How do you think Elora would be different if she'd be raised with the Avvar instead of in the Chantry? (There's a few point in The Lowlander when Cullen wishes Ells was born among his people and I was just curious what difference you could actually see happening.)
Weeeell, you’re in luck because this is actually something I’ve thought about and talked with Luci about as well. I was going to originally have it be in the story but I’m not sure if it will or not. Consider this a lost half of a chapter <3
Idlyflipping the pages of her book, Elora knew she wasn’t really focusing on thewords. It wasn’t that she’d already read it that was preventing her fromenjoying it. Something had been on her mind all day and she hadn’t been able toshake it. It hadn’t helped that it had been raining since before she had wokenup this morning and it hadn’t let up at all so she had been stuck inside withonly her thoughts.
“I can hearyou sighing from here, love,” Cullen called suddenly.
She smiled,shaking her head. She hadn’t even realised that she’d been doing it. Or thathe’d been aware of it. “I’m sorry?” she called back, tucking the thick ribbonshe used as a bookmark into the book before setting it aside.
“For what?You’ve nothing to be sorry for unless you don’t tell me why you’re sighing.”
Her smilegrew and she kicked her legs over the side of the bed. Reaching down to thefloor, she caught up her slippers and tugged them on. “What will you do if Idon’t tell you? Spank me?”
Hislaughter filled the house. “Aye, well, I think you’d enjoy that too much,” hesaid, looking up at her as she came around the fur. “Come here, love.”
She crossedthe room to where he was sitting, several short beams of wood in front of him.“Wait,” she said when he started to put down the one in his hand. “May I see?”
He turnedit so she could see what he’d been carving into the wood.
Lightlyrunning her fingers over the shapes, she smiled at the little bears amid theleaves. “It looks wonderful, Cullen,” she murmured, rubbing her thumb against asmall bird she found hiding between the bears and leaves. “It’s going to be soamazing when you’re done.”
“Thank you,love,” he chuckled, setting the piece aside. “Although, I don’t know how muchmore my hands can take.”
She caughthis hand and lifted it to her mouth to kiss his fingers gently. There werelittle nicks on his skin where the knife had caught flesh but not as many aswhen he had first started. “You’re getting better though.”
“Flatterer.”He broke her grip to hold her hands and tug her down onto the bench beside him.“But we weren’t going to talk about the cradle.”
Leaning herhead against his shoulder, she stared at the flames for a moment and fought notto sigh again. “I’ve just been thinking about something you said.”
“Did itupset you?”
“No. Itjust made me think.”
He shiftedbeside her. “What was it?”
“About howlife would have been different if I’d been born to the Avvar,” she admitted.
“Ah,” hesaid softly. “I didn’t mean that where you come from isn’t good, Elora. I knowyou suffered but we found each other eventually.”
She tippedher head back to smile at him. “I know and I wasn’t the only one thatsuffered,” she said. “But it just made me curious about how life would have been different if I’d been born in the clan.”
Cullenhummed low in his throat, his brows drawing together faintly. “You wouldn’thave been punished when you came into your magic,” he said quietly, “but youalready know that. You would have been trained alongside the others to findyour talents. I think…I think my mother would have trained you personally.”
“Why do yousay that?”
“The godslove you, Elora, and she would have taken note of that.”
She flexedher left hand. “They wouldn’t have even known about me without this.”
“You’rewrong,” he murmured. “I told you, they spoke of you ten years before you evencame to the hold. The mark is what brought you to us but it isn’t what theyvalue.”
She smiledshyly at him. “I don’t think I’m ever going to be used to that,” she admitted.
Cullenlifted her hand to kiss it gently. “You’ll have a lifetime to get used to it,my love.”
She cuddledcloser to him, winding her arms around his waist and letting him tug her intohis lap without protest. A lifetime here…Maker, she didn’t even know what tothink of that even though she knew it was true. “Alright, so your mother mighthave trained me. Like an apprentice?”
“Like hersuccessor.”
Elorajerked away to stare at him. “To be augur?” she said in surprise. “Oh, no, Idon’t think I would make a good augur.”
“Aye, wellyou were born a Lowlander,” he said, a smile curving his mouth. “If you’d beenborn Avvar?”
“Oh,” shesaid, blinking quickly. “Oh.”
Cullenchuckled. “Forgetting everything bad that happened,” he continued. “You wouldhave been raised in our home with my mother teaching you all that she knew. Youwould have grown to be a powerful mage in our clan and…Korth, half the clanwould have surely danced for you when you were old enough to be at Rilla’sfires.”
She wasn’tsure if she liked that thought. “If we’d grown up together, would you haveviewed me as a sibling? Like Alistair?”
“Alistairwas a part of our family because he lost his. You would still have family butwould merely be training with my mother.” Warm, rough fingers slid under herchin to tip her up to him. “I would have loved you from the first, Elora,” hesaid softly. “And I would have been first to dance for you.”
“You don’tknow that,” she whispered, feeling shaky.
“Aye, I do.This life or the next or any other, I will always love you. I have never feltlike this for anyone else and I don’t want to. You are my wife and I want noother.”
She bitdown on her lip, unable to look away from him. “Oh.”
The cornerof his mouth twitched, pulling up further because of the scar. “Once you wereold enough, I would have offered to court you,” he breathed. “I’ve always knownthat I would court someone, that I wouldn’t be happy with anything short ofwhat my parents had, and I would have danced for you so we could have ittogether.”
Her heartwas aching that none of that had been true. If she’d been born here, it wouldhave been true. Instead they had both gone through so much pain before fate hadsomehow thrown them together. “How old do you have to be to court?”
“We’readult at sixteen winters,” Cullen murmured, “but normally it would be betweeneighteen and twenty when courting would be accepted.”
So theycould have had at least eight years of being married and children by now. “Iwish I had been born here,” she whispered thickly.
He wipedaway the tear that spilled over and kissed her forehead. “Aye, I wish it too,Elora, but as much as I want it, I’m not sure if it would have been for thebest. What happened in the clan couldn’t be avoided and you may well have foundyourself on the Mad’s wrong side. This has worked for us in the end.”
She sniffedand let her head rest on his shoulder again. He was probably right but just thethought of growing up here was enough to make her heart heavy. She would havebeen loved, would have seen her family every day. The mere thought of it wasenough to make her sob for what could have been. “What if I hadn’t been born inthe hold?” she asked, trying to distract herself.
“Mm, Iwould have found you,” he said after a moment.
“You meanstolen.”
Hechuckled. “Haven’t forgotten that bit have you? Aye, I would have stolen you butit’s not like you wouldn’t have a choice in the matter. We don’t run into otherholds and just take all their women. There are rules.”
“You knowfor a supposedly savage people you do have a lot of rules.”
“We mightnot have survived for as long as we have without them. We follow what the godshave commanded as best we can and we honour them as much as we can. Thatincludes taking a bride from another clan. It’s customary to warn the clanbefore you attempt to steal the one you want.”
“Attempt?”
“They don’tmake it easy, love. Once a woman is married into another clan, they are herclan and it is unlikely that she will ever be welcomed back in her old home. Itis a commitment like any other, perhaps more so, and we take that seriously.The clan will lay traps to slow you down, to send you in the wrong direction,and it’s your job to not get caught.”
“Whathappens if they do catch you?” Elora asked curiously.
“Nothingbad. The only thing that truly gets hurt is your pride. They’ll give youanother chance but after that you’re not worthy of their women and need to lookelsewhere.”
“Do thewomen have no say in it at all?”
“Of coursethey do. If she isn’t willing, it’s unlikely that anyone will get through thetraps that her hold will lay down to protect her. If she is, there will stillbe tests but they’ll be suited to whoever is attempting to steal her and easyfor them to surpass if they truly wish to be with her.”
“And youwould have surpassed them for me?” she murmured.
“My Elora,with your magic you would have been greatly valued in your hold and even if youwere willing, your clan would not have made it easy for me to take you. Itwouldn’t have been a simple matter of tests suited to me. It would have beenalmost impossible to get to you without being caught.” He paused and his cheekrested on the top of her head. “But I would have gotten to you, no matter thecost.”
“I loveyou,” she whispered. “I love you so much.”
“Aye, Ilove you too, Elora, and I would have done anything to have you in my life asmy wife.”
Slumpingagainst him, she let his words warm her, taking comfort in them.
“You aremore than I could have ever dreamt of and I will always be grateful that youwere brought into my life when I needed you most.”
She kissedhis chest and stayed right where she was. Her life would have been so differentif she’d been born an Avvar and no matter what he said, she knew it would havebeen better.
“Don’t letit get you down, Elora,” Cullen said softly. “You’re here now. The gods wantedus to be together and we found each other eventually. I don’t know if either ofus would have been ready for the other if it had been sooner.”
“We wouldhave been ready if I’d been Avvar.”
“Aye, butyou weren’t,” he said gently, “and we can’t change that.”
Pushingaway from his chest, she looked at him and murmured, “But I’m Avvar now.”
He cuppedthe back of her head and pulled her close. “Aye, you’re Avvar now, but you’llalways be my Lowlander,” Cullen breathed before kissing her.
The wonderful @meihua04 prompted me about cold toes with my babies and I couldn’t resist. A little bit of Avvar playfulness below!
Feeling Elora slump against him, Cullen didn’t think much of it. He knew she was tired and he felt bad about how hard they had pushed today but he had wanted to put as much distance between them and the hold as he could. He hadn’t cared for the way she had been talked to while they’d been there and since the rift was closed, he wanted gone. They’d stayed long enough to not seem rude but he’d hustled his Lowlander out as soon as he could.
She hadn’t complained, much. He knew her feet hurt and she’d been out of breath a lot, but she hadn’t asked to stop. They’d still taken breaks for her and their own sake, but they’d been few and far between.
He smiled faintly as he remembered Elora’s sigh of relief when he’d told her they were stopping for the evening. No one had said anything when she had sunk onto a fallen tree but he’d seen the smiles on his hunters’ faces as they’d set up camp. They thought the Lowlander almost as cute as he did.
They’d already eaten and were simply telling stories around the fire before most retired to their tents. Elora had been entranced by the stories, asking curious questions before she’d started to fall quiet and simply listen.
A chuckle across the fire drew his attention. “You might want to tuck in, Lionsbane. Your Lowlander’s dead to the world.”
“What?” Cullen looked down at Elora and nearly started laughing. He had thought that she simply wanted to cuddle because they’d decided before that they would keep their relationship a secret while visiting the other holds. He hadn’t overly wanted to but he wasn’t sure how the other holds would react to him taking a Lowlander for his wife. He had known that if he simply left it that she was a guest of the gods it would demand respect from the other holds as well.
But cuddling clearly wasn’t on her mind as she was asleep on his shoulder.
“Aye, I suppose that means that we’re done for the night,” Cullen agreed.
Elora made a disgruntled noise as he gently shifted her off of his shoulder. She sleepily blinked at him before sighing as he scooped her off of their seat. He did laugh when she waved lazily at the hunters as they said their good nights.
She was warm and soft in his arms as he carried her into their tent, using the small spelled jar inside to see by. Kneeling beside the furs of their pallet, he carefully laid her out. As soon as he set her down, she wrapped herself up in the furs, making happy noises the entire time.
“Elora,” Cullen laughed, “your boots are still on and are you going to sleep in all of that?”
She rolled onto her back and pouted at him. “But I’m sleepy.”
“Aye, love, I can see that, but you still shouldn’t sleep with them on.”
The furs shuffled and she stuck her feet out from it. “Please?”
He chuckled and unlaced the ties around the leather. “Is this what our marriage will be?”
“What? Happy and cuddly?”
Cullen shook his head, smiling to himself. He tugged her boots off to set them aside before he pulled off the majority of his clothes. With the amount of blankets she had, he was liable to overheat if he joined her fully dressed. Slipping onto the other side of the pallet, he merely gave Elora a look when she rolled to face him, completely wrapped in the blankets. “Are you going to share?” he asked mildly.
“I thought you didn’t get cold,” she teased.
He snorted and helped her unwrap herself from the furs, spreading them out over the pair of them. “Go to sleep, love.”
She promptly did just that, her face smooshed into the pallet.
He’d clearly underestimated how tired she actually was. “Tomorrow will be better, my Lowlander,” he murmured, kissing her hair.
Settling beside her, he felt himself drifting off. But he jerked harshly when he felt something icy cold touch him. Elora made a sharp noise when he levered up.
“Whassat?” she mumbled.
He threw back the blankets, staring at her feet for a long moment. It couldn’t have been her feet. It couldn’t have been. “Elora….”
“Mm?”
Cullen rubbed the back of his neck, staring at the pale feet that had pulled him right out of a deep slumber. “Are you cold?” he asked hesitantly.
One eye opened to look at him. “You mean without the blankets?”
He frowned down at her, wondering if she was growing ill. Her feet had been cool in Sky-Bear Hold, but nothing like this. “Elora, love,” he said, shaking her awake. “Please, are you unwell?”
“No?” she said in confusion. “Why?”
“Your feet are like ice.”
“No, they aren’t,” she argued, shifting to try to press them against him again.
He swiftly moved away from her. He had no desire to feel that again. Maybe he should have left her boots on tonight.
“Cullen, did you just run away from me?”
“Your feet are bloody freezing, love.”
She rolled her eyes. “They are no-Oh.”
“Oh,” he said dryly as she jerked her hand back from where she’d touched her feet.
“Well, what do you expect?” she huffed. “We have fire runes tucked under our bed in Sky-Bear.”
Oh. They did. “Are you always like that?” he demanded, gingerly covering them with the blankets again and dreading the moment her skin touched his for once. Which was a strange turn of events since he normally relished it.
She hummed softly. “The Tower was usually overly warm. Between the heat the mages generate from burning mana and what the Templars kick out, it’s always warm. My toes would get cold I’m sure but I never noticed it?”
Probably because she didn’t have anyone to stick them on so how would she know they were that cold? He grumbled under his breath as he tried to get comfortable again.
Elora laughed, the sound low and husky. “Are you telling me that the brave and fearless Thane that I plan on marrying can’t handle cold toes?” she teased.
“There’s a difference between cold and the arse end of someone touched by Hakkon,” he growled.
She laughed again. “It wasn’t my arse,” she breathed.
“I am very familiar with that arse so trust me, love, I know it wasn’t.”
Elora giggled this time. “Well, me, my toes and my arse will be over here, away from your delicate bits,” she assured him.
He watched her rolls away from him, curling up on her side. “What are you doing?”
“Keeping my delicate Thane safe and warm,” she cooed at him over her shoulder.
Cullen stared at her back for a long moment before he growled shortly at her.
“What are you doing?” she murmured as he moved to curl around her.
“If you think cold toes are enough to defeat me, you’re wrong, Lowlander,” he muttered, tucking himself as close as he could get to her. He still hissed when her feet brushed his legs but he muffled it in her neck.
It didn’t do anything to muffle her soft laughter. “I’ll remember the rune next time,” she promised.
He made a face. Korth, he’d remember the rune next time to spare himself this.
Drunk Kiss for Asha and Alistair and Getting Caught in the Act Lowlander Elora and Cullen?
So much love for my babies <3
Humminghappily to herself, Asha wound her way through the rooms they’d been given inthe palace in Orzammar. She’d been warned to go easy on the dwarven spirits butOghren had challenged her and she’d needed to forget what they’d seen in theDeep Roads. So she might have had more than she should have. A lot more.
She giggledsoftly to herself and paused outside of her door. No. She didn’t want to go inthere. Twisting, she stumbled back into the door as she stared across thehallway. Asha chewed absently on the pad of her thumb before nodding andcrossing the hallway.
Shesmoothed her hair as best as she could, tugging on her tunic and wondering ifshe looked presentable. But she decided she didn’t care as she knocked. Or didshe? Should she move back across the hall to lean against the door and try tobe seductive? …Did she know how to be seductive?
The doorswung open after she knocked again and Alistair stood there. Her mouth wateredas she realised he’d been sleeping, his hair tousled and wearing only a pair ofloose trousers. “Asha?” he asked, yawning. “Is everything alright?”
Maker, howhad she ever thought she wouldn’t fall in love with him? She reached out to puta hand on his chest and push him back into the room. He didn’t hesitate to moveback, letting her into the room. “Everything’s fine,” she purred. Or maybe sheslurred it. She had had a lot to drink.
The lightwas very dim in the room, only a slight glow coming from the embers in thehearth, but she still saw his brows draw together. “Ash? Are you drunk?”
“Maybe,”she sang softly, winding her arms around his neck. “You’re really tall, youknow?”
His handssettled on her waist to help steady her as she swayed on her feet. “I hadn’tnoticed,” he said dryly.
A part ofher knew he wasn’t serious but she simply smiled. “I noticed,” she said,tracing circles on the back of her neck. “You’re like a tree and I wanna climbyou.”
Alistairsnorted sharply. “Asha, you are sodrunk,” he accused. “Maker’s breath, you’re going to regret this tomorrow.”
Maybe butit wasn’t tomorrow yet. “Kiss me?” she pleaded.
“You smelllike a distillery.”
She poutedat him, dropping back on her heels. “Oh,” she said in a small voice.
He mutteredsoftly before he gently nudged her head up. She made a happy noise as he kissedher, her fingers moving to grip his short hair as best she could. But he pulledaway before she was ready for him to. She grumbled as her nose bumped his chinbefore it became louder as he smacked it into her forehead when she tried tokiss him again.
“Alright,time for bed,” Alistair said when it happened again.
“Bed?” shechirped.
“For sleep,Lady Cousland,” he said firmly, scooping her up and making her squeal.
“But!”
“No. Stay,”he told her when she tried to get out of bed after he’d set her on it.
She sankagainst the pillows with a pout as he tugged her boots of. “Are you staying?”she asked meekly.
“Yes. Ijust need to find some water for you and, Maker help me, the headache you’regoing to have tomorrow.”
“You’re sogood to me,” she sighed, rolling herself up in the blankets and cuddling intothe bed.
“You’resharing those or I won’t be so nice. Asha?”
She sighedagain, burying her face in his pillow and not responding when he sighedhimself.
He lifted abrow at her, leaning a shoulder against the wall as he watched her. Andcompletely blocking her way out, she noticed. “Know better?” he asked mildly.
She pointeda finger at him. “You’re wicked,” she accused. “You say you just want a kiss, but it’s never just a kiss.”
A lowchuckle left him. “You can’t fault me that, Elora. I love you and I likeshowing you.”
Her toescurled in her boots before she mentally scolded herself. “I love you too,” shesaid, “but you can just say it.”
Maker helpher, he was too much standing there like that. He was stripped down to just hisbreeches, having been training earlier, and she could still see the sweatclinging to his skin from his exertions. She was not going to think about what else could make sweat cling to hisskin. She was not! “Aye, I could, but I like touching you. You fit my hands sowell, like the gods made you especially for me and it would be a shame to lettheir good work go to waste.”
She staredat him. He was laying it on thick today, probably because he knew she was sucha sucker for it. Hearing him say those things…. “No,” she said as firmly as shecould, lifting her finger again.
His headtipped to the side and her eyes fell to where loose curls trailed across hisshoulders before jerking back up to him. “Alright, my Lowlander,” he murmured. “Arewe sharing the midmeal with Mia?”
Elorablinked at him. She knew he was respectful but she hadn’t been expecting him toback off that quickly given what he’d just said. “Ah….”
Cullenlaughed. “If you could see your face,” he murmured. “I’ll leave you be and seeyou at the meal?”
She staredat him as he turned to leave. “Cullen, wait!”
He paused,looking at her over his shoulder. “Elora?” he asked when she didn’t sayanything.
“Just…akiss?” she said slowly, twisting her fingers in the hem of her shirt.
He watchedher for a long moment before pivoting on his foot to come back to her. He followedher as she backed into the wall and braced his hands on either side of her headas he leaned over her. “If that’s all you want,” he murmured.
It wasn’t.It was never all that she wanted. “Fuck,” she whispered.
Cullen’sbrows rose again. “That might not be the most appropriate for here,” he warned.
Elorasqueaked. “That’s not what I-mmph!” She glared at him as he kissed her, cuttingher off and she could taste his amusement. But her irritation fled as heshifted closer to her, his hands moving to lift her onto her toes. Her eyesclosed on a sigh and she gripped his arms when she swayed slightly.
He made alow noise when she tensed against him but easily caught her as she slid herhands up to his shoulders as she hopped into his arms. “Elora,” he breathedagainst her as their kiss broke.
She was soweak where he was concerned. But as he shifted her against the wall to balancethem both better, she told herself they were still only kissing. “Kiss meagain?”
“Aye, I-”
“Truly?” avoice said from behind them. “We take our eyes off of the two of you for a fewminutes and this is what happens?”
Eloragroaned, her head smacking back into the wooden wall even as Cullen glanced athis sister. She knew better and yet she had still let this happen. “Maker’stits,” she muttered, making Cullen laugh lowly.
“What doyou mean happening?” he asked Mia. “I was simply kissing my Lowlander.”
“That’s notwhat it looks like,” she said mildly.
“We’re bothdressed fully, Sister. I don’t know how youdo it but-”
“Cullen!”
Eloraburied her face in his neck and tried not to laugh as Mia started yelling athim while he laughed outright at her.
Could you do Lowlander Elora and Cullen sharing a bath? :D
Yes, yes I can! Set some time after the first dance!
“Are weallowed to do this?” Elora whispered, staying close to him.
“I amThane,” Cullen reminded her.
“Then whyare we sneaking?”
Because hewasn’t sure if they should have been doing this but he still wanted to. It didn’ttake them long to go through the hold to their destination and they quicklyslipped into the building. He smiled as Elora sighed happily at the warmth thathit them as soon as they stepped inside. “Better?” he teased.
She gavehim a smile. “You’re never going to let me forget that I’m not accustomed tothe cold, are you?”
He leaneddown to kiss the tip of her nose. “No,” he told her, not wanting to mentionthat her nose was cold. “Alright, shall we?”
He couldactually feel her happiness as she stepped back from him. Cullen watched herfor a moment as she started shrugging out of her clothes. “What?” he asked whenshe shot him a look when she realised what he was doing.
“Are yougoing to get naked or not, Thane?” she asked, lifting a brow.
Watchingher for a moment longer as she finished stripping, he slowly started pullingoff his clothes as she went to splash into the water. He started to move towardher when his clothes were gone, but he stopped to turn back to the door. It tookhim a moment to find it, but he finally locked it.
“Come on,Cullen.”
He quicklyjoined her, ducking under the water and slicking his hair back as he surfaced.Elora was already sitting, submerged up to her chin. “Really?” he laughed.
She chirpedat him, clearly pleased that she was getting warm now.
Moving toher, he tugged her toward the centre of the bathing pools with him. After a bitof blind searching, he found one of the benches set under the water and satdown with her. Slick arms wound around his neck as she straddled his lap, hersmile firmly in place.
“This isactually nice,” she said softly.
He had toagree. Her fingers were running through his hair, lightly scratching at hisscalp. “So sneaking was worth it?”
Eloralaughed softly. “Well, I mean, we do have the tub at home that is big enoughfor the both of us.”
“You likebeing that close?” he murmured, cupping her bottom to pull her toward him.
Her headtipped to the side. “That wasn’t obvious when I danced with you?”
He smiledat her. “Aye, well, there’s no harm in being sure.”
#15 Hope we don't get caught kiss - Cullen x Elora Lowlander pleasepleaseplease?
This is set between the second and third Fire Dance so kinda spoilery I suppose but I’ll just but it under the cut if people don’t want to see it. :D
Windingthrough the paths of Griffon-Wing Hold, Cullen swore under his breath. He hadn’tbeen here since he was a boy and what with the warring and struggling that Asha’sclan had faced over the years a lot of the hold wasn’t the same as heremembered. He didn’t want to admit that he was getting lost, but if he keptwandering he would be. Asha’s clan were more than welcoming so he knew that hewould be able to get directions easy enough but most of them were at thegathered feast that their Thane was throwing for their guests.
Which meantthat he wasn’t likely to find someone to help him.
A lightsound reached him, the sound he had been following originally before he’drealised that they were getting lost. “Elora,” he called, pitching his voice tocarry to her wherever she had tucked herself away at. “Love, come on we’regoing to be late and they’re starting to suspect as it is.”
Anotherwonderful giggle drifted to him. “Are you saying that you don’t want yourpresent, Thane?” she teased.
Of coursehe did. Having to contain his feelings for her, having to treat her like shewas simply an honoured guest and not the woman he was in love with. “I neversaid that, my Lowlander, but we shouldn’t keep Thane Flame-Tongue waiting.”
“You all keepcalling her that but she’s been nothing but kind to me.”
“Becauseshe likes you,” he muttered, swinging around a corner. He stumbled to a stopwhen he found Elora on the other side of the building, smiling up at him. Hiseyes moved over her, lingering on laces that he was sure were looser now thanthey had been before she had darted away from him. “You are relentless.”
She took astep back from him, her smile growing as he followed her. “It’s hard,” sheadmitted, “having you so close and being unable to even hold your hand. I don’tlike it.”
Stroking afew loose curls away from her face, Cullen gently let his fingers trace overher cheeks. “I know, my love,” he murmured. “I don’t like it either, but thisis the last hold before we can return home.”
Her lashesdipped as she sighed. “It feels like we haven’t been there in months,” shemumbled.
“But it ishome,” he said, pleased.
She nodded.“Yes, Cullen, it’s home.”
He made alow noise. Forget Asha’s clan. They were probably all at the feast and what didit matter if they knew what he felt for his Lowlander? They would all learnsoon enough.
“I thoughtwe weren’t supposed to,” she breathed as he leaned into her, her face liftingregardless.
Rubbing hisnose against hers, he breathed, “I don’t care, my love.”
Elorasighed again, her breath ghosting against his lips before he kissed her.
She meltedinto him, her hands fisting in the leathers across his chest as she rose on hertoes. Her hum was pleased as he hauled her closer and he completely gave up onbeing secretive about it.
His handsmoved down to grasp her hips and she gasped against him as he hefted her up,taking a small step forward to balance her against the wall. He still wasn’tkeen on the idea of being caught but he wasn’t going to deny himself thissimple pleasure.
Can Cullen in the Lowlander AU craft something? Like, wood carving, stone flipping (ehehe) that's how they call it these days heh, nah seriously, or net knitting, house roof building, some kind of crafting job? Perhaps as a hunter preserving pelts and leathers? I'm curious cause it would be nice to see Elora find one of his early pieces which are not very perfect but functional nonetheless and he'd say that there are better around but Elora would keep them, treasuring them. I gave myself feels.
You gave me feels! So have some more!
Hummingsoftly to herself, Elora carefully pulled the items from the chest. Cullen hadbrought another one into the house for her to use, especially after the clanshad gathered and she had been given gifts from the allies of Sky-Bear Hold. Clothes,tools for her garden, tools for her spells. Mia had taken one look at the packhorse that had been laden with her new possessions and after she had finishedlaughing she had told Cullen to bring one of his old ones from her house.
He had,eventually. There had been so much to do in the hold and she hadn’t minded. Hadforgotten about it if she was completely honest until he had lugged it into thehouse for her to use. He’d apologized because he hadn’t had time to clear itbefore bringing it over and hadn’t been able to help her empty it.
She pausedto smile softly. She could still feel the hurried kiss he had pressed to herforehead, promising he’d be home later, that Bran needed his help, that Carverwanted to speak to him. She’d practically had to shoo him out the door as hehad kept listing the people that needed to speak to him. She had finished whatshe had been doing before turning her attention to unpacking.
Elora shookher head and reached back into the trunk. They would have to figure out what todo with the little odds and ends that had been stored in here. She knew whatthey would one day do with the small clothes, but for now those would get putaway until they were needed. But as she pulled out one of the last items in it,she frowned as she heard the quiet sounds of something clicking together insidethe bag.
She set itin her lap and gently tugged on the leather ties to get it open. It took a bitof work because it was clear that it hadn’t been opened in a very long time. Alittle thrill ran through her as she reached into the bag, wondering what couldhave possibly been hidden away at the bottom of an old trunk. Her fingers ranover rough edges but nothing too hard and she quickly grasped one to pull itout.
A very roughlyhewn little goat sat in her palm when she uncurled her fingers from around it.
It was easyenough to recognize that the piece was meant to be part of a skák set and a little gaspleft her as she wondered if a full set were inside.
Pushingquickly to her feet, she hurried to the table and carefully upended the bagonto its surface. There were several pieces inside and she was only slightlydisappointed to see that they were all goats. At least…she thought some of themwere goats. Some looked almost no better than small blocks of wood that hadbeen hacked at with an angry knife. But as she sorted through them, she couldsee a pattern in progress and she couldn’t help herself. She started arrangingthem from what she thought was the oldest to the newest.
She wasstill doing it when the door opened and scared the life out of her. Whippingaround to face it, she made an angry noise as the piece in her hand wentflying. “Cullen,” she said, seeing him standing in the doorway with his browsraised at her. “You’re entirely too quiet on your feet.”
“I’llremember to stomp,” he chuckled, coming in a few steps and bending down to pickup the little piece at his feet. “What have you got there, Elora?”
“I’m notsure,” she said as she turned back to the table. “It looks like someone wantedto make their own skák set but they got caught up in the goats.”
“The what?Oh,” Cullen said softly as he came up beside her.
Somethingdawned on her immediately at his tone. “Cullen, Mia said this was your trunk.Did you carve these?”
“Aye, along time ago. I haven’t picked up a whittling tool since I became Thane,” headmitted, setting the piece in his hand down. “What did you do with them?”
“Oh, Ithought it was similar to a timeline. These were the first and those were thelast as you got better?”
He noddedfaintly but picked up two of them. “You’re mostly right but these two camelater.”
She watchedas he set them down, not beside each other and was confused when one of themwas the last one. “Cullen, that doesn’t make sense.”
“It does ifyou know when I carved them,” he said quietly, tapping the first that he hadwedged between a pair that were clearly goats. “This was after my mother died. Ididn’t have steady hands for weeks and it was the best I could do.”
Her heartlurched and she shifted to wrap her arms around his waist. More than a decadehad passed since Sorcha’s death but she knew it weighed heavily on Cullen andhis family. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Cullenkissed the top of her head. “Not your fault, Elora,” he murmured.
Perhaps notbut she didn’t like stirring his memories for no reason. And she had a fairlygood idea of what the last one was now as well. “Why did you keep all of themif you weren’t going to finish the set?” she asked softly.
“Was nevermeant to be a set,” Cullen muttered. “I didn’t think I had enough talent tomake a proper set. It was something my father taught me and Bran to do to keepour hands busy when we were younger.”
Elora stoodon her toes to kiss his jaw. “I think you have enough talent to make a set,”she murmured. “Maybe you should start again?”
“Aye, withwhat time?” he laughed. “Between you and the hold, I don’t have much time tosimply sit and be.”
“Well, we’reback now and things will settle down soon enough. I’m sure you could finish theset. Or start a new one.”
“Aye, thiswouldn’t have anything to do with you wanting a skák set for yourself, nowwould it?”
“Maybe notfor me,” Elora said softly, “but I’m sure we’ll have someone that will want oneeventually.”
His armslipped around her waist, his hand splaying on her belly. “Aye, you might beright,” he agreed. “It’ll be a while before they could play, but I’m out ofpractice so I should start soon, shouldn’t I?”
“That mightbe a good idea.”
He laughedsoftly. “Of course you think it’s a good idea, my Lowlander. It’s yours.”
She grinnedat him, but didn’t bother confirming it. They both knew he was right.
♗: One falling asleep with their head in the other's lap. (Set in the Lowlander au and tucked under a read more just to keep it from cluttering dashes!)
WatchingCullen chase Leo around, Elora smiled to herself as the little boy shriekedhappily. She wasn’t completely sure if it was an actual game or if Cullen wastrying to tire his nephew out so that he’d sleep better tonight. Although if hekept going the way he was, he was liable to tire himself out first.
Sheleaned back against the tree she was sitting under, closing her eyes on a happysigh. Summer was coming to an end and they had been trying to enjoy as much ofit as they could. With everything that had happened, it was hard to find timeto simply relax but Mia had shoved a basket of food into her arms this morningand pointed down the mountain when Elora had tried to protest. She wasn’t sureif Leo was supposed to come with them or not but she didn’t mind the addition.
A sharpsqueal had her looking and a startled laugh left her as she saw that Cullen hadcaught his nephew and was currently spinning them both in circles. But it wasthe fact that Cullen had a hold of Leo’s ankles that made her laugh. The boywas giggling and flapping his arms as they spun and she wasn’t surprised when Cullenstopped that he staggered slightly, shaking his head.
“Smartmove, Lionsbane,” she called teasingly.
Helooked at her and even from here she could see the wry twist of his mouth. Butshe couldn’t hear whatever he said to Leo that had him nodding excitedly andbreaking out in a sprint toward Elora.
Her eyeswidened and she nearly through a barrier around him to keep him from hurtinghimself as he got closer to her. But he skidded to a stop before throwing hisarms around her.
“Ellamine, Unca!” he said excitedly.
“Am Igoing to have to fight you for my own wife, Leo?”
Thewords warmed her heart like nothing else and still stole her breath. He hadn’tbeen saying them for long but even the fact that he was saying them meant theworld to her.
Leoleaned back from her slightly, looking at Cullen as he sat beside on Elora onthe blanket. “Well…share?”
Cullenchuckled and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Aye, we can share her for now.”
“Do I notget any say in this?” Elora asked mildly.
Warmeyes looked at her. “You don’t want to be shared by a pair who love you morethan anything?” he murmured.
“LoveElla!”
Eloracocked a brow at Cullen when he kissed her cheek. “You’re sucking up.”
Helaughed quietly before stretching out beside her.
“Andwhat do you think you’re doing?”
He settledhis head in her lap, giving her a smile. “Getting comfortable.”
“You’regoing to fall asleep and we’ll be stuck out here until you decide to wake up.”
“Iwouldn’t.”
Sheheard Leo yawn as he plunked down beside her and cuddled into her, his headresting on her chest. “You both are!”
“Justfor a little while, my wife,” Cullen murmured. “Goat and hunter is hard work.”
“Youfool,” she whispered, smiling despite herself.
“It won’tbe for long,” he promised, yawning himself. “We have to get back to the hold.”
Elorawatched him fall asleep, listening to Leo already snoring softly beside her. “Ithink they can survive without us for a little while longer,” she whispered,wondering if she shouldn’t catch a small nap herself.
Rules: 5 minutes of writing. No outlines, no editing. Just write. Then tag 10 writers to do the same.
Was tagged by the lovely @the-inquisitor-rio~
Slamming the axe down into the block, Cullen paused and wiped a hand across his brow. The sun was high over the mountains, bringing an unusually warm spell to the hold and while the Avvar thrived in the cold, they were going to take advantage of the heat as much as they could. For the rest of the clan that meant games and playing, but he was trying to get in as many chores as he could so he wouldn’t have to do them later. Later he wanted quiet time which there had been a distinct lack of lately.
He glanced over when he heard a noise he was quickly growing accustomed to. Watching as Elora moved through the space behind their home, it didn’t take long for his gaze to fall to the bundle on her chest. The linen wrap couldn’t completely hide the wild blonde curls that were peeking out nor the rosy cheeks as their daughter looked around at everything that she could. He could just hear Elora murmuring softly to her and the coos and giggles leaving Lina in response were much louder and easier to hear.
He looked at the pile of wood he still had to chop before abandoning it in favour of going over to his girls.
Lina squealed as soon as she saw him, completely ruining the surprise as Elora looked over. “Greetings, little one,” he murmured, rubbing her cheek.
She grasped at his finger to wave his hand through the air, happy noises leaving her rosebud mouth.
“Greetings, my Lowlander,” he breathed, leaning down to kiss Elora when she looked up at him.
The noise she made was soft and quickly followed by, “Greetings, my Thane.”
As for tagging: @magisteramell, @miraamell, @eeveevie, @chanterie, @frank-a-lank, and @drinkyourjuicerodriguez :)
