Chapter Seven
"Oh, sweet Andraste on the pyre," Hawke moaned, "just there! You glorious elf, wherever did you get such magic fingers?"
Fenris chuckled, pushing his thumb deeper into her arch. "Where do you suppose? Although I will say this is the first time I actually wanted to rub someone's feet. You should be honored."
She laughed and placed the empty wine glass to one side, feeling much improved after a long soak and the wine. "Oh, I do feel honored, believe me. If you like, I can show my gratitude in a more...pleasant way," she said, quirking her eyebrow.
He shook his head and smirked. "I'm still covered in sweat and dirt. Perhaps I'll revisit your offer after I bathe."
"Then you'd better climb in here with me. I'm not planning on coming out anytime soon unless you drag me."
Fenris tilted his head. "Not even for..." he drew in a deep breath through his nose. "Roast lamb and potatoes?"
She narrowed her eyes. "You do play dirty, don't you? But you might be bluffing. I can't smell anything."
He smiled again, his brows furrowing. "So, you actually fought an ogre and won?"
Her playful expression faded and she nodded. "Maker's truth, I really did, along with my brother, and our friend, Aveline. I was so drained after that fight. But you know that's not the most unbelievable part of the whole thing."
"What was, then?" he asked, switching to her other foot.
She sighed, her eyes slipping closed in pleasure. "We were saved by a dragon." Opening her eyes, she caught his dubious look and grinned. "It's the truth. She roasted the horde of darkspawn surrounding us and then turned into an old woman named Flemeth."
"A witch," he spat in disgust.
Hawke nodded. "Undoubtedly. But we would have died then if not for her intervention. She got us safely to Gwaren with the understanding that we would deliver a locket for her when we reached Kirkwall, and I promised I would." She frowned. "Although we've obviously not quite made it there yet. I wonder if Carver managed to hang onto it?" She stood and shrugged, accepting the towel he handed her with a smile and stepped out of the bath.
"You certainly do have some interesting tales, Hawke." He removed his clothing and slid into the still hot water.
She rubbed her wet hair vigorously with the towel, then dropped it and went to the cupboard that held all their clothing, and selected the least slutty looking thing she could find and slipped into it, but it still bared her breasts quite scandalously. After several minutes trying to make it cover more than it was designed to, she gave up and faced Fenris. When she saw his smirk she rolled her eyes.
"Perhaps I should just climb onto the dinner tray as the main course, in this thing."
His gaze intensified, that half smile still on his lips. "Tempting," he murmured. "I am rather hungry and you do look good enough to eat."
She blushed and looked away. "Oh, hush. I'm in the mood for a big helping of meat, myself." His smile grew and she became more flustered. "I mean meat to eat!" At his full-throated laughter, rich and deep, she gave up and fled the room.
Aurah stomped into their room again weeks later after their hours of sparring were finished, pursued by a very angry elf. He slammed the door shut behind him and glared at her, breathing heavily.
"I told you I didn't mean to hit you quit so hard with that force push, but you cut my cheek with those pointy gauntlets you wear!" She pointed to the wound, still slowly oozing blood down her jawline.
He stepped into her personal space, crowding her, but she refused to budge, lifting her chin stubbornly. "And I told you that that wound was unintentional!"
"Then what are we fighting about?" she yelled, throwing her hands up.
"I don't know," he growled, seizing her head and pulling her into a desperate kiss. She made a noise of surprise and eagerly reciprocated, gasping as he spun her and shoved her against the wall, his tongue invading her mouth. His chest-plate and gauntlets were quickly discarded in a heap beside them, and he pulled and tugged at her clothing and pushed his own down until he could lift her without fabric to impede him. She wrapped her legs around him, her head bumping back into the stone wall hard enough to hurt when he drove into her roughly.
"Fenris," she gasped, digging her heels into his backside to urge him to thrust harder and catching his mouth again in another kiss that was all teeth and tongues. She bit his lower lip hard, making him growl and yank her back by the hair. He gave her a look that promised retribution, then worked his way down her neck, biting and sucking until she was covered in little love bites that made her skin tingle and burn, the rhythm of his thrusting hips never faltering.
He swore in her ear when she clenched around him and she was so close, so close, straining for the pinnacle when he growled her name, more a command than an endearment, and the warmth that was focused in her center, shattered, exploding outward in fluttering spasms that shook her whole body and forced her eyes shut. His growl turned to a guttural howl when he swore again and shuddered against her, pushing weakly twice more before he finally stilled.
Their panting breaths were loud against each other's ears, his bowed head resting against one of her shoulders. Her legs were shaking and trembling with the effort it took to keep them locked around him, and she tightened her grip around his shoulders lest she fall. He moved his hands to cup her behind and crossed swiftly to the bed and sat, then fell back when she rested her knees on either side of his hips. He pulled her down with him, letting her lay across his chest, which she knew was quite a concession as he hated the feeling of being held down, and was always on top of her or above her when they coupled. She kissed the side of his neck lightly in acknowledgement and gratitude at the implied trust and deference to her preference of being held afterwards.
He turned his head and kissed her so softly and sweetly, that she ached from the tenderness of it. He slipped out of her as he softened and she sighed at the loss and nuzzled his chin, pressing little kisses to his lyrium lines that he had recently told her never hurt when she touched them, which seemed to amaze him.
Her first inclination was to crack a joke to fill the silence, but she stifled the urge to keep from spoiling the rare mood. She looked up into his moss green eyes and smiled. One side of his mouth twisted into a teasing smirk before he broke the silence.
"Shall we call this match a draw, as well?"
Time passed, and Fenris and Aurah had been together for more than six months, having settled into the routine of slave and master when in front of anyone, her playing the part of subservient and obedient woman very convincingly, but their private interactions being far more honest and free of pretense. They swung back and forth between fighting and angry silences, mostly on Fenris' part, and periods of friendship and camaraderie, punctuated by bursts of passion they could not seem to wholly control. But underlying it all, they had both come to appreciate and rely on the unspoken comfort of each other's presence.
For reasons known only to him, Danarius had them continue to spend most of their time together, further honing their skills as fighters, and being forced to take on more foes at a time in their practices, or following him about the estate when it suited him. Aurah had learned to copy Fenris in his behavior toward their master, and through much study, she learned that Danarius had as much capacity for kindness and indulgence of his favorites, as he did for sudden, inexplicable bouts of cruelty.
His apprentice and assistant, Hadriana, was a far greater worry. There was a calculating coldness in her eyes whenever she looked at Fenris or Aurah, and both of them were careful never to do anything to provoke her, despite Danarius' favor toward them granting a certain amount of protection.
They had spent the afternoon in the Magister's study, Aurah kneeling near him so he could touch her or pet her hair as he had come to favor doing, or have her massage his hands or feet with some of her healing magic when he had overextended himself with difficult spells or during his private research. Fenris stood on the opposite side of the room against the wall, always on alert, armed and armored. Danarius had not allowed Hawke to carry a weapon on her person away from their practices, but should there ever be a true threat, she had her magic to fall back on.
Danarius patted her hand and leaned back in his seat, and looked to his bodyguard. "I have a task for you to attend to tonight, Fenris, and I will have our little bird to wait on me this evening while you are gone. Take Hawke back to your quarters to bathe and rest now, and then return to me and I will give you the necessary details of your mission."
"Yes, Master," Fenris murmured, moving to the door and opening it, then shutting it quietly behind him after Aurah stepped through. When they turned into their own passageway, she stepped close enough to whisper.
"Why is he separating us tonight?"
Fenris gave her a sharp look and shook his head, not stopping until they stood in their bathing chamber with the water flowing into the ornate bath, the sound covering their quiet conversation.
"It is likely I am being sent to eliminate some threat. It is not an unusual occurrence, though he has little used me in such a capacity since your coming. And I imagine he will wish you to amuse his guests if he is entertaining tonight, or just keep you close for his own enjoyment. You know he favors you ever more of late."
Hawke twisted her fingers together, picking nervously at her nails where she had already torn the skin before Fenris reached out to still her movement.
"But I have never had to be with him on my own. What if I do something to anger him? I still don't know how to properly interpret his moods. I wish he were more predictable."
Fenris laid his hands on the tops of her shoulders, gripping and releasing the tense muscles until she relaxed under him with a sigh. "You know what behavior is expected of you, Hawke. Obey every command given to you without question or hesitation, and Danarius will have no cause to be displeased. Remember, you are strong, with or without me near."
She drew a deep breath as he dropped his hands from her and nodded, then reached for the bare skin of his arm where his armor did not cover above his elbow, her brow creased with fresh worry. "You will be careful, won't you? Whatever task you are assigned, don't take unnecessary risks, and return as soon as you can."
Something warm and pleasant spread in his chest, and he smirked to cover just how much her concern affected him. "Do you think I will be so easily defeated? Have more confidence in my abilities, woman."
"I do!" she said, with wide eyes. "It's just..." Aurah tilted her head and smiled slyly. "Alright, as a test of your skill, you must return free of all injury. And if you don't…then you must submit to my healing. Willingly."
Fenris raised a bemused eyebrow and jerked his chin toward the half-filled bath. "Wash yourself as you have been bidden and hold your tongue. Lest I find a better use for it."
She huffed in reaction, her cheeks tinged with color and Fenris chuckled and turned toward the door, calling back over his shoulder. "I will see you when I return, Aurah. Be good."
Fenris leaned back in the carriage and ran a hand through his messy hair, sighing quietly in relief as they pulled into the courtyard of the estate. He was jumping down and striding toward the well to rinse off before the horses had come to a complete stop, eager to clean up and join Aurah for some much-needed rest. Dawn was still several hours away, but the night had been tiring, although more from tedium than any true challenge. Killing two mages while they slept in their beds had been no difficulty at all, and he hadn't even gotten a scratch on him from his efforts. Most of his time had been spent in the journey to their location and back.
During the return ride, he realized that for the first time ever, he was looking forward to getting back to the estate instead of dreading it. It was more pleasant to curl up beside a warm, soft woman, although it had taken some time to get used to sleeping with another person. He had never been cruel enough to demand Hawke sleep on the floor when there was such a large bed in the room, not even in the early days when he dreaded her touch more than he had welcomed it. But he found now he could think of little else. In point of fact, he had spent much of the evening unable to think of anything but her.
He slipped into their darkened room and crept quietly to the table where he stored his armor before he had a chance to clean it, and glanced to the bed. He frowned when he saw it was empty, the covers still smooth and immaculately made. He searched the bathing chamber and found it likewise empty. Like a ghost, he quickly and quietly searched all the likely places he could think of that Hawke might be, a growing unease twisting inside his gut the longer she remained missing. Turning into the kitchens, he met one of the house slaves coming out, and she dropped into a quick bow before him.
"Tell me, have you seen my girl, Hawke? She is not with Master and I have been unable to locate her."
The young elf darted a quick glance up, her eyes full of fear as she nodded, and answered in a quiet tone. "Mistress Hadriana sent her to sleep in the common quarters not an hour past." Her voice fell to just above a whisper. "I think...I think she is hurt."
His jaw tightened with anger and he nodded curtly before hurrying to the slave's common sleeping area, instantly picking out her huddled shape in the far corner of the room, lying on a thin blanket. He released a breath in relief to have found her, a small part of him having briefly feared that she attempted an escape without him, although he knew she would never be so impulsive or foolish.
Kneeling beside her, he placed a hand on her back to shake her awake, jerking away when she cried out in pain. When she didn't move further, not even to turn to see who was next to her, he leaned down to whisper to her. "Hawke, I must get you back to our room. Tell me where you are injured."
She lifted her head toward him, her eyes swollen from crying and face blotchy. "Everywhere." She laid her head back down and closed her eyes. "I was forbidden to heal myself until you returned."
His expression hardened. "Can you do it now? Heal yourself."
Aurah gave a small shake of her head, her eyes still closed. "I can't, I'm too weak to cast. I'm sorry, I tried to be strong, but I wasn't at all." Tears leaked from between her closed lids and Fenris felt the wild beast inside him roar, the hot well of anger that he always carried within him brought to a sudden, volatile boil. He plucked one of the stronger healing potions he was always kept supplied with from a pouch on his waist, pulling the stopper and bringing it to her lips.
"Drink this, it will help." She moved to comply, turning more on her side, and Fenris shifted her clothing so he could look at her bare back, needing to see for himself what had been done to her. Deep purple bruises were overlaid with lacerations and severe burns, the open wounds weeping blood or clear fluid from the burns; it was far worse than he had ever imagined her skin could look.
When she shifted, he saw the backs of her legs were similarly covered and hissed out a breath in sympathy. Clearly, she had not been beaten with a whip, but tortured far more cruelly. Feeling powerless and impotent in the face of her pain, he brushed her hair back from her face with a gentle touch and leaned closer, finally catching her eyes, the blue depths of them filled with torment.
"What did this?" he questioned, not fully able to keep the anger from his voice.
Her own voice was brittle when she swallowed down the last of the potion, but sounded stronger than it had before. "Demons." She closed her eyes again to concentrate, drawing power into herself, her body glowing with faint blue light for several minutes as the deepest of the wounds slowly closed and looked less angry before she sagged again with fatigue. "I can't do any more now."
Fenris removed his gauntlets and secured them to the back of his belt before he gathered her as carefully as he could and stood with her cradled in his arms. She sucked in a sharp breath in pained reaction and he brushed his lips to her forehead. "Forgive me. But you will rest more comfortably on our bed."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head against his shoulder. "I'm so happy to see you, Fenris, I can't even tell you." Her voice broke and he felt her tears wet his neck while he carried her to their room, heedless of the furtive gazes of the other slaves on them.
Within minutes of reaching their chamber, he removed her stained and damaged clothing, and had her lay on her belly so he could try to clean some of the blood from her skin with a wet cloth, where it wasn't too tender for touch. When she started to shiver violently, he quickly removed his armor and soiled clothing and slipped into the bed, pulling her against him to warm and comfort her.
When the worst of her shaking calmed, he tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "Tell me what happened."
She searched his eyes, seeing the anger and frustration there and sighed, knowing she had no way to soothe it. "You know what happened."
"Hadriana," he spat. "One day, that bitch will get what she deserves. I only hope I'm the one to give it to her."
Hawke followed one of the lyrium lines on his chest with a shaky finger. "She asked to take me for the evening to assist with practicing one of her spells, and Danarius agreed. She's always given me pause, ever since I first met her last month, but I never imagined..."
Fenris turned his gaze to the ceiling, as all the times Hadriana had tormented him played through his mind. "You're fortunate this is the first time you've been under her power," he said bitterly, then paused, his eyes drawn back to the black and purple bruises across Hawke's back, and the red burns that hadn't been fully healed. "Although, I can't say she ever loosed her demons on me. Did you...do something to provoke her?"
Aurah pushed herself upright, ignoring the rush of pain in her outrage and stared at him in accusation. "You think I did something to deserve this?"
He sat up, echoing her position and turned his head to face her fully. "Tell me what happened. I need to know."
She lifted her chin, some of her old fire and defiance brightening her eyes briefly before they filled with sorrow again, her expression tormented. "It was blood magic. There was a little elf girl, only seven or eight, at most..." She looked at Fenris, her eyes begging for understanding. "She reminded me so much of Bethany when she was young. I couldn't just..." She rubbed a hand across her eyes, as though she could wipe away what she had been forced to witness.
"I begged Hadriana not to harm the child, I offered my own blood in her place, anything to stop it. The little one looked at me with such hope on her sweet face, as though she believed I could save her, even when Hadriana slit her throat." She stared down at her hands dully. "My magic was bound when we entered her work room. I could do nothing but keep my eyes fastened on the child's while she bled out. I didn't want her to die alone, and wished she could at least see that someone in this miserable place cared for her life. Even for those brief moments."
She swallowed and raised her eyes to Fenris, the tears following the path down her cheeks they had made hours before. "Hadriana loosed the demons on me right after. I assume in retaliation for my having opposed her. I couldn't even defend myself, just cower in a ball and wait for it to end or death, whichever came sooner."
He reached out and pulled her against him, so her head was tucked near his shoulder and she couldn't see the rage and sadness that twisted his features into a silent snarl. He laid down again and held her tightly when she fell into a restless sleep, shaking her awake from the grip of nightmares and murmuring soothing words against her ear.
There was something he might do to protect Hawke, and he was determined to try, even if he got nothing for his trouble but the lash. He decided that pain would be preferable to the one he currently suffered when he considered doing nothing.
It was well after dawn when he finally managed to snatch a few moments of rest.
~o~
