When I Look at You (a Dragon Age fanfiction)

Flemeth

"What happened?"

"Perhaps I should start at the beginning."

"That would be nice." Una put one hand to her head, feeling a bandage there. "I was on the top of the Tower of Ishal. Loghain? The battle?"

"The man who was to respond to your signal ... quit the field," Morrigan said, choosing her words carefully. "All those he left on the battlefield were slaughtered."

Una stared at her. That must mean Fergus! Oh, Maker, she really was the last of the Couslands. And Duncan, and King Cailan ... "The King?" she asked. Morrigan nodded. "Alistair?" she asked, almost afraid to hope.

"He is well. He has been most concerned for you."

"What about my dog?"

Morrigan's lip curled. "He has survived also. With a prodigious appetite, I might add."

Una breathed a great sigh of relief. With Fergus almost certainly dead, Grenli was the only family she had left. "How did we—" Una sat up. She put her hand to her head as a sudden pain stabbed through it. "How did we get here?"

"Mother rescued you."

"Why? I mean, um, that was very nice of her."

"I do not know that she will tell you that," Morrigan said, watching Una sharply.

"Hm." Una realized she was wearing only her smallclothes. "Morrigan? Do you know where my clothes and armor are?" Morrigan gestured to a chest in the corner. Una got up slowly, painfully, beginning to get dressed. Morrigan turned back to the table. Was she chopping vegetables? It seemed an odd thing for her to be doing. Una put a hand up to her head. Perhaps she was hallucinating?

At last Una buckled on the last piece of her armor, feeling more comfortable already. "Morrigan," she said again, waiting until the mage turned to her. "Thank you for everything."

Morrigan blinked, clearly unsure how to handle the thanks. "Mother did most of the work," she said stiffly. "But ... you are welcome."

Una opened the door, stepping out into the daylight. It felt good to be on her feet again, and even better to feel Grenli's sleek head under her hand again. He'd rushed over to her as soon as she emerged, sniffing her hand in great concern. "I'm okay, boy." She went down on her knees, throwing her arms around the dog. "I think Fergus is gone, though. You and I are all that are left of the Couslands," she whispered to him, her voice trembling with unshed tears. Grenli licked her cheek, whining in shared sorrow. Una buried her face in the dog's shoulder for a long moment, then stood up, looking around for Alistair. He was standing by the marsh, staring off into the distance. Una could see the markings of tears on his handsome face.

Morrigan's mother stood there as well, but the older woman had turned to Alistair. "See?" she said to him. "Here is your fellow Grey Warden. You worry too much, young man."

His face went white when he saw Una, almost as though he was looking at a ghost. "You— You're alive. I ... I thought you were dead for sure."

"I'm fine," she said. "I appreciate your concern." She lifted a hand to reach out to him, to take his hand, but he turned away from her, not seeing.

"Oh, this doesn't seem real," Alistair said. He was so glad to see that she was alive, but he still wished he wasn't—if only he'd been on the battlefield with all of them. Could he have saved Duncan? "If it weren't for Morrigan's mother, we'd be dead on top of that Tower."