A/N: I. RETURN! Despite my hellacious overtime and a lengthy, unintentional hiatus, I've managed to drop everything for a few hours to update a few more of my stories. That, and to play Dragon Age again, thus rekindling my love for the genre and this ficlet. Things get a bit...dicey in this chapter, so I'll be upgrading the status to M. Fanfiction's witchunt is over, so it should be alright...I hope.
Now, let us continue on with Keeper of my Heart! Also, I'm totally looking forward to playing Dragon Age Inquistion this November! Hopefully the levels won't be the same as the last game! Ha! Alright, pun over, onto the story! I hope you like my interpreation of Merrill in this; I tried oh so hard to capture her character as best I could. And in addendum! Hawke and Bethany are both in this story and they are BOTH mages. Why you ask? Because, lets face it, Carver is a DICK, and no one wants to read a story with that whiny little brat in it.
By Andraste, he annoys the piss out of me...but hopefully this chapter will make ya'll smile =D
"You do know that they've been rutting almost every night...right?"
~?
Vir Adahlen (Way of the Forest)
They didn't look at her anymore. Why would they? In their eyes she was a monster, the demon itself, come to live among them. Her clan, her family, judging her without knowing the truth of what she was trying to do. Every step she took was for them, every breath into her lungs for them. Each drop of blood spilt...for them.
Yet they despised her. Would spit at her feet if the Keeper didn't constantly come down on them for mistreating her. All she was trying to do was support them, learn from their history to help their future thrive. In a world about the shem, it was not enough to continue to hide in the woods. They had to grow, flourish, become something better, or something they were, to walk proudly among the humans.
She wasn't bringing back the taint. What did they know about it anyway? They hadn't tried, didn't dare, to do what she was trying to do. Naruto-her ever wayward spirit-warned her in the beginning; said they wouldn't understand. She'd been a fool to think they would.
After all, she was sleeping with him. Sleeping! With! A! Demon!
Of course he wasn't really a demon given the fact that he hadn't tried to possess her. Seemed pretty keen on spending time with her, though.
Their strange courtship had been going on for nearly a month now, ever since that strange incident with his blood, even long after the effects had worn off. The last chain that bound him was still there; but, he seemed free to come and go in the mortal realm whenever he pleased now. Which was quite often. He seemed to genuinely enjoy messing with her people; sometimes arriving at the oddest hours to, as he quoted "prank them right out of their knickers" and straight out of their beds.
Naruto was very, very good at pranking.
He seemed to have heartened towards her during their time together,
"We need to leave soon."
'Right as always Spirit.' she thought at him, trying not to curl into a little ball at the thought of leaving the only place she had ever called home. 'They hate me. I see it in their eyes. They will see, though. They will see. I can keep up the innocent routine with them. They'll never know; the Keeper will never know. The clan will never know. Until its too late.'
He gave a long-suffering sigh. "I never wanted them to hate you, ya know. I don't want you to destroy them, either."
"I appreciate it," Merrill huffed, puffing out her cheeks. "But its a little late for that, isn't it?" Then, regretting her words, she cast a fretful glance back to her ally. "You're not going to leave, are you?" It was true, Naruto could come and go as he pleased. Sometimes he'd vanish for days on end, only to return in a sudden rush. Each time he left Merril worried he might not come back. Some called him the Dread Wolf. Maybe he was. She really didn't know what he was. Only that he seemed to be the only one who cared about her.
The Clan hated him, too. But they were wary, too wary to dare act against him. Against her. She supposed she should feel some vindication in the fact that she wasn't the only one who could see him; but she only ever felt shame whenever their dark eyes stared at her; whenver she heard those awful whispers behind her back.
Naruto covered his mouth, stifling a jaw-popping yawn.
"I'm still here, aren't I?"
"Well you said that, but I didn't know if you would actually do it and oh...I'm babbling again, aren't I?" she colored to the tips of her pointed ears as he reached down, cupping her chin in his hand. Forest green eyes felt large in her face, growing larger as his mouth dipped towards her face. For a terrifying, heart pounding instant, she thought he was going to kiss her again. Oh, dear. She didn't think she'd be able to control herself, she was fairly certain she'd lose herself if those wonderful lips touched hers again. Even here, this close to the camp. There was just something about him that set her aflame in a way no other could. Oh no, he really was going to-
Instead, he laid a soft kiss upon her forehead.
"That's what I like about you." Ah. Yes. Like. Naruto didn't say love. She wondered if he even could. Could an entity of the Fade feel love?
They waited patiently on the mountain trail for the shemlen and her friends to come.
"Merrill is consorting with a demon?"
Hawke felt her jaw click open in audible disbelief, visibly fighting not to gawp at Keeper Marethari.
Granted, the elf was old, but no so much as to affect her mind. Everyone word had been uttered with perfect certainty. At first, she hadn't been able to believe it. She still didn't. To a mage, the idea of becoming a thrall to one of the spirits of the Fade was a fate wors than death itself. Her father taught her that Demons were a force that must be avoided at any and all costs; not welcomed with open arms! Suddenly, she wasn't entirely certain she should take this elven mage with them at all...
"Yes. And doing so rather loudly at times." she confirmed with a grimace. "Now, if you truly wish to take her away, please hurry and do so once you've delivered the amulet." Her wizened face turned, regarding each of her kin with a weary, almost parental gaze. Like that of a dissapointed mother. "I would imagine the people here would appreciate their sleep."
"Yes...ah...I'm sure they would..."
It took everything Marian Hawke had to bid the Keeper a fond farewell and return to her companions. Unsurprisingly they looked just as gobsmacked as she. And who could blame them? What should have been another routine errand in the stinking cesspool that was Kirkwall had swiftly become much more. But this...this complicated things. Hawke was naturally wary of demons to begin with, but her first fear was for her Bethany; her little sister didn't quite have the ironclad will
"So. A demon." she started, glancing from one face to another. "And an elf. Comments? Thoughts? Concerns?"
"Surprisingly...I have nothing to add to that." Varric summarized. "Oh, wait. I do. Are we insane?"
Bethany had gone pale. "Maker preserve me. Sister, are we really doing this? If she's-"
"I think it might be fun." the fourth and final member of their part cut in suddenly.
"Isabela!"
"What?" the rivani laughed, a dark smile playing across her tanned features. "I've never heard of demon staying on this side without possessing someone or something. Who knows? He might be...interesting." The look in those eyes told exactly what the one-time pirate was thinking. What she was almost always thinking. Hawke felt her cheeks color as the rivani woman shot her a wink. "What do you think, sweet thing? It sounds like an adventrue, don't you think?
She thew her arms up in thinly-veiled exasperation and stormed off before Isabela could say something far more embarasing.
"Maker, we are not discussing my bedside manner right now!"
The pirate's soft laughter made her cheeks burn ever hotter.
Sure enough, they found Merill a little ways up the mountain. Or perhaps they found them. In hindsight, Hawke was fairly certain it was the former; as she heard the sounds of a heated arguement long before laying an eye on the elf or her...companion. A man's angry voice was barking a them, cursing in what she could only by elvish.
-and take your filthy pet with you!"
"He's not a pet!" cried a female voice. "His name is-
"I don't care what his name is! Even if he is the Dread Wolf, his...actions, are intolerable.
A new voice spat something back. She couldn't understand the words as they climbed, but it sounded like the newcomer was mocking the man. Sure enough, she was right.
"See?! He insults me even now! I ought to take a blade to you both!"
"You can try, friend." the new voice continued, a slow-moving avalanche that sent invisible tingles shooting up and down Hawke's spine. "But I'd gut you before you took a single step."
"You'd let him kill me, da'len?!"
"We'll, you're not being terribly nice to either of us right now...
Finally, they rounded a bend and found them.
Facing down an elven scout was a young woman in dark green whom she could only assume to be Merrill. Standing behind her like a silent shadow, was a man with straw-colored hair, clad in bright orange leathers. His form seemed to writhe and shift as she gazed upon him. Eerily, she couldn't bring herself to look directly at him; just doing so evoked a bitter migraine in the back of her skull. Ah. That must be the demon, then. It had to be. No one else had a prescence like...that. It was as if he existed in two places at once, standing in the Fade with one foot, and the mortal world with the other. Then the scout noticed them.
"So the Keeper finally found someone to take you away from this place." he said, turning away from his victim. The sheer scorn on his face instantly set off warning bells in Hawke's head.
"I suppose." the hurt in the elf's words made Hawke cringe.
"Then finish your task quickly, human." the scout spat at Hawke, casting his gaze back to the poor girl. "We cannot be rid of this one too soon-YEOW!"
Whatever else he might have said ended as a bolt of lightning flew from the demon's palm. It didn't so much hurt as it did humiliate; the surge of raw mana sent the unfortunate scout's hair standing at rigid attentions, every muscle in his body clamping down. Within moments, he was a quivering heap on the ground. The demon smiled beatifically, his palms still crackling from the discharge. He raised a hand and blew upon it, sending the smoke scattering away to the winds. He scoffed quietly.
"Bastard."
"Oh, you didn't have to do that." the elven girl said.
"Nonsense." he answered, sniffing. "He deserved it."
"Ahem." Hawke coughed into a fist. "Over here?"
"Oh, where are my manners?" his voice was like poisoned honey, simultaneously warming and putting them on edge all at once. "The name's Naruto. And this," he gestured to the elf at his side, "Is Merill. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. And you are...?" He sniffed once, as though savoring a fine buqouet of flowers. "Ah, you smell like a mage. Its been so long since I've met one. We don't get many visitors in the Fade ya see, so boring and drear and all that."
Bethany squeaked and ducked behind Hawke, taking shelter in her sister's shoulder. Isabela arched an eyebrow, openly appraising the self-proclaimed demon. Varric, for once in his life, was decidedly silent. In the end it was left to her to speak.
"...Hawke." she said at last. One by one, the others gave their names. Albeit reluctantly.
"Isabela."
"Varric."
"B-Bethany...
"I suppose you know what I am, then." It was not a question. "Look," he started, stepping around Merill. If he saw Bethany flinch, he ignored it. "I know you're probably pre-disposed towards hating demons, but let me assure you, I'm mean you no harm. Either of you. I don't possess women as a matter of principle, you see."
"Yes! He's perfectly harmless, I swear." Merrill insisted, raising her hands in relief. Then she glanced at the still-twitching body of the scout. "Well," she blanched slightly, "A-Almost perfectly harmless." Naruto nodded in encouragement at her side, his deep red eyes reflecting-what she hoped-was honesty and sincerity. Perhaps he was telling the truth. Perhaps not. Years of learning to hate-despise-and avoid demons was not something so easily discarded in a day. Hawke kept her jaw clenched tightly shut.
"I suppose you're going to help us, then?"
"Indeed."
"Stone." Varric muttered quietly. "He really is one...
Naruto clapped his hands together merrily. "Great! Well, now that we've gotten introductions out of the way, shall we be off? After all, " And here his eyes did dance with darkness, "We've got an amulet to deliver. Then once this is all over, you can take us out of this god-forsaken pit."
Hawke knew it in that instant as she turned to follow him. Naruto...
...he frightened her.
A/N: Aaaaaand there we go. Hawke and Co. have finally met Merrill...as well as her guest, so to speak. We officially know what their reactions are now that they've realized their new ally is doing the dirty twith a demon. A rather fiery one at that. And as you can see, Naruto's become quite protective of Merrill during their time together. Mess with her and you're in for a world of hurt. Don't worry too much-the gang'll warm up to him...or not, depending on what I have planned. Hope you enjoyed my long-awaited return to this story!
So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly? It would make Merill oh so very happy.
Speaking of happy, be sure enjoy the preview!
(Preview!)
"Halt! Apostate!"
Merill ran.
Stupid Wounded Coast with its stupid twists and turns!
She heard hoof beats-which was incredibly odd given the fact that few in Kirkwall owned a horse-and she'd been trusting that the trees would keep her safe, that the Templars wouldn't come pounding pell mell into the forest after a single elf. Judging by the shouts, she'd been wrong. Naruto darted after her, pausing just long enough to hurl a knife before darting in after her.
The apostate scrambled back to her feet, peering through the branches, to see at least a score of men charging at her, plus several more on horseback. The horses wouldn't help them much in the trees, at least if she kept to the thickest parts of the forest, but trying to lose so many...even for a blood mage this was no mean task.
"Come out, you damned knife-ear!" one of the Templars thundered, his nasally voice causing her to cringe. "We'll make it easy on you an' yer friend!"
Merill frowned at that. Such cruel words. Were they trying to hurt her feelings?
She raised a hand, considering using her magic. Then she thought better of it. Hawke wasn't here to bail her out; and the consequences...
Dread Wolf take them all for chasing her. She hadn't done anything wrong! Or maybe she had. She could be awfully forgetful at times, as Naruto had pointed out. Wait, that was it. There were too many for her to risk using her magic, lest one escape and report her to that awful Knight Commander, but she had more than just magic at her disposal. As if sensing that very thought, Naruto dropped his corporeal form, abandoning his body with a wet shluck of a sound. He had to, after all; using too much power tended to destroy whomever he was possessing.
"Shall I?" He rumbled in a voice like a slow-moving avalanche.
As ever his true form was terrifying to look at; all red angles and fur, dark, burning eyes, gouts of flame trailing from his fox-like face. He was still humanesque, but only just. Nine-tails thrashed restlessly behind him, eagerly anticipating the slaughter that was too come. His fingers crooked into claws, claws ready to carve into the flesh and minds of the one who threatened his mate.
"Go." she whispered, releasing him.
All bloody hell broke loose.
He grinned and shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. Branches snapped before his sudden departure, trees uprooting themselves and coming alive as he descended into the clearing. A wet, sucking sound took her breath away, followed by the telltale scent of cooking flesh. His voice cracked like thunder, shaking the very earth itself as the Demon of Wrath descended upon them. He was laughing she realized after a second or two, cackling like a demented jester.
"Suffer me now, mortals!"
And the slaughter began.
R&R! =D
