Based on a planned retelling of DA:O featuring the appearances of all the potential Wardens in one way or another. A major focus was on the relationship of Ophelia Cousland and Leliana, with a healthy dose of Dorrian Amell thrown in. Will try to tell the story from the very begining if sufficient interest is shown and life won't get in the way, so R&R. I thank you in advance for reading.
Oh, and I own nothing.
The dust cloud still floated in the air, attacking the lungs and eyes of the Warden and her companions without mercy. It was as if thousands of tiny ants crawled inside Ophelia's mouth as she spat at the ground below her trying to rid herself of the filth. Meanwhile, her hands have been trying to blindly reach out for the bard. She was afraid something like this might happen in the Deep Roads. The Roads were bad enough with the darkspawn infesting every nook and cranny, without the ceiling falling down on their heads.
Ophelia managed to open her eyes, and trough the tears she saw two outlines around her. One male and one female. Both still moving.
"Leliana?"
The female coughed, moaning weakly, "Ow..."
"Are you alright?" the Warden crawled towards the bard, indifferent to the pain all over her body.
"I think so. Where is everyone?"
"Sodding, web-spinning bastards!" a hoarse male voice came not far from where the women were. Ophelia recognized it as the mage, Dorrian. A mage who had the wonderful idea to fireball a tiny colony of giant spiders situated on a ceiling of the cave the party was in.
Doing her best to avoid inhaling the dust as much as possible, Ophelia gently lifted Leliana off the ground and led her trough a tunnel into nearby cavern. This one was somewhat undisturbed by the cloud resulting from the cave in. Finally, both of them were able to enjoy some relatively fresh air. After a week in the Deep Roads, fresh air felt like a luxury.
Dorrian came crawling into the cave soon after, his dark-skinned face covered in dirt. "I humbly thank you for your help Ophelia, darling. You shouldn't have, really."
"Fireball the top of the cavern... Real bright, Amell. "
"Have you seen those things? Their fangs were the size of my arm!"
Ophelia glared at the man, annoyed, before being interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. "We should find the others," Leliana spoke, her words barely louder than whispers as fatigue took it's toll. Rightly so. They encountered the darkspawn and other residents of the deep in larger and larger numbers as they came closer to Ortan Thaig, hardly getting proper time to rest.
Dorrian eyed the cave in separating the trio from the rest of their companions once the dust settled. "I don't think we'll be able to dig trough that much of rubble. Not by ourselves."
The redheaded bard examined the rocks, placing her ear between the cracks, listening for any signs of life on the other side.
"Alistair?" Leliana called out, "Anyone?"
"Boy, am I glad you're alright! You are alright, are you not?" the muffled voice of the former templar came trough the mountain of rocks. He was out of breath. Quite possibly from fighting off the surviving spiders.
"We're good," Ophelia answered, almost shouting.
"I think I've sprained my ankle," Dorrian added.
"As I said, we're good," Ophelia confirmed, this time staring at the man with murderous intent.
"Can you see a way out?"
Biting her lip, Ophelia focused on two possible exits from their current position. Those tunnels led somewhere, but where? One or both may be dead ends, or even lead them in completely opposite direction from where they were aiming for. Getting lost Andraste knows where in the Deep Roads was not in their best interest.
"There are two tunnels leading out of here, but I have no idea if they'll be of any help."
She could hear mumbling on the other side. Alistair was consulting with the dwarf on how to deal with the situation. A moment later Oghren's raspy voice called out to them, "Listen Warden, we'll try to dig a way trough. The golem should speed up the process but don't hold your breath, it will take a few hours at least."
Ophelia didn't hear what Shale had to say, but she imagined it wasn't too happy being used for menial labor.
Suddenly, a shiver ran down her spine. Unintelligible voices spoke out inside her head. A feeling she despised. The darkspawn, quite the lot of them, felt her presence. They were close and getting closer by the second.
"Even if our friends can dig a way trough to us, there's no time. Leliana can you run?"
"I guess so, but what about him?" the bard asked, pointing at the mage who was trying to stand up without much success. His right leg wasn't in the best condition making it painful to stand, much less run, and he was no healer.
"I'm tempted to leave him behind just to see the look on his face." Ophelia answered coldly, "That, and it'll give the 'spawn something to chew on, slowing them down."
"Ho ho ho, she jests. Now how about the two of you nice, young ladies grab me underneath my arms and drag me out of here?" the man barked. It was not often she saw panic in Dorrian's eyes. Left at the mercy of darkspawn was not a good way to go. Even for an irritating man such as he.
"Alistair! We have darkspawn approaching. A lot of them." the warrior shouted, her body tense. "Abandon the digging and move on, we'll try to find another way out."
"Are you insane? You could get lost!"
"If we don't move now, we could get dead! Take everyone and go!"
"I don't like this Ophelia! Just be careful, alright?" the senior Warden pleaded before ordering everyone to move out.
Signaling Leliana to seize Dorrian's right arm, Ophelia sensed that the creatures were almost at their location. They had two minutes at best. Wrapping Dorrian's other arm around her shoulders, the Warden ordered them to move. There was only one way that did not lead them straight into the opposition. It better not end up leading them to their deaths.
As the trio ran and in one case hopped, trough the dark tunnels, Leliana noticed the sweat pouring down the mage's face. This was much different from his usual overconfident demeanor. He knew that if the darkspawn got too close, Ophelia wouldn't hesitate to drop him.
Perhaps that is what inspired Dorrian to run as if the Divine herself declared an Exalted March on him. Despite the pain it caused him, Dorrian did not shy from using the injured leg to move faster. Not that it stopped him from complaining the whole way.
"I told you to take left!"
"I took left, mage!"
"The other left!"
"The other left is called right!"
Leliana rolled her eyes as those two bickered away. They had this innate ability to find argument in anything and everything, much like Alistair and Morrigan. "Stop it you two, we have bigger problems."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the previously empty tunnels now carried the growls and shrieks of darkspawn in the air. Just as they feared, stuck in a cave with no escape and monsters between them, and what hopefully was a route that lead to their destination.
"I say we throw Amell at them and run for it," Ophelia chuckled, as she drew her shield. Instead of the longsword she opted for a dagger however. The tunnels were too small to allow proper maneuvering with a blade of that length.
Dorrian leant against the wall opposite of the entrance, readying his staff. A gem at the end of it, held by carvings of two snakes, emitted a powerful light, allowing them to at least see their opponents clearly. She might not liked the man for his personality, but Ophelia had to admit, he was a mage of few equals even in his weakened state. Her eyes soon met with Leliana's, who uttered a quick prayer and drew her longbow. Before they left in search of the Anvil, Ophelia promised her that she would not let those creatures get her, and it didn't matter how many of them were coming, she was not going to back down on that promise.
The genlock growled as the view of an outsider caught it's eye. The man has bean weakened and certainly an easy prey. It rushed at him with a dozen more of it's kind behind it. Before it could set it's foot into the cave lightning struck it's body and spread out to it's allies, immobilizing, and even killing some of them outright.
Next up, a woman bearing the crest of the Gray Wardens on her armor ran out of the cave bashing the genlock's skull wide open with her shield and stabbing a hurlock behind it in the throat with a silverite dagger. The darkspawn dropped to it's knees, grasping at it's neck as ichor spilled from the wound. A knee to the face fell the creature while several more advanced on the Warden.
Their attack was postponed when an arrow hit the alpha right between the eyes. The darkspawn behind it pressed their attack nonetheless, bloodlust guiding their every move. A few more ended with arrows sticking out of their vitals. The darkspawn charged at Ophelia en masse in what she deemed was a last ditch effort to get trough her and rid themselves of the pesky archer.
Ophelia stabbed at the unprotected area underneath the arm of the hurlock who was desperately trying to rip the shield off her arm, causing it to roar in pain and fall back. This has given Leliana an opening she needed to send an arrow, hitting the darkspawn in the neck. The remaining creatures begun to loose their footing due to pools of blood and the bodies of their comrades. The warrior retaliated with her shield, knocking down the monsters like dominoes. One fell back at another causing it to slip on the blood and trip over a corpse, falling at the darkspawn at it's heels.
"Get in!" the mage commanded, gathering energy for his next spell.
Heeding his words, the Warden dove back into the cave while Leliana moved out of Dorian's way. Strong wind blew around the mage, lightning ran along his arms and thunder roared in the air. A lightning storm enveloped the passageway, striking down the darkspawn one by one. In the matter of seconds, the tunnel was full of roasted monsters. Not the best smell in the world by far.
"I think that's all of them," Leliana peeked out from inside the cave before checking on Ophelia. The Warden was no worse for wear than she was before the battle, sans a few scratches on her face.
Dorrian slumped against the wall, barely conscious. That last spell sure took a lot out of him. His eyes expressed exhaustion beyond anything he experienced before. The smug smile was gone, replaced by a mouth gasping for breath.
The bard ran up to him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Breath, Dorrian. Take in deep breaths."
In seconds, the mage was in a wild fit of coughs, ended by a rather powerful stream of vomit which Leliana narrowly avoided by hopping to the side. "Sodding Oghren... and his... sodding... drinks..."
With those words, Dorrian dropped his head, some liquid still dripping from his mouth and running down his beard. Ophelia kicked him in the leg but got no response. She made a few more attempts which produced no varying results.
Leliana covered her mouth with her hands, fearing the worst. "Is he...?"
"Dead?" the Warden shrugged. She knelt next to him and checked for pulse. "Unfortunately..."
"Maker..."
"Unfortunately he isn't." Ophelia ran her hand trough her hair. "Now we have to haul his ass."
"That's not funny Ophelia," Leliana pouted her lips in disapproval.
"Alright, alright, let's get him, and more importantly us, as far away as possible from here."
The Warden stood up, bringing Dorrian up on his feet by the collar of his robes. His knees wobbled, almost causing him to fall down before the girls were able to get a proper hold of him. Dragging a hapless mage in pitch dark was not how they hoped to spend their time in the Deep Roads.
Leliana took the lead as she had far more experience moving in the dark. It didn't take long for them to reach the right passage, though they tripped a few times over the darkspawn corpses on the way, causing the warrior to spout curses left and right. It seemed they had stumbled for hours in the empty passages, each increasingly like the last. How the dwarves managed to built a huge empire in this maze, she couldn't even begin to guess.
Leliana picked up her pace and urged Ophelia to do the same once hot air touched her skin. Hot air meant lava. Lava meant they might be close to the dwarven roads which might put them back on track and hopefully lead them to their companions. Still, there have been far too many mights for her liking.
Luck was on their side, however. The familiar sight of dwarven craftsmanship was a welcome sign indeed. The halls were seemingly devoid of life. Not a single darkspawn prowled trough them at the moment, a suspicion Ophelia confirmed. Good, it'll give them some time to rest. Hopefully, the rest of the group was not far away.
"Let's prop him up against that pillar over there." The warrior pointed toward a half-ruined construct. The fallen pillar in question conveniently blocked the road. It wouldn't be a problem to vault over it, but it provided an excellent defensive position in case they were attacked.
Once Dorrian was taken care of, Ophelia collapsed on the spot. Fighting, running, more fighting, and carrying an unconscious mage in addition to wearing massive armor for days had drained her to a near brink. She tried hard to get back up on her feet to no avail.
"Damnation..."
"It's alright. You deserve some rest, my love. We all do," said Leliana with a reassuring smile, wrapping her arms around Ophelia's waist.
The Warden took off her gauntlets and grasped the bard's hands with her own. She felt alive whenever she came in contact with her lover's skin. It made her feel welcome no matter where she might be. Even now, lost in the Deep Roads, she found comfort in the woman of her dreams. A woman that shared her joy and her sadness, and stood beside her no matter how dire the situation or overwhelming the odds. It felt nice knowing that even after facing the gaping maw of the Blight, there was a reason for her to keep on going. After the death of her family, Ophelia's world was filled with uncertainty. The Blight gave her a purpose. Leliana gave her resolve to keep on living.
"Is something wrong?" Leliana wondered as she caught the other woman starring blankly at her.
"No. I'm just glad I met you, that's all," the Warden answered with a quick peck on the lips. At first, Leliana was surprised, but the surprise quickly turned into a smirk as the bard returned the favor. Ophelia wanted more as she lunged at the redhead, locking their lips in a hungry kiss. The Deep Roads didn't exactly offer much time or privacy for intimacy. Nor did camping with ten other individuals and a pair of dogs. It felt like an eternity before before they were forced to break off the kiss. An eternity, she wished, that could have lasted just a little while longer.
"The things I would do to you..." Ophelia muttered under her breath, trailing the kisses down Leliana's exposed neck.
Leliana's interest was piqued, "What kind of things?"
"You'll find out, milady."
The redhead giggled blissfully, "Is that a promise?"
"I, Ophelia Cousland, will make you sing like you never sang before, dear bard. This I swear." the warrior uttered, hand over heart.
"No need to get so dramatic on me, silly." Leliana responded with a hearty laugh, gently pushing the Warden to the floor. Their lips once again met in an embrace of passion, colliding like waves of the Waking Sea. Ophelia was starting to get irritated at her bulky dragonbone armor, despising it for interfering with the affair. To her further annoyance, it had to stay on just in case spiders or what have you decide to swoop down upon them.
Minutes later, the tender touches have ceased and Leliana passed out on top of the warrior who was still awake, caressing the bard's hair. Dead tired, but awake nonetheless. One of them had to be. Topside nights were far form safe, but the underground was something else entirely. One couldn't sneeze without something jumping out from the shadows ready to sink it's fangs or blade into the flesh of the unwary. She wouldn't forgive herself if something happened to Leliana on her watch. She wouldn't forgive herself if something happened to Leliana period.
"The two of you are so cute together it makes me sick."
Ophelia turned her head to find Dorrian stretching his arms and letting out a long yawn. He looked terrible. She told him not to accept drinks from strangers and what does he do? Goes straight to Tapster's as soon as he enters Orzammar. The day before their departure, she found him face-down on a table in the company of an angry dwarf named Oghren. Same Oghren that was now leading their party in the search of the Anvil, thankfully not nearly as drunk.
"How wonderful of you to join us back in the land of the living, Ser Hurl-a-Lot."
The mage narrowed his eyes in a fit of uncharacteristic seriousness. "Not a word, woman. That little 'incident' back in the cave never happened. Never. Happened."
"Oh sure, it didn't," she smiled back at Dorrian mischievously.
"Fine, evil woman. If that's the way you want to play it..." Dorrian looked around the immediate surroundings, changing the subject, "Where are we anyway?"
Ophelia shrugged, carefully, not wishing to wake the bard. "Somewhere in the Deep Roads."
"That's awfully specific. Anyway, there's something I wanted to tell you," the mage lowered his eyes to the ground, "Back there, I... I just wanted to say thanks for not leaving me behind."
"Don't look too much into it. There was no immediate threat, so what harm there was in taking you with us? The fact that your mouth was shut the whole time made it that much bearable."
"I know you want to see to the girl's safety first and foremost," Dorrian shifted his gaze to sleeping Leliana," That you agreed to carry me around, despite it slowing you down means something to me."
All of this felt like a dream. Dorrian Amell, of all people, was genuinely thankful for something. Ophelia couldn't believe her ears. The man who stood for nothing but coin and pleasure actually thanked her. In a minute, she would open her eyes and he would be spewing yet another lewd remark, but it was not so. The mage leaned back on the pillar, deep in thought. Perhaps, he himself couldn't believe what he had said.
"Look, I-" Dorrian put his hand on Ophelia's mouth before she could finish, whispering into her ear to keep quiet.
"Footsteps. Darkspawn?"
Several pairs of feet were closing in on their location. They moved slowly and with caution. One of them was particularly recognizable in the sound of stone pillars crushing the earth with each step. Such noise never felt like music to her ears until now.
"It's Shale!" she screamed trough his hand, hurriedly leaping off the floor. Leliana was knocked off her in the process, letting out a short-lived yelp as she hit the ground. Ophelia immediately apologized, mentally slapping herself for not even having the courtesy to wake the girl first. Gathering their weapons and packs, the girls were the first to welcome the golem, escorted by Alistair and Wynne, before the limping Dorrian caught up with them. Unlike the templar and the elder mage, Shale remained appropriately stone-faced.
"How grand it is to see it did not end up skewered on darkspawn spears. Warms the heart." Shale uttered in an emotionless display.
Ophelia, Leliana, and Dorrian were eager to return to the familiar faces. Soon, their fellowship will be whole again.