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“Y’know I--I lost sight of you--for a good few minutes there, Swift.”
Varric said to the Inquisitor between ragged breaths as he and the party regrouped after fighting a copious amount of demons that nearly got the best of them before the rift was sealed. He had a cut on his forehead and winced as he wiped away some of the blood.
Shaehra Lavellan raised a brow. “Swift? So is that the nickname you’ve decided on for me?” She did a glance over to each companion to make sure they were alright; Cassandra still kneeled on the ground, but gave her a nod of reassurance, and Solas stood nearby, waiting for them all to recuperate. Even he didn’t escape unscathed, she noticed, as there was a bruise on his cheek, and one of his sleeves were torn and bloodied.
Nothing too serious, but they would definitely need to take a break for a little while. “Well, I’d say that it’s accurate,” the dwarf smirked, “you’re quick on your feet, you easily vanish, and you’re always ready to attack before any of us even know what’s happening. It’s impressive. I suppose I could also use ‘Stabby’, ‘Sneaky’, ‘Speedy’--”
“I’ll take Swift.” Shaehra replied with a chuckle. She could just ask him to call her by her given name, but she figured out by now Varric’s nicknames were his way of being amicable. So she didn’t mind.
Varric winked. “So, mind if we sit for a minute or two? Those waves of demons were a doozy.”
“Of course,” Shaehra agreed, and began to walk over to a large tree. She sat in its shade and leaned back against the trunk, setting her twin daggers aside in the grass, wiping off some of the blood and viscera from the demons. Varric joined her, and motioned for Cassandra and Solas to come over.
It was a beautiful sunny day in the Hinterlands at least--minus the ongoing war between the mages and templars--but the area they were currently in was quiet, and the shouting and clashing of steel and blasts of magic could barely be heard now. She didn’t doubt that their future endeavours would bring them to rather unpleasant locations once they were finished here, so she would enjoy the rolling green fields, the many trees, and the clear skies for now. Although, she wouldn’t have minded some rain to cool things down. She was warm in her armour.
Cassandra approached, sheathing her sword, and though she still looked worn, she didn’t sit. She placed her hands on her hips and sighed. “We shouldn’t be stopping. There is much to do still.”
“Relax for a minute, won’t you, Seeker? There’s no rush.” Varric teased, knowing very well there was little time to waste. But he also knew when to slow down, whereas Cassandra would undoubtedly push forward until she collapsed. Sometimes she saw that as the only way. Which was admirable. Stubborn, but admirable.
“No rush? Varric,” Cassandra’s jaw clenched, “need I remind you that--”
“We’re all aware, Cassandra,” Shaehra said, giving her a hard stare. “We’re not stopping to camp now. Let’s just take a minute to heal ourselves, and then we move on with our tasks until dusk. In the morning, we head for Redcliffe.”
Cassandra huffed. “Very well.” She conceded, slowly lowered herself down, and though she would never admit it, Shaehra saw relief in her expression. She reached for a healing potion in the pouch on her belt, pulled it out, took a long sip, then handed the remaining bottle to Cassandra. The corner of her mouth twitched into a smile. “Thank you,” the warrior said, her usually hard tone was softer.
Solas then sauntered over, his movements graceful as always. He pulled out his own healing potion and took a drink, and sat down with his companions. He silently tied a bandage from his pack around the cut on his arm to stop the bleeding. He offered Varric a potion, and a bandage for his head.
“Inquisitor?” he asked, eyeing Shaehra up and down for any noticeable injuries that needed tending to. “Do you need anything?”
“I’m alright actually,” she replied. Minus some dirt on her face, she was unharmed. Just a bit tired.
Varric barked a laugh. “Don’t worry about her, Chuckles. She’s too damn fast for any of them to even lay a claw or fist on her. Strikes like lightning, backflips away, out-of-sight.”
Shaehra couldn’t help but grin when she heard Solas’ nickname. Chuckles. It was ironic seeing how rarely laughed or smiled.
Solas hummed. “I have to admit, your litheness is...impressive.”
She couldn’t help but feel her face flush. Especially since she caught on to how sensually he said that. And she felt awkward about praise. “Enough,” she waved her hand dismissively. “It’s just what I’ve been trained to do for years. I was one of the hunters for my clan. They relied on me for food and protection. I dedicated myself to making sure none of them ever got hurt. I’m not the strongest physically, so I have to make up for that in speed and agility. I suppose it’s been useful these days.”
“It certainly has, Swift.” Varric said, clapping her on the shoulder.