9:29 Kingsway 13th
Do, do, do, do, DO! Boom, two years. A full two years. I forgot to celebrate last month. Maybe I should have gotten myself a cake or something? Anyway, I'm a little tipsy right now. I had four shots of something. Eren offered it to me. Apparently today is his birthday and only now has he actually trusted me enough to tell me.
And there was a huge party in the barracks. It was so strange to see all of those stone hard guards laughing and soaking themselves with cheap ale and beer. Apparently there's a difference. I was watching it all as everyone shared stories and kept on doing their guy antics to Eren. I was leaning on the office door. I didn't want to get involved. It started to resemble the household when all my dude cousins got together and wrestled and insulted each other.
Instead I was invited to the table that had all the female guards. I wasn't the only one of course. There were humans and elven women in a table that was separated from Eren and his pack. At first they hated me. Thought of me as a sort of pet's project of Eren that he was going to toss aside. Considering I have fought before, no I haven't killed anyone else, I earned their respect.
"Look at them, they're like monkeys." Lisa said. Red head, always in a bun, had permanent angry wrinkles.
"At least they're having fun." Kellah said. Elf, blond hair, short, looks caring but is the most sadistic.
"Captain is a year older, give him some space." Ella said. Long brown hair, pretty, rumor was she slept with Eren for this position.
"So what's been going on with you and the Captain?" Lisa asked. I shrugged and took a sip out of my fruit wine.
"Nothing why? It's been business as usual." I said. Ella snorted.
"Business? Sure if you can call your ass business." Ella scoffed. I glared at her.
"Oh hey, hey. We're not here to call you names. We only want to know what's up. The Captain has been different as of late." Lisa explained. I gave her a deadpanned look.
"We're serious he's been…I'm not sure. Focused? Nicer? It's hard to explain but my woman intuition tells me it has something to do with you." Kellah motioned her head towards me. I rolled my eyes.
"I have nothing to do with it. Truthfully it's because he has something he really likes. Don't know who it is though." I sipped.
"He does?!" Ella sat closer to me. Lisa laughed boisterously.
"About time he got grounded!" Lisa smacked the table.
"Do you know who it is?" Kellah looked up at me. I felt uncomfortable.
"No, I keep trying to make him tell me but he's adamant on keeping her secret." I pouted over my cup. Ella seem to stare off in the distance when I said that.
"Well there's goes our best gossip of the Captain. Though I heard that Jeffery is mean in the-" Lisa started before Eren slammed his hand on the table and laughed in my ear.
"Ladies, I'm very sorry but I must take my lovely bodyguard away." Eren said before hauling me out of the chair and out of the barracks. He put his arm around me and burped. I did a disgusted snort as his breath smelled like alcohol.
"Ugh, can you not?" I waved in his face. Eren laughed.
"Oh you wouldn't understand. I am now, what was it again?" Eren stumbled around. I was practically carrying him at this point. "Oh yes, 24!"
"Lovely." I said with a flat voice.
"How old are you anyway? Your face looks so clean! You look 20!" Eren snorted.
"You just turned 24?" I wondered. He nodded vigorously. "Then I'm older than you. I'm going to be 25 this Firstfall."
"Andraste's knickers, seriously? Wooow." Eren chuckled. I rolled my eyes.
"You are drunk." I stated.
"Yes but it is a good one!" Eren stumbled again and I nearly lost my handle on him. "Oh try this!" Eren held a small pouch flask. I gave him an eye. "I swear I'm not trying to poison you…much."
"Sure." I took a sip. It burned my nose and my throat…and left a nice smoky cinnamon aftertaste. Then Eren kept on giving me more sips and now I'm in my room. I haven't been tipsy in a while. Ah well, sleep time then.
9:29 Harvestmere 19th
I can't believe it but it's happening. We were in the barracks at Eren's office. As I took a few reports to take to the castle, Eren was furiously going over ranks and the numbers of guards that we had. I was a little curious as to what he was doing but I didn't ask. It was Eren's business not mine. Eren sighed and rubbed his face.
"I know you're staring at me." Eren said, dropping his quill.
"Didn't think you'd notice." I chuckled lightly. Eren leaned his back against the chair before sighing. He leaned against his desk and rubbed his face again.
"It's best to tell you now except later…" Eren mumbled. I raised my eyebrow. "The King has ordered all cities to gather soldiers for the Royal Army. We're going to attack the darkspawn encampment on the edge of the Korcari Wilds." Eren confessed. I dropped my papers.
"What?" I said breathlessly.
"The darkspawn have only increased in number ever since we discovered them a few months ago. The Grey Wardens have already given the king the report that this might be a precursor to a Blight. There's a draft to send able bodied men but, in order not to panic the citizens, we're going through guards first. The real draft will begin later on." Eren explained, getting out of his seat and giving me the papers.
"Eren, what's your father going to do?" I asked.
"We will send our soldiers and fight." Eren nodded, giving me all the papers I dropped. I bit my lip while bringing the papers closer to my chest.
"And you?" I wondered. Eren gave me a soft sigh and then ruffled my hair.
"Most likely my father and brother will end up going to the front lines. We need an heir for the castle…I will still pray for their wellbeing though." Eren whispered the last part. I nodded and we went out of the barracks. There was notice at the rotation and the guards were mumbling to each other. Blight. Darkspawn. War.
It was starting and a knot was forming in my stomach. If the Blight was coming then…I started to think of the massacre. Eren walked ahead. He wouldn't listen and Bryce was best friends with the man that will eventually kill him. What could I do? Once I dropped off the papers for Eren, I went through all my steps again.
I went to the larder and retraced the servant's exit and entrance. I used the moonlight to track the path toward the city. I did this five times until I was satisfied that I was able to walk through in darkness. I went back to my room and got my pack. All the things that I stuffed in it a while ago were still in there. I made sure to get my own water skin and set aside money for food, shelter, as well as a carriage.
My hands were shaking. Damn, the letters are shaky too. Truthfully I've only been using this in order to deal with everything. I've always needed someone to vent to…but I can't. There are things that I know that no one will believe. The Blight. Kirkwall. Haven. Not to mention…
I have no one to turn to except myself…and that really scares me.
9:29 Firstfall 1st
I was out of it for Satinalia. The other citizens were as well. The draft was sounded last week and so those that wanted to be a part of the army could go. Of course it wouldn't go well. The first wave will kill off the army, Loghain will leave Cailan, and the Grey Wardens will…
"It seems that everything is quiet for this winter, isn't it?" Jeffery sighed next to me.
"What winter? It's still really warm." I commented. I didn't even need to take out my scarf at all.
"That's true isn't it?" Jeffery chuckled. "…I'm going to join to fight against the darkspawn." My eyes widened.
"You can't Jeffery!" I suddenly raised my voice. Jeffery looked shocked at my worried look before smiling softly.
"I want to. We've already won against Orlais, who says we can't win against darkspawn? It's not like it's a Blight." Jeffery reassured himself.
"But what if it was a Blight? What if an Archdemon-"
"The blight ended four hundred years ago!" Jeffery interrupted me. I got mad.
"You don't know that. Those darkspawn are still digging." I glared at him. Jeffery scoffed.
"Seems all those times reading stories with Eren got to you didn't they? Or were they more than stories?" Jeffery insinuated. That got my blood boiling. I crouched immediately and did a sweeping low kick. Jeffery fell hard, coughing out his breath. I did a sweeping axe kick to his chest while in my peripheral vision I saw other guards and Alfred barking at me.
"I have not once nor will ever sleep with Eren! He is a respectable man and I am his bodyguard! Don't you dare talk about me like that or you will wish you're fighting against an Archdemon instead of me!" I shouted.
"NIA!" Eren yelled. I glared at him and he at me. "Stand. Down." I huffed in anger and went to his side. Another guard helped Jeffery to his feet and the people that were celebrating around us had left. "What happened here?"
"She's mad Captain! Talking about the Blight and an Archdemon." Jeffery glared at me.
"I was only talking about the possibility then you had to assume and me and Eren are sleeping together!" I took an angry step forward but Eren pulled me back. Eren stood at full height, still a few inches taller than Jeffery.
"Is that true guardsman? Were you spouting gossip?" Eren glared at him with his icy blue eyes. Jeffery looked down sheepishly. Eren nodded to the other guards to leave us alone. "You'll be on gate duty for the next three nights, understood?"
"Y-Yes Captain." Jeffery agreed.
"And as for you…" Eren glared at me. I looked away more so out of the fact that I knew I went too far. "I'm adding twenty laps more to your mornings as well as weights." I gritted my teeth. "Come." I looked down as we headed toward the castle but, of course, Eren took a detour toward the hill.
"Am I doing those laps now, Captain?" I looked at his back. Eren took off his shield and brandished his sword. I immediately went into a defensive position from all the times we fought together.
"Good. Your responsive time is better than when we first started. Your real punishment begins here. Win and you won't have to do those laps." Eren smirked. I took out my daggers and got into a boxer's position, hands in front, bent knees to an almost crouch. "Good, you don't have much open spots." Eren said circling me. I made sure to keep him in sight. Even with his heavy armor, shield, and weapon, Eren was quick to charge. "I have to say, I'm proud of what you've become." Eren charged in for a shield bash.
I quickly used my quick footedness to turn into his back and did a spinning kick into it. Normally, that would make someone trip and fall on their face but Eren rooted himself and turned his shield into me. It got into my left shoulder and I rolled down the hill. Using the momentum, I was able to crouch and get back on my feet. Eren quickly followed me down the hill and jumped with his sword. I rolled out of the way but Eren kept on slashing. I avoided where I could, caught the blade with my daggers when I could, and made sure to observe the ground to stay upright.
I could see why Eren had a proud smirk as we fought. I couldn't even imagine myself being in this situation two years ago. All those hours, days, months. Constant training every single day and night. To finally be able to fight against a pro like Eren. He got me in the face again with his shield but I always noticed that Eren's weak points were his knees. I side stepped a slashed and kicked his left knee. He groaned and crouched for an instant. It was in that instant that I put my dagger to his neck. My nose was bleeding and I panted heavily. Eren nodded and I put away my daggers.
"Good show. It's what you're going to need if we move out." Eren said, putting his things away.
"Move out?" I wondered, wiping my nose. Eren gave me a grim smirk.
"If what you say is true…that there is an Archdemon waiting for us…This entire country needs to be ready." Eren nodded. He looked toward the castle. "We will need to do our best to protect what is dear to us."
"We?" I chuckled. Eren started at me.
"I can't think of anyone else at my side." Eren said softly. I bit my lip and looked down.
"So you don't think I'm crazy when I said there might be one?" I asked.
"Not if it's you telling me." Eren said seriously. I did a sigh of relief.
"Glad to see I'm not crazy or crazier than usual." I chuckled, wiping off some of the dried blood from my face.
"Oh no you are insane but I'd rather you be than normal." Eren confessed and chuckled lightly. "But we've wasted enough time. We need to go train or soldiers. We don't know when the King might need them to march." Eren walked toward the castle and I followed.
It was time. The Blight is coming. It will spare no man. I gritted my teeth and formed a fist. Howe will be coming. I stared intently at Eren's back. I will do everything in my power to protect his family. Everything.
Beta'd by the stunning FearaNightmare! Who always knows to put me in my place. Can't ask for a better person.
Shout out to Artorious J for following!
HollySutterlin: I'm not one for spoilers but yes she does meet him. How, when, and why? I can't answer that :3
Chimera Spyke: It's the one thing that I regretted from the first one that I wrote, especially since Halo becomes a really important later on. Keep an eye on Halo, we're going to see some changes.
Narliea: lol unfortunately Rael is only a minor character. If I ever did write him, it would be his own story apart from this one. He will meet her again, later on in Denerim.
txchimama: What my story be canon? That would be awesome lol
Thank you Syutaku, thelonewolfNT, and chaitea for reviewing! Please review!