Feel free to edit/add to this, Ucci!
Elowyn’s eyes fluttered open, and she looked into the face of her Master. “Good, you’re awake!” he said, smiling. She smiled back, she couldn’t help it, she was that glad to see him after everything the both of them had been through. Her head was in his lap, and he was holding her hand. It was a strangely casual position to be in, but so comfortable. She almost drifted off again. “Elowyn,” she heard him say, “We need to find Nazlik.” Her eyes opened again, and she sat up. He appeared to be completely healed. It was amazing. He reached his hand toward her collarbone, and she shied away. “This mark,” he said.
“I’ll explain later,” she replied, looking down.
“Let me heal this wound, the one you made with your knife.” She let him touch it, and felt his cool touch close up the wound. He looked again into her eyes, as if he couldn’t believe she was really there, sitting in front of him. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come back,” he said.
She smiled shyly. “I felt you calling me.” It was a little unsettling being this close to him. How often she had thought of him while she was gone, how he had released her from the mage’s trap and returned her to the world. She reached out for his hand and held it in hers.
“I guess we’re even!” she joked.
He laughed and squeezed her hand, then reached out and picked up a strand of her hair, running it through his fingers. “Perhaps you are some beautiful Fade-creature, and I am just dreaming,” he said.
It was her turn to laugh. “Maybe I am!” She’d spent so much time in the Fade, she was beginning to feel that this side of the Veil was more real to her than the other. Caius had such a strange, bemused look on his face. Then his eyes intensified as they gazed at her. He had that smoky look again, as if his inner fires were burning. She felt herself blushing.
“Nazlik,” she said, breaking the spell.
“Yes, let’s go.” He helped her stand. “It’s so strange to be here physically,” he said. “I need you to bring me out again.”
“Oh, right!” she said. She sometimes forgot that other mages couldn’t just wink across the Veil like she could. She took his hand and stepped through. He looked around, noticing the pile of darkspawn corpses and the body of the ogre.
“What happened here?” he asked, incredulous.
“Well, first, you happened – some of these corpses were here already! Then I arrived, and… well, I had to get rid of them so I could tend to you.”
He gave her a sharp look. “I had a little help,” she said.
He closed his eyes and turned, feeling the bond he shared with Nazlik through his enchanted ring. “This way,” he said, walking south. Elowyn glanced around, worried there might be more darkspawn lurking just around the corner, but all was quiet. So far.
Elowyn ran to catch up with Caius. He was a lot taller than she, and walked faster. “Master, look! A horse has been this way.” She pointed out a pile of dung. Caius examined it. “How long was I out?” he asked.
“It couldn’t have been very long,” Elowyn said, “Or those darkspawn would have gotten you. She can’t be too far.” Caius sped up his pace, and Elowyn ran after him.
Gradually, a few evergreen trees began appearing among the rocks and boulders. A faint trail split off from the main path, leading up into a forest. Caius and Elowyn examined it, looking for hoofprints. The ground was hard. “Which way feels right?” Elowyn asked Caius. He closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating. “Up the hill,” he said, and strode off.
They dark trees closed overhead. Fallen needles muffled their footsteps. Elowyn fell a little behind. She was still a bit wiped out from the battle. She heard the stomp and snort of a horse ahead. Suddenly, the Master cried out. She scrambled up the hill. Someone had a knife to the Master’s throat! She prepared to cast, then realized the assailant was Nazlik.
“Hey!” Elowyn called out. Nazlik released Caius and turned toward her in shock. “Elowyn? What are you doing here?!”
“Uh…” She started to say, but Caius interrupted her, “Where is he?” he demanded. Nazlik laughed and hugged him. “Right here,” she said, leading him into the grove. A little boy was sitting in the clearing on a bed of pine needles. A shaft of sunlight lit up his white hair. Caius ran over and picked the baby up. Elowyn stood still, staring at the baby she’d seen in Caius’ dreams, and the boy looked at her.
“He’s a little shy of strangers,” said Nazlik. “He’s at that age.”
“Lel!” said the boy, reaching out his arms. Elowyn walked over and took him from Caius. The baby laughed when she smiled at him and bounced him on her hip. Caius and Nazlik darted a glance at each other. Caius shook his head.
“It’s as if he knows you already,” said Nazlik.
“We’ve met in dreams,” explained Elowyn. The little boy pointed, and Elowyn took him over to see a lizard on one of the trees. Its tail was bright blue. “Pretty!” said the boy, clapping. The lizard scurried around the side of the tree.
“His name is Cassius,” said Caius.
“I know,” replied Elowyn. She kissed the boy on his head. His hair smelled like pine and sunshine. Caius squeezed Nazlik’s hand. “I am so relieved that you’re safe,” he whispered to her.
“And I, you,” Nazlik said to Caius, her lip trembling. Elowyn decided to take the baby to examine a funny-looking mushroom so that Caius and Nazlik could have some time alone together.





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