<span style="color: #00FF00">Valehna blinked once as Tal put his hands on her shoulder. "Yes... why wouldn't I be?" she responded, rather confused and a bit annoyed. <br/><br/>At Tal's suggestion, she wiggled the key out of her sleeve and put a hand around it once more. Her grip was far tighter than it needed to be. "I don't see why I can't be the one to hold onto it," she said, looking down at the fist in which the key was held. Some red energy wafted from it, like steam.<br/><br/>Valehna blinked again and tried to clear her head. Something still felt off. "But I suppose you can, too," she finally said, holding out her hand. The muscles gripping the key were tense.</span><br/><br/>Mesaraih's mouth was slightly open when he saw what Ester did to trap the darkspawn outside. It took him a few seconds before he regained his composure and closed it again.<br/><br/>"Let me just check," he began, thrusting a dagger next to Ester's face and against the ice wall, "how sturdy this is."<br/><br/>The dagger embedded itself in the ice, just as some of the particles flew off the spot where he stabbed the ice. He caught a few stray pieces in his outstretched hand and crushed them. They turned to water and dribbled down his forearm.<br/><br/>"You're impressive," he finally said, one hand still holding onto the dagger as he stepped closer to Ester. He wiped his wet hand on his hair, using it almost like a mop. "Help me a little more?" he asked, giving her a look almost akin to a puppy seeing its master after a long day, even as his face inched itself closer to hers.<br/><br/>His lips were as close to hers as they could be without touching. "Or you could slap me," he said, closing the distance and giving her a soft kiss.<br/><br/>He heard a darkspawn growl and claw at the ice wall, and his nose wrinkled instinctively.