Part XI
After roughing it in the wilds, having the creature comforts again were quite enjoyable, even if those comforts were a bit scaled down in size. The Warden and his party had made it to Orzammar at last, and, thanks to a local connection, were able to locate an empty house in the Commons that they were able to lease. As luck would have it, the previous inhabitants were human traders who were conducting business in the city and they left behind most of the furniture they had installed when they moved out. The ceilings were low and the quarters cramped. But at least the beds were big enough.
In the meantime, the party was settling in at their temporary abode. Alistair and Leliana spent several hours catching up with each other. The Warden and the king behaved as if nothing had ever come between them, irritating Morrigan as usual and causing her to refer to the men as 'eternally adolescent'.
There were only two bedrooms in the small house, with Morrigan claiming the larger one for herself and the child and Leliana opting for the smaller one. The two men and the mabari would make use of the dwarf-sized sofas in the den. That is, until later that first night when Morrigan got "cold" and needed The Warden's assistance. That left Alistair alone in the den with the mabari. The King of all Ferelden spent his first night in Orzammar with his feet dangling over the side of a small sofa , half-covered by a blanket that was made for someone two feet shorter than he, and in the company of a dog with an apparent addiction to licking himself.
The first order of business was to visit the Shaperate, the archive of all dwarven knowledge, and try to find out what they could about the lost passage in the Deep Roads and the Orbs of Arastani. The Deep Roads ran underneath the Frostback Mountains and consisted of many miles on underground tunnels. Back in the height of the Dwarven Empire, these roads connected the various thaigs, or colonies, with each other and the capital city of Orzammar. With the arrival of the darkspawn, all that changed. Now the Deep Roads and the various thaigs all lay in ruin and filled with the vile monsters.
The Shaperate itself was a vast repository of knowledge. Row after row of large, two-sided shelves lined the main hall, each one holding thousands of tomes. Together they contained the entire history of the dwarven people. Every birth and every death that occurred in Orzammar was recorded by the Shapers within these books, going back to a time before the rise of the darkspawn.
The Warden spent many hours in the Shaperate, carefully combing through hundreds of lengthy volumes on history and lore. He found several references to the orbs. The bits and pieces began to come together into a more coherent picture. The Warden could tell that the orbs were apparently dwarven in origin. When the Tevinter Imperium was at it's height, The Imperial Archon commissioned the dwarves to build the orbs. It was a monumental task that took many years to complete. Three perfectly round crystal orbs of different sizes were the result. The smallest being the size of an orange and the largest being the size of a gourd. The original purpose of the orbs was to free the most significant of the old gods, Dumat, from his prison deep underground. The orbs vanished for a time just after the appearance of the first darkspawn, only to resurface later but in an altered state. Now instead of clear, they were been stained blood red. As if they had been used for a dark and evil purpose and were now somehow tainted.
When it came to finding the passage in the Deep Roads that he was after, however, his search was less successful. It's not that he couldn't find an old passage that shot off from the main road in any of the maps or records. The problem was there were thousands of them and he had no clue which was the one he sought. He would have to investigate each route individually. A tedious and time consuming process. And time was luxury he didn't have.
The Warden explained to Morrigan what he had found about the orbs and how he'd been unable to locate the road to the mountain temple. He had been searching for several days and was running out of places to look. Fortunately she was able to offer some small consolation. Morrigan had remembered a bit more of what Flemeth had said about the orbs.
"I remember mother telling me that the orbs were made to feed the souls of men to the gods. And that they were also somehow defiled and tainted." The witch said.
"Defiled? How?" The Warden asked.
"As the story goes, after the magisters were changed into the first darkspawn, if you believe such things, they acquired the orbs, and in their new forms used them to awaken the old god, Dumat, transforming the god into the first archdemon in the process and defiling the orbs."
"So they've been changed somehow."
"So it would seem. Only someone possessed of the taint may hold them now."
"But your mother doesn't have the taint, does she."
"Of course not. However, tis a foolish notion to think she would ever be hindered by such a thing."
"Agreed." The Warden concurred.
As it happened, Oghren had made a brief return to Orzammar after a long stay on the surface with Felsi, his old flame. They had been reunited thanks to some help from The Warden. Oghren also had the distinction of being the first dwarven general in a human army, something else he owed The Warden. The man was so respected by the dwarf, he named his first son Dwemer.
Oghren was in the city to collect some of his items from his old house in the Diamond Quarter. He heard about The Warden and party's presence inside the city, and sent them an invitation to meet with him at the local tavern so they could get reacquainted. And of course, as always, that would mean many pints of ale being tossed back.
Morrigan had misgivings about letting The Warden go off to meet the dwarf, whom she viewed as nothing more than a womanizing drunkard. She made it a point to inform The Warden of her displeasure. He calmly reassured her that there was no need to worry, Oghren was an old friend. The fact that Alistair would be joining him only made the witch feel worse.
The dwarf was already staggeringly drunk by the time The Warden and Alistair arrived at the pub. Upon meeting Oghren, they found a table in the back and settled around it. After a bit of convincing, the dwarf was able to talk his companions into joining him for a few pitchers. It wasn't long before tongues began to loosen and The Warden confided in the dwarf his current dilemma.
"So you two actually came to blows? That's sodding beautiful!" Oghren exclaimed with a drunken slur.
"Morrigan stopped us, though." Alistair said as he took another swig of his drink.
"Ah, she's a fiery one." the dwarf said.
"Yes she is." The Warden concurred, "And she's already going to be mad enough so we better get going."
"Sodding women. But you just got here. Let's have another drink before you go."
"I'd love to, Oghren. But I have to be back at the Shaperate early." The Warden said as he stumbled slightly, "I have to find the path in the Deep Roads."
"Deep Roads, you say?" the dwarf asked.
"I'm looking for a path the leads to a temple high in the Frostback Mountains. The path is supposedly buried somewhere in the Deep Roads, but I don't have a clue where. That's why I'm going back to the Shaperate."
"You should talk to my friend, Redic." Oghren offered. "He's warrior caste and spent a good bit of time in the Deep Roads. A couple of years ago he was sent on an expedition to try to find out what happened to some of the lost thaigs. They never did find any, but they said there was a path that led to the surface and something else. I was drunk and can't remember what else he said."
"Where can I find him?" The Warden questioned.
"He's warrior caste so he moves around a bit. You might try asking around over at the central guard post. They should be able to tell you where he's stationed." The dwarf reached for the pitcher and refilled The Warden's tankard. "Now, enough talk! Not when there is so much sodding drinking to be done!"
Alistair and The Warden stayed to have a few more drinks with Oghren, out of courtesy. The trio sat around their table and shared tales until well into the night. And after many empty pitchers, The Warden and Alistair finally made their way back to the small domicile.
It took them a bit to cross the main center of the Commons as both men were having trouble keeping the Earth centered beneath their feet. Alistair stumbled and nearly fell over one of the many guardrails that lined the walkways in the city, and The Warden tripped into a large sign that held important postings, which fell over with a loud "clang" that echoed throughout the massive underground chamber.
They were approached by a night watchman, who, upon immediately noticing their condition, suggested the men head straight home. The watchman toyed with the idea of arresting them, but concluded it would probably be too much trouble just getting the two lugs into lockup. So the watchman allowed the men to continue on their way, with a stern warning, of course.
As quietly as mice, the two crept inside through the small doorway and into the house. It was pitch black inside as Morrigan, the child, and Leliana had all retired for the evening. The Warden and Alistair were slowly moving into the den when The Warden's foot tripped over something large and furry. Leo let out a surprised yelp.
Instantly there was a flash of blue light which settled into a small hovering orb. The sudden burst stunned the men and it took a moment for their vision to clear. Soon a slender hand, with the palm upright, could be seen beneath the orb. Then an arm. Finally a face that contained the most angry of scowls.
"So, you finally deign it appropriate to return." Morrigan scoffed angrily.
"I can explain..." The Warden said trying his best to avoid the inevitable fury that he would have to face.
"And you're drunk. How lovely."
"No, I'm not." The Warden tried to lie, failing badly.
Behind The Warden came a loud "thump" as Alistair passed out and fell backwards. The Warden stood there staring at the unconscious king lying on the floor, not quite sure what to do.
"Oh, just leave him." The witch hissed, as she grabbed The Warden by the arm and guided him. "You are going to sleep this off. And when you do we shall discuss the matter."
Morrigan assisted The Warden up the stairs to the the main bedroom on the second floor. His girth being far greater than hers, it took great effort for her to keep him from crashing into various objects. He nearly fell into Seth's small dwarven bed that was stuffed in the corner of the bedroom. With one final heave, the witch was able to steer The Warden towards the bed, where he toppled and crashed.
The next morning, The Warden awoke to dwarven miners hard at work in his skull. His head throbbed mercilessly and his stomach danced about all his gut. His eyes were extremely sensitive to even the faint candles that lined the room.
"Good morning, my sweet." Morrigan said loudly as she barged into the room, "Tis time to rise."
The witch grabbed the blanket, yanking it back and exposing The Warden. She clapped her hands together a few times, saying, "Up with you, now." The Warden was convinced her hand was right next to his ear as the sounds rang through his head.
"Alright. I'm up." he said with a groggy voice.
He somehow managed to find the strength to pull himself to a sitting position, and then at last stand. He raised his hands to his head to massage his throbbing temples.
"Do not stand about all day. There things that need attending to, are there not?" She said as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Don't start with me right now, Morrigan. I feel like hell."
"As you deserve." The witch said, "Still, those tasks are not going to simply vanish because of your night of inebriated stupidity."
"I'm aware of that." he said calmly.
"Really? Because from the way you were acting last night one would get the impression you haven't a care in the world."
"Dammit, Morrigan! I said I wasn't in the mood for this right now!" he exclaimed in frustration.
The witch was genuinely shocked. He had never raised his voice to her once in the entire time they had known each other. Suddenly she felt uneasy. He had never been so openly angered with her, and she disliked it very much.
"I...I...only meant to..." she stammered, unsure of what to say to appease him.
Seeing what he had done, he cursed himself and walked over to the witch, grabbed her in his arms, and gently squeezed.
"I'm sorry." He whispered to her. "I shouldn't have said that."
"No. You are right to chastise. I am always making things difficult for you." she said as she leaned against his chest.
"No, you don't."
"You are a terrible liar." she said, looking up at him.
Captain Derik and the rest of the cavalrymen had made the long trip back to Denerim. Which, much to their surprise, was not at all like the city they had left. There were no mobs lining the streets, nor were there any angry protesters shouting from steps, wagons, or other platforms. Neither was there any sign of violence. Everything was exactly in it's place. Denerim appeared perfectly normal.
As the men rode through the city, they noticed the market was buzzing with it's normal energy as merchants and customers loudly haggled with each other. There were no signs of any disturbance as they rode past the chantry, with the priests, chanter, and parishioners exactly as they should be. Riding up through the palace gates, they were greeted by the palace guards, none of whom were at alert. The whole scene felt eerily calm, Captain Derik, thought.
The Captain met with Arl Eamon immediately upon returning to the palace. Eamon was not pleased that the king was not among those returning. When Derik informed the arl of the reasons behind the king's absence, Eamon was even less pleased. He ordered the Captain to return to Orzammar and bring the king back to Denerim as soon as Alistair returned from his foolhardy quest. With things having settled down in the city there was no further need for the king to adamantly pursue The Warden. But, as the arl explained, the city, and all of Ferelden for that matter, required the king to be in the capital, on his throne.
Derik was curious about Denerim's sudden turnaround. He wondered if the arl was such an effective regent that he could accomplish in two weeks what the king had been unable to do for nearly a year. Eamon explained that it was no doing on his part. After The Warden and the king left Denerim, the city just began to quiet down on it's own. It was very odd, the arl noted. While there was still concern over The Warden's whereabouts, the people hadn't been nearly as vocal about it. Almost as if the fires that started the inferno had burned out and were now merely faint embers.
It had taken a good bit of work, but The Warden was at last able to track down Oghren's friend, Redic. It seems the dwarven military is reluctant to give out the locations of it's soldiers without a very good cause, as The Warden found out.
Just as Oghren had suggested, he went to the central guard post, located on the edge of the Diamond Quarter. And, even though the guards knew his identity, they refused to divulge the information. No matter how The Warden tried to coax them.
"I have to have clearance from my superiors to hand out that kind of information." one of the guards told him.
His frustration would only mount as, for several hours, The Warden was bounced from one dwarf to the next, each telling him that, while they understood it was an important matter, they were just not able to give out that kind of information. Finally out of desperation, The Warden went to the Royal Palace to talk to the dwarven king, Pyral Harrowmont. A man whom The Warden himself had put on the throne.
Harrowmont granted The Warden an immediate audience as soon as he was made aware of The Warden's arrival. The king was only too happy to help him locate Redic, ordering the head of his royal guard to investigate the matter immediately. Before long the guard returned with Redic's location written on a piece of parchment. He handed the note to The Warden with a deep bow. Once the note had been taken, the guard snapped around and returned to his post, standing as rigid as stone.
For once there was some good news. It seems that Redic was stationed very close by. In fact, he was on temporary assignment in The Commons marketplace as a watchman. But he would only be there another week. After that he was going to be deployed to the Deep Roads and probably wouldn't be back for months.
The Warden quickly made his way down from the Diamond Quarter and back to The Commons. Once there, it wasn't long before he located Redic at his post.
He was stocky, even for a dwarf and his hair was black as soot. His stance at his post was looser than younger soldiers', who had a tendency to stand rigid and at attention. Scars from many years spent in the darkened bowels of the Deep Roads covered him.
The Warden approached Redic and introduced himself. Fortunately, he was one of the few dwarves that Oghren was actually still on good terms with and he readily told The Warden all he knew about the path in the Deep Roads. Redic even went so far as to mark the location of the path on a map for The Warden.
The dwarf also mentioned that he and his men had followed the small tunnel to it's end, somewhere high in the Frostback Mountains, possibly even in Orlais. They found a temple there, carved from the side of the mountain. It was a very dark place, Redic noted, with black pillars that had evil dragons and other monsters carved in them. He and his men never ventured within the temple, and held no clue as to what secrets it may contain. But one thing he knew for sure was that the place was pure evil.
Thanking Redic for his help, The Warden hurried to inform Morrigan of what he had found out. It was a long shot at best, but considering their options at the moment, it seemed like the one most likely to produce results. The dwarven army never ventured all that far into the Deep Roads and the passage in question was relatively close by. Within a few days he might have the orbs and this whole ordeal would be over with.
Walking back towards his place in the Commons, The Warden happened to pass through the market area. And not just any part of the market, either. It was where he had purchased a golden hand-mirror that was encrusted with gems. The merchant who sold him the item was still there, haggling with another customer. The mirror had been a special gift for the witch. When Morrigan was a child she had acquired a similar mirror that she adored. Flemeth shattered the object to demonstrate how beauty was fleeting and only power mattered.
Something special happened after he gave her the mirror. She changed somehow. It was then that she professed that she had fallen for him. It was a difficult thing for Morrigan to admit and she was terrified of being rejected. But something inside her snapped and she could no longer resist. So she took the risk and asked The Warden if there was something more to them than just the physical; if he felt the same way about her.
He did indeed feel something more for her, and he wanted to tell her a hundred times. But she would have been less than receptive to the idea, calling him a sentimental fool or something of the like. So he waited patiently until she was ready. And eventually his patience was rewarded as she finally began to open up to him. The Warden considered that moment as the true start of their relationship.
Almost without noticing, The Warden had reached his destination and stood in front of it. His mind was elsewhere as he reminisced. Eventually he realized his location, opened the front door, and walked inside.
"I take it you'll be going off again to look for this temple." Morrigan told him upon hearing the news, "And how long is it that you plan on being gone this time?"
"I wouldn't go if I didn't have to. If there's any chance at all that this is the place I'm looking for, then I have find it." He reassured her as best he could, but to no avail.
"It seems that you are always finding ways to leave me behind." she said, folding her arms.
"You could always go and I could stay and look after Seth." He replied sarcastically.
"What a fine mess that would make! I think not."
She reached for him and took his hands in hers and held them for a moment. Her gaze fell to the floor and she asked, "When are you leaving?" in a faint voice.
"First thing in the morning." he said to her. "I thought you didn't like touching."
"As did I." the witch replied.
No matter how much the witch wished otherwise, night fell and the next day came without interruption. And with it came more disturbing news for Morrigan. Only Alistair would be accompanying The Warden in the Deep Roads. That meant Leliana and Leo would be staying behind. Rather than argue with The Warden however, she was compliant, even agreeable. It was definitely not the reaction that he anticipated, but he didn't question her.
"With any luck I should only be gone a few days." The Warden told her. "And I'll have Alistair to look after me."
"You will forgive me for not being put at ease by that statement." Morrigan returned.
"I'm so glad to see that time hasn't caused your faith in me to waiver in the slightest." Alistair said to the witch.
"We'll be fine. The question is, are you going to be alright?" The Warden asked, "You haven't been acting like yourself for a while now. Something's bothering you."
"Tis not the time to discuss such matters. It shall wait until your return." Morrigan replied.
"When I return, then." he confirmed as he started to leave.
"Am I not to receive a kiss before you depart?" the witch inquired with a pout.
"Of course you are." The Warden said as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a long kiss.
She held her lips close to his ear and whispered, "I love you."
He looked at her in amazement, his mind still trying to confirm what his ears had heard. There was no denying she said it. She had actually said it. His mouth began to form words, to tell the witch the same thing. But before he could speak, she placed her slender finger to his lips.
"Not yet." Morrigan told him softly, "Keep those words on your lips until you return to me."
The Warden nodded in acknowledgment.
"Don't worry. We'll be fine." Leliana said with a cheery smile, "And you two will be back before you know it."
The Warden and Alistair headed out for the Deep Roads. While he did venture much further into them last time he was under the mountain, The Warden knew the way would still be difficult. Darkspawn filled the Deep Roads and chances were high that he and Alistair would encounter more than a few of the foul beings, as well as a host of other terrors that called the passageways within the Deep Roads home. Even still, it was good to have Alistair back at his side. Together they were a formidable force and that would greatly increase their chances of success in the blackened deep that awaited.