BioWare owns all but what I made up. : )
This chapter gets a little steamy, just to warn you all. : )
My thanks to all who put me, and the story on favs and alerts! I know I do this every chapter but I want you all to know how much I appreciate it. And to remind my readers that many of you are all writers in your own rights, so please, spread the love! My thanks to: nomibubs, THE JUDSTER, arboura, Kiki Aries, Jecica, Dimuerta, Dakrkiller, village larks, rrin, Jinx1983, and WestieX9.
Shout outs to the suckers...erm, eh hem, my friends and betas (ROFL) who are the best people in the world. They put up with me, and help me keep my story straight for you all. So my love goes to: Night Hunter MGS, Ladyamesindy, Piceron, Violet Theirin, Liso66, Jani, and Blightsworn. I couldn't do it without you all!
And thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who read and review. It means so much to me. I love hearing your feedback, and I never know when I am going to get a great story idea from your reviews. I am so humbled that you all like the story, and knowing that you do, are the sprinkles on the donut that is my writing. You all rock!
And I have been trying to give shout outs to all of you who write, it is slow going as there are so many of you talented people out there. So please check out Sarah1281 who has 197 stories! And Kiki Aries' story "One Year Later". And WestieX9 (westiex9 on the BSN forum community creations only) who writes some fantastic stories, that are a must read as well. Just to name a few authors. : )
Blessings!
Kai sat at a long wooden table covered with a lace tablecloth broken up with platters of food, plates, teapots and tea cups. Various figures sat around the table, and when she looked closely they were all different types of darkspawn clothed in fancy Ferelden clothing, including dresses. Like some macabre social affair; they sipped tea and ate from plates, yet their movements were jerky and awkward with elbows, necks, and wrists held at strangely splayed angles.
She felt a hand on her arm and she turned to see Nissyan the hermit sitting next to her. He smiled and pointed, indicating she should take a closer look. Kai leaned in towards the hurlock sitting next to her, noting the clothing of a noble, and the way the fancy teacup and saucer looked so ludicrous being held in a clawed and black skinned hand. "Look closer." Nissyan's voice giggled into her ear. It took a moment and then it struck her; there were strings attached to the darkspawn's elbows and fingers as if it were nothing more than a life-sized puppet.
Her gaze shot upwards following the strings to see what looked like a spiderweb of wires attached to two giant wooden control bars, with the trailing wires allowing the controllers to master each of the creatures sitting at the table. There were figures supposedly manipulating the puppets, but she could not make them out as they seemed to be made of shadows and silhouettes and there was a vast expanse of table between them.
Kai stood up and made to walk the length of one side; she knew she wanted a better look at one of the puppet masters. The moment she took one step the table elongated, stretching out into a vast distance carrying the puppeteer farther away. When she turned to walk towards the other end again, the table elongated carrying the second puppeteer away as well.
Frustrated she sat down again speaking to Nissyan who had stuffed his cheeks with what looked like a scone. Of all the participants in her dream, the hermit seemed to be real, much the way Alistair was when they were together here. "Nissyan, is that really you? What is all of this?"
Nissyan giggled, "Have a biscuit!" He shoved a plate of cookies towards her, "We have biscuits! Not as good as mine, but still!"
Kai smiled and took a biscuit from the plate as the hermit poured tea into her teacup, adding honey and milk. "Nissyan, I don't understand, what is all of this?" Kai waved a hand down the length of the table.
The hermit giggled, "Questions, questions, always with the questions! That is my favorite thing! It is a puppet show of course, watch!"
Kai watched as two hurlocks, one from each side of the table, jumped on top scattering plates, smashing food, and crushing teacups beneath booted feet. Kai found herself scooting back and Nissyan grabbed the plate of biscuits and sat with them in his lap while chaos ensued as all the darkspawn began fighting each other. "See, they fight! Remember this, it will be important later." Nissyan spoke with his mouth full, crumbs falling off his chin. Then he tilted his head much the way Argus would hearing something far away, "The one who is a part of you is coming. Time for you to go, yes, time to go. Remember this, friend, don't forget! And eat biscuits, they're good!"
The world expanded as if Kai stood still and everything moved around her at such speed, the entire scene became a blur. Just as suddenly as it started, the movement came to a sudden stop and Alistair's beloved voice rumbled behind her, "Well that was certainly strange." He chuckled into her ear, "About as strange as the hermit himself."
Kai's heart fluttered in her chest, an intense happiness swamped her as she spun around and threw her arms around his neck her lips meeting his of their own accord; as they always seemed to do when they were together. She pulled back to smile at him, "As strange as bread cats and cheese mice?"
"Hey-y, that dream didn't become strange until you made up the bread cat." He gave her his lopsided grin.
"Uh-huh, because a table full of nothing but cheese, including a bowl of live cheese mice is completely normal." Kai grinned at him, "Well, normal for a Grey Warden with a huge appetite, especially for solid dairy products."
"Hard and crumbly, soft and creamy, sharp or mild...mmm, I could really go for some right now. I wonder if Nissyan's table still has some or did the darkspawn stomp all of it into paste, do you think?" Alistair gave her a cheeky grin.
"Oh, you have an appetite, do you? I think I have something to tempt your palate." Kai returned his grin with a smirk of her own.
"Real-lly? And what could possibly tempt me more than cheese?" He cocked an eyebrow at her, his smile getting wider.
"Oh, I'm sure I can think of something you like more than cheese." Kai pressed her lips to his again, slowly nibbling first his top lip and then the bottom one before consuming his mouth entirely, leaving them both breathless.
When they pulled apart, Alistair grabbed her hand tugging her along with him, "Yes, I see what you mean."
Kai took note of their surroundings, noticing that they were in a forest glade surrounded by lush vegetation, the air carried the soft scent of flowers and birds sang. She expected to see the bed in it's usual place, instead it looked as though a stone bathtub lay sunken into the ground, with green grass dotted with tiny flowers growing right up to the edge of it.
Kai cocked an eyebrow at him, and he blushed adorably, "I thought we could try something new. Well, sort of. Remember the bathtub at Redcliffe, and that pond at camp during the Blight?" She nodded, "Well, the pond was cold..."
"You didn't seem to mind that back then." Kai laughed when his skin flushed a darker shade of pink.
"You are a bad person, and no I didn't mind, but I thought we might have the best of both worlds. Warm water and that beautiful area at camp." He grinned and walked backwards down stone steps into the water of the deep stone basin still grasping her hand.
"I see you took care of our clothes this time." She flashed him a saucy look letting her unoccupied hand follow the curve of her naked breast. "If I am a bad person, do you hate me?" Kai grinned and followed him, finding the water a very pleasant temperature, unlike that pond back in what seemed a lifetime ago.
He waited until she was standing in the tub with him, his fingertips caressing the side of her face running down her throat to tease her breast. "Let me show you how much." He released his grip on her hand, cupping the nape of her neck in one large palm while his long fingers massaged the back of her head sending waves of pleasure along her spine.
Her lips were fused to his as Ali backed into the water sitting on a bench ringing the basin pulling her with him to sit on his lap facing him. His kisses pulsed throbbing shivers throughout her body, while his hands roamed across her chest making her ache with longing.
Alistair pressed his lips at the corner of her jaw, peppering a fiery trail of kisses leading down to her neck. Kai tilted her head back for his mouth to have better access, and his moans echoed her own purring cries. He descended his ministrations between the valley of her breasts, tenderly kissing each one until he took a hardened peak into his mouth. Kai's hands desperately reached behind his head as she laced her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer to her tender flesh.
Reflexively, Kai's legs parted as the ache pooled exquisitely into her core. Alistair slid his hand between her thighs creating a tantalizing dance with his fingertips, his ministrations only deepened the ache of her pleasure to agonizing levels. Kai's back bowed back as her breath came in gasps and cries, "Ali..." It was strangled cry that he forced from her as he sent her flying with hands and his mouth alone.
Before her body had stopped shuddering, she slithered over him trapping him in warm wet spasms of the pleasure he had brought her; she thought it only fair to share the wealth, so-to-speak. She wanted to giggle at her own internal musings but refrained as it might be imprudent; she had no intention of not returning the exquisite torture he bestowed upon her.
Kai rocked her hips slowly at first, while bracing her hands on his shoulders. Alistair's hands gripped her waist helping her movement, but when he sought to move more quickly she stopped him, and he allowed her to set the pace; Kai wanted to torment him as sweetly as he had her.
She watched his beloved face, and smiled; his eyes were closed as if their lovemaking took all of his concentration. It reminded her of their first night together, when she suspected he used his Templar training to prolong things despite it being his first time. It was one of the things she loved about their times together...her breaking his resolve. It was a delicious challenge, one he didn't seem to mind her determination to overcome.
Kai focused on her muscles that surrounded him, fluttering them as she moved over him. His eyes popped open as he gasped her name ending in a low growl. With a muffled "you are truly evil", he gave a deep sensuous bite into the tender flesh of her neck while his hands played with the hard points of her breasts.
"And you think I'm the evil one?" Her breath left in a pant and it was all she could do to concentrate.
They moved together sweetly, and as whenever they were together, the world began to spin faster and faster their pleasure building on the other's. Every cell felt alive, and she felt herself trembling as her body released in an explosion of gratification; her breath expelling as she cried out his name.
Alistair's hands gripped her hips still moving her against him as she felt him convulse with what she had brought him. His breath came in soft gasps as he groaned against her throat, tickling her shoulder. "Kai, I miss you so."
"And I miss you, mi' gra, so very much." Kai tilted her head to touch her lips to his once more. She pulled back to smile into his beloved face when she felt herself leaving the Dream Fade.
She woke with a start, her feelings of intense happiness and love colliding with the emptiness and loss she always felt when the parted from each other in the Fade. It took a moment for her to remember where she was, oh yes: Orzammar and 'The Hungry Nug Inn.'
The bed was empty on Zev's side and the door between their room and Wynne's and Anders' was open. Kai heard Zevran's voice hiss, "Keep your voice down my sparkle fingered friend, Kai is still sleeping. She tends not to get enough rest as it is, and this mission may see her have even less. I would like her to remain asleep as long as possible, without your womanly lamenting."
Zevran's comment made Kai giggle softly, but it was Anders' whining, "But you want me to dress in that?" that had her leaving the warmth of the blankets to go the doorway.
She couldn't resist. Kai stood in the doorway, rubbing sleep from eyes that didn't want to focus properly. Zev flashed her a loving smile which turned to a scowl in short order as he rounded on Anders, "Braska! Your obnoxious caterwauling woke her as I feared it would!"
Kai grinned, "Relax Zev, what are you all doing to Anders? You aren't putting a vallaslin on his forehead and stripping him naked to put on a ship to Rivain, are you?"
"That would be a treat, dear lady, in comparison," came Anders' sarcastic response.
"What's the matter Anders, are they dressing you up as a woman? A Ceffyl?" Kai yawned and blinked her eyes focusing on her companions standing in the room.
"Again, no dear lady, it is much, much worse than that."
Kai shook her head and rubbed her eyes again to make sure what she was seeing was actually real and not a dream in the Fade. Anders stood next to Wynne with a hang-dog look on his face, his lips set in a pout. "They want to dress me as a bloody Templar!"
Kai couldn't help it, she burst out laughing.