Exiled
Stepping out into the surface world, Gorim did not look back at the stone gates of Orzammar. It was no longer his home, though it pained him to leave it. But not as painful as leaving his Lady to her fate in the Deep Roads. He prayed to the Ancestors that she'll find the Gray Wardens and survive. Hefting his back pack, he strode out to one of the merchants who had set up stall near the gates and inquired about any group heading to Denerim. There was a merchant caravan heading off to Denerim the next day. He approached the caravan leader and offered his service to help protect the wagons along the way if he could travel with them. The caravan leader, an elf called Slyph, looked at him for a moment before agreeing.
He was assigned to a wagon driven by dwarvern smith. He introduced himself cheerily as Fir. Gorim politely introduced himself. He wondered if all surface dwarfs were as cheery and trusting as Fir. Who knows, maybe being under all that sky made them that way. A few moments later, a dwarf woman entered the wagon he was in, and Fir happily introduced his daughter, Jess, to Gorim. Gorim inclined his head politely to her. Jess, a strangly human name, he remarked. Fir laughed and said it was because he once had a human wife, but she died at child birth. That was even stranger, a dwarf marrying a human. Gorim couldn't wrap his mind around that concept so he pushed it to one side and nodded. He'll just concentrate on getting to Denerim where Lady Aeducan will find him there. If she survives the Deep Roads. At the thought of his lady in the Deep roads, Gorim was sized with panic, what if she died down there? What then? The Aeducan shield and letter from her father will never be received by her. No, more importantly, would there even be a future with his lady on the surface? Here on the surface they were striped of all titles and had nothing to their name. "My Lady, " he whispered to himself "I pray to the ancestors that you'll find the Grey Wardens and make it out alive."
The next day, early in the morning the caravan leader Slyph was yelling at everyone to wake up and get ready to move. Gorim got up with the rest and helped Fir and Jess pack up the wagon and soon the caravan was off trundling down the roads to Lothering and then on to Denerim.
Fir was intrigue by Gorim. No doubt he was an exiled dwarf, the way he kept staring at the sky as if somehow he will be sucked into the wide open sky. He had never been on the surface world. Not only that, his armour was finely made and tailored to fit him well. He could be from a warrior or noble caste. Also he could see his daughter was interested in him. He chuckled to himself, Gorim was indeed quite handsome.
"So daughter of mine, what do you think of our friend?" Fir chuckled as Jess yelped in surprise.
"Father! Don't scare me like that! " "Oh? Staring at our friend again? Are you interested in him?" "Father! We've only just met him! It's no reason to suddenly be interested in him." Jess replied blushing. "Oh? Should I prepare for a wedding when we get to Denerim?" "Father!" Jess exclaimed and slapped his shoulder, Fir laughing out loud.
Gorim looked at the laughing father daughter duo and wonder what they were laughing about. Hefting his back pack, he walked alongside the wagon as the caravan started their journey. As he walked, he prayed in his heart that his lady will live and meet him in Denerim.
No more then two days into their journey they were attacked by bandits. Gorim knocked one away who tried to grabbed the reins from Fir who was hitting any who came near him with a club in one hand. Giving a war cry, he hacked and slashed with his long sword at the bandits, and shield bashed any who were unfortunate enough still putting up a fight. No one was going to stop him from meeting his lady in Denerim, not even bandits. The Sylph was out with his twin daggers dancing among the bandits and stabbing with deadly accuracy. Other guards were fighting as fight was soon over when the bandits realised they could not capture the caravan, especially with guards who were out to kill any who came close and so ran away. Looking at the retreating backs of the bandits, Gorim could not help but think back to the few times he had fought with and protected his lady. The fight with the bandits compared to him fighting beside his lady had felt empty.
Sylph was now shouting orders to check for any damage to the wagons, while others tend to the injured. No one was killed or heavily injured so this would not take up too much time. Sylph was even arranging the night watch, they would have to finish their repairs and that would take at most a day before heading on. Gorim set about helping to mend the damages with Fir. Fir had to show him how to fix the wagon, and even offered to teach Gorim about the surface world. It was a good way to learn about the surface world, he would be able to inform his lady when they meet up in Denerim.
Here while there were caste and titles, anyone could work hard and get promoted to their desired title and caste. It was a strange system, birth did not determine which caste you were for life. But Gorim found it to be fairer then the caste system back in Orzammar. He wondered how many warriors and skilled labour had been lost all because they were born into a caste from which they were condemned to. He even picked up a bit of smithing from Fir when Fir was overwhelmed by the guards requests to repair their weapons and armour. Jess even volunteered to help her father teach Gorim about the surface world. Here she taught him about the herbs he could use for healing and how to make healing poultices. She even taught him about the plants in the forest, though he noticed she always blushed looking at him, when she thought he was not looking. The look reminded him of the nobles who tried to court his lady. He wondered what she saw in him, he was nothing more then an exiled dwarf. No name, no title, not even a copper to his name. All he had was the armour on his back and the thing he managed to carry with him in his backpack. Plus he couldn't return her feelings, he was loyal to his lady through and through even in his heart. So he treated Jess as nothing more then a casual friend.
He learn day by day about the surface world as they traveled to Lothering where they stayed for a week. During that week, refugees poured in from Ostagar, where he heard about how the Grey Wardens were preparing to face the darkspawn. He asked some of the refugees if among the Grey Wardens there was a dwarf. One told him of how there was a female dwarf in the Grey Warden's group of recruits and was under going some test before doing their ritual to become Grey wardens officially. His chest felt light and his mind whirled with thoughts. His lady had survived the Deep Roads! Not only that, she was going to become a Grey Warden and fight the dark spawn! He felt proud, his lady was following the steps of past dwarfs who had become Grey Wardens. She was strong continuing on after her brother's betrayal. That would mean they will meet in Denerim soon. He was torn between going straight to Ostagar or heading to Denerim. He decided it would serve his lady better if he was in Denerim ready for her. Besides, she was safer being with the Grey Wardens and the King Cailan's soldiers. That night he was a happier dwarf as he sat with Fir and his daughter Jess.
"I see our solemn friend is finally starting to be might I say cheerful?" Fir remarked happily as he took his bowl of stew from his daughter. "I have not seen such a happy face on you friend! Have you found yourself a woman? "
Jess stumbled a bit as she served Gorim his bowl of stew. She could hardly look him in the eye as she waited for him to answer.
"No, I have instead gotten news that my dearest friend is alive and well. I told her to look me up in Denerim if she managed to find the Grey Wardens in the Deep Roads." Gorim answered.
"By the maker! The Deep Roads! So it's true they exsisted in Orzammar!" Jess exclaimed "What did your friend do to deserved being thrown there? How did she ever survive the darkspawn down there?"
"Nay she did not deserved it!" Gorim answered his eye blazing with fire, his voice showing how much loyalty he have to his lady "She was betrayed by her brother, set up as if she had committed a crime. The Assembly would not let me follow her into the Deep roads, and had instead cast me out to the surface world. She survived the darkspawn down there, even if she didn't she would have taken down a whole legion of them before going down." Gorim's eyes blazed with passion as he said all this, his voice filled with emotions. "She is no doubt a warrior through and through!"
Both Fir and Jess listened with awe and surprise. They had not expected such a passionate response from the solemn Gorim. Throughout the journey to Lothering, he had been quiet, polite and learning about the surface world from them and even learning the smith's trade. Gorim was never passionate when he answered questions about where he came from or about who he knew/ Fir was impressed, while Jess was inwardly disappointed. She had hoped as they journeyed to Denerim, Gorim would like her and maybe fall in love with her. Hearing him speak so fervently about his friend showed her how much he cared for this woman. That woman was one lucky dwarf to have such a person care for her.
"So are you going to head down to Ostagar to meet her? I do not doubt she would be happy to see you." Fir said slapping Gorim's back. "It is no more then two days away by it'll be sad to see you go, you've got a good hand in smithing."
Two days away? Maybe he could go down to Ostagar to meet her. Sod going to Denerim, he'll go straight to Ostagar, and be by her side. "I'll set off tomorrow morning." Gorim said, his heart pounding hard at the thought of meeting his lady. "I figure as much," Fir said, his eyes sparkling away "If you and your lady friend are ever in Denerim, come by to look me and my daughter up. And if you ever decided to take up smithing again I'll be happy to have you in my smith."
Early the next day before the sun was up, Gorim was all packed and ready to go. Before he could set off, someone called his name. Turning round he could see Jess running up to him a package in her hands. "Thank the Maker I caught you! Here, some food from father and I." Taking the package Gorim once again wonder, what was it about the surface that made people trust each other so easily and kind to one another. "My thanks, May the Stone keep you."
He turned and set off for Ostagar, his heart lighter then it had been when he had left Orzammar. His lady will no doubt be there and he will finally be by her side. In one little corner of his mind whispered, 'And maybe you and her will be able to love each other freely.' Gorim squashed down the thought and continued on, his pace picking up a bit more.