Warden Gothic – Even More Camping
As it turned out finding Haven hadn't been that hard. Arl Eamon, as one might imagine, had a war room, and in that war room had been lots of maps. Some of them were quiet old and some had been made more recently, therefore it hadn't been hard to figure out where Haven was. Well it had been for me as this wasn't my world, but between the others they had it figured out.
In my view going directly there was the smartest move as it would allow us to avoid having to run around the countryside looking for Brother Genitivi. Doing that would only put the Dragon Cult on alert and likely get people killed. Were as if we just turned up we'd catch the cult off guard and hopefully have an easier time getting the ashes.
However something had come along to divert us. Finally we'd run into the merchant that had the control rod for Shale. Which of course meant a taking a detour to Honnleath.
This wasn't something I minded as Shale would come in handy and if events did follow the game then we should arrive in time to save a few people from the Darkspawn, which was a big part of what the Grey Warden were all about.
The only people who had objected to the diversion were Alistair and Sten. Alistair at least had been easy to convince, he understood that we needed allies and resources. A Golem was both.
As for Sten I had expected him to challenge my leadership, and back in Redcliffe I'd found something that would assure him that I did in fact know what I was doing.
I'd found the The Sword of the Beresaad at the Blacksmiths in Redcliffe. I'd not known for sure if it was Sten's sword, but I'd figured that it just had to be because the timing was just too perfect.
As soon as I'd declared that we were going to Honnleath, Sten had started to protest. Complaining that none of what we were doing would led to defeating the Arch-demon. Which was wrong because everything seemed to be following the plot, more or less, and I had the impression that something or someone had things planned out.
Knowing that I needed to sort this matter out before Sten turned on me I'd taken the giant humanoid aside, and then I had taken out the carefully wrapped sword. I'd told him that I had known that the sword was his and that he'd needed it back. I'd then gone to explain that I also knew how the Blight could be ended, and that I knew all of this because I felt that I was being guided.
Which was true I did feel drawn to do certain things. The spirit within me was not controlling me, and I didn't think that it actually could outside the Fade in any case. However I was being guided and supported along a certain path, and that had included going to the blacksmiths.
Sten hadn't really know what to make of that, but he had the proof he needed that I did understand what needed to be done, and that I understood what my team mates needed from me. In his mind there could no other explanation. He knew I wasn't a Mage, and seemed willing to accept that this knowledge of mine was not dangerous.
At once he'd called me basalit-an. Which was very flattering actually as it was pretty high praise for a Sten to see me as a worthy foe. Also I was pretty sure that Sten had then given me some sort of oath of loyalty. He hadn't offered any sort of explanation as to what he had said, but had it felt like such a thing.
Sten had actually explained the whole thing better to Oggy than to me. The impression I'd been left with was that the whole thing was more like restoring a lost limb to a disabled person rather than buying a sword.
Of course I found it odd that he hadn't questioned it much. The Spirit of Leadership was no doubt behind this. People seemed to trust me far more than they should considering that I did weird things like glow around demons and the Spawn.
Overall I was just happy that the gifts I'd gotten everyone had cheered them all up. It was nice to be in camp without any tension between people, it wouldn't last but for now I could relax.
The peace had given the chance to start writing in my journal. The book was already filled with not just accounting of my actions, but also some knowledge from my world.
Sadly most of it was useless because I had no complete understanding of anything that could benefit the people here. I knew lots of bits and pieces, but I'd not been educated to level that would allow to do something like build a steam engine. I understood the basics of the science, boiling water creates steams and such. I even knew that James Watts had been the one to make the steam engine feasible to the point were they could go on to power trains. But there were so many gaps in my knowledge. I couldn't draw a diagram so even I showed my ideas to the Dwarves they would never be able to build one.
So I'd moved onto biology for a while. I'd written down the basics of photosynthesis, human reproduction and then I'd then moved on to explaining germs and why they caused infections. The people here used magic to heal wounds and prevent infections, but I didn't think they understood medicine as a science, aside from herbalism. Again I didn't think it would led to anything but maybe one day a clever Mage would see these notes and start to think about non-magical means of healing.
I even put in words exactly how to perform first aid, just in case this could ever help someone.
Then I'd gone back to physics. I'd explained stuff like 'What goes up must come down' and 'objects in motion tend to stay in motion' and 'for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction'.
The only thing that might work out in the near future were my ideas for guns and cannons. I didn't actually know how gunpowder worked, the Quarni might but even if Sten knew he wouldn't tell me, however they had lyrium sand which was explosive. The trick would be getting the mixture right. There needed to be enough to force the bullet to come flying out of the rifle, but not so much that when you ignited the sand that you destroyed the gun.
Dangerous yes, but no impossible to find out and I knew from Dragon Age Awakening that there were Dwarves who understood some of the science needed for using the sand as a weapon.
Cannons might actually be easier to manage as Dwarves were good with metal and mining required a good understanding of explosives.
"The stars are out" Lee commented.
Once more Leliana had somehow once more taken me completely by surprise. I had no idea how she did it, well I actually had this inkling that it was because I actually trusted her and therefore I lowered my guard enough that her presence never registered as a threat, but that was just a theory.
"It's a clear night" I replied
The Bard then went on to tell me the story about the princess and the solider. I didn't protest as I liked her stories. Sure they girly but they it wasn't like I watch television or look at porn.
"A long time ago, there lived a fair maiden called Alindra. She had many suitors, but spurned them all, for she did not love them. One day, Alindra was sitting by her window in her father's castle, singing and dreaming, when her lovely voice caught the attention of a young soldier. Entranced by her song, the soldier drew near to Alindra's window. As their eyes met, he fell in love with her, and she with him. When Alindra told her father about the man she had chosen, he was furious, for Alindra was high-born, but her love nothing more than a common soldier. To keep them apart, he had Alindra imprisoned in the highest tower of his castle and sent her soldier to the wars. Alas, not a month had passed before news of the soldier's death reached Alindra. Alone in her tower, Alindra wept for her love and beseeched the gods to deliver her from this cruel world. So earnest was her plea that the gods themselves were moved. They gathered Alindara into their arms and lifted her hight into the heavens, where she became a star. The gods also raised up the soul of Alindara's soldier love and there he dwells, across the horizon from her. The band of stars between them is a river of Alindra's tears, cried for her lost love.
They say that when Alindra has cried enough, she will be able to cross the river to be reunited with her soldier".
Judging by her wishful expression Lee found that sort of tale very romantic, although why I didn't know. The whole thing was rather morbid really.
"This story is one of my favourites, a tale of a love so great and so enduring that it defies death, and moves the gods to action. Sometimes I ask myself, does such a love exist? Can it exist?"
Fuck what was I suppose to say to that
"I... well... I'd..."
"Do you know any stories about the stars?" Lee inquired when it became clear that I didn't have an answer for her.
"I do but these aren't my stars" I explained "my world has different stars".
I'd checked out the night sky and I hadn't found anything remotely familiar. No Big Dipper, no Orion's belt, there wasn't even a North Star. No Venus either so this wasn't an alternate version of Earth. I was either in a totally different dimension or a completely different part of my own universe. I doubted that I was even in the Milky Way.
"You must know some stories" Lee said.
"I know a few" I informed "but the only ones I know off by heart are for bedtime stories for children".
Being the eldest of my mother's children as well as an uncle to a niece who loved being read to had ensured that I had quite the collection stored in my head.
"Have you been writing them down?" The Bard asked, just as she reached for my journal/notebook.
"I was writing about my world's scientific understanding" I began to explain "I was hoping to find something that could improve people's lives".
Not that guns did that, but silverite bullets would be bloody lethal to the Darkspawn, and cannons could actually help that race reclaim some of what they had lost.
Unfortunately that wasn't the part she read.
"Men aren't suppose to know about such things!" Lee said while blushing.
She'd found the bit about sexual reproduction then. That was embarrassing.
"I can't believe that a woman told you about... that time of the month"
So they called it that here too.
"It's common knowledge back home" I explained "it's part of our education. Men don't exactly talk about it, but you kind of figure out that there's connection between..."
I never got to finish.
"This is so embarrassing" Lee commented "I mean you know that happens to me... and you don't care at all, do you?"
"No" I replied "it's none of my business I was just trying to remember the things I was taught as a child".
That really shocked the Bard. Her cheeks were now redder than her hair.
"They tell little boys about this" she said as if was the biggest scandal ever.
I'd have to handle this carefully
"Well sort of. We get told how babies are made and how they grow inside a woman, but they only explain about... that personal issue to the girls, but my world has books about it. Doctors... I mean healers have to know, and everyone who goes to school knows the basics of how human bodies work in case we want to be healers when we grow up.
Actually I couldn't recall the full details as most of the class had been trying not to explode into laughter the entire time. I'd gotten confused about the actually mechanics of sex as the nurse who had given the talk had gotten to the bit about how intercourse started then people had started laughing. By the time things had calmed down we'd gotten onto the stuff about conception. But I'd had no idea what happened between inserting your penis into the vagina and ejaculation because everyone had been having giggle massive attacks at that point.
Of course I'd only ten years old at the time so it hadn't really been that important that I knew, as the finer details was something your parents ought to sit you down and explain. Nurses aren't suppose to encourage you to have sex or discourage you either, they to stick the clinical aspects in order to avoid bias or at least the one at my school had.
"In Orlais boys are never told these things" Lee explained "girls are. I was taught to hide... such things, and how to divert attention from it".
By that I assumed she meant that if a man, like say a husband, wanted sex at that point then she would know ways to satisfy him that didn't involve taking all her clothes off and spreading her legs.
"I can't believe you know so much about women" said Lee next "how I am suppose to maintain my aura of feminine mystery now?"
With that I carefully tore out the pages about sexual reproduction and through in the fire. Wasteful given that paper wasn't cheap in these parts but hopefully the gesture would be appreciated.
She didn't say anything on the matter, but she got the message. I was going to pretend I didn't know all that I did just to make her feel better.
"I enjoy the nights at camp the night always seems more peaceful, to me. Safer" she said, once the paper had finished burning.
If she wanted to change to subject then that was fine with me.
"Helps that were miles away from everyone else" I commented.
Bandits tended to stick near to roads, as the Spawn since they liked to ambush people. Fields like this didn't even tend to be used by farmers as they were hidden away behind lots of trees. Plus we didn't camp within sight of any streams or rivers people tended to follow them as well.
"I feel the night grants us a reprieve from the troubles of the day. Silly, isn't it? The Darkspawn never sleep, and they lurk in the shadows".
Did they sleep? I know they liked the dark, but they were living things. Not natural ones but they weren't constructs. Surely they had to sleep sometimes.
"Well there aren't any nearby" I assured "I'd sense it".
Alistair had a much better talent for that, but it might just be a matter of experience, or training since he had more of both. In fact he was currently patrolling around the perimeter of the the camp-site right now, keeping his senses open for any sign of hostile life.
Leliana couldn't sense the Darkspawn so we often worked together when on guard. We'd never actually been attack while in the camp, but on the road I tended to walk with her so she'd see them while I would feel them. Then we'd either avoid them or attack if Alistair more fine tuned senses told him that it wasn't a large group.
"I enjoy those nights when we stand guard together, talking to pass the time in those small hours... well, I talk and you listen, a lot".
The older of my two younger sisters could talk for hours none stop. I learned long ago to nod and make agreeing noises without really hearing what was being said by a woman long before I'd ever gotten a girlfriend. Yet I could nearly always add something to the subject if asked to. It was good skill to have if you didn't want an upset partner or female sibling.
"Sometimes I succumb to sleep, and wake to find you still watchful and I know you're watching out for me".
I hadn't realised into recently that I did do that sort of thing. I was protective of Lee. Not that I really needed to be as she was capable looking after herself, but she seemed to be grateful anyway.
"Of course I am" I said "I don't want anything to happen to you".
Without realising it I'd started writing again. I was also thinking about stories and had started to write down a few titles of tales that Lee might like. Which made me realise that I was actually falling in love, because that was a really sappy thing to do. If I wasn't careful I'd be writing
"What are you writing now?" she asked.
"I was just thinking about bed time stories" I said, perhaps because I was tired "I know a few that involve brave heroes who save princesses".
Which in my view were very old fashioned and a bit wrong, as they only enforced gender roles and I didn't really agree with them even I did find sexually submissive women attractive. Of course just because I wanted a partner to act submissve towards me. that didn't mean I wanted all women to think in such ways when it came to the other aspects of their lives.
In fact for Lee the attitude of thinking that she needed a man to save her was actually rather dangerous. Not that she did think in such ways, it was clearly a fantasy thing for her. Maybe she liked to be like a princess but she wasn't foolish enough to ignore reality for a dream.
"It's getting late. I think I might... turn in early. I can't help thinking about how soft and warm my bedroll is".
Yeah it was late. I should try and sleep as well. I had the morning watch later. I had to be up so Alistair could get at least four hours sleep. During our travels he'd explained that Wardens didn't need as much sleep as other people but we did need some because tiredness made you sluggish in a fight. Oddly neither of us had realised that this was so until a weeks on the road together.
Normally this wasn't as much of issue anyway, but we were closer to the main body of the Spawn now and therefore needed to be on our guard more.
"Sleep tight" I said as Lee started to walk over to where she had moved her tent.
"You know I enjoy your company. But I am cold and I'd prefer to be in my bedroll, were it is warm and soft unlike the ground you are lying on".
"Do you need some more blankets?" I asked, figuring that she might be hinting that she wasn't comfortable with the ground we'd set camp upon.
Rather than answer she got religious on me.
"You know The Maker says we must share our blessings".
"Does that mean you want my blankets?" I asked.
She was welcome to them. I didn't have much trouble sleeping these days. The nightmares sometimes woke me up earlier than I would like but I could get to sleep even on hard ground these days.
"Dear Journal" the Bard was saying even I started writing again "Leliana has shown much affection for me. Even asked me to come to bed with her, but alas, subtlety is lost on me for I mean a silly man who..."
Okay I must have been more tired than I thought to have missed that offer.
"Right yes" I said "I do like warm and soft".
The sad thing was that I had actually started to write that all down.
"Good. Now come with me, before I actually have to say what it is I want. I'm still trying to be mysterious you know".
Yep women are strange.
(Line Break, POV Shift)
Morrigan walked into the circle of light and sat down next to the camp fire, rather close to Alistair. Given the direction the witch was looking in the former Templar knew at once that Morrigan had not come over for his company.
"Decided to grace us with your presence?" he said.
"And who is this 'us'?" Morrigan replied. "Tis just you and I here".
True enough. Everyone else was either sleep or walking around the edge of the camp. Mostly they were trying to ignore what was going on in the Bard's tent. Leliana and Alistair's fellow Warden were hardly making much noise or otherwise drawing much attention, but it wasn't hard to guess what they were up to.
Still the royal bastard was glad that were at least trying to be discrete, and judging by Leliana giggling they were actually having sex just fooling around. But he was no expert on such matters.
"So you came all the way over her just to talk to me? I'm both flattered and a little worried"
"Fool" Morrigan replied. "You know very well why I'm here."
Alistair nodded. He had to admit he was a little jealous himself. Not of either of his friends, but of the fact that he wasn't able to do such things. Not that there was anyone around he wished to do such things with, but it would have been nice if there had been someone.
Morrigan kept her eyes on white tent that had been moved just outside the light of the fire and listened to Leliana laugh softly as she talked about something very enjoyable with Gothic. It was a quiet night and Leliana's voice carried far in the still air. Even muted by the tent's canvas, it was almost possible to make out the words.
The witch Morrigan didn't understand the gibberish Leliana kept switching to, but she catch the odd word of it when Gothic spoke it more slowly. Apparently he knew a bit of that tongue. But then again, she didn't need to understand the words. She knew the feeling behind what was said well enough.
Alistair apparently had a better understanding of what the Bard was now trying to teach Gothic to say. Or at least Morrigan judged it to be so as he cleared his throat noisily and got to his feet.
"I should get back to my watch," he said softly.
"Then leave," Morrigan snapped.
Alistair looked at her as though he was about to say something, but evidently thought better of it.
Sometime later the witch scowled and left as well.
(Line Break. POV Shift)
Leliana spoke softly, while stroking the dark hair of the Warden who was contentedly resting his head upon her bare lap. It was a story, a rather naughty one about two high born ladies in a bath tub. Gothic had a very limited understanding of what he called French, but he seemed to comprehend the theme the story. The Bard fully intended for him to learn her language. She'd be able to tell him a lot of interesting stories that way and he'd be eager to understand the details.
Leliana knew the tale of by heart, mostly because it was about her and she written it down in a few different dairies, so she didn't need to think much about what was she was saying. So her thoughts turned to the man she'd already fallen in love with.
At first it had been difficult to get a read on Gothic. He was a warrior, someone who could kill without remorse, but he was also rather gentle as well. At least with her. He always listened to whoever needed his aid, and he always tried help, even if he clearly didn't enjoy being a hero.
That had been somewhat puzzling to the Bard. In Leliana's experience, most people who secretly liked to be kind and generous didn't then go and go and slaughter bandits with cold, steely hatred. At least not on a regular basis.
Of course, he had become more openly kind the more time he'd spent with her, and mostly it was directed at her, but always there was that hint of a ruthless bastard. He killed that Sloth demon with a weapon she couldn't of imagined ever existing and he had utterly destroyed the creature with great satisfaction.
Then there was that whole glowing thing. Leliana had never asked about that as for her it was a sure sign that the Maker was aiding the Warden. What else could it be.
Absolute silence filled the tent when the last of the words left Leliana's lips. It had been a very dirty story but Gothic seemed quite happy to lie there while Leliana devoted her whole attention to him.
In some ways he was such a big softy. He'd been quite gently with her, in fact she'd had to speed things up otherwise they'd never of gotten to this point, and she was enjoying this tender moment a lot.
Leliana had fooled around with many people in her life, men and women alike, and most of them had been far better at it than Gothic. But that wasn't to say that he didn't know what he was doing, because he really did, it was just that he clearly saw her as something delicate. Which was nice actually but she liked a little more roughness in a man.
So deep in thought was she that the red headed woman failed to notice that the Warden's head had moved. The Bard suddenly gasped when she felt the Warden's mouth on her breasts.
The man from another world then began kissing her breasts, slowly but intently and every time her lips met her skin Leliana's arousal grew. He really did know a woman's body that was for sure.
Gothic's kisses wandered across her chest, seemingly without direction and with no apparent purpose other than to make the Bard want more. Leliana squirmed slightly while wishing that the man who direct his kisses elsewhere. However she did not give voice to that growing desire
She would not dream of telling her Gothic to do anything, she felt happy to let him take control of things. Which was natural by now as she did follow his commands outside of the tent already.
Not that he seemed to enjoy ordering people about, which she supposed was a good thing. He didn't seem the type to go power mad even if she did think that he actually enjoyed being powerful and respected.
The red head moaned with arousal and sighed with lust. She felt a bite and then Leliana yelped, for a brief instant as the Warden bit her. It was a strange sensation, yet it was also very welcome.
He was being more aggressive this time and she badly wanted him to be. So overall it was good but she also felt nervous because she knew that soon she would no longer be in control of her own body. However she could not stop what was happening even if she had wanted to.
Something between a moan and a small scream escaped from Leliana's hand covered mouth when Gothic's hand began to explore her wetness. The Bard began squirming and shaking, her own hands were doing everything they could to keep her from falling to the ground while also trying to stop herself from waking other people up.
It didn't escape Leliana that the Warden was not being so gentle this time. Somehow he seemed to know that his woman, for that was exactly what she was now, needed a bit more roughness in a man. However that wasn't to say that he in anyway hurting her. It was just that on some level he seemed to know exactly what it was she needed.
The Bard soon found it hard to stay sitting up she collapsed on the bed roll and let herself be explored and played with. They were still getting to know each other, so there was no rush to take things too far. Gothic might not have long to live, but they could wait a day or two more. Assuming of course the Warden didn't figure out exactly how much he made Leliana want to submit to him.
"Laissez-moi vous plaisir" she whispered.
Gothic either didn't hear her or didn't understand what the Bard had just said. So she put her words into action. She moved her head so that she could take the Warden's manhood into her mouth and started doing what she done more than few times to get a man to think that she adored him. The only difference this time was that it was actually how she really felt.
The effort paid off the Warden relaxed and let her do all the work. She'd enjoyed being touched both gently and not so gently but right now she wanted to make him happy. She was no novice at this sort of things. Bards are after all spies and men do tend to spill secrets with their seed, she was good at getting both out of them.
Before long she got exactly what she wanted, but by then she was tired to care about anything that could be said. They would both have time for talk later, for now she just wanted to curl up in his arms and know that someone she was sharing a bed with actually cared for her.
(Line Break. POV Shift)
When I woke up I found Lee watching me sleep with an adoring look upon her face. Either she was incredible actress or she really was in love. Honestly I had no idea which it was, and right now I was somewhere between feeling loved and thinking that Leliana was more than a little creepy.
"Did you sleep at all?" I asked.
"Quite well actually" she replied "I just wanted to watch you sleep for a while"
Yeah she was either totally in love with or obsessed to the point of becoming a serial killer. Although sometimes that could be the same thing.
"In fact I felt safe in your arms. Safe, loved and accepted. It was as if I found where I belong. Oh and I very much enjoyed the other things we did as well".
At least she didn't mention wanting to keep my eyelashes in a jar. That was just wrong, very wrong.
"Same here" I replied.
Although I was wondering when I'd gotten naked. That could have been very embarrassing if we'd come under attack. So I decided to start dressing even as Leliana pouted a bit at the idea.
"We should get up" I pointed out "I need take over Alistair, poor bloke must dead on his feet by now".
"Yes the Darkspawn surely wait with bated breath for you to put them out of their misery!"
I found it rather attractive that she seemed to enjoy the idea of me slaying countless Spawn. Maybe it even turned her on.
"Shame they won't just queue up and let me kill them one at a time" I mused "my arms would get really sore but hey it would save us from having to chase them around the countryside".
Lee laughed at that despite the fact that it hadn't really been funny. Which convinced me that she was in fact in love and the fact that I found her to be adorable while being so silly convinced me that I was really feeling it to.
Which didn't suck.
(End Chapter)
Author Note
Finally the romance stuff is over. I can get back to the action and hopefully write some real sex scenes that all fun and light on feelings.
Also Shale will be in the next chapter and she is always awesome.