Across Worlds

Ch 7 - Caer Branoch

The following morning, they ate a quick meal of bread and cheese as they packed up camp and readied the horses. She handed Evan her bedroll, which he secured behind Xander's saddle with the rest of their supplies. He turned to face her before she mounted. "We'll be moving faster on the highway," he stated. "And that will mean I'll need to help hold you steady in the saddle. Will that be all right?"

The inner romantic in her swooned at the gentlemanliness of him asking her permission to hold her more intimately as they rode, but at the same time she felt it odd that he asked given the fairly intimate caress he had given her last night.

"Sure," she answered, trying to be calm and nonchalant about it even though her heart was racing as she swung up into the saddle in front of him.

They made their way onto the wide dirt road and after giving the horses about a mile to warm up at a walking and then trotting pace, Evan asked if she was ready.

She nodded and he shifted the reins into his left hand as he wound his right arm across her waist, pulling her securely against him. "Hold tight," he said, his breath warm against her ear as he urged Xander into a canter.

Wren kept her grip with her thighs and leaned back into Evan, matching the rolling motions of his body that matched the horse's gait. She reveled in the fresh air blowing across her face and teasing her hair from its low ponytail where it hung at the base of her head.

"Shall I let him have his head?" Evan asked with a challenging glint in his eye.

"Don't hold back on my account," she replied, gathering some of Xander's mane in her hands as Evan held her more tightly and they both leaned forward slightly over the horse's neck as Evan relaxed his hold on the reins and urged Xander faster.

Xander tossed his head up in excitement, lengthening his stride into a gallop. He flew down the road another mile or so before Evan reined him in and brought him back to a trot and then a walk, letting him recover.

Wren was breathing heavily from the adrenaline of the ride, and patted Xander on the neck for a job well done. Despite being at the more sedate pace, Evan kept his arm around her and the reins in only one hand, letting Xander extend his neck and relax. She allowed herself to stay close against him, surprised at how natural it felt.

"You look like you're feeling better than earlier this morning," he said, somewhat cautiously.

"Riding always did improve my moods," she admitted. "Sorry I was such a mess."

"I told you, Wren, you have nothing to be sorry for. Honestly, I imagine you're feeling much as I did when I woke up after the Conclave."

"Really?"

"I was still in my world, but there was a giant hole in the sky spewing forth demons, I was the only survivor of an explosion that killed hundreds of others, and I had half of Thedas calling for my head on a pike thinking I had caused the explosion while the other half was claiming I was sent by the Blessed Andraste herself to save the world."

"Wow. That's definitely a lot to wake up to." Her mind drifted back to the fight at the rift where a soldier had called Evan the Herald. "Someone called you the Herald back at the rift...I'm guessing that has to do with the Blessed Andraste part?"

He smiled ruefully, "Yes. The Herald of Andraste. As if being the Inquisitor wasn't enough." Wren briefly saw the weight of responsibility that was on his shoulders pass over his features before he schooled them back to the more light-hearted expression she was used to. "After the explosion, they found me...falling out of a rift."

"Ok," she said, a little confused.

"That shouldn't have been possible. It would mean that I was physically in the Fade...on the wrong side of the Veil. The last time that happened, the darkspawn and their Blights were unleashed."