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“Can the painted elf be quiet?”
Zevran understood many things, some of them simple, some of them complex, but he would never understand why his Warden insisted on bringing him places with both the qunari and the golem.
“I am only sharpening my weapons,” said Zevran. “I am not even speaking! Or I wasn’t until you decided to take a painful jab at me. Oh, Warden, why do you let them carry on like this!”
Maiti shot him an apologetic look but continued counting his coin as he purchased a new set of armor. Zevran didn’t understand why those big sets of plate he found whenever they went out weren’t good enough. Maiti cared as much about his armor as Zevran did his boots, though, and he couldn’t fault him for being passionate about something like that.
Sten was standing as still as the golem was. Zevran resisted the urge to dance around him, poking and tugging at him to get his attention. The man made him want to act childish, and while Maiti wouldn’t mind, Zevran prided himself a little more than that.
“How are you, Sten?” he said. Perhaps he could poke and prod without even getting up from his tree stump.
“I am the same as always,” answered the qunari shortly. It was no fun pissing off someone who was already angry, but Zevran did his best anyway.
“Oh? You are no different? Not even with all those cookies in your stomach?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Zevran laughed. “Sure you don’t. I saw you in front of that bakery. Is that where all your coin goes?”
“Don’t tell the others,” grunted Sten, glancing in the direction of Shale, who was staring at the treeline rather menacingly.
“Oh? What do I get in return?”
“What do you want?”
“A kiss,” said Zevran. Maiti heard this and chuckled, but didn’t say anything. Thankfully, Sten seemed too intent on his words to notice.
There was a long silence. A long one. Then…
“Fine,” said Sten.
He walked over to Zevran and gruffly stuck his hand under Zevran’s chin, pulling it up. Zevran, who could honestly not believe this was happening, grinned. Sten reached down and pecked Zevran’s nose with his lips before letting him go.
“There,” said Sten.
Zevran rubbed his nose, still grinning. “Amazing!”
“No telling,” said Sten.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shale was killing a pigeon.