Wardens' First Night

Marcus spent his own recovery time at Guremi's side, waiting for her to come to. He was still curious about the horns she sported and the silver hair. That she had Qunari blood was evident

Pain shooting through her skull was her first comprehensive thought, or feeling, since the joining had taken place. There was no memory besides drinking and falling then ... darkness. Her eyes started to open but any light hurt so she shut them fast, cringing at the extra pain.

Jezarine had taken long enough time to leave a pain killer for Marcus to mix into warm water like a tea for Guremi>
and had the maid leave him some water in a pot at the side of the fireplace to keep it warm for when the woman awoke then rushed off to take care of Ianto. Marcus would know where things were in his room so she didn't worry as she left a lot of medication.

He drank the pain killer tea as he waited for Guremi to come to. When she seemed to be coming around he leaned foreward after setting his cup down. "Can you hear me?"

"Ow." She replied, trying not to move her head, "Please, oh please don't yell. I feel like I've downed a keg of dwarven ale. Or three. Ow."

He smiled weakly and sat back. "I'm not yelling. You took a nasty crack to the skull."

Guremi breathed out slowly, still hurting, "What? During the joining? Did darkspawn attack?"

He shook his head. "No, no, you took a nasty spill." He said

"I did?" She tried to sit up a bit but it made her head hurt more. With a determined grunt Guremi did it but could not move further to put a pillow behind her head, "Damn this hurts."

He handed her a pain killing tea and a poultice. "Wrap that around your head. And mind the horns."

Guremi drank the tea then her eyes opened and she winced, "What?"

He pointed to the horns on her head. "Those horns. Or did you not notice them?" He asked her, tilting his head as he sipped his tea

She waited until the pain started to ebb then lifted a hand to touch her horns. There was a short stubb which was half of the size that it had been and her eyes got wide, "Oh by the Maker."

He shrugged. "You'll be okay. Think theres a way to reattatch that horn?"

"That's not ... no one has ever known." She looked down into the cup, "They don't reattach. It doesn't matter though."

He nodded. "Yeah... we found out when examining your injury. You're half-Qunari by my guessing."

Guremi went to nod her head and regretted it as soon as she did, the pain crashing through quickly. She waited, holding the mug with hard pressure until it faded a bit so she could drink more tea, "Half. Yes, I am half."

He smiled and placed a little figurine he carved for her while she slept on her nightstand. The shavings were in his pouch where he kept them. The figurine was of her with both horns showing, holding up the Joining chalice in one hand and a longsword in the other. "Heh. I'll bet that creepy Qunari'd have a thing or two to say."

She looked at the figurine and smiled shyly, "You do not mind this? Most would have me caged or worse." Her eyes were set on looking at the figurine, "The Tamassran would have much to say of this, I believe. It is not ... clean."

"Why would I mind? I'm unnatural for my own species to begin with plus I learned long ago not to judge by the opinions of others." He said and folded his arms over his chest after replacing his carving knife into its holster.

"Qunari is not well liked in many places and half breeds of any kind are seldom tolerated with appreciation." She took a slow, deep breath, "It is always best to be wary."

"Well if it's any consolation, I like you the way you are anyway. I was the one who brought you to the bed so you could recover while Jezarine tended to your wounds." He said and combed his fingers through his hair

"You don't mind?" She asked curiously, "Thank you, for taking care of me. But ... why?"

He lifted an eyebrow. "What do you mean why? I thought you already knew I care about you." He said bluntly.

Guremi smiled, "That you care yes, but not by how much."

Both eyebrows went up this time. "Ah. Now there's when it gets complicated." He said, avoiding the question.

"Complicated?" Now it was her turn for a brow to rise.

"Yes. See, after the events in West Hills, I lost my family there. I had someone close to me back then. She perished in that attack when the Alienage got hit." He said, sitting back in his chair. "When I found her body among those of my family, I went into my first rage and killed every darkspawn in my way."

"Don't blame you. I tend to have a severe dislike of them too." She said calmly, "But not as much as you it seems." She drank some more tea, slowly.

"Skipping through all the boring details thereafter, I tried to open my heart again after the Blight ended, but it was not to be... no one I cared for felt the same towards me, probably because I was either too late or too shy." He said with a sigh.
'And then there was you, when I met you on the road." He said with a pause before continuing. "You seemed different from the others. And well, you seem to appreciate my art more than most..." He trailed off, finding it harder to express himself.

Guremi went to nod, winced then decided to stay as still as possible, "I had thought you were trying to be with Calliara so thought nothing of our walks and talks. It felt ... kind of sad but I pushed that back to let you go. If you love something ..." She stopped and stared blankly at him. Had she just said that?
brb working on fud

His gray eyes flecked towards her at that last line. "Eh? You actually... feel that way about me?" He asked her. He could feel a bead of sweat drip off his brow. "I didn't want to have my heart broken again...it's why I didn't say anything overt to you. It must seem like such a stupid thing now..."

"I feel strongly for you, it is true, but as I said, I thought you wanted Calliara since it seemed like you'd been following her about. Besides, being what I am would make many leery about trying anything with anyone." She smirked, "It's not stupid. That kind of fear is normal."

"I gave up on trying a long time ago." He sighed. "She prefers Drake and thats fine. They're happy and that's all they really need. And dont think about yourself that way, you're a beautiful girl horns and all." He smiled weakly.

Guremi sighed, "That's something I noticed as well but figured either way I'd be second hand. Can't get what you want so make due with. And I'm not all that pretty. You take away this red wig and it's just a mess of silver white, short and nothing spectacular like Calliara's snow locks."

He narrowed his eyes. "Now see here... The last thing I want is for you to feel like a rebound. And I think that hair looks good on you. Much more practical." He grunted, folding his arms over his chest.

"Practical?" That's when she noticed the red wig on a chair a little ways away, "Oh. I had to chop it down to keep it under the wig. You are not just being nice?" Ok so this was not her level of expertise.

He shook his head. "No, I'm being honest." He said, and leaned forward in his chair a bit while clasping his hands together. "You are a beautiful woman... I'm just terrible at conveying my meanings."

Guremi smirked, "Well then, I accept that. I guess everyone else must know as well. Hiding it when your horn is popped off is rather difficult."

He nodded. "No shame in being who you are. Unless you're me and have a split personality."

"Hah!" She chuckled, "You have a pretend split personality and you have too much fun with it. But it is fun and I adore it. It makes you interesting."

He chuckled. "Not Durbans. At least not that Durbans. The real other me is the one when I go into a rage."

"That's a normal berserker feature. Some are much more affected than others. So you berserk completely and have trouble distinguishing much in a rage?"

He nodded, then pulled up one of his pant legs to show a rather nasty set of bite marks on his thigh. "You should see the other guy."

Guremi laughed, winced then grinned, "I suppose I should toss the pretending since everyone knows and you like me this way as well. It isn't like anyone can do anything with me being a warden now anyway."

He nodded, shrugging. "Durbans is just my mercenary name."

"So it is. I believe this will be better as that wig gets pretty heavy sometimes."

He nodded and let his fingers run through her short cropped hair.

She sighed, watching his eyes and smiling. He was careful to avoid the wounded area and she had to ask, "So how bad was it? I get the feeling it could have killed me."

"Big fracture. Had you not been wearing a helmet your skull would have caved in." He said, withdrawing his hand. "I got Jez right away to help you."

"You saw me fall?" She asked, moving her head slightly so as not to give herself any pain, "Weren't you recovering in the other room?"

"I heard you fall. I happen to be good with herbal medicines so I could tell how bad the wound was when I carried myself there to help you."

"Hmm. I should have made sure my helm was on properly but then again it's probably better this way."

He nodded again and sat back in his chair, staring at the floor

Guremi wondered what was going on in his head, "What?"

"Nothing, just thinking to myself." He said, scratching his chin. "I'm just glad you lived through the Joining."

"I'm glad you did too. What were you thinking?" She drank the last of the tea.

"That we're going to be suffering the taint together." He said with a weak smile.

A brow rose, "And?"

His eyes brightened a little. "No one else that I'd rather suffer with than you."

She smirked, "I look at it as a weapon we can use. Yes, I'm sure there are things that won't be nice but we can use that to our advantage."

He nods, conceding the point. "Good. We'll give those Darkspawn a what for, eh?"

"Of course." She agreed then let her eyes wander about the room curiously, "So this is your room? Quite calming."

He shook his head. "No, this is a room in the medbay. I sleep outside." He said, "Or used to. That masked guy gives me the creeps."

Guremi leaned back, "He is strange and I do not trust him. He is too shifty."

"The Commander seems okay with him though, but he really sends chills up my spine and I don't know why."

"She doesn't seem to want him around anyone though. That makes it so I believe it is best to be careful around him."

He nodded and sighed. "Yeah. We'll keep an eye on him. I know I will." He said and then reached for another block of wood. "You should get some rest. You're not done recovering yet."

"Exactly." She closed her eyes, "I feel safe with you watching over me too. Maybe it's the damn big axe."

He chuckled. "Most likely its Durbans. It's caused men to brown their trousers before."

Guremi chuckled, "I'm sure it has. No surprise there."

He snorted then closed his eyes. "You needn't fear in your weakened state while I keep watch. I'm used to pulling all nighters."

"I don't think we are likely to be attacked in the palace. They have been cleaning up the bird tattooed trash. Still... it is nice to be watched over for once." She smiled.

He smiled back and turned his head to the door. "Nevertheless. I'll keep any secret admirers at bay."

She tilted her head, enjoying the teasing, "I have some do I?"

"Why not? That white hair's quite comely on you." He said, smirking.

"You are the first to see it, I believe."

He chortled. "Aye, but there's windows." He pointed a thumb at the window behind him

"Oh." Her eyes moved to see them, "So there are."

"You should sleep. That headache won't go away for a good while." He said and started carving into a block again

Guremi settled into the pillows, "Thanks."

He kept carving as she drifted to sleep, working the wood into one of his many figurines with practiced hadns. He found it a good way to channel his rage into something other than fighting. Something to keep his emotions in check lest he hurt people he is friends with.

Her sleep was fitful for the most part until the dreams came of darkspawn, creatures she'd never seen that were hideously large, deformed beasts burdened with unborn but having faces of women she knew. She screamed in her dream as she was held down and forced to drink some vile fluid, making her body ache and quiver. The scream passed through from sleep to the waking world as did that shaking.

He was at her side, mopping her brow with a damp cloth, his eyes were heavy, he seemed to have been having trouble sleeping even if he wanted to

Guremi's eyes opened quickly and her hands moved to hit the beasts that were forcing her down into darkness, not realizing that she was now awake.

He got socked in the jaw and knocked onto the ground, groaning.

The warrior was up on her feet then fell back from the pain in her head, dropping onto the bed with a yelp wondering how bad she'd hit her head and how she was going to ... bed? Her eyes searched the room quickly, dazed as she was with the stinging hurt, then noticed Marcus, "Marcus! What ...?"

"Oww... You pack a wallop, Ser." He muttered, rubbing his jaw as he stood up again. "How are you feeling?"

"Did I ... hit you?" She asked in surprise, still holding onto her head, "My head hurts. That was ... that must have been a dream but it was so real!"

"I haven't slept. I might be getting those too later... Yeah you did hit me." He said, rubbing his sore jaw.

Guremi closed her eyes, "I'm sorry. Come lie down. You need your rest too." She kept holding her head as she moved over.

He blinked and smirked. "Me, lying in the same bed as you? What will the neighbours think?" He chortled and sat on the opposite end of the bed

"I don't think the neighbours give a damn." She smiled through the pain.

He chuckled and lay down beside her, sighing and passing out almost right away. He was exhausted from the Joining and keeping watch

Guremi put her head on the pillows, watching him sleep while waiting for the pain to ease. Finally she fell asleep again.

His sleep was fitful, the nightmares plagued him just like her. He tossed around in his sleeping state, groaning.

She woke up after some time, got off the bed slowly and made some of the herb tea to stop the aches.

He was tossing and sweating in his sleep and woke up, sitting straight up much like her hours before. "Nngh... Maker's breath that was...!"

Guremi looked at him, "Hellish? It was horrible. We must get bad dreams as wardens then."

"They failed to mention that. Looks like we'll need to give the commander a lecture..." He muttered and combed his fingers through his hair.

"I believe we probably didn't have time to go over the niceities. Plus, who would ever want to be a warden if they knew they'd have horrid nightmares?"

He shrugged. "I suppose not. I can see your point."

"Yeh." She got the tea and brought it to the bedside table, pouring some for each of them, "I'm sure we will find out more in time."

He nodded and took the tea and started to drink from the cup. "Right..."

She drank some of hers and sighed, "So what do we do now?"

"I don't know, really." He sighed. "I really, really need to get the images out of my head."

Guremi stood and looked out onto the patio, "Walk then? Slow?"

He nodded. "If it's with you, sure. You can scare off any muggers with your punching power." He smiled

"I truly am sorry. The dream didn't let me go right away and ... well, it isn't important what it was. Let's just walk." She drank the rest of her tea.

He nodded and finished his tea then stood up, hoisting Durbans onto his back again. His shoulder was still sore from the arrow he recieved there but he didnt let on that it hurt.

She started to walk out then considered, "What happened to my horn?"

"I'm not quite sure. I think the Commander took it. Miss it already?" He smiled as they walked through the halls of the Warden palace

"I've never had it broken let alone broken off. That red hair covered it well. It feels weird without it." She said when they went out.

He nodded and stared up at the sky. "Beautiful night...Too bad I cant sleep."

"You did sleep for a while. I wonder ... if we continue getting nightmares like this how we can be of any help to anyone."

"I don't know." He sighed, shaking his head. "I assume that once we start killing Darkspawn again the nightmares will go away... Maybe we should ask the Commander."

Guremi shrugged, "I suppose we should." She continued to walk, "At least we both survived the joining." She smiled as they walked but noticed a large form in the gardens. She halted her steps to look at the figure.

The figure turned to see those approaching and he grunted. "Shanedan, Wardens." He grumbled, not particularly looking at them, he was busy consulting his notes.

Guremi watched the Tamassran for a moment then looked at Marcus, "My first test of my new life?"

Marcus shrugged. "I am not sure. Why not talk to him? He's a teacher isn't he?" He whispered to her

"I suppose he is." She said and walked forward. Guremi stopped just before the large man and waited, respectfully as she did any other humanoid.

The Tamassran sighed. "Do you have business with me, Warden?" He asked her, still looking down at his notes. His list seemed to have been changed

"Not really. How did you know I was a warden?" She asked wondering, completely forgetting that they had been in Marcus' room which was in the warden's complex.

The Tamassran grunted. "The Commander said that several of you were to become Wardens last night. I had to change my notes because of it."

"Really? You have me on a list?" She asked as she came to stand beside him and look at the notes from his side, "Which red head was that one?" She poked the page where her name was with the colour of her hair. I don't know anyone with that name with red hair." Guremi sometimes had an evil sense of humour.

He looked up at her and cursed. "So you are Qunari. Or have the blood of Qunari in you." He said, seeing her horn and her hair for the first time.

She wrapped her arms over her chest, "You are beginning to sound like a human with such curses. What honour does that give you? And yes, I am part Qunari, part dalish."

He folded his arms over his chest in kind. "Tainted with the blood of a barbarian. It figures. However, you are not beyond redemption. One cannot choose who they are."

"Yes, tainted. Does this change me for within your notes?"

He shook his head. "No. It is your being a Warden. This makes your pairing with Durbans invalid as it would bear no fruit as far as I know."
Marcus coughed awkwardly in the background

A brow lifted, "Ah. I see you are making up those lists. I do not believe you will have many mating partners to look at here then." Curiosity hit her, "You set me as mate for Durbans? Reasons?"

"Both of you would produce a child of considerable talent for warfare. A prize for the Arishok to be sure." He said nonchalantly. "My list dwindles with there being more Wardens."

She turned her head to look at Marcus and smiled, "Yes, I am sure we would have produced quite the warriors." She looked back, "But you are correct. Your list is becoming antiquated. Who is left who is not a warden of the grey?"

Marcus' face was beet red when she looked at him, and he was doing a terrible job hiding it. The Tamassran sighed. "Not many. My project may not be able to go through due to this lack of numbers..."

Guremi smiled at Marcus and winked, "It sounds like you need a new project. May I ask who is left who you can connect?"

"I do not know. There's the orange haired dwarf, the Warden Commander's shadow, and a handful of others. It is maddening."

"Orange haired dwarf?" Guremi's brows knitted as she worked this out, "Ser Pendra Dragoncoal is back? She disappeared about a month ago."

"That is one Dwarf, yes. She has been seen galavanting around with a one armed dwarf and the human Macha's cousin."

"You keep sure tabs on all of us, or as much as possible don't you?" She wondered at that.

He nodded. "It is my duty. We can all only be who we are born to be." He said and looked over his notes.

Guremi looked away from both men, "What we are born to be." She repeated in a low voice then snorted, "Yeh. There is such a thing for some."

The Qunari teacher looked over at Guremi. "You will eventually see that the Qun is the best way to follow."

"The Qun would have me not be what I have built myself to be." She countered, "I am no administrator."

"And I am no soldier." He harumphed back at her

"Exactly but you were chosen to be what you are. Qunari women do not have the choice to be soldier." At least that was what her mother told her.

"I was not chosen to be Tamassran. I was initially Ashaad." He said, grumbling. "I appealed to the Arishok to give me to the Ariqun instead."

"And a woman could petition to be a Sten?" A light brow rose in disbelief.

"Do not be hasty. You would start as Karashok.
"I am Tamassran, my word holds weight. I determine who has what job."

She thought of it, "I am a warden of the grey. That is my life, just as it is my life to choose as I wish."

"You will do your duty as a Warden, then. No one could ask for more than that." He nodded his head in acknowledgement. Marcus shifted uncomfortably

"I will." She agreed, "Thank you for the talk." She turned to Marcus, giving him a confused look as he shifted then walked over to him.

"Panhedan." The Tamassran rumbled and went back to his notes.

Marcus sighed "He gives me the creeps." He mumbled and turned around. "Want to keep walking?"

Guremi gave him a sweet smile, trying not to show how much the wounding was bothering her, "Why not?"

He smiled and kept walking with her, enjoying the night air, though his shoulder still pained him. "Are you feeling well at all? Or do you need to lie down?"

She was not used to showing weakness but this seemed to be a time she should be more truthful. It was not like they were on the front lines fighting or having to get a job done, "I believe sitting may help. A new helm will probably be in order to keep from having further damage, I suppose."

He nodded and found them a bench to sit on. He sighed and rubbed his shoulder. "Wounded soldiers, we are."

"At least you got your wounding from battle." She snorted, partially amused and partially embarrassed, "Here I am having not put on my help properly and fallen on it and my horn. That would have been amusing to tell in the beyond. Hi. I'm Guremi. I died by falling on my head."

He chuckled. "Terrible way to go. No glory in it."

"None at all. At least it wasn't slipping in the bath." She chuckled.

He chuckled again with her and sighed. "Accursed Blight..." He muttered.

"It is a wonder anything has been accomplished due to that. Or, after that. It has ruined much of the landscape. I do not see how the farmers will have a fair crop this year and many may die."

He nodded. "Meanwhile Orlais remains fat and happy." He shrugged his shoulders and winced. "I suppose we should be thankful that at least it was over as soon as it was."

She rubbed her hair just below her broken horn and sighed, "True. This is probably the shortest blight on record, as far as I could tell, but there is so much more going on."

He nodded. "Yes, but we'll just take it one day at a time together, won't we?" He offered her a smile beneath his hawk-like brow.

"Together." She said quietly, "That isn't a word I've used in this context." In fact, the only context she'd used it for was with the military and one other.

He shrugged. "Does it bother you?"

Her eyes shifted to light on his face, "Not at all."

He watched her with grey eyes, and smiled. "Ah good to know then."

"Oh?" She smirked.

"Indeed~" He lingered on the last syllable, winking and then turned his head back to stare at the sky.

She leaned back but only watched the sky in front of herself, "I have something to show you."

He blinked and whipped his head back around to her. "Eh? What is it?"

Guremi put her fingers to her mouth and whistled then winked at him.

He waited for whatever the whistle was to signal

After a couple of minutes a bark sounded from just outside their sight then a red wolf trotted into the area. It came towards the two slowly, head cocked as it looked at Marcus then walked over to Guremi, sniffing her fingers then licking them.

He lifted an eyebrow. "A red wolf? Is that even possible?" He asked her

"It is but she is no normal wolf." She said as she petted it.

"Clearly not." He smiled, looking down at the creature curiously.

The wolf nudged his knee and Guremi gave the tiniest nod so the wolf stayed, "She was not always like this."

He petted the wolf. "Does she have a name, then?" He asked Guremi

"Da'Vhenan. Little heart." It was a very Dalish name and it made Guremi sigh.

"Little to complex for my blood. I'll call her Red." He said, looking down at the wolf and smiling. "How about it, Red?"

Red barked and pushed at his hand for chin rubs, "She seems to like it."

He smiled again and then sat back in a neutral position. He pointed upwards. "Look, the stars are out now."

"They are not as bright as when out on the road. That is sad but at least they are still very pretty."

He nodded, and started making a carving of the red wolf in their company

Guremi and Red watched him carve, interested in how it progressed.

The wood took shape in his hands, becoming a form in his hands and then legs and a head were beginning to show...

Red seemed distracted by the carving as her nose got closer and closer to check it out.

Marcus eventually finished the main shape and began doing details, meticulously carving in fur in such a way as the figurine began to look lifelike

"It is almost like magic." She commented as she watched.

"No magic, just patience and creativity." He said with a shrug of his shoulders, finishing the carving up.

"You did hear the 'almost' part didn't you?" She teased.

He chuckled. "Yes, I did. These ears aren't just for show."

"My horns are." She admitted.

He grunted. "They look good on you... well, when you get the other one fixed they will."

"It is nice to know that someone likes them. Well, that is quite the semblence of you, isn't it Da'Vhenan?" The wolf barked then sat down.

Marcus held the figurine out to the wolf for her to examine then he closed his eyes. "Beautiful night."

Da'Vhenan sniffed the figurine and licked it then licked his hand.