Author's Note: So, I surprised myself by already finishing another chapter. Don't get used to this frequent of updates though! ;) This story is apparently going to be a lot longer than I anticipated, even with skipping some of the conversations and splitting the party members up. There's still a lot of stuff that I want to cover, and the practical part of me that's striving for believability can't ignore the necessity for armor, money, supplies, etc. I'd hoped to get Lothering all into one chapter, but didn't quite manage, as it was getting a lot longer than I anticipated. So I stopped in what I hope is a good place. And I'm afraid I won't be able to skip all major conversations and events, even though I know this is all old hat to most of you. I really want to show Ayla's take on things as much as possible. Hopefully that doesn't annoy anyone too much!
Thanks as always to those who've favorited and followed, it means a lot! Special thanks go again to Padme4000, who was kind enough to offer another review, and Kira Tamarion, who also gave me a review! As I figured out how to reply directly to both of you, I won't mention details here, but thanks very much for the kind words, it is very encouraging! I would love for more of you to offer your questions, comments, concerns, thoughts, whatever! Thanks and enjoy!
Disclaimer: Bioware owns Thedas, etc.
Lothering
Ayla followed behind the others as they made their way down the stone stairs into the town. She'd heard the others call it Lothering. It was like any other town she could ever recall seeing – lots of cramped wooden houses, with some bigger houses and stone structures among the bunch. Directly across from them, surrounded by a stone wall, was what appeared to pass for a church here. The town, however, was overflowing with anxious refugees and tents. Not to mention, it stank, especially to her over-sensitive nose. It was like a smell of sweat, unwashed people, dirt, refuse, and she even swore she could smell a little desperation.
Aedan halted in front of them, and turned to face them. "We should probably go over what we plan to do here. We won't be able to leave tonight; it's too close to nightfall already. We'll need to stock up on supplies, and find a place to stay for the night, if possible."
Alistair nodded in agreement. "We'll need more money, too. We only have a few hundred silver, and we're going to need a lot of supplies, not to mention armor repairs or new armor. Ayla, I think we should pick up some armor for you as well."
Ayla frowned. She didn't necessarily disagree with this. She had no armor at the moment. Usually she only wore a light shirt of chainmail beneath her tunic, and occasionally bracers. But when she'd been pulled through the portal, she hadn't had even that much on, as she'd only been intending on a short walk. It was just lucky that she'd had her swords and daggers with her, as she almost never went anywhere unarmed. However, she didn't relish the thought of wearing the kind of armor that Alistair and Aedan wore. Aside from the possibility of it dulling her powers, she also knew she wouldn't be able to fight as effectively in it, as her style depended mainly on speed and agility.
"I'm not sure about that," she hedged. "I don't think I could fight effectively in anything like that." She waved her hand at the splintmail suits both Alistair and Aedan wore.
Alistair shook his head, looking down at her with concern in his warm hazel eyes. She knew why he was pressing the issue; it was the same reason he'd charged after her in the bandit fight, taking the blow meant for her on his shield. He wanted to protect her. Ordinarily, she would have been irritated, but for some reason, she found it sweet coming from him. "I wouldn't want you to have the same type of armor as us, anyway. We can get you leather armor meant for rogues; it's designed to be light and easy to move it in, but it will still be better than a tunic for stopping arrows."
"I agree with Alistair," Aedan spoke up. "Aside from the benefits of having armor, you'll blend in better than you are now. No one wears clothing like you have on in Ferelden, and the heraldry on your tunic is an unknown one. It'll be best if we can find you something else."
Ayla sighed. She couldn't argue with that reasoning. She hadn't seen anyone wearing a similar outfit to hers, either in the camp at Ostagar or here. It appeared that if a person in Ferelden wasn't wearing some type of armor, then they were wearing simple woven clothing, dresses or tunics and leggings. Additionally, no one wore tunics and leggings with weapons. Besides, maybe leather armor wouldn't be so bad. "All right, if you can find me some of that leather armor, I'll give it a try."
Alistair smiled at her, the first full and genuine smile she'd seen from him in the last couple of days. It made her heart skip a beat. She was relieved that he was talking again. While she understood the need to separate from others while grieving, she found that she'd greatly missed bantering with him, and she had so much she wanted to know about him still. Aedan was a good man, as well, but she didn't find him nearly as much fun to talk to as Alistair. It would also be a lot easier to proceed with her plan to seduce Alistair if he was talking to her, she thought wryly.
"We also need to find out as much information as we can," Aedan was continuing as he scanned the crowds around them. "We need to know what's going on in Ferelden now that the king and most of the army are dead. It'll be easier to proceed with as much information as possible."
"I would suggest questioning that man over there," Morrigan said, gesturing with her hand to a man standing guard several yards ahead of them, blocking the dirt road leading towards the rest of the town. He was dressed in the armor that Ayla had seen on the Templars; the full plate with the purple skirting around the bottom. "He seems to be in charge of directing the refugees."
Aedan nodded, and gestured to them all to follow as he closed the distance between them and the Templar. The man hailed him as he got closer, stating that there was no more room for refugees. Aedan brushed his worries off, explaining that they weren't refugees and were just passing through.
He proceeded to question the man about who was in charge in Lothering. It appeared that the local lord, whom they referred to as a Bann, had left the town, taking all of the local army with him to join Teyrn Loghain. This left only the Templars to guard the townsfolk and run things. When asked who was now in charge, the Templar suggested they either speak to his commander, Ser Bryant, in the Chantry, or Elder Miriam. Both were apparently trying to do their best to keep the town running in the lord's absence.
Aedan wound up the conversation, and then directed them all down the road a little further. "It looks like there's a merchant's wagon just down the road here. Let's get as many supplies as we can first."
Ayla followed him and the others as they continued down the road, towards the wagon. The man who was standing next to it was arguing with a woman in pink robes emblazoned with a sunburst. Ayla had seen similar robes on the women preaching about the Maker in the camp at Ostagar. She guessed this meant the woman was a priestess. A few others had started to gather around to listen to the exchange.
As they got within earshot, it became apparent that the priestess was arguing with the merchant over his charges. It sounded like he was in possession of most of the supplies, and was charging exorbitant amounts to the desperate refugees. The merchant claimed this was his right, and both were getting increasingly heated. As the group approached, with Aedan in the lead, they pulled him into the argument.
The priestess wanted Aedan to force the man to lower his prices, or better yet, not charge anything at all, while the merchant offered a hundred silver pieces to Aedan if he'd drive the woman off.
"It's so nice to see everyone working together in a crisis! It warms the heart!" Alistair said sarcastically. Ayla couldn't help but smile; she could see his point. It seemed like no one in this country was interested in working together in the face of the Blight.
She watched as Aedan, with impressive skill, smoothed the priestess' ruffled feathers and convinced the merchant that he could lower his prices and still make a profit. The crowd dispersed once Aedan began trading with the merchant.
"So we have come to solve every squabble in the village personally? My, but the darkspawn will be impressed," Morrigan said acidly, folding her arms as she watched. Ayla noted that despite her harsh words, she still seemed to be impressed with Aedan in general.
The two women watched as Alistair and Aedan spoke with the merchant. Upon finding out that there was no blacksmith or armorer currently present in Lothering, they bought new sets of armor for themselves, persuading the merchant to pay them a small amount for their damaged armor. They also sold him the weapons Ayla had gotten off the bandits, as well as some other supplies they'd looted from the bandits. In return, they bought a suit of leather armor, as well as various food supplies, healing poultices, and the supplies to make more poultices.
Once done, the two men donned their new sets of armor, and distributed the supplies among the party's packs. Ayla wore nothing but smallclothes beneath her tunic, so she stored her new armor in her pack for the moment, promising to change into it when she found somewhere private to do so. Honestly, she wouldn't have minded giving Alistair a show, but she didn't want the whole town to witness it as well.
"We should check the Chantry board, see if they have any job postings," Alistair said once they were ready to move on. "We barely have any money left now."
"Good idea," Aedan agreed, and the party headed over to the stone wall surrounding the Chantry. There was a large board just outside the stone wall, covered in bits of paper. A man in robes stood next to it, along with a small child. The man kept saying odd things, almost as though he were talking in riddles or verse, and Ayla didn't understand it. None of the other party members commented, though, so she left it alone.
After looking over the bits of paper, Aedan pulled one off. "This sounds promising. There's a group of bandits plaguing the outskirts of the town, and they're paying a decent amount to anyone that can take them out."
"Well, if they want to pay us to kill bandits, we can hardly turn that down." Ayla smiled with savage glee, her hands tightening on her sword hilts. Ever since her father had been killed, she couldn't help the unhealthy rage she felt over bandits in general. Logically, she knew that every set she came across were not the same as the ones who'd killed her father. Nevertheless, as soon as she came across any bandits, she seemed to lose all her control, and became more than happy to dispatch them by any means necessary.
She saw Alistair looking at her with concern and confusion. "Um . . . right. Well, we could use the money, and we can't leave them to rob these poor people."
She knew he didn't get it. She'd seen the conflicting emotions on his face after she'd killed the bandit leader. He hadn't necessarily approved of the fact that she hadn't given the man a chance to surrender. She'd been too overwhelmed with fury to even stop, however. She also hadn't missed the fact that he'd wanted her. She couldn't fail to notice the lust stamped on his face, or the fact that those hazel eyes of his had darkened with desire. She could definitely get used to that look.
She could also get used to the fact that him merely looking at her had sent a spark of lust all through her body. She couldn't ever remember reacting to a man in such a way. Unfortunately, it hadn't been the time or the place, what with the darkspawn close behind and refugees everywhere. So she hadn't closed the distance between them like she'd wanted to. She wasn't used to denying herself a little post-battle exercise, though. She was going to act on it eventually. She might even tell him why she felt the way she did about bandits. But not right now.
"We'll wait until tomorrow to take care of the bandits." Aedan had tucked the paper away, and his tone brooked no disagreement. Though Ayla would've liked to go after the bandits right now, she could wait. They'd still be just as dead tomorrow. "Right now, we should gather information, get something to eat, and find a place to sleep for the night. I think it might be faster if we split up. Alistair, how about you and Ayla go talk to Ser Bryant in the Chantry? Morrigan and I will go try to find this Elder Miriam. There's a tavern across the bridge. We can meet there after we're done."
Alistair nodded, and turned to Ayla. "Shall we, my lady?" He gave her that little mocking bow he seemed so fond of.
"Indeed, good ser." She swept him a teasing curtsy using her cloak in answer, and was pleased to see an amused glint in his eyes. "Lead the way."
Aedan shook his head at their antics, although he looked amused as well, before he turned and headed for the stone bridge to their left. Morrigan followed him across the bridge, which spanned a stream, to the other half of the town. Striker trotted after his master. Alistair headed for the entrance in the stone wall, and Ayla followed.
They headed up the stone stairs, and approached the large double doors at the front of the Chantry. Another Templar stood guard by them, but when Alistair told him they had business with Ser Bryant, he let them pass. Alistair pushed the doors open, and the two of them went inside.
It wasn't hard to pick out Ser Bryant. He was standing just inside the Chantry, wearing the customary Templar armor, issuing instructions to other Templars to keep the townsfolk safe for as long as possible. Alistair approached him, and Ayla stayed at his side, but stood back a little. She was more than happy to let Alistair deal with these Templars.
"Who might you be?" Ser Bryant asked as they stopped in front of him.
"I am the Grey Warden Alistair, and this is my companion Ayla."
Ayla saw the start of surprise that passed across the Templar's features. He didn't look pleased, she noted. "I see. I am Ser Bryant, commander of the Lothering Templars. Teyrn Loghain has declared all Grey Wardens traitors, responsible for the King's death. You know this, I hope?"
Shock and fury flitted across Alistair's face, and he clenched his fists. Ayla could only imagine how he must feel. She knew she'd be similarly furious if her Order were ever declared traitors to their country. "What? The Grey Wardens did no such thing. We would never betray the King!"
Ser Bryant seemed to relax somewhat in the face of Alistair's shock and denial. He shrugged. "I don't believe the Grey Wardens would be as careless or malicious as the Teyrn claims, but either way, there it is. It is best you not linger, though, just in case. Do you have some business with me?"
Alistair still seemed to be struggling with his fury. Ayla laid a hand on his arm again. He looked down at her, almost as though he had forgotten she was there. "Leave it alone," she murmured. "There isn't anything you can do about it right now."
Alistair gave a terse nod, and relaxed his stance. She let go of his arm, and he turned back to Ser Bryant, asking questions about the current state of the town and what he knew about the results of the battle. During his talk with Ser Bryant, it came out that they'd dispatched the bandits, which seemed to impress the Templars. Ser Bryant insisted on rewarding them with some silver, and although Alistair seemed uncomfortable with it, he took it anyway. Ayla knew he was concerned about the state of their funds, and he had every right to be. It would take a lot of money to fuel this journey of theirs.
Finally, he ended the conversation with Ser Bryant, and they drew away a little. "You know," Alistair began, "they probably have some rooms in the Chantry here where you could change into your armor. We can check with the Sisters." He nodded down the aisle at the robed women gathered around the altar.
Ayla nodded in agreement. "That's probably a good idea. I might as well start blending in as soon as possible." She winked at him, and got a half-smile in response.
They began to make their way further into the Chantry. As they walked between the rows of pews, Ayla noticed another warrior to the side, poring over a tome on a table. He wasn't armored like the Templars, but rather in platemail, and bore a shield on his back with the heraldry of a white tower on top of red rocks. Alistair stopped in his tracks next to her. "Ser Donall – is that you?"
The man turned, and shock stamped across his bearded face as he saw who was behind him. "Alistair? By the Maker, how are you? I – I was certain you were dead!"
"Not yet, no thanks to Teyrn Loghain," Alistair replied bitterly.
Ayla leaned over and whispered, "While you're catching up with him, I'll go find a place to change." She didn't think there was any need for her to intrude on his reunion with his friend.
He nodded, and she left him to his conversation while she went over to one of the robed Sisters. After a quick discussion, the Sister took her to a small room with a cot to allow her to change. With the door closed, she quickly stripped out of her outfit and began to put on the armor. She was pleased to find once she was all done that it was actually fairly comfortable. It was a well crafted set of leathers that, once she'd done the laces, fit nicely to her body and allowed for ease of movement. She did a few experimental bends and twists and wasn't disappointed. In addition, it was hardened enough to allow a decent amount of protection, especially in comparison to her tunic.
She looked down at herself and grinned; it also showed more skin than her previous outfit. The top was low-cut and shaped to her form, leaving little of her to the imagination, and the bottom was skirted. Though it went down to her knees, there was still an expanse of bare leg between the bottom of the skirt and the tops of the new leather boots. She couldn't wait to see Alistair's reaction.
She stuffed her old clothing into her pack, because there was no way she was leaving it behind, even if she couldn't wear it currently. She put her armband back on, and strapped her swords back on as well, then left the room. She thanked the Sister for its use, and headed back over to Alistair. As she reached him, it became apparent that he was just wrapping up his conversation with Ser Donall. Ser Donall was saying something to the effect of returning to Redcliffe as soon as possible. So, he was a knight of Redcliffe, then. Hopefully that meant Alistair had gathered some more information.
"Yes, you're right, I should go as well." Alistair turned in her direction, his face troubled. When he saw her coming towards him, however, he stopped dead.
"Well, do you like it?" she asked impishly, turning in a circle to give him the full benefit.
His eyes swept up and down her body, lingering on the bare skin, before they shot back up to her face. She could see the desire in his eyes again that sent a flash of heat through her, but at the same time, a blush spread over his face, and he abruptly averted his eyes. Well, that just wasn't fair, she thought. She could deal with him being funny, sexy, and skilled. He shouldn't be allowed to be adorable when he blushed, on top of everything. How was a woman supposed to defend against that?
"I – I," he stammered. "I uh – I guess it looks suitable."
She considered teasing him further, but decided that would be too cruel. Instead, she switched to a more serious topic. "You looked troubled. What did your friend have to say?"
As soon as she mentioned it, his face fell, and he looked her in the eyes again. "Apparently, Arl Eamon has fallen ill. He's so ill that they're looking for the Sacred Ashes, which are said to cure any illness, in order to heal him. Most of the knights of Redcliffe are out looking for the ashes. It makes me believe we need to go to Redcliffe now more than ever."
"I'm sorry, Alistair, I know you were looking forward to seeing him again," she said gently. How much more was he going to have to deal with? "But we'll be heading for Redcliffe next, right? We can learn more once we get there." She paused, a thought occurring to her. "I wonder if this Loghain had something to do with his illness? It seems – well-timed."
Alistair looked sick for a second as he considered, then furious. "Do you think he really could have something to do with it? I don't understand what he thinks he's doing! Is now really the time to tear the country apart?"
She wished that she could do something more for him, and that thought disturbed her more than she cared to admit. "I'm afraid I don't have any answers. Maybe one day soon we can confront Loghain himself. We should probably go meet up with Aedan now."
He nodded wearily. "I suppose you're right."
They made their way out of the Chantry and across the bridge to the tavern in silence. Ayla wished she knew what to say; she'd never been that good at comforting words. She also knew too little about this world to offer better opinions. She was relieved as they approached the tavern to see Aedan and Morrigan waiting outside.
The four of them talked over what they'd found out in low voices. Aedan was equally furious to find out that the Grey Wardens had been labelled traitors, and concerned that the Arl was sick. He also mentioned how he and Morrigan had come across a person they called a "Qunari" that had been caged for murder and left there. He wanted to see if they could get the man released to help them fight, but they would have to ask the Revered Mother, who was the head of the Chantry, and apparently was in charge of his imprisonment.
Ayla thought it was a good idea to get him released. She didn't have a problem with executing someone if they'd committed a crime, but it should be quick and clean. Leaving someone to starve in a cage or to be torn apart by those darkspawn creatures was not a fate she thought anyone deserved. She and Alistair both agreed with Aedan that they should try to get him released, but they decided to talk to the Revered Mother the next day. According to Aedan, they'd have to go back to the Chantry to gather their reward for the job posting anyway, so they could take care of both at the same time, once the bandits were dispatched.
After they'd come to an agreement, they all headed to the doors of the tavern, Aedan in the lead. As they entered, Ayla noted that it was packed with people – pretty much standing-room only. There were two levels, and both were filled to capacity. It was also beyond warm and stuffy. She noticed almost right away as they entered that there was a group of five fully armed men standing by the bar, glaring at anyone who got too near. As the door swung closed behind them, the men turned and looked in their direction. She saw the recognition pass across their faces before they all stalked towards them.
"Look what we have here men, I think we've just been blessed," one of the men in the lead said, smirking at them.
"Uh oh. Loghain's men, this can't be good," Alistair murmured to her, his hand going to his sword hilt. The two of them were standing behind Aedan and Morrigan. She didn't miss Alistair's attempt to carefully angle himself in front of her, and wondered why she still wasn't annoyed by his misplaced need to try to protect her. Only her brother had ever tried to protect her this much, and it had always bothered her whenever he or anyone else even attempted it. Another puzzle involving Alistair she would have to work out.
"Didn't we spend all morning asking about two men by this very description?" Another of the men spoke up, gesturing to Aedan and Alistair. "And everyone said they hadn't seen either of them?"
The first man's eyes narrowed as his own hand went to his sword. "It seems we were lied to."
Ayla noticed out of the corner of her eye, a Chantry Sister approaching the men. She was pretty, with short red hair and light blue eyes, wearing the typical pink robes. However, unlike any of the Sisters Ayla had seen so far, she was carrying weapons. The woman aimed a charming smile at the men. "Gentlemen, surely there is no need for trouble. These are no doubt simply more poor souls seeking refuge."
The second man sent a sneering glance at the Sister. "They're more than that. Now stay out of our way, Sister. You protect these traitors, you'll get the same as them."
Aedan held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Now, now. What makes you think we're traitors?"
"Teyrn Loghain claims the Grey Wardens betrayed the king, or haven't you heard?" the first man shot back.
Aedan widened his eyes innocently, looking around the room. "Grey Wardens? Where?" Ayla bit her lip to keep from laughing. It was obvious that Loghain's men had been given a description of him and Alistair, yet he was almost making her believe he couldn't possibly be a Warden.
"Enough talk," the man snarled, obviously not fooled as he drew his sword. "Take the Wardens into custody. Kill the Sister and anyone else that gets in your way!" All of the men drew their swords at his command.
"Right! Let's make this quick!" Aedan drew his sword as well, and Ayla and Alistair followed suit.
People in the tavern began screaming and running for cover, ducking out of the way as the battle joined, or fleeing out the door behind them. They followed their usual established pattern of Alistair and Aedan attracting the most attention, while Ayla used her speed to sneak around and finish off the men. Striker, as usual, took a man down by the throat, while Morrigan was restricting herself to shooting small bolts out of her staff at the men, apparently not wanting to use elemental magic indoors.
What surprised Ayla the most of all was that the Sister had joined in the fight – and she was good. She fought in a style similar to Ayla's, though she was using two small daggers rather than the longer swords that Ayla favoured, and seemed to be slightly hampered by her long robes. At any rate, with the skills of their party and the additional help of the Sister, it wasn't long before all of Loghain's men were lying dead, except for the one who'd ordered the attack. He was disarmed, with the point of Aedan's greatsword at this throat, begging for his life.
Had it been a bandit, Ayla would've finished him off herself. But this man was just a soldier, blindly following orders. So she sheathed her swords and leaned against the bar to watch what Aedan would do.
The Sister beamed as she sheathed her weapons as well. "Good, he's learned his lesson and we can all stop fighting now."
Aedan shot an incredulous glance at her, but said nothing in reply. He looked back at the blubbering soldier, his jaw working. Ayla could clearly see the fury sparking in his grey eyes, but then he sighed and lowered the sword point. "Take a message to Loghain – he'll pay for what he's done. We're coming for him."
The soldier nodded in relief and dashed for the tavern door, slamming it behind him in his haste. Everyone else sheathed their weapons as well. Ayla noticed Alistair's eyes searching until he found her, then the relieved smile he gave to see her unharmed, which she returned. She crossed the distance back over to their group, making her way to his side again.
The Chantry Sister had approached Aedan, smiling at him. Ayla noticed a light of interest in her eyes as she examined Aedan, which she didn't blame the woman for. Aedan was good-looking, with his jet-black hair, piercing grey eyes, classically handsome features, and was nearly as tall, broud-shouldered and well-built as Alistair. For some reason, however, she personally didn't find him nearly as fascinating. "I apologize for interfering, but I couldn't just sit by and not help," the woman offered in a musical accent.
Aedan raised an eyebrow at her, crossing his arms. "So I see. Where does a Sister learn to fight like that?"
The Sister shrugged. "I wasn't born in the Chantry, you know. Many of us had more - colourful lives before we joined. Let me introduce myself. I am Leliana, one of the lay Sisters of the Chantry here in Lothering. Or I was."
"And is there something you wanted from us?" Aedan pressed.
"Those men said you're a Grey Warden. You will be battling the darkspawn, yes? That is what Grey Wardens do? I know after what happened, you'll need all the help you can get. That's why I'm coming along." Leliana crossed her arms and nodded her head firmly, her decision already made. Ayla had to admire her audacity. She hadn't asked to come; she was telling them she was going with them. Bold move, really.
"What?" Alistair and Morrigan blurted at the same time.
Aedan controlled his reaction better, merely regarding Leliana with a skeptical look. "Why so eager to come with us?"
Leliana shrugged and said simply, "The Maker told me to."
"Can you . . . elaborate?" Aedan asked slowly.
For the first time, the woman's confidence looked shaken. Her gaze bounced over all of the party members. "I - I know that sounds absolutely insane, but it's true! I had a dream . . . a vision!"
Really? Ayla thought. That was interesting. It wasn't unusual in Fallor for people to be gifted with visions from time to time. It was the Goddess' way of guiding people in their fates. As such, she didn't doubt Leliana's sanity, only that she was telling the truth, but from the looks on everyone else's faces, they were definitely questioning her sanity.
This was confirmed her for when Alistair said in a low enough voice only she could hear, "More crazy? I thought we were all full up."
Ayla couldn't help the chuckle that slipped out. She was relieved he was making jokes again; she'd been afraid that hearing about the Arl's illness would cause him to withdraw. "Oh, come on now, crazy isn't always that bad, is it?" she teased in a whisper. He grinned in response.
Aedan, meanwhile, held up a hand to forestall Leliana saying anything further. "Give me a moment; I'd like to confer with my companions." Leliana nodded, and he turned back to the others. They all gathered close, keeping their voices low so she wouldn't hear.
"What do you think?" Aedan looked at each of them in turn. "She seems to be an archdemon short of a Blight."
Alistair nodded. "Yes, but she seems more 'Ooh, pretty colors!' than 'muahahah, I am Princess Stabbity! Stab, kill kill'!"
This time, Ayla burst into outright laughter, although she tried to stifle it with her hand. "Princess Stabbity?" she choked out. "Where did you come up with that?"
Alistair shot her a crooked grin. "It's my specialty to deliver witty one liners."
Aedan rolled his eyes. "If we could be serious for a moment: I agree that she doesn't seem to be dangerously crazy. And we could use the help."
"She does seem to be skilled," Ayla offered. "And I think she genuinely wants to help." Her instincts were normally quite good when it came to people and betrayal, and she didn't sense any of that from Leliana.
"Could I interject again?" Leliana asked timidly. They all turned back to look at her, and Aedan gestured for her to go ahead. "Look at the people here." She spread her arms to indicate the tavern, and probably all of Lothering. "They are lost in their despair, and this darkness, this chaos, will spread. The Maker doesn't want this. What you do, what you are meant to do, is the Maker's work. Let me help." Her voice had gained in strength throughout the speech, and ended with a note of utmost confidence.
Aedan sighed, scrubbed a hand through his hair, and finally nodded. "Very well. I will not turn away help when it is offered."
Morrigan gave an exasperated sigh, apparently deciding to finally join in the conversation. "Perhaps your skull was cracked worse than Mother thought."
Leliana either didn't hear or decided to ignore her, instead beaming in gratitude at Aedan. "Thank you! I appreciate being given this chance. I will not let you down! Let me just go get my things from the Chantry, and I will rejoin you."
"We'll be here, getting something to eat," Aedan gestured over at the bar. "I don't suppose you know somewhere we can sleep for the night? It looks as though the Chantry and all the rooms here are full."
"Yes, every spare room in Lothering is full." Leliana appeared to be deep in thought, before her face brightened. "I know of a barn that was recently abandoned when the family fled! You could stay there. It doesn't have beds, but it has a roof."
"That sounds fine," Ayla said. They all had blankets, after all. Alistair had fortunately had a spare one he'd loaned her on the road. A barn would also likely have hay; it was bound to be more comfortable than sleeping on the ground. The others all nodded in agreement with her.
"Excellent!" Leliana beamed. "I will meet you back here shortly, and show you where the barn is!" She was out the door before they could question her further.
They all made their way to a table that had been vacated when people had started fleeing, and Aedan signalled a barmaid over to take their order, as more servants started to clean up the mess left behind from the battle. They all began to eat, relieved to have freshly cooked food for the first time in a few days.
True to her word, Leliana returned just as they were finishing up their meal. She was wearing a set of leather armor identical to what Ayla had on, and was carrying her own pack. In addition to the daggers she'd sported earlier, she also had a bow over her shoulder and a quiver of arrows strapped to her back. An archer, Ayla thought with approval. That was something they were lacking, and if she was any good, made the decision to bring her along that much more worth it.
They paid their tab, and then followed Leliana to the outskirts of the town, where she stopped in front of a rundown wooden barn. It was almost dark by the time they reached the barn, and the first stars were starting to appear. She pushed open the doors, and they all went inside. It was surprisingly clean inside, and as Ayla thought, there were piles of hay around the walls and in some of the stalls.
They all set down their things, and began to find places to sleep. "Don't forget, we have the bandits to take care of in the morning," Aedan said as he arranged his blanket. "After that, we'll wrap up any other business we have in Lothering and head for Redcliffe. I'd like to leave tomorrow afternoon if possible; I don't think the darkspawn are far behind us." He turned a questioning glance to Alistair.
Ayla looked over at Alistair too. He'd stopped arranging his own bedding, and had his head cocked to the side, his eyes blank, as though he were listening to something far away only he could hear. Apparently Aedan's powers hadn't developed enough for him to do whatever Alistair was doing. Finally, Alistair straightened up and looked at Aedan. "They're not far behind, no. We should have enough time to do what we need to tomorrow; but I expect that by the following night, they'll be here in Lothering."
Aedan looked grim. "We'll make it quick tomorrow, then. I'd like to put more distance than that between us and the horde. Get some sleep, we'll go after the bandits at dawn."
"I'll take first watch," Ayla offered. She could tell that Aedan had probably intended to, but he looked exhausted, and she wasn't tired yet. She was used to long days on the road.
Aedan looked surprised, but he nodded. "Thanks, I'd appreciate that. I'll take second watch then, if you don't mind waking me up."
Ayla nodded, and Alistair offered to take third watch. By tacit agreement, none of them had yet included Morrigan in the watch schedule, and it didn't seem like the time to trust Leliana with the watches yet either. The others all went to their corners to sleep, while Ayla took up a position by the door, keeping a lamp with her. She could hardly wait to fight the bandits tomorrow, and continue on this strange new journey that fate had presented her with. It was already proving to be far more interesting than she had anticipated.
2nd A/N: I always thought it was strange that everyone that was after the Wardens seemed to ignore Alistair's existence in favor of the other Warden. Wouldn't Loghain have known more about Alistair - and wanted him dead a whole lot more for obvious reasons? So at any point when someone refers to the "Warden" I'm going to change it to include both Wardens. Makes more sense to me.