Rose shivered. When the frantic mother had burst into the Inn, the snow was barely falling, the child's tracks easy to follow in the afternoon light. "Of course, I'll take it. I'm from this area. I know these woods like the back of my hand." Her teeth chattered. "Before the fucking Blight, you dumb twat. Nooo, I don't need any scouts to go with me. Rest up. It'll be easy. Back before dark." She eyed the thickening storm that almost obliterated the sky and laid her palm against the half dead tree leaving a blazing rose in its bark. "If I don't find you soon kid, you'll be dead. And if Varric doesn't remember these, we both will be."
Ellie glared at the blackened rose in the tree bark and then at Varric in the darkness. "How did she make it this far?"
He rubbed his hands together, even in gloves the biting wind made them ache. "Force of will, recklessness, gallantly puts others before herself."
"A beauty with no brains."
He snorted as she stomped forward into the knee-deep snow. The storm was abetting the further in they traveled. "This was her haunt, you know. If anyone could outlast a storm, it would be her."
Everything ached. The little boy shivered in the circle of her arms, still alive. It was chance she had remembered this hideaway, a hole in the damn ground to hide from guards or bandits. She had used the last of her power burning roses into trees and keeping a warming spell wrapped around the boy, had set him down long enough to rip the vambrace from her arm and drag a dagger down the vein. Too deep, fingers numb with cold. She healed the boy's broken leg, straight as an arrow, as her vision blurred and hauled herself back to her feet. She had wrapped him back in a warming spell before settling him on her back and staggering onward again. She stopped burning roses, the blood trail was enough. Black spotted on the edges of her vision but she was too exhausted to remember how to heal the wound herself. She shook her head and sent a trickle of fire before them. The boy's head whipped around and she gave him a weak smile. "Someone else is coming, little one. That will keep you warm."
Ellie felt the flare of magic as she spotted the blood in snow. So much blood, too much blood. She began cursing and sped up.
It took both of them to haul the heavy door open; how Rose had managed it alone she couldn't fathom, not with the blood iced to it. The boy was shaking a fallen form, a pale arm extended towards the fire with a jagged slash from wrist to elbow. She fell to her knees beside Rose, Varric's voice an echo. Creamy skin as pale as the snow outside, the dusky lips tinged with blue. She yanked a potion from her belt, pulling the cork with her teeth as she pulled the limp form into her lap and poured it down her throat. "Damn it, da'mi."
Varric's hand appeared in the line of her vision, two more bottles, his voice thick. "Maybe a good jolt of lightning too."
She took a deep breath and felt the crackle in the air as it raised the hair on her body. She sent it down through her hands with a plea to the Creators. A flutter of lashes. She pulled open another potion, giddiness filling her chest when her throat moved to swallow and the flesh began to knit itself back together. She leaned her forehead against Rose's. "Mir'sulahn."
Warmth, delicious warmth and silk sheets against naked skin. Rose's eyes popped open. Silk sheets did not belong in a thief's hole in the ground. She raised up on her elbow, wincing when the fresh pink scar pulled and ached. The window showed a night filled with snow, the storm blowing back to mock her. A soft sound called her attention back to the room and Ellie by the fire. A soft smile formed on Rose's lips as she rolled on to her stomach, pillowing her chin against her arms. Ellie was wrapped in a blanket, staring into the fire with an untouched pot of tea beside her. She could smell the cinnamon from there.
"Brew me a cup for a winters night. For the wind howls loud and the furies fight; spice it with love and stir it with care, and I'll toast our bright eyes, my sweetheart fair." Ellie turned in her chair at her song and Rose's smile widened. "Vhenan'ara."
Ellie scowled but joined her on the bed. "Don't you sweet talk me, Rose Hawke. You are in trouble." She grinned and stretched like a well pleased cat, not looking the least bit sorry. "Varric is even upset with you."
Her blue eyes sparkled. "You are the loves of my life and you know damn well I'm not giving up the Hero Business."
"You almost died." Ellie said softly. "If we had been any later, you would have been a corpse."
Rose sat up, ignoring her body's protests and wrapped Ellie in her arms. "Ir abelas, mir’nehn. I am so sorry. I thought." She shook her head and pulled her closer. "It doesn't matter what I thought. Ar lath ma, I will never do anything that stupid again. I swear." She felt tears trail down her shoulder and she pulled away to look into Ellie's face. "No, no, please. Don't cry."
Ellie furiously wiped away a tear and glared at her. "You don't believe in the Maker or anything else. Dirthara-ma. Why should I believe that promise?"
Rose stared at her in shock for a moment before a bubble of laughter escaped her. She ran her thumb along Ellie's cheek, falling into those aqua eyes. "I don't need the fucking Maker, Eleran. If you need me to swear on something that means something, that you can trust, then I swear on us." Her hand trailed down her neck before settling against Ellie's heart. "On love." She licked her lips, her words stuttering a moment. "You and Varric are the most important things in my life. Love is what kept me going today, why I remembered that hole in the fucking ground, why Varric remembered the damned roses, why you were able to find me in time. Why that boy is alive and well. I swear on our love that I will not do something that stupid ever again." She leaned forward her lips a breath away from Ellie's. "No amount of hero business is worth losing you. I want a long life with sunsets and sunrises in your arms. Write songs about your eyes, the curve of your hips, the fire of your heart. I want Varric to write the most ridiculous book about our love that makes people stop us on the street and say we want a love like yours; a love like the stars shining until the end of time and beyond." Her own lashes were wet now and she closed them to try and hold them back. "Please say you can forgive me?"
Ellie cupped her face and brushed a gentle kiss against her lips. "Ma vhenan, ar las atisha."
Rose smiled leaving tender kisses on Ellie's lips, one on her nose, flutters of them along her cheekbones and a final one against her forehead before holding her tight again and letting her eyes open. A soft laugh left her. "Has Varric written me off a cliff yet?"
Ellie chuckled burying her face in the crook of Rose's neck. "A cliff wasn't worthy of the scare you caused us." Rose groaned, Ellie brushed a kiss against her neck feeling her pulse quicken. "I want to witness the full extent of his dwarven ire. He was just glaring at the fire when I came back up."
"He was glaring silently." Rose said slowly. Ellie nodded and Rose pulled her down with her on to bed. "He can glare until morning. One angry love is enough this night."
Ellie's laughter echoed in the room. "Some champion you are."
Rose's eyes narrowed playfully. "I did swear to you I wouldn't do anymore stupid shit. I'm just keeping that promise, my lady."
Ellie shook her head, settling it against Rose's shoulder and basking in the warmth of her. "You're going to make me regret that."
"Only sometimes, ma vhenan'ara, only sometimes."