Vigil's Keep, Amaranthine

Wolf pulled open the door to her... no their... room when he returned. When he saw Delia asleep on the bed, he asked the servants to postpone unloading the cart until later. His hand went to the chain around his neck and felt for his mother's rings. You'd like her, he said to his mother in his mind. She's like you in some ways, impetuous and fearless. She could almost be Rivaini. I am going to marry this woman, Mama.

Wolf turned and shut the door quietly, locking it behind him. He walked to the bed soundlessly and looked at Delia sleeping on top of the coverlet. She was wearing a gown that flowed like dark red water, softening the sharp angles of a body where the ribs could be counted. Her head was tipped to the side, resting on her cheek, displaying the long, elegant length of her neck marked by a sharply defined jaw at one end and a sharp collar bone at the other. Blood red silk wrapped around ebony curls, strangling them into a loose pony tail. The sun streamed into the room making motes of dust glitter as they danced through the air. The dark smudges under her eyes were gone and her skin looked rosy, not the pallid white from loss of blood.

Wolf knelt beside the bed and leaned over to kiss her cheek, remember a tale from his childhood of a knight kissing a princess in an enchanted sleep. Her black lashes swept open and her dark eyes met his, they were still clouded with sleep.

"Hi," she said smiling.

"Hello, sweet wolfling," he kissed her gently. "Are you feeling better?"

"I am, actually," she said, her hand moved to caress his jaw. "I got out of bed, ate breakfast with everyone else, did a little work with Varel and Captain Garavel." She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "But then I needed a little nap."

"And do you feel well-rested now?" he asked with a distinctive arch in his eyebrow. He removed the scarlet ribbon confining her hair in a pony tail.

Delia smiled a tiny mischievous smile, catching onto the motive behind the question. "I feel remarkably well-rested." She twined a spiral of his shoulder-length, wavy black hair around her finger. "And you, Wolf? Do you feel rested?"

His eyes flickered warmly. "I feel incredibly rested," he said leaning to cover her mouth with his own. Her lips parted under his and they explored each others mouth with a leisure they hadn't ever had before. Wolf wove his hands into Delia's long tresses, feeling them melt through his fingers like cool silk. He remembered the first kiss they shared, he caught her bottom lip between his teeth and gave it a little nip.

"Real wolves bite," he mumbled against her lips. He felt Delia's lips curve in a smile.

"I hope so," she said, her voice husky with desire.

He kissed his way down her jaw, and down the slender column of her throat, then up to her delicate ear. He pulled her hair out of the way and nipped her gently on the neck, just under her jaw. He heard her inhale sharply and her eyes went half shut with pleasure. He kissed the spot he nipped and moved onto her ear. He worried at the lobe with his teeth until she sighed, then he outlined the shape of her ear with his tongue. The tip, he nibbled and licked until she moaned. Parts of her ear were so sensitive that her hands gripped at his hair when he just breathed on them with his hot breath. His hot tongue stabbing into the center of her ear made her shiver.

"I have a plan, my wolfing," he whispered, his lips hovering right before her ear.

"What sort of plan?" she whispered hoarsely. His voice sent a tremor through her.

"I'm going to make sweet, gentle love to you while you do nothing. I don't want you to exert yourself one bit."

"That hardly sounds fair," she protested.

"Your mage will kill me if I cause you to relapse and then you will have to go on without me," he said, pretending to pout. His plan was a little more devious than he exposed. He wanted to overwhelm her with pleasure to bind her to him. His father had told him, "Men fall in love using their eyes. Women fall in love using their senses." He wanted her to forget about the Antivan, forget his betrayal and her vengance. Deluging her senses might be the best way to do that.

"I will try, Wolf, but I'm not used to being so passive."

Wolf laughed. "I will make certain you don't..." he stopped, to suck on her neck again, "... over-exert." His fingers went to the buttons on her dress. They were tiny buttons, in a long row down the front. His fingers were clever and dexterous and they quickly unbuttoned enough so he could see the top of her breasts. He laid aside what he had unbuttoned and kissed the exposed skin.

"You are perfection, mi corazón," he told her, his voice caressing her just as his hands and lips did. He unbuttoned more buttons and pushed her gown down to her waist, leaving her covered in her silk chemise. His hands toyed with her breasts through the silk and the nipples hardened. He could see a hint of their rosy hue through the silk. He pushed her dress down to her hips and pulled off her chemise, leaving her naked from the waist up.

He put his hands over her breasts. They were small, even for an elf. A testament to her athletic life and random eating habits. Not that he cared, it was her pert behind that intrigued him the most. He rolled a nipple between his thumb and forefinger and she came to life under him, her chest flushing pink. His mouth went on the other one and sucked the peak, reconfiguring it into a hard knot. When he used his teeth gently she moaned. She was not a delicate flower that would tatter under a strong touch. He could sense that she like things a little on the rough side. When he pinched her other nipple hard and she nearly came off the bed hissing 'yes' he knew he had read her correctly.

He unbuttoned a few more buttons and pulled her dress the rest of the way off, then her smalls. He could smell the light, heady aroma of her arousal. It went directly to his own arousal and his breeches were beginning to feel uncomfortably tight.

"Undress, Wolf," she told him. "I want to see you."

He sat at the side of her bed and pulled off his boots and then his shirt.

"Mmmmm," she murmured as she ran her hands over his finely chiseled chest and the black hair he sported there. Her hand dipped to his breeches and she tried to unlace them. He pulled her hands away.

"No, wolfling. Not tonight," he brought one of her hands up to his lips. "You know, your fingers are like legs?" He nibbled lightly on the very tip of her finger. "That's your foot, is it ticklish?"

She laughed and wiggled her finger against his lips.

"This first knuckle is like your ankle." He kissed her 'ankle'. "And this is your knee." He kissed her behind the 'knee'. "This fleshier part is your thigh, where I wrap my hands. And then..." His tongue went to the webbing between her fingers and he sucked on the flesh demonstrating.

Delia's eyes went wide. "Oh," she breathed, surprised at the feelings he had coaxed out of her hand.

Then he left her hand and went to her real legs. He caressed her feet, which made her giggle and then kissed the top of her foot. He lifted her leg and kissed the ankle, letting his tongue stroke her ankle bone. Then the back of her knee. Finally he adjusted his position and his hands went to the backs of her thighs and he opened her legs and saw the delicate pink folds within. His hands caressed her thighs and he kissed her lower belly and around her sex.

She moaned and worked her fingers into his hair.

He ran his finger lightly around her sex and she writhed. He grabbed onto her thighs and pulled her open further. He teased her with his tongue next and she whined with her longing. His tongue flickered against her entrance and his finger rubbed around her nub. She moaned loudly and called his name. Then he switched, his mouth closing over the hooded flesh and his finger working inside her. She was soaking wet and writhing against him. He added another finger and moved them, angling them a certain way until her fingers tightened in his hair. He continued as her ecstasy grew and finally she teetered over the cliff edge and her legs tightened around him, grabbing hold with their considerable power and she moaned his name. He felt her channel walls spasm around his fingers but he didn't stop until she had let go of him.

He climbed up her body and kissed her. She could taste herself on him. "You taste like the ocean," he told her. "Clean, salty, a little sweet." She smiled against his mouth.

"Wolf, I need you inside me," Delia whined. "I'm feeling fine, better than fine now."

"No, wolfling, I told you. No over-exertion."

"You feed a starving woman an appetizer and withhold the main course?" Delia pouted. "You're a cruel man." She moved her hand over his erection and rubbed her hand along his length. "Wardens have large appetites, Wolf. I should have warned you."

Wolf swallowed hard. His resolve was weakening. "You are a terrible patient, Delia, you never listen to your doctors."

"My doctor is leaving his patient with a raging fever. He is irresponsible." She kissed him hard, her tongue suggested what he should do with his manhood.

Wolf sighed, knowing he was defeated. "All right, but on my terms."

Delia cheered enthusiastically. "I agree." Her hands went to his laces again and she loosened them and pushed his breeches down. He took them off the rest of the way. She looked at him, appreciating his generous proportions. She wrapped her hand around him and stroked him a few times.

"Turn on your side, Del," he ordered her.

She turned on her side, facing him.

"No, other way."

She rolled to her other side. He slid his leg between hers. He put his arm under her head to make her more comfortable. It was like spooning, with a few modifications. She hooked her top leg behind his and he rubbed his length against her sex, teasing her.

"Do you want your main course, wolfling?" he said, his voice was low with desire.

"Yes," she hissed.

"Where are your manners?" he teased.

"Yes... please," she sighed.

"That's better." He pushed himself into her a little way, taking care to go slowly. She was tight but very wet. He wrapped her up tightly in his arms so she couldn't move and he edged into her a little further. She seemed to stiffen in his arms, as if in pain.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked.

"Keep going, I'll adjust," she said.

"No need to hurry," he said and moved the hand wrapped around her waist to her nub. He rubbed her gently, taking into account her sensitivity. When she began to move against him, he ventured to push a little further. This time the gasp sounded like all pleasure. He slowly inched himself in until he was fully sheathed within her. The sweat was beading on his forehead as he fought the impulse to thrust wildly.

"Uncomfortable?" he asked.

"No," she replied in a strangled voice. "No... you could move."

He concentrated on stimulating her, bringing her just to the edge of release, and then he slowly withdrew. Her breath was coming quickly. He gently pushed inside her again, afraid to hurt her.

"Harder," she said, allaying his fears of hurting her.

He withdrew again, more quickly and plunged into her. She moaned breathily and he repeated the action while dipping his fingers into her dripping arousal to rub again around her pearl. A few more strokes and she rolled her mouth onto his arm, under her head, and let loose with a muffled shriek. He slowed for a few moments, trying to give her time to recover. He wasn't done with her yet.

"More, wolfling?" he asked her.

She sobbed out a 'yes' to his question between ragged breaths. He pulled away from her and piled up some pillows and placed her on them, her rear raised into the air and kissed each of her firm cheeks and penetrated her again. This time his strokes were more aggressive, he was nearing his own peak. He thrust his hand underneath her and sought out her pearl again. She writhed, pressing down against his hand. He could hear her quickly building to another release as he pounded against her. He pulled up on her hips with his one free arm and found an angle she seemed to like. A few more thrusts and she was crying out into the pillow and clenching around him in an arrhythmic cadence. He spilled into her, shouting her name, and thrust a few more times until he collapsed against her back, unable to hold himself up.

"Delia, mi corazón," he mumbled into her shoulder, "have I satisfied your Grey Warden appetite?"

"Oh Maker, yes."

He rolled off her and he gathered her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. "Your fever is broken?" he asked.

"Completely cured," she giggled. "You're a good doctor. My recovery is assured."

"You'd better give the credit to Anders, otherwise he'll probably incinerate me for certain."

Delia laughed sleepily and curled into his chest. He pulled the coverlet around them and they dozed off until someone woke them by pounding on the door.

"Lunch is ready, Commander, the servant told her when she opened the door. Warden Anders asked that I tell you so you wouldn't miss it."

"Very well, we'll be done in a few minutes," she said. Anders seemed to take some sort of delight in intruding on the time she spent with Wolf. She was going to have to box his ears if he didn't stop it.

She quickly cleaned up and dressed and got Wolf up. "Well, we'd best go have lunch with everyone. They're going to be curious about you."

Wolf kissed her on the top of her head. "I'll bet. I just hope they like me better than your mage does."

Lunch went well. Wolf seemed to integrate quickly with the others and Anders remarked that she looked good. Delia ate a lot, probably because Wolf kept piling more food onto her plate. Nathaniel was interested in hearing about Wolf's origins in Rivain. Garavel came into the dining room just before they finished and announced he was leaving with Bann Esmerelle for Denerim. Varel handed him the letter that he and the Commander had written that morning, along with the Crow contract.

Oghren saw her expression turn sad when she saw the contract again. He just couldn't leave it alone. "What are you going to do about that, Commander?"

She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Right now nothing. But I swear to the Maker I'm going to go to Antiva and end him personally if he ever does this again."

Wolf reached under the table and took her hand in his. "Forget him, Delia. There are more important things to do now."

The other Wardens nodded in agreement and started to chatter about all the things they had to do and which they should do next. It took her mind off of Zevran's betrayal.

In the days that followed, after Anders pronounced her recovered. Wolf often slept alone while she was out chasing darkspawn or searching for the lost Warden. He helped Varel and Garavel and assisted in training soldiers. When she came back to the Keep he made her eat enough, sleep enough and he babied her. Delia loved it. She was happier than she could remember since before the end of the blight. She even started to put on a little flesh, which delighted Wolf.

Velanna, Sigrun and Justice joined the Wardens and everything came to a head one day when the forces of the darkspawn called "The Mother" launched an attack on Amaranthine. Delia lead a small team to the city, leaving Wolf behind at the Keep. She made the hard decision to try to save the city and leave the Keep with whatever forces remained there, even though it was now being attacked too. She tried not to think of Wolf and everyone left behind but the thought pressed her to fight furiously. She had to get back...

But she couldn't even go back when the city was saved. She needed to follow the darkspawn back to their lair and eradicate The Mother. The battle was difficult. They were nearly overwhelmed with her children and tentacles, but somehow they killed her. The Architect fled, promising her he would find a way to end the cycle of blights. She believed him. She wanted to believe him.

Despite everything they had been through, Delia pushed them at a furious pace back to the Keep. The attack there was over. The Vigil had withstood the attack, only a few of the older walls had fallen. The interior was relatively untouched. Varel met her as she walked in. He read the anxious expression on her face. His own face did not reassure her.

"He's upstairs, Commander. He's been wounded."

"With me, Anders." She charged upstairs and into her room. He lay on her bed looking still as death. She fell to her knees beside him. "Damn it, Wolf." She touched his forehead, he was burning with a fever, his skin looked bruised and far too pale. She couldn't see any visible wound.

"What is it, Anders?"

He leaned over him and placed his hands on his chest, probing into his body with his magic. He shook his head. "I can't cure this, Delia."

"What do you mean? You can cure everything." Delia began to sob. "Don't lie to me, just fix him."

"Del," Anders pulled her away from him. "He's blighted."

"No!" she screamed. "He's not. He's just ill." She pulled away from Anders and threw everything out of her pack looking for a healing potion. She poured it into his mouth and it dribbled down the side of his mouth, pooling on the bed beneath him.

Anders pulled her back. "Delia, stop. There's only one way, you know this."

She knelt over him, crying. "I'm sorry, Wolf. I shouldn't have left you here." She buried her face into his chest and sobbed.

Anders left and returned a little later with Varel and the Joining chalice.

"Commander," Varel said softly, pulling her back from him. "Anders, can you hold him upright?" Anders propped him up.

"Since the first, these words have been spoken at the ceremony: Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that can not be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day we shall join you." Varel spoke the words with his usual solemnity.

Delia knelt beside him, grasping his hand and desperately hoping it wasn't too late. She nodded to Varel and he poured the blood into his mouth. He choked and gasped and his fingers flexed around Delia's. The tears slid down her face as she watched. He seemed to struggle against an unseen opponent for a moment and then he went limp.

Anders said nothing, but his look of concentration said he was looking within him. Varel put his hand on Delia's shoulder as they waited.

Finally Anders looked at her. "He will live, Delia."

Her last ounce of self-control crumbled and she sobbed hysterically with relief. She crawled on the bed and wrapped herself around him. Varel and Anders left, casting pitying looks at Delia.

She sobbed quietly hoping he wouldn't hate her for this. What right did she have to make this decision for him? But he would have become a ghoul if she hadn't acted. He was slipping away so quickly. She finally fell asleep against him and didn't awaken until he moved.

"Delia," he said. "You're back?" He squeezed her against him and she looked up at him, her eyes rimmed red and her face wet with tears. "I thought I was going to die." He hugged her to him. "Anders fixed me up? Tell him, he did a lousy job. I have a terrible headache and my stomach feels strange."

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "You were blighted. You would have turned into a ghoul if we hadn't..." She couldn't finish the sentence because her sobs choked her again.

"You had to do what?" he asked, hugging her to him harder. "Why are you crying? I'm going to be okay."

"We had to make you a Grey Warden. We made you take the blood. It was the only way. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never would have done it without your permission but you were nearly gone."

"Del, wolfling, it's okay. Stop crying." He bent down and kissed her hair, trying to soothe her.

"There are things you don't know. Some of the secrets I kept from you."

"How bad can it be, you're one and you seem fine."

"You've only got another thirty or so years to live, Wolf. The taint will overcome you and you will turn into a ghoul. Usually Wardens choose to go down fighting swarms of darkspawn in the Deep Roads instead."

He shrugged. "It's better than dying today, I think. What else?"

"We have to die to end a blight."

Wolf's brow furrowed. "But you didn't. Besides, the blight is over right?"

Delia ignored his question. "The worst part is, it makes having children very difficult. With a non-Warden, it is possible but difficult, but two Wardens it is almost impossible."

"So you're saying we couldn't have children together?" Wolf looked at her curiously. "Does that mean you wanted to? Have children? I mean, with me?"

She nodded. "I thought there was a chance, however slim."

"Delia, that doesn't change how I feel about you. You're more to me than some brood mare. I love you, my heart. Does it matter so much to you?"

She shook her head. "Not as much as being with you. You really love me?"

"I do. The question is, do you love me, wolfling?"

"I'm madly in love with you, Wolf. I was going to throw myself out of the window if the Joining didn't work. Then I was so afraid you would hate me for it." She sobbed again with her excess of emotions.

"I have only one fear, Delia," he said holding her close. "I am afraid you will run off to Antiva to get back at that assassin who tried to kill you. Promise me you won't."

"I can't promise that, Wolf. He may send more. I might be forced to deal with it."

"Then promise me if you do go you'll take me with you."

She was silent. She didn't want to risk him there. She knew the ways of assassins and he didn't. "I will, if you learn from me all that I learned from... him."

"I will, my love."

"Then I promise you, I won't go to Antiva without you. Perhaps I won't go at all."

"One more thing..." he said. He took his necklace off and detached his mother's ring. "Would you marry me?"

"That was your mother's?" She looked into his eyes, her own were filling with tears again.

"It was. Papa gave it to her in better days in Rivain."

"I would be proud to be your wife, Wolf, if you teach me how to pronounce your last name properly." The tears spilled down her cheeks and she kissed him. He put the ring on her finger and kissed her hand.

His stomach rumbled fiercely and he moaned.

"That's the appetite of the newly Joined," she told him. "Do you feel good enough to get up?"

Wolf nodded.

"Let's get you downstairs to some food." She helped him up and got him dressed.

The other Wardens greeted him warmly as their newest brother and the cook scurried around to fill his belly.

...

Note: Almost done. One more chapter where we see something interesting happening in Antiva.