If someone is pressed to describe Tabris, they would be at a loss for words. See, the fellow is not very eye-catching, except that he was unusually tall for his kind, as tall as an average human. He was plain-looking, his pale green eyes and even paler hair is not anything but….drab. But ask around the Alienage, and they always say this of him: keen of wits, and silver of tongue. Unless, of course, if he's talking to pretty women. There he's slow of wits and leaden of tongue.
Though that can't be seen right now, as that charming fellow is asleep when an elf girl pounced on him with a pillow.
"Holy Andraste! Shianni, stop doing that. I'm having a wonderful dream." He sat up as he fended off his cousin's assault.
"What dream?" said the girl.
"That you stopped doing that."
She punched him in the arm. "Well, I'm not going to stop doing it if you're always snoring til noon. And besides, don't you know what it is today?"
"By your breath? Your favorite. Get drunk til noon day"
She punched again. "No silly, you're getting married."
"I'm getting married? I'm getting married" he bolted from the bed and put on his slippers.
Shianni laughed. "That's the spirit. You'll be needing it, because there's going to be music, dancing, feasting-"
"And also drinking" he said, winking at her.
She slapped his arm. "Yeah alright. So get going fast and meet Soris outside." She left him to dress and went outside.
Minutes later, he was dressed and ready to go. He bounded to the kitchen, where his father was seated in a chair, looking to be as calm as possible when his only child would be living a different life from now on.
"Morning Dad."
"Good morning son. It's your big day." They made small talk as the younger elf sat and ate some breakfast. At the lull of their conversation, his father said "I wish your mother is here." His son looked at him, looked at the face that was still wistful for a wife who will never come home.
"Me too. She might have hauled me out of bed sooner."
"Yes she would have. She would have scolded you and you would have yelled at her as if you're still ten years old."
"And she would have pinched my ears and wonder very loudly how come she had a naughty child like me."
"Just so."
"And you would have just sat there and said nothing."
"Well, she would have pinched my ears too if I said anything."
"Thanks a lot, Dad."
They laughed at the recollection of the spirited elf woman who had been the light of their lives.
"Dad?"
"Yes?"
"How was it like…when you married Mom?"
His father put down his mug and studied his son. Beneath the veneer of nonchalance, he saw he was anxious as he was when he was also about to be married to a stranger.
He told him when they first married, they didn't get along. He thought she was stubborn, too spirited while she thought him too permissive and too meek. There had been quarrels, and there had been problems. But through these, they knew each other's faults, as well as their strengths. Respect came, and then love. From that, happiness. Their marriage turned out well, because they have put in it patience as well as love.
"So don't worry if you might not like your wife at first. Be the husband that you should be."
His son thought for a moment, then thanked him.
"So, what do I do?" Tabris asked as he popped the last piece of rye bread and sipped his weak tea.
"Find Soris. And one last thing. Your training, the swordplay, knives, whatever else your mother trained you in; don't tell your betrothed."
"Why not? She might find it kinky."
"Do not tell her."
"Not even a whimper? No?"
His father's face was still impassive.
"Fine. I won't."
"We don't want trouble, son. That was your mother's mistake."
Tabris knew this. His mother, Adaia, was fiery and bold. Perhaps too bold, because when a riot broke out in the alienage due to another unfair restrictions of the arl, Adaia was at the forefront of it. The arl's guards thought to pacify the elves by starting with her. They ran a sword through her and she died a week later, because they could not afford a healer. Also, the guards wouldn't allow them to have one.
This doesn't mean he would allow sad memories to affect the present. "It's my wedding, father. We're supposed to be happy."
His father embraced him. "I know, son. I know" He released him, his hands on his arms gently. "Enjoy your day. Moments like this, should always be meant to last."
The job was a shakedown of some dwarf who was double dealing with Beraht. He and Leske could have taken a cut for letting him go, but now that Rica was working under Beraht, he couldn't risk angering the thug boss. The choice was easy.
Then Beraht gave them a job to fix the Proving in honor of some Grey Warden. They were told to poison the opponent of Beraht's choice. Off they go to the Grounds, strolling in like nobles so when a guard came to arrest them, he waved the permits on his face and the guard let them go. That was funny.
And then they entered the room of their mark and everything went to hell from there.
"Sod it! He's stone drunk! He could draw a dead man's bout and he'd still lose. Beraht's gonna kill us!" Leske cried. Brosca shook Beraht's dwarf, to no avail.
"Hey, I have an idea. You keep boastin you've got the meanest blade around and you're the same size as his armor. Why don't you go as him? No one will know."
"I like the way ye think. Though if I gotta go as him, I gotta go honest. No poison." Brosca said.
"Alright. Your death it is. Get in the armor. And no talkin"
No talking indeed. He couldn't even grunt, for the easy way he cut down his opponents like butter. He was feeling definitely crazy, when the Proving Master announced he was the Champion. He was bathing in the victory and the cheering when a dwarf stumbled out to the arena and said "Wha-is it my bout a'ready? Hey? That's my armor!"
That son of a nug Leske had forgotten to lock the dwarf to his room.
The crowd fell silent, confused. Then his last opponent, whom he had carved a new nose, pushed his lackeys out of the way to cry "Wait! I know that man!" as he pointed to the newcomer. "That's Everd. Then..what imposter did I fight?" He looked at Brosca with venom.
The proving master came out of his confusion and said "Remove your helmet warrior, and let all see your face."
Brosca smiled. He was growing tired with the pretending anyway. Let them see who he is, the snobby fools. He removed his helmet and at once they saw the brand.
The crowd gasped, shocked as he started laughing. "I ain't no caste or clan, but I beat y'all!"
The people held their breath, before they released it through roars and shouts. The proving master was shouting something about him dishonoring the Proving but he just laughed and laughed like the madman he is. These fools don't know anything about honor even if it was shoved up their asses.
He was still laughing as the guards dragged him away, even when a human was arguing with the proving master.
What a fine day. He wished the days were like this, where he could tell those nobles what he really thought of them.
They took care of the dog and the knight took his leave of her. Elissa sadly watched him go, then walked up the castle to find her brother and tell him about their father's instructions. She was still thinking it wasn't fair, that she had to be married off to some spoiled brat, probably, while her knight joins an order of fussy old men who had defeated some evil creatures a long time ago. Then she hit upon an idea.
Why don't she run away with him? They're like the star-crossed lovers in stories, where their parents would be angry but would finally relent after her knight proves himself worthy. Oh, it's so romantic. Maybe they'll suffer some hardships but it will be worth it when they showed to everyone how their love could triumph over everything. But she saw her mother talking to visitors at the landing above her and knew she must stop daydreaming about the life they could have or risk being found out by her mother's sharp gaze.
Her mother, Teryna Eleanor broke off the conversation when she saw her and said "And here is my lovely daughter. I take it by the presence of that troublesome hound of yours that the situation in the kitchen is handled?"
"Yes Mother." She answered, trying to be merry as possible.
Her mother was satisfied with her demeanor, then said "Darling, remember Lady Leandra? Bann Loren's wife?"
The visitor smiled at her. " I think we last met at your mother's spring salon." Elissa noted her guest's dress is of the latest fashions and made a mental note to ask her dressmaker if she can make one like that.
"It is good to see you again, my lady." She said graciously.
"You're too kind, dear girl. Didn't I spend half the salon trying to convince you to marry my son?"
"And made a very poor case for it I might add" said his son, Dairen, while she blushed, as much with embarrassment as with vexation as she remembered that disastrous day. She was just about to dance with Ser Gilmore, after dancing with a string of nobles and knights to make it look like to everyone watching, including her mother, that she only obliged to dance with the poor knight as a gracious young lady should, when Lady Leandra got hold of her arm, and pressed her to marry her son, complimenting her beauty and her manners in a slurred voice. She had to spend the night on the sofa rebuffing the lady's drunken pleas, and trying to keep her dress from being vomited on, all the while seeing her knight dancing with some tart from the Bannorn. Her patience was nearly gone that night, for she spent half the day on her dress and her hair, only to spend half the night sitting and supporting a very drunken lady courting her for her son. It hurt her vanity so deeply, she considered not adding him to her list of flirtations.
"You remember my son, Dairren? He's not married yet."
"Don't listen to her." He turned to her and smiled, apologetically. "It's good to see you, my lady. You're looking as beautiful as ever."
She smiled now with more sincerity, pleased at the little compliment he had given her. "Thank you. You too are looking handsome today."
"And this is my lady in waiting, Iona. Do say something dear" said Lady Leandra, as she pushed at the elf at her side.
"It is a great pleasure my lady, you are as pretty as your Mother describes." the elf, said, stuttering.
"You would think it would be easier to make a match for her, not more difficult" Said her mother drily.
Dairren's gallantry rose. "Perhaps you daughter simply has a mind of her own, your ladyship. You should be proud".
"Proud doesn't get me anymore grandchildren."
"Mother!"
Her mother just smiled at her and asked where she was going. She answered she was to take her father's message to Fergus. Her mother talked a few more, asking her if she would like to show their young guests around the castle later. She agreed, so she then let her pass.
She took her leave of them and continued on her way.
Dairren is cute, though he is not as dashing as Ser Gilmore. And besides, it isn't very romantic to have your mother doing the courting, she thought.
If Fergus could marry anybody, why shouldn't she?
Mahariel woke up within an aravel. It was unfamiliar at first but then she remembered.
Tamlen-thecave-theruins-therottedbereskarn-undead-mirror-demons-mirror-Tamlen!
"You are awake, Lethallin. Praise the creators. I thought I have lost you too."
She looked up to Merril's face, her delicate little hands on her face. Her face was tinted red from the light that shone through the aravel's cloths. She let her hands travel to Merril's fingers and squeezed.
"I am well enough. "What-" she looked around the keeper's hut- "has happened?"
"Oh, Mahariel. We thought you were lost. A human has brought you here -a big human, with very thick hair on his chin. He looked like a squirrel have got hold of his jaw and Marethari made him put you here and tended to you for two days and I didn't know what to do, I was so worried, Marethari told me to prepare a poultice but I'm so nervous I have put deathroot in there instead of elfroot-they're the same I couldn't tell the difference, their leaves are the same, long, green. Why one of them should make uncontrollable shaking and delirious-I'm rambling again. It was real-ly lucky, Marethari was using old magic to heal you but she asked for the poultice she knew right away I've made a mistake, she scolded me so badly and I haven't seen Tamlen. Have you?"
Mahariel rubbed her head at the deluge of information. She remembered the ruins, how Tamlen and she have stared in wonder at the elvish artefacts, though it bothered them that it was intertwined with designs unmistakably human. Tamlen said it reminded him of Tevinter, a faraway place where human mages rule over the elves. They had fought undead, and though it was terrifying, that did not compare to the feeling of walking again at the city of their people. She wished Merril was there, she was always so interested in ancient history, but it's just as well she didn't come, because at the last room, they found a strange mirror. They were so heady with happiness, they didn't think anything more can hurt them, when Tamlen touched it and a dreadful aura emanated from the mirror and then she remembered no more. She thought she heard Tamlen calling for her name as she fell.
"Has anyone been sent to find Tamlen?"
"Some of the hunters had left, though one of them returned and said he couldn't find the cave. I thought it very strange, he's Dalish and a Hunter, isn't he? He should have found the cave since the human found you there."
"You say I have been brought here by a human?"
"Don't look like that. He was very nice, if he hadn't been there you would have died. Or so he said. I think that's what he said."
"Who is he?"
"He says he's a Grey Warden. Marethari said-Oh! She said to fetch her when you wake up" she scurried away before Mahariel had any chance to ask her another question.
She returned with the Keeper and she sent Merril away to fetch some herbs. When she was gone, Marethari knelt in front of her and peered at her. Satisfied, she sat back at her heels. "I see you are awake, da'len. It is fortunate Duncan found you when he did."
"What had sickened me?"
"A dark power I know not what, but it nearly bled the life from you. It was difficult even for my magic to keep you alive."
"Thank you, Keeper, for your care."
She nodded. Then she asked Mahariel about what happened at the cave and Mahariel recounted the walking corpses and strange monsters, and the mirror. Marethari revealed that the human went back to the cave to search for darkspawn. Then she asked her if she will show the way to the cave to find Tamlen or his body and to take Merril and other hunters if she wished.
Mahariel prepared her bow and arrow, thinking that Merril would finally see the elvish ruins and be in enraptured too. But without Tamlen, the joy of witnessing their history felt hollow.
Thorin was suited and ready to be paraded, much to Gorim's laughter. He insisted bringing his shield and Gorim snarked that that would reveal him to the nobles as a warrior, if they hadn't known already. He shrugged that off. The shield carrying was a habit he picked up, living in the Deep Roads for far too long. He felt comforted by the feel of a shield on his back, more than wearing the ceremonial armor his grandfather had worn.
Gorim told him the party won't start later, so they had time to stroll in the merchants' quarter or watch the Proving. He chose to stroll first.
They were checking out some armors and weapons when they were spotted.
"Atrast vala, big brother. How surprising to run into you out among the common folk" his younger brother, Bhelen, said. His face looks harried.
Thorin looked at him and he knew he was used as a distraction to Trian, their elder brother. Because Trian is once again looking like he's about to chew someone out.
"Especially since duty requires you attend our father the king. Have you little respect for him to disregard his wishes on a day set for you?" his elder brother said.
Knew it. Before he can say anything, Gorim spoke up. "Lord Harrowmont assured me we wouldn't be needed for hours at least-"
"Silence! If I want the opinion of my sibling's second, I will ask for it" said Trian, cutting him off. Gorim mumbled "Yes your highness" and backed away.
Thorin looked reprovingly at Trian and said, "Don't speak to him like that."
"I'll speak to the lower houses and castes as they should be spoken to."
Stone, he loves his brother but he makes it hard to stay loyal. "Now do as I say."
Thorin gritted his teeth. "I will go at my leisure."
Trian went red with rage, then he came closer to him, his face inches from his. "If I am king, you will never be allowed to act like that to me again" he snarled. "Come, Bhelen."
Bhelen looked at him, sheepish, then followed like a dog to their brother's retreating back.
When they were gone, Gorim turned to him and said "That was fun. Nothing like being talked down by the next king."
"He had better not be like that when he is king. The nobles won't stand a tyrant."
"Oh? What has your brother done now?"
Thorin turned at the speaker. Finally, a person he likes to talk to. "Adal. Stone met."
Lady Adal, daugther of Lord Helmi. Also his bethroted.
Thorin nodded at Gorim and he retreated to a respectful distance. Then Thorin strolled with her. She asked him about what happened with his brother.
"He has been throwing his weight again. Reminding each and every noble that he is the firstborn Aeducan, as if they didn't know already."
"As he should, since the election is coming up. He must be anxious."
"Yes, skittish as a nug in a dwarven kitchen. I just wish he doesn't shat on us all while he's at it."
She laughed. "Oh Thorin, you were always my favorite."
"Oh? I had competition?"
"Plenty. But before you, there's just no comparison."
"Good to know. Embarrassing, otherwise. Not looking forward to talking to your father why you chose me and not the others."
"Oh, don't worry about my father. I think he loves you more than I do."
"Hmm. I like my chances. At least I wouldn't expect him on our wedding day threatening to disembowel me if I did anything funny to you."
"If you did anything funny to me, I think he'd still adore you."
Thorin chuckled. This is why he was going to marry her. She had a sensible head on her shoulders and a funny bone to boot. They had been friends since childhood and when his father dropped hints that it was time for him to marry, he never hesitated to ask her.
"About that, I want to talk you about something and you're not going to like it."
"Oh? Is this the part where we tell each other's dirty secrets? Like you always leave your clothes on the floor so I should expect to pick it up after you forever?"
"Save it when we're married. This is more pressing."
She waited.
"We're going to postpone the wedding."
"What?!"
"At least until Trian is crowned. I didn't like the look I got from him when I announced our engagement." He looked like he was about to kill him and his bethroted. His brother isn't a particular favorite with the nobles, and seeing his younger brother being the toast of Orzammar and being allied with one of the strongest noble houses, must have turned his mood sour.
"So we're not getting married because your brother looked you wrong?"
"Don't be like that. We're still getting married, just later. I don't want to get married while Trian is in a foul mood. He might crash the cake."
"Poor cake. I think I should tell the baker to make it from granite."
"Yeah, tell him to come to me. I think I could find plenty of that in the Deep Roads."
"So, I have work to do, telling everyone the wedding is delayed. And what would the handsome groom do?"
"I'm going back to the Deep Roads, at least, until the election is over. I find I like hearing more my men's snoring than Trian's tirades."
"So I'm going to play the part of the pining lover?"
"Yes, you do that marvellously, the way you polish your ax."
She laughed, then went silent. 'Don't you think he has other reasons for being …testy?"
"Like what?"
"Like there having a stronger contender for the throne?"
"There's no one else who has a stronger claim than him. Lord Harrowmont may try, but he's too loyal to my father. The other noble houses don't come close to my family in terms of prestige and honor."
'Maybe it doesn't have to be from another house. Maybe it comes from someone who had the esteem of both the noble and warrior caste by his fearless campaigns against the darkspawn."
Thorin stopped in his tracks, flabbergasted. "What idiot pushed my name forward?"
"It's been talked about by everyone. If you were just born first, the people would accept you as king without a murmur."
"Well, I'm not the firstborn. Trian is. And I would never go for the throne. Not while Trian lives. Besides, I'm not that fond of sitting on my ass all day listening to nobles argue about who owed money to whom."
"Well said."
Thorin gave a sidelong glance at her. "And don't you want to be Queen?"
"Well no, I'm not that fond of being Queen, nudging my husband the King awake while the nobles argue about who owed money to whom."
Thorin laughed. "So there it is, my dirty little secret. You're going to marry an unambitious man. There's still time to get out of the wedding if you have second thoughts."
"The second thoughts that I have is the color of my wedding dress but the rest of it" she kissed his cheek "I have no doubts."
"Neria, Jowan, this is Amadeus, a friend of mine. He can help us."
"Lily, this him?" Amadeus nodded at Jowan.
She said that yes, he's the boyfriend she was talking about. Amadeus just folded his arms and gave Jowan a long cool look, then Neria. When he agreed to help, he didn't expect them to have a brat in tow.
When they explained that Irving approved the Rite on Jowan. And if he didn't escape now, he'd be Tranquil. Amadeus shook his head at their news. "I don't see much difference if he was Tranquil, what with the vacant eyes and the gaping mouth."
"I'm not gaping!"
"Why are you being so mean right now?" Lily asked him.
"Because I assumed you had better taste, Lily! Ugh. I can't believe we're risking our lives for someone like him."
"Just get the door, please?"
They tested the door. Lily unlocked the door using the pilfered key. Amadeus spoke the password and waved a shimmering hand at the door. The door swung open to reveal another door.
"I wasn't expecting this." Amadeus muttered. He examined the doorframes and found magical wards that negates magic. He said a certain key could only open the door. "I assume some of you got the key?"
Silence
"This is going to be the worst escape attempt in the history of the Circle."
Lily panicked. "I should have guessed! Why would Irving and Gregiore use simple keys for such a door? Because magical keys don't work. How do you keep mages away from something? Make their powers completely worthless. That's it then! We're finished. We can't get in."
"What about that door?" Neria said, pointing at the other end of the corridor. Amadeus went and examined it, noting that it had no magical protection whatsoever. "Door's locked" he said.
"What do we do? What do we do?" Jowan cried, wringing his hands.
"I could use your head to bash it open" came Amadeus' reply.
"Bash open the door or my skull?"
"Why not both?"
"Amadeus!"
Amadeus peered into the key hole. "It's just a normal lock. Melt the pins and it'll open." He withdrew a rod of fire from his robes.
"Where'd you get that?" Neria asked.
"From my ass, obviously." She didn't need to know about the stupid senior enchanter who let him, a junior mage, in a cave full of humungous spiders because she's afraid of them. If he had died, it would have been on her head. But he didn't, for how else can he carry out all those wonderful treasures? All those powerful objects lying around, it's basically begging him to take them. And that mage just signed the waiver for the rod, too relieved to notice that he's bulkier than before. Blind as a bat.
"What does it do?"
"Open a door. And also, whipping a mage who asks too much" He said as he started to work on the door.
It opened but the statues lining the hallway came alive. They freaked out, but the corridor was long enough to fight in.
He was mistaken with Neria, for she fought like a madcat, making short work of the statues with fire and ice. Jowan is not that bad either, if he stopped cringing before every strike.
He set to healing them before continuing to the next room.
They continued to hallways full of moving statues and phantom guards. Finally, they entered the last chamber, where they found a dog statue can amplify power. He found he can break through the storage at the other side by breaking the wall through the dog. He would have lingered to maybe nick a piece of the statue, but the others hurried on through the broken wall. They entered the chamber, where some more ghosts tried to stop them. They defeated them all and went to get the phylactery.
"That's my phylactery. You found it. I can't believe this little thing stands between me and my freedom." Jowan examined the vial a bit creepily. "So fragile, so easy to get rid of-"
"Easy, unless you don't count the broken wall, moving statues, creepy ghosts" Amadeus commented.
Jowan ignored him. "To end its hold over me…" He let go of the vial and it shattered into the stone floor. "And I am free."
The air in the chamber changed. Maybe it was just his imagination, but the breaking of the vial seems to have released a malevolent spirit in the room. He shrugged, believing it was just a draft from the broken wall playing tricks with his mind.
"Let's go. I don't want to stay here longer" Lily said and pulled Jowan out through the hole in the wall.
