AN: Came to the conclusion, portray Oghren as drunk and perverted and I shall hit it head on. Works for me! This story has been a far bigger success than I planned and I accredit that to all of the wonderful reviews and people that have inspired me. That being said…

DISCLAIMER: You know the deal.


Chapter 13

The group had spent the day at the mountain peak, making sure that Flemeth was indeed dead. Alistair had purged magic on the area, causing Flemeth to revert to her human form—where she was swiftly decapitated and the body dumped into the nearby river. At the moment, camp was set and all of the old adventurers were reminiscing on travels past. Selene listened intently to the conversations, her mother not having ever said much about the ordeal. For some reason, however, they always skirted on how her father actually survived the ordeal with the Archdemon. From what she had read the Grey Warden was always killed in the process.

Aiden lay down, his head in Morrigan's lap as she ran her nails through his hair. His tattered armor had been replaced with mere clothes, the group deciding that they would stop by Lothering to purchase new armor on their way to Denerim. Aiden was to reside outside the city with Selene as the rest of the group went to try and reason with the queen. Morrigan refused to see the point in this, but with a few words from Zevran she conceited that it would be the route of least resistance—and it was agreed at this point that Zevran was to do the talking.

Alistair let out a loud laugh as Zevran spoke with him about Wynne and his sock. "What else could I do? I couldn't deny it was mine anymore.."

"How did it get there to begin with, is what I always wondered," Aiden asked, turning his head and causing Morrigan to avert her gaze to the Templar as well.

"Well…I placed it there…hoping she'd wash it," Alistair said as he removed one of his boots. "Didn't turn out as I had planned, of course, but you can't blame a guy for trying."

"But…you placed it on her pillow? That defeats the purpose, Alistair. If you were as smart as you claim your Templar training made you, why did you just not put it in her laundry? At that point she would have found it when she was doing wash, and thus had no choice but to either wash it, or throw it away—and I sincerely hope it would have been the latter."

Alistair stared at Morrigan for a moment before he looked to Aiden. "And why did we ever come to find her?"

Aiden let out a laugh and Morrigan merely raked her nails into his scalp, silencing him as she spat back at Alistair. "Find me? I don't believe I was ever lost. You're free to go at any point, Templar—unless you still prefer to just follow."

"Ouch. Tell me, Morrigan, is this the part where you turn into a dragon and we slay you too? No? Drat."

Selene merely giggled, earning a glare from her mother before Alistair followed up. "So what have you been doing all this time? Obviously not studying as you should have, or slaying Flemeth would have been child's play. Oh! Perhaps you found the answer to my question! Who was Andraste's husband!"

Morrigan rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes, because that little game of yours is so amusing. And I did not need your help with Flemeth, dear Templar. Sorry to hurt your man feelings—all one of them—but if I had wanted her dead I would have simply asked my child to do the task, because it is child's play—which is likely why you did so good at it."

Zevran let out a chuckle as he leaned back on his palms. "It's good to see you at each other's throats again. Makes me warm and fuzzy inside. Perhaps you could skip to the part where you beat one another….what? No?"

Morrigan merely sighed and looked down to Aiden. "Come. We have things to discuss." With that she stood, merely causing Aiden to roll off, onto his face before he sighed into the dirt and stood, heading to the corner of the camp, where Morrigan set up her customary tent.

"Going to suck the life out of him now, I see," Alistair called and Morrigan merely wheeled about on her heel.

"We have been over this, dear Alistair. If I have the need to suck on anything of yours, you shall be the first to know; however, I do believe he is mine now. So if I do suck on anything, it is no business of yours."

The camp grew quiet, Selene looking between the men, who's mouths were agape before she simply sighed. She was utterly lost. Zevran let out a low whistle, blinking and turning his gaze to the fire.

"…um..yeah," Alistair replied, removing his other boot. "So, Selene…apostate, hm? Don't seem as evil as your mother.."

"Should have left the elf dead" Oghren said as he took a long sip of his mug, "coulda sucked me dry of life anyday.."

Morrigan reached the small gathering of sticks and lit them aflame with a flick of her wrist as she turned. Aiden approached and she motioned to the earth. "Sit." Aiden complied and Morrigan sat as well. "After Denerim, I shall leave again—and this time do not follow me, Aiden."

Aiden looked to her before he looked back to the fire, his jaw moving as if he had a foul taste in his mouth.

"Do not give me that look. You know that I….that we can never be. I am not what you desire, and I shall never be molded into some house wife."

"I don't want that, Morrigan. What in the Maker's name ever made you think that? If I did, I just would have went back to the Alienage and to Nesiara—the woman I was supposed to marry before I became a Grey Warden. I came after you because…because I don't want that type of life at all!"

Morrigan looked at him and shook her head, her eyes narrowing. "You are not listening. Do not make this any more difficult than it has to be."

"Any more difficult? The only person being difficult here is you! I'm telling you that I don't mind living in the middle of nowhere and dealing with Templar. I don't mind the way you act—hell, I love it! It's not fair to Selene to grow up without some sort of father figure; didn't you see the way she looked at me?"

"I grew up without this so called 'father figure' and I turned out fine, Aiden. You are clouding the issue with your own desires." Morrigan shook her head. "What would you propose then, if you were in my shoes?"

"You told me, when we talked about the ritual, that you would raise the child to respect from which it came. Why can't I help? Why can't I just…live with you. All I want, truly, is to just be near you, Morrigan. To be able to look at you when I please, to speak with you. As mushy and…sad as that sounds, coming from a guy who's killed people without remorse…I just want to be happy."

Morrigan looked at him, raising her head somewhat to regard him with a critical eye before she sighed. "Very…well. After Denerim…you can leave with me. And what about the Order? What happens when the Taint begins to overtake you, hm? What will you say to your daughter then? 'Sorry, but I have to go that which I have sworn to protect others from'?"

"The order…I shall cease to be a Grey Warden. I will hand over all rights and titles to Alistair. As far as…the taint goes…I shall leave for Orzammar at that point. It's either that, or you slay me, and as callous as you act I do not believe you have it in you to kill me."

Morrigan looked at him in silence before nodding. "Very well. Selene has studied Grey Wardens, so she is already aware of what will become of you; do not try to sugar coat anything for the child. She is stronger than she looks, both physically and mentally. When you decide it is time, tell her to her face. Do not just leave because you feel that it is time for you to depart."

Aiden nodded in understand before he sighed. "Alright…I suppose that settles it then. You are to be my house wife and do as I say." He flashed a grin, causing the woman to roll her eyes. "What was it you said? You bake the bread while I paint the shed. I suppose that will do well. Now, woman, get to cooking."

Morrigan let out a small laugh before she leaned in, her lips nearly touching his. "The only thing I know how to cook are wayward elven children who do not watch their tongues."

Aiden let out a small, nervous laugh before he pushed himself up. "Right..well then…I shall go and…sharpen my daggers..I think." He turned to leave and Morrigan grabbed his hand, forcing him back down to a sitting position.

"Oh no, dear Warden. You seem to have forgotten. You are going to be staying with me, remember? As such, you are indebted to me and do as I say. You are not free to go until I say so," Morrigan said, an all too familiar grin forming on her lips, her hand reaching to lightly stroke the tips of his elven ears.

Aiden let out a prolonged sigh and pulled his head to the side, reluctantly. "Well…when you put it that way…"

As you could likely tell, this chapter was meant to place a firmer foundation down for Aiden and Morrigan's relationship. I aim to take this to 20 chapters (22 if you include the prologue and epilogue) so there is more to come.