Unexpected in Starkhaven

[leandrahawke]

Leandra sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. It had been a long, long day, several of them in fact. A chance to get out of Kirkwall for a while had been appealing, and an opportunity to complete multiple tasks, but the trip was beginning to wear thin by this point

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[andersawake]

And that someone just happened to be none other than Anders.

"Oof!" he exclaims, noticing the woman lose her footing, opening his arms wide to catch her in his arms. He stumbles back a bit, but he manages. He helps her back up to her feet with a slight chuckle. "Are you alri--?" He sees who she is and the rest of the sentence can't seem to find its way out of his mouth. It's not that he wasn't happy to see her. Leandra somewhat reminded him of his own mother. It's just that she was her mother and for the past few weeks, he'd been trying his hardest to shun her from his mind. All his efforts were in vain however. He stands there, Hawke's mother in his arms, staring with a shocked (somewhat horrified) expression. Maker help him.

[leandrahawke]

Leandra gapes at the man holding her, completely astonished. "Anders?" This is about the last thing she expected. The last thing he expected, from the look on his face. "What are you doing here?" It's an automatic question, without recrimination; she's too surprised just yet for anything else. This was her daughter's lover, who blindsided all of them when he left, for no reason Leandra knows of. She suspects even Hawke doesn't know why. It's hard to know where to begin asking questions, there are so many, so she may as well start with the automatic one. Her hand had gripped his arm when she tripped and he caught her, and she leaves it there, keeping hold of him.

[andersawake]

Anders tenses even more as her hold on him tightens. That meant that she was going to have questions. That meant that he would be forced to answer them. Fuck. He wasn't prepared for this at all! He was just on his way back to the inn he'd been staying at! He smiles weakly, saying the first thing that comes to his mind. "Going on a vacation?"

[leandrahawke]

Leandra's eyes narrow in a way Anders will no doubt find quite familiar, and she takes his arm properly. "Well then," she says, tone light and friendly with a barely-audible undercurrent of steel making it clear that no is not an option here. "You'll have lots of time to escort me somewhere so we can catch up on things. After all, it's some time since I've last seen you. Is there anywhere suitable nearby that you know of?"