When I Look at You (a Dragon Age fanfiction)

Trees

Experiences and memories weren't the only things Una would be taking away from Orzammar. As the group checked out of their inn and got ready to return to the surface, Una found Oghren waiting for her. The red-headed dwarf shuffled his feet.

"Warden, I— You need a dwarf."

"Do I?"

"Ya think you can fight a Blight without one?" His bluster was returning. "And what's a Berserker without his blade?"

"Oghren, are you sure this is what you want? We're heading back to the surface, you know."

He cleared his throat. "There's nothin' left for me in Orzammar, Warden."

They were silent for a long moment. Finally Una grinned. "Welcome to the Blight, Oghren."

"Yeah!" he said. "Point me to some darkspawn and duck!"

As the great doors closed behind them, Una felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She stretched her arms high over her head, luxuriating in the touch of the sunshine and the blessed relief from the constant itching in her skin.

"Do that some more, Warden. You're quite the mountain to climb," Oghren grunted.

"If you will pardon me, my dear dwarf," Zev said, "I believe the innuendos are my assigned task."

"And if you'll both pardon me," Alistair said with a grin, "I don't need any innuendos."

"Honestly," Una said, spying the tents where Leliana and Morrigan waited for them, "there are three other women in this party. Could you gentlemen please fight over them for a while?" From the tents came a shadow streaking across the ground. Una braced herself and caught the mabari that suddenly launched himself at her. "Gren! How I've missed you, buddy!"

She walked off with the mabari, leaving the three men staring after her.

"Cut out by a dog, eh, son?" Oghren said, belching. "Too sad."

Alistair shrugged philosophically, going to the campfire to see what Leliana had simmering there. The elf, meanwhile, was looking for a more entrancing sight ... and found it, spying the bard at target practice amidst some trees.

Leliana hadn't noticed the group emerge from Orzammar, although she'd been watching the doors since they'd been gone. She drew her arm back, poised to let her arrow fly.

Zev came up behind her, moving silently, but he was sure she must be able to hear his heart pounding. She gave no sign of it, however, and he slid an arm around her waist just as she let the arrow go.

Before he knew it, she had whirled around and had his arm twisted behind his back. "My dear," he murmured, grinning hugely, "how did you know?"

"Know what?" she asked softly, her breath wafting across the back of his neck.

Zev couldn't help the shiver, and he knew she felt it. "Know that I enjoy a certain amount of ... physical restraint?"

He felt her smile against his neck. "What made you think I was aiming for your enjoyment?"

In another lightning quick movement, he had broken her hold and spun so that she was held in his arms. His mouth was very close to hers as he murmured, "If you were not, now is the time to say so."

Her blue eyes were fearless as she met his gaze. "I was worried about you," she admitted.

"As you see, I have emerged unscathed." And their mouths met, the kiss neither hesitant nor practiced but filled with hunger.