Chapter 14 - In Too Deep
It took them another three days to reach the point marked on their map, and when they got to the place, a grassy hillside spotted with boulders, no entry was in sight. They spent the better part of the afternoon searching. It was Sandal who finally noticed the narrow rocky cleft hidden behind one of the larger rocks.
Vega hardly managed to squeeze through the tight gap, but once they were inside, it opened into a somewhat large cave. A low-ceilinged tunnel at the far end took them down into a second cave. The rocky floor was covered in green, murky water, and Fiona eyed the surface with a fair amount of distrust, but they crossed it without suffering anything worse than damp feet. Behind the greenish puddle, a crack in the cave wall led to a dry spacious tunnel which they followed downwards for several hours.
Almost imperceptibly, the walls straightened and the floor became more level. Finally they reached an arched gateway bearing obvious signs of dwarven stonework - the entrance to the Deep Roads proper. Fiona shivered. The high, vaulted ceilings, the lava channels on both sides of the road, the columns and markers, took her right back to their ill-fated expedition, several years ago. This is different. All we need to do is pick up the lyrium. We'll be back before we know it. Yet her throat tightened at the thought of going deeper down.
Shepard shook his head in disbelief. This shouldn't be so hard. After all, if there were one thing he was used to, it was living without sunlight, dealing with different environments. Being down here was hardly worse than exploring a new planet in a spacesuit or spending weeks on board ships without any shore leave. And yet, it was a struggle. He could almost feel the weight of the mountain above them, and he caught himself wishing desperately for a proper electric torch. The magelight Fiona had conjured up was bright enough, but it left an irritating tingle on his skin whenever he got too close. And the primitive torches Fenris and Sandal preferred gave hardly any light at all.
But there was something else about these tunnels, some sort of presence, dark and forbidding. Anders had assured them he would have felt any approaching darkspawn, and so far he had shaken his head whenever Fiona threw him a questioning glance. Shepard was glad. He had heard the others' descriptions of those monsters and had no desire to meet them face to face. Husks were bad enough. But even so, something was off down here.
He wasn't the only one who felt it. Fiona even snapped at Sandal when they first made camp, though she immediately relented at the sight of his round, unhappy face.
"I'm sorry, Sandal. I'm just-"
Shepard put a calming hand on her arm and she relaxed a little. He just barely resisted the urge to pull her close and hide his face in her hair. If the two of them started to show any weakness, the others would soon follow. Fiona must have read the thought in his eyes, for she straightened up immediately and became her usual focussed self.
It wasn't until the cave was almost completely dark that she extended her hand to take his, holding it tightly until they fell asleep.
When they had all rested, they continued further down, though there was no way of telling if it was morning or night. The Deep Roads were still eerily empty of life, not even a single creature in sight. Several hours later, they reached a crossroads. After Fiona had briefly consulted with Sandal, they turned to the left and came to a winding staircase leading to a deeper level. It was warmer down here, the air dry and dusty.
The dwarf seemed to know instinctively where to go. Yet even he was momentarily lost when, after a few hundred paces, their way was blocked by rubble.
Fiona sighed. "It's no use. We'll have to check the walls for side tunnels."
They had to backtrack for a bit until they found a tunnel entrance, little more than a crack in the ancient stone walls. It led into a winding passage, too narrow for more than two people to walk side by side. When they rounded a corner, Fiona who had taken the lead, hissed in disgust as a long strand of something soft and dusty wafted down from above. At the same time, they heard a tiny, rustling noise.
"Spiders! Maker, but I hate spiders." Fiona shook herself.
Shepard was surprised. He hadn't expected Fiona to be so delicate. But just then, the first spider appeared round a bend in the tunnel and he quickly revised his opinion. The thing was huge! Huge and hairy and incredibly fast.
Fiona raised her staff in a defensive gesture and muttered something under her breath. He was relieved to see the creature stop in his tracks, but his relief turned into apprehension, when the rustling noise got louder and two more spiders appeared. No, make that three. Or four? A firm hand pushed him aside, and a gleaming blue shadow slid past him. Fenris. The elf took up position in front of them, quickly joined by Vega, while Isabela somehow vanished right before his eyes to turn up behind the beasts, daggers at the ready. Fiona and Anders were casting, icy sheets spreading from their hands. Remembering the trick she had shown him when they first met, he aimed a biotic blast at one of the frozen spiders, whooping with joy when it burst into small pieces.
When the last spider died, hacked almost in half by a blow from Fenris' greatsword, Shepard cursed under his breath and counted. Nine spiders, all in all, ugly beasts with long mandibles and tiny, obsidian eyes. Anders knelt down next to one of the carcasses and pulled a vial from his backpack.
He shook his head in disgust. "What are you doing?"
"Spider venom," Anders explained tersely. "It's a valuable ingredient for many common poisons, and we shouldn't let it go to waste."
There was a squelching noise, and Shepard felt his stomach lurch, grateful he couldn't see exactly what the mage was doing. Anders got up with a satisfied smirk and moved on to the next carcass.
Vega shook himself. "Holy hell, this is disgusting. And here I thought Rachni pods were bad."
"If you can't take it, maybe you shouldn't have come along," Fenris' voice rang out with a cutting edge.
What's that supposed to mean?" Vega's face grew red. "Do you want me to show you exactly how much I-"
"Enough, Lieutenant," Shepard barked. "We're a team, Vega! We're in this together, do you understand me?"
Vega snapped to attention, but his expression was still sulky. "Yes, sir."
The atmosphere was thick with unspoken emotion, like a biotic charge building up towards its violent release. Shepard sighed. Cool down, boys. This is hard enough without your posturing.
James had volunteered for guard duty, eager to show Shepard he was part of the team. But as he was standing in the dark, tepid tunnel, keeping an ear out for the tiny scrabbling noises in the darkness that would herald another spider attack, he quickly got bored. Back home he could have just set up some sort of perimeter alarm and gone to sleep, instead of standing here all alone.
He had almost dozed off for the second time when a sudden noise right in front of him made him jump. He reached for his cutlass, but then he heard a low, familiar chuckle.
"Boots! What are you doing here?" Relief mixed with irritation, and he grabbed her arms harder than he'd meant to.
"Too horny to sleep." Isabela's skin was warm and silky soft under his touch as she got up on her toes to kiss him. "I tried to do something about it, but it's just not the same without you."
His breathing quickened as her meaning sank in, and when she took hold of him through his pants, it only took a few practiced rubs and twists to coax him to full hardness. "Damn it, Boots, I need to be alert here. Shepard and Hawke will have my head if I-"
"Relax." She shrugged. "You weren't particularly alert right now. Come on. This won't take long."
Without further ado, she switched places with him so that she was leaning against the rough stone wall now, and firmly guided his hand between her legs. "Please, big boy. I need you."
James quickly pushed her panties aside and inhaled sharply. "Dios, woman, you're soaked already."
"Told you it wouldn't take long." Her voice was rough and hoarse with need as she unlaced his pants, giving him another two long, confident strokes.
Isabela lifted one leg up to his hips, bracing herself against him and opening herself up, and he pushed inside her without further ado. She bit his shoulder to suppress her moan and arched up to meet his thrust. It was a rough and frenzied coupling, without any tenderness or refinement, no romance or subtlety. Just what he needed right now, just what she needed too, judging from the way she clung to his shoulders, her nails digging deeply into his skin.
It really didn't take long. Soon enough she was shuddering convulsively in his arms, and he grabbed her even more tightly, pounding hard and fast inside her until he came with a muffled curse - and froze immediately as he felt the thin blade of a dagger against his throat.
"Is that how they keep watch in your world?" The deep voice dripped with sarcasm, and James nearly slumped with relief. Fenris. He was about to answer when he realized the dagger was still there.
A strong hand took hold of his left wrist and twisted his arm painfully behind his back. Shit! He is a lot stronger than he looks! James had seen Fenris swing that huge greatsword of his in battle more than once, but it was another thing to actually feel the power in those slim gauntleted hands. This hurt, and no matter how he tried, he couldn't shake off the elf's grasp, not without slicing his own throat in the process.
"Fenris." Isabela sounded almost amused. "You've made your point, don't you think?"
James breathed in carefully. "She's right, man. Calm down."
There was a long pause, and James closed his eyes, sending a silent prayer to whatever deity was listening. Then his arm was twisted sharply again and he found himself pressed to the wall next to Isabela. He hurriedly reached for the laces of his pants, glaring angrily at Fenris.
But the elf ignored him, his attention focussed completely on Isabela now. She had made no move to cover herself, just stood there, half-naked and exposed, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly.
"What now, Fen? Do you want to have a go at fucking me as well?" James gasped at her deliberate crudeness, and the elf swallowed hard.
"I don't-" He broke off. "Listen, Bela, you do what you please, but if he neglects his guard duties again-"
"I won't." James hardly recognized his own voice, rough and strangled. "Like she said, you've made your point."
"Good." Fenris stepped back with a sneer. "Maker, I shall be glad once you're all gone." He disappeared into the dark tunnel.
Isabela made her way back to their makeshift camp in silence, wondering what had got into Fenris. It wasn't like him to be jealous. Her eyes fell on Fiona, who had set up her bedroll right next to Shepard's and had cuddled up close to him in her sleep, her head on his arm, a blissful smile on her face. There you have your answer. She sighed. No wonder Fenris was tense. Even if his fling with Hawke had long been over, this had to be painful for him, a reminder of what could have been, if he hadn't messed it up.
The elf was curled up on his own bedroll, his back to her, pretending to be asleep, and for a moment Isabela contemplated going over to him, taking him in her arms and giving him peace the only way she knew how to. But then she shook her head and stretched out on the stony floor. That was his own battle. He needs to get over her, once and for all. And afterwards, she would make sure he knew she was there for him.
Steve found Ashley in the courtyard, petting Fiona's big, slobbering monster of a dog. She had been restless ever since the others had left, but her mood had improved a little since Avvar had attached himself to her heels, whining softly each night when she shoved him out of her room.
"How are you doing?" He sat down next to her on a sun-warmed stone bench.
"How do you think?" She didn't look at him, just scratched the dog's belly. "They've been gone for more than a week."
"Hawke said it would take a while," he reminded her.
"Hawke!" Ashley snorted. "You all seem to believe every word the woman says."
"And why shouldn't we?" Steve sighed. "She's given us no reason to distrust her."
Ashley shrugged. "You miss him?"
The abrupt change of topic almost threw him, but then he nodded. "I do. Though, to tell the truth..."
She raised a questioning eyebrow, but waited patiently.
"I don't know." Steve rubbed his neck. "Maybe... I really don't know where this is going. I think I'm in over my head here, to be honest."
"Aren't we all?" Ashley's face softened.
As if on cue, Sebastian's warm, rich voice sounded from the house's back entrance. "Any news from them yet?"
Big hugs and thanks to my wonderful beta, zevgirl.