Chapter 10: Lothering pt1

Lothering

Jenra was trying to restore order to their group when a group of highwaymen approached them. "Wake up, gentlemen! More travelers to attend to" A man in light armor said. "I'd guess that fellow is the leader" Jenra turned his head around wondering who he was talking to until he realized that he was talking about him. Fenrir growled and bared his fangs sensing a threat. The highwaymen's presence was enough to stop Alistair and Morrigan argument at least for now.

"Err…they don't look much like them others, you know. Uh...maybe we should just let these ones pass…" The man with the dual swords said.

"Nonesense! Greetings, travelers!"

Alistair frowned. "Highwaymen, preying on those fleeing the darkspawn, I suppose"

Morrigan crossed her arms. "They are fools to get in our way, I say teach them a lesson"

"Now is that any way to greet someone? Tsk, tsk, tsk a simple ten gold and you're free to move on" The party didn't have enough as it was, they would be worst off if they gave them gold plus there would be no guarantee that these bandits won't ask for more. Jenra stood his ground; he would not be bullied by scoundrels.

"You should listen to your friend, we are not simple travelers" Jenra said defiantly. The leader glared at the young lord but his second in command backed away a little.

"What did I tell you? No wagons and this one looks armed"

"The toll applies to everyone, Hanric." He glared at Jenra who glared back. "That's why it's a toll and not, say, a refugee tax"

"Oh, right. Even if you're no refugee, you still gotta pay"

"Press this at your peril, bandit…it will not end well for you" Jenra warned. "You're no darkspawn but I have no trouble pretending you are one" Jenra slowly slid out Night-fang as a show of intimidation, the bandits all backed away except the leader who looked more amused than anything.

"Who do you think you are…a Grey Warden?"

"I am" The smirk on the leader dropped. "So is my companion"

"Grey Warden? Them ones killed the king!" Jenra and Alistair's eyes went wide, this was very much news to them.

Alistair frowned. "We killed the king?! Who told you this?" The smirk on the bandit leader's face returned, Alistair's reaction gave them away.

"So you're the traitors…Teyrn Loghain put quite a bounty on any who are found" he said. "Forget the ten gold…surrender" The bandits took fighting positions; Jenra unsheathed his sword fully revealing his pitch-black blade. Fenrir barked and growled, while Morrigan formed a fireball in her hand. Alistair unhooked his shield and took out his long sword.

"Yield now…this won't be a fight you'll walk away from…" Jenra said.

"Ask yourself…is Loghain's bounty really worth your lives?" Alistair asked.

"But if you wish to throw away your lives…who are we to stop you?" Morrigan said. Fenrir growled and bared his fangs ready to pounce on his master's orders. The tension in the air was thick; whoever makes the first move starts the battle. In the end, the bandit leader blinked first and backed off.

"Let's forget the whole thing…we'll just leave you to your darkspawn-fighting, king-killing ways"

"You're not getting away that easily…" Jenra said. "You will give back your ill-gotten gain and never return to Lothering" He sheaths his sword. "And you best pray to the Maker that we never meet again" The bandits were quick to do what the young lord order and the party went into the town. Lothering was a rustic little village with farmlands as far as the eye could see, the people lived in little houses that were more huts than an actual house. The biggest building in the village was the chantry. It was the opposite of Highever but that didn't take away from its charm.

"Well there it is, Lothering. Pretty as a painting" Alistair said.

"Ah, so you have finally decided to rejoin us have you?" Morrigan asked. "Falling on your blade in gref seemed like too much trouble, I take it?"

Alistair crossed his arms. "Is my being upset so hard to understand? Have you never lost someone important to you? Just what would you do if your mother died?"

"Before or after I stopped laughing?"

"Right, very creepy…forget I asked" Alistair said deadpan. Alistair had been very quiet sense they left the Wilds, he always looked like he wanted to say something but would clam up at the last moment.

"Now, now Morrigan Alistair needed time, lay off the lad" Morrigan turned away, Jenra shook his head…the woman was very hard for him to understand. "What did you want to talk about, Alistair?"

Morrigan snorted. "His navel, I suspect. He certainly has been contemplating it for long enough"

"Oh, I get it. This is the part where we're shocked to discover you've never had a friend your entire life"

"I can be friendly when I desire to. Alas, desiring to be more intelligent does not make it so"

Jenra sighed. "Are you two really going to quarrel like children throughout our journey?" he asked. "Look I know we're all new at this, but we have to work together…right now we are all we have" Morrigan and Alistair looked at each other and then looked away.

"Very well, we will cease…at least for now" Morrigan said.

"Good, because I tire of playing den mother"

"Anyway…I thought we should talk about what's next" Alistair said. "Have you seen the treaties?"

"Yes on the way here" Jenra said. "We need the Dalish, the dwarves of Ozammar and the Circle of Magi, quite the journey…"

"We should see Eamon first, having the Ferelden nobles on our side would be a big step" Alistair said. "Plus, Redcliffe is not far from here"

"Then we shall do just that…"

"Another thing, Jenra…we need a leader"

"Well that's you, right?"

Alistair chuckled. "Flattering but I don't exactly inspire much leadership" he said. "I saw how you stood your guard against the bandits and you're able to keep the peace in our group…I think you should be our leader"

"I don't know what to say…"

"Say you'll accept" Jenra wasn't sure about this; he had never been leader of anything before. Usually he was happy to let his father or Fergus take the lead, this was a big step for him. He was worried, what if he messed up? What if someone dies on his watch? He couldn't even save his parents…what good was he? But Alistair had a point, he was still grieving Duncan to keep his head straight and Morrigan was too confrontational…it had to be him.

"Very well, I won't let you down"

Alistair smiled. "I know you won't" he said. "What's your first order?"

"We look to gain some gold and information" Jenra said. "I didn't like what that bandit said about Loghain declaring us traitors, he's up to something and I want to know what" The party went to look for some information, as they went along they found that things were not well in Lothering. The sudden surge of people escaping the darkspawn or surviving Ostagar had put a strain on the village's resources. People fighting over resources, some with fatal results…the Templars have been trying to keep the peace but they were stretched too thin to be of some help. The local tavern and Chantry have been doing their part but there wasn't enough food to go around, it had gotten so bad that the markets were marking up their prices to stay in business.

They crossed the bridge into the center of the village where they saw children in front of a cage with sticks banging at the cage and the others throwing rocks to something in a cage. They came close and saw a behemoth of a man with bronze skin, pointed ears and fiery red eyes. The man was speaking in a tongue Alistair and Jenra didn't recognize but Morrigan did. Qunlat…that man was a Qunari, a people not very well known in Thedas however what was known about them was they were taller and more robust than humans. Their most striking features were their horns, giving them the rather unflattering nickname 'oxmen' although this qunari had no horns making him look like a large elf. Qunari follow The Qun, a religion that's closer to philosophy that what the Chantry is… like the people, little is known about the Qun and the Qunari were in no hurry to explain it to outsiders.

Morrigan frowned and approached the cage. "Stop it you brats or I'll turn you into a toad" The witch showcased her magic to show she was not joking around and the children ran away screaming. Jenra and Alistair came towards Morrigan and the Qunari, despite being hit by rocks and aggravated he was calm and show no signs of injury.

"Way to make a scene Morrigan…" Alistair said. Before she could respond, the Qunari spoke up.

"You aren't one of my captors" he then frowned. "I will not amuse you anymore than I have the other humans, leave me in peace"

"You're a prisoner? Who put you here?" Jenra asked.

"I'm in a cage, am I not? I've been placed here by the Chantry"

"Why?" The Qunari said nothing and looked away in shame; it must have been really bad. "What is your name?"

"Sten of the Beresaad…the vanguard of the qunari peoples" he said. "I have been convicted of murder, have the villager's not spoken of this?"

"We just got here" Alistair said. "Who did you murder?"

"The people of a farmhold…eight humans, in addition to the children" Sten said bluntly. "However I feel, whatever I've done…My life is forfeit"

"If you feel guilty for what you did, then why…?"

"Either you have an enviable memory or a pitiable life, to know nothing of regret" He said. "It's been twenty days. I shouldn't last much longer…another week at most"

"You're just going to sit here and die?" Jenra asked. "Don't you seek atonement?"

"Death is my atonement"

"There are other ways of atonement…it is obvious you have a strong arm" Jenra said. "I would make use it against the Blight"

That caught the qunari's attention. "The Blight? You are a Grey Warden, then?"

"I am…a new member but a Warden nonetheless"

"My people deeply respect the Grey Wardens, that dedication to your purpose…we admire that deeply" Sten said. "If you can convince what you call….the Revered Mother to release me then my life is in your hands"

Jenra nodded. "Until then…" They walked away to the The Chantry to see the Revered Mother.

"To be left here to starve or to be taken by darkspawn…how merciful of the Chantry" Morrigan said sarcastically.

"You've heard him, he's killed people…children included" Alistair said. "Are you sure about this, Jenra?"

"He feels remorse for what he's done" he said. "Plus we need all the help we can get and I'd say a strong qunari is a welcomed addition" They made it to the Chantry, inside the brothers and sisters were working full time to help the refugees. With more and more coming, the staff looked like they were close to collapsing from the lack of sleep. Even the Templars were on edge.

"You…Miss, what is your name?" a Templar asked. "You…seem quite odd to me"

Morrigan crossed her arms. "You would not be the first to think so" she said annoyed. "But avert your eyes; I will not have you staring overlong"

"Best get used to it, I'll be watching you…we want no trouble here"

"Nor do I…see to it you don't cause it" The Templar narrowed his eyes as the party went on their way.

Jenra sighed. "It won't help us to antagonize the Templars, Morrigan"

"Fine, but if the Templars try something…I make no promises" she said. "They have a reputation of…nervous fingers"

"As long as I'm here, I'll protect you"

Morrigan looked away and blushed. "I am not so weak that I need protection…but I appreciate the thought"

Jenra smiled. "Of course"

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