I'm sorry this is a bit late. I struggled and dithered with the first half and only passed it to WellspringCD to beta late on Friday! Many thanks to her for speedy beta duties, above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you to all who read, and especially those who leave reviews!
Fearghal caught Alistair's eye and grinned as the crowd in the Proving Ground roared its approval. Both men bowed in the direction of the balcony where the Orzammar nobility were seated, then made their way to the small gate at the edge of the arena.
Once back at the quarters they'd been allocated, Fearghal was relieved to see that Zevran had returned in time for the final bout.
"How did it go, Zev?" Fearghal loosened his armour, allowing Morrigan to check for any concealed injuries. He was bruised, and not a bit battered, and grunted with relief as Morrigan's soothing magic eased the worst of his aches and pain, rejuvenating him slightly.
"Ser Gavorn was not pleased to see me in your stead, but was unable to argue. He has given me the documents and details of who they are to be delivered to. I took the liberty of establishing the whereabouts of the recipients; one was easily found, in a tavern in the Commons, but the other is leading an expedition into the Deep Roads. We should be able to catch them up, they only left yesterday and are not venturing very far, by all accounts."
Fearghal nodded and started tightening the buckles on his armour. He looked across at Alistair, who was standing patiently as Wynne's hands glowed, weaving healing magic. He saw the strain leave Alistair's face and Wynne stepped back.
"All set for the last bout?"
Alistair nodded and set about adjusting the straps on his armour. Fearghal looked around at the others.
"The last bout is a team event. Me, Alistair...Zevran and Morrigan, I think."
~o~O~o~
As they faced the other team, Fearghal saw the knowing looks they cast at Morrigan, the smug grins. He hid his own smirk. He was well aware that dwarves were naturally very resistant to magic. He eyed up the four dwarves as they all waited for the Proving Master to finish his lengthy introduction to the final bout, then leaned slightly towards Morrigan.
"The archer. Start with him." Morrigan gave no sign she'd heard him, but Fearghal was sure she had.
At the signal to begin, Alistair and Fearghal charged forwards to engage their opponents. Out of the corner of his eye, Fearghal saw the archer backing up to get some distance; he also so the grease slick that appeared behind the unsuspecting dwarf. Fearghal turned his attention back to the dwarf that seemed intent on taking his head off.
The crowd roared with laughter as the archer's feet slid out from under him, dropping him on his backside. The man scrambled, trying to regain his feet, providing further entertainment with the frantic windmilling of his arms as his feet slid in completely different directions. After a few moments, gravity won out again, dumping the dwarf heavily on his arse. Zevran was cheered and whistled as he sauntered over to the unfortunate archer, who was lying on his back, winded after another unsuccessful attempt to get to his feet. Grinning, Zevran disarmed the man, who could only lie there blinking stupidly at him. Zevran threw the weapons out of the dwarf's reach, then bowed to the crowd before returning to the fight.
Morrigan exploited the fact that while the dwarves were resistant to magic, their gear wasn't. She heated their armour up until it began to glow. The dwarves' thick under-padding afforded them some protection from the blistering heat, but they began to perspire heavily; she froze the sweat on their skin until they were covered in a thick layer of frost. It didn't handicap them greatly, but it did distract them. They cast anxious glances at Morrigan, wary of what torment she might come up with next. It didn't take Fearghal, Alistair and Zevran long to disable and disarm them.
The crowd was on its feet, cheering and applauding, as the Proving Master dedicated their victory to the fallen Grey Wardens of Ostagar.
~o~O~o~
It was late in the afternoon when they returned to the Warden compound. Lord Helmi had been located in the tavern Zevran had pointed out as they left the Proving Ground. He took the proffered document from Fearghal with knowing eyes and Fearghal took his leave as soon as was politely possible.
Lady Dace had been willing, eager even, to change her families vote based on the papers provided by Bhelen, but it wasn't her decision. The head of her house, her father, was indeed in the Deep Roads. She offered to provide them with the necessary permit to enter the Deep Roads and Fearghal had to be content with that, plus a badly drawn map.
At the compound they were greeted by a beaming Thamar and Runa. Fearghal couldn't help but smile; he got the impression they would be basking in reflected glory for weeks to come. By the time he and Alistair reached their room, his good spirits were restored; the delight and enthusiasm of the dwarven stewards proved to be infectious. He started tugging at the straps and buckles of his armour, keen to rid himself of the heavy plate. He could feel his muscles starting to ache.
Fearghal glanced at Alistair, watching him wince as he pulled his armour off. "I think a hot bath is in order before dinner?"
Alistair nodded, rolling his shoulders before he started pulling off the thick under-padding.
"We'll need to be away early in the morning. It doesn't look as if the Aeducan Thaig is very far into the Deep Roads, but I'm not sure how accurate the scale on the map is." Fearghal started to pull off his own padding.
"Who do you want to take with us?" Alistair arranged his armour neatly on the stand.
"I'm not sure we should take anyone with us, except Bane of course. He's bitten so many darkspawn he's practically a warden too."
"Are you sure that's wise?" asked Alistair.
"No. But I think it would be positively foolish to expose any of our companions to the taint. It's bad enough that they run the risk when fighting darkspawn on the surface. We've been lucky that we haven't run across many darkspawn up there, so far. The risks will be much greater in the Deep Roads." Fearghal paused, rubbing his hand over his face. "To be honest, I'm not sure it's a good idea for us both to go into the Deep Roads. Like you said in Denerim, there's only the two of us left and if anything..."
"Are you out of your mind?" Alistair looked aghast at the idea.
"Well, if I went with Bane..."
"There's no way you're going down there on your own with just a dog!" yelled Alistair
"But... "
"No! No buts... I accept that the risk to the others is unacceptable, but you're not going into the Deep Roads alone."
Fearghal sighed, then nodded. It was obvious that Alistair wasn't going to budge and, in truth, Fearghal was glad of it. "Very well. You, me and Bane. Now, let's go and bathe. Judging from the delicious smell, dinner's almost ready."
Alistair eyed him warily for a moment, as if he didn't believe Fearghal had given in so readily, then relaxed. He grabbed a freshly laundered shirt from the pile left by Runa and followed Fearghal to the bathrooms.
~o~O~o~
Alistair felt heavy-eyed the next morning. He knew how stubborn Fearghal could be and had half convinced himself that Fearghal would somehow sneak away while he was asleep. Even after their vigorous love-making, he had slept lightly, waking at every slight noise or movement.
He stumbled around their room, stuffing things into his pack. The others hadn't been happy when greeted with the news that he and Fearghal would be venturing into the Deep Roads alone but had grudgingly accepted Fearghal's decision, seeing the sense in it. Alistair propped his pack against the wall by the door and, yawning, headed towards the dining room and breakfast.
Fearghal was already there, looking disgustingly bright-eyed and alert, Alistair observed grumpily. He was surprised to see Wynne there too. She was sitting in front of a large pile of potions and poultices. She looked up as Alistair grunted a greeting, frowning, as he slumped heavily in front of a bowl of something that resembled porridge. He perked up considerably when Wynne sent a stream of rejuvenating magic his way and set about his breakfast with gusto.
Within the hour they were passing through the great doors into the deep roads. Alistair felt his heart sink at the resounding clang that echoed through the tunnel as the doors were closed behind them. He glanced at Fearghal, who was looking around curiously. Alistair stared about him, surprised at how bright the light was. They had been told that most of the rune lights still functioned in this section of the Deep Roads, although they both carried torches in their packs, just in case they had to venture into side tunnels.
Thamar and Runa had both proved knowledgeable about what they might need; Alistair supposed they had helped the many Wardens prepare for such a journey. They had been able to tell them a little about what to expect; the darkspawn were not the only creatures to inhabit the Deep Roads. It had ended up in an interesting discussion about the Blight and how it was a respite for Orzammar, whose inhabitants waged a constant war on the darkspawn, and had done so for hundreds of years.
The tunnel ahead of them was broad and high, lined with dressed stone. As they started slowly along the road they both stared at the carved reliefs set into the walls, illuminated by rune lights much larger than the domestic ones at the compound.
"Can you sense any darkspawn?" Alistair had been anxious that his senses would be overwhelmed by the sheer number of darkspawn down here, instead he sensed nothing.
"No, nothing." Fearghal frowned. "I suppose it's as Thamar said; they are all heading towards the surface, or towards the Archdemon, wherever it may be."
"Well, the main horde appeared down South, in the Korcari Wilds. Duncan and the others seemed to think there was a good chance the Archdemon would appear at Ostagar."
They'd come to a large junction and Fearghal pulled the map out, then turned in the direction they needed to go. "All the better for us then. It's this way; let's go."
Alistair reckoned it must have been late in the day when the subterranean landscape changed. The broad road opened out into a massive cavern. Ruined buildings were dotted about, increasing in density as they ventured further into the cavern. He saw Fearghal's head come up and stopped, listening carefully. The noise of fighting ahead of them, faint but distinct, had them both running, pulling their shields off their back and drawing their weapons.
Following the noise, they emerged from a narrow street into a wide square. In front of them, a band of dwarven warriors battled a swarm of... well, Alistair wasn't sure what they were, lizard-type creatures, but there were lots of them and the dwarves were struggling to fend them off. Alistair grinned as he heard Fearghal's familiar battle cry, then launched himself into the fray, just a moment behind Fearghal.
The arrival of the two wardens turned the tide and the creatures were finally vanquished.
"What were those things?" asked Fearghal, surveying the corpses that littered the ground.
A white-haired dwarf wearing ornate armour stepped forwards.
"They are deepstalkers. You pulled us out of a tight spot, my friends, and you have my gratitude for it. I am Lord Dace." He bowed to them both.
Lord Dace was furious when he discovered the reason the Wardens had sought him out and eager to use his vote in support of Bhelen. He offered to accommodate them in his camp and the following morning they all set off together, back to Orzammar.
At the compound they were welcomed with open relief by their companions. Alistair was surprised to find it was only mid-afternoon; he'd lost all track of time. Zevran was dispatched to meet with Bhelen's second to give him news of their success and arrange a meeting with Bhelen the following day. Fearghal disappeared into the office with Leliana and Wynne, arousing Alistair's curiosity, but the lure of a hot bath called more strongly. Alistair would ask Fearghal about it later.
~o~O~o~
Fearghal returned to their room feeling clean and refreshed. The trip into the Deep Roads hadn't been as unpleasant or as hazardous as he'd feared, but there was something fusty about the atmosphere that had clung to his skin and armour; he was relieved to be rid of it. He grinned at the sight of Alistair sprawled on his back on the bed, eyes closed. Fearghal tip-toed further into the room, setting his things down quietly.
"I'm not asleep," mumbled Alistair drowsily.
"Just inspecting the back of your eyelids?" Fearghal chuckled; Alistair might not have been asleep, but he wasn't far from it.
"That's it exactly!"
"And are they all right?" Fearghal sat down on the bed, next to Alistair, unable to resist trailing a finger down the skin at the top of his chest, exposed by the partially laced shirt.
Alistair's eyes flew open at the contact, then he smirked. "I can't tell, it's too dark to see."
Fearghal snorted with laughter. "Smart arse," he muttered, then leaned over to kiss Alistair lightly before sitting up again. "I'll let you get back to your inspection." He made to stand up.
Alistair's hand grasped his arm. "It's really not that interesting. I can always do it later."
"You had something else in mind?" Fearghal saw the blush creep into Alistair's cheeks, accompanied by a sheepish grin.
Alistair's hand fell away as Fearghal leaned over him again. Fearghal pulled at the laces on Alistair's shirt, exposing more skin.
"I... well... " Alistair's voice hesitant.
Fearghal gazed at him, torn between being amused at Alistair's coyness, and being baffled by it. Alistair's eyes were dark with desire; what he wanted was clear. Yet, he was still unwilling, or unable, to ask for it. Apart from that first time, Alistair never made the first move, always waiting for Fearghal to initiate sex, but he was keen and ardent when Fearghal did. Fearghal did understand why, and they hadn't been lovers for long, but he had expected Alistair to loosen up a little, to feel comfortable enough to initiate things with a kiss or a caress, however small; instead he seemed to find it as hard as ever to say what he wanted, or to even indicate that he wanted anything at all.
"Yes, Alistair?"
Alistair continued to stammer until Fearghal lowered his head, kissing the hollow at the base of his throat. Fearghal felt the tension ease out of the body beneath him. Fearghal ran his hand down over Alistair's chest, then down, tugging it free of his breeches.
"This is what you had in mind?" he asked, teasing.
Alistair gasped as Fearghal slipped his hand under his shirt, stroking the warm skin. Fearghal raised his head and looked into Alistair's eyes.
"Tell me what you want, Alistair." He saw the panic flare in Alistair's face. "I understand why you're uncomfortable in front of other people, but surely it's different when we're alone?" His hand moved down until he was cupping the growing bulge in Alistair's breeches; he felt Alistair thrust up against his palm. He watched as Alistair dropped his gaze.
"Why is it so hard? And I don't mean this." Fearghal smirked as he squeezed Alistair's cock through the rough cloth.
"I-I... don't know. I-I've never... and I d-don't know the words... or at least, only... you know, but it sounds so ... dirty." Alistair closed his eyes.
Fearghal couldn't help laughing, but tried to stifle it when Alistair's eyes flew open again. "Well, it is dirty I suppose, but in a good way." He hesitated, then continued, "Talking dirty can be part of sex too." He laughed again at Alistair's dubious expression. "Besides, I don't want to have to guess what you want all the time. I want you to be able to tell me what you want."
Fearghal sat up. "I want to spend the rest of the afternoon in bed with you. Is that different from what you want?"
"No." Alistair's voice was little more than a croak.
"Good." Fearghal stood up and started pulling his shirt over his head. He looked down at Alistair as he tossed his shirt onto a chair. "This will be much easier if you get undressed, too." He knew he was smirking as Alistair scrambled off the bed tugging at his shirt, but couldn't help it. Fearghal stripped off his breeches and small clothes, then lay on the bed, head propped on one hand, watching Alistair undress.
Fearghal let his eyes roam over Alistair's heavily muscled torso, feeling his desire awaken; he couldn't imagine ever getting tired of looking at Alistair. He's so beautiful. He felt his cock harden as Alistair pulled of his breeches and underwear all in one piece. His eyes were drawn to Alistair's heavy, semi-erect cock and his hand moved to his own, stroking gently. He looked up at Alistair's face, saw the expression of mild shock mingled with embarrassment, saw the desire too in dark hungry eyes.
Alistair lay on the bed next to Fearghal, his eyes flicking from the sight of Fearghal stroking himself, to Fearghal's face, then back again.
"Tell me what you want, Alistair."
"I-I... " The panic was back in Alistair's eyes as he choked on the words.
"You've done it before."
"That was different!" Alistair flopped onto his back.
"Maybe," conceded Fearghal. He laid his hand on Alistair's chest. "Look, I don't want to make a huge thing out of it, but really, I do want to know what you want. I don't want to always have to make the first move. I don't want to worry that if you can't say what you do want, you can't say what you don't want."
Fearghal was relieved when Alistair turned into him slightly. "You're a passionate man, Alistair. Don't lock yourself away." He leaned over and kissed Alistair gently, savouring the kiss and the shiver it prompted. "Tell me what you want, Alistair."
He saw something flicker in Alistair's eyes before he looked away.
"Well, there... is s-something." Alistair flushed and Fearghal could feel the tension under his hand.
"Tell me," murmured Fearghal, exploring the hard line of Alistair's jaw with his mouth.
Fearghal felt the shuddering intake of breath as his hand moved lazily over Alistair's chest.
"I... well, I've... you know... you," Alistair jerked his head at Fearghal. "I-I want ... you to...to..." Alistair's eyes were wide as he watched Fearghal, blushing furiously.
Fearghal was bemused. "This is one of those conversations where I have to fill in the blanks, right?" He grinned. "Over the last few days, you've done a lot of things to me. How about I make a list and you stop me when I'm right?"
Alistair groaned. "I don't think I can do this. I..." He started to move away.
Fearghal pressed him to the bed. "You can do it, Alistair. What's so difficult? I know you were raised in a monastery, but... "
"I don't know! All of it! No-one's ever... what I want has n-never b-been... "
Fearghal was horrified to see tears well up in Alistair's eyes. He pulled Alistair into his arms, holding him tightly. He felt tears drip onto his chest and was a little taken aback at how quietly Alistair cried, how restrained he was.
"It's all right for you to want things," murmured Fearghal against the top of Alistair's head.
"I-I've always wanted things, but n-no-one was ever interested in what I wanted before. Redcliffe, th-then the m-monastery. I was just told what was expected of me." Alistair stirred, wiping his hand across his cheek.
"What about the Grey Wardens? That was something you wanted, wasn't it?"
Alistair nodded. "I did, but... I was conscripted because Duncan wanted me in the Grey Wardens. It wasn't about what I wanted at all." He went quiet for a moment. "Actually, that's probably not fair. I was desperate not to become a templar and couldn't hide how thrilled I was at the possibility of becoming a Grey Warden."
"I know all this is new to you, Alistair, but trust me when I say you need to be able to tell me what you want. The other path just leads to resentment and grief all round."
Alistair sighed. "I can see that. What you said before... it makes sense."
"Tell me what you want, Alistair," said Fearghal softly. He felt the tension return to Alistair's body, the deep breath the other man took.
"I-I want... you... to... to... Oh, Maker, why is this so difficult?" Alistair's chest heaved. "Iwantyoutofuckme." Alistair shuddered as the words tumbled out.
Fearghal felt the fire build in his belly and his cock stir at Alistair's words. It wasn't what he'd expected. Not that he didn't want to, but he'd been wary of pushing Alistair into too much too soon; Alistair was so inexperienced, he didn't want to overwhelm him
"You want me to fuck you?" He was sure he hadn't misheard, but wanted to double-check.
Alistair nodded. "Yes."
"Say it again...slowly." Fearghal's voice was low and husky. He shifted so that he could see Alistair's face. "Please."
Alistair blushed, lowering his eyes. "I-I want you to... f-fuck me." His eyes returned to Fearghal, wary and hopeful. "Unless you d-don't want to. I mean... "
"Oh, I do," breathed Fearghal. Fearghal was already hard and his heart was beating a tattoo against his chest at the prospect. A thought struck him. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't want you to feel that this is something you should want."
Fearghal felt Alistair relax. "I am sure. You look like you enjoy it so much, I want to know what it's like."
"All right. Some men hate it, so promise me that if you're not enjoying it, you'll tell me."
Alistair nodded.
Fearghal sat up and stretched over Alistair, fumbling in the small dresser at the side of the bed until he found the bottle of oil they'd pilfered from the steam room and set it within easy reach.
Fearghal felt Alistair shiver and looked down at him, his eyes were fixed on the bottle of oil. "Say it again," he growled.
Alistair's eyes snapped to his face, then he started to look away again.
"Look at me and say it again." Fearghal felt so breathless with anticipation, he could hardly speak himself.
Alistair's eyes met his again. "I want you t-to f-fuck me," he gasped.
Fearghal groaned and kissed him hard. He felt Alistair start, then kiss him back. Fearghal's hands roamed over the hard muscles beneath him, fondling, stroking, caressing. Fearghal wanted to take it slowly, but it wasn't easy; a part of him wanted to devour Alistair, to take him greedily. He forced himself to slow down, tearing his mouth away from Alistair's, laying gentle kisses along his jaw, under his ear, down his throat.
Taking his time, Fearghal lavished his attention, with mouth and hands, on Alistair's body, delighting in the moans and gasps this produced. Sucking hard on a nipple, he lifted a hand and grabbed the oil, taking it down the bed with him as he worked his way lower and lower. He paused to drizzle some oil onto his fingers and looked up to see Alistair gazing back at him, his expression somewhere between anticipation and apprehension.
Not taking his eyes off Alistair's face, Fearghal lowered his head and ran his tongue along the length of Alistair's cock, before taking him fully in his mouth. Alistair's head fell back as his hips bucked. As Fearghal's mouth worked on Alistair's cock, his hand cupped his balls; then he worked his hand back, stroking the sensitive skin of his perineum before brushing over the puckered muscle that lay beyond it.
Fearghal let his fingers move back and forth until he was sure Alistair was comfortable with what he was doing, then he slipped a finger inside him. He felt Alistair tense immediately, the muscle clenching around his finger. He didn't try to move it, instead concentrated on pleasuring Alistair with his mouth. Gradually he felt Alistair relax around him, and pushed the finger deeper, seeking out that special spot. When he found it, rubbing his finger over it, Alistair arched off the bed, groaning.
Fearghal raised his head, delighting in the look of pure bliss on Alistair's face. He thrust gently with the finger, grinning as Alistair started to babble and thrust back.
"Maker's breath, that's... that's..." The rest of it was lost in an incoherent moan.
Fearghal inserted another finger. This time, Alistair barely flinched. Fearghal started to thrust more forcefully, feeling his own cock twitch in anticipation as Alistair bore down on his fingers. Fearghal scissored his fingers, and as he felt Alistair loosen around them, inserted a third.
Alistair whimpered and moaned. "Fearghal... please... I-I... "
Fearghal moved so that he was kneeling between Alistair's thighs. Slowly he withdrew his fingers, then reached down for the bottle of oil.
"Tell me what you want, Alistair."
Alistair raised dark eyes and, with only a hint of a blush, stammered, "I-I want you t-to f-fuck m-me."
Fearghal poured some oil into his palm and set the bottle down, then slowly stroked his hand over his cock, coating it with oil. He watched Alistair's face intently, as always when Alistair watched Fearghal touch himself his eyes were hungry and just a little bit guilty. It was a beguiling mixture that fascinated Fearghal.
Fearghal set his hands against the backs of Alistair's thighs, pushing them up towards his chest; he grabbed a pillow and settled it under Alistair's hips.
Fearghal cast his mind back to his first time, trying to remember what had made it easier. "Take a deep breath and breathe out slowly. This will be uncomfortable at first, try not to tense up."
He waited until Alistair started to exhale, then slowly entered him, pushing steadily until the head of his cock was past the tight muscle. He paused, wanting Alistair to get used to the sensation before he pressed on.
"Breathe, Alistair, and try to relax. I'm not going to go any further until you say." Fearghal stroked Alistair's thighs, smoothing some of the tension out of them. "Does it hurt?"
"N-no. It f-feels strange, like you said... uncomfortable. G-go on."
Fearghal carefully pressed on, fighting his desire to thrust hard. He leaned forwards, bracing his hands by Alistair's shoulders, angling his hips, trying to find the right angle. He knew he'd found it when Alistair moaned and thrust against him.
Fearghal pulled back a little then thrust back into Alistair. He could feel Alistair relaxing, could see the anxiety leaving his face. Fearghal kept his thrusts slow and shallow, watching Alistair intently. When Alistair started to rock against him he picked up the pace, gradually going deeper, faster.
"M-Maker, that's ..." Alistair groaned and opened his eyes, seeming almost startled to see Fearghal leaning over him.
Fearghal braced himself on one hand and grasped Alistair's cock, grinning as his eyes briefly rolled back in his head. It was an effort to hold back; the look of ecstasy on Alistair's face made him want to abandon his self control, to pound into him mercilessly.
"M-more..." gasped Alistair, thrusting into Fearghal's hand.
"More what?" Fearghal couldn't help grinning.
"I-I don't know," said Alistair with a soft huff of almost-laughter. "I just want -m-more."
Fearghal was more than willing to oblige and stopped trying to hold back. His hips snapped back and forth as he thrust hard; at the same time, his fist pumped Alistair and had him arching off the bed groaning. He gave himself over to his desire and fucked Alistair, all restraint gone. He groaned as Alistair yelled, coming hard. As Alistair's muscles tensed around him, squeezing him, almost unbearably tight, Fearghal buried himself as deep as he could, giving himself up to his own release.