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“Here kitty kitty, where are you Ser Pounce?” Anders wandered the quiet corridors of Vigil’s Keep, calling out softly. He never had a problem making his way through stone corridors at the dead of night but he was worried that Pounce got into something he shouldn’t have, pissing off the wrong overpowered warden. Like Nathaniel.

Anders sighed. Pounce wasn’t in any real danger as long as the cat stayed within the castle walls. No sadistic templars to kick the poor thing out in the cold and dark, no threat of separation to teach him a lesson. The Commander had given over the cat herself, no one would take Pounce away, right?

The image of the warden commander hovering over him with a templar's smirk suddenly popped up into his head giving him shivers. All he wanted at the very least was a glimpse of the cat to make sure he was in one piece. Pounce was clever, but still a kitten. He'd stay out of danger but prone to mischief and that made Ander's gut wrench.

Just as he was about to call it a night, he passed by the Commander’s chamber doors. It was late but the doors were open, candlelight spilling out into the dimly lit corridor. No guards were posted, most likely patrolling more important areas of the keep. Anders glanced, intending to just pass by nonchalantly towards his rooms when he recognized Pounce’s orange fur. Immediately curious, he tucked himself against the wall and peered in.

The sight that greeted him had him a bit speechless. The Warden Commander, Kara, stood in the middle of her room, swaying gently back and forth with a very content looking Pounce-a-Lot cradled against her chest. She was still in her day clothes but her hair was down from its usual braid and Anders took a second to marvel at how long it was, falling in messy waves. She looked...young. When they first met, she had that battle frenzy look in her eyes that nearly had him running back into the arms of a templar. Later, whenever she was in “leader” mode, posture straight and confident, she didn’t look her age. It probably from the lingering exhaustion from her ordeal during the Fifth Blight the healer concluded. The longer he healed her, the more he could read the rhythms of her body and he could see the strain on the physical form manifesting in rigid stances and harrowed looking stares.

But now? In the quiet of the night as she gently sang a lullaby to a cat that nuzzled against her neck, she looked her age for once. Dark hair fell and framed Kara’s face, hiding the eyepatch covering the missing eye and surrounding scars. A gentle smile brought brightness to her face. Even with the distance he could hear the content purrs as Pounce nuzzled and rubbed against the woman. Kara's eyelid fluttered low as she pet the cat with soft strokes in time with her lullaby. Anders didn't know it but it seemed to be fond with the way Kara easily swayed with it and the usually excitable mabari at her feet whined sleepily.

Anders smiled fondly and quietly slipped away before he caught the attention of his commander. He would be lonely without his kitten for a night but he couldn't bear to get in the way of Ser Pounce's work. Besides, the knowledge that one of the infamous doglords of Ferelden was also a cat lover, was enough compensation. He went to bed with a smile on his face and lullaby brushing through his dreams.