She seemed happy enough to lead the magess down the corridor and towards the main hallway in the first floor; one that would ultimately lead them to the main gates of Vigil's Keep. With that spark of purpose and mischief in the young Chantry sister's eyes, it was apparent that she was determined to do a good job. It was her usual way and one that Bethen would probably become increasingly familiar with the more time they spent together -- Deidre threw in her entire being and more when she deemed someone worth the emotional investment, when she concluded that a task was worth doing. The last decade had been spent, for the most part, in doing her able best to live a life unfettered and free from the trappings of convention. While her countless attempts in doing so have landed her in a few spots of trouble, she wouldn't change anything about the way she was.
The scholar would've barreled on forward, but all in all, she was too attentive to miss the change in Bethen's tone, melancholy hinting at a few regrets currently unvoiced. She didn't know the novice Warden well, at least not yet, however something about the way she spoke was enough to pause her in her tracks. She gave her a glance, taking in the porcelain lines of the raven-haired beauty's features. What she saw there was enough to gentle her own expression, saying nothing for a while as she regarded her silently for a few moments. It may have been a mental effort to collect all the words she wanted to say before speaking them, or it could be a time-out taken to observe her present companion further to conjecture at whatever might be hiding under layers of complex human interactions.
A sweep of their area was enough to let Deidre know that no one was in the small corridor with them, though when she spoke, her voice was low and meant for Bethen's ears only.
"Beth," she began, her straightforward tone hinting at the fact that she was about to address the other woman seriously. "You're not a crap friend."
Her hands slid into her pockets, the young woman rocking back on her heels. "If you were, you wouldn't be agonizing over what to get him," she pointed out. "You could've just yanked a silly trinket off the street and presented it to him to alleviate the heaviness of your own conscience about what he gave you in turn. That would've been enough for anyone who doesn't take one's connection to another with the care and consideration someone ought, but you're not doing that. You aren't."
Coral lips tugged upwards faintly in a small smile. "Besides," she continued. "I think you and I both know that material possessions never really mattered all that much to Aurin. He can lose bits and pieces of him out there, weapons and armor...but he doesn't lament their loss, does he? Things are just things to him. I could be wrong, I know we're just starting to get to know each other, but if you care this much about getting something he likes and something he'll appreciate, I'm guessing that you want some meaning to be reflected on whatever it is you choose to give him. Between you and I, I think that's where the value of a gift comes from...and if he knows and realizes that it's more than just a silly trinket, he'll probably take better care of it than anything he's got on him."
Tapered fingers lifted to scratch the back of her neck, the archaeologist looking somewhat apologetic. "Anyway....I don't...really have an idea either. I know you don't do this a lot, and I was hoping that there was something in the past that you've given him that would've reminded him of your time together as children in Kinloch Hold. But if you've not offered him anything but companionship, I-- "
She froze, once the words left her mouth. Her stare locked into Bethen's.
"....Beth, that's...." A blinding grin parted her mouth. "Beth! You're a genius! I have an idea...come on. Let's get out of here. You're brilliant!"