Notes: Thanks again for the reviews guys, while I'm not petty enough to hold back any chapters if people don't review because I love to write anyway, but it is appreciated. Birthofthecool – my version of Origins and DA2 are both PS3 so no mods for me, as for the missing words it seems quick-edit really, really hates me and removes words randomly sometimes after I've uploaded but cheers! Anyway, lets pick up with Tali after Lothering some Alistair goodness too
Falling
screaming, there was screaming, loud unbearable blood curdling screams, she stood in Lothering clad in armour her two handed great-sword – a long grey iron claymore blade with a wicked cutting edge she had liberated from a Chasind cache - a barbaric weapon but effective used for bludgeoning opponents into submission nestled in its scabbard. Nothing felt right about this, a pit of unease in her stomach forming with every step. Tali turned to her left "Alistair?", she looked around, but didn't see him; "Leiliana? Morrigan? Sten?" she called out one by one but received no answer, the screaming only seemed to get louder, the darkness thicker the fog heavier as if moving through viscous fluid, she looked up to see the sky over head a dark shade of green dark as night. with swirling black clouds. The screaming seemed to only intensify louder reaching a crescendo of whaling and suffering. She found herself knocking on the door to Danes refuge – the world flashed around her and she was now surrounded by bodies, some mutilated beyond recognition blood splattered everywhere, buildings of the small picturesque village ignited and burned, her nose assaulted by the smell of smoke and burning wood her world span as she was bathed in heat.
"You should have saved us Tali", Alistair's voice came from behind her, she span around, only to wish she hadn't; Alistair's face was not his own; his flesh was rotting and barely holding onto his bone like it had been melted or burned with black blood pouring down his face out of his eye sockets "You failed us", Leiliana this time, her armour torn and body mutilated beyond all healing magic; her arm dangling at an oblique anger where her shoulder had been gnarled on. "Vashedan, You are no Warden", Sten's voice deep and his eyes grey and accusing. Tali backed away slowly a step at a time as her feat became heavy, her knees wobbled.
"No, no its not true", Tali said, pleading with the ghostly visages before her.
"You broke your promise Tali", This voice, she hesitated to turn, her blood ran cold, so cold she felt like she had ice water in her vein.
"Shianni?", Tali said softly, tears running down her cheek; "Please Shianni I didn't I swear" she pleaded. Her body turning against her will, Shianni was stood there, her dress torn, body bruised the way it had been after she found her at Vaughan's estate, a broken look in her eye.
"Please no", Tali repeated. Then she heard it, overhead the shrill of its call, the bellow of the beat of its wings as wind was whipped up by its decent, gusting against her, forcing small pieces of debris and carnage to fly through the air. It circled three times, rearing its head to unleash a torrent of blue and purple flame from its black triangular shaped head razing the wheat field before it landed on thick black scaled talons wings spread out rampant raising its head with a nightly bellowing rear that turned the sky black and reascended the fog but enveloped everything in darkness the world slipping away from her. It looked at her, it knew she was their, called her by name before it ripped Shianni away from her launching itself skyward.
"No! Shianni!"
"Please", Tali tossed in her sleep; "don't you take her!", she called out. Screamed it as she thrashed about on her bedroll, Alistair looked over at his fellow Warden, a look of concern passing his face, he was starting to make a habit of watching her sleep, he liked it when that certain harshness to her features gave way to peace that came when she slept, often he found it relaxing to watch the rhythmic gentle breathing along with the rise and fall of her chest. He watched as she thrashed about, leaning in over her he shook her by the shoulder.
"Tali wake up!", Alistair said shaking her gently. Tali's eyes snapped open, not recognising her surroundings and in blind panic she punched Alistair in the nose sending him tumbling back onto his backside. "Ow!" he yelped
"Maferath blighted balls!", Tali said her voice shaky and cold sweat still dripping off her forehead, she looked over at Alistair who was cradling his face. "Sorry" she said, wincing, as she went to his side.
"Ah yes", Alistair said from near her side still holding his nose, that was bleeding quite profusely; "Are you okay?" he asked, trying to push aside the pain in his face.
"Fine, Fine" she said trying not to sound shaken; "Are you?" she asked. Her concern was touching, Alistair told himself trying to force a smile.
"I'll live", he said with a blush; "Maker you sure can punch, I might start to feel sorry for the darkspawn!", he chuckled as she mouthed another 'sorry'. "I saw you thrashing around and whimpering I thought I'd wake you. I had the dreams too for the first few weeks...they fade after a while but, it really freaked me out", Alistair offered.
"Yeah...", she paused and sighed; "Thanks Alistair", she looked at him sympathetically making him smile as she reached into her knapsack and took out a small cloth to wipe the blood off his face. "What what that?"she asked while he watched her hands, small with deft delicate fingers.
"That was the Arch demon you see, we hear it, just like the darkspawn, that is how Duncan knew this is really a blight", Alistair stated still admiring her hands, pretty hands, he thought, they would fit perfectly in his own, oh how he would love to hold her hands, it had been attraction at first sight for him, especially after she made that crack about him and the Remigold, since then he had done his best to try flirting with her, but being raised in the chantry certainly put him at a disadvantage to other men, his education was somewhat less than complete when it came to women.
"So that dragon is the arch-demon...great how are we supposed to kill that thing", she said absently looking off into the distance then shaking her head as if to clear some kind of fuzziness in her mind. "thanks for well waking me", she said trying to force a smile.
"That's what I'm here for, to deliver bad news with glib jokes and a smile", he replied, Tali chuckled and pulled back having finished cleaning off the blood.
"So, any other surprises?", she asked, crossing her legs in the long trews and loose fitting shirt she usually wore when she wasn't wearing full plate. Alistair had to wonder where she got the strength from, Tali was a scrawny thing but she wore full plate as well as any human knight he'd seen and swung that two-handed sword of hers like it belonged in her hand if her performance in the Tower of Ishal was anything to go by at least. He coughed realising that he had zoned out
"Other than being horribly tainted by the darkspawn, rendered nearly infertile and being called to the deep roads to die fighting waves of darkspawn thirty summers from now give or take?", he asked in his glib jovial tone; "not so much"
"Joy", she replied sarcastically. Alistair knew he was not what she expected from a Grey Warden, if Duncan was everything a Warden should be, the best humanity would offer against the blight, Alistair knew that he wasn't. He was not humanities best, he was awkward, aweful at flirting and lacked confidence in his own ability outside of slaying darkspawn. "Sorry if I sound a little...", she paused as if trying to find the right word.
"Angry?", Alistair supplied as he moved back to his bed roll offering her a kind smile and more personnel space. Sensing she might need it, and hoping to get out of reach in case she decided to try and punch him again.
"Yeah" she said nodding "I'm still a bit overwhelmed by this whole thing", that was putting it lightly Alistair added to himself mentally, but damn if she hadn't taken it like a trooper
"I would be to, you were supposed to get months of training after the joining but with Duncan and the others...gone", he paused looking away; "anyway its fine to be angry or whatever, I would be", of course he had been chomping at the bit to get out of the chantry, Duncan's arrival had been a blessing from the maker himself, looking at Tali and the scrawny mess she was when they arrived at Ostagar he doubted her conscription had been entirely voluntary, still in the weeks since then they had spent travelling and at Lothering she had settled into it, maker knows she is a far better commander than I would be, he thought to himself
"Thanks", Tali smiled back, given the choice between the crazy sister, the angry swamp witch and the giant who only talked in riddles Alistair would take Tali's company any day, he only wished he could express himself better to her, tell her how he was feeling and hope she felt the same.
"Can I ask you something?", he looked back at her hoping to change the subject away from Duncan and the Wardens, it was still very hard for him, his own father never wanted him, he was never made welcome at Redcliff since Isolde had forced Eamon to disown him and send him off to the Chantry but then he found Duncan or Duncan found him, and he found a family with the Wardens, but they were all gone now.
"Sure I guess", Tali replied looking up at him expectantly, clearly unsure of what it was he wanted to talk about, he knew that usually it was left to her to start the conversation, of course he knew once he got going it was like opening the flood gates, she had never made him feel uncomfortable talking but he always felt strange taking that initiative.
"When you were thrashing about", he paused trying to figure out the best way to phrase his question without raising her anger; his nose still reminding him painfully of how hard she could punch, he was only glad she didn't have her armour on at the time. "You mentioned someone, a name - Shianni", he said watching her cheeks turn a shade of pink, was she blushing he raised an eyebrow.
I did?" Tali replied biting her lip and looking down; "its...kind of personnel and complicated" she replied distantly, clearly not really wanting to talk about it and the look on her face showing that she had no idea where to even start.
"I'm not good with elven names but...yeah I was just curious they sounded kind of important to you", he smiled; "if you don't walk to talk about it that's fine, we'll go, yes, lets just go forget I said anything" he added quickly; "we've got to pack up camp anyway if we want to be at the circle tower before nightfall", he finished standing up, that lack of confidence kicking in, he quickly retreated to the pile of cheese wheels they had acquired from a merchant Lothering Market, leaving Tali to her own thoughts.
