Ashya returned Lee's wave energetically, but transferred her attention back to Loic almost immediately, missing her panicked reaction to Noa. Lee was a wonderful teacher and she enjoyed her company, but the age difference had always tempered their relationship into a student-teacher bond, rather than a more equal friendship. With Loic, they’d been so young when they first met that even his becoming a fully fledged templar hadn’t hindered their friendship significantly.
Mindless of propriety, the girl flung her arms around Loic before releasing him almost instantly. Templars were hard to hug, being encased in so much metal all the time, but she also wanted to have a better look at the boy – well, young man now. Right before leaving the tower, she had avoided him after her Harrowing, as she had avoided all other friends, upset, and knowing they wouldn’t be as easily fooled with her lies as everyone else was. To be fair, Loic’s status as a real templar hadn’t helped matters, either. She hadn’t realized until she saw him again just how much she had missed him.
It was very apparent from the start that she had not been the only one to have changed. The first thing that struck her was how different he looked. He seemed older, somehow, the ready smile that he’d always been ready with having made way for a rather uncertain one. Was it her imagination, or did he look worried?
As Coan moved to reassure Lee about his now offended mabari, Ashya finally realized what Loic hoisting a small backpack on his shoulder meant. “You’re leaving?” she asked, eyes widening slightly despite herself. Templars leaving on assignments was more common than mages so departing, so she shouldn’t have been too surprised – but he was still so new to this. As always, she conveniently forgot that it had been so unlikely that she herself should ever have been sent to help the Grey Wardens while still so young. She glanced at Lee, before looking back at Loic. “Where are you going?” Perhaps he was escorting the enchanter on another herbalism gathering trip?