Campfire Stories By: Megan Crockett
The sky is clear, the moon is full and below the beautiful stars in the land of Ferelden, a diverse group of people sat together around a roaring fire. Its not very often amongst their travels that they gathered together by the fire to tell stories as they had to prepare themselves to fight for their lives against the Blight that threatened the land. Among them sat two mages, one appeared to be older and weathered while the other mage is younger and has fair skin. The other people in the group consisted of a human bard from Orlais, a Qunari warrior, a heavily drunk dwarf man from Orzamar, a man once trained to be a Templar who has now become a Grey Warden and a newly recruited Grey Warden woman who was once apart of a wealthy noble family and is a rogue at heart.
Each of them in turn had told some of their most personal stories as well as a few jokes between each other. The only one that didn't get to tell a story yet was the rogue woman. As she sat and waited her turn, brushing her brown hair out of her face, the man sitting next to her rested his hand right hand on her left hand. She looked at the man next her and asked, "Is there something you wanted Alistair my dear?" "Oh no not at all...I just wanted to hold your hand if that was ok with you Andrina," he replied sheepishly pulling his hand away from hers, face glowing red as he looked back at the fire and listened to the dwarf man tell his story.
"It's ok with me," Andrina said as she reached for his hand again and held it tightly, smiling brightly. He smiled at her touch and kissed the back of her hand before letting it fall to the ground between them.
"Why can't you two just go back to your tent and let us be? I'm getting annoyed at seeing you swoon over each other like love-sick children," said Morrigan, crossing her arms in disgust. "They're just in love Morrigan, there's nothing wrong about young love," Wynne said to Morrigan while smirking at Alistair and Andrina's public display of affection. "Well its disgusting and I stand by what I said," Morrigan said turning her gaze from them and stared at Oghren who was so drunk that he wasn't even telling his story properly anymore.
"AND THEN THAT'S WHEN SHE JUST BWAHAHAHAHA...hic...THAT'S WHEN SHE...SHE...(groan)," Oghren managed to get out before he fell backwards and passed out. "That dwarf man has GOT to lay off the ale once in a while," Leilana said frowning at Oghren's sad form beside her, snoring away very loudly. "Indeed he does," Sten said passively as he grabbed a stick and poked the fire to keep it going a little longer.
"Well now that Oghren is done his story, Andrina, would you like to tell us yours?" Wynne asked politely. "Thank you Wynne. Well I'm not that great at telling stories, but I do have one story that's been bothering me for some time now, actually since I was a little girl really," Andrina said as she tried to gather up her story to tell to the others.
"What about it bothers you?" Leilana asked inquiringly.
"I'm not sure all I remember is the story itself but every time I dream about it or even try to think about it there are parts of it that are blank. Like I know that it happened but it doesn't seem like it did," Andrina said still trying to remember it. She's always had this story that she's wanted to tell to other people. She tried telling the maids in her house about it but they all thought she was crazy because she would tell it in fragments and they wouldn't get the gist of it. "Well why don't you try and start from the beginning and piece it together slowly over time?" Wynne asked with concern for Andrina; they spend so much time together she sees Andrina as her own granddaughter from time to time.
"Well ok...ummmm...hmmm...ok I remember how it begins," Andrina said hoping that she will be able to tell it properly this time to her new friends.
"I was nine years old, and it was a beautiful summer's day in Ferelden. The breeze was so balmy and the sunlight...the sunlight was warm but not as warm as the day before. There were many rolling hills filled with beautiful wildflowers nearby. I was traveling with my parents...we were traveling to...I think it was Redcliffe. Yes it was Redcliffe! We were going there to see the Arl. We always tried to travel around Ferelden in the summer time to see the country in all its splendor. As we were cutting through Redcliffe to get up to the castle, in our carriage I noticed a butterfly flutter by. I love butterflies you see and I enjoyed collecting them," she said as she looked at her companions then at the ground, face glowing red and an embarrassed smile crept across her face.
"Aww that's so cute," Leilana said happily clapping her hands together.
"Oh yes our fearless leader once collected butterflies as a child, now that's cute all right," Morrigan said, sarcasm laced in her words. "Well I'm going back to my tent," she said standing up and turning away from her companions.
"Come now Morrigan, we had to listen to your complaints about your mother, even though that's not new around here," Alistair said with a hint of his own sarcasm in his voice.
"No no its alright I'd rather go to bed anyway, sorry about not wanting to stay and listen 'fearless' leader but I am very tired," Morrigan said turning around to face Andrina and the others, while attempting to slap on a smile; and failing miserably at it.
"Its alright, good night Morrigan," Andrina said sarcastically and returned back to the group in front of her as Morrigan turned around and headed for her tent.
After a moment of silence that fell around them all as Morrigan settled herself inside her tent, Leilana asked happily, "So what happened next??" "Yes child do you remember what happened next?" Wynne asked just as happily. Sten just nodded his approval at wanting to hear more; he had no real desire to listen anymore but he did have to keep watch so he stayed with everyone else anyway.
"And don't listen to Morrigan, you know how she is dear," Alistair said as he moved to sit closer to kiss Andrina on the cheek and brushed her hair back lovingly. Andrina turned to look at him with a soft smile playing on her face. She fought the urge to bite her bottom lip as she wanted so badly to be alone with him; every time he sat near her she couldn't seem to control herself. After they spent their first intimate night together, any time she has alone with him, has been very romantic. He always made her feel special as he would hold her hand or lovingly play with her braids in the back of her hair. Even when they become intimate in her tent, he always made sure that she's taken care of sexually before he can get to climax.
"Well...hmm...ok I remember what happens next," Andrina said as Alistair continued to play with her hair as he always does. "I wanted to catch the butterfly I saw so I told my mother and father to stop the carriage so I can catch it. They said that I would have plenty of time to catch butterflies later and that we had a very important date to keep with the Arl. But I didn't listen to them and as the carriage continued on its journey I opened the door and jumped out. I landed on my feet with my hands outstretched to catch myself in case I fell flat on my face. I straightened up, brushing myself clean and I made sure my hair was still in its braid. I had long hair when I was younger and always kept it in a single long braid that was so long it wrapped around my body and ended at my stomach. My parents were furious with me for doing that and stopped the carriage to retrieve me, but as soon as the carriage grinned to a halt, I ran. I wasn't looking were I was going and accidentally ran into a couple of men and fell to the ground. I picked myself up again and they said, 'what have we got here boys? A little lost girl, trying to find her way back to her parents maybe?' And I said, 'You will call me Lady Andrina Cousland and you will move out of my way this instant!' 'Oh is that so? Lets see what kind of money we can get off of her parents if we capture her and hold her for ransom eh boys?' said one of the men. He then pulled out a dagger and smiled menacingly at me."
At this point everyone was sitting closer to listen intently to her story, even Sten was paying more attention now than he was earlier. Alistair stopped playing with her hair and asked worriedly, "What happened next? I know that you're alright but I still would like to know what happened to you. If they laid their hands on you I want to know right now." Confusion and menace began to form in his voice as he put his arm around her gripping her right shoulder tightly, a look of anger and disbelief playing on his face as he continued to stare at the fire. Wynne and Leilana held their breaths as they waited for Andrina to speak.
"Well I remember that some one...a boy I think...yelled, 'Oi! Get away from her now!' I also remember that he threw a rock at the man who was holding the dagger. The man dropped the dagger on the ground nearby and I grabbed it and stuck it in his foot. As he cried out in pain, I saw his bag of gold and quickly grabbed it before I went to join the boy that saved me. But I'm sad to say that this is where I forget what happens next...I can't even remember who the boy was or what happened after that. I'm sorry that I can't remember anymore, like I said it felt real but after that point all I see is a giant blank in my mind."
"There must be somthing you can remember," Wynne asked quizzically.
"Do you remember what the boy looked like?" Leilana asked just as puzzled as Wynne.
"Perhaps this boy is the cause for your amnesia?" Sten asked mildly interested this time.
"No I don't remember anything that happened after that, not a thing. I can't even remember what he looked like clearly...all I remember is that he looked like he was my age as he looked as if he were a bit taller than I. But that's it. Alistair hunny, isn't this weird?" she asked Alistair, turning to see the myriad of emotions playing on his face. "Alistair? Are you alright dear?" she asked trying to get his attention and began to worry as he looked very bedraggled.
"I was the boy..." he finally managed to get out without looking at her face, nor the faces of the others.
"What are you talking about Alistair?" Wynne asked inquiringly.
"I was the boy that saved you from those bad men. I wasn't sure when you mentioned it just now but after thinking about it for a while I remember that after I saved you, and the Revered Mother and I took you back to your parents. The Revered Mother punished me by making me clean the chantry library, even though what I did was good," he said finally looking at Andrina's face.
Andrina stared at him for a while trying to see if he was joking, as is the case with Alistair from time to time. But after a moment of staring into his eyes, and seeing that it wasn't a joke, Andrina could not believe his words.
"Are you sure Alistair? I mean what are the odds that you and Andrina met when you were children then again as Grey Wardens?" Leilana asked in disbelief herself.
"I'm not sure what the odds are, but I do remember that day," Alistair replied to Leilana and turned his attention back to Andrina.
"But why can't you remember Andrina? Did something else happen to you that neither of us know about?" Wynne asked as Alistair kept staring at Andrina in the hopes that she would remember him.
"I don't know why I can't remember. Believe me Alistair I would've remembered you if I could but I just can't...I just remember a boy slightly taller than I with a bit of an attitude...but that's it," Andrina said trying to make sure that he understood her.
"Perhaps at some point in your life time while you were still young, you crossed the path of a mage that had little patients for a rogue girl?" Sten asked going back to poking the fire with his stick.
"That could be a possibility. Amnesia spells are common with mages, especially mages with a chip on their shoulder," Wynne explained rationally.
"Heh that's my girl!" Alistair said jokingly as he hugged her with both of his arms and kissed her on the cheek again.
"But you have other memories about your life after that day right?" Leilana asked still probing for the truth.
"Yes I do up until now I remember everything else in my life but what happened for the rest of that day," Andrina replied as Alistair began to tickle her playfully. "Hey stop that! It tickles...HAHAHAHAHA! And everyone is watching!" Andrina laughed as he kept tickling her stomach and everyone else took that as their cue to began to get ready for bed.
"Well since you're done your story and appear to be having what you humans call 'fun', I think I'm going to go keep watch. Leilana are you coming with me?" Sten asked Leilana, while standing up and headed for the camp entrance.
"Oh yes I'll be with you in a minute. This was fun, I hope, while we can when we camp, that we can do this again some time. Sleep well Wynne. Sleep well you two," Leilana said as she smirked at Andrina and Alistair, while heading off to join Sten.
"I think I'm going to retire to my tent. Thank you for your story. I hope that you'll eventually remember what happened to you that day, amnesia spells usually wear off with time. Good night Alistair, good night Andrina," Wynne said as she walked away to her tent nearby. "Oh and please don't make too much noise, I don't wish to hear Morrigan complain again in the morning," Wynne said turning around again to face the two lovers and put out the fire.
Alistair had stopped tickling Andrina by now and said, "Don't worry we'll TRY to be quiet, right sweetheart?" Andrina said nothing, she just looked at the ground in front of her and knew that they were talking about her loud moaning when she and Alistair are intimate in her tent. Wynne just smiled at the pair of them and turned around again.
Alistair leaned in to give Andrina a kiss on her cheek before taking her hands in both of his and helped her onto her feet. "Come now dear, its time for bed," he said with a smile on his face, and still holding her hands. As he tried to lean in to give her another kiss, but this time on the lips, she pulled her hands away from his and wrapped her arms around his neck. He stopped his kiss as he put his hands on her lower back and they looked each other in the eyes, holding their gazes for a while. "Is there something bothering you dear?" he asked still looking into her eyes.
"Not really, I just would've liked to have been told that you were the boy from that day earlier on our travels. But I guess I shouldn't complain, you wouldn't have been able to tell me if I hadn't mentioned it in the first place," Andrina replied still holding her gaze.
"Well you do have a point there. But I did want to tell you, I really did. We've just been really preoccupied with everything else that I kind of forgot. Can you forgive me, my dear?" he asked with a pouty look on his face.
Andrina then let go of her hold on him and began to walk back to her tent. As she did so she grabbed him by the collar of his armor and pulled him with her. When they reached her tent, she leaned close to him while putting her face up to his. "I forgive you love, now lets go to bed," she said in a husky voice and kissed him lightly on the lips then again on his neck.
He took the kisses and said, "Hmm now this I approve of." He kissed her one more time before following her into her tent for the night.