"Why did you keep your past hidden from us?" I thoughtfully wondered this aloud though knowing the others would not hear Alistair's own answer. I did however hear his heavy sigh from behind his helmet. "I thought it might change… things between us." Us? Was it his choice of words or did I sense something else. "But that would make you the rightful heir to the throne, yes?" I wasn't about to be the first to start calling him Majesty of all things.
For hours we have been riding in silence, though Wynne had generously offered to regale us in some of her stories from outside of the Tower. Though there were few, she did some what explain how she made it out of Ostagar. I had yet to move from the position I was placed in just before Alistair upon the saddle. He kept a distance from me, though I wondered if this was strictly a Templar thing. "I guess that it would but I don't want the throne." Why? I wanted to ask this but he would pull the same act and dodge the question. My fingers gingerly played with the pommel of the saddle, keeping my attention from the utterly boring road around us. "What changes you after becoming a Grey Warden?" I was suddenly full of so many questions it seemed. "What do you mean?" He shifted from behind me. "Well you have been a Grey Warden longer than I." Which was true, he was technically the oldest member between Cullen and I. "You know I asked Duncan the same thing, all I got was a 'You'll see.'" Sighing I dropped my hands from the saddle. "Just try that line on me." He laughs from behind me, I feel him shift as he leans in a little closer. "I have other lines I would love to try upon you." I felt my stomach turn, nervous butterflies hit me and I shift a little in my seat. He was close, closer than even Cullen normally gets but it didn't seem to bother me as much as I thought it would. "Is that so?" I offer him a small nervous laugh but he rests back away from me. "Well, let's see… I found that my appetite did increase over a period of a few days. I used to sneak into the castle larder and raid it during the night. The other wardens would find me in the kitchen covered in gravy and they would laugh at the sight." I find myself oddly amused by this and the image of Alistair covered in gravy. "I haven't had any of sort of cravings."
"Is that so? Because I swear last night you ate just about everything in sight. I thought, 'Oh that's a good thing she gets a lot of exercise.'" He was laughing either at me or just laughing in general and I snort. "Are you calling me a pig?" I exclaim but I can feel his armor shift when he shrugs. "I would never dare call you such a thing." The amusing thing was I found that Alistair had a way about him. He was nothing like Cullen when I compared the two of them. At first I thought he might have been just another Cullen until I realized, he wasn't. He used humor as his way of helping in the strangest of situations. Despite the fact he was nearly a spitting image of the late king, I didn't quite mind. "So other than the crazy appetite and the early death, is there anything else I should know?" He shrugs, his armor lifts but it relaxes back into place so naturally. "Well you know about the Nightmares but other than that no, I don't really think there is. Not that Duncan had the habit of explaining these things to me." I wondered as to why that was. "I think it might have been because none of them wanted to discuss it. Sort of a black topic among them… as strange as that sounds." It didn't sound strange, apart of me could really understand as to why though. They wanted to live the lives of heroes despite their own frail existence. "What happens if you become King? Wouldn't leave you a very long time upon the throne, now would it?" He sighed again, once more I must have hit a hard topic for him. "Well…" He was about to explain this to me when a young blonde woman came running towards us. "Please… you must help us my family is under attack by bandits." I narrow my eyes a little, we had yet to run into bandits upon this highway but it is Cullen who agrees to help her.
"Stay with the horses," I find myself shaking my head when he makes the order. "No, we go with you. Or you don't go at all." He was staring at me, the look in his eyes through the visor of his helmet. He was a little surprised it would seem. "You heard the woman, Cullen." Alistair kicked the horse to the side of the highway. With such grace as Cullen, Alistair slipped off the horse with great ease. "Stay with the horses, Amell." What? I wanted to ask why but I realized it was probably more so for the sake of the beasts than anything else. "The three of us can handle this." I feel a groan escape but I do as he asks. Slipping from the saddle to the ground. I pull my robe back into it's place as the three of them run ahead of me. "Why do I always miss out on the action?" I ask the horse standing to my right. The white animal shifted it's weight but I sigh. "Come on, it won't take them long to take them down." I fish for a few carrots and apples within the saddle bags. I slip them each a few of the vegetables and fruit while we walk in the direction they headed in.
It didn't take them long to take them down but it was Cullen who standing over what appeared to be an unconscious elf upon the ground. He was arguing with Wynne over something and it seemed Alistair had taken his side upon it. But it was when he moved, his sword in the air as he was about to make the final kill… I felt my feet lift from the ground. I was running, forgetting everything behind me as the horses stood there watching the small brunette run towards the well armed party, shouting at the top of her lungs… what a sight, really.
"Cullen!" I call and call, but he doesn't hear me. "Cullen! No!" I think of the less potent spell I could think up on the run. A small mind blast triggered in his direction should do it. I summon the courage and the spell and flick my finger in his direction while running. He stumbles, wavering and the sword falls from his hand. Landing flatly beside the unconscious elf. "Cullen!" I shout again but it is Alistair who sees me. "Cullen!" I call for him again but he looks over his shoulder to see me running towards him.
I slow to a stop, my hands upon my knees as I try to catch my breath. "Don't… kill him." I look up but all I see is his eyes. "Excuse me?" He was a little lost. But I can feel the growing anger from him. "I told you to wait with the horses." I stand up a little straighter. "You don't tell me what to do, Cullen." I return the glare and flicker up a small heal spell. I fall to the ground next to the elf and heal his wounds only to hear the shuffling of armor at my sides. "Cullen, don't." Wynne was warning him, the tone in her voice said it all. I can hear the struggle to breathe from the elf but I help him up into a somewhat sitting position. He was blinking but he attention was upon me. "Are… am I dead?" I want to laugh but I was more concerned for the two men behind me now. "No, you're alive." He is smiling, I want to ask what happened but he looks behind me. "I guess I must have failed. Let me introduce myself, I am Zevran Arainai, but Zev to my friends." He was quite charming, I realized when he drifts his attention back to me. "Well Zev, may I ask you as to why you were trying to kill my companions?" Wynne crossed her arms and I find myself slowly backing away from the elf. Though in the process I hit a pair of steel boots knowing not who they belonged to. "I was paid quite a bit of money to kill you. Though the Crows won't be too happy with the fact I have failed." He was sent to kill us? Though he was so charming? Was this so wrong to me? I rub my eyes with my hands but drop them when I feel a pair of hands grip me from behind. "Who sent you?" The tone was back, she never did lose that touch. "I do believe it as by a man named Loghain." Ugh, he was heartless. "Though I do appreciate all this attention and questioning, I do have to ask if you had any sort of plans with me. If so then I have a proposition to offer you." I am slowly brought to my feet but feel the hands move to my shoulders, they rest there calmly. I think it was more for my safety than anything else. "What is it you propose?" I offer but I am not as strong as Wynne. My voice shakes when he studies me closely. "I would like to continue on living, this isn't a bad thing, yes? If you agree to let me live then I will swear an oath to you. I will work for you and we could forget about this little… failure of mine." My eyes narrow, so of course I wasn't stupid but Alistair speaks from behind me. "So you can kill us in our sleep?" I want to step away but he does not let me move from where his hands rest. "I am a man of my word." Was that really all we had to go on?
"But you were not loyal to Loghain?" Wynne is just as lost as I was upon his offer. "I did not give him my word. Look," Zevran moves to his feet quickly and quite gracefully… almost like a cat, really. "Since I have failed, I will be hunted by the Crows. With that I would work for you and at the same time I would be protected from them." So we would work with him. He didn't seem so bad, I guess. "We could use an assassin…" The words leave Cullen, but I can hear the near choking sound from Alistair. "Are you jesting?" I wondered that myself. Just a few minutes ago he was going to kill Zevran and now he was thinking about it. "If you are their fearless leader, then I will offer my oath to you and only you." Zevran is now solely focused upon Cullen and it was the look in the elf's eyes that made me slightly… unnerved. But Cullen nods, it was his act to agree to the terms. Zevran offers his hand, gripping Cullen at the elbow an easy smile spreads across his lips. "I, Zevran Arainai, swears my undying loyalty to you. Until you deem it otherwise to release me from it." Without hesitation from Cullen he replies to this. "Welcome aboard, Zev." Great.
The two of them move past us, but Wynne shakes her head watching them walk away. "I really hope that lad knows what he is doing." I really hoped he did too. But I cannot move, not with Alistair holding me still. We stand there, watching Zev help Wynne upon her horse and the other is waiting patiently for both Alistair and I. "Alistair…" I call for him but the rattling of his armor shifts. "Alistair!" I speak his name a little louder but his hands leave my shoulders. "I… I'm sorry, Solona." I sigh but step away to look up to him. I reach up and pull his helmet from upon his head. Resting it between my hands I sigh again, this time quite heavily. "We'll be fine, okay?" I offer him a little relief but he was actually worried. I don't think I have ever seen him like this. "I just hope he knows what he is doing." Yes, well we all can't read minds now can we. "Let's get going. I am sure the rest of them are pacing lines within the castle by now." I offer him a smile and hand him back his helmet. With some gentle nudging he walks back to the horse. "I swear, those two will be the death of me one day." I mutter to myself as I race after him.
Once more I struck up idle conversation with Alistair while Zevran it seemed had taken quite the liking to Wynne. She scoffed at him, called him a sleaze but he didn't seem to mind. Though most of my time was spent trying to keep Alistair from doing something reckless.
By nightfall, Redcliffe had come into sight. The town was still worn down from the nights attack but they seemed to be trying to rebuild everything. Slowly but surly I get the feeling things would change after awhile for everyone. They still had the growing Darkspawn horde coming up from the south to deal with. Not that I didn't want to think about it. The horses came to a slow as we crossed the land bridge to Castle Redcliffe and were greeted by a worn out Mabari. "Thor!" I call from the saddle. I am sitting up, waving to the hound as he looks up from where he was perched at the bottom of the steps. "Thor!" I call him again and as if by will I climb off the top of the horse, completely surprising Alistair in the process. The Mabari rushes towards me. Though I think I have never seen a hound move quite as fast, he tackles me. Causing me to fall over as he licks my face, quite continually until a whistle to call him off of me comes from Sten near the top of the steps. "Oh I see how it is." I smile petting his head a little as I wave to the quiet giant. He gives me a nod but I sigh, knowing that this really wasn't the time.
I take the steps quickly, hearing the gentle growling from the hound at my side. And well, the gentle mutters from Zevran asking questions to either Cullen or Wynne. Though I can hear Cullen's voice. "That dog will not leave her side for as long as she is around him." Was the answer to whatever Zevran's question was. "And for good reason, too." I sigh, wanting to look over my shoulder but instead I feel the nudging against my fingers from Thor. "Yes, yes lets go."
There were not as many mages I thought there would be but they were grouped around in the greeting area. It barely felt like we had just left but it was the weary glances between everyone that told us we took our sweet time getting back. They really had no idea what we had just been through. "Who is this?" Morrigan emerged from the doorway across the way from us. Her eyes narrowed taking in Zevran. "Another lost bystander that we are here to rescue no doubt." Though her gaze falls upon me and I shrug. "Actually, Cullen saved him." I corrected her accusatory glare. "Is that so?" She shakes her head but disappears back through the doorway. I am guessing they had set up some sort of post to protect the Bann and Isolde.
"Good you are here." Irving takes my hand in his own but I relax seeing as how we were doing this the right way. "I am glad we are doing it this way." Alistair mutters from behind me and I nod. "So am I." I offer in return. "Who shall enter the fade?" I would offer myself but it is the gentle hand of Wynne upon my shoulder that spoke another tale. "I will go, Irving." What? I blink but she doesn't budge. "Okay." I want to jump in and tell her no but she gives me a glare I only remember so much from my training with the woman. I cringe and look away. "I'm getting some air." I turn to leave only to be stopped by Irving. "We will need you to help with the ceremony." Of course they would.
The lyrim's gentle calling to me is quite lulling, as I feel the veil's shroud cover us. There were five mages altogether, including Irving and I. When it came down to it, I felt the flop of Wynne upon the floor before us but I do not stop with the chanting. We summon the shroud, but I can still feel the tug. That same tug I felt when I had to do my Harrowing. I close my eyes and feel half of me split. I was cut down the middle of my soul, between the fade and this realm. But this was how it was supposed to be. We were the guiding hands to Wynne. To help her pull out of this intact and without question.
Minutes go by. But the minutes turn into hours. I was feeling weaker by the time Wynne's eyes shutter. They open slowly and the lyrim leaves us. My hands drop to my sides but I find myself falling the floor. I was tired, weak and worn down by the raw lyrim. A pair of nimble hands help me back to my feet but I was surprised by who they belonged to. "On your feet, yes?" I blink and he blinks. Zevran was staring at me, but it was as if he was looking right through me. Seeing everything I had to hide from the world but I feel the blush rise to my cheeks. "I am… well… thank you." I mutter and move wearily away from him. I find my way to the entrance of the hall and towards the doors to the entrance before me. The night air hits me but it was well, refreshing. I hear a quiet, happy bark from behind me as I close the doors and find myself sitting upon one of the steps. "Were you a good boy?" I offer the hound as he lays down beside me. His large head taking up most of my lap as he sighs. "I found you something, by the way." Though he doesn't budge the wagging of his tail against the stone spoke more than words.
"Well, even if you weren't a good boy that doesn't bother me. I am just glad to be out of that tower." My fingers idly play with his fur as I watch the clouds move above my head within the night sky. "You should get some rest." I hear Cullen behind me but I sigh, knowing he was in one of those disgruntled moods again. The overwhelming feeling hits me and I shift where I'm sitting. "I will after this Blight is over with." He laughs a little, sitting beside me with great ease. "Can't say that yet." Of course I couldn't but I shift my gaze to him. "Look whose talking." I shoot the retort but he makes a small groaning noise. "Connor is fine, by the way. And so is Wynne." Apart of me should have been happy but it was this feeling coming from Cullen that took it all away. "That's good to hear." There was another part to his news. "Alistair is currently getting some information from Isolde on the whereabouts of the Urn of Sacred Ashes." Oh great, so now we're going on this wondrous hunt for a burned up dead lady. "And?" I pressed for more. "And it is the only hope we have to save the Arl." Just great. "Ugh, why is it that we always have to do the impossible?" He makes a small noise but I knew what it was. He was laughing at me. "Fine Cullen, fine. We'll do this but you know for once I wish things could just be easy."
I move to my feet quickly as Thor shifts to a standing position at my side. He yawns and paws at the door, telling me he wants back in. My hand is caught within Cullen's as he avoids my gaze. "Zevran promised me something," I blink in confusion but he doesn't look me in the eyes. "If anything were to happen to me, he would protect you." Oh great to have a body guard that was a Crow Assassin… hell I didn't even know what a Crow was. "He said that he was planning on doing it now. Since I told him… I told him it was because of you he is still alive." So now I had a faithful Mabari as a body guard and now an Elf Assassin… thing. I just had no idea how to take this. "He isn't going to… you know… watch me?" Cullen drops my hand, getting to his feet slowly. "No and I told him if you catch him, he would either have to deal with your angry misfired spells or me." Either one of those could be bad… I think. "Well, let's hope he understands that."
Without another thought I open the door, leaving behind Cullen in the process.
That night the nightmares were worse than they ever were before.
A/N: Okay I will not lie to you but I almost forgot the dog's name... which was kind of amusing but then again sort of sad on my part. I had to go back through and try to remember what his name is. Haha, but once more I apologize again for getting this out a little late. I am working on the next part but debating on where to go next. I figured, save the Urn for last since she'll be like... dragon? WTH! Which would be slightly amusing, to say the least. And of course those shout-outs! I have gotten quite a few since that last chapter. So I'll give each one of you a little thank you! mapachita: i was almost tempted there for a second, but i figured it would be too soon really. they have a strange relationship that will blossom over the course of the chapters. i figured when i plotted out his personality in my head (and on paper) that he'd be a gentlemen, despite the fact he was raised in the chantry. sort of noble in a sense and utterly confusing in the process. though i do say this he is probably just as lost as she is when it comes to their relationship in general. but thank you! i really enjoy your reviews! sandradee27: aww, yeah she is very naive and completely utterly oblivious to everything. though at times she is quick but at other times she's normally slowly trying to process everything that has just happened. sort of amusing when i think on it. but i am glad you enjoy it! much love! ;) cluaran: if you noticed, she was the one talking. she tends to do that i think. she was completely oblivious to his own feelings on the matter. though i doubted if he ever wanted to discuss it in general. i think that after awhile she'll ask him questions which he'll dodge and dodge until she gets either angry with him or finds a way to get Alistair to answer her questions over cullen... which she'll probably do. but i'm glad you enjoy it so far! thank you! ;) evalyne: thank you! actually it all started when i was doing a playthrough as a mage and just instantly fell in love with cullen. he was different from the rest of the characters so i figured he deserves a little more within the story. but thank you! he just fits right into that role as "the warden" more so than she does. i am glad you enjoy it so far! thank you very much! ;) pagelupin: lol, yes it does! ;) julie nyu: thank you! thank you! i can't say enough on how happy that makes me feel when you say that! i am glad you enjoy it so much! ;)
As for the next few chapters I am cranking them out slowly but it is mainly me, trying to remember what happens during such and such time. And trying to figure out what was said. Not to mention that most of this I am playing through as one of my many characters. Trying to figure out what happens through the story. Thank you all though, who have remained faithful to the story so far! I really do appreciate it! Much love to all of you who left me reviews/story alerted what I have. That really means a lot and gives me the ability to continue on with the story! Thank you! Oh and don't mind Alistair, I think he's just as lost as Amell is when it comes to her and Cullen. So he may try to get a little closer over the course of the story, don't know yet. I really don't know. Since it's Alistair the man is utterly confusing at some points.
And I do not own Dragon Age, it belongs to Bioware! *-*