The Emerald Lake
They sat together for a long time, their bodies seeming to meld together and become one cohesive entity. It was actually startling for both of them.
"Come my love. As much as I want to spend all day with you I have much to do, but I want to still show you a few things."
Black and grey smoke bloomed around Varric and a chill of excitement streamed down Ardyn's back, the smoke was gone and the long, thick body of a vast serpent was in the beast-kin's place. His voice touched her mind, and she shivered in fear even as her heart fluttered.
'Come love. I will show you my four favorite spots then take you to where you can sleep, a place all your own.'
She nodded and her body instantly became light as she floated up and onto his back. He moved quickly across the valley and over a mountain range to quickly come to a vast grass plane with a wide circle of amethyst grasses and cattail like flowers surrounded a vast crystalline emerald green lake.
Ardyn's breath caught as she began sliding off of Varric's back before his magic could help her down.
She felt a heat well up within her and as she touched the first of the purple grass it exploded from her like exhilaration and wonder rolled into one. She yelped with excitement.
Varric returned to his beast-kin form to watch her drifting through the grasses, like a beautiful sprite walking within a corporeal plane. Her long, pale hair and soft, pale skin seemed to blend seamlessly into the tall grasses as it all kissed and created a cohesive beauty that was like an expressive work of art to his ancient, deprived eyes.
Even if he wanted to speak, he was sure he could not. His mouth was dry and seemed raw, and all he could truly comprehend was her beauty, and how it felt to watch her.
The air here was heavy and sweet, laden with the perfume of crushed lilac grasses and the deep, earthy mineral scent of the still water. Tiny motes of bright lilac dust—pollen from the strange, cattail-shaped plants—drifted on the light breeze, catching the unseen glow of the sky. This pond was a nexus of subtle, raw magic, the kind that calmed the wildness in his blood. Yet, the greatest shift was not in the valley, but in him. The sight of Ardyn, small and radiant against the ancient brilliant light of this miraculous valley was something he never thought he would ever experience in his long life.
She was magic in motion, and truly more precious than anything he had ever known.
She moved forward in joy and beauty, and it was a feast for the eyes. Finally, his mind clicked, and he found his voice. She was nearing the water and sat on the shore, her feet placed just out of reach of the gently lapping waters.
She looked back at him, a huge smile on her lips and in her eyes. She rose quickly, and as she ran back to him, he was lost in the movement of her petite, soft body. She reached for him. Her body still immersed in the lilac grass, her pale, soft arms reaching out to grab him.
He smiled and let her pull him to her, they took two steps and he had her off the ground and in his arms. He held her tight to his chest, and spun her around as the joy within exploded forth.
She laughed aloud, a joyful noise that made his heart tremble and his mind buzz. When he finally put her down she was the one out of breath.
She sat on the ground before those emerald waters, tugged him down beside her, and then leaned into his side, her arms wrapped around his right arm as she gazed out at the calm waters. He inhaled deeply, lilacs flooding his system in different degrees. His heart warmed and twisted all in the same motion.
In that shared silence, with the scent of lilac and cool water surrounding them, he felt the weight of his long existence begin to lift. Her small, solid weight against his side was an anchor he hadn't known he needed. He looked down at the pale hand resting on his arm—a hand that had so fearlessly caressed his scales—and a rush of overwhelming, protective tenderness washed over him. His solitude was broken, and he found he did not mourn it. He gently rested his massive head atop hers, letting his breath mingle with the sweetness riding on the air.
This was now theirs. He felt the surety of it rise within his being. It would always be theirs together, and she would give it new meaning. This was a step; this was forward motion; this was growing together.