This will be the last chapter update for a little while I'm guessing! Off to hospital tomorrow to be induced so there'll be at least a week before I can get to the computer again in any frame of mind to write or type up my handwritten notes. There WILL be updates after that, I promise! I'm going to aim for one update a week - so each story should get a new chapter every two weeks. I'm sure sometimes there will be more than that but I won't promise anything because I don't want to disappoint. One a week is definitely doable though! Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews and continues to love Neria and Anders as much as I do.
"Neria, we can't take her with us!" Anders was saying as they packed. "She won't travel well."
"I don't want to leave her here," Neria replied. "She'll get lonely. And Helena might forget to feed her..."
"Helena wouldn't dare. If we didn't feed her she would have escaped by now and populated the entire keep with her offspring. Not to mention what on earth would we find to feed her when we're on the ship?"
Neria muttered something under her breath. Anders was fondly exasperated. When they'd brought the Queen spider back and seen the reactions of the other wardens he never would have dreamed Neria would form such a bond with the animal. More surprising was the reaction of the spider to her. When he and Nathaniel had finally managed to net the creature, it's spitting, snarling aggression had made him privately doubt that they'd EVER get it to stay still enough for Neria to study it. But once caged, the spider had calmed somewhat, and Neria had managed, with a few gentle spells and what appeared to be a natural talent with animals, to get the spider to be calm.
She'd ended up spending every waking moment of the next week with the spider to the extend that Anders was beginning to get jealous. Helena too, seemed to have a strong affection for the animal. Neria had even named it.
"She'll be here when we get back, Neria," Anders said, patting her shoulder. Neria grumbled a bit but nodded. "Any way, I thought you'd mastered the form?" She looked up at him with what looked like fear in her eyes. Anders thought he understood.
"What are we going to do with her... once Helena and I have..."
"There are many more mages who need to study shapeshifting," he said.
"It feels wrong, though," Neria said. "Keeping her locked up like that..."
"The fact that I've spent the last year or two routinely slaughtering her offspring doesn't bother you though?" Anders said, eyebrow raised. "We keep her for study. Or maybe there's a way to neuter her so we can let her go." Neria winced. "We can't let her go back down there and repopulate the deep roads, Neria. Those spiders were a serious hindrance to our expeditions. And besides, she'd only end up tainted with nothing but darkspawn to eat. Corrupted giant spiders are not fun."
She sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "You're not keen to learn shapeshifting then?" she asked him.
He shrugged. "Maybe a bird at some stage," he said. "I'll concentrate on the warrior bit for now though. I've still got to work on our apostates' healing skills - they're truly terrible. Teach first, learn later, that's what I'm up to at present."
"Oh, I thought it was 'change the entire structure of the mage's circle' first."
He grinned at her. He was fingering one of his scarves - the one he'd knitted on the trip to Tevinter. "Do you think it's going to be cold in Orlais?" he said.
She snatched the scarf from him. "No," she said. "It'll be the middle of summer, silly. Twice as hot as here. You don't need to pack your entire wardrobe."
"What about formal wear?" he said. "We'll be allowed out if we want! We can go to balls..."
She looked slightly panicked. "We'll be allowed out?" she said. "But I don't speak Orlesian..."
"I do," he said. She looked at him and he shrugged. "I never knew how far I was going to get when I escaped, and there were a few Orlesians still at the Tower when I was studying who were willing to teach me."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Exotic," she said.
"You never told me you liked foreign languages..."
She blushed a little. "I took Enchanter Rodrigo's class for six years. Have you ever seen me use a spirit spell?"
Anders laughed. "He was Antivan though."
She nodded. "Yes. It was the accent more than anything..."
He sidled next to her and slid his arms around her waist. "You know, I speak Antivan as well..." he whispered in her ear. A shiver ran through her as his breath brushed the tip and he tightened his arms a little.
"This," she said, a little breathlessly, "will not get us packed..."
"Si potrebbe arrivare da qualche parte piu emozionante..." he breathed. She let out a small moan, but firmly moved his hands away from her waist.
"I'm pretty sure your grammar is terrible Anders," she said. "And we still need to pack."
He gently sucked her earlobe before stepping back and moving to his pile of belongings. "True," he said. "I'll just have to stock up on a few phrases to use once we're on the ship."
She grinned at him.
Sigrun loaded him down with missives for the Orlesian Wardens and instructions to keep an eye out for any apostates who might want to defect to Ferelden, given the Orlesian Wardens had difficulty keeping apostates out of the way of the Chantry. Nathaniel gave him a list of taverns that were "good fun" which made Anders raise his eyebrows in shock - Nathaniel - who had barely cracked a smile in the years he'd known him - the last person in the universe he thought would be giving him advice on where to drink.
Oghren told him he was a lucky bastard - but he told him that several times a week in any case, and Anders wasn't too sure he was certain who he was talking to when he did. Felsi and little Miranda were the only ones who could keep the dwarf sober.
As they were about to walk to Amaranthine (Anders could ride, but Neria was violently incompetent on horseback) Sigrun came down and hailed him.
"Just a heads up," she said. "It looks like the King and Queen will be visiting Orlais as well. Diplomatic mission to meet the new princess."
Anders rolled his eyes. "Oh. Brilliant."
"I suspect they also want to keep an eye on what's going on with the Council," Sigrun continued. "You might want to consult with them as well about what reforms you want to try and introduce. I know the Queen is behind mage reform... and the King.."
"He tried," Anders said. "He really did. But it's hard to keep track of what they do in there with the doors closed. I think Arl Eammon is the only one who still gets to visit his son."
Neria took his hand in hers. "Any idea when they'll be arriving?"
"A day or so after you. Miranda's not going to be traveling with the advantage of haste, but she will have royal carriages and horse changes."
"Well at least we'll have friends there," Neria said. Anders snorted. Neria nudged him in the ribs. "Come on, Anders. You saved the queen's life often enough. And the king's for that matter. He likes you. Or he would if you gave him a chance!"
"Not planning on giving him a chance," Anders said, grinning back at her. "But it will be nice to have someone around we know. This is going to be a big trip for both of us."
"My little wardens, all grown up," Sigrun said, mock wiping her eyes.
"Who are you calling little?" Anders quipped back. She cocked an eyebrow.
"I suspect Zevran's going to want to give you something before you leave, Anders," she said, looking behind her. The Antivan was making his way towards them holding something in his arms wrapped in a cloth. "I suggest you accept it gracefully and possibly gush a little. It's shiny!"
"For me? Why would Zevran be giving me anything?"
"Because, stupid, he's impressed with you. And your progress. And you don't have one yet, and when have you ever complained about being given gifts?"
Anders felt a little shamed at that. Miranda had showered him with presents during her time as Commander - truth be known she'd been big on giving everyone presents actually, but Anders had always been impressed at the quality of those she'd given to him. Since she'd left the wardens had established a kind of tradition of gift giving at Satanalia and on birthdays that was somewhat... extravagant. Sigrun had instigated it, reasoning that their lives were brutal and short and fine things were easy enough to come by and, more importantly, fun. As a consequence Anders had a very fine collection of earrings and Neria had several extravagant gowns. Wardens made a point of finding out what other wardens liked.
Anders wasn't sure if any gift of Zevran's that wasn't somehow to do with sex could possibly be something that he would like.
"My mage friends," the elf said when he reached them. "I have something for you. Well, something for you Anders."
"I'm intrigued," Anders replied. "Although if it's anything like what you were talking to Oghren about last week..."
Zevran laughed his silvery laugh and shook his head. "No, my dear mage. No. This is something our queen gave to me during the Blight. I no longer have a use for it." He unwrapped the cloth to reveal an ornate sheath which housed a longsword. "I had our enchanter use some of the spells Timothy has been teaching you to add to its enchantment," Zevran continued. "It will not be handled by any other hands but yours now, and you will be able to focus your spells through it, I am told. It is called The Keening Blade."
Anders reached out a tentative hand and touched the hilt of the longsword. Of all the gifts he'd been given in his time, this one probably was the least expected, and one of the most thoughtful.
"Zevran, you didn't have to..."
"Nonsense. You will need it to protect your dear lady on the road," he winked, "or to protect others from her, once she takes her fearsome spider form."
He lifted his head and looked into the elf's warm eyes. "Thank you," he said. Sigrun slid her arm around Zevran's waist and the two of them gave him almost identical grins - slightly salacious. Really, he shouldn't have been surprised when the two of them hooked up.
"Go then," Sigrun said. "Captain Isabela keeps a tight ship. She will leave without you."
Anders gave into the impulse and hugged his dwarven Commander, a little awkwardly as the hug had to include a bit of Zevran as well.
"Oh, Anders," Zevran said. "You should have done that earlier..."
"We'll be back before you've gotten used to life without us," Anders said, breaking away and smiling. Neria tugged at his hand and they turned from the keep towards Amaranthine.