Mythal's Favour: A Dragon Age Origins Fan Fiction

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – The Storm

The wind hurtled the snow at Ayu and Zevran as they trudged along the road. It was getting dark and far colder than Ayu was hoping for. She knew they were still a few hours away from the rest of the party and their camp. She pulled the hood of her cloak farther over her eyes. They continued to muddle through the knee deep snow. Zevran was silent beside her, his hood pulled far forward covering his face from her view. Though Phoenix normally kept her body warm in the cold, Ayu was not prepared for how cold it was now. Her fingers were freezing and her toes were starting to become numb.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught a flash of silver and black fur. She automatically paused and held her gaze on Thurin. The wolf stopped, howling once, and then took a few steps forward. Ayu instinctively moved toward Thurin and followed him through the thick snow. Zevran heard the howl, causing him to pause and look for Ayu. He could see her starting to follow the wolf; her cloak angrily fluttering behind her in the fierce wind. Zevran watched her only for a moment before adjusting his jacket and following behind her.

Thurin kept in front of the elves, but at a pace that they could easily manage. He led them a short way into the wood beside the road. The trees began to thin out slightly as they approached a rocky outcrop. Thurin led the pair to the entrance of a small cave that was nestled in the outcropping. He sat at the entrance and howled, waiting for the elves. Ayu reached out a frozen hand to Thurin as she stopped in front of him. He licked her fingers and pushed his head into her palm. She scratched the top of Thurin's head and affectionately pinched one of his ears. Zevran stopped behind Ayu, but made no effort to touch the wolf. Thurin howled once more and left the elves at the cave, fading back into the wild.

The pair entered the small cave, but found it was deep enough that the blowing snow did not penetrate far passed the entrance. Ayu dumped her pack on the uneven, rocky floor, and Zevran did the same.

“We need to gather some firewood quickly before it gets any darker outside.” Ayu told Zevran. He nodded to her and the pair left the cave once again.

They managed to collect quite a bit of wood that had been snapped off of the trees in the wind. Within a few minutes, both Ayu and Zevran were back inside the cave and setting up a fire. Ayu's numb fingers would brush against his as they worked to get a fire going, and Zevran would immediately pull away from her. She attempted a little conversation, but Zevran would give monosyllabic answers at best, so she eventually gave up. Zevran pulled a few hides out of the bundle and was moving around the cave with them while Ayu tended to the growing fire. She watched him from the corner of her eye, pretending to be focused on the fire.

Zevran had finally placed the hides in a thick pile on the rocky floor and sat down. He pulled his knees up to his chest and encircled his legs with his arms. He was focused on the fire as Ayu approached and sat beside him. She adjusted her cloak around her, pulling her hood down and shaking out her hair. She was only a few inches away from him, but Ayu felt like there was some unconquerable distance between them. Her heart felt heavy in her chest. Zevran only stayed beside her for a few moments before he was up and rummaging through his pack. He sat on the cold ground by his pack, keeping his back to her.

Ayu couldn't take it anymore. She needed to get out of the cave. She quietly rose from the floor and walked to the entrance of the cave. The wind caught her cloak and sent it whipping noisily behind her. The snow began to pelt against her face.

The sound of the snapping cloak caused Zevran to look up from his pack. “Ayu? What are you doing?” Zevran asked her. He stopped his search and looked at her.

She stood at the mouth of the cave, one hand resting on the rock wall beside her. Ayu kept her face turned away from him, she didn't want him to see her tears. “I'm . . getting more firewood.” She answered softly, her voice thick with sadness. She stepped out of the cave and into the brewing storm before he could stop her.