The Grey Warden focused on her breathing while Haytham tended to her, face going white as milk again when he tightened the knot over the hole in her flesh. If she had any regrets about playing human shield, they were well-hidden. "If I sit, I fear that I will not stand again," she confessed, "But give me that moment to collect myself and my things."

The tassets and cuisses went on over her leather pants and linen tunic as Elissa knew better than to try to pull on her leather tunic again. That would be wasted, painful effort. Instead, she eased into her blade harness with what help the Templar could offer and draped her tunic and triangular chest plate over the crook of her left arm. The added weight was not comfortable, but at least her right arm was free for swordplay, if necessary.