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„Ow,“ Natia muttered as she opened her eyes. Everything hurt. True, everything hurt considerably less than when she was awake the last time, but it was still far from ideal.
Something moved on her left side and she could hear a familiar voice: „Ah, you’re awake.“
„The healing potion must have been something else if you’re still here.“ Natia couldn’t help it but smile. Even if it probably wasn’t a very good sign that she was still hallucinating. Huh, guess the ogre hit her head a little bit more than she thought. Or maybe the poisonous spiders had something more fun than usually. Either way, it didn’t matter. It was probably bad news, but she was going to enjoy it anyway. After all, it’s been a very long time since she saw or even heard from Zevran last.
„I’m afraid it’s not the potion,“ he replied with a small chuckle. „Nor the spiders or anything like that.“
„Oh,“ she blinked in surprise. But if it wasn’t the healing potion or anything like that… it would mean that he was actually really here. It most likely meant he was actually really there before as well. „Oh no.“ Natia whispered as her brain was kind enough to remind her of all the blabbering she did down in the dungeon. She didn’t remember everything, but what she knew was enough. Not only did she blabber on about him being pretty and a worry wrinkle – that she wouldn’t mind. After all, he knew he was pretty and he also knew she thought so as well. But, of course, of course, it didn’t end with that. No, she had to mention the incident and try to explain that technically she didn’t again try to backstab an ogre when she had a perfectly working bow right there. It just sort of happened. By accident. And is it really a backstabbing when it wasn’t with a dagger?
„Oh indeed. My dearest beloved Warden, please tell me you didn’t really try backstabbing an ogre with an arrow? ...Again.“
„At least I’m pretty?“ she offered with a sheepish smile not even trying to make anymore exucses. She knew it was stupid even before the arrow hit the ogre’s heel. She realized she really fucked up about two seconds later.
Zevran sighed and shook his head. The worry wrinkle was still there, Natia noticed, but at least he was smiling now as well. That was good. She didn’t like it when he worried too much. Especially not since she was the cause. Stupid ogres. Stupid darkspawn. And stupid spiders too.
„Plus, it’s hardly my fault, you took all the smarts with you to Antiva,“ she murmured.
Zevran sighed again. Yes. The smarts, he almost forgot about it. But somehow he doubted he was in possession at the time. Then again, it would explain a thing or two.
Natia tried. She really tried not to yawn or look too tired. She didn’t want to sleep, not when Zevran was finally there. But then again… She was hurt and tired still. And the sun that was shining in through the window wasn’t helping much. She was pretty sure that if she kept her eyes opened for ten more minutes, her head would explode.
„Sleep, mi amore. We can argue about the smarts tomorrow.“ Zevran said with a fond smile, caressing her cheek.
***
„Careful! A trap!“
N atia turned her head when she heard Zevran shout the warning. Only to witness him running straight into the trap a second later. She winced once it clasped around his leg, but despite her first instinct being reaching for the healing potion in her pouch and running to him, she remembered there were still a darkspawn. And unlike Justice or Sigrun who were at the moment very busy with their own darkspawn, she had a bow. She could shoot them from afar. Quickly. So she did. She finished the ones nearing her and the ones that Zevran couldn’t reach with his daggers as well.
„What was that? Trap! Yay, free injury!“ Natia grumbled as she walked over and tried her best at opening the trap.
„Not my fault you had all the smarts this time.“ Zevran replied with a pained smile.
N atia just sighed and shook her head. Of course he would choose now to remind her.
„At least I’m pretty?“ he offered when no reply came.
She chuckled as she finally managed to get his leg free, so that she could put some healing salve to it before they could get to Anders.
„Alright, I deserved that.“ Natia admitted. But hey, at least they were pretty.