Chapter 3: Your love is a balm.

Rook made her way home. Home? Where was home she wondered these days? She looked at Casa De Riva as it loomed above her, the ornate architecture catching the moonlight. Crow gargoyles adorned much of it, with a giant one above the door, it wings splayed back across the front entrance. She had spent many a night sitting on that crows back as the old bastard of House di Riva raged inside, often Viago would join her, his faced bruised by his "father".

Viago was her cousin by blood, but brother in all else. She remembered the day she had been brought here. Her parents slain in the house civil war trying to protect her as House de Acutis began their tirade to usurp House Dellamorte. It had been bloody, House Dellamorte suffered great losses to try to get Caterina to give up the position of first talon. House Di Riva had allied with house Dellamorte and suffered along with them. The Head of House Di Riva and previous the Fifth Talon was not Viago's biological father. Viago was the Bastard child of King Fulgeno II, royal bastards where given two choices. Exile or to Join the Crows. The mistress that the King had bedded happened to be the Fifth talons wife. Viago had his mother until he was five before in a rage, Drogove De Riva killed his wife.

Rook had come into the house when she had been nine and Viago had been fourteen, they had become fast siblings and often would never see one without the other. Drogove would try to turn her against Viago, say she was a true blood Di Riva, better than Viago and had more right to be in this household. Raven De Riva would always deny this, shout at Drogove that Viago was ten times the Crow she was, Drogove would lunge to hit her but she always had him on the floor before she would flee to her spot on the Crow statues back.

Raven. Rook smiled as she bounced the name in her head. No one had called that in an age. Even Viago called her Rook, which might be for the best as she didn't feel like Raven anymore plus it was a little cliché being named after basically a bigger crow. Rooks Mother had named her saying it would show her intelligence and her will to live. That had held it seemed. Now it was even more ironic she was called Rook, though Varric had chosen the chess piece as its origin, it was not lost on her that she was also named yet again after a black crow like bird.

When she had been eighteen and Viago twenty- three, They had killed Drogove, making Viago the new fifth talon. She had helped him in anyway she could those first days, though she had still been a fledgeling, Viago had made her a full crow when she had been nineteen. She had been twenty-four when she had decided to attack the Antaam and free the slaves including one Varric Tethras. Turns out he was in the neighbourhood to ask the crows for some information on Solas, he had drunk too much got caught and well, was biding his time. Rook had returned home only to be berated, side-lined and worse of all the look of pure disappointment on Viago's face. They had fought that night, words leaving Viago's mouth that cut her to the core "you are no sister of mine" time had stopped, both looking wide eyed at the other before she turned and left casa De Riva. Then Next day Varric had gone to the crows to request her in a contract. Teia had kindly sorted everything, thinking it best for Rook to have space for now. She had ruffled other house feathers and no doubt a contract would soon have her name on it now that whispers had spread of Viago kicking her out of house De Riva. Those that whispered this too loudly found themselves dead shortly after by one poison or another, so that died down but Rook had left with Varric by then.

"It will be ok Kid, you'll be home. Your brother still cares, even if he doesn't realise it yet. Come on, lets go find my wayward elf Chuckles" Varric's voice fluttered across her mind, they had been standing on the Dock of Treviso ready to leave.

"Why Chuckles?"

"Let me tell you a tale..."

Rook shook her head, the memory fading as she walked forward and pushed open the entrance to Casa De Riva. She saw one of the maids in the entrance whom turned and gasped.

"Mistress De Riva!" she rushed over.

"Elena, what have I said. Would you be kind enough to send for Vincent then you may need to give me a hand to bathe depending what he says." She leaned on Elena's offered side.

"Of course Mistress Rook, let me help you to your room first" Elena turned and helped her up the stairs, they passed another maid who Elena sent for the mage and healer Vincent.

Elena helped her sit down and then assisted to remove her crow armour. Rook was slightly annoyed seeing the damage but at least it wasn't her favourite one that she had gotten from the Lord of the fallen merchant. That had taken a lot of reputation and coin to acquire. Why she had to single-handedly upgrade all the shops in Theadas she would never know.

Once the wound was revealed she hissed, it was still split open but not as far as it had been. She would defiantly need Vincen'ts magic to close it fully and it might even scar. She looked up as the Mage walked in, his pouch of potions and balms jingling in his haste.

"Mistress Rook, what have you been up to now?!" he laid the pouch on the table beside them and began to examine the wound, he tutted before he hovered his hand above it. She felt the warmth of his healing magic begin to work. The wound slowly knitted together, new flesh forming pink and raw. "There, its closed. You are very pale, drink this"

A red vial was thrust into her face, she took it and downed it in one. She tasted the elfroot, cinimon and Goldenseal. All herbs to help with blood loss. As she drank Vincent applied a balm to the raw skin to stop it drying and scaring.

"Elena please get a bowl of warm water and cleaning supllies so Mistress Rook can cleanse herself, no bath" He looked pointedly as Rook as he said the last bit. To which she pouted. " You may Have a bath tomorrow but not tonight, the heat and blood loss will not mix plus the wound is still fragile. I will sort a herbal powder for you to bathe in tomorrow."

Vincent left Elena to see to Rook, leaving behind the balm for the wound. Between her and Elena she was cleaned of the blood and dirt then Elena washed her hair over the bowl. Finally feeling somewhat clean though her muscles screamed for a bath, Elena helped her slip on a warm nightdress and into her bed. Vincent sent up some warm porridge and milk which she inhaled gratefully, she would have preferred Lucanis's cooking but the hour was now late. She would go and see him tomorrow, after her well deserved bath.

Rook snuggled into her childhood bed, it was queen size and took up a lot of the space but she didn't mind. She looked over at the window built in to the roof, the moon had long since passed so all she saw was stars. Her room was in the highest point of House De Riva which she preferred, many a night had she slipped out that window to traverse the roofs to the clocktower. Her ceiling was low as obviously she was in the attic space but not so low that you would have to bend to fit. Upon her bedside table was a magician orb that gave ligh,t so the room was bathed in a warm glow. Beyond that were shelves of books and trinkets, from dragon statues as she had always loved dragons, to books on poisons (mostly written then gifted to her by Viago), crow statues and various other items

With a sigh she turned in her warm cocoon and doused the mage light at her side by lowering the lid on top all the way down, mage lights never turned off unless they ran out of magic so you had to cover them when not needed. Rook was just getting comfortable when she heard something near the window before the sound of the night reached her ears telling her someone or something had opened said window. She drew her dagger from under her pillow and threw it towards the window in one fluid moment only to gasp at the silhouette with glowing purple wingsjust as the dagger bit into the frame of the window. She could see the dark shape with glowing eyes turn to look at where it vibrated in the wood.

"Spite? Lucanis? What in the name of Antiva?" Rook reached over to uncover the mage light to regard them.

"Rook throw knife at spite" Spite almost sounded wounded.

"I'm sorry Spite but you really shouldn't come into a lady assassins window in the middle of the night" Rook held her hand out to spite, he folded the wings away and came forward quickly

"Rook Hurt!" Spite began looking her over moving her night gown on the left shoulder. When he found it he growled and touched it softly.

"Hey I'm ok, just a scratch. Does Lucanis Know you are here?" the purple left his eyes and panic brown met hers.

"Yes he does know, Mierda Rook what happened?" he cupped her face gently. She hated the look of fear on his face so she leaned forward to kiss him softly. He closed his eyes and returned the kiss, she could feel the fear and the love in it. When she broke the kiss she placed her hand against his cheek, finger stoking his beard.

"There, that's better. I am ok, Little stiff and sore nothing more. I have had worse and you know it." she regarded him, he looked tired. His hair and beard not as neat and tidy as he usually kept it. " you on the other hand look as tired as I look. Come here."

Rook made room in the bed lifting the covers in invitation. Lucanis stood and removed his boots, then he released the leather belts that held his bladed in place, hanging them off the weapons rack she had in her room. Slowly he removed his leather armour until he was left in a purple fine shirt and black trousers. He crawled in beside her, she lay on her right side so he could gently spoon behind her while not aggravating her left shoulder. He held her tight to him a moment, smelling deeply at the back of her neck which she thought was probably Spite, before a gentle kiss followed.

Rook told him of her mission in Minrathous, of how hard the fight had been so she had returned with aching muscles to the clock tower. Of seeing the young Iker running and his moves. Of his stupid desicions and the consequent saving that resulted in her injury. He listened quietly and only spoke one she had finished.

"Defiantly broken" he snarled.

"What's broken?"

"Boy! Lucanis said he would Clip or break Wings. Spite Gets to break!" The glee in Spites voice was evident.

"No, we will not break. I would like to find out the reason why he's such an idiot first." Rook laughed, threading her left fingers through Lucanis hand at her waist. She turned her head rubbing it against Lucanis arm under her head, the scent of coffee, ozone and weapon oil a comfort to her. "I love you both for wanting to though"

Lucanis tightened his grip on her briefly and she felt then saw one of Spites wings curl round her the tips hitting the mage light cover as it did so, so the warm glow was replaced by a soft purple one.

"We Love you also amada, " His warm accent melting her insides as he said beloved in Antivan " Now sleep, we will not leave you"

"Only if you both sleep also"

" of course mi amor"

With a final kiss to her neck she felt Lucanis make himself comfortable for sleep, so she did the same the warmth of him soothing her muscles and shoulder. Spites wings a safe cocoon against the world, she stroked them with the fingertips of her right hand before laying the back of it gently against the feathers so Spite also had some contact with her, before finally closing her eyes to rest. Sleep came for them all quickly that night in the safety and love each provided the other.