Bec Note: First of all, I'M SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT! I've been super busy with classes, projects, observations, family, last weeks of college, then I got into Mass Effect 2 then Mass Effect 3 came out… It's been hectic. I hope this chapter isn't a letdown since you've waited so long. I know its short, and I tried to make it longer, but it didn't feel right. I like the way it ends.

Chapter 26: Waiting

Alistair grunted again and shifted his body under the covers. When he was settled, his sweat-covered brow furrowed and he shivered. Farah frowned. A low yelp drew her eyes from her love. Nolan stirred in his sleep, clawing at air. Sten leaned forward and calmed his trembling paws. The giant had refused to leave his canine friend's side just as Farah refused to leave Alistair's. Fergus and Zev were the lucky ones. The damage the spiders inflected on them wasn't as severe. Zev was up and at Leliana's side within no time, back to his charming self. Fergus was a bit slower with his recovery, but healed shortly after. He hovered over Nolan occasionally, and questioned Farah fiercely about what happened in the Deep Roads, but the younger Cousland didn't want to share.

They had been back for three days, last seeing Morrigan and Sten four days before that. Alistair and Nolan had been unconscious for seven days, and Farah hated it. She had shut herself and her friends away in the accommodations the Assembly gave them as soon as they returned from the Deeps Roads. She refused to speak with either candidate until her companions were well. They sent messages every day, complaining about the growing unrest through-out Orzammar, but Farah honestly didn't care. And with a threatening golem standing guard, the messages came less and less. The dwarves' ridiculous politics was the reason they even ended up going into the Deep Roads. It was their fault they were hurt and she was angry. But she wasn't the only one with problems. The Deep Roads left no one untroubled… Farah still remembered her fear, the look on Oghren's face, Shale's pleading… It was darkness, and Farah felt buried within it. She still felt wrong. No matter how many baths she took, she still felt dirty, and no matter how many times she tried to tell herself she did the best she could, she still felt she made a mistake.

Ruck's death haunted her, and the visions of the Broodmother were etched into her mind. She barely slept, ate little, and never moved from her place. Wynne was the only one who could convince her to do anything, though all of her companions tried, including the newest member of their band of misfits. Oghren came to check on Alistair and Nolan every day before heading to the tavern. He seemed to be thankful to her for finding his wife, though it was a disaster. Branka was mad. Her desire for the Anvil of the Void completely consumed her. She had allowed her people to be taken by the darkspawn and…

Farah cringed as another vision blurred into her reality. The inn room swirled, turning into a burning-mist filled cavern. That strange call vibrated through her senses. It felt like a beating drum calling her home. The entire hoard was below them, all packed into the fissure of the huge cavern. A cold roar echoed off the walls followed by the flapping of massive wings. Farah fell to the ground, ducking behind the rock… But those strange black eyes were burned into her brain: black eyes filled with nothing but evil. Nothing but gloom…. Failure…

"Warden?"

Sten's booming voice drew Farah from her nightmare. She stared at him, wide-eyed with shock that she had dozed off into a troubling dream.

"You need to rest, Warden." He stated flatly.

Farah shifted herself in the chair, shaking her sleepiness from her head and breathed in deeply. "I'm fine, Sten."

"No you are not. Or am I to ignore your plain signs of inward struggles and lack of sleep?" The giant's beady eyes narrowed, then looked to the comatose Warden and hound. "I know you are concerned, but you do no-one a favor by refusing yourself proper rest and nourishment."

Farah was finding it hard to argue with his logic. Sten was such a fascinating creature. He was hard, harsh, and unyielding on the battlefield. He was educated, opinionated, and infuriating in conversation… But then there was those moments of softness the giant showed, like with Nolan, and Shale. And now, he was concerned with Farah's well-being. The tired Cousland shook her head and smiled.

"I'll be fine… Don't worry." She offered in a small voice.

Sten narrowed his eyes and sighed in frustration, but pried no more. He turned his gaze back to his canine friend, leaving Farah to herself. Her gaze returned to her sleeping knight. He was frowning again in his slumber. Farah didn't like it… And she didn't understand why he and Nolan were still comatose. Wynne, with her magic, and Morrigan, with her herbs, worked on them every day. One would think with two healing mages they would be awake and kicking by now… But no. Wynne reassured Farah that it was would just take time. Their injuries were extensive, poison in their blood and nerves. Farah stared at his face, not realizing her heavy eyelids beginning to fall…

A twisted and worn face replaced Alistair's cataleptic one between her sleepy blinks. Hespith smiled up at her, black filth grooved between her teeth as she rattled off her dark poem, first day they come and catch everyone… Her dream shifted: visions of tentacles appeared, slapping about. The broodmother spewed into the air a light green muck that sizzled on Oghren's armor. The dwarf acted quickly, ripping the gauntlet from his arm. Shale stomped the ground, calling the disgusting creature's attention. The living stone sprinted forward. Farah was unable to help them. She was too busy fighting off the waves of darkspawn the broodmother called with a scream. The battle was long.

A terrible screech drew Farah from her fighting. Oghren had done it. The broodmother was dead, and Farah sighed with relief. She stared at it, Hespith's words sounding her head: Now she does feast, as she's become the beast. The young Warden shivered, but was given no time to think. They had to press on. Branka was somewhere in the Maker forsaken place, so the tired group pressed on traveling further and further into darkness…. The dream shifted.

"Help me, my friend! Don't let someone else make my mistake!" Caridin's voice was laced with sorrow and guilt. Farah bowed her head in despair. What was she to do? Branka was Oghren's wife, no matter how much time and bad blood has been passed between them. Farah imaged that at one point, they loved each other.

Farah lifted her eyes just in time to see Shale take a stance at Cardin's side. "If it does not do what is right… I will have to kill it." And with that Farah's choice was made. Shale was right, the Anvil of the Void was too dangerous, and Branka had gone too far: leaving her own kind to be killed and turned into vile creatures. Farah leapt forward to Shale's side, blades drawn. Oghren met her gaze, and nodded, sorrow and understanding in his eyes. "Leave Branka to me."

Their battle began but quickly blurred as Farah's dream shifted again. Yellow and red colors stung her eyes as she stared down at the lava, Oghren's watery eyes still imprinted in her mind. "May you always find your way in the darkness, Warden. You have my eternal thanks." Cardin's voice was laced with sorrow, almost overpowering his gratefulness. Farah fumbled through her mind to find the right words, but before she could speak Cardin was gone. The lava engulfed his massive form but his words still rang in her head. Farah felt through her glove the ring Lady Isolde and Arl Eamon gave her. The words engraved on her mother's ring were so similar to Cardin's it was eerie. Farah couldn't help but feel a darkness coming and the need to regard the wise words of the fallen.

Farah's dream shifted as she bolted from the cavern, wishing to be done with the awful Deep Roads. She was ahead of the group, a great and dangerous gap between them, but Farah didn't care. She kept moving, her eyes ahead and her mind adrift. A screech brought Farah to a halt. She turned around quickly, but it was too late. A shriek knocked her to the ground, snarling and scratching. It ripped at her eye causing her to scream in pain. It kept scratching and growling and Farah kept screaming. Darkness shrouded her vision, the pain was fading… Fading into nothing…. Blackness.

A warm wave surrounded her body, igniting in her chest.

"Farah?" A voice whispered. The sleeping Cousland furrowed her brow in confusion, the blackness fading, light pooling behind her eyelids.

"Fairy? Love, wake up, it's just a dream."

Farah wrinkled her toes, feeling the warmth under a blanket. The rest of her body slowly regained feeling. Farah cringed, then opened her eyes. Hovering over her and lying at her side, was Alistair: awake, smiling, and alive.

Farah leaned up quickly, her dream washed from her memory, and hugged his neck tightly.

"You're awake!" She squealed.

Alistair laughed, "Yea, funny thing was you weren't when I woke up. Are you alright? You seemed like you were having a nightmare. And where'd you get that scar on you eye?"

"Never mind that!" Farah leaned back from his embrace and kissed him hard on the mouth. He responded eagerly, placing his hand on her back and drawing her closer. His kiss tasted like nothing else before. Farah gasped into his mouth when his hand dipped lower than the small of her back. He rolled over, bringing her along with him. He stopped kissing her mouth and moved to her neck, tickling Farah and making her laugh. Her laugh quickly turned into a whimper when his kisses reached her ear. She gasped when she felt herself roll her hips against his, surprising herself at her instincts. Suddenly, everything became very serious. Farah stopped moving and Alistair stopped his teasing kisses. The pair met each other eyes and the world seemed to stop. Alistair was alive. Farah feared he would never wake, and here he was, holding her close. Their breaths had finally slowed, but Farah's mind lingered on what caused them.

There was a knock at the door. Farah's eyes widened and she moved off of Alistair just as the door was opening. She threw the covers over Alistair, covering his passion.

"Well, it seems someone's finally up. And I don't mean Farah." Zev winked at Alistair and smirked. Farah blushed deeply, but was offered a distraction. Nolan came bouncing through the room and jumped up on Farah, leaving half his body on the ground.

Farah started to cry, unable to stop her tears of joy. "Nolan," she whispered as she hugged him, "you're ok." She sighed with relief, "You're both ok."

Farah held Nolan until Zev cleared his throat, "Come on boy, I think Alistair and Farah need some time alone to catch up."

Nolan growled in defiance.

"I'll get you some nugs." Zev offered slyly.

Nolan's defiance wavered, and Farah laughed. "It's ok boy. You can go with Zev. We'll catch up tomorrow." Nolan yelped happily and licked Farah's face. He bounded down and trotted over to Alistair. Jumping up slightly onto the bed, he licked his face then ran out of the room, barking at Zev.

"I knew he'd come around. Speaking of that, I'll leave you two alone…." Zev winked at Farah and Alistair grumbled something under his breath. "Word of advice though," he continued, "Lock the door."

Farah could hear the assassin chuckling as he walked away. She shook her head and smiled. She liked Zev, despite his never ending sexual comments.

Alistair rose up out of the bed, and walked to the door. With a click, he locked it and turned around, staring at Farah with a longing in his eyes she had never seen before. He leaned against the door casually. Farah couldn't help but let her eyes wonder. He was shirtless, and his tan skin was calling to for her to touch. The waste ban of his pants was low, allowing her to see the cut of his muscles at his hips, Farah bit her lip nervously.

He leaned up and walked to her, his gaze was so intense Farah felt herself squirming under it. He knelt down in front of her, resting his hands on her thighs. He looked up and smiled warmly, "You know, I've been waiting… Waiting for the perfect time to…" Alistair blushed and smiled, shaking his head. His hands traveled up to her hips, lifting her shirt a bit so that he touched her bare skin. Farah inhaled deeply and closed her eyes.

"The perfect time doesn't exist. If things were perfect, we never would have even met."

Farah opened her eyes, and lifted her hand to caress the side of his face. Alistair smiled and closed his eyes. Then took her hand in his own and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly and opening his eyes. "I don't want to wait anymore. After what happened in the Deep Roads, I didn't know if I'd ever see you again. I could have died-"

Farah stopped his words with her fingertip, "Kiss me." She commanded softly. Alistair obeyed, pushing himself up and locking his lips with hers hungrily. His hands traveled up her shirt as he pushed her back down on to the bed. His warmth surrounded her and quickly turned into a heat she had never felt before, a heat that she welcomed, and returned fiercely.