Moments

Moment of Sending

A deluge blackened the sky, turning what was supposed to be a quaint walk in the forest into a run for our lives. My hand stretched out before me, searching blindly for cover. I tried to shout over the cacophony of an ocean of rainwater plummeting through cracking branches, but I couldn't even hear my own voice. I doubted he did.

Mud slipped under my boots, almost dragging me down to rend my ankle. I reached forward to steady myself, when my right hand snagged against the tent. My infamous luck saved me again. Working open the flap, I rolled inside, the dog fast on my heels. My husband was a few moments slower, sliding in from the waterlogged ground worms burst free to escape drowning.

Our tent was just large enough for the two of us to stand up if we all but climbed on top of each other. For the moment, I staggered around, doubled over, sucking in lost breath from the running and the pounding the rain beat against my body. Cullen stood, trying to wring water out of his curls so he could see, only to have the soggy locks flop back upon his forehead.

Laughter gurgled in my throat as I watched him sneer through rivulets of water dripping down his face. I knew I looked even worse, my hair splattered across my back like a hood, the shock of cold turning my skin wan. He twisted his head at my snorting, unimpressed, "Why is this humorous?"

"Because you look like a nug dropped into a bathtub," I said, giggling from the image...and a very unforgettable Satinalia with Sera, Varric, and Dorian. Vivienne never did find out how we got it in there.

He sighed, stretching his head up and nearly skimming across the canvas bowing from the still pelting rain. The tree cover kept some of it off, but not enough. It was going to be a long night.

"This was your doing," he said, wagging a finger at me.

"I can control the weather now? I keep acquiring amazing powers without realizing it," I smiled, stepping closer so I could stand.

Cullen snorted, his breath hot enough to hiss out steam. "You swore those clouds would be no trouble. Old Dalish trick." I shrugged, they'd looked not so terribly ominous when we started on our walk. "And you," now he turned to the mabari shaking for the third time across what had once been our dry belongings. "You were no help at all."

The dog only panted, his tongue lolling up at his master. Cullen sighed, then ran a hand along the dog's head, getting a lob of a tail wag for his attempt at discipline.

"It's only a bit of water," I said, unknotting my cloak. It plummeted against the ground with a slap loud enough the dog barked from the noise. I looked down to see how much rain had soaked through my clothes. I may as well have not even bothered with the cloak -- my tunic fully adhered to my body, mud climbing all the way up to my knees. "Ugh, I think the rains soaked all the way through my skin to bone."

Cullen snapped up at that and the cruelest grin twisted his face. "It's only a bit of water." I'd have wagged my finger at him, but he let his own coat drop to the ground. His shirt was washed to being nearly transparent, suckered to reveal the twists of his stomach muscles and chest. I could even see the little v line where hip met the really fun part from his pants sliding too low. I really needed to thank whoever talked him out of armor - perhaps with a fruit basket.

He leaned down to pick up his coat, shaking as much of the dirt out as he could. Giving up rather than being satisfied, he hooked it upon the support pole bypassing through the tent. It might actually dry in a day or two. I snatched up my own, and tried to wad it up with my hand to wring out some of the water. "We'd best get out of these clothes before we freeze to death," I said, haphazardly twisting to face the wall and toss my own cloak against the pile of luggage.