Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Marjory really should have known Kas was going to be a cuddler. It started before they were even together.

They’d been flirting for a while, sure – dancing around the issue, sharing lingering looks and pretending they didn’t know exactly what was going on. But the interior of the Tower of Nightmares wasn’t the most romantic place in Tyria, so Marjory thought she could be forgiven for not expecting what came next.

She was distilling yet another improbable antidote, measuring time to the pulses of the enormous heartbeat, when Kasmeer stepped up beside her with a soft squelch of footsteps on spongy ground. The mesmer sat down, and Marjory knew what she was going to say before she even opened her mouth.

“Before you say it, I’m not sleeping until this one is done.”

“I was going to say the Vigil dropped off another round of supplies.”

“Oh.” Marjory chanced a look at her face to make sure she hadn’t just switched tacks suddenly, but she seemed honest enough. “Well, you should probably rest.”

“I’m taking notes on your experiments, remember? I can’t do that if I’m asleep.”

“I’ll handle that. Go sleep.”

Kas shook her head silently. She crossed her arms on the table and rested her head on top of them, staring at the clear liquid bubbling inside Marjory’s vials. Was she trying a guilt trip, by not sleeping until Marjory did? It was almost working. This would be so much easier if she’d just go home…

 It would be a few moments before the distillation was ready. Marjory slipped off one glove, tried to rub some life back into her fingers. Without anything else to do, and with lack of sleep clouding her judgment, she gently ran one hand through Kasmeer’s loose hair. Just as she realized she might have overstepped, Kas sighed softly and leaned into her touch, closing her eyes.

Well. Marjory wasn’t going to say no to that. She started teasing the tangles out – days of humidity and no showers had given even fastidious Kas a few – and rubbing gently at Kas’s scalp. Kas visibly relaxed, her shoulders loosening and her breathing deepening. Marjory couldn’t deny it was a little soothing for her too.

Eventually the solution was ready, and Marjory tested it on a sample of the Tower. The solution sizzled, turned black … and faded. Even the tiny slice of the Tower was clearly still alive under her hand. Marjory threw her head back, letting out something between a snarl and a sigh. Kas looked up at the noise.

“You can mark that one down, honey. Another failure.” Kas shook herself fully awake, reached one hand up to rub Marjory’s shoulder.

“You’ll get it eventually. I know you will.”

“Maybe.” And in that time, how many days would pass with the Tower pumping out toxin into the waterways? How many Vigil soldiers would die keeping the route open for them?

“Don’t give up yet. That’s the only way Scarlet wins.” Kas went to retrieve her notes while Marjory cleaned out her beakers and prepared for the next trial. She was running low on reagents, but she had enough for another pass or two.

Kas gave her an exhausted look when she saw the new materials sitting out. “You’re not going to sleep, are you?”

“No. Look, I need to get this done. We don’t have time to-”

“I don’t want to argue,” Kas sighed, setting the notebook down. “Just wake me when you need something.”

Marjory expected her to walk away back to their bedrolls. Instead, she sat down again, leaned over, and plopped her head right into Marjory’s lap. Marjory froze for a second, and Kas took the opportunity to wiggle herself into a comfortable position on her side, then close her eyes.

“Comfy there, sugar?” Kas hummed in the affirmative. Marjory stroked her hair again and got the same response as before. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation, but she concluded that this was a perfectly acceptable situation and she ought to just go back to her work. She did her best to avoid jostling the gorgeous woman in her lap as she burned through all the materials on her table – two more failures.

The Vigil had brought more supplies, right? Right – supplies that were on the other end of the room. Which meant Marjory had to get up, which she couldn’t do without dislodging Kas, which she didn’t want to do. Kas could have brought those things over, easy. But no, she was here, effectively pinning Marjory to the spot. It appeared Marjory had been outfoxed.

Exhaustion was still dogging her heels, and even Marjory had to admit that continuing now could lead to useless mistakes. And with the way things were going … well, it didn’t look like one more night was going to lead to a breakthrough. Marjory scribbled down the results of the last two trials and looked down at her trickster of an assistant. “Smarter than you look, aren’t you?” she whispered. “Alright Kas, you got me. Let’s go get some sleep.”

Kas didn’t respond. Only then did Marjory pick up on her soft, snuffling breaths, or the way her entire body had gone limp. Either it had really been a long day, or Marjory was comfier than she’d thought, because Kas was sound asleep.

For a moment Marjory just stared, unable or maybe unwilling to disturb the beautiful woman who somehow trusted her enough to fall asleep on her. Even when she shook herself back to reality and nudged Kas awake so they could go back to their bedrolls, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. She hadn’t wanted that moment to end. Even now, bundled up side-by-side for the night, she wished they were closer. She wanted Kas here, if she was purely selfish about it; Kas’s presence brought her comfort.

It was a scary thought. Another person she cared for was just another person who could die on her. She shouldn’t be doing this, getting attached to her assistant. It was dangerous, and stupid, and probably inappropriate to boot.

She had to laugh at herself as she closed her own eyes for the night. Don’t get attached? It was far, far too late for that.

Chapter Text

Why don’t you stay with me tonight? You shouldn’t be alone.

Marjory kept up a steady stream of stories and conversation as they walked home from the Lion’s Arch asura gate, even though Kasmeer was altogether terrible company. She tried to nod and smile every so often, but her heart wasn’t in it, and she knew it was obvious. Jory seemed to understand. She simply guided Kasmeer back to her home, arm-in-arm, eyes softer than Kasmeer had ever seen them. Kasmeer loved her so much for that, even if she couldn’t find the words to express it right now.

Kasmeer had been inside Jory’s home before, whether for work or … other reasons. Even so, she somehow assumed she was sleeping on the couch. Jory guided her there, kissed her on the forehead, and said something Kasmeer didn’t quite catch through her grief. She vanished into another room, leaving Kasmeer staring at the empty fireplace.

She felt like such an odd combination of sad and numb. She didn’t have her bear, and Jory didn’t seem to possess any throw pillows, so Kasmeer curled her knees up to her chest and hugged those instead. It felt like she should be crying; she had before, just after her father had died. Was some ingrained sense of propriety keeping her from collapsing in someone else’s house? Did she simply have no more tears to shed?

Jory reappeared, missing her coat and holding two large bowls of stew. Right, dinner – that’s what she’d been talking about. Kasmeer uncurled herself to accept the meal, and Jory sat down next to her, wrapping one arm gently around her shoulders. The stew tasted like ash in her mouth, but that wasn’t Jory’s fault. Kasmeer tried to choke it down regardless; it was probably good for her, and it would be rude to refuse.

About a third of the way through, Jory noticed. “Oh, honey. You don’t have to eat that if you don’t want to.”

“No, i-it’s fine – you made it.”

“Because I thought it would help. If it’s not…” Jory had to physically take the bowl away from her before she would stop. Kasmeer stared down at her empty hands until Jory put one hand on her cheek, encouraging her to look up. “Sweetheart, just tell me one thing. What do you want?”

“I-I don’t know.” The touch on her cheek felt good, at least. Warm. “You?”

Jory grabbed her around the waist and pulled her closer, tucking Kasmeer’s head into her neck. “I’m right here. It’s okay.” Warm arms came up around her shoulders, calloused hands rubbing her back. It felt so different from hugging her father. Jory smelled like incense instead of spices, the hair tickling Kasmeer’s nose was black instead of blonde. That thought – or maybe it was Jory’s embrace – was enough to break something open inside her. She sniffled, her eyes watering.

Jory kissed her head. “It’s okay, honey. Cry if you need to.” Kasmeer flung her arms around Jory’s waist and broke down into sobs.

Jory held her for a long time. Kasmeer wasn’t sure exactly how long, just that her chest hurt and Jory’s shoulder was soaked with tears by the end. Somehow, they were now lying horizontal, with Jory’s back against the armrest and Kasmeer half on top of her, head on her chest. Kasmeer sniffled and wiped her nose, and Jory rubbed her shoulder. She felt a little better, more aware of her surroundings. It was kind of cold, though Jory’s arms were warm.

“Do you feel any better?”

“A little. I miss him.”

“He sounds like he was a good man.” Jory brushed some stray tears off her cheeks.

“He was,” Kasmeer said, squeezing a handful of Jory’s shirt. “But no one believed me when I told them what happened. They all thought he must have ruined our family. They blamed us all for it.”

“You don’t need to listen to those people. They’re not worth your time.”

“They used to be my friends.” Jasmina, Claire, even Valette Wi, they’d all turned on her after the Crown had stripped her family of their titles. Only Lord Faren, of all people, could still stand to be seen with her.

“And a fake friend’s worse than no friends,” Jory said. “I think you’ve found some better ones now: Rox and Braham and the rest.”

“You think they’ll stay?” Kasmeer sniffled.

“Seems like they want to. And you’ve always got me.”

Kasmeer nestled in a little closer, seeking the warmth and comfort. Jory grunted when Kasmeer accidentally elbowed her in the ribs, but didn’t complain. Kasmeer’s eyelids were drooping. All that crying seemed to have worn her out.

“Did you mean what you said?” she asked. “That you wouldn’t let me leave?”

“Every word. Did you mean what you said about never wanting to go?”

Kasmeer nodded, smiling sadly. “We can go pick up your things tomorrow morning then,” Jory said. “How’s that sound?”

“That sounds perfect.” She couldn’t imagine anything better than living here, cuddling up with Jory every night. For now, she closed her eyes and relaxed, feeling the steady rhythm of Jory’s breathing beneath her cheek. Jory remained very still, occasionally stroking her hair or placing a kiss on her head. She was warm, and Kasmeer was tired, and eventually her mind began to drift…

Kasmeer woke up that morning in Jory’s bed – their bed now. Jory was tucked against her back, one arm around her waist, fast asleep. How she’d gotten up here, Kasmeer wasn’t sure, but she also didn’t really care. She was safe and warm and comfy, and gods willing every morning from now on would be just like this.

Chapter Text

The golden city turned silver at night. Between the reflective metal under her feet, the canals that gushed silver water down Tarir’s sides, and the shine of moonlight on waxy leaves, Marjory felt like she’d somehow found a pocket of ice in the middle of the sweltering jungle. The only remnants of gold were the Exalted and their creations, giant fireflies floating about the pale landscape. Oh well. The contrast made it easier to find the strange tablets hidden all over the city.

They seemed to hold some sort of poem, perhaps an elegy by Glint or one of the Forgotten. Nothing really life-changing, though the Priory could probably get a few good papers out of it, once they were done gawking at the Exalted themselves. The metallic beings passed by her occasionally as she roamed Tarir’s halls, but they never stopped her or even bothered to slow down. She wasn’t a threat to their precious dragon egg, so they couldn’t care less.

Tarir, while peaceful, was hardly silent at night. The jungle maintained a constant chirr of insect noises, along with the flutter of birds and the scuffle of nocturnal animals. Every so often, a thrum of magic would ripple through Tarir’s very walls, maintaining the defenses both inside and outside the city. With all that going on, Marjory didn’t pick out the specific hum of an Exalted talking to someone; the creatures spoke to each other occasionally. She did notice the click of footsteps behind her, because the Exalted certainly didn’t have those.

“There you are!” Marjory flinched as Kasmeer’s voice shattered the quiet. “I’ve been looking all over for you!”

“Well, you found me. Nice to see you too?”

Kas had her hands on her hips and her shoulders squared. “What are you doing all the way out here? It’s late.”

“Exploring. Here, look.” Marjory gestured to the nearby tablet, ignoring her scowl. Thankfully, Kas and anger had never been friends, and it didn’t take long for her aggressive stance to loosen. She ran a hand over the characters etched into the golden surface.

“Writing? From the Exalted?”

“More like from Glint, or maybe her servants. They’re scattered all over the city. I’ve been tracking them down to see if I can piece it together.”

“In the middle of the night?” Kas asked, cocking one eyebrow at her.

“The glow makes them easier to find in the dark?”

“Don’t lie to me.”

Marjory huffed, feeling her own anger start to rise. As she crossed her arms, Kas seemed to soften. “We were all worried. You disappeared without telling any of us. Rox noticed you were missing, and I agreed to find you.”

“I’m fine. I just … couldn’t sleep.”

“Again?” Marjory could picture Kas’s eyes widening in pity, even while looking away. “I thought that had gotten better.”

“Only because I’ve been dead tired every night. Now that we’ve spent a few nights here…”

“Can you at least try?” Kas asked, rubbing her arm. “Come sit with us and keep watch. You shouldn’t be out here alone, it’s not safe.”

“It’s perfectly safe. There are Exalted everywhere.” Marjory gestured down the hall to one of the glowing creatures, who seemed to be inspecting a brazier.

“What if we have to go back into the jungle tomorrow? You’ll be exhausted.”

“I’ll be fine. You go get some sleep, tell them I’m alright.”

“Not without you.”

“Kas, I’m not – I can’t-” It was hard to get words out around the tightness in her chest, like Mordremoth was crushing her in one of its vines. They always caught up if she spent too much time in one place. What had stillness ever gotten her except nightmares and the cries of the dead? “You go. I’m staying.”

“Jory…”

“I don’t want to talk about this right now.” The conversation felt like a cage. Marjory checked down the hall, prepared to up and walk away, but that blasted Exalted chose that very moment to come drifting their way, cutting her off. She took a step backwards instead and tripped over the inscribed tablet. She barely managed to turn her stumble into a slump against the wall, until she finally gave up and sat down on the floor.

Surprisingly, Kas didn’t follow her immediately. The mesmer watched the Exalted float by, before turning her gaze to the glowing tablet. When she finally spoke, it was quiet. “I just miss you when you’re gone, that’s all.”

“What?”

“You heard me.” She sat down beside Marjory in a swish of fabric, spreading out her dress over the hard floor. “I don’t like sleeping by myself in this awful place. We need each other now more than ever.”

Marjory tipped her head back against the wall and sighed. The enchanted metal was warm, no relief from the jungle heat. Kas picked up one of her hands and started rubbing it through her glove, loosening the fist she’d made without realizing. “We don’t have to talk about it,” she continued, “but I worry about you sometimes.”

Marjory turned her wrist, linked their hands together. “I know. I worry about you too.” Kas looked up, and Marjory finally met her gaze. There was sadness there, which made her immediately feel guilty. Sleeplessness was one thing, hurting Kas was another. Poor thing was probably just lonely. They hadn’t exactly had a lot of quality time together recently, what with cutting their way through a jungle.

She stretched out her legs and steadied herself against the wall. “Alright, love. Come here.” Kas looked confused, but when Marjory gave her arm an encouraging tug, she climbed eagerly into her lap. Marjory wrapped her arms around her waist, feeling her soft body get softer as she settled in. She pressed her cheek into Kas’s shoulder and closed her eyes, just for a minute. The heat and soft smell did help ground her. The dangers of the jungle felt a little farther away, and she could be sure Kas was safe now, wrapped in her arms. One less person to worry about.

“Are you okay?” Kas asked, laying a hand gently on her jaw.

Marjory nodded and kissed her collarbone. “I never meant to worry you. It’s just hard right now.”

“I know.” Marjory straightened, and Kas slumped against her. “Maybe when we’re back home it’ll be better.”

When Mordremoth is dead and boiling in the Underworld. This time, Marjory felt herself tense, and stopped herself before she could accidentally squeeze Kas too tightly. She let out a long breath, looking over Kas’s shoulder. “Maybe. Get some rest, okay?”

Kas buried her face in her neck, and Marjory felt the brush of eyelashes as she closed her eyes. She was already feeling the itch to get moving, anything to keep the vines away. Another Exalted floated by, its glow passing over them like a searchlight. They almost seemed to be on a timer, with how regularly they patrolled the halls. Three more of those and then I’ll get up, Marjory promised herself.

She knew she was kidding herself. Barely two Exalted had gone by before Kas was sound asleep. She always slept easiest wrapped in Marjory’s arms, even in the weirdest positions. And there was no way in hell Marjory was going to wake her up, so she propped her head back against the wall and tried to keep her mind from wandering into anything too dark.

She wouldn’t quite say she fell asleep like that, sitting up and with her eyes open. Maybe drowsy would be the right description, as she watched Exalted after Exalted float by, Tarir slowly shifting back to its gaudy golden color. Rox found them in the morning, her fur all rumpled from sleep. After playfully chiding Kas for missing the entire point of a search-and-rescue mission, she informed them that the Commander had finished whatever they were doing with the dragon egg. They would be moving out that afternoon.

Marjory nudged Kas to her feet and stood up beside her, stretching out her stiff legs. Kas took her hand, and Marjory nodded. She’d had enough rest. It was time to get back to work.

Chapter Text

“Four dead, eleven wounded,” the priest of Kormir said. “Thank you, Outlander. You may have saved us all.”

Marjory looked out over the Elonian dunes, towards the crackle of Brandstorm in the distance. With the sun about to set, so low on the horizon, she could almost imagine the purple hue was a trick of the light, that an ordinary sandstorm had swallowed the town instead. “Four dead, eleven wounded, and about three hundred homeless.”

“Well, yes.” The priest swallowed. “But at least they’re alive. The priesthood will watch over the refugees from here. You two should keep going. There is a string of towns leading east of here. If what you say about the dragon is true, they will need the same warning to evacuate.”

“It’s true. You saw it yourself.” She pointed at the Brandstorm, then started the spiel she and Kasmeer had agreed on. “Tell everyone you find about the situation. Stay far away from any Brand you see, and avoid cities as much as you can. The dragon tends to attack populated areas. If you meet the Order of Shadows, tell them that Redeemer Kossan gave you his blessing, and they’ll help you. Be smart, and may fortune favor you.”

“R-right. We will.” Like everyone else, the priest looked half-terrified, but he kept his composure. “May Kormir watch over you.”

So that news hadn’t made it out here yet. Marjory decided she wasn’t going to be the one to spread it; these people had heard enough bad news already. She turned and exited the humble temple to Kormir, past the hundreds of refugees squeezed between its walls. Kas was already outside, saddling their raptors and attaching their supplies for the road ahead. “How bad is it?” she asked as Marjory arrived.

“Not too bad. Only four casualties. It looks like we got here in time.”

“Maybe we’re finally starting to get ahead of him. We should get moving, see if we can keep up the lead. Have you seen Lavender? My raptor?”

Marjory looked around at the two animals surrounding Kas. Sure enough, they were missing one. “She’s not with you?”

Kas shook her head, eyes wide and worried. “I had to jump off her to start pulling people through portals. I thought she’d come back, but she must have run off in all the chaos. I haven’t seen her since yesterday.”

Before the storm struck. Marjory suddenly had a sinking feeling. “We’d better find her, fast. You search the nearby dunes. I’ll check back near the town.”

She mounted her own raptor, a big, battle-scarred, grouchy male that had nevertheless served her well in their relentless march through the desert. They needed that third raptor; it allowed them to shift supplies and swap mounts so that they could travel longer without exhausting the beasts. If Marjory had to risk the Brandstorm to find her, so be it. “Be careful,” Kas warned, laying one hand on her thigh.

“I will.” Marjory squeezed her hand and snapped the reins, heading for the purple glow on the horizon.

It only took her fifteen minutes to reach the edge of the storm, though it had felt like much longer while guiding a mass of terrified refugees. Lightning hissed from the sky to impact crystalline towers, and Branded devourers scuttled along the ground. Marjory kept her mount far away from anything moving, not in the mood to fight today. Just outside the abandoned village, she found raptor footsteps in the sand, a long, looping trail of panicked steps. She followed the trail deeper into the storm, dodged a couple of Branded elementals, and … well. There she was.

It seemed like the raptor had made the mistake of staying within Kralkatorrik’s range while he flew overhead. The crystals themselves had done the job this time. The polite term was probably impaled. There hadn’t even been enough left to come back as Branded.

Marjory sighed and turned her mount away from the carnage. Kas looked up hopefully when she returned, only for her face to drop as she realized Marjory only had one raptor with her. “What happened?”

“Brand got her. She wasn’t corrupted, but she’s definitely gone.”

Kas crossed her arms and kicked at the sand. “Poor thing. And she was so sweet too. She didn’t deserve that.”

“Nobody does.” Marjory dismounted and gave her a brief hug from behind. “I’m sorry, honey. What did you call her?”

“Lavender. She had these lovely purple scales…” Kas sadly picked up a stray bundle and moved to tie it to one of the other raptors. “I really need to stop naming them.”

Marjory glanced over at her own raptor, whom she’d been mentally calling Lockjaw for his persistent scowl. Don’t you run off and die on me. I know you’re too stubborn for that. He narrowed his eyes and grumbled, as if agreeing.

“You don’t think this will set us behind, do you?” Kas asked. “I don’t want to lose our lead.” She looked more than a little frazzled, constantly glancing up at the sun as if hoping it would start moving backwards in the sky. Marjory couldn’t blame her; every innocent person they were too slow to save weighed heavy on both of them. Yet Kas especially had been running herself hard: setting up portal networks for fleeing refugees, comforting those that survived, pushing the two of them to go faster and faster each night. The effects were starting to show in the dark circles under her eyes. Marjory was starting to worry about her a little.

“Not if we play this smart,” she said. “If we transfer some of the bags, my raptor can probably carry us both. You can swap mounts every so often to give him a break, and then we’ll always have the other rested in case a call comes in and we need a burst of speed.”

“But that would only be one of us,” Kas said. “You want to let me go ahead alone?”

No, Marjory really didn’t want to, considering even having Kas out of her sight in such a dangerous place made her nervous. But she could only imagine Kas’s face if they came upon another destroyed settlement, knowing they could have saved the people inside if they’d just been a little bit faster. The guilt would crush her … and maybe not just her. “It’s risky, I know, but I think it’s the best way. With any luck, we’ll find another raptor for you at one of these upcoming towns.”

Kas took a deep breath, steeling herself. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

They shifted the packs and hit the road by the time the moon was up. Traveling at night was wiser, to keep the raptors cool and to stay out of sight of predators, though it required bundling up a bit. Marjory had never imagined deserts could get so cold. Having Kas nestled against her helped, even if she could hear Lockjaw panting under the added weight. She reached around her girlfriend to scratch him on the neck, thankful for his great size and strength.

Kas leaned back against her shoulder, sitting in front while Marjory handled the reins from behind. The second raptor followed them instinctively, trained to run in a pack. While Kas was usually the better rider, Lockjaw all but refused to take orders from her, after so long being Marjory’s ride. Honestly, Marjory might have insisted on driving anyways. Kas could use the break after all those crises and mesmer portals. And if she really did have to ride off on her own into danger, she’d need all the rest she could get. Marjory gave her a soft squeeze around the waist, hoping against hope that wouldn’t happen.

 After about an hour of silence, Kas spoke up. “Jory?”

“Yes?”

“How long do you think until we stop Kralkatorrik?”

Marjory huffed at the impossible question. “I don’t know. Why are you asking me?”

Kas shivered, though it didn’t seem to be with cold. Marjory noticed she was staring out towards the horizon, scanning for threats. “I just … I don’t know how long I can go on like this. It hurts watching all these people lose their homes. It feels like for every one we save, there are two more we miss.”

“Kas, there were over three hundred people in that last town. We saved all but four of them. That’s hardly a bad ratio.”

“Yet all I can think about is the times we failed,” Kas said. “Even silly little things, like Lavender. This desert has taken so much from us.”

She was right, in many ways. A few months ago, Marjory would have been angry, thinking of Balthazar. Now, seeing Kas’s guilt eat her up inside, she mostly felt worry and sadness. “We just have to keep moving,” Marjory reassured her. “You’re doing a lot of good out here, even if it’s hard to see it. Don’t give up now.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” Kas whispered. “I don’t think I could do this alone.”

Gods, please don’t let Taimi call in with an emergency location right now. Miraculously, she didn’t, and the moment passed with only the sound of Lockjaw’s footsteps. “You’re not alone,” Marjory said.

At that, something in Kas finally seemed to unspool, and she relaxed back against Marjory’s shoulder. Marjory held her steady with one hand, trusting Lockjaw to find his own way across the dunes. It took her too long to realize what was happening, and even when she did, she couldn’t quite believe it. Here? On top of a moving creature? But the evidence was unmistakable: Kas hadn’t talked for half an hour, her breathing had slowed, and she’d stopped holding herself upright, instead relying on Marjory to do it. She was out.

Marjory stifled a laugh so as not to wake her up. Well, she had wanted Kas to rest. Hopefully being cuddled would give her sweet dreams too. Marjory turned her gaze to the horizon, keeping watch for the both of them, and they rode on into the silent desert night.

Chapter Text

It’s so silly, Kasmeer thought, being afraid of the snow. The flakes fluttering down from on high, above Divinity’s Reach, weren’t even real. Tixx’s Infinirarium somehow created them and dropped them onto the city to keep Wintersday festive, even when the weather wasn’t cooperating. Between the high city walls, the Seraph patrols everywhere, and the general holiday cheer of a winter festival, Kasmeer couldn’t have been safer. She wasn’t going to let the memory of Jormag keep her from enjoying a party.

Did Jory feel the same way? Constantly on edge, waiting for bombs to go off or a Dominion soldier to pop right out of a snowdrift? She wasn’t showing it, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t feeling something. Where had she wandered off to, anyways? Last Kasmeer had seen her, she’d been inspecting a festival vendor’s wares, but now she seemed to have vanished. Kasmeer couldn’t find that very un-festive black outfit standing out against the snow. She felt a little coil of worry tug at her heart, despite herself.

Something hit her in the shoulder with a soft poff. She yelped, jumped backwards, and reached for her staff. It wasn’t on her back; she’d left it at home. Panicked, she stumbled into the chest of a large norn man walking behind her. He grabbed her shoulders and steadied her with a hearty, “Woah! Careful!”

“Sorry! Oh, excuse me!” She took a few quick breaths to calm down and realized that she wasn’t at all injured. Whatever had hit her must have been soft … a snowball? Only then did she notice a familiar voice. Jory was standing across the street, next to an enormous candy cane, nearly bent double with laughter. “Did you throw that at me?” Kasmeer demanded.

“Yes, and you jumped,” Jory laughed. “Good gods, Kas, you look like a ghost just attacked you!”

“That was rude!” Jory only laughed harder. In a sudden fit of childish revenge, Kasmeer stomped her foot and summoned two clones, then set them to making snowballs. “Well, fine. I’ll show you!”

Jory ducked behind the candy cane as three snowballs came flying at her head. “That’s not fair!”

“You started it!” Kasmeer balled up another snowball and Blinked herself to a better vantage point. Jory must have seen that coming, because she hit Kasmeer in the chest with her own projectile before Kasmeer could even finish the attack. Kasmeer’s snowball missed, but it forced Jory out of her hiding place, and she got hit with two more from the clones before she could do anything else.

Grinning, Kasmeer pressed her advantage, swapping places with one of her clones on the way. Couldn’t have things getting boring. Jory threw a snowball at the place where she’d been, shattering one of the clones. Kasmeer easily summoned another, then started surrounding her. Jory glanced around at them all, clearly trying to find her real opponent. She dodged one snowball, was buffeted by another, and watched as the third went wide. “There you are,” she said, turning her head to stare straight at the real Kasmeer.

“Wha- How’d you know?” Kasmeer started running, hearing a snowball whistle by just behind her.

“You’re the only one with terrible aim!”

“Shut up!” Kasmeer dove behind a snowdrift and started making herself more ammunition while the clones kept Jory busy. Jory’s laughter echoed over the snow, mixing with her own. Kasmeer heard a very satisfying “oof” noise, then felt two more clones shattering. She picked up a snowball and braced herself.

“I know you’re back there,” Jory teased. “You can’t hide from me.” Something tugged on Kasmeer’s leg, and she jumped again. A small bone minion had its claws fastened in her boot, having dug itself up from the ground. She shook it off and it flopped into the snow, a gruesome display of red flesh against the white.

“Jory, don’t do that!” Kasmeer called. “You’ll scare someone!” There were kids out here, for Dwayna’s sake.

“What? You’re using magic!” The minion stood back up and dove for her snowball pile, apparently trying to destroy her stockpiles. Kasmeer still couldn’t see Jory over the snowdrift, but her voice was getting closer.

She needed to end this before Jory summoned something that would give an orphan nightmares. “Okay, okay! Truce? It’s getting cold out here.”

Jory watched dubiously as Kasmeer stood up from behind the snowdrift, hands in the air and a soothing smile on her face. “Why do I have a hard time believing this?”

Just stay there a minute longer, the real Kasmeer thought while sneaking up behind her, completely invisible. Jory looked around warily, but for once Kasmeer was two steps ahead, maintaining a simple illusion to keep her footprints from showing in the snow. She held her breath, stepping slowly and carefully closer as Jory turned back to her clone.

Jory seemed to sense something at the last second, but by then it was too late. Her cry of “Hey!” turned into a shriek as Kasmeer dumped an armful of snow down her back. Kasmeer doubled over laughing, dropping the illusions. Apparently even dignified detectives weren’t immune to the snow-down-your-shirt dance. She only had a few seconds to enjoy her victory, however, before Jory turned and tackled her into the snow. They landed with a whumpf and a poof of powder.

“Agh, okay, I surrender!” Sprawled on the ground with Jory on top of her, she could barely get the words out through her laughter. Jory shook the rest of the snow loose from her back.

“Sometimes I forget how sneaky you can get,” she said, looking around at the nearby landscape. Kasmeer could almost see her sharp mind putting the pieces together. “Did you put up an illusion to hide your footsteps? Clever. Where’d you learn that trick?”

Kasmeer abruptly stopped laughing. Suddenly she was back in Drizzlewood Coast, carefully guiding a squad of Seraph volunteers through the icy wasteland north of the bridge. A mass invisibility spell had gotten them past two camps full of Svanir, but it took the more intelligent Frost Legion soldiers to make Kasmeer realize her mistake. A slim, tiger-striped charr – former Ash Legion perhaps – noticed footprints appearing mysteriously in the snow, and then it was chaos and bloodshed. She and half the squad barely escaped with their lives. Kasmeer still had scars on her arm from that encounter, when the same charr seized her with icy claws and snarled-

“Hey.” Jory kissed her face. “Stay with me.”

Kasmeer hugged her tight, trying to keep herself in the present. She was in Divinity’s Reach, not the Shiverpeaks, and cold water was leaking into her gloves from the melted snow beneath her. She shuddered. “Drizzlewood. I learned it in Drizzlewood.”

Jory gently pulled her up to a sitting position. “You’re not there anymore. It’s okay.” For a moment they simply sat there, until Kasmeer felt a little more stable. Resting her head on Jory’s chest, she listened to the steady thump-thump of her heartbeat, reminding herself that they were safe now. Everything was going to be okay.

Finally, she sighed and tilted her head up to look at Jory’s face. “I’m alright. Sorry about that.”

“Nothing to be sorry about.” Jory flinched as Kasmeer bumped her nose into her neck, over her scarf. “Except for that, good gods! You’re freezing.”

“I can’t imagine what would cause that,” Kasmeer said, smiling. “Maybe someone attacking me with snowballs?”

“Oh, you enjoyed it,” Jory said. “You were laughing.”

Kasmeer noticed the subtle look of hope on Jory’s face and realized that this had been more than a game. Jory must have noticed the fear Kasmeer had been carrying around earlier that day. Now, with Jory’s arms around her, she felt a lot more comfortable. The snow didn’t seem like such a danger anymore, after playing in it. “Thank you for cheering me up,” she said.

Jory tugged her to her feet and brushed some snow off her shoulders. “Not a problem. Come on, let’s go get some apple cider before you turn completely into an icicle.”

“Good idea.” They bought two cups and sat down on a nearby bench to enjoy them. Jory kept her pulled close, one arm around her shoulders, and Kasmeer certainly wasn’t complaining. A cold wind had arrived, and Jory’s warmth was welcome. Kasmeer laid her head on Jory’s shoulder, watching children play in the snow.

It was so peaceful. She was smiling, Jory was smiling, there were no dragons to be seen. Kasmeer fought back sudden tears, amazed that they could still have this, after everything they’d been through. Everything since Balthazar had been misery incarnate, but they’d come out the other side, and now they got to have Wintersday.

“Are you okay?” Jory asked, kissing her forehead.

“Yes,” Kasmeer said. “Amazing, actually.”

“You can sleep if you want, sugar. I don’t mind.”

“You almost sound like you want me to.”

Jory shrugged, jostling her a little. Kasmeer realized that she hadn’t moved in quite a while. “Well, you haven’t been responding to anything I’m saying, so…”

“What? I didn’t realize-” Jory cut off her surprise with a laugh. Kasmeer flushed. “You know I get tired when you hold me.”

“Oh, I know.” Jory pulled her tighter, running a hand gently through her hair. Kasmeer only managed to resist for a few seconds before closing her eyes. Jory hummed happily as she let herself relax, falling asleep to the sounds of a happy Wintersday.

Chapter Text

“Woo!” Elyse threw her hands up in the air as four carved wooden sticks clattered to the ground. “Look at that, Mimi! You get to go again!”

“I do?” Mireille studied the game board below her as if she couldn’t believe her eyes. “That never happens.”

“Why are you cheering for her if she’s on the other team?” Kasmeer asked. After several rounds of yut nori, she still wasn’t sure she understood how the Canthan game worked, except that it involved moving pieces around a cloth board, throwing sticks, and a lot of shouting. Kasmeer had been a little worried about disturbing the people of Arborstone, playing right outside the Command Quarters, but nobody seemed to mind. In fact, a few people had wandered over now and again to place bets or cheer for one side or another. The two-person game was really a team sport, apparently.

“It’s more fun this way!” Elyse said, watching the sticks carefully as Mireille threw them into the air again. “I need some competition.”

“Mireille’s cursed with bad luck,” Jory said from beside Kasmeer. She’d been banned from playing after winning three games in a row, so now the two of them were sitting under a stained-glass window, watching the other two Delaquas face off. There was some sort of deep sisterly rivalry going on, with which Kasmeer would not dare interfere. “Plus, Elyse is terrible at strategy, so they’re usually evenly matched.”

“I heard that!” Elyse was distracted glaring at Jory, and thus didn’t see the sticks hit the ground. Mireille started poking through them, then stopped, apparently unable to believe her own luck.

“I think I might actually get to go aga- WOAH!” Before she could finish, one of Arborstone’s many cats leaped down from above, right into the middle of the game board. Mireille’s shout scared it, and it bolted, scattering tokens and sticks every which way. Elyse squeaked and chased after a token that was threatening to roll into the water, while Mireille stared forlornly at her scattered pieces.

Jory broke down into laughter, leaning her head against Kasmeer’s shoulder. “The universe is against you, Mimi. No bones about it.” Kasmeer politely kept herself from laughing as the elder sisters started bickering about where all the pieces had been.

Jory shifted and tried to suppress a wince. “What’s wrong?” Kasmeer asked.

“I’m fine.” Kasmeer gave her a sharp look, and she added, “Just the ankle.”

“The Void really did a number on you.” Neither of them knew whether Jory had torn, twisted, or even broken something fighting the Dragonvoid, but her foot refused to heal correctly, even after weeks and weeks. Traveling all around Cantha with Belinda’s sword probably hadn’t helped, though of course Kasmeer would never have discouraged her from something so important.

For now, she shifted so Jory could more easily get comfortable against her. They’d carried a couple of pillows down from the Arborstone Inn, to avoid sitting directly on the stone floor. Jory settled hers under her feet and laid down on her side, using Kasmeer’s lap as a pillow instead. Kasmeer smiled and rubbed her shoulders, pulling a soft, happy hum from her. If Jory had been a cat, Kasmeer imagined she’d have been purring.

Elyse and Mireille had finally come to some sort of agreement, and Kasmeer watched them start the game again. Jory was silent, even when her sisters started shouting. She’d been quieter than usual lately, though not in a way that indicated pain. No, she just seemed a bit more peaceful ever since setting down the greatsword in the Jade Sea, like something within her had finally settled. She must have really found closure out there. Kasmeer was so, so proud of her for that.

Eventually, Elyse happened to glance over at them. Her eyes widened, and slowly a grin crept over her face. “Is Bunny asleep?”

“Um … yes. Yes, she is.” To Kasmeer’s surprise, Jory had actually drifted off, despite all the noise. She was snoring softly, cheek smushed into Kasmeer’s leg. She looked adorable, in a disheveled sort of way, her hair all askew and her lips just slightly parted. She didn’t even stir when Kasmeer ran a hand over her shoulders.

There was small chorus of coos and “shh” noises from the people who had gathered to watch the game. Elyse made a high-pitched “awwww” sound, while Mireille just looked impressed. “I don’t think she’s fallen asleep against someone for a long time.”

“Not since she was really little,” Elyse agreed.

Kasmeer could remember a few times Jory had dozed off while leaning on her. It didn’t happen nearly as often as Kasmeer falling asleep in her arms, granted, and it had always been in the privacy of their own home. Jory was a little too self-conscious, a little too suspicious, to leave herself that vulnerable in public. Until now.

The Delaqua sisters quickly finished their game and walked over to get a closer look. Elyse knelt down beside them, patted Kasmeer’s shoulder. “That’s adorable. Do you remember the last time she did that, Mimi?”

“Probably with Momma, when she fell in the river,” Mireille said.

“I don’t think I’ve heard this story,” Kasmeer said.

 “Oh, it was scary!” Jory shifted in her sleep, and Elyse lowered her voice. “Our grandparents had this little place in Shaemoor, near the garrison. You know that big river? Well, it iced over one cold winter, and all the kids were playing on it-”

“Younger kids,” Mireille jumped in. “Marjory was about thirteen. I don’t think she realized how big she’d gotten. She hit a thin patch and fell right through.”

“One moment there, the next – gone!” Elyse made a splashing gesture with her hands. “Thankfully, it was close to the shore. Momma pulled her out. She was scared and shivering, soaked to the skin-”

“Looked like a drowned rat-”

“So obviously we took her home and wrapped her up in blankets. She was so frightened from her close call that she wouldn’t let go of Momma. She fell asleep like that when she finally got warm.”

Kasmeer looked down at the adult woman sleeping on her lap. It was hard to imagine Jory clinging to anybody for comfort now, except maybe Kasmeer herself. But then, she hadn’t always been a jaded dragonslayer, or even a hardboiled detective. It was nice to hear about a world where the only danger came from falling into an ordinary river, rather than facing down a dragon.

“Do you have any other stories?” she asked. Both older sisters perked up immediately.

They swapped stories for what must have been almost an hour. Elyse and Mireille mostly told Kasmeer about embarrassing things Jory had done as a kid, while Kasmeer offered up some of the earlier, more lighthearted cases they’d solved together at the Dead End. The sisters asked her many questions about when they’d first started working together; apparently, Jory hadn’t been talking to them much during that time. Kasmeer hadn’t expected them to be so open, but they treated her kindly, pulling her into their customs and their inside jokes. It made her feel happy in a way she couldn’t quite describe.

Jory napped through all of it, deep sleeper that she was. “Oh, she’d be so mad if she knew we were telling you all this,” Elyse giggled.

Mireille clapped a heavy hand on Kasmeer’s shoulder. “She also decided to get married. We’re just bringing Kas into the family. She deserves to know about the time her fiancée got stuck in an apple tree.”

Kasmeer froze for a second at the word family. Oh. That was the happy feeling: she felt like she had one again. She looked at Jory, felt her heart swell with love, and smiled up at the two sisters. “Thank you for being so welcoming. I know Jory and I both appreciate that.”

 “Of course,” Elyse said. “We’re happy to have you.”

“You’re not bad. Ow!” Mireille rubbed her arm where Elyse had just punched it. “That was a compliment.”

I guess being stingy with compliments runs in the family, Kasmeer thought, laughing to herself. Elyse rolled her eyes. “Ignore her. Are you excited to be married? I know Bunny is.”

Was she ready? For stability, for a world without dragons, for a lifetime with Jory? The future was such a scary thing in a world like theirs, where unknown horrors could be waiting over any horizon. Kasmeer knew one thing though: whatever came for them next, they would face it together. She wanted to stand side-by-side with this woman she trusted more than anyone else, and who trusted her in turn.

She thought of the possibility of peace, of family, of happiness, and smiled. “Excited? You have no idea.”