#kaitrith lavellan

[cobaltash]

Day 23 of the Pride Challenge is for the amazing Kaitrith Lavellan, who belongs to the awesome @mysdrym! 

Thank you for letting me borrow her for this project!

[mysdrymmumbles]

Kaitrith Lavellan from Kaitrith Disapproves.

[mysdrymmumbles]

A Pleasant Surprise - Kaitrith Disapproves

@thesecondsealwrites picked #2 yesterday, and so here it is! Thank you, seal :D

Pairing: F!Lavellan x Josephine Montilyet

Word Count: 1263

A Pleasant Surprise - Kaitrith Disapproves

The words had run dry.

For almost a month now, Kaitrith had not been able to hear a single whisper from the voices of the Well. For almost a month, her mind had been her own again, free to wander as it pleased, and for a month, she’d waited for all of it to come back.

She’d braced herself, knowing how overwhelming it would be to have those voices chattering away again, not wanting to be knocked off her feet like the first time.

That was, until last night.

Last night, as she’d been drifting to sleep, playing with Josephine’s hair and listening to her slumber, it had finally dawned on her what must have happened.

She’d been learning to better navigate the voices, and she’d been searching them for information on how Solas had put the Veil up in the first place. If she could find how he’d done it, maybe she would be able to figure out how he was going to bring it down.

Granted, bound to him as she was, thanks to the Well, she hadn’t been sure how much she’d actually be able to help others, but she’d at least hoped to keep herself and the few she cared for safe in whatever mess was to come.

He must have felt her growing close—or just been insulted by her attempts—and closed off her ability to hear the past whispers.

The bastard.

While she wasn’t sure—didn’t really know a way she could be sure—she’d spent the morning mulling it over and this seemed like it was the most plausible explanation.

After all, the world wasn’t ending yet, so far as she knew, so why else would the voices go silent?

“You know,” Josephine’s voice whispered in her ear and Kaitrith nearly jumped out of her skin. When she turned, Josephine had a slight smile parting her lips as she watched her. “Forgive me, love. I should have announced myself.”

Kaitrith reached out and caught her hand, pressing a quick kiss into her palm. “It’s fine.”

“Were I Yvette, I’d be running for my life right now.”

“You’re not Yvette,” Kaitrith said, leaning against the back of her chair as she looked up at Josephine. “Do I know what?”

“Oh, to business, I see,” Josephine teased, sitting on the edge of Kaitrith’s desk. They shared a study off their bedroom, with a desk for each of them. While some had been skeptical that they might tire of one another’s constant presence, neither of them minded at all. They both valued the work the other did, and neither were about to pester the other unless it was clear that they weren’t preoccupied with business. When Kaitrith offered her a fleeting smile and waved her hand to go on, Josephine motioned toward the window. “It occurs to me that it has been months since we arrived, and I have not yet given you a proper surprise.”  

“A surprise,” Kaitrith echoed carefully, eyeing Josephine.

With a confident nod, Josie motioned toward their room. “If you’ve no need of your time this afternoon, may I suggest changing into something light and meeting me downstairs?”

As she spoke, Kaitrith realized that she was wearing a simpler outfit than usual, something light and breezy—still presentable, yet clearly made with the warmer days in mind.

And it did get quite warm in Antiva, during the summer.

Despite her curiosity, Kaitrith simply nodded. It wasn’t like she was going to get any writing done, and as much as she itched to move, it would either be this or training, and to be honest, she preferred her time with Josie.

When she reached the foyer, Josephine met her with a blindfold and a grin. While she eyed her lover, she put the blindfold on, having to promise thrice that she couldn’t see under or over any part of the fabric.

Josephine told her to keep her eyes closed for good measure, and let her out of the house by the hand and into a carriage.

The ride was absurdly normal if not for the blindfold. They talked about the typical things, the weather, Yvette’s and Krem’s budding romance, when the Chargers would be back around, what they ought to do together in the coming week—they always made sure to have time for one another, outside of soirees and family dinners.

Now that they’d done their part saving the world—for all the good it did with the new impending doom looming over them—they were finally allowing themselves to settle down.

The air was thick with salt and the cawing of gulls by the time the carriage rolled to a stop, more so than usual, and Kaitrith had an inkling of where they were going.

The beach.

In the months that they had been there, somehow they’d never found the time to go. Krem had come over on a few days, showing off shells he and Yvette had found, and suggesting to Kaitrith that it was rather fun—more fun than the Tevinter beaches had ever been, at least according to him.

However, even knowing what was coming didn’t prepare her for what she saw when Josephine finally removed her blindfold.

These waters were nothing like the Waking Sea. The waves were gentler here than on the Storm Coast—far, far gentler—and the water itself seemed lighter somehow. It struck Kaitrith as odd, considering that the oceans were all connected as they were.

More than that, though, the water was shallow, and…pooled. She could see things just below the surface in those pools, fish swimming in quick, erratic circles, looking for a way out, and other objects, round and spiked, twisted and colorful.

The sand glistened, the waves crashed in a dull lullaby, and Josephine beamed.

That alone made the entire trip worth it. Kaitrith would have gladly wandered through the Fallow Mire for a smile like that from Josephine.

“I thought you might like the tidepools.” Josephine leaned a little closer to Kaitrith, clasping one of her hands. “The sea air is quite refreshing, too. Certainly more so when it is not trying to squeeze its way through a window. Especially one you barely open.”

While Kaitrith did typically enjoy a breeze, that was only when she was outside. Indoors, she wasn’t fond of having to make sure there was a paperweight on every paper stack on her desk. She wrote quickly—well, she had—and it was always a hassle having to shift around the paperweights to move the papers and get new ones only to have them scatter into the room the second she lifted her hand.

Dagna had sent her a few sketches of prototype arm replacements, though Kaitrith hadn’t bothered to respond to that. She had a sinking feeling that the dwarf would show up on their doorstep any day with something that shot arrows or…fire or…

She didn’t want to think of the possibilities.

She spent enough time training with a single-handed mace; she didn’t need to learn a new weapon arm.

Now, if Dagna could make an actual arm, without the fancy additions, Kaitrith could appreciate that…

But…

Josephine was waiting for an answer.

Smiling a little shyly, Kaitrith nodded quickly, not entirely sure what the question had been—if there’d been one. “This is really nice.”

Giddy, Josephine practically jumped at that. Instead, she leaned forward and pecked Kaitrith’s cheek before leading her toward the closest pool. “Come, come. Let us see if we can’t find something that will put Yvette’s collection to shame.”

[mysdrymmumbles]

Unexpected - Kaitrith Disapproves - SFW

Last drabble of the month :D Kaitrith gets an unexpected guest. 

Pairing: F!Lavellan x Josephine Montilyet

Word Count: 1058

Unexpected - Kaitrith Disapproves

“Josephine had to go into town with Lord and Lady Montilyet,” Kaitrith murmured as she parried another of Krem’s attacks. They’d been sparring out on the field when he’d let her know that one of the servants was coming their way.

While Kaitrith adored Josephine unconditionally, the rest of her family were a bit up in the air--she could be made to resentfully admit that Yvette was not so bad, if pressed--and her servants were…

They still seemed wary of the mysterious Dalish elf, even after all these months, and so Kaitrith had little interest in them beyond not making their lives unnecessarily difficult without cause.

If someone spilled her tea, she didn’t care. If someone called her a knife-ear, she could make them shrink in on themselves with a look. It was how she’d always operated, and how people always responded, and so she didn’t concern herself too much with it in general.

While they had seemed to at least find an odd compromise, where she didn’t bother most of them at this point and they didn’t bother her, there was still always an awkwardness when any of them interacted with just Kaitrith.

So much so that she’d declared Josephine’s absence as the one had drawn near rather than let them linger beside the training grounds, dithering over what to say.

“Yes, Lady....Lavellan.” That they still didn’t know what to call her after all these months was a mite bit annoying, as well. It probably had something to do with the way she stared at them whenever they said it. “You have a visitor.”

Krem’s next attack nearly caught Kaitrith on her sword arm as her attention snapped to the servant. “What?”

While Krem offered a quick apology, the timid looking lady who had come to get her motioned over her shoulder, trying to maintain a professional air. “There is another from your clan here to see you, Lady Lavellan.”

This time, the title was spoken with more confidence.

Before the woman could elaborate, Kaitrith was making a beeline to the house.

She’d explained to Keeper Deshanna, hadn’t she? She was connected, somehow, with the Dread Wolf, and they needed to keep as far from her as they could. Especially with what they guarded. That light of Mythal’s.

If someone was here...did that mean something had happened? Had the clan been attacked? Was the end beginning?

Would it matter if she knew?

She darted past a few maids who pressed their backs to the wall as she hurried by, giving her ample room, her focus making her miss the way they whispered that she looked like she was out for blood.

It wasn’t until she was standing in the foyer that she dared slow her pace, and it was as she did so that she saw her.

For a moment, she was unrecognizable. Her hair was longer, and braided up in an intricate pattern, and she was a great deal taller than the last time Kaitrith had seen her, but when she turned toward her, her face lit up and she would have recognized that smile anywhere.

“Nonni?” Kaitrith didn’t return the warmth. “What’s happened? What brought you here? Is the clan safe?”

Even as she spoke, her fellow elf’s gaze wandered over her and then her eyes widened. “You really lost your arm.”

The words were spoken as a whisper, and immediately, she looked embarrassed to have spoken them. “I mean, you look good. It’s not that...noticeable…”

For her to be this hung up on something so trivial meant that the clan couldn’t have been hurt, surely. Shoulders sagging a little, Kaitrith abruptly felt the wear of hurrying so quickly catching up with her. “Nonni.”

“Kaitrith,” Nonni replied, perking up. Then, she let out a soft gasp. “You asked questions...um, the clan is fine. Nothing’s really happened and, um, well, I wanted to see how you were doing.”

She stood tall and proud, nodding confidently to Kaitrith. Then, even as Kaitrith knit her brow together, she added, “It’s not the same without you and Brira around.”

“Leaving the Dalish life?” Kaitrith asked, head tilted. Nonni was still too young to have her vallaslin, and it made her look all the younger, to Kaitrith.

“No!” she cried out, eyes wide as she gasped. “Never! I just...I thought you might want to know that I can make the halla fly now.”

There was a beat of silence before she grinned, and Kaitrith couldn’t help but roll her eyes, a half smile momentarily tugging at her lips. “Can you now?”

She nodded. “If you want to see, though, we’ll have to go somewhere where there’s halla.”

As soon as she said it, she looked a little guilty, though she quickly covered her tracks with a calm look, something neutral she’d probably learned from Keeper Deshanna.

“I’m surprised you’d come here by yourself.”

“Oh, we’re not far--”

Even as she spoke, Kaitrith let out a low hiss, taking a few steps back. “You can’t tell me where you--”

“We don’t have it anymore.” Nonni interjected, worriedly, hands up as though to quiet her. When Kaitrith’s brow pinched together, she shrugged. “We figured we’d always be suspect of having what the Dread Wolf wants, so we got rid of it. I won’t say to who or what or where. Just know that it’s gone.” She gave her a confident nod, standing proud and proper again.  

It took Kaitrith a moment to process all that she’d said before finally, she let out a relieved sigh. Allowing her fears to dissipate, she finally took stock of their surroundings as though they were unfamiliar to her and then motioned toward a hall just as Krem caught up.

“I put the equipment up…” he trailed off as he saw the elf so clearly dressed in Dalish garb standing next to Kaitrith.

She looked back at Nonni. “Come. You can stay here tonight. I’ll have someone get you a room and I’ll go wash up.”

“Actually,” the younger elf said, gaze to the side as she fell out of her confident stance to rock from heels to toes and back. “I thought we could take advantage of the afternoon light so that we can get back sooner.”

Kaitrith hesitated. “Get back?”

“Home,” Nonni replied, concerned. “I came to bring you home.”

[mysdrymmumbles]

Kaitrith Disapproves - Nonni - SFW

Before Kaitrith Lavellan became the Herald of a god she didn’t believe in, she was a mere guard for her clan. 

Word Count: 2330

Kaitrith Disapproves

Nonni

Kaitrith had seen the occasional elf seeking refuge with the Dalish in her time as a guard for her clan, but she had never seen a group quite as pitiful as this one when they came stumbling up through the woods.

Never heard one, either, and heard this lot she had. Well before she’d seen them.

The entire damned forest must have heard them coming, and it surprised her that they’d managed to evade templar detection long enough to get out here when she did creep close enough to see them.

They were mages, three total, two adult elves and one child trailing behind them on shaky, worn-out legs that seemed to be moved by something more than the child herself.

Not possession, but fear.

Potent and fresh.

They were being hunted then?

Kaitrith pulled herself up into one of the trees as they drew closer, careful that they wouldn’t see her. If they were being hunted, there was no reason to bring that on the clan. She would let them wander past and make sure they didn’t take a wrong turn and head toward camp.

Clan Lavellan was passing near one of the shem cities, not that Kaitrith had bothered to learn which. She didn’t care. Brira could keep track of that nonsense--and she did, though how she managed to keep all the shem drama straight while still studying as the Keeper’s First was beyond Kaitrith.

What she had heard, however, was that another clan was suffering, and they’d initially gone this way to see if they could help. Word now, however, was that the clan had already fled.

Worse, there had been some sort of...unfortunate event in the human’s city.

An explosion of some kind. It had Keeper Deshanna riled up, and everyone was on alert.

The humans were supposedly in a panicked state, which meant they’d be doubly quick to point blame where it wasn’t due, and Clan Lavellan intended to be well out of reach before fingers could be raised.

For now, it was just a matter of getting everything ready to move again before they left this place and all its turmoil behind. Because they wanted to make sure not to become entangled in anything local, all the guards had been given strict orders not to let anyone find their way to the camp.

No one.

It had seemed easy enough an order, especially seeing as the few city elves Kaitrith had ever met tended to turn around and backtrack once they met her.  

The elven mage trio, adorned in their odd robes that made them stick out horribly, had stopped, just a little way before her tree. Without thinking, she crept closer to get a better view of them. They’d been talking, but as she settled into a tree with a better view, there was a lull in their conversation.

Kaitrith held her breath, watching their ears for any indication that they’d picked up on her breathing or the like.

Luckily, they were too absorbed in their own issues to notice her.

There oldest of them was an elf with a receding hair-line and a broken arm that had been put into a rather crude sling. He knelt in front of the littlest of their party, brushing some of her dark hair back and -- Kaitrith assumed, as his back was mostly to her -- gave the child a reassuring smile.

“We have to keep going.”

“I know,” came the meek reply. The little girl looked like she might cry, and Kaitrith felt an odd twinge in her chest.

Usually, she could watch people wander past and not feel a thing, but somehow this little girl was just so...

Hopeless.

No child should be that hopeless.

Still. The Keeper’s orders had been strict. They were not to make contact with any city elves, especially considering they’d be heading off in the next day or so. And seeing as these were mages, there was almost surely a search party looking for them.

There was no reason to make things more complicated. She had her clan to protect.

The other elf started to offer the little one a water flask and then paused when they realized it was empty.

Either they were idiots who couldn’t ration things properly, or they’d been in too much of a hurry to run to gather what they’d need.

“Nonni, it’s okay. There’s got to be a stream nearby.”

There was a sniffle.

Kaitrith’s brow pinched together. She felt another twinge in her heart.

They were casting some spell on her. That had to be it. Or they knew she was there and were trying to make themselves pitiful enough to garner sympathy, surely.

Rather than break out into tears, however, the little girl simply nodded and took one of their hands as they began to make their way through the woods again.

Kaitrith tailed them, telling herself she’d just make sure they didn’t head toward the camp. She was just being a competent guard.

However, when they decided to turn in a direction that would lead them further from the stream they’d promised the little one, Kaitrith’s brow twitched, and she finally stepped out of hiding.

Fire was conjured in both adults’ hands as she purposely stepped on a twig to announce her presence, though it snuffed out just as quickly, and suddenly three terrified elves were staring at her, breath held, waiting for her to decide their fate.

Shit.

She’d made her blunder though, and there was no point in backtracking now. Continuing closer, she offered the little one her own waterskin, frowning when the child didn’t immediately take it. The adult without the broken arm, younger  with stark red hair, grabbed it as she moved to put it back on her hip, and she watched them, nonplussed, as they took a swallow before handing it off to the little girl.

She whispered a faint thank you just as the oldest began to speak.

“I would thank you in elvhen, if I knew the words.”

There was sincerity in his voice, but Kaitrith’s eyes still rolled slowly toward him. Crossing her arms, she lifted one hand to motion to them. “You’re a long way from home.”

…-...

Keeper Deshanna was furious.

It had been such a simple order, and yet somehow Kaitrith, of all people, had been the one to bring three bedraggled mages into their midst.

Kaitrith probably hadn’t won any points toward forgiveness when she’d pointed at them, named them, and then walked back to her post without another word.

Despite knowing how livid the Keeper had to be, the woman never said anything of it, though that might have been because she never had a chance.

The little one, Nonni, had spent the whole trek to camp asking questions, tentative at first, hesitating whenever Kaitrith glanced down at her. However, when Kaitrith offhandedly said not to fret because she looked at everyone with the same frown and critical glare, the little girl had perked up and matched her pace, testing her words with many of her own, rambling on about how she’d always wanted to meet the People.

Kaitrith had been quick to explain they weren’t offering a permanent haven to them, but a reprieve from all their walking surely wouldn’t hurt.

She hoped.

And she’d been right.

And more than that, Nonni always sought her out, proving to be even more energetic and optimistic than Brira. The two of them took turns harassing Kaitrith during her duties and when she wanted to sleep -- in other words, every waking minute -- but Kaitrith didn’t mind.

They both accepted her as she was, and treated her like her frowns were just as welcoming as any smile.

Secretly, it made Kaitrith happy that they’d been able to help. She sometimes compared the tiny, terrified child to the girl who pestered her now and she could barely reconcile that they were the same person.

Nonni so wholeheartedly threw herself to Dalish culture.

There had been murmurs that taking in so many mages would make their clan a target when they already had three, but the eldest of the elven apostates -- Orsino, he’d introduced himself as -- had headed off once he was certain the other two would be safe.

Off to save other mages, shem ones, if the rumors were true.

Again, it wasn’t Kaitrith’s business, so she didn’t keep track of it.

The last mage didn’t transition into the clan quite so quick, but they fared well enough, keeping Nonni close and doing their best, though they knew long before they did that they would be leaving the clan when they felt they could.

That ended up being near the Rivaini border.

Nonni, though, she stayed.

She stayed and she sought Kaitrith out every chance she got, despite everyone -- including Kaitrith -- telling her that others would likely be better for answering her questions.

She also came to Kaitrith to show her every new spell she’d been taught, mastered or not. Kaitrith occasionally asked her ridiculous questions, like whether someone had taught her how to fling boulders with her mind yet. While she didn’t know much about magic, she always tried to make the questions as bizarre as possible, because they made Nonni giggle.

Brira teased her that the little one had adopted her, and Kaitrith always made a point to grumble, though she didn’t say much else.

In truth, she felt a kinship with the child, though she couldn’t explain why.

And it was that kinship that made her realize that while she knew Nonni’s favorite tales of the Dread Wolf and who she planned on getting her vallaslin made after and all that, she didn’t know much about where the child came from.

And so, in an attempt to get to know the child better, to allow her to not completely forsake the world she’d come from just to fit into the Dalish clan, Kaitrith had asked her what the shem city had been like.

Nonni’s smile was gone in an instant.

It was like a switch had been flipped.

Suddenly, the energetic, bubbly little girl was gone, and that terrified little child was back, shifting her weight from foot to foot before whispering that she had to go.

She avoided Kaitrith for almost a month, though as much as that hurt, it wasn’t until she started hearing from the others that Nonni was drifting, losing her fire, that Kaitrith finally sought her out.

Dropping down to sit beside the child, she ignored the curious looks people gave her and acted like Nonni being beside her was a coincidence rather than planned. After a few awkward hellos, Kaitrith fumbled for something to say.

She’d never been good with apologies.

And then Brira had sat on Nonni’s other side and smiled. “Did you ever get Kait to tell you about the time she beat three shem templars at once?”

Nonni had perked up a little, daring a hopeful look toward Kaitrith, who had shrugged and rolled her eyes as Brira launched into the story, jumping to her feet to mimic fighting.

Though her posture was atrocious and would have left her dead in a breath, Kaitrith didn’t critique her like she usually would have.

Nonni was smiling again.

By the end of the tale, Nonni had edged closer to her again, staring up at her with something she couldn’t name. Adoration?

Kaitrith fiddle with one of her boots a moment before shrugging and motioning to Nonni. “So. Has the Keeper taught you how to make the halla fly yet?”

She was surprised how much tension left her at the sound of the giggle that ensued.

…-...

The Conclave had gone wrong and Brira was dead.

While Kaitrith was trying to figure out how she could have failed so spectacularly -- she’d been there to protect their first -- that dwarf who’d been eyeing her a while came over. She barely heard his rambles until he mentioned something about being from Kirkwall.

That was where Nonni was from.

She’d meant to ask him if he’d known her -- thank the Creators they hadn’t let her come with them, despite her incessant pleas -- but whatever interest she managed to show led to a long-winded story about the horrible happenings in the years past.

Of all the templars had done to the mages.

Kaitrith had known enough to dislike them before, but now…

If half of what the dwarf said was true, the entire city deserved to be razed.

Nonni had lived there.

The way she’d shut down at the mere memory of the place…

Brira was dead, and Kaitrith finally knew the sort of things that haunted Nonni in her dreams.

Just as she thought nothing could get worse, Varric had sighed and then pointed to a shem wandering past them with that overzealous seeker. “And it looks like Seeker’s come to claim you.”

Kaitrith looked up, watching the duo come up, heart sinking as they stopped in front of her. As they did, a templar rushed up to them, stopping and calling out, “Knight-commander!”

Despite being chastised, Kaitrith waited until the templar was gone to look at the shem, a blonde man, chin stubbled and circles under his eyes. She knew little of the shem culture, but… “Knight-commander? Of templars?”

He coughed into his hand and then reached up to rub the back of his neck. “I haven’t been that since Kirkwall.”

Brira was dead. There was nothing Kaitrith could do to fix that.

But for Nonni…

Kaitrith made a point of shoving past the bastard before glaring at Cassandra and heading toward the Chantry to meet with the rest of the shem monsters who were calling her their savior. Killing him would be easy, but he deserved so much worse.

She’d find out more about him, find out if he was really one of the templars who had hurt Nonni, and then she would make him suffer.

It was the least she could do. 

[mysdrymmumbles]

hello how about a "Get me" :)c

Hey! Thank you so much for the prompt <3

Pairing: Josephine Montilyet x F!Lavellan

Word Count: 1677

Kaitrith Disapproves 

Waiting Game

For what felt like the millionth time that day, Josephine’spen scratched too harshly against her paper, punching a hole through thedelicate parchment.

Kaitrith had left four days ago, on horseback, to return tothe place of the Breach, and each second that she was gone was trying onJosephine’s nerves.

The first day, she’d been able to push aside her worries,confident that Kaitrith would be en route the whole day and that, so long asthe Breach did not continue to grow, they would all be safe. They would beready, should reports of new rifts come in as well, and she found herself morethan once intercepting scouts destined for Leliana or Cullen to ask about anyword of disaster.

The second day had been harder to pretend things would bealright.

Kaitrith and her group—a group far, far too small inJosephine’s mind—had headed off with some of their fastest horses, and Cullenhad mentioned that they would probably be able to make it to the ruins of thetemple in two and a half days, if they just stopped to let the horses rest whenabsolutely needed.

That didn’t seem safe. How could someone be expected tofight an ancient monster after such a hard ride in miserable temperatures? Withalmost no sleep? With pain in her arm that was clearly agonizing, even ifKaitrith had tried to assure her that it was nothing.

There were so many factors that were wrong, and Josephinetried to have faith that all would end well, yet she couldn’t help but think ofevery way that something might go wrong. She couldn’t help but consider that—nowthat they’d had time to properly map out the mountains—it might not even takethem that long to get to the temple.

The third day, she’d almost gone mad. The Breach continuedto linger in the sky, an eyesore to all who dared look up. Every time itcrackled, Josephine found herself holding her own left hand, grimacing at thethought that the pain might cause Kaitrith to fall from her saddle.

Surely that couldn’t happen.

It wouldn’t.

Kaitrith was strong, and she’d had the foresight to bringSolas with her, even before Josephine had suggested it.

Things would be alright.

Josephine just had to have faith.

In what though? The question had plagued her that miserablethird day. Kaitrith was firm in her belief that she was not chosen by the Maker’sBride, and Josephine respected that belief, even regretted having cultivatedthe rumor herself, before they’d become so close.

They’d talked a little about the Creators, but the legendsall said that they were locked away, with only the trickster god left to roamthe world. That Kaitrith said she’d met Mythal meant that perhaps there wasmore to the story—perhaps the Elven Gods were not sealed away at all—but Josephinedidn’t know if they would appreciate a human praying to them for help.

And she hadn’t ever really asked about prayers when talkingwith Kaitrith.

And so instead she prayed to whatever was out there and whateverwould hear her plea: Let Kaitrith be safeand return to me unscathed.

She was proud of how much she could do without lifting ablade, but as she sat there on the fourth day, she wished that she’d learned moreabout fighting. Then she could have gone with Kaitrith to protect her, insteadof sitting around waiting and writing letters that might not even matter. Theworld might end tomorrow and she’d have spent her last days scratching outnotes instead of being with the one she loved.

No.

Like so many times that day already, Josephine closed hereyes and forced herself to think of something else, anything else.

She would do her job, and Kaitrith would do hers.

Any day now, the Breach would close, and then it would justbe a matter of counting backwards until Kaitrith was back and safe and sound.

She just needed to keep her mind preoccupied.

She just needed to be patient and…

Shoving her papers away, she crossed her arms on her desk,and rested her head against them. How could she be patient? How could she staycalm and not worry when everything that matter to her hung so precariously inthe balance? It was different from last time.

Last time had been terrifying, too, but somehow it hadn’tbeen nearly as nerve wracking. She’d had faith in their cause and their people,and Kaitrith.

Now, as much faith as she wanted to have, she was tooafraid, fearful that every new letter brought to her would be of Kaitrith’sdemise.

“Dear, sweet Josie.”

Leliana’s voice startled the ambassador, and she lifted herhead to see Leliana leaning against the side of her desk. Josephine wasembarrassed to have been caught worrying so, but Leliana simply waved a hand,motioning down the hall. “I was just on my way to lunch and thought you mightwish for company. We have not gossiped in a while, and I’ve heard some rather…interestingthings about one of the more prominent comtes in Orlais. The stories are mostamusing.”

Taking in a slow breath, Josephine glanced down at herpapers, feeling a trill of guilt go through her. She was behind.

She was never behind. Not like this.

“The papers will be here in the morning, Josie.”

“Will they?” She hadn’t meant to voice her doubts, andinstantly slumped back in her chair. “I wish this whole debacle was over anddone with.”

“Don’t we all?” Leliana replied, a kind-hearted smilesettling on her features. “Come, though. The world may end, but it will not bebecause you took the time rest.”

Cunning as she always was, Leliana was good at providing adistraction from the tumultuous events going on so near. She, Vivienne, andJosephine sat in a room with a window that didn’t face the Breach, speaking ofrumors and fashion, with both women pretending not to notice when Josephinewould grow quiet and glance in the direction of the rift, or when she wouldfidget, unable to keep her mind from wandering.

However, without them, she surely would have gone mad, andshe was most grateful for their company.

Time still felt as though it was ticking onward painfullyslow, and yet, when they heard the loud crack and ran to the nearest windowthat would show them what awaited them now, the sun was just setting.

Jospehine cursed that they had sat away from the Breach asthey wound their way through the halls, rushing with others who had heard thenoise, a quiet, tense panic hanging in the air, interrupted only by quick andheavy footfalls.

When she stumbled out onto the ramparts, she could see allthe guards and soldiers on the battlements standing, gazes fixed on the Breach.More people were coming up the stairs and out of the castle to join them, andeven as she felt her stomach tightening into knots, a cheer began to rise fromthose who could see.

As she finally came to a point where the castle and thetowers didn’t block her view, she came to a stop so quickly that Leliana almostran into her.

The Breach was gone.

In its place was a shimmering, shifting light, a gentle,colorful aurora in the place of that hateful green spiral.

Kaitrith had done it.

She’d closed the Breach once and for all.

Josephine was so giddy that she clapped her hands and huggedthe nearest person—Vivienne. Though the mage seemed surprised a moment, shesimply smiled and gave Josephine a reassuring squeeze back.

“If you’d like, darling, I can send word to a few contactsin Val Royeaux and ask about getting some of their best wine sent here.” Viviennepaused, a glint in her eyes. “After all, we will want to welcome our returningheroes warmly, will we not?”

“Oh!” At her friend’s point, Josephine clasped her handstogether in front of her, eyes widening. “Of course we must. There should becakes and music and…”

With so much planning to go into such an importantcelebration in such little time, the next five days went by in almost a blink.

Every now and then she would pause and wonder how Kaitrithwas faring, but they’d received word that her beloved inquisitor was alive andwell, and that had just fueled her desire to make everything perfect. Even thefact that they were taking longer to come home barely bothered her.

They had to be tired, surely.

Josephine was up in Kaitrith’s room, setting up a fewdecorations that she felt her lover would appreciate far more than the grandshow in the main hall when there was a sharp knock on the door. Leliana leanedagainst the frame, a smile on her face. “They’re back.”

Josephine practically flew past her, hurrying down thestairs as fast as she could, calling out directions that they would need tohave finished in the last minutes before the party could commence properly.

However, when she reached the top of the stairs leading intothe main hall, she came to an abrupt halt.

Kaitrith and her companions were walking through the throngsof people, worn and weary, but heads held high. When their eyes met, Josephinefelt butterflies fluttering in her chest at the way Kaitrith seemed to throw herusual temperament to the wind and just outright smiled.

That in itself caused a quiet murmur to ripple through thecrowd, though she forgot it quickly as Kaitrith’s energy returned to her andshe bound up the steps between them, wrapping her arms around Josephine as soonas she was near enough.

Cheers erupted from the crowds below. There was so much leftto do, statements to make, guests to attend to, last minute details to set intoplace, but none of that mattered. Not in this moment.

Finally, Kaitrith was home.

[mysdrymmumbles]

@dafan7711 replied to your post “I need prompts”

“I won it.”

This one was fun to write, though it does get a little angsty at the end. Thank you so much to @dafan7711 for all the awesome prompts <3

Pairing: Josephine x F!Lavellan

Word Count: 913

Kaitrith Disapproves

I Won It

Kaitrith stood in the doorway of her room, unsure what to do.

The voices in her head were still clamoring for attention at the worst of times, but she was getting better at tuning them out or focusing on one or another.

Granted, she’d only managed to really focus on one voice, that had told her to go to an old abandoned shrine, where she’d met Mythal herself. That she was a human had been disheartening, but Mythal had spoken kindly at least, and she’d been comforted by the fact that, even though people constantly acted as though her Gods were nothing, at least Mythal still walked the world.

She’d spent her whole trip back reeling from the discovery.

When she’d gotten to Skyhold, Josephine had been busy finishing up with meetings and paperwork, and so rather than walk in still covered in a layer of grime and sweat from the road, she’d headed up to her room to get cleaned up and changed.

She’d barely taken a few steps before something had caught her eye and she froze.

The most hideous surcoat in all of Thedas.

The maroon coloring with its gold embroidery and collar of fur stood out in sharp contrast to the Dalish greens and browns of the decorations around the room.

The commander’s favorite accessory had been placed on an armor stand in the center of the room, drawing attention from everything else.

Kaitrith wasn’t sure how long she stood there, staring at it, and she wasn’t sure what made her turn away, but once she did, she was taking the steps four at a time as she sprinted back down, heading to the one person who could explain this madness without her wanting to punch them.

Josephine sat in her chair, going over a few of the latest letters sent from the various corners of Thedas. As Josephine noticed Kaitrith’s approach, she beamed. “Welcome home, Inquisitor.”

“My room has been invaded.” Kaitrith stopped a few feet short of the desk, usual frown dipping a bit lower than usual. She hadn’t meant to avoid pleasantries, but this was too bizarre.

For a moment, both Josephine and her assistant gave her puzzled looks.

Then, abruptly, Josephine doubled over laughing, nearly hitting her head on her own desk, though she managed to catch herself in time. “Oh, I’d all but forgotten about that. Forgive me, love. I meant to be there when you saw it.”

“You know why it’s in my room?”

“Mmhm,” Josephine laced her fingers together and rested her chin on her hands, trying not to smile too widely. “I won it.”

For the first time since seeing that awful surcoat, Kaitrith felt her annoyance fading. Arching her brow, she wandered closer to Josie’s desk stopping just in front of it and tilting her head. “You won it?”

“I do not believe we have yet to have the pleasure of playing Wicked Grace together,” Josephine couldn’t hold back her smile any longer, beaming as she continued, “but I am quite good, and Cullen is…not so much.”

Kaitrith stood there, processing what she was saying for a moment before slowly pointing toward Josephine. “You got him to bet his coat?”

“Oh, more than that.” Before she could go on her assistant let out a soft cough, interrupting their conversation. Straightening up, Josephine gave Kaitrith a resigned nod. “I will tell you all about it over dinner?”

Darting around the desk, Kaitrith pressed a quick kiss to Josephine’s temple and smiled. “I look forward to it.”

…-…

“He really had to run from the tavern all the way to his room? Naked?”

Kaitrith leaned against the table hand partially covering her smile as she watched Josephine laugh and nod. “His face was brilliant red for days after, and Dorian and Varric are not going to let him forget it any time soon.”

Even as Kaitrith shook her head, gleefully glancing over at the trophy, her hand crackled to life with a harsh, stabbing pain. She fell from her chair with a scream, clutching at her wrist as the room shone green, the magic so much more violent than usual that she thought she could hear it cracking the world in half.

When the pain finally began to subside, she found herself in Josephine’s lap, her love’s arms wrapped tightly around her, cradling Kaitrith to her as terrified reassurances that it would be alright spilled from Josephine’s lips.

“I’m fine,” Kaitrith murmured against Josephine’s shoulder, heart breaking when she heard and felt the hiccupped sob that escaped her.

Rather than cry, however, Josephine merely held her closer. “Of course you are. You’re the strongest woman I know.”

Straightening up, Kaitrith felt like Bull had tossed her over a cliff, but it was nothing she couldn’t work past to assure Josephine that she would be alright. “Really.” She leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to trembling lips. “I’m fine. I’ll go talk to Solas and—”

Her promise was interrupted by the door to her room banging open as Leliana sprinted into the room. “Inquisitor! You’re alright. Thank the Maker.”

Kaitrith frowned as she appraised the spymaster, wondering just how loudly she’d yelled. “How did you…?”

She trailed off as she realized that the room still had an odd green hue to it, coming in from one of the windows.

Standing, Kaitrith walked to the balcony and froze, barely feeling when Josephine caught her unmarked hand and squeezed it.

The Breach had reopened.

[mysdrymmumbles]

"unbind me" for Kaitrith x Josephine <3

This probably doesn’t fall quite in line with this prompt, but I felt like it fit close enough, so here it is! The last piece of Kaitrith Disapproves. Thank you so much for the prompt <3

Thank you so much to everyone who’s followed this story! I’ll happily write drabbles and fluff and whatnot for these two still, but this is the end of their official story. 

Word Count: 1380

Kaitrith Disapproves

A Happy Disentanglement If Not An Ending 

Kaitrith stood on her balcony facing the north, making sureshe wasn’t watching as Keeper Deshanna rode away. While the direction would beobvious for some time, Kaitrith didn’t want to compromise the situation anymore than she already had.

Fen’harel’s threat had not been empty.

She wasn’t sure what he’d done exactly, but while eatingdinner with Josephine, suddenly all of the voices had fallen silent, save forone.

Come.

The next thing she’d known, she’d been standing in front ofMorrigan’s eluvian as a strange light burst from it. She barely rememberedtelling someone near her to keep it safe before all of the voices came back,crying and mourning and making it impossible to focus on anything.

When she’d woken up, Josephine had been with her. The lightwas guarded, the eluvian broken—by Kaitrith apparently, though she couldn’tremember doing so—and Mythal was…

Gone was not the right word, but something had happened, andall that served her could feel it.

More than that, all that served her knew it was the work of theDread Wolf, though how Kaitrith knew was beyond her.

He’d come to her in her dreams again, watching, waiting formemories to stir, sometimes even calling them.

Whatever had happened betwixt the gods, Mythal had sent whathe wanted to Kaitrith, but he could use Mythal’s connections now, and it wasonly a matter of time before Kaitrith’s stubbornness gave way.

That was why she’d sent for Keeper Deshanna. Someone neededto protect Mythal’s gift. Someone Kaitrith knew could be trusted, and someonethe Dread Wolf didn’t know.

She doubted clan Lavellan would be able to keep the lightthemselves. They would be too obvious a target. But they would pass it toanother clan, one Kaitrith wasn’t familiar with. Perhaps the clans would keeppassing it, keep it moving until the Dread Wolf grew too tired of chasing it.

The light’s appearance had told Kaitrith two things. One,she understood her ‘bindings’ to Mythal even less than she’d thought, and two,she should never have crossed the Dread Wolf.

How she could have avoided that, however, was hard to say.If she hadn’t gone to the Conclave, she’d have never met Josephine. Despiteeverything, the death, the dealings with idiots, the demons, the pain, it hadbeen worth it because it had led her to where she was meant to be.

There was a war raging, something that had been going on farlonger than she could comprehend and something that would likely be going onwell after she’d died.

However, it was hard to accept, but that war wasn’t hers.She might be tied to it, bound to Mythal as she was, but for now, the best shecould do for her side was extricate herself from it. If she knew nothing ofwhere or who the key pieces were, then Fen’harel would have to work all theharder.

That worked well enough for her.

She’d never been interested in being a hero.

When she was younger, she’d protected her clan because thatwas all she was good for and because that way she still got to work with them—bewith them. Then after the Conclave, she’d been the Inquisitor because, again, itwas what she was good for.

She’d played her role because it was something she had todo.

Now, however, her role was to not be involved, and she wasoddly relieved for it.

She heard the door open and close behind her and turned tosee Josephine slipping into the room. The woman looked worn, but happy,stepping out onto the balcony and looking up at the stars.

“I take it everything on your end is done?”

“Almost,” Josephine sighed, moving closer to lean her armagainst Kaitrith’s. “The Grey Wardens will be taking control of Skyhold. I amnot certain that is wise, considering their previous dealings, but it will keepboth Ferelden and Orlais from arguing over who received so strategic a fort.” Shehesitated. “There may still be scuffles, but we will have done all we could.”  

Kaitrith nodded slowly. There had been a group of Fereldenwardens who had rebelled against Clarel before Alistair. They had beenprotected by the crown, of all things, and Clarel had turned a blind eye asfighting with Ferelden when she wanted to start an army in Orlais would havebeen detrimental to her goals, allowing them to stay in Denerim whilst she andthe others went to Adamant.

Alistair had left Denerim, hence the hunt for him.

“When will it be official?”

“Whenever Warden Velanna gets here to sign the papers.”

Kaitrith nodded, mostly to herself. Of the wardens who hadbeen in Denerim, Velanna was supposedly Dalish, and Kaitrith liked the idea ofturning over an ancient elven castle to another Dalish, even if she wasaccepting it on behalf of the Wardens.

She’d given Keeper Deshanna copies of the lore she’d managedto jot down—she’d recruited quite a few people to make multiple copies, and Josephinehad teased that she was becoming more of a scholar every day.

The voices did not come to her as easily as they once had.She suspected Fen’harel was behind that. As much as she wanted to beat him withsomething, she still felt like, all things considered, she’d done well.

Kaitrith had never imagined she would be much of anythingmore than an annoyance to her clan, a member who caused eye rolls and frownsthat she so oft reciprocated. When she’d lost her best friends at the Conclave,she’d wondered if she would even go back, failing as she had, and yet…

And yet the Dalish had recovered more of their historythrough her in a few months than most clans managed in years.

They didn’t have everything, but they were moving forward,as they always did.

And it was time for her to do the same.

“You should know,” Josephine began, moving to wrap an armaround Kaitrith’s waist. When Kaitrith embraced her as well, she grinned. “Yvetteis quite excited for our arrival. Antoine sent a warning in his most recentletter. He says to expect a party.”

At that, Kaitrith let out a low groan.  “Has he at least tried to make sure it’s asmall one?”

“I believe so. I wrote him back about what themes should beavoided at all costs, and he’s a good sort, so I feel safe that we will not bewalking into anything too dire.”

Despite baulking at the idea of a party, Kaitrith leaned herhead against Josephine’s shoulder to hide her smile. “I should have scared yoursister away when I had the chance.”

“I assure you, she is only a pain to those she completelyadores,” Josephine whispered before kissing Kaitrith’s temple.

Lifting her head, Kaitrith caught Josephine in a kiss,loving the feel of the way their mouths molded together. The kissed, handsroaming and pulling each other closer until they were breathless.

When they finally broke apart, Josephine gently grippedKaitrith’s hand and led her back into their room. “Now then, after Skyhold is claimed,that should be everything, yes?”

“Yes,” Kaitrith nodded. “We’re as untangled from theCreators and Dread Wolf as we’ll ever be able to be.”

Josephine smiled, pausing to close the balcony door beforemoving to help Kaitrith out of her clothes for the night. “Good. It will be hardenough being tangled in Antivan business dealings without Gods dropping in tomake things worse.”

With a laugh, Kaitrith caught Josephine’s hand between hercheek and shoulder and then moved to press a quick kiss to her fingers. “Iimagine I’ll be wanting to toss myself back to the Gods’ whims in no time.”

“You’d better not,” Josephine warned, abruptly tuggingKaitrith closer and wrapping her arms around her. “It’s about time I got you tomyself, and I do not intend to share you, not even with Gods and especially notwith that Dread Wolf.”

“I’m glad we agree on that,” Kaitrith murmured, laying herarm over one of Josephine’s and squeezing her hand.

And with that, Kaitrith and Josephine retired for the night,moving on to whatever might come next.