Though the ursa minor had been sent back to the forest, there were many things that remain because of it. The field on the outskirts of Ponyville was riddled with battle scars and rubble, in desperate need of earth pony aide to return it to its former glory. The group of ponies and Grey Wardens were exhausted after their conflict with the beast, most returning to their homes to rest as they knew the ordeal was over. Many whispers quickly traveled across the town, ponies quietly discussing the strange newcomers and how they risked their lives against the ursa. There was also the matter of the traumatized Shale, who was in need of a good wash and would most likely gain a new found hatred for large digestive systems to go with its 'bird thing'.
For the Warden-Commander, things weren't quite finished yet. With the havoc brought on by the ursa being over, there was still the need to tend to the injured Twilight. Thankfully, the humble town was equipped with a local hospital.
Inside one of the small clinical rooms that the hospital had to offer, the commander stood in the corner while Twilight sat down on the barely cushioned table that was meant for her. A counter with an assortment of items was at the far end of the wall, with jars filled with tongue depressors, cotton swabs and colorful lollipops, as well as boxes of tissues and stacks of paper cups. The more advanced equipment was either stored in small drawers on the side of the counter or placed neatly on the cabinets that hung above it. There were even several posters hung up on the wall, most depicting different parts of a pony's anatomy, each part labeled correctly.
In the small room along with the two was the doctor himself, a stallion unicorn who wore a white coat around his body and a pair of glass on his nose. Silently, the doctor first examined the injured leg thoroughly, tapping the limb with a small mallet made of hardened rubber.
Twilight's leg flinched and jerked back slightly as the doctor found the right spot. Taking more care this time, the doctor lightly tapped up her leg even more, seeing just how far the injury went. As he finished the unicorn set the mallet away and held a calm smile. “Nothing to worry about, Miss Sparkle,” he said coolly. “The injury is far from serious and can be remedied easily.”
Without another word, the doctor eyed the exact spot on the scholar's leg were the injury was and gained a noticeable look of concentration. His horn glowed with an auburn color that matched perfectly with a glow that developed around Twilight's leg. The mare showed a mild discomfort to what was happening, feeling small stings and needle-like prickles of pain as the doctor's magic began to work.
Twilight continuously braced herself for an oncoming pain, just waiting for it to occur. To her surprise however, there was nothing. The throbbing annoyance that had persisted through her leg was no more, feeling as though it had ebbed away into nothingness.
“That should do it,” the doctor said, the magical glow around his horn disappearing. “With the injury so minor, you won't even have to worry about any soreness.”
Sliding off of the table, Twilight landed gracefully on her four hooves, once again bracing herself for any sudden jolt of agony as her weight was put on the previously aching limb. “Thank you so much, Doctor,” she responded happily. While the unicorn trotted merrily out of the room, the spectating Warden held a look of surprise.
The commander had never seen magic work on the body in such a way. Though in his world, such things as healing magic existed, it was very limited. At best, a mage could help restore energy or vitality in a pinch, helpful in combat when injuries begin to put a toll on you. As for actual injuries themselves, he never knew of any advanced spells that would heal in such a way, save for a few less than fatal cuts.
Pondering how advanced Equestrian magic was compared to what they had in his world, the commander was about to leave the room as well. He was stopped however as he caught the doctor offhandedly muttering, “How strange.”
“Is something wrong?” the commander asked, turning a questioning gaze at him.
The doctor appeared somewhat surprised that the human had heard him in the first place, slightly adjusting his glass with his hoof as he shook his head. “Oh no, nothing to be worried about,” he said definitively. “I was just thinking on Miss Sparkle's injury. Just a little surprised that she wasn't able to heal such a minor thing herself. I know how learned she is, one would think she was more than capable of such a simple spell.” A mild shrug left him as he turned his attention to a set of papers nearby. “Perhaps I'm making too many assumptions. After all, it still takes much study to learn even basic healing magic, and I doubt she aspires to become a doctor herself.”
“Right...” the Warden murmured, thinking on the doctor's own thoughts. Exiting the room, he gave a simple farewell to the doctor before he left the hospital entirely.
As he made his way back through Ponyville, the library in his sights, the commander's steps were slowed as he found his mind wandering toward what the doctor had said. It was like a nagging insect buzzing in the back of his mind. Realizing that he was putting too much thought on something so inconsequential, the commander pushed the thought aside.
With his attention being put more into where he was going now, the commander stumbled as he came to a sudden halt, nearly tripping over Oghren as he stood directly in his path. “Oghren,” the commander snapped, seeing the dwarf's presence as deliberate, “what are you doing?”
The dwarven Warden folded his arms, a toothy grin appearing on his face as his gaze held a knowing look about it. “I could as you the same thing,” he replied. “Or maybe I should add a who into there?”
Raising an eyebrow in confusion toward the dwarf, the commander made no answer, simply not understanding what the short warrior was getting at.
“I know what you've been up to, getting back in touch with your wild side like you did with that venomous witchy one,” Oghren continued, his grin growing more and more by the second.
“Excuse me?” the commander questioned. Though he wasn't fully aware of what Oghren was getting at, he did know that the dwarf's mind was almost entirely one tracked.
“You know what I mean, don't deny it,” the dwarf answered cryptically, seemingly finding a great deal of enjoyment at what was being left unsaid. “Romping through the hay, mounting the inverted saddle. Heh-heh, you dirty Warden you.”
In no mood to play word games with the dwarf, the commander sighed as he said, “Go find some children to scare or something, Oghren. I'm too tired to be bothered with you.” Ending the discussion there, the Warden sidestepped the dwarf and returned to his previous journey. Despite the distance that was quickly made between them, the dwarf could be heard shouting something after him. Unable to fully hear what he had to say, the Warden could only make out something having to do with a sword being sheathed.
The inside of the Ponyville library was about as cozy as it could be. The Warden-Commander was quickly relaxed as he rested himself in his basement dwelling. The bed was as warm as he could hope for, the serene sense of peace was palpable as there wasn't a noise to be heard other than those he deemed worthy to make himself.
Frankly, the Warden was mostly happy to be out of the Everfree forest. No longer did he feel as though every shadow was watching him, as though every leaf and branch within the forest had grown a pair of eyes. Even when he was escaping the mighty ursa that had attacked them, he was certain that such eyes had never left him, always watching him, almost gauging his actions.
It had brought on an unnatural unease that the Grey Warden could barely handle. With the feeling as though something would lunge out of the darkness to attack, he had to keep his sense alert, ready for anything. Things were especially bad during the night, keeping him from sleeping, seeing it as a trap for himself as well as his company. Now, such feelings were gone, with the forest nothing but a distant memory to him.
Having collapsed onto his bed, the commander was ready to spend the rest of his time there in a perpetually relaxed state. Though he was immeasurably tired, from both the events having to do with the ursa minor as well as going through the previous night without a moment's rest, he decided to first relax himself with a bit of light reading before bed.
A book had been picked at random from one of the many shelves that were carved into the walls, without giving the title but a simple glance before he rested against the headboard of his bed and began to read. Had he actually checked to see what the book itself was about however, the commander would have been spared the surprise he gained as he found out exactly what kind of book he had obtained.
It was a love story, being a considerably tame claim as the contents were more then a little risque, which surprised the Warden that Twilight would own such a book. The story was set long before the founding of Equestria, in the old land that the three pony tribes once called home. The two main characters were Princess Garnet, a sheltered unicorn who was the second child of the Unicorn King and Steel Spear, an adventurous young minotaur who had stumbled away from his home and into the foreign lands of ponykind.
They both found each other through unusual circumstances, both struck with curiosity toward the other. Fearful of what might happen if such a strange creature was found, the princess kept her minotaur companion hidden. In the secret cover of night, they met one another to share tales of their two different worlds, quickly forming a bond that turned into a deep love. But as the princess' strange actions were noticed by her father, fear gripped her heart as she realized the dangers and folly of their love.
Surprisingly invested in the story, the commander continued to read. Every word that passed under his eyes played out in his mind like a scene from a play, making it easy for him to see that things were picking up.
“Princess Garnet lifted the hood of her cloak as she stood beneath the archway, her heart pounding against her chest forcefully with her building anxiety. The princess' gaze looked around desperately, the lack of any other creature making her brewing fears nearly burst within her.
But, just as her worry was about to overtake her, a soft and familiar sound came to her ears. Looking toward the source immediately, she felt her beating heart skip as Steel Spear emerged from the darkness, his own face lit up with happiness as he laid eyes on the unicorn.
'I-I was worried I wouldn't see you again,' the princess murmured, her voice sounding pained as she spoke.
Steel Spear's own expression shifted to worry. 'Is it Sir Aegis?' he asked, almost regretting the question as the mare nodded.
'I think he is close to discovering what I have been doing,' the unicorn whimpered softly. 'Soon, he'll discover you as well. I-I can't let that happen. We can't,' she bit her lip, tears streaming down her eyes, 'we can't see each other any more.'
Visibly struck by her words, the minotaur fell to his knees before the princess, his own eyes welling with droplets of moisture. 'Please, Garnet,' he whispered, 'please, don't say such a thing.'
Princess Garnet's body began to tremble, showing clearly even through her attempts to look strong and unwavering. It was impossible however, with the pain that wracked the inside of her chest, the pain of her heart being shattered. 'You need to understand,' she said shakily. 'When the king, my father, catches us, he'll have you... have you...' She could barely think on the reality of their consequences, much less openly say it. But she knew she had to, to convey the importance of her decision. 'He will have you executed.'
'You don't know that,' Steel Spear tried saying, pressing his hands against the mare's shoulders. 'We can talk to him! He will see who I am, who my people are, what we mean to each other! He will understand that!'
Despite the minotaur's words, the princess again shook her head. 'You don't know my father,' she said in a shuddering sigh. 'He can't even trust the pegasi and earth pony tribes. He will never see you the way I do.'
Unable to take it, Steel Spear threw his arms forward, wrapping them around Princess Garnet's neck and holding her in a warming hug. 'I can't accept that,' he whispered softly.
Princess Garnet shuddered as she felt the loving embrace of the minotaur. She wanted him to stop, she wanted to push him away, to yell and scream at him to disappear and never come back, but she couldn't. Sobbing, the princess wrapped her forelegs around him as well, fearing that if she let go now, he would forever be lost.
'Please,' she begged through her wet sobbing, 'I-I don't want to see you killed. You have to go. You have to forget about me and return to your own people.'
Breaking away slightly from his hold on her, Steel Spear looked the princess in the eyes and shook his head defiantly. Wiping away the tears that were staining her coat, he whispered, 'You know I can't do that. But what I can do, is fight for you. I will storm into your father's throne room if I must, I will command him to see reason. Then, I will accept whatever fate that is chosen for me. Because if we can't be together, I will resign myself to my own end.' Planting a soft, momentary kiss on the mare's lips, the minotaur smiled. 'I love you Garnet, you and only you. Any life I could have without you would be worthless, feeling as though I were already dead. I love you, pony or not, and I will never leave you.'
With what he needed to say having been spoken, even Garnet herself was unable to help but smile at them. She felt her heart warming at his claims, her mind realizing that the strange creature she had found was truly all that she ever wanted in life. Without needing another word to be said, the princess leaned her head forward, bringing her lips against his as they kissed passionately.
Becoming lost in one another as they continued to kiss, their thoughts were already matching the other as they were prepared to show one another their love in the grandest of ways. The minotaur's hands ran across the unicorn's body, caressing her legs and sides, feeling her soft mane and coat between his fingers. Soft moans escaped Garnet as her lover did so, always turning into puddy at his touch.
Things escalated quickly for them, the heat of their bodies making things all the easier as the princess' restraining cloak was discarded, thrown aside to no longer shroud the full beauty of her body.
Their tongues invaded the mouth of the other as their kissing grew more heated, never letting up as neither wanted to turn away. But soon enough, their hungry kissing was broken, their mouths hanging open as they panted heavily, Steel Spear falling onto his back while the princess fell atop his chest.
Sweat was already beginning to build on their bodies, despite the cold night air that was swirling around them. The chilling wind only served to make them want to continue at an increased pace, their eyes meeting and staying locked. Becoming stranded in the vastness of each others eyes, Steel Spear's lips parted into a loving smile. Princess Garnet gained a sultry smile of her own, holding an expecting gaze about her as she stared into her lover's face.
Feeling the minotaur's hands clutching her gingerly at the sides, the princess braced herself knowingly. The few seconds of anticipation were almost too much for her as her flank was lifted up by her strong, bipedal mate. Then, she was lowered down once again, feeling the sudden plunge of Steel Spear's-”
“What are you reading?” a young voice asked curiously, Spike's head poking up over the book as he attempted to see what was inside.
A startled yelp leaving him, the Warden-Commander quickly slammed the book shut with a thunderous clap. His entire back arched as he sat upright, throwing the small dragon through the air. Startled himself, Spike's own shock caused more then a cry of surprise.
As the infantile assistant's back struck the floor, his mouth was thrown open as a stream of green fire erupted from his maw. The flames shot forward, blasting the commander and the bed he was on with an inferno. Panicked screams escaped the Warden as he jumped out of bed, crashing onto the floor and throwing himself around as he felt the flames on his own clothing.
The basement was filled with the sounds of crackling flames and screams of terror. Turning the once simple room into a den of fiery chaos as the Warden thrashed about on the floor and Spike merely screamed on the spot, unsure as to what he could do.
Then, the room became filled with steam and sharp hissing as a small wave of water splashed down on top of them from above. Both Spike and the Warden-Commander were soaked, including the lump of charred cushion that was once able to be called a bed. Lying on the floor and panting heavily, the Warden's upward gaze made him see the large bucket floating over him, as well as the lavender unicorn who stood at the top of the stairs.
“What's going on here?” she demanded, looking between her assistant and house guest. Seeing as what the issue was in the first place however, the mare's eyes soon fixated on the baby dragon.
“I'd like to know that too!” the commander snapped, glaring down at the dragon as he rung the water out of his shirt. The fabric had been burned badly, with large black scorch marks dotting it endlessly. Even some of the thick padding on the inside had been burned through, making it almost unwearable. It was also the only shirt that the human had.
Feeling the two gazes locked onto him, Spike got onto his feet and stared at the floor in unease. “I... it wasn't my fault,” he simpered. In a flash however, his mood ignited into one of anger as he pointed an accusing claw at the human next to him. “You're the one who did it!”
“What?!” the commander bellowed in outrage, standing over the reptilian fire starter. “I'm not the one spitting fire balls everywhere!”
“You surprised me!” Spike retorted. “I can't always control it when I'm surprised!”
The commander stared at the dragon in perplexed shock. “You live in a library within a tree!” he snapped, seeing the accident just waiting to happen. “Yet you can't control your flame?”
“Only sometimes,” Spike shot back angrily. “Besides, all I wanted to see was what you were reading! Then you start screaming and throwing a fit!”
“Will both of you be quiet,” Twilight snapped, unable to take their fighting any longer. “It was an accident. No one is hurt and the fire has been put out.”
Heaving a sigh, the commander calmed himself and mutter, “You're right, nearly being cooked just isn't something I'm used to.” Looking himself over, he noticed his parts of his skin having reddened due to the flame, luckily all he really suffered was a ruined shirt and parts of his hair being singed. He was almost certain portions of his eyebrows had been burned off as well.
Spike looked down at the floor, kicking his feet back and forth childishly. “I'm sorry,” he murmured. “I didn't mean to set you on fire.”
“No harm done I guess,” the Warden replied resignedly. “At least Twilight got that water ready in time.” His gaze drifted toward what was left of his bed, rendered useless by the dragon's flame. “I guess I'm out one bed now though.”
A frown formed in Twilight's expression as she looked at the damaged bed. It was far too ruined for her magic to make any worthwhile repairs, leaving it simply as a waste of space. “It's too late to get a replacement now,” she murmured aloud.
To the commander, it meant that they were now three people with only two beds. Part of him was inclined to take Spike's, given his responsibility in the situation. The idea didn't stay in his head for very long however, having seen the miniscule basket that the glorified pet called a bed. With no other choice, the Warden gave a simple shrug saying, “It's no problem. I can just sleep on the floor for the night.”
The unicorn craned her head and eyed the human with a mild concern. “That's not something that's very good for you,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Another aloof shrug was gained from the Warden as he replied, “It's fine. During my travels, I spent all of my nights sleeping outside. My bed, if you could call it that, was nothing more than a blanket on the ground.”
“It's still not good for you,” Twilight argued. Before the commander could even say another word, the unicorn's horn glowed and a large blackboard was pulled up in front of them.
The Warden-Commander found himself playing student as his new pony teacher levitated a piece of chalk and began marking the board with quick swipes. Unable to get a word in, he was forced to listen as Twilight etched equations and visual diagrams. Speaking a mile a minute, she explained how sleeping on a flat, hard surface for a bipedal creature would not only be uncomfortable, it was potentially dangerous to their health. It was one long winded, one-sided lecture on the differences between bipeds and quadrupeds that allowed ponies such as herself to sleep comfortably enough on floors or the ground if necessary, and how two legged creatures such as himself needed padding and cushion.
“Alright, alright,” the Warden said, interrupting the mare his head felt crammed with unneeded knowledge. The many facts and details were now swimming in his head, barely able to be comprehended by him. “You're right, floor's bad, bed's good. But that still leaves me without a bed.”
Twilight smiled, mostly out of having the human agree with, not knowing it was to simply keep her quiet. “That won't be a problem,” she said, pushing the blackboard aside and trotting up the stairs, “we can share my bed.”
His mouth open in surprise, the Warden was certain, if not hoping, he had heard the unicorn wrong. “Wh-what do you mean 'share'?” he asked hesitantly, following after her up the stairs and into the first floor of the library.
As they stepped into the library, Twilight went further up to the bedroom level and pointed at her bed. “It's big enough for two,” she said factually. “It would be like a slumber party! Except... we'd go straight to sleep.” She smiled at the Warden, even as he became visibly apprehensive. “We're not strangers to one another, I have no problem with you sleeping with me.”
The commander's eyes widened slightly. “What?!” he breathed, becoming nervous. “I-I mean, I really don't think- It's just that-”
“Is something wrong?” Twilight asked, eying him inquisitively. “Have you never shared a bed with anyone before?”
A light shade of red formed on the commander's cheeks, shadowed as he lowered his head to stair at the floor. “No, I mean, I have, but... It's not like that, we just... ugh.” He groaned in his building fluster of annoyance.
Twilight's own idea was one of innocence, seeing nothing wrong with two friends to share the same bed if need be. She could remember her first slumber party within the bark covered home she lived in. When her friends Applejack and Rarity had to share her spare bed when sleeping, even if it didn't amount to much actual sleeping. To the commander however, his own ideas of sharing a sleeping space amounted to only one thing, being details he wasn't about to explain to the mare.
Pausing to rub his eyes, the commander heaved a disgruntled sigh and said, “Just... never mind. I'd be grateful to share your bed with you.” The Warden realized how foolish he was, knowing the innocence in Twilight's offer and allowing his mind to wander too far.
Twilight gave a smile in response as her gaze drifted toward the nearby window, seeing the light of the sun fading over the horizon. Seeing the coming darkness of nightfall elicited a yawn from the young scholar, making her exhaustion known to her. “It's getting late,” she murmured, turning back to the Warden sleepily. “After all that's happened these last two days, I think we should turn in early for a good night's sleep.”
In declaration of how tired she was, the lavender-coated mare yawned again. It infected the commander as well, forcing him to display his drowsiness. “I suppose you're right,” he said, seeing the unicorn's bed looking more and more comforting by the second. Before going to it however, his eyes darted toward the small dragon next to them. “Just watch yourself. I don't feel like waking up to find that I've been baked alive in my sleep.”
Spike folded his arms and stuck out his long, forked tongue. The little dragon didn't say a word edgewise as he clambered toward his own bed, a small basket with a blanket and pillow resting inside. It looked far too small to be considered comfortable by any standards, but as the infantile assistant climbed into it, he curled up snugly within and immediately began to snore in a deep sleep.
Following the dragon's lead, Twilight approached her own bed, levitating a second pillow and placing it next to her own. She smiled at the Warden once again as she lifted up the covers and took her place within, sighing happily as she rested her head against her soft pillow.
Frowning slightly but forcefully sucking it up, the commander abandoned his aversions and took the other side of the bed. Thinking better of it, the commander simply rested on top of the covers, lying flat on his back as he stared up at the ceiling.
Seeing that everyone was situated, Twilight's horn glowed for just a moment, causing the lights within the library to faded into nothingness. “Good night,” the unicorn whispered as she situated herself in a comfortable sleeping position.
The commander's entire body felt stiff, being far more uncomfortable with his situation then he first realized. Even as his body lied as close to the edge of the bed as possible, it didn't feel right to him. It became clear to him that a good night's rest was going to be difficult for him to obtain.
In the dead of night, the Warden-Commander stirred in his sleep. His eyes fluttering open, he was greeted with a surprise he was not prepared for.
Twilight's peaceful face fully encompassed his vision, the tip of her nose just a few hairs away form his own. Holding back the sudden jolt of alarm, the Warden stayed as calm as possible as his drowsy mind began to work.
Through the night, he and Twilight had apparently cleared the space made between them both in their sleep, meeting in the middle of the bed. They were both on their sides, facing one another in an empty stare. The commander also noticed his arm wrapped around the unicorn's side, holding her close as her own foreleg did the same.
With slow movements as to not wake her, the commander inched himself away from Twilight and back to his side of the bed, nearly slipping off of the edge as he returned to it. With room to spare, the Warden sat up and began to rub his eyes thoroughly, feeling a queasy sensation in the pit of his stomach. All he could think about now was what had gone on in his sleep.
As Twilight began to shift once again in her sleep, attempting to subconsciously find the coziest spot on the bed, the commander noticed that she had managed to shift a large portion of the cover off of herself. Almost absentmindedly, he reached and and pulled the warm blanket over her, causing the mare to latch her hooves around in happily and become still.
It took several moments for him to realize that he was actually smiling at the sight, seeing the mare as she slept. Holding his hands in his face, the commander's light groan was muffled as he whispered to himself, “Ugh... What am I doing?”
Though the question was the epitome of rhetorical, there were already half a dozen answers buzzing in his mind, none of which he liked in the least bit. No vocal answers were given either, as the library was submerged in silence, only broken by Spike's loud snoring, sounding almost impossibly eruptive for the small dragon to produce.
Cautious to returning to sleep, not wanting to know what would happen the next time he awoke, the commander sat there in silence. It was within that very silence that he was alerted to a noise, the audible sound of a footstep thudding against the wooden floor.
Jerking his head up, the Warden attempted to look through the blackness that surrounded him from all sides. The thudding strike of footsteps continued, sounding small but no less noticeable. They were approaching him, coming closer and closer by the second. Just as they were almost next to them, the commander prepared to leap from the bed to face their intruder. But just as he readied himself, his entire body froze in place, seeing a womanly figure emerging from the darkness toward him.
The commander gaped as he saw her. She was a human, with smooth, delicate skin and jet black hair that was tied back in a rounded bun, allowing her short bangs to hang freely in her face. The woman wore all black, as dark as her hair. Around her waist, a skirt stitched together by pieces of black cloth swayed with her movements, hanging just below her knees. Her upper body was somewhat revealing, with a loop of cloth that she wore around her neck and just over her chest. “Morrigan,” the Warden breathed, his voice only rising to a sharp whisper.
As she approached, the commander attempted to stand, failing at it as soon as he tried. Morrigan said nothing, not a word or a sound from her, only keeping her amber eyes locked onto the Grey Warden before her, keeping him rooted in the bed. All he could do was stare at her in utter shock, having not seen her for sometime, only to encounter her now in such a strange land.
The moment she was beside him, the commander tried to speak, to say something, anything to the woman he had cared for years ago. To his surprise however, before an utterance of any word or syllable came, the woman reached out and sharply pulled the Warden forward.
The commander's head was nearly torn off as Morrigan forced his face into hers, pressing their lips together in a deep kiss, her fingers digging sharply into his nape. It was a rough, needy act of affection, one that caught the Warden by surprise, having never seen the witch behave in such away. The surprises continued as he felt her tongue thrust into his mouth without warning, fighting against his own as if locked in combat.
Though the occurrences and actions were strange, the commander did not care. At that very moment, he was filled with a welling sense of happiness and joy as he tried his best to return the affection that the woman was giving to him. To his despair however, he felt his body showing more and more signs of just how tired he truly was, feeling his exhaustion beginning to overtake him.
Raising his hand up, the Warden wanted to run his fingers through her black hair, to caress her body as lovingly as he could. The appendage barely lifted a foot off of the bed before dropping down limply, having no more energy left in it to move. Morrigan continued locking lips with the Warden as well, never letting up for a chance to breath or to say single word. But neither of these things were on the commander's mind as his attention was focused solely on the beautiful woman before him, fighting the rampant need to rest as his body felt weaker and weaker by the second.
Before he knew it, the commander's eyelids became as heavy as iron, causing them to droop down and blur his vision. As though on cue, Morrigan's tight grip on his neck waned, her lips separated from his own and her arms extended to gingerly lower his numbed body onto the bed.
With no strength to move or to speak, all the commander could do was look up in his dazed state, his eyelids closing more and more as a thick darkness began to overpower his conscious mind. The last thing he saw, before the waking world was taken from him, was Morrigan looming over him, her lips parted into a wide grin.