Hawke and Elayne take some time for themselves.

Hawke was right. The elven camp wasn’t that far from the farm. It was almost a full day’s ride. By the time they got to the farm, it was just a little past dark. After removing the saddles from the horses, Hawke rode Midnight back to his house and let the horse free before they retired for the evening.

“It really feels good to be back here, Hawke. I’m glad you thought of this,” she said as she leaned back against him with a glass of wine watching the fire.

“Me too, princess. I think I’m going to insist on Caleb letting us away from camp for a few days every other week. It might take us a little more time to finally leave after we’re done with Caleb, but I find it worth it.”

“Especially after listening to the lectures. What is the point of all that anyway? I noticed a lot of what they’re teaching us you’ve already learned from your books. Which I still think was a weird thing to study, by the way. But it is easier to understand since you know most of it.” She turned her head a little to look at him. “Hawke, you mentioned that you dove into those subjects out of boredom and a passion for history,” she laughed softly, “but out of all the topics, why focus on the Blights?”

“It wasn’t just the Blights that I read about,” he explained. “I devoured anything I could find. We were always on the move, trying to stay ahead of the Templars and the Tower’s clutches. During those rare moments when we could actually catch our breath, I lost myself in whatever literature was available. It helped keep me sane. They were my escape and kept my mind engaged,” he explained, shrugging slightly. “Honestly, it made the journey feel less burdensome for me.”

“Well, it definitely makes what we’re learning easier or should I say what I’m learning since you know a lot of it.” She turned around, so she was lying on top of him, “Why don’t you go take that bath you’re dying for while I fix us something to eat. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.”

He grinned at her. “Yeah, I’m hungry too, but not for what you’re thinking right now.” He put a hand on the back of her head and brought her mouth to his.

When he finally let her go, she squirmed from out of his arms and got up, “That’s for dessert, my love. Besides, I’m dying for a bath, too, but food first.”

“Why don’t you join me then,” he said while he tried to grab her hand as she headed to the kitchen, but she avoided him by hurrying out of his reach.

“No, thank you, I’ll pass on the cold bath, but it might do you wonders baby,” she giggled, “at least for a while anyways. Go Hawke, by the time you’re done, the food will be ready.”

Grumbling about a bossy woman, he went and gathered his stuff and headed to the lake. Even though it was a little chilly, it felt absolutely wonderful being able to submerge himself in the water. After using the waterfall to rinse the soap off of him, he headed back to shore when he felt her in his head, letting him know dinner was ready. Wearing just his pants, he walked inside, seating himself at the table.

She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, “You feel better, my love?” she asked softly while her hands slid down his bare chest. “Mmm, baby, I love the feel of you under my hands,” she purred.

He grabbed her hands and pulled her around onto his lap, “is that so, angel,” he asked before his mouth claimed hers. He finally released her when her belly grumbled, “I guess you are hungry, my love,” he grinned at her, “Go eat, baby.”

After dinner, he got her bath ready while she cleaned up the kitchen. “Your bath is ready, my beautiful princess,” he said bowing to her.

She giggled and walked towards him before curtsying, “Thank you, my handsome prince.” She laughed when she heard him growling. “If I’m your princess, then you’re my prince, my love.” Stripping off her clothes, she stepped into the warm bubbly water with a sigh, “Oh sweet mercy, this is heavenly, thank you, baby.”

He felt her body and muscles relaxing as the water enveloped her, he put more heat into the water until she was moaning with pleasure, then he sat back on the couch watching her relaxing in the tub. His mind went to upgrades for the house, so she could enjoy this more often, “Better include a bigger tub than baby,” he heard her in his mind. “That way, you can join me instead of using the lake to clean up in.”

Chuckling, he added another log to the fire before refilling his glass and sitting back down. “So we have a couple of days to ourselves. What would you like to do?”

As she turned in the tub, her gaze fell upon him from across the rim, her movement causing the rippling water to dance around her. He found himself captivated by the sight of her luscious figure. ‘Damn, she has a sexy bottom.’ The sound of her soft laughter broke through his thoughts, and he lifted his gaze to meet her eyes.

“I think I want to spend the next couple of days wrapped up in my husband’s arms in bed with him buried inside me. topkapı escort That sounds absolutely wonderful.” She watched as his eyes started changing, a hungry grin on his face.

“Really!!” he growled.

“Mmhm, I think that sounds like a delicious idea,” she purred as she got out of the tub and walked slowly towards him as his eyes raked up and down her body.

She felt heat rush through her as his gaze landed first on her breasts, then lower. She trembled as his look became ravenous when they went between her legs, and she felt a different kind of wetness. She stood in front of him, running her hand down herself, first touching her breasts, then slowly lowered her hand down between her legs. He watched as her fingers slid along her, coming back out glistening. She leaned towards him, her eyes on his as she brought her wet fingers up to his lips. He opened it, and she slid her fingers inside his hot mouth, closing her eyes moaning as he started licking and sucking her fingers.

He lifted her up and laid her across his lap as his mouth came down on hers. She moaned when his hand trailed down her body to between her legs, and his fingers went inside her. She put her arms around his neck, opening her legs more while his fingers started moving along her. He felt her muscles tighten around his fingers, her hips moving with him as they slid in and out of her.

He withdrew his lips from hers and leaned in closer, whispering in her ear, “Come for me, my love.” As his fingers quickened their movement, she felt a rush of warmth rush through her. Gasping, she tightened around him, her breath becoming ragged as soft whimpers escaped her lips. With her eyes shut tight, her sounds grew louder, and her hips began to move in rhythm with his hand, matching the increased urgency. “Scream for me, baby,” he urged. In response, she cried out his name, and a primal growl escaped him as her body surrendered, releasing waves of pleasure over his fingers.

“That’s my beautiful angel,” he whispered hotly in her ear, keeping his fingers sliding along her, coaxing more from her.

His gaze burned intensely into hers as he turned her body, positioning her legs on either side of him. A low growl escaped his lips, “I think it’s time for dessert, darling.” With that, he laid on his back, eagerly pulling her bottom closer to his mouth as she straddled him, his tongue plunging deep within her, his hands gripping her waist.

As she gazed down, their eyes locked, her hips began to move against his mouth, responding to the fervor of his tongue that sought her essence, relentless in its pursuit. Releasing his hold on her hips, his fingers ventured up to tease her nipples, twisting and pulling with a playful urgency. The mounting pleasure caused her muscles to tighten around his tongue, leading to another scream as her sweet essence flooded his mouth.

“Again,” he growled in her head and her hips bucked wildly against him, releasing her juices over and over in his mouth until she collapsed over him, her body spent. He slid her down on top of him, letting her rest, “You satisfied my love,” he asked quietly before his mouth took hers.

He carried her into the bedroom and laid down beside her on the bed before removing his mouth from hers. His eyes and hands roamed slowly over her body, “do you know how unbelievably sexy and beautiful you are baby,” he asked her softly as his eyes went to hers, his hand between her legs again rubbing her. Her hips started moving with his fingers, and she whimpered when he slid them deep inside her, bringing another release from her. She rolled over, his fingers still moving inside her.

“Arik,” she panted while her hands went to the waistband of his pants.

He chuckled, “why you in such a hurry, my love,” he whispered in her ear while his fingers still slid along her, bringing her body over the edge again before she could grasp him in her hands.

“Arik, please, I need you inside me now, please, baby,” she begged, panting heavily.

“As my baby wishes,” he growled before her body released on his fingers again. He quickly removed his pants, opened her legs wide, and got between them. He put his fingers back inside her, bringing her close to the edge before he raised her rear up and rammed himself deep inside her, making her scream as she climaxed.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

The following morning, after finally allowing her some rest, he quietly rose from the bed and dressed quickly. Last night, he had noticed several extra horses in the barn after putting the saddles away. A grin spread across his face upon spotting Larry and Mark outside.

“Looks like you two chose to stick around. Are you enjoying your little getaway,” he said with a chuckle.

Mark shrugged. “Well, you did invite us to stay, my Lord. We’ve been pitching in around the farm, giving Sara and Hank a much-deserved break while we handle the chores.”

Hawke, impressed by the gesture, nodded appreciatively. “Thank you for that. I’ll bağcılar escort definitely mention to Bryce that he needs to increase your pay when we return. Elayne and I are only taking a brief break for a couple of days before we’re off again. We’re uncertain about how long we’ll be away this time, but we want you both to know that you’re welcome to stay here as long as you like. Now, gentlemen, I’ll make my way back to my house. I just wanted to drop by and see how you were doing. So, take this time to relax and enjoy yourselves.”

Once he returned to clean up and put the tub away, he made his way back to the bedroom. There, he paused to watch her sleeping peacefully. She would remain in slumber for some time, and a smile spread across his face as memories of the previous night and that morning flooded his mind. Their desire for each other had burned brightly; she craved him just as intensely as he craved her, both of them caught in a wave of passion.

Feeling her stir in his head, he swiftly removed his clothes and slipped back under the covers beside her. Wrapping his arm around her, he drew her close, finding comfort in the rhythm of her breathing. For a moment, he lay there, absorbing the feeling of the moment. “I love you, baby,” he whispered before finally surrendering to sleep, allowing himself to drift into dreams alongside her.

He found himself waking to the feeling of her hands and lips wrapped around him, a low pleasurable groan escaped him. “Elayne, baby, what are you doing?”

Raising her head slightly, she shot him a playful grin. “What does it feel like I’m doing, my love?” With a mischievous look in her eye, she returned her focus to him, sliding her warm mouth and hands up and down his shaft. As he grew harder, his fingers tangled in her hair, urging her to take him in deeper.

“Elayne,” he gasped, a wave of pleasure coursing through him. She responded by tightening her grip, quickening her pace until he reached his peak, filling her completely. A grin spread across her face as he pulled her up onto him. Straddling him, she guided him deep within her, ready, wet, and eager for him.

“Oh, sweet mercy baby,” panting heavily, he felt her body tighten around him, a wave of pleasure flooded through him as he thrust deeper, holding her hips firmly in his grasp. Their climaxes became one as he released himself within her. Leaning forward, his hands and lips traced a path along her back before he gently pulled her closer. “You’re truly incredible, my love,” he murmured softly into her ear, then lowered her beside him.

Turning to face him, she gazed into his eyes, her fingertips tracing the contours of his face. A soft smile played on her lips as she leaned in. “And so are you, my love,” she breathed, their lips meeting in a tender embrace. Her leg draped over him while her hand guided his shaft back into her, igniting the fire between them once more.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

As she rode alongside him, memories of the last three wonderful days together flooded her mind, filling her with warmth. A deep sense of contentment wrapped around her; she felt more relaxed than she had in a long time. When she glanced over at him, their eyes met; a warm blush crept across her cheeks. He let out a soft chuckle, then took hold of Snowball’s reins, drawing the horse closer. In one quick motion, he swooped her from the saddle and settled her on his lap.

“I’m glad my baby’s so happy and content, means I’m doing my job,” he said, pulling her close to him.

A playful smile spread across her face as she replied, “Oh, there’s no doubt about that, my love.” She settled comfortably against his chest, feeling cherished and secure.

When they finally made it to camp, she felt Hawke stiffen up, suddenly on alert, and reaching for his power. She looked around and noticed a stranger sitting by Caleb, Fen, and Othanar. “Hawke, who is that,” she asked with concern as she looked up at him.

He shook his head as he helped her off Midnight. “I don’t know, but let’s get the horses comfortable, then we’ll find out.”

After they were done, she grabbed his hand as they walked over to the group. Caleb looked up at them and smiled as they neared. “Glad to see the lovebirds made it back. Come, meet our guest, and have a seat.” He turned to the stranger, “Duncan, I’d like to introduce you to the couple we’ve been talking about, Arik and Elayne Hawke.” He turned to them, “and this is Duncan. You two will be spending some time together with him.” Hawke was still hesitant, but he took Duncan’s hand when Duncan offered it. The minute their hands touched, she felt Hawke tense up, and he stepped in front of her like a shield, protecting her.

“Who and what are you?” Hawke growled, his body on alert as a feeling of trepidation went through him. For some reason, Duncan’s presence gave Hawke a strong sense of foreboding, especially with his and Elayne’s future.

Caleb went to stand up, but Duncan looked at him, “it’s ok, Caleb.” He halkalı escort looked back to Hawke curiously, “you’ve felt it before, how and where?”

Elayne put her hand on Hawke’s back, rubbing it, trying to ease some of the tension in him. Hawke, not taking his eyes off Duncan, put his arm around her, his voice low, “you haven’t answered my question.”

Duncan sighed, waving for them to sit. When he had first seen the young man, he had been skeptical. Everything that Caleb and the others had said about him didn’t fit the young man standing in front of him. He was too young to be a master swordsman for starters. He was too young to be a master at anything, period. When the two shook hands, he saw young Hawke recognize something in him, and his eyes became cold steel as he put himself in front of Elayne, protecting her. He watched as Elayne brought her hand up to Hawke’s back, soothing him. Not taking his eyes off Duncan, the young man put his arm around her, but his piercing blue eyes never changed as they penetrated Duncan.

“Sit please, and I’ll tell you who I am, and then I have two questions for you.” He watched the couple walk over to an empty bench, Elayne sitting down, but Hawke stood behind her, still on edge. Amused, he watched as Elayne looked up at Hawke and reached for his hand, before his eyes finally left Duncan’s as he looked down at her. Something passed between the two, Hawke relaxed a little and sat down beside her with his arm around her. His eyes were still hard, though, but Duncan saw the difference in his body. He looked over at Caleb, who was watching the couple with a knowing smile on his face, nodding.

“First of all, as Caleb told you, my name is Duncan. What he didn’t tell you is that I’m the Warden Commander of the Grey Wardens here in Ferelden.” He paused when he saw something flash across Arik’s eyes, and Elayne looked worriedly up at Hawke. “You’ve heard of the Grey Wardens?” Both of them nodded, but there was something else.

“Who hasn’t? It’s well known that the Grey Wardens are the only ones that can stop a Blight.” Hawke looked over at Caleb, “so there is something going on?” he asked as he got up and started pacing.

He stopped, looking at him, Duncan could see Hawke’s mind working, thinking things through. “Before anything more gets said, I need to know what I felt in you.”

Duncan watched him as he started pacing again, “Before I answer that, I need to know a few things. What do you know of Grey Wardens?

Hawke looked at him in annoyance, “I know what everyone knows if they bother to open a book. What does this have to do with what I felt in you,” he growled in anger. Hawke looked down at Elayne, and again, something passed between the two, Hawke deflated a little, looking back at Duncan.

“We’ve recently been learning about the Blights and the Wardens. The Grey Wardens are an Order of warriors of exceptional ability dedicated to fighting darkspawn throughout Thedas. They are headquartered in the very place of their founding, Weisshaupt Fortress in the Anderfels, but maintain a presence in most other nations as well. The Grey Wardens are known for ignoring a recruit’s racial, social, national, and even criminal background if they deem the person valuable in terms of character, ability, or skill. Despite their small numbers, the Grey Wardens have been instrumental in defeating each Blight so far and thus are vital to the survival of the world as a whole.”

“I know they’re not well respected, especially here in Ferelden. Somehow, they are able to sense when an Archdemon is awake. They are the only ones that can kill them. They can also sense when darkspawn are present,” he stopped suddenly looking at Duncan. “How? The taint? Is that what I sensed in you?”

“Describe it to me?” Duncan probed.

“It’s like something that was filth, rotten, but it’s not as strong in you as what I’ve felt before. Not only did I feel the rot, but I felt a wrongness, pure evil. I don’t feel the evil in you that I felt that day, but there is a connection to you and to what I felt before.”

“This is crucial, Hawke. When and where did you encounter this?” Duncan continued, eager to gather more information.

“About a month ago, I came across it in some caves near Highever,” Hawke replied.

“Which caves in Highever?” Duncan pressed further, his desire for answers growing stronger.

Hawke looked at him closely, his irritation spiking, “they’re not a threat anymore, but you are! Why are you here?” he asked quietly.

“Why not take a break and find something to eat, Hawke? Elayne and you must be feeling quite hungry from your trip,” Caleb suggested, cutting in. “Meanwhile, Duncan and I can talk about a few things.”

She stood up, taking Hawke’s hand in hers, “Come, my love, I know I definitely need something to eat, and I can feel you do too.”

Hawke paused, his gaze lingering on Duncan. An unsettling undercurrent seemed to ripple just beneath the surface, suggesting that there was more at play than anyone was revealing. Within his mind, Elayne’s voice cut through the fog of his thoughts. “Hawke, perhaps this relates to what Caleb is teaching us, but at least we’ve found an answer to one question. The Grey Wardens are still around and are likely entangled in whatever is looming ahead.”