Chapter 9: The Qunari and On the Road…Again

It was taking longer than originally planned but Alistair was grateful for the respite. He was even more grateful for his fellow Warden in pulling him out of the slump he had been in the last few days. It surprised him that she wanted him to talk about Duncan and she did make him feel a bit of an arse when she told him that she did not mourn him less even though she did not know him for very long. He found it particularly endearing that she literally used a human expression to get him to talk. He carried that copper now as he was exploring the Chantry garden while waiting for Alriana and Leliana to finish talking to the Revered Mother to release the Qunari they encountered earlier.

It was he who suggested recruiting the Qunari despite the fact that said Qunari had murdered people. His line of thinking when Alriana asked him with her eyes was that they took on the crazy lay sister, why not a murdering Qunari? Alriana seemed to accept that and decided to ask for the Qunari to be released into her custody. He had hung about the Chantry and actually ran into Ser Donall.

It had been nice to see someone from Redcliffe and Ser Donall was one of the few that paid attention to him. Still the news about the Arl was troubling. Granted that he had been angry at the Arl for sending him away, he put it behind him. After Ser Donall took his leave to return to Redcliffe, Alistair found himself wandering about the gardens. During his time growing up at the Chantry, he remembered the gardens as one of few places he could be free from his bitterness and loneliness. It certainly kept up the image of him covered in mud since he spent most of his time in the gardens and was one of the few times the revered mother did not seem to disapprove of him. He came across some rose bushes that looked sorely neglected. Hardly surprising given the situation at hand. He noticed that some of the bushes were dead and thought it a pity until a glimpse of red caught his eye.

It was strange to see it growing on a bush that was so obviously dead but it there it was. Alistair walked over to the bush to take a look at it. It had just bloomed each of its petals opening up to the sun. It looked rather beautiful. Looking at it thoughtfully, an image of someone else filled his thoughts and he blushed. Making the decision, he gently grasped the stem of the bloom and plucked it from the dead branch. He stood there looking at the blossom for a moment, thinking about a way to best preserve it. He then remembered a trick the revered mother taught him when he brought in a bunch of her favorite flowers upon request. He put the rose in his pouch for safekeeping until he could get what he needed. He walked back to the front of the Chantry where he spotted Alriana trying to convince a screaming Chasind to stop frightening people.

Alistair knew she was not in any danger and definitely knew that she could handle herself but, for reasons he could not name, he did not like the idea of her standing toe to toe with someone who was not only taller than she but carried an axe that could cleave someone in two. His fears were ungrounded though when he got close enough to hear her actually bring the Chasind to shame with his cowardice. After the huge man ran off, Alistair heard her talking to the others, "There is always hope. Have courage! If you do nothing then what becomes of everything?"

One of the refugees became inspired, "You're right. Thank you my lady."

Alistair waited until they were gone before saying to her, "That was rather inspiring. Are you sure you are a Dalish warrior and not a soldier?" He grinned to show her that he was teasing her.

Alriana returned his grin with more of a smirk, "Neither. I am a Grey Warden, just like you." She then sobered and said, "Maybe it was foolish rather than kind. They were farmers and what could they do against darkspawn?" She turned around suddenly to think about it, not willing to look him in the face at the moment.

Alistair was not sure of what to say. He thought she did a kind thing but then he knew as well as she what the darkspawn were capable of. He realized he was clenching something in his fist. Opening it, he saw the copper she had tossed him. A thought came to him. He tentatively asked, "Copper for your thoughts?"

Alriana heard the hesitancy in his voice and turned around. "What?"

"Copper for your thoughts," Alistair repeated and held it out to her.

Alriana took the copper and twirled it in her fingers. She thought it strange that he would try to do the same thing she did for him. He was a shem and was more familiar with shem expressions. Her first thought was that he was mocking her but she knew he was not capable of that. She replied, "I'm just having second thoughts right now. You don't have to burden yourself with it."

"I don't have to but I want to. You listened to me… let me listen to you." Alistair could see the indecision in her eyes. He added, "I know that you are wondering if a shem like me could understand."

"No I'm not. I was just wondering if I did right by them. You and I both know what will happen here once the horde comes. Is it right giving false hope? In my clan it was more absolute." Alriana looked around and then chuckled, "You shems certainly make the world an interesting place."

Alistair replied, "Well I like to think that it takes all kinds to make the world what it is. In response to your question, is giving false hope better than none?"

Alriana wrinkled her nose a bit in thought, "Seems like a deception and such things can be damaging. I guess though it is a good thing those refugees decided to do something instead of being resigned to fate. Ma serannas Alistair."

"You would do the same for me or anyone."

"But only for you would I have to pay a copper."

"Only if it is important to the person asking."

As Alriana and Alistair looked at each other, an understanding came to pass. Neither could put it into words at the moment but they understood that they could go to the other to help shoulder burdens. It was a bond between Wardens.

"You are a Grey Warden yet you are a woman. This cannot be so."

Alriana stared up at the Qunari with her eyes narrowed, her hands on her hips. After going through the trouble of convincing the revered mother to release the Qunari into her custody, she was being faced with insults because of what she was. She narrowed her eyes and replied, "I am a Dalish and I am a woman and I fight. There is nothing wrong with that."

"Women are farmers, shopkeepers and merchants. They are not warriors."

"Well I am," Alriana retorted.

Alistair was trying hard not to laugh. Alriana looked like a mother scolding a child with her hands in her hips. What was more funny was her trying to argue with the big Qunari. He stood nearby but just out of reach of her elbow, just in case she decided to elbow him again. He leaned over when Leliana whispered, "What is this argument to achieve?"

Alistair whispered back, "No idea but best let Alriana handle it her way and move in when she asks."

"This is not right. You are either a Grey Warden or a woman. One cannot be both."

Alriana openly glared at the Qunari. "I have no time to argue with you over the logistics of one being a woman and a Grey Warden. Your logic has its place but here, one can be both. That being said, welcome to our group. I just want to know if I can count on you to watch my back."

"You are to defeat the Blight. That I will follow."

Alriana narrowed her eyes at the Qunari. "Will you have a problem taking orders from me?"

Sten looked at the tiny elf woman who dared to challenge him. Yet there was a small part of him that respected the way she did not back down. It went against everything he had been taught but he found himself saying, "I will follow. You follow the Blight so I follow you."

Alriana cocked a brow at him. "Alright. We'll grab you some armor and head out."

Leliana volunteered to get Sten outfitted with armor while Alriana went to find another bedroll and tent for the Qunari. She said to Alistair, "Until today I never met a Qunari. They are more infuriating than shemlen."

"You didn't seem to find me or anyone of our companions infuriating," Alistair joked.

"Even with the taint, I can tell the difference between annoying, infuriating and amusing," Alriana replied as she handed over the right amount of coin for once.

"Am I supposed to be grateful at that assessment?"

Alriana gave a smirk and shoved the bedroll and tent into Alistair's arms. She led the way to the rendezvous point where they handed Sten his gear. It was time to set off again.

"Are all shemlen stupid or just you?"

"Seemed like a good idea at the time. Ow."

Alriana muttered incoherently as she slapped the wine soaked rag on the gaping wound on the back of Alistair's shoulder. After leaving Lothering, they were attacked by darkspawn who were harassing a dwarf merchant and his son. Not one to leave an undefended person to an undeserving fate, Alriana gave the order to charge. She and Morrigan provided ranged cover while Leliana, Sten, Alistair and Taryn moved in.

It had been when a Genlock moved in to try and attack her and Morrigan that Alriana flung her bow down and withdrew her blades and ran forward to meet the Genlock. She made short work of the beast and had whirled to meet another who had noisily tried to come up from behind. It was the Hurlock who nearly caught her off guard and she would have avoided him but Alistair had come up with his shield raised. The blow drove his shield downward and the spiked end drove itself into his shoulder. Alriana finished it by pulling out an arrow and driving it through the neck.

Bodahn was grateful for the rescue of him and his boy Sandal and was willing to trade for a few items. For the most part, Alriana left them to their devices and checked upon everyone. There was blood spatter on everyone but no serious injuries with the exception of Alistair. Now she was sitting and tending to it since Morrigan gave the impression that she would rather swallow darkspawn blood than try basic first aid, especially on Alistair. It never occurred to her to ask if anyone else knew how to stitch up a wound. She just saw a fellow Warden hurt and knew she had the means to fix it.

"Ow."

"Stop moving," Alriana muttered. "Stupid shem." She slapped the rag again over the wound to make sure it was clean before picking up a set of tweezers.

"You wound me," Alistair replied. He knew that she was angrier over the stupidity though at the moment he and stupidity were two and two together.

"I'll do worse if you don't sit still. A piece is embedded in your shoulder," Alriana retorted. She leaned in close to get a good view. "This will hurt… unless I deaden the nerves. Once I restore feeling, it will hurt."

Alistair pondered a moment. He admitted it had been stupid to rush to help her. She did have it under control. Now she was patching him up and asking his permission to perform one of her nerve attacks to make what she was going to do easier on him. True she scolded him but that did not stop her from helping him. "Do it."

Alriana put the tweezers back down on the cloth. Scanning his shoulder, she applied pressure with her fingers to her chosen area. She then picked up the tweezers and slowly and surely began to wiggle them in to pull the piece out. Leliana was curious and edged closer to watch her work even though she did not notice.

Alistair felt his arm go numb and could not feel anything. He had no idea what she was doing but he trusted her. He asked, "Where did you learn how to do that?"

"Do what?" Alriana was in the middle of tugging out the piece.

"The nerve thing. I meant to ask but I was more afraid you would do that to me if I asked."

"A clansman taught me. He was from the east, returning to the clans… so he once was a 'flat ear' but he sure didn't act like that. I saw him do it once when he went hunting with me. I was to teach him. We came across a halla that had been injured in the leg. He did what I did and I patched her up. Later I asked him to teach me but he refused. I kept asking until he agreed on the condition that I wouldn't teach it to anyone else. He said such a talent doesn't belong in the clan."

"Why did he teach you?"

Alriana paused a moment while she placed the piece on the cloth and picked up a needle and thread. She threaded it while she thought, not sure if she should say anything more. She then said, "I thought it was because I pestered him but he told me that he saw that I wasn't to be a hunter of the Dalish, that I would go on to greater things. I thought he was crazy at the time but I guess he was right… to some extent." She began stitching up the wound, her fingers moving quickly but the stitches were small.

"Then why learn it at all?"

"Honestly, I was at the age when I thought all weapons should be considered a possibility though I convinced myself it was for situations like the halla." Alriana finished stitching the wound and placed the needle and excess thread down. She then said, "I'm going to restore feeling now." She then used her fingers again.

The sudden rush of feeling was rather painful to Alistair but he did not cry out. He said, "Well that was interesting to put it lightly."

"Give me the vial I gave you." Alriana knew it sounded curt but they could not afford to linger anymore. She needed to apply the salve and bandage the wound now.

Alistair recognized the tone and wordlessly handed her the vial. He felt the cool sensation of the salve as she dabbed it on as well as the familiar sting it gave. All too soon she returned the vial and had her hands busy wrapping bandages on. He should have known better by now that she would only go so far as to being friendly with him before she realized that she had a job to do. He knew she did not mean to sound rude and he accepted that.

Alriana finished bandaging his shoulder and said, "You're done."

Alistair stood up and turned to face her only to have his shirt thrust at him. He refused to let her go without being thanked the very least. "Thanks. You are handy with a blade, in all sizes."

"Just don't do anything foolish again. Reapply the salve I gave you later when we camp and as often as needed. It'll help against infection." Alriana replied while she began cleaning up her tools. She used the wine to sterilize the tweezers and needle and placed them back in the case that she carried in her pack.

Alistair said nothing else leaving her to finish. Leliana chose that moment to come up and offer help. "That was rather impressive. I've never seen doctors move that fast when stitching up wounds."

"Just another thing Ashalle taught me. I hated sewing clothes so I learned to do it fast. It has proven useful when hunters would come back with injuries that needed stitching. The Keeper taught me about herbs and medicine. Do you need anything?"

Leliana replied, "I'm fine really. Just a scratch but I put some poultice on it."

"Good Leli…Lelia…" Alriana started to grow frustrated at pronunciation. "Argh! I thought Alistair's name was hard enough."

"Please then, call me Leli. I noticed you don't have trouble with that. Only you can call me that." Leliana wanted to please the elf and smiled to show that it was all right.

Alriana pondered a moment. She then nodded and said, "Then I will address you as such. Come Leli, we are burning daylight and I don't want to endure another circular logic session with Sten."

The campsite that had been chosen was in a good position. After the skirmish earlier and making sure that the merchant was all right, they had traveled westward. Alriana had taken a look at the map, but could not decide where to go. They made it near the fork when it was time to break for camp. It was near a river so there was water and there were small animals she could hunt. She gave the order and everyone started pitching their tents.

She sent Leli to get water and directed Sten to get wood for the fire. Morrigan she persuaded to light the fires with her magic citing that her abilities were better than her handling a flint. She did not give Alistair anything to do except a reminder about the salve before heading off to look for some animals to hunt.

She returned within an hour carrying four hares to discover that Taryn had caught a few fish and had been teasing Morrigan by dropping them in her lap. Morrigan was in the middle of calling him a worthless fur bag when Alriana asked, "Is there a problem?"

"Your mutt seems to think that I need these," Morrigan replied and indicated the fish that were lying on the grass.

Alriana could not help but laugh. Seeing Morrigan's annoyance, she said, "He is merely giving you a gift. He thought you were hungry."

"I'd rather eat something that has been cooked. Can you please tell the mongrel to not do that again?"

"I can try but I think he is sweet on you."

Alriana's laughter only made Morrigan turn around and walk to where her awning was which was well away from everyone else. Alriana picked up the fish and held them by their tail fins and headed toward the main fire. Leli was putting things in a pot when she spotted Alriana come back with the hares. Leli jumped up and said, "Oh good you found something for the stew!"

"And fish on the side," Alriana commented. She stopped by Alistair and handed out the fish. "Could you scale these? I don't know how."

Alistair was not moping but rather thinking. After setting up his tent, he fished out the rose he had picked and the bottle of lyrium he managed to procure and began to treat the rose to keep its shape. He left it in his tent and went outside to wait for Alriana knowing that he should not worry since he did not sense darkspawn and it was just hunting. He still wondered if she was okay. He was aware of relief when he heard her talking to Morrigan about Taryn's 'gift.' He was surprised when she handed him the fish and asked him to prepare it. She then proceeded to sit down beside him to work on the hares much to his embarrassment.

Alriana had no qualms sitting next to Alistair. It was close enough to hand over the meat when ready to Leli but far enough to avoid getting animal blood on everything. Besides there was only one cloth big enough to hold both. She took up the first hare and pulled out the dirk she kept in her boot and started on the first hare. As she was working she grinned and gave a small sound.

"What's on your mind?" Leliana had noticed Alriana was smiling about something and she did not fail to notice how close the elf was sitting next to Alistair and Alistair's blush. She thought that interesting and had wondered since Alriana had taken it upon herself to patch him up earlier. She certainly noticed how Alistair seemed to become interested in her response without trying to.

Alriana did not miss a beat and continued to skin the animal for the pelt. "Just a memory, before I became a Grey Warden."

"You're talking about when we were in the Wilds?"

Alriana glanced at Alistair and grinned, "My finest moment especially when I threatened to feed them to the wolves. As much as I did or didn't approve of their actions, I rather liked them. The Creators will watch over them now." She went back to skinning the animals in a thoughtful manner. That would make six now in her pack. She could start on a pair of mitts since they would have to go into the mountains eventually. She finished gutting them, saving the internal organs carefully and handed them off to Leli.

Picking up three sticks, she sharpened a point on each of them and handed them to Alistair and left him to roasting the fish. She went to work on pulling out supplies from her pack that she purchased in Lothering and set about turning the innards into something edible. She explained to no one in particular, "Waste not… as the shem expression goes." She then perked up and looked around the camp.

She recognized the shape of the animal and looked for its eyes. They glittered in the light as the fire's light bounced off its fur. It just looked at her and her group. She instinctively put out a hand to stop Alistair from doing anything and said, "He's just watching us. He is not like the ones in the Wilds."

The wolf eventually moved on and Alriana relaxed and released the arm she had been gripping. She finished what she wanted and packed it up. By then the stew was ready as well as the fish. Alriana sat with her bowl controlling the urge to stuff her face. She felt as if she were starving but it would not do her any good to lose her dignity. She forced herself to eat slowly and listened to how Sten organized the watch for the evening. Then saying nothing, she went to her tent to pull out her bedroll and laid it out in front. It was too nice of an evening to waste it inside.

She sat on it and pulled out one of her cured hides and laid it out and stroked the fur. She pulled out her dirk and ran the blade down the guard hairs gently. Satisfied, she flipped the pelt over and began to work. They should be ready by the time they got to the mountains. As she bent over her work, she was unaware that she was being watched by a pair of gentle eyes.

The view was amazing. The vast architecture spoke volumes of the vastness of the place. Alriana felt like she did when she first walked through Ostagar yet the feeling was different. She felt as if she were in a cave but there was no way out, like she was underground. Looking down she saw a bunch of lights and the most awful smell hit her nose. It was then she heard it.

The dragon swooped until it landed on a bridge above. It began to roar its song and she could hear it in her head. Then it swerved its head and looked at her. It bellowed again and it felt as if it were calling to her, like her Joining. She stood her ground and it roared again louder and louder. The song filled her head to a deafening roar. She took out her dagger and started swinging it at the dragon as if it would scare it off.

I will not submit, she thought to herself. She held her head and tried to will it away. It began to get louder and she let out a healthy scream that matched the intensity of the roar. Something came into her line of vision, a shadow of some sort. She looked closer. It was…

Alriana's eyes shot wide open and she gasped for air. She stirred only to feel the dull ache in her head. Moaning, she put a hand up to her head and stared straight up at the sky, looking at the stars. When the throbbing was over, she slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. The fire had died down a bit but was still lit giving some measure of comfort. She crossed her legs and held her head in her hands trying to puzzle out what had just happened.

"Bad dreams, huh?"

Alriana looked up in the direction of the voice. Alistair was just sitting in front of the fire tending it but halfhearted. She looked at him before putting her head down. She said in a low voice, "I've never felt anything like it before. It seemed so real…"

"Well it is… sort of. It's part of being a Grey Warden by being able to hear the darkspawn. That's what your dream was. Hearing them."

"The singing is from that thing?"

Alistair had never heard that expression from the other Wardens but the way Alriana described it sounded right to him. He nodded, "The archdemon. It… talks to the horde and we feel it just as they do. That's why we know this is really a Blight."

"So the archdemon is a dragon?"

"I don't know if it really is a dragon but it sure looks like one. But yes that was the archdemon. It takes a bit but eventually you can block the dreams out. Some of the older Grey Wardens say they can understand the archdemon a bit but I sure can't."

Alriana listened to Alistair's explanation. Something was still bothering her. "Do these dreams include having it talk to you?"

Alistair looked at Alriana and saw that she was troubled. "What do you mean?"

Alriana hesitated. Even now it sounded crazy. Slowly she said, "During the Joining, it was like it was talking to me. I couldn't hear exactly what it wanted but its intention was clear. When I spoke to it, it seemed to understand me. Just now, it was like it was directed at me." Alriana then grew frustrated and made to get up. "This is crazy. Maybe I should just jump in the river and try to drown the images out."

"It's not crazy," Alistair replied, not wanting her to go.

Alriana looked around and then at the fire. She saw that Alistair was watching her with concern. Slowly she walked over towards the fire and sat beside him. "So is it a normal Grey Warden thing?"

"Well I've never heard of anything like it but it wouldn't surprise me," Alistair admitted not sure if he should tell her he saw the same thing she did. Looking at her profile, he saw that she was still bothered. He then added, "I saw the same thing. Sort of. When I heard you thrashing in your sleep, I thought I should tell you about the nightmares. It was scary at first for me too."

"It talks to you too?"

"I don't know if it does but every time, I feel like it is looking straight at me."

"Will there be more?"

"Probably. Since the archdemon talks to the horde, we'll be hearing it more often. I should warn you that it is said that it is often worse for someone who Joins during a Blight."

"I guess I'll have to get used to taking third watch," Alriana poked at the fire with a stick she had found. "Thank you for telling me Alistair. I appreciate it."

"That's what I'm here for. To be the deliverer of unpleasant news and witty one-liners."

Alriana chuckled weakly. She was glad that she had gotten him to smile and laugh again. Even when she was in a foul mood, he had a way of making a bad situation look better. She leaned back against the log she had sat against and said, "And my sarcasm to shoot you in the arse. Well I guess I won't be getting back to sleep anytime soon. You should go. Besides you'll need to apply another round of the salve soon."

"Don't feel like sleeping. Besides I told Sten to turn in and I would take third watch. So you'll just have to endure my infuriating conversation." Alistair turned and smiled at her.

"Not infuriating. Informative and pleasant," Alriana replied softly. She rummaged through her pack and pulled out another vial of her salve. She moved over behind Alistair and started moving his shirt to get to the bandages. Without a word she had removed his shirt entirely and undid the bandages to expose her work. She dropped the shirt gracefully into his lap and examined the wound. She dabbed a small amount of salve into her palms, rubbed them together and began to apply to the injured shoulder. "Since you are up, could you tell me what you know about this Circle of Magi? I thought we could head there first."

Alistair blushed at her touching him and was grateful that she could not see his face. He stared at the fire and said, "At your service."