AN - Sorry about the long delay :/ Lately I struggled a bit while writing this, probably because I agonize way too much over the quality of my writing. Also, I no longer have any free time at work to write my stories... not that I would ever dream of doing something like that because I'm like totally responsible and professional and... um... hey, look over there, it's a huge distracting thing! *runs away*
"Shattered Dreams" by Imrryr
Chapter 3 of 5
...
Merrill wasn't sure if she would ever be able to move again. Though to be honest, if she had to choose a spot to live out the rest of her life, lying here, hands threaded through her hunter's soft hair with the stars shining brightly overhead, well, that would do nicely, she thought.
Seeing Lyna Mahariel writhing above her, naked, perspiring and gasping out her name into the night was something she would never forget, and wouldn't mind seeing again and again for the rest of her life.
And she made the most unexpectedly wonderful noises.
Bonelessly, Merrill stared up at the night sky and the stars hanging overhead as the memories replayed themselves. Inwardly, she felt more than a little proud. Last night, when she finally understood what they were about to do, she had been certain she would make a fool of herself somehow, but she hadn't. The way Lyna was now resting on top of her, her breathing still heavy, her disheveled hair sticking to her forehead, well, Merrill must've not been so bad after all.
Lyna's ragged breath was hot against her sensitive neck, "Ma vhenan..." she gasped, "H - How did you learn to do that?"
Merrill gulped. More images from the not particularly distant past - images of her pleasuring herself this time - came immediately to mind. That was how she learned what little she knew about sex. It seemed odd that she found the truth so embarrassing after what Lyna and her had just shared, but still, it was.
Her lover seemed to pick up on this, because she gently ran a hand up Merrill's arm until their hands met and gave it a squeeze. "Never mind," she said, and Merrill could hear the smile in her voice.
A soft kiss on her neck was followed by a nibble that made the mage want to squirm. Lyna seemed to really enjoy lavishing her attention there. Admittedly, Merrill had fantasized about what it would be like to make love to Lyna Mahariel, but clearly she had underestimated how much the little things would affect her; the sensation of Lyna's rough breathing in her ear, her teeth scraping at her neck, the feeling of the huntress' strong thigh pressed up against her... The memories alone were enough to make her feel light-headed. She wondered if she had just uncovered what Fenarel and Ineria were really doing when they disappeared together into the forest so often.
It was going to be so hard to return to her usual duties as Marethari's apprentice when the opportunity to do this was always hanging in the air.
The huntress was now resting her head on her shoulder, having shifted her weight off of Merrill's body. "You're blushing," she said.
Lyna must've had a predator's sight, Merrill thought. "That was..." What word could possibly do justice to what she had just experienced?
"I know," Lyna said, only half-succeeding in suppressing a tired yawn. "I felt it too."
'Felt it? Uh-oh, that's not good,' Merrill thought. She had tried to control her magic but it was so very hard to do that when you had Lyna Mahariel's blue eyes staring into your own like you were the only thing that mattered in all of the world. "Y - You didn't feel the ground shake, did you?" How embarrassing would it be if she had woken the entire camp with an earthquake? 'Oh, Creators!' she thought, 'Why did I have to go and start studying primal magic?'
The chuckle that followed surprised her. "Maybe a little," Lyna said.
"I hope it didn't wake the camp. Do you think they would've felt it, being so far away? I was trying to keep my magic under control, I swear!"
By now, Lyna had propped herself up on her elbow and was looking down at the babbling elf with a mix of confusion and amusement. "Merrill, what are you talking about?"
She was beginning to panic. "S - Sometimes it's hard to control my magic... like when I'm aroused and I'm - " she couldn't finish what she was saying. She felt certain she would die if she said it out loud.
Lyna was giggling and quickly leaned forward for a kiss. The instant those soft lips met hers, Merrill forgot everything else.
When they finally parted, the elf rested her forehead on Merrill's. "I wasn't speaking literally."
"Oh..." Now she felt very foolish indeed.
Lyna gently ran her fingers along Merrill's side to tickle her ever so slightly, "You are by far the most adorable elf I've ever met."
Merrill smiled shyly. She was the lucky one as far as she was concerned; Lyna could be brave, and smart, and adorable all at the same time. She was perfect.
"Is it really so hard to control your magic?" Lyna asked when after a few more kisses they had returned to lying blissfully beside each other, a blanket now covering their mutual nakedness.
"It can be..." she said with a little sigh. "It was much worse when I was younger. My first memory is of accidentally shocking my mother with a lightning bolt when she woke me from a nightmare."
Her lover's voice became softer, "You remember your mother?"
Merrill shook her head, "Only vaguely." Her mother and father were still alive and probably still in Nevarra for all she knew. Sometimes she resented them for giving her away to the Sabrae when she was so young. The only way she could see her parents now was in her dreams.
When she looked into her lover's eyes Merrill felt bad for even mentioning it. Everyone in the camp knew the story of what had happened to Mahariel's parents. "Lyna?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned that."
Lyna blinked. "Mentioned what?"
"My mother. I didn't mean to remind you of your parents."
"Don't apologize," the huntress said, giving Merrill's naked body a squeeze under the blanket they shared.
"Do you ever have dreams about your family?" she asked tentatively as her friend made herself more comfortable. Lyna's father had died before she'd been born, and her mother followed soon after giving birth... everyone knew this, of course, but still, Merrill had never broached the subject with her before. It seemed somehow wrong to mention it. Lyna was her best friend; she never wanted to upset her in any way, but she couldn't explain why she had picked that moment to finally ask. Her curiosity always seemed to get her into trouble.
Surprisingly, the elf didn't stiffen or do anything to suggest that the question was unwelcome. "Yeah," she whispered, her hot breath tickling the mage's collar as she snuggled closer. "Sometimes."
"Really?" That didn't seem possible. Merrill could barely remember her own family and she had been four-years-old when she had seen them last. Even in her dreams, their faces were veiled as if being seen through a soupy, morning fog, a fog that grew thicker as the years stretched on.
"I don't mean my parents," Lyna clarified as her lithe fingers rubbed gentle circles on Merrill's arm. "I dream about the forest."
Whatever she had been expecting to hear, it wasn't that. "The forest?" she repeated.
Her friend nodded. "It feeds us, clothes us, and shelters us... it teaches us lessons, and guides us through our life's journeys -"
"Oh," Merrill said, not quite understanding, "But how can it teach us anything? The forest doesn't talk back."
"Sure it does," she said with a smile, "you just have to learn how to listen."
The mage's brow furrowed. Lyna was sounding more and more like a hunter every day, and perhaps she was right, but still -
"We are forgotten by our own gods, left adrift in a world that hates us." A sigh followed, "The humans despise us for staying true to who we are and their templars hunt any of us blessed enough to have the old gifts." Merrill didn't miss how Lyna's encircling arm hugged more tightly for an instant as she said the words. "Sometimes, I think that the forest is the only thing that hasn't abandoned us, the only thing that still cares for us."
Merrill found that she couldn't dispute that. The shems treated the clans no differently than they treated wild wolves or bears; they were creatures to be exterminated so the wilds could be tamed and cleared for the plow. Clans were robbed of their Keepers and Firsts because of the magic the held, leaving the Dalish who survived rudderless and without any connection to their noble past. Such clans eventually became lawless and took to waylaying travelers which, of course, only made the humans hate them even more. Her brow furrowed at those unwelcome thoughts. "So, the forest is your family?" she said.
"Mmmhmm," the elf murmured, stifling a yawn. "And our clan, of course. I dream about them too, sometimes." Then she pushed back a little so she could better look Merrill in the eye. "Those aren't the dreams I like best though."
Merrill started blushing without even knowing why. Lyna looked so unguarded and vulnerable at that moment. "They're not?"
"No," she said, her little half-smile leaving Merrill breathless, "Sometimes, when I'm lucky, I dream about you."
...
The next morning...
...
Again, Merrill found herself running her fingers through Lyna's hair. Above them, the stars had given way to gathering clouds which were changing color with the rising sun. It wasn't her habit to wake so early, but now that she had, she wanted to savor this sensation of having a naked Lyna Mahariel clutched to her side for as long as she could.
Before last night, she hadn't quite grasped the extent and power of the love Lyna had for her.
Now she knew.
Waking as she did with Lyna's soft, firm and very warm body pressed tightly against her own, her mind awash with memories of last night's love making... well, Merrill felt she finally understood what her friend had been getting at last night when she spoke of the forest. And if Lyna's feelings of love and contentment when she had the forest surrounding her were anything like how Merrill felt now with Lyna at her side, well, it would certainly explain why her lover was always in such a good mood.
Merrill had been a little bit too preoccupied to notice it last night, but as she allowed herself to bask in the sensations she was feeling, the elf realized she was sleeping on Lyna's bedroll. The huntress must've thought everything out ahead of time...
Of course, there was no chance Lyna would've been rejected. Merrill always found herself agreeing to anything the huntress asked of her. It was why they got in trouble so often as children.
The First stretched out her arms. She felt blissfully warm, and just a little bit sore, but it was definitely a good kind of sore. Lyna had introduced her to a lot of new sensations last night and they had all felt wonderful, but she had to think that she liked this particular sensation most of all: waking up with someone she loved by her side.
They were both still naked, and the blanket that had been wrapped around them now slipped to where it barely covered her waist. Lying curled up beside her was Lyna, her head resting just below Merrill's breasts, her left arm wrapped securely around Merrill's waist. All the First could see was Lyna's dark, disheveled hair and the tips of her ears poking through it, but gentle, warm breaths against her bare stomach told her the girl was still sleeping.
That was another new sensation: lying outside, naked and exposed and feeling far too content to do anything about it.
She dropped her head back to the pillow and smiled as she watched the clouds roll by in the early morning sky. The sun was just rising and everything was bathed in a brilliant yellow-orange light. A sigh of contentment escaped her lips. Last night had been... indescribable. And that was probably a good thing, come to think of it. She couldn't imagine telling anyone else what she had been doing... not that anyone else would ask. Would they ask? She really hoped not. That would be so embarrassing.
And after their second round of lovemaking was over, Lyna sleepily rested her head on Merrill's stomach while the First told her stories about the constellations as they traveled slowly overhead. That had been wonderful too, and she was relieved to know that her relationship with the elf wouldn't change too drastically. They'd still be able to share those little meaningful moments together just as they had when they were kids.
Before too long, the huntress fell asleep right where she lay and Merrill joined her soon afterwards. It had been a day - and a night - she would never forget. She'd never felt so happy, or so secure, in her entire life.
A squeeze from the arm wrapped around her waist was followed by a soft yawn. Mahariel was stirring.
"Lyna?"
Lazily, the woman rolled over until they were facing each other. Merrill blushed at the sight of Lyna still resting her head on her chest, those heavy-lidded eyes meeting her own for a moment before focusing on Merrill's exposed breasts. Merrill's flush grew stronger. Yes, they had been naked together last night... but this was the first time the other girl had seen her fully exposed in the light of day since they were little.
Lyna grinned at Merrill's reaction and slowly pushed herself up to lovingly kiss each breast, allowing the blanket to slip off of her, before sensually gliding her naked body along Merrill's until she rested perfectly on top of her. 'Creators...' how could such simple movements feel so good, Merrill wondered.
"Good morning," Lyna said drowsily, a soft smile still on her lips.
Merrill only gaped - she had never been very good at words anyway - not that Lyna ever seemed to mind. All she could think about was how their bodies fit so well together and how well-toned Lyna's muscles were. It was like there was a fire every place they touched.
The huntress hovered over her, her soft lips inches from Merrill's own. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
Merrill sensed a touch of concern but also bashfulness in her tone and expression. It made her smile. 'Will it always be like this?' she asked herself. Would Lyna always be so inexplicably shy, even reverent, around her? Part of her hoped so. She liked the idea that there was a part of Lyna Mahariel reserved exclusively for her.
Without thinking, she wrapped her hands around the woman's upper back, pulled her down and kissed her.
When they again separated, Lyna's face lit up with the most beautiful smile Merrill had ever seen. She breathed in deeply and then giggled when the wind picked up and Merrill shivered involuntarily. "Wait here," she said with a wink, "I'll try to find your clothes."
'Oh, right,' she thought. She had no idea where Lyna might have tossed them.
While her lover went about her search, Merrill rose to her feet and quickly wrapped the blanket tightly around her slender form. Lyna, on the other hand, went about completely unashamed of her nakedness. She certainly had no reason to be, Merrill mused as she unconsciously watched the movements of that wonderfully toned body. There was so much power hidden there, and she found her throat going dry just picturing what all that strength could do. No wonder Mahariel was sought after by so many.
All she could really see now was the woman's back, but it was enough to remind her of everything they had shared last night. 'And she has a lovely bottom too,' she noticed as the elf pulled on her tight-fitting trousers. If she wanted to - and she did - there was no reason why she couldn't just reach out and -
Then the woman turned around, catching Merrill staring brazenly at her. Quickly, the First pretended to be fascinated by the leaves at her feet.
There was mischief in Lyna's voice, "It's okay, Merrill. You don't have to look away."
The elf tried not to, but she couldn't help it. Lyna was just so effortlessly beautiful. She had barely been able to even glance at the girl once they had removed each others' clothes last night, but now in the light of day? No, if she looked now she might faint, or find some other even worse way to embarrass herself.
Before she knew it, Lyna was in front of her, their bodies mere inches from touching, her upper body still very much naked. Again, Merrill felt that slender hand under her chin, directing her to look the huntress in the eye. "You can look as much as you like," she said reassuringly, her hand drifting around the curve of Merrill's neck and then through her short, braided hair. Those skilled fingers gently rubbed the back of her head, soothing her into a kind of submission. Half dazed, Merrill nodded, forgetting what they were even talking about. Then her eyes drifted down to Lyna's still exposed breasts, and before long her face went red as a tomato again.
Her lover chuckled. She took Merrill's hand in hers and placed it over her breast. "Everything of mine is yours. You don't have to be afraid to look... or touch," she added, squeezing the hand for emphasis.
Merrill gulped and quickly nodded, but she knew she'd need to work her way up to that.
"Don't be ashamed, Merrill," the elf continued, slowly drawing open the blanket that was all that was hiding her from the outside world. "You're beautiful."
She still couldn't speak, but perhaps that was preferable to babbling like an idiot, or leaving her mouth gaping open like a fish. When the blanket fell to the ground, she didn't even notice that she wasn't cold anymore.
With a smile, Lyna unexpectedly knelt and lifted Merrill's right foot to gently guide it into her sandal. The First tried to sit down to help, but a whispered order from Lyna kept her standing as the elf slowly tied each sandal into place herself, taking the time to massage each foot as she did so. Even such a simple touch made Merrill's throat dry and her stomach feel funny.
Finished with that task, those strong hands of hers traveled slowly up her legs. Lyna smiled as she explored every curve and muscle and didn't stop until she reached her waist. Surely, Merrill thought, she would faint for real this time; Lyna Mahariel was on her knees, her bright, sapphire blue eyes staring up into her own, her lips inches from her most private of places -
"Lyna!" Merrill gasped and instantly shut her eyes when she felt the elf's nose rubbing against the thin patch of dark hair. 'Creators! What is she doing?' She hadn't done this last night. Merrill definitely would've remembered that.
Achingly slowly, the huntress ran the flat of her tongue against the length of her sex and this time Lyna's name ended up coming out more like a squeak than anything else. It seemed to be the only word Merrill was capable of uttering.
She'd had a similar problem last night.
Impulsively, she grabbed the woman's hair to steady herself and the girl hummed against her. It was so very hard to keep standing. Part of her mind told her that it must be wrong to pull on her lover's hair like that, but she couldn't stop herself, and strangely, Lyna wasn't complaining. If anything it spurred her on.
It took practically no time at all before she was shuddering and crying out in release. Her eyes shut tightly, there was an immense flash of heat and the air about her felt charged with electricity. 'Uh oh,' she thought, perhaps that wasn't her imagination.
Lyna caught her easily when, suddenly boneless, Merrill pitched forward. In her haze, she felt herself being gently lowered until she was again lying on the bedroll, gasping almost as hard as she had last night.
Like a proud feline, Lyna dragged herself onto Merrill's naked lap. Her love must truly be a force of nature in its own right, the First thought to herself. Before she knew it, the woman's glistening lips were inches from her own, her eyes dark and predatory, her smile speaking volumes.
She still didn't fully understand it, why Mahariel had chosen her out of all the available members of the clan, but Merrill was quickly coming to the conclusion that it no longer mattered if she understood or not. Without hesitation, she kissed her again. She could taste herself on the woman's lips when she did so, but it didn't bother her in the slightest.
When she finally pulled back, Merrill opened her eyes to see Lyna bathed in the light of the morning sun and smiling brightly at her. She looked so very young and beautiful. It made her wish that they had done this years ago.
Lyna looked thoughtful, "You shocked me," she said.
Merrill couldn't think of what she might have done that was so surprising, after all, Lyna was the one constantly surprising her. "Really? What did I do?"
"No, I mean you shocked me. For real this time."
Oh, that probably explained the smell of ionized air and why the strands of Lyna's hair were standing out on end. "Oh, sorry!" With a quick wave of her hand, the lingering magic dissipated.
Giggling, Lyna gave her a warm hug. "I liked it," she said, squeezing her tightly, "Next time we'll have to go much further from camp. I'd love to see what else we can do with that magic of yours, especially when there's no one around to hear us."
Merrill surprised herself with the eagerness with which she agreed to that. She'd make sure to pack a few lyrium potions.
Lyna's smile turned apologetic as the calls of chirping birds and other sounds of the morning forest made themselves heard. "I'd love to stay here forever, just like this, but we probably should be getting back..."
That was a fair point. Pretty soon, someone might notice they were both gone. Longingly, Merrill watched as Lyna stood up, still half-naked. Already, she felt a little less self-conscious about openly admiring her, but maybe that had something to do with what the woman had just done to her. She was still a little dumbstruck by how quickly the fire in her had been lit, and how hot and fast it had burnt, and how she wanted to do it all again real soon.
At least her breathing was finally steady. "Are we still going to the cave today?" she asked.
The huntress nodded in response as she slowly buckled her belt, yet strangely Merrill thought she caught a tiny shadow of fear in the woman's eyes. But that was impossible; Lyna Mahariel wasn't afraid of anything.
End of Chapter 3
AN - It wasn't originally my intention for "Lyna and Merrill have sex" to require a chapter of its own, but due to a serious case of word count bloat, I've split chapter three into two parts. I'll post the already finished chapter four tonight and then go around editing things so it appears that it was always my intention to write a five chapter story, not four ^^