"Numbers"...

A continuation of Ali and The List, set during the events of origins. Alarian disappeared one night and hasn't been seen for months, their companions fear the worst. Then one day they turn up, only they didn't run away, they were captured, brought to a camp and forced to work. They received help from an old friend who previously saved their life long ago...Kenelm Stratford

Trigger warnings! Labor/Death camp, Hair cut/loss of identity, night terors, kidnapping, based off the holocaust in terms of camps,women's hair cuts,being taken in the night, antisemitism and tattoos of numbers.

"It's terrible here. Too horrific for words, everyday more die. Shot. Gassed. Hung. Burned. Everyday I fear I'm next. But I never am, I'm just stuck working and working and working. I was even more scared when I first got here, Qunari soilders took me during the night, brought me here, put me in a chair and strapped me down, then one took a needle filled with dark blue ink and started carving into my arm, I screamed as loud as I could hoping someone would help me. No help came. Then, they cut my hair. They did it roughly with a knife, it's all uneven and gone now. I don't know how long I've been here, after a while I stopped counting. I stopped when an old friend of mine came. Kenelm Stratford, you've met him before, he saved my life years ago. I raise my hand to wave and he gestures to put it down. His body language says "don't let them know we are aquatinted." He stays several days. One night he sneaks into my sleeping quarters and taps me on the shoulder "come with me Alarian, I'm getting you out. We must go quickly." He whispers and hands me a cloak. He then hides me under his coat and walks to the hidden, rarely guarded exit behind the furnace where they burn the bodies. After we get far enough away Mr. Stratford lets me out of his coat. He wraps me in a cloak and gives me a pair of shoes. We then head on an incredible long walk back to where my companions and I live. When we get there mr Stratford stays back while I go and run up to the door and knock loudly. Wynne opens the door and her jaw drops, Zevran then walks from one room and stops in the hallway when he sees Wynne. His eyes wide he yells excitedly "Ali!!" And runs down the hall and picks me up and hugs me. Shale comes next, huge hulking steps of the stone Gollum and then stops and waves almost shyly, saying in her monotone voice "it returns. You had us all worried." I smile at that, no ones ever been worried about me before. Then Alistair runs down the stairs just after Zev had put me down and tackle hugs me! Thank god we had a carpet on the floor, that would have hurt more then it already did. I yelp as he tackled me and then said annoyed "Alistair why'd you do that! I'm kind of covered in bruises and cuts here!!" He chuckles "oh right sorry." And I stand up. Leliana, Morrigan eventually appear, they were trying to rouse Oghren and Sten who were still sleeping. They give me hugs and say their happy to see me again, they missed me. I tell them what happened and explain the numbers "15970" on my arm in the dark blue ink and my hair cut. They ask who got me out and I say "An old friend of mine saved my life again." And Mr. Stratford comes up to the door and stands next to me. My companions offer their thanks sincerely. Thank you Mr.Stratford for saving my life, again. As well as all the other people you've saved, I hope this war with the qunari ends someday.

Later...

"Leliana!!! I need help!!!" I yell from upstairs in my room. Leli walks upstairs and comes into my room to find me sitting on my bed rubbing on my arm. "I've tried everything and these numbers still won't come off!!!" I cry. She sits down on my bed and looks at the numbers "Alarian these are ink, it's under your skin, it's like Zevran's red tattoo on his face, Merrills facial markings or Fenris's Lyrium. Their not coming out Ali, I'm sorry." When she says the last part I burst into tears. Forever. My mark of slavry. My numbers... Forever. They'll be there forever. Later that night, and many nights after those same numbers haunt my dreams "1.5.9.7.0.1.5.9.7.0.1.5.9.7.0.1.5.9.7.0" I wake up sweating that night, and panting. I look at my arm, it's not a nightmare that was real. All those months were real, I touch my hair. It's short and brittle, that's real too. I look and the numbers and the blue ink and repeat them to myself quietly "1.5.9.7.0." Then scramble out of bed and to each companions room, "I can't sleep." I say to each one, they say "go talk to (other companions name)" and go back to sleep. Finaly I get to Zevran. I tap him on the shoulder and whisper "I can't sleep." He asks with eyes still closed "nightmare." I reply "yes" and he moves over throws back the covers slightly and let's me climb in with him then wraps his arms around me and cuddles me slightly until I fall into a deep sleep. Then picks me up and walks down the hall, tucks me in, pats Barky (the dog) on the head as he jumps up on the end of my bed then slips out of the room silently closing the door behind him.

To Be Continued...

That was rough but it had a kind of happy ending. Ali and Zev are the cutest queer platonic partners.

And I have one last WIP before I go on an art hiatus

Until next time,

M