Chapter 3: The Hut

A/N:This switched to Morrigans pov half way through the chapter. I apologize for the errors, enjoy.

It was bright, not not how she picture the Makers side would look. She pictured the afterlife being a little more mud free, the Chantry obviously doesn't know everything she thought to herself. Pushing herself up was painful, it felt like she had been sawed in half. She couldn't hold in the painful gasp that slipped through her lips. Her vision blurred as the pain coursed through her body.

"Don't move anymore you fool, you'll undue all of mothers work." A voice said as hands firmly pushed her body back on the scratchy bed. Rose didn't resist, she was too weak, her eyes found the owner of the soft hands. It was the witch she had encountered before the battle. What was her name?

"I didn't expect you to wake for a few days." The dark haired woman said, her amber eyes inspecting the wounds that scattered Rose's body. "Only a few will scar." She added, placing a wool blanket back over her.

"What happened?" Rose asked, her voice scratching the sides of her throat.

"You don't remember?" The woman questioned, leaving her side to retrieve a ladle of water.

"No."

"Drink." The dark haired witch ordered as she placed the ladle to Rose's chapped lips. "Tell me, what is the last thing you remember?" Gulping down the water greedily Rose tried to remember something, anything. Her head pounded and her memories were blurry, flashing through her mind with little coherency. Flashes of Iona's clothes scattered on the floor of her chambers, Fergus bidding her a goodbye, Oren's broken body, Howel's men. It was all coming back to her, painful memories, how could she have forgotten?

"Oren…" She whispered, barraging with the Maker to stop her eyes from tearing up.

"Is that the name of your Grey Warden buffoon?" The witch asked raising her eyebrow. Grey Warden buffoon? She must mean Alistair, flashes of the battle with the Orge ran through her mind. They had been overrun in that tower.

"Where are the Grey Wardens?" She asked, panic taking hold of her body as she wrestled to get the thick blanket off of her legs.

"Stop moving!" The witch growled. Stop? How could she stop? Her whole life had been taken from her and the King promised to string Howel from the rafters after the battle. She had to find Duncan, make sure the King kept his promise. "If you don't stop moving I will be forced to keep you in bed."

"You and what army?" The witch was as light as a feather soaking wet, Rose would not be held down by a pile of hay. Sitting up and fighting through the intense pain she felt in her ribs she began to throw the thick blanket off her legs. That's when it hit her, a thick cloud of black smoke crackling with magic.

"That's cheating." Rose said, feeling her body grow heavy as she sank back into the bed. Soon her eyes grew heavy as darkness crept around her. The last fleeting image of the witches smile soon faded into nothingness.

…………………MORRIGANS POV...

"Is she okay?" The blonde buffoon asked. He had done nothing but sulk since he had gained consciousness. His concern for the young woman sickened Morrigan to some extent.

"I trust you've dealt with things." Flemeth stated, stoking the fire. The swamp was far too humid for a flame to stay lit on its own but her mother had never had an issue with it. The flames licked hungrily at the damp logs.

"The Warden is sleeping once more, mother." Morrigan said, taking a seat on a log near the fire. Why her mother had saved such a pathetic pair of Wardens was beyond her. Had she been the one to swoop in as a dragon she would have saved the King, at least someone would be willing to pay for his ransom. No one is going to pay for this idiots ransom or the girls. At least she was pleasant to look at, this one on the other hand.

"When will she wake up?" He asked, sulking like a street urchin that had just lost their begging spot.

"When she wont damage my handy work." Flemeth snapped, the man did not seem satisfied with that answer.

"The spell will keep her out for a few hours." Morrigan sighed.

"You used magic on her?" He howled, the man was dimwitted enough to think she wouldn't use magic. What a fool.

"Did you expect me to what, hit her over the head to knock her out?"

The man finally shut up, the silence was soothing for Morrigan. It reminded her of how quiet the forest became right before a kill. The whole forest knew what was about to happen. Stilling itself for the loss of whatever creature the wolves were stalking. The trees stood still, letting the wind whisper its goodbyes to the animal before jaws clamped down on its throat. The quiet was soothing.

"Cheer up boy, at least you are both alive." Her mother said, Morrigan recognized the false tone of soothing that dripped on ever word the old woman spoke. She used the same trick when sher lured Templars into the vast forest.

Alistair took as much comfort in the words as she had. Perhaps he was smarter than his face appeared. Still mother had saved him, them both, for a reason.

The calm silence continued, giving Morrigans mind the freedom to drift off with thoughts of the woman currently passed out on her bed. She was pretty, but more than that she was bold. Morrigan had stalked her all through The Wilds. She was different from all the people she had interacted with during her limited times outside of the hut.

She reminded Morrigan of a mirror she once stole, too pretty to belong to anyone. Especially not Morrigan, pretty things weren't meant for her. The sun started to set on the swamp and her thoughts as she was pulled back to reality.

"Our guest should be coming around soon." Flemeth said, staring deeply into the distant swamp. Morrigan scoffed and made her way back to the hut.

"Start a stew while you're in there, won't you?" Flemeth added.

Morrigan aimlessly stirred the pot of Rabbit stew waiting for the Warden to gain consciousness. Her wounds looked much better. The magic had stitched them up nicely but some would scar. The one over her left brow would star. It added character to her face.

The Warden started to stir. She opened her eyes, wild green eyes searched the hut falling on Morrigan. "Finally awake I see?"

"No thanks to you." The Warden grunted, gripping her side as she sat up.

"You would have ripped yourself in half." Morrigan chuckled setting down the large spoon and striding towards the bed.

"Would have been worth it." The Warden grumbled pulling herself out of the bed. She stood on shaky legs. "Where are the other Wardens?"

"Your friend is outside."

"And the King?"

"Dead." She clenched her fists at the news.

"…how?" She asked, anger coating her words. "We lit the beacon, how did the reinforcements not push back the horde?"

"They quit the battle field." Morrigan got no reaction from the Warden, she was more angered by the kings death than anything. The woman looked defeated.

"And your mother saved us….why?" She asked pulling on a tunic.

"I haven't the faintest idea, I would have saved the King. Royalty brings in a much higher ransom pay off."

The Warden scoffed and threw on her pants. "Guess you're in luck."

"Oh, and why is that?" Morrigan asked, perplexed by the womans odd behavior. She never got an answer to her question. Rose headed for the door.

"Thank you, Morrigan." She said as she exited the hut. Morrigan smiled to herself, she liked the way her name sounded on the Wardens lips. Still once she was gone life could get back to normal. She missed spending her nights running wild in the forest.