Chapter 3: Back in the Game
A few days later they all assembled out in the courtyard early in the morning, ready to set off on their expedition to the Deep Roads. Caitlin's trusted old Champion armour weighed heavily on her shoulders and she envied Fenris whose leathers were considerably more comfortable. They both looked rather shabby compared to the four Wardens' brand-new uniforms and Dworkin's bright red cape.
Aveline and Donnic had arrived the evening before with their twin boys. Anders watched Caitlin as she said goodbye to her little daughter. At three years of age, Rhianna had lost most of the elven features that had been so striking when she was born. Her pointy ears were getting rounder with each passing year, but she still looked more delicate and graceful than any human child her age. With her red hair and green eyes, she resembled Caitlin, yet a second glance showed that she had inherited her father's high cheekbones and determined chin as well as his darker skin tone. The child seemed content in Aveline's arms, and Caitlin tried to be cheerful but Fenris noticed a few tears in her eyes as she turned away.
He put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. "Don't cry, love," he said lightly. "Before you know it, we'll be back. She won't even have time to miss you."
They decided to walk; horses would be of little use once they went underground. Each of them carried a heavy backpack filled with supplies and other necessities, with a bedroll tied to it. They only brought four tents, though, and would have to share, or sleep outside if the weather permitted. Fortunately, it was warm and sunny and they made good progress, even though the terrain was rough and they had to make some detours whenever the forest undergrowth got too dense and tangled.
Anders and Caitlin took the lead, walking side by side and occasionally consulting their maps. Once or twice the others heard them raise their voices when they disagreed, but they seemed to be able to work it out.
However, when it came to choosing a campsite in the evening, Caitlin pulled Anders aside. "This isn't working, Anders. We'll have to decide who's leading this party."
He looked at her in surprise. "I hadn't really thought about this, to be honest. The Wardens answer to me, of course."
"But Caitlin knows the area around here better, and she's used to being in charge," Fenris pointed out. When he saw Anders' face, he cursed himself immediately for getting involved.
For a moment it seemed as if the mage was going to protest, and the other Wardens' faces clearly showed apprehension. But to everyone's surprise Anders just closed his eyes and sighed.
"All right, Cait, you take the lead. I'd have to defer to you anyway when it comes to a fight. You are definitely better at battle tactics than I am."
Caitlin smiled, a warm genuine smile, and embraced him briefly. "Thank you, Anders. I do value your advice, though, you know that." Fenris noted the expressions on the other Wardens' faces. They would take some more convincing.
When they had set up camp and built a fire, they sat down next to the warming flames, glad for some rest. Caitlin stretched and yawned, leaning back into Fenris' arms.
"I am going to be sore tomorrow. We've gone soft, love. We're no longer used to long days on the march." Her eyes fell on his bare feet and she caught one of them in her hands before he could pull it away. "Damn it, Fen! Your feet are all bloody. Why in Andraste's name won't you wear boots like everyone else?" He pulled away, trying to make light of it, but she wouldn't listen. "Anders! Do you have some salve I can put on his feet?"
Anders walked over and examined the blisters, while Fenris was positively snarling at him. "Still the wild dog, are you, eh, elf?" He rummaged in his bag to find a healing poultice.
"Shut up, mage," growled Fenris. "Just because I'm not as weak as you, doesn't mean I'm a savage."
Caitlin's head snapped up when she heard them, but when she looked at their faces, she realized both were grinning, their barbs a nostalgic echo of earlier days.
Anders noticed her worried expression and laughed. "Everything's fine, Cait. Old habits die hard."
They went to sleep as soon as the sun went down. Caitlin and Fenris snuggled close to each other in their bedrolls, struggling for some time to fall asleep on the hard floor.
In the morning they felt stiff and sore, shivering in the cold air as they drained their teacups and chewed on salted beef jerky. But as soon as they were moving again, they settled into a familiar pace.
Some time after noon, they came to a little gully, almost overgrown with bushes. They were about to go in when Fenris' sensitive elven ears picked up a noise that made his eyes widen: the tightening of a bowstring. He quickly gestured a warning at Caitlin and she ducked just in time as an arrow whizzed over her and buried itself into a tree.
"Bandits!" she shouted. "Try and find some cover, everyone. Anders, show them what you've got!"
Anders' merry voice rang out behind her. "I'd run if I were you!" The air became unbearably hot for a second as a fireball buzzed past her and impacted in the bushes in front, setting fire to them and driving the bandits from their cover.
"Teach you to mess with mages," Anders shouted as the bandits charged.
At Caitlin's sign, Bethany swiftly froze their front line in place. Caitlin and Oghren immediately attacked them, taking the first two down with a few well-placed strikes. She knew they didn't have much time. "Quick, Sigrun, as long as they're still frozen." Sigrun's blades whirled and unerringly found the weakest spot in their enemies' armour. From the corner of her eye, Caitlin saw one of the bandits shatter into tiny little pieces, making his cronies cry out in horror.
Oghren laughed out loud. "Come on, let's get our hands dirty!" His huge battle axe cut wide arcs into the air, taking down two bandits with a single strike. Yet they kept coming. An arrow buried itself in the dwarf's bare arm and he cursed.
Caitlin didn't miss a beat. "Fenris, the archers!"
Fenris nodded and disappeared, circling their enemies, taking out the archers one by one. When she heard Anders chanting the beginning of a new spell, she recognized the words and signalled at him to stop. "Careful, Anders! Fenris..."
The incantation changed to another familiar pattern: a paralyze spell. Good. That would buy them time without endangering Fenris. But she had lost focus for a moment and cried out in pain as one of the bandits penetrated her cover and a sword cut deep into her left upper arm.
"Anyone need healing?" Anders' voice rang out again, and a cool wave washed over her arm, taking away the pain. The bandit seemed confused by her renewed vigour and she took advantage of his surprise to get in a few well-placed swipes. He went down with a scream and she moved on, slicing, cutting, spraying blood all over herself and her enemies, feeling utterly alive and elated.
She knew it was over when Fenris appeared in front of her, his face flushed with excitement. "We have done well!" He pulled her into his arms, while Oghren and Sigrun were taking down the last bandit.
It was suddenly very quiet. Caitlin took a deep breath and pressed her hand to her stomach, frowning when it came away bloody. In the heat of the battle, she hadn't even noticed that she had taken another wound, but now she felt dizzy.
Anders was there at her side in the twinkling of an eye, his hands moving over her stomach and stilling the flood of blood. His brows drew together. "I need to have another look at this once we've made camp," he muttered.
Caitlin nodded. "Search them," she commanded. "Maybe they have something useful."
Fenris grinned. No one was questioning her authority now. A thorough search of the bandits' bodies produced several healing poultices as well as some money and a few vials of assorted poisons.
It was getting dark when they had finished dragging the bodies to the side of the road to set up a makeshift pyre for them. A quick scouting of the area found them a suitable campsite in a little clearing, far enough from the smell of burning corpses. This time the tents went up a lot faster and they soon had a bowl of stew cooking over the fire.
Fenris was helping Caitlin take off her armour, trying not to open up the wound again, when the flap of their tent opened and Anders appeared.
"Let me have a look at this, Cait. I need to make sure there are no internal injuries."
Fenris couldn't suppress a growl when Anders yanked up her shirt and let his hands wander over her stomach, and the mage rolled his eyes impatiently.
"Really, Fenris, this is purely professional. Not even I am turned on by bloody wounds."
Caitlin stifled a grin at his words, knowing it would only incense Fenris further. Anders' face was a picture of concentration now as he examined her, making sure he hadn't missed a source of bleeding. She sighed happily when another wave of healing magic washed over her and the wound closed neatly.
"There you are. As good as new." Anders sat back, an exhausted look on his face and she felt almost guilty until he smiled at her.
This is what he lives for, Caitlin thought. Healing. Making the pain go away.
Fenris mumbled some grudging words of thanks as the mage turned to leave, briefly squeezing her hand. Fenris followed him out, as if to make sure he was really gone, then returned with two bowls of stew. They ate in silence.
Afterwards, Fenris took off his armour, stretched out next to her and took her into his arms. "I'm sorry, love. I know I was being stupid. It was just... seeing him touch you, knowing that he could help you and I couldn't..."
She pulled him closer, kissing him, letting her hands wander over his body, feeling him tense. He pushed her back and she looked at him questioningly.
"I don't want to hurt you," he muttered. "Besides, everyone will hear us."
She laughed, letting her hand slip under his shirt, tracing circles on his stomach.
"Not if we keep it quiet. And you heard Anders, I'm as good as new."
Fenris shook his head, but she knew he needed this just as badly as she did after the excitement of the battle, and as she pulled him closer she could feel his arousal. Their kisses grew deeper and more heated and soon he had to stifle her moans with his lips while his hands struggled with the laces of her tunic.
He fashioned their two bedrolls into a large blanket against the evening cold before they slipped out of their clothes. Caitlin felt like a young girl, almost giggling at their efforts to keep the noise down, but soon forgot her levity as he caressed her, his lips scorching hot on her skin, his hard length trapped between their bodies. She rubbed against him and he bit his lip to keep his groans from escaping as he lay back and pulled her over him, sheathing himself deep inside her.
They rocked slowly for what seemed an eternity until she suddenly felt the pressure building inside her, making her grind her body against his. Violent spasms overtook her and shook her body to the core. She rode it out, her teeth clenched into the blanket. His body went rigid below her, gripped by the same intensity, the same overwhelming power. She gasped at the sight of him, his eyes clouded over with lust, his lids heavy and his lips half-open in a barely suppressed sigh. With a shudder, she sank down on top of him.
Later, when they had disentangled themselves and crept back into their respective bedrolls, dressed against the cold of the night, Fenris placed a soft kiss on Caitlin's forehead. "And we live another day," he muttered. "Thank the Maker for Anders' healing skills."
Many thanks to zevgirl for her critical eye and her attention to detail! Best beta ever!