Chapter 55

A solemn air settled over the gathered friends as they waited for the inevitable. "It won't be long now. Would you like me to say some prayers for him?" Leliana said. Emma nodded listlessly, still holding Aedan's hand as though she could keep him alive by the force of her love. "May the Maker guide you to his side, Aedan, and may you rest comfortably within the embrace of Andraste." Emma clenched her eyes shut; it should be her embrace that Aedan should be in, not Andraste's! She curled her fingers tightly around his, remembering how he'd taken her hand as they'd walked through the flames to reach the urn.

Her eyes snapped open. The Urn! "Oh, shit! The ashes! We took another pinch of the ashes!" She let go of Aedan and started rifling through her bag until she found the small leather pouch. "I'm sorry, Hawke," she whispered as she pulled the leather ties open. She turned to Alistair. "What did they do to cure Arl Eamon?"
"They put the ashes in his mouth, and a mage cast a strong healing spell," Wynne answered.
Emma's eyes pleaded with her. "Please tell me you know this spell?"
Wynne smiled. "I do. Let's pray that we're not too late."
Emma pried his jaw open and emptied the pouch onto his tongue, then closed his mouth and held his hand, willing him to live. Wynne stretched out her hand and dipped her head, closing her eyes as she focused her magic. It seemed that everyone held their breath as they waited for something to happen.

Slowly, a soft white light materialised, pushing back the darkness and bathing Aedan from head to toe. Emma gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth as Aedan's cuts closed, broken bones knitted back together, and swollen bruises melted away to leave only fresh, whole skin behind. She also saw that the dent in his skull had filled out, and he breathed much easier. Then without warning, the light shot up her hand and along her arm before spreading around her body. "Emma!"
She heard Alistair's voice but couldn't reply as she processed the strange sensations assailing her. Warm arms wrapped around her instilling a sense of peace and she closed her eyes, feeling weightless. The peace gave way to a sense of urgency. Emma didn't question the overwhelming need; she reached out and grabbed Alistair's hand. He yelped in surprise as the light swiftly encompassed him and for an instant in time, the three Grey Wardens were united by the soft, white glow.

The light faded just as Aedan's eyes flew open and he drew in a lungful of air. They stared at each other, overjoyed green eyes meeting surprised blue eyes. Then he reached up and pulled her to him, enveloping her in his strong arms. "Maker, I never thought I'd hold you again."
She sobbed, and her tears wet his neck as she hugged him tightly. "I thought I'd lost you, love."
She lifted her head and looked into his beloved eyes, seeing her whole future in them. His hand slid to her neck, thumb brushing against her soft cheek and he brought their lips together in a warm, gentle kiss as they reeled from the recent turn of events. His hand drifted around to her nape and held her there as he deepened the kiss. Into this kiss, they poured their love, strengthening their bond anew.

"This is all very touching," Morrigan said. "But perhaps we should consider moving to a slightly less enclosed space and leaving behind the unpleasant memories. I for one could do with a good night's sleep."
They soon found a new area and while they ate dinner, Emma and the absent companions were brought up to date. "We set up that camp on the first day, and scouted ahead, marking where we'd been, finding the easiest and quickest route to take once you had all returned," Aedan explained. "We'd all just returned on the second night when the cave-in happened."
Oghren's face flushed and he looked down. "It's my bloody fault that your man got caught up in that."
Emma raised a brow. "What happened?"
Aedan answered, "It wasn't your fault, Oghren. Anyone of us could have been sat in that spot."
The dwarf pulled a face and harrumphed. "Yeah, but not all of you would have been too sodding drunk to move out of the way in time."
"Not true," Zevran said with a shake of his head. "We'd all had a couple of drinks after returning to camp."
The dwarf muttered something but looked more cheerful.

Emma recalled part of a conversation when they'd found the rock slide. "Leli, what makes you think the cave-in you mentioned that the cave-in was deliberate?"
The bard leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes in concentration. "I noticed scorch marks along the roof of the tunnel, so I checked around and I found traces of lyrium sand. There's no doubt in my mind that someone used some type of grenade to cause those rocks to fall."
"It has to be Bhelen," Emma said through gritted teeth. "That nug-humping slimy son of a bitch! I'll rip off his balls and shove them up his ass!"
A stunned silence met Emma's outburst.
"Well, I suppose it's best to let the anger out," Wynne said faintly.
"Almost, I feel sorry for the bastard," Zev said with a grin.
Aedan wrapped an arm around Emma's shoulders. "He'll get what's coming to him, don't worry."

With dinner done, the mages set up several wards around the camp. Shale protested the action. "I will be awake and can notify it if anything comes near us."
Wynne looked over to the golem. "Don't you get bored?"
Shale looked affronted at the question. "No. Some of you mutter in your sleep, it is most entertaining."
Alistair's brows lifted. "So, let me get this straight - you're just going to sit there and watch us all night?"
"Yes."
The Grey Warden rubbed a hand over his face. "Well, that's not creepy at all."
Wynne chuckled, patting him on the back, and bidding him a good night as he walked over to his bedroll. She turned to Shale. "Would you like something to read? I have a few books you might enjoy."
The golem stared down at the mage with a speculative expression before answering. "What sort of books does it like?" Wynne took Shale over to her sleeping area and soon they were embroiled in a talk about the merits of certain authors.

Oghren came over and rubbed the back of his neck, obviously uncomfortable. "I haven't had a chance to thank you for saving my life." He slapped Aedan on the arm in an awkward manly gesture. "You're all right in my books." With a nod of his head, he turned on his heel and made his way to bed.

"I trust we will not be kept up all night with the sounds of your... reunion?" Morrigan quipped as she walked past. She stopped and looked back at Aedan. "And do try to keep yourself safe from now on. I really can not stomach any more of these touching scenes." Her lips curved in a smile, softening her words as she left them.

Finally, alone, Aedan and Emma laid down on the bedroll and for a while, they were wrapped in each other's arms enjoying the companionable silence. Eventually, Emma lifted her head and looked into Aedan's face. She stroked a hand through his hair and followed the line of his temple, then over the cheekbone. "This wasn't meant to happen."
He turned his head and pressed a kiss to her wrist. "I thought you'd had a vision and that's why you returned so quickly. We weren't expecting your arrival for another day, at the very least."
"I had a dream, well, a nightmare really, and when I woke up, I just knew I had to get back here. I wish I'd known beforehand so I could have warned you."
He pushed up and kissed away a tear from her cheek. "Well, I'm all right now, Angel."
She continued moving her fingers along his firm jaw, finally ending at the corner of his mouth. "True, but I could have saved you a lot of pain."
His expression became serious, as he took in the fresh lines on her own face. "For you too, I think." He rolled her over, and covered her lips, learning her taste anew. She moaned as he settled his leg between hers and pressed against her core. "Aedan, we can't... there's no tent to cover us." Aedan chuckled and grazed her lower lip with his teeth. "Then you're just going to have to be quiet and keep still."
Their love-making didn't take long, both their desperation and their location making the act something of a quickie. As she rested against his chest, he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "I love you, Emma."
She dropped a kiss over his heart. "Love you too, Aedan."
They sighed, happy to be reunited. Then Emma squirmed and whispered. "Um, what happened to my knickers?"
There were a few sniggers from their companions, and she groaned, realising they hadn't been quite as discreet as they'd hoped. Aedan chuckled. "Goodnight, Angel."