Gwyneth knew that many pilgrims made their way to the Anderfels to see the Lady in Merdaine, carving the well-worn path into the Blighted landscape, but given the blistering temperature, she couldn't help but wonder if they still thought it was worth it when they got there. Her cheeks were red from the heat, and her body dripped with sweat, even in the loose white robes they had purchased in Nessum. She knew she was going to be even more sunburned than Velanna or Nate. Sigrun and Oghren had so far avoided the painful redness, but as they traversed through the arid country, it was likely they would burn as well. Their poor pack bronto was huffing and grunting in discomfort too, poor thing. None of them were built for the heat of the Anderfels.
Gwyn had never thought she would long for Kinloch Hold, and despite the dank, mildewed smell it would include, she wished for the cool stone walls to lean against. At this point, she would take the worst Fereldan blizzard she could remember to cool off.
"Nate, do you have the map?" Her voice was rusty from the lack of moisture.
"Yep." Just as rusty-sounding, Nate waved the parchment roll in her general direction. "We should be coming up on the road to Hossburg soon."
Gwyn nodded as she consulted it, tracing the line of their route with a finger. "Hossburg, then up the Lattenfluss to Nordbotten. When we're there, we get the supplies or join a Green Man caravan to Laysh."
"Are you sure about this, Gwyn?" Sigrun sounded exhausted.
"I can say, with one-hundred percent certainty, that I have no idea what I'm doing right now." The joke fell flat. Gwyn felt herself droop. "Sorry."
"S'all good, Warden." For some reason, Oghren had never gotten comfortable calling Gwyn by her name. "Now that the sodding Calling's died down, I think we're all feeling the effects of ignoring it for so long."
Sigrun nodded.
"So it was a false Calling," Gwyn breathed out. "As soon as we get to the road for Hossburg, we're sending a raven to Alistair."
Velanna muttered, "I don't see why we're here. You don't have to worry about the Calling anymore."
Gwyn whirled on her.
"Because I care, Velanna. We've had our differences-" Velanna snorted as Gwyn continued. "But I don't want any of you to have to go to your Calling. I don't want anyone to have to go to a Calling. I want my little boy to have his father for as long as possible, for Ferelden to have her King for as long as possible. Alistair supports elves and mages, and has preserved the freedom of the Dalish. We need him to stay on the throne until Moira is old enough to rule. All of us."
Turning back with a swirl of white robes, Gwyn marched forward.
"Great job, Vel. Perfect. You've pissed her off," Nate growled. Velanna let out another huff.
They continued walking in silence, until, in the distance, a small outpost came into view, and the road branched. A broken, battered sign hanging off the post in front of the cluster of buildings would have pointed the way to Hossburg if it had been nailed back in place. In the middle of the huddle, Anders children chased each other, armed with tiny wooden swords or spears and shields. They shrieked as an older teenager dove among them, dressed like an ogre, and then fell upon her with delight.
Even when they have a chance to be children, they have to train to fight darkspawn. Gwyn felt her heart clench, and turned towards the largest building. A careworn, hard-faced woman came out.
"Wardens." Nate had left the front if his robe undone to show the Warden garb underneath.
"Ma'am. We're headed to Nordbotten, and we need to refill our water skins, water our bronto, and buy more rations. Are you able to supply us, or is there another outpost where we might purchase goods?"
"Follow me." She gestured for them to proceed around the side of the building. Leading them past a parched, wilting garden, she pointed to a well. "Fill up. No charge unless we fill your skins for you. Supplies, I'll need to ask the quartermaster."
Turning abruptly, she walked back to the building. Nate and Oghren started filling water skins while Sigrun coaxed the bronto to drink from a small trough. Feeling a bit useless, Gwyn wandered over to the garden. The Anders soil was poor, yet someone had planted what should have been a rosebush. It was more of a bramble, and proving that life could find a way to thrive, there were a few tenacious green leaves, and one drooping bloom.
She reached out, touching the silky petals, and remembered another rose. It seemed like Ages ago, instead of less than a decade. Velanna came up behind her.
"How can anyone, even a shem, live like this? The People don't have a presence here because of the devastation."
"People do what they must to survive." Gwyn murmured.
Velanna was prickly on the best of days, but she cared, deep down. Moving around Gwyn, she sat in a bare patch of cracked earth. Gwyn watched, fascinated, as the other mage, versed in the magic of the Dalish, reached deep into the earth below her.
She had used Replenishment in battle before, but this was a use Gwyn had never seen. The soil, so pale and parched before, started to darken, and the plants started to perk up.
Standing and dusting the seat of her robe, Velanna spoke. "Before we left, I read some of the books you had. This area had volcanic activity Ages before the First Blight. I just made sure the ash is more accessible to the plants. It's good for them."
Gwyn smiled, "Thank you, Velanna."
"It's what Seranni would have done."
Nodding at the other elf, she turned back to Nate, Oghren, and Sigrun. The Anders woman came back, a sack in hand. "Here's what we have, Wardens. Pay now or send a bill to Weisshaupt in your name?"
She froze. The First Warden didn't know they were in the Anderfels. They had no intention of letting Weisshaupt know they were in the country, either. Ever since both Gwyn and Alistair had both survived the Fifth Blight, they had been under much closer scrutiny than either of them were comfortable with. Only Zevran and Darrian's work rooting out spies had kept them from closer inspection.
Gwyn chewed her lip, glad she had taken the precaution of stating they were headed directly for Nordbotten instead of Hossburg first. Their gold was running low, though. Taking a deep breath, she decided that discretion was more important.
"We'll pay now."
The price the woman gave them was reasonable, and less than expected. "That seems like less than it should be."
She shrugged, "The Wardens have served the Anderfels for generations, we give back how we can."
"I can't take your supplies from you without paying a fair price. I insist."
The woman cracked the smallest of smiles. "You're a good one, Warden. Five more gold, then."
As they went back to the road, Gwyn watched the children again for a moment. As much as for Ferelden, she was doing this for them, and the children who were, without knowing, on the path to becoming a Grey Warden some day. And everyone.