When I Look at You (a Dragon Age fanfiction)

Haven

Several days later they found the single lane that led up into the mountains and to the town of Haven. As they hiked up the steep trail, Alistair fell back to walk with Wynne, offering his arm to help her steady herself. "Thank you, my dear," she said. "I may be an old lady, but I can probably manage."

"You're not old at all," he said, "but since my arm is here, you might as well use it. We can't have our healer getting injured, can we?"

"If you put it that way." She took his arm. They walked in silence for a while. Then, noticing the smile on his face and his faraway look, Wynne said softly, "I think you make her very happy."

Alistair glanced at the mage, noting a suspicious lack of grinning or eye-twinkling. He narrowed his eyes. "Oh, not this again. I'm ready for you this time."

"I just wanted to say that this is something good, for both of you. Being a Grey Warden isn't easy. I'm glad you found each other."

Still waiting for the joke, Alistair muttered, "Oh, I'll bet you are, indeed."

"Cherish this," Wynne said seriously. "It may not last." She thought back to several interludes of her past, all of which had seemed forever at the time.

"And?"

"That's all I had to say," she said.

"Really?" he asked suspiciously. "No pinching my cheeks? No making me blush?"

"Of course not," Wynne said. "I like you, Alistair. You deserve to be happy."

"Not even pinching my cheeks a little?" he asked, sounding almost disappointed.

Wynne laughed heartily. "Maybe later."

Alistair raised an eyebrow at her, which only made her laugh harder.

They kept climbing until they reached the village, nestled into the side of the mountain. They were met by an armored guard outside the village gates. He was quite hostile—definitely no flirting going on—and indicated that the visitors were not welcome in town. They were allowed to pass in order to trade at the store, but otherwise were expected to leave immediately. The village seemed largely deserted. The storekeeper explained that everyone was in the Chantry. But inside the store they found the remains of one of the Arl of Redcliffe's knights, and from then on the hands of the townspeople were set against them. They had to fight everyone they saw.

Eventually they made their way up to the top of the village, to the Chantry, which loomed over the rest of the buildings. Inside the villagers were collected, listening to the sermon of a Revered Father. It seemed strange to see a man in that position—the Chantry was run by women, after all. Suddenly, they were fighting what seemed to be the entire village.

"What is wrong with these people?" Alistair asked after the battle, looking around at the carnage.

"This is not of the Maker," Leliana said with a shiver, looking around at the Chantry. "Whatever is going on here, it is good that we are trying to stop it."

Una was only half listening as she removed an ancient but powerful-looking amulet from the Revered Father's body. From behind a bricked-over doorway, she thought she could hear a faint moaning sound. "Wynne, can you give me a hand with this?" she asked. Wynne balled her fist and spoke a magic word and a fist of stone shot forth, knocking down the bricks. Una stepped through the rubble in the doorway, finding a man lying in the midst of a library. The moaning was coming from him. She knelt down. "Brother Genitivi?" she asked.