blessed are they who stand before

[cutenug]

Who: leliana & robyn, leliana & cullen, and leliana & OPEN
Where: around the mansion
When: april 16-20
Rating: pg-13??
Summary: killin' some zombies. and some friends. oops.
The Story:

WITH ONE SWIFT STRIKE HE PIERCED HER HEART ( CLOSED TO ROBYN )

It's hard to keep track of everyone in this chaos. After the first day of running, hiding, and fighting, Leliana mostly gives up on keeping track of everyone she's concerned about. But as the event wears on and she doesn't see certain people, she abandons her crusade of killing as many of these monsters as possible while herding others to safety. Just long enough to track down certain parties.

It's mildly annoying how long it takes her to find Robyn. But any annoyance Leliana feels goes flying straight out the window when she sees the state of her friend. Breath caught in her throat, she rushes over to the small bit of safety Robyn has managed to carve out for herself and reaches out for her. Gloved hands hover over her, not daring to touch her quite yet. Her gaze is locked on the bloody bite on Robyn's arm. She paid attention to the informative posts on the device the day this all started. She knows what that means.

"Merde," she breathes. "How long has it been?"

NOW HER HAND IS RAISED, A SWORD TO PIERCE THE SUN ( CLOSED TO CULLEN )

By midday on the eighteenth, Leliana is beginning to tire. She's been catching naps over the past few days in barricaded rooms, but hasn't had any real, good sleep since all this started. It's not the longest time she's done this--the Arbor Wilds was about three days as well--but exhaustion is slowly creeping up on her. That is how she finds herself caught fighting three runners.

She grits her teeth and curses under her breath, knives flashing. She's angry with herself for letting this happen. She's angry that she's trapped in a place where things like this are relatively normal. And she's downright peeved that she's out of arrows. It makes her strikes a little harder, a little more vicious.

At least until a runner bites her arm. The bite doesn't go through her leather gloves or her chainmail, but it throws off her balance. "Maker!" she reaches out with her other hand, driving her knife into the thing's skull. But another runner comes at her from behind as she does, and she hasn't the time to turn around. Now would be a good time for unexpected back-up.

WHERE THEY TOUCHED THE EARTH, TWISTED DARKNESS GREW ( OPEN )

The first days are mostly spent fighting. Leliana prowls the halls of the mansion, looking for those cornered by the monsters or trying to get to safety. When she needs to, she breaks for food and rest, usually barricading herself in a room and sleeping with her knives on her lap. It's dangerous. But better that than fumble for them if she gets woken by the creatures.

As the days drag on, it gets harder to focus. Dark circles appear under her eyes and her armor is stained with viscera--some fresh, some old. By day four she's less concerned about helping other people and more concerned about getting out of this alive. Oh, she'll lend a hand if she sees someone in a bad situation, but she's more likely to greet strangers with a suspicious look and a question about infection than anything else.

This is worse than the Deep Roads, really. And she hated the Deep Roads.

Comments

[heroica]

Yes. There are a dozen things she wants to say, for Leliana to tell Dorian, Brennan, and... Alistair (there's always something else to tell Alistair). There are things she wants to tell Leliana, too, just in case, but her words sort of congeal in her throat and she finds herself just swallowing thickly and shaking her head, trying with all of her willpower to avoid looking at the gleaming blade in the other's hands. It's her own weapon, of course, one that's fought for and with her... and now it's almost betraying its owner, posing a threat rather than a defense.

Robyn makes eye contact with Leliana one last time before raising her eyes, speaking old, familiar words as some small comfort, voice still wavering:

"--And she will know no fear of death, for the Maker shall be her beacon and her shield, her foundation and her sword--"

[cutenug]

There are moments in life that come every so often that leave an indelible mark. Moments where one knows with certainty that they will never truly forget what is happening. Robyn prays, and Leliana knows she will never read or hear those verses again without thinking of this space in time. Her friend, afraid and yet so very brave. Herself, wanting to weep but instead steeling her heart in a way that she has told herself she wants to do less.

This is a mercy. She must remind herself of that. This is a mercy and it is necessary. Better her doing it than Robyn herself.

Leliana swallows hard, adjusts her grip on the hilt of the dagger, and skips back a few verses. "The Light shall lead her safely through the paths of this world and into the next."

She strikes, the blade sliding easily across Robyn's bared throat. Leliana takes special care to make sure she gets the artery and vein there--the quicker Robyn goes, the better. The moment the wound is made, she let's the knife go and once again touches Robyn's face. Watches as the light leaves her eyes. It's then, and only then, that she allows her expression to fall and she gives herself a moment to grieve.