A/N: So, as a present for the recent reviewer, I decided to post this one early...and the next one...so you'll only have to wait one more day for the FINAL. Lol. So, thank Nefelle for this! And enjoy the wait for smut. MWAHAHA
His reply had surprised her. "So soon?"
Haiden smiled. "Yeah, the Arishok has already given orders to leave tomorrow morning. I knew you would be going to Kont-aar so I figured, since your leg is healed, I would head back to Dairsmuid."
"Oh." Sicilia was a little saddened to see her friend leave. Haiden had been there for her and helped her throughout the whole ordeal. "I'll see you when I come back, right?"
"It's alright. I don't expect you to come back." He noticed Sicilia's questioning look. "I've seen how you are with the Arishok," he said with a soft smile. "I don't think your journey will stop at Kont-aar. But if you do decide to return, you know where to find me. It's been an honor knowing you, Sicilia. Take care of yourself." With that, he was gone.
A quiet tear fell slowly down her cheek. In a way, she knew that he was right. Sicilia did not love Haiden, but she cared for him as any friend would. A pain rose behind her eyes, threatening to break, but she pushed it away. She had never lost a friend before and she was tempted to go after him. Knowing this would only hurt him and herself, she refrained. She tucked her hair behind her left ear, feeling the familiar pearl. A smile emerged; she knew, somewhere deep down, that it wouldn't be the last time they would meet. It certainly wouldn't be soon, but someday she would see him again.
The night came quickly. Everyone was busy putting the last things away; the only items left to pack were the tents. Sicilia had spent her day walking and stretching. The few days without moving around had caused her muscled to tighten. As she sat by the fire, she massaged the muscle in her thigh. Some movements still seemed painful, but for the most part, she was able to move freely.
"Have you made your decision?" The Arishok sat beside her near the fire. There weren't many Qunari still awake and only a few were outside of their tents.
"I'm going to Kont-aar. I need to see my brother," she said staring into the fire.
"Then you should rest. We leave at dawn," he said standing. The Arishok held his hand down to her. Stunned, she looked at it curiously, but took it nonetheless. His hand was warm and calloused; her hand nearly disappeared within it. He pulled her to her feet and followed behind her to his tent.
Once Sicilia had fallen to sleep, the Arishok sat up in his chair. His hand still burned from her touch. He knew, now, that he wanted her. Never before had he wanted a mate; he never felt the need. However, this female had invaded his mind every day and night since they first met. Yes, Sicilia would join them on their journey to Kont-aar, but would she convert and go to Par Vollen? He would have little more than a week to convince her that the Qun was where she belonged, with him.
The morning they left had been a beautiful one. The skies were clear and the air no longer held heat. As the day wore on, they had only stopped once. Sicilia walked through the dull pain in her leg. It had become only a minor limp, but the endless walking was helping.
By the second day, they had made it out of the forest. Sicilia's pain was nearly gone and she had asked Markl to spar with her. It was a welcome change to being bedridden. Granted, the moon was waning so there was hardly any light, but that minor amount was all she needed.
"Sicilia, what's taking so long?" Markl whined.
"Oh, be quiet! This damn wrapping is constricting. I don't know why I put it on anyways! Waa!" she yelled as she tugged at the knot before she lost her balance.
Markl laughed watching her fall. "You can take down a rage demon, but you can't untie a knot that you tied yourself?"
"Ha! Got it!" She tossed the wrapping to the side before standing. Looking down at her leg, she noticed the hand shaped indention. All she could do was smile; that scar would be her pride and joy for many years to come. "Alright, I'm ready now!" Markl dodged her first incoming punch before simply picking her up on his shoulder. "Hey, Markl!" she laughed. "Put me down! Quit joking around."
"Oh, fine. I won't go easy on you, though, not after you took down that mage all by yourself."
"Good. I don't want you to."
He sat, watching the two spar. It was entertaining, at first, but once the two became serious, he couldn't take his eyes off her. Even though she had been injured for nearly a week, her form hadn't been effected.
The Arishok hadn't talked to Sicilia much since they started towards Kont-aar. Although he had wanted to, he just never did. He kept putting it off. Sicilia still slept in his bed and they talked about things, yes, but their conversations had never been about them or her plans. The Arishok found that he finally knew fear. He was fearful of the uncertainty.
"You aren't that much of a challenge," she said once she had planted Markl to the ground.
"What?" Markl's jaw dropped, but he laughed as he stood.
"Spar with me, Arishok!"
The Arishok gazed at her smiling face. Sighing, he stood to remove his armor and weapons. Markl dusted off his pants and took a seat to one side. This is going to be good, Markl thought to himself. The shear difference in size could be a weakness or a strong point for both of them. The Arishok's build made him stronger, but Sicilia's small frame made her the quickest.
"Don't go easy on me," she said settling into a stance.
"I had not planned to."
They started off slow; Sicilia threw a few punches to judge the Arishok's reaction time. Once he had an opening, he hit her shoulder, knocking her back a few steps. Sicilia merely grounded herself and drew in for another round. This time, she tried hitting various parts of his body, looking for weak points. The only weakness she could find was that he was slower than she.
The fight drew on, neither gaining an advantage. Both had gotten their hits in, but neither had fallen. Sicilia and the Arishok were at an equal level. Markl yawned and decided that it was best to leave the two alone. He smiled to himself as he walked back to camp. Maybe now their feelings will come across.
Sicilia dodged a kick and sent a punch towards his chest, which made contact, but hardly knocked any breath from him. She needed to change her strategy or else this fight would go on all night. Weaknesses, weaknesses. Find a weakness, damn it, she screamed in her mind. The only fault the Arishok had, to her knowledge, was his size. She had to use it against him or else she wouldn't win. She was beginning to feel some slight bruising on her shoulder and arms. If she was going to do it, it had to be soon.
As the Arishok put his weight into a punch, she turned, allowed the punch to pass her, grabbed his shoulder, and pulled. He fell to his knees and used his hands to stop him from falling completely. Sicilia threw all her weight on his back, sending him to the ground as she straddled his back.
Feeling quite pleased with herself, she leaned down to his ear and whispered, "I win." She heard a growl and quickly dodged his horns that were swung in her direction. Toppling off his back and onto the ground, she whined, "Hey, that's not fair. You've got permanent weaponry!"
Sicilia laughed, but quickly stopped when the Arishok placed his hands on either side of her. His face was only inches from her own. The expression wasn't one that Sicilia could place; she'd never seen him this way before. His eyes, darker than ever, poured into her gold ones. Her breath hitched as her chest jumped into her throat. She couldn't look away, even when blood rushed to her cheeks.
The Arishok looked away. Before Sicilia could say anything, he stood. "We should return to camp." She took the hand that was held out for her and they headed towards his tent. Sicilia had thought that what had started would continue once they were inside, but it didn't. The Arishok didn't say anything; he hardly looked at her. At first, she thought that the Arishok was angry because of what had almost happened. Sicilia told herself that wasn't true. If he was angry with her, then wouldn't he ask her to leave? Would he have even helped her up like he had?
She really didn't know what to think. It wasn't something that she could figure out so easily. A part of her wanted to say something, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. One thing was for sure. She knew the expression now. The look on the Arishok's face when he was above her could only be one thing. Lust.