AN: Now that the story is away from Ostagar, I feel like there's more of an opening for more original dialogue. Thank you everyone who's reading, reviewed, favorite'd (it's a word :p), and added this to your alerts list.
"Maker, what a dream that had been," Malicefent thought as she lay in bed, refusing to open her eyes. She decided she should get up and get on with the day, she tried to move and realized how sore she was. It hadn't been a dream then. She heard noises, what were they? Where was she? The last she remembered was being shot then swarmed by darkspawn as she lay on the floor. It felt like she was in a lumpy bed now. Calling what spells she could manage to her pain addled mind, she got up, ready to fight. That was the plan, anyway. What actually happened was she tried to sit up quickly, which the stiffness significantly slowed, then the pain decided it would addle her more, which only made her cringe as everything began to swim.
"Ahh – you do live. Mother shall be most pleased that she hasn't lost her touch in the healing arts."
"Morrigan?"
"I am, still. Yes."
"I…I was shot…"
"With three arrows no less, right in your chest and stomach, and right out your back. You were quite grievously injured, had anyone but Mother tried to heal you, you would not have lived. You are most welcome, by the way."
"Thank you – I'm sorry, I'm just little stiff right now." Malicefent added a mental note to learn some healing spells of her own.
"And that answers my next question. Here drink this." Malicefent arched a skeptical eyebrow at Morrigan. "Well, if you do not want it, then 'tis your choice to be stiff and sore. A most foolish choice."
"No, no it's not that. Just the last time a drink was a big deal there was a risk of death."
"You are being as foolish as a man now. Why would we go to the trouble of saving your life, and it was quite the trouble, just to kill you?"
"Point taken." Malicefent drank the…well, it looked like tea. It smelled awful, but tasted quite delicious. "Morrigan, how did I get…here?"
"You are in the hut I share with my Mother, in the Wilds. Do you not remember her rescue?"
"No, the last I remember was being shot and swarmed by darkspawn. How could she possibly have rescued me?"
"Mother turned into a giant bird and plucked the two of you from the atop of the tower, one in each talon."
Malicefent gave Morrigan a look of disbelief as she said the first, then it registered Morrigan had said two. "Wait – Alistair lives? He made it? Were his injuries severe?"
"I saw that look of disbelief, ask her yourself, if you do not believe me. And yes, he is alive, and no his injuries were not so bad."
"What about the King and Duncan, and everyone else?"
"The man who was to respond to your signal quit the field. The darkspawn won your battle. Those he abandoned were massacred. Your friend…he is not taking it well."
"We are the only survivors?"
"Yes, I am afraid so. Your friend has veered between denial and grief since Mother told him. He is outside by the fire. Mother asked to see you when you awoke."
"Thank you, again, Morrigan. Sincerely."
Morrigan seemed unsure how to respond to this, like she wasn't quite use to politeness. "I…you are welcome, though Mother did most of the work, I am no healer."
Malicefent got up and reached for the door.
"You may want to put some clothes on before you go. No doubt the lack of it would cheer your friend, and it does not bother me, 'tis simply a suggestion."
Malicefent looked down and realized that she only had on her small clothes. As she got back into her robes she noticed that the pain and stiffness was subsiding, and that she had no scars. She ran her fingers over the spots where the arrows had been, not even a blemish.
"Mother's powers are quite remarkable, are they not?" Morrigan remarked.
"Yes – I…cannot thank you enough."
"'Tis her you should be thanking. Now you should go before Mother becomes inpatient, turns into a dragon, and devours us all."
Malicefent gave a little laugh at this, finished dressing, and headed out the door. Dawn was breaking over the Korcari Wilds, the sun was just beginning to peek over the mountains. Here there were no signs of battle to be seen, but every now and then the breeze would bring a hint of the battlefield to their noses.
Alistair was standing perfectly still at the edge of the water, staring at the lily pads that drifted on the surface. He was lost in his thoughts and didn't hear Malicefent come out of the hut.
"See? Here is your fellow Grey Warden. You worry too much, young man. I told you to have faith in my healing abilities," Morrigan's mother said to Alistair.
Alistair relief was palpable. "You…you're alive! I thought you were dead for sure."
"Morrigan's mother is to thank, for healing me, for our rescue. Her powers are remarkable, Alistair." Malicefent turned to the old woman, "I cannot express my gratitude enough. Thank you. Thank you, so much." Morrigan's mother nodded.
"I can't believe…this can't be real. It doesn't seem real. If it weren't for Morrigan's mother…"
"Do not talk about me as if I am not present, lad," the old woman said irritably.
"I didn't mean it that way. We never learned your name. What shall we call you?" Alistair asked.
"Names are like putting flowers in your hair, pretty, but useless. The Chasind have called me Flemeth, I suppose that will do for now."
"The Flemeth of legend? The Witch of the Wilds that parents tell stories of to their children to make them behave?" You could have knocked Alistair over with a feather.
"Alistair, you're being quite rude," Malicefent chastised him for a change. She also felt disappointed about his continued bias to ward mages, she didn't expect it to change over night, but she felt like it was going to be a continuing problem.
"Listen to your friend, boy. My magic has served you well. Do you believe I am this evil witch of bedtime fantasy, after I have saved your lives? That does not seem like something an evil Witch of the Wilds would do, if one is going to believe such tales."
Alistair hung his head in embarrassment, "You're right. I apologize."
"There's a good lad. Now, I believe you have lands to unite against the Blight. Or did the duties of the Grey Wardens change when I was not looking?"
"I don't even know how we're going to begin to do that. Who will unite with us after Loghain's betrayal?" Malicefent said to no one in particular.
"I don't understand why Loghain would betray his king, his country like that," Alistair added.
"Men's hearts hold shadows darker than any creature," Flemeth remarked.
"Darker than any creature," Malicefent echoed, "I think Loghain is in league with the darkspawn."
"What? No, that can't be."
"Alistair, think about it. He closed off the Tower of Ishal to all but his men, to explore these tunnels his men found, that no one else knew existed. At the meeting with King Cailan last night, Loghain argued against the Grey Wardens being sent, again he only wanted his men in the tower. Remember the inside? All the soldier's corpses, and the...monuments the darkspawn erected. How long had the darkspawn been in there in order to get that done? The darkspawn we met outside the tower weren't ahead of the horde, they were in there waiting for who knows how long."
"That's insane. What could Loghain possibly hope to achieve by allying with the archdemon?"
"Perhaps he believes the Blight is an army he can outmaneuver. Perhaps he does not see that the evil behind it is the true threat," Flemeth suggested.
"And by betraying the king, Anora rules alone. Loghain is her father – the power that would give him...still he can't just get away with murder," Alistair said.
"It's not as if he would be the first king to gain his throne that way," Flemeth scoffed. "You should know better, grow up, boy!"
"If Arl Eamon knew what Loghain did, he would never stand for it! The Landsmeet would never stand for it! There would be civil war!" Alistair vented. "Arl Eamon was not at Ostagar, he still has all of his men, and he was Cailan's uncle. He is a good man, respected, we will go to Redcliffe and appeal to him for help!"
"Would Arl Eamon's help be enough?" Malicefent asked Alistair, who seemed to have an intimate knowledge of the man.
"No, it wouldn't be enough to defeat the darkspawn horde, but it's better than nothing. It's all we have right now. I don't know how to contact the other Grey Wardens, or if they're even on their way, and we need to do something now," Alistair told her.
"We have the treaties," Malicefent reminded him.
"Of course! The dwarves, mages, elves, and others are obligated to help us during a Blight!" Alistair tone lightened at this thought.
"Well, this sounds like you have an army to me," Flemeth said.
"Do you think we can get it done? Build the army we need?" Alistair asked Malicefent, looking for reassurance from a comrade.
"We can and will do it," Malicefent reassured him.
"There is something else you have. Morrigan, come here, girl," Flemeth called. Morrigan came over. "Gather you things, you're going with them. You've wanted a chance to get out of the Wilds for years, now you are going. As for you Wardens, consider repayment for your lives."
Morrigan was shocked, "What…?"
"You heard me, girl. The last time I looked, you had ears!" Flemeth laughed.
Morrigan and Flemeth argued for several minutes. Morrigan made some smart aleck comments, Flemeth upbraided her, Morrigan felt guilty and apologized. The revered mother could take lessons in wielding guilt from Flemeth, Alistair thought. Morrigan and Flemeth reconciled, and spoke to each other in gentler tones as they readied to part ways.
Malicefent turned to Flemeth, she had things she had to ask the woman before they left. Things she wanted to know, and the only time she had left to ask them was now, while Morrigan gathered her things. "About your magic…"
Flemeth snorted at her, "Looking for new spells? Secrets you think old Flemeth as cooked up over the years?" Flemeth continued with disdain at Malicefent, "Well they are of no use to you without years of practicing my ways. I am not like your Circle with its books, you see."
Malicefent bristled at this, "I learned the only way I was allowed. It was not my choice to be locked in the Tower with books as my only way to learn. Even with those limitations I am far more advanced than others at my level, and I have the cleanest, quickest Harrowing on record."
"I am aware of your powers, girl. I could feel the depth of them when I healed you, and I felt you reach for them when you woke up. And do not toss your Harrowing at me as if it were some accomplishment. We both know that it is nothing more than a weak test designed for weak mages. It may have held a surprise or two for you, but it was no real challenge of your powers, or do you disagree?"
"I do not disagree. Just some of what you know, could be of great use to us."
"You're quite right about that. And I am sending my daughter along with you. What you could learn in the time you have, she can teach you, unless you don't want to save the world from the blight and stay here with me. I wouldn't mind a replacement daughter to order around," Flemeth laughed.
Morrigan had reemerged, "Believe me, you do not want that," she said to Malicefent.
Flemeth saw the glint of defiance in Malicefent's eyes, "Yes, prove me wrong about what you can learn in the time you have. It is within you to do so, if you believe in yourself. If you come back one day, perhaps old Flemeth will tell you some of what you want to know. Wardens, I give you that which I value above all else in this world. I do this because you must succeed. You will bring her back to me unharmed," the meaning was clear, Flemeth did not need to speak her threat.
"We understand," Malicefent replied.
"Now, we are done and you will leave. I have breakfast to eat."
There was no more to be said, the Grey Wardens followed Morrigan north, out of the Korcari Wilds.