Red String of Fate (Dragon Age FanFic)

Time to Get Yelled At

Neria spent most of the night pacing off restless energy. Every time she closed her eyes, that dance with Luca replayed in her mind and she finally gave up trying to sleep.

The first light of sun crept into her room and Neria never felt a greater amount of relief before. Dressing simply in a commoners dress, she left her staff behind and went to meet the children by the fountain like she had.promised the day before. She was going to teach them how to make snowballs today. The distraction would be greatly welcomed. Anything to get her mind off Luca and his scowl.

Luca had fitful sleep that night. He tossed and turned, drifted off only to wake up at the slightest noises and discomforts. He assured himself repeatedly that it was due to something he ate that day, or stress caused by his failed mission. That it had nothing to do with Neria, with the feeling of her hand in his, with the way she looked at him when he called her beautiful.No. It had nothing to do with her.

When it was morning, he managed to settle into a deeper sleep, and stayed in it until noon. He was rudely awakened by banging on his door. He trudged out of bed and, failing to remember that he was not dressed, opened the door.

"What?" he said with a scowl, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and glaring at the man in the hall. He was younger, obviously a messenger, and he was staring at Luca as though his eyes were burning from the act.Luca glanced down, and then back at the man. “I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not awake enough to care. What do you want?”

"Blackwood wants to see you and your partner," the man replied hurriedly, his gaze shooting to Luca’s eyes and staying fixed there.

"Is someone going to get her, or will I have to?"

The man shrugged a bit helplessly.

Luca sighed. “All right, then. You can go.”

He watched the man scurry away, and then went back into his room. As much as he’d like to stay there and sleep, he had an ice queen to go retrieve and a superior’s boots to lick. This was not a good start to his day.

Neria was enjoying the morning at the fountain with the kids. They were squealing and laughing in delight. She even went as far as to freezing the small fountain so they could slide on it. Most of the kids were throwing snow balls, soaking their clothes.

Neria was in the process of spinning on the ice with a small boy, laughing and smiling as the boy squealed happily as he grasped her hands and held on tightly. She noticed a message boy literally dart by, looking absolutely terrified. With a shrug of her shoulders, she dismissed the thought and went back to twirling on the ice with the kids.

Luca entered the courtyard not long after the messenger. He wore simple clothes, a plain white tunic, dark pants, and traveling boots; but there was nothing plain about the staff he carried. Sure, he was in Collective territory, but most people never carried their staves around in broad daylight. Even here, it was risky.

But Luca didn’t mind the risk. Especially when it led to the stares people were giving him now as he crossed the courtyard and approached Neria. “Having fun?” he asked, deflecting a snowball that one of the children bravely threw at him.

Makers breath, Luca pulled off simple very well and the confidence he had with his staff, Neria couldn’t help but stare for a moment. With a quick shake of her head, she tore her gaze off him and bent to the boy she was playing with to whisper in his ear and send him on his way. Stepping free from the fountain, she came face to face with Luca.

"Yes, I was having fun…" Neria answered quickly. "What do you want?"

"To ruin it, I suppose," Luca replied, glancing at the boy’s fleeing figure before returning his attention to Neria. "Blackwood wants to see us. Maker knows he’s prepared an hour long speech about how incompetent we are."