Entry tags:

ashe, basch, full cast, valley of the dead

Valley Of The Dead: Part Two
Title: Valley Of The Dead (Chapter 2/?)
Characters/ Pairings: Ashe/Basch (+full cast & Vossler)
Rating: T
Length: 1385
Summary: As the group travel to Raithwall's tomb, Ashe and Basch begin to realise their feelings for eachother. In-Game so no spoilers. Ashe / Basch centered. Read and review please!



(Chapter One here)

Chapter Two

"Basch?" Ashe gently shook his shoulder.

Suddenly, Basch's eyes snapped open and his sword was at her neck in an instant. She flinched, but then she saw recognition soften his eyes and he lowered his arm, panting slightly and passing a hand over his eyes. "I'm sorry, your Highness... you startled me."

They were silent for a moment, listening to their heartbeats return to normal. She studied him in the twilight, Basch's eyes were distant as he remembered the nightmare he'd just had. She wondered what it had been about, he had said her name in anguish as she approached him. Ashe hadn't known him well enough to understand the expression on his face. Was it fear?

"A dream, Captain?"

"Aye." The man was more reserved than she remembered. Thinking back, she couldn't remember her father's most trusted knight ever being one likely to speak unless asked a question or giving advice to her father.

She took a deep breath. "It is going to be very cold soon, you should join the others to keep warm." As he began to rise she added, "But I want to speak with you first."

He sat back again, seeming wary. Ashe looked guiltily at her hands and sat down on the stone-cold sand in front of him.

"I owe you an apol-"

"No-" he interrupted, "you don't owe me anything."

Ashe looked up to glare at him. "Do not interrupt me," she snapped- her natural reaction. She closed her eyes, sighed and looked back at her hands. "Please," and she was glad to hear her tone had softened again. "Let me finish."

Basch said nothing so she began again. "I owe you an apology. I should not have doubted your honesty once I learned of the true events the night Dalmasca fell." She paused, looked at his face with what she hoped was an apologetic expression. She did not like to admit she'd been wrong about anything.

"You were always so highly valued by my father, and I should not be so quick to dismiss all that you have done for my family... For my country." Hesitantly, she put a hand on his arm in a gesture of gratitude. Basch looked away from her eyes to the ground between them. Of course, she realized, he has not had anyone touch him this way in a very long time. The thought made her feel sad and sick to the core. The God's had not favored them these last few years.

She took back her arm. He looked up at her with a haunted expression. "Thank you," was all he said. She nodded once, understanding the things he left unsaid.

Vaan's voice carried over to them from where the others sat gathered around the fire. Ashe tapped Basch's arm and said in a forcefully lighter voice, "Come, let us forget our sorrows for now. Balthier has left you some of his soup." She smiled, handing him his sword as he stood so he could finally sheath it. It had been hours since they'd killed the Garuda and Basch had fallen asleep in exhaustion. The group had found a spring of water near the entrance to Raithwall's tomb, and gathered firewood, and a few herbs and meat for Balthier to make some soup whilst they let him sleep.

"We won't need anyone on watch here," Vaan was saying heatedly as Basch and Ashe sat down near the fire. "By the look of it, that Garuda's been here for centuries, those Urutan Yensa are not stupid enough to come anywhere near the tomb."

Penelo hugged her blanket closer to her as she argued with him. "Someone will need to keep the fire going anyway or we'll all freeze in our sleep."

Vaan crossed his arms. Ashe knew he was only arguing because it was his turn to take a watch. "We can lay together to keep warm-"

"It's all right, Vaan," Basch spoke up, his low voice steady and reassuring. "You have let me sleep too long, I will not need much more. I can take two or three watches."

"I can take one, I'm not tired either," Ashe lied. In reality her body ached with fatigue from their long day, but her mind was alert enough to keep her awake an extra few hours.

"And I will take the morning watch," Fran said in a tone of finality.

After that, the group pulled out their blankets and extra clothing and settled around the fire, talking quietly to one another before they fell asleep one by one. Ashe made herself comfortable for her watch, sitting away from the fire so that she didn't become blinded by it's light. The air was still warm around her as the sun had not long been set. After a while she decided to find a piece of wood to sit on and keep her too uncomfortable to fall asleep. Just as she rose and started back toward the fire and it's pile of firewood, she noticed Basch sitting up, apparently refusing to sleep.

Ashe stopped, put her hands on her hips, smiling slightly at him, still trying to befriend him. She opened her mouth to tell him to go to sleep- that she doubted any attacks tonight. Before she could, he opened his blanket to her without a word, inviting her to sit by him and share his warmth.

Surprised, Ashe suppressed a real smile as she went to join him. She was forgiven for being so cold and suspicious of him these last few days. Basch's face remained expressionless as she sat close beside him on the sand. His arm brushed her neck as he let his blanket fall over her shoulders. She was shocked to feel the skin tingle at his touch. She shivered but he didn't seem to notice.

He was much warmer than her. She could feel the heat of his body through the cotton of her own blanket. Warmer than the fire before them.

They sat comfortably in silence for a time. Watching the fire, watching their companions sleep. Never speaking.

Penelo was curled like a cat close to Vaan who lay sprawled in contrast. Ashe suppressed a chuckle when her eyes found Vossler. He sat furthest away from the group, propped up against a pillar, arms crossed loosely over the sword unsheathed in his lap, a slight frown on his face even in sleep. So typical of him...

She sighed and let her mind drift.

Warm skin touched her arm and she turned to look at Basch. He was watching her intensely, the fire reflected in his eyes. Her breath caught in her throat as his hand moved to her neck with the softest of touches. She tilted her head up invitingly and he closed his eyes slowly. She brushed his soft lips with hers-

Her head snapped up from where it had come to rest on his shoulder. "Oh!" she breathed and felt heat blossom in her cheeks.

"My Lady?" Basch whispered urgently from beside her.

Ashe attempted to clear her head with a small shake. "I... fell asleep," she murmured back. "I'm sorry," she added. The image of Basch so close lingered in her mind, too vivid to shake away. The feel of Basch's lips on hers had felt so real...

"You should get some sleep," he rumbled, pulling the blanket off himself and letting it fall over her. "It is almost my watch now." She nodded and rose to her feet, her head still dazed slightly. She took off his blanket and draped it back over him, letting her hand linger on his shoulder longer than was necessary. "Goodnight, Basch."

She lay down not far from him, closer to the fire and closed her eyes wearily.

"Sleep well, Princess."

And she did, dreaming of his face, inches from her own, with that intense and fiery look in his eyes and hair as gold as the sand beneath them.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XII, it's characters, settings etc. My stories are completely fictional.