A/N: Hohoho! Look at me! Following the schedule again! Yay! \o/
Chapter 15th is already fixed, thanks to JordanMathias. :D
Thanks for reading! And for the reviews, too! :D
Chapter 28
The One I Trust
.
Noah
The elf had opened the door before I could knock, as if she was waiting for me or something. It was weird, but I was grateful it was the redhead who greeted me. That way, I would not have to explain my reasons to the others. Which was a good thing, believe me, mostly because I was not in the mood to deal with idiots. The current circusntances, however, were quite intriguing, and I couldn't help but make some conclusions of my own. Her appearance was deplorable, to say at least - visibly tired, with deep, dark circles under her eyes and heavy eyelids. She had the look of someone who hadn't slept the night. So,the Stupid was with her... What a joke.
I won't lie - I'd expected more from her.
She looked at me in... Well, in that unique way she had, but didn't seem surprised by my presence there. Something in my expression made her frown deeply, and instead of using that mocking tone she kept especially for me, her tone was serious when she spoke to me.
"Is there something wrong, Noah?" She asked, and I could also hear a bit of concern in her voice. Either she was very good at reading people, or I gave myself away very easily. More likely the second option, I think.
"Yes," I answered without thinking too much. "No."
She just raised an eyebrow. Damn, what would I tell her? That I had a bad feeling? She would laugh in my face, and she would have a right to do so. I had to put my cards on the table in a different way.
"I cannot help you if you won't explain the problem. Don't you agree?" She crossed her arms, after closing the door behind her.
"The Tree Hugger's there?" I asked, changing the subject. I tried to talk to her the night before, but she'd avoided me in every possible way, until she'd finally hidden inside the room. As far as I remember, she stayed there for a long time. How could I prove to her that I wasn't the kind of person she thought I was if she refused to talk to me?
The Elf's eyes narrowed, staring at me in that way again. She opened her mouth, probably to answer me, but obviously changed her mind. By the strange flame that had started to burn inside her eyes, I knew that I wouldn't like where this was going.
"What happened between you two?" She asked, leaning against the door frame.
"I asked you first." I growled, not caring at all to if I sounded childish. She just smiled skeptically.
"This is not a game, Noah." She sighed, but appeared to have no intention of answering me. "I told you, I cannot help you if you don't tell me what's going on."
"Will you tell me what happened between you and the Templar last night, then?" I asked, and apparently had poked her wound with mastery. She looked down suddenly, trying to avoid me, but even so, I could see her cheeks flushing while the shades of pink spread through the tips of her ears. Maker, something really had happened last night, and it was serious! I didn't know whether I should be surprised or disappointed.
"You have a point," she growled, vexed, still staring at the floor. I almost felt bad for her.
We were silent for a long time. I should have left her there, but I found myself unable to move or say anything. I just waited. I still had another matter to talk to her about, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it after this. She was against the wall, and I wasn't referring to the literal sense of the word. I know that, because she was hugging her body, still avoiding eye contact. Yes, for the first time, I'd disarmed the elf. The insolent and insubordinate el,f who had no fear to face anyone, had lost her voice.
I'd though she wouldn't answer me, not after the way I'd talked to her. Actually, I expected her to give me her back and shut the door right in my face, but in the end, we both just stood there, still and silent, just waiting for something to happen.
I snorted heavily when I realized that this whole situation wasn't going anywhere. The elf also sighed, before bringing her hand to her forehead, as tired as I was. Our conversations were never easy, quite the opposite - they were exhausting, full of tension, codes and half words. But ... of all people with whom I could speak, I knew she was the only one who would take me seriously. She was the only one who could understand me .
So, I decided to talk about my bad feeling. She would figure out a way to find out about it anyway. But apparently my mouth had other plans.
"She's avoiding me." I confessed, and I mentally cursed everyone I knew after that.
The elf looked at me, partially surprised, partly skeptical. I could see it, even with part of her face still buried in one hand. She clearly didn't believe that I had opened up to her. Well, I didn't believe what I just did.
"I thought that you don't trust her. That you don't care." The elf finally moved away from the wall, letting her arms fall to her sides. "What made you change your mind?"
"She thinks I'm like Howe." I frowned, and I was aware that I was grimacing, but I didn't give a shit. "I'm not like Howe. I'm not bad." No, wait ... That sounded weird, childish and silly. Maker, I was whimpering like a kid! "I mean, I am bad, but not in the way she's thinking!"
"Uh, okay." She nodded slowly, but it was written on her face that she didn't understand a word I'd said. However, she continued before I could open my mouth. "Let me see if I understand you correctly: You screwed up and now your conscience is heavy."
Damn elf. She also knew how to poke a wound with mastery. But I couldn' t let her get away with this so easily, so, with a hoarse growl from my throat, I punched the door frame, right next to her face.
"I'm not kidding." I said, but she wasn't intimidated. She never was. Yet, it didn't hurt to try.
"Nor am I, Grumpy," She replied, crossing her arms again. "But that's what happened, right? You can try to hide it behind pretty words, but deep down you know I'm right."
I snorted. "Indeed."
Instead of that mischevious look that I must confess that I'd expected, she simply smiled. No sarcasm, no arrogance - she just smiled.
"What about me?" She asked, and now I could recognize the playful tone in her voice.
" What about you?" I asked, not understanding where she was going. But, once again, I didn't like it.
"You never bothered to convince me that you're not bad," She joked. I frowned and looked away into the hall, to avoid her knowing gaze.
"You hate me. It's different." I grumbled. She just laughed, but before she could open her mouth to ask, I raised my hand to stop her. I needed to explain. "You don't like me, but you know that I'm not a bad person. She doesn't know! The Tree hugger not only hates me, but she also fears me. Fear! Do you know what that means?" I asked her, starting to pace in front of the door. "She looks at me like if I am going to hurt her." I was talking too much, but I couldn't care less. Now that I'd started it, I was going to end it. "Maker forgive me, but when she looks at me, I feel like a thug, a rapist or worse!" I punched the wall once, twice, three times until the blood oozed from my knuckles. It was very frustrating!
"Well, you wanted to leave her rotting on the road. She has her reasons."
"That was different." I growled, still angry.
The elf waited in silence, her expression somber. It wasn't as if she hadn't been taking me seriously from the beginning, but I think she finally understood how grave this situation was. Anyway, she gave me the space I needed - space to think, space to organize my head, or simply time for me to solve my pending issues with the wall. What matters is that she waited, patiently and quietly.
More Templars passed us, visibly frightened by my attitude. Bunch of cowards. If they were afraid of one man, I couldn't wait to see them facing the entire horde. Was I angry with the Templars? Yes, a lot. They were the root of all my problems, and the major reason why I'd chosen to leave the Tree Hugger behind.
I punched the wall again, more angrily this time. The Templars had not only stolen my sister, but also destroyed her dreams and confined her to a tower. That's the fate of all who have magic running in their veins. Yet, if that was the whole story, I wouldn't be so angry, because at least I would know that she was safe. But, because of a bloody Templar, she had to become an apostate, and because of a blighted coward, she was sentenced to live in darkness forever. And I don't even know where she is! She could be dead now, and it was because of them.
I punched the wall over and over again, harder each time I hit it, but before I could break my hand, the elf grabbed me by the wrist, and her touch was as light as a feather.
"That's enough," she told me softly, but I could clearly hear her words. "Don't let your anger destroy you, Noah. You're stronger than that." She rolled out my bandage and relocated it to where it was bleeding. "Mahariel will understand. Just give her time to absorb everything that happened to her." She smiled. "And someday, when you least expect, she will only hate you."
I laughed, letting my head fall forward. Of all the things she could have said, that wasn't even on the list. Damn elf. She giggled, before tying the makeshift bandage again, and moved a few steps away from me. I looked at the door, then at her, and the question was almost inevitable.
"She's inside, isn't she?"
Her surprised expression was my answer. I took two steps toward the door, but despite having short legs, the elf was really fast - she stood in front of me before I could take a third step.
"No." She said, looking at me reproachfully.
"Move, elf." I warned, stepping to the side. She followed me, staying firmly in my way. Sassy half-pint... Her expression was so decided that she almost convinced me.
I laughed again, but this time with no humor. She had half of my height. Did she really think that she could stop me? Really?
"Elf, I can lift you with one hand," I said with my best sarcastic smile. "We both know that I can get you out of the way in the space of a heartbeat."
"And we both know that you won't do it." Did I mention that I don't like the way she looks at me? It was bold, strong and firm - it seemed that she not only believed that she could do the impossible if she wanted to, but she also had the power to convince other people that she could, too.
Again, I snorted. She was right, and we both knew it. I didn't need to say anything. She already knew that she had won this round.
"You cannot force this kind of situation, Grumpy." She said, putting both hands on the door frame, as if she was still afraid that I would force my way in. "If you go in there now, she'll be even more angrier with you. Let it be - it will happen in its own time."
I growled, but decided to do it her way - just raised my hands in a sign of truce.
"You know you're being bossy, right?" I asked, a little less tense. In a way, I was right to come talk to her. She might have her flaws, and they were many more than I could count, but at least now I was sure that she wasn't as dumb as the others. Definitely, she was not just an ordinary elf - she was aware of what was happening around her, and danced according to the song.
And I was sure of that when she replied, "Yep, and you have no idea of how much fun it is."
You know what I wanted to do? Open a hole in the wall with my bare hands and throw her through it. Before I could swear, however, another group of Templars passed us. I could see that the elf was also intrigued by their mobilization, because this time she'd followed them with her eyes until they turned the corner of the hallway, before she turned her attention back to me.
"They found a Qunari assassin on a farm on the outskirts of Lothering, from what I heard. Apparently this whole mess is to stop him." The elf said, crossing her arms. "But then, something tells me that you didn't come here just to talk about Mahariel."
"Bunch of idiots," I muttered quietly at the Templars, before actually paying attention to her question. "What makes you think that?"
"Your brows are contracted, but you're not frowning." She pointed and I brought my hand to my forehead to check it, unconsciously. "You do this often. What else worries you?"
Everything was written on my forehead?
"Well, I..." I cleared my throat. "I had a dream ..." I started, and my voice came out as a whisper. It was pretty awkward, but it had to be done.
"About Mahariel?" She asked, and if I wasn't familiar with that half smirk of hers, I would have said that it was only an innocent comment. But I new better.
"Elf ..." I growled, lingering on every letter, so deeply that I didn't even recognize my own voice.
"Right, sorry." She supressed another laugh, before clearing her throat and reestablishing her serious expression. "What did you dream about?"
"I don't know," I answered truthfully. As time passed, the images became more and more confused. "Something involving the Archdemon, a very dark place and a Fire Bird."
She was thoughtful for a long time, focusing her gaze on a fixed point on the wall as if she was thinking. Occasionally her eyes moved slightly from side to side, as if she was reading a book, but I was pretty sure that despite her nonchalant expression, she was considering a lot inside that empty head.
When she suddenly looked back at me, I drew my head back, defensively. She was strangely serious when she asked me, "That bird told you something?"
"No," I replied, still surprised by her reaction. "Why? Should it have?"
"I don't know," she replied, and something told me that she was not sincere in her answer. "The place, the bird... Do they have any meaning to you? I mean, did something weird happened?"
"Everything," I replied. "I was the only normal thing in the whole situation."
"You're not helping." She sighed. Another small group of Templars passed us in the meanwhile, and this time I couldn't stand still anymore.
"Oh, shit..." I mumbled, before following them. I wanted to understand my dream, but this Qunari problem was getting on my nerves. I wanted to know what was happening. Perhaps that was the source of my bad feeling, and if I could help somehow, maybe it would go away.
I heard the elf calling my name two or three times, but I ignored her and went downstairs.
Kallian
I returned to the room, slamming the door angrily.
How dare he! He'd thrown his weird dream at me and just left, without even finishing the conversation, as if it was a normal thing! Void take him. This bird could be a demon, or some creature of the Fade playing tricks, or trying to give him a message. Reach him. Whatever! There are so many possibilities and that... that... Grumpy left me without an explanation.
Damn Noah.
I was going after him, of course! I grabbed my bag, packed the rest of my stuff and put on my armor hastily before returning to door.
Leliana and Mahariel looked at me, frightened, probably wondering whether they should say something.
"Da'shal?" Mahariel called, frowning a bit.
"I'll check out the Qunari everyone is talking about. I'll meeting you here as soon as I have a clue." I replied, opening the door. "Did you'd heard our conversation?"
The Dalish just nodded, looking away.
"This is Noah," I said, placing two fingers on my temple. "Unpredictable. Think about it" I let my daggers lose inside the sheaths. "Look,I can cover you as long as you need, but you know very well that you cannot hide from him forever."
I left without waiting for their reaction.
Just a small interlude before the main event! Stay tunned!
