fadewalk | RP: Alistair (wardenalistair)

Everything was darkness.

The feeling of the cold stone against her skin was the last thing she could remember before the darkness. So much noise, so much destruction, so much pain...

A refreshing feeling ran through her body, different from any kind of healing spell she have ever known. She could hear steps, metal against the stone floor. Was the fight over? She couldn't say for sure, her limbs were heavy, she felt terribly weak and tired. But maybe a little nap could make her feel better... just a little nap.

Neria didn't know how much time had passed when she started regaining her consciousness, slowly drifting out of her dreamless sleep. There was people talking and then there was silence again. Only a familiar warmth grounding her mind to the real world.

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"Hmm, possibly. There is no glory in sacrifice in a order on the verge of internal war, after all. Specially when said order helped the enemy they swore to protect us from." she chuckled weakly, fingers intertwining with his before she held their hands against the light coming from the fireplace, looking at how the light and shadows changed their contour "Oh Oghren... I miss the old dwarven brewery, even his permanent alcoholic stench." her nose wrinkled when she smiled fondly

"His little nugget turns 10 in a few weeks, if I quite recall. I have yet to think of a gift. Haven't being exactly a good godmother for her lately." she kissed his knuckles "And how did you found out Hawke was after Corypheus? I know that boy, Carver, is her brother but... can't make the connection."

"Oh, it was a bit of both being after the same thing and a bit of the fact that I was one of few Wardens whose acquaintance made an impression on her, I guess? After we met in Kirkwall that once. She sent me a letter when she heard the rumors about what was going on with the Wardens from Carver and Anders, offering her help and her knowledge of Corypheus. We lost track of each other when I had to go on the run from Clarel's Wardens, but she sent the Inquisitor with all her resources after me, and that seemed to work."

He wrinkled his nose. "Crestwood full of undead is not a very pleasant locale, you should know."

Edited Date: 2015-09-01 01:54 am (UTC)

"Worst than Fallow Mire, plagued and full of undead?" she quirked her eyebrow "By the way, you should pay a visit to Hawke. She escaped from the Fade, somehow, and the Inquisitor found her."

She shifted to her side, burying her face on Alistair's chest for a moment, inhaling his scent "The Inquisitor gave you my message, when you were in Skyhold?"

"Not quite, but the rain was nearly as insufferable as the marsh."

His arm tightened around her at the mention of Hawke. "Oh," he breathed. "Oh, praise the Maker. I should - go and thank her. Yes."

"She did," he said, with a sound that rumbled through his chest, halfway between a laugh and a purr. He crooked a few fingers under her chin and lifted her head. "Do you have any idea what you do to me? Even a few lines in your hand. Maker's breath, love. How I wanted you that night."

Her eyes curved with the fond smile she gave him, pressing her lips against his in a slow kiss, fingers ghosting his cheek and jaw.

"I already told you why I call you 'vhenan', Alistair. You're my heart, you make me whole, even if you can't see how. When I heard you were in Skyhold, so close for the first time in years, I nearly dropped everything to deliver that message personally."

Alistair let out a small noise of frustration and want, tangling his fingers in her hair.

"I wish you would have," he mumbled. "I know this work you're doing is important, but...Maker." He closed his eyes and kissed her slowly.

She kissed him, hand pressing the back of his neck to bring him closer.

"I know." Neria spoke against his lips, eyes closed "We expected things to be difficult but not this difficult."

Alistair hugged her to him tightly, basically dragging her on top of him. Which was not exactly intentional, and his lips turned down in something like an apology for the semi-rough treatment, especially still recovering as she was. But he didn't let her go either.

"I'm trying to only dwell on the fact that I have you, here, in my arms, right now," he murmured, nudging his forehead against hers. "And then you go and get injured on me and all I can think about is how many times I haven't been there for you when you needed me in these past few years." His voice is pained.

"Vhenan..."

Neria placed her elbows on each side of his chest, hands resting over his shoulders. She tilted her head, ears wilting with his pained voice, mouth opening as she took her breath to speak, then gave up. Instead, she caressed the scarred skin on his chest with her thumb, fingers then trailing a scar on his face.

"No, don't say it. I wasn't there, either. We both did what we have to when we have to and this is past now." she planted a kiss over the scar on his heart "Just promise me we won't ever do this again. Be apart."

Alistair wrapped one arm snugly about her waist and cupped her cheek with his other hand.

"Never," he swore fervently. "Never ever ever." He kissed her with each word, pulling back just to whisper the next and then kiss her again, and on the last he brushed his thumb over the curve of her cheek and kissed her yet again, small, lingering brushes of his lips that deepened the longer they went on.

Neria returned every single kiss, parting her lips for his as the kisses went deeper and deeper. A little sigh of pleasure left her mouth when she sought for her breath, panting with swollen lips. She looked into his eyes, laughing, before kissing him again, passionate, without bothering on holding the little sighs and moans dripping with the kiss.

Alistair's eyes crinkled around the corners as he smiled, and he was surprised enough by Neria's last kiss that he had to pull away shortly to take a deep breath himself. He hummed in appreciation and pressed back towards her, his fingers scritching at the shorter hair on the nape of Neria's neck. He licked his way into her mouth this time, tasted her, let out a moan when their tongues brushed.

Neria hummed in approval, slowly shifting to straddle his hips when a hint of pain crossed her face, brows furrowing. She stopped, thumbs brushing his lips, frustration and want clear on her face.

"Creators, I shouldn't be doing this."

Alistair reached for her as soon as her face grew pained, his hazel eyes reflecting the emotion.

"No, you shouldn't. Come here." He pulled her down gently and settled her back on the bed, rolling over on his side and resting his chin on her shoulder. He pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"Much as I would love to ravish you again, my dear, you need to rest." He smoothed her hair back from her face. "There will be plenty of opportunities later, hmm? Since I have no intention of leaving your side again."

"Yes, there will be." she chuckled, tilting her head to plant a kiss on his temple, pressing her lips on the top of his head and using her lithe fingers to smooth his hair.

"Now is your turn to ask questions about my trip."

"Hmm." Alistair stretched arm around her stomach and nuzzled his face further into the curve of her neck. He spoke against her skin. "How's Nathaniel and Velanna? And how is your research going? See anything of particular interest?"

"Oh, Velanna and Nate are, you know, just the way they are. She really helped me in the elven temples we visited and she did a good job salvaging stories and knowledge, she says is for the next Arlathvhen. She wants me to go with her, but I don't know... my mother was Dalish, but she left her clan to marry my father and I don't feel entitled to their culture." she shrugged "And Nate is just fine. The Calling hit him worse than he admits, but since Velanna was there for him, things worked."

She kissed the top of his head again.

"And the temples... I wish you were there. So magnificent, even ages after the fall of Arlathan. Sylaise's was the most beautiful of all, and I'm totally not saying this because fire is my main magic of choice." she sighed, not sure if it was a good idea to bring up the subject about the Taint, skipping it for now "As for the cure... Anders helped me figure something out earlier. If I can find enough Lyrium to make the ritual work, we can test it here."

Alistair hummed. "It sound beautiful, love. Wish I could have seen them. And you're really that far along with the Cure? That's - wow - that's excellent." He twisted his head back to offer her a grin.

"It is a very long shot, really. I'm not sure if this can work and I don't want to think of the implications if it does work. If it works, this will shake not only the Wardens, but the whole Thedas and this frightens me."

Alistair kissed her cheek.

"No matter what happens, there are many who will stand with you. Not least myself." He smiled faintly.

"I wished this wasn't bigger than us, that this wasn't bigger than my bickering with the First Warden."

Neria bit her lower lip, closing her eyes.

"The Taint started with the Elves. Probably what weakened the empire in the first place. The Elven Gods are totally real, probably just not in the way the Chantry paints godhood. They were gods among the People, that is for sure, and Andruil brought the Taint with her, from one of her hunts. We did it, vhenan, we did it." her voice faultered

Alistair held her closer and murmured, "You are not responsible for the actions of your race hundreds and hundreds of years ago, love."

"No, but I'll have blood in my hands if my findings trigger another Exalted March against my people"

He sighed. "I would say that the Chantry can't blame the elves for their actions such a long time ago either, but knowing them they could and would."

He smoothed his hand over her side. "Still, you can't predict everything. Should we stop looking for a way to survive and - and be together for more than a few more years just because it might make some people angry?"

"Oh no Alistair, this is not what I'm suggesting. No, no, sorry, I'm sorry, this is really not what I meant."

Neria kissed his temple and rested her chin on the top of his head, slightly rocking as her fingers focused on his hair in a soothing motion.

"Can't say it was easy for me to reach this conclusion, so I'm probably just freaking out. If Inquisitor Lavellan has half the brain Leliana suggests, she'll reach the same conclusion, but I trust she won't doom our kind."