Chapter 189 - Twitchy

'What the hell do you mean I'm in the wrong place? The gland is in the throat-'

'No it's not. In immature dragons it is. As they mature the gland rises until it's at the base of the tongue where it can produce a hotter flame,' Makatza says simply as she risks looking around to see her cousin. She pulls a disgusted look and shakes her head. 'Ugh, you look foul and I swear I can smell it from here,' Katza winces.

Garrett spits on the ground and sighs, 'so you're telling me that it's gland is in it's mouth, not halfway up it's throat like I was told,' he hisses. 'I am covered in Maker knows what, for nothing?' Garrett says annoyed. Makatza shrugs her shoulders, it was just the way it is. With a heavy stream of cursing Garrett walks over to it's head and shoves his hand down it's jaws.

'It should feel like a firm but squidgy nub at the back of the tongue, careful when you pull it out because there could still be-' there was a sudden popping noise and a intense gust of sulphur. '-Deposits,' she finished covering her mouth with her hand. Garrett pffts the slightly yellow expulsion from his mouth as he glares at Makatza.

Fenris chuckles and feels satisfaction about what was happening. 'Yes, looks like everything is going your way. Sixty, forty I would say. As it is not a Wednesday,' he adds making Makatza giggle. Garrett scowls and takes a cloth out his pocket and wraps up the gland before shoving it into his satchel.

'I wish the Dragon had eaten you,' he mutters as he walks past them and over to the small pool of water and literally lets himself just fall in as he tries to remove all the grime and blood from himself. Makatza rolls her eyes and they spend some time searching the area for valuables, Anders and Makatza have a brief conversation about the mana that seems to naturally accumulate around such creatures and once they were back at the cart tension seemed to rise again. Fenris had been quiet for most of what had gone on and it was clear that something was bothering him. Garrett walked over to him and tilted his head. 'What's the matter?' He asks.

Fenris raises a brow and looks at Anders who had come to a stop next to him. With a swift jab of his elbow he knocks Anders out with a blow to the temple and then turns to Garrett. Makatza swore and went to the fallen mage as her lover advanced on her cousin. 'Fenris!' She scolds, Anders was out clean cold. Garrett saw the intent on his face and shook his head.

'Come on, she didn't really get that hurt- Ow! Mother...' Garrett howled in pain as Fenris grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him closer as he punched him bluntly in the nose. 'Ah! Mother fucker! You son of a bitch!' He cried, tears streaming down his cheeks.

'Next time you will reconsider a three mage plan,' Fenris said matter-of-factly as he walks over to Anders and picks him up before slinging him into the cart. Makatza gives him a serious look and he shrugs his shoulders.

She crosses her arms, ignoring her cousin in the background who was weeping like a child. 'Why did you have to knock Anders out?' Katza asks.

'So that he cannot heal Hawke,' Fenris states.

'I can, you going to knock me out to?' Makatza says not impressed with his actions. Fenris wears an expression that said it all. 'Alright, alright. I get it, just... don't do it again please,' she says as she walks over to Garrett who was cradling his face.

'Your goddamn boyfriend is insane! He has got shit loose in his fucking head!' Garrett says angrily. Makatza rolls her eyes and moves his hands away from his face, she can tell that he pulled his punch as it's not broken, but the previous accidents to Garrett's nose meant that it was pretty tender.

'Fiance, actually and probably. I think we all do,' she says simply as she begins to mop up some blood from his face.

'Are you going to heal me?' Garrett whimpers.

'I can't, I've got next to no mana, probably won't be till we get back to the city,' she says honestly as she helps him up. 'Come on, let's get you home.' Katza helps him to the cart and Fenris begins to drive while Garrett sulks in the back next to Anders who was snoring happily. He's probably not gotten a lot of sleep in a while, Makatza thought as she looked at him before turning her attention back to the road. She looks over at Fenris who looked exhausted, for the first time after a fight he actually looked like he wouldn't be able to simply take down a city. 'Oh, your hair got caught,' Makatza says as she realises that a good chunk of it had been taken off. 'Burnt off by the looks of it.'

He runs a hand over his hair and swears. 'I will have to cut it,' he says feeling the gap.

Makatza smiles and tickles the back of his neck making him squirm and move away from her, 'I can cut your hair,' she said with a smile. 'I mean, I could probably do a better job than the rough cuts you used to give yourself. You were so scruffy,' she teases.

'It did not seem to matter to you,' he points out with a rather direct look. 'Here we are.'

Makatza laughs and shakes her head, 'yes, well, maybe I found the scruff to be part of your charm,' she smirks as she ruffles his hair once more making him twitch.

'It certainly didn't hurt-' Fenris began but was interrupted by Garrett.

'Oh dear Maker, enough with the flirting. It's sickening! Oh Maker, it's just so cringey,' he complains as he turns around to face him. Makatza rolls her eyes and Fenris gives him a look, 'it's wonderful that you two actually still do that sort of thing-'

'We're not flirting, we're just talking to each other, that's how we talk,' Makatza says poking him in the forehead as she leans over the seat. 'You know, actually feeling comfortable around each other and enjoying conversation.'

Garrett grimaces and shudders, 'you two don't talk like that, that's definite flirting,' he says simply as he gives Fenris the finger after touching his nose gently and finding that it still hurts quite painfully. 'How could you be okay with your cousin being in such pain!' He whines giving her a pout. 'And he feels no remorse whatsoever!'

'Okay, first off, you would know flirting if you saw it. It's very different and secondly my mana is coming back, I'll be able to heal you soon, and lastly, no he doesn't because you were reckless. You assumed that everything would be okay and thankfully no-one was badly hurt,' Makatza says simply. 'I mean, three mages against a dragon? That was practically suicide!'

'Hey, you still came with me,' Garrett pointed out. 'I wasn't going to go by myself was I? If you didn't come I probably would have gone home.'

Makatza gave him a look, 'first off, no, you wouldn't have. You would have bribed Isabela or Varric, or both to come with you and they're even squidgier than me. Izzy only has to get hit in the tits and she's out for the count, the woman is useless once she's been hurt,' Makatza said simply. 'Varric won't do anything to endanger Bianca. So, that would have been two rogues, two mages if Anders came and that just spells disaster. If you really want to get technical, I'm not a mage, and if I come then Fenris comes, we know this.'

Garrett frowns and sighs, 'you've basically repeated everything we've said all day,' he said crossing his arms as he leaned against the wooden railing of the cart.

Katza lightly punches him on the arm, 'then next time it might sink into your thick head! I won't hesitate to kick you off this cart,' she teases making him roll his eyes and reluctantly smile. Katza gives Fenris a look and he sighs taking out the small health vial that she knew he kept on him.

'He does not deserve it,' Fenris mutters.

Makatza leans over and kisses his cheek making him wear a half smile, reluctantly. 'I know, but do you want to hear him bitching for the rest of the journey?' She asks as she takes it from him.

Fenris chuckles lightly, 'I have gotten used to drowning it out, it is like white noise now. Same as when Isabela is around,' he admits making Makatza snort in humour as she leans over the seat and gives Garrett the health vial. Makatza leaves her cousin to it as she settles back down in her seat and slowly falls sideways so that she's resting on Fenris' shoulder. 'We will be back soon,' he says quietly feeling her nod. 'Sleep if you need to,' he adds knowing that she was probably exhausted.

'If you insist,' Makatza said through a yawn.

-x-

'Lethallan? Are you here?' Silvanus says as he walks into her office. He raises a brow, she wasn't there and he couldn't seem to find her anywhere. He didn't like to come to the Keep but he hadn't seen her at all that morning as she had left at dawn with Fenris to accompany Garrett. He had heard they were back now and he wished to have a late lunch, early dinner with her. Silvanus sighs and rubs his eyes, he had already tried the Hawke estate and Hanged Man and he was getting tired.

A voice knocked him out of his cloud of thought. 'Ser Lorias?' Seneschal Bran inquired as he had come to drop off some paperwork for the Viscountess. 'May I help you?'

'Ah,' Silvanus says a little surprised at the sudden appearance of the man. 'Ah, aye, I be lookin' fer ma da'len,' he said before correcting himself. 'Ma daughter,' he clears his throat.

Bran takes it in good graces, he had only met the man a couple of times but the Viscountess' father seemed to be a polite person. 'She is in the Barracks with her... betrothed,' he said still a little unsure about the lyrium warrior. That elf was intimidating and while it was clear he cared for Makatza, he was dangerous and Seneschal Bran remembered him from the early years of being in the city. Fenris hadn't made the best first impression.

Silvanus thanks him and begins to make his way down the stairs to the Barracks, the cold weather was starting to set in and he had to take things easy. It wasn't long before he was in the main office of the Barracks, he spotted Aveline by the Guards Roster. 'Ah, Aveline, lass, where be my Lethallan?' He asks as he walks over giving her a smile.

'Hello, Silvanus,' Aveline smiles brightly. 'She's in the actual barracks, she's got Fenris cornered and he's not happy about it.' Silvanus tilts his head in wonder and realises that the Guard captain looks a bit smug. He nods and promises to see Donnic soon for a round of cards before wandering into the guard's sleeping area where he found Fenris in a chair complaining.

'Please be careful, I do not wish to lose an ear,' he said looking rather stiff.

'Fenris, please. I've cut hair loads of times, it's not my fault you're all twitchy,' Makatza replies as she runs her hand through his hair making him twitch. 'Why are you all fidgety?!' She says placing a hand on his shoulder and forcing him back in his seat.

He waves his arm over his head dislodging her hand, he was topless and feeling every breeze. 'Makatza, please, every time you run your fingers through my hair your mana triggers. I know you are not doing it on purpose but I cannot help but react. It sends literal prickles over my skin,' he says getting up. 'I will just have to cut my hair myself,' he says taking her hand and speaking softly.

'I don't get it, my mana hasn't bothered you before,' she pouts. Fenris leans forward and whispers something into her ear and Silvanus can tell by the slight flush on her cheeks that there was more to the reason that he had given. With a heavy sigh she nods, 'fine. I would hate to clip an ear,' she teases as she leans up and tweaks one to make her point. He grabs her by the wrist and gives her a look as he breathes in deeply.

Silvanus felt that this was a good time to step in before they became a little too... intense. 'Lethallan!' He says entering the room properly.

Makatza looked over and beamed, 'papa! Good afternoon!' She says running over to him and giving him a hug. 'Oh you wouldn't believe the day I had! I mean, it's been crazy!' Makatza grins as she begins to babble. He can see the bruising on her face and he would feel worried if he didn't know that she had been out on an excursion that morning. It seemed to be healing well though.

Silvanus squeezes her cheek playfully and smiles, 'ach, I be sure ya can tell me about it over dinner?' She nods happily and he looks at Fenris, 'what be the problem lad? Ya finally cuttin' ya hair?' He asks already knowing the answer.

Fenris nods, 'the dragon gave me a head start,' he says dryly making Makatza giggle.

'Ah I see,' Silvanus nods. 'Sit lad, I be able ta do it if ma Lethallan cannae.'

'My hands,' Makatza says as an excuse which Silvanus lets slide as he doesn't really want to embarrass either of them. He takes the clippers from Makatza and Fenris begrudgingly sits back in the chair. 'Remember his original length? When you first met him?' She says as she perches on someone's bed. 'We're kinda going for that.'

Silvanus tilts his head as he looks at Fenris' loose hair, 'aye, I remember. I also remember than I dinnae exactly like him back then,' he teases making the Tevinter elf stiffen a bit. 'Good thing I be over that now,' he smirks as he begins to cut. Makatza grins and they make small talk while Fenris tries his hardest not to move as he feels hair drop onto his bare skin. It takes about half an hour of casual chatting and a couple of disturbances from guards who wandered in to see what was going on. Makatza knew them all by name and about their families and they seemed to enjoy that she was there. 'And we be done,' Silvanus says simply as he steps back.