samahl | for fenris

for fenris

Magister Anguis had once belonged to an impressive Tevinter household. Once upon a time, the name had had weight and power behind it. Now, though he still had the title of Magister, it was widely known that his house was deeply in debt. He had sold most of his estate and slaves in effort to save face, keeping only a small house close to the edge of the Starkhaven border and three slaves; one young maid, a footman, and his most prized possession, a Dalish elf whom he kept close to him nearly every moment.

The Dalish elf was called Cervi by the Magister but that was not the name given to him by his Clan. It had been years since he had been called his given name and though Cyril kept it in his heart he was rather protective of who knew it. The two other elven slaves who tended to the house were teenagers, Cassia and Viridi, and even they knew him only by the name their master had given him.

The summer of 9:40 Dragon had been remarkable so far because the south had been plunged to chaos since the Nevarran Accords had been annulled. They were at war, with mages and templars bring death and fire every where they went. That and the tensions between the Empress and her cousin had boiled over into a Civil War that ravaged the Dales.

Chaos in the South brought profit for Tevinter, and Master Anguis had wanted to take advantage of that. He had been so desperate to regain his family's standings that he had even crossed the border into Starkhaven. He allied himself with mercenaries turned slavers and preyed on those caught up in the chaos. He was so set in the idea of finding a fortune by selling the disenfranchised that he had even brought Cassia, Viridi, and 'Cervi' with him - ignoring the fact that technically once they crossed the border the three were technically no longer in bondage. To him they were property, and always would be.

The night was warm, but not nearly as hot as it would have been north of Vyrantium. Cyril was finishing up setting up a bath that he and Anguis would have shared. Cassia and Viridi were cleaning up in the kitchen after creating a modest meal for their master. The Magister was in his study going over papers that tracked the transportation of the slaves his men had found.

He had no idea that those men were now likely dead, nor that the one who had attacked them had found information on him and his location. No one in the house would have dared to believe that the Magister would not make it through the night.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Then..." Cyril started carefully, not sure how to word what he wants to express. "How do you keep at it? Why haven't you given up?"

Fenris chuckles, it's dry but the humour is there.

"Largely? I do it out of my own spite. To prove to those who once imprisoned me that I am more than an animal with a collar. That I can't, and won't be cowed."

Cyril looks away then, eyes cast downward. "You are more that that. So much more..." He seems like he wants to say more about that but he trails off and then changes the subject instead.

"And I should stop keeping you awake with chatter. We have a lot of walking to do tomorrow."

Fenris caught that, his eyebrows raising, face becoming more gentle. Cyril doesn't press onwards, though, and so Fenris allows it to drop. He offers a smile, settling down again.

"...Right. Until morning, then."

Cyril manages to sleep that night and when they wake the next day, they head out to the next settlement. The papers that Cyril had taken from his master's house hinted to some kind of slaver operation being set up in the hills around the nearest village.

This village turns out to be large enough that it has an alienage and Cyril opts to go there to help learn some information about what might be happening. There are stories of merchants and travelers disappearing along the roads, which everyone thought were simply bandits or rouge templars or mages at first. The war had made everything more dangerous, so it had been accepted that was what was going on. However, when one of their caravans had turned up with goods intact but no sign of the people, the fear that something else was going on had taken hold.

It's a lead at least, and when it comes time for them to go out and find those behind the disappearances, Cyril hesitates to come along. He still thinks he'll be more harm than good in a fight so instead, he finds an elven family willing to keep him at their home for a few days in exchange for help around the house. He doesn't like the idea of being separated from Fenris, but is desperate not to seem too clingy, so he wishes his savior good luck, makes sure he has all of the supplies he needs, and asks him to try to come back in one piece.

While he waits for Fenris to return, he helps out the family as best he can. He helps the father patch up part of the house, he helps with some needed cleaning that they couldn't get to while working their jobs for humans, and he even uses his time to hunt again - eventually bringing food to the family that they share with their neighbors.

Mostly, though, he waits to hear news that Fenris is back.

It takes some time for Fenris to return to where he left Cyril. When he does come back, it's in the dead of night, bloody and bruised, but still going. It had been a trying week- hunting down the slavers. They had not been as easy to track as he'd hoped, they'd covered their tracks much smarter than they usually did.

Worse still, he'd made a name for himself out on the road. Slavers knew he was there, hunting them- they'd invested in more goons to protect their precious stolen cargo. More heavy hitters and silent, stealthy assassins to try and do away with the elf that moves like a ghost.

They were goons Fenris dispatched all the same- left their bodies cooling around the camp perimeters in the darkness. He'd taken more than a few hits himself, the worst being a rather ugly gash along one leg. But he'd done what he gone there to do. He'd slaughter the slavers and their men, and sent the captured travellers on their way- to somewhere safe.

When he arrived back to the farm and sought out Cyril's room, he was exhausted. Normally, he would find himself another bed, or a chair, or even a spot on the floor to sleep on, but he forewent it. Tiredness clung to him like a shroud, and he bypassed his usually trepidation towards closeness and instead collapsed on the bed next to Cyril, exhaling heavily as he sank into the mattress.

Cyril had just been settling down for bed when Fenris arrived and collapsed into the bed next to him. He was torn between wanting to let his friend sleep and wanting to tend to him.

"Fenris?" he asked. "I... Let me clean you up. You're hurt." There was more than a little concern in his voice. "You don't have to do much. But that means I'm going to touch you." He had to get at least a grunt of permission before he tried anything.

Fenris opened one eye at the sound of Cyril's voice, at the concern lingering in it. He shifted himself up to at least a propped up position, wincing as his battered body protested the movement. Still, he didn't push Cyril away- not at all.

"If you wish. I have dealt with worse," a pause. "...But I would not push you away."

Because honestly, as stubborn as he is- this really needs looking at.

Cyril raised a brow as he moved to get out of bed so he could gather supplies to tend to the wound.

"You know, you telling me that you've dealt with injuries while alone just makes me want to be even more sure to help you with them," he comments lightly. "To make up for it."

Fenris lets out a soft scoff that comment- but there's humour in there, perhaps even a touch of fondness.

"You do not need to make up for anything. My battles are my own, you need not feel blame or guilt for them."

"I don't feel blame or guilt, I feel... a desire to see you well," Cyril explains, hesitating just a bit over how to non-threateningly describe his emotions. He gathers some clothes and healing salve and makes sure the water basin is full.

He brings everything over. "Can you show me?" He wanted to see the wound but he didn't want to force Fenris to be more exposed than he was comfortable.

"Well...I am very glad for both of those things," he can't even hide the smile- even if he wanted to.

Still, he does as asked, pulling up his leggings, showing the nasty gash running up towards his thigh.

"It looks worse than it is."

Cyril noticeably winces from the sight of the wound, but he doesn't comment on it. Instead, he focuses on cleaning the wound and applying some healing salve. He has some supplies he and bought for their travels and it comes to use now. His touch is as gentle as he can be, but he knows having the wound messed with probably hurts Fenris. He talks Fenris through what he's doing, making sure to never touch Fenris without first warning him.

Once he's done, Fenris is cleaned and treated. He stands up to go toss out the water and clean his hands. "There you go," he explains. "You can go to sleep now. I'll be back once I have everything cleaned up."

Fenris does his best to not give away any pain he's feeling. Though he knows, deep down. Cyril knows him well enough to know when he's tensing up- the twitch of his jaw, the flex of his fingers, the stiffness in his shoulders- all tell-tale signs of what he truly feels. Still, that very fact Cyril knows him is what helps- he talks, and Fenris listens, nodding, occasionally offering small words back. It's almost comforting, if it weren't for the activity at hand.

When Cyril finishes, he offers a smile.

"Thank you, that....has been a big help," he pauses, unsure for a moment, before taking the plunge and continuing his thought. "I'm sure I'll sleep better when you return."

Cyril pauses at that and offers Fenris a smile. "Me too, now that you've returned." He doesn't want to admit how difficult it has been to get a full night's sleep without Fenris there, but it still hints to how grateful he is to have Fenris back.

When he returns he puts out the lamp and gets very carefully into the bed. He doesn't want to disturb Fenris's wounds. He ends up lying much closer to Fenris than they have before. Part of it is because the bed is smaller than ones why might get in an inn, but he also really wants to be as close as possible to the other elf.

"Is this okay?" he asks as they both settle. He doesn't want to hurt Fenris needlessly.

It feels good, to have Cyril respond in kind. To know that he isn't overstepping a line- albeit a line he's been steadily hoping is receding away. He likes the close contact- craves it in a way he never has with anyone else before. It's a terrifying feeling at times, but he wouldn't wish to be rid of it, either.

He allows Cyril's closeness, more than that, welcomes it gladly. His smile is soft, gentle, but one thing it is not is unsure.

"Yes. this is very much okay. Thank you for indulging me."

Cyril feels a pang in his chest over the idea that Fenris thinks this is indulging him. He moves closer and gently puts a hand on Fenris's arm.

"If this is indulging you, I'll happily do it every day."

The flush crosses Fenris' face before he even knows its there. He feels he should be beyond this. Feeling like a teenager with a newly bloomed crush. And yet, it's more than that too. Something deeper, something...much more vital. He shifts a little closer, enjoying the touch, his free arm moving to brush some hair behind Cyril's ear.

"You know, there would be no protest from me, if that were the case."

Cyril feels as if his breath has stalled in his chest at the way that Fenris moves closer. Then he's touching Cyril and his fingers brush against Cyril's ear and Cyril feels a thrill that moves through his body, all the way down to his toes.

Before he can reconsider it, Cyril closes more of the distance between then and kisses Fenris. It's very chaste and gentle, but when he pulls away he looks embarrassed. "I..." he starts, but he's already worried that maybe that kiss was a bad idea.

The kiss was not something Fenris had anticipated. There's a brief moment of panic, where he wants to push away and run. He hasn't let anyone get so close in a while, Isabela notwithstanding. It would be easier to run, to put as much distance between himself and Cyril as he can.

He finds he doesn't want to, though. Not truly. He trusts Cyril, and that goes an awfully long way in his eyes. It's always hard earned. And so, his lips quick in a little smile, as he leans in to press a kiss of his own on Cyril's lips. Chaste to be sure, but a touch more lingering. He pulls back a little smile still there.

"I have wished to do that for a while."

The idea that the kiss would cause Fenris to panic was the thing that scared Cyril the most. He wasn't sure how they could recover from such a thing. Then Fenris returns the kiss instead and everything seems to be right with the world.

He chuckles, the noise of it pure relief. "Oh, me too," he admits after a moment. "Though next time I won't spring it on you." Consent is important to him, even more so now, and he never wants to violate's Fenris's autonomy.

He can't stop the smile from spreading across his face then, and he doesn't even try, as he settles back down. He feels light and happy, more so than he has in a long time. The relief of knowing that he hasn't ruined anything mixes with a giddy affection for Fenris. "I think I got carried away because I missed you so much."

The respect Cyril had for his choices always mattered so much to Fenris. Perhaps it was because Cyril had been there too. That he understood how deep the damage went, when ones freedom was taken away from them. He knew how vital autonomy was, how precious.

He lets out his own low chuckle, settling back down again, his hand hesitates for a moment, before moving to brush through Cyril's hair.

"Oh...thank you," he pauses, clearing his throat. "That came out more awkward than I intended. I missed you, too."

Cyril wants to tell Fenris how he was able to buy a bow and has been practicing with it so that someday soon he'll be able to join him on these quests, but the whole idea of explaining all of that seems so distracting when all he wants to do is curl up with him and sleep.

That urge isn't helped when Fenris keeps touching him and moving his fingers through his hair. The motion is so soothing and Cyril can feel his eyelids dropping.

He supposes they'll always have tomorrow. "Then it's a good thing we're back together. And that we both can get some sleep. We can talk more in the morning?"

That would be something Fenris would be exceptionally proud of Cyril to hear. He'd be all for testing it out, training, learning more. But now, now sleep is at the forefront of everything. Exhaustion hangs on him deep.

He lets out a rumbling 'hmmm' him response, his own eyes starting to close as he settled into the bed, hand moving to rest on Cyril's shoulder.

"Yes, we can get properly caught up then. But now, I think sleep is vital."

Cyril turns and ends up pressing gently up against Fenris. He doesn't want him to feel trapped so it would be easy for him to pull away. It's still nice to be able to touch him more openly. The kiss makes it feel like he isn't going to ruin anything by doing so.

He settles in to sleep then, and sleeps better than he has since Fenris left.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

for fenris

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

i'm gonna fast forward a bit? let me know if you want me to change anything!

it's totes ok with meeee

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject