Chapter 12

The morning after his trip down memory lane, Liam led the rest down into the village of Lothering. They wandered around, examining the meager offerings. There was one small inn, a blacksmith, and a general store. The only other place of interest was a really small farmer's market. Here they found some fresh fruit and vegetables available, which they purchased for their trip. But, other than refilling the water casks at the well, there was not much else for them to see or do.

As they left the village proper, Liam stopped and looked back. "The Lothering I knew is gone. None of the people I knew growing up are there. Many, like us, waited until the last minute to leave. If some of them made it out, they decided not to return."

"I guess it's true what they say," Sebastian mused. "You can't ever really go home."

Liam looked at him, "Thinking about Starkhaven?"

The prince sighed, "Sometimes I wonder how things would have turned out if I had returned after avenging my parents deaths."

"We wouldn't have become friends for one," Liam answered, his voice tight. Was the other man regretting things between them?

Sebastian saw the worry and smiled in reassurance, "Getting to know you, becoming your friend, and perhaps more, makes up for not having a throne anymore."

Liam blushed at the snickers that statement caused. "Yes, well, we need to decide where to go next."

"I vote for Ostagar," Reginald spoke up. "The place is steeped in so much history, including that famous battle all those years ago."

"I heard my people were given lands there," Merrill put forth. "I'd like to see them, see how they're getting along."

Liam frowned and turned away, "Ostagar was the beginning of the end. That battle was horrible. Horrible enough to still give me nightmares on occassion."

"Then we don't go there," Sebastian placed a hand on Hawke's shoulder. "Perhaps we could go to Redcliffe or Lake Calenhad?"

"That is where the Circle of Magi is," Liam turned in astonishment. "Why would you want to go there?"

"Anders was there in his younger days," the prince replied. "There must be people who remember him still there. All we ever heard from him was how terrible the Circle was. But that's just one man's point of view. It might be good to hear and see for ourselves just what it was like. After all, the Hero of Ferelden was from there and seemed to have good memories of the place."

"You would do this for me?" the warrior stepped closer, locking his gaze on the prince's.

"It would make you happy and that's important to me," was the reply.

Reginald smiled as he watched his master. He turned to Fenris, "It seems like the two of them are working past their differences."

"More like they're recapturing what they lost years ago," the elf retorted.

"So it's true then," the knight mused. "My lord was in love with the Champion." He paused and then said, "So why did Hawke end up with that mage?"

"You sound like you knew all along about them?" Fenris asked sharply.

"Not knew exactly, more like strongly suspected," Reginald explained. "Remember, I've known the prince since he was little. There's not much he can hide from me, even if he fools himself and everyone else. It was the way he spoke about Hawke and the look in his eyes. I suspected there was more to his wanting to hunt Anders down than just avenging the Grand Cleric."

"To answer your question, Sebastian couldn't accept the fact that he was in love with Hawke and turned him away," Merrill had been listening in. "Hawke was very lonely for a long time. Anders offered comfort, love and companionship."

"Yeah, well his higness was famous for his stubborness," Reginald snorted. "It's what got him sent to the Chantry as a boy to begin with."

"Let's hope that both of them are past such foolishness," Fenris remarked.

"Okay kids, let's go to Lake Calenhad," Liam announced as he headed toward the horses.

They headed west along the Imperial Highway. Liam and Sebastian took turns riding the horses with Fenris and Reginald. Merrill was happy to ride in the back of the wagon reading her tomes and books. The Dalish had taken a serious interest in improving her herbalist skill. It was something that she knew would prove far more useful in the future than her magic. There were lots of mages. But, she knew that skilled herbalists, ones with the knowledge to save lives, were rare.

They didn't hurry, stopping early and leaving late each day. Not wanting to attract too much attention, Liam had purchased some plain, heavy armor to wear instead of his Champion armor. If he wanted to ride, he could only wear the breastplate, as neither horse was built to carry a fully armored warrior. On their third day out, they stopped earlier than usual so that Liam could get in some serious practice in full armor.

Sebastian took the opportunity to practice his archery, while Reginald and Fenris took turns sparring with Liam. After about an hour, he stopped shooting and began to watch the warrior as he fought. After a few minutes, it was obvious to the prince that Hawke had his full strength back. The man really took one's breath away. Despite his size, he moved with the grace of a panther and easily blocked and parried every thrust and move the other two threw at him.

"Hey you guys, supper's almost ready," Merrill called from the fire where she was turning the two large hares that Sebastian had killed for them.

The men quickly sheathed their weapons, took off the heavy armor, and wiped the sweat off their faces. They finished just as Merrill was pulling the hares off the fire. As they gathered around, she wrinkled her nose. "I hope you guys plan on bathing tonight."

The four of them goggled at her. Liam sniffed a couple of times, "I guess we are getting a little ripe."

"Yes, you are," Fenris agreed.

"Humans really need to bathe more frequently than they do," Merrill prattled on. "Sebastian's not too bad, but then he hasn't worked himself up like you and Reggie," she pointed at Hawke and the knight.

"I suppose this is another thing that elves have an easier time with," Liam snorted as he looked between the Dalish and Fenris.

"We don't sweat the way humans do, it's true," Fenris nodded agreement. "Mere physical exercise is not sufficient to warrant bathing afterwards."

"It's all well and good to talk about bathing, but where do you suggest we do that?" Reginald snorted. "And don't call me Reggie," he glared at the little Dalish.

"There's a stream about half a mile through the woods there, Reggie," Merrill pointed to the west of their camp. She burst into giggles at the scowl the knight threw her way.

"How could you possibly know that?" Sebastian's eyebrows went up.

"I can smell it on the air," the Dalish shrugged like it was no big deal.

They fell silent as they dug into their food. Reginald was the first to finish and he stood up, "I'll go take a quick dip. Don't want to keep offending our friends' sensibilities."

"No one has called him Reggie since he was a boy," Sebastian pointed out.

"Well, it seems silly to be so formal all the time," Merrill pouted. "It's not like we're at some fancy court where our manners will be judged. Plus, if Varric were here, he'd give the guy a nickname."

"I think the dwarf would be a little more creative," Fenris told her.

"Well, if it really bothers him then I'll just call him Reginald," the Dalish sulked.

Sebastian rolled his eyes at her and shook his head. "Do you want to go next Hawke?" he asked as he finished his plate.

Liam was in the process of reaching for the remaining rabbit and bread and shook his head. "S'okay," he mumbled around a bite of bread and held it up. "Still eating."

"At least we never have to worry about leftovers," Fenris chuckled as the big warrior wolfed down his dinner.

Liam grinned and finished picking one of the leg bones clean. He tossed it to Ripper who sat a little ways behind them gnawing on the other bones they'd given him. "Merrill's a really good cook."

"Even if she wasn't, I think you'd still be scarfing the food down," Fenris snickered.

"Hey, I gotta build myself up again," Hawke protested.

"Especially with the workout you're giving him these days Fenris," Merrill giggled.

They continued to tease Hawke about how much he ate until Reginald came back. Then Sebastian gathered up his stuff and went to bathe. Liam watched him go and then turned his attention to finishing his dinner. Once he'd done that, he picked up his armor and weapons and set about cleaning them. It took a while, but when he finished, Sebastian had still not returned. Hesitating only briefly, he gathered up some clean clothes, soap and towel and headed off to the stream.

Sebastian had finished cleaning himself off quickly. Archery didn't exactly cause one to work up a sweat. He could have passed on the bath for another day or two, but he had an ulterior motive. He hoped that if he took long enough, then Liam would get impatient and come to take his own bath. It wasn't really a polite thing to do, but he wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to show off his naked body to the warrior, or catch a glimpse of the warrior naked himself.

Liam heard splashing and slowed his step. He stopped just inside the tree line to watch the prince at his bath. The man was waist deep in the middle of the stream. The sun was almost set and it's fading rays made the prince's upper body seem to be made of burnished gold. Water sparkled as it dripped down the prince's shoulders and back. He felt his mouth go dry as he imagined what the water was hiding from him.

Sensing eyes on him, Sebastian turned his head and caught sight of Liam standing near, watching him. Slowly he turned around, a slight smile on his lips. Taking the soap, he began to slowly run it over his arms. After a minute he looked up again to see that the warrior was gaping, open-mouthed at him. Even in the fading light, the bulge in the warriors breeches was obvious. "Like what you see Hawke?"

Liam jerked his gaze up to meet the prince's. He licked suddenly dry lips and said horsely, "Yes."

"Come join me Hawke," Sebastian invited. He waited but the warrior made no move. Slowly he began to run the soap over his body again. "Come on Liam," he said softly. "I won't bite. Unless you want me to."

Liam hesitated for a moment more before stripping off his shirt. His breeches had become uncomfortably tight and he sighed in relief when he was finally able to loosen the ties and push them and his smalls down. He slowly walked down to the stream and entered the water, wading out to stand in front of the prince. He just stood there, staring, his breath coming in shallow pants. He hadn't been this turned on in a long time.

He reached out to gently run a finger down the middle of Sebastian's chest. "You look even better than I remember," he whispered.

"Here, let me wash your back," Sebastian turned him around and began to run the soap over his back. He could feel the muscles tense and relax under his touch. Liam's breathing began to come in even shorter gasps. Knowing that he was turning the warrior on spiked his own desire. He pressed up against the other man, letting him feel how aroused he was. "I've been wanting this for a long time, Liam."

Liam swallowed hard, trying to think of something to say and failing. As the prince continued to run the soap over him, he couldn't keep from moaning in pleasure. Maker, it had been so long since someone had touched him this way. He'd forgotten what it was like.

Sebastian slipped his arms around Liam's waist so he could run his hands over the muscled chest. He heard Hawke suck in a sharp breath as he played with the man's nipples. "You like this Hawke? It feels good doesn't it?"

"Maker yes," Liam moaned. Suddenly, he turned around and gripped the back of the prince's neck, holding him in place. He covered the other man's mouth with his own and proceeded to practically devour him. His other hand slid down to press the prince's groin to his own. He ground against him as the kiss deepened and grew even more intense.

Sebastian was surprised, but in no way unwilling, when Liam kissed him. The hunger, the need he could feel in the warrior called to his own. Reaching down, he gently grasped the warrior's manhood. He couldn't surpress a gasp of shock at the size of it. He pulled back and looked down, "Holy Maker, you're hung like a horse!"

"Sebastian, please," Liam begged against the prince's throat as he pushed against the hand holding him.

Capturing Liam's lips with his, he proceeded to wrap his hand around both his and Hawke's members. He slowly began stroking them, delighting in the deep moans of pleasure the warrior was making. It didn't take long for either of them to build to climax.

Liam's head moved back, his body jerking as he came. "Sebastian!" he cried.

Sebastian closed his eyes, finding his own release even as Liam began to relax into him. Feeling the warrior's knees give a little, he wrapped his arms around the other man and led him towards the shallower water. He pulled Liam down with him as he sat and tried to regain his composure. He realized suddenly that Liam was trembling. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned he'd done something wrong.

Liam nodded, "Yeah, it's just been a long time since I've experienced anything that intense."

Sebastian frowned as he absorbed the nuances behind that statement. For him, celebacy had been a choice and he'd seldom felt the need over the past few years for sexual gratification. In fact, if he was honest with himself it was because everyone and everything paled in comparison to his one night with Hawke. But Liam had been in a relationship. "I didn't realize that your relationship with Anders had gotten that bad," he said encouragingly, hoping the warrior would open up a little more.

Liam sighed heavily, "You couldn't even call it a relationship the last couple of years. Justice was gaining more control, pushing Anders to be constantly writing and working. I had to fight just to get the man to eat properly or bathe properly. Sex in any form was pretty much out of the question. I took care of him and his needs and ignored my own."

"That is what we do when we love someone," Sebastian soothed. "We put their needs and desires ahead of our own for short periods. However, there is usually more of a give and take to a true relationship."

"Anders tried but-" Liam shook his head. "I refuse to blame him. I went into the relationship with my eyes open. I knew there might come a time when I would lose him to the spirit inhabiting his body. I chose to live with that risk rather than spend my life alone. And there were many good days and nights spent in loving arms."

"I should have been there for you," Sebastian said sadly. "I let my fear push you away. But, once I'd accepted the fact that I loved you I should have pursued you, despite your relationship."

"Hindsight is always perfect," Liam said ruefully. "I don't regret one day spent with Anders. Just like I never regretted that one night spent with you."

They sat in silence for a while before Liam finally stood up. "I should finish what I came here to do," he held up the bar of soap. "Care to join me?"

"If you think we'll actually manage to clean each other this time," the prince snickered.

"You have to admit, that was a fun way to get dirty," Liam grinned wickedly at him and then laughed when the prince blushed. "Come on pretty boy," he said and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him into the water.

Sharing the soap, they made quick work of cleaning themselves. As they stood on the bank drying themselves off, Sebastian got another good look at Liam. "Uhm, if this is too personal a question, you don't have to answer, but, was Anders ever on the receiving end of that monster of yours?"

Liam hesitated before answering. Soft, he was bigger than many men when they were fully hard. It was no failing of Anders that he couldn't take him. Sebastian already had a low opinion of the mage. "He did a couple of times, but had to use magic to ease the way and then heal himself afterwards."

Sebastian shook his head, "I'm not sure I'd have been that brave." He saw Liam's start of surprise and smiled slightly. "I'm no slouch in this department, but you are quite a bit larger than me. It would take a great deal of preparation for any man, or woman for that matter, to take you inside them."

Liam shrugged, "I've gotten used to that reaction." Seeing the prince's puzzled look he explained. "In my entire life, only two people have ever managed to take me. The first was a whore in a brothel in Denerim that my father took me to when I came of age. She was practiced in the art and took me, though not easily. After being with her, I realized that I didn't really enjoy it and was more turned on by the male prostitutes. Anders was the only other one with whom I've experienced that pleasure."

Sebastian could see that Liam was uncomfortable with the subject. He decided to try and put the man at ease. Sitting on the bank, he motioned for the other man to join him. When Liam sat beside him, he wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close. "You may be bigger than average, but it isn't as big a deal as I as making it seem. Yes, without careful preparation, it would be painful to take you. However, just like most things in life, it will get easier with practice."

"What are you saying exactly?" Liam's voice was soft and hesitant.

"That I plan to be a part of your life until death claims me," Sebastian said firmly. "I also prefer that we be equals in this relationship. Being on the top or the bottom is equally pleasurable for me. I'm not scared of your size because I know that with proper preparation it is possible. With regular practice, it will become easier."

"You sound very confident of that," the warrior smiled at him.

"Well, I did spend a great deal of time in whorehouses before being shut up in the Chantry," the prince reminded him. "I've probably seen more than you have ever dreamed of."

"I forgot you were once a very bad boy," Liam chuckled. "You're the kind of man my mother warned me about."

"Ha, ha, very funny," Sebastian snorted, but inside he was practically crowing. Things were going better than he expected. He hoped it would only get better from here.

"You know the others are probably wondering what happened to us," Liam cleared his throat and started to stand up. He had hardly moved before he was pulled back down again.

"They most likely assume, and rightly so, that we are getting to know each other more intimately," Sebastian told him. "I can almost feel you turning red," he chuckled.

"I am not," Liam protested despite the heat in his face. "I guess it wouldn't take too much work on their part to figure it out."

"No it wouldn't," the prince agreed. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to find Merrill has placed both our sleeping rolls into one tent when we get back."

Liam moved away a little so he could see Sebastian's face. "Is that something you want?"

"When you're ready," he shrugged.

Liam sat thoughtfully for a while. "I think that I would like to have someone hold me at night," he finally whispered. "I think I missed that the most these past couple of years."

"I would be happy to hold you every night, if that's what you want."

"You're being awfully accommodating," Liam pointed out.

Sebastian sighed, "Look Liam, I just want to make you happy. I messed up all those years ago. We are rarely given a second chance in life. I've been given a second chance with you and I want to be there for you. I want to give you everything you might want or need."

Liam smiled and then leaned forward and kissed him. "It's nice to hear that directed at me for a change. I just wanted to be sure that you truly want this. That it's not being done out of pity or something."

"I'm definitely not motivated by pity," Sebastian shook his head. "No, my motivation is farther south than my heart. Little Sebastian has his own needs and wants."

Liam busted out laughing at that. In fact, he laughed so hard that he felt tears well up as he fell onto his side. "You're too much sometimes your highness, you know that?" he finally managed to sputter. He continued to chuckle for a while longer. Finally, when he'd been reduced to hiccups, he sat up again. "I can't remember the last time I laughed like that."

Sebastian couldn't hide the big grin on his face. It was good to see Liam laughing again. "I do my best to please," he chuckled.

"Okay, let's get back to camp before they send out a hunting party," Liam got to his feet, holding his hand out to the prince.

Sebastian took it and allowed the warrior to pull him to his feet, but he kept hold of the hand afterwards. He used it to pull Liam to him so he could wrap him in his arms. He gently kissed him before turning and leading him back.