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Leliana was the first to notice.
From her first days in camp, Neith had chosen to stay in the valley practicing with her bow rather than engage the people in Haven. Even as she grew comfortable with those closest to her, as battle after battle brought necessary trust, she prefered to stay away from Haven for as long as possible.
Letters from the Hinterlands expressed continued interest in new strongholds and ruins, new areas of the valley that might hold more information or materials for the inquisition - more refugees to help.
Leliana had become half certain that each time Neith left Haven, she would not return, choosing to stay instead at the inquisition camps for the duration.
With the recruitment of the mages she began to mark a change in the Herald.
As Neith ventured out once again, this time to recruit The Iron Bull, the letters she sent to the inquisition, for the first time, spoke beyond the usual tasks at hand and increased in frequency. .
More and more the letters were directed at the Commander instead of the Inquisition at large and spoke in detail of smaller items; the terrain, the feel of the salt air and sea during a fight and stories of the inner circle, soldiers and scouts who manned the camps.
For his part, the Commander would retain the missives longer, often pulling the tales she sent into any conversation with a crooked smile.
Soon after, Neith and her party began to return to Haven with greater frequency.
Upon the Herald’s return to Haven from the Fallow Mire, Leliana made it a point to speak quietly with Varric, confirming her growing suspicion with someone she knew watched as closely as she.
With the promise of multiple pints and a warm fire, Varric agreed to relay his story.
In the days following the recruitment of the mages at Redcliffe, the two had spent hours speaking with one another in the practice fields, a few conversations coming precariously close to arguments on the Herald's side.
The discussions on the field evolved to drinks at the tavern, or hours spent in the inquisition library on the lower floors of the chantry. Both seemingly more at ease in their environment than before.
For Neith’s part, upon noticing the commanders tendency toward headaches in their new found camaraderie, she had made it habit to bring the Commander a healing tea on a regular basis, which he readily accepted with a warm smile.
Varric refused to name what he saw, but Leliana knew he was watching their friendship develop, as she was, with great expectation.
For now, it was enough that both smiled more often.