They left the temple and found their way back to the village. It was strange to pass through the now desolate streets. They briefly stopped in the store to take a few things they might need for the road and Solona spotted a handsome pair of finely crafted leather boots that claimed they were from Antiva. The night that she had spent talking to Zevran, he had reminisced about his home country and how he loved and missed the smell of the leather. She thought they would make a nice gift for him, so she placed then in the sack she had taken from behind the counter that she had already placed a few wrapped loaves of bread and some cheese in. When they left the confines of the village, Wynne and Leliana walked on ahead, laughing and talking among each other. Solona watched them with a smile, knowing that the two women were very grateful to have been there to witness Andraste's Urn.
She was jogged from her thoughts as Alistair began to talk to her. "So all this time we've spent together... you know the tragedy, the brushes with death, the constant battles with the whole Blight looming over us... will you miss it once it's over?"
He glanced at him with a raised brow before snorting and brushing a finger over her cheek. "It makes me tear up just thinking about it," she said sarcastically.
He laughed at her comment, his face lighting up at the teasing lilt in her tone. "There'll be no more running for our lives, No more Darkspawn..." he paused and groaned. "And no more camping in the middle of nowhere." He slowed his pace, allowing the others to get a bit farther ahead of them and then he stopped all together. She stopped as well, cocking her head at him. "I know it... might sound strange, considering we haven't known each other for very long, but I've come to... care for you. A great deal." He paused as her heart started racing. Before she could respond, he pushed ahead, "I think maybe it's because we've gone through so much together, I don't know. Or maybe I'm imagining it. Maybe I'm fooling myself." He reached down and took her hand, his expression hopeful. "Am I? Fooling myself? Or do you think you might ever... feel the same way about me?"
She tightened her slack grip on his hand and a grin spread over her face. She had never dreamed he might feel for her as she did for him. "I... I think I... already do," she gasped, the surprise of his confession clear in her tone.
He smirked. "So I fooled you, did I? Good to know." He used his grip on her hand to pull her closer to him, then he dropped her hand and his found it's way up to slip his fingers through her hair. He pulled her as close as they could get and pressed still uncertain lips to hers. When she responded in kind, he deepened the kiss and she dropped the sack she was carrying to wrap her arms around his neck, the rations and Zevran's boots all but forgotten. His hand stayed in her hair, pulling gently on the braid in the back. She plunged her tongue in his mouth, the weeks of pent up lust she'd had for him oozing from her body. She then realized that she was being a bit forward and she pulled away from the kiss, remembering his inexperience. The smile on her lips was far from gone though as she breathed in lungfuls of air and swallowed her heart that was pulsing in her throat. He smiled as well, brushing her hair from her face. "That... that wasn't too soon, was it?"
"I don't know," she said, her hands trembling as she ran them down his chest. "I need more testing to be sure."
"Well, I'll have to arrange that, then, won't I?" he said with a chuckle. Then his laughter smoothed and he gazed into her eyes. "Maker's breath, but you're beautiful. I am a lucky man." After he realized that they had stopped in the middle of the road in full view of anyone who might pass by, his eyes flicked away quickly before returning to her. "Now..." he cleared his throat. "Let's get back to... what we were up to before. Lest I forget why we're here."
She joined his self deprecating laughter before she bent to retrieve her sack, then kissed his cheek. "We'll talk more later, in private. I promise."
"I look forward to it," he agreed, falling into step beside her.
The camp that the others had set up was not much farther down the road. When they stepped across the perimeter, Barkspawn jumped up and ran to her, barking loudly and drew attention to the fact that they had been a suspiciously long time behind Leliana and Wynne. She knelt to stuff a bone in his mouth that she had picked up at the store and he barked around the obstruction before heading off to the edge of camp near her tent to gnaw on the treat. She attempted to hide the flush in her cheeks as she joined the others by the fire where even Morrigan sat listening to Leliana describe the temple in great detail. The witch's eyes fell on her momentarily before rising to glance at Alistair who's cheeks were also mildly reddened. A sour expression wrinkled her nose as the possibility of what had happened dawned on her. Morrigan and Alistair flat out hated each other, trading bitter and angry jibes with each other every chance they got. Of course the thought of being romantically involved with him would turn her stomach, but Solona refused to allow Morrigan's opinion to ruin the euphoria she was riding on. The Blight felt distant as she thought about the press of his lips against hers. Alistair was none too discreet as he took a spot right beside her and they exchanged a glance and a knowing smile, the redness returning to her cheeks as she grinned like an idiot right there in front of everyone.
Luckily, most of the assembled group was wrapped up in Leliana's story and did not notice her stupid grin, or his for that matter. Later, after they had washed up and had supper, she sorted out her loot from the store and left Zevran's boots in the sack. She wandered over to the elf who had taken first watch with Barkspawn. "I have something for you," she said offering up the bag.
He cocked his head and she had to push it toward him again before he tentatively took it from her grasp. He opened the sack and peered inside. "Hmm... that smell..." he pulled the boots from the bag and admired the craftsmanship. "This is Antivan leather, isn't it? I would know that anywhere!" He chuckled in delight as he set them down beside him and began to remove one of his other boots. "I don't know how you found it, but thank you!"
"You're quite welcome," she said, enjoying the giddy smile in his face as he slipped the boot on his foot.
"And they fit as well, marvelous! Now if only you could find me a prostitute or two, a bowl of fish chowder and a corrupt politician, I'd really feel like I was home!" he laughed again.
She patted his shoulder and laughed at his joke before leaving him to put on the other one. She headed back toward the fire where Alistair was sitting. He noted her approach and glanced around for prying eyes before waving her over to join him. "Hey, I'm sorry about earlier. I should maybe be a bit more discreet for the time being," he said as she sat down beside him.
She shrugged. "I'm pretty sure our tardy arrival back at camp was noted by just about everyone as it is... I'm not saying we shout it from the top of the Circle tower, but if anyone sees or figures us out, I don't see why we should deny it."
He grinned and chuckled, nudging her shoulder with his. "Did you see Morrigan's face? It was like she bit into a lemon."
Solona joined his laughter. "I know. Maker forbid... feelings..." Solona stuck out her tongue and shuddered mockingly.
His knee lingered closer to hers and his pinky slipped around hers. They sat in their discreet, friendly bubble for a few moments, simply enjoying their new closeness. Solona had been trying to smash down her feelings for weeks, ignoring every innuendo and comment he made and playing them off as friendly banter. Little did she know that the entire time, his teasing had been meant the same way hers had. Suddenly, Leliana came from her tent in little more than a long tunic that hid her small clothes. Solona instinctively jerked her hand and knee from his and as Leliana passed by, she giggled merrily. "You two are not fooling anyone, you know."
She did not bother to keep her voice down and a chuckle came from where Zevran sat, sporting his new boots. When had he climbed the tree? He called down from the limb. "It is true. I knew the second you stepped into camp. Those rosy cheeks and the pout of both your lips. A first kiss was shared, no?"
She flapped her hand to shush him, but in lieu of his words, Alistair laughed out loud. "So much for discretion."
Sten poked his head from his tent. "Parshaara! Some of us are trying to sleep. Is it necessary to discuss fraternization at this hour."
"Indeed my grumpy friend. This is the best hour to discuss fraternization. The moon is high and there is a chill in the air that yearns for the press of two bodies together," Zevran teased.
"Sweet Maker," Solona growled. "That's it. I'm going to sleep."
She stood to escape the teasing, but before she got far, Alistair was after her, grabbing her arm. "As long as everyone knows..." He pressed his lips to hers in a gentle goodnight kiss. "I will see you in the morning, my dear."
She couldn't help the smile that spread over her face even as Zevran laughed loudly and Leliana reappeared at the edge of camp gushing like an apprentice. "Ohh, that is so adorable."
Honnleath was located just south of Redcliffe and a few days east of Haven. As they approached the village, Solona cringed as the familiar whisper of Darkspawn nearby began to slip through her head. "Do you feel that?" she asked as Alistair's hand tightened in hers.
"Darkspawn," he confirmed, reluctantly releasing her hand and drawing his sword and shield. Along the road into town, decorative archways stood to welcome travelers. They were not so welcoming anymore as several of the villagers swung from nooses high above their heads. The bodies could not have been more than a day old, judging by the near lack of decomposition. Solona took the lead, stepping beneath the swaying corpses and into the first circle of houses. A few frightened villagers came running from further in the village, screaming and fleeing in terror as a group of Darkspawn loped after them. Two genlocks and a hurlock to be precise. Solona stopped the monsters in their tracks with a wall of fire, allowing the villagers to get ahead. This drew the Darkspawn to her and Alistair engaged the large hurlock by bashing it away from her with his shield and then swiping at it with his sword. She twisted her fingers for a petrification spell and the two genlocks swiftly turned to stone. She slammed one with a stone fist while Sten shattered the other with his greatsword. When she turned her attention to Alistair, he was pulling his sword from the hurlock's gut, his foot holding the corpse to the ground. She grinned and he returned the expression before they waded further into the village through a sea of Darkspawn. They all seemed to be coming up from a basement entrance near the village square. There were bodies of villagers strewn all around the town, but Solona was not counting nearly as many as she expected. Then she spotted what they had come for. In the middle of the village square, surrounded by a low wooden fence and some overgrown grass was a massive golem. It stood easily 8 feet tall, it's arms raised over it's head and a look of frustration and anger frozen on it's face. It had several crystals peppered around its hands and shoulders that Solona could feel the magic pouring from. The golem had been extensively augmented. When they hit a break in the Darkspawn, Solona dropped to her knees and fished the control rod from her backpack. She stepped over the short fence and approached the massive stone beast.
She bit her lip, hesitant to activate it, but as her companions gathered around her, she was imbued with a sense of confidence and she raised the control rod and spoke the words that the merchant had given her. "Dulef Gar." When nothing happened, her shoulders slumped. It was about as disappointing as when the Rod of Fire had failed to activate near the door to the Phylactery Chamber when she was helping Jowan. She shook the rod and repeated the code, but still nothing. She sighed heavily and stuffed the rod in her belt. "Let's just go and see if we can plug whatever hole those Darkspawn are coming from."
Alistair offered a short rub of his hand up and down her back, his fingers lingering on her lower back for a moment before they followed the others toward the door to the basement. The home had clearly belonged to a mage if the texts and artifacts in the basement were any indication. There was a pile of bodies near the basement entrance and Solona glanced away from the festering wounds that had been inflicted by the tainted weapons of the Darkspawn, her stomach turning over. They fought through a few small groups of Darkspawn before they found the large hole they were crawling up from. Solona and Morrigan combined their will to bring a huge pile of earth from the surface to plug the hole and then piled some of the cracked boulders from the stone floor over top to seal it. They continued further into the basement to be certain there were no more entry points and discovered a group of villagers huddled behind a magical barrier as the Darkspawn shrieked and slashed their weapons at the barrier, trying to get to the group. Solona and her people easily dispatched the Darkspawn and she approached the barrier, looking for the mage that was maintaining it.
One of the village women shouted in excitement "By the Maker! We're saved!"
A man standing beside her cocked his head and Solona recognized the tug of magic from him. "You weren't sent by the Bann, were you? To save us?"
"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm a Grey Warden."
"A Grey Warden? Here? Thank the Maker for our luck! But if you weren't sent by someone, why are you here? If you don't mind my asking," the mage said, his eyes narrowing.
"I came looking for the owner of the statue in the square," she explained.
"The statue outside? Why would... ah, I think I see... You bought the control rod, didn't you? You came here looking for Shale..." he lifted his arm with a sigh and his fingers flicked in a pattern that allowed passage through the barrier. The rest of the villagers ran at the nod of his head, and Solona touched her fingers to the barrier in wonder as it reacted to her touch, but still allowed her access. "That damnable golem brought us nothing but trouble. My mother sold the rod years ago after it killed my father, and good riddance."
"Killed your father? What do you mean?" she asked, knowing that golems were not inherently violent or capable of disobeying their masters.
The mage turned around from his pace away from the barrier and regarded her. "My father's name was Wilhelm, mage to the Arls of Redcliffe and a hero in the war against Orlais. And what did he get? One day, my mother found him outside the tower, with so many broken bones she could barely recognize him, and Shale standing over him just as it is now. My father deserved better than that. But if you really want to wake Shale up... Well, it's yours now."
"Except the rod doesn't work. Nothing happens," Solona explained.
The mage crossed his arms and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "My mother might have passed along the wrong command phrase when she sold the rod. She said she never wanted to see Shale active again... Look, I'll tell you the command phrase... but I need your help, first. I know you already saved my life, and I'm grateful, but my daughter is inside the laboratory. She was afraid, and ran too far in before I could stop her. I don't know how she made it past my father's defenses. One of the men tried to go after her. He was killed. But... you could find her, couldn't you?"
Solona immediately decided to help. She had a soft spot for children, always willing to go above and beyond to save a child. "What killed this man who went after her?" She wanted to help, but she could not go in blind.
"There are defenses my father put down here to keep strangers out. I knew about the barrier, I had the key for that, but the rest of it? We never came down here. Ever," he explained.
Solona placed a comforting hand on the man's arm. "I'll see if I can find her."
"You will? Thank the Maker!" the man shouted, ushering her attention to the door behind him. "My father's laboratory is just past the next area, I think. She has to be there."
When Solona saw the tight squeeze of the hall through the doorway, she slimmed her party down to Alistair, Zevran and Morrigan, leaving the others to keep watch. They eased through the narrow hallway, Zevran on point, alert for any traps that might be awaiting them. They were attacked by a few shades and dust wraiths as they went along, finding the body of the man who had tried to follow the mage's daughter. The veil was extremely thin in this place, making her nose twitch. She noticed some more of the crystals scattered around the place like the ones that had been added to the golem. She gathered up the ones she saw, dropping them in her pack in case they were able to activate the golem. It may know more about the function of the crystals.
When they finally reached the end of the winding hallway, there was another barrier. This one, Solona noticed as she passed through, was demon specific. A small voice rose from the bottom of a staircase leading into a room with a strange puzzle on the floor "What do you mean you've never climbed a tree? Don't cat's like to be in trees?" Solona descended the stairs, noticing a young girl of about ten, kneeling next to a cat. Her blonde hair was done in pig tails and she giggled happily. When she noticed people approaching her, she stood. "Oh, look! Someone's come to play!" She looked up at Solona as Alistair and Zevran flanked her and Morrigan began to skirt the room to get a better look at the puzzle. "You have come to play, haven't you? We're playing a guessing game. It's better with more people.
"We?" Solona asked, her eyes narrowing as she looked around the room. There was definitely magic here, but she could not pinpoint the source due to the sheer amount of conflicting flows. "Who is 'we'?"
The little girl giggled. "Kitty and me, of course! You don't see anyone else here, do you? Anyway, you should go if you're not going to play. Kitty finds you distracting."
"The cat... finds me distracting?" Solona asked, beginning to see what was happening here.
The girl nodded, kneeling to stroke the cat's fur. "Kitty is clever. She says you'll want to take me back to my father, but I'm not going. She would be lonely!"
The cat purred loudly, arching it's back into her hand. "You are so kind, Amalia. I would miss you dearly if you left."
"The cat... talks..." Solona said, trying her best to not frighten the child by pointing and shouting, 'demon'!
"Of course, silly!" Amalia said with another giggle.
"Talking is simple enough, once you know how," the cat purred it's eyes glowing an eerie purple, making Solona realize that it's voice was in her head, not physically coming from the cat's mouth.
Solona nodded and smiled politely. "Amalia, you need to return to your father."
The cat made a strange noise and Solona realized it was laughing. She shuddered at the off-putting sound. "Nothing you say will convince Amalia to go with you. She loves only me now. I am her friend, while you are just a stranger."
"A stranger who finds you very interesting," Solona agreed, crossing her arms.
The cat stood and took a step toward Solona. "Oh? Did you hear that, Amalia? I have another admirer."
"That's because you're wonderful, Kitty," the girl agreed happily.
"I have been bound to this chamber for decades, cut off from all contact. It has been maddening," the cat explained. So that was what Solona was feeling. Not only was the demon's magic hovering all around, but there was a spell binding it to this place. "Release me, mortal, and let me have the girl. Let us return to her father and leave this place forever."
"Let you have the girl? You mean possess her?" Solona asked carefully. She had to choose her words extremely carefully in order to get out of this with the girl intact. The cat had dug her claws in deep.
"That's such a crude way of putting it. I do not wish to harm Amalia. I merely want to see your world through her eyes. Is that so wrong?"
Solona placed her arms behind her back and stepped forward, holding a palm up to show that she was lying to her companions. "I'll free you, and you can have the girl." To kill the demon it would need to be free of the binding, and it needed to think she was on it's side.
The cat cocked it's head as if sniffing for lies. Then she said, "The mage's wards hold me within this chamber, and only a mortal may approach them. There is a trick to disarming the wards, but I do not know it. Perhaps you will succeed where the girl failed."
"Oh, this is exciting! Kitty is going to be free!" Amalia cried.
Solona approached Morrigan who had been studying the runes on the puzzle since they arrived. " 'Tis a simple thing," she said. "Even Alistair could figure it out."
Solona glanced over the five by five board, ignoring Morrigan's jab. She noticed the missing block and the directions that the magic was flowing It began at it's source and bounced in small arcs over the blocks, following the direction that the arrows on the blocks were pointing. "It's a slider puzzle," she guessed.
"Yes, but we must be careful to not cross the path of the magic... unless of course you wish to lose an appendage. The magic must follow a path across to the diagonal corner," Morrigan explained.
They set to work, sliding the heavy blocks carefully across the floor and extending the path of the magic. Solona could feel the binding weakening as they came to the end of the puzzle. "Yes! I can feel the magic fading. Oh... I had forgotten how it feels to not be caged!" the cat purred, stretching in typical cat fashion, it's front paws extended, it's butt in the air. Her tail swayed excitedly.
As Solona slid the final block into place and the binding ended with an audible crack in the air, the cat looked to the girl, her expression fiendish. "Kitty? What's happening?" Amalia said warily, as if breaking the binding had also broken her hold on the girl.
"A wonderful thing, my dear, for both of us," the cat purred, rubbing it's fur against the girl's leg, slipping gracefully between them, back and forth.
Solona removed her staff from it's holster and growled. "Keep your paws off the girl, demon!"
The cat spun, raising her hackles and hissing. "Betrayal! You will not take the girl! She is mine!"
"Kitty! You're scaring me! I won't let you inside me! I won't!" As Amalia ran from the chamber, the Demon pounced, changing mid air into the form of a desire demon. The lavender skinned half naked woman clawed at Solona in spite of not being a cat anymore. She lifted her hands in defense and quickly dropped a barrier to keep the demon off her. She shoved it away and several corpses ripped up the ground around them, to attack her friends. The demon redoubled it's efforts against Solona and she conjured a fireball, hurling it at the demon's face. She reeled back, batting at the fire while Solona prepared a tempest. She extended her barrier to envelop her unprotected companions and then unleashed the lightning storm. It crackled noisily in the tiny room, each strike of lightning booming like a bomb was being set off. She felt her pores opening and sweat pouring from her forehead with the strain of maintaining both the barrier and the storm. When all but the demon was fried and the scent of charred rotting flesh filled the room, Solona dropped her arms, breathing heavily. The barrier receded to hover over her skin alone and she grunted, calling forth one last cone of cold, her staff head dropping sloppily to the floor before she arced it before her and pulled the ice from the ground to pierce the demon as it tried to come for her again. Zevran stepped in, taking it's head with his long dagger.
"What a waste of a beautiful figure," he sighed, wiping the blood from his weapon and sheathing it as Solona withered against Alistair's chest. He held her aloft as she caught her breath.
She managed a short chuckle. "Looking to get some of that demon 'Kitty', Zev?" she teased.
Zevran's bellowing laughter cut through the now empty room and he wiped a tear from his eye. "Oh, my dear Grey Warden, your mind is so dirty. I love it!"
Alistair grunted, his arm tightening around her as a hint of jealousy sparked on his face. She gave him a reassuring pat before pushing away from him to stand on her own two feet. "Let's go make sure Amalia made it back to her father."
The trek back out of the laboratory was much easier than getting in, and when they reached Amalia, she was hugging her father tightly. He looked up at them, a grateful expression dominating his face. "You did it! You found her! Thank you so much!"
"I'm sorry I ran away, Daddy! I was so scared!" Amalia cried into his shirt, clinging to him tightly.
"It's all right, Butterfly. You're safe now. All the bad creatures are gone." After soothing Amalia, he looked back to Solona again. "The phrase to activate Shale is 'Dulen Harn.' If you still want that bloody thing. I wouldn't if I were you. Now we should go, and quickly. Thank you again. We owe you our lives." He ushered his daughter from the cellar and Solona repeated the phrase to herself so she would remember.
Back outside in the sun of the afternoon, the golem stood stock still, just as they had left it. Solona inhaled a breath, thinking about what Matthias had told her it had done to his father. She stood a distance away from it and lifted the rod again, as she had before. "Dulen Harn," she said loudly.
Years of dirt began to stir from between the cracks of the golem's stone skin. Alistair gently drug her even farther away as a great grinding sound issued forth from the golem as it's body twisted to stand straighter. First one arm and then the other began to lower, cracking sounds making Solona's own limbs shudder in sympathy. The golem twisted and moved until it was standing over them in what she assumed was a relaxed position. As she gaped at it, her head tipping to the side, her arm with the rod in it fell lax. Then the golem shocked her by opening it's mouth, sighing and then speaking. "I knew that the day would come when someone would find the control rod. And of course it is another mage. That is what it is, yes? Yes. Just my luck."
Since when did golem's talk? And with such wispy voices. She would have expected a giant walking rock to have a booming voice. Instead, it's tone was sassy, if a bit gravely and it looked upon her like all it wished to do was turn her into a paste with it's bare hands. It's eyes glowed a bright white as did the small runes carved around it's face and neck. When she finally caught up with her shock, she said, " 'Just my luck'?"
"Oh, I suppose it will fuss over me like the last mage once did. Poke and prod and cluck it's little tongue." The golem sighed heavily again and Solona could not help getting the sense that with the effeminate nature of it's voice and it's general disposition, she wanted to use the word 'she' instead of 'it', to describe the golem. "I stood here in this spot and watched the wretched little villagers scurry around me for, oh, I have no idea how long. Many, many years."
"Oh, you poor, dear!" Leliana swooned. "That would be... really, really boring."
"And the villagers had no idea they were being watched?" Alistair mumbled in Solona's ear. "Creepy."
"I was just beginning to get used to the quiet, too. Tell me, are all the villagers dead?" The golem asked with hope in it's tone.
"Not all of them, no," Solona admitted.
"Some got away then? How unfortunate," it sighed.
"You didn't care for them, I take it?" Solona asked crossing her arms.
"Familiarity breeds contempt, as they say, and after thirty years as a captive audience, I was as familiar with these villagers as one could possibly be... Not that I wished their fate on them, no, but it made for a delightful change of pace."
Solona could not help the snort that she attempted to hold back. "I'll bet."
"Well, go on, then. Out with it. What is it's command?" the golem said with a sigh.
"Do you have a name?" Solona asked, not feeling like she should treat the golem as a slave. It had a personality. A lively one at that. She had been expecting something very different, though she was not certain what.
"Perhaps. I may have forgotten after all of the years of being called 'golem'. 'Golem, fetch me that chair', 'Do be a good golem and squash that insipid bandit'. And let's not forget 'Golem, pick me up, I tire of walking'," it recited with a growl. It's head tipped slightly and it looked down at the rod in her hands. "It... does have the control rod, doesn't it? I am awake, so it... must..."
"Is something wrong?" Solona asked curiously as the golem made an expression that she interpreted as a frown.
"I see the control rod, yet I feel... Go on. Order me to do something," it requested.
Solona looked around and shrugged. "All right. Walk over there." She pointed to a vacant spot on the grass.
"And... nothing? I feel nothing. I feel no compulsion to carry out its command. I suppose this means the rod is... broken?" The golem seemed perturbed.
"Shouldn't you be happy about that?" Solona asked with a frown of her own.
"Hmm, I suppose if I can't be commanded, this means... I have free will, yes? It is simply... what should I do? I have no memories, beyond watching this village for so long. I have no purpose... I find myself at a bit of a loss..." It cocked it's head again. "What about it? It must have awoken me for some reason, no? What did it intend to do with me?"
Solona shrugged. Now that she had spoken with the golem, trying to keep it under lock and key seemed unreasonable. "I don't intend to do anything with you."
"Ah. How... unexpected? Yet refreshing." it said. "I suppose I have two options, do I not? Go with it or... go elsewhere? I... do not even know what lies beyond this village."
"What do you want to do?" Solona asked leadingly.
"I watched this village for so long, unable to move or act. My memories of anything before are... vague at best. So I have no idea what I want to do. I am glad to be mobile, is that not enough?"
"You're welcome to come with me," Solona offered, tossing the broken control rod away to show that she did not intend to try and control the golem.
"Are... you certain you want to bring that thing with us?" Alistair asked her quietly. "It could be dangerous. And large."
"Think of it as a portable battering ram," she hissed over her shoulder, hoping the golem could not hear.
Alistair shrugged. "Good point. Better it than me, anyhow."
"I will follow it about then... for now. I am called Shale, by the way," the golem said by way of decision.
"I am Solona. Pleased to meet you." she offered a short bow of her head and a smile.
"This should be interesting," the golem said with a sigh as it fell in at the back of her group. Halfway out the village gates, Solona passed by a chicken that had gotten loose from a nearby yard. She paid it little mind until a sharp, frightened cluck rose from behind her and was quickly silenced. When she turned to see what had happened, Shale stood over what was little more than a blood stain on the ground, the chicken crushed beneath it's feet. It shrugged and Solona grinned.
Shale was a fascinating creature. The 'soft and squishy' humans around it seemed to do nothing but irritate and bore it, but whenever Solona went to speak to it, it was always willing to divulge all sorts of information even if it was coupled with deep gravely sighs. It took her party only two days to return to Redciffe with the ashes, and Shale complained each time they stopped to either eat or sleep. Apparently the human condition was an inconvenience when you were a stone creature that never slept. In spite of all the complaining and heavy sighs, Shale seemed to enjoy the company and it enjoyed talking. After thirty years frozen with no one to talk to, it likely would be a relief to have someone to share things with. Even if that other person was a 'puny flesh ridden creature'.
Solona did not plan to spend much time in Redcliffe after healing the Arl. If the Ashes worked. They had so much more to do. When they arrived early in the morning, she left the others behind to procure supplies as she and Alistair went up to the castle. Teagan eagerly greeted them, taking the Ashes reverently and summoning both Isolde and the healers. Solona watched with rapt attention near the back of the room, out of the way, as the mage prepared his spell using the Ashes. Alistair stood at her side, absently rubbing his thumb up and down over the small of her back where the rest of his hand rested nervously. He was more worried than she was. He had already lost Duncan, losing the Arl would be like losing another father. She closed her eyes and prayed, jostling his hand from her back to clasp it in hers. He smiled at her gratefully and they both turned back to watch.
Solona felt the pull of the spell as a blue aura enveloped the Arl's body. At first, nothing happened and Solona's heart sunk. Then suddenly, she noticed the Arl stirring. He woke slowly, his eyes fluttering open as if he were simply waking from a long nap rather than the weeks long coma he had been in. He glanced around, recognizing his bedroom and frowning at the gathering of people around him. "Be calm, brother," Teagan soothed, stepping up beside the bed. "You have been deathly ill for a very long time. Do you remember nothing?"
The Arl's eyes widened, but he did not attempt to sit up. "Teagan? What are you doing here? Where is Isolde?" The woman rushed to his side, kneeling by the bed and taking his hand in hers.
"I am here, my husband," she sobbed.
Eamon looked at her and a soft smile briefly slipped over his face. "And Connor? Where is my boy? Where is our son?"
"He lives," Isolde said, glancing up at Alistair and Solona gratefully. "though many others are dead. There is much to tell you, husband."
"Dead?" Eamon sighed. "Then... it was not a dream." He slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.
"Much has happened since you fell ill, brother." Teagan explained. "Some of it will not be... easy for you to hear."
"Then tell me. I wish to hear all of it," he said with resignation.
As the healers slipped from the room, Solona tugged on Alistair's hand and they too left the Arl alone with his family. Just outside the door after she closed it behind her, she turned and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you," he whispered. "We couldn't have done this all without you."
She shrugged, nuzzling her face into his chest. "We never would have come here if it weren't for you."
"You see... and Morrigan says I'm not clever..." he said with a chuckle.
"They don't make stupid templars," she pointed out.
"That's exactly what I told her!" he said pulling out of the hug. "Have you been reading my mind?"
"Yes. I am a blood mage," she joked, her voice low in case someone was listening who might take her seriously.
"I knew you had put a spell on me," he teased. "Perhaps I should take out my sword and..." he stopped talking as several servants wandered past and Solona giggled as the tips of his ears and his cheeks flushed bright crimson.
"Perhaps the hallway in the Arl's castle is not the place to be discussing what you're going to do with your sword," she teased as the servants walked out of earshot.
"Hmm," he said watching for more prying eyes. "You are likely right. As usual. Do you ever get tired of that? Being right, I mean?"
"I'm not always right," she said turning her head away from him to blush. "No one is always right."
"Well, personally I have not seen you make a bad decision since we've met," he reminded her.
"I chose you, didn't I?" she grinned.
"Oh! Ouch!" he said placing a hand over his heart. "Lightning bolt through the pride. Not nice!"
She shrugged. "I never said I was nice..."
He chuckled and snuck a quick kiss on her lips.
Hours later, they were finally called to the main hall where Eamon stood flanked by Teagan and Isolde. He looked much stronger, his eyes less sunken and his cheeks less hollow, though the lingering effects of the poison had all but disappeared. The Ashes had truly performed a miracle. He glanced down at Solona and then his eyes shifted and he smiled warmly at Alistair, even if it was a tentative smile. Then he spoke. "This is most troubling. There is much to be done, that is true, but I should first be thankful to those who have done so much." His gaze fell back on Solona. "Grey Warden, you have not only saved my life, but kept my family safe as well. I am in your debt. Will you permit me to offer you a reward for your services?"
She had her hands clasped behind her back and she averted her gaze, shuffling her feet. "I need your help against the Blight. That will do," she said modestly.
The Arl scoffed. "I understand, but regardless of your motivations, I feel you are worthy of a reward. I would like to honor your efforts, nothing more."
"As you wish, then," she said, still uncomfortable to be receiving such praise. She was a mage. Never did mages get so much honor heaped on them.
"Then allow me to declare you and those traveling with you Champions of Redcliffe. You will always be welcome guests within these halls. And for you Warden, a shield of the same make as those that have been given to our finest knights," he offered.
"Thank you, your grace," she said, admiring the heavy shield as it was placed in her hands. Alistair would benefit greatly from a replacement for his old templar shield.
Teagan seemed agitated by the ceremony and he spoke up, dancing from foot to foot. "We should speak of Loghain, brother." Alistair quietly took the shield from her, relieving her of the burden. How he carried such heavy hunks of metal all of the time, she would never guess. He made it look easy as he swung it around on the battlefield. "There is no telling what he will do once he learns of your recovery."
Eamon sighed. "Loghain instigates a civil war even though the Darkspawn are on our very doorstep. Long I have know him. He is a sensible man, one who never desired power."
"I was there when he announced he was taking control of the throne. He is mad with ambition, I tell you," Teagan insisted.
"Mad indeed," Eamon agreed. "Mad enough to kill Cailan, to attempt to kill myself and destroy my lands... Whatever happened to him, Loghain must be stopped. What's more, we can scarce afford to fight this war to its bitter end."
"But you can unite the nobility against Loghain, can't you?" Solona asked urgently.
"I could unite those opposing Loghain, yes. But not all oppose him. He has some very powerful allies," Eamon explained. "We have no time to wage a campaign against him. Someone must surrender if Ferelden is to have any chance of fighting the Darkspawn."
"But once everyone learns what he has done..." Solona began.
Eamon held up a hand. "I will spread word of Loghain's treachery both here and against the King, but it will be but a claim made without proof. Those claims will give Loghain's allies pause, but we must combine it with a challenge Loghain cannot ignore." He turned and paced towards the fire. "We need someone with a stronger claim to the throne than Loghain's daughter, the queen."
Teagan gasped. "Are you referring to Alistair, brother? Are you certain?"
Eamon sighed and returned to where he had been standing. "I would not propose such a thing if we had an alternative. But the unthinkable has occurred."
"You intend to put Alistair forward as king?" Solona gasped, glancing over at the man in question whose expression had turned sour.
"Teagan and I have a claim through marriage, but we would seem opportunists, no better than Loghain. Alistair's claim is by blood," Eamon continued.
"And what about me?" Alistair blurted angrily, his fists clenched. "Does anyone care what I want?"
Solona clenched her own fists to prevent herself from touching him in comfort. "You have a responsibility, Alistair," Eamon chided gently. "Without you, Loghain wins. I would have to support him, for the sake of Ferelden. Is that what you want?"
Alistair's expression fell and his fists loosened. "I... but, I... No, my lord."
"I see only one way to proceed," Eamon said eagerly now that he had Alistair's grudging approval. "I will call for a Landsmeet, a gathering of all of Ferelden's nobility in the city of Denerim. There, Ferelden can decide who shall rule, one way or another. Then the business of fighting our true foe can begin. What say you to that, my friend? I do not wish to proceed without your blessing."
All eyes were on her and she flinched. "My blessing? Why do you need my blessing?" she squeaked, not really liking the idea of putting Alistair forward as king. Though it looked as though she would have little choice.
Eamon smiled warmly. "None of this would be possible without you. You led Alistair here, you saved my life with the Urn of Sacred Ashes... Its your lead I follow." Sweet Maker, no pressure, Solona thought, her palms beginning to sweat. "I am a credible enough figure in this nation to call the Landsmeet, but I hold no illusions that I could face Loghain without you. Surely you see that."
Solona glanced back and forth between Alistair and Eamon. She needed to make a decision. Biting her lip, she apologized to Alistair with her eyes and ensured him they would discuss everything later. For now, she opened her mouth and sighed defeat. "I say we proceed with your plan."
Eamon nodded. "Very well. I will send out the word, but before we proceed, I believe there is the matter of the mage, my son's tutor. He still lives, I understand." Eamon looked to Teagan.
"He does. He is in the dungeon, brother."
"Have him brought here, Teagan. I wish to see him." Teagan bowed out and after a few agonizingly awkward minutes of silence, he returned with Jowan at his heel. Eamon looked over the quiet and cowed blood mage and sneered. "Jowan. What you have done is not in question. You tried to assassinate me, and set into motion a series of events that nearly destroyed everything I cherish. What have you to say in your own defense?"
Jowan refused to look at Eamon, though his eyes flicked momentarily to Solona as he sighed apologetically. "Nothing, my lord, other than to say I am sorry. I expect no mercy for what I've done."
Solona despised seeing her friend so broken. He had once been so much like her. Inquisitive, intelligent, and willing to see the humor in anything. Now he was a husk of man who lost everything. "I see," Eamon said harshly. "Grey Warden. Have you anything to say on Jowan's behalf?"
Solona squared her shoulders and looked directly in the Arl's eyes where Jowan refused to look. "He was once a good man, and a friend."
"Well said," Eamon said, his voice softening. "You show more loyalty, perhaps, than he would in your shoes. And what would you have me do? As the injured party, my ability to see the merciful path is... strained."
"Let him go," Solona pleaded. "Allow the Circle to hunt him if they wish." It was as much a punishment as whatever the Circle had in store for him. He would be on the run forever. Always hunted and unable to use his magic for fear of being caught. Jowan knew this, she could see the understanding in his face as he looked at her in horror. Eamon was not convinced.
"That I cannot do. He is a maleficar. I cannot unleash him on a land already wracked by war and chaos... I am sorry." Eamon turned from Solona to address her friend. "Jowan, I hereby turn you over to the tower of the Circle of Magi. May the Maker have mercy on your soul."
Solona cringed. At best, Jowan would be killed. At worst, his mind would be mutilated and he would be made Tranquil. A worse fate than death in her opinion. Still, he accepted it with dignity. "Thank you, my lord." He looked to her and a single tear slipped from his eye. "And goodbye, my... friend."
As Jowan was hauled off by a pair of Eamon's knights, the Arl spoke again. "Now, back to the matter of the Landsmeet..." As if he hadn't just condemned a man to death or worse. "It will take some time to recall my forces and organize our allies. I would prefer to wait until that is done before calling the Landsmeet. In the meantime, I suggest you pursue the remainder of the Grey Warden treaties. We need all the allies we can get if we are to defeat the Darkspawn."
Solona bowed shortly and with a glance at Alistair, they left the main hall to exit the castle. It was early afternoon, and she saw no point in wasting the day when they could make certain they were well stocked with supplies and begin the journey to Orzammar. Alistair stopped her on the bridge leading away from the castle and to the road where they had planned to meet back up with the others. "Hey, I'm sorry about your friend."
She accepted the hug he offered and sighed. "I'm sorry I agreed with Eamon's plan to put you forward as king."
Alistair grunted. "I'm not. If it means that Loghain will get what's coming to him, I'm willing to do what needs to be done."
"You actually want to be king?" she asked in surprise.
He snorted. "Maker's breath, no... but sometimes life isn't about what you want."
"Becoming king would change everything," she said warily.
He sighed. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, we have to convince the dwarves and the elves to help us with the Darkspawn."
Her shoulders slumped in agreement. "Fine, let's just cross this bridge that we're on."
She was standing in a crevasse, surrounded by hundreds of Darkspawn. The shifting nervous energy of all of the bodies pressed together was enough to give her a headache. As she glanced around, disgusted by the hunks of dead flesh and corruption that grew on the walls surrounding her, she grimaced. Overhead, the sky was a sickly green color, and dragon bones protruded from the walls of the crevasse. She hopelessly hunted for a way to climb out of the pit, but there were simply too many bodies around her. As she tried to push her way through, suddenly all eyes lifted above, hers included. She heard the flapping of a great pair of wings as the Archdemon descended on the horde, landing on a cliff overlooking the congregated bodies. It scanned it's armies and suddenly, it's eyes landed directly on her. She froze in place, her eyes locked with the massive tainted creature. It suddenly let out a bellowing roar that forced her to clap her hands over her ears.
She woke with a shout, her heart racing. It had seen her. She knew it had seen her. She scrambled to her feet and fought with the flap of her tent as her hands shook in fear. When she managed to get out of the tent, Alistair was emerging from his across the way, a look of confusion and terror painting his features. She ran to him and he embraced her tightly. "You're awake!" he exclaimed as the ruckus they were making drew the others from their slumbering. "Did you... Did you feel it, too?" As she buried her face in his tunic, he continued to explain for the benefit of the others. "It was like the Archdemon saw us... Saw us! What does that mean?"
A strange noise broke the silence before she could answer, turning her blood to ice. She gripped his shoulders as she looked up at him. "What was that?"
"Shrieks!" he gasped as she pushed her away so he could run to his tent and grab his weapons. Out of thin air, the stealthy creatures appeared in the middle of the camp. Solona wasted no time. She called on her magic, scorching the one that got closest to her. Then she backpedaled, as the others jumped into action. Shale stepped in, snatching one of the Darkspawn from the ground and ripping it in two before tossing the pieces aside and lifting its leg to step on a genlock that had joined the fray. Morrigan was suddenly a man sized spider, webs shooting from her bulbous rear and trapping one of the quick moving shrieks before it could jump on Zevran's back. He spun around and shanked the Darkspawn before disappearing, only to reappear across the camp to stab a hurlock in the back. Leliana had grabbed her bow and was raining arrows around the perimeter of the camp as Darkspawn attempted to bypass the barrier that Wynne was erecting. Sten and Shale now stood back to back, a duo so fearsome that the Darkspawn were avoiding them in favor of Solona and Alistair. Solona showed no mercy, flinging shards of ice from her palms like daggers to cut through the crowd, then she channeled lightning to her hands and sparked it across the field to drop a pair of hurlocks trying to surround Zevran as he fought a shriek who was trying to claw his face. Alistair charged a hurlock and genlock who were standing together and knocked them back with his shield. The he spun and slashed at then with the edge of his shield and with his sword, opening gashes in their flesh that spurted blood onto his tunic.
None of them had been prepared. The entire group was fighting in their pajamas and Solona took a split second to let out a short, mad bit of laughter as she realized that Zevran was fighting in nothing but his small clothes. "Zev, you git! Do you always sleep in your smalls?"
His amused chuckle reached her ears and he retorted, "No. Usually I am naked, my dear Grey Warden. The cold Ferelden air really gets the blood pumping!"
"I did not hear that," she snorted. Morrigan skittered by, her eight legs making Solona shudder just a bit as she rose upon her front set and spat a deadly poison from between her fangs. It landed on a charging genlock's face and when it fell, it's skin melting away like she'd thrown acid on it, she scurried over and used her powerful front legs to pierce through it's chest several times. Solona glanced around and as Sten's greatsword cleaved a shriek in two, the Darkspawn receded, Wynne's barrier driving them off.
Alistair jogged over to her, making certain she wasn't hurt before sighing and stabbing his sword into the ground at his feet. "I guess it's like Duncan once said... We can sense them and they can sense us. We'd best be more careful from now on... This camp isn't safe any longer."
Morrigan's magic hummed in the air as she turned back to her usual form and grunted. "What will they send next? Darkspawn tax collectors?" She brushed dirt from her sleeve and sauntered back toward her lean to.
"Fortifications should be built around the camp," Sten suggested.
"How unnerving," Leliana said hugging herself.
"It will be more difficult to sleep here now," Wynne agreed.
Zevran scoffed and crossed his arms. "What, no trap? no ambush? Hmph... Some assassins..."
"It is done, let us move on," Shale suggested.
Solona couldn't help but agree. "Staying here would be a bad idea. I know it's late, but we should pack up and go."
Nobody argued. Solona checked on Bodhan and his son, and they seemed frightened but unscathed. Within the hour, they were back on the road, Wynne and Solona lighting their way with their staves.
Two nights later, Solona was chatting with Leliana when she felt Alistair's gaze on her. She turned to see him watching her closely. She could tell he had something on his mind, but the flush at the tips of his ears made her wonder exactly what he had been thinking about. She rose her brows at him in question and he grinned teasingly then casually tossed his head in invitation. He got up from the log he was sitting on and disappeared from the perimeter of camp. She went back to her conversation, not wanting to be overly obvious. The last time he had called her away from camp, it had been to snog for half an hour until they were interrupted by Zevran who teased her relentlessly for three days afterward. When Leliana said she was turning in, Solona excused herself quietly and made a beeline for where Alistair had disappeared to.
She came upon him not far from the camp, away, but not dangerously so. She paused to watch him pace, running his hands through his hair and mumbling to himself. She crossed her arms and waited for him to notice her. When he finally looked up, his cheeks and ears flushed again and she chuckled in amusement. "What's got you all worked up?"
"All right. I guess I really don't know how to ask you this..." he stuttered as she approached him.
She reached up and brushed her fingers over his brow. "Are you sweating?" she teased.
"No!" he jerked away, batting at her hand. "I mean yes. I mean... I'm a little nervous, sure. Not that this is anything bad or frightening or... well, yes." He groaned in defeat as she watched him have a silent heart attack. What in the Maker's name had him so on edge? "Oh, how do I say this? You'd think it would be easier, but every time I'm around you, I feel as if my head's about to explode. I... I can't think straight..." He lifted his hands up, miming his head exploding and she chuckled at how darn adorable he was being.
"That's very sweet," she said reaching out and taking one of his hands in hers, attempting to soothe him. His palms were sweaty.
"Here's the thing... being near you makes me crazy," he said with an awkward chuckle. "But I can't imagine being without you. Not ever. I don't know how to say this another way... I want to spend the night with you. Here, in the camp. Maybe this is too fast, I don't know, but... I know what I feel."
Solona squeezed his hand. "You want to spend the night? Are you sure?" she asked. She was more than willing, but she knew she would be his first. She didn't want him to rush things because he thought it might be what she wanted.
He sighed. "I wanted to wait for the perfect time, the perfect place... but when will it be perfect? If things were, we wouldn't even have met." He brushed her hair from her face, the awkward young templar replaced by the man she had fallen for in a matter of seconds. "We sort of... stumbled into each other, and despite this being the least perfect time, I still found myself falling for you in between all the fighting and everything else. I don't want to wait anymore. I've... I've never done this before. You know that. I want it to be with you... while we have the chance. In case..."
She stopped him with a finger on his lip before he brought her memory back around to the attack on the camp. She didn't want to think about that. Not now. "No need to say anything else. I agree." She smiled up at him and reached up on her toes to remove her finger and replace it with her lips.
The press of his mouth to hers drew her closer to him, the small rivets on her armor tinkling against his cuirass. His hand came up and found its way into her hair to gently massage her scalp. When her fingers began to work the straps loose on his chestplate, he chuckled around the kiss and pulled away. "Don't you think we'll want to move this under cover of tent before we start in on all of that?"
Without a word, she took his hand, smiling, and pulled him along behind her toward the camp's perimeter. She peered around a tree to see if anyone was still up while he moved up behind her, planting short light kisses on her neck, brushing her hair over her opposite shoulder. It was all she could do not to moan out loud and draw attention from anyone who might be still awake. Turning her head into him, she nipped at his ear in response, before again turning to survey the camp. The coast seemed clear, so she quietly tiptoed to her tent with him on her heels.
As soon as they were inside, she spun to wrap her arms around his neck and press her body to his, that annoying clink sound happening again. She slid her hands down to work on his buckles as she again joined their lips. As his chestplate fell into her hands, she dropped it with a thunk on the ground, kicking it away. She dragged her lips lightly over the light stubble of his cheek to whisper in his ear. "So tell me, templar man, What are you going to do with that sword?"
"Maker's breath," he sighed quietly. His hands trembled as he fumbled with her belt.
She slowed her advances, dropping her hands to pull his away from her armor. "Hey..." she drew his gaze up to hers and offered him an encouraging smile and kissed him gently on the lips. "You've already won me. There is no need to impress me. Would you... like me to steer you around the curves?" she placed his hand on the swell of her hip and moved it around her body so he was gripping her ass. "At least until you get your bearings?"
His hands had stopped trembling and he sighed. "I should be better at this. At least you know what you're doing."
She snorted. "My first time was with another apprentice behind a bookshelf in the library. We were both so terrified that we would be caught that halfway through, he slipped out when we heard a noise and was so startled that he tripped over his own robes and cracked his forehead on the shelf. You should have seen us explaining that to the healer." He smiled briefly as she slowly began to undo her own trappings before moving on to his. She allowed him the pleasure of easily slipping his hands between her clothes and her skin and removing them. "Everyone has a first time. If you're lucky it's with someone who truly cares about you and wants it to be fun for both of you. Not just themselves." She leaned in and kissed along his jaw, letting him simply wander his hands over her skin, while she admired his physique with her fingers. His build told of countless hours of rigorous training and she suddenly realized how he was able to handle that heavy shield so easily. She had denied herself the pleasure in the temple of admiring everything he had to offer, but now she explored every inch, combing his flesh with both hands and eyes.
She was not alone in her scrutiny. His eyes didn't seem to know where to look first. She giggled as he tentatively reached behind her and fiddled with the small hooks that held her breastband in place. "What in Andraste's name are these things made of?" he asked with a chuckle as his hands fell to her hips in defeat. She reached behind her with one hand and deftly flipped the hooks open. The cloth fell to the floor and all hints of frustration escaped his face as he admired her assets. He smirked and then looked up at her, dragging his eyes away. "Would you mind if I...?" He never finished his sentence as she held her arms out in invitation for him to do as he pleased. Thinking he was going to reach out with his hands, she snorted and giggled as he lifted her off her feet and plunged in face first. "This is my new favorite pillow," he said in a mocking and muffled voice as he snuggled against her breasts.
She gripped his biceps as they flexed to hold her aloft and her nails dug into his flesh. With a choked gasp, she said, "Perhaps we should take this down."
He pulled his head from it's nest and grinned at her. "What? Afraid I'm going to drop you?" he asked teasingly, releasing his grip for a split second so she briefly fell a few inches.
"No," she said softly. "But we are in a tent. That leaves few surfaces other than the floor for us to get creative with." The inches he had dropped her put her at the perfect height to lean in and lightly graze her teeth over the sensitive skin on his neck just below his ear. He slowly submitted, gently setting her back on her feet so they could lie down. She took the lead, pushing him onto his back and climbing over him to straddle his waist. She worked him up, kissing and nipping over his neck and ears and then working her way back to his lips. His hands found their way up her hips, tracing her curves upwards before taking her breasts in his palms. She allowed him to find his own way, letting him discover his own likes and dislikes. He enjoyed kissing her, but he rarely used his teeth, even grazing, in spite of her own use of teeth as she bit his bottom lip, lightly. He seemed to like it when she used hers though all the evidence she needed pressing against her backside. She pushed down wards, enjoying the feel of him against her and he hummed in delight, his hips lifting in response.
They soon lost themselves in the passion of each other rather than worrying about precisely what they were doing. Lighthearted quips and laughter filled the air as much as the moans and sighs as they found something else they enjoyed together. In spite of his nerves and inexperience, he was good with his body giving her ample reason to rake her nails down his chest, which she attempted to control by grabbing hold of the blanket beneath them, balling it up in her fists as she moaned in ecstasy. It had been so long since she'd had release, and she wanted to savor their first time. He swallowed her moan as he pressed his hungry mouth to hers, relentlessly caressing in and out of her body. She could feel the swell of him increase as he came closer and closer to release. Her muscles tightened, drawing a pained grunt from his throat. "Maker," he whispered, his breaths shallow and quick, his heart beating wildly against her hand as she pressed her palms to his chest.
He thrust her over the edge and she bit down on the meat of his shoulder to stifle her pleasured scream. As soon as her muscles tightened, it spilled him over the edge and he pushed as deep as he could, his head lifting to touch his cheek to hers. As she laid there, twitching on top of him, she moved her arms above his head and smiled, having truly enjoyed herself for the first time in a very long time.
He carefully lifted her off of him, his exit making her writhe and giggle as she rolled to her elbow beside him. His hand slipped up over her abdomen, goose pimples rising wherever he touched. "Hmm, you know," he said with a chuckle. "According to all the sisters at the monastery, I should have been struck by lightning by now."
She shrugged and smirked. "It could still happen..."
She laughed as she sparked small arcs of lightning between her fingers to run them along his arm, giving him his own gooseflesh. "Sure, but if you get hit by the lightning afterwards, it hardly seems like an effective deterrent. You do realize the rest of our party is going to talk, right? They do that."
She snorted and waved her hand, unconcerned. "First smart comment and I feed them to the Darkspawn."
"See," he leaned over and nuzzled her neck. "This is why I love you." His profession fell on her and her slowly decreasing heart rate began to speed up again. It was said with such a carefree tone that she was uncertain how to take it. Was it a term of endearment, or did he truly mean it? As she bit her lip and said nothing, his wandering hand continued to wander, sliding around her hip and pulling her closer to him. "So, what now? Where do we go from here?"
She reached up to cup his face and caress his cheek with her thumb, studying the joy in his eyes. Even in the relative darkness of the tent, she could feel his contentment, mirroring her own. "We stay together, no matter what happens."
"Right," he said turning his head to kiss her palm."I can handle that. I hope... Before we go to sleep, have I told you that I love you? I did? Well, it won't kill you to hear it again, will it?" She could hear him practically begging her not to ignore that he'd said it this time.
Now that she knew he had meant it, her racing heart was beating out of her chest with excitement. "I love you, too," she declared, meaning the words more than she ever had before. The word had been tossed around in the tower so often that it had begun to become a hollow thing that simply meant you would meet that person once in a dark corner for a few stolen moments before you barely spoke to them again.
"See?" he chuckled giddily. "Was that so hard?"
She could not bear to squash the happiness that was hovering between them, but she had to know his opinion. They had been set down a path that could separate them as easily as the Blight. He could be king of all Ferelden. Where would that leave her? "Where do you see this going between us?" she asked suddenly.
His hand froze and he frowned "Wow, you don't hold back on the hard questions, huh?" he sighed, pulling her against him again. She shifted so she laid on her side, facing him, their legs intertwined. His blue eyes studied her thoughtfully as his thumb caressed her hip idly. "I don't know where this is going. We have the Blight to think of, don't we? Everything else just seems so... distant."
She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close. "I won't let you go, Alistair. No matter what."
"Nor I you," he assured her softly before pulling away to plant a kiss on her forehead. "Let's just deal with the Blight, first. There will be time for these sorts of discussions later, trust me."
She rolled over, pressing her back to his chest and huddled against his warmth. She was an odd combination of elated and terrified that had her shivering. He fussed with the blanket, finally getting it unraveled enough to cover them both, then his strong arm slipped up under her arm and his hand clasped hers. He kissed the back of her neck lightly. "Good night," she whispered.
"Good night, Sol," he returned, the smile on his face evident in his voice. She settled her head and closed her eyes, falling asleep easily in the safety of his arms.