Work Text:
A breeze tousled the few hairs that had escaped from Athelle Lavellan’s braids, the stray curls tickling her face. The foreign Inquisition armour was heavy, her shoulders hurt, and it rubbed miserably. She was swimming in her own sweat; how Shems wore it day in and day out was something she hoped to never find out.
She stepped on a rock and struggled not to cry out as it found one of the blisters forming on her feet. She couldn’t wait to take the damned shoes off. She paused and leaned into her staff, letting it take the brunt of her weight. “I think we should find a place to stay for the night.” She pushed the stray curls out of her face as she looked at the sky. The sun was low enough that it wasn’t an absurd proposal. Good.
Cassandra nodded and took out her water to take a drink. “Near water would be best, Herald.”
Athelle tried to smile, but was positive she failed. Her feet hurt, her shoulders hurt, and she really hated that title. She wasn’t a herald, particularly not for Andraste. “Water sounds good. I would like to bathe before we find Master Dennet.” She hadn’t had a proper bath in two weeks, thanks to the hard travel to meet with Sister Giselle. She sighed. “Pond or river?” Both had their merits, but she didn’t want to make this choice too.
“A river would work best,” said Solas, rubbing at his bare arm. The color of his flesh almost matched the red sash for his Inquisition uniform. “I believe there is one not far from here, and it is on the path to the horse master.”
Relief flooded Athelle, and she shot him a small smile. “A river it is.” She put her weight back on her feet. “Is it terribly far, Solas? Should we begin gathering firewood?”
He nodded once. “It should be only a half hour further.”
“Then,” she paused, inhaling, “let’s begin gathering as we go.” She strapped her staff to her back to free her hands. “Let’s get going.”
The moon hung high in the sky, Varric and Cassandra having crawled into their rolls already. She wasn’t sure Solas had escaped to, but she was starting to doze off and desperately needed to bathe before she fell asleep. She set a large ward around their small camp, grabbed her staff and soap, and made her way to the river.
She set her staff against a close tree, and pulled her godsforsaken boots off, letting out a soft cry when the leather pulled at her blisters. “Gods.”
“Athelle?”
She yelped and turned around. “Solas!”
He was crouched in the river upstream. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Have you been down here all evening? You disappeared after dinner.” Athelle sat down on the bank of the river and rubbed some of the sore out of her feet. “If you’re headed back, I placed wards around the camp.”
“I didn’t mean to cause worry.” Solas pulled himself onto the bank. “I can leave-“
“Your arm!” His arm was crimson red from his shoulder to his glove line. Athelle moved to inspect it, but remembered to keep her hands to herself. She isn’t in her clan anymore; not everyone is touchy feely as she is. “What happened?”
Solas chuckled. “I’ve become adept at making sure my head doesn’t burn. I am used to long sleeves as well. The Inquisition uniform is lacking sleeves, and I had forgotten to keep my arm from burning.”
“You’ve been in and out of the cool water all night.”
Solas nodded and pulled his knees up, wrapping his terribly red arms around them. “I can leave if you would rather be alone.”
The moonlight glistened off of Solas, making Athelle look away. Don’t make it awkward. “No, you can stay.” Athelle stood and began unbuttoning her top – ties were much more functional, damned Shems. “We rarely swam alone back home; it would be nice to have company.” She pulled the jacket off her shoulders and hung it off the top of her staff.
“Do you miss it?” Water splashed behind her.
“Miss what, home?” She shimmied out of her pants and folded them beneath her top.
“Yes. I imagine life is different here than it was with your clan.”
Athelle shrugged, removing her small clothes before grabbing her soap and waded into the water. “Gods, that is cold.” She dipped under the water. She wiped the water from her face once she surfaced.
“The last few weeks have felt more like home. Staying in Haven…” Athelle trailed off and shook her head. “I miss my dear friend and cousin. I’ve always been close with my family, but I miss her the most.”
Solas hummed. “What is it about her? You miss the companionship of another Dalish elf? The confidant that she is for you?”
Athelle started the process of taking her hair down. So many curls were braided into submission at the top of her head. It would feel heavenly to let them all down again. “We’ve been close for as long as I can remember. Climbing trees, hunting rabbits and other animals. We have no secrets with each other.” She winced when her fingers snagged on a tangle. “I told her I was to come to the Conclave.” She lathered up her hands with soap and began to massage her scalp, letting the curls fall down as they will. “Keeper Deshanna said to tell no one. I was so disturbed that day, Rini noticed immediately. I had to tell her. I wonder now if it was a test, and I failed it.”
“She sounds like she was important to you.” Solas sunk to his shoulders, letting the cold water steal the burn from his arm. “Have you written them to let you know you survived?”
Her fingers paused in her hair. “I… no. I didn’t think I could.” She laughed, but it held no humour. “It would have been considered an escape.”
“You are no longer a prisoner of the Chantry.”
“I… Yes. You’re right. I should write to them when we return to Haven. Rini will be beside herself once they hear word of the Conclave.”
“If they haven’t already heard word, that is.”
Athelle frowned. Rini would be destroyed in her grief, just as she would be if Rini died.
“I did not mean to dampen your spirits.”
She shook her head, red curls falling over her shoulders and into her face. “No. I should have thought of it before. Thank you, Solas.”
He nodded.
“Is your burn feeling better?” Athelle looked over at Solas and caught sight of his back as moved onto the bank. She averted her eyes before he turned back around.
“It is, thank you.” He smiled at her as he sat down.
“Will you be okay to travel tomorrow?” She pulled herself onto the bank next to him, wrapping her arms around her knees. The night was cool, but refreshing after the stifling day.
“I’ll be prepared to do what is required of me.” Solas tipped his head back and looked at the stars.
Athelle leaned in and bumped his shoulder with hers. “That wasn’t an answer.”
“I have been burned before, I’ll manage.”
“Okay.” Athelle yawned, eyes watering. “I’m sorry. I should go.” She wiped her eyes, feeling twelve again. “Thank you.”
“For what?” He looked over at her, eyes softer than she’d seen. He almost looked like a friend.
“For keeping me company. It was nice to talk to someone. With no requirements or expectations.” She smiled. “Goodnight, Solas.” She stood and went to collect her things.
“Goodnight, Athelle.”
Athelle walked back to camp, disabling her wards before walking through them. She replaced them with new ones, altering them to let Solas pass through them when he retired. She crawled into her small tent and tucked into her bedroll. She knew she should braid her hair back, but was too tired to care. Varric could poke fun at her all day tomorrow for it.