Start to Denerim - Drake's group

"Not wanting to die is not being a coward, just as me not wanting to do something I feel would be a death warrant is not being a coward. I would fight to defend others but I will not do something that would make it so I could not continue to do what I feel is needed."

The fact that she kissed him back warmed him but then she took his hand and he looked down at her confused, "Not caught ... what?"

"Not caught ... what?"

Calliara blushed again. What in the Creator's name happened to men? At that moment she just wanted to crawl under a bush and die in shame, but she lifted her chin with determination, and stood on her tip toes to press her lips to his again, longer than before and trembling lightly

Calliara surprised him as she kissed him but he kissed her back, pulling her to him and holding her tight around the waist and back, "Oh that."

He smiled down at her, "So you want more so soon? And here I thought beautiful Songbirds like yourself enjoyed the thrill of the chase and romantic interludes before taking solice in the arms of a sinfully crazy man." He teased.

Calliara laughed softly, still blushing, resting her hand on his chest and holding Fenrir with the other arm. ''My life is going to be so short to be waiting forever. Alas, that doesn't mean you have to give up the chasing and romantic interludes... ''

Fenrir barked happily feeling the warm, and waved his little tail while trying to lick Drake's face

"How much longer do you have?" He asked trailing his fingers across her cheek and chuckled as the pup licked his chin, "It's not like we can't check out any day as it is, I suppose. I would like to enjoy what time we do have even if we will have to deal with a certain rascal here."

Drake kissed her again, lovingly, slowly while keeping one hand behind Fenrir's little head so he would not fall.

''I've been a Warden for almost six years... Twenty-four years, in the best of cases. Two decades...''. She sighed, kissing him back as slowly and lovingly as he was kissing her, keeping Fenrir to her chest but trying at the same time to be closer to him.

When they both came up for air Calliara smiled softly. ''I don't fear what will happen. This... is a good reason to try and survive whatever we're going to deal with...''

"We'll have to make sure to make up for six lost years then. First though, we need to get this done and get to the secondary camp."

Drake looked into her eyes which was likely a mistake as he kissed her again, not wanting to let go. How could he when she put him on fire like this. He'd never experienced something like this before.

''Duty first. I agree with that'' Calliara smiled and kissed him back one more time, then brushed shyly her cheek against his, whispering. ''We will talk about this later, when we'd be alone. Now let's just finish with this and get moving. I'll need a bath eventually, to get rid of all this blood''

Fenrir barked happily again, sniffing Drake's hair, and whined when Calliara moved a bit to let the human continue searching

Drake nodded, not sure what exactly was going on with him. Was there something in the air besides the stench of dead Darkspawn which was making him react so strongly so quickly or had something truly been pulled from deep within just by meeting this woman.

There was no way to know any of this and he was not about to continue trying to figure it out. He played with the pup for a moment then went back to the scavenging to make sure they had everything that could be gotten from these creatures.

Once they were done he looked at the packs he and Calli had gathered and started setting them onto the mule and Nygozy's pony, whom looked offended but complied with what he was doing.

Calliara smiled softly while looking at him, still petting the little puppy. She felt strange again, but this time it was welcomed. Looking briefly at Caterina and Bowen she saw they were still teasing each other and poking in the dust, and smiled. That gave her time to have some fun.

The Dalish was shy at first, but as any other hunter, when she wanted something she was determined to have it. Hugging Fenrir with one arm, she walked silently right behind Drake while he was setting the packs on the mule and a cute pony, and pushed him a bit with her body, just like any other animal would do to beg some attention. Drake was no ranger or so he said, and she believed him, but there was something wild in him, something animalistic, that attracted her own.

As he put the last pack on the pony Calliara rubbed against him. His head turned and he gazed into her eyes wondering what she was up to then put a hand on her cheek, "You smell too good." He said quietly, "I find this difficult, just so you know. For some reason I have no trouble speaking with you. It is a conundrum. Do you beileve in fate? Or believe that roads cross for a reason?"

''I smell like an ogre's blood''. Calliara snickered, closing her eyes and smiling while resting her cheek on his palm. ''We Dalish believe in fate and that roads cross for a reason. How couldn't I? I should be dead, but I'm still alive, for many reasons. It was fate that Duncan found the cave just in time to save me when I was dying because of that illness. It was fate that he thought I could be valuable for the Grey Wardens. It was fate I was not in Ferelden when Ostagar happened. I think that everything happens for a reason, specially things that you can't explain...''

She smiled again and kissed his palm. ''Bowen and Gunnar can tell you, I usually don't speak so much, specially when I'm with men. Maybe because these years among the Wardens, being men all of them, I don't know. For what I remember, I've always been this way. But I have no trouble speaking with you either... And I am glad''

"When you get past the barbecue scent the rest is all pleasant." He smirked, "Then you believe as well that there was a reason for us meeting and a reason for our immediate attraction."

He turned his head and looked at Bowen and Caterina, "Those two are much more open and quick with their reactions. Sometimes I envy those who can react on their instincts without fighting them or having to keep their distance. Usually I have to keep my head about me. You make that difficult but in a good way. But do realize, even though I wish to be with you I also have my duty to my leader. I won't let you down but neither shall I let her down."

''I am a Grey Warden and my place is with her''. Calliara smiled gently. ''That means you're stuck with me, ser. I'm not going anywhere. Duncan trusted her, so I'd do. And besides, I like her. I am not sure, though, if she would like relationships in camp. Duncan didn't bother about them, but in Weisshaupt they are not allowed''

The Dalish shrugged and moved a bit to stroke Assan's mane, the mare was trying to lick the pup in her arms, and Fenrir panted happily trying to lick Assan back.

''But I don't want to be a problem for you. If you think you can't deal with me and your loyalty to her, don't worry about it. My loyalty is with her as well. I am a Grey Warden, this is my life, this is what I do. I have nothing else''

Calliara shrugged again, tired, and looked to Bowen and Caterina. ''He is Nevarran and she is Antivan. Both lands are warmer and more open than Ferelden. But sometimes I wish I could be that... spontaneous. I can't, it's not my nature. I am just a huntress, I react as I was trained: Silence and Patience. As I said, I have nothing else''

Caterina had smiled up at Bowen when he kissed her, and quickly stood on her tip-toes for one more kiss, nothing more than a quick peck on the lips before she also went back to their work. Surprisingly, she was finding more of relative value than she had initially thought, but that was only good, so she wasn't going to complain.

When she heard the clod of feet moving behind her, she straightened from her half-crouch, turning to see what it was. She smiled when the horse's large head thudded comfortably to her side, sending her a little off balance, but she quickly and easily caught herself. She brushed her hand over the the horse's- Goliath's- nose with another smile to the large beast.

"Well, Goliath, it is a pleasure to meet you," she said with a chuckle, looking at Bowen from the corner of her eye, before looking back at Goliath. "Such a pretty horse you are," she murmured appreciatively, running her hand from his nose to his neck. "Nothing at all like Bosco." She laughed again, scratching his neck playfully. "He's such a dumb little horse, but you're so pretty~." Of course, she loved Bosco with all her heart, but that wasn't going to change the fact that he wasn't the brightest of horses. Plus, she tended to make fun of the things she liked. She gave the horse one final pat on the side of his neck, and turned back to look at Bowen.

"Bowen," she called over, lifting up her sack. "My sack is getting kind of full. Shall we ask Drake what to do with them?" She assumed they'd load them onto the horses or something to walk back, but who knew if they were supposed to keep looking or not, even after their bags were full.

''I guess we're done here, precious. I don't find anything more''

Bowen shrugged, lifting his own full sack. In his opinion, not many things found were really worthy, but hey, he was a soldier and he obeyed orders, nothing else than that. He glanced briefly at Drake and Calliara, wondering if... YES! The Nevarran smiled wide when he saw them kissing. Maker's breath, about time.

Smirking, he turned again to look at Caterina, and bend a bit to touch her nose with his. ''I guess we're leaving, precious. Gimme that sack, I'll put them on Goliath. I'm willing to arrive to that new camp''

Drake smiled back at her and breathed a sigh of what could only be called relief, even if it was hardly noticeable, "I figured you would say something like that. You are the type to be true to a cause. Believe me when I say I do not wish to get rid of you."

He kissed her again lightly and chuckled in a quiet tone that she could almost not hear, "Nygozy has not seemed one who would react badly to relationships occurring in her camp unless it caused problems for the group. She's ... well, that's her tale to keep or tell."

The sound of a hawk made Drake's eye shift and he looked to the sky, listening then glanced over to her. It seemed that the bird was saying something about "feral" or something close to that and "here" but it was not in a dialect Calliara would know very well, almost as it seemed to come from a breed not normally located in this area.

"I have to check something out, Songbird." He took her hands in his, "I want you to take the group and walk south east to a hut built into the side of a hill. That is where we will camp for the night. Go slow so as not to let anything jab the equines. Some things may be pointy and we don't want any hurt. I should be back well before you get there."

Drake gave her another long kiss, released her hands and disappeared into the woods.

Caterina stepped towards Bowen and carefully handed him the sack, filled as much as was safe with various odds and ends. In Denerim, they might get some good prices for the items, regardless of whether they needed the money or not. She playfully patted his arm, silently thanking him before stepping away. She moved past for a moment, striding across the small field to where Bosco was calmly eating grass. He didn't even seem to notice her arrive until she was close to him, when he picked his head up, twitching his ears curiously.

"Come on, you big lug," she said with affection as she tugged on his bridle. "We've got things to do, places to be. You can't sit here and eat tainted grass all day long." At first, he didn't want to go, standing firm and looking at his patch of grass mournfully. With enough tugging, though, she managed to dislodge him from his place, and she led him slowly over to Goliath. By the time they were back with Bowen and his black horse, Bosco seemed to have forgotten that he was supposed to be being stubborn, and was looking around pleasantly, sniffing at Goliath before losing interest.

"See?" She said, lifting an amused eyebrow as she looked at Goliath, speaking rhetorically to the beast. "Bosco isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed." She patted her horse's neck, then turned to Bowen. "That's all, then, right?" With a smile at the Nevarranian man and glance around, she saw that Drake was moving off, and Calliara was moving towards them. She took that as their cue to start preparing to leave. That was fine with her. The sooner they got away from this blood-soaked camp, as cozy as it was, the better.

''Be careful, and be back soon''

Calliara whispered softly, watching him go, and then turned to Caterina and Bowen. She nodded to her comrade, and smiled at the Antivan girl.

''Drake is gone to check something. We have to go south east to a hut built into the side of a hill. He told me that the road may have pointy things, so be careful with the horses''. The Dalish explained shortly, and then waved a hand to the mule, pony and the horses, whispering something.

The animals began following her with no hesitation, and Calliara drew her bow just in case, leading the way

Bowen nodded as well and drew his sword and shield.

''If you lead I'll be watching your backs, my ladies. This way you can talk about girly things while I admire your perfection'' The Nevarran winked with a mischievous grin, seeing Calliara rolling her eyes and looking again to the road.

Before Caterina started walking, he bent to kiss her lightly. ''I am willing to arrive to somewhere where we could talk and be alone''

His chore had not taken him long. In fact, it had taken him very little time at all to complete it and get back to the others. He slipped quietly through the bush closing in on the other three quickly but first he had to stop, fitting his wrist crossbow on his arm and moving towards something different.

There was a thunk and a yell from a Hurlock as a Hurlock Emissary fell moments later, then he was on the go, slashing at a Hurlock Alpha. The small band of Darkspawn then attacked and the man was in on the fighting with a deadly grin on his face, knowing how many he could take and that the others were close enough to have heard the yells of the enemy.

Caterina led Bosco around by his bridle so that he could follow the other horses, and she answered Calliara's smile with one of her own as the elf passed her. She nodded as she listened to her speak, and made a mental note to make sure that Bosco would be comfortable and safe during the walk, adjusting the pack on his back to make sure that none of the scavenged items would press against him uncomfortably.

When Bowen came up behind her, she turned to meet him with a smile, standing on tiptoe to return the kiss with an additional playful peck on the lips before lowering back down. "Some alone time doesn't sound bad, to tell the truth. I could use it after everything. I-" she cut herself off when she heard the rustling sound of a panicked flight of birds from somewhere not too far off.

"Did you hear that?" She asked, turning around to look for the sounds. Bosco's ears twitched towards the sound, and he snorted nervously. She placed a calming hand on his nose, and looked between Bowen and Calliara, motioning for them to follow her as she drew a knife. The sound had come from the same direction Drake had gone in. She dreaded that he might have gotten into trouble.

Calliara smiled softly, hearing Caterina and Bowen chatting behind her. She was happy for her comrade. Creators knew how lonely Bowen was. He was a gentle giant with a golden heart, even if he tried hard to hide it behind his shameless mask, just like she hide herself behind her own. Calliara began wondering if someone, somewhere, looked just like they were and not like they wanted to be seen by the others...

A sudden nausea made her choke, and the Dalish felt all her senses sharpening and a cold sweat covering her skin. She knew very well what she was feeling, just before they clearly heard the rustling sound of a panicked flight of birds from somewhere not too far off.

"Did you hear that?"

''Darkspawn''. Calliara said simply, with a plain voice. ''Follow me''

With two arrows ready on her bow, she motioned silently to the horses in order to make them stay quiet in place, then began to run towards the sound, running with a halla's grace in absolute silence

''I could use it for a bath... I'll began to stink eventually'' He smiled teasingly, stroking her hair gently.

"Did you hear that?"

''Darkspawn''

Bowen sighed dramatically. ''Bath will have to wait. But I do hope this interruption will worth it!''

He drew his shield and kissed Caterina's hair before following the two ladies quickly. When Calliara started to run, the Nevarran whispered to the Antivan. ''Don't try to run after her, she is very quick and is trying to look for a good tree to climb and fire from above. Let's go, my dear''

Drake continued to fight, a deadly gleam in his eyes as his swords ripped through flesh and bone. He got nicked here an there but not badly as he moved with the grace of a deer, zipping between his enemies in a dance of bloody delight. There was an animal side that came out when he fought sometimes when others were not in danger.

He saw the others coming to his aid and he grinned as he slashed off a Genlock head, showing off a bit for Calliara as he did so and continued the swing into a Hurlock's side. He'd already caused some damage, Darkspawn strewn on the ground, but he was willing to do much more.