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.

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Fenris offers him a smile in return.

"I am certain that you won't."

And he finds that he's surprised he means that. His faith in the other elf has certainly grown plenty.

Cyril doesn't reply to that right away. Instead, he smiles and looks at Fenris for a moment before he looks away.

"I feel like it's been a long time since I could have that," he admitted after a moment. "It's nice to have someone to count on, and who counts on me too."

"I have to admit, there is a certain level of...comfort to that."

And so, he let the conversation lull into silence, occasionally offering some small conversation as their food cooked, and then was eaten. It was at the end of the meal, satiated and content, that he spoke again, offering a smile.

"That was marvellous, my compliments to the chef."

Cyril chuckles a bit. "I am hardly that, I think, but it served its purpose." He seems pretty satisfied himself.

"It is good to know I can still manage it though. There are so many skills that I was raised with, skills engrained in me since I was a child, that I haven't put to use since I was taken. A part of me always worried that all of it would have faded by now." He paused, considering the woods around him for a moment.

"There are a great many things about my people that bother me, but there's good there too, I think." He shrugged. "At least I hope so, or else there was a lot that I tried to cling to that would end up being meaningless."

Fenris is quiet for a moment, mulling that over. He's never been a fan of the Dalish. They've always felt very holier-than-thou, and their continued purposeful ignorance towards the plight of the city elves has always rubbed him the wrong way. They love eleven kind and their ancient ways, but are uninterested in helping the elves that need the most help- it's very two faced.

Hell, Cyril had ended up into slavery, and a genuine worry for Fenris is that if they should actually find his clan, that they'd turn him away. Damaged goods, tainted by city life. No longer one of them. It's something he hopes won't happen, but his prior experience suggests very much otherwise.

"Hmm. It is good to have meaning in your life. And your survival skills have certainly served us well."

He decides to not comment on the Dalish as much as possible, that's likely the best course of action currently, he thinks.

"Have they? I feel as if I've been clinging to your side as if I was a scared child who has never stepped outside before," Cyril replies, offering Fenris an apologetic smile.

"I feel as if even my feet need to remember their calluses."

"You're doing better than you realise, I assure you. I would make it no secret if I thought you were slacking in any way."

Not one to sugar coat the truth, is Fenris.

"That, my friend, will come with time."

He feels reassured at that thought and offers Fenris a smile as thanks. He isn't really looking forward to this taking time, but he knows if he were talking to someone in his situation he would suggest patience as well. It's just more difficult to apply that to himself.

He doesn't really reply to this verbally though, allowing them both to fall into silence again to enjoy the night. It's still unusual how comfortable he is with silence around Fenris.

Silence is always comforting to him. It allows him time to breathe, to process his thoughts, put them in order. He lived so much of his life, moment by moment, day by day, only caring for the whims of Danarius, and how those could change with the wind. Freedom, true freedom, once the man was dead, gave him more time for introspection. He was glad of it, and glad that Cyril didn't object to it.

For the rest of the night, Cyril stays quiet. He only really communicates when needed to ensure that the camp stays safe, but for the most part he seems content with the sound of the fire and the woods that surround them.

Finally, he seems to think it's time to tuck in. "I suppose I ought to try to sleep. This time at a decent hour..." He still feels embarrassed at everything he had admitted that had been causing him to not sleep.

Fenris occasionally got up to check the perimeter, but aside from that, was happy with the comfortable silence between them. Still, night does some, and sleep was still necessary. They had a lot ahead of them.

"That would be wise," he offers a smile. "I will sleep near you, if that still helps you."

"It does," Cyril replies with sincerity. Later, he'll probably worry that he showed a tad too much honesty here. "Having you near always helps."

Fenris smiles at his response, true and genuine, as he moves towards their bed rolls. He starts to shrug off his armour- making sure it remained within arms reach. He never really needed it, with the lyrium, but it was some peace of mind.

"Then for that, I am glad."

Cyril can't help the smile that comes to his lips at that. It's so reassuring to know that Fenris doesn't mind his desire to be close. When they settled down and get ready for bed himself.

"I hope you have sweet dreams, Fenris."

His smile fades, just a touch.

"Sadly, that is very unlikely to happen, but I appreciate the sentiment, my friend."

Cyril can't help but relate to that. He presses his lips together and looks away. "I'm sorry," he says after a moment. "But... Well, at least we'll sleep? That is more than I could say a few days ago. Thanks to you."

He settles down, and turns so that he can still look at Fenris. "If there is anything I can do for you, I want to do it. Please ask."

"I'm truly glad to have helped that much."

He moves to lie down, on his back, hands folded on his chest, staring up at the sky. He lets out a slow exhale.

"That is good of you, but...I doubt there is much you can do. My nightmares lie deep. I doubt there's any way of cutting them out now."

Cyril moves his hand as if he wants to reach out for Fenris, but he stops himself. Instead, he turns to his side and tucks his arm in front of his body.

"I suppose some scars will remain."

Fenris caught the action, and was surprised to find he didn't tense up at it- he surprises himself more to find himself disappointed Cyril didn't complete the action. He exhales softly.

"They do. Some will never leave us, no matter how hard we try."

"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.

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