Ilska starts humming quietly.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Statiscally more people are killed by nugs than drowning,” Anders says. If he sounds weaker than usual, he doesn’t draw attention to it. 

Would he recognise the tune Ilska is humming?

It's a Ferelden folk song. Does he know many of those?

"Are that many people really killed by nugs?"

A few of the Vigil’s Keep guards taught him some, so he could annoy the Orlesian Warden-Commander. He knows a fair few, and so will happily hum along with Ilska. 

“I mean, I could be blatantly making that statistic up. You have no way of proving it otherwise.”

Cia turns eir head enough to stick eir tongue out at him. "I'll find a way," ey threatens playfully.

"Oh, I dare you. I read many books and never went outside so I have to be right."

"I mean. I read a lot as well. Probably not as much as you. I kept getting dragged to family things." Ey grimaces.

"Family things. Ugh. Heard of them, glad I missed them. Never one to compromise who I am to keep others happy."

"We never really got a chance to really figure out who we were..."

Anders sobers at that. 

“I can’t promise you much, but I can promise you that. You’ll have all the time and help you need for that.”

Ey smiles over at him, a tad sad, and a little watery. "Thank you."

“You might be starving and homeless, but you’ll be very sure of yourself,” Anders says, somewhat self-deprecatingly. 

That gets a laugh. "I'm pretty sure someone once said something horrendously sappy about home not being a building, but the people in it. Imagine I said something witty along those lines here."

“There’s enough of me I could probably arch over the top of you. Makeshift house and home!”

Ilska smirks and clicks her tongue.

"Just because someone stood you two in manure. Guess I can at least use you to shelter from the weather."

“There we go, you’ve found a use for me!” Anders laughs. 

Ey reaches over and pokes his side playfully. "Lessons as well," ey reminds him.

“Oh, I’m going to make a healer of you yet,” Anders laughs. 

"Promises, promises-"

A sudden swell makes the ship jolt, and Cia gives a brief groan.

“Oh, here,” Anders tugs some dried elfroot from his belt, and hands it to Cia. “Hold this under your tongue. I have some embrium too, but that’s just if you actually start throwing up.”

Ey does as instructed. "Hopefully we can avoid that," ey agrees.

“We won’t make any friends among our fellow passengers,” Anders teases gently. 

If all was well, he will settle himself against the wall and maybe sleep. If Justice lets him.