The Dragonborn Comes Ch. 18

Chapter 18 - Safe

*****

Sereda woke first in the morning, kissing my cheek as I woke up, whispering she was going to dress and head out. Brosca had barely moved all night, still holding me tight. Once Sereda had dressed and departed, I turned onto my side, running a hand down Brosca's side, around to her back. She was covered in faint scars, wondering how many of them had been earned through the Carta or otherwise. She woke up while I was doing so, rolling forward to kiss me, another surprising soft and tender one.

"It was a little overwhelming last night, because I already have... feelings. I don't do feelings," she whispered, though she averted my gaze. "Any guy I've fucked, there's always been a motive, I guess. Something I could earn in return. And sometimes I wasn't always... I wasn't always the most willing participant. As I said, I did what I had to do." Now she met my eyes. "You're the first man I've ever fucked that I actually liked and trusted." I must have looked surprised. "Of course I trust you already! And when I did, I felt all these... my stomach was... my heart was... I've never felt anything like it before."

"Sex doesn't always have to be like that either," I said. I grabbed her hand, interlacing our fingers. "It can be many things, but the one thing you don't have to do is prove anything to me. I think it's clear that I like you, and I think you like me." She nodded eagerly at that. "So we like each other. Now we get to the fun bit of getting to know one another properly. Don't misunderstand, there's nothing wrong with what we did last night. I've had sex with women within a couple of hours of meeting them. And the sex we shared last night was a lot of fun. But there can be so much more to any sort of... relationship we find ourselves in."

"How is it like with your others?"

"It depends on how we're feeling at the time. It depends on what we want too."

She just hugged me tightly, as much as I held her. "I want to enjoy all the sex with you," she said quietly.

"I look forward to it."

She kissed me again, soft and tender, and I could sense she wanted, if not needed me then and there. I wanted her too, and I wasn't about to deny her. I held her tight against me as we kissed, keeping my hands only her back, hearing her giggle as my erection pressed into her. Rolling onto my back, she straddled me as we continued to kiss, only lifting her face from mine as I cupped her cheek, running a gentle thumb along her mark. "Are you sure it doesn't..."

"You're beautiful," I whispered. I would never lie to her. I knew that already.

She kissed me hard after that, and I managed to move my way backward so I was sat against the headboard. She was now sitting on my lap, my cock between our two bodies. She snaked a hand between to grab it. Breaking the kiss, she whispered, "I want it different. I want it to mean something. I want..."

I lifted her up and lined my cock up with her entrance. "Just take it slow," I said. She smiled as the head of my cock entered her, seeing her mouth change as she gasped, before a smile appeared. She leaned forward again, another long kiss as she slowly but surely took my entire length again. But while she was eager, she also took her time. My hands ran up and down her sides, along her back. I only our kiss once my entire length was inside her again. "Now take your time. Grind and bounce away, but you're in control. You don't need me to just pound away while inside you."

She took my advice, grinding away with my length inside her. I just watched her face, and I know I embarrassed her while doing so, as she just looked so... happy and content. I did eventually find myself distracted by her breasts, like normal, easing her back slightly so I could suck on her nipples. She enjoyed that, feeling her hands run through my hair. "Can I admit something?" she asked through her breaths and moans. I nodded. "You were the first one to ever go down on me. And don't even get me started on my orgasm."

That caused me to raise my head in surprise. "Seriously?"

"Every guy... They just stuck their cock inside me, thrust away, came then... Well, you can imagine."

"I'm sorry," I stated, hoping to sound as genuine as I felt.

"Lot more to tell you, but now isn't the time. I just wanted to let you know... I appreciated it. Loved it too. I had no idea..."

I kissed her before replying. "You'll find out a lot more too."

She leaned forward to hug me. "I can't wait." She left her head by my ear as she started to bounce a little faster, enjoying the sound of her moans in my ear. I kissed her neck, hearing her giggle and writhe slightly, telling me she was a little ticklish. So I did it a little more, eventually earning a loud laugh. That made my heart flutter. It was so genuine, and it was a beautiful sound.

Kissing me again, she leaned her forehead against mine as she started to ride me a little faster. Her eyes bore into mine, her lips slightly parted as she was clearly getting close. Kissing her again, she hugged me even tighter, and her body started to shudder against mine, breaking the kiss as she leaned forward, head on my shoulder again. "So close," she whispered.

Putting my lips to her ear, I whispered, "Cum for me, Natia."

The use of her first name took her by surprise, leaning back as the sweetest smile possible formed. Her eyes closed as she started to shudder again, this time feeling her pussy squeeze my cock, knowing she was on the verge of orgasm. I just held her tight again, feeling her shake as she cried out. It was close to my ear, but I didn't mind. She continued to ride me until I believe she was spent, just sitting on my cock, still inside her.

Her starting to cry didn't surprise me at all. I think that was the first time the focus had entirely been on her. Plus, well, let's be honest, I think emotions were high for both of us. I liked her immensely, and I'd only known her for barely a day. As for her, I guess she'd feel comfortable enough to tell me one day. All I did was continue to hold her tight, feeling and hearing her breathing, her hands at my sides. "What about you?" she eventually asked.

"Wasn't about me, Natia. That was only about you. I wanted you to experience what it could be like when the focus was only on you."

"No wonder they all like you," she said with a laugh.

"Most of the time, it's great if we both finish. But this morning, I just wanted to show how good at can be when it's all about you. Most importantly, you're now here with me. With us. Dust Town made you, but it didn't break you. Now you've escaped, the world is your oyster."

She leaned back, her eyes searching my face. "You really mean that, don't you?"

"I never lie, or try not to. I gave Cerys, Leliana and Solona my word. I would never lie to them, even if I'm the bad guy, or it would cause them to leave me. In the time we've known each other, I haven't broken that promise yet."

"Your honour?"

"An ingrained sense of what is right. My past is nothing like yours, but my life was hard when growing up. I now want to be a better man than what I was. And now I offer you my promise, Natia." That definitely caught her by surprise, blushing again.

"I'm an expert at lying," she admitted, meeting my eyes, "Truth doesn't exist in Dust Town." I ran my hand up her cheek and through her hair. She moved her head into my hand as I cupped her cheek, seeing her eyes close as she smiled. "You keep calling me Natia."

"Because that's who you are. Brosca is a character you play out there. Alone in here with me, you're Natia, a beautiful, young woman, more than deserving of all of life's joys. And I'd be honoured if you wanted me to keep you company in such a way."

She opened her eyes. "I think I..." She trailed off, averting my eyes again. She didn't say anything, but what she was about to admit didn't surprise me. I had barely scratched the surface of what her life had been like, but it didn't take much imagination. I'm sure she carried just as many internal as external scars. I might prod occasionally, but I'd leave it to her to open up.

Lifting herself up so my cock fell out, she told me not to move as she simply settled on my lap again, grabbing my forearms to hold her as tightly as possible. We remained like that for some time. The door opened quietly, catching my attention. Leliana popped her head in and immediately smiled. I gestured for her to come on in. She came to the side of the bed, Brosca resting her head against my chest, her eyes closed. If she registered Leliana approaching, she didn't care.

"What's up?" I asked quietly.

Leliana kept her voice down too. "We've just had breakfast and was wondering where you were. Are you okay?"

"It's been a big morning."

"He has a third girlfriend now," Brosca murmured. All Leliana do was laugh.

"And that's absolutely okay with me, and will be with Solona. I'll ensure we give you a little more time together. There's no rush to get moving yet."

Thanking Leliana, she quietly departed, closing the door behind her after giving me a final smile. How she still loved me so much after everything, I'd never understand. But I knew she'd ask the rest not to disturb us the rest of the day if necessary. I think she could read the connection we'd made already, and could probably read her body language too. "I like her already," Brosca stated, "Do you love her?"

"Yes. Quite a lot, in fact."

"And Solona?"

"I was her first. I adore her in return."

"And neither of them mind?"

"Not at all. It's been discussed, and we agreed this was how it would be."

"Okay." She paused, before adding, "I wasn't joking." She lifted her head, looking unsure before asking, "Would you like a third?"

"Are you saying you would like that?"

"If it means more mornings like this, I'd love nothing more." I kissed her, and that sealed it. Then she rested her head against my chest again, refusing to let me go. I just held her in return, continuing to just gently stroke her back. I'm not sure if she went to sleep, but we must have stayed like that for a couple of hours until she finally moved again, shaking herself before laughing. "I am way too comfortable like this."

"You'll hear no complaints from me, though I guess we should get up soon."

We finally did move. My legs felt funny after being sat in the same position for so long, Brosca laughing as I struggled to stand properly. After we dressed and shared a last hug and kiss, I grabbed her hand as we walked into the sitting room. Leliana immediately met my eyes and just smiled, gesturing to the end of the table, where a couple of plates were still waiting. Thanking her for caring, we sat down as Cerys filled me in on what was up next.

"The Deep Roads?" I asked, not bothering to swallow my food.

"Yes. We're being sent to find someone. Paragon Branka."

"Needle in a haystack, as far as I'm concerned. Two years and more in the Deep Roads? If she's not already dead..." Sereda trailed off.

"Okay, so we do this, Bhelen keeps his word?" I wondered.

"He wants to help us, but he can't keep to the conditions of the treaty without being king. Only as king can he assure us that the obligations of the treaty will be fulfilled."

I looked at Alistair. "What can we expect?"

"The deeper we go, the more darkspawn we'll find."

"And no-one has a clue where the Anvil is either," Sereda added, "It's been lost for centuries. But everyone knows Branka was obsessed with finding it. Packing up and entire house to go looking for it? Sign of madness. Insanity even."

"What about Harrowmont? Has there been any reaction?"

"Apart from harsh words about us and the Wardens, he hasn't made any moves against us. I think he fears what sort of reaction it would provoke from Bhelen."

"And we all know what he's capable of," Sereda stated bitterly.

I reached out to grab her hand, giving it a squeeze. "You'll leave here and become a Warden soon enough. You will be doing something far greater."

"I just don't like the fact the bastard got the best of me in the end." She looked at me and smiled. "But I'm not thinking of revenge."

"Sure?"

"I'm actually interested to see what the big, wide world is like. We hear plenty of tales, but I guess seeing is believing, right?"

Once we were done eating, a proper, thought out plan needed to be established. What we knew was this. We would be gone for at least a couple of weeks. The Deep Roads covered nearly all of Thedas. There were ideas on where the Anvil was, but that was it, figuring we'd probably get lost more than once. We would need plenty of supplies. We'd probably need help carrying them. There was absolutely no doubt we'd have to fight through hordes of darkspawn. And what I would want most is that we would all come out alive.

Everyone split up with their own task to do. Once we had privacy, I grabbed Leliana and gave her a hug. She moulded into me by the fireplace. "Something wrong?" she wondered.

"I just wanted to hug you. And there are one or two things on my mind."

Her head nestled against my chest, she simply asked, "And what's that?"

"Well, first, how much I love you."

"I love you too."

"And how difficult all this is going to be. For all of you, but also for me."

"I'm sure you'll manage. Didn't you have over half a dozen lovers before?"

"Yes, but I wasn't with them every day. That's the only thing that makes this arrangement strange. And as much as I didn't know most of them were married, some of them didn't know about each other."

Leliana finally lifted her head. "I'm sure you'll figure it out." I leaned down to kiss her, feeling her hand on the back of my head as I reached down to cup and squeeze her arse. That just made her laugh. "Who will you sleep with tonight?" she asked once our kiss was broken.

"I'm not sure."

"Well, if you're not with me, I'll always have Solona for company. She's a lot of fun, and not in the way that I know you're probably already thinking. She's a... girly girl."

"Shoes?"

"Oh, definitely," she said excitedly, "In fact, I was wondering if you'd take me shopping. Not now, but maybe if we're in Denerim? I could perhaps buy one or two things for myself that you would definitely like."

"Sign me up."

"So, sleep with who you would like. I won't lie. I hope you'll be with me. But I'll also understand if you're with someone else, particularly if it's one of your new friends."

"Which one?"

Leliana raised an eyebrow before saying, "The one who is clearly and utterly in love with you already." I figured I knew who she meant, but Leliana added bluntly, but kindly, "The one who was so obviously moulded into you this morning. No woman holds a man in such a way, looks at him in such a way, without being utterly devoted to him already."

Hugging her tightly again, I did ask quietly, "Would it sound awful, or strange, if I said you were my number one?"

"Just don't tell the others. But I love being your number one. I won't ask how everyone else is ranked..."

"Probably best you don't."

We spent the rest of the day starting to organise the expedition. Word spread quickly across Orzammar, and we had merchants at the front doors of the palace, offering their supplies. Everyone wanted to help find the only living Paragon. Alistair hired a trio of dwarves who would help carry our supplies, ensuring they were also warriors, so they could help us if we found ourselves in a sticky spot. Others bought a few spare sets of armour, also weapons in case we were unfortunate. I still had trust in the armour I'd arrived in. I'd had to make one or two patches, but other than that, it was still as good as the day it was made.

Wynne spent all day in the Shaperate with Solona, the pair looking for any scrolls, books, even ancient parchments that might even mention the Anvil. They found scraps of information, but enough that might suggest the route Branka might have taken. It wasn't much, but it was enough to work with. With a map of the Deep Roads still known, we worked out a route to take that might lead us at least halfway, maybe further. Of the Anvil, though. Only whispers, nothing more.

Cerys and Alistair agreed with my assessment that we could leave the day. It wouldn't matter what time, as we'd simply march until we dropped, sleep, then march again. Sereda told of us certain traditions dwarves had prior to entering the Deep Roads. Alistair also knew of one or two. Most involved alcohol. I didn't drink too much, wanting a rather clear head for the morning. And, to be honest, for whatever would happen that evening.

Realising I'd been distracted by other things, I did spend time chatting with Sten, who was still relatively monosyllabic, but at least he was friendly. Zevran flirted relentlessly, which I took in my stride. His efforts were futile, but at least he was funny and charming about it. Shale had apparently been learning more about itself, and pulled me aside for an hour, explaining what it hoped we could do while in the Deep Roads. Once it was done, I gave my word immediately. And as for Wynne, she simply spoke of the hope that we'd succeed, and that we'd see the sunlight again. She spent weeks and months inside the Circle, and had enjoyed just seeing the sun rise with each morning.

Later that evening, I was one of the last to head to bed. At the doorway of the corridor leading to the bedrooms, I came to a stop, looking at each one, wondering which I should enter. Before I could decide, Leliana appeared in hers, saw me and smiled, before walking towards me. "Be with her tonight," she suggested.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. I'll be with Solona, again not in the way you are probably imagining. She's not interested in me like that." She paused, before leaning in close, "I have asked, just so you know." Leaning back with a smirk now on her face, she added, "We'll just talk until we go to sleep. Sereda is sharing a room with Morrigan and Wynne. I've already had a word with her, but she could already see it. She was a little disappointed, though I assured her she would get her chance too."

"A fourth one?"

She giggled. "More than likely." Then she hugged me, we shared a rather nice kiss, and then she disappeared. She didn't tell me to have fun that night. I think she was expecting a different sort of night. To be honest, so did I.

Brosca was already in bed under the covers when I walked through the door. The smile that lit up her face when she sat up to look at me near enough melted me. Closing the door behind me, I stripped down to my underwear to join her, blowing out all the candles on the way, leaving only one on each small table to either side of the bed. She immediately moved across, noticing she was nude, opening my arms as she pressed into me again. "I didn't know if you'd join me tonight or not."

"Leliana thought I should. But I wanted to as well."

"As I said, I like her already too."

I just held her in my arms, right arm under her neck, stroking her upper back, my left arm at her waist, stroking her lower back and occasionally her arse. All she did was snuggle into me as close as possible. We must have laid like that for... I'm not sure, before she spoke.

"Is this what it feels like to feel safe?"

"How do you mean?"

"I've always slept with one eye open. There's always someone willing to steal the few possessions you've managed to accrue over the years. Or kill you for whatever reason. Or do... other things. You know, sexual. Being a young woman is doubly difficult. We're perceived as weak. I guess we can be physically, but that just meant they underestimated me otherwise. All of them did, until Jarvia. But here now, and with you this morning, I feel relaxed. I didn't feel it necessary to have a weapon nearby. I could be completely naked and exposed, and with your arms around me, I knew nothing could harm me. All that after one night. It's... strange."