Wow, I've never written as much in my life as I have in these past six days, but I wanted to make it up to all of you that since won't be getting another update for at least the next week; especially since I've been trying to make my updates every five days at the worst. My love goes out to Melysande, Kid-X, WhitewaterWolves and Lady Mimzy, my fantastic reviewers of the past chapter. I'm glad it went down so well.
Disclaimer: I do not own DA:O or any of its characters. I do however own all of my own characters and my own little nation of Nileesa.
Chapter 34: Long, Painful Road
Getting back up the cliff was no mean feat and the group required Bodahn's help to achieve it. Using some rope and planks the dwarf carried in his wagon, they managed to construct a lift of sorts to make it back to the camp. Anders and Leliana were the first to ascend, the younger healer having the energy to attempt to heal Elissa, though when he saw her wounds he realised all he could do was heal all that which might cause infection, he could not truly fix her until he had recovered more strength, and the only things which would help that was solid rest. Sten then used his strength to pull up the next duo of Morrigan and Wynne before helping Alistair and Arria ascend. Because Alistair could not put any weight on his legs whatsoever, it was a long wait until Rod and Sten managed to haul themselves up as the last pair and help take the male Warden back to their tent. Carou ran and took the long way round, arriving back at the camp just as the qunari and knight helped Alistair inside.
Taking the opportunity now that the sunlight was starting to peek over the trees, Arria surveyed the damage to their group. Almost everyone was wounded, the exception being the three mages but Wynne and Anders were past exhausted and now bordered on collapse. Sten still had a large gash down his back, but from the way he walked it seemed he was wearing the wound with pride, his first victorious encounter against the darkspawn. She shook her head, there were some things she was never going to understand about the Qunari. Leliana's leg wound had been healed so that it was no linger visible and could not be infected, but the internal damage remained; Rod's arm being the same. Both injuries were painful, but not critical. The Mabari were both hurt, Carou with the gouge out of his back and Hallai with multiple bruises to her body, as well as many small cuts to her face and legs. Arria smiled as she saw them settle next to each other on the outskirts and tend to each other's wounds. No doubt she and Alistair would end up doing the same later, as would Elissa and Rod.
Thoughts of the younger woman caused Arria to venture towards her, the breath freezing in her lungs as she at last found her. Both Wynne and Anders had done all they could in their depleted state, but the damage was still horrific. Much of her skin was blackened or burned and her clothes were fused to her body. It was going to be a painful and laborious process to remove them: hopefully she would remain unconscious through the whole thing. Rod's eyes were shadowed as he approached his other half, somehow managing to carry her using his one arm to the lake which was nearby. Arria pitied both of them. It was going to be an extremely painful time until both their injuries could be healed, though Elissa's were probably among the worst of their group, rivalled only by Alistair's. Zevran had forgone treatment to give Elissa the best possible chance, but the elf was in a bad state too: he was badly burned and some of his muscles still refused to respond. He could not yet walk, the muscles so tight that they would not obey the commands he wished of them, but he assured them that such functions would recover with time. Arria knew he was right, but it was still agonising to watch him suffer.
Her own injuries seemed minor in comparison, or at least they were now. With the broken leg and dislocated shoulder of earlier having been fixed before things took a turn for the worst, and her internal injuries having been healed on the battlefield, she had come off one of the lightest for a change. She could feel the beginnings of a mammoth bruise on her back and knew the scars on her chest had reopened, but it was things she could easily cope with. Some of the others were not so fortunate.
Knowing that Alistair was going to need a lot of help now that he had no use of his legs, she re-entered their tent, finding him staring at the appendages intently. It was roughly half a minute before he eventually realised she was there and sighed deeply. Arria set next to him, rubbing her hands along them.
He caught her hands with his own, the sadness in his gaze piercing her to her core. "I can't even feel it," he stated despairingly. While Wynne and Anders had managed to save his life, they hadn't managed to start repairing all the nerve damage. Anders had warned him that some of it might be too far gone, but reassured him that it wasn't likely. The thought had stuck in his mind since however and not being able to feel Arria's gentle movements made his misery deepen. "I might never feel it again."
Arria tipped his face up to meet hers, smiling at him softly. "This isn't permanent. Once Wynne and Anders fix you up we'll be back to normal, though I wouldn't be surprised if your balance is wonky for a few days. I'll make sure to go easy on you in training." She didn't even get a hint of a smile out of him and she grew worried. "Alistair?"
"There's a chance, this could be permanent. What are we going to do then? I'll be completely useless and you'll be facing the Blight alone. I'd rather be dead than stuck like this!"
His words pierced her heart and the feelings which had consumed her earlier roared back. She remembered how it had been, walking back from the site of the ogre's final defeat with the resounding pain in her chest. It had felt like a piece of her soul had been ripped away from her, like her part of her heart had died in that moment she had thought about him, and she had been convinced she would find him dead, even though she wished with everything she had that it hadn't been so. Finding him alive had been a true miracle to her, and to now hear he would have rather perished than be stuck in this potentially crippled state…it hurt.
Alistair was so caught up in his own frustrations and feelings of uselessness that he didn't really notice her go quiet, but he soon noticed the lack of her touch. Knowing it might have been due to his current lack of feeling in his legs, he looked towards her and was struck by the hurt in her eyes. He instantly wished he could take the words back: for a long time she had probably thought he was dying, that she would have been alone and his selfishness made him feel sick. When his hand raised to meet her cheek, he was disappointed to see she wouldn't lean into the gesture as she so often did and tried to haul himself forward, hissing at how he had to shift his useless legs to get closer to her. "Arria, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I'm just scared honey. I'm scared that because of what happened there is only you to stop the Archdemon. It would kill me to know that you were out there fighting the darkspawn alone, knowing I should be out there with you but couldn't be."
Arria eventually raised her own hand to cover his and let their eyes meet again, her own fear showing through. "I thought you were dead, Alistair. From until the moment the ogre fell to when I felt your heartbeat through my own hands, I was sure you were gone. For those few minutes, I could have sworn that half my soul had died with you. If you ever did die, I know it would destroy me. There would be no-one left to destroy the Blight for I would be but a hollow shell, everything I am dying with you."
Her confession left him feeling even worse and he pulled her in, keeping their lips the barest distance apart to see if she would still accept him. She didn't even hesitate and kissed him desperately, being extra careful not to put any pressure on his legs. Wynne had described them like fragile branches earlier: the slightest pressure could cause them to splinter and it would take many more days of healing to fix such an injury, they were lucky the small magic he had received had managed to go as far as it had. The two Wardens lost themselves in the feel of each other, the events of the previous day and the night just passed having pushed them to the absolute edge.
When Arria pulled back, she found a new courage had settled within her. She remembered the words of someone she had once held very close to her heart, never having truly understood his words until that moment.
When you walk the line between life and death, it helps you see a lot more clearly. No doubts, no regrets, no 'what ifs'. Just you, and what it is your heart knows it wants…and it what needs.
As a small chuckle left her, Alistair looked at her curiously. "Are you okay?"
Arria opened her eyes again, the blue orbs shining with an inner peace she had not known for over a year. She nodded, kissing him again lightly. "I'm okay, just remembering some words a very wise man once told me."
"Oh? What did he say?"
"He said that when you hover between life and death, it helps you see what always seemed clouded before. I've just realised he was right."
"And what is it you see?" Arria shook her head, not wanting to speak the words. She would show him soon enough. She instead settled behind him, helping him strip off his armour since he was currently very restricted in movement. "How are the others?"
She kept removing the pieces slowly, taking her time as she began to make steps towards her goal. "Most of them are banged up pretty good. Hallai had a few scrapes just like Carou, but the two of them are starting to help each other with it. Zevran took a pretty good hit of some lightning from that Necromancer but he refused healing, giving Elissa all the help he could."
Alistair paused, knowing from the look in her eyes that their close friend was in very bad shape. "How bad is it?"
"Extensive burns, I don't know if some of them will ever heal fully and her clothes were fused to her skin. Rod has taken her to the lake to try and get rid of them, while she is still unconscious." Arria had finished with the armour and helped him tug off the chainmail, needing his help in keeping his weight suspended as she shifted it upwards to eventually lift over his head in one clean motion.
The male Warden sighed, having gathered it was serious from Zevran's reaction earlier but it was still painful to hear. "Will she be okay?"
Now down to his tunic, she couldn't help but run her hands over it steadily, tracing the lines of muscles she had come to know intimately. "I guess time will tell, as with most of us. Once Wynne and Anders have recovered we can start treating everyone, but we will be stuck here for at least another day, probably more. Almost everyone was badly hurt."
"What about you?"
She smiled at him softly. "I came off worse after my fall, all of which was healed by Anders before things started going crazy. I've got a monster bruise starting on my back, I can feel it and…" Done with words for the moment, she started working on her armour, wincing at the stretching involved. Alistair helped all he could, knowing how to take it apart as well as she did now, but was stunned to near silence when she also reached up to try and undo her wrap. She was unable to reach and spun so that her back faced him. He was shocked that she felt brave enough to give this much control to him, even if it was a necessary evil. Once the wrap was undone and had fallen to her waist, she took her time in facing him, allowing him to see the rest of the damage.
The scars on her breasts were bleeding again, even with Anders' healing they were still very tender and all the exertion, as well as the smack she had taken from the ogre meant they were still prone to opening again. Alistair felt like hissing in anger, knowing Howe was the reason these problems continued to haunt her but it would achieve nothing. He instead sat in silence, examining her wounds since he had never been allowed such freedom before hauling himself within stretching distance of his pack. After grabbing the object he rifled inside, finding the bandages and poultices.
Arria smiled at him, not nervous about being so exposed and took the offered items. "Thank you. I think I'll need some help this time: because I did the bandages myself my wrap and armour didn't sit right, I think that contributed somewhat to the state of me now."
Alistair nodded, running through the potential list of people in his head, and realising there was one person who stood out to help, even if he still wasn't completely comfortable himself around her yet. "You should probably ask Wynne. She'll maybe be able to tell you if there is any way to stop them from being so tender."
She giggled internally at the blush which crept to his cheeks, speaking about a part of her body he had yet to see. This was a day which marked the beginning of the true change within her; he had been patient long enough. "I want you to help me, Alistair."
His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "Arria, are you sure? Is this not pushing things too far?"
The shake of her head might have been small, but it was definite. "Tonight made me realise what it is I want, Alistair, and I want this. I want us, and it holds more sway over me than the fear does. I trust you, I love you. I want to share this with you."
Had he not seen the truth in every word she spoke, he might have refused. Yesterday still burned clear in his mind, but he could see the vast change within her. Last night really had done something to her, and if she was brave enough to offer the change, then she deserved for him to fulfil her request. "The first hint I see of it being too far, I am stopping. I won't have you return to how you were yesterday, I'll do anything to make sure you never feel that way again."
Her smile was tender, but the significance of it was not lost on him. "Thank you." They met for a short, but meaningful kiss before she reached over to her own pack, fetching a wash rag and her waterskin. It was a few seconds before she found the knot of the bandages and managed to undo it, taking her time before passing the loose end to him as she showed him her back. Alistair was completely blown away by her trust, amazed at this step she was taking all of her own free will. When he struggled to get all the way around her body as he untangled the wrappings, she scooted closer and let him see her eyes: letting him see that this was what she wanted.
By the time he finally started pulling the bandages away from her skin, he felt her instinctively stiffen, but with their eyes locked he knew she refused to give into the fear, want still driving her. It was a few long, slow sweeps before the last pieces fell away, leaving her top half completely exposed for the first time. Nerves started coursing through her but she knew it was natural. She had never been this way with a man of her own choice before and her inexperience was showing. Alistair's eyes never left hers. He didn't want her to feel fear as he looked over her naked chest, but his hands started moving up and down her back to try and ease her into it. The familiar move made her smile and she tipped her head back so that it rested on his shoulder, leaving her in a perfectly kissable position. Once he had taken advantage of where she was situated he encouraged her to sit up, shifting his gaze to her bare back.
She was right, there was a very large and very deep bruise forming: the force she must have taken for the remains to be so noticeable made him wince internally, but he refused to linger on it. Arria breathed deeply as his hands continued moving up and down her back, her breath catching as they finally began to creep forward. They settled on her stomach, waiting patiently as he kissed all the way up her spine. It was beautiful torture and she wished for him to finally take the step they both wanted; she wasn't going to the let the memories spoil this first truly intimate moment between them. "Arria?"
The gentle whisper made her shudder with anticipation and she leant back into his chest fully, kissing him deeply. "Don't stop," she replied breathlessly, wishing for nothing more than to feel his hands upon her. The emotion he poured into their next kiss almost made her head spin, but she had to bite back the deep moan which threatened to emerge from her as his hands brushed over her bare breasts for the first time. His calloused hands made her every nerve feel on fire and she never wanted it to end. He made sure not to brush over her scars, exploring the tender and unblemished skin before going near anything which might remind her of Howe.
Alistair hadn't been prepared for the sensation of this new level of intimacy between them. Her breasts were so soft beneath his hands, somehow they almost felt softer than the rest of her skin and he couldn't get enough. From the way she trembled in his arms but surrendered to the gentle probing of her mouth, she was enjoying this just as much as he was, if not even more so. It was a shame that they could not continue like this, but with him unable to leave and relieve himself should things become too sensual between them, it didn't leave much chance for them to go further. When his hands dropped she whimpered in disappointment, the sudden coolness of the night air a big change from the warmth he provided.
She opened her eyes to meet his own and could see the apology they contained. A smile and a kiss allowed him to see she understood better than he thought she might. Arria sat up again and fetched the wash rag, dampening it with some of the liquid from her waterskin before she started the painful process of cleaning the scars. After a few seconds she faced Alistair again, giggling lightly when he looked away quickly in an attempt to not get caught staring. She shook her head and kissed him again, so grateful that he still was mindful of the hurdles they had yet to overcome. Quickly making up her mind, Arria shifted so that she was facing him completely, holding out the piece of fabric to him. His eyes widened dramatically, stunned silent that she was willing to let him in so close: though after the intimate moment they had shared just a short time ago, it didn't seem like such a big step. "Are you sure?" he managed to ask after he had found his voice again, still concerned that things could change in an instant.
Arria nodded slowly, smiling gently at him. "Yes, I am not afraid of this. I'll need your help for some of the scars, I can't see them and I don't want to risk making them worse. If I want to clean them properly…I'll need the help of another." The scars in the soft tissue of the undersides of her breasts were among the most painful on her body, but she tried to avoid them if there was no mirror to help her fix them. An instinctual fear rose up inside her at letting him near where so much damage was done but she wasn't going to give in to it. The worst part was over, she had already let him near once: allowing him this was much easier now that she had already taken that step.
Alistair took the rag hesitantly as she scooted closer, making sure she was within easy reach. He couldn't help but examine her breasts now that they were in such clear view and his stomach turned at seeing the full damage for the first time. Many of the marks were dark but they were varied. Some were deeper, some were longer, some had faded slightly and a few of them criss-crossed over each other, but they all shared one thing. Every single one of them told the story of her suffering, and as much as he wished they didn't exist, he couldn't stop staring at them. It was her defiance and spirit which had led to this permanent reminder, but it was that same fire and determination which had helped her survive.
When he finally looked up he noticed a deep blush on her face, her cheeks aflame at having him examining her so close. He couldn't help but chuckle at the reaction, glad it was that rather than a fearful one as he set about the task she had entrusted him with. The rag was swept in long, slow strokes as he first took care of all the areas which were still bleeding or the blood was fresh, taking care not to catch any of the scars. Once that was taken care of, he started on the ones which had stopped bleeding a while ago, cleaning it as best he could to stop infection. Arria cried out quietly when he brushed over one of the more painful ones and Alistair instantly stopped. Before he could pull away completely she guided his hand back to her. "It's unavoidable, they all cause me pain, especially now when they are so tender. I will react to some of them but please don't stop if I do." There were shadows starting to form in her eyes, he could see it and she felt it but this needed to be done. "Please, Alistair."
He was still unsure but trusted her words, returning to the slow process. Arria bit back a few more yelps of pain and he felt every time she flinched, wishing this wasn't so hard. When it came to the undersides of her breasts she helped him, lifting them up so that he could better access the area. Bile crept up his throat as he found the darker marks which were still bleeding but froze when he realised that some of them were different: deeper and made from a sharp instrument. He turned questioning eyes towards her as he drifted his hand right beneath one. Arria sighed deeply: she had been hoping he wouldn't have been looking close enough to see the difference between whip marks and carvings made with knives. "In the early days they found they couldn't get me to scream enough, it took more physical pain to get the screeches they wanted out of me," she admitted in a quiet voice. "Sometimes they just enjoyed flashing their daggers across the tender flesh to see how much it hurt, see how much control they had over me. I couldn't stop them, no matter how much I wished for the pain to end. You have no idea how many times I wished I could impale myself on those blades and make it all stop, to finally be free."
The revelation shocked him to his core. "How could anyone be so cruel?" he asked into the darkness of their tent, not needing an answer because he had seen the evidence himself. She had warned him there were painful stories and he prayed this was the worst. "Please tell me this is the worst they did to you." When her eyes dropped, his heart sank. There was still more, there was more horrific memories than that. A fury unlike anything he had ever felt burned inside him but he was careful to not let his actions reflect it as he took extra care with these, more severe, scars.
Arria watched him with a heavy heart, wishing that he didn't have to hear all she had been through, even though every time a secret was revealed her soul started to heal a little more. There was one technique of Howe's, however, that she was determined to keep secret. If he ever found out…No, he never would. That knowledge might very well make him snap and she didn't want him to carry that knowledge. She could see, even now, as his hands tended to her with a gentleness she hadn't felt before that his eyes reflected a deep hatred within him. I wonder if he hates Howe more than even Loghain now…
When he was finished he sat back, looking over her breasts once more to make sure he hadn't missed anything. A tentative hand came up to cup one, brushing over the unblemished skin for a moment and Arria gasped. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks as he left each one with a single kiss, her heart feeling like it would burst with relief that he didn't view her any different. Their eyes met for but one second and it was more than enough to see what they were each thinking. This new ground was going to be treacherous and they knew she could very easily suffer another setback like yesterday morning but neither was willing to shy away from the challenge. They had chosen to walk this path of healing together and though it may be painful, the rewards that were being reaped from it made it all worthwhile.
Alistair found the bandages which were lying on the floor as Arria drank one of the health poultices, glad when the tender flesh started to knit back together. Now hopefully the wrappings would provide enough protection to last until they needed to be changed again. Arria sat parallel with him, holding her breasts in the right position as he began twisting the bandages around her. He growled in frustration when they wouldn't sit right, knowing this would be so much easier if they were standing but that was currently a task beyond him. She heard his quiet expression of aggravation and levelled him with a hard stare. "Stop it."
"Stop what?" he asked, eyes flashing.
"Wishing that you could be more useful, I can see it written all over your face." She smiled sympathetically when he slumped in defeat. "I've been there, I know it's hard but Wynne and Anders will have you fixed up once Lissa is healed. At least you will hopefully only be stuck like this for one day, I was left without the ability to walk for a lot longer."
His gaze swiftly turned apologetic. "I completely forgot you had been through that. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. This is going to be a tough few days while you get your strength back: we don't know the full extent of all the muscle and nerve damage yet, that may take a lot longer to heal."
"And all that time I won't be able to help if something like this happens again."
"We'll be okay for a few days until you and Lissa are back to fighting ways, or at least we will be once the others are healed. At least both of us can still sense the darkspawn." She noticed the sudden look of concentration on his face. "What is it?"
"I just noticed…I can sense the main horde now."
That caused her to recoil in shock. "You can?"
"I don't know how but I can sense a lot further now. As far as I can tell they are still in the area just south of Lothering, they haven't moved at all since claiming the town."
"That's a huge increase in range. Did you have that last night?"
"No…I only noticed it after I had been pinned."
"Maybe the physical shock to your body advanced the Taint slightly." Unfortunately neither of them really knew enough about the stages of the Taint to be able to figure out the true reason and with the rest of the Wardens unable to even be contacted, it left them to find out what was coming as it happened. Arria wished that she was at least closer to Alistair's stage, then they would be facing the changes together rather than him having to deal with them all first, be it good or bad. She urged him to keep going with the bandages, sitting as close as was physically possible so that he could at least reach around her easier.
Once they were finished he tied them in a secure knot, making sure they wouldn't slip. Arria smiled her gratitude and kissed him as she shifted around. She guided him to lay back, trying one last time to see if there was any feeling in his legs at all. Her heart sank when he shook his head and she settled in to his side. Alistair looked at her when she didn't reach for her wrap but she smiled at him in response. "There's no point, not when I might have to change these again later."
He smiled at her in pride. "What's given you so much courage today?"
"We so nearly lost everything last night, Alistair. I…I thought you were gone, and I'm not going to let Howe win. There are still some things I know would be pushing it too far, some challenges we have to face yet but I didn't want to make you wait any more, not after all you have done for me." What she wasn't telling him was that she had also done it to show him that even in his crippled state, there was still so much he could do for her, that he wasn't as useless as he had convinced himself he was.
There weren't any more words needed between them as they surrendered to slumber. With Alistair's improved darkspawn sense they knew there was no danger of that kind nearby. He couldn't help but smile when she reminded him that only he could protect them in that sense, even with him unable to use his legs. Maybe there was still some good he could do.
Their first major challenge came a couple of hours later when it came to certain bodily functions that couldn't be ignored. Alistair had to swallow his pride when he explained to her but she tried her best not to react. She fetched Rod from his tent and between the two of them, they managed to carry Alistair to edge of the camp and left him in peace so that he could relieve himself. The journey back was harder, both Arria and Rod struggling to carry Alistair's weight between them over a second distance with their injuries but they eventually managed it. The male Warden was determined not to sit inside the tent any longer and asked for them to place him down in the centre of the camp so he could at least be useful and/or sociable. Leliana was there preparing a meal and Alistair jumped at the chance to help her, finally able to do something. Arria watched him with a gentle smile for a few minutes before she returned to Rod and Elissa's tent, wanting to check on the youngest member of their group.
Even after she called through the canvas and he told her she could enter, she still wasn't braced for what she saw. Much of Elissa's body was covered in bandages soaked in cold water to help cool the burns but he hadn't managed to remove all of her clothing. There was still some fused to her breasts and abdomen which he had left exposed as he kept at the process of trying to remove them. Arria couldn't help but think of her own wounds and prayed that Elissa would not be forced to carry these for the rest of her life. "I'll need some help getting all this off but Wynne is still asleep, it's taken me this long to peel away what I can," he said with a heavy voice. "I don't want to risk this getting infected before Wynne can look at her again, will you help me?"
Arria didn't even hesitate as she knelt next to him and began gently guiding away the singed fabric from her body. It was a laborious task and had Elissa been awake they wouldn't have been able to achieve it without putting her through excruciating pain. As it was she still whimpered, even unconscious and every time she did Arria could see Rod's heart break a little bit more. After roughly half an hour of barely any progress she caught one of his hands, urging him to take a break. "Give yourself a few minutes, Rod. We've done all we can for now." He sat back with a reluctant nod and Arria now noticed the silver chain which Elissa normally wore was around his neck. "Are you looking after it for her?"
He jumped in surprise, his hand reaching up to touch the item. "Yeah, did she tell you about it?"
"No, I just noticed it after Redcliffe. Did you give it to her?"
"Yeah…it's my promise to her."
Arria smiled, her own hand reaching up to the necklace around her neck. "You know…Lissa might appreciate another piece of jewellery as a symbol of your commitment to her." Rod smiled, picking up on her not-so-subtle hint. "Are you ever going to ask her to marry you?"
"Maybe…but it's not as if we could really manage to get married with all that is going on. There's just the small matter of the world kind of falling apart in the way."
The female Warden chuckled. "It doesn't mean that she wouldn't want you to ask her: there would then be something else for you both to fight for."
He hummed in thought. "Perhaps, you might be right. What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Come on, Arria it doesn't take a genius to figure out that you and Alistair are in just as deep as Lissa and I. What would you do if he asked you?"
A gentle smile came to her face thinking about a day when he might ask for her hand. "You know damn well what I would say, but the timing is wrong for us and we both know it. There is so much we still have to overcome on the way before we could even think of anything like that. The two of you on the other hand...Once we've driven Howe out of Highever you will have a home again. You both don't have to stay with us past then."
"We might not have to stay but we would want to anyway. Elissa would probably have to stay in Highever to rule there but there's no reason I couldn't come with you guys."
"Would you really be able to leave Elissa on her own like that?"
Rod paused. "No…I guess not. We've never told you this but we both want to stay, even after we kill Howe. Last night, after you admitted to us about Alistair's identity we had a discussion. If it came down to it and Alistair chose to try and become King, we would stand by your side, regardless of the consequences. Taking on Loghain might be the most difficult thing you face besides destroying the Blight itself and we want to be there when it happens."
"I…" Arria was lost for words. Rod was surprised when she expressed her gratitude in a tight hug and gently reciprocated the gesture. She pulled back with relieved tears in her eyes: they wouldn't be alone when they faced Loghain. "Thank you." A smirk appeared on her face. "Now, back to my original point…" The knight laughed. "Seriously though, are you going to ask her?" Rod raised an eyebrow and smiled but didn't answer her. "Fine, ignore me but I honestly think you should. There's no way she would say anything but yes."
"Hmmm, maybe." The pair turned back to the task of removing the remains of Elissa's clothing but were shocked when Wynne appeared in the tent, her soft voice startling them. It turned out they had been at it for over two hours before Wynne arrived following Alistair's advice. Arria left as the older woman began fixing Elissa's wounds, surprised when she saw Anders outside sitting beside Alistair.
Anders was the first to see her and waved her over. "Gimme a hand, I'll fix the two of you up inside your tent," he said while settling in to lift Alistair. Arria joined him and the pair managed to get Alistair back into shelter as the mage started looking him over. When his face fell both Wardens were concerned. "I'm not going to lie, this is more than just a one-time healing job. It'll probably take me several days to get you fixed up, I'm not putting your body through more strain after last night." Alistair's eyes dimmed and Arria took his hand, trying to keep his spirits up. "The good news is I am almost certain none of this is permanent, I should be able to repair all the damage but it'll take longer than any of us hoped. After tonight you should be able to walk a little again but it won't take long before you feel the effort and will have to rest. The only thing I am going to insist on is that you don't push it. After each bout of healing you will notice an improvement but if you push it too far you'll give me a lot more headaches and yourself a lot more limitations."
"Thank you, Anders," said the male Warden gratefully. At least by next week he should be back to normal, he wasn't going to be stuck like this.
Anders switched his attention to Arria. "Now to you. Let me have a look at you." Arria smiled and allowed Anders to examine her but he scowled after a short time. "I don't like this…"
"What is it?" she asked, suddenly wondering if she really did get off as lightly as she thought.
"That bruise…I healed all the damage to your back when I took care of your ribs, it shouldn't be there." He started taking a closer look at the dark mark and when he realised what was going on his face went pale. "Arria, did you have any open wounds that might have been able to get infected before I healed you?"
She thought back and couldn't remember any, but with all the adrenaline pumping through her she wouldn't have really felt it if she had been wounded. "Not that I can think of. Anders what is it?"
"It's…the Taint. This is from a sudden infusion of darkspawn blood with your own." Both Wardens looked at each other in shock: this shouldn't have been able to happen to her. "So far it hasn't spread further than this mark and I'm going to have to drain it before it gets worse, there isn't any telling what kind of damage this could do to you."
"But I'm a Warden, I'm immune to the Taint!" she exclaimed, suddenly very frightened.
"Evidently not this, though I'm beginning to suspect this is due to the Necromancer's magic having manipulated that ogre. I'm not taking any chances regardless, I can heal you completely once it is gone. Can you pass me a dagger so I can get this out?" Arria's eyes widened in fear, which Alistair didn't miss. No doubt she was remembering Howe and his men abusing her body with their own blades and even though she trusted Anders, it was still bringing up harrowing memories.
Alistair shifted over as best he could and held her face as unwelcome memories began to crowd in. Arria sought his gaze, needing an anchor to remind her of the difference between then and now as she fought to keep the images contained. Anders realised what was happening too late and felt sick as he figured out what had caused such a reaction. Once she had calmed down slightly he placed a gentle hand upon her own. "I'm sorry, Arria. I didn't realise that he…I'm afraid I have to do this, if I thought this could be left alone or done another way I would try it but…" Arria nodded, knowing that it was necessary before she passed back one of her daggers. Alistair moved so that he was holding her tightly and she buried herself into his hold, terrified of what was about to happen. Anders ran his finger down where he was going to make the incision to let her know where it was coming before he held the blade just above her skin. "Ready?" he asked, feeling sick when all she could do was answer with a whimper. Alistair looked up at the mage and nodded, telling him to do it before she lost her courage.
Arria screeched as the metal sliced through her skin and she could feel Alistair's hold tighten in response, reassuring her that she was safe. She sobbed as she felt the blood ooze out of her back but it wasn't long before a black sludge also started to appear. Anders found some of her discarded wrappings from earlier that day and used them to absorb the liquid, horrified when it started to smoke at first contact. Alistair watched in shock, disturbed that such a thing had been inside Arria but it wasn't long before he had to fetch something else to absorb it, the wrappings shrivelling up into nothing. It seemed like an eternity to Arria before Anders finally started healing the wound, satisfied that all of the toxin was at last gone. Once she was fully healed, he turned his attention back to the liquid he had extracted, using his staff to pick it up now that the sludge had soaked all the way through. Alistair stayed her silent protector as she slowly relaxed now that it was over.
Anders switched his attention to Alistair, healing some more of the immense damage done to his legs. The male Warden didn't really pay attention that much as Arria started to win the battle against the memories which had surfaced. When she began to sit up slowly he kissed her lightly, reassuring her as best he could. By the time the two stopped focusing entirely on each other Anders had finished. "Right, that's all I'm going to do for now, I was serious about not putting your body through more than it can handle. After the massive stress and the intense damage you sustained I'm worried your heart might give out under the strain of too much healing. Sounds crazy I know but it can happen. At least you should be able to feel your legs again."
Alistair was cautious about trying to move them and just managed the barest movement before some of his muscles screamed in agony. He yelped in pain as the feeling subsided, but it was fair reminder that he still wasn't fixed yet. "Yeah, not entirely sure I wanted to feel that though…Thanks Anders."
The mage smiled at the pair. "I'll come back in the evening to give it another shot, after that your muscles should be able to take some exertion and you can try walking. I emphasize the word try, you'll probably still need someone's help with movement for the next few days until you get your own strength back. Now, I'm going to take this…stuff to Morrigan and see what she makes of it. I've never seen anything like it and I'm glad it's out of you, Arria. I just hope there is no lasting effects from whatever it is. I'll see the two of you later."
"Anders, wait." He spun back to face Arria at her shout. "Do you think Elissa will be okay?"
He was slow in answering but decided to be honest with the Wardens. "At this stage…I can't tell you. Elissa had suffered a massive head wound from her landing and we won't know what damage that caused until she wakes up. I'll let you both know as soon as I can. Now, I'd better fix Zevran, the poor sod has refused all healing so far but there isn't anything more I can do for Alistair and Elissa is being taken care of by Wynne. He might like to think he's a tough guy but those injuries have got to hurt. You take care of each other."
After he had gone the two Wardens sat in silence for a few minutes. "Before last night I thought we had a pretty good handle on the darkspawn, but what happened has made me really doubt whether we are ready or not," admitted Alistair.
Arria couldn't help but agree, last night had been way too close a call. "Me too, but we've all survived it, and I think that in itself is an achievement. We could so easily have lost someone with that Necromancer, I just pray that he was rare among the darkspawn. If he isn't…then this might be one hurdle too many for us to overcome."
It was a harsh truth but that's exactly what it was: true. With just their small group they had found the maximum they could handle. Had that Necromancer not appeared things would not have gone nearly so badly but now that they knew of the threat he possessed, they were going to be extra careful of the dangers which lay ahead. "So, what do we do now?" He wouldn't openly admit it but he was starting to get very bored of sitting all the time.
She smiled, realising that he needed to do something to keep his mind off his current limitations and knew just what to do. "Maybe we should go through some close combat moves? It isn't ideal to do it like we are now, but I can still teach you a few things."
Alistair raised an eyebrow. "You are going to teach me more of your fighting style when I am currently unable to stand?"
"Why not? Rather that than have you feel sorry for yourself," she shot back.
He saw the sparkle of challenge in her eyes and nodded in acceptance. "All right, I'll admit this is going to be strange."
"Just wait until I start teaching you how to fight with either one arm or one leg. That's when things really get interesting."
It may not have been ideal but Arria was glad to see his spirits lift as she showed him various new techniques. He might be physically crippled right now but his heart and soul were still intact, if this was what it took to show him that he was still a valuable member of their group then that was what she was going to do. These next few days were going to be very trying, but they would overcome them together. This was just one more step on their road to defeating the Archdemon.
Phew, I did it! And I've just hit another milestone…I'm passed 250k words! Unreal. I can't believe I've written just under 30,000 words in the past six days but I hope this is an appropriate peace offering until next week when I get the chance to update again.
I would love to hear all your thoughts and I shall see you all next time!
Negative Angel