"Let's find the avvars!', he said. 'They'll take us in!', he said." Fenris complained aloud.
Dorian scoffed, futilely attempting to place a chuck of his matted hair behind his ear. "Well it seemed a bloody better idea then 'find the Dalish savages'!"
"Right. Because more human mages are exactly what we need right now."
"You want to go live in a fucking treehouse? Be my guest."
"A fucking treehouse would likely have better company. And you wouldn't last one day out here without—"
Before he could finish his thought, Fenris's foot was suddenly engulfed in something brutally cold and wet. Water poured over his boot instantly.
"Fenhedis!" Fenris shouted angrily at the offending puddle of mud. He looked upon his now soaked boots with a scowl. A shiver set into his bones almost immediately. "Fucking Ferelden Fucking Forest!"
"Yes," Dorian replied, rolling his eyes. "Do keep shouting. I'm sure the darkspawn haven't heard us yet."
The half-elf's posture grew aggressive almost instantly. He very nearly spat his words at his reluctant companion. "Do not test me, mage. I will rip your fucking heart out."
"Ha! And then where would you be?" Dorian carefully stepped around the puddle. It proved difficult as a sudden dizzy spell hit him...it had been far too long since their rations ran out. He recovered quickly enough to quip at Fenris again. "Unless you've miraculously developed the ability to conjure water in the last few thousand days."
"12."
"Pardon?"
"12 days." Fenris begrudgingly continued down the ruined roadside. The frigid water sloshed around in his boots with every movement. He wondered if it wouldn't have been more beneficial to him to discard them now…Without his permission, his mind recalled the memory tied to them.
Her soft, pale hands presented the box to him. The decorative covering must have been hard to come by, but the bow…was that handmade? It looked familiar…Her melodic voice forced his attention to her once again. "Well? Would you like to open it?"
The corner of his mouth curved in a small smile. She gave him a choice, even for the simplest of things. There was always the option of refusal with her, always a way out. It was a small thing in the grand scheme of it all, but it meant the world to him. He loved that about her.
"It's…for me?"
"It's a present." She clarified. Her red lips slowly grew a prideful smirk. "It's your birthday."
"My…? Oh…"
Something she read on his face must have worried her. She began rambling, a tell-tale sign of her nervousness. He'd seen this woman lie blatantly to a room full of her fellow magisters without so much as an involuntary twitch. But whatever the reason, she seemed to lose all sense of composure when she was with him. Another small thing…another thing to love.
"Well, I, um—you were supposed to like it. Um, not that it's wrong for you not to like it. Because you can. Not like it. Um, I just uh, I wanted to do something special—"
"Amatus," He replied with a chuckle as he took the box from her. "Let me open it before you give away the surprise." He gave her a playful smirk. An attempt to calm her nerves.
"Right. Sorry." She let out a relieved sigh and moved to sit in front of the fireplace.
He examined the box, turning it from one side to the other. "How do I…? I don't want to break it."
"Oh, the wrapping paper? You're supposed to."
He cocked an eyebrow at her. "You wrapped the box in something that I'm supposed to break?"
"Well, when you put it like that, it does sound…idiotic."
When she looked up at him, her amber eyes were shining brightly. She was happy, she was laughing. At that moment he couldn't think of any better present in this blighted world. He smiled down at her uncontrollably. Before he even knew he was moving he had sat down in front of her, as if it were some subconscious need to be near her. He reluctantly forced his attention to the box again. "So," He chuckled. "I'm really supposed to just…rip it off?"
"Really, really."
"Hmph. Alright then…" He slowly moved his hand to the corner of the box, hooking his fingertip in the folded end. He eyed her mischievously. "You're certain you want me to destroy it?"
She smirked in response, slowly speaking so she could choose her words carefully. "Well…yes, you are supposed to destroy the wrapping paper…"
"You're truly certain?"
Her smirk grew bigger. "Truly, truly."
"Then I suppose you asked for it." He sighed dramatically, waiting a moment to draw out the tension. Then suddenly, he tore the paper to shreds. The pieces were sent scattering in seemingly every direction. It was like a blizzard around them. Her laughter echoed off the walls. "You are so—"
She stopped suddenly, noticing that he had opened the box as well. He heard her gasp quietly, he was certain he could almost hear her heartbeat. He stared upon the boots incredulously. He hadn't said anything, he wouldn't have dared. How did she know?
"Ash…these are…" He huffed a small laugh. "I…'thank you' seems insufficient."
She smiled brightly, but still she remained tense. "I saw you looking at them the other day. I don't know if they'll fit, but we can bring them to the shoemaker if they don't."
"They're perfect." He ran his fingers over the metallic armor. They were sturdy, warm, something Carver would surely call 'ass-kickers'. His smile faded slightly, despite his happiness. His voice turned bitter. "But you know I cannot take them with me…Danarius wouldn't stand for it."
She curled her legs to her chest. For a moment, he thought she might cry. His mind began running through any possible thing to say to make her feel better. But before he could, she spoke again. "Well, then, it's a good thing that wasn't your only present…"
He examined the box again, this time noticing the paper beneath the boots. He set his new prized possessions carefully to the side. They landed on the marble floor with a pronounced thunk. He looked over the paper carefully in his hands. He struggled to read it, but the words were so lengthy it seemed an impossible task. "What is this?"
"It's a letter of emancipation." She said quietly, as if she were afraid anything louder would set off an enormous explosion.
"I…don't understand…" A small lie. Logic all but confirmed it, of course. But he couldn't dare get his hopes up.
"As of this morning, Danarius no longer owns you. You're a free man, Fenris."
He just stared at her for a moment, his jaw hanging open slightly. So many thoughts ran through his mind in an instant. Too many to even attempt a coherent sentence. Somehow the news felt like a weight lifting from him and crushing him all at once. "I don't know what to do."
"Well," She smiled weakly. Her attempt to keep her mood light despite the obvious signs that she's as nervous as she's ever been. "If you'd like…I was hoping you might want to stay here…? With me…?"
"With you?!" His expression widened in shock. "That's—no, you can't do that. People will talk. You'd be making yourself a target…I can't let you do that."
"My choice, Fenris. It's your choice to accept the invitation or…do whatever else it is that you want."
To her credit, she was holding her emotions in remarkably well. Even now she was worried about influencing him. So considerate even in the face of potential heartbreak…he loved her for that.
He looked at the paper again. How long had she been working on this? How many favors? What had she promised? …And she'd done it all for him.
"I don't care what people say." She said quietly. "And if I'm a target of whatever machinations these vultures cook up then so be it."
"Why?"
"What?"
He carefully set the letter on the floor beside him. "I want to know why you did this."
She sighed nervously. "Well, I would have thought that was obvious by now."
"I want to hear it." He leaned towards her as he spoke. He rested his hands on either side of her curled legs.
"Well, what if it freaks you out?"
"I haven't run from you yet."
She smirked. "Not yet…"
"Ashley."
She took a deep breath. Slowly she brought her gaze to him and looked him in the eye. "I love you."
"—ris! You blasted fool, don't get me killed now!" Dorian's voice whispered harshly.
In an instant, she was gone again. The warmth of the fire was replaced by the chill of the southern forest. The sudden realization that he had zoned out sent his senses flaring. His eyes darted around, trying to find what Dorian seemed to be agitated about.
The mage tugged on his arm again, more insistently this time. "Come on! Move it!"
He opened his mouth to scold Dorian for touching him. But before he could get a word out, a chilling sound echoed through the forest. The combined growling hiss of a horde of darkspawn. The echo made it hard to pinpoint the direction. Fear set his heart racing instantly.
Dorian tugged him again. "This way! We have to hide!"
Fenris followed without question this time, taking off in a dead sprint after his companion. Dorian didn't have to tell him what his plan was. He was heading straight for the ruined car they had passed just moments ago. Fenris vaguely remembered a conversation about how stupid the ancient humans used to be. What purpose could a black film over the windows serve?
A scream suddenly pierced through the darkspawn's steadily increasing noise. Human. A man. Poor soul. He was doomed. But it wasn't their problem.
Dorian reached the car before he did. He struggled with opening the rusted door, but just barely he managed. "Shit!"
"What?!" As Fenris opened the door on his side, he answered his own question. Inside the car were a pair of skeletons…each had bullet-sized holes in the sides of their skulls. "Just get rid of them!"
Dorian hesitated for a moment. But with a mumbled curse, he chucked the skeleton unceremoniously from the seat. "The windshield…?"
Fenris scowled, anger returning to his face once more. "What's the fucking purpose of leaving one fucking window—"
A tremendous roar suddenly erupted nearby. An ogre. It had to be.
"Debate ancient idiocy later! Get in the back!" Dorian scolded as he fumbled with the mechanism on the seat to lower it.
Fenris pulled roughly on his seat until it gave in and dived in the back. Seeing Dorian struggle, he kicked his seat down for him and yanked him inside. Each quickly lurched forward and slammed their doors shut. Neither made a sound as they watched for any sign of the horde.
They didn't have to wait long. After just a couple of tense moments, they watched a human man sprint desperately across the ruined road. The armor gave him away as a templar. Must have been out here with a mining team. Probably all dead now. But him, that is, for now. He barreled towards the Wall. Fenris and Dorian looked at each other, having a silent conversation about how utterly fucked he was.
The darkspawn emerged into view just a few dozen paces behind him. The hurlocks followed the doomed man closely, trailed by the staggering genlocks, a handful of floating emissaries and finally one big ass ogre. The car rattled as the lumbering brute passed over the road.
They quickly lost sight of the templar, but the darkspawn clearly didn't. They pursued him right up to the wall. They expected to see a feeding frenzy, but instead the darkspawn began pounding at the wall. Fenris looked to Dorian confused, but Dorian already had it figured. As quietly as he could possibly whisper he explained himself simply. "A door."
Fenris looked back at the scene before them with this new understanding. A new wave of horror drifted over the two of them, haunting them like a horrid nightmare. But it was real. And they were powerless to stop it. All they could do was hope beyond hope that the wall held strong and protected the people behind it.