Six day's later
Sleep had come easily for Morrigan and Aedan the night previous, they knew they had a long day ahead of them and had prepared thoroughly and relieved their stress extensively so much so that they had passed out Aedan with a hand still on her breast and Morrigan with her hair all a mess over her face. Yet this slumber was interrupted when the adjacent door to their son's room was busted open and said boys raced inside followed by their mabari,yipping and racing around their heels.
"IT'S HERE ! TODAYS THE DAY WAKE UP WAKE UP !". They both chanted, hopping up onto their bed and jumping ,Adrian accidentally jumping on Aedan's stomach waking him with a pained 'oof' before realizing their mistake and jumping off, though still chanting until Aedan got out of bed
"Makers mercy, talk about a wake up call ,come on Morrigan wake up". He said rubbing her shoulder, though she remained sleeping, or at least pretending to be. Sending the boys to set up the kitchen for breakfast a devilish grin danced across his face as he pinched her nose shut and waited. Not long after she began flailing around, snorting like an animal as she gasped for breath waking up so violently smacking him in the face.
"Fool! What was that for?". She said sitting up hitting him again as he rubbed his face from the last hit.
"Payback! Its not fair i get woken up after being used as a floor mat while you sleep in".
"Pfft,tis no problem of mine - wait so did the boys charge in here ?". He yawned nodding as she swept her hair out of her face.
"Tis a good thing we were relatively covered then". She groaned getting out of bed and dressing for the day ahead.
After finishing their breakfast they all got ready for their trip through the Eluvian, Aedan grabbed a spare suit of chainmail for under his clothing and after a few seconds of thought grabbed Vigilance to hide under his cloak, unlike starfang and Wardens will, while it was well known by name, though unlike the other two its appearance was not well known throughout the land and people, lest anyone can tell Dragonbone from mere appearance. He could simply take a regular blade, but he felt – incomplete without some part of his arsenal with him, he could simply bring some of dworkins explosives ,but noooooo – what if the boys develop a tendency for blowing things up,pfft as if being a mage didn't already make them lean to the explosive, over the top side of things.
After preparing herself and whilst Aedan grabbed his gear Morrigan was left with having to tell the boys they couldn't take the Barkspawn pups with them ,trying her best to politely tell them no simple commoners had their own pet mabaris and how much attention they would attract for having them ,but they begged and moaned, clinging onto them as if for dear life. Morrigan feared if this continued she'd burst a vein as the two of them were rarely so stubborn, yet now they acted as if she were taking them away permanently, though she figured such should not be so surprising,everytime Aedan had to leave the fool mutt at camp he near broke down into tears, true the dog was essentially the closest thing to family had left, still she wished they had not grown so attached to them. Hearing the struggle Aedan came to investigate and see if anything could be done ,at the same time their faces lit up as they no doubt expected him to say they could being them along .
"I'm guessing they don't wanna leave them behind ?". Before she could speak Adrian piped up.
"Father! Mother wont let us bring Barkspawn along !". He said picking his pup up to try and let him use his puppy eyes to guilt him to agreeing as they sometimes did with Morrigan.
"A good try, but I'm one of the few people in thedas that are actually immune to those sad eyes, unlike your mother who just claims to be, I've had Xavier since i was more or less your age,i know how he works and how to avoid falling prey, so no they cant come to the city with you – but they can come to the castle and stay with me while you two go with your mother,hows that sound ?". They both groaned but nodded their heads in agreement knowing this was as good as it was going to get.
"Pray tell how exactly are you going to sneak yourself and 4 Mabari into a fully manned castle – that you designed might i add ,during the day without anyone seeing you ?". Morrigans hands were firmly placed on her hips as her eyes bore into her foolish husband curious to see his response.
" Well Xavier used to sneak around the castle all the time back in the day ,drove old nan mad, so hopefully he'll have ,I guess some kind of Mabari door ? If not well then i guess the dark wolf shall have to make a return appearance ". Aedan whispered as Morrigan face palmed groaning as she shook her head.
"If that's what you plan we might as well take them into town, I'd rather suspicion about who we are than having to put up with you roleplaying again". Aedan pouted but rolled his eyes after.
"Don't worry boys, I'll find a way ,but now that that's sorted i think we're ready to go?". He said looking at Morrigan who nodded. Aedan clapped his hands.
" Alright then! Our first ever family vacation STARTS NOW!".
Morrigan and Xena near smashed their heads against a wall when the first thing the boys did was run out into the wsnow followed by their Mabari and start playing around it ,followed by that fool husband of hers and his own Mabari, they danced and pranced about in the snow, throwing snowballs and playing like children, though for two of them twas the case so she was contempt to allow it – until one snow ball went off course hitting her in the back of her head. There was a collective 'uh oh' as she turned around hands in her hips one eyebrow arched a deviant smirk on her face as snow began to build and rise around her into the shape of a massive snowball.
"RUN !!!". Was all Aedan had time to say as he was flattened underneath the mighty snow boulder. Xavier barked and growled at Xena who replied in turn as he did while the pups fled alongside their masters as they ran from their mothers daunting spell looming over them as it crumbled gently falling snow covering their heads and falling down their napes causing them to jump and jolt. With them stopped she dispersed the snow boulder to a light mist and used it to pile snow up to their heads loosely.
"If you intend to play the fool as your father does, please leave me out of it". She said hands firmly on her hips one eyebrow raised to the fullest extent to show her disapproval. The boys merely poured while their father finally dug himself out from under the snow pile.
"Alright boys you heard your mother, its time to go". Morrigan grinned at the boys and threw a snowball at Aedan before digging them out and starting back on their way to Highever.
Fortunately for them, there were no further incidents from then onward thankfully, though Aedan did shake his head from side to side every now and then creating a small snow fall out from his ears.
Still sore from their subsequent defeat the boys decided to play a little prank constantly asking "Are we there yet,are we there yet ?". As they moved earning a chuckle from Aedan and an eye roll from Morrigan. After reaching the foot of the mountain Aedan summoned his mount, the magical golem war horse Xanthus,a huge steed more than capable of carrying himself and his family safely to Highever now that they need not fear falling over the unstable and rough ground of the mountain pass.
Kieran and Adrian gazed in awe as the rocky steed burst forth from the ground at his whistle, forming out of the very terrain itself to make its visage. Aedan, taking the reins took the foremost position, with Morrigan at the rear and the boys in-between them, Adrian up front and Kieran behind him the dogs hopping into travel pouches on its sides as the mighty steed raced to Highever.
The smith Caridin was truly a paragon of his craft, for despite the horse being forged of stone, its in built saddle was as comfortable as orlesian silk blankets and despite the long ride their rear ends ached none at all. Pulling up just outside the city limits of the town below the castle they hopped off and bid the steed farewell as it crumbled away back into the earth to rest.
"Alright everyone, I'll go make sure everything is a go with Fergus, meanwhile you three –". WOOF,woof! The dogs barked feeling left out.
"My bad,you 7 –".
"Yes let's waltz into town with 4 mabari no one shall get suspicious". Morrigan muttered under her breath drawing a sigh from Aedan. Rubbing his temple he tried to figure out the best path forward that drew the least suspicion to them.
After much deliberation, berating and barking Aedan decided it would be best to sneak the dogs in first one at a time and leave them with Fergus, while he was left to do all that Morrigan took the boys into the city with a smile and a swing of her hips as she walked away.
As they entered the city the boys gasped in awe trying to take in the sight of the massive city, their first ever city, as they marvelled at the sight all Morrigan could do was marvel at how the city had cleaned up since her last visit so few years back. After his escape from Fort drakon Aedan had run off here to liberate his people from Howes men,he felt that he had ignored their suffering too long. By the time she and the others had arrived,the landseer fast approaching they had been met with a morbid sight.
The streets ran red with the blood of amaranthine soldiers, bodies and limbs choked the alleyways, a path of destruction no doubt similar to the mess Aedan must've left of the arls palace in denerim. She remembered seeing the city look dead and weary from Howe's occupation, the cheers of the people as they celebrated their liberation and most of all, she remembered seeing Aedan broken and weeping amidst the ruins of his family home, his body riddled with weapons and damage, but that mattered not,blood and tears poured forth from him freely,the pain of the fate befallen his family tormenting him more than any mortal damage both in the present and for his future too.
She still remembered the smell the corpses exuded ,strung up by the ruins of the great Hall,two women, one man and a boy she'd guessed by their skeletons, rotting away in the place once their home.
The place they would've felt the most secure in, turned into their gallows and mausoleum. Morrigan always boasted that she was near infallible, never wrong ,though as she travelled with Aedan, the longer they spent together, the longer she realised just how foolish her actions had been, she would, at the time have never admitted this, but it was true. She was not perfect and all knowing, because in this moment, seeing him so broken and hurt, she had no clue what to do.
She knew no spell could heal the sorrow in his heart ,the pain in his soul, all she could do was knell down next to him hesitating at first before finally holding him as best she could. No words were spoken between them, for she knew not what to say ,never in her life had she ever lost anything of great significance to her, at least nothing that mattered as much as Aedans family meant to him, she had never had to bury such violent emotions in order to pursue a duty, though she feared come the night of battle ,she would. So the two sat there, united and waited until the tears stopped.