side. She traced it delicately.
Alistair stopped what he was doing and breathed in deeply at her touch. It was gentle and sent small sparks through his body. He closed his eyes and continued to breathe slowly. “You know,” he finally said. “It’s sort of funny, really...”
“What is?” Zelda asked taking her hand away. Alistair grabbed it, not wanting to break their connection. He held her hand, firmly but gently.
“I saw Duncan in the Gauntlet. I think he warned me about what happened.”
“You saw Duncan? Is that what happened to you in the Gauntlet?”
“Yes. Duncan... he told me that I really didn’t fail him. That if I had been on the battlefield with him, I would be dead as well. There was nothing I could've done to save him. He was already mortally wounded, and if I sacrificed myself to save him, it would have been for not. Him sending me to that tower with both you and Arawin was the best thing he could've done for me.”
“Oh, Alistair.” Zelda went to his front and placed both her hands on his chest. She looked deeply into his eyes but did not see hurt there, but understanding.
Alistair placed his own hands over hers. “I know you told me basically the same thing, but I guess I needed to hear it from Duncan himself.”
“It’s understandable,” said Zelda. “I saw my father in the Gauntlet. He told me the same thing. That I would've died if I hadn’t left. He told me both he and my mother were proud of what I was doing and that they would always be proud.”
“I guess we just needed to hear it from the source,” said Alistair. He then breathed in deeply and sighed. “But he also warned me about, well, you and I. Not our relationship specifically, he was happy we found each other, but just that I needed to worry about myself more. I can’t keep trying to protect you and not protect myself. You’re obviously capable of taking care of yourself, and I just need to realize that. Otherwise, something like this might happen.” He gestured to the scar and Zelda ran her fingers over it one more time.
“What Duncan said is true,” she said. “I do see you always trying to get by my side, ignoring what’s around you. So please, listen to him. But I do appreciate you coming to my rescue on the occasion.”
Alistair smiled. “I know, and I do too.”
“But please, don’t put yourself in such a situation again. I don’t want to have to lose you for a second time.”
“And it won’t.” Alistair took her shoulders and they both fell into one another, lips locking. They melted together, passionately stroking and intensifying as they continued. Alistair loved her taste and her touch. He became aware of the armor she still wore, which kept him from fully feeling her. He also became aware of his inexperience and nearly broke away from her due to his panic, but she held his face, hands moving to the back of his head and fingers lacing through his hair. It was enough for him to focus on her, to take in her touch, her taste, her smell. To fully embrace her and to forget where they were.
“Ah hmm.”
They broke apart and looked embarrassingly at the door to find Morrigan watching them.
“Morrigan!” Alistair said hiding behind Zelda.
“Seriously, Alistair, what do you have to hide?” Morrigan said trying to suppress a laugh. “You do not have anything I haven’t seen before.”
“Just leave him alone, Morrigan,” said Zelda. “And what do you want? You could've knocked first.”
“I did knock, but no one answered so I walked right in. Really, if you two wanted privacy you could have said so. We already know enough to leave Arawin and Zevran alone when they’re together, I guess it’ll have to be the same for you two.”
“Just get to the point.”
“I came to give you this.” Morrigan handed Zelda a vial. “A new batch of potion. Good thing I started making it when I did too, as you were making Arawin nauseous.”
“She could... feel that?” Zelda turned a bright shade of red as she stared at Morrigan with wide eyes.
“She can feel everything. And so can you, so you two need to start being careful when engaging in such acts. Otherwise Alistair and Zevran might find themselves pleasuring more than one woman.”
“Oh please don’t say that,” Alistair said hiding his bloodshot face behind Zelda.
“Funny, Zevran took it an entirely different way. You should've seen how hard he tried to get Arawin to go exploring alone with him.”
“They didn’t... did they?” Zelda asked timidly.
“Who knows, but even if they did, you’ve drank the potion, so you won’t feel a thing.”
“Right, that makes me feel so much better.” Zelda handed Morrigan the empty vial. “Thanks, Morrigan, but next time, knock louder.”
“Oh don’t worry, I will. It’s just I’m more used to hearing certain noises, especially with those two.”
“Enough, I don’t want to hear anymore!”
“Trust me, you’ll hear plenty.” Morrigan left and closed the door behind her, leaving Zelda and Alistair alone in the room once more. They then looked at each other and chuckled before continuing with getting Alistair into his new armor.
***
Once Alistair and Zelda were done, they found the armor to fit him pretty well. There was no need for readjustments, and Zelda couldn’t help but to think how handsome he looked. They thought the armor to be made of a mixture of silverite and dragonbone, making it sturdy and flexible, but also roomy and easy to move. Alistair felt comfortable in it, if still a little weird from what its origins might be.
When they emerged from the library, everyone soon gathered together what they could. They helped pack a few artifacts and one of the tombs from the library for Brother Genitivi then reluctantly headed out. They trailed back down the mountain and into the village which they found to be just as quiet and eerie as before. No one came to stop them, which they were grateful for. They wondered if the village had been abandoned, as they were sure the massacre in the chantry would have been discovered by now. But whether or not the villagers were still there, they were relieved when they finally exited the village.
They set up camp in the same spot they had before entering. Wynne took a look at Brother Genitivi once more to make sure all his injuries were healed. When she was done, he announced he would be leaving them.
“Brother Genitivi, are you sure?” asked Zelda. “Maybe it would be best if you traveled with us.”
“I thought about it, my dear, but your group is not going the same way I am,” he said. “I need to get to Denerim as quick as possible, and although I would like to see the Ashes in action as they heal the arl, letting the grand cleric know the Urn has been found needs to be my top priority. I’ll hear about the arl eventually, I’m sure.”
“I still think you should travel with us until we reach Redcliffe. It’s dangerous right now on the roads with the darkspawn and the civil war.”
“I appreciate your concern, but I’ve traveled all over Ferelden by myself for the past two years looking for the Urn. I’ll be fine. I’ll head straight north and stay near the coast, since according to you the darkspawn seem to be mostly in the southern region. As for the civil war, I doubt they’ll make too much fuss over me. If I have to then I’ll lie and say I support Loghain and maybe they’ll escort me to Denerim. Either way, the faster I can get there, the better. That’s why I think it is best I leave now.”
Zelda sighed. She didn’t want the brother to leave, but she couldn’t do or say anything to stop him. “Alright, but please be careful.”
“I will, and thank you, to all of you. I don’t think I would've been able to achieve this without your help. And please, next time you find yourself in Denerim, come and visit me. I might be very busy organizing another expedition to recover the Urn, but I will make time to see you again.”
“That we will, Brother Genitivi,” said Arawin. “And make sure Weylon gets a proper funeral.”
“That will be the first thing I do. And thank you again, Arawin for dispatching of his murderer and discovering his death. I am very grateful for that.” Genitivi soon said good-bye to everyone and headed off into the forest, his pack heavy and a smile on his face.
Once he was gone, everyone headed off to their tents. Arawin took the first watch. She sat underneath a pine tree poking at the fire while Kunjo laid beside her, Rupee on the other side.
Zelda went to her tent but stopped before she entered. The battle within her head keeping her from going in. It was something she had been contemplating since leaving the temple. She figured if she was going to do it, now would be the best time. She needed to tell Alistair the truth.
His tent was not far from hers, and to her relief when she came to it, found him not inside. Alistair appeared from behind a tree and was surprised to see her standing next to his tent waiting for him. “Zelda? Is there something you needed?”
“Can we talk?” she asked.
“Sure.” He then saw the unease on her face and felt uneasy himself. “Is there something wrong?”
“Well... it’s hard to say. There’s something I need to tell you. Something I need to confess.”
Alistair took her hand and rubbed his thumb against her palm. “You know you can tell me anything. Is it something bad?”
“That would depend on how you take it,” she said looking away from him.
Alistair wasn’t sure how to respond. “Just tell me,” he finally said taking her chin and making her face him.
Zelda stared into his eyes, wondering how she should tell him. She finally decided that saying it straight out would be best. “I’m in love with another man.”
“Oh...” Alistair let go of her chin but kept her hand in his.
“But before you take it the wrong way,” she said seeing the hurt in his face. “You should know that he’s dead.”
“Well... that does make me feel... a little better.”
“His name was Ser Rory Gilmore, the very same Ser Gilmore that Duncan had originally gone to Highever in order to recruit.” Alistair recognized the name, not only from Duncan mentioning it but also from Zelda when she told him what happened the night she left her home.
“You loved him?”
“Yes, but I didn't know what I truly felt for him until it was too late. You see, we grew up together, best friends through childhood. Through those years I only saw him as such. It wasn’t until that horrible night that I realized my true feelings, and his.” Zelda stared down at the ground. “He sacrificed himself so that Duncan and I could escape, so that I could have those last few minutes with my parents.”
“I didn’t realize that,” Alistair said taking her other hand.
“But... that’s the reason why I’ve been distant from you,” Zelda said looking back up at him. “My feelings for you, they were making me feel guilty, like I was betraying Rory. I felt so horrible, but... then I saw him in the Gauntlet, and he told me that I shouldn’t feel that way. That I should let him go. That I should move on, and forget about him. But I can’t forget about him, and I can’t stop loving him. But I realized that I don’t have to let him go completely, nor do I have to feel guilty for loving you. There is enough room in my heart for both of you, so I just wanted you to know, and to hopefully understand.”
Alistair smiled at her and stroked her check. “I do understand, and I’m glad you told me this. There’s no way I could make you forget about someone who you cared about, who you grew up with. I would never dream of doing such a thing.”
Zelda smiled back, glad he was taking it so well. “Thank you Alistair. I’m glad you understand.”
“But just so you know, my heart only belongs to you. I didn’t really have anyone like that in my past.”
“And if you did, then I wouldn’t mind, but now that I know you understand, that brings me to my second confession.”
“You have another one?”
“More of a request, actually.” Zelda breathed in deeply and looked him straight in the eyes. “I’ve never done anything like this before, but... I would like for you to join me... in my tent. Tonight.”
Alistair startled, taking a step back. “You’re tent? Seriously?”
“N-Nothing has to happen,” she said quickly seeing the panic in his face. “I just... I just don’t want to sleep alone anymore. To have you laying by my side, holding me in the night. That’s all I ask, nothing more, unless... things just happen.”
“Oh... well.” Alistair scratched his head. “I don’t know...”
“It’s all right, you don’t need to answer me right now. I’ll go on to my tent and get ready. If you don’t come, then I won’t be hurt. But I hope you'll at least think about it.”
“I will.”
“Thank you.” Zelda stroked Alistair’s check and kissed him before she set off to her tent. Alistair watched her leave, unsure of what to think. He wanted to go, wanted to be with her, to be by her side in the night, holding her close and feeling her warmth. It was something he thought about nearly every night, wondering if he should go to her, but always being afraid to go or ask. Now she was the one to ask, and he felt his stomach grow cold. What if things did progress past holding one another? Alistair had no experience in such matters. He was unsure in what to do. He needed to ask someone.

Paraphrasing from Dragon Age: Origins
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Blood Bond