[I almost deleted this chapter - but, it will remain as a character study: it is when you face death when those things that are not essential are stripped away and you are left with only that which matters to you. ]

[Continues the story of Talita da Motta, by her own hand.]

[note: Bioware owns all rights to the world of Dragon Age]

Chapter 15: Welcome to Fereldan

Without the searing pain, I would have thought myself dead.

But, by the Maker's Blessing, there was pain. A whole sodding lot of it.

My entire middle was on fire.

Strangely, something was scraping my legs in a way that, probably, should have been quite painful too.

Before I could decide what exactly that meant, and how upset should be about it, the tide picked me up and set me down roughly against some other equally hard and unforgiving surfaces. Rocks, I decided.

Those were not any more comfortable than the first set.

I tried to remember who I was, and why I was in so much pain.

Seawater foamed over me, trying to crawl up my nostrils.

I coughed. More pain.

Still no luck on remembering why I should be lying against the rocks, my middle feeling like it was on fire, but the rest of me wet and cold as a corpse. Somewhere, behind my eyelids, was a seductive warmth, and if I closed them again, I just might find that warm, quiet place ...

A moan.

I wasn't alone? A small part of me recognized that fact and labeled it as being urgent, a reason not to close my eyelids and drift away.

"Talita…."

For a heartbeat, I did not recognize my own name.

Then, it all came back.

Juca!

I tried to move, and was panicked that my limbs did not seem to be responding.

"Juca!" I tried to call. Thunder was still rolling, although it was distant, and the sound of the storm waves crashing among the rocks was too loud. Also, my lungs seemed strangely full of lead.

I tried again to move. Fighting off another freezing deluge of seawater, I managed to pull myself up a little higher onto the boulder I was wedged against. I was numb, and frozen, and hurt. In the occasional flash of distant light, I saw blood dripping and pooling. In hindsight, I thought, perhaps being so numb you could not feel your own limbs could be a good thing…

"Juca!" I called again.

Another wave cruelly slammed me against the boulder. A lumpy protrusion smashed up against my middle and suddenly I was retching into the flotsam.

Seawater. Another type of burn, this time in my throat. I drew a deeper breath, however, once the coughing stopped.

Pieces of thick, jagged ice swirled around me, broken off from my armor, it seems. My sluggish brain decided this was important to know. Ice?

Juca. He'd frozen us somehow, and made us float to the shore! I imagined a raft of ice, centered around my middle, keeping my head out of the water.

It explained the burning of my ice-frozen skin.

"Juca!"

I had to find him, and get him out of the water! Panic warmed my blood, and somehow, I was able to climb over the rock and slip down on the shore side of things, which shielded me from the worst of the stormy waves. I did not want to be pulled back out to sea. Juca could not be too far away. I managed to stand, although I could not feel my legs. I was grateful to the Maker that they still worked, somewhat. I leaned against the boulder, and waited for a flash of lightning.

The shore was ugly. Piled with stones and boulders, it was nothing like the white, warm, sandy shores of Rivain. The storm surge had carried me up above the normal high tide mark and I could see a dark, looming forest not far away.

But there was no sign of my mage. I called out again and listened intently. Come on, Juca, I willed. A dizziness was edging my thoughts and I suddenly feared that I would pass out before I found him.

Maker, please.

A glint of white caught my eye. More broken pieces of ice! My heart leapt! Juca would be near those, I wagered. I tried to hurry in that direction, but fell instead onto the cruel rocks. The waves tried their best to return me to the sea.

No!

I would not let Juca die out here. Not after he had saved us both from drowning. I found my way to my feet again. Cautiously, slowly, I tried to make progress. It was exhausting. I could not believe I was so weak. It would have been hilarious if we weren't so close to dying; it seemed to be taking me hours to cross a space of twenty feet! Even with boulders and pounding storm surge, I should have been able to do so much more!

Near where an odd chunk of ice was trapped between two jagged rocks, I found a heap of mage robes, all tangled and torn.

My hands were shaking as I propped myself close enough to reach for him.

There was still warmth inside the robes!

Relief flooded through my veins; relief so real that it was warm and tingled through my body, much like one of Juca's potions…

Potions!

I rustled rudely through his robes and found his satchel, which was down in the water. My fingers were mostly numb, but I worked at the buckles, slipped my hand inside, and found one of the small vials.

Rotten weeds have never tasted so very good. No, not just good, delicious!

Maker! My heart seemed to beat correctly, again. Heat warmed my numb limbs. New pains clamored for attention, but I welcomed them. I may have even laughed. I was alive!

I stoppered the vial again, having left half for Juca. I held the potion with my teeth while I fought Juca free of the robes which entangled him, and pulled him upright against the boulder behind us. Blood flowed from where he had hit his head, and one of his arms was hanging at a wrong angle, but he was still breathing!

I unstoppered the vial, spit the cork into the water, and held it to his lips. How does one make someone swallow, I wondered.

I gave him a little shake. "Juca! Drink this!"

I poured a few drops of the potion into his mouth. It drizzled out!

"Juca! Please! Swallow!"

Another wave rolled over us, but it only soaked our legs; the storm was beginning to recede.

I felt him move! He groaned, again.

More potion! "DRINK THIS!" I ordered.

Thankfully, I did not accidentally drown him in potion. It may have been a near thing, however. I held him as he coughed and choked. The magic worked, and he found his breath…

He opened his eyes. And smiled.

My amazing, brilliant, charming, brave, mage; what was I going to do with him?

"Welcome to Ferelden," I said.

Next, they meet the new neighbors ... :-)

[A/N: If you have ever been to the shores of Maine (in the US) then you can picture the coast of Fereldan just north of Gwaren perfectly. In fact, if you Google Image search the words "Maine shore" the first picture you see (at Sunyside park Acadia National Forest) is exactly as I imagine it to be. I have close family that lives and works at that National Park :-)]

Comments are always welcome! Especially if this VERY drawn out scene didn't seem to work for you ... TY!