343 réponses à ce sujet

[Narise]

Good for Greagoir. I love this story.

[Gilgamesh1138]

Thanks Narise! I am so glad you are enjoying it. That means a lot. Thanks for posting a reply here.

I am working on 62. Should be up today, sorry it is late.

[Gilgamesh1138]

Chapter 62


Kai put her hand on Greagoir's shoulder and looked over the edge.  From this distance the body looked like a doll

for the dollhouse of Highever she had had as a child.  It had been given to Father by some noble trying to curry

favor.  Veyryl's body looked just like one of the little guards that had come with it.  His armor shone dimly

amongst the black rocks of the island.  She felt her belly clench, and her heart tried to make its way into her

throat.  The wind blew her hair back and pushed at her like an invisible fist.  Maker, that was a long way down. 

Kai turned back to Greagoir, "You do realized that this could come back and bite you in the arse?"

"Let it.  There isn't much of an arse to bite anymore, with all that has been going on."  Greagoir grinned at her. 

A great weight seemed to have lifted from the man’s shoulders.  "He got what was coming to him; it should have been

more, but it will do."

Zev's head appeared in the trapdoor before the rest of him followed, climbing nimbly up and out.  His easy gait

carried him towards them and then to the edge where he too gazed down to the rocks below.  He turned toward

Greagoir with a wide grin on his face.  "I see the errant Templar felt such remorse over his crime that he did the

honorable thing and killed himself.  How considerate of him."  Zev chuckled and clapped a hand on Greagoir's

shoulder.  The Knight-Commander looked at Zevran and laughed.

"Perhaps we should take ourselves off the roof and find out if anyone else was aware of Veyryl's acts."  Greagoir

nodded back toward the entrance Zevran had climbed up, and they made their way back down to Irving's office.

Wynne, Argus and Gnat had all opted to stay with Irving.  Greagoir explained what had happened with Veyryl.  Even

Wynne didn't give any signs of disapproval nor a lecture of any sort.  Gnat just looked at Greagoir with approval

and a glint of respect in her eye.  Irving said nothing but came from around his desk, shook Greagoir's hand and

embraced him.  "Thank you, old friend.  I know I should be above such things, but I can't help feel some

satisfaction.  I doubt with his noble status, bastard or no, that there would have been any consequences for him. 

I wish I had been there to help you."

"No you don't, old friend.  As Kai has pointed out, this is going to bite me in the arse.  For you it could have

meant The Rite of Annulment.  Anora and the Grand Cleric are just that petty.  I will not see the Tower that this

young woman saved be destroyed because of one bastard rapist."  Greagoir smiled at Irving.  "Better it land on me."

Kai put one hand each on Greagoir’s and Irving's shoulders.  "You should know I am not about to let either of you

become fodder for either of those two petty wenches.  Three if you count The Revered Mother.  Or rather, 'The

Silver Griffon' isn't about to.  We are all in this together, gentlemen."  They both nodded at her.  "But we do

need to start figuring out who might be sympathetic to Anora and the Grand ****, and who will be with the

'Griffon.'  If we find anyone who knew about what was going on with Drysi, that might be a good start at weeding

out the undesirables."

Greagoir went to the door and spoke to the young Templar outside once again.  He closed the door and went to one of

Irving's cabinets.  He turned to Irving with a cocked eyebrow.  "May I, my friend?" Irving nodded at him.  Greagoir

opened it up and came back with a bottle of brown liquid and a short glass.  He looked at Kai and the rest. 

"Irving’s secret stash for visitors who might want something stronger than wine.  Anyone want some whiskey?"  They

all shook their heads, and Greagoir poured himself a stiff drink and threw it back as a knock came at the door.

"Come in," Irving bid the person. They all looked at the door to find the Templar Cullen slipping into the room. 

He stopped, looking confused by the people in the room, but he shut the door and nodded to Irving, then Greagoir. 

"Hello, my boy.  We need your help, Greagoir and I."

"We have a special guest, Cullen.  One I know you have met already."  Greagoir nodded to Kai.  Kai removed her hood

and stepped forward.  Cullen's eyes got wide.

"My lady, I thought you were dead!"  Cullen flushed and looked at the floor as if in shame.
"Well, to Anora and any of her followers, I am.  I would like to keep it that way, you understand?"  Kai watched as

Cullen looked up and nodded.

"I was not as courteous or as grateful as I should have been the last time we met.  I...."
Kai cut him off.  "You had just been through a terrifying ordeal.  I understand."  She smiled at him.
"As had you, my lady.  Irving and Greagoir told me what had happened to you.  And yet you refused to kill any

innocents.  I would have done so; it shames me, my lady.  Irving and I have had long talks about what Uldred did to

both of us.  I realized I wasn't alone and that mages like him and Niall were all trying, like me, to stop what was

happening.  I am sorry I did not handle it better."  Cullen looked at his feet.

"Nonsense, my dear boy!" Irving gently admonished the Templar as he turned to Kai.  "As you can see, Cullen and I

are working on not blaming ourselves for what happened and that we couldn't stop it from happening."

Kai smiled and gently touched Cullen on the arm.  "Well, maybe when you figure out how to do that, you can teach

me?"  Cullen looked her in the eyes and laughed, nodding.  "It was a horrid experience for all involved.  I am glad

you are not letting it break you.  You are too good a man and a Templar to let it, Ser Cullen."  Cullen blushed

harder.  "We need your help; I need your help.  You have heard of 'The Silver Griffon?'"

"Yes, my lady.  I traveled to Amaranthine some time back.  The Grand Cleric had summoned me there.   I saw the

devastation from the Blight and the starving people.  I had heard the stories of a person called 'The Silver

Griffon' working for Ferelden, doing what Anora should have been doing all along.  When I got to Amaranthine, the

Grand Cleric wanted me to be a part of Anora's private Templar guard.  I told the old biddy what I had seen and

what I thought of Anora.  It did not endear me to the Grand Cleric, The Revered Mother, or Anora.  I was

subsequently sent back to the Tower along with a group of young men and women who had been neither properly vetted

nor trained.  I have been helping the Knight-Commander as much as I can to rectify that."  With this Cullen drew

himself up and squared his shoulders.

"I couldn't do it without him, to tell the truth.  It has been a daunting and arduous task as is."  Greagoir

flashed Cullen a smile.  "If he weren't helping me, I would get no sleep at all instead of the four to five hours I

do manage to get now.  But now I need your help with something else entirely."  Greagoir went on to explain to

Cullen about Veyryl and Drysi and about the culprit's fall from grace and his fall from the tower.

"We need to know, my dear boy, if there are any Templars in particular that were friends with Veyryl who might have

known and looked the other way.  I, myself, with Wynne's help," Irving looked to the mage who nodded at him, "will

try and find out if there are any other victims from Veyryl's unwanted advances."

Cullen's eyebrows came together in concentration.  "A few of the younger rowdies liked to keep company with him, as

they too are noble's bastard whelps.  Others who aren't nobility hung around for the bragging rights of being part

of his group of friends, even if he was the misbegotten spawn of a mistress.  But only one Templar in particular

was his constant companion.  A man named Lorcan.  He comes from a poor family.  I think he thought that hanging

around Veyryl would make some of the nobility rub off on him or garner him some favors.  I don't know if he knew

what was going on or if he was helping.  If they were supposed to be on guard duty, then to slip away to...to do

what he was doing, he must have had Lorcan covering for him."

"Which means this Templar, even if he didn't participate, aided and abetted your molester."  Zevran's voice was the

cold voice of the assassin, and as if from nowhere, one of his small poisoned daggers appeared in his hands and

twirled between practiced fingers.

Greagoir looked at Zev with a grimace.  "I appreciate your wanting to help with our other Templar, but I would ask

that you let me handle it my way.  He may not have been aware with whom Veyryl was spending his time.  He may have

thought that it was with someone older and willing."  He raised a hand before anyone could protest.  "It does not

excuse his lack of discipline nor the fact that he went against the code of conduct we Templars are supposed to

adhere to, but we have a way of dealing with it.  It will be an opportunity for one of those 'learning moments' for

the other new recruits and a stark reminder for the older ones.  Cullen would you gather all the Templars in the

Tower at the training area?  It is large enough to hold us all."  Cullen nodded and left the room.  "My lady, I

know you will want to see and hear this, but I implore you to keep your hood up and stay in the little first-aid

atrium off the training area."  Kai nodded, and they all made their way down the Tower’s levels to file out to the

training yard behind the Tower.  This yard adjoined the Templars’ barracks.  Kai and her group quickly found the

atrium and settled themselves into positions where they could see the proceedings.

Kai watched as the Templars from the Tower and the barracks all filed out and stood in rows.  Greagoir and Cullen

stood near in the front of the gathering soldiers.  Greagoir waited until all of the Templars were there, then

called Lorcan to come forward.  He spoke briefly to the young man with a round face and mousy brown hair.  From her

position, she could not hear what was being said, but she could see the young Templar shake his head as his eyes

got wide and his face went pale.  Greagoir shook his head, and Kai heard the young man yell, "NO!".  Cullen

signaled two other Templars forward to grab the young man by the arms.  Greagoir turned back to the gathered

Templars, pitching his voice so it carried.  Kai suspected that was partially for her benefit.
"Templar Veyryl was found guilty of raping one of the mages in the tower.  Not only did he force himself on one of

them, but she was no more than a child.  He has paid the ultimate price for this crime.  Lorcan here helped him by

covering for him.  Lorcan says he did not know it was not a willing tryst nor whom it was with, but that is

irrelevant.  It is conduct unbecoming in a Templar.  We are not only here to protect citizens from the possible

abuses of magic, we are also here to protect the mages as well.  Veyryl took advantage of being a Templar and

abused his power.  Lorcan broke a sacred trust by turning a blind eye to what he was doing.  He is now stripped of

his rank and cast out of the Templars.  He is no longer your brother.  There is no such person as Lorcan.  No one

is to look at him; no one is to speak his name ever.  He does not exist."  Kai watched Lorcan shaking his head and

muttering while all of the other Templars immediately stopped looking at him.  They all looked through him. 

Greagoir went to him and removed the sash from around the young man's waist.  He took a bottle sitting next to

where he had been standing and doused the sash with the liquid in it.  Cullen handed him a torch, and Greagoir

dropped the sash on the ground and lit it with the torch.  As it burned, he took his own sash and dropped it on the

flaming pile adding a little more of the contents of the bottle.  One by one, the other Templars filed past Lorcan,

ignoring him as if he didn't exist, to take their own sashes and add them to the burning pile.  Greagoir

occasionally added more liquid from the bottle to keep the flames going.  Two who had dropped their sashes went to

hold Lorcan so those keeping him still could add theirs.  When they were finished, they released him to stand in

formation.  Kai watched as Lorcan went from Greagoir to Cullen to running amongst the others, begging and

pleading.  They all kept their faces expressionless.  Finally, he started to try and grab them, to make them look

at him.  They kept their arms locked behind their backs, or shoved him away with their shoulders, all the while

looking through him or past him.

"Look at me, damn you!"  Lorcan was yelling now.  Greagoir dismissed them, and the assembled Templars all dispersed

to go back to what they had been doing.  One Templar had apparently been assigned to get all of Lorcan's belongings

together.  He dropped a bag on the ground outside the door of the barracks before going back inside and shutting

the door, locking it with an audible click.  Kai watched as Lorcan pounded on the door, screaming.  It was then

that Kai and her group quietly went back into the tower and up Irving's office.

Kai found Irving sitting behind his desk with a sad expression while holding a glass of wine.  Greagoir was sitting

and knocking back another glass of whiskey.  "Well, gentleman, I think we had best get back to the inn.  I don't

want the man I left back in town getting jumpy and riding back to Highever to gather a Scath army, thinking I have

been locked in the Tower.  It wouldn't go well for you all."  Kai smiled.  "Irving, Greagoir, it was good to see

you again."  Kai handed Greagoir one of the Scath disks.  "Use this if you need me, Greagoir, or the 'Griffon.’ 

Send it to the barkeep at The Spoiled Princess.  He will know how to find me."

"Thank you, dear lady.  And I will, and I will tell you to do the same.  The rest of the Templars may be Anora's

lackeys, but I give you my word, any sent here will be at your disposal.  I have a feeling that before all is said

and done, you may need us all."  Greagoir gave her a small smile.  Kai grinned at him, clasping his forearm as he

clasped hers.  She gave Irving a quick hug.

"It was a pleasure spending time with you gentlemen."  Gnat gave them both a small salute, and Argus barked as if

in agreement.  Zev laughed and nodded at them.

"I will come back tomorrow, Irving, so I can help talk to the other young mages who knew Drysi and see if any

others have been victims.  Until then, my old friend."  Wynne smiled warmly at the Head Enchanter and Greagoir

before they all made their way back to the ferry landing.

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 12 juin 2010 - 09:56 .

[Gilgamesh1138]

Chapter 63



Kai and her group made it back to The Spoiled Princess just as dusk was settling in.  They met up with Jarren who

looked very nervous when they met him on the docks and much relieved when they all walked through the door to the

common room.  Oghren was still absent.  According to Jarren he had been gone all day, as had Felsi.  Zev had

chuckled at this.  Kai and the rest sat themselves down at the table, with Argus slipping under it to lie on Kai's

feet where she could rub him with her boot.
Once the girl who was on serving duty had taken their orders for various drinks and had agreed to bring them the

inn's meal of the evening, Kai explained what had happened at the Tower to Jarren.  It was as she had figured. 

Jarren, having finished his rounds about the town, had picked up the weapons and armor that Kai had brought with

them, including the new weapon for Rajed with an extra creation based off of Kai's drawings from Talan the smith. 

He had come back, deposited everything and then spent his time on the dock watching the Tower.  He had first

gathered a pile of pebbles and stones and spent his time skipping them on the water.  He had then inspected all of

his weapons and sharpened his daggers until he could split a hair with them.  When that had been completed and

there was still no boat, he had begun getting mugs of ale while he watched across the water.  Three ales in and he

realized he might be pissed faced before the boat ever showed.
It was right before he had seen the speck of the boat in the distance that he had actually started contemplating

exactly what Kai had been afraid of.  He had been about to saddle up his Ceffyl and ride back to Highever to get

the Scath there.  His overwhelming sense of relief was as plain in his face as it was in his voice as he described

seeing the boat returning across the lake.  Kai again felt humbled that she commanded his loyalty, and concern, in

such a way.

She was spared from embarrassing him even slightly by noticing his relief when the serving girl set down a platter

with a couple of loaves of bread, a knife, a bowl of butter, and then set bowls of stew in front of them.  She had

even included a bowl for Argus, which she placed under the table.  She then went back to the bar to get their

drinks.  Kai had not realized how famished she was until the smell of the freshly baked bread and savory stew hit

her nose.  Soon, the table was filled with the sounds of food being scooped up and bread being cut.

Finally, bowls were pushed back and a comfortable silence fell upon them as they drank and watched firelight light

up the room.  Wynne was the first to scrape back her chair and bid them all a good evening.  She was going to read

and go to bed, she informed them, since she was going back to the Tower in the morning to help Irving speak to the

other mages and see if there were any other victims.  Kai couldn't help but take the opportunity to tease her as

she started to leave.  "Reading The Rose of Orlais again, Wynne? You're going to wear the binding out."  She

grinned at the mage's retreating back, before Wynne turned around when she got to the door at the top of the

stairs.
"Watch it, young woman, or I might offer Zevran a chance at this bosom, and you can read it to get to sleep." 

Wynne wrinkled her nose and grinned before stepping through the door to go to the rooms.  Zevran shot her a

sidelong glance and a sly smile.

"Don't even think about it."  Kai grinned at him.  He only chuckled, and Gnat and Jarren laughed.  It wasn't long

before they all followed Wynne's example and headed off to their respective rooms.
The next morning Kai decided to take the new weapons Talan made and test them out while waiting for Wynne to get

back from the mage Tower.  She had the others and herself all packed up and ready to go once Wynne returned.  Kai

wanted to get back to Highever and see her babies.  Not to mention the fact that the others would want to see her

after her dance with the ogre.

She made her way to the open space in front of the inn and positioned herself closer to the lake.  She wanted to be

well away from any obstructions, like the covered storage area, the inn's wall, and any people who might come out

of the doorway. Kai inspected both the weapons Talan had created for Rajed.  One was the curved, almost sickle-like

blade she had asked for.  The other was a ball with a crevice bisecting the middle of it horizontally.  Jarren had

told her to give the ball a quick short jerk of the chain, and blades would slide out of the crevice.  Another

quick pull and the blades would retract.  Jarren had told her that Talan was particularly pleased with his bit of

dwarven engineering.
Kai gave the ball a quick snap of the chain and small thin blades emerged layered like scales, the thin, razor-

sharp blades supporting each other.  "That is a nasty little piece of work."  Zev's voice came from her right as he

came through the inn's door, setting a leather bag down under the bench.  He loped over to her to look at the ball

more closely.  "I wonder if our dwarven friend has some assassin in him.  Those blades could easily be poisoned. 

It is ingenious, no?"  He grinned at her and took the weapon, giving it a quick flick with his wrist and watching

the blades disappeared into their inner recesses once more.  He shook his head in amazement.  "I think it is best

you don't practice with this one just yet until you have figured out the moves which go with the chain, no?  The

blade has a thick leather sheath, the most you may do is bruise yourself.  This may break your nose or slice it

off, and I find your nose too attractive to allow that to happen.  I find it an adorable part of the whole

irreplaceable package."  He gave her a low chuckle and a raised eyebrow before kissing her and going to sit on the

bench outside the inn door.  He grabbed the bag he had set under the bench and began to remove daggers, some honing

oil, and his whetstone.

Before taking the weapon up, Kai began by performing warm up exercises.  She stretched, kicked, blocked and punched

until a nice little sweat had worked up on her skin.  She finished the “quata,” a series of prescribed moves, and

picked up the weapon Talan had created from her drawings.  Kai made sure the sheath was secure on the blade.  She

didn't want to hurt anyone, including herself.
The set of kicks and twirls that she was going to try with the chained blade were usually done open handed.  The

Qun monks didn't fight with weapons, as they weren't allowed to handle any.  This would be the first time she would

attempt to add spinning a blade with the movements of a quata called “The Dance of the Dust Devil.”  Since Rajed

had about half of his upper arm left, she figured that he would be able to use the stump in part to guide the chain

as long as he kept the chest and shoulder muscles limber.  The ability to use it would come with a lot of practice,

of course.  However, most of his control of the chain would come from his legs, his good arm, his torso and even

his neck.  Kai wanted to try and work with it with her two good arms and the movements before trying to tie her

forearm to her upper arm in an approximate imitation of Rajed's physical limitations.

She began by spinning the blade around at first to get a feel for the weight and the way it moved.  Slowly she

began adding the spinning of the chain and the blade with the kicks and spins of the quata.   Her first attempts

were gawky, uncoordinated and had the blade flying off in all directions or hitting her in various places.  She was

going to be black and blue before she was done.  Eventually, though, her body and her brain started to coordinate

better and the moves with the chain started to come together.  Kai stopped, taking a break and leaning her hands on

her knees sweating, her breath coming in little pants.  It was then she noticed that Gnat had been leaning up

against the wall of the inn eating an apple and watching her.  "That is a fascinating weapon.  How did you come up

with the idea?"

"One of my Scath lost..." Kai still felt a roll of nausea when she thought of it.  "He lost his arm when a bomb was

thrown on our camp.  I designed this weapon for him to use with these moves so he could still fight.  And now that

I have gotten my body to coordinate a weaponless fighting style with a weapon, I need to tie my arm down so I can

get a better feel for how Rajed is going to work with this."  Kai went to Zev who handed her a mug of water.  She

figured from her shoulder to her elbow would be longer than Rajed's stump, but it would give her at least a

semblance of his arm.  When Kai had finished, she handed Zev the mug back, and they both turned to find Gnat with

the ball and chain, spinning it.  "Gnat be careful!  A quick jerk on the chain and blades will be activated."
Gnat just grinned and nodded.  Her fighting style was different, more acrobatic, but she had apparently been

watching Kai, and the moves she did mirrored the Qun, but with few fluid arm and leg movements of an unknown

origin, and a slow walk while she spun the chain in arcs over her head.  Gnat was very limber.  She spun the chain

with the ball around then did a high kick wrapping the chain around her leg letting it unwind in a glittering arc

spinning so fast that the ball was a blur.  She then lashed out with a swift kick and the ball shot across the open

ground to hit the post of the outside storage shed with a meaty smack that left a scar of white, new wood showing

on the weathered surface.  Before it had even finished hitting the wood, Gnat had spun using her body and the

torque to bring it back and wrap it across her shoulders only to bend and spin in such a way that it launched away

from her body again to hit the post with a resounding crack, causing the post to groan and dirt to fall from the

rafters of the storage.  She spun the ball back and gave it a quick jerk; the blades slid out and Gnat spun the

chain in her hand, around her bent elbows, under her leg again, across the back of her neck, to spin and let the

ball launch to the post where it buried the blades as far in as they would go.  The way she had played with it had

looked like a dance.  It was almost erotic.  Kai looked at Zev whose amber eyes were wide.

"Well, it looks like our bard friend is a very fast learner, no?" Zev grinned at Kai.

"I think she needs to teach me.  And I think we have found the person to use that weapon."  Kai laughed.  Gnat

walked back to them after retrieving the ball and snapping it so the blades retracted once again.  She smiled and

handed it back to Zevran.

"I worked as an acrobat in a special form of entertainment for the nobility.  As a bard, it was an ideal cover for

me to spy on any of Celene's nobles who might cause her troubles.  This particular style of acrobatics involves a

lot of props such as hoops, and we used balls on thin ropes that we could make dance as we danced.  This weapon

reminds me of those props, but with far more nasty results, of course."  Gnat grinned.  "I haven't had that much

fun in a while."

Zevran looked at Kai with a raised eyebrow, cocking his head at Gnat.  Kai nodded as she looked at Gnat with a wide

smile.  "I believe this belongs to you then, my dear," and he handed it back to Gnat.  "Kai and I would love for

you to train us on it."  Gnat laughed and nodded.

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 12 juin 2010 - 10:05 .

[Gilgamesh1138]

Chapter 64

It was not long after the practice session with the new weapons that Wynne returned.  The good news was that Drysi

was the only victim; there had been others he had chatted up, but he had not forced himself on them.  Kai was

extremely grateful, as were Irving, Greagoir, and Wynne herself.  More victims would have made things even more

complicated, not to mention having to confront the additional emotional anguish.

Kai paid the innkeeper and pulled up the hood of her cloak and put the veil across her face.  It was one thing to

have her face exposed here, but on the road was another thing all together.  The others saddled the Ceffyls while

Wynne packed and gathered what little she had brought with her in her run from Highever to get to Kai's side. 

Luckily, Gnat had no problem riding so she would ride in front of Jarren.  Kai lost the coin toss between her and

Zev on who would have Oghren sitting up front.  He gave her a sly smile and a wink.  She narrowed her eyes at him;

she suspected him of cheating somehow.  He only gave her a low chuckle and a kiss.  And after a very public and

somewhat disturbing display of affection between Oghren and Felsi, Zev and Jarren got Oghren settled up in front of

her.  Kai took a tentative sniff.  He actually didn't smell as bad as he usually did.  "Felsi made you take a bath,

didn't she!" Kai giggled.

"Bah, Felsi and I did the aquatic Rhumba, Warden.  You should try it in the bathtub some time."
"I still say she tricked you into taking a bath."  Kai teased him.  "I think the sex was her way of getting you in

the tub."

"Sodding women, you are all tricky wenches!"  Oghren growled at her.

Kai laughed at him.  "I think I should send her a present.  I am just glad you and Felsi got to be together,

Oghren."  She patted his shoulder consolingly.  Kai turned Luna towards the road once the others were all mounted

and ready to go.  Kai said goodbye to Felsi, and they rode off through the town, waving back at the villagers who

were waving to them.  Timothy motioned for them to stop before they had gotten to the edge of town.

"My lady, I can't thank you enough for what you did.  Your man Jarren came with the news this morning.  I think it

did Drysi a lot of good.  That Templar can no longer hurt her.  Nila said that the girl fell asleep without bad

dreams for the first time.  Poor thing has been exhausted with fear.  Nila made these for you."  Timothy handed Kai

a bag which, when she opened it, she discovered it contained food wrapped up for their trip, including a whole pile

of cookies.  Sten would be so disappointed if they ate them all.  She made a note to save some of the cookies for

him.  She had reason to know that Nila made some of the best in all of Ferelden.

She smiled at him.  "Give Nila our thanks.  The Silver Griffon will be back."  He took the bag and put it in her

saddlebag for her before giving her hand a squeeze.

"Goodbye, my lady."  Timothy waved and smiled as they left to take the North Road to Highever.
They stuck to the North road as the terrain was rocky and too hard for the Ceffyls to try to pick their way across

land.  The sunshine sparkled, and a slight breezed kept the sun from making them too warm.  A lovely day for a

ride, if this were any ordinary day, in an ordinary world where there weren't bad things going on.  She should have

known it wouldn't last.

They were almost on top of them before they realized it.  It was the green bolt of magic cast by the emissary that

hit Luna, causing the mare to stumble to her knees with a screeching, high-pitched whinny that startled Kai out of

her inner musings.  The hissing and low grumbling laughter made it clear that there was a large group of darkspawn

in the middle of the road.  Kai and Oghren both went pitching over the mare's head, tumbling to the ground.  Kai

tucked in her shoulders and rolled with it coming to her feet while drawing her daggers in one fluid motion. 

Oghren may have been less graceful but he too rolled and was up and running to Luna, who had gotten back on her

feet, to grab his battle axe which was strapped to the saddle.

Kai instantly started to do an assessment of the battleground and how many they had to deal with.  Adrenaline

flooded her system, making time slow down and everything come into sharp focus.  Since she could no longer sense

them, it was harder to do a complete count of what they were up against.  Besides the hurlock emissary, she counted

two genlock alphas along with a large number of assorted genlock and hurlock warriors and a couple of archers.  The

group didn't include any Shrieks, the darkspawn rogues that could hide until they sprang on their victim in

surprise with the shrill wail that was their namesake.

Kai felt her heart beating with more than adrenaline.  Maker, so many and in broad daylight too.  And not just one

alpha or emissary capable of human speech and with enough brain power to lead, but three?  The alphas and

emissaries were common only during a Blight. What, by Andraste's flaming knickers, was going on here?  Alistair had

killed the Archdemon.  She had watched him do it.  He was in the Fade as proof that it had been done.  By all the

information, and granted neither Duncan nor Ali nor Riordan had been able to tell her much Warden lore, but by all

accounts the darkspawn should have retreated to the Deep Roads, leaving only a few stragglers.

"I don't know, my love.  They shouldn't be doing this."  Alistair's voice sounded with fear and worry in her ear.
"Well, I think someone failed to tell them about what they are supposed to be doing."  Kai mused back at him trying

to use humor to bite back the almost overwhelming fear she was feeling.  The whole situation was sending alarm

bells off inside her head.  Suddenly, time sped up again and she was too busy to worry it over further.

Kai felt rather than saw Zev ride past her to her left on Rhia to rush one of the alphas.  Kai heard Rhia scream in

a Ceffyl battle cry, and she heard a sickening thump and a squall of pain as a hoof heavily shod with dwarven steel

connected with the genlock alpha.  From the hollow meaty sound, Kai figured the blow was to the creature's head. 

Ceffyls like Rhia were battle trained, they knew to hit vulnerable points on an enemy.  Kai was once again grateful

for the Ceffyls, and not just because they kept her from having to walk everywhere.

Gnat had jumped down from in front of Jarren and taken out her newest weapon, giving it a quick little jerk on the

chain and spinning it in a blur over her head, the blades making a high whirring sound.  Jarren followed Zev's path

and took his Ceffyl to the archers who found themselves on the front and back end of a battle-trained Ceffyl who

used strong backwards kicks with heavily muscled legs and sharp strong Ceffyl teeth from the front.  The high

pitched, hissing screams told Kai they were sorry indeed to come across such a foe.  Bran, Wynne's Ceffyl, stayed

alert and ready to keep the mage safe while she cast healing spells on the group.  Argus had already carried

himself into the fray against a couple of hurlocks.  Zev and Jarren had jumped off their Ceffyls and drawn their

blades.  Rhia and even the wounded Luna were like Argus, capable of killing on their own.  And they went to it. 

That left Kai and Oghren to fight against the emissary.

It was Oghren with his natural dwarven resistance to magic who took the hurlock head on, swinging his heavy, two-

handed battle axe in wide arcs.  Any spells that landed on him seemed to tickle, if his giggling was anything to go

by.  Kai memories harkened back to the old days in the Deep Roads when they had fought side by side looking for

Branka, his late wife.  Kai, using her rogue skills, took the emissary from behind.  She managed to stun the

emissary for a short period, giving Oghren time to slice the creature as it stumbled around dazed.  Kai's poisoned

blades were cutting into the leathery, mummified muscles from behind.  Finally enough poison had worked its way

through the hurlock’s system that Oghren was able to swing and send its head flying in a spray of red blood.
Oghren turned and went to fight with Zev and Jarren, who were fighting a group of hurlocks.  Kai turned and looked

for Gnat to see the bard twirling the weapon and facing off against a hurlock who looked huge in comparison to the

diminutive elf.  She calmly continued to spin the ball, and as the hurlock rushed her, she let it fly so the chain

wrapped itself around the darkspawn's neck and the ball hit the tree behind it, lodging itself in the bark.  Gnat

wrapped the chain around her elbow, snapping it tighter.  Kai could hear crunching noises as the chain crushed the

hurlock's throat, its screaming hiss cut off as Gnat wrapped the chain around her bent arms and tightened it even

more.  Once she got close, Gnat suddenly tapped the toe of one boot sharply on the heel of the other and a large,

sharp blade slid out.  She plunged the blade into the hurlock’s eye before slicing it across the throat above the

chain deeply enough to almost sever its head.  Blood sprayed and the body went limp, held up only by the tension of

the chain.

It was then Kai heard the sharp, painful cries of a mortally wounded dog.  Sod it, Argus!  Kai and Gnat turned to

find Argus set upon by two shrieks, one of which used a long claw to impale the Mabari while Argus was occupied

with the other shriek.  Kai watched in horror as the Shriek ripped its claw down Argus's side causing blood to

spray and the dog to scream in high pitched yelps.  Gnat unwound her chain and gave a sharp tug causing the blades

to retract so she could release it from the tree.

Kai was already running toward the shrieks, yelling to get their attention.  They turned toward her, but Argus was

lying on his side not moving.  She took them both on heedless of the danger in such an action.  "Kai, duck!" Gnat's

voice yelled over the shrieks’ wails.  She had just a second to duck before Gnat's weapon sliced both shrieks

across their throats, the bladed ball making a whirring sound as it sailed past her.  One tried to hide, but Gnat's

weapon was already spinning to wrap itself around the shriek's neck while the bladed ball embedding itself in the

creature’s throat, the high pitched keening turning to gurgles.  That left Kai with the one in front of her.  She

executed a double-handed swipe to its torso, then took a step back and spun to deliver a back-handed sweep, taking

its head off.

Kai didn't watch as it sailed off, she was already putting her hands over Argus's gaping wound, hot blood pouring

out between her fingers.  He whined a little.  "Wynne!" Kai practically screamed for the mage who spurred Bran over

to them.  She jumped off and quickly raised the Mabari's head to tip a health potion into his mouth.  When that was

finished, her hands glowed with power as she put them on the deepest wound.  Kai could feel the blood flow slowing

with the healing draught.  As Wynne's hands moved the length of the gash she could feel the skin and muscles slowly

knitting back together under her fingers.

"There, we can't let him walk back to Highever, and he is going to need to rest for a week or so, but I think he

will be all right, child.  I will like it better if we can get him back to the castle and keep him still."  Wynne

smiled and put a hand out to pet Argus's head.  He responded by licking the mage's hand in thanks and whining again

weakly.  Jarren stood next to Gnat and Oghren who had managed to finish off the hurlocks.  It was Zev who bent down

and put an arm around her shoulders while patting Argus gently.

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 19 juin 2010 - 12:30 .

[Gilgamesh1138]

Chapter 65

"’Tis no laughing matter!  Did you not hear what I said?  The man is insane!"  Kai was laughing so hard tears were pouring out of her eyes and her ribs hurt.  "One would think his own sister would be more concerned about this...this debacle!"  Kai sneaked a look at the witch from under wet lashes. Morrigan was pale except for two flaming red spots high on her cheeks, her hands were clenched in fists, and she was tapping one black-leather boot toe on the stone floor.

Before Kai could answer, there was a knock at the door, and it opened without the person on the other side waiting for an invitation to enter.  Leliana, carrying Schmooples in her arms, came in and was followed by Wynne who had her bag of healing potions, bandages and the like.  Wynne shut the door with a little click before going to the table and setting the bag down.  Kai knew for a fact that Wynne was using bandages as an excuse to join in on what was going on.  And Leliana was a spy, trained to watch and observe.  Kai suspected Leli might know more about what was happening with Morrigan and Fergus than she herself did.

"I doubt that, my love, remember the dream I interrupted?  It was on the romantic side, not the steamy side, thank the Maker.  I think witchy-poo is in lo-ove."  Alistair's voice sounded with mirth.  Kai gave him a mental smirk.  Before Kai could comment back, she was interrupted by Leli.
"Oh, Fergus isn't insane.  He is in love with you."  Leliana set Schmooples down, patting the nug before clasping her hands in front of her chest, looking like a little girl presented with a new doll.  "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Isn't it a miracle?" Wynne's acerbic tone broke in.

"I believe I was having a private conversation with my sister, in case you and the dimwit didn't notice the door was closed.  Closed is the state in which the door prevents one from seeing into the room."  The witch added helpfully.  Morrigan then crossed her arms in front of her chest as she addressed the two newcomers.

"Aw, don't be like that, Morri.  It has been obvious how you and Fergus feel about each other."  Leliana bounced up and down and smiled a brilliant smile while batting her eyelashes at the witch.  Leli knew how much Morrigan hated the bard’s shortening of her name.  She especially liked to do once she figured out how much it annoyed the witch.  "He obviously adores you!  He is handsome, funny, sweet, kind, and the Teyrn of Highever.  What more can a girl ask for?"

"Bah!  ‘Tis amazing you notice the sun rise, bubble head that you are."  Morrigan narrowed her eyes at the pretty bard.  Anyone else might have run from that look.  Kai called it “Morrigan's Stare of the Basilisk.”  It used to give Alistair, in particular, the sudden urge to go to his tent or up a tree or into a lake – anywhere to get away from the witch when she stared like that.

"It still makes me want to run and hide, and I am in the Fade!"  Kai could feel Alistair's shudder.  "I think this is where I go and play chess with your father.  Even being interrogated by your mother would be better.  Good luck, my love."

"Coward," Kai teased him.

"Definitely, I admit it!  Love you!"  And then he was gone.  Kai laughed harder, and Morrigan rounded on her.  Kai held up her hands in surrender.  “I was laughing at Alistair, I swear.  You scared him away, sister."

"Well, at least something is going right for me today."  Morrigan's brows drew down further in a scowl.  Kai picked herself up from the floor and dusted herself off.  She went to the tub and turned off the hot water and turned on the cool, adding bath salts and mixing the water.

"I am going to take a bath while we talk.  I want this blood off of me."  Kai started undressing and got into the bath, grabbing the scrub brush and some scented soap.  "And as for my brother falling in love with you, I did notice you two snogging in the Great Hall.  So, why is this such a surprise?"
“‘Snogging’ as you call it, yes.  I had expected him to sleep with me.  Am I not young?  Am I not beautiful?  Other men have wanted this body.  But your insufferable brother merely kisses me.  I have tried to get the man into bed, and he tortures me with refusal after refusal."  Morrigan began to pace.  "He does these amazing things with his mouth on mine, and his tongue...."

"WHOA!  HOLD IT!"  Kai motioned for a time out before sticking her fingers in her ears.  "La-la-la-la can't hear you!  Andraste's flaming knickers, I need Oghren's special brew to help me do a mental wipe, now.  Ugh!"  Leliana giggled with her hands over her mouth as she sat at the table in the room.  Even Wynne let out a low chuckle.  "So, he just kisses you?  And then, Maker I may regret asking this, what?"

"And then nothing!" Morrigan flapped her hands.  "He deposits me at my bedroom door.  Then next day I find a gift of some sort in my room or on the door or by my plate at breakfast, lunch, or supper. ‘Tis always something I will like.  A jewelry box on my nightstand, a bracelet on the door handle, a pendant in my empty plate, a hair comb hidden in my napkin.  He takes me for walks around Highever, or we go for rides.  He sits with me in the garden and reads to me.  I had thought he might want to have sex away from the prying eyes and the busybodies that abound in this place."  Morrigan looked a pointedly at Leli and Wynn as she said this.  "But ‘tis not his plan.  ‘Tis most maddening!"  Morrigan again stood before Kai with her arms crossed and a scowl on her beautiful face.  "’Tis my conclusion that your brother is insane and wishes to drive me so as well."  Morrigan hugged herself tightly.  "When I confronted him on this vexatious behavior, ‘tis then he told me he is in love with me."

Kai laughed as did Leliana and Wynne.  "Yes, I see the evil monster's plan!  Hanging is too good for him!" Kai grinned at the witch.

"He isn't taunting you, nor is he trying to drive you insane, child.  He is courting you.  He is sparking with you, he..." Wynne was interrupted by the pretty bard.

"Oh Morri, he is trying to win your heart," Leliana giggled in delight.  Morrigan' s eyes got wider.
"What in the world would the man need with that when he can have this body in pleasure?  ‘Tis foolish to want love!  Especially from one such I."  Morrigan blushed and looked down.  Aha, Kai understood now.  Morrigan was afraid.  So, Kai pointed out to her sister that she was afraid that she was unworthy, afraid she would disappoint Fergus and that he would leave her.  Just as she had been afraid that Kai would die and Morrigan would lose the only person who had loved her for herself.  Until now, it seemed.  Ah, apparently loving the witch was a Cousland family pastime, now.  "Then ‘tis proof, ‘tis a Cousland family mental illness.  You are both mad!  I don't want to be in love, so ‘tis certain that I am not in love!"  And then she did something Kai had only seen her do when they had been reunited.  Morrigan's eyes started to fill with tears.  "He will just wake up one day and realize that he is a fool and cast me away."

Kai got out of the bath and dried herself off, wrapping the towel around her before going to Morrigan and putting her arms around the witch's slender shoulders.  "I can assure you, he will not send you away.  I have not sent you away, why would he?"  Kai just kissed her hair.  "Morrigan, you deserve to be loved, and I have always loved you, even when you left.  I may have been angry, but I have never stopped loving you, my sister.  It might be a good thing for you if you stop treating everyone, and the world at large, as if we are all Flemeth.  Your mother is a right royal, demonic, self-centered ****.  And quite frankly she never deserved a daughter as wonderful as you.  I didn't befriend you because of your powers, even though they were sorely needed.  You can rest assured that Fergus does not love you because of anything you can give him or do for him.  He is trying to prove that to you.  He, like me, wants you for you and nothing else.  And that scares you because you think so little of yourself, despite your ego in other areas.  I think you are afraid of seeing the real Morrigan and not the one Flemeth tried to make you into, a powerful sack to be filled."  Kai hugged her tighter.  "Besides the snogging, I did notice you two talk a lot.  Did he tell you about Oriana and Oren?"  Morrigan nodded.

"What if I come up wanting?  How can I compare to a nice Antivan girl who was raised in polite society?  ‘Tis not how I was raised.  I spent my time in the Wilds.  I will be the ruin of him!  He cannot have me around those other foolish nobles and their fluffy bits of wives.  I care not what they think of me, but ‘twould look badly on him ‘twould it not?  I cannot let him do that!" Morrigan fisted her hands in her lap.  "‘Twill not be I who causes him to fall out of favor.  I will not let that happen!"

Kai grabbed Morrigan's hands and made her unclench them.  "Morrigan, my family, Fergus included, never cared what the other nobles thought.  That nice Antivan girl he married?  It was a huge scandal at the Landsmeet.  He had turned away all the nobles' daughters in favor of an outsider.  He had married a foreigner from a country filled with hired assassins, no less.  He had put a non-Ferelden one seat away from the throne.  They all took it as an insult, believe me.  But he met her and fell in love with her.  And he married her with my parents' and my blessings.  It all blew over in the end, other than the occasional snide comment at the parties or Landsmeets we had to go to.  But my family never gave a tinker's damn what those other blowhards or their simpering little wives thought.  So if marrying and Antivan over a Ferelden girl didn't ruin him, then marrying you won't either.  And you forget, Anora won't be queen if we have anything to do with it."

Morrigan leapt up from the bed, her eyes even wider.  "Who says I want to marry the man?"  And the witch spun around and began pacing again.

Kai decided on a different tactic.  She widened her eyes, raised an eyebrow at Wynne and Leli, and then nodded her head at Morrigan's back.  "Well, I suppose you're right, sister.  I mean who would want that lame-brained brother of mine.  You know he is one of the most annoying creatures in all of Thedas."

Leli took her cue.  "Oh, I don't know.  I think he is one of the most wonderful men I have ever met.  If Morrigan isn't interested, well I certainly am."  Leli batted her lashes while making fanning motions with her hands.  "I am definitely setting out lures.  I bet he has great hands, and Morri says he is a great kisser."  Kai felt herself blushing.  Oh Maker, what had she started?  These were not the mental images she wanted of her brother.  Did she say Oghren's special brew?  Sod that, she was going to need the hard stuff, lichen ale all the way.  "But I think he is fantastic.  I bet I could get him to marry me instead."

Morrigan's face had the basilisk look again, but it was layered with a colder fury than Kai had ever seen.  The witch's hands were glowing with a blue flame.  "If you even so much as look at him, you red-haired, fuzzy-brained trollop, I will set you on fire and then will take your ashes and ****** on them."

"Um, Morrigan?" Kai asked her softly while looking at the witch’s face and then deliberately at her hands, flickering with an angry cobalt energy.  "You know what this means don't you?"  Kai took a chance and grinned at her sister.

"Damn and blast!  I am in love with him!"

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 19 juin 2010 - 12:27 .

[Gilgamesh1138]

Chapter 66


Kai watched as Morrigan sank down on the edge of the bed with a stunned and horrified look on her face.  It would

have been almost comical if not for the real apprehension she was obviously feeling.  "So, did you really tell him

he that he was insane?  Round the bend?  Loop the sodding loo?"
"I not only told him ‘tis insanity on his part, but I..." Morrigan got even paler and the spots on her cheeks

returned, "I pushed him away.  I told him I only intended him as a lover, and if he would not sleep with me, then I

would find someone who would."  Kai brushed the tears off the witch's cheeks.  "I have ruined it then.  He will

never speak to me again, of that I am certain.  Love makes one a fool!"

"Young lady, you stop that right this instant!  I know we don't always get along, in fact we never get along,"

Wynne practically stomped her foot, "but this is nonsense!  You aren't a fool, nor are you weak.  You just don't

have much experience in dealing with people.  I know I haven’t been patient with you, and I apologize for it.  I

think that after running all over Thedas together and knowing your mother and the way she raised you, it is high

time that I did."  Wynne sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.  "Maker, young people can be so silly.  If

Fergus really loves you, and he does not strike me as the type to declare such a thing insincerely, then it can be

mended again."

"Wynne is right."  Kai hugged her.  "You may have hurt him, but you have seen how stubborn I am.  Well, Fergus is

far more pigheaded.  Where do you think I learned it from?  We Couslands are made of sterner stuff.  If I know him,

you will just make him rally and try harder."

"‘Implacable,’ remember?" Alistair's voice said impishly into her ear.

"Hey!  I thought you ran away to play chess," Kai teased him.

"I realized that this was way too interesting, I couldn't stay away."  He gave her a mental grin.
"My mother told you to come back and spy because she wants to know what is happening with Fergus, didn't she?" Kai

smirked into her own head.

"She threatened to fill my bed with spiders every night." Alistair's voice sounded sheepish.
"How did she find out you don't like spiders?" Kai asked him.  In fact Alistair had had a thing about spiders since

the night at camp when he had made a comment about Morrigan's nose looking just like her mother’s.  Morrigan of

course had denied that she and Flemeth looked anything alike.  When he had insisted that it would be a spot on

match in a hundred years or so, the witch had turned into a giant spider and pummeled him to the ground.  She had

stood over him with hairy legs, mandibles as big as a man's arm and sharp as a sword dripping onto his chest, while

eight beady eyes shone malice in every round black orb.  He had never compared her to Flemeth again.
"It may have come up when I was telling your father, Oren, Cailan, Maric, and Duncan stories about the Blight. 

Your mother claimed that it was 'men's talk' and was sitting and reading while Oriana did some embroidery.  I never

thought she was listening in."  Alistair's voice sounded chagrined.
"That'll teach you."  Kai teased back.  It was Leli's lilting tone that interrupted her conversation with Alistair.

"I am sure Kai can go and talk to him for you."  Kai looked up to find the redhead looking at her with those big,

wide, watery, blue eyes.  Maker how did she do that?  Kai called the look “Leliana's puppy dog eyes.”  Whether she

or Argus gave her that look, Kai couldn't resist.  She huffed out a huge breath.

"FINE!  Ugh!  I can't believe I am going to play matchmaker.  Just no talking about the kissing or his great hands

or how good the sex is when you finally have it.  EVER!"  She waved her hands.  Kai couldn't believe she was

actually going to do this.  This was certainly a karmic payback for her teasing Fergus back in the day when she had

Dairren coming to her room before Howe attacked Highever.  He had teased her that Father was sending her to bed

early, and she had quipped that she didn't mind as her bed wouldn't be empty.  Fergus had called her a saucy minx

and scandalized Oriana at the time, getting him into trouble with his proper Antivan wife.  The Universe was surely

laughing at her now.

She got dressed quickly; she wanted to find Fergus and get this over with all due haste.  She told them to wait in

her room for Argus and to please look after the Mabari.  Then, she left her living quarters to find a servant who

might know where the Teyrn was.

Thunder humper!  First it was girl talk, which she wasn't good at.  She had fought with daggers while other girls

had played with dolls, for Andraste's sake!  And now she was going to have a heart to heart, birds and bees

conversation with her brother, of all people.  What did she know about courtship or wooing?  Joss, her first, had

been a fumbling experiment born of teenage hormones and curiosity.  Dairren she had shamelessly propositioned in

their grandfather's study after some flirting in the Atrium.  Then, he had been killed.  She and Alistair had been

too busy running all over Ferelden to do the googly eyed, sicky sweet, courtship romance thing.  Other than the

gift of the rose, they hadn't really done any “sparking,” as Wynne had called it.  And as for her and Zev, well

that had elements of Dairren and Alistair.  Best friends and a sort of shameless propositioning, if the sex they’d

had so far was propositioning at all.  More like overheated emotions finding an outlet in hot steamy sex.
 
Zev would be better at this sort of thing.  Zev!  That was it.  Maybe she could get the worldly Antivan to help her

with this.  After all Zev had more experience with love on both sides of the aisle, so to speak.  Kai grabbed one

of the servants and asked where the Teyrn was.  She then asked the servant to fetch Zevran and have him to meet her

in the private family garden where Fergus was.
She made her way to the garden which sat closest to the orchard.  Kai should have known he would be there.  It was

a favorite brooding spot for the Cousland children whenever they were in trouble or life had been unkind or unfair,

as life often is.  Not only was it a place of comfort as they held Cousland Camaraderie Days there, but both she

and Fergus loved the bee hives and enjoyed watching the insects fly about.  It had a way of soothing the mind.

She waited outside the garden for Zevran.  She didn't want to go in without briefing him first.  Zev, being an ex-

Crow, was good at picking up on things on the fly, but she felt it was only fair not to let him go in blind on

this.  Kai wished she was blind – blind drunk.  She huffed to herself again.
"Whatever can be troubling you, my dear Kaidana.  Argus will be all right, so it cannot be that.  This would have

nothing to do with the deliciously dangerous Morrigan following you up to your rooms with an aura of disquiet, now

would it?  Nor would it have to do with sweet Leliana and the lusciously endowed Wynne following not far behind,

hmm?"  Zev gave her a sly smile and a wink.  "I would  surmise that it has to do with the witch and your brother

engaging in rather passionate kisses and being together almost every waking moment, no?"

Kai couldn't help but grin back.  "You are far too clever and quick, Zev."  She explained what had happened and

complimented Zev on summing up the situation in one try.

"Si!  But hitting the target on the first try has saved me more than once."  He chuckled at his own joke.  "So, you

have called me here for moral support?  To offer advice?  These I will gladly do, but I am not talking to your

brother for you.  You, my dear friend, got yourself into this by not learning to resist Leliana's big blue eyes." 

Nug humper!  Kai frowned as Zevran laughed at her and walked into the garden, leaving her to trail behind.

They found Fergus sitting on the ground under a tree with the twins napping on a blanket.  Kai felt as if her heart

were ready to explode with happiness.  She went and kissed her brother before settling herself on the blanket, her

hands rubbing little round bellies.  Maker, they seemed bigger, and she had been gone less than a week.  They

stirred briefly when she touched them but kept on sleeping the deep, boneless slumber that only babies and children

managed.  Kai envied them.  Zev had also sat himself down next to Kai and the twins and occupied himself by

plucking blades of grass and peeling them.  It was Fergus who broke the silence first.  "I suppose you know about

Morrigan and me, little sister?" Fergus frowned.

"I know more than I wanted to know, brother dear." Kai smiled at him.  "I know you are trying to get into her pants

while she is still in them."

"I am doing...."  Fergus stopped when he realized Kai was laughing at him, breaking his brooding mood.

"Actually, I know Morrigan has been trying to get you to...well...you know."  Kai started to blush.
Zevran started laughing.  "You Fereldans!  How do you ever pleasure each other if you don't speak to each other

about it?"  Kai blushed harder.

"I thought you were going to give me moral support.  You aren't helping!"  She whispered out of the side of her

mouth while rolling her eyes.  Zev laughed harder.

"Ugh, sod it!  She told me you told her that you are in love with her."  Kai watched Fergus.  "I mean, I knew you

found her attractive when you met her after the twins were born.  And I have seen you two getting all googly eyed

at each other.  And then there is the snogging in the Great Hall.  So, give."

"I never interrogated you about your love life."  Fergus growled at her.

Kai held up a finger.  "No, you cold-cocked Joss and gave the boy a bloody nose and a black eye.  And that was just

for kissing me.  I was lucky he still helped me lose my...my...anyways."  Kai blushed as Zev chuckled and even

Fergus gave her a smile.  "And you would have put the screws to Dairren, if only as a joke and to make me squirm if

you hadn't been sent off to Ostagar that very day."  And if he hadn't taken an arrow to the heart, Kai thought. 

"And you never got to meet Alistair.  I suspect you don't ask Zev because he would readily tell you everything and

embarrass you far more than it would discomfort him."  Kai gave Zev a sideways glance with a smile.  "And as I know

every expression on that dopey face of yours, I know that you have it bad for her.  May I ask what you are going to

do about it?"

"She already told me to go jump in the lake, so to speak.  She obviously doesn't feel the same way.  I am hardly

one to press a lady or try to make her move in a direction she doesn't want to go.  I learned that living with

strong willed, independent women.  Not to push them."  Fergus grimaced and looked away.  "She made up her mind.  I

did what I could to gain her favor, it wasn't enough."
"Really, you can be the most annoying, pigheaded, ugh, Cousland!"  Kai felt herself getting frustrated with him.

"Fergus, has Morrigan told you nothing of her childhood, her mother?"  Zevran put a comforting hand on Kai's arm.

"No, I know it pains her and makes her uncomfortable, even if she pretends that it just annoys her when I ask.  I

know she uses anger and annoyance to cover up vulnerability.  There is a sweet little girl in there.  I saw her

that day she sat by your chair and put her head in your lap, sister."  Fergus blushed this time. "That is when I

started to fall in love with her.  I wanted to untangle that complex creature.  But she hasn't been letting me get

any closer to the real person in there.  And recently she seems to be trying hard to distance herself more, using

sex to do it.  I won't use her just for pleasure, no matter how much she claims that is all she wants.  So, I guess

that's that."

"Ah, while there is something to be said for carnal pleasure alone, I agree with you, my friend.  I am afraid your

sister has converted me to another way of thinking."  Zev ran his long fingers up her arm.  "I suspect that you

could do the same for our witch friend, no?"  He grinned.  "Kai, I think you need to tell your brother about

Morrigan's childhood and her oh-so lovely mother, since Morrigan is ashamed to talk about it.  I suspect our

lovely, golden eyed friend is afraid you will think less of her if you know the truth, Fergus."  Would Zevran never

cease to amaze her?  He had hit the bull’s eye once again.  Of course he could know all of this from skulking at

the key hole while she and the others had been talking.  He was an assassin after all.  Kai chuckled to herself. 

She proceeded to tell Fergus everything she knew about Flemeth and explained that the old legends regarding her

were true.  Flemeth was very, very old.  She told him how the ancient abomination had used her daughter as bait for

the Templars so that Flemeth could lure them in and kill them.  She went on to tell him how Flemeth lured Wilder

men to the hut and had sex with them in front of Morrigan and then killed them.  She told of the childhood prize

the witch had stolen from a carriage and of Flemeth’s smashing the mirror that she had treasured.  Kai told him how

Flemeth used to abuse Morrigan.  She explained that she had seen this in the Fade in the Sloth demon’s prison for

Morrigan.  Everything Flemeth did to Morrigan was supposed to make her stronger and teach her that power was the

only thing that mattered.  She also told him how Flemeth planned to take over Morrigan's body and cast Morrigan's

soul out just as she had done to her other daughters, so Flemeth could once again be young.  Kai told Fergus how

she and her group had killed Flemeth, who had turned into a high dragon, to save Morrigan.  She finished by

explaining that Flemeth was no doubt alive and looking for a way at Morrigan still.

It was this last statement that had Fergus jumping up and pacing.  "Her demon mother thinks she can come back and

just take her body, casting her out?  She will have to go through me first!"
Zev grinned at Kai and then at Fergus.  "Ah, my friend, such passion is wasted on worrying about such a thing.  Is

seems you love the woman in spite of herself, so perhaps you ought to put your passion into more...productive

endeavors, no?  You should tell her that you won’t take ‘No,’ or in this case just sex, for an answer.  Then, I

would suggest kissing her breathless so that she cannot argue with you."

"Besides, she admitted to me that she is in love with you." Kai smiled at him.

"She did?"  Suddenly Fergus's face broke into a brilliant grin.

"In front of witnesses, no less, so don't let her convince you otherwise.  She should be in my room tending Argus,

brother dear.  If you are wondering where to look."  Kai laughed as Fergus spun on his heel and started to leave

the garden.  Then Kai had a thought that made her groan.  "HEY, don't even think of having sex in our room! 

Especially not on the bed!  Fergus!"  Kai yelled at his retreating back.

"Do you think he heard me?"  Kai asked Zev worriedly.

"I wouldn't bet on it, my dear Kaidana."  Zev snickered.

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 19 juin 2010 - 12:37 .

[TanithAeyrs]

FF.net won't let me review the real chapter 66 there since I already reviewed the April Fools version. LOL Kai trying to get Zevran to talk to Fergus for her. Very good.

[Gilgamesh1138]

ROFL Thanks! I am so glad you liked it. Sorry for my cheek with the prank chapter. *blushes*

[MireliA]

I think FF got its revenge for the prank - I got a story alert this morning to say you'd just posted Chapter 64.

[Gilgamesh1138]

ROFL I think so too. I thought they were doing April Fools, because I got chapter alerts for your fic which I had already read, and email alerts for emails two days ago. : )

[Gilgamesh1138]

Chapter 67



Blast it!  Kai got up quickly.  "Zev, grab Duncan and the blanket."  Kai reached down and picked up her sleeping

daughter.  "Quick!"  Kai draped Fi’s still oblivious form over her arms.  My, they were getting big.  "When I was

in the Fade, I promised Oriana, Fergus's wife, that I would help him find love again.  I did not promise that I

would help him find it in our bedroom and in our bed!"  Kai said all of this while walking quickly as she could,

without waking Fi, in the direction Fergus had gone.  Kai heard Zevran laugh behind her.  Sod it, sod it, sod it! 

Kai kept walking as fast as she could, making her way to the hallway where the rooms were.

"Kaidana, I need to tell you something."  Zev spoke to her back.

"Can't it wait?  I really want to stop Fergus and Morrigan from using any available surface they happen to be

near.  Especially when those surfaces are in our room!  I might have to have everything set on fire.  Or lye!  Oh

yes, lye – lots and lots of lye, that's it!"

"Kai!"  Zev's voice sounded pained and desperate.  "I have important news for you."  Kai stopped and turned around

to see Zev standing still in the corridor.  He was holding Duncan to his chest, the blanket under the infant.  He

almost looked as if he was holding the babe close as a shield or for comfort, though his face was a mask.  It must

not be something she wanted to hear, or it was something which would hurt her.

"All right, judging by your stance and the way you have your face set, I know I'm going to like this even less than

what my brother is planning on doing in our bed."  Kai tried to give him a reassuring smile.  "Spill it, Zev."

"Lelyth's siblings are here from Waking Sea.  They are in Highever, staying with a family your brother asked to

house them for the time being.  They just got here a day or so ago, while we were at the mage's tower."  Zev walked

close to her to offer comfort as best he could with both hands full.  Kai hadn't forgotten Lelyth's only surviving

family.  She had just put the painful reality of telling them their sister was dead and it was her fault aside for

a while.  But, she had gotten up and danced with Erys, the traitor, and the piper always had to be paid.  Kai felt

her stomach clench and chill as if shards of glass were pouring into it. She licked her lips and looked down

nodding.  Then she had a thought that made her heart race.

"Bloody hell!  The ashes are in the bedroom!  One more reason to stop my daft brother from forging the moaning

statue in our room."  Kai turned quickly on her heel and started walking fast as she could down the castle's open

corridor toward the hall with the bedrooms.

She got to the hallway to find Wynne and Leliana standing outside the room.  Kai closed her eyes for a moment.  Oh

please, not already.  Maker's blood!  "Tell me you are out here because you were headed to get food for the dog and

that Morrigan and Fergus went for a walk."  Kai watched as both women actually blushed.  It was this moment that a

smiling Fiona walked up to Zev as she reached out to take her grandson from him.  She came and kissed Kai on the

cheek.

"I am so glad you are back and that you are safe.  We were really worried for you.  And we all missed you...” Fiona

noticed everyone's faces.  "Ah, I see.  Yet again, I go to make potions and miss out on something.  Not another

suitor for Kai's affections I take it?"  She grinned.  Kai filled her in on the “girl talk” that had taken place,

including the talk she had with Fergus.  "Yes, I had noticed your brother has been wooing said damsel.  So, she has

admitted that she is in love with him.  I take it no one is surprised?"

"Well, no one but Morrigan herself."  Kai grumbled.  "So are they...."  Kai couldn't even bring herself to say it.

Leliana smiled at her, her eyes bright with her “isn't it romantic” look.  "Oh, he stalked in there, grabbed

Morrigan by the arms, raising her up to look at him.  He was so masculine, so forceful, so commanding, so sexy!"

Kai winced.  "Agh!  I told you not to talk about my brother like that in front of me!  Maker, is there enough

alcohol in all of Thedas to wipe any of this from my memory?"

Leli continued grinning.  "He told her he loved her and that she loved him and she was just going to have to learn

to live with it.  That he wasn't going to take no for an answer.  He demanded she tell him what she felt for him. 

When she tried to sidestep saying it herself, telling him he already knew and she didn't need to say it, he shook

her a little and told her to say it.  It took a couple of demands on your brother's part.  Finally she did say it,

while looking him in the eye even.  Then they kissed in such a way that it made my toes curl.  It was a kiss worthy

of any song sung in Orlais.  And after that well...."

It was Wynne who blushed this time.  "By the time we managed to get to the door, apparel such as it is in

Morrigan's case, was coming off at a fast pace.  Luckily, we intercepted the servants bringing Argus up from the

stables and his bath.  I had them put him in my room for the time being.  I thought it would be best, child." 

Wynne reached out and took a still sleeping Fi.

"By Andraste's flaming knickers!"  Kai fumed, and applied her fist to the thick wood of the door.  "Fergus!  NOT in

my sodding room!  Blast it!  Maker turn you both into toads!  Do you hear me?  Not in my thunder humping room!  Aw,

bloody hell!"  She gave the door one good, swift kick for good measure.  She gave up and put her back to the door,

putting her face in the palm of one hand and smacking the door with a fist and groaning.  This day just kept

getting better and better.  First, they had fought a large group of organized darkspawn when there shouldn't be

such a thing.  Argus almost died.  Lelyth's siblings were finally here, and now this.

Having been napping for a while and with the noise Mommy was making, the twins woke up and started to fuss.  Kai

sighed.  "Come, child, let's go to my room.  You can feed the twins before we all go to our own suppers."  Wynne

walked down the hall.  Kai, Leli and Fiona with Duncan followed her.  They all filed into Wynne's room.

Kai bent down and petted Argus.  He looked at her and gave a friendly whine.  "Hey, boy."  Kai rubbed his belly and

behind his ears.  She told him what a good dog he was, how proud she was of him and how much she loved him.  He

lolled out his tongue at her before laying his head down in exhaustion to sleep again.

They got Kai and the twins situated.  It made her so happy when they smiled at her and being with them was such a

joy.  That and the breastfeeding calmed her, it helped with all that was going on.  That was until she found they

were missing one Antivan troublemaker.  "Um, where is Zev?" Kai asked the rest of the group, who were all having

quiet conversations amongst themselves while Kai and twins were occupied.  Three other faces turned towards hers

and then looked at each other, shrugging their shoulders.  Kai huffed to herself.  Who knew where her sneaky friend

had gotten to.  Kai, with Fiona's help, had just burped and changed the twins when Zev let himself into Wynne's

room with a smug look on his face.

"So, my darling Wynne, this is where you rest that magnificent bosom of yours every night?  I am conjuring up such

delightful images."  Zev grinned wickedly at Wynne.

"If you continue, young man, I assure you I shall 'conjure' something far more unpleasant for you than images of my

bosom."  Wynne wrinkled her nose at him.  Everyone had to laugh at their banter.  It had taken a while, but the elf

and the mage had become friends.  Their sniping comments were now in fun.

This relationship was not like their time traveling during the Blight.  Wynne, like Alistair, had not trusted the

assassin.  And his rather laid back attitude towards killing and life had annoyed the mage whenever she had tried

to speak to him seriously of his past.  Wynne had thought him a shallow killer with no conscience.  It wasn't until

after he had refused to abandon Kai and their group once Taliesin was dead that Wynne had warmed to him.  Kai

smiled at the thought.  How much had their own first impressions about each other changed?  People were so rarely

simple.  Not Sten, not Morrigan, not Leli, not Wynne, not Oghren.  Not even Sandal, Bodahn's son, who rarely spoke

anything except to say "ENCHANTMENT!"  They had found him alone on the second floor of Fort Drakon surrounded by a

small army of dead darkspawn, including an ogre, while making their way to the top to kill the Archdemon.  That

alone had made Kai realize there was a lot more to Sandal then his genius with runes.  What exactly that might be,

she had no idea.  But he wasn't as simple as first impressions might make him seem.

She was reminded how much she loved them all, despite her earlier frustrations.  And that brought her to her

brother and Morrigan using her...well, she wasn't going to think about it.  The mental images she could conjure

were something she wanted to avoid.  She just had to remember that it was all about love, that is what it came down

to.  She had a moment to wonder how long her brother's and Morrigan's 'love' was going to take.  Maker, not enough

alcohol in Thedas, la la la la!  She gave herself a mental head slap.  Add to that, she and Zev had probably better

plan on getting other sleeping quarters for the night.  Ugh!

They all heard the bells signaling the dinner hour.  Kai went to grab both twins and found her little babies had

gotten too big to hold together.  Wynne came to her rescue and took Duncan.  They all made their way down the

hall.  When they were passing what had been Kai and Zev's room, they all studiously ignored the noises from behind

the door.  Kai couldn't help but blush beet red and roll her eyes, causing Zevran to laugh yet again.  He was

enjoying this whole debacle way too much.  Kai took the moment to slow their pace and fall back from the others. 

Zev stroked Fi's cheek when she chirped at him and smiled trying to get his attention.  "So, I have a feeling I may

regret asking, but where did you disappear to earlier?"

"Hm?  Oh, well I figured your brother and our delicious witch of the wilds might not surface for who knows how

long.  Your brother has not had anyone to bed since his wife died.  As he does not seem the type to use the

services of places like The Pearl, I calculate that to be at least two years going on three.  As to our magical

friend, well, with her sharp tongue and dangerous ways, it is enough to deter most men.  Men not like myself, who

find danger and beauty very seductive, no?"  Zev gave her a wicked grin and a sideways look while running a finger

down the side of her neck.  "So, it would be hard to know when or if she has had the pleasure of someone's

company.  Certainly not during the Blight, so at least a year if at all."

"You think she might be a vir..." Kai's eyes got wide as she contemplated that possibility.

"A virgin?  Just because she can talk as if she knows the pleasures of the flesh doesn't mean she has first hand

experience herself, my dear Kai.  Remind me to tell you of my first."  Zev grinned.  Kai blushed harder.  "As I was

saying before we went on this delicious side path.  Since I thought they might not surface for a time, I felt it

was necessary to get the ashes.  I know you, my dearest Kai.  You will want to see Lelyth's siblings tomorrow at

the latest."

"You snuck into the room?  While they are in there doing...?"  Kai blushed harder, she felt her mouth hanging open

like a fish tossed onto a river bank.  Oh blessed Andraste!  This really was not her day!

"Your late sister-in-law must have been a marvelous teacher of Antiva's love making arts to your brother, my dear

Kai.  Why, the last time I saw techniques like that was years ago in one of the finest brothels back home."

"Maker's breath!  Zev!"  Kai stopped and just closed her eyes and grimaced.

"You Fereldans, I will never understand your various taboos and inhibitions."  And with that he walked on, his

laughter trailing over his shoulder in ribbons of mirth.

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 19 juin 2010 - 12:52 .

[Lady Jess]

Well holy cow, I've been reading this over on fanfiction.net, but now that I know it's here it just got much easier. You've been doing a great job by the way. I got so involved at one point I was sure I could log into my game and make some of it happen! Also, you've made me like Zevran finally:) I never used him until I read this.

[Gilgamesh1138]

Thanks Lady Jess! : ) LOL, I guess I am doing a good job then,  if  it seems like it should be able to happen in game.  Thanks for reading it and commenting.  I didn't think about it but I guess I should list on FF that I post it here too.  I didn't think of that.  *smacks self*  LOL!

I am working on the next chapter. Should be up tonight.  

Blessings,
Erynnar (FF)

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 04 avril 2010 - 09:10 .

[Gilgamesh1138]

Chapter 68


Kai took a moment to breathe, and it was Fi's little chirps and craning her neck to look at her mommy which snapped

Kai out of her roiling thoughts.  She sighed, kissed Fi on her downy head and walked after Zev to the dining hall. 

She soon felt a presence tailing her, and it couldn't be Zev.  She stopped and turned to see Gnat's figure unfold

itself out of the shadows.  "Bonsoir, my lady."  Kai grinned at her.  Gnat had apparently been given a room and had

bathed and changed.

"I hope you got settled in all right.  If you need anything, don't hesitate to speak to me or..." Kai was going to

say “my brother Fergus,” but he was otherwise occupied for who knew how long.  Kai stopped herself.  "...Or any

servant."  Kai felt herself blushing.  If Gnat noticed, she said nothing, she just nodded.  They made their way to

the doorway of the dining hall and walked in.  The place was full of Scath and her extended family.  Well, minus

her brother and a certain witch.  Shale was standing in her favorite spot in the dining hall, behind Sten.  Leli

sat between Sten and Oghren.  Fiona and Wynne sat at the end of the table next to the highchairs where Duncan was

already seated while Fiona put a bib on him.

Her family just looked up, but the Scath all stood and gave her a crossed arm bow.  Kai handed Fi to Wynne and

returned the bow.  Zaeed and Naseel came over.  Zaeed met her with that wide infectious grin of his, putting out

his arm to grasp hers.  Naseel did the same when Zaeed stepped back.  It was then that Zaeed's eyes landed on

Gnat.  They got very wide, and he couldn't seem to take them off of her.  In fact all of her Scath were looking at

the mysterious young woman with varying expressions.  Most of the looks were curious with a mix of seeing some

beautiful creature who looked like an elf out of the legends of Arlathan.  Everyone except Naseel, who looked from

Zaeed's face back to Gnat with a nasty scowl and a hard glint in her mismatched eyes.  Oh boy, Kai thought.  She

knew Zaeed was in love with Naseel and this was nothing more than a healthy male’s being in proximity to someone as

exotic and alluring as Gnat.  Kai’d had time to get used to Gnat's looks and had forgotten how truly eye catching

they were.  Naseel was not impressed.  She turned to Kai after one more cold look at Gnat and a really hard jab to

Zaeed's ribs, which had him wincing, rubbing his side and looking sheepish.  Kai had never seen him with such a

look on his face.  She wanted to laugh and kept herself from doing so only by the thinnest of margins.

Kai addressed the dining hall, "Everyone, may I introduce Gnat.  She is a bard from Orlais.  She is here to help

'The Silver Griffon,' and she has permission from a powerful friend to aid us against Anora.  I will speak to you

all more on this later.  Suffice it to say, treat her as you would any Scath."  Kai watched her Scath nod and turn

back to their plates, still glancing at Gnat and speaking with each other.  Those closest to Jarren started to ask

him questions.  Kai only hoped they gave him a chance to eat.

"Scathach, we were worried, but Zevran sent word via the procul globe that you lived.  We were only truly comforted

when the witch returned to give us a complete report on your health."  Kai thanked them for their concern and gave

them a briefing on the darkspawn attacks, both of them. Naseel smiled at Kai.

"Your other friends have been telling those of us new to your country about the Blight.  You mean that they are not

going back to the Deep Roads?"  Naseel's eyes widened.

"And this sounds as if intelligence lies behind your battle on the road back here.  Could it be that they have

unearthed another dragon so soon?"  Zaeed's voice sounded with concern.

"That I do not know, my friends.  We may have to delve into this disturbing development along with handling all

that is going on with Anora.  For now, go back to your food, my friends."  She smiled at both of them.  "We can

speak on this more later.  Eat."  Kai grasped Naseel's arm and then Zaeed's, and watched as they sat back down next

to Jarren and Rajed.

Kai motioned for Gnat to follow her to the table.  Kai introduced Gnat to everyone except Zev before sitting across

from the elf.  Gnat sat across from Leliana and next to Kai.  Since breakfast was informal and people tended to

rise at different times, the food was put out buffet style.  Supper was more formal at Highever and always had

been.  Her family had never eaten by themselves unless it was Cousland Camaraderie Day.  Her parents had always

eaten with castle staff or soldiers in the dining hall.  Supper meant everyone showed up, cleaned up and ready to

sit down and eat, unless they had duties that kept them from it.  The food was placed on the tables in front of

everyone rather than on the buffet.  Kai and Gnat started to fill their plates.

Leliana looked appreciatively at Gnat.  Kai knew that the bard did not mind the company of women.  In fact, the

beautiful redhead had hinted she would have liked Kai's company.  Kai had hated to hurt her, but she wasn't

interested in women, though one could do worse than the lovely and sweet bard.

She wasn’t sure if Gnat’s joke about Kai coming to her if Zev and she didn't work out was a real offer.  What Kai

did know was that Gnat and Leliana were both bards and shared their country in common as well.  It didn't surprise

her when they shifted into Orlesian.  Kai couldn't help but listen in.  What was it about foreign languages that

just stirred the senses?  Of course Kai's limited Orlesian meant she was probably missing some things, but that

didn't stop her from listening.  Their accents were too lovely, like a lilting song.

Leli smiled and introduced herself. "Bonsoir, mon nom est Leliana. Vous venez aussi d'Orlais?"
Gnat grinned and had a look of homesickness. She seemed to enjoy hearing her own language though. " Enchantée, je

suis Moucheron. Et oui, je suis originaire d'Orlais. J'habite à Val Royeaux."
Leliana's eyes sparkled and she giggled. "Vous êtes sérieuse? Vous vous nommez réellement Moucheron?"

Gnat looked at the pretty red head and laughed. She shook her head. "En fait, mon véritable nom est Allaire

Jardiniel. Mais je ne l'utilise jamais, et je préfère de loin me faire appeler Moucheron. Je suis une acrobate et

une barde. J'ai été formée par Gaheriès Magnon. Avec qui avez-vous reçu votre entraînement pour devenir barde?"

J'ai été formé par Gaheriès Magnon.  Avec qui avez-vous une formation pour être Bard?"
Leliana's eyes brightened, and she flushed.  Kai caught enough to know that Gnat has asked with whom Leliana

trained as a bard.  It was a painful thing for the pretty redhead.  Kai listened as Leliana explained all of this

to Gnat.  About how her mistress and teacher had betrayed her, blaming her for her own treasonous acts. 

Eventually, it was Kai who had gained the pretty and vulnerable woman's trust, and she had confessed to being a

bard for Orlais.  Leli told her about what had happened with papers that her mistress, teacher and even lover had

sent her to kill a mark to get.  These papers had named her mistress as engaged in treason against Orlais.  These

were papers that Leliana's curiosity had led her to read, taking her concerns to Marjolaine, afraid for her

teacher's safety.  Marjolaine had then framed Leliana who had been arrested and then tortured.  Kai knew that

torture for women always included rape.

Leli had never spoken of any of it in detail except to say that she had escaped using the very bard skills she had

been trained in and had run to Ferelden.  She had put herself in the Chantry as a Lay Sister, hoping to gain

forgiveness for her past deeds and to find peace.  Despite what had happened to her, she had remained a kind and

caring soul.  She had not allowed herself to be bitter or even to feel vengeful toward her former mistress and

teacher.  She had stayed happy in the cloister until she’d had her vision, a dream of the Blight.  She had joined

Kai and her group in Lothering and had been a loyal and true friend ever since. 

It was during their travels some time later that they had been attacked by assassins hired by Marjolaine, as the

woman had discovered Leli was alive and in Ferelden.  They had gone to Denerim and found Marjolaine, who was a

nasty piece of work.  In fact now that Kai thought about it, Marjolaine reminded her very much of Vimaro.  They had

killed the woman.  Kai had worried that Marjolaine’s telling Leli  she was a walking abyss coupled with killing the

woman would break the sweet Bard.  It had taken several conversations with her, but Kai had shown Leli that she was

not Marjolaine, nor would she ever be.  With time and the love of her new friends, Leliana had come to see that she

and her former Mistress were very different.

Gnat smiled an apologetic smile at Leli. " Je suis sincèrement désolée de ce vous est arrivé ."
Leliana smiled her brilliant smile, and shook her head, her flaming red hair dancing like her eyes. "Non, tout cela

est du passé. J'ai de très bons amis et une vie merveilleuse maintenant ." Kai had to smile Leli's response to

Gnat's sympathy was so Leli. Cheerful, optimistic, forever hopeful, and never bitter. She simply put her in her

past and counted her life now as marvelous and filled with good friends. Kai had reason to know that Leliana even

considered Morrigan as a friend, and Sten, even when she had never received a warm welcome from either. A less than

warm welcome had never stopped the beautiful bard. Kai was reminded of the Spumante Master Ignacio had brought to

their meeting from Antiva. Golden, bubbly, and cheerful, it would tickle your nose whether you wanted it to or not.

That was Leli, Kai smiled at her friend. Maker, she was just so lucky to know such great people.

It was Shale that broke the intense concentration Kai required to follow the conversation with her rusty Orlesian. 

"I have a question for it."

Kai looked at Shale and smiled.  "What can I do for you, my stone friend?"

"When I was injured, I went into a kind of shut down mode.  It was not like the years I spent in the Deep Roads

before that bastard Wilhelm found me."  Shale's face took on a heavy scowl at the memory of her former and abusive

owner.

"So, you didn't just shut off and see darkness?"  Kai raised an eyebrow.  "How was it different?  Could you hear

all of us or sense us?"

"No, I think I had what you squishy beings call a dream."  The golem's face got even more stern.
"I didn't know you could dream anymore.  Was it a pleasant dream?  A fun dream?"  Kai couldn't help but be excited

by this development.  The golem was a female dwarf before she was a stone giant with exceptional killing skills and

brute strength.  Kai always wondered how much of the dwarf was still in that stone skin.

"No, it was horrid.  I think it was brought on by all the damage I had taken.  I was in a strange place, and it had

yellow bird taller than the Qunari which kept trying to ingratiate itself with me while ignoring my attempts to

squish its head.  It kept pushing chocolate covered bird seed on me.  Finally, I was forced to flee from it, as I

could not crush it into a fine paste.  Then I found myself in a theater with a strange, small blue creature."

"Creature?  What was it, do you think?"  Kai noticed that all of the table had gone silent, listening with rapt

attention to Shale's story.

"It reminded me of a Darkspawn, except it was fuzzy and had a large curling nose.  It tried its hand at jocularity

while firing itself out of a cannon like the Qunari use."

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad."  Kai grinned at Shale.

"It would say that, wouldn't it?  But it does not know the true horror of the small blue darkspawn."
"And that would be?"  Kai leaned forward on the edge of her seat.

"The small darkspawn led a legion of chickens!"  Shale huffed at her, stone brows scrunching down in a menacing

scowl.

"Needless to say, it was all most...disturbing.  I thought only a weak, fleshy mind deluded by an overdose of deep

mushrooms could have come up with such hellish images.  It was most unsettling, most unsettling indeed."

Kai wanted to laugh, but she didn't want to hurt Shale's feelings.  "I wouldn't worry too much, Shale.  I think it

was just due to your grievous injuries.  I don't think it is a sign of weakness.  You were hurt very badly, my

friend.  For which I am sorry."

"Huh!"  Shale then smiled at Kai.  "As I trust it, I will be content that this was only due to injury and we shall

not speak of it again.  And it was not to blame.  If it insists on taking the blame, I shall be forced to squish

its head.”

"Fair enough, my stone friend, fair enough."  Kai just grinned at the golem and shoveled another forkful of food

into her mouth to keep from laughing.

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 19 juin 2010 - 01:07 .

[MireliA]

I love that conversation Kai has with Shale .

[Lady Jess]

Gonzo!! That ent perfectly with my morning coffee...well mostly, I might have snorted a bit *babies her nose*

[Gilgamesh1138]

ROFL thanks to both of you. Sorry about the waste of coffee and your poor nose. : )

[Gilgamesh1138]

Chapter 69



Kai watched Shale stand with her back to the wall, her stone face pensive.  At least Kai assumed it was a pensive

look.  After all, the golem didn't have bodily...erm...functions.  In fact it always surprised Kai when Shale

joined them in the dining hall.  The golem had always stayed far away in camp, and she didn't need to eat.  Kai

suspected that Shale wanted the company.  And Shale had always gotten along with her and Sten the best of everyone

in camp.  In fact, Shale was the only one Sten called “Kadan” besides Kai.  He used it now, looking at the golem

with his mouth crimping the way it did when he was bothered by something.

"I had heard your tale, Kadan, of this dream.  I too had a somewhat unsettling...vision, as I slept after that

battle.  I admit that I had to meditate upon the teachings of the Qun for at least an extra half hour in order to

focus my mind again."

"The Qunari also had one of these ‘dream’ things?  May I inquire what it dreamt of?" Shale's glowing eyes fixed on

Sten with curiosity.

"I, too, found myself in a strange place, in a city unlike any I've ever seen before.  I also encountered a short,

blue furred creature similar to your darkspawn."

"Did it have a curled nose and a legion of feathered fiends as well?" Shale's eyebrows shot up her stone face.

"No.  Mine had no discernible nose at all.  But its eyes were large, prominent and wild.  I was standing before

what appeared to be a shop or store selling vegetation in boxes out front.  The shop had the name of a barrel

maker.  On a table before me was a platter of cookies.  As I was about to indulge in one, the wide-eyed darkspawn

descended upon them from out of nowhere, yelling ‘Cookie!’, and devoured them in a violent frenzy that would put

even the dwarf to shame.  Before I could recover and impale it, it had the audacity to utter a word of thanks and

trotted off as if nothing happened."  Sten's stern mouth crimped more at the corners.

"How horrid!  It sounds vile enough to ally itself with the giant yellow bird.  Oh, how I wish to squish them

both!"  Shale’s mouth took on a deadly scowl.

Kai almost spit her wine out of her nose with laughter.  "Sten, maybe your conscience finally caught up with you."

"My...conscience?  Explain, Kadan."  Sten turned his lavender eyes on Kai.

"I was thinking of a bag of cookies you took from that child in the village outside of Lake Calenhad.  You know,

the ones you gave to Carroll the Templar to take us across lake to the Tower during the Blight?"  Kai put her hands

under her chin, batting her eyelashes and grinning at the Qunari.  "Perhaps the dream was the mark of a slow but

guilty conscience, no?"

"You stole cookies from a child?" Gnat asked the bronzed skin giant.  "I am a spy and sometimes assassin, and I

have never been that cruel."  She flashed a grin and a wink at Kai.  Leliana giggled and covered her mouth with her

hand.  Zev chuckled low in his throat.

"Oooh!  Sten got busted!"  Alistair's voice laughed in her ear.

"Vashedan!  The child was a fat, slovenly thing.  I relieved him of those confections, as he did not need anymore. 

It was for his own good."

"Uh huh, his own good.  Whatever you say, my friend."  Kai laughed as Sten growled.  She got up and went to see if

the twins were done eating so she could take them for a bath.  She was going to have to bathe them in Wynne's

room.  And then she had a brilliant, if not slightly vengeful, idea for lodging for her and Zev.  They would simply

stay in Fergus' room.  Kai found that idea very pleasing, in a passive/aggressive, sibling sort of way.  Kai

grabbed a servant and asked them to make sure Fergus' bed was stripped and remade for her and Zevran.  While they

were doing that, Kai would go to Wynne's room to check on Argus and bathe the babies.

Fiona helped Kai carry the twins to Wynne's room with Wynne following behind.  Wynne and Fiona started the bath

while Kai checked on Argus, who had been sleeping but had awoken when she came in.  He had a happy loll to his

tongue and gave a small bark before settling back to sleep.  Kai went and helped get Fi and Duncan bathed.  They

had apparently enjoyed the mashed potatoes and the espinaca Kai had asked the cook to get for Zevran, though the

cook had fixed it Ferelden style and cooked it until it was very soft with cream and butter.  She suspected that

Zev would need to let the cooks know how to fix it the way he had mentioned with oil and vinegar.  Regardless, Fi

and Duncan had enjoyed it if having it in their ears, their hair, and up their noses was any indication of

enjoyment.  She still wondered how much, if any, they actually got in their stomachs.  She found out when Fi had a

bit of upset tummy and proceeded to empty said stomach all over Mommy, which made it necessary for her to bathe

also.

When she was clean and the twins were finally changed and asleep, they carried them downstairs to the main hall. 

As they walked down the hallway, the door to what had been her and Zev's room was blessedly silent.  Kai still

found herself blushing as if the noises from earlier were still going on.
They laid the twins out on a blanket next to the couch where Zev sat reading.  Leliana and Gnat were engrossed in a

deep conversation in Orlesian.  Naseel stood behind Zaeed, alongside Rajed.  Shale stood behind Sten.  Keiron, who

had been conspicuously absent from the dining hall when Kai had come in, was leaning against the wall drinking from

a tankard along with Oghren, watching Zaeed and Sten playing dwarven checkers.  Keiron winked at her and gave her

his usual cocky grin.  Kai rolled her eyes at him. As she passed, Kai heard Keiron giving Zaeed strategic advice

about his stone pieces on the board.  She stopped and watched herself when Keiron let out a great cheer.  "That's

the way, my Antivan friend!"  Sten's stern face got darker, and a low growl could be heard.
Oghren belched, wiped his arm across his mouth and stooped to pour more ale into his mug from the keg he had

sitting on the floor.  "I would reconsider that move if I were you.  You never want to upset a Qunari.”

Keiron only grinned at Oghren.  "But no one ever worries about upsetting Zaeed or I."

"That's cause a pair of nughumpers like you don't go around tearing people's arms off and beating them with them

when they lose.  Qunari have been known to do that."  Oghren nonchalantly went back to gulping his ale.  Kai felt

herself suppressing a laugh. It was true, Sten could and would rip arms off, as she had threatened to have him do

to that merchant when they were looking for his Asala.  She doubted he would do such a thing over a game of

checkers.  Still, one could never tell with Sten.

Kai watched Keiron's reaction as he glanced at Sten who had his arms crossed and more of a scowl on his face than

he usually had.  He glanced back at Oghren, who had not changed in the slightest in expression or body language. 

"I see your point."  Keiron looked at Zaeed.  "On second thought, Zaeed, let the Qunari win."

"Bah!  Would that not be a hollow victory for you, my fine muscular friend?  Qunari win by skill and not

intimidation."  Zaeed grinned at Sten.  "Intimidation is only a side effect of that skill, no?"  Sten's usually

immobile face broke into the closest thing he ever gave to a smile.  Kai had to shake her head at Zaeed in wonder. 

She had only seen that smile once, when she had given him Asala.
Kai went and sat next to Zev on the couch.  He reached over to the table sitting to his right and handed Kai the

leather bag with Lelyth's ashes before wrapping his arm around her and drawing her to him.  She nestled her head on

his shoulder, feeling his warmth, taking comfort from it when she felt so cold, as she caressed the leather bag

beneath her fingers.  Zev said nothing, he knew he didn't have to. He just kissed the top of her head and went on

reading.  Kai looked at the book.  It was the book she had given him at Solstice, The Black Fox.  "You are just as

bad as Wynne with The Rose of Orlais.  You are going to wear out the binding."  Kai teased him.

"Hmm, I managed to save it from the room when I retrieved the ashes.  It is too precious for me to leave behind,

like the person who gave it to me."  His fingers danced along her silky hair.  "How do you want to handle things

tomorrow?  With Lelyth's siblings?"  She could hear him keeping his voice neutral.

"I have no idea.  I mean, they know she is dead.  I sent the letter she had in her belongings, the one they all

write and keep for family or spouses in case they should fall.  One of the soldiers we recruited at Gwaren took it

when he went to Waking Sea with some of the villagers to hide out."  Kai grimaced.  "But they need to hear it from

me.  They are my responsibility now.  The family Fergus found for them here will care for them.  They are an

elderly couple who lost their only son in the Battle of Denerim during the Blight.  Fergus said they are overjoyed

to have a house with young people in it again."  He only squeezed her closer, stroking her hair.  Kai felt wet

warmth on his shoulder.  She hadn't even realized she had been crying.

"Come, my dear friend, I think we should get you to bed.  Tomorrow will be a difficult day for you."  Zev stood up,

grasped her hand and pulled her to her feet.  He picked up Fi and waited by the door for her before starting off to

the living quarters.  He went into Fergus's room.  Again he always seemed to know.  When he caught her expression,

he laughed.  "I did not have the pleasure of having siblings, but it seems only fair in retaliation, no?"  She

laughed at him and merely nodded.
They put the twins in the middle of the bed and got in themselves.  She was smiling at them, noticing how long

their eyelashes were as they lay on the smooth skin of their round cheeks.  Maker, she had missed them.  She was so

absorbed it took a moment for her to realize Zev’s pale amber eyes were watching her.  She looked up.  "What is it

Zev?  Is something wrong?"

She saw him flush slightly as she had only seen him do once.  "Not wrong, no..."  His eyes flickered to the twins

and back to her again.  "Just an interesting observation.  You have said 'our' with regard to the room we share and

the bed."

"Have I?"  Kai smiled at him.  "Well, you did offer me the earring.  So, you and I are a 'we,' aren't we?  And if

we are a 'we,' then what 'we' share becomes ‘ours,’ right?  Why, does it bother you that I used the word 'our?'"

Zevran laughed.  "No, it does not bother me, far from it.  And, I do not think I can argue with logic such as

yours.  Even if I were unhinged enough to offer any such objection.  I may be many things, but insane is not one of

them."  He stroked her cheek.  "Speaking of the earring, we could take care of that tomorrow."  He kissed her

lingeringly before blowing out the candle.

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 19 juin 2010 - 01:15 .

[dbfandillyjam]

Words can't express how much I am loving this story. Thank you so much for sharing your talent.

[Gilgamesh1138]

Thank you so much for your support! I am so glad you like it. I am writing chapter 70. Should be up tonight. I will continue to strive to entertain you. I am truly humbled. : )

[Gilgamesh1138]

Chapter 70



Kai found herself in Highever's Great Hall again, but it lay empty.  Empty except for him.  Her heart beat faster,

her breath caught in her throat.  Her other half, her beloved.  As always, she felt him before she even set eyes on

him.  Her lips met his, her arms slid around his neck, her body molded effortlessly to his like two pieces of a

puzzle.  "Alistair."  She whispered against his lips.  Oh, how she missed him.
"Hello, my love."  He gave her his trademark lopsided grin and brushed her hair back from her face with his big

hands.  He may have been smiling, but he looked worried.  She could see that the lines around his eyes had

deepened, one of the signs that something was bothering him.

"Ali, what is it?"  She brushed her fingers along his cheek.

"I was speaking to Maric and Duncan about the darkspawn you met on the North Road coming to Highever."  He took her

to the couch where she had sat with Zev in the material world.  He linked his fingers with hers.  "I was voicing my

concerns about how they weren't retreating into the Deep Roads like at the end of all the other Blights.  I was

also telling Duncan about the high number of Alphas you met and the one Emissary.  I questioned Duncan about that,

as I was told that Alphas and Emissaries only show during a Blight.  Granted, I had only been a Grey Warden for six

months and hadn't the time to study all that I really needed to know.  Still, I had read enough documents from the

Warden archives to know that much."  Alistair grimaced.  "You should have seen their faces."

"Well, this can't be good."  Kai could feel her heart beating faster, this time with a creeping sense of dread. 

Alistair went on to explain what happened when Duncan and Maric met for the first time.  The order of the Grey from

Orlais, consisting of the Grey Commander Genevieve, Duncan, Fiona, Maric and other wardens Kai did not know, had

all gone into the Deep Roads.  Maric went with them because he was mourning Rowan and had been told by Flemeth, no

less, that there was a Blight coming to Ferelden and that Maric wouldn't be alive to see it, but his son would. 

Alistair told her how they had gone looking for a Warden taken hostage by the darkspawn instead of being killed

when he answered his Calling.

"But darkspawn don't have that kind of reasoning ability, not even with an archdemon to lead them.  Even Alphas and

Emissaries aren't that smart.  And they weren't in a Blight back then."  Kai just looked at Ali, and the lines

around his eyes deepened.  Her breath caught in her throat.

He continued, telling her that the warden taken had been the retired commander of the Grey in Orlais and brother to

Genevieve.  The group had traveled the Deep Roads looking for him, as this Warden, one Bregan, had knowledge of

where the old Tevinter Dragon Gods were imprisoned, the ones that caused Blights.  They were afraid that the

darkspawn would use this knowledge to start Blights, maybe one huge one with all the dragon gods left.  If they

could plan and kidnap a warden when they hadn't before, who was to say they couldn’t have been planning just that? 

Or that was their thinking from what they had known then.  Duncan and Maric told Alistair of The Architect, the

darkspawn mage with human intelligence and self awareness, that they had met in the Deep Roads.  This darkspawn did

have the ability to plan ahead.

"Funny how your mother left out the part about the smart darkspawn from her tale of your conception."  Kai had a

moment to wonder if Fiona was keeping anything else back about that time in the Deep Roads.

"Well, she was told by the Wwrdens of Weisshaupt not to speak of it.  Apparently, she lost the Taint due to The

Architect's magic or the Head Enchanter's or something they are still not sure of.  Like you, she cannot sense them

anymore.  Unlike you, she chose to stay a Grey Warden because it was that or go back to the Circle as a mage

slave."  Alistair went on about how The Architect planned on finding all the old Tevinter gods and killing them so

the darkspawn would have no motivation, no leadership.  No Blights.  Then by making everyone in Thedas go through

the Joining to become a Grey Warden, they would all be part darkspawn and there would be a meeting halfway between

the two species – those that survived, anyways, if they survived.  They would do the mass Joining by magic with the

help of the First Enchanter Remille.

"Maker's holy smoking blood!  What kind of insanity is that?  People die during the Joining!  I was the only one to

survive out of three!  You are telling me that this warden they went to rescue and his sister, a warden commander

no less, considered agreeing to this, this..." Kai jumped up to pace, running her fingers through her hair.  She

couldn't even begin to spit it out, so many words came to mind – travesty, insanity, sham, farce, lunacy, insanity,

delusion, flapdoodle.  "Did Duncan...?  No, I can't believe he would.  And he must not have, he was no talking

darkspawn at Ostagar."  Kai's thoughts were roiling.  Andraste's knickers, the death toll of forcing a Joining on

the population at large would have been incalculable.

"Wait, my love, it gets worse."  Worse?  Kai already wanted to run in circles yelling.  Alistair held out his hand

to her.  She took it and sat back down, her heart beating wildly as if it was trying to claw its way out of her

throat.  He told her that The Architect had figured out how to accelerate the Taint in Grey Wardens with his own

magic and could turn them into intelligent darkspawn in a matter of hours or minutes, depending on how far along

they were.  The closer they were to the Calling and provided the warden survived it, the more the process could be

accelerated.  He and the First Enchanter had made brooches which helped to accelerate the Taint's corruption while

the Grey had been traveling the Deep Roads.  It was a test of the magic that the Orlesian mages were to unleash via

objects made from similar materials in every town and city Thedas.  However, Remille had decided that Orlais would

not go through the change and would take over the rest of the world once and for all.

The Architect had not seen the Head Enchanter’s deception.  Instead, he had finished the Taint's progress in

Bregan, Genevieve and a dwarf warden named Utha.  When Remille had revealed his treachery to The Architect and what

the brooches were really for to Genevieve and Utha, Genevieve had second thoughts.  Bregan, further along in his

corruption, had fought his sister.  The Architect had killed her.  Bregan saw the insanity of the plan as he had

not been able to do before.  He turned on The Architect and tried to kill it.  Utha stopped Bregan from killing The

Architect, although Bregan did manage to chop off one of its hands before Remille started trying to kill Bregan. 

The Head Enchanter had a taste for darkspawn blood magic and its power, and he did not want to give it up. So

Bregan had killed Remille and accepted his own death.

"So, do Duncan and Maric think this may have something to do with this intelligent darkspawn, this 'Architect?'" 

Kai wanted to hit someone.  "Duncan and Fiona and all the other Grey all over Thedas never thought that this was

important?  Maric never thought to write it down for Cailan or Eamon?  Maric knew there was a Blight coming, and he

wouldn't be around for it?  How tidy!"  Kai loaded her tone with so much sarcasm, she was surprised it wasn't

visible as a puddle on the floor.  "Oh yes, by the by, there is a Blight coming and there is a smart darkpawn with

reasoning like a sentient human.  Oh, but wait there's more!  He can do magic, and bonus!  He can lead darkspawn

like an archdemon!  HUZZAH, everybody!  Oh, don't worry about it, we'll all be dead or far from Ferelden when all

this comes back to bite you in the arse.  No worries!  You all will just clean up the mess we left you with and

that we didn't give you any warning of, yes?  Thanks, m'kay, bye!"  Kai got up and paced in earnest now. 

"NUGHUMPERS, all of them.  When you see Duncan and Maric again, you tell them I am going to kick their sodding

arses all over the Fade!"  Kai walked over and kicked the stone wall of the Great Hall....

And woke up when her foot connected with the wooden bedpost on her side of the bed.  Her big toe was throbbing, but

that was nothing in comparison to the fear that had gripped her heart in an icy fist.  She went and stood in the

patch of moonlight pooling on the floor from one of the room’s small high windows.  Kai could see the moon framed

in it.  She found herself looking not so much at it, but through it as she hugged her arms around herself.  She had

to be honest; she was angry that Alistair sacrificed himself for nothing and that the Blight wasn't over after all.

"No, my love, don't think that."  Alistair's voice tried to soothe her.

"Sod it, Alistair!  They lied by omission.  A lie that can cost us what?  More lives, more destruction?  And now

the possibility of an endless war with darkspawn between Blights!?  Bloody hell!"  Endless war with the darkspawn

had decimated the dwarves, constantly fighting in the Deep Roads.  Now, it could annihilate them all, below the

surface and above it.  Kai started to shake.  She was shaking so hard she just crumpled to the floor, sitting on

her knees while hunching her body over them, her back curved as her arms wrapped around her body.  She couldn't

stop.  She didn't know how long she sat that way.  It was Zev’s warm hand on her shoulder as he crouched down to

see to her that brought her back to the here and now.

"Kai, what is it?"  His warm voice was tinged with concern.  She just shook her head.  She was afraid to speak; if

she did, it would come out as a scream and she would just start running mad.  He curved his own torso over hers,

warming her cold skin.  She turned towards him, picturing a lamppost in snow.  She wanted comfort of the flesh, to

be touched and taken.  She wrapped her arms around him putting her cold lips urgently to his.  She felt his

surprise at first, and then his lips parted under hers.

They started off slowly, tenderly.  He kissed her nose, her eyelids, her cheeks.  She heard him whisper her name. 

She ran her hands through his hair, running them around his head to massage the nape of his neck.  This elicited a

groan, and his hands started to roam over her breasts through the shift she wore, causing her skin to tingle and

her nipples to harden.

Her whole body was alive as if lightening were crawling along her skin sending jolts of pleasure that bordered on

pain with the longing they caused.  He pulled her to him, deepening his kiss until she was making little humming

sounds.  She was foggy with pleasure and longing.  So much so, she had to take a moment to get herself to focus

when he pulled away.  He pulled her up, sat her on the edge of the bed and left the room.

Before she could feel injured or hurt, he was back with a couple of servants who picked up the twins and took them

from the room.  Kai flushed; at least someone was thinking straight.  She looked at her hands in guilt and

embarrassment.  He raised her chin to make her look at him before he bent down to place his lips against hers once

again.  His hands pulled her shift over her head as he gently laid her back in the bed.  His lips were doing

amazing things to hers.  His long fingered hands cupped her face.  Somewhere, he had stripped off his own night

shirt, and his naked skin rubbed against hers, flooding warmth back into it.  It was like lying in the sun.

She felt the heat and longing build once again.  To be comforted, to be filled, to just be.  She opened to him, and

he filled her.  His body warmed her cold one.  They built to that aching crescendo so slowly and so sweetly. 

Pleasure bloomed softly, their bodies rising and falling in tandem as the need built to its inevitable peak, until

they slid off the world together.

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 19 juin 2010 - 01:22 .

[Gilgamesh1138]

Chapter 71

Kai woke up, her naked body curled around Zev's.  The sun was streaming through the windows, washing the room in

early morning light.  She snuggled closer to him, her hand brushing the smooth skin of his chest.  In the light of

day, she could almost convince herself that it had all been a nightmare, but Kai had never been anything but

practical and a realist.  As tempting as it might be to set aside what Alistair had told her, she knew she would

not, could not, even temporarily for peace of mind.

She sighed.  Zev's arms tightened around her, one hand gently stroking her back and the other her arm in a way that

soothed at the same time as it aroused.  "Much as I enjoy the art of love with you, my beloved friend, I know that

last night was more than just that.  You were trying to drive the demons away.  So, what is it that has you so

frightened, I wonder?  Especially a woman who does not scare easily.  What happened, Kaidana?"

Kai went on to tell Zevran everything Alistair had told her second hand from Duncan and Maric.  Zev's hands stopped

stroking her and became still.  As she went on, his hands gripped her tighter, and he pulled her closer to him,

kissing her forehead.  "While it is disturbing," Kai snorted and he continued, "you are not alone.  You never have

been, and now you have more allies.  We will do what needs to be done, no?"  He raised her chin up to look at him

and smiled at her.  "I know this because I see the woman you are and the way you lead."  He kissed her and then

rolled out of bed to start the water running in the bath.  "We will need to tell the others, though.  And your

Scath too.  But for now, bath.  Then we had better collect the twins.  I don't know how much Fiona appreciated my

sending them to her so late last night."  Zev grinned back at her.  "We can get Leliana to help us pierce our

ears.  And then you will need to see Lelyth's brother and sisters.  They are coming for lunch."

"Zev, I always meant to ask you.  The earring, you said you took it off a Rivanni merchant prince, your first job,

and he was wearing nothing else?"  Zev smiled and merely “hmm'd” at her as he poured bath salts into the tub,

mixing the water with his hand.  "How did Vimaro wind up with a second identical earring?"

"Ah, well I had hidden the first one from Vimaro.  If he had known I had kept it as a keepsake...."
"He would have taken it and put it in his little box of trophies to gloat over."  Kai frowned.  "To 'train' you to

be cold of course.  Really, he just liked tormenting people."  Kai's hand's gripped into fists.  Zev walked over to

sit next to her on the bed, taking her hand in his and uncurling her fingers, kissing her palm and then her wrist.

"When I started to have feelings for Rinna, I had another earring made to match it.  It is almost identical but for

one small difference only Rinna and I knew.  Rinna had both ears pierced.  That way, she could lie to Vimaro and

say she had stolen the earrings while on a job.  Vimaro was less likely to take things you stole off a mark as they

would hold no value to you.  If it wasn't important to you, he didn't have any interest in it."  Zev looked at

their linked hands.  "When Taliesin slit her throat and after I...."  She kissed his shoulder.  "...After I spit on

her I took the original earring back.  The one I had made I left behind.  I wanted nothing to do with it.  Taliesin

must have told Vimaro of my feelings for her, hence the contract to get me to kill her.  Taliesin must have taken

that earring and given it to the monster as proof the contract had been fulfilled.  Even though Taliesin had to

slit her throat in the end, he lied to get what he wanted.  He became Vimaro’s second."
"I am so sorry.  I shouldn't have asked."  He leaned in and kissed her.
"No, my friend, you are the only person I have ever been able to talk to about such things.  You have never judged

me, only accepted me as I am.  You do that for all of us.  It is truly a blessing.  So, you will wear the one I

took off the prince, and I shall wear the one I had made.  That way you may be reminded when you touch it of how

precious you are to me."  He stroked her face and put his lips to hers.  "I am going to get the twins.  You take a

bath.  Then, I can take one."
Kai watched as he threw on some clothes and left.  She got in the warm water and scrubbed down, using the scented

soap on skin and hair.  It helped to settle her more after last night's revelations.  She rinsed off, drained the

tub and filled it again for Zev.  She had just finished getting dressed when Zev and Fiona walked in with the

twins.  Fiona grinned at Kai and winked, tilting her head towards Zev.  Kai gave her a small smile in return as

they got her and the twins settled.  Kai wasn't sure how to handle the subject of what she’d learned the previous

night, so she just plunged in and told Fiona about the group of large organized darkspawn and Alistair's

information from the Fade.
Fiona blushed and looked away.  "I should have told you.  I was told not to speak about it by the Grey. But you are

a Warden, technically, like me even if we don't have the Taint anymore.  I had gone searching for Utha and The

Architect, but we couldn't find them.  The Grey in Weisshaupt had me call off the search.  They assumed that The

Architect died from his wounds, and they assumed Utha was turned into a broodmother."  Fiona grimaced.  “It was a

nice fantasy the Grey convinced themselves of.  We all, I suspect, hoped it was true.  Especially Duncan, Maric and

I.  Utha was our friend, and yet she let that monster turn her into a darkspawn.  She helped him.  Her family had

been annihilated by the darkspawn.  She became a Silent Sister, swore revenge, became a Warden because of it.  And

still, she betrayed everything we were to join with the very thing she swore to kill."  Fiona wept.  "We lost good

friends.  Maker, I haven't thought of them in years.  Kell the hunter and his Grey Warden dog Hafter.  Nicholas and

his love Julien."  Fiona let out a little sob.  "It hurts just as much now as it did then."  She wiped tears from

her face and tried to smile.  "I am the only one left.  Even my own son, gone before me."  Kai reached out and

grasped the woman's hand, giving it a squeeze.
"Well, not quite everyone.  You have your grandchildren."  Kai smiled at her.
"And I have a daughter?" Fiona looked at her hopefully.
"You have a daughter, of that there is no doubt."  Kai grinned.  "And since I am your daughter, you get Fergus as

well."  Kai laughed.
Fiona gave Kai a mock grimace and wrinkled her nose.  Kai laughed.  Fiona helped Kai get the twins up and burped

and changed.  Zev, not bothered in the slightest by company, had gotten his bath while they talked and dressed

himself.  And had disappeared.  Kai and Fiona were about to leave for the dining hall when the door opened and Zev

walked in followed by Leliana.  Leli looked very excited and had a leather pouch with her.
"Zev told me he wants me to help you pierce your ears!"  The pretty redhead was practically bouncing up and down. 

"Finally, something to give you more of a feminine look!  I tried to get you interested in shoes, but you won't

budge.  And this is so romantic, too!  I can't wait to write a song about it for your ballad."  She grinned, her

blue eyes sparkling.  Fiona had a quizzical look on her face, so Kai explained.  Fiona just laughed and seated

herself on the bed with the twins and watched.  Leliana had Zevran sit down first.  She took out what looked like a

sewing needle, but larger and very sharp.  "I know elves' ears are very sensitive, so I will try and be gentle."
"My dear, you could make this more fun if you had some rope or chains.  Gentle, I am not worried about.  But this

could be so much more enjoyable for all present, no?  I have three beautiful women here with a bed..."  Anything

else Zev was going to say was lost in a slight grunt as Leli jabbed the large needle through Zev's ear along the

edge at the top.  Leli quickly put in the earring that Zev handed her and held a cloth to the ear until the

bleeding stopped.
"You had better watch it.  I might take you up on your innuendo, young man!"  Fiona laughed at him.
"Si, I would hope so!  I had a friend who said older women have more experience.  I had hoped to find out with

Wynne, but alas, she is cruel and a tease."  Zev winked at Fiona and gave Kai a sly grin before pushing her towards

Leli.
"Ugh, is that shameless man hitting on my mother again?"  Alistair's voice chuckled in her ear, only to sober

immediately.  "I am so sorry, my love, about last night.  I hate being the bearer of bad news.  But I couldn't

stand it if something happened because you didn't have important information."
"Ali, I am not mad at you, or even really at Duncan, your mother, or Maric.  I am miffed at them.  But who am I to

judge decisions from the past?  I wasn't there.  How much of what I do here, now, will be looked on kindly in

future generations?  And I did need to know, even if it scares the sod out of me.  Thank you for telling me,

beloved."  Kai gave him a mental smile.
"I love you very much.  Zev is right, you will do what has to be done.  And you are not alone, for which I am very

grateful."  She could feel his smile and his love.
She was interrupted when she felt a sharp pain in her earlobe.  Before she could protest, the other lobe and the

top curve of her ear had all been pierced.  Leli, the sneak, had pierced not just the curve of her ear for Zev's

earring, but she had sneakily hit Kai with “girly” piercings and had stuck some bobs in the holes.  "Leli!  You

were only supposed to give me one hole in my ear!"
Leliana just giggled.  "Aw, please Kai, you won't even notice them once they have healed.  And this way when you

have to dress up, you will be able to really dress up."  Kai just huffed at her.  Her ears were throbbing. 

"Please, Kai don't take them out."  Leliana pouted and gave Kai her “puppy dog” eyes again.
"UGH!  Fine, I promise I won't."  Kai caught Leliana giving Zev a knowing look which she could not interpret.  She

decided it was some secret joke and to leave it at that.
With that task done, they made their way to the dining hall to get some breakfast.  Kai had one of the servants

fill plates with food and place them on a tray to set outside the bedroom for Morrigan and Fergus, since they still

hadn't surfaced.  When they had eaten, Fiona and Wynne took the twins off to the garden, their heads together

talking magic and potions no doubt.  Kai and Zev decided to gather all the Scath and lead some practice sessions

with them and introduce Rajed to his new weapon.
They gathered in the training area.  Zevran took the rogues and assassins from her Scath off for training with a

bow and to practice their archery skills.  He was also teaching the Ferelden Scath who weren't ex-Crows the fine

art of poison making after their target practice.  Kai had Zaeed and Naseel stay with her so that they could offer

support for Rajed.  Kai had no doubt this would be frustrating and even emotional for him.  He was going to have to

retrain his body.  As Kai had tried his new weapon with two good arms and smacked herself silly with it, she knew

how difficult it was going to be for Rajed with only one good arm and a stump.  She asked Leliana to help as well,

since Leli was as cheerful and sweet and patient as she could be.  She would help to bolster Rajed's spirits. 

Keiron was in the training yard also, and after speaking with Zev, he began to gather any Scath who were shield

warriors for training and practice.  Sten and Oghren were sitting and sharpening weapons while watching, along with

Shale, the bustle of what could be a normal day.  Unfortunately, Kai's life and world were anything but normal. 

She wanted to laugh.  Her father had once told her that if anyone said, "may you live in interesting times," it was

meant as a curse, not a boon.  And Maker, was he right.
Kai reached up and touched the hoop in the top of her ear, and she thought of the rose in a wooden box in her

room.  Even curses could have their blessings.  But, thinking about the rose in her room lead her to two people

occupying said room and what was going on in it.  ARGH!  She gave herself another mental head slap.
Rajed had been practicing the balancing exercises while she had been away.  She praised him and gave him the

weapon, unwinding the chain and making sure the leather sheath was secure.  She explained to Rajed how she had

practiced with it, including tying her arm down.  She showed him the moves that she had put with the unique blade. 

She offered him a demonstration and warned him it took her time to get the feel for it, being used to daggers not a

chain with a blade.  He had nodded and asked to take it off by himself.  He told them he would practice by the lake

and walked off in that direction.  Kai worried over him.  He was such a sensitive soul.  But Zaeed and Naseel both

assured her that he was doing better than they had expected.  He had his moments, but they passed quickly.  Kai

nodded and motioned for them to follow her and join in the training.
Hours later, Kai was hot and sweaty.  Judging from the position of the sun, Lelyth's siblings should be showing up

soon.  So absorbed in her own thoughts was she that it took her a moment to realize there was yelling going on, two

loud angry female voices in fact.  Naseel and Gnat were standing in the middle of the compound pointing fingers and

each speaking in her native tongue.  They both seemed to understand each other.  Zev sidled up next to her and

watched.  Soon, everyone in the whole area had stopped practicing and was standing and watching the two beautiful

elven women – one tall and dark, the other diminutive and light – square off with each other.  It’s like watching

the night sky argue with the moon, Kai thought.  There had to be a poem in there somewhere.  What they were saying

to each other, however, was anything but poetic.  In fact it reminded her of an argument she had witnessed between

two prostitutes at The Pearl once.
"Reloj se va!" Naseel glared at Gnat.
"Regarde où tu vas toi-même!" Gnat waved her hand at Naseel in a dismissive gesture and started to walk away.

Naseel grabbed Gnat's shoulder and spun her around.
"Mosquito? Deben te he nombrado pulgas." Naseel gave Gnat a wicked grin.
"Conasse." Gnat spat on the ground.

Kai heard Oghren's trademark laugh.  "Anyone want to take bets on when the hair pulling starts?"  Kai tossed a

couple of coins at Oghren and gave her time, then turned back to watch the ongoing argument.
"Besa mi culo, puta." Naseel growled.  Kai had caught that one without trouble.  It was about this time that Wynne

and Fiona walked up, without the twins who must be with a servant and down for a nap.
"Avant de pouvoir t'embrasser le cul, faudrait déjà que j'arrive à le trouver! Il est si maigre, le pauvre…" Gnat's

voice asked in mock sweetness. "Non mais il est où votre problème?"
"Braska! Vi cómo te miraba Zaeed!" Naseel, face red with fury, stepped closer to Gnat.
"Ah bon… Votre ami Zaeed me regardait." Gnat grinned a cocked her head and did a sly grin at Naseel. "Ce n'est pas

de ma faute si votre copain a les yeux errants. Et que ceux-ci ont erré dans ma direction, no?" Gnat winked and

started to walk away again, while giving a low chuckle.
It was then that Naseel pummeled Gnat from behind while screaming, "Va Chingate, voy a matarte!"
They started grappling and clawing.  When anyone made a move to stop them, Kai motioned for them to stand down. 

Best to let them get it out of their systems.  They wouldn't kill each other.  Well, probably wouldn't.  Neither

woman was using her training, so the threat of death was not a serious one.
"Hehe, I might need to go jump in that cold lake of yours, Warden, before they get done."  The dwarf took a swig of

his mug, his eyes attentive beyond just watching for said hair pulling.
Zevran chuckled.  “In Antiva, there is a place, well several, where they would be dressed in thongs and tassels and

would fight in a pool of warmed oil or mud or something we call chocolate.  This is far too dusty, though not

without its enticements, no, my dwarven friend?"
Oghren looked at Zev.  "Oil, huh?  I wonder if they ever tried fighting in beer?  Now that would be something!"
"If they did that, Oghren, you would get thrown out for trying to get in the pool with them and drink it."  Kai

grinned at him.
"Hah, Warden, very funny!" Oghren wiped his mouth with his sleeve after taking another swig from his mug.  "But,

you're probably right.  I should get myself to Antiva sometime."
Kai saw that the dust was finally settling as it appeared that Naseel and Gnat had stopped fighting and were lying

on their backs, side by side in the dirt of the compound floor, breathing heavily and sporting various bruises,

cuts and bloody lips.  She watched as they looked at each other.  Kai wasn't sure if they were going to start up

again or if they were going to kiss each other instead.
Gnat got to her knees, stuck out her hand to Naseel and said in perfect Antivan. "Amigas?"
Naseel laughed and gave Gnat a great big grin speaking Orlesian. "Oui, amies!" Naseel threw her arms around Gnats

shoulders still laughing as Gnat put hers around Naseels waist as they walked towards the barracks bathing area

talking. Kai didn't know if the varying glazed looks on the males, and even some of the female faces were due to

the fight, their sudden cease fire friendship, or the idea of their bathing together. Zaeed and Keiron's glazed

little wolfish grins she understood perfectly. Oghren had the same look. She laughed out loud at them, only Oghren

didn't jump and look sheepish.
Jarren, who had been watching the fight and the crowd in his usual way, did not seem to be as affected as the

others were.  "I will never understand women!"  And with that he took himself back to practicing with his daggers

on one of the dummies.
It turned out that Wynne won the pool on when the hair pulling would start, with Zev and Fiona a close second and

third.  Oghren handed over the coins to Wynne who had a little triumphant smile on her face.  Kai snorted,

Figures.  She did wonder if Wynne hadn't had a cat fight or two in her past, for all her calm demeanor.
Kai was just about to see about getting a bath and changing for Lelyth's siblings' visit when a Highever guard came

forward with a young man of about sixteen, a girl of about twelve, and a little girl about six.  Even if Kai hadn't

been expecting them and Lelyth hadn't talked about them so much that she felt she knew them, she still would have

known they were related to her former Scath.  The boy, Graeme, looked just like his older sister, with the same

blonde hair and big blue eyes.  The older of the two girls, Kylie, had blonde curly hair and eyes the same shape

and size of Lelyth's, but in a light gray that was almost silver.  The little one was the only one who didn't look

so much like Lelyth.  Mairi was strawberry blonde with light green eyes which were opened wide and taking in

everything.
Kai felt her hands go clammy and her heart catch in her throat.  She walked forward to greet them.  Graeme strode

forward and slung out his fist, catching her on the jaw before she could duck.  The guard grabbed the young man by

the shirt front, and several Scath started forward.  Kai waved them off and motioned for the guard to let the boy

go.  She picked herself up and faced him.  Graeme's face was a mask of hurt, anger and anguish.  "You killed my

sister!  First we lose our parents, and then you kill Lelyth!"
"I did, I was her leader.  And she died because of a traitor I did not see in our midst.  You have a right to be

angry.  To hate me even.  And you have the right to a sucker punch.  Now I offer you two more without me stopping

you.  One for each of your sisters too."  Kai shrugged and stood waiting.
It was Kylie who stepped between Kai and her brother, putting up her own fist.  "If you touch her Graeme, by

Andraste's flaming knickers I will knock you down and break your nose like I did when we were little!"  Mairi

started to cry, and Graeme's face crumpled.  Kylie went and grabbed her sister in a hug.  "It is okay, Mairi, don't

cry.  I won't hit Graeme."  Her face when she turned back to her brother was still angry, but she went to him and

touched his shoulder.  Graeme looked at Kai, his shoulders slumped and tears streaming down his cheeks.
Kai stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder, her own tears wetting her skin.  She looked him in the eye.  "I

am sorry, Graeme."  He just looked at her and then buried his face in her shoulder like a lost little boy.  Kylie

and the little one all joined in surrounding him and Kai.  They stood like that until the bell rang for lunch.

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 19 juin 2010 - 01:43 .

[Gilgamesh1138]

So for those who read here.  Was the ending OK?  I will give more of Letyth's siblings in the next chapter, but I wanted to end 71 with Kai first meeting them.  I tried to make it realistic.  As  writer, I am  having crushing self doubt though, LOL.  It sometimes happens, then I want to delete everything and start over.  

[Lady Jess]

Gilgamesh1138 wrote...

So for those who read here.  Was the ending OK?  I will give more of Letyth's siblings in the next chapter, but I wanted to end 71 with Kai first meeting them.  I tried to make it realistic.  As  writer, I am  having crushing self doubt though, LOL.  It sometimes happens, then I want to delete everything and start over.  

It was to me. Sometimes the best way to diffuse such anger is in fact to offer to let someone take it out on you, then the real force behind the anger comes through instead. It works on my kids sometimes even:happy: