A/N: Enter everybody's favourite adorkable Grey Warden: Alistair in the 2nd half =]
BioWare own everything! I'm just playing in their dragon and darkspawn-filled sandbox.
Chapter 5 - the wise adorkable Warden
The elf had started disappearing for days at a time; sometimes he was gone for weeks.
Hawke missed the elf's company terribly even if it was not that often she got to spend time alone with him since her birthday months ago.
Between her being taught how to use her magic without a staff by a mage called Wynne at Ostagar when she'd take food down to the army and helping mother with the farm work.
And with Carver winning the elf's attention easily with sparring sessions, races and Leto's swimming lessons.
She didn't have a chance. She didn't know how to use a blade and she wasn't too fond of running without reason. Even if she decided to take up running to have the elf's company she was sure she'd be too much of a sore-loser to continue trying.
Maybe that's why Leto gave up playing Diamond Back or Wicked Grace with her. She always won (unless Bethany was playing too.)
She'd be lying if she said she wasn't jealous of the bond between her brother and Leto. They were so close if you didn't know any better you'd say they were kin and she was the out-sider. She had never been all that close to Carver, their personalities clashed too much and his strong dislike for mages made it almost impossible for them to be in the same room some days.
No wonder the elf preferred his company over hers, not only was Carver anti-mage he was another male and he was human.
Realization hit her like a tonne of hadn't she seen it before? It was so obvious.
Humans.
The only people she had ever seen the elf speak to without the awkward, hesitation in his voice or hostility in his body-language was Carver, Leandra and Danal. The three of them were just your everyday Fereldens. Carver – A swordsman in training. Leandra – a fine archer in her days of youth, and Danal the friendly barkeeper.
He hated magic. The slavers he was with 3 years ago when Malcolm and Carver found him were blood-mages. She and her sister are mages.
Oh Maker….This explains his mood swings when my sister or I enter the room.
You poor crazy-handsome, mage-hating bi-polar elf.
The last time Hawke had seen the elf was over a month ago.
She had watched the two of them in the paddock locked in a rather playful looking sparring match. The elf had seemed so relaxed; she could swear she even saw a smile grace his elven features as he ran circles around Carver until they both collapsed from dizziness (or exhaustion) onto the grass.
"You know something, brother" the eldest Hawke accused, poking the raven-haired boy in the chest "Where is he? He's been gone over a month. Danal is worried sick!"
"Y'know dear sister, when you assume; you make an ass out of you-and-me" Carver drawled matter-of-factly, smirking.
Hawke's golden eyes stared at her brother like he'd just spoke to her in Antivan. "…What?"
He gave a one-shoulder shrug, "Just a saying Danal taught me to remember the spelling and meaning of the word"
Hawke squinted at her brother "I see." She said, "I may be making 'an ass' out of myself for assuming you know something. But you are the closest to him and the last person he was seen with. So I know you know something."
Of course Carver was told of the elf's whereabouts and plan, and again he was keeping secrets for the elf like the good best-friend/brother from another mother he was. There was no way he'd break the elf's trust by telling.
"Leto is eighteen, Hawke" he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose "he doesn't need you acting like his mother every time he does something on his own"
"I'm not acting like his mother. I'm acting like a friend, a friend that cares a lot for him and is concerned for his safety unlike you." Another hard poke to the chest, "How can you be so calm when your best mate is missing? Those slavers could have been sent back to claim him or worse," she swallowed, forcing out the words "… kill him"
Hawke's words held an unwanted truth he'd been avoiding thinking about. Now the words had been spoken his mind ran amok, anything could have happened to him. Eaten alive by wolves, torn to shreds by bears, captured or killed by slavers working for his former master… The thoughts hit him like a Bronto stomping on his gut.
The idea of Leto not coming back seriously distressed Carver more than he could ever imagine.
He knew the Tevinter elf was a more than capable warrior but he was chasing down a dangerous myth, the Crown of Arachnid-oria and he could be being torn to shreds by the creatures guarding it as we speak.
Spiders (Carver's biggest fear) and Leto's death in the same thought train. He blanched, that Bronto had just sent one of its horns to his heart. The thought of losing anyone he cared about did not sit well with him.
"You're not going to throw up on me are you?" Hawke quirked an eyebrow at her now pale-faced brother.
He remained silent and just shook his head.
"Oh! Is this me witnessing your wall of manly bravado crumbling enough to show… emotions" Golden orbs danced with amusement "How sweet, you actually do have a heart that hasn't been squashed under all that muscle"
"Always the jester" He coldly remarked, the muscles in his jaw clenched tightly.
She angled her head to the side, a playful smirk crawled onto her face, "Glad you noticed"
"Maker, you stupid elf" he growled lowly to himself, sending a swift kick to a nearby chair. It splintered on impact with the stone wall. "You are not immortal"
He marched out of the house before his sister a chance to say anything more.
It had been 3 months since anyone in Lothering had seen Leto.
Carver wanted so badly to send out a search party to drag the elf back home by the ears.
He hated lying to his sister but if he told the truth he'd break Leto's fragile trust and also ruin the surprise the elf had planned for her (if this suicide mission was actually successful.)
Carver had come so close to letting it slip weeks ago when he had that conversation with Hawke.
His mind had been stuck in a torturous loop of 'what if's' since then. The elf had disappeared before and it never worried him this much. But this time his brain and his gut seemed to be having way to much fun making him suffer with worry.
Carver had tried to keep himself distracted from his inner torment by spending his time picking up each and every duty on the farm, helping Danal at the bar, and running until he collapsed.
He needed the challenge, he needed a sparring session with another warrior on par with his missing best-friend. That's when he decided to ask the twenty-year-old Grey Warden recruit named Alistair he'd recently become good friends with since he went to Ostagar to ask about joining King Cailan's army to spar with him.
When he woke today, there was an unwavering feeling pulling at his gut screaming at him that something was not right.
"Maker," The Warden breathed, surveying the deep gash the raven-haired swordsman had made across the face of his old wooden Templar shield the "When you said you needed to work through some bottled-up frustration you weren't kidding"
"I'm just so worried about him. My gut is screaming at me that something has gone wrong" He admitted, hanging his head "He's never been gone this long without any word. Leto is like a brother to me I don't know what I'd do if…if…" he trailed off, he couldn't even finish the sentence.
The thought of alone it made his stomach turn.
"You shouldn't torment yourself with such thoughts, Carver" The Warden placed a hand on the other boys shoulder and smiled "Your elf will be back before you know it"
The gears of his mind suddenly clicking and he understood to what his Warden friend was implying. Carver's ears tinted pink as the words sunk in. He dropped his sword to the ground, gaping at Alistair.
…My what?!
"Oh, don't look at me like that." Alistair chuckled at the wide blue eyes staring at him "It is obvious you care deeply for him. You nearly split my shield in half because you are worried about his safety"
Memories flooded in to the forefront of his mind all at once.
Carver's hands in blood-soaked elven hair. His smirk.
Leto's look of concentration as he stitched Carver's forearm back together. His huge green eyes.
The elf howling in his arms as Lyrium burnt into flesh. His soft moonlight white-hair.
Two skulls colliding as they dived for the same fish. Sculpted lithe muscle…
The two of them lying under the stars, breathless and smiling at each other after running or sparring together
"Makers' balls…" He groaned, the weight of his thoughts brought him to his knees. He ran his hands through his raven hair.
How did he not see it? – It just didn't seem possible to have feelings like this for one of the same gender.
But deep down he knew the truth was just laid out in front of him by The Warden. He struggled to believe it, he had a thing for Leto.
Maker, how did this happen? That good-looking broody elf had wormed his way into Carvers heart like a stealthy parasite.
"The Maker sure does have a twisted sense of humour, huh? First a family full of mages and now… now he's made me have a flaming crush on…Ugh, this can't be happening." He groaned again, running both hands slowly down his face, his fingertips catching his lower eye-lid and bottom lip on the way down.
He held his face in this lopsided and painful way until the wild wind stung his eyes. Why me? Why, why, Why?! He didn't need this added to his conscience right now. And how did the Warden know more than he did about his personal issues that he himself had never even acknowledged or knew existed before - after only knowing him a few months?
"You can't blame the guy; he's been around since the dawn of time. Though he mustbe getting bored if he's targeting you for his entertainment"
Carver stared at the Grey Warden for a moment, not sure if he should be feeling slightly insulted by that before he found himself laughing.
"Anyway, if your elf is as skilled as you say he is; I'd be more worried of Duncan finding him and sending him off to slay the next Archdemon"
Alistair had somehow managed to flip his mood around so easily. He was just one of those people that just simply being around made you feel at ease and happy no matter how angry or upset you were feeling before.
Of course the Tevinter elf would return to him in one piece. He always did.
Carver's light blue orbs rose to meet the dark-gold ones of the Warden in an uncharacteristic shyness, he hesitated before speaking "…How did you know?" he asked. A deep breath, jaw tightening, he squared his shoulders in defence mode. "I think I must've hit you in the head too hard with that last Pommel Blow"
"Nope! You'd have to put more force into it if you want to dint this thick skull" he rapped his knuckles on the side of his head, grinning "That's what I'm here for. To deliver unexpected or unpleasant news and witty one-liners"
At that moment Leto came bursting into the clearing running towards the Grey Warden and Carver like a dragon's fire was under his ass.
Alistair was the first to notice the army of giant spiders tailing the elf. "We are not alone" he warned lowly, kicking the sword back towards Carver "Really not alone!"
Carver shot a puzzled look at the Warden then looked over his shoulder and he saw the over-sized creepy critters chasing his elf. He shook the thought from his head and rose to his feet.
Oh Maker you really do have a grand sense of humour. Now you send GiantSpiders? You Flaming bastard!
Leto swung his sword (seemingly blindly) behind him slicing through a spiderling that was on his heels. It's fresh carcass tripping up the spiders on the front line which gave the elf a few seconds to distance himself from the hoard of angry spiders.
Leto skidded to a halt in front of them, breathing heavily. "I trust you know how to use those" he nodded his head at the sword and battered shield in Alistair's hands.
"Grey Warden at your service, ser crazy elf" Alistair gave a mock-bow and shifted into a battle stance on the right side of Carver. A curt nod from the Tevinter before he took his place on the swordsman's left flank.
The creatures were quickly closing the gap between the trio.
Leto regarded Carver for a second, the humans' stance and expression was screaming he was not fond of spiders one bit. "Conquer you fear or die, Carver" He growled colder than he intended but he needed the swordsman's to kick into fight-mode if they were going to come out of this alive.
They were surrounded.
Light blue human orbs searched for moss green elven ones and asked, "You got my back?"
"Always" Leto smirked. As if sealing the promise his blade impaled the spiderling trying sneak an attack to the humans back.
Fighting back-to-back and Alistair's use of the Shield Bash move proved to be a key to their success of slaying so many spider kin. The shield would stun the critters long enough to meet the blade of one of the other boys.
Until a rather large and aggressive corrupted spider from the third wave of critters descended on them and chomped the shield between its chelicera (jaws) like it was a mere twig.
"Bad spider," Alistair scolded the creature like it was a naughty child "My shield was not supposed to be lunch for the likes of you" he says before slicing the creature down the centre.
The rest of the third wave and the fourth wave were a little harder to overcome without the aid of the shield.
They were all covered head to toe in each other's blood, green-black ichor/spider gore and struggling to stay on their feet they were so exhausted.
Spider carcases littered the ground around them.
Leto drove his blade through the corrupted spider at his feet that sluggishly made a move to attack. He lent his full body weight (almost lazily) on the sword, driving it all the way through to the other side and into the dirt. The creepy critter let out a shallow pained gurgle-screech as it died.
Just when they thought they had defeated the lot of them a mighty bloodcurdling screech let them know it wasn't over just yet.