91 réponses à ce sujet

[MireliA]

I predict nothing cos I'm rubbish at trying to guess where the writer is taking the plot but I third the not making Alistair king route - he needs a break!

[Freckles04]

Chapter 14: Boundary is up on FF.net. Due to mature content, I won't be posting it here. It is NSFW.

Feel free to leave your comments here, though.

[Miri1984]

Oh, I'm going to cry. I'm crying. Damn you! And thank you as well!

[Treason1]

Hmm..Once again, the ending left vaguely open to interpretation.



Does this mean they refuse the Ritual? Or do they take it? It IS a long walk back to Denerim, after all.

[Jules8445]

OH MY GOD. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. *coughs* Why do you make me cry like this?! Obviously I"m having a strong reaction....but this was so GOOD.

*Whimpers*  Thanks for such a beautiful scene. 

Modifié par Jules8445, 20 mars 2010 - 03:57 .

[Freckles04]

Thanks for all the comments, everyone. I'm glad that chapter brought out the emotions!



The next, final chapter will be posted tomorrow, along with the epilogue.

[Tasmen]

Caught up again on the story. Awakening is has been terribly distracting from the reading for me. Honestly, this is by far, my favorite piece of yours. I eagerly await the 'rocks fall, someone cries' moment that I can't help but know is coming in the next chapter.

[Freckles04]

Vanishing Point

I screamed when Riordan fell from the sky, tossed off the archdemon's back like a loose scale.  One hand reached out, as if I could pluck him away from death--but he thundered into and through the roof of an already demolished house, and I turned away, gagging.

Alistair caught my eye and we shared a look.  I put all of the emotion I could into my gaze, so he would see it, so he would know.  He would not die today.  I would not let him.

And the fight continued.

Swing the sword.  Cast the spell.  Swing the sword.  Cast the spell.  After hours of uninterrupted fighting, my movements were automatic.  I could barely feel my arms.  I'd tossed back so many lyrium potions my head felt like it was floating.  Oghren's battle roar had definitely diminished in volume, and even Zevran was starting to look winded.  Rage glittered in Alistair's eyes, rage and determination.

He would not die today.

He'd awoken me the morning after our shared night with a tray of breakfast brought to me in bed.  I hadn't had much time to enjoy it, but the sweetness of the act wasn't lost on me.  As often as we could during the march to Denerim, we'd allowed ourselves contact--holding each other's ungauntleted hands; sitting around the fire in the evening, wrapped in each other's arms.  Our companions said nothing, allowing us to indulge ourselves.  Morrigan, true to her word, had vanished.  Until I'd seen Riordan plummet like a stone, I'd even begun to hope that we might make it through this.

No longer.  Now I knew.  I would die on the roof of Fort Drakon.  That was my purpose, the fate I'd been led to by being a Grey Warden.

And I was strangely calm about it.  Accepting, even.  I could do this; I would do this, to save Ferelden, my allies, the armies, but, mostly, to save Alistair.

We poured onto the roof of the fort.  My steps faltered as I watched the archdemon--so close now, Maker…it was so big--dispatch a half dozen soldiers with hardly any effort.  Riordan had left his mark on the beast, shredding one of its wings with his sword, which prevented the dragon from flying any distance.  It was trapped on the roof.

I took a deep, shuddering breath, then nodded at Alistair.

He raised his sword above his head, and his voice rang above the shouts and sounds of fighting.  "For the Grey Wardens!" 

He charged the beast, Oghren and Zevran with him, as I held back to summon the armies.  The Dalish were the first to respond; they fanned out beside me and released volley after volley of arrows.  They did little damage, but even the most patient trickle of water would wear away a mountain.

I threw every spell I could think of at the beast.  Some burst upon its skin without so much as a mark; others caused it to roar in fury.  Finally, I'd used the last of my mana, and I had no remaining potions.  I unlatched my sword and entered the fray.

It roared at me, saliva spattering against my armor, and I thought of all the dreams I'd had that featured this dragon.  The terror that had held me in its thrall, gripping my throat as I awoke and preventing me from uttering a sound.  No more.  I might die today, but so would it.

Alistair saw an opening and darted forward, leaping onto the creature's neck.  I stumbled back, my heart in my throat.  He shoved his sword between the armor plates cascading along its spine, and the archdemon screamed as blood sprayed.  It faltered, like it couldn't hold up its head any longer, but it wasn't dead.  Stunned, gravely injured, but not dead.

The templar jumped off the dragon, rolling as he hit the ground, then rose to join me.  I stepped forward, my eyes on the motionless mountain of a form, my sword ready.

"Kiann, wait."

"I'm not letting you do this, Alistair."  My hands flexed on my sword hilt.  "I'm as much a Grey Warden as you, and this--"

"I believe I'm the senior Warden now," he said.

"You're going to pull that on me?  Only when it's convenient, I see."  I shook my head, a slight smile pulling at my lips.  "Where was this senior Warden after Ostagar?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted.  "But I'm here now.  And I won't let you do this."

"Like you have a choice."  The words of a spell tumbled past my lips, a glyph of paralysis; I aimed it a fraction in front of him so he'd trigger it with the slightest movement in my direction.  Then I rushed toward the dragon.

A cool breeze flowed over me, removing my magic-based armor spell.  Then something slammed into my back and I lurched forward.  The sensation of energy tunneling through my magic, draining me, pinning me to the ground was all too familiar.  No.  I thought he'd never use that on me again.  Damn it. 

Alistair reached down and brushed a hand across my cheek as I struggled to rise.  "I love you, Kiann."

"No," I whimpered.

He straightened.  Squared his shoulders.  Faced the fallen archdemon.

"Please, no."  I had to get up.  I had to stop him.  My muscles wouldn't obey.  I looked at Zevran and Oghren.  "Please.  Don't let him do this!"

"By the Stone, why are you fighting over who gets to kill the blasted thing?"  Oghren scowled and shook his head.

My breath caught.  They didn't know.  I had to explain, make them understand--

Alistair roared, blade held overhead, and charged.

"No!"  I pushed myself to my knees, tried to launch myself forward, but I fell hard against the stone of the roof.

The templar ran his blade along the soft underside of the dragon's neck as it raised its head above him.  Blood showered down, coating his armor.  The archdemon's head collapsed back to the roof.  Alistair paused, staring down at it.

Now.  I had to move now, damn it.

I lurched to my feet and ran, my steps awkward, unsure.  My legs did not want to cooperate, but I wouldn't let them give way.  A few more steps…Maker, please.  A few more steps, and--

Alistair plunged the sword into the archdemon's skull.

A column of light flared upward, surrounding him.  My lungs seized.  My heart skipped.  No.  I couldn't be too late.  It wasn't too late; there was still time, I could still push him aside--

He arched his back, his hands fastened to the sword's hilt.  The light poured into him, through him…consuming him.  A final surge thrust out from the archdemon, a spray of color and sound that threw me backwards, stealing my sight and my hearing.

And it was over.

I lay on my back.  The sky slowly returned as my vision cleared.  Cheering wound its way through the wool plugging my ears, a buzz of joy and happiness that couldn't touch me. 

I didn't want to get up.  I didn't want to see.  Maybe if I closed my eyes, I could let myself drift into the Fade.  Yes.  I would happily give myself over to a sloth demon if it meant I could live a dream with Alistair, forever.

Anything rather than face this world without him.

"Warden?  Kiann.  Do you live?"  Zevran's voice came from far away.

I concentrated on regulating my breathing, on letting go.  Oblivion beckoned.

"Is she--"  Oghren now, even further away.

"She's alive, but she's not responding.  Alistair?"

"He ain't quite as pretty as he was, but yeah.  He's breathing."

My eyes snapped open.  I shoved Zev away, and pitched forward onto my hands and knees, half-crawling, half-dragging myself to Alistair's side.  Oghren had unlatched and removed the templar's blackened armor.  I could clearly see his chest rise and fall beneath his stained linen shirt.  The skin of his face had burned, blistering in places, and his hair smoldered, but he was alive.  Alive!

How could he be alive?

"Wake up," I shouted, grabbing his shirt.  "Wake up, damn you."

"Kiann?"  He blinked his eyes open.  It took a moment for them to focus on me.  "You're all right.  Is it--is it dead?  Did I do it?"

"It's dead."  I smacked my fist against his chest.  "Why aren't you?"

"Do you want me to be dead?  Considering how much my face hurts it--ow--might not be a bad idea."

"No, I don't want--"  A sob heaved out of me, and another.  "Maker's blood.  You're alive."  I threw myself onto his chest.

"Yes, alive.  And in pain.  Let's not forget that."  A hand came up and stroked my hair gently.  "I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know if it would work, and--"

"You wanted to tell me what?"

"I went to see Morrigan after you fell asleep that night."  I pushed up to stare at him, and he shrugged. 

"You went from my bed.  To hers.  After making love to me, you…"

"Technically, it was my bed to hers."  He winced at my expression.  "All right, yes, not helping."

"After you were so vehemently opposed to the idea?  You did it anyway?"  I shook my head.  "Why?"

His gaze softened.  A bloodied hand reached up to push the hair out of my eyes.  "I realized that even if I took the killing blow, I wouldn't be saving you.  I saw it in your eyes.  You would have followed, somehow, someway.  Wouldn't you?"

My first instinct was to lie, to deny it, but I couldn't.  I'd been on the cusp of letting go, drifting into the Fade.  If Oghren hadn't said anything…. I nodded.  "Yes."

"And there you have it."

"You let me think you were going to die!"

"Well, there wasn't much time to explain it, was there?"  He took a breath and shook his head, grimacing at the movement.  "Morrigan assured me that she didn't need to be with us for the spell to work, just in the general area.  So I told her to leave, but to follow discreetly.  I couldn't stand seeing her, not after that.  But I didn't know if it would work, and I still thought Riordan--"  He sighed.  "It wasn't exactly something I could blurt out while we were neck-deep in darkspawn."

I crossed my arms over my chest.  "So you slept with another woman."

"I'll point out that it was originally your idea."

"And you used that--that templar spell on me again!"

He glared at me.  "You expect me to apologize for that?  You tried to paralyze me!"

"Children, children."  Zevran tsked his tongue.  "Perhaps we can continue this conversation elsewhere?  The archdemon is beginning to smell.  I fear I'll never get the odor out of my hair if we remain here much longer."

It took both Zevran and Oghren to get Alistair onto his feet.  I wasn't all that steady on mine yet, either.  We hobbled to the staircase leading into the fort, the surviving members of my army that were left on the roof cheering our progress.

At the door to the stairs, I paused and looked back over the rooftop.  At the hulking form of the dead dragon.  "We actually did it," I breathed.  I looked at Alistair to find his pain-filled eyes gleaming at me.

"We did," he said.  "Not bad for a barely Harrowed mage who doesn't want to be a Grey Warden."

"Didn't.  I didn't want to be."  I smiled up at him.  "If you're with me, though, I think it'll be all right."

"That can definitely be arranged."  He draped his arm over my shoulder, and we left Fort Drakon behind.

[Freckles04]

Epilogue

Anora's formal coronation was held a month later, when the city of Denerim had begun to show signs of recovery from the Siege.  More than half of the buildings in the city were damaged in some fashion, but rebuilding was in progress.  The citizens who'd been able to flee to the surrounding countryside during the battle began to trickle back through the gates.  The Market District reverberated with merchants' calls once more as evidence of the darkspawn invasion was erased.

Ferelden's nobility had gathered, once more, in the Landsmeet chamber to greet Queen Anora.  I stood at attention, Alistair at my side, as the Queen turned to address her subjects.

"My friends," she began, her smooth voice ringing through the hall, "we are gathered here to honor the heroes responsible for ending the Blight.  Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Kiann, she who united Ferelden and amassed the army necessary to defeat the darkspawn, and Alistair, he who slew the archdemon."

The chamber erupted into applause and cheering as we stepped forward to join Anora on the raised dais. 

"Grey Wardens, it's hard to imagine how you could have aided Ferelden more," the Queen continued.  "As an expression of our gratitude, I would offer you each a boon of your choice."

I bowed my head.  "I ask only that the Grey Wardens' sacrifices not be forgotten again, your Majesty."  My lips curved at Alistair's sharp intake of breath.  I'd thought that request might surprise him.

"An excellent point, Warden.  A monument shall be built to honor Riordan, Duncan, and the rest of the Wardens lost at Ostagar.  Let it also be known that the arling of Amaranthine, once the land of Arl Howe, is granted to the Grey Wardens, where they can rebuild and strive to live up to the example of those that came before them."  The Queen raised her brow and regarded my fellow Warden.  "And you, Alistair?  I'm almost afraid to wonder what you would request as a boon."

"If you're worried about that lovely crown, you needn't be, your Majesty," he said with a slight bow and a wide smile.  "It looks much better on your head than it ever would have on mine."

"I'm glad to hear it."  Anora chuckled.

"For my boon, I simply request your Majesty's indulgence, for a moment."

Anora's brows dipped in puzzlement, but she nodded.  "Granted."

"Thank you."  Alistair removed his gauntlets, then pulled mine off to join his on the floor.  His hands were warm and strong and large, dwarfing my slender ones as he gripped them gently.

He fell to one knee and looked up at me.  My breath hitched.

"Kiann, I made you a promise before the final battle, a promise that you would know my intentions if--when we survived.  The time has come, and…well, I can't think of a better time to declare them.  This is either going to go spectacularly well, or be an utter embarrassment.  Typical of my life thus far."  One corner of his lips curved up.  "We have been partners in everything over the last year, since Ostagar, and I can't imagine fighting another battle without you.  I want you at my side, always, if you'll have me."

"Alistair," I whispered, my heart pounding.

"Will you marry me?"

I stared at him.  The Landsmeet chamber fell away, as did the Queen, as did our companions.  There was only him and me, a templar and a mage, who'd managed to find in each other a bulwark against the encroaching darkness.

"What if--what if there are Grey Warden rules about this kind of thing?"  I'd always wondered that, after hearing Morrigan berate Alistair for "fraternizing" with me.

"Seeing as we're the only two Grey Wardens left in Ferelden, I think we can make up our own rules, don't you?"  He pressed a kiss to my hands.  "Say yes, Kiann."

"Well, you are the senior Warden," I teased, "and I really shouldn't disobey a command from my superior…so, yes."

A stunned smile bloomed on his lips.  "Really?  You'll marry me?" 

"Yes, I'll marry you, you fool."  I chuckled.  "If for no other reason than to laugh at the irony every day.  A mage and a templar." 

He frowned.  "For the thousandth time, I was never a full templar!"

"I know," I said, tugging him to his feet.  "But hearing your protests never gets old."

"Maker's breath, woman.  Don't make me change my mind."  His eyes twinkled, though, so I knew he wasn't serious.  "Before I forget--a replacement for the rose."  He reached into his pouch and pulled out a small circlet wrought in gold, with roses etched into the metal.  "It's not much, but--"

"It's beautiful," I breathed as he slipped it on my finger.

"Shall I declare you husband and wife, then?"

I turned to Anora, stunned.  I'd nearly forgotten where we were.  "Can you do that?"

She laughed, the sound musical.  "I'm the Queen, my dear Warden."

"Then, if I can modify my request for a boon?"  Alistair arched a brow and Anora nodded.  "Your Majesty, I humbly request to be married to this amazing woman."

"Done."  Anora smiled widely.  "After everything you've accomplished for Ferelden, it is the very least I can do in return.  Thank you, Wardens.  May the Maker smile upon you and your union."

I turned back to Alistair, a smile on my lips, and he gathered me close for a very thorough kiss.  Warmth flowed through me, and for the first time in a very long time, I felt complete.  Whole.  And I couldn't help but think, despite the darkness and hardships I'd endured, I'd had the Maker's favor all along.  He'd sent me Alistair, after all.

---

Thank you to everyone for reading this. I really enjoyed writing about Kiann, a very flawed person who still managed to make a difference in her world. I think that's something we can all relate to.

Best,
Freckles

Modifié par Freckles04, 20 mars 2010 - 05:54 .

[Miliat]

Maker's Breath woman, I cried when they were fighting over who was going to land the killing blow.

[Sisimka]

Awww, I loved the epilogue, so sweet! Great story, Freckles! Best one yet...

[Freckles04]

Thanks, guys. That story was a lot of fun to write.

[Jules8445]

I pretty much was bawling my eyes out. It neveroccurred to me that it would work out that way...thank the Maker though...I was having a bit of an emotional breakdown when it was time to kill the archdemon.



Beautiful work.

[Miri1984]

 *dancing around the room with joy*

Thank you Alistair for cheating on her! Thank you thank you thank you!

Bravo to you too. I was driving home from the shops yesterday and nearly cried thinking that one of them would have to die - you certainly have an amazing talent for tugging the emotional heartstrings! 

Can't wait for your next project!

[MireliA]

Aww thats a excellent ending. I thought it was all over too.

[Freckles04]

Wow, I'm so glad to hear I had people teary-eyed! That's great. Yes, I'm a little sadistic, but I think all writers are.



I haven't started anything new, yet, but I don't think I'm finished with Kiann. We shall see...

[Sandtigress]

lol I was a little afraid I was going to start crying in front of the rest of the "girls" at my niece's slumber party, but thank you for the happy ending!!!!! Yay!!!