Chapter 7) Last and First
Nuada POV
The elderly mage hurts. It hid it well, but she knew. When one didn't require sleep, one saw far more than they wanted. Like couples moving over each other and moaning frequently. Disgusting, really.
But the elderly mage hurt, and it bothered her. It bothered her that she could not do anything for the elderly mage. It bothered her that she could not find their… companions… and ask for assistance. No, all it could do was follow and pretend to not notice.
And kill those damnable pigeons. At least that was an annoyance she could still deal with.
"Looks like this section of the Deep Roads collapsed onto itself," Oghren observed as we made it to the bridge in the Knotwood Hills and carefully descended down the rickety staircase. "Must've built a bit too close to the surface."
"Is this a recent thing or something that's always been none and no one did anything about it?" Nathaniel asked. He was easily the wariest of us on the staircase, and it took me a second to remember he'd told me about a bad fall down some stairs a long, long time ago. "Both seem equally likely, and I can't remember hearing much of this area."
"I can't say I've heard much of anything either, so I'm going to guess the former," I answered. It was really hard to sign for Cleon and travel down these stupid stairs, all the more so because Cleon was behind me. After all, for some stupid reason, I'd ended up taking lead down these things. "Why am I in front again?"
"You're the one who was stupid enough to let himself be volunteered."
"That sounds about right." I sighed. "Regardless, all I remember about the place is that it's inhospitable, filled with gnarled and dying trees, completely infertile, and prone to rockslides and sinkholes."
"Most of which we can tell just by looking around." Nathaniel yelped as the staircase shook under us. "How injured would we get if we just jump?"
"We're almost at the bottom, though if anyone wants to keep a good eye on another way up, that'll be nice." Still, I was very, very glad when I got off the damn staircase and moved away from the slopes. Sinkholes would still be a danger, but at least I wouldn't see those coming! "Maker, I can fully understand why Father threatened to ground me forever if I came here willingly."
"My mother made the same threat." Nathaniel groaned as he stretched, rolling his shoulders. "I'd rather climb the wall than that staircase. I really would."
"I hear you." I turned to Oghren and Cleon, frowning worriedly. "Are you two all right?"
'I am fine," Cleon signed. He frowned as he looked around. 'There is an odd smell in the air, though.'
"That's the smell of the Deep, lad," Oghren instantly answered, before I could even ask what smell they were talking about. "It's distinctive. You never forget it, and you're more reliant on your sense of smell than the rest of us, so I'm sure you really smell it."
'Oh. Lovely.'
Oghren laughed and took point as we wandered through the area, claiming something about 'Stone Sense' to tell where sinkholes might be. However, it didn't take me long at all to realize what he was really doing. He was pulling Nathaniel ahead, and I couldn't help but smile. He really was far more observant than he'd like people to believe.
I slowed my pace to make it a little easier for Oghren to pull off his plan, and he shot me a knowing look before striking up a conversation with Nathaniel in a rather hilariously awkward way. I had no idea how to react to Nathaniel being called 'Howe's little blighter', and the look on Nathaniel's face said he had even less of a clue. But that didn't matter because all I had to do was turn to see Cleon giving me the stare of 'you and I will talk and I will get answers or so help me, Creators…!'.
"Aw, Cleon, I know I'm handsome and all, but do you have to stare so longingly?" I teased, mostly to lighten the tension of the air.
He cracked a small smile before signing, 'I suppose you are, though I am certain Layla appreciates said handsomeness far more than I could.'
"Of course she does. She has an eye for beauty! After all, she is a work of art come to life!"
'I cannot imagine kissing paint as something thrilling.'
"Well, I suppose it might be better than kissing a statue. I did do that once, though in my defense, I was really drunk, and the statue was a better kisser than my previous company that night." I grinned as his smile widened. "All right. I know you have something to ask. I only pray I have an answer."
'Oh, you will.' His smile fell. 'It's the argument.'
"...Ah, I suppose that was a bit unnerving." I sighed, crossing my arms. I glanced down the path to make sure Oghren and Nathaniel weren't killing each other before turning my full attention to him. "The heart of it is simple, perhaps too much so for our group. Alistair and Elspeth want to strengthen protections on elves, but have to move slowly."
'Why?' Cleon's eyes were serious as he signed. 'Should you not shake things up from the start?'
"They are." I bit back another sigh. I remembered that council meeting well, and not just because it had been the first. "But considering how damaged Fereldan is, the shaking up is a little…" I had no idea how to explain this and decided to just jump to the heart of it. "We're asking Orlais for help. We do not have the funds, farmland, and manpower to repair on our own. We're also asking other countries, of course, but that's the one getting the most clamor."
'And their aid is needed?'
"We can't afford to offend them, Cleon, by not asking for their help, when we are also asking other countries for aid. But explaining that to those childish, self-centered…" I bit off my growl, shaking my head and throwing my hands up in the air briefly before bringing them back down to sign. "Basically, it's all politics and I'm reminded on why I planned on leaving them."
'Aiden knows this?'
"In his head, he does. Maker knows he's got a good grasp of politics; he had to in order to survive as a servant to a noble house. The problem is that his heart aches, and I cannot blame him for that." I definitely could not, especially since my own ached when I saw the damage to the Alienage, and it was 'simply' a friend's home. "So, that's it, really. It doesn't help that Alistair's hold on the throne is precarious, and that's especially bad in Fereldan, where rulers do not so much as rule as reign."
'And the difference is?'
"The difference being that the king is a respected peer, but a peer nonetheless. Alistair has to win their loyalty, and the loyalty of the people, while also trying to repair Fereldan and do all the changes he wants." My head hurt just thinking about all of it. "So, we go slowly. In politics, if you don't play the long game, you're going to lose, and lose badly."
'And that is why you two argued.'
"Yes, and again, I do not blame him for being frustrated. It's difficult to tell someone that they 'just have to endure a little longer', especially when you cannot promise when they can stop enduring." I made a face. "It's easy to see why all the stories stop once the bad guy is defeated with a 'and they all lived happily ever after'. Restoring peace is boring and time consuming frustration."
'Is there…' He hesitated briefly before continuing. 'I am an elf, and I am their hero. Can I do anything to help?'
"Wait, really?" That startled me. I'd thought Cleon would want to stay clear of the politics, especially given how the Wardens were treating all of us. "Give me a bit to think on it. We all do hold some political clout just by being the 'Heroes of the Blight', and you especially do as the 'Slayer of the Archdemon'. But Loghain was also a hero."
'Ah, so the people might not be quite as willing to listen to a hero nowadays.'
"Yes, but that doesn't mean there isn't a way to play things." I grinned. "I'll send a message to Elspeth and Alistair when we get back, and see what we all can do. I thought you would gladly take the excuse to not get involved in the madness."
'I am friends with you. I am used to madness.' His droll look made me laugh. 'Besides, the three of you are tied up in it. I am with you, always.'
"...Thanks, Cleon." It really was reassuring, having someone you trusted at your side. "I appreciate it."
'I am glad, for I am about to go into another topic.' He gave me a look that promised trouble. 'There have been times when Layla has tried to find you, and Anora, for advice.' He waited for me to answer, but even as I brought my hands up to do so, I found them still. 'So? I am assuming it's something that makes sense with your twisted logic.'
"Give me a moment." I wanted to collect all my thoughts. "There are… multiple reasons, and they all play and bounce with one another."
'Oh, this is going to be good.' Cleon glanced around, and took a seat on some nearby rocks. 'This is going to be real good.'
"I shall endeavor to live up to your expectations." I gave him the drollest look I could manage, and he hid a grin behind his hand. "Okay, let's start with Anora." I sighed. "She's here for a few reasons. One is to show support. Technically speaking, Fergus is Layla's liege lord, and Layla graciously gives Warden Commander Aiden use of her lands as more accessible headquarters, especially since the old keep is in dire need of good cleaning."
'And Anora is Fergus's wife, so her being here shows that Fergus supports her.' Cleon nodded. 'Not very complicated.'
"I'm not done." I gave him a sulky look, and he hid another grin. "Now, the second reason is to give advice. Anora knows what it's like to be a competent woman surrounded by idiot men who are all very, very certain they know more. However, Anora also believes Layla needs to 'fail' a bit… no, wait, that's the wrong word." I paused, thinking again. "Anora learned through trial and error. She thinks the best way to make Layla take 'ruling' seriously is through that same method. It's not out of malice, but it's one thing to be told something repeatedly..."
'While it's another thing entirely to see it happening.' Cleon reluctantly nodded. 'I can see that, though I do not fully agree with it.'
"Neither do I, but since I don't think any of the nobles around here will be stupid enough to do anything drastic, we do have the time. We might get a little revolt since Layla's off being the heroic Warden instead of the working Arlessa, but…" I shrugged. "I can't fault her for leaving to look into this directly either. It's us. Things are always complicated."
'In this way, she can truly see the burden.' He shook his head. 'Again, I understand, but do not fully agree.'
"In retrospect, neither do I, but this is also how I learned, so it's not something I can look at unbiasedly until long after the fact." I made a face. "The third reason, though, is… Cleon, remember who she is."
'Anora is Anora.'
"Well, yes, that's true. But she is also the former queen who the Landsmeet voted against. She is the daughter of a traitor, who was almost named Oathbreaker. She is the daughter of the man who let Howe take over Highever." My signs sharpened slightly, and I worked to relax them. "Cleon, Highever is cold to her. I cannot blame them too much either, but it does make things uncomfortable. Fergus does his best, and Oren adores her, but the people… not so much."
'So, she is here…' Cleon's eyes lit up in understanding. 'Ah, so she is also here as a means of giving time for Highever's temper to calm, and to show she is different from her father.'
"Yes." I nodded. "But all that also means being careful to not take over Layla's power. There is a point where advice becomes puppetting, and the people of Amaranthine and Highever will jump on her at the first sign. So, she also keeps her distance for fear of appearing too controlling. It doesn't help that Anora has a strong personality."
'I see.' Cleon frowned. 'And you?'
"I have… similar reasons." I grimaced. "To be blunt, I do know more about… all of this shit. I lived and breathed politics for all my life. I know budgets. I know how to run a place like Amaranthine and Vigil's Keep. I don't know them as well as Elspeth, but I was always the warrior while she was the diplomat. I do know more than Aiden and Layla, and I want, more than anything, to help them. But too much help…" I shrugged, feeling a bit helpless, funnily enough. "Too much help undermines them. Oghren has warned me already."
'Ah, because then, they simply appear as figureheads, and you do not want that.'
"More importantly, Cleon, is that I cannot afford that. In addition to being Warden Constable and King's Champion, I am the Teyrn of Gwaren, and believe me, I'm up to my eyes in paperwork. I simply can't take all of it. But I'm used to overworking, and I'm used to smiling even though everything hurts."
'And, again, you love Aiden and Layla, so you want to help.' Cleon nodded. 'So, you keep your distance from Layla when she asks for fear of taking over, both for your sake and hers.'
"There's… also my bad habit of denial and running away that I swore I was better at until peace brought all these situations back." I sighed. "That leads to the other reason. Cleon, when it comes to working, I have the most unhealthy habits. All of us Couslands do, and it's because our people expected us to be 'perfect'. Only now, that reputation is hurting us, because Howe loathed us for it, and now people are wondering if we're using that 'perfection' as a justification for taking over Fereldan."
'Taking over?' Cleon looked confused now. 'What do you mean?'
"I mean that, thanks to the Landsmeet's idiocy, the Couslands have control over the only Teyrnirs left in Fereldan, and of the throne, thanks to having a Cousland Queen." I bit back a growl as I remembered a particularly loudmouth noble. "I swear; if it hadn't been the Landsmeet that decided Elspeth would be queen and that I would be the Teyrn of Gwaren, Fereldan might be in the middle of another civil war."
'But they gave it to you!' Cleon's signs were sharp, and there was a fierce protectiveness in his eyes that soothed my battered spirit. 'Neither of you even suggested you wanted either position. Fen'harel's teeth…'
"Yeah, but you'll find that politics have conveniently short or long memories depending on what suits them." I sighed again. "All of that adds up to me not having much in the way of patience, so when Aiden brought it up…"
'You lashed, because the other option was to run.' Cleon nodded, still tense enough to shake. 'I am going to help. However I can. I should've been doing that sooner.'
"Cleon, you've spent a great deal of these past six months recovering." That, however, reminded me of something. "Cleon, about Morrigan-"
'Don't.' His signs were sharp again, but this time, it was from anger and pain. 'Please.'
"Okay." I looked him right in the eye. "But only if you promise to not sit on it. We don't need another me."
'All right.' Cleon nodded slowly. 'But it might be a while.'
"That's fine, and I won't speak a word of it to the others unless it looks like it's affecting your work."
'Ma serranas.'
"Nuada! Cleon!" Oghren's call made me whirl, Cleon jumping down from his perch a split-second later. "Come here!" Oghren continued, waving. "Got some blighters!"
"Back to work, then," I noted lightly. I signed both Oghren's words and mine for Cleon, and he nodded, sighing heavily. "Yeah, it's so rude of them to come in while we were having an intelligent conversation."
'Intelligent?' Cleon signed, giving me a droll look. 'What intelligence?'
"Alack, alay! Oh, woe is me!"
'Get a move on, dramatic.' Cleon moved ahead, hiding a smile, and I smiled as I followed him over to where Oghren and Nathaniel were. I expected to just jump into the fight, only to realize why Oghren and Nathaniel hadn't done that very thing.
The darkspawn were fighting a dwarf, one of the Legion if I had to make a guess. I watched as they tried to drag her off, only for her to twist, kick their legs out from under them, and use their own maces to splatter their skulls. "I don't think they need our help," I deadpanned as they fought off the rest easily. "Why don't we let them go about their merry bloody way?"
No one replied as the dwarf finished off the last of them and turned, rolling their shoulders. They started when they saw us, but recovered quickly. "Well, that was close," they noted with a smile. They walked over, subtly stretching. "Hello, there. Don't mind me. I was just about to really join the Legion of the Dead."
'I think they hit their head,' Cleon instantly signed, expression droll. I watched their eyes follow the signs and frown. 'Oh, they are smart, though. I used more of the Orzammar signs Oghren taught us for that sentence.'
"I think I caught the word smart in there," they called, confirming Cleon's words. "Not sure of the rest of the signs, though. What sort of sign language is that?"
"It's honestly a mixture of many different ones," I explained, grinning. I liked the cheerful-in-the-face-of-death sort. "There's some Kinloch Hold, Templar, Antivan, Val Royeaux, Orzammar-"
"Soldier Caste Orzammar." They shook their head. "Different castes have their own sign language."
"I stand corrected." I bowed slightly, and they laughed. "But, truly, are you all right?"
"Well, I might've cracked a rib, but it's hard to be certain. Everything hurts."
"We would be without a healer." I sighed, shaking my head. "Well, I think we have some medicines."
"I'll be fine once I catch my breath, but thank you." They shrugged. "I can't stay to chat for long. I need to head back, as foolish as it sounds. See what I can do."
"Back… where?"
"The old fortress of Kal'Hirol." They snorted as Oghren gaped. "Yeah, that one. The one everyone just decided to ignore. There's something big going on there. The darkspawn are breeding an army. So, Kardol gave us our marching orders, so to speak. But it proved too much. I'm… all that's left of the squadron. It was a massacre."
"Damn…" Oghren whispered. His whistled softly, shaking his head. "I'll be a nug's uncle. Darkspawn destroying an entire squadron sent by Kardol himself? That's not good."
"Yeah, you'd know," they sighed. "They're smart now. I saw them taking the women, and I wasn't sticking around for that. So, I ran. Like a coward. A dead coward, isn't that hilarious?"
"You did give us a warning," I pointed out. All I could think was how coincidental some things went. "Oh, I don't suppose we've introduced ourselves, have we? I'm Nuada, the Warden-Constable for Fereldan, over here we have Cleon, the Slayer of the Archdemon. We also have Oghren, who you're familiar with, and Nathaniel, our new blood who we need to break in." I grinned as Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "You are?"
"Sigrun, a Legion Scout." They looked a little dazed. "The ancestors really must've had a hand in this. I… guess it makes me feel a little better. Maybe." They shrugged, recovering quickly again. "I can show you the way. Safety in numbers." They suddenly grinned. "Besides, with your help, things are no longer impossible! Merely improbable."
"Ah, yes, that's our specialty. We make the impossible improbable, and then pull it off anyway." This was going to be such a great day. "Lead on, Sigrun."
"I don't know much about Kal'hirol, except what the others told me," Sigrun explained as we stepped out of the caves of the Deep Roads and into the surprisingly open area that surrounded the old thaig. "It used to be important, a center of learning for the smith caste."
"Branka loved complaining about it not being around," Oghren whispered. His eyes were sad as he looked out. "I can still hear it. Lots of knowledge was lost here, when it fell, and no one ever made a second one."
"Still, it does look magnificent," Nathaniel breathed. We all clustered at the edge of cliff, looking over everything. "I've never seen anything like it."
'If we have to fight golems, I am going to scream,' Cleon signed. He was the only one not impressed by everything. 'Can we get going? Now?'
"I'm guessing by his exasperated look that Cleon is not impressed?"
'No, I saw the Anvil of the Void and bunches of suicides. I want to get out of here.'
"What is he saying?" Nathaniel looked to me. "I picked up 'anvil' and 'void'."
"Well, last time Cleon was in the Deep Roads, he got to recover the knowledge of how the dwarven golems were made," I explained, keeping my voice light. "It wasn't pretty and was lost for a reason." I smiled at the others. "But we can stay to admire the view… or get to destroying that potential army. I like the latter."
The others murmured in agreement, and walked on. I lingered back with Cleon, giving him a worried look.
He smiled wryly at my silent question. 'I am fine,' he signed. 'My last trip was not very fun, and I am simply remembering. It is nothing worse than my own nightmares.'
"Then why did you come here?" I asked. "The whole point had been to investigate the Roads."
'One, I don't want Layla anywhere near a damned Broodmother. Two…' He paused and sighed. 'Two, the Wending Woods is a known traveling place for a few Dalish Clans. If it was a conflict between merchants and Dalish, I do not trust myself.'
"Did you warn them?" I snickered as his expression blanked. "Oh, they're going to let you have it if that's the case."
'I meant to! I swear it!' His eyes were panicked. 'Oh, Mythal, protect me from their righteous wraths!'
"This is going to be hilarious." I might've teased him more, but a startled cry made me panic and I was racing down the hill. Cleon was a split-second behind me, and stayed behind me even though I knew he was much faster. He didn't know what had made me react, after all, and I wanted to get there before I even tried to sign out what was going on.
We caught up with the others easily, and it was there I saw what was going on. Sigrun had yelped because she'd found a bleeding dwarf, one she apparently knew. She looked up from him as Cleon and I approached. "His name is Jukka," she told me. "He's hurt. Bad."
"Yeah, gut wounds are typically bad," I whispered, kneeling beside them, knowing Oghren would fill Cleon in. I grimaced when I saw how much blood there was. "Damn… I don't think even healing magic could patch him up. Anyone have whiskey or something to help him with the pain?"
"Nah, I can't stand alcohol," the dwarf, Jukka, laughed. It instantly turned to wheezing. "Thank you for the thought, though."
"Well, Oghren can drink your share." I made myself smile as he wheezed another laugh. "I'm sure he'll appreciate it."
"Sounds… like a plan."
"Jukka, stop joking around," Sigrun scolded. She hunted through her packs for bandages, grimacing when she came up empty. "Just… just stay still, don't talk, and…"
"No, Sigrun, it's fine," Jukka reassured. "I feel death on me, and it is… a sweet release." He managed a smile, and I wished his teeth were bloody or something. It was just unnerving to see him gasping from a gut wound. It reminded me of the last time I saw Father. "But you must listen… there are broodmothers." He focused solely on Sigrun, even as his eyes clouded over. "Breeding… you must stop them." He gripped her arm with a bloody hand. "But beware… the children… abominations… even among darkspaw...nnnn..."
He died then, still holding onto Sigrun. She stared, not quite registering, even as Nathaniel knelt down and carefully removed his hand from her arm.
"Damn," I cursed, unable to think of anything else to say. Cleon's mouth moved without sound and I wondered if he was mouthing a Dalish prayer. I thought about the same, but then decided that the Maker wouldn't care. "So, does anyone know what 'the Children' are?" No one answered. "Oh, this is going to be absolutely lovely." I stood up slowly, and looked to Sigrun. "What do you want to do with the body?"
"If…" Sigrun began. She hesitated before shaking her head. "No, we can… bury him when we're out of Kal'Hirol. Right now, we need to get a move on."
"Are you sure?" I studied her face as she nodded before nodding too. "All right. Everyone eyes and ears open."
Slowly, we left Jukka's body behind and made our way through the ruined thaig. I couldn't help but notice how pretty things were, death and gloom aside. It was all too easy to see just how this had once been a thriving city, and some part of me was saddened by this loss. Many, many thaigs were lost, and the surface had done nothing to help the dwarves while they fought for their lives.
But that complicated mess of sadness and guilt disappeared as we approached the main gates of Kal'Hirol and I realized something: we hadn't encountered anything. There had been no darkspawn or creatures of the deep. We had just wandered, looking around as Sigrun led us to the old fortress.
That's where it became really obvious where they had all gone. The 'courtyard' was covered in bodies and body parts. There were some creatures like deep stalkers, there were a couple of dwarves, but most were darkspawn. Most of those darkspawn looked as if they had been eaten, and I wondered what sort of creature fed on them.
I got my answer not two seconds later as three… things crawled out of the shadows. Its face was a horrible mottled red and grey, the same eerie color of a freshly healed burn scar. Its face was uneven, with badly misaligned eyes. In fact, it looked as if one side had one beady red eye while the other had two.
That was all just the head. It was attached to a body that looked like an oversize pill bug, but moved like a maggot, wriggling and writhing as it slowly ate through a darkspawn's guts. The 'connecting' part of the body and head, what I'd call the 'neck' on anything else, was a mess of red pieces of flesh, like a stretched out muscle. It looked like a child had just… taken two ripped apart things and stitched them together haphazardly.
It took me a second to realize they pulsed with the Taint and I realized something horrifying. These were darkspawn. These were a type of darkspawn that had not shown during the Blight. For all we knew, these were completely new. These… were the Children Jukka mentioned. I was certain of it.
I was also certain that a giant maggot creature shouldn't be able to spit venom and knock me to the ground, but that also happened.
I bellowed a war cry as I hit the ground, close enough to its face to make it flinch. Then I twisted and tapped into the power of a Reaver to boost my strength even as my back spasmed from pain. I drove my sword through its back and ripped it out, almost splitting the thing in two. It writhed over to a nearby darkspawn, though, and began to gorge itself, and I could only gape as I watched its skin knit back together. So, I bashed it with my shield, sending it into the wall, and chased it down, striking as many times as I could. It curled into itself, presenting its armored back, and lunged when I paused, biting into my neck. I jerked away, and growled as it knit together again.
Then an arrow slammed into its eye, making it screech. I took the opportunity to bring my sword down with all the strength I had, shattering the skull and turning the rest of it into a bloody, oozing mess.
I waited for a long moment, certain it would reanimate, but it remained still with death. I moved to cut of its head for good measure, and only then, did I turn to smile at Nathaniel. He was standing not far away, bleeding from his legs, arm, and chest. "Thanks for the save," I told him. "It was quite dramatic."
"I tried shouting to tell you to get out of the way, but that's when it got you," he explained. He flexed his hands and then his arm, and I winced at the blood oozing. "One got me good. Cleon saved me, and I switched to covering. Yours was the last one."
"Of course it was." I looked at the corpses of those things and then turned to look at Cleon, Oghren, and Sigrun. Their eyes were as wide as mine. "So, what the fuck are these things and why are they here?"
There was no answer, and I had a bad feeling that this was far more complicated that we had even begun to imagine.
Author's Notes: So, political talking again, more or less Nuada's view of the political situation Fereldan is in. Reconstructing takes a lot of time and effort. Also, the Children, who legit freaked me out the first time I saw them. (The chapter refers to the quest name, Last of the Legion, and how this is the first time the Children are seen in this story.)
Next Chapter - Kal'Hirol proper with Cleon
