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Their herald of andraste Allium spent a concerning amount of time hunched over in small streams, creeks, or on the beach. Picking up anything shiny, regardless of value. Pile of rocks hate to see her coming. The companions had to get used to it, however much it bothered some of them. Solas sit next to her patiently, reading a book or enjoying the sunshine. She came up to him sowing of her treasures she found proudly.
Her dalish upbringing made her crafty and resourceful. Always fidgeting with something, keeping her hands occupied. Repairing things came in handy, it was so difficult to convince her letting go of unusable armor. She picked up wood carving again with Blackwall. Scooped up fresh clay, covered in mud, disappointing Vivien. She made paints from pigments she found for Solas. Their inventory is always full of nicknacks.
Her love language being gift giving was obvious to everyone at this point. Ally and Cole could really bond over that.
“Here’s your friendship bracelet, The Iron Bull.” She handed a woven bracelet to him with a pink dawn stone charm on it. Matching the earring in his left ear, Dorian gave him. She could’ve worn it as a necklace. Bull’s hands were enormous.
“At least some benefits for the job, boss” He put it on, pulling the strings together into a bow.
“What do you mean? We provide dental care too!” She shrugged, grinning up from her backpack as she rummaged through.
“Punching teeth out doesn’t qualify as that for sure.”
“Don’t let Cassandra hear it.” Chucled Ally.
“Ugh. That happened only once!” She protested, huffing. “I didn’t know they had a loose tooth while we were sparing.” Cassandra clutched her bracelet with iron elements.
“I bet the Venatory gives paid maternity leave.” Joined in Dorian, while admiring his new jewelry, obsidian stone, with gold flakes on it.
Vivien accepted the one with marble in it politely. Varric thanked her. Cole helped by choosing his own stone, leaving it on Allium’s desk. Blackwall got a wolf shaped wood statue. He is not a jewelry guy. Solas gave a kiss on her forehead, and a heartfelt thank you for the heart-shaped mountain crystal medal.
And then there was Sera. She eyed it suspiciously. The daylight made the oval-shaped amber shine beautifully, revealing the small bug trapped inside of it. She always found something to point out about her and her crafts. Weary of it being enchanted or magick’d.
“No, it’s not an elfy thing, I assure you.” She said defensively, “This made me think of you, that’s all. If you don’t want to wear it, no worries.”
“Showoff,” she scoffed with a smile. And she put it into her pockets. At least she took it. Sera doesn’t like her gifts. She feels pressured to take them. Saying thanks is harder than a triple backflip shot with arrows for her.
Allium considered themselves as friends. Felt like she had to walk on eggshells around her sometimes, but friends none the less. Sharing drinks after hard days. Gossiping drunkenly on the rooftops, freezing the bood in everyone who witnesses them, almost rolling off to their deaths from laughing. They committed mischief, usually the harmless ones she joined in too. She liked to confuse their victims rather than scare them. For example, when they swapped out Cullen’s speech to a dalish written one. Cullen was a reoccuring victim of theirs. Or when they put an ornament on Bull’s horn, just where it was out of his sight. Her magic was useful for pranks. Sera finally seen its potential for fun, became a bit more tolerant towards it. Poor Josie, who had to reheat her cup of tea three times, after Ally made it cool with her mage touch over and over.
Their usual team was often Blackwall, Sera and Solas. Lead by their Herald. Now all bundled up next to the fire, drinking some mulled wine. The cave they set up as camp barely covered them from the snow and the freeze of the rough mountains. After a long quest, where they watched the Herald of Andraste repeatedly climb up a steep rock and fall to her ass. Just for a fragment they’ve been looking for. Another productive day. Now she’s defeated, prepares dinner.
Sera and Blackwall had to step back when she chopped up the onions. Allium wiping her tears away, coughing out a mixture of curses from different languages.
“How could they name you after the stupidest flower, a simple vegetable? Onion girl. I bet you had a best friend named Carrot or Paprika.” She giggled to herself. Playfully poking her in her sides.
“I beg tour pardon?” She fake gasped. “Onions are the backbone of every recipe. They are both pretty and delicious.” She declared.
“Agreed.” Said Solas with a suggesting smirk. That got Ally’s ears red in an instant.
“My dear friends Pepper and Poppy from our clan would disagree with your claims Sera.” she protested. Then they joked around, bringing up the silliest names they have heard. Blackwall knew a guy named Lickbag. The sun went down, the cold surrounding them amplified.
“Brr.. “ How can you both wear so little in this freeze?” Said Blackwall, barely showing his face from his thick winter armor, looking twice his size. “Is that some Dalish cold treatment with blood magic or something?” Sera chattered accusingly, looking at Solas’ bare feet and the light armor Allium was wearing. The wine made her stutter a bit. After all, they’ve been drinking to an empty stomach. The food was still cooking in the cauldron in the center of them. Blackwall got his outer coat covering Sera to break the awkward silence that fell upon their camp.
“Why would you even say this? We just had to get used to colder climates as kids.” Allium stirred the soup vigilantly. “And at least I wear shoes compared to him. How he had never got frostbite is his secret.” She scoffed.
“Some warming magic goes a long way, vhenan. Is there a reason you wear shoes despite your people’s tradition?” He blew at the steaming mug in his hands.
“You all haven’t stepped on a frog on a rainy day accidentally crushing it, as a kid, and it shows. “She confessed, as a whole body chill run through her. That guilt still haunts her to this day.
“We also had an awful encounter with humans as we traveled once. The village had a conflict with the dalish before us. Arguing about some deer and hunting grounds. So they weren’t welcoming to us at all in the forest. One hunter from the village thrown out shattered glass and rusted nails. Specifically, at the creak where we went to play as kids. A girl lost one of her legs because of this.” She looked down at her sandal, moving her toes to get warmed up in the fires radiating heat. “There was an outrage, of course, and some of our men nearly lynched the next hunter who came next to our camp. The situation got out of hand quickly. The Keeper, my father, had to step in. Their Mayor heard this and got involved too. Got their people in line and we soon departed after, avoiding the bloodshed. After that, we rather went safe than injured.” She ended the story, monotonal. Allium was young when this happened. That girl is one of their best basket weavers now. She learned a lot of tricks from her. They were glad they didn’t lose her in the infection. Better to lose a leg than a life.
The others listened to her. The drinks in their hands let out a cloud of steam. What to say to this, they wondered. The discussion led to sitting in silence again. The only noise was the bubbling of the soup. Blackwall brought up some stories from his past to ease the mood. Sera joined in. And the talking was soon back on as before. Allium cheered up a bit too. The warm wine with spices flow between them, brightening the night.
It was a long day for all of them. No wonder the team was cranky. Expected an easy shard hunt, the bears came from nowhere. Sera could barely feel her fingers after a day of shooting arrows in the freezing air. Solas slipped on the frozen lake, face-palming it, his nose still pulsing with pain. He had at least ice everywhere to get the inflammation down. Blackwall threw his back out while chopping the trees for their campfire. Allium was at the top of the ledge, in arms to reach the shard, then fell again. The impact caused a small avalanche burring her. It’s still up there. She just had enough humiliation for today.
They got more and more inpatient for the food; it smelled so delicious. Allium was the cook tonight. Next it will be Blackwalls’ turn. Sera got a pass for cooking, they would rather not risk food poisoning. She did the dishes instead.
The dinner was nearly ready. They just had to wait for the potatoes to soften. She chopped the last ingredients, some special roots and herbs, into the soup.
“Do you really have to ruin it with the gnarly roots? Why do we always have to eat “your” nasty foods?!” Sera grunted. She becomes so whiny when she is exhausted.
“For the love of.. This is an Anderfells recipe, Sera! We traveled all around the world, picked up traditions left and right. Can you show your superiority up yours, instead of being a judgemental prick!?” She threw the ladle back into the soup. She usually gets hangry too.
“Ou somebody is pissed off~ You can’t even take a comment? Can’t stop babbling about your people for five minutes. It’s not that deep.” She mocked. Her eyes darkened, holding onto her cup tighter.
“Bold fucking lines from someone who is all about the little people while she grew up as some rich nobles spoiled little pet!” she jabbed. Regretting it the second it left her mouth.
Sera’s punch flew before her as she dogged/slipped. They weren’t sure on their feet. Allium yanked Sera with her to the ground, falling hard. Solas and Blackwall had to pry them off each other.
“Take it back!” Sera yelled, face red from rage, her throat tight, taking shaky breaths. “I said take it back!” Her eyes burning. As she struggled against the restraint of Blackwall.
“I didn’t mean it... “She went limp as Solas held her up.
“But you fucking said it, didn’t you!? That’s what you think I am?!” She twisted her arm out of his grasp, and sank down, deflated in the snow. Wiping her tears away aggressively.
No wonder she felt offended. Her mother took her in as some refuge girl from the streets of Denerim. Prideful to their noble friends, how gallant she was to take in an elf orphan. Dressed her up as someone would dress up a doll. Her long blonde locks styled in pretty bows. Paraded around on balls, and gatherings. Alienating her from her elven staff. She loved her as a daughter would love her mother. Despite her always trying to bond with her mom, they never grew close. After her death, she left her estate to her, as she had no other relatives. That woman maybe genuinely loved Sera to some extent. She will never know it. They never talked with her as an equal. She was always just a small and cute, and simple thing in her mother’s eyes.
Allium was there for her when she was vulnerable. She feels sick about her words, although this has been brewing inside her for a long time. In her family, they always had to prioritize peace, be the bigger person. Had enough of her snide remarks, making her and her family the butt of the joke.
“I think you are a smart, and bright person. You have a huge heart, you don’t give yourself enough credit for. But degrading me to feel better about yourself is not something I will take lying down from you.”
She kneeled down next to her, Sera met her gaze with a hurt look.
“I really fucked up, saying this. It was cruel, I know. Please, can we talk this out?” She reached out to her as a peace offering. Sera hesitated, but accepted her hand. With her other hand, she suddenly reached for a fistful of snow and showed it down the other elf’s pants. She yelled in surprise.
“Now we are even!” She sniffed, the smile coming back to her face, warming her expression. Not for long, because Allium knocked her back, pulling her coat off. She fell back into a pile of snow. They tussled for a while. Then Ally froze when she remembered the soup, cocked her head to the fire. Solas took care of it already. Him and Blackwall sharing a glance. With chattering teeth, they bolstered each other up from the ground. The tension between them was smouldering. But Ally could still feel the coldness in the other elf’s movement. “Sera…I’m…” her voice faltered. She can’t find the words to say. She wants to stand up for herself. To talk things out properly while they have the opportunity.
”It’s just…” Sera has run out of her witty one liner’s too. They stood there looking at each other, conflicted.
”For fuck’s sake... Just hug it out! And sit down to eat. We are starving here.” Growled Blackwall, tired of their drama. Startling all three of them with his deep voice.
The cauldron was emptied in seconds. Not a single word from everyone. The inquisitor dried out their snow melted clothes with some magic. The mages of the team healing the minor injuries and scratches, before saying goodnight to everyone.
Allium leaned down and gave a small kiss on the freshly healed nose of Solas. Who was packing their things for the next day. Sera scoffed at seeing this, but stopped herself just before saying anything mean to them. She and Ally shared a look, a playful smile. Then they went to their tents for the sleep they all desperately needed.