OK, I have been a bit lazy on the prompt front (damn you HoTU!) so without further ado.
Prompt: Cave (also possibly Band on the Run if you squint)
“Bethy, stay with Mother and Carver – I’ll go look for shelter.”
“On your own? But Sis!”
“Shhh, Bethy. I’ll be fine on my own – I am a rogue and I know my woodcraft.”
“But you’re a Bard rogue...”
“I still know what I’m doing and right now Carver needs your healing magic and Mother needs to rest. Give me a candlemark. I will come back little sister.”
“Alright. Be safe, please Alri?”
“Always.”It had been not been long since Alrissa Hawke had melted into the surrounding forest in search of better shelter for her family. She needed to find them cover – Carver had been badly injured in their flight from Lothering and Bethany’s mage abilities could only do so much. If only Father was there...
‘But he isn’t and Mother is still dealing with the grief and you are the eldest so you will just have to do.’Right. Focus. They were relying on her and she would not falter. She was no silly milkmaid like in some of her more frivolous sagas – She had survived up till now, hadn’t she? She might not be able to cleave a backbone lengthways with a broadsword like her brother, or cast a spell to turn an enemy into stone like her sister, but she had her own abilities.
Like fading into shadows, walking on silent feet, and, of course, using her voice to entrance, embolden or incapacitate. Oh, and a certain finesse with a dagger.
She had found a large, natural river, its bed rocky rather than sandy – So maybe there were caves nearby? She moved upstream, careful to mark the way by tying yellow twine to tree branches every several steps.
Her luck must be beginning to turn because there
was a cave, but she was still wary. They might have left the...monsters behind but others could still lurk in the dark. She crept slowly up to the entrance, not moving further in until her eyes had adjusted to the gloom.
‘No signs of recent habitation by bears or anything else. More than enough room for four, firewood and fresh water nearby...Wait, what was that?’She crouched low in the shadows, backing her back to the wall and loosened her dagger in its sheath. She could hear, if she strained, ragged breathing.
‘A wounded animal? A person? Or something else?’She crept forward, ready at any moment to fight or run. The breathing was louder now, and whatever it was it was in pain. She could see a darker shadow, the shape like a man, lying on the floor of the cave.
‘It can’t be one of them, it’s not shaped right. But whoever it is they’re hurt, maybe it’s another refugee, like us?’She gathered her courage, but still placed her feet to run.
“Hello?”
A gasp greeted her question and the figure flew to its feet, pulling out the greatsword that had been hidden underneath the large cloak it wore.
Alrissa was too stunned even to run.
It was...and elf, yep – she could just make out the points of it’s, oh wait
his ears. A male elf and probably
not one of the Dalish given the ragged clothes he wore – So he was from an Alienage or maybe even an escaped slave then?
But that was not what froze her in place.
His hair was
white, not white-blonde or silver or grey but white like moonlight, but his face was young, he could not be much older than she was. But her gaze was drawn to his arms as he held to greatsword in from of him. His arms were tattooed...but in the gloom they seemed to glow...No, they
did glow...and it wasn’t just his arms...
Finally, the daughter and sister to Mages figured it out.
He was branded – with Lyrium.
Her father had always kept the Lyrium locked up, magically and otherwise, and she had been forbidden from even practising on the lock. Lyrium was dangerous, even to Mages, even to Dwarfs. Templar’s became addicted to it and it addled their minds.
How was he even alive?
“Who sent you?” The question was practically
growled. Alrissa snapped out of her daze.
“No one sent me, I’m looking for shelter.”
“And you expect me to believe that?”
The skin around his wrists was raw and red, she noticed. And his accent definitely said
Tervinter. An escaped slave, then, surely. And she had never accepted slavery. She brought her hands up, showing she was unarmed.
“I’m a refugee from Lothering, in Ferelden. We were attacked by... by Darkspawn” She had to spit the word out. “I’m just looking for somewhere safe for my family for the night.”
His shoulders seemed to slump.
“I had heard rumours...There is no way into Ferelden then?”
He looked so broken, like his only hope had been shattered.
‘He was probably seeking sanctuary from whatever bastard he escaped from.’“Come with us.” Wait, what? Who had spoken? Oh,
damn, it had been her.
“What?” He looked as shocked outwardly at her suggestion as she was inwardly.
“You look like you can wield that thing” She gestured to the sword he held “And my brother is wounded and my mother is grieving for our father and my sisters spells can only do so much and I’m only one person and if you’re with us no one with bother you if they don’t see the Lyrium...”
She was blathering but it all seemed to make so much
sense.
His face twisted in distaste. “Your sister is a Mage?” He gave the word the same venom she did for Darkspawn.
So, some mad Mage had done that to him?
“Bethany would never hurt anyone, well, that didn’t try to hurt her or someone she cared about first. Whatever Mage’s you are used to I promise she isn’t like them.”
“I have your word?”
“On my father’s name. It’s Hawke, by the way, Alrissa Hawke.”
“Call me Fenris.”
“Alright Fenris. Come on, I’ll introduce you to my family and then we can set up camp for the night, follow me.”
“Very well.”
Modifié par Tashash, 09 février 2011 - 11:13 .
Retour en haut
Then again almost all FF guys are smexy. 
) 
This thread has corrupted me, this instantly made me think of something guttermindish.
. Blame the hip-wiggle video.
