Title: Truth or Dare: Chapter 7

Rating: M

Disclaimer: Dragon Age belongs to BioWare, I'm making no profit.

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Author's Notes: Fifth rewrite... the kiddies didn't want to get parted from each other yet. And yes, the blanket I described exists – I'm going to make one for myself too, I will use rabbit-fur though. Those things are wonderfully warm and feel heavenly against your skin. And before you start to bitch at me for using real fur: I eat rabbits; why would I throw away their skin?

Oh yes, for some reason, if you sleep naked under furs, it's actually warmer, than if you wear pyjamas or a nightshirt. Weird, but true.

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mille libri, my beta, my saviour, all hail to mille libri :D

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Truth or Dare

by owlet

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The tall spire of Fort Drakon was getting smaller and smaller in the distance. Good riddance, Ceridwen had many memories of that place and none of them pleasant.

It was good to be on the road again. Ceridwen smiled at the thought; she never would have thought she'd feel that way. But nature was waking up all around them, reminders of the winter and the Blight vanishing from the landscape. They were walking, since neither Ceridwen nor Wynne knew how to ride; they did have two ponies and a little cart though, so they wouldn't need to carry all their gear. The children climbed into it too when they were tired of walking.

Shirei was skipping ahead, marvelling at every new plant she discovered, bringing a sample to Wynne, who indulged the girl and told her the names and properties of each one. Tall, lanky Keira was playing fetch with Fluffy as they went, little Maric was sitting in the cart and sullenly stared into the distance, shooting furtive glances at Loghain time and again.

Neither Ceridwen nor Loghain wore their usual armours, they had noticed quickly that they were simply too recognizable, and that they'd never get anywhere any time soon with people stopping them to congratulate and thank them. They had quickly shed tell-tale dragonscale and silverite. She put on simple clothes, and Loghain now wore a visibly old but well-cared for set of black leather armour. His father had made it for him, and he had worn it during the rebellion, he had told Ceridwen when she had asked, and he had rolled his eyes and snorted when she had waggled her eyebrows telling him that he cut a quite dashing figure in it.

"Hello, hello! What do we have here?"

Within moments they were surrounded by five scruffy looking men in cheap armour, carrying swords and bows.

Fluffy growled menacingly and Ceridwen sighed.

"I wish they'd think of something new," she mumbled, and turned to the children. "Come here and stay close to the cart. Keira, mind the ponies so they won't bolt."

The leader of the band took a step closer.

"There's no need to be afraid – we just want to have a look at what you have in that wagon."

"Gentlemen, you have no idea who you're dealing with," Ceridwen said, smiling thinly.

"Should we care?"

At a flick of her wrist a flame danced around her hand.

"You should. You don't want to mess with two mages, don't you?"

She glanced at Wynne, who just stood there, smiling serenely, an unearthly blue glow surrounding her.

"Mages," one of the bandits yelped, "They will turn us into toads!"

"F...fine," the leader stammered, "we'll let you go. This time."

They vanished into the woods as quickly as they had appeared.

"Let's go," Ceridwen said lightly.

"But... but, you could have taken them," Keira said, looking confused.

"Girl, every fight may be a matter of life and death. Always think before you enter one, it might be your last. They don't need to be very skilled; it's enough if they get lucky just once. Believe me, the best fights are those you can avoid," Loghain answered with a stern frown.

"Oh yes, we all know how good you are at avoiding battles," Wynne said blithely, and Ceridwen didn't need to look at Loghain to see that he was angry. The growl made that plain enough.

"Wynne," she said rather sharply. "We've been over this numerous times. Squabbling over the past doesn't solve anything. Let's go."

The elder mage huffed and started walking, Keira led the ponies with a thoughtful look on her face.

They didn't encounter further trouble for the rest of the day and made camp in the late afternoon in a little clearing in the woods. Ceridwen helped Wynne erect the tents, a big one for the healer and the children and a smaller one for Loghain and herself, before walking off to find some firewood. Loghain shouldered his bow and went hunting, taking Keira and Fluffy with him. Wynne started a fire with the first armful of dry wood that Ceridwen brought; the younger mage went back into the wood to find more.

She was walking through the trees at some distance from the camp, she could barely make out the fire in the growing darkness, when suddenly an arm wrapped around her from behind and a hand covered her mouth.

"Now, what do we have here?"

Ceridwen relaxed when she recognized the voice and smiled against the leather of Loghain's glove. He released his grip on her face but kept her pressed against him.

"What do you want?" she asked in a meek voice, getting into the game.

"Hm... a few sovereigns and I'll be on my way."

"I don't have any money..."

"Then you'll have to pay with your life, I'm afraid."

Ceridwen wriggled against him a little.

"And I can't offer you something else instead?"

"Hm... I might be persuaded..."

He turned her around, pushing her up against a tree.

"Lift your skirts."

Ceridwen bit her lip in pretended shame and did as he had asked.

Loghain detached the codpiece of his armour, freed his erection, and hoisted her up so her legs wrapped around his waist, pushed her smalls aside and caressed her.

"So accommodating," he grinned and entered her.

Ceridwen wasn't very wet yet, so she felt a little discomfort at his sudden intrusion, but the slight pain added to her excitement.

"Please be careful," she breathed with a flutter of her lashes.

"This is for my enjoyment, not for yours, wench," Loghain growled and claimed her lips in a fierce kiss as he started to thrust.

Ceridwen closed her eyes, and moaned into his mouth. This felt incredible, and there was a piece of his armour rubbing her exactly right... It didn't take long before they both had reached their climax.

"That was fun," she giggled when he let her down again.

"Hm..." he hummed against her throat and kissed her gently and languidly this time. "Yes, it was. Now let's go back, the others will wonder where we are."

Loghain gathered up the firewood that had fallen from Ceridwen's arms, and they made their way back to the camp.

Wynne was teaching the children how to pluck the pheasants Loghain and Keira had brought, while preparing a filling of bread, wine and dried fruit. Keira methodically removed feathers, Shirei did so reluctantly with an expression of discomfort on her face, Maric plucked his bird slowly and sullenly like he did everything.

Ceridwen and Loghain stood at the edge of camp for a while, quietly observing the scenery.

"He resembles you so much, it's uncanny," she said quietly.

Loghain scoffed at the notion.

"I'll have you know that I was a very happy, easygoing child. I was nothing like him. But then the Orlesians decided to heavily tax freeholders."

Ceridwen nodded.

"Yes. But maybe he used to be a happy, easygoing child too, before whatever happened to him happened. Maybe I should try to find out what it was."

Loghain nodded.

"Maybe. Now come. There is a pheasant left for you to pluck."

Ceridwen groaned but joined the others in getting the birds naked. It was spring, so they weren't exactly fat, but they would make a nice evening meal, and the leftovers would be nice breakfast or snacks in between. When the birds were plucked, Ceridwen cleaned and boned them like Morrigan had taught her. She had been prickly, rude and arrogant most of the time – but she was a wonderful cook; and she had gladly taught Ceridwen everything she knew, because it meant that she would have to do the work herself less often. As she seasoned and filled the pheasants with the mix Wynne had created, Ceridwen found herself missing her former companion. Morrigan hadn't been easy to get along with, but after some time they had formed a bond. The witch didn't follow the rules of society and politeness because she didn't know them, Ceridwen had realized, and how could she, as isolated as she'd been thanks to her mother. In some things her jaded, sarcastic friend had been heart-wrenchingly innocent.

Fluffy munched happily on the bones Ceridwen had thrown him, and Maric and Shirei had discovered that the soft plumes were fun to play with. Loghain had put the birds on a spit and turned them occasionally as they roasted over the fire. He had taken off his armour and cleaned and oiled it, showing Keira what to do, taught her how to take care of one's equipment. The lanky girl sat next to him and listened carefully. Wynne called Shirei over to where she had settled on a log and gently instructed her in how to concentrate and harness her energies – Ceridwen remembered these first lessons with a smile. She had been quite little when the Templars had brought her to the tower, and it had been Irving himself who had taken care of her these first weeks when she had been disoriented and scared by the unfamiliar surroundings. That had been before he had become the First Enchanter, but even after he had taken that position, she had been his favourite, his protégé.

That left Maric all alone, sitting nearby, staring glumly into the fire. Ceridwen went to him and sat down.

"Are you sad?"

Maric shrugged.

"Maric, you can tell me. What is it?" Ceridwen asked, letting her voice become low and gentle, a tone she knew not many could withstand.

"You said that I can't visit Shirei in the tower, but that I could write her letters."

"Yes, that would be possible."

"I don't know how to write," the boy said, his voice tremulous.

Ceridwen sighed and shook her head. She had seen much in her travels, but it surprised her time and again how ignorant she still was of the world she now lived in. All children at the Circle learned how to read and write; it had never occurred to her that there would be those like Maric, who were illiterate.

"I can teach you. We'll pick up a wax-tablet and a stylus for you in the next village or town we come through, and you'll learn how to write letters in no time."

"Really?" the boy asked doubtfully.

"Of course. You'll see."

Maric nodded gravely, but his face lightened up some.

She stood and led Maric to the fire to keep her company as she took over to take care of the food. Loghain and Keira went off to practise sword-fighting, and Ceridwen turned the spit and smiled as she heard the sounds of clashing swords and Loghain's short commands from the distance. He was very good at what he did, was a strict taskmaster but a very patient one, who was content to let the student set the pace, as long as said student applied themselves and performed to the best of their abilities. She herself had profited immensely from sparring with him, even if she had been bruised by more than one deliberate hit when her thoughts had wandered. It had been somewhat difficult to stay focussed when he had stood there, out of his armour, sometimes even bare-chested ...

Ceridwen felt her face grow warm at the memory. She was pretty certain now that it had been deliberate, that he had somehow known what she always did afterwards in her tent. Good thing every apprentice at the tower learned pretty quickly how to masturbate without making a single sound, without even breathing too fast or too loudly.

DA:O

Loghain went to the tent he shared with Ceridwen and put back his sword and shield, as well as a shorter blade he had picked up in Denerim the day before. It was a good sword, nothing like the heavily enchanted blade that he carried, but a well-made weapon for a beginner, well balanced and not too heavy. Ceridwen had taken over the turning of the birds, so he had been free to give Keira her first lesson. He would teach her like his father had taught him, like he had taught Cauthrien.

Cauthrien. He hoped she was well.

Keira had been quick to pick up on the first few moves he'd shown her; she had good reflexes and was quite strong for a girl her age. And she'd been terribly reluctant to give the blade back afterwards, when Ceridwen had called everyone to dinner. Loghain hadn't said so, but he considered it hers now – he just didn't want her to carry a weapon before she was proficient enough to wield it. If she traipsed around with a sword strapped to her back she might be a danger in the eyes of enemies – and that was a risk he wasn't ready to take.

All in all it had been a nice evening. The little romp he'd had with Ceridwen in the woods had been very pleasurable indeed, and Wynne had apologized for her earlier remark after they had eaten their fill of delicious roasted pheasant, and had offered to take first watch with Fluffy.

He stowed his weapons and stretched, wincing as something popped in his spine. He was very glad they had the wagon; they could transport enough straw-filled mattresses and furs to make comfortable bedding for all of them. Ceridwen had already prepared theirs; two of the pads pushed together and covered with thick sheepskins. There was a blanket covering them that was patched together with rough thread from fur-scraps of various sizes, wolf mostly, he thought. But it looked warm, and seemed big enough to cover both him and Ceridwen.

She entered the tent and he looked up.

"Did you make that yourself?" he asked her, holding up the blanket.

"Yes, I did. I made those for all my companions. We killed a lot of wolves during our travels and usually bartered the fresh skins for tanned ones and the scraps you see."

"For all your companions but me, it seems."

Ceridwen shrugged.

"You had your own stuff; most of the others didn't have any travelling gear when they joined my Merry Band of Misfits, as you're so fond of calling them. We had to buy everything, and we were always short on money. And these blankets don't take all that long to make, are cheap, durable and wonderfully warm. Morrigan gave me the idea, and I made them one by one during the summer, because I knew that we would need them sooner or later."

Loghain smiled at her discomfort. He thought it was rather sweet that she felt uncomfortable.

"You had other things on your mind than to make me a fur-blanket. As for this one; I can't wait to try it out," he said, pulling his shirt over his head.

Ceridwen laughed and undressed too, and they slipped beneath the wide blanket as soon as they were nude. If there was trouble, everyone would be treated to an eyeful of naked Hero of Ferelden and Hero of the River Dane, and that would be that, he thought as he blew out their lantern.

She had been right, it was wonderfully warm, especially with her cuddled up to him.

DA:O

DA:O

DA:O

Thanks to my wonderful reviewers, Shakespira, Persephone Chiara, jen4306, Eva Galana, Arsinoe de Blassenville, Ladydeath90, Zute, tgail73, Arenaviridae, and last but certainly not least: mutive, who reviewed six times in one day. You are awesome, all of you.