Chapter Text
Fucking Deep Roads. Fucking Orzammar. Fucking Shaperate. Fucking Titan thing and its stupid fucking rock tentacles. Maker take them all.
Eve knew she was being unkind, but after five long months away from her mate, surrounded by frightening mutated dwarves that jumped out at her from the suffocating darkness of the Deep Roads, she literally had no more fucks left to give.
It was five months of torture, being away from Cassandra for so long, but her mate had needed to go to the Hunterhorns to oversee a new batch of Seeker initiates. Eve whined and groaned about leaving, dragging her feet as much as she could, but in the end, she could never forsake her duty as the Inquisitor.
Since they were headed to the Deep Roads, it only made sense to take Varric. The Iron Bull was also a no-brainer if Eve couldn’t take Cassandra; she needed a frontline fighter, and the Bull and his Sulevin Blade were happy to deliver.
Taking Blackwall along had been a tough choice since Eve knew that he would have a hard time in the Deep Roads. Ever since they cleared out the air when his past indiscretions came to light, Eve could appreciate how deeply he still respected the Wardens. She didn’t want to make Blackwall go through what they would face down in the Deep Roads.
There were times back in Skyhold when Eve would visit her spymaster in between missions and catch her in a melancholic state. She learned that asking Leliana to share stories about her time with the Hero of Ferelden seemed to help lighten the former bard’s mood.
Unfortunately, those stories included their adventures down in the Deep Roads.
They were, in a nutshell, crap-inducingly terrifying. Eve couldn’t imagine what it would have been like even for a hardened warrior to travel through the Deep Roads, let alone her quiet spymaster.
Since then, Eve fervently wished that simply being able to imagine the horrors of the Deep Roads was the most she could do.
In hindsight, Eve mused as she rode, it would have been better if I’d never found out about the Deep Roads. At least I could have fooled myself into thinking we’d be facing nugs farting rainbows and shitting gold coins instead of Alpha ogres, shrieks, and those Maker-be-damned emissaries.
Unfortunately, Blackwall had been her only available choice. Eve hadn’t been willing to bring Cole down into the Deep Roads since she didn’t know how such a dismal and terrifying place would affect him. Sera had turned her down flat by giving her a loud raspberry every time Eve asked her to come with the party. Not even the offer of a full week of pranks of Sera’s choice and a full-on cookie buffet could change her mind.
Dorian had wanted to go, but an urgent message from Magister Tilani arrived from Tevinter and he left three days before the party departed for the Deep Roads.
Eve hadn’t even bothered to ask Vivienne.
Eve shuddered involuntarily as she remembered every excruciating detail of their mission. She thought it was hard enough to battle through the seemingly never-ending waves of darkspawn that came out of the darkness in the upper levels, but when they traveled down into the uncharted lower caverns, Eve knew that the events that followed would be amazing fodder for tavern tales in the months to come.
Preferably with a strong fire roaring in the fireplace, her favorite honeyed mead in her hand, and Cassandra’s arms around her as she recounted the stories.
If she thought it bad to be surrounded by a darkness so deep that it completely swallowed everything around it, things got infinitely worse when the first arrow flew from the solid black wall and slammed deep into Renn’s chest.
Eve’s heart still clenched in guilt and anger when she remembered how the Legion of the Dead soldier, already dying from his wound, fearlessly threw himself into battle against the frightening and strange dwarves that suddenly launched the attack.
She remembered the awe she felt as she watched Renn slay every last opponent, swinging his battle axe and proving that he was a man worthy of being a lieutenant in a company as revered as the Legion of the Dead.
She also remembered the sorrow she felt as she watched Renn slowly drop down after the battle, his last breath leaving his body in a heartbreaking rasp.
Finally, Eve remembered the fear dragging her legs down as the party walked into the massive lyrium-filled cavern, the thunderous rhythm of the Titan’s heartbeat sounding like an impossibly enormous war drum.
Which, in a way, it was. The Mark on her hand sparked with every deep beat, ancient magic recognizing its own and responding in kind.
Luckily, it all turned out better than Eve had hoped. If anything, meeting the Titan in the heart of the lyrium-rich caves of the Deep Roads made her immensely glad that she had brought two frontline fighters who could take powerful blows from the massive creature and still keep fighting on.
The two warriors had bought her and Varric enough time to bring the monster down, the party emerging victorious with only minimal injuries.
Well, mostly minimal. The battle had left Varric nursing a sprained ankle from a slip after he tried to evade a tentacle while Bull sported a deep gash across his chest where a flying piece of sharp rock raked across his bare skin.
Stitches is going to be pissed. Eve mused as she considered the poorly-healed wound on her friend’s chest. None of them had the skills to properly stitch up the wound so they had to make do with cleaning it out and slapping on a healing poultice. And Krem’s never going to let up on his wearing just a harness now either. Good thing Dorian finds scars sexy.
Blackwall had gotten through unscathed but Eve herself ended up with a nasty scrape running down the side of her right arm; a souvenir from a hard brush against one of the rock tentacles. It didn’t need any stitches, thank the Maker, but they were still deep enough that Eve had to clench her teeth together while Varric cleaned out the grit with a small flask of dwarven whiskey to prevent infection.
“Sorry, your Inquisitorialness. This is going to sting like Andraste’s burning pyre.” Varric muttered as he held down Eve’s arm to prevent her from yanking it out of his grip as he removed debris from her wound. The pungent odor from the liquor might have made Eve dizzy, but the burning sensation on her arm kept her painfully sober, “But I think this is infinitely preferable to the Seeker’s wrath if she finds out that you didn’t clean the wound properly before you headed back home to her.”
Eve had hated how right he was and satisfied herself with screaming a creative mix of Common and Tevene curses into the glowing ceiling above them until Varric finished binding her arm.
Silently, the tired party had ridden the rickety elevator back up to the first level of the Deep Roads where the Legion of the Dead soldiers waited at the main camp. After reporting their experience and telling them that both Valta and Renn were gone (Eve giving a silent prayer of thanks to the Maker that they didn’t press for details), Eve stopped by the smith to fetch the item that she had commissioned from him when they first arrived weeks before.
All four of them had practically kissed the ground the minute the party reached the surface back on the Storm Coast.
After that, it had been a mind-numbing six weeks of travel from the Storm Coast back to the Hunterhorns. They were mostly uneventful. It seemed that attacking a traveling party consisting of a grizzled warrior, a huge Qunari, a mage with death in her eyes, and a dwarf with a large crossbow strapped to his back wasn’t an attractive prospect for highwaymen and wildlife alike.
Eve had nearly cried with relief when she saw Andoral’s Reach, because it both offered a safe place to camp for the night and it told her that her mate was nearly within reach. After securing the perimeter, the party set up camp and bunked down for the night, exhausted from traveling.
Eve had volunteered to keep watch that night, too excited and nervous to fall asleep despite her weariness. She sat in the darkness, anxiously thumbing the item she brought back from the Deep Roads and hoped it would meet expectations.
The following morning, Eve gave in to requests from both Bull and Varric to leave after lunch. They wanted a little bit of time to explore the old ruins and see if there was anything of interest.
While she was anxious to get back to Cassandra as soon as possible, she couldn’t begrudge her friends their request after such a long and difficult journey, so she went out with Blackwall and hunted a few hares to add to their meal.
The party talked and joked as they ate, each of them deliberately avoiding the topic of the Deep Roads. At that moment, surrounded by bright sunlight, in the company of good friends, sharing delicious food, and birdsong twittering happily in the air, they all wordlessly agreed to simply just…be.
Fulling full and energized after eating and packing away camp, the party had set out for the Seeker keep in high spirits. Her thoughts on her mate, Eve barely even noticed how long they’d been riding non-stop until Blackwall pointed out that it was getting dark. The sky above them was overcast and gloomy, with the sun starting to sink down the horizon. They had been riding for a full six candle marks already.
Eve grit her teeth, feeling all kinds of grouchy, with only the thought of Cassandra waiting for her stopping her from whipping out her staff and casting random fireballs into the air to release her tension.
Her bad mood darkened further when, only half a candle mark away from their destination, a storm rolled in and torrents of sleet drenched her party to the bone.
Of course. How wonderful. Eve thought acidly, every trot of her mount feeling like a blow from a war hammer against her aching bones. She tried to concentrate on the fact that they were getting close to the Seeker keep, but she couldn’t ignore the way that her wet clothes were clinging to her skin.
Nor could she tune out the continued bantering between Varric and the Iron Bull behind her.
“Hah! Did you see those flailing stone limbs when they tried to smash me into bits? Magnificent!” Bull rumbled, lost in happy memories and not a small amount of lust, “Nothing beats charging against an angry dragon of course, but this is a pretty close second!”
“Only you would look at something like that and think those kinds of happy thoughts, Tiny.” Varric snorted, trying to keep his balance on top of his battle nug (because of course he would choose a battle nug, Eve thought, rolling her eyes) as the pouring rain made the saddle slippery.
“Well Varric,” Bull grinned, water dripping off his horns as his good eye flickered over his friend, “Not all of us have a Bianca to warm our beds at night.” His grin turned downright obscene, “My own piece of hardwood isn’t exactly within reach at the moment. In fact, I think it’s somewhere over there.” He gestured with a massive hand in the general direction of the Tevinter Imperium.
“Oh, for the love of the Maker,” Blackwall groaned, his bulky frame shivering from the cold as he wiped his hand across his eyes to clear away the drops clouding his vision, “Could you be any more vulgar?”
A mistake on his part, since speaking up meant that he was now fair game to the grinning dwarf and the Tal-Vashoth mercenary.
"Hah!" Bull laughed, swinging his massive torso to face his new victim, "I haven't even started yet, Blackwall. Trust me, you would know if I did. I'm not exactly the quiet type. Ask Dorian."
Blackwall was smart enough not to give Bull any more ammunition. Instead, he stared resolutely away from the lecherous grin, but even his bushy beard couldn't hide the flush creeping up his neck. The reins in Blackwall's hands creaked under the strain of the heavy gauntlets gripping them. The owner was probably using them as a substitute for Bull's neck.
“You feeling alright there, Hero?” Varric asked, trying to determine how much he could tease the reticent warrior. He was comfortable making all kinds of jokes with the Inquisitor, Sera, Bull, and Dorian, but he still felt that the other members of their Inner Circle had lines drawn in the sand that he shouldn’t cross.
One in particular. Varric rolled his eyes in annoyance, although given the amount of pure bullshit he had given the Seeker for quite a while after the mess in Kirkwall, he couldn’t really blame the woman for being a bit…tetchy with him.
So, yes, since Varric had a pretty strong sense of self-preservation, he was always careful to find out where exactly the lines were drawn before he would even think of saying anything in jest.
Unfortunately, Bull loved crossing so far over those lines he practically came back up the other side.
“Varric, do you really need to ask? It's obvious that someone’s feeling a little touchy.” Bull laughed, digging his heels into the sides of his royal hart to draw a little closer to Blackwall, “I get it though. All these long months away from our dear ambassador and her way with words. Your own quill must be all dried u-“
“Bull,” Eve ground out, swerving around slightly and narrowing her eyes at the grinning Qunari, “One more disrespectful comment about Josephine and I swear to the Maker I will kick your ass back down to the Deep Roads myself.”
“Okay boss, okay.” Bull held out his giant hands in apology, without a hint of remorse in his grin, “Sorry Blackwall, no harm meant. Just giving you a hard time. Because, you know, you probably are.”
“Bull! Venhedis kaffan vas!” Eve shouted, feeling her strained patience stretched a smidge past its limit. The reins under Eve's hands creaked even louder than Blackwall's, the owner obviously using them in the same manner.
Bull quickly shut up, not quite brave enough to see whether or not Eve would carry out her threat. Plus, he was familiar with the Tevene curse, having heard it enough from his mate. That the Inquisitor chose it was a sure sign that a Lightning Bolt was one more dirty joke away from being launched toward the direction of his head.
Eve nudged her bearded charger just a little bit faster, desperate to get away from the rain and from the poorly-muffled sniggers from Varric and Blackwall.
Mercifully, Eve could already spy the massive keep just over the ridge and she spurred her mount forward.
“Heyah!” She shouted happily, flicking the reins in her hands, “Let’s go, Brutus!” The massive charger reared up and broke into a full-on gallop, just as anxious as his master to reach their destination.
As she sped forward, she heard Bull, Blackwall, and Varric do the same behind her. The combined footfalls of their mounts echoed like thunder into the walls of the keep, signaling their arrival. The sound alerted the lookout sentry, who recognized the incoming party and gave the signal to lower the drawbridge.
The party barely slowed down as they cleared the drawbridge and only halted once they were all safely inside the main courtyard. As Brutus wound down to prance, Eve glanced around the keep and took in the number of people going about their duties.
Hmm. Looks like the day’s training is done. Most of the initiates are probably back at the barracks or at the mess. Good. I’m really not in the mood for people right now. Well, most people, anyway.
Eve gently slowed her mount to a stop and dismounted, rubbing the horse’s neck to help ease his strained muscles. Several Seeker initiates came closer to help the party put away their mounts and help unload their gear.
“Greetings, Inquisitor. I hope you had an uneventful ride to the keep.” A young female initiate drew to Eve and curtsied, before hanging her a cotton towel.
“Hey there, Beth.” Eve smiled, rubbing the towel across her damp hair and arms. She liked the spunky Rivaini, one of the earliest who had passed Cassandra’s initiate tests to join her Order.
Beth had the beautiful dusky skin common to natives of her country, and striking green eyes that usually sparkled with her wicked sense of humor. She also had a love for bawdy stories and could put out a candle from fifty paces with a deft flick of her knife.
“Yeah, it was alright. The rain was a bit of a shit show, though.” Eve laughed, enjoying the way that the initiate rolled her eyes in a manner that reminded her of Cassandra, albeit much more playfully.
She was, Eve mused, what Sera would be like if her friend were just a bit saner. Beth might like a lewd joke as much as the other rogue, but she respected Cassandra’s authority and deferred to the High Lady Seeker without any complaints.
Beth’s eyes could also flare in a heartbeat, glittering orbs as hard as any emerald, lit by the fiery temper also common in those from her homeland. A temper that the young Seeker initiate was still trying to learn how to control.
Eve remembered one particular instance when she teased the young woman just a little bit too much about her given name – Desbethina- and found a quivering dagger deeply lodged a hair’s width away from the side of her head before the joke faded in the air.
After an initial moment of shock, Eve laughed off the incident and promised Beth that she wouldn’t breathe a word to Cassandra if Beth agreed to teach her the basics of knife throwing. They quickly became fast friends after that, with Beth always the first to accommodate Eve whenever she visited the Hunterhorn keep.
“Your boss around?” Eve grinned, knowing that she would get a death glare from her mate if Cassandra heard her speaking so informally about the Seeker with the initiates. Fortunately, Beth was used to Eve’s humor and simply smiled back.
“Lady Pentaghast was in her private office, the last I heard. But I’m sure that she already knows you’re here, so just hold your horses, Inquisitor.” Beth winked, taking the damp towel from Eve and slinging it over her shoulder, “Speaking of horses, may I take Brutus to the stalls for you?”
“It’s okay Beth, I’ve got him.” Eve smiled, taking the horse’s reins and starting to walk to the stables, “If you want to help, can you take Blackwall, Bull, and Varric to their quarters and get them settled in?”
“Certainly, Your Grace.” Beth smiled pleasantly and curtsied once more, “Have a good night.” The young initiate turned toward the waiting men and motioned for them to follow her. They all gave Eve a nod before heading off in the same direction as Beth.
Quarters my ass. Eve thought, chuckling, I bet she’s already thinking about how much ale she needs to get those three drunk enough to start spilling the beans.
Eve placed Brutus in one of the stalls and rubbed down his muscles with a rough sackcloth to help him relax further. He nickered softly in appreciation and Eve spent a minute with her forehead pressed gently against her mount’s nose, murmuring words of appreciation and affection. She breathed deep, letting the smells of fresh hay, crisp mountain air, and horse flesh ease the ache in her bones.
Eve was busy with pouring feed into the nearby trough when she felt a tingle on her nape. She stopped her motions to enjoy the long-missed voice behind her, the thick Nevarran accent sending a lovely thrill up her spine.
“Hello, my love. I’m glad you’ve arrived safely.” Cassandra stopped beside Eve, placing a light kiss on her cheek. She took in the sight of her mate and her soaked clothes, a worried frown appearing on Cassandra’s face.
Of course, my Inquisitor wouldn’t have stopped for shelter. Cassandra thought, irritation marrying worry, Maker knows she won’t stop for anything to get here as quickly as possible, not even for something as embarrassing as death by a cold.
“Hey there, gorgeous.” Eve smiled, reaching out and taking Cassandra’s hand carefully in one of her own, itching to let the other gently smooth away the frown on the other woman’s lips, “I don’t suppose you’ve got room for a pitiful half-drowned mage in this enormous keep of yours?”
Eve watched as her gentle teasing worked and Cassandra's lips turned into a soft smile.
“I'm not sure, Eve.” Cassandra teased, poking a finger into Eve’s side and enjoying the burst of surprised laughter. She had been astounded to learn that Eve was secretly highly ticklish and she enjoyed many hours finding the hidden spots that made her mate squirm, “I heard Blackwall claimed the last empty room for himself.”
“Tch. Figures.” Eve grinned, looking over at her horse, “Hey Brutus, scoot over. It looks like you’ve got company tonight.”
“It will speak poorly of my hospitality if word gets out that I allowed the famous Inquisitor to spend her first night here in the stables.” Cassandra laughed, pulling Eve close and hugging her tightly, not caring a whit about the moisture seeping into her own clothes, “Fortunately, my private quarters are quite large. Perhaps I can be persuaded to share.”
“Ask for whatever your heart desires, my dear Seeker,” Eve chuckled, enjoying the teasing banter immensely, “I shall gladly grant it.”
“I already have that, my love.” Cassandra smiled softly, placing another gentle kiss on Eve’s cheek before turning around and starting to walk back to her private chambers, “But perhaps you can surprise me with an offer.” The Seeker called over her shoulder with an arched brow.
“Seeker, you’ve got yourself a deal.” Eve grinned, hoisting her pack over her shoulder and running to catch up with her mate.
*****
Cassandra’s private quarters were situated at the highest tower of the keep, well away from the initiate barracks, the mess, or other highly-populated areas of the fortress. The halls were mostly empty as the two women made their way up but Eve still kept a respectable distance from Cassandra, knowing that her mate had to reputation to uphold while in public. Cassandra appreciated the thoughtfulness of the gesture and allowed her hand to gently brush against Eve’s occasionally as a small sign of her gratitude.
When the door to the quarters closed behind them, however, Cassandra immediately pressed Eve against the wooden barrier and demonstrated her gratitude in a much more thorough manner. After, she simply pointed Eve in the direction of her baths and lightly swatted the retreating behind to demonstrate her earlier irritation and worry over her mate’s disregard for her health.
While Eve took a quick bath to clean up, Cassandra called for a late meal to be brought up and stoked the fire to make the room warmer. She also changed into a loose-fitting shift and cotton breeches after the food and drink were delivered.
When Eve stepped out of the bath, similarly dressed in a shift and breeches, she sighed happily as the warmth from the fireplace washed over her. She wordlessly walked over to her mate and gave her a deep and languid kiss as her way of thanks.
After sharing a quiet meal together, Eve gathered up all the furs around the room and created a cozy nest where she and Cassandra gratefully sank down in. The two women sat in front of the fireplace, simply enjoying each other’s company after being apart for so long.
Eve leaned back into Cassandra’s arms, relishing the feeling of her mate’s strong arms wrapped securely around her belly and her long legs wrapped gently around Eve’s waist. She turned her head slightly, placing a lingering kiss on the pulse point on Cassandra’s neck, nuzzling her nose into the soft skin and enjoying the tiny hitch in her mate’s breath.
The scent and feel of her mate worked wonders and Eve could feel the tension in her shoulders start to melt away.
“Eve? What happened here?” Cassandra murmured, running gentle fingers down the healed scars on Eve’s arm. She simultaneously loved the feeling of the soft skin and hated the fact that it bore new scars.
“Oh. Yeah. I got hit by a rock Titan’s tentacles.” Eve grinned sheepishly, “Varric cleaned it up pretty good, though.”
“I think you owe me a story, my love.” Cassandra sighed as she nuzzled Eve’s ear. She could feel her own tense muscles becoming looser with every passing second. The past few months had been just as hard for her as for Eve, and there were more than a few times that Cassandra had found herself uncharacteristically distracted from her duties.
Eve leaned in and kissed Cassandra gently on the lips, a silent apology. Then, she leaned back into Cassandra’s arms and started recounting her adventure down in the Deep Roads, with Cassandra listening fondly and occasionally placing a soft kiss on the other woman’s ears and neck.
“The first couple of weeks down in the Deep Roads weren't anything special. We teamed up with a Shaper named Valta and a Legion of the Dead lieutenant named Renn. Solid guy, a veteran of the Fifth Blight. He didn’t meet Warden Amell or Leliana though.” Eve started the tale, thinking about those first days down in the Deep Roads.
“The Shaperate asked us to go down there and figure out what was behind these massive earthquakes. We didn’t find anything on the first levels, so we went deeper and deeper into the Dark Roads while clearing out nests of darkspawn everywhere. Bull hated the place and pretty much spent the whole thing complaining about his horns getting stuck on rocks.” Eve laughed, remembering the Qunari's endless grumpy outbursts each time his horns would get snagged, “It would have made things much easier if we had Dorian down there with us. Or maybe not. I doubt Dorian would have put up with Bull’s whining much.”
“And I’m certain my brave Inquisitor was putting up a stoic façade the whole time.” Cassandra teased with a soft breath into the rim of Eve’s ear, followed by her teeth gently nipping on Eve’s earlobe. Cassandra watched as Eve shivered violently at her ministrations, biting her own lip to stop herself from repeating them over and over.
“Cass.” Eve closed her eyes, swallowing hard against the sudden rush of desire burning through her veins and the Mark glowing a deep green in response to the intense emotion, “You do that again and you can’t go blaming me for anything I do after.”
“I apologize.” Cassandra smirked, loving the way she affected Eve so easily, “Please, continue. I truly am interested in hearing about the rest.”
Eve hesitated as she thought about the parts that she had found so difficult to accept, particularly the confrontations with the Sha-Brytol and Valta’s disappearance after the fight against the Titan. She wasn’t sure how to explain them to Cassandra, especially since she didn’t understand much herself.
“Mutated dwarves with lyrium-infused armor grafted directly into their skin and a Shaper disappearing into Maker-knows-where after a battle against an ancient magical colossus” were topics that were way too complex for Eve to talk about with her mate tonight. But still, Cassandra wanted to know, so she had to at least try.
Maker, give me strength.
“We met some really weird dwarves down there, Cass. Valta said that they’re called Sha-Brytol.” Eve gave an involuntary shudder when the image of glowing eyes staring out of a solid wall of darkness rose up in her mind, “They’d adapted to living so close to unrefined pure lyrium that they wore armor decked out with the stuff. That was bad enough on its own, but the armor seemed directly fused to their skin. Worst of all, Renn died after our first fight against them. Shit. I hated losing him that way. ”
“Those are all disturbing thoughts, my love. I am sorry to hear about what happened to the lieutenant. I’m sure that the Legion lost a good man. But those dwarves you mentioned, those...Sha-Brytol?” Cassandra frowned, her mind straining to imagine such beings, “What did your companion – Valta, was it?- say about them?”
“She was as surprised as we were, honestly.” Eve sighed, frustrated at the lack of information that they had gotten from the ancient writings on the cavern walls, “We found some text about them inscribed on the cavern walls, but all Valta could understand was that they were some kind of ancient military force, one that existed before the fall of the Dwarven Empire. They were dedicated to guarding the Titan against intruders.” Eve chuckled bitterly, “Intruders like a nosy band of surface dwellers.”
Cassandra could see that Eve was still struggling to understand what exactly the party had seen down in the Deep Roads and knew that the little joke Eve tried to push was her way of dealing with the difficult emotions.
She decided that it wouldn’t do her mate any good if she tried to press for more information.
“Perhaps it’s best to let the matter rest for now, my love.” Cassandra said, nuzzling Eve’s temple with her nose, wordlessly trying to offer comfort, “We can certainly look more into it when we can get more information from the Shaperate.”
“I doubt that, dear heart.” Eve sighed again, her eyes clouding over with her growing frustration, “Valta basically told me that the Shaperate didn’t want anything to do with what we found down there. That’s why she chose to head deeper into the caverns on her own. She wanted the chance to learn more without those nug-humpers getting in the way.”
Cassandra felt the tension quickly building back up in Eve’s shoulders, so she started pressing soft kisses on the tightening muscles while making soft shushing noises.
“Alright, my love, alright.” Cassandra whispered softly, trying to further soothe Eve’s ire, “I suppose the Shaper does know best on how to handle those ‘nug-humpers’, as you so delightfully called them.”
Cassandra smiled gently as she heard a small laugh burst out of Eve, thankful when she felt the tension in her mate’s shoulders melt away and she leaned back against her chest. “Now, you mentioned something about a rock Titan?”, Cassandra queried, hoping that the distraction would work.
Eve immediately brightened up, excited at the prospect of sharing this part of the story with the Seeker.
"You should have seen it, Cass! We faced down this absolute brute of a rock Titan, which was what was causing the earthquakes. We found it in the middle of some huge underground cavern filled with pure lyrium growing out of the walls.” Eve’s voice got more excited as she recounted the story, “It looked like a pile of boulders with a face and arms. It was so massive, it even made Bull look tiny in comparison! So, of course, he was basically grinning his ass off as he threw himself at the monster.” Eve laughed as she remembered the Bull’s shit-eating grin during the battle.
“Blackwall didn't say much while we were down there, but you know how he is. All angst and seriousness. We found some old Gray Warden journals down there too. Pretty dark stuff, so I couldn't blame him for being quieter than usual." Eve sobered a little at a thought, then brightened once more when she remembered something else they encountered.
"Oh, and Varric! You should have seen his face when we meet the actual freaking Nug King." Eve laughed, loving the snort of amusement and surprise that bubbled up from her mate, "A nug with an actual crown and a throne, can you believe it? Varric was practically ready to bolt back to the surface to start writing his next book!"
"I imagine so." Cassandra smiled indulgently, greatly enjoying Eve's uncurbed enthusiasm, "Did he mention a title?"
"Yeah, he mentioned it while we were on our way back here." Eve said, laughing harder before clearing her throat and continuing with a dramatic flourish in her voice, "This Shit Got Weirder: Book Two of Inquisitor Trevelyan's Adventures." Eve doubled over, holding her belly to try and stifle the laughter that kept pouring out of her, "I told him it was a mouthful and maybe just use that as a working title."
"Perhaps he should retain the first part. It seems appropriate." Her mate's laughter was contagious and Cassandra was already feeling the muscles in her jaw starting to ache. She couldn’t help it though; after being apart for so long, Cassandra finally felt a peace and contentment that had eluded her for the past months.
"Seeker, I didn't realize that your already-impressive array of skills now included an inclination to literary critique." Eve snorted, the sound an impressive approximation to Cassandra's own, "And to think that you once told me you couldn’t write. Maybe you should offer to co-author the book with him.” Eve continued, taking a page out of her mate’s playbook and poking her in the side, ”We survived the Deep Roads well enough, but I'm pretty sure Varric won't be able to survive that."
Eve’s eyes moved around the room, taking in the sight of the roaring fire in front of them, and sighed happily. Then she saw-
“Oh! Andraste spank me, I almost forgot!” Eve startled Cassandra by suddenly jumping up and running to the pack that was propped up against the foot of the Seeker’s bed. She rummaged around inside it for a little bit before pulling out a small cotton pouch secured with a drawstring.
“This is the part where I ask for your hand, my Lady.” Smiling nervously at Cassandra, Eve sat back down in front of her mate and opened the pouch, tipping it upside down and gently shaking the contents onto Cassandra’s upturned palm.
"My Inquisitor, never without her clever suggestions." Cassandra rolled her eyes, the scoff halfway out of her mouth before it died completely when she realized what she was holding.
Cassandra had never thought of herself as a woman who enjoyed trinkets but as she stared at the object in her hand, she realized it wasn’t surprising that her mate found another long-held notion and destroyed it mercilessly.
The beautifully-wrought dragon pendant on a thin chain, both made from Lazurite, felt warm on her skin. The dark shiny scales gleamed in the firelight, showing off the care and expert craftsmanship that went into making it.
But it was the dragon’s eyes that really made Eve excited to see how the Seeker would react to the gift.
“You recognize the eyes, Cass?” Eve said, gently running a finger over the blue material.
“They’re made from lyrium, yes.” Cassandra agreed, a small frown on her face, “Why would you…” Her voice trailed off as she realized why her mate was so excited.
“Go on then, show me what you’ve got.” Eve grinned, her eyebrows waggling up and down in playful challenge.
Cassandra smiled and closed her eyes, channeling the tiniest bit of her Seeker ability. Trust her mate to remember something like this – a comment given so casually back in Haven - and turn it into such a wonderful surprise.
Cassandra opened her eyes and glanced back at the pendant in her hand, a feeling of awe surging inside her.
The lyrium had reacted to the small wave of power from Cassandra and flared into miniature suns. The effect was spectacular: the dragon pendant seemed alive, its body a twisted coil of power while its eyes flashed aglow.
"Oh Eve, it's wonderful.” Cassandra trailed a gentle finger over the pendant, her throat feeling tight at Eve’s thoughtfulness, “Where did you get this?"
"I had it forged by a Legion of the Dead smith before we headed down the Deep Roads. I figured that if there was anyone who knew how to work with metals, it would be a dwarf." Eve shrugged, trying to act nonchalant but failing to hide the unmistakable note of pride in her voice, “I really missed you while I was down there Cass, and I wanted to have something for you when I came back home. You know, a dragon for my dragon hunter.” Eve grinned, fully aware of how corny her joke was.
Cassandra groaned and rolled her eyes (mostly for effect), then leaned closer and gave Eve a soft kiss before she turned back to the beautiful gift in her hands.
"Thank you, my love. I will keep it close, always.” Cassandra began to frown again, “But I don’t have a gift for your homecoming.” Her frown grew deeper, “I'm sorry. I should have considered it."
"Oh, that's a pity. Here I thought you missed me, too." Eve grinned lasciviously, knowing just how to lure the Seeker out of her brooding, "I suppose you can start making it up to my wounded heart with a few tearful apologies, maybe a kiss or two, while beating your fist against your breasts between said apologies and kisses."
"Perhaps not that sorry." Cassandra laughed, pulling Eve close for the first kiss anyway. While she appreciated how her mate had eased the slight guilt in her heart, she wasn't about to do any of those other things. They traded soft kisses for a while before Eve pulled back, smiling gently. She took the pendant from Cassandra, unclasping the chain and holding it up.
“May I?" Eve asked softly, her eyes alight with affection and pride.
Cassandra tilted her head in permission and Eve carefully placed the pendant around her neck, pressing a soft kiss on the hollow of Cassandra’s throat after nimbly closing the clasp. The dark chain contrasted beautifully against the Seeker’s pale skin and the pendant lay snugly just above her breasts.
“Maker’s breath, that’s stunning.” Eve whispered reverently, lightly running a fingertip along the line of the chain and ending right on top of the pendant, before looking into her mate's eyes, “You’re stunning.”
Cassandra found that she couldn’t say anything against the tears building up in her throat, so she silently leaned forward and kissed Eve deeply. However, she couldn’t contain a grunt of surprise when Eve suddenly broke off the passionate contact and leaned back slightly, that crooked grin on her lips.
“So, does my offer suffice?” Eve laughed, pulling Cassandra down on top of her gently, “Have I earned the right to spend the night in the High Lady Seeker’s exalted quarters?” Eve’s eyes glanced down between their bodies and Cassandra knew that her mate’s comment had nothing to do with her actual room.
“My Inquisitor still enjoys riding the heights of hilarity, I see.” Cassandra snorted, adjusting her hips and letting her thigh settle between Eve’s legs. She shivered at the contact between the bare skins of their legs and saw her mate do the same before a lewd smile formed on Eve’s lips.
“Very much, yes. Thank you for noticing.” Eve breathily laughed out, her eyes darting down to Cassandra’s thigh, “But there are things I do enjoy riding so much more.”
Cassandra wanted to reply with some snarky comment, but the feeling of Eve arching up against her and a sudden soft moan in her ears completely blanked out her mind. Instead, a tidal wave of lust and heat pooled in her loins and Cassandra found herself beginning to grind her hips against Eve.
“Prove it.” Cassandra purred, desire thickening her accent. Eve happily responded to the challenge with her lips, tongue, teeth, and hands.
As much as both women felt the driving twin needs of lust and passion colliding between them, they found themselves making love gently and tenderly as the night wore on. Soft moans and pleas floated through the air as tender hands caressed and cradled until bodies sank back down into the furs, deliciously spent and satisfied.
Eve fell asleep first, the exhaustion from their day’s hard travel and their lovemaking pushing her toward dreams, no matter how much she wanted to spend time enjoying the afterglow with her mate.
As Cassandra held Eve’s slumbering form gently, she felt more at peace than she had in months. The warmth of the fire, their tender lovemaking, and Eve's soft snores felt like a balm to her soul. Better yet, the weight of the treasure on her chest and the infinitely more precious one in her arms.
Cassandra sighed gently and closed her eyes, letting herself follow Eve into the same sweet dreams. Her mate was finally back home and everything in the world felt right once more.