Not Quite Damsels, Definite Distress

[justice_is_blond]

WHO: Anders, Alistair, Zevran, Nathaniel, Teren, Merrill, Ciri, Jamie, Cyril, Velanna
WHAT: Rescuing two princesses who went into the wrong castle
WHEN: Around Haring 10th
WHERE: A village handwavily somewhere around Skyhold, on the Fereldan side of things.
NOTES: Minor violence warnings for now. Signup Post.

Sometimes people vanish. Sometimes there's a trail to follow, and luckily for these two, there's some information about where they were going.

Comments

[pinprick]

"It does seem a great trouble to go through, to lure someone just to--why Alistair?" The more he thinks about it, the less sense it makes. "Why not any other mundane non-mage, willing or no? Someone with a lower profile, easier to keep?"

[justice_is_blond]

"They didn't lure him. Or, he wasn't the target of the trap." He presses his eyes closed. He'd heard bits, things he didn't have the knowledge to thread together, but also things that aren't his to share. While Anders doesn't want to keep any secrets from Nate, this time he has to.

"I'm sorry, love. There's something I overheard, but it's not mine to say."

[pinprick]

There's a bit of a pause, only out of surprise, but Nathaniel nods.

"I trust you. Don't worry about it." He leans in to give a little chaste kiss, just to assure him there's no hurt over this. "Is he all right, at least? He was still giving cheek in his cell, so I think there's hope for him."

Because what hurt Anders so badly couldn't possibly have hurt Alistair just as much, right?

[justice_is_blond]

"I don't know. I need to ask him, to find out." Guilt weighs down his words. Alistair wouldn't have gone through any of that if not for him. "I owe him such a debt, and I don't know that I can ever repay it."

And it's not like giving cheek means someone's doing well. He's certainly managed snark when suffering.

"At least I've some skill at seeing past deflective jokes. Takes one to know one, and all that."