Anders is suddenly coughing before them, taking deep breaths. The light is gone from his now brown-yellow eyes, and his skin is no longer cracked with lightning. 

“I’m sorry, I thought I could- nothing. I’m sorry, he didn’t do anything, did he?” Anders can’t meet their eyes. Maker, what a mess he’s made already. 

"No, we- we're fine. Are you okay?"

Ilska stops Cia from stepping closer to Anders, eyes narrowed.

“Oh, fine. Just possessed by a furious spirit of Justice who sometimes gets out and yells at people,” Anders jokes weakly, running a hand through blond hair. “Ilska, I swear he won’t...”

Anders trails off, unable to make the promise he wants to. “I’ll stop him, if he tries to hurt either of you.”

Ilska still seems suspicious, but after a moment, nods.

"He seems to not understand how humans work."

“He’s never had to.” Anders sighs. “He’s right, I should’ve made better time. But I couldn’t leave you both, and who knows. Maybe you’ll turn out to be a better healer than I am, Cia.”

"...you're still human," Cia points out, a little lost. "I-" Ey shrugs.

"Still human? That's the nicest thing someone's said to me in a while," Anders says, smiling at Cia. Always bloody joking, aren't you Anders? Can't let things be serious for more than a second, even if you just-

No. Stop. 

"Well you are," Cia states firmly. "Unless someone turned you into an elf while I wasn't looking."

"A remarkably tall elf. The tallest elf in history," Anders says, smiling a little wider, a little more confidently.

Cia giggles and grins, a little tentatively back at him.

Anders seems a soothed by Cia's laughter. "Well. Now to find where the bastard put my waterskin." 

He heads back towards the river.

Cia follows him after a moment to see if ey can help.

Ilska huffs, but follows after them.

Anders accepts the help, and looks up and down the riverbank to find where he left it. 

Unfortunately, it seems to be lost to the river.

"Maker's balls. Well, looks like we're just going to have to drink out the river."

Cia shrugs. "Could be worse," ey points out. "At least it seems to be relatively clean."

"The beauty of rivers in the forest, opposed to the city," Anders agrees.

Ilska hums quietly, ducking down to scoop water to her mouth with her hand.

"Quieter too," Cia translates.

Anders scoops water of his own. "She's not wrong. About the only thing redeemable about the Wilds."

"And I mean, it's almost as private as a house when you realise how few people there are out here."

"Yes, though I would not recommend walking around without clothes on. Just as you think it's safe, some bloody bandit will come tearing out of the nearby bushes."

"That's the voice of experience," Cia laughs. "I'll bow to the wisdom of age."