~Mage's Child
Anders fingers paused over the star shaped scar on Valera's abdomen his chocolate brown eyes wide in surprise.
This was bad. How foolish could she be! Valera had just recently returned from a mission involving some blood mages. The mages had decided to fight inside of coming quietly and one had shot her in the belly with a lightning bolt. The wound was nothing too serious, just a bad burn. Figuring instead of suffering through the grueling pain of healing a burn, Valera just walked her way down to Anders clinic and get a quick bit of a magic heal for the burn.
Unfortunately she had forgotten one important thing…
Anders hands were shaking so hard Val could feel the calluses on the skin of her stomach. His eyes were full of question as he looked at her shocked. "Valera… something is moving in there… what… why do I feel another life in your… oh Maker…"
Valera covered her face with both hands hiding from those beautiful eyes. "Yes Anders… I'm with child."
"The father…?" The unspoken addition to that question rung in her mind. Who is the father?
Val felt dirty. Yes, she had been with more then one partner over the past year, Anders being one of the three men she had had relations with. She had shared a night with Hawke's companion Fenris and a night or two with Cullen before her heart had decided on the man who she truly loved. The apostate that was currently in the throws of a mild heart attack.
"There's really no question on who the father could possibly be. As far along as I am, there is no way the father could be anyone but you Anders."
"Maker." He breathed and suddenly she was wrapped in his arms. A warm dampness seeped quickly into her shoulder.
Valera snaked her arms up and around his chest holding him close. "Don't be afraid." She whispered soothingly. "I will love the child, magic or not."
BREAK
~Cold and Lost
"Perfect." Valera grumbled sitting next to the mage who was scowling with equal ferocity.
The pair had recently traveled with Garret Hawke to the Wounded Coast on some rumors that an apostate had been kidnapping elves and murdering them in one of the many caves that littered the beach.
It seemed if any magic was involved Anders was invited and Valera had refused to allow the mage out of her sights beyond Kirkwall. So needless to say, if Anders left the city Valera would be accompanying him whether he wanted her to or not.
The sky had just opened from its cloudy gray skies to allow a torrent of rain to pour down over the party.
Quickly, Anders, Valera, Hawke and Merrill had taken cover in one of the nearby caves on the coast.
It was shallow with only enough space for the four to sit away from each other comfortably with a small used fire pit between them. Anders was attempting to light the charred wood with a small fireball, cursing loudly as the used wood refused to light.
"Its burnt up Anders." Valera told him with an even tone.
"I KNOW THAT!" Anders growled flicking the small fireball into the pile of used wood, lighting one of the smaller less used logs on fire, "Aha!" only to have it go out in a puff of smoke.
"Oh Andraste's flaming ass!"
Valera just rolled her eyes at the blonde mage.
The temperature was dropping quickly with the combination of the rain and the setting of the sun. It seemed the party would be sleeping in the wilds tonight.
A chill racked down Valera's spine, her under leathers and outer plate didn't cover every inch of her skin and leaving her upper arms bare along with the tops of her thighs, her plate skirt barely covering her bottom.
Across the cave Valera saw that Hawke had pulled Merrill to his side, his nose buried in her hair as the elf snuggled gently into his leathered chest. Apparently the pair had become a couple just a few weeks ago and were still that 'puppy love' stage where they felt the need to express their newfound love for each other all over the place. It was like their were in their own private little world that included each other and no one else.
Valera rolled her eyes in disgust as Anders gave up on the fire and leaned on the cave wall next to her.
"It's bloody freezing already." The mage grumbled rubbing his hand together to puff hot air on them. "And the sun's still up."
"Barely." Valera added, mentally agreeing with the apostate. The wind had picked up and had begun to blow some of the rain into the small cave. The air off the ocean was chilly and not assisting in warming the wet adventurers.
Large green elvish eyes blinked at the pair. "You could always sit together. It's much warmer." She nuzzled Hawke to accentuate her point.
Anders and Valera both gawked at the elf. "I'd rather freeze!" They both proclaimed in unison only to glare at each other.
"Oh not good enough for you now Anders!?" Valera questioned her ire rising at the mage.
"She doesn't even know the word cuddle!" Anders proclaim back his arms crossing his chest. "Usually when you have mind blowing sex for hours with myself," Anders touched his chest, "you typically cuddle afterwards, but noooo, not Valera!"
"WHAT?" Valera asked, her voice rising into a shout. "Mind blowing? You must be joking!? I've had better!"
"So have I!" Anders remarked back his voice rising to the same volume as her own. "I've had better with dirty sisters from the Chantry!"
"Cullen was better then you when he was 16 and a virgin!" Valera spat turning her head from the mage efficiently ending her side of the conversation.
"Did he stutter when first stuck it in?" Anders laughed. "V-v-Valera… is i-it in the r-r-right spot!?" He mimicked the horrible stutter Cullen had had when he had been a younger man.
"Why you…" Valera growled before leaping on the mage. She wrestled him to the ground and began to activate her magic subduing powers when Hawke suddenly shouted.
"ENOUGH!"
The mage and templar both froze. Merrill was looking at them both like they were merely giving each other a friendly hug instead of trying to rip each others faces off.
"Get warm." Hawke commanded in his no nonsense voice. "I don't care how you do it. Either put aside your differences for the night or freeze. Regardless, stay quiet so the rest of us can get some sleep!"
Grumbling Valera removed herself from the blonde apostate who fixed his ruffled feather pauldrons while she straightened out her plate shirt that had gone crooked.
Getting frustrated with the armor that wouldn't sit straight Valera unclasped the buckles holding the breastplate up and removed it along with the other heavy metal armor. This left her merely in her under leathers which covered only her most essential parts.
Her leggings were worn like thigh high stockings and stopped halfway up her thigh while her bottoms were simply a piece of cloth that covered her essentials and became a string in the back leaving her bottom bare. Her top was a long enough to cover her belly and was held up by two straps with two arm armors that went from wrist to each armpit.
Anders was gawking at her standing there in her under armor. Valera turned and looked down at him staring up at her. "Anders lets agree to disagree tonight. It's too damn cold to argue and frankly I wont be able to stay warm under all that metal."
Without invitation Valera walked over and sat on the apostates lap, his thighs warm on her bare bottom. She unhooked the front of his robes and slipped her arms under the robes her cold hands splaying over the back of his undershirt.
"Val…"
"Oh just shut up and pretend I'm taking you back to the Circle and we got caught in a snowstorm." Valera ordered laying her head on his chest. Pretend back to when we actually could stand each other. Was the silent command.
A strong hand suddenly cupped her jaw and tilt her head up just enough for Valera to feel a pair of warm lips on her own. Anders pulled back after a moment, a smile in his eyes before he wrapped both arms around her tightly. "You said to pretend we were back then. I definitely would of done that."
Valera buried her face in his shirt with a sudden blush. Apostates!
BREAK
~Sick
"Nooo… I don't want it…!" Anders groaned turning his sweat slicked face away from the spoon that had just been thrust into it.
Valera grit her teeth in annoyance for what felt like the 20th time that hour. "Anders, you're sick. You need to eat to regain your strength."
Anders, usually the one who healed everyone was currently under the weather with something akin to the flu. He had been refusing to do anything other then sleep and Valera had been getting worried. The apostate was looking just a bit too thin and haggard for her tastes. And as his "Official Warden" it was her responsibility to make sure the mage was in good health. Therefore, when the mage had decided to stop eating and bathing and anything else that required him being out of bed, she had taken it upon herself to at least get him something to eat.
Even if she had to force feed him…
"I'm not hungry Val I swear!" Ander protested rolling over and waving a hand in her direction, accidentally hitting the spoon in her hand and knocking it and its contents all over her hide pants.
Valera felt her eyebrow twitch in barely suppressed rage. Mismatched orbs narrowed in on the mage. His skin was slicked in sweat and looked feverish even from the other side of the bed she sat on. He looked like shit and frankly he smelled like it too.
"Anders… You WILL take a bite of this soup or I will make sure it goes down your throat, and it won't be in a pleasant way… trust me." Valera promised watching as the mage gave her a slightly hesitant look before burrowing his face in the pillow.
"Go 'way."
So be it…
Standing jerkily, due to her anger, Valera set down the bowl that had been sitting in her lap on the small nearby night table and turned heel and left the dormitories.
Only to return a few moments later with a wooden pail.
Anders, didn't even stir at the sound of her footsteps. Back to sleep eh? Well… Valera had just the remedy to fix that. Setting the bucket down quietly, she lifted the bowl of soup and took a large sip, pocketing the simple broth in her cheek before lifting the bucket and abruptly dumping the ice cold water from the lake over him.
"ANDRASTES FLAMING ASS!" Anders yelped loudly flipping on his back to sit up quickly. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO A SICK PERSON!?" He bellowed.
Only to be interrupted by a pair of warm lips covering his own.
Valera's hand slid around the back of his head, holding him in place firmly, not allowing him to pull away from their kiss. A small pink tongue was probing his lips and Anders groaned, opening his mouth, only to let in a mouthful of broth.
Choking, Anders throat automatically swallowed the broth, his stomach immediately growling loud FOR MORE.
"That's what I thought." Valera mused hearing his belly grumbling for nourishment. She pulled away from the apostates mouth and picked up the bowl as he scrubbed his mouth with the back of his hand vehemently.
"Now… are you going to eat or do I have to feed you the whole bowl that way?" She asked him and Anders scowled up at her.
Reluctantly, he took the bowl from her and began to sip the broth while giving her a scathing look that said 'this isn't over!.'
Valera smiled brightly taking a her seat again on the small stool. "Once you finis that, we'll work on getting you a nice hot bath. Unless you wanna argue about that too? Don't worry, I'll make sure you get it, one way or another."
BREAK
~Dance
"Val come dance with me!" Anders cheered merrily, the wine obviously having gone to his head just a few hours ago.
Before the Templar Knight could even protest, he grabbed her free hand the one not occupied with a mug of ale and pulled her into his arms. Swinging her around in a drunken twirl, Val couldn't help but giggle. The blonde mage looked so cheered.
It was the New Year and Val had been invited to attend a party at the Hanged Man with Hawke and his companions. Due to the fact that work had been slow and there really was no reason for her to be at home moping alone, Valera had accepted the invitation and had arrived at the Hanged Man just a few hours ago.
By the time she had arrived, most of the bar had already been plastered on strong ales and cheap wines.
Can't beat em! Join em! Had been the traitorous thought that allowed her to pick up the mug of ale that hadn't left her hand since.
A very intoxicated Hawke and Isabella where locked arm in arm and bellowing a rowdy song at the top of their lungs.
Anders sang along loudly, grabbing the templar in a similar pose and swinging her around. Valera laughed along loudly, blaming the alcohol for allowing the apostate the casual touch and uncharacteristic laughter.
~END