When I Look at You (a Dragon Age fanfiction)

Andraste

Una turned to her companions, all of them more or less flattened by the Guardian's words. "Break time," she said. "We've all been going strong since we arrived in Haven, and we need a rest and some food. We'll take an hour and regroup."

No one protested, which was usually a sign that a break was long overdue. As the other three scattered, Una followed Leliana. The bard turned to her friend, her eyes snapping. "How dare he! I know everyone feels the need to mock my vision—"

"I don't," Una cut in.

"But even here? Even the representative of Andraste?"

"Have you considered that maybe he was just trying to bait us, to make us angry? Or to cause us so much sadness that we wouldn't want to go through the Gauntlet? I think it was his way of seeing if we were ready for the challenge."

Leliana opened her mouth, then closed it again. "Possibly. That is one way to look at it."

"I believe in your vision. And you have fought for your vision all this time, which is the important part. Whatever someone may say to you doesn't change the fact that when we defeat the Blight, you will have been an instrumental part of that—because of your vision. I believe in you." Una reached out, putting her arms around her friend.

After a moment, Leliana hugged her back. "Thank you, my friend. Your faith in all of us is why we're all still here, still standing in the face of the Blight."

"Perhaps it's your faith in me that has accomplished all that," Una said softly. She patted her friend on the shoulder. "You should get some rest."

"Don't you forget to get some, also," Leliana scolded.

"I'll do my best."

Una found Wynne kneeling down, digging around in her pack for some beef jerky. Wynne looked up as the younger woman approached. "Don't worry about me, my dear. It will take more than a simple question to get me to stop giving you advice."

"I'm glad to hear it." Una grinned. "What would I do without your wisdom?"

"You'd probably do quite well," Wynne said, smiling. Her glance fell on Alistair, who was somberly chewing on something across the room. "And in some ways, your disregard of my advice has proven to be wiser than what I said in the first place."

"What do you mean?" Una asked.

"I was wrong to discourage your growing relationship with Alistair. I have watched the two of you, and you clearly have something special together. He is less guarded, more relaxed, when he is with you, and seems genuinely happy." Wynne sighed. "Love's worthiness is not diminished by the challenges it faces. Quite the opposite. I should have seen that before."

"Thank you, Wynne," Una said, touched by the mage's willingness to admit she had been wrong.

"You must cherish each precious moment you have together. You will still face perils, and you still may be parted by duty or by death." Wynne smiled at the younger woman. "But it brings warmth to these old bones to know that something so beautiful can be found in the midst of all this chaos and strife." Una smiled back at the mage, and they hugged. "Now," Wynne continued, "go and talk some sense into that boy, will you, please?"

Following Wynne's gaze to where Alistair sat, staring off into space and looking sad, Una stood up. "My pleasure," she said grimly. "It's time to nip this in the bud, once and for all."

She strode across the room purposefully, sinking down onto the floor next to her lover. He didn't look around as she approached. "Are you all right?" he asked.