May the Rain come.
A/N: Valania Mahariel woke up one morning and knew today was going to change the rest of her life. She just didn't know how. This is her journey from my point of view. In this chapter Valania has made it to Ostagar. She meets the King and soon finds his bastard brother Alistair, and here is where the fun begins. Rated M for language and sex. Mahariel/Alistair, slight Mahariel/Tamlen and Mahariel/Zevran
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age or any of the characters.
Chapter 6: The thunder rolls and the lightning strikes
The morning rolled around with no sun and dark ominous clouds. Valania cooked a quick meal of hares she had caught that morning. After they broke camp, they finished their journey to Lothering. Valania stopped at the bridge and sighed. "Well…looks like we beat the rain." She looked a little ways ahead of them and saw a small band of human men. "Looks like we have a welcoming party." She muttered.
They walked up to the small group of bandits looting a toppled over caravan. The leader stood up as he noticed them. "Well look here, we have some new arrivals." He said sounding pleasant.
"Uh…. they don't look like the others. No cart and this ones armed."
"We collect from everyone who passes through."
"Riiight. Even if ya not a refugee you still gotsta pay."
"My my what a smart man." Morrigan mused.
"Morrigan hush." Valania muttered as she looked at the leader. "Look, we just want to pass through and replenish our supplies." She said stepping forward and coming up nearly a full head and shoulders shorter than the man.
The man smirked as his eyes lit up. "well well well a Dalish elf? I'm sure we could…work something out." His smile widened as he reached out and gripped her arm.
The nimble elf woman growled and moved with lightning fast speed with pinches to the mans neck. She watched as he sank to the ground clutching at his neck and felt her chest swell with pride. "I have cut off the flow of blood to your brain, you will be dead before long if you do not do exactly as I say."
The man gasped and nodded as blood trickled down from his nose.
"first you will give me all of the money that you have stolen from these people, then you will go and turn yourselves into the Templars. If they hang you for your crimes you will go to the gallows and accept your fate. Or you will have to answer to me. Do I make myself clear?" she asked, her voice deadly and her eyes glittered with promise.
"Y-yes." The man gasped.
Valania rolled her eyes and hit the points in his neck again making him completely drop to the ground. "What a child." She shook her head as she gathered up the money and watched as Templars came up to take the men away. She balanced the sack of coins in her hand and nodded. "This will do just fine."
"That was….that was amazing! How did you learn to do that?" Alistair asked.
Valania looked over at him. "I was taught by our master assassin. It's a hard thing to master." She cast her eyes to the town. "c'mon lets go." She said as she lead them down the stone steps and into the struggling town. They walked through the town to the tavern and walked in and were stopped by two men. Valania sighed. "Now what?"
"By the orders of Teyrn Logain you Grey Wardens are to be killed for betrayal of the king."
"WHAT?" Valania yelled. "That Teyrn fled the field when we needed him most! You should be turning your eyes to your own kind before accusing those who are different." She snarled as she pulled out her dagger and pointed it at him.
The man laughed. "alright, you want to play that way we will. Get them—"
"Wait!" a woman said as she walked up. "there is no need for fighting."
"They aim to capture and probably kill us. I say we make them fight for it."
Morrigan tapped her staff on the ground and smiled. "I am with you." She said.
Turin barked and growled at the men as he bumped up against Valania's leg as if to say he was ready to fight. Valania looked over at Alistair who nodded to her in turn. Valania smiled evilly and spun her daggers in her hand. "Then lets dance." She said as she dove at the men her blades slashing. After a few minutes of fighting Valania had the leader on his knees in front of her.
"Alright alright we yield!" he cried. "Please don't hurt us anymore."
"Good, they've surrendered and we can all stop fighting now."
"What do you mean they aim to butcher us! I say we kill them and send a message to Logain."
"but what good is a message if there are no messengers to carry it?" the woman said with a knowing smile.
Valania rolled her eyes. "Fine." She hauled the groveling man to his feet and snarled. "Take Logain a message. Tell him we are coming for him." She said as she shoved the man into his companions and watched them flee. She shook her head and turned her attention to the smiling woman. "Who are you?"
"I am Leliana, one of the lay sisters here in Lothering. Is it true what those men said? Are you Grey Wardens?"
"Uh…erm…well yes." She said rubbing her head, not liking where this was going.
"Good, because I am coming with you. You need my help."
"Look…we're full up and—"
"That and the Maker told me to come with you." She finished.
Valania looked at Alistair and Morrigan who looked as shocked as she felt. She sighed. "Look…I really don't care what your Maker wants. He does not govern my path." She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked over to see Alistair looking at her with "the look" on his face and she sighed. "But, you are right we do need help and you seem to have some skills that we need."
"You must have hit your head harder than mother thought." Morrigan snorted as she spun around and walked out of the tavern.
"Well, you know my names, but I have yet to hear yours."
"Ah, right yes. Well I'm Alistair, this is Valania, and this big fella here is Turin."
Leliana smiled. "It is a pleasure."
Valania sighed. "Can we wait for the pleasantries until after we have made camp. We need to get out of this town."
Leliana nodded and pointed to a man. "He's a supplier."
Valania nodded and walked to the man to get their supplies. A short while later and after getting their supplies the small group of people walked past a man singing in a cage. She walked up to him and he stopped and looked at her. "Move on, I will provide no amusement for you elf."
"What are you?"
"I am a prisoner if you can not tell." He snorted.
She rolled her eyes. "I mean what as in what race. You are clearly not human."
"I am Qunari." He growled at her.
She bared her teeth right back. "I can bark and growl like you but I am trying to be nice. Do you need food or water?"
"And prolong my suffering, no."
Leliana put her hand on Valania's shoulder. "the revered mother says he killed an entire family with no remorse." She said softly.
"What she says is true."
Valania looked the man up and down and felt another hand tap at her shoulder. She looked over to see Morrigan looking at her. "'Tis strength we need. 'Tis strength he has." She said.
The elf nodded. "good point Morrigan. Will the Revered Mother let you go free?"
"It seems unlikely."
She sighed and turned to look at Leliana. "you know the Revered Mother, make her give us the key." She said. "No one trusts a Dalish. Take Alistair with you, he's the senior Grey Wardens, use our status if you have to but get us that key, this man dose not deserve to die here and not in battle."
Leliana sighed and nodded as she lead Alistair back to the Chantry. Valania sighed as she plopped down on the ground and rubbed her eyes. Morrigan crouched down and sighed. "You have not eaten, nor slept since we left Mothers." She said as she pulled out a small pack of bread. "Here, eat this."
Valania looked at her and took the bread. "Thank you."
"Do not thank me, you need your strength. I am merely doing what must be done." The witch said with a shrug.
Valania took a small bite and chewed contemplately as she looked at the giant man in the cage. "What is your name?" She asked.
"I am Sten of the Beresaad." He said.
"Sten, I am Valania of the Dalish Rangers and most recently the Grey Wardens. This is Morrigan, a Witch of the Wilds. Those other two you saw us with are Alistair of the Grey Wardens and Leliana a Lay Sister of Lothering." She said. "Would you join us in our fight against the Darkspawn."
"Darkspawn? My people have heard many things about the Darkspawn. Strange that you are a Grey Warden." Sten said.
Before she could speak Leliana and Alistair walked up and Alistair placed a key into her hand. "Do not ask me what I did to get this key for you. Just be glad I got it." Alistair said with a cheeky grin.
Valania laughed as she walked over to the cage and opened it. "Sten, will you fight with me?" she asked holding out her hand to him.
He eyed her hand before clasping her forearm. "I will fallow you into battle until such time that I am redeemed."
She nodded. "Well, its good to have such a strong man on our side then. The Darkspawn will think twice before attacking us."
"They'd have to think once to be able to think once." Alistair cracked.
Valania and Leliana laughed. "C'mon, lets move on. We have a lot of ground to cover, and I don't want to stay here." The small elf said as she lead the way out of the town and onto the first leg of their journey.
A/n: Finally I get this thing out! I have no idea why it took me so long. Hope you all enjoyed it. Next scene is my take on what happens in the camp. R&R everyone and I will post the next chapter soon.