"We are super awake. Don't think sleeping is in the books for a while."

"We had to use a couple of sheets of vellum, I hope that's okay? I'll buy you some more." 

Tabs slips past Merrill just enough to toss the paper in the fire place.

"That's fine, of course! I've been writing notes for- well. A project. But I haven't needed to use that much. My writing is pretty small." 

She claps her hands together. "Anyway! I'm heading out to meet the others, would you still like to come?"

"That would be great. We'd love to meet your friends."

"Ready to go now?" She smiled softly, clearly very patient.

"Yeah, yeah we're good. Lead the way!"

Merrill grabs her staff from her room, and swings it on. "All right, come with me!"

She leads the way outside, and just as she does, her eyes settle on someone. "Really? I only got lost once!"

"Four times, actually. And now you're not going to get lost at all."

!!! That voice is really familiar! Anya does Not bounce.

Tabs tries very hard not to snort. After all, she's going to be just as bouncy upon seeing Anders.

"I'm not a child, Carver."

"I'm aware, Merrill, but you've been living here a few months, and you've already managed to somehow get lost in the Viscount's gardens. You've got the opposite of a compass." 

Carver straightens at seeing the two women with Merrill, and frowns. "Who're they?"

"Hey. I'm Anya, this is Tabs. We kinda just got to Kirkwall and showed up at Merrill's door. She invited us to hang out with her friends. Which I assume includes you?"

"They showed up at your door and you just let them in?" Carver rubs his temple. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"I can make those kind of decisions myself, Carver," Merrill says, sounding irritated.

"And if they'd been Templars? What then?"

Tabs gestures to her face. "Ostensibly not."

"Okay, yeah, it does seem kinda suspicious. But I promise that we are definitely not Templars. Just travellers that came a long way and Merrill is a friend of a friend of a friend. Of Tabs' clan. Obviously."

"Yeah, that reassures me," Carver drawls, looking at both Anya and Tabs with deep suspicion.

"Ugh. Ignore him. He's being completely overbearing." 

Merrill leads the way, muttering 'worse than the Keeper.'

Carver shoots them a look, and then jogs to catch up with Merrill.

Tabs starts laughing.

Anya nudges her shoulder and pulls her along after them. "Shut up."

"Oh my god, he's a puppy. He thinks he's a big scary mabari but he's a puppy. He's only 19 right now, isn't he?"

Okay, now she's blushing. "Please stop ruining this for me. You are the worstttt."