Heyo, guys! This chapter is a lot longer and stuff, so...yeah! I don't really have much to say...besides enjoy...of course.
OH! And to my first reviewer peep, I give you my thanks, vanima gurtha!
So yup.
Disclaimer, yo.
I don't own Dragon Age or Fenris, because that's just a lot of hassle, but I do own Telum and Maerwen!
Have a lovely reading time!
Chapter 4
Telum POV
I assumed the alluring woman with the shoulder length red hair was Hawke, the one who earned her fortune in the deep roads. Her speculative yellow eyes searched my face as soon as I turned to face the small group. She traveled with a dusky-skinned woman with most of her skin showing and glittering gold jewelry decorating her neck, ears, and face. Seductive amber eyes peered at me with with interest. There was also a innocent looking man with piercing blue eyes and shining white armor. An immaculate bow was strung across his back.
The companion that caught my attention, however, was the white-haired elf with the brooding forest green eyes. He looked startled and it was then that I noticed the white lines of lyrium traveling down his chin and neck in intricately symmetrical patterns. They reappeared at his arms, palms, and bare feet.
I could feel my face twist in abhorrence, "You show your scars too easily, U."
His face twisted into anger and he recoiled, but I didn't give him time to speak.
I turned to Hawke and explained how I didn't want to live in the camp any longer, wishing to travel with her. She readily agreed and we were off to speak with Marithari. I could feel eyes on me the entire walk back, and it unnerved me. Every time I turned to look around, the elf would hastily look in the other direction. I smirked.
"Marithari told me you were quite handy with a bow," The man with the turquoise eyes stated in a thick Starkhaven accent.
I turned and smiled, "Yes. Marithari loves to boast about it. The storyteller in the clan, Maerwen, would weave the craziest stories about how I took down a varterral with a single, golden arrow. The da'lens in the clan are terrified of me," I smiled sadly. Maerwen talked to me in secret and pretended to hate me in front of the rest of the clan. Those secret smiles and kind words kept me going throughout my time in the camp.
"I am Sebastian," he explained.
"Telum," I replied, "but you probably knew that, already.
The tan woman sauntered up to me and hooked a slim arm into mine, "The thing we didn't know was the...uniquely gorgeous tattoos on your face."
"Isabela!" Hawke scolded.
The woman, Isabela's, eyes grew wide and innocent, "It's only a simple question," she turned to me, "Do you mind me asking you, love?"
"It was inevitable," I said in a strained voice. Images surfaced in my mind. Needles and bloody scalpels. Crazed grins under hoods, reaching to my face. Blurs of color and torchlight. Memories of pain danced through every image, a mad waltz against a silent rhythm.
My face must have screamed discomfort because Hawke opened her mouth to say something.
"Blood mage experiment," I said in a surprisingly level voice before she could speak.
The elf tensed and stopped, turning sharply to face me. Doubt and...understanding swirled in his eyes. His tattoos glowed faintly, betraying his emotions to the world.
"You..." he started and seemed to study my face even closer, then recognition and sadness added to the pot of boiling emotion in his eyes, "Raw lyrium," he whispered, "They injected raw lyrium into your skin."
Hawke gasped, appalled, "Are...are you sure you want to travel with me, now?"
I looked at her, confused, when I saw the staff poking over her shoulder. She was an apostate. Why would she ask such a peculiar question?
"Why wouldn't I? I don't mind traveling with a mage. You seem strong enough to resist temptation," a sudden realization dawned on me, "Hawke...the woman who took the little blood mage to Kirkwall?"
Hawke's face was cracked into a full-watt grin at the complement I gave her, "Yes, I seem to attract the scarred elfy types. Like Fenris, for instance."
Ah, so that was him name. Wolf. He looked the part with his white hair and permanent scowl like he was baring his teeth. His expression was closed, but he seemed to study Hawke as if he could see her in a new light. Something must have happened to him to make him see Hawke in a bad way. She seemed perfectly fine to me.
We neared the camp and my anticipation rose. What if Marithari exposed the secret? My fingernails found their way to my teeth and Isabela chuckled, "Don't worry, puss. Hawke here is very persuasive."
Hawke's face turned into a mask of barely contained amusement when she walked in front of Marithari.
Her eyes landed on me and she let out a cry, "Telum! I was so worried!"
Hawke gave me a wary look, "Yes...right. I have found your elf, but she...er...wants to...travel with me."
Marithari's eyes darkened and she drew in a breath, "Telum? What...?"
"I've told you that I don't want to live here anymore," I said quietly.
Marithari sighed, "I can't keep you from going, but could you think about it longer?"
"I've thought about this for 12 years," I whispered.
Marithari was frozen for a moment, then she nodded stiffly, "Very well. Dareth shiral, Telum."
I nodded back and Hawke started for the exit of the camp. Triumphant stares followed me. They finally got rid of their blight.
***
Halfway to Kirkwall, I stopped Hawke, "Before we go any further, I need to tell you about the...side effects of the lyrium."
The group stopped and turned their attentions to me.
"Hallucinations, correct?" Hawke whispered.
"Yes. And horrible memories, but that comes with the territory," I smiled.
"Doesn't that sound familiar," Isabela drawled.
Fenris growled and turned to keep walking. We were nearing the large portcullis leading into Kirkwall, and a new realization dawned on me.
"I never thought of where I would stay," I laughed.
"My estate," Hawke said immediately.
"After all you've done for me, I couldn't," I said hastily, "I'll just stay in a tavern or something."
Isabela laughed, "Unless you don't mind the smell and bloodstains."
"I lived in the middle of the forest with many other people. I've dealt with both," I replied dryly, causing and uproar of laughter from Isabela and Hawke.
"But in all seriousness, I suggest you stay in my estate. I have an empty guest room that is just collecting dust. You are more than welcome to stay," Hawke explained with sincerity.
I was moved, "Well if you're offering..."
Isabela chuckled, "I like you."
The guards saluted Hawke, raising the gate and letting them through.
"I must get back to the Chantry to pray. It was lovely meeting you, Telum. I will pray for you, if you don't mind," Sebastian announced, mounting the steps to a richer area of the city.
"I'm past prayer, I'm afraid. But I thank you for the sentiment."
Sebastian smiled kindly and turned to leave. He seemed tolerable to be around.
Hawke hooked her arm around my shoulders and steered me up the steps, Fenris followed behind as we made our way to what Hawke described as Hightown.
"Well," Isabela yawned and strectched, "I'm going to go get drunk. Care to join me, Fenris?" She shot a provocative look at the elf, who was staring off into space.
"I don't trust me or you together with liquor involved," he intoned, distracted.
Isabela rolled her eyes, a smile settled on her lips, "Suit yourself," she skipped off down some steps that led to a bazaar, certainly not as clean as Hightown.
"I have things to prepare for, so I can't give you a tour of the city now," she paused and passed a glance at Fenris, "But he can. Go forth, minion!" she called and hurried away.
Fenris looked over at me, annoyance clear on his face.
"I can find my way around. I just need to know where Hawke's house is," I said quietly.
He blew out a sigh, "I can't do that. The streets aren't safe at night, despite our efforts. I'll take you yo Hawke's. I don't care if she'll get angry with me for not showing you around tonight."
I followed him up the steps into Hightown, doing random turns that I couldn't track. He stopped abruptly and I ran into his back, jumping back from the unwanted touch.
"Here," he gestured to the the grand residence that had to be Hawke's.
"Thank you," I smiled and walked into the house, only to turn back around, "Could you change your mind, perhaps?"
The expression on my face must have said it all, because he nodded briskly and turned around, heading own the steps from what looked like a courtyard. (A/N: You guys already know what the map looks like, I'm assuming, so I'm just gonna skim over this bit. Sorry if it sounds kind of elementary)
After seeing Hightown, Darktown, Lowtown, the Docks, the Keep, and the Chantry, it was nearly dark.
"There are idiots that try to take the streets at night, notwithstanding our efforts for them to take a hint," Fenris growled when he saw some men dressed in guardsman armor that barely looked like the shiny armor I've seen during the day.
I drew my bow and notched an arrow, prepared to strike. Fenris looked into my eyes and an understanding passed between us. I grabbed more arrows from my quiver and notched them, aiming them at the group that would spot us eventually. I let them fly as Fenris ran forward in a flash of lightning blue speed. I lit an arrow quickly and released, burning the pretenders to death. More dropped from the rooftrops and swarmed us. I grabbed more arrows and fired them into the air just as multiple imposters barreled into me, knocking me onto my back. My bow skittered away and I rolled aside as a giant sword came crashing down near my head. I grabbed the dagger in my boot and stabbed the man in the jugular just under his helmet. He gagged and dropped to the ground next to me. I felt a pressure on my leg, but ignored it when another enemy rushed forward. I drew the other knife in my belt and threw it at the man, immediately diving for my bow. I grabbed it and sprung onto my feet. Spinning, I notched an arrow just as a blade dug into the flesh of my stomach. I gasped and buried the arrow into the attacker's chest. He staggered back and I fell to my knees. I looked up through the blur of pain at Fenris, who finished the last of the bandits.
He ran over and knelt in front of me. I swallowed my pain and looked up at him, "Let's go."
He gave me an unreadable look and curved his strong arm around my waist, helping me up.
I tensed and immediately pushed away from the unwanted touch. He hissed and grabbed my arm when I stumbled.
"You need help," he growled.
I shook my head, swiping the blood out of my eye from a wound I didn't realize I had received, "I just need to lay down for a moment."
He shook his head, but stopped at the look I gave him.
"At least lay down somewhere comfortable," he muttered. I nodded and we started toward his mansion. The damage was worse than I expected, thus after one step, my legs gave out beneath me.
I groaned, "Are you fucking kidding me?"
Fenris growled and hoisted me up into his arms, my face pressed against the metal chestpiece he wore. I didn't complain, seeing as his arms around me was unnervingly relaxing. He reached down and grabbed my bow. For that I was thankful. My bow was my prized possession.
Soon enough, I was dropped onto something fluffy and soft.
"Excuse my state of dress," I mumbled, starting to pull my accessories off to start the healing process.
"What are you doing!?" he blurted.
"I suggest you look away," I murmured and fell back onto to bed after pulling off my boots, belt, and other pieces of leather and feathers on my body, leaving me in my tunic and slitted trousers. I was too weary to worry about my exposed skin with the swirling red lines of lyrium.
I plucked the hem of my bloody tunic up, revealing the laceration. Hesitantly placing my bare hand on it, I pressed down, hard. My tattoos flared to life at the pain, gritting my teeth at the onslaught of gruesome pictures and sensations flooding my mind.
I gasped and closed my eyes for the worst to come.
Soooo...how was it? I'm trying to make the chapters longer, so hopefully I'm succeeding!
Also, question.
Isn't Fenris the most tsundere-y tsundere you've ever seen?
Fenris: What!? *dashes for the computer*
NOOO! I NEED THAT!
So, R&R for getting my computer back? Plocks?
