-8-

They are not far from Lothering now.

It turns out there's no single enemies coming after them because of the clothes' bright color like he had thought. Morrigan complained with no real malice about how the trip was getting boring, but Gabriel would take boring over borderline fatal any days.

The interesting fact that no one in the camp dares bringing up is that Naruto seems to haven taken a shine hard on the witch, especially after the girl witnessed Morrigan's magic a day back. She followed Morrigan everywhere, observing everything the witch did. It has gotten to the point when Morrigan got fed up and transformed herself into a bird, flying away from the enamored girl.

Morrigan and Alistair might have thought it was like a chick imprint, or even a romantic love she felt towards the older woman.

Gabriel, however, sees something different.

Desperation, hope and longing. And it is not exactly for the witch. No, it is not that simple. The girl's eyes look beyond what or who is in front of her, like she is always reminiscing, and those blue orbs almost make him feel his heart break when he saw the light died awhile back, after Morrigan flied away.

They remind him of something, something he has tried his hardest to bury deep in the back of his mind in order to carry on his duty as a Grey Warden and a Cousland.

Something painful and agonizing.

She misses her home, and that chick imprint? It was because Morrigan reminds her of something close to her heart. Morrigan reminds her of something from her origin.

Magic?

Morrigan hasn't said anything about Naruto having any kind of magic, though, and the girl doesn't seem like an apostate or a circle mage.

Looking at her hunch shoulders and her forlorn expression, Gabriel knows he cannot leave her alone. Tomorrow they are going to reach Lothering and they'd drop the woman there for good, so he should, perhaps, talk to Naruto a little.

"Naruto."

"Hai?"

He knows by now that 'hai' is a form of 'yes' in her language and purses his lips. Naruto is curious of what he wants - her eyes wide and a smile is pasted on her face - he doesn't like this smile. He is surprised, though, when his hands drop onto her right shoulder in a gentle gesture.

"Are you okay?"

She tilted her head.

"Morrigan." He changes the way he approaches the question and is rewarded by the way her eyes lighten up in recognition, "You like Morrigan?"

She nods, grinning.

"Why?"

Naruto mutters something in response. "Chakra."

"Chakra?" He has not heard of the word before. Perhaps it is her home village.

"Is it your home?"

Naruto doesn't seem to understand what he is trying to ask. She repeats the word with a determined frown on her face.

"Chakra."

"Yeah. Yeah, I know."

Gabriel was about to ask something next, however, the next three words, spoken with broken accent, which come out of that pouty mouth stops him short.

"Chakra. Magic."

"Magic?"

She nods.

"What are you saying? Are you a mage, Naruto?"

She tilted her head a again at the word 'mage,' and he has to correct the way he says it to help her understand what he is trying to communicate better. "What I mean, is that do you have chakra, Naruto?"

"Before I…have?" Gabriel smiles, encouraging her to say more. Naruto doesn't seem to be sure if what she said makes any sense, but to his pleasant surprise, she gathers herself with a grin and tries to explain what she meant to say anyway, despite the embarrassment she must be feeling. "Before, I Morrigan have Chakra. But Morrigan no have chakra. Magic no chakra."

"So, you are not a mage?" He questions, feeling relieved but not entirely. Gabriel doesn't have any problems with mages in general, but in the case when one is travelling with them, he has to be prepared for any complications that might come up from the magic users in their camps. If she was indeed a mage, he would have to tell Alistair - a templar, just in case.

Naruto seems to be considering the question, before she chirps curiously.

"Mage? Magic?"

"Yes. Mages have magic."

"No. I no have magic."

Gabriel slumps his shoulders.

"Oh. Good then, good."

"Good?"

Naruto doesn't see it that way.

All of the sudden, she snarls.

"No good! No!"