Fic: Disquiet 14/? M overall
Title: Disquiet 14/?: Full Circle
Author: Briala
Rating: M overall
Summary: Five Guardians: The Sten, The Assassin, The Kinslayer, The Old Warden, and The Dog. Each playing their part in the Dalish Warden’s life, which in turn adds to the greater wheel of Thedas.
Disclaimer: All Dragon Age characters and places belong to BioWare. I aim to make no profit off of this, so please keep those lawyers (including my own) in check.
WARNING! This story contains: Too many spoilers to count, Sex, Rape, and Abuse.
AN: The ever talented 1smut_princesshas breezed through beta'ing many chapters, leaving me with a cushion, so posting will get back on track.
In addition, she has kindly poked Dulsanaya with her Zevran from A Murder of Crows at Live Journal's DASdressing Room. Between her and A ashfae's Hawke and Alistair, I am beginning to understand this silver-haired elf who dropped nearly fully formed into my lap. Sometimes Duls kicks me in the shins and runs off and I have to sit down and wrap my head around something that isn't me...foreign. She forgives me and crawls back into my lap, pressing her mind to mine with her strange logic and far seeing eyes and I do my best to see into her. I love this vallaslin vined, sun-bronzed creature and hope that I can do her justice.
*~*~*~*~*
Chapter Fourteen: Full Circle
*~*~*~*~*
"Hail to the king, baby" - Ash, Army of Darkness
The next morning, Kinslayer came out of his tent to find the Warden in the giant's lap concentrating on the giant's sword. She raised her hand gesturing him to come closer. Walking around the fire to her side and took his bare hand in her own. Reaching into him, she closed his eyes to help with the disorientation as she shows Kinslayer his map of Ferelden. The darkspawn glow red on the map around them, and he sees the green of three nearby Wardens, including himself. She shows him how to taste the different types of darkspawn and after sampling them he immediately tastes the other Wardens as well.
Sten growls as Kinslayer smells the Warden, his face buried in her hair murmuring "Mm, lovely. I will not forget that."
She then shows him what waits for them at Ostagar, the strong lieutenants, and the strange tasting emissary there.
The Warden eases him out of the link. Kinslayer opens his eyes standing at the fire still holding her hand. Squeezing, she gently rushing warmth to his chilled joints before letting go. She breathes, gradually coming to herself, wrapping her arms around Sten’s neck, stretching. Sliding out of his lap, she lets him come back on his own.
Serving up oats and fruit which she put in the coals the night before, the Warden hands out the bowls, checking on each companion, warming them and easing sore muscles from their journey the day before. She accommodates their needs from a good morning kiss on the cheek, to helping brush and braid hair - no task to small, taking every chance to touch and reassure them. Indicating that except for The Warden and Kinslayer, the rest of them will stay at camp, Sten advises them not to wander outside of the town as there are darkspawn in the Wilds.
The three of them head south. Kinslayer muttering under his breath about how he never thought he would be returning here with the Warden. He is angry and embarrassed; she stills his worrying with a touch.
Walking between them, her light leathers are in sharp contrast to their heavily armored bodies. They approach the gates without incident. The Warden points at the infirmary and they ready themselves for the first of the darkspawn.
In each new area she pauses and looks ahead, sharing what she senses with Sten and Kinslayer. They gather the pieces of King Cailan's armor lieutenant by lieutenant, winning back something thought lost to their Tainted clutches. It is a small thing, but it is still honorable to do so.
Finding the key, they open Cailan's arms chest. Tucking the letters into her corset for later reading, the Warden hands the sword to Kinslayer. Kinslayer straps his sturdy blade to his back and grimly cuts down darkspawn with Maric's blade, a fitting use for the weapon intended to protect the country.
Finally they track down and kill the illusive necromancer emissary and his ogre. Pulling Duncan's sword and dagger from its chest, she carefully cleans the darkspawn Taint from the blades with snow. Leaning down, she picks up a small object from the snow, palming it, she hides it from them as a mixture of joy and sorrow flood her heart. The Warden puts the dagger in her boot sheath and carries the sword in her arms.
They return to the bridge and prepare a pyre for the king, sending him off in the method of his people. Late that night returning to Lothering, each are lost in their thoughts. The Bard, who has been on watch, gestures to the warm supper, and then enters her tent.
Sitting around the fire, eating as silently as they had been since the pyre, Kinslayer is the first to break the silence. "I know what you are thinking, Child, and if you were down there, you would be dead too," he glares at her. "I told them not to go down there and I specifically told Cailan not to be there. It was foolishness that put the Wardens on the front line. Despite what you think of me, I am not foolish and I did not put them there," He growls.
She bares her teeth at him and gets to her feet leaving her dinner behind, heading toward town with the Dog at her side, the moon lighting her way.
Kinslayer stalks to his tent.
As he cleans up, Sten watches the Warden root through a wagon they found filled with odds and ends. She throws junk over her shoulders which the Dog tries to catch in his teeth. Eventually she comes back to the camp, the Dog dancing around her legs still playing with her.
She dumps an armload of wood next to the fire. Sitting next to the light, the Warden plays with a broken mage’s staff that she dug out of the wagon and reaching towards elvhen crafting skills, finding how to repair of what was once living at the half step between that and her healing skills, she mends the ironbark pieces into a scabbard. Picking up Duncan's sword from her bedroll, she slides it into the scabbard up to the hilt. Then, taking a length of thick leather lacing, she wraps and binds the hilt to the scabbard ending with a knot the Assassin would be proud of. The sword cannot be drawn.
Grasping the rounded scabbard like a staff, she heads back out into the darkness to an open space near the river. Gesturing for the Dog to stay, Sten follows her. The Warden mimics the Witch and the Old Mage in her movements. After several tries she casts a shimmering shield around herself, the same color as her vines.
She looks at him making a motion as if she is drawing a sword from her back. He draws Asala and approaches.
Sten has observed the Witch and the Old Mage be protected by shields similar to this and assumes she wants him to test it. He sets the blade to the shield and presses. Although he finds he is able to punch through using the tip, the sword is difficult to pull out of the shield. When he takes a swing, the blade skitters around the Warden rather than through the shield.
They walk back to the fire as the moon sets. He grunts, is this why they call it The Circle?
…
Back at the fire, pointing Sten to his bedroll, she takes first watch. When his breathing slows, knowing he is not asleep, merely waiting and listening, she pulls the letters from Cailen's chest out of her corset. Before she reads them, however, she pauses to cup in her hands the amulet which smells of cloves and leather. Breathing in this scent, she holds the tears in her heart.
Author: Briala
Rating: M overall
Summary: Five Guardians: The Sten, The Assassin, The Kinslayer, The Old Warden, and The Dog. Each playing their part in the Dalish Warden’s life, which in turn adds to the greater wheel of Thedas.
Disclaimer: All Dragon Age characters and places belong to BioWare. I aim to make no profit off of this, so please keep those lawyers (including my own) in check.
WARNING! This story contains: Too many spoilers to count, Sex, Rape, and Abuse.
AN: The ever talented 1smut_princesshas breezed through beta'ing many chapters, leaving me with a cushion, so posting will get back on track.
In addition, she has kindly poked Dulsanaya with her Zevran from A Murder of Crows at Live Journal's DASdressing Room. Between her and A ashfae's Hawke and Alistair, I am beginning to understand this silver-haired elf who dropped nearly fully formed into my lap. Sometimes Duls kicks me in the shins and runs off and I have to sit down and wrap my head around something that isn't me...foreign. She forgives me and crawls back into my lap, pressing her mind to mine with her strange logic and far seeing eyes and I do my best to see into her. I love this vallaslin vined, sun-bronzed creature and hope that I can do her justice.
*~*~*~*~*
Chapter Fourteen: Full Circle
*~*~*~*~*
"Hail to the king, baby" - Ash, Army of Darkness
The next morning, Kinslayer came out of his tent to find the Warden in the giant's lap concentrating on the giant's sword. She raised her hand gesturing him to come closer. Walking around the fire to her side and took his bare hand in her own. Reaching into him, she closed his eyes to help with the disorientation as she shows Kinslayer his map of Ferelden. The darkspawn glow red on the map around them, and he sees the green of three nearby Wardens, including himself. She shows him how to taste the different types of darkspawn and after sampling them he immediately tastes the other Wardens as well.
Sten growls as Kinslayer smells the Warden, his face buried in her hair murmuring "Mm, lovely. I will not forget that."
She then shows him what waits for them at Ostagar, the strong lieutenants, and the strange tasting emissary there.
The Warden eases him out of the link. Kinslayer opens his eyes standing at the fire still holding her hand. Squeezing, she gently rushing warmth to his chilled joints before letting go. She breathes, gradually coming to herself, wrapping her arms around Sten’s neck, stretching. Sliding out of his lap, she lets him come back on his own.
Serving up oats and fruit which she put in the coals the night before, the Warden hands out the bowls, checking on each companion, warming them and easing sore muscles from their journey the day before. She accommodates their needs from a good morning kiss on the cheek, to helping brush and braid hair - no task to small, taking every chance to touch and reassure them. Indicating that except for The Warden and Kinslayer, the rest of them will stay at camp, Sten advises them not to wander outside of the town as there are darkspawn in the Wilds.
The three of them head south. Kinslayer muttering under his breath about how he never thought he would be returning here with the Warden. He is angry and embarrassed; she stills his worrying with a touch.
Walking between them, her light leathers are in sharp contrast to their heavily armored bodies. They approach the gates without incident. The Warden points at the infirmary and they ready themselves for the first of the darkspawn.
In each new area she pauses and looks ahead, sharing what she senses with Sten and Kinslayer. They gather the pieces of King Cailan's armor lieutenant by lieutenant, winning back something thought lost to their Tainted clutches. It is a small thing, but it is still honorable to do so.
Finding the key, they open Cailan's arms chest. Tucking the letters into her corset for later reading, the Warden hands the sword to Kinslayer. Kinslayer straps his sturdy blade to his back and grimly cuts down darkspawn with Maric's blade, a fitting use for the weapon intended to protect the country.
Finally they track down and kill the illusive necromancer emissary and his ogre. Pulling Duncan's sword and dagger from its chest, she carefully cleans the darkspawn Taint from the blades with snow. Leaning down, she picks up a small object from the snow, palming it, she hides it from them as a mixture of joy and sorrow flood her heart. The Warden puts the dagger in her boot sheath and carries the sword in her arms.
They return to the bridge and prepare a pyre for the king, sending him off in the method of his people. Late that night returning to Lothering, each are lost in their thoughts. The Bard, who has been on watch, gestures to the warm supper, and then enters her tent.
Sitting around the fire, eating as silently as they had been since the pyre, Kinslayer is the first to break the silence. "I know what you are thinking, Child, and if you were down there, you would be dead too," he glares at her. "I told them not to go down there and I specifically told Cailan not to be there. It was foolishness that put the Wardens on the front line. Despite what you think of me, I am not foolish and I did not put them there," He growls.
She bares her teeth at him and gets to her feet leaving her dinner behind, heading toward town with the Dog at her side, the moon lighting her way.
Kinslayer stalks to his tent.
As he cleans up, Sten watches the Warden root through a wagon they found filled with odds and ends. She throws junk over her shoulders which the Dog tries to catch in his teeth. Eventually she comes back to the camp, the Dog dancing around her legs still playing with her.
She dumps an armload of wood next to the fire. Sitting next to the light, the Warden plays with a broken mage’s staff that she dug out of the wagon and reaching towards elvhen crafting skills, finding how to repair of what was once living at the half step between that and her healing skills, she mends the ironbark pieces into a scabbard. Picking up Duncan's sword from her bedroll, she slides it into the scabbard up to the hilt. Then, taking a length of thick leather lacing, she wraps and binds the hilt to the scabbard ending with a knot the Assassin would be proud of. The sword cannot be drawn.
Grasping the rounded scabbard like a staff, she heads back out into the darkness to an open space near the river. Gesturing for the Dog to stay, Sten follows her. The Warden mimics the Witch and the Old Mage in her movements. After several tries she casts a shimmering shield around herself, the same color as her vines.
She looks at him making a motion as if she is drawing a sword from her back. He draws Asala and approaches.
Sten has observed the Witch and the Old Mage be protected by shields similar to this and assumes she wants him to test it. He sets the blade to the shield and presses. Although he finds he is able to punch through using the tip, the sword is difficult to pull out of the shield. When he takes a swing, the blade skitters around the Warden rather than through the shield.
They walk back to the fire as the moon sets. He grunts, is this why they call it The Circle?
…
Back at the fire, pointing Sten to his bedroll, she takes first watch. When his breathing slows, knowing he is not asleep, merely waiting and listening, she pulls the letters from Cailen's chest out of her corset. Before she reads them, however, she pauses to cup in her hands the amulet which smells of cloves and leather. Breathing in this scent, she holds the tears in her heart.