Part X
It had taken the party almost two days to reach the main road that lead to Orzammar. The group had managed to evade both the king and The Templars for the time being as they made their way northward, around Circle Tower, and then headed west.
The main road led all the way up to the gates of the dwarven kingdom. It would make the going much easier and faster. There was always the risk of being spotted out in the open, however. Merchants, pilgrims and ordinary travelers made their way along the road and contact with them would have to be avoided or at least kept to a minimum.
Then there was also the small matter of bandits and highwaymen. While such things, in reality, posed little threat to The Warden and his companions; leaving a trail of bodies to follow would hardly be in the group's best interest. It would be best to keep out of any skirmishes.
Morrigan's foot was nearly healed, although she still permitted The Warden to carry her piggy-back for long stretches at a time. He was accustomed to carrying packs that weighed close to a hundred pounds across his back when he traveled, so the witch bore him little burden. She, on the other hand, was having mixed feelings about the whole arrangement.
Most of the trip she made in silence as she rode on his back. While secretly she thoroughly enjoyed The Warden's attention, she never spoke it. The witch's strong sense of self-reliance and pride would not allow her to appear soft or weak. Morrigan fought with herself over the matter, longing for his attention, yet feeling like a weak and frail girl for for doing so. Even still, after long hours of bouncing on his back, she was forced to speak.
"I think it best we rest a moment." Morrigan said.
"We just stopped a few hours ago. We need to keep moving." The Warden returned.
"Seth needs looking after and your back will want a reprieve from my girth."
"What girth? My back is just fine. That and Seth's asleep." He said as a pointed towards the infant on Leliana's back, "I think he likes the way Leliana walks."
"Perhaps then, Leliana might prefer to stop for a bit."
"I don't need to rest. I'm fine." the bard replied.
"See?" The Warden said, his head turned around to look at his witch, "We should be good for a couple more hours at least."
"I see." said Morrigan as she leaned into The Warden's ear and whispered, "Unless it is your desire to have piss running down your back I suggest you stop immediately."
"Got it. Stopping." He said as he came to an abrupt halt. "We're taking a quick break." he conveyed to the bard as the witch hopped down from her perch.
Leliana responded with a look of confusion. However, she soon realized what was going on as she saw Morrigan head towards a thick clump of bushes and disappear out of sight.
A low growl began to stir from the mabari as he sniffed along the opposite side of the road. Something had definitely gotten the dog's attention and he furiously examined the ground with his keen canine nose. Suddenly, Leo broke into a loud fit of barking, which he seemed to focus on a small shrub that lie just off the dirt path.
"What is it, boy?" The Warden asked the beast as he came over to investigate.
From behind the bush, a man with short dark hair and covered in well-made ringmail armor stood up. About his waist, the man had an ornate belt that was crusted in jewels and a buckle made of gold. His blade was sheathed in an equally ornate scabbard that hung down against his left leg.
"Hold your blade!" The man said while he raised his empty hands to the sky, "I'm just an honest traveler, like you."
"Who are you and why were you hiding?" The Warden inquired as he drew his blade.
"My name is Babbus. I am no threat to you. I thought you might have been bandits so I hid behind the bush."
"Babbus?" Leliana said, "I know that name."
"You know this man?" The Warden asked the bard.
"No. I've never seen him before. But I have heard the name." she answered.
"Do you remember where?"
"Babbus was supposedly the prince of thieves. Almost like nobility among bandits." Leliana explained, "When I was a Lothering I would hear stories from the refugees that fled Ostagar about being robbed as they escaped the blight. They claimed a group of men led by a man named Babbus attacked them on the main road and robbed them of almost everything."
"I see my reputation has proceeded me once again." Babbus said with a smile.
"You'll find no prey here." The Warden said as he pointed the tip of his blade at the thief, "Best be on your way, before I change my mind."
"Oh, I'm afraid I cannot do that. You see, we've been waiting by this road all day and if I don't come back with at least something my men will be very disappointed."
"We?" The Warden said, realizing.
Babbus smiled and nodded in agreement. "We," he repeated.
At that time, five other men came forth from various hiding places about the road, all of them with weapons at the ready.
"Get behind me." The Warden said to the bard as he drew both of his blades.
"Six against one?" Babbus said with a wicked grin, "This is going to be too easy. After I liberate you from your wretched existence, I will be taking the child and both your lovely escorts with me."
Two of the bandits advanced on The Warden on either side. The bandit to the left readied his blade and prepared to lunge. The bandit to the right took a more guarded approach, holding his shield before him as he slowly crept closer to his target. The Warden stood between them, having already analyzed the situation and readied tactics to dispense with the attackers.
The bandit to the left began his lunge, his blade thrust out before him, taking aim directly at The Warden's neck. The Warden took one small step back, allowing the thief to run by him and directly into The Warden's sharp blade.
The Warden pushed the attacker in the back as he drew his sword against the bandit's belly, cutting it even deeper. The stunned assailant's momentum carried his stumbling body into that of the bandit on the right, the attacker's outstretched sword plunging into his companions neck. Both of the men collapsed to the ground, bleeding and lifeless.
"Impressive. So you are familiar with your weapon." Babbus said as he gestured to the remaining bandits, "This may be some fun after all."
A deafening roar erupted from behind the bush that Morrigan had gone to. The roar was accompanied by a man's scream of terror. Another bandit, who had been unseen until then, came flying from behind the bush and sailed a dozen yards in the air before landing on the hard ground. He stumbled to his feet and began running down the road as fast as his legs would carry him. The others froze at the sight of their companion and a wide grin crept across The Warden's face.
"Don't be bashful, my pet, come out and say hello to the nice men." The Warden said aloud to the bush.
Another loud roar erupted from behind the bush and a large brown bear came into view, fur standing on end and fangs bared.
"This was not the kind of fun I had in mind." Babbus said as he and his remaining men turned and ran, fleeing into the underbrush surrounding the road.
"Do we go after them?" Leliana asked.
"We'd never catch them. It's just best of we get as far from here as we can." The Warden answered.
The large bear strolled up to The Warden, getting her snoot right against his face. She then huffed, blowing out a slimy mess that splattered his cheek.
"Alright! I know you hate to be called that." The Warden said, wiping his face, "You will never hear me call you 'my pet' ever again."
The bear flashed in bright colors as the witch resumed her form. "A wise decision." she said as she walked by him to inspect Seth, "I don't quite know how to tell you this, my sweet, but you have something on your face."
The Warden stood there with a dumbfouned look.
"Do my ears deceive me?" Leliana said, astounded and giggling, "Morrigan just made a joke! And it was funny, too!"
It was becoming quite apparent to Alistair that the fugitives had not take the southern route, after all. He and his men and been riding around Lake Calenhad for the past two days and hadn't seen any sign of The Warden, Morrigan, and the child. They had stopped in every village along the way and talked to dozens of villagers, none of whom had seen or heard anything of value. He decided it was best to press on to Orzammar in hopes of getting there before The Warden.
They had just passed Redcliffe Village and were nearing Gherlen's Pass, and the heart of the Frostback Mountains. Already the slopes had begun to get steeper. From here on the way would be slick and treacherous. But still, with luck, the king reckoned they would be at Orzammar in a day or so. That should still put them there well ahead of The Warden. If The Warden managed to somehow get past Alistair and make his way to Orzammar, things would get significantly harder.
Part of what made tracking The Warden so hard was his tremendous influence about Ferelden. He hadn't just stopped the blight; that in and of itself being no small task. He had also aided countless others on his quest to gather the armies of Ferelden. To say The Warden was revered as a national hero would be a dramatic understatement. Some even began to believe he was sent by Andraste, herself.
Orzammar was no exception. The Warden was practically viewed as a paragon by the dwarves that lived there. He had been the one to break the political stalemate and put a new king on the throne. He had also found the lost Anvil of the Void as well it it's creator, the dwarven paragon, Caridin. It would be beyond impossible to expect any help from the locals.
Wrapping his blanket around him to protect from the icy mountain wind, the king pondered where Flemeth fit into all of it. He wondered what the old witch's game was and if Denerim being thrown into chaos was part of her scheme. It seemed all to coincidental for his liking. Whatever quest The Warden was on was most likely fabricated to lure him away from Denerim. Ferelden was still very much recovering from the blight, and the longer The Warden was away, the more restless the people became.
Ser Guthrie could hardly believe his luck. His ticket out of the backwater mudhole he was sent to had just arrived. The fugitive maleficar and her false warden had been spotted near his location in Vaifyr and once he apprehended or dispatched the troublemakers he was certain to finally have his desire to be relocated and perhaps even promoted.
A few hours previous, a man burst into the chantry, saying something about a group of lunatics that were over at the local pub, The Black Daisy. The man said they group talked of witches, beasts, and a demon who could wield a sword like no mere mortal.
In remote areas it was not uncommon for local templars to serve as part-time constables, so Ser Guthrie made his way to the pub to see what all the commotion was about. His initial thought being the group were local workers who had just received their pay and had spent a bit too much of it at the pub. When he arrived at the pub, however, what he found was a man with dark hair, well-made ringmail, and an ornate belt. The man was joined by several other similarly dressed men. And the story the man told turned out to be worth hearing.
The man called himself Babbus. Guthrie had never heard of him before, much to Babbus' surprise. Apparently this was a man of some fame. He told the templar about an encounter he had earlier in the day with a group of travelers. How, he and his men were merely minding their own business, when they were suddenly accosted by a man, two woman, one carrying a child, and a ferocious mabari.
Babbus called the man a demon that took down two of his men with but a glance. He said one of the females was a witch with the ability to transform into horrible creatures, nearly devouring another man.
The templar had no clues as to the identity of the second woman. But he was certain that it was the fugitive maleficar. He informed the four other templars stationed with him in Vaifyr that they would all be heading out in pursuit of the witch. Guthrie, being the senior most templar, would be taking the lead and taking the credit.
Morrigan stood in the small, cramped kitchen tending to the supper that was cooking over the fire in the hearth. With so many mouths to feed it was a wonder she was ever away from the kitchen at all. And with another child on the way, it was only going to get that much harder.
She was constantly having to puff hair out her face that kept falling as she prepared the various ingredients for each dish. Her back hurt and her feet were sore. In her years with The Warden she had gained a considerable amount of weight, but he professed to still be attracted to her. She was the absolute model of domestic happiness.
"Mum, have you mended my shirt yet?" Her eldest asked as he barged into the kitchen.
"No, Seth, I haven't had the.."
"But you promised! I need that shirt." The teenage boy whined.
Suddenly a scream arose from somewhere in the back of the cottage. A few seconds later a small, blonde-haired, young girl ran into the kitchen and grabbed the witch about the waist, burying her head and sobbing into Morrigan's apron.
Morrigan guided the child's chin until their eyes met, "What did he do to you?" She asked the girl in a soft cool voice.
"He...*sniff*..he...pulled..*sniff*...he pulled my hair!" The girl responded through a deluge of tears.
"Lucas! You shall stop harassing your sister this instant!" Morrigan shouted towards the back of the cottage.
"I did not pull her hair! She's lying!" Yelled a young boy's voice in return.
Just then the front door swung open and in strolled the man of the house. He was home after another long adventure away saving the day from whatever it was that threatened. He was gone for months at a time while Morrigan sat home tending to the house and the children. To make matters worse, she was often left to care for his miserable mabari whom he seldom drug along with him on his grand journeys to the most exotic and remote locations.
And as always by his side were the two dimwitted tag-alongs, Alistair and Leliana. She, who was so brazen in her want of The Warden. And he, with barely enough intelligence to remember to keep breathing. Both of them hung on his every word and would follow him to the ends of the Earth.
"We...uh..come bring stuff." The moronic king uttered, slobbering all over himself as he spoke, "You can cook to make food."
"Oh, Morrigan. Hi." the bard said through a false grin. Leliana ,as usual, was dressed as scantily as possible as she hung all over The Warden. She turned to The Warden whispering aloud, "You are still with her? You told me I was the only one for you, baby."
"I just came to get my things." The Warden said.
"Whatever do you mean?" the witch inquired, "You've only just arrived. Is it your aim to be apart from me so rapidly?"
"I won't be coming back this time. You said it yourself: Leliana's a better fit for me."
"No. I will not let you do this to me." The witch uttered through clenched teeth, rage seething within her, "I have given you my life and life to your children. I have been faithful to you and our union. You will not do this to me."
"Sorry, Morrigan. But Leliana doesn't constantly argue with me and she has no problems showing me how she feels about me, even in public." The Warden said as he put his arm around the bard's tiny waist.
"I love you my big, strong, man." Leliana said as she placed a peck on The Warden's lips.
"You will not do this to me!" Morrigan said as she sat up in her bedroll with a start.
"What?" A voice from next to her mumbled followed by the sound of faint snoring.
The witch looked around the small tent, still very much shaken by her nightmare. Her eyes found her infant son asleep next her on a pile of blankets. On her other side, The Warden was in his usual spot. Everything was as it should be.
She spent a while just looking at the two. She studied The Warden as he slept beside her, and she stared at Seth as he lay bundled in his makeshift bed. All the while the chill of her dream haunting her. She came to the realization that if left unchecked, the very course she pursued could make her nightmare a reality. And that was completely unacceptable, the witch declared to herself. At the first opportunity, she would deal with the bard.
The gates to Orzammar lay just a few miles up the mountain road. The Warden and his group were making the last of their long trek as the Sun crept low to the horizon. The temperature was dropping rapidly as the day waned and the party would need to reach the city gates in a hurry to prevent freezing to death in the icy mountain air.
Morrigan, who was again moving under her own power, carried the baby against her chest, bundled up in several thick, warm layers of blankets. The witch wished she had to ability to change into a horse, or other steed, so that she could safely carry The Warden and Seth to their destination. But she always considered such beasts beneath her because of their servile nature and never bothered to learn their forms.
Most affected by the cold was Leliana, who hated coming to the mountains; thinking they should only be viewed from afar. The bard shivered as she walked and her teeth chattered. She had spent most of he life temperate climates and had little resistance to the freezing mountain winds. The only thing keeping her moving forward was the thought of arriving at the dwarven city and standing next to a roaring flame until she melted.
The Warden looked back to see a group of men mounted on horses riding towards them. Horses were rare in Ferelden and only nobility or royalty could afford such creatures. The Warden recognized the identity of his pursuers and quickly scanned for an escape route.
"Quick! Up the side of the hill!" He shouted to the others.
"Why? What is it?" Leliana asked as she looked down the road to see the reason.
"Alistair is coming. Get up the side of the hill, beyond those rocks." The Warden directed.
Witch, bard, and mabari hastened up a rocky trail that led to a patch of several large boulders and ducked behind them.
The Warden held his spot in the road, wanting to insure the others safe retreat.
"Dwemer!" Morrigan shouted, "Is it your intent to get yourself killed?"
"I'm through running from Alistair. I'm going to end this. One way or another." The Warden responded.
"He has gone completely mad!" The witch exclaimed to the bard standing beside her.
"Get down and stay out of sight!" The Warden yelled back.
The steady gallop of twelve horses filled the ears of the fugitives like rolling thunder as the sound echoed off the cliffs and mountainous slopes. The Warden stood his ground in the center of the road, weapons sheathed. Before long, they were upon him. Morrigan watched in terror from her hiding spot as one man dismounted and approached The Warden. It was Alistair.
"You are one hell of a hard man to find." Alistair said.
"You're Majesty." The Warden said with a cold stare.
"So it's like that is it?"
"It's like that."
"It doesn't have to be. This can be settled reasonably." The king said.
"How? By going back to Denerim with you? I can't do that, Alistair, and you know it." The Warden rebuked.
"Denerim is on the verge of collapse. And if it goes, how long can it be before the rest of Ferelden follows?"
"I can't help that now. There's something I need to take care of first." The Warden replied, "Demerim will have to take care of itself for a while."
"You are coming back with me, even if I have to drag you." The king said as he drew his blade.
"You'll have to kill me first." The Warden responded as he drew both his swords.
Captain Derik and the rest of the cavalrymen readied their weapons as well, preparing to join the anticipated fray.
"Hold your ground." Alistair said to them, "This is between us."
The witch found the urge to assist her warden almost impossible to resist. Only the infant that lay bundled in her arms prevented her. She knew that Alistair, while a seasoned and capable warrior, was no match for The Warden, whose skill with a blade was unmatched. However, she feared how Alistair's men would react should their king reach an untimely end at The Warden's hands.
The king lunged at his friend and the fight was on. The clang of blades reverberated throughout the slopes as the two men battled. Neither giving way to the other. The king was a master of shield techniques and was able to barely block the many ferocious blows The Warden landed. Alistair stayed mostly on the defensive, blocking and deflecting as best he could. Every once in a while he would take the initiative, attempting a few swipes before The Warden cut him off once again.
The two men hung their mouths open as they took large gasps of breath in the thin mountain air; beads of sweat dotting both of their foreheads as they circled around each other. The wintery air nothing more than a distant memory.
"Don't make me kill you, Alistair." The Warden said as he panted.
"Funny," the king replied between heavy breaths, "I was about to say the same thing to you."
Again the two combatants engaged each other with Alistair charging The Warden in a full-on assault. In a matter of seconds, though, The Warden had turned the king's charge against him, stunning Alistair and sending him down on his backside, losing his shield in the process.
Alistair watched his the shiny round shield as it slid away from him and down the slope of the mountain. His legs were starting to get weak and wobbly from fatigue as he tried to stand. The king wrapped both his hands around the handle of his weapon and readied himself for one last attack.
The Warden deftly sidestepped Alistair when the king made his lunge. And as The Warden spun by, he hooked his blade inside Alistair's and with a quick twist, relieved the king of his sword. The weapon fell to the ground while the king fell to his knees.
"Go ahead. What are you waiting for?" The king said, "Finish it."
"I don't want to kill you, Alistair." The Warden responded.
"Well, you have to. If you want to stop me, you'll have to kill me."
"Why did you have to follow me? Why couldn't you just let me handle this?"
"You selfish son of a bitch." Alistair said, "Everything has to be about you, doesn't it? You had to find her. You had to bring her to Denerim. I put my neck out for you time and again. But it's never enough, is it?"
"It was never like that. I did what I had to do."
"Oh, really? Telling me to look after Morrigan and your son, and then attacking me after I've done my best to keep them safe? How am I supposed to see it, then?"
"You arrested her! Why didn't you just get her out of the palace sooner?"
"I was trying to protect her! I was trying to protect both of them!" the king stated with force.
There was a long silence as both men stood there staring at each other. The air was calm and quiet save for the sounds of the labored breathing by the two men. Neither of them wanted it to come to this, but both men had become desperate. One, desperate to save his family, the other, desperate to save his kingdom. No one would have ever envisioned such an ending for the two heroic friends. Friends who had battled side by side as they journeyed to gather the armies of Ferelden. Friends who had stood alone against the blight while Ferelden was embroiled in a civil war started by a madman. Friends who were now trying to kill each other.
"I said, finish it!" The king shouted.
The Warden raised his blade over his head to strike the final blow. He took aim at the king's neck and began to swing.
"No!" Someone yelled for up the slope. Morrigan had emerged from her spot hidden behind the rocks and scampered down the hill as fast as she could with a child in her arms, Leliana and the mabari in pursuit.
"You shall not kill him." she said to The Warden, "Alistair is your friend. I cannot let you do this."
"Stay out of this, Morrigan." The Warden told her, "I can't let him stop us."
"Look at me, Dwemer," the witch said as she stood between The Warden and his target, "I am asking you not to."
"Those are strange words from a person who only a few days ago said she would kill him herself."
"She really said that?" Alistair asked in amazement.
"Yes. Those were my words." the witch answered, "But I was wrong in saying them."
"You know what's at stake here. We can't let Alistair keep us from the orbs."
"So you would kill him instead? If you two buffoons would put aside your titanic egos long enough, you would be able to see how absolutely ludicrous this whole this episode is. He is the King of Ferelden. You cannot expect to simply dispatch him and consider the matter finished. And you..." Morrigan said, turning to the king, "What is it that you hope to accomplish by bringing me back to Denerim? You would have done nothing more than place a noose around my neck."
"So what are we supposed to do, then?" The Warden inquired.
"The answer to that is quite simple: We will continue our search for the orbs and Alistair shall accompany us."
"Hang on just a minute." Alistair interjected.
"Were you not the loser in this particular fight? I would be readily agreeable to any mercy offered, were I you." The witch noted.
"Point made." the king confirmed.
"After we've retrieved the orbs The Warden and I shall go willingly with you back to Denerim."
"That would be suicide!" The Warden exclaimed.
"I'll not spend the rest of whatever life I have hiding in the shadows. I intend to face my accusers."
"There's no way I'll agree to that."
"You have wished me to be more open with you. To 'let my guard down' as you put it. I am asking you to do this for me." The witch said, staring into his eyes, "Please."
"For you." The Warden replied.
"Then it is settled."
"What am I supposed to do with all these horses once we're in Orzammar?" Alistair asked.
"There will be no need of either them or your men." The witch informed.
"We go were the king goes." Captain Derik stated, "You won't be dragging him off anywhere alone."
"That's alright, Captain." Alistair rebuffed, "I'm going alone. It'll be fine. I need you to deliver a message to Arl Eamon and tell him what's happened."
"But, Your Majesty..."
"You have your orders, Captain." the king said, stopping Derik cold, "Besides, I'll have The Great Grey Warden watching my back."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Well..." The Warden said, "look who turned into a king after all."
"I guess I just needed to right motivation." Alistair replied.
"It's good to see you, Alistair." Leliana said, giving the king a big hug.
"You, too, Leliana." Alistair returned, "I wish it were under better circumstances, though."
"The four of us are finally back together again, that is all that matters."
Alistair grabbed gear from the back of his mount and proceeded to join the group on in it's search for the Orbs of Arastani. Leliana had been right about the old adventuring group being back together. Another thing that felt all too convenient to the king. He couldn't shake the feeling that all of this had been prearranged. He had been drawn out of Denerim to pursue The Warden, but why? And what was the bard's role in all of this? Leliana was the last person that Alistair expected to find with The Warden. Something bigger was going on than what any of them were seeing. He was sure of it. He just hadn't put all the pieces together yet.