This if the first part of a duel update.
"This can't be right," Inan muttered to himself. He had stopped the wagon just off the road. He moved the map around and his frown only depended. He sighed and lowered the map which had gotten damp from a fine rain falling around him. "Hey, Butter!" Inan called into the wagon. "Can you see where we are in relation to the Fade?"
Butter's only response was purr of amusement.
"What's going on?" Nimwen asked. Judging by the grogginess in her voice, she'd just woken up.
"Nothing, nothing, go back to sleep," Inan chuckled.
"Inan's gotten us lost," Butter purred.
Heat raced through Inan's ears. "I'm just a little turned around. Not lost. Big difference, Butter."
"Just how turned around, exactly?" She sounded fully awake now, and suspicious.
Inan coughed. "About a few weeks' worth of travel turned around," he confessed. "My apologies, Lady Nimwen. This isn't the world I am most familiar with. I only knew it until now through dreams of others."
"I-" Inan heard her sigh. "What's done is done, let's just try and get back on the proper path." She sounded tired, but not from being awoken. She was weary, drained, one could hear it in her voice.
"Try to get more rest," Inan told her. "I will get us back on track." He reached for the reins, but paused at a soft sound behind the wagon. "Butter?" Inan asked in a low voice.
"I will check it out," the spirit replied.
"What's she checking out?"
The window flaps fluttered behind Inan and Nimwen's face emerged.
"There was a sound behind us. Nothing to worry about." Inan gave her a smile. Another sound came to him moments before Butter leapt up onto the seat. "What is it?"
"The Harbingers," Butter hissed.
"They found us?" Nimwen's eyes widened. "How?"
"Get back into the wagon," Inan instructed Nimwen. "Butter, go with her. Get a barrier up around the wagon." Inan didn't wait to see if Butter obayed. He leapt from the driver's seat and raced around the wagon.
The air heated. Fire raced from the little cover lining the road. Steam rose where the flame hit the water.
A golden barrier exploded into life around Inan. The flames flew out around the barrier and wagon.
Battle cries sounded. Armor flashed in the light of fire as five cultist raced up from the trench to surround the wagon.
"Away from there!" Inan whirled. Raw magic shot from him and blasted between cultist and the wagon. The energy was green with a golden tent coming from its center.
Fire raced towards Inan from behind.
Inan was forced to turn his attention from the cultists.
"Eyes forward!"
Flames raced towards Inan once more. Their color blue.
Inan forced all of his mana into the barrier. He had to keep the flames away from Nimwen, but he was pinned here.
"No." He gritted his teeth. The chains scorched the ground as he turned, one hand kept the barrier alive. With his free hand, he shot more magic towards the cultists.
The windows to the wagon flew open, and bolts of ice shot out. One cultist crumpled like a ragdoll, ice protruding from his head. Another was struck in the leg. Inan saw Nimwen duck down just in time to evade an arrow.
A scream of rage sounded behind Inan. The flames intensified. Heat bared down on Inan as the ground was scorched. Inan thrust his power back into into the barrier.
"Not again!" Nan's shriek came over the sound of flames which roared in Inan's ears.
The fire vanished. A pressure filled the air. A small, compact ball, no bigger than a pebble flew towards Inan's barrier. It was visible by the rocks it drew towards it.
"Really," Inan muttered. Plasma.
He poured the last of his mana into the barrier. The ground popped and shook under Inan. The barrier was torn to shreds. Inan flew back. Pain lanced through his back as he struck the wagon with enough force it made the horse leap forward with a shocked whinny.
Inan coughed. Blood trickled from his mouth. Pain lanced through him a shock wave. It moved into his chest before going to dull throb. He stood.
"Stand back."
Shimmering blue appeared as a new barrier formed in front of the wagon.
"Inan, ma isala halani?" Nimwen asked, peering down at him from the window.
"No." He could feel the magic around the chains had weakened from Nan's last attack. One more attack from his son would destroy the part of the damper placed on Inan which hadn't been crafted by him or his love.
Inan moved out from behind Nimwen's barrier. "Nan!"
Elgar'nan moved forward. "The next blow will be the last for you." He flames erupted around Elgar'nan.
Inan made certain his back wasn't to the wagon.
Fire raced towards him. Inan leapt into the air, flipping so his feet were pointed towards the flames.
Agony shot through his legs as he was blasted back once more. He stopped the flames just below his knees, condensing them.
Inan skidded across the ground. He gasped as his legs healed. He felt a sudden influx of mana. The dusk air was lit by a soft, golden light.
"No, now this ends." Inan stood. The anklets released at his slightest thought. Power surged through him. A heartbeat later he was before the wagon. Light came from him as bright as the sun.
The closest cultist gasped as Inan started to steal the life from his body.
"Forgive me, child," he whispered. "But you will not take her."
The remaining cultists started to gasp as well. They collapsed to the ground. Tears burned Inan's eyes. They were dead.
He turned his gaze towards Nan.
His son had vanished.
Inan collapsed to his knees, weeping. Where his tears hit the ground, fresh growth appeared. He'd just killed - Inan shook. He'd killed!
*~ X ~*
Nimwen gasped, slumping to the floor of the wagon. It'd taken all her effort to keep the barrier up. The duration of that barrier had been nothing, not too long ago she'd been able to cast ones for twice as long with nary a thought. She was starting to realize just how much a strain her pregnancy was putting on her magic. She wiped the sweat from her brow, trying to still her breathing. It was silent outside.
"I-Inan?" Nimwen called out, breath still ragged.
Butter's fur was fluffed beside Nimwen. "No," the spirit whispered, blue eyes round.
A golden light came from outside as bright as the sun in the rain filled evening.
Nimwen grabbed the wall and pulled herself to her feet. "Inan?" She called again, worry seeping into her voice. She staggered to the back of the wagon, slowly regaining strength in her legs, and pushed the door open.
The golden light came from a figure who sat not too far from the wagon. It was Inan, or as he had appeared in the Fade. In his lap he held one of the cultists. "My sorrow is eternal for you child. It is unforgivable what I did." He moved his hand so it rested just over the cultist's face.
The Veil weakened as the body dissolved away in a soft, golden flame.
"May you find rest," Inan whispered.
Nimwen looked around. The bodies of all the cultists laid on the ground. Her gaze turned back to the older man. "Inan?" She slowly walked towards him, still finding herself drained.
As Nimwen drew closer to him, she felt an inflex to her mana. The weariness of her body melted away as did the aches of the third trimester of her pregnancy.
"Don't come closer," Inan stated. "Return to the wagon, Lady Nimwen. I must see them off," he whispered.
"What happened?" Nimwen asked.
A light, golden looking teardrop fell to the ground before Inan. Where it struck a small sprout rose up. "I killed them," the words were softer than a whisper. "Please, go back to the wagon until my power is contained again. I don't want to harm you."
Harm her? Whatever he was doing, it seemed to be doing the exact opposite. But Nimwen was no fool. It was clear he had more power than she'd realized. But where did it come from? Nimwen blinked. "Your shackles, they're gone," she realized.
Inan bowed his head. A barrier appeared around Nimwen. It's light, soft with a gentle warmth coming from it. Inan looked towards one of the corpses. The next instance he was gone from where he had been sitting.
"Forgive me child." His voice sounded from where the body lay he had looked towards. "May you find rest."
Nimwen peered through the barrier at Inan. Her worry was starting to grow. "Inan," she said, gently. "Talk to me."
The same light rose from the corpse.
Inan was at the next in a blink of an eye. He repeated the words, hoping for their rest. When the last of the cultists' corpses were gone. Inan moved his legs so they were before him. He lifted his hand.
The shackles snapped back around his leg. A sear could be seen on the sides where the chains had been.
The second one snapped closed, the barrier lifted from around Nimwen. Inan screamed as the light drained from his body, racing down him towards the shackles. He collapsed on the ground, writhing. Soon, only a faint light remained around him. He lay there, shaking and taking in deep breaths.
"Inan!" Nimwen ran as fast as she could. "Are you all right?" She asked, kneeling beside him.
Some of the power lingered. Enough to make it feel as if the good parts of the Fade were leaking into the physical word. He took several deep breaths. "It always hurts to restrain my," he took another deep breath, "my natural form." He stood. "Please, return to the wagon, Lady Nimwen." His back was to her. "We should be off before more try again," his voice was almost unnatural in how even it was.
"But you-" Nimwen paused. She took a deep breath and sighed. "All right. All right." There was no point in arguing. There was no point in asking questions. The attackers were dead, and they needed to get back to travelling. Nimwen pushed herself to her feet. "Let's go," she said quietly. Survival was all that mattered now.
Butter seemed to have relaxed when Nimwen returned to the wagon. The spirit sat on the small padding set beside the bed. Her paws tucked under her and a soft purr came from her throat at the sight of Nimwen.
"Welcome back." Butter blinked at Nimwen. "I take it we're ready to get underway once more?"
Nimwen only nodded, taking a seat on the bed.
The sound of Inan calling the horse to go, came from outside the wagon. A soft jolt followed. The wagon moved at a gentle pace.
Butter stretched. "I'm glad. The sooner you're back with your mate and people, the safer you'll be." She moved in a small circle before coming to rest. She was now facing Nimwen, her head resting on her paws.
"Yes, you're right." Finding Solas and returning to the clan, that was her top priority. So, why couldn't she even muster a hint of determination in her voice?
A paw touched her. Butter jumped up to Nimwen's shoulders. The spirit draped herself across Nimwen's shoulders. The roughness of Butter's tongue touched Nimwen's ear.
"It will be fine. You're just in shock." Butter continued to lick Nimwen's ear in almost soothing strokes.
"Is that it?" Nimwen wasn't really sure. "I'm just so tired, Butter," Nimwen confessed. "I'm so tired, and I'm tired of being tired."
Butter nuzzled her face against Nimwen's. Her nose was wet then came the soft tickle of her whiskers. "Don't give up."
"I'm trying." Nimwen expected herself to start crying. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or saddened when she didn't shed tears. "But it just keeps going on and on. I see no end to the madness in sight. I don't know if I can…" Nimwen bowed her head, toying with her sleeve.
"You are one of the strongest people I've ever met. Your faith was strong in your creators as a child and you didn't break after that faith was shattered. You also weren't drawn to Inan in his natural form. Most keep going until they touch him in awe or collapse to their knees in tears. You didn't do either. You were worried about him, not overtaken by the sight. You are strong."
A small smile graced her lips. "That's kind of you to say. It's what everyone seems to say." Nimwen tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling. "Is it wrong of me to wish sometimes that I wasn't as strong as people seem to think?"
Butter purred. "Be as strong as you are. People will have faith in what they see. But you are you and are the only you there ever will be." Butter gave a soft purring laugh. "Well, that sounded better in my head. What I mean, is it's all right to drop your barriers from time to time. You don't have to be strong. Not to me and not to Inan. You don't need the facade of the Inquisitor before us." Butter licked Nimwen's cheek. "It's all right to cry."
"All I seem to do lately is cry," Nimwen said bitterly. "There's little else I can do. Look at me. I was worn out after a few ice shards and a weak barrier. I'm just as weak as when I had those blasted manacles on."
Butter purred at this. "Forgive me, Nimwen, but considering you're carrying twins, your body is focused on placing the energy into their growth. Most mages at twenty-seven weeks, with even a single child, couldn't have done as much as you did today. Even if they were placed into the same situation." Butter nuzzled Nimwen again.
"I just, I don't like being helpless," Nimwen explained. "And I hate sitting back while others risk their lives for me. Back with the Inquisition when our forces stormed Adamant and the Arbor Wilds, the thought of all those people fighting and dying for me, I didn't want to think of them as just pawns. I was right there, fighting on the front lines with them. Now, it's like I'm some pompous general in his fancy tent while others fight for me."
"That's nonsense talk." Butter butted her head against Nimwen's. It was a soft tap. "You were right there fighting with Inan. You threw punches and tried to protect him while he was down. You're heart is kind and in the right place."
Nimwen chuckled, petting Butter's head. "Perhaps I am talking nonsense." She sighed. "When did I get so grim and fatalistic? Solas would be proud."
"You've taken up some of your mate's viewpoints. Shame on you." Butter's whiskers twitched as she teased Nimwen.
Nimwen laughed. "Marriage is about sharing, isn't it?" The smile slowly fell from her face. Marriage. They were planning on being bonded before all this, weren't they? It felt like a lifetime ago. Everything had felt like it was falling into place. Mahvir and Milly were bonded, Lori was getting to know her people, Solas and Mahvir seemed to finally be getting along, and Nimwen's biggest worry was whether or not she'd finish making her eth'enansal in time. "Did I ever finish it?" Nimwen wondered. "I can't even remember."
"It's almost done," Butter meowed. "It will be done shortly after you return and you will have a lovely bonding. See your daughter's smile again. Have Solas hold you. Keep those thoughts at the forefront of your mind. What it is you're traveling towards and why. That your little ones will see their father the day they're born."
Nimwen looked down at her stomach, her hand resting there. "That's all I want." She felt a kick beneath her palm and smiled. "I'll get you home, da'lenen. I promise."
"Be certain to keep that promise in mind whenever you feel down again. Family can be the strongest source of faith in the world."
"I remember my mother used to say that family was the heart of the people," Nimwen said. "I understand now what she meant."
Butter purred. "Yes, it is. Makes me wonder what Dirthamen is to the People." Her whiskers twitched in amusement.
"Mahvir is loved by the People, no matter what name he goes by." Nimwen petted Butter. "He's done so much for us, there's no way we'd ever be able to repay him."
"Oh, yes, I see, but I spoke of what he did when he was younger and tales which tell of it in the way. The People say, and it is truth, it was Dirthamen who taught the People the value, faith, and loyalty in family." Butter purred and rubbed against Nimwen's hand. "Curious considering how hard of a time he has had with his own. But his faith in the People is strong and his belief that family can bond the People like no other force is what has shaped him and this world. Especially considering he views all the People as his family. All he did for you and your daughter, he would have done regardless of relation to you. He would have played with Lori and treated her like a sister, no matter what."
Butter purred. "But I am glad he has faith in you as a person and a mother figure."
"As am I," Nimwen agreed. "Some may find it strange, since he is so much older than I am, but I truly do see him as my son."
"Well, shame on you," Butter teased. "Kidding. Your family is forever going to be strange because of how old they all are. I mean your little ones will be the same age as your grandkids."
"Don't remind me," Nimwen sighed. "Three children out of wedlock, and a grandmother before thirty. What would my parents think of me now?" She smirked.
"Well, your son is Dirthamen," Butter stated. "Or the Toymaker as they really knew him as. I believe, after some initial shock, they would have approved of him becoming part of your family. Plus, I do believe your father was rather fond of wolves."
Nimwen burst into laughter. "He-he really did!" She said between laughs. "F-fate really does have a sense of humor."
"Or it's why you feel for a wolf," Butter pointed out. "Because your dad always talked about them," she teased.
"Want to know what's really funny?" Nimwen asked, wiping her eyes.
Butter nudged Nimwen with her muzzle.
"I'm actually a cat person!" Nimwen snickered.
"Oh, I knew I liked you." Butter licked Nimwen's cheek, purring deep in her chest.
"Funny how things work out like that," Nimwen said.
"Yes, it is." Butter slid from Nimwen's shoulders and stretched.
"Tiring of me already?"
"If you laid down, your stomach makes a warm place to nap on," Butter's eyes widened as she pleaded.
"Glad to know I've been reduced to a heated bed," Nimwen chuckled as she laid on the bed.
Butter purred. She curled up on Nimwen's side. "We have to make the most of it while it lasts, right? Some perks to being pregnant?" Butter teased.
"Yes. Back pain, stomach pain, swollen feet, and feeling my ribs being kicked at night, but at least I make a comfy bed," Nimwen chuckled.
Butter gave a contented purr. "And I get to feel the little ones shifting." Her purr deepened. "I always wished I could have little kittens, but as a spirit it's not really possible."
"Ir abelas," Nimwen said. "I can't imagine what that must feel like."
"I also wish Inan was a tom cat from time to time, he'd be such a pretty tom. Long, soft, golden fur. He'd be my tom, of course," Butter joked.
Nimwen chuckled. "Might I ask, why did you decide to be a cat? As a spirit I'm sure you could have taken on many forms."
"It was the form that fit."
"You sound like Cole," Nimwen replied. Her thoughts went to her old friend. She hadn't heard from him in a long time, and had no idea where he was. She wondered what he and Maryden were up to. 'I hope you're happy,' she thought.
"To fully answer your question. I took the form a cat because it brought hope to a little, lonely boy."
"Now you really sound like Cole." Nimwen turned her head to Butter. "Who was the boy? Was it Inan?"
"It was. I was born from his faith in the world itself and thus, I saw him alone and wished to resort his hopes and faith. I became a cat and promised I would never leave his side." Butter gave a soft purring breath. "Not that I want him to remember that moment. It would hurt him more to remember the loneliness and pain. It would never help him."
"He's lucky to have you," Nimwen said, stroking the cat's fur.
"Thank you. I hope he learns he can stay with his family this time. That he has a place he is needed and belongs."
"I don't know why, but that seems to be a lesson the men in this family have a hard time grasping."
Butter gave a soft mrrw of agreement. "It's men being hard headed."
"Let's hope this whole mess will set everyone straight," Nimwen said.
Butter yawned. "There is always hope." She tucked her nose under her tail. "We should get some sleep before dawn comes."
"You're right," Nimwen agreed. Fortunately, as her pregnancy progressed she found it easier to fall asleep, mainly because she was more tired as of late. Nimwen shifted on the bed and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Butter."
"May your dreams be guarded, Nimwen."
ma isala halani - are you in need of help?
Flame: Go, Butter! Err, go, Faith?