"I… have I ever told you I really like the way you wear your hair?" Leliana broke the silence that had settled over the weary group of adventures.
Ceiles flushed and averted her eyes to the campfire. "Really? It's so stubborn sometimes" she said sweeping a few lose bangs out of her eyes.
"Its very nice and it suits you. Simple. But I have often wondered; it is so rare to see a dwarf with short hair. Most seem to wear their hair in long braids that practically reach the floor. Yours would be lovely that way I think. Why do you keep it short?" The red head beamed at her. She seemed pleased with her ability to make the Grey Warden blush.
"That is a very long story." Ceiles said simply concentrating intently on the bland grey hued stew Alistair had prepared for their evening meal.
Leliana laughed. "Is that all you are willing to say? Come now, a statement like that is not simply thrown to the winds. You can't mean to tell me you have no intention of sharing this story? You have heard of my life in Orlais before I came to the chantry. It is only fair that I am allowed to know a little more of your life before joining the Grey Wardens. Besides, you know how I love stories."
Ceiles smirked at Leliana and sighed. "I suppose I can do my best to relay the events, as I remember them at least. Though I am no bard, and make no promises of the tale being as entertaining as one of yours." Ceiles sat up straight backed and stared back into the flames and then surveyed the group assembled around her. "Hmm, let's see. Where to begin?"
"Begging in the commons is a tricky business…"
******
Begging in the commons is a tricky business, but a profitable one, if you know how to play your cards right. And that was one thing that Ceiles' father had taught her. The commons had more guards then dust town, this was true, and they poured from every crevasse, glowering down at all those that scurried about their lives on the cramped cart cluttered streets. This of course made it harder to lift the purse of anybody who had the misfortune to show two young beggars any compassion. Though the rewards clearly outweighed the risks, because as her father had always said 'go where the coin is' and that was the commons. Well at lest more coin than in Dust Town. And the people here were far more gullible.
The two bedraggled children sat on the ash covered floor. Neither had seen a full decade, the plump large eyed gleam of youth was visible even beneath the layer of grim and the brand. The smaller of the two, a girl, lay with her head in the others lap. She writhed clutching her stomach moaning in great agony.
The other child, a boy, slightly older than the first with his hair done in tight braids, reached a hand forward to a passerby in desperation. "Please help us. She's really sick. I think she'll die if we can't afford to get something from the apothecary."
A tried, disheveled looking miner stopped and eyed the two children with half lidded skepticism. Ceiles shivered pitifully and sobbed quietly. "Apothecary?" asked the miner staring at the girl "What kind of potice dose she need?"
Leske looked a little bewildered for a moment. "Uhhh…" he stammered, "…the red kind?" he finally managed shrugging.
The miner eyed him for a minute then sighed deeply. He took the heavy looking pick off his shoulder and fumbled with the purse which hung from his belt. "Fifty copper," he said sternly, pressing the coins into Leske's small doughy hand. "But that's all I can spare. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir, thank you sir, may the ancestors bestow honor on your household sir." Leske babbled at the back of the miner who had already turned to leave.
Ceiles sat bolt upright, "Do we have enough?" she exclaimed enthusiastically as she craned her neck to see the collection of coins the boy held in his other hand. Leske jerked his hand away from her. "Shesh, I'm counting I'm counting!"
The miner, who at this point was no more the a few paces away turned on his heel at the sudden commotion and shot the children an icy stare. "Your friend seems to have made a sudden recovery." He growled accusingly.
The children's faces were blank, Leske blinked at him. Ceiles managed a weak cough that sounded fake even to her own ears. "It comes and it goes" she managed meekly. The miner shook his head. He turned and continued the trek home, considering his coin lost.
The children seemed unfazed and Leske went back to counting. "Yup that should be just enough" he said getting to his feet. They then wound their way through the crushing crowd of people that littered the commons.
"Man, I can't wait. We're going to buy a loaf of bread bigger than my head." She rubbed her gurgling stomach, looking forward to her well deserved reward.
Leske looked annoyed. "Yeah it only took all afternoon to get enough," he whined.
Ceiles frowned at him "We could have made more if we had gone to the diamond quarter."
"Do you remember what happened last time you convinced me to sneak into the diamond quarter?" Leske snarled at her. He cut so deliberately through the crowd that he did not even bothering to turn around when he spoke.
Ceiles stifled a giggle, "I think your eyebrows have grown back rather nicely if you ask me."
Leske did not dignify that comment with an answer. But then again he didn't have to because they had arrived at their destination. "I want that one" Ceiles said pointing to a large roll of sourdough hanging precariously off the edge of the wooden cart. Shrugging indifferently Leske stepped toward the cart.
"That's close enough," the grizzled baker said, holding up his hand. "Don't come any nearer to the merchandise."
Leske shot him a confused and disgruntled look. "Hey, we just want to buy some bread. We've got money."
"Sticky finger's, that's what you've got. I don't need your business brands. Damn dusters breed like rats." He snapped. "If you come any closer I'll call a guard." He waved his hand as though he were shooing away begging dogs.
Ceiles gave a chubby faced pout "But that's not fair" she complained. "We just want to do business real and honest like. It's even real money this time."
"I don't plan on repeating myself. Scurry back to the little hole you both crawled from and leave my goods and my costumers alone." His tone was dismissive and uninterested.
Disheartened Leske turned and began to walk away. Ceiles just stood there with her fists clenched. "It's not fair," she repeated to no one in particular. She was fuming.
"Life's not fair all over," Leske threw the words over his shoulder and sighed. It was a bit of a motto.
Something snapped in the seven year old as she stood in the middle of the crowded street, people pushing by her indifferently. All their work, the hunger in her gut, the indifference around her, the anger, and the recent death of her father just months before, all seemed to swell up at once. It was too much. If they thought she was nothing but filthy thieving trash. Fine.
Ceiles snatched the loaf of sourdough at the end of the cart and took off running. Leske's eyes widened. "Ceiles! What are you doing!" he yelled in shock and took off after her.
"Guards!" cried the backer pointing frantically as they darted and weaved their way through the crowd. "Thieves! Get them!"
It didn't take long before Ceiles heard the metal clanging of armor. The City guards were fast on their tail. "Stop criminals. You'll lose your hand for that!" a rough deep voice shouted over the din of the crowd. 'Wow, I really want to stop and turn myself in now,' thought Ceiles as she narrowly dodged a member of the servant caste carrying a large basket of laundry. The woman dropped it all as Leske side swiped her. The rest of the crowd seemed to take the hint as the commotion drew nearer and stepped out of the way, leaving a wide path for the two children with three guards in hot purist to traverse.
But youth gives one the advantage of energy and speed. And two of the guards' figures spoke of too much time at the tavern as they soon fell behind. But the largest of the three seemed more intent on the chase. In fact he was over taking them. He swung his sword at Leske's head. The boy narrowly dodged the blade as it hit the side of an armor stand holding fast in the wood. The guard grunted angrily and abandoned it so as not to lose his prey.
Ceiles' flipped her head back to see that Leske was coming up on her quickly. She might have been fast, but she was younger and her shorter legs meant the boy could outrun her. She fell in behind him and tried desperately to keep up.
Something snapped her head back and the sudden sharp pain was momentarily blinding. She screamed.
"Got you!" snarled the guard into her ear. His fist was clutching her long braid of black hair. Ceiles squirmed under the unrelenting grip, trying to free herself. It was difficult to see through the tears. The guard yanked her toward him, her weight meaning little as he nearly dragged her off her feet.
It was then that she saw Leske, or more the gleam off the dagger he kept in his boot. He grabbed the other end of her braid at the nape of her neck and in what could only have been a moment sawed through the thick cord of hair. She was free.
The two bolted. The guard was so shocked he simply watched them go still clutching the lifeless braid in his fist.
The two didn't stop running, they didn't have the courage to look back and see that their pursuers had abandoned them. Ceiles was practically panting now, her prize still tucked tightly under her arm. She skidded to a halt when Leske almost collided with a group of the warrior caste standing in front of a gapping chasm. Leske managed to side step them just in the nick of time and Ceiles darted around the towering cluster of ominous figures, with tired vacant eyes in their heads.
"Hey, you can't go in there! Children, come back." One of the men called after them but the group made no move to stop them. "Casteless" said another shrugging indifferently as he watched their backs disappear into the cave which lead to the deep roads.
It was several minutes before the two finally came to a stop. Leske bent over coughing and sputtering with his hands on his knees. "You…. are…. a…. moron" he managed to say through gasps for air. "What got in to your lyrium addled brain?"
Ceiles collapsed against a crumbling column but gave no answer. She thrust the loaf of bread at him and smirked. "Want some?" she offered. He scowled.
Ceiles blinked, surveying the collapsing ruins that surrounded them. Strange creaking, rustling and moans in the distance combined with only the occasional light trickling through cracks in the ceiling gave this place an ominous feeling that sent a shiver down her spine. She suddenly wanted very much to be back in dust town, perhaps hiding under Rica's bed. "Where are we?" she whispered.
Leske swallowed. "The deep roads I think."
Ceiles paled slightly. "Aren't there…. Darkspawn in the deep roads." She said the words with such hesitation. As though merrily uttering them would bring the beasts.
Leske just nodded. He glanced behind them. "Can't go back that way," he said. He turned "Maybe there is another way back further ahead."
*******
"So both of us headed into the deep roads" Ceiles shrugged and managed to consume another spoonful of stew with great difficulty. "And I've kept my hair short ever since. It's just more practical this way." Her eyes were trained solely on the glue-like concoction in her bowl.
The group gathered around the camp fire was perfectly silent. Zevran spoke "Zis is a joke, yes? The story, it is not finished. You can't possibly mean to end it there,"
Leliana nodded in agreement. "What happened once you were in the deep roads?"
Ceiles sighed. Reluctantly she continued. "Now the deep roads seem like something half remembered from a nightmare to seven year old child."
*******
Now the deep roads seem like something half remembered from a nightmare to seven year old child, every shadow darts about unpredictably, every noise echoes closer than is comfortable. The pin pricks of light which filter through the ceiling look like gleaming eyes. Leske sniffled. "I want to go home." Ceiles couldn't argue with him. His worlds rang through the great open corridor that could go on forever.
"It's blocked" Leske announced when after only a few minutes they reached a high pile of boulders where the road had once been.
Ceiles starred up at the rubble which reached all the way to the ceiling. "Looks like a cave in." She looked around. "We could try going through there." She pointed toward a gaping hole in the side of the wall.
Leske swallowed. "… We could," he said tentatively. They both stood there frozen for a moment, staring into the gaping hole which had once been wall. Squaring her shoulders Ceiles started walking, demonstrating a trait that later in her life would be called courage, or perhaps what is better described as a reckless abandon for ridiculously dangerous situations.
Leske whipped the sweat off his brow. "Is it getting hotter? Or is that just me?" Ceiles nodded in agreement, as perspiration beaded at the now naked nape of her neck. After just a few minutes of taking their detour the temperature had to have gone up several degrees. It wasn't long before they discovered why. Up ahead, one of the walls gave way to a large cliff face. At least two-hundred feet below the two reluctant explorers saw a churning river of bright orange lava.
They both leaned over the edge, "Well that explains it" she said. "It's a long way down." Leske added his eyes getting wider.
They hadn't heard it approach. The metal of its armor clanked as it lurched toward them. They both froze. The fear that gripped Ceiles was so powerful that for a moment she thought she had fallen over the edge into the abyss. Snarling and hissing it paused to inspect its prey, deciding which child to tare limb from limb first. Ceiles was too scared to scream when she turned around she was face to face with the Genlock. Its sunken, beady eyes leered at her and it broken jagged toothed grin was unnaturally wide, as though it were reveling in its prize. They both stood perfectly still, as if like a wild animal, any movement would cause the Darkspawn to strike.
But Darkspawn need no provocation. Wildly it leaped toward Leske, apparently deciding the larger of the two was the bigger threat. It was then that Ceiles screamed. It grabbed Leske but the young hellion was slippery and managed to squirm away. But he would not be so lucky next time. Ceiles didn't know what to do.
Quickly she snatched a glorified pebble off a pile of rubble to her left and hurled it at the creature's head. The Genlock hallowed as it made impact with the back of its skull. Black blood bubbled and tricked down the back of its neck. The vile creature turned around, and growled at Ceiles as it started towards her with slow savage intent. Ceiles was fixated on the large crude sword in its hand, stained by rust from the blood of the Darkspawn's foes.
She stumbled backward, to sacared to remember to debris pile behind her. The rocks were hard and cold as her backside made impact. The Genlock was gaining ground, its back to the cliff. Ceiles groped behind her madly. Her tiny fist closed around a large jagged rock. She seized it and with all her might hurled it at the monster.
There was a satisfying crack as the rock hit the beast square between the eyes, it stumbled backward, blood trickling down its face. Ceiles heard crumbling rock then the Genlock was gone.
For a moment, there was no movement from the stunned children. Then at the same time Ceiles and Leske scrambled to the edge of the rock face but all that greeted them was lava below.
"Let's get out of here." Ceiles said panting. But when she turned to run she found her path was blocked. What she saw was terrifying. Crowding the narrow tunnel was a horrifying host of Darkspawn, screaming and hissing, flailing their swords and axes menacingly. This was the end she knew it; they were going to die here lost in the Deep roads.
It was a miracle, a battle cry and then blood. Turning to face there new threat the Darkspawn surged toward the intruder. It was as though her feet were soldered to the ground. She could do nothing but watch. One by one the Darkspawn horde was cut down. A limb hacked off here, a spray of black blood there. It was difficult to keep track of the fight, but it was clear who was winning. The Darkspawn threw themselves at the large warrior chaotically. One by one each was swiftly cut down.
And before she had realized what was happening it was finished. The tainted were no more but a pile of bloodied and dismembered corpses on the floor. Their savior stood in the center of the carnage, his sword still held high, ready to strike. She had never seen anyone so tall. Splattered with blood his grey streaked hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat. His eyes darted back and forth, glazed over, as though he saw aberrations that the young ones could not. He mumbled incoherently. Suddenly, he swung his sword at empty air that no longer contained any foes. The children both jumped backwards.
"By the stone, the surfacer is out of his sodding mind. He's going to kill us both." Leske cried, but their backs were to the cliff and after seeing one man kill so many they had no courage left in their small bodies to make a run for it.
The human shook his head, clearing the fog that was behind his eyes. He stared at them, really seeing them for the first time. "Y..y..you're… children." He stuttered sounding far away, lost. "Get out of here!" he snarled at them suddenly and threw his arm toward the path from which they came.
Ceiles ran. She ran until her knees felt like they would buckle and her side screamed in protest. She wasn't sure how she made it back to Dust Town. The entire day seemed like a crazed blur. She collapsed to her knees on the familiar streets gasping for breath. Leske collapsed against the wall of her tenement. "We're alive! I can't believe it."
Ceiles was to busy catching her breath to respond. Leske stared at her a moment. "I can't believe you managed to hold on to that the whole time." He pointed the object still tucked under Ceiles' arm.
She stared at the loaf of bread, which she had been clinging to so tightly it was crushed to the point of almost being unrecognizable. "I guess I was… really hungry." She finally said between wheezing gasps for air. They couldn't help it, they both laughed.
Neither saw Rica open the door. "What have you done to your beautiful hair!" she shrieked.
******
The story hung in the air a few moments and then Alistair spoke. His words were quiet, thoughtful. "It is a sad end we come to."
Silence descended before Ceiles responded "I suppose that is true. But I remember thinking at the time… that he was the most honorable of men."