Sisters of Tevinter

Eight Reasons

     Dorian eyed the cave entrance with a scowl, tucked close to Jor's side. 

     Bull smirked. "Afraid of the dark or something, mage boy?" Jor laughed softly. Dorian growled. "No. But I'm not overly fond of-"

  There was a low scuttling sound and a distant series of clicks. Dorian tensed. "Spiders." 

    Dane sniffed the threshold and growled, hackles rising. Solas flicked his wrist and a small ribbon of blue flame danced in his palm. He held his arm aloft, casting flickering sapphire light into the beginnings of the tunnel. "The entrance seems clear. But the farther we go the more we will encounter." 

   "Spiders, huh?" Jor grinned, flicking the nervous mage's temple teasingly. "How come?" 

    "Because they're nasty little creatures with no regard for other people's feelings." Dorian shuddered. "Eight legs, eight reasons to stay far, far away."

    "Oh, you wimp," Kaisen laughed, grinning as she plunged head first into the darkness of the cave. Dane trotted after her, still grumbling softly. 

      Bull beamed. "Atta girl, red." He followed eagerly. Solas trailed after the qunari, casting their silhouettes in twisting blue shadows. 

     Jor squeezed Dorian's arm reassuringly. "Don't worry, I've got your back." She smiled. "Want me to squish any of the ones that come your way?" 

     "You joke, but you'd be scared too if you knew how big they get." 

      "I've seen giant spiders, Dorian." Jor recalled the jumbled memory of running for her life through the crumbling Temple of Sacred Ashes. She nudged his arm. "Come on." 

      The rogue and mage stepped side by side into the beginnings of the tunnel. Blue light cast the rotting timbers along the walls in darkness. The tunnel was only large enough for two men stand side by side, or if you were Bull, just one. And you had to duck your head. 

     Jor smiled as she watched the qunari awkwardly accommodate close quarters. Solas was ahead with Kaisen, Dane trotting between them with the pitter patter of claws on stone. 

      "Move, you're painting a big blue target on my back," the Crow hissed. 

      Solas smiled wryly and fluidly slid the flame to his opposite palm, reducing the light cast on the assassin. "My apologies." 

      "Be nice to red, Solas, she's in a bad mood." Bull grinned. 

       "Only because someone doesn't seem to grasp the concept of being adept in shade." 

       The elf scoffed. "Perhaps if you were not so preoccupied with your own stealth, you would thank me for lighting your way. Unless you've suddenly learned to see in the dark."

       Dorian grinned at Jor. The scholar sighed, peering through the gap between the stone and Bull's side. "Don't make me come up there, you two." 

      Kaisen huffed. Dane licked her hand. A half an hour crawled by. The tunnel slowly began to widen, the rock turning to chipped and carved walls of stone. The path spit them out in a round chamber, blackened torches lay like empty goblets on the wall. The chamber itself had three exits aside from where they'd come from, each as dark and hollow as the next. A stale wind whistled through the mine. 

        Jor leaned against an eroded boulder and took a swig from her canteen. Kaisen faded in and out of focus in the dancing shadows, hanging close to where Dane sat calmly beside Bull. Occasionally, the mabari's little nubbin would wag as he glanced up at the warrior, who every once in a while would pat his head tolerantly.