Standard Disclaimer: Bioware owns all Dragon Age characters and in game content. I own the bits that are left.
Chapter 7 – A Brief Escape from Reality
"Where's Ines?" Wynne enquired as she slid in beside Irving, putting her tray down carefully. On it was a small bowl of thin gruel and a large pot of tea, ginger from the strong scent oozing from it.
"I haven't seen Greagoir this morning but Ines has already eaten and should have retired to her cabin." Irving replied absently, studying a Tevinter book on Spirit magic that he had bought in Antiva, while eating a similar, if somewhat thicker, gruel.
"I didn't see her on my way up." Wynne pouted at his obvious lack of attention and poured out a cup of tea for herself. "I wanted to ask her if the amount of ginger in this tea may be reduced. I have been feeling much better and the ginger makes me perspire ever so much. We don't have much water to waste on bathing on this ship."
"I'm sure you will find her there once you finish your breakfast. If you would like, I can help to prepare a bath for you. It just takes a Cone of Cold and a Flame Blast." Irving offered absentmindedly, flipping to another page on his book.
"In your cabin?" Wynne asked hopefully, a hand edged up Irving's thigh under the table.
Choking on his gruel, Irving's flushed face disappeared entirely behind his book. Pushing her hand away gently, Irving whispered. "Wynne, please conduct yourself as befits a senior enchanter."
"So you choose duty?" Wynne surmised petulantly, crossing her arms to scowl at him.
"I will choose nothing until we have reached Kinloch Hold." Irving sighed aggrieved, setting aside the book to pay attention to the younger enchanter. She was very attractive, dark blonde hair pulled into a long, thick plait that wound down her back, just above this rise of her curvy bottom, almost like an attempt to draw your attention to it. Another smaller plait at the side of her head rested just above her ample breasts that strained against her tight Chantry sanctioned robes.
He did not understand her childish infatuation with him which had manifested very early in her life. At a tender age of twelve, she had ran up to him on Feastday, solemnly declared she wanted to marry him, shoved a beribboned box of sweet cakes at him and ran away giggling. He had not encouraged the crush but she had pursued him relentlessly for years after that until he had given in, grateful to have a spirited, young and sensuous companion so late in his life. Before her, a good book had always appealed to him more than illicit, passionate affairs that most of his peers engaged in out of boredom from being cooped up in the Circle. His body, however, could not resist Wynne's numerous temptations and they had slept together once she passed her Harrowing.
Wynne smiled widely at his answer, sullen mood forgotten. "So we can still enjoy each other's company for the whole voyage right?"
"What will Ines think?" Irving enquired mildly. "We do not want to be a bad example for her. Besides, the templars will surely frown on this."
"Ines, already knows about us, silly, and I could always sneak into your cabin after dark." Wynne cajoled, grinning as she sensed her victory.
Irving heaved a sigh. "Very well, my dear, you may come to me in my cabin after dark." Wynne squealed and pulled him in for a tight hug. Blushing, Irving whispered "Keep this kind of behaviour for tonight."
Removing her arms without a protest now that she had gotten what she wanted, Wynne started slurping the hot gruel when loud, clanging footsteps could be heard coming towards the galley in a rush.
"Wynne!" Hadley shouted anxiously. "Wynne! Neria is not well, we need you below deck."
Wynne looked questioningly at the agitated templar. "I just left her with you. What could have happened in the space of minutes?" She questioned, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "You fellows didn't feed her with anything did you?"
"No… No? Err… Yes?" Hadley muttered nervously as Wynne's eyes glared through him, seeming to see through his soul. "She was protesting and Bran thought she was hungry, so we fed her the left over halla milk in your cabin."
"What? That milk has been sitting there since late last night. She had not awakened this morning to take her milk yet." Wynne groaned and smacked herself on the forehead. She should have told them that before she left Neria with them.
Getting up hurriedly, she rushed pushed Hadley to race towards the cabins. As she approached the stairway that led to the cabins, she saw Ines leaning precariously against the rail and yelled "Ines, there's something wrong with Neria, the templars fed her with last night's milk. I may need your help with this."
Ines flinched at the sound of Wynne's voice startling her out of her contemplations, the latter's words taking a little longer than it should to register in her mind. Neria! Ines shook herself out of her reverie, cast a small ice spell at a clean corner of her handkerchief and wiped her face in the ice cold cloth. She pocketed the wet fabric and treaded, heart heavy, towards the cabins, following Wynne.
Entering their cabin, they were greeted by the sight of Bran wiping a cloth across Neria mouth and what smelled like week old refuse. The templar raised panicked eyes at them. "She started vomiting and defecating five minutes ago and it is not stopping."
"Food poisoning." Both female enchanters declared simultaneously. "I'll cast a spell to force out the poison. You make something to soothe her little stomach." Wynne suggested, a green glow already flowing from her hands towards Neria.
"We may need milk for that but I believe the halla is in no condition to produce more." Ines intoned despairingly.
Wynne frowned. It was not like her friend and rival to sound so dejected. Examining her speculatively, she was alarmed when she could not see any fire in her eyes. Completing her healing, she directed her next words at the nervous templar. "Bran, clean Neria up, would you? This should stop her vomiting and diarrhoea for the moment. We'll be in the hold."
Pulling Ines along, Wynne trudged out of the cabin, onto the deck and down the hold again. Nose wrinkling at the smell, Wynne coughed, removed a handkerchief from her pocket and breathed through it. "It's a wonder the halla was not sick earlier if this is what it had to put up with." Her acerbic tone somewhat muffled by the fabric. Pausing on the last step, her eyebrows raised in question, she called out. "Knight-Captain Greagoir, whatever are you doing here?"
Greagoir's eyes were icy storm clouds glaring behind her. She turned and glanced from Ines to Greagoir before a knowing smirk crossed her lips. "Well, we need to get the halla out of here first, that's for sure. The smell would probably kill me soon. Would you be so kind as to help us?"
Greagoir nodded severely. Walking towards the halla, he gathered it up none too gently, causing it to kick out in fear, hooves landing on his greaves. Ines rushed forward, a soothing hand on the halla while turning concerned eyes at him. "Are you alright?" She asked tentatively.
"I'll be fine, thank you." Greagoir retorted frostily. Wrapping his arms around the halla's belly and holding it with its back against him, he walked up the steps to the deck as if the halla weighed nothing at all.
"Your man is so strong! You're lucky my heart belongs to Irving or I could give you a run for your money." Wynne grinned at Ines.
"He… He's not my man." Ines stuttered unconvincingly, feeling a blush creep up her face.
"Tell me, is he any good in bed?" Wynne tittered conspiringly. "I bet his muscles must be to die for."
"Wynne! He is to be Knight-Commander. We can't be together!" Ines protested loudly, unaware that Greagoir could clearly hear her words. He paused, feeling despicable for eavesdropping on their conversation but could not make his feet move onwards.
"So what? Just enjoy him while it lasts, you silly." Wynne teased her serious friend.
"I can't… He means so much more to me than that." Her sob rose through the air and created cracks around the walls Greagoir had spent the last half hour building around his heart. "I don't want to be the reason for him giving up his life. I would not ask my love for such a sacrifice." His traitorous heart sang and broke through the walls completely. She loves me!
"Oh! You poor thing!" Wynne could empathise with her younger friend. She had been on tenterhooks over her situation with Irving for the past week too. "Did you ask him? Perhaps he would feel that his life is with you."
"Who would be more qualified to be Knight-Commander? What if they brought someone less kind, less devoted to his duties than him? Would you have me damn the whole Circle to an abusive Knight-Commander just for my own love? That would be selfish and love is not selfish no matter what your romantic novels would have you believe, Wynne." Ines' sobs drew nearer and Greagoir rushed to exit the hold before they caught him listening.
"You think too much." Wynne retorted derisively.
"And you think too little." Ines snapped.
Setting the halla down gently, his head swum with the implications of what he had heard. Logically, he understood Ines' decision but it irked him that she would take the decision from him, choosing to bear the burden of the decision alone. If they were a real couple, she would discuss this with him. Even if they would reach the same conclusions, at least, they would have explored the situation together. Knowing that love existed but could not be sustained should be better than thinking that love did not exist at all? Shouldn't it? His head spun from the rush of emotions and lack of breakfast. It did not help that he had not been eating well this entire week yearning for her.
Someone caught him just as he was about to crash face first onto the deck. Amber eyes, darkening with distress, met his and he nearly gave in to the impulse to close the distance and kiss her. Instead, he placed his hand on her waist for support, feigning more discomfort than he felt and rested his forehead on top of hers.
He felt, rather than saw, her sharp intake of breath and smugly congratulated himself for the ruse. He would chip away her resistance to their love. Knight-Commanders could retire. He could take up the position for a period, find and train up someone good, devout and responsible, retire and they could be together like any other templar mage partners. He just had to convince her to wait for him.
Yellow magic surrounded him and he felt his strength return as the rejuvenate spell washed over him. Inwardly he cursed Wynne and when he raised his head to find her grinning at him knowingly, he cursed out loud. Ines hastily stepped away from him when she realised he was able to stand on his own and removed his arm from her waist gently.
Gritting his teeth, he spit out ungraciously. "I'll go get some breakfast, thank you Wynne for that." Whirling around to leave before he disgraced himself or Ines further, he heard her grumble. "Your man is not the most grateful person, eh?"
Hearing Wynne address himself as Ines' man brought a spring to his step and he whistled cheerfully to himself as he walked away.
Ines shook her head at Greagoir's perplexing behaviour and refrained from correcting her friend. She beckoned Wynne closer to the halla. "Examine her, won't you? I need to know what's wrong with her before I can make a potion for it or maybe it's something you can help with."
Wynne placed her hands over the halla, magically examining to from horn to hoof. Frowning, she did it again and again. Ines grew more agitated each time. "What is it? Is it that bad?"
Wynne shook her head vehemently. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's in perfect health, at least physically."
Ines perked up at her choice of words, eyes suddenly bright with purpose. She ran for their cabin, leaving Wynne sitting on the deck beside the halla running her hands over it one more time, just in case she had somehow missed something. Coming back with Neria nestled in her arms, she brought the babe close to the halla and waited. For a time, nothing happened. Wynne was about to ask her what she was doing when Neria reached out with her tiny hand and touched the halla on its face. Immediately, the halla shook itself out of its lethargy and stood up.
Wynne's jaw dropped. She had seen nothing like it in all her thirty years. The halla nudged Neria's hand and blew a soft breath against it. Neria gurgled happily. The halla seemed almost satisfied by the sound and walked to the rail, leaning its head over and started to squeal.
"What in Maker's name is the animal doing?" Cedric walked up towards them on his way to the galley for his breakfast, having left the helm to his first after the latter had eaten his. "Should it not be in the hold? What's it doing on the deck?"
The halla continued to squeal. Ines walked to where it stood at the rail and peered at the sea. She could not believe her eyes. Schools of fish, dolphins and turtles seemed to have been drawn to the halla's call and were now swimming alongside the ship. She lifted Neria to look, not knowing if she could see but pointing out the various marine lives anyway. Neria gurgled happily and the crew, curious at the loud squealing from the halla, were joyous at the sight of dolphins. It was supposed to be very lucky to see them and the crew took that to mean the voyage would be smooth sailing.
Cedric ordered the men not on duty to start fishing so that they would have fresh meat for dinner. With the halla's milk, Ines created a potion that soothed Neria's throat and stomach but was still palatable to the babe.
So it was that the halla was brought up for deck time every day after that. Ines would have asked one of the crew to help her but when she came on deck with Neria, she always found Greagoir waiting for her. At first, she had been uncomfortable, thinking that he would seek to speak about their relationship or lack thereof. However, each day, he always found inconsequential and interesting trivia and topics to tell or discuss with her.
Despite herself, she grew comfortable in his presence again and looked forward to each session. Sometimes, she even imagined that they were a small family travelling to some unknown place to build a home. She was careful not to be too familiar with him but Neria would begin to seek him out and they had to stand closer to each other as he was still very awkward carrying her and Ines did not want Neria to fall out of his arms. She would often feel his body heat through his clothes as he had stopped wearing his armour after ascertaining that the crew were harmless. After all their accidental touches, she would be left so faint with desire that she would give into it at nights when Wynne stole away to be with Irving.
Greagoir did not fare any better. He longed to wrap his arms around her, often pretending Neria was their daughter and wishing hopelessly that they could be a family. Nights were the worst when his traitorous mind and body replayed that first night they were together over and over again. He was almost incoherent with lack of sleep but he would not miss the mid mornings with her for anything.
He was walking back to the cabin he shared with his templars when he caught sight of Wynne stealing into Irving's cabin. She winked boldly at him and gestured to the cabin she shared with Ines, grinning suggestively. Motionless, he had watched as she disappeared into Irving cabin before sprinting towards the cabin where Ines was alone in. Well, Neria was with her but she had mercifully slept through the night after her second week on the ship.
Raising his hand up to knock, most of his body froze when he heard Ines moan in pleasure. The only part of him that felt alive strained against his breeches. He tried to open the door but it was locked and was forced to knock softly. After a long pause, Ines called breathlessly. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Greagoir. May I come in?" Greagoir replied gruffly, his voice even lower than usual.
"Could this wait till tomorrow? Wynne has turned in." Ines answered, covering up for her friend.
"No, please, I need to speak with you now." Greagoir muttered urgently.
As Ines tentatively opened the door to see what was so urgent he had to speak to her immediately, Greagoir shoved her back into the room, entered and locked the door behind him.
Eyes wide with shock, Ines could only gape at him. He took full advantage of her open mouth and moved in to plunder it.
She shivered at the suppressed desire she saw in his stormy eyes before pushing him away. "Greagoir, we discussed this. We should not…"
"No!" Greagoir countered forcefully. "You didn't discuss anything with me. You made your own decisions and now I will make mine. I want you. I love you and I don't want to live without you."
Ines awed by his fervent declaration could only gape as he closed the distance she had put between them. As he bowed his head to hers, he pleaded passionately "Give us a chance."
Eyes bright with tears, Ines could only wrap her arms around his neck, drawing him close in acceptance, words having fled her.
They made sweet love that night and each night after that when Wynne left for Irving's cabin. Greagoir would leave long before Wynne returned. However, they managed to discuss Greagoir's initial plans for their future and she was delighted and excited to have some hope, however slim it may be.
Days turned to weeks and the two couples seemed oblivious to the passing of time. One bright morning, at the sound of "Land ahoy!" from the man in the crow's nests, they realised that reality had descended upon them. They had reached Ferelden and the day of reckoning has arrived.
Author's Notes
I would like to thank blackkitsue for adding me to your list of favourite.
Sin of the Fallen, what is broken can be fixed . Although there is no guarantee it would not fall apart later.
pwny5153, thank you for your kind reviews. I plan on creating other chapters that would flesh out Zevran as a person. I just hope the Muses would be kind to me.
I would also like to thank all the silent readers of this story. Any reviews (either good or bad would not matter but please be constructive) will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.