Chapter Seven

Given the strange circumstances in which Fenris had woken up to over the past few days, this morning was no exception. It was the soft pitter patter of rain against the canvas tent's roof that stirred him awake but the warm and feathery light tickling at his side was what made his eyes snap wide open. A startled yelp and some flailing around caused the medic Ezra to take a step back, perturbed at having his healing ritual interrupted.

As Fenris leapt from his bed roll, he searched the smoke filled room with squinted eyes, panicked, and still half asleep. They fell immediately on Kallian, who sat hunched over in a stool not too far away. She nursed a cup of hot tea in her hands, blowing away the hot steam with gentle puffs of air exhaled from her lungs. Her hair was still slightly damp and laid loose on her shoulders in wet tangles. She sported her cutoff clothes, boot on one foot and bandage wrapped around the sprained one. Fenris could see her shoulders tremble as she silently chuckled.

"Don't worry Ezra. He's a little jumpy with people who like to help him. At least he didn't have you twisted on the floor," she recalled, bemused.

Fenris scowled at her comment, vividly remembering his reaction to waking up to her tending his wound a few days earlier.

The aging shaman nodded his head towards Kallian resuming his ritual of smoke and herbs, and fanned the spicy smog to whirl around Fenris. It made him dizzy and lightheaded but the warmth spread all over his skin, sinking into his wound and curling around his spine. He could literally feel his muscles unwind and loosen, the way his health potion made him feel warm and fuzzy on the inside the day before.

A part of him questioned the nature of this 'ritual' but he could not control his eyes from closing to relish the soothing sensations of painlessness. He felt at ease, at last. The unbearable searing pain from yesterday was little more than tingling pins and needles now. No more painful than regaining sensation to a limb after accidentally sleeping on it for an evening.

When Fenris finally opened his eyes Ezra had gathered his things together. The shaman left a pouch of herbs with Kallian but not a word was spoken to him. In fact, Ezra left before Fenris could even say thank you, limping out of the tent and leaning on his cane for support. A part of Fenris wanted to know what Ezra had said to Kallian on his way out.

As the tent flap swung shut, Fenris sat back down on his cot and turned to face his companion. Her back was still turned away from him as if she were hiding from his gaze. He remembered last evening, the tense conversation they had and his vehement disapproval of her idea to join the Fog warriors. No, not join. Merely accompany, as they had so eloquently proposed.

Still, he disapproved of her actions but felt fairly guilty at the way he reacted. After all, she hadn't actually said yes. There was still a chance she would decline the offer. He hadn't given her much credit. There was still a chance…

Then something glinting in the lamp light caught his eye. His weapon and knapsack were leaning against the wall of the tent, though the backpack looked considerably fuller than he remembered packing. The absence of Kallian's items did not go unnoticed. He was just about to question her when she spoke up first.

"I've been thinking a lot, Fenris, and I realized I've been of a bit of an arse. In fact, I've been a huge arse, and I'm sorry."

He raised a brow, cocking his head to the side as he stared at the back of her head.

"I put you in a really rough situation when I saved your life. I mean, literally I put you in a debt and made you obligated to repay it… I forced your hand, there's no nice way to put it," she sighed, somberly confessing. He could see her shoulders slouch low, like something heavy was weighed upon them.

She continued not letting him speak. "I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that. I am truly sorry. I've asked David for your things. You shouldn't be forced to stay with me if you don't want to and it's very clear you don't."

When she finally turned around, he could see her face was red and puffy like she'd been crying for some time and his heart just leapt into his throat. How long had she been crying, and did she cry… over him? He was stunned. She was a bundle of surprises. He was nothing to her; was nothing to anyone but Danarius, and yet Kallian seemed upset over the idea of losing him.

"This entire time, I've been dragging you along with me," she confessed, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "Never once did I think you had a family of your own to go see or take care of. I'm so sorry, have I said that enough times? I feel like an absolute shithead." She rolled her eyes up to look away from him fighting back more tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks.

He laughed a low and bemused laugh. A shithead? How typical of her, he thought, how completely and totally typical and yet endearing of her…

"There's um… an extra set of clothes in your bag." Her voice was cracking though she tried to keep herself together for his sake. "And some sturdy shoes and enough food to last you a few days. Ezra also made some extra tea for you," holding up the pouch in her free hand. "And I convinced Namir to show you to the main road so um… you know… you can be on your way…"

Good. Crazy Ferelden broad's finally come to her senses. Now back to Alam, Fenris. Danarius is probably waiting for you with the Imperium guards…

"Stop crying." His voice was rough. Fenris resolved to soften it to the best of his abilities. "I'm not leaving you."

What are you doing? She's letting you go! What are you saying?

Kallian gave him a look that was a mixture of astonishment and joy and skepticism. Her eyes shot from the ceiling to him in half a second's time. The tears welled up at her waterline fell freely. He still did not know if it was from joy or sadness but the lines of her face were straight and set in an expression akin to a startled deer.

Somehow she managed to blurt out, stammering, "I…beg your pardon?" There was no missing the disbelief in her tone.

Fenris paused, deliberately searching for the correct response. He was in conflict with himself, yes. A voice was yelling all sorts of Tevinter profanities at him, but a tug in his chest told him if he didn't stay with her, then he'd regret it for the rest of his days.

Perhaps deep down he still had some twisted sense of chivalry that Hadrianna failed to torture out of him. Or perhaps he just did not particularly like the idea of being forever indebted to someone. Regardless, this particular elf had shown kindness and charity to him in return for something so minute, small, and minor Fenris could not just simply walk away from her.

Slowly he said, "I cannot, in good conscience, leave you." Heat rose to redden his cheeks. He felt dizzy and lightheaded all over again, blaming it this time on the spicy smoke wafting in the air.

Kallian's brows furrowed. Her mouth hung agape and formed a small 'O' in surprise.

Fenris had begun to fear he'd said the wrong thing. This wasn't quite the reaction he had been expecting but then again when it came to Kallian everything was unexpected. She was unpredictable and predictable in every sense of the word.

"Are you mocking me?" She asked, softly and slowly with a hint of suspicious in her voice. What was the matter with this woman? Why does she always think everyone is mocking her? He pondered for a moment on that thought… chances were as a city elf, people probably were always mocking her.

"…No…?" It came out more like a question than an answer but she accepted it anyways. It surprised even Fenris. He made a mental note to himself to tell her to be less trusting. Words are just words, unless they are followed by actions.

She gave him a small smile before rising to her feet. There was a small limp to her gait but not as exaggerated as last evening. Whatever Ezra had done for her was miraculous. He'd witness this type of injury in Danarius' household before. They usually took months to heal, especially since his master gave his slaves no time to recuperate and made them work through the pain.

Kallian closed the space between them quickly. She sat down next to Fenris on his bed roll and handed over the cup of tea she'd been nursing earlier.

"Thank you," she praised. "For deciding to stay. It means a lot to me." His words must have truly made an impact on her. He reciprocated the smile, taking the tea from her.

He blew on it before taking a sip, focusing his attention onto the warm medicinal beverage. His eyes were set on the mug of amber liquid, willing his blushing to go away while Kallian kept her eyes on him like a bird of prey. As he savored the sweet herbal remedy, the unmistakable scent of fresh river water and something syrupy crept upon him.

Unmistakable.

It was the scent of Kallian, sitting next to him. It was in her hair and her clothes.

"You smell like tea," he muttered before he could stop himself. Like honey and flowers and fresh water. Crisp but fragrant.

She laughed awkwardly at his comment before looking down at herself with a similar awkward expression on her face. Then, she picked up her shirt and smelled it, questioningly.

"Oh. Sorry. It's the soap I borrowed. The women make it from lavender and honey…"

I knew it…

"Does it bother you? I'll take another bath if it's overwhelming…"

Willpower failing, Fenris blushed again. He was quick to blurt out his answer, "No! I mean… you smell… fine. It's fine…"

She frowned at him. Was that another inappropriate response? She started shifting in her spot, averting her gaze as she crossed, uncrossed, and recrossed her legs. Fenris had no choice but to drink his tea in silence.

"How long have you been awake?" He finally asked, breaking the spell and noting the dreary weather that beat against the canvas tent.

"Only a few hours. The rain woke me and I couldn't fall back asleep so… I went to see Namir and to fetch Ezra, and luckily the other women were waking up too and they showed me to the river. Had the most amazing bath ever," she said, with a dreamy tone. He envied her. Yes, a bath sounded very wonderful. No wonder she smelled so… fresh… and clean… and delicious... like tea.

Fenris turned to Kallian, peering over the rim of his cup as he tilted it into his mouth to gulp the last of it down.

She noted his gaze, wide-eyed and filled with something resembling hopeful at the mention of a bath.

"You want one?" She asked, causing both his eyebrows to disappear into his hairline. Was she offering to bathe him? Technically, her caretaking skills were more than adequate; they were superb and in all honesty, Fenris would not have put it passed her to actually do it.

The look on his face was priceless. All Kallian could do was laugh, tossing her head back as she did so.

"No," she managed to choke out in between gasps of air. "No, I am not going to bathe you," like she'd read his mind. "I'll show you were the river is, silly."

Fenris nodded his head enthusiastically. The thought of a bath was wonderful. Maker knows he needed one, not to mention it had been a while since his last. He could not stop himself from dipping his head down to smell between his arms, scrunching his nose at the musky scent of body odor. Yes, he most certainly needed a bath and he needed one desperately.

As he opened his mouth to respond, his stomach did so for him. A loud noise rumbled in his belly, causing Kallian to burst out in more laughter. The seriousness of their previous conversation went out the window. Everything was airy and lighthearted again.

"Would you like something to eat first?" She asked, trying to be serious and failing at it. The thought was considerate. Fenris merely shook his head 'yes' as another rumble resonated louder than the one
before. Kallian giggled as she got up. She mumbled something about returning no time before slipping out of the tent. Left alone, Fenris had more time to think. Some of them were positive, others were negative. It left him with a huge headache the more he thought about it.

It felt as if two forces were tugging at him. The logical and calculated slave within screamed at him for the poor choices he was making while the inquisitive and curious side wanted to know more, if only just to see how it would all turn out in end. He turned away from the tent flap, rising carefully to his feet. The tingly pins and needles feeling still hadn't left his side and to satiate the curiosity, he touched it cautiously. It didn't hurt but it still felt tender to the touch.

Fenris walked over to his knapsack, rummaging through it till he found the spare clothes Kallian said were in there. He laid them out on the bare table, rubbing at the material of the fabric until he was satisfied with its quality. Then he turned to the boots. Of equally fine material he thought, but so unlike him. He was never one to wear shoes and highly doubted he would start now. Instead, Fenris simply placed them back down next to the backpack and returned his attention to the shirt and slacks.

First he took off his top, giving him easier access to the bandage wrapped around his torso. With deft fingers he undid the knot that tied it off, eager to examine the damage for the first time ever since waking up days ago. He pulled away the linens carefully, anticipating pain as he peeled the fabric away from his skin. Surprised that there was none, Fenris peeked his eyes opened and examined his gash. There was also none. In its place was a scar, angry red but smooth as a baby's rump. It was smeared in salve but the wound that Kallian had complained about and tended to was simply not there. Just a healed scar in its place.

Fenris eyed his empty mug questioningly. Just exactly what was in that tea and what 'ritual' had Ezra performed his morning? Blood magic? Couldn't be. There was no way Kallian would condone it, not that he really knew anyways, but something in his gut told him so.

This feeling of trusting his proverbial 'gut' was still distinctively new but somehow he was getting the hang of it. Must have something to do with this new dose of 'faith' he was also trying out.

Shaking his thoughts away, Fenris returned his attention to his new clothes. They looked comfortable and inviting, and no longer could he wait to get them on. Quickly, he used his old shirt to wipe clean his wound with a little bit of lukewarm water left in the tea pot. It felt odd to the touch, the pins and needles bringing him to the verge of tickling laughter.

In a swift motion, he undid the ties to his trousers and slipped them down, kicking them aside with his foot. But before he could reach for the new clothing, the tent flap swung open and Kallian emerged with a steaming bowl of porridge and a plate of fruit.

He stood before her stark naked as the day he was born, startled by her sudden and unannounced entrance. She blushed redder than he'd ever seen, all the way from her neck up to the points of her ears. He watched as her eyes travelled over his front, across the planes of his chiseled chest and trailing downward towards… well… exactly how far his lyrium tattoos went. Fenris could not help but smirk a little when her eyes ventured between his legs and her mouth hung slightly agape.

His amusement turned into confusion when she turned away, stammering apologies, and covering her eyes. Was she ashamed? Was she revolted? Was the sight of him vile to her, he feared.

Cockiness receded to bashful as he tugged his new trousers on. Kallian was still turned away when he approached her. She was startled by his hand on her shoulder, nearly dropping the tray of food in the process if it weren't for Fenris' quick reflexes. Before he could speak, she shoved the tray in his hands and walked out, muttering something about waiting outside and to come get her when he was ready and decent.

It took him little time to pull on the rest of his clothes, and even less time to scarf down the bowlful of porridge. He heard some rustling outside and muffled voices talking. All it did was encourage him to finish his food. The idea of a bath was too enticing to pass up.

Whatever embarrassment Kallian felt over walking in on him naked had dissipated. By the time Fenris emerged from his tent, he saw his companion speaking with the Fog warrior scion animatedly and enthusiastically. The encounter was much different from the one last evening. She was even reciprocating his toothy smiles, oblivious that Fenris had even walked out of their tent.

He quickened his stride, hoping to intercept them. As he moved closer, their conversation became more audible and clear.

"And what has your friend decided?" Namir asked, with a cocky grin.

"He's staying… with me." She chimed proudly, surprising even Fenris with the adoration in her voice. Adoration… for him?

Namir brought his hands over his chest as if he'd been injured by her words. It was accompanied by a feigned pained look on his face. "O… such a shame. I was looking forward to getting to know you on a more… intimate level…" he purred.

Even from afar, Fenris could see a crossed look on Kallian's face. It was in her eyes, that's how he could tell, while Namir couln't.

She smiled sweetly at the Fog warrior, inching closer to him with her palms held up as if ready to brace against the human's broad chest. Kallian caught Fenris' eyes, glancing over Namir's shoulders as he approached them.

"Not in this lifetime, shem," she whispered, sending her good foot forward to give Namir a good kick in the shin. The tall Fog warrior doubled forward instinctively to grab his knee when Kallian's hands pushed his shoulders down, sending the statuesque man into a puddle of mud behind him.

Fenris snorted, walking around the fallen warrior to Kallian's side. She turned to him with a cheeky grin, eyes wide and innocent.

"Ready for that bath?" she asked, though she did not wait for his answer to grab his hand and pull him in a direction into the jungle. The air smelled crisp and wet. From behind him, he heard the laughter of many Fog warriors as Namir sloppily got himself to his feet, but it was the low laugh of the scion that caught Fenris off guard, echoing in his ear long after they were out of earshot.