The promised second update. A slightly more... visceral chapter, this time - I'm not one for pointless, gratuitous fight scenes (and, frankly, not very good at them), but I kept wanting to balance out the invincible, video game element with the "sympathetic character that can be hurt" and teamwork elements; this is what came out of that. Some purely experimental, probably one-off violence.
To refer to chapter 15: I write healers as feeling sympathetic pain from others, to know what to heal. Odd little theory, but it seemed to fit.
Interdependence
Morgana
The wolves are upon them before they can think, before they can breathe - a mass of gnashing teeth, claws and fur. She falls backwards under the weight of one of them, letting out a curse before pushing it off her with the combined force of a stonefist and then her sword; she scrabbles for purchase as the wolf reels, earth finding its way under her nails, until a larger, calloused hand is on hers, pulling her up and away from the beast. His arm still under her shoulders, steadying her, Alistair gives her a small smile and then steps back into the fighting.
She swallows, looking round and seeing Leliana fall; she pushes out the mana, feeling a sudden echo of pain in her knee and hip, and panics. Broken?
She counts on Morrigan and Alistair to take the fight, backing away from the remaining wolves and running to her friend.
The woman is slumped by the fallen wolf, nearly lying on the floor; she's breathing heavily, pulling herself slowly up on a tree, and looks up at her approach, giving her a smile that's beautiful even through blood. Morgana presses a hand to the former bard's thigh, feeling the warmth flow outwards and pulling the bone back into place. Leliana winces once, then stands, brushing herself off. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"
They exchange smiles and run back into the battlefield, Morgana letting loose a storm of ice; it's then that she's caught with a claw, gasping and staggering back, feeling its breath on her face. She touches her cheek, her hand coming away bloody, and suddenly Alistair is in front of her, the words next to her ear her ear even now, through his gritted teeth in the middle of a fight. "Get behind me."
She nods and obliges, his shield in front of her, then exhales slowly, shaking his pain from her hand and wincing. Three broken fingers. She touches a hand to her cheek, feeling the gashes begin to close, and then blinks, concentrating; she sees his hand waver on the shield as her magic works, then he's gripping it harder and she's stepping forward, beside Morrigan, the mage looking to her with a furious smile on her face. She holds aside her sword, adding her own flames to Morrigan's, and soon the last wolf falls.
Alistair sheathes his sword, giving her a grin. "Well, that was..." He pauses, bringing a hand to his brow and sighing. "Thank the Maker for healing."
"Thank Andraste for shields," she counters, grinning, not seeing the surprise cross his face.