Doom Upon All The World

Chapter 37: Not In Fear, But Expectance

"Please, be careful." 

      Maeve whispered to him as they stood in the early morning fog at the gates of Skyhold. Solas kept her close, his hands holding firm on her waist, his forehead pressed to hers. He could feel her breath on his face as she stood so close to him. The warm air brushed his skin as it came out in cold white puffs. She was shivering standing there in her green long-shirt and trousers. She had no shoes on her feet, as was expected. She detested the things as he, and most Elves, did. It was no wonder she was cold. He quickly brought fire to his hands and she felt the warmth spread from beneath his skin through her hips and up her spine, tingling through her body in magnificent waves of blissful heat. 

      She smiled at the feeling and opened her eyes, looking up at him gratefully. His striking blue eyes pierced into her, giving her the confidence she needed to be able to let him go. What they were doing was important. A few others surrounded them. There were, many of them, couples off in the distance, away from one another so that they may not hear the other's goodbyes. The four of them, Solas, Cullen, Bull, and Varric, had decided they needed to go after Tom. The woods were dangerous, especial with Gilderoy undeniably lurking about somewhere. They needed to find Tom and bring him back to his children before it was too late. 

      Maeve remembered the conversation they all had at the table the previous night. It had been seven of them seated there. They were at first talking about the children when Solas brought up Cassandra's pregnancy. She seemed to shift uncomfortably in her chair as the others regarded her like some sort of bird's nest. Her first instinct of course as a woman in a man's profession was to see them as thinking of her as such but she let the feelings of hostility release her as she smiled politely at their congratulations. Cullen had looked on her at that moment with such soft eyes. It was intoxicating. She could get lost in those eyes, just staring into them innocently like she craved to do every morning. 

     The conversation turned sour quickly as the previous day's events were brought up. It was time then, Solas knew, to tell them all exactly what had happened in the cave after Gilderoy had taken them. He laid it out plainly, explaining what the man intended to do, what he had done, and what they needed to do about it. They were all shocked to hear about Krem, all except Bull and Dorian. Maeve saw the hurt in the Qunari man's eyes as he said his name. He noted the way Dorian's expression and eyes immediately softened in sadness the moment he saw Bull's posture slacken in emotional pain. 

      More so were they surprised and wary to hear of the bond that was made between Maeve and Solas. None of them had known about the tie they shared before and they didn't need to. All that needed to be understood was that should one of them perish, so shall the other. Her blood is his as his is hers. They weren't sure how to feel about that. Dorian offered to try to undo it but warned them that the effects would be painful as would the process of doing so. They exchanged a small glance as he held her hand beneath the table and denied the offer. They didn't see a reason to do so just yet. They didn't have the time and their bodies were in no condition to go through such things so soon after the experience of the bond being created. 

      He told them of Gilderoy, explaining who he was, what he looked like, how he spoke, the way he'd tortured them. It was difficult for Maeve to sit still while he recounted it all to them. He squeezed her hand as he held it, feeling the pang of anxiety in his chest, spawning from her own nervousness. Solas could not shake the familiarity in the young man though. Something about him struck Solas as recognizable, as if he'd seen him, only much older. He couldn't put his finger on it. What came next was the startling part. The man could not be more than twenty three. That put him at thirteen when the Inquisition was about. He was but a child then. How was it possible that he would feel the need to take such revenge on them?