To Glow or Not to Glow

Sachael walked away from the camp, feeling the need for some alone time.  While he loved his companions, most of the time, there were times that their constant presence grated on the Dalish mage's nerves.  As he stood at the bank of one of the small streams that criss-crossed the area, Sach's blue eyes narrowed as he tried to make out a faint light in the distance.  His concentration waned slightly at the feel of arms coming around his waist and a pair of lips starting their worship of his neck.

"What has caught your interest, my dear Warden?" Zevran whispered as he began to nibble on the sensitive point of Sachael's ear.

"Mmm, just trying to figure out what's glowing off in the distance," he replied, turning so he stood face to face with his lover.

"Perhaps a treasure left for us to find, yes?" Zevran's eyes twinkled merrily in the moonlight.

"You and your treasure, love," Sachael chuckled, pressing a swift and hard kiss upon Zevran's lips.

"Let's go see what it is!"

Zevran grabbed Sachael's hand and dragged him through the underbrush, almost giving him a good bath in the stream in the process.  Laughing, Sachael stumbled behind his lover, trying to keep up with the man's eagerness at the thought of an undiscovered shiny.

"Holy Mother of Mercy!" Zevran gasped out as he stopped suddenly causing Sach to fall against him.

"Talk about an undiscovered treasure…"

Two pairs of eyes, gold and blue, stared at the glowing lines of lyrium etched into the male elf fighting off a swarm of spiders.

"We should help him, no?" Zevran whispered into Sachael's ear.

"Think of the reward we might get if we do," the look he gave Zevran was filled with heat.

No sooner had Sachael said the words, Zevran was off, streaking towards the nearest spider and gutting it with his daggers.  The mage whispered in the old tongue and sent bolts of lightning into the remaining bodies, frying them until they were no longer recognizable.

"My thanks," the elf said, breathing heavily at the exertion of the battle he had fought prior to the mage and assassin showing up.

"I am Fenris, and while it might seem ungrateful of me to say so, the thought of a mage coming to my rescue unsettles me a bit as it is a mage I am running from, one who dares to use me as a slave.  Dare I ask what brought the two of you to me?"

Blue eyes narrowed as they glanced over to focus on amused, yet hard, gold eyes, before both pairs landed on Fenris.

"The Dalish are a proud people who do not keep slaves.  I do not see my love breaking that tradition even with so fine a specimen as you.  As for what we're doing here?  Perhaps you should not glow so much, my lovely," Zevran replied, his voice harsh, yet soft, as he moved behind Sachael to wrap his arms lightly around the man's waist to stare intently at the outsider.

"Me, I'm just your typical Grey Warden, bouncing around trying to gather allies and save Ferelden from a blight while spending my nights hunting down gorgeous men who glow, when not made into complete mush by the attentions of a certain Crow."

Sachael turned his head to grin wickedly at Zevran before focusing that same devastating curve of the lips at Fenris.

Fenris watched the two of them, heat pooling in his belly as the one blonde haired elf trailed his lips over the neck of the similarly haired Dalish, his thoughts going where they had never gone before.  Clearing his throat, he shifted his gaze to stare off in the distance.

"That orange glow, is that your campsite?" his voice held a fine tremor of want? need? as he spoke.

"Mmhmm, and you're more than welcome to join us, my dear, if that is your wish…" Zevran replied, his lips still brushing against Sachael's neck, a teasing note in his voice.

"He may even wish to hide out in our tent, what with two other mages back at the camp.  Wynne's not so bad, quite grandmotherly even, but that frigid bitch who likes to stay off in her little corner is enough to scare even the most courageous away.  Well her and the smell of Oghren's feet…"

Fenris quirked a half smile at the banter between the two, following a slight bit behind as the trio made their way back towards the camp.

"Oh and if you get too worried about us mages, feel free to hide behind the skirts of the templar over there," Sachael quipped, winking at Alistair as he and Zevran laughingly stumbled toward Sachael's tent.

"Ex-templar, you ass!" Alistair shook his head and grinned before sizing up the newest addition to their motley crew.

*****

The evening passed quickly and with good humor as Fenris got to know the others gathered within the camp.  Months flew by, and while he never got up the nerve to accept the silent invitation to join Sachael and Zevran in their tent, he finally was able to learn what it meant to relax and have fun, until his old master's hirelings caught up to him again…