The Blood that Binds

Sparks

They left the temple and found their way back to the village. It was strange to pass through the now desolate streets. They briefly stopped in the store to take a few things they might need for the road and Solona spotted a handsome pair of finely crafted leather boots that claimed they were from Antiva. The night that she had spent talking to Zevran, he had reminisced about his home country and how he loved and missed the smell of the leather. She thought they would make a nice gift for him, so she placed then in the sack she had taken from behind the counter that she had already placed a few wrapped loaves of bread and some cheese in. When they left the confines of the village, Wynne and Leliana walked on ahead, laughing and talking among each other. Solona watched them with a smile, knowing that the two women were very grateful to have been there to witness Andraste's Urn.

She was jogged from her thoughts as Alistair began to talk to her. "So all this time we've spent together... you know the tragedy, the brushes with death, the constant battles with the whole Blight looming over us... will you miss it once it's over?"

He glanced at him with a raised brow before snorting and brushing a finger over her cheek. "It makes me tear up just thinking about it," she said sarcastically.

He laughed at her comment, his face lighting up at the teasing lilt in her tone. "There'll be no more running for our lives, No more Darkspawn..." he paused and groaned. "And no more camping in the middle of nowhere." He slowed his pace, allowing the others to get a bit farther ahead of them and then he stopped all together. She stopped as well, cocking her head at him. "I know it... might sound strange, considering we haven't known each other for very long, but I've come to... care for you. A great deal." He paused as her heart started racing. Before she could respond, he pushed ahead, "I think maybe it's because we've gone through so much together, I don't know. Or maybe I'm imagining it. Maybe I'm fooling myself." He reached down and took her hand, his expression hopeful. "Am I? Fooling myself? Or do you think you might ever... feel the same way about me?"

She tightened her slack grip on his hand and a grin spread over her face. She had never dreamed he might feel for her as she did for him. "I... I think I... already do," she gasped, the surprise of his confession clear in her tone.

He smirked. "So I fooled you, did I? Good to know." He used his grip on her hand to pull her closer to him, then he dropped her hand and his found it's way up to slip his fingers through her hair. He pulled her as close as they could get and pressed still uncertain lips to hers. When she responded in kind, he deepened the kiss and she dropped the sack she was carrying to wrap her arms around his neck, the rations and Zevran's boots all but forgotten. His hand stayed in her hair, pulling gently on the braid in the back. She plunged her tongue in his mouth, the weeks of pent up lust she'd had for him oozing from her body. She then realized that she was being a bit forward and she pulled away from the kiss, remembering his inexperience. The smile on her lips was far from gone though as she breathed in lungfuls of air and swallowed her heart that was pulsing in her throat. He smiled as well, brushing her hair from her face. "That... that wasn't too soon, was it?"

"I don't know," she said, her hands trembling as she ran them down his chest. "I need more testing to be sure."

"Well, I'll have to arrange that, then, won't I?" he said with a chuckle. Then his laughter smoothed and he gazed into her eyes. "Maker's breath, but you're beautiful. I am a lucky man." After he realized that they had stopped in the middle of the road in full view of anyone who might pass by, his eyes flicked away quickly before returning to her. "Now..." he cleared his throat. "Let's get back to... what we were up to before. Lest I forget why we're here."

She joined his self deprecating laughter before she bent to retrieve her sack, then kissed his cheek. "We'll talk more later, in private. I promise."