Making quick work of catching up to the other Templar, Alderic was sure that if a trap lay waiting for them at the meager campsite, they certainly knew he was coming -- his armor rattling noisily as the horse cantered up behind his somewhat-friend. If they weren't aware of that great clamor, they certainly would have heard when Aurin called back to him, any element of surprise long passed. He shot Aurin a sideways-half smirk as he slowed the horse's pace to a crawl, pulling warily up beside him.
"Of course," he said, putting on an air of incredulity. "I can't very well let you have all the fun, can I? Besides, only trouble comes from leaving you to yourself."
Still, despite his joking, Alderic was on high alert, not fully looking at his companion as his eyes swept over the campsite and the trees beyond it, every sense tensed in preparation of an attack. The two of them were nearly standing in the middle of the tent and the fire at that point, the flames casting wicked shadows up into the trees, and there were still no signs of any of the camp's inhabitants. He had an ill feeling in the pit of his stomach, worsened when Aurin spoke up again. A headache?
Before he could connect the dots, a voice rang out from the trees, and Alderic was so startled that his hand immediately darted back over his shoulder to grasp the hilt of his sword, out of instinct. He'd nearly gotten it halfway out of the scabbard when he realized just how familiar the singing voice was, and his suspicions were confirmed when the young woman dropped into view ahead of them. With a heavy sigh and a nervous chuckle, Alderic released his grip on the blade, a wave of heavy relief washing over him. He leaned forward in his saddle to peer at Dee through the shadows as she approached, unable to repress a grin from his face. He kept in good contact with her, so she was by far no stranger, but it had been a number of years since he'd last seen her, and the last occasion had been... less than pleasant, at least for part of the journey.
"For I walk only where You would bid me," he said, at Dee's comment. "The Maker certainly does have a sense of humor -- an unusual one, though it may be."
Of course, at the blood mage talk, the Templar was forced to roll his eyes and make a show of frowning at the other two. He folded armored arms across his chest, looking seriously at Aurin.
"You would burn half the forest down, with glee," he scoffed, half jokingly. "That said, given a choice between blood mages and our friend Deidre here, I believe I'll take my chances with the maleficarum. At least they're far less likely to break my ar--"
Alderic cut off the rest of his comment as he heard their traveling group approaching, and seeing Maddock heading up the charge and looking by far less than pleased, he pushed any amusement out of his features, straightening up. He pulled on the reins of his horse, turning it to face the elder Templar just in time to catch the rapid-fire questioning launched at him.
"My apologies, Ser Maddock. This is Dee--," he started, then hastily bit down when he saw Maddock's increasingly irritated expression, correcting himself. "Sister Deidre Aisli, of the Denerim Chantry. She's an old acquaintance of ours. Though..."
He looked over his shoulder at Dee again, this time looking at her with a questioning expression on his face, his eyebrows drawn together as a realization dawned on him. "Though, what you're doing this far out in the Bannorn, I have no idea."