A/N: I like this chapter, it's not so action-y, but it's a bit tender here and there and demonstrates everyone character a little more. I hope you enjoy. FYI the next chapter will have...'scenes' in it. Rated M for a reason ppl.
Disclaimer : This is for fun...Bioware runs the show.
Chapter 13 : Old Men and Battles
The eldest of the Couslands, Fergus, sits in the main hall in Redcliffe's Castle. Worn to the core, his body slumps lower into the large chair. Haunted by new memories, he rubs his tired brow.
"Are you ever going to get me a real sword, Father?" Fergus can still here the voice that he had heard while in the Fade. The demon, in the guise of his son, had sounded so much like Oren. Oriana, he could have sworn it was her cooking at the hearth. But none of it was real. It was all some sort of trick, to keep him there. Even when Thalia had showed up, he still wanted to believe that this place he was in, was real. Although, deep down, he knew it to be a lie.
Stretching his back against the frame of the wooden chair, he attempts to shake off the pain this recent memory causes him. Now, in the company of Templars and Mages, the group awaits Irving's word on the conditions of both Connor and the Arl. Fergus can't help but feel a small glimmer of hope in the pit of his belly. Since this campaign had started, there's been nothing but destruction and grief. Maybe all their efforts will finally be rewarded. Maybe, they've managed to keep a family together. A father and son with the chance to be reunited. The flicker, he felt early, grows with optimism.
"He won't be able to do anything about the Arl's condition...but maybe he can do something about the boy." Kate slouches in a chair, tired with the long journey it took to get here.
"Maybe..." The elf answers blankly, while gazing out the broken window. Feeling a strong hand squeezing her shoulder, she turns to find Fergus smiling at her warmly. "I'm worried...they should have been here as well."
Continuing his smile, the creases near his eyes deepen. "They journeyed into the mountains, chances are they ran into some bad weather. We'll give them another day...if they do not arrive by then, we'll head out to look for them." He tries to ease her concern.
Taking in a deep breath, the elven mage lets her eyes linger back to the view beyond the village. "I just hope that weather is all they ran into...but the chances of that are very slim."
"I'm sure they'll all return my lady." Again, he tries to console her troubled mind.
"Yes but in what condition?" Her hands grip tightly at her staff and she straightens her posture. "I sense something is wrong..."
Fergus's brow knits with confusion. "What...? You mean, you and Keira...have some sort of link?"
"A bond." She corrects him. "Probably because we've always been close. It's not uncommon." Thalia breathes out heavily, frustrated with not knowing how the other group is doing.
The only thing Fergus can think of to show his support, is to continue to grasp her shoulder.
"I don't feel that she's in pain...but something is most definitely wrong...exhaustion...I think she's reached her limit and hasn't been taking care of herself..." The elf's eyes continue to watch the horizon as the son slowly begins to set. "Keira..." She whispers. "Where are you?"
The cart shifts and jolts slightly as it hits a rock. The motion wakes Alistair, he looks around the darkened interior to make sure that nothing has toppled over. Still asleep beside him, Keira continues her deep slumber, her skin still cold to the touch. Studying her features, he notices that the white in her hair has vanished. The temperature in the air has changed, they must be far enough from the mountain now he assumes.
How long have I been asleep? Just as the thought occurs, he hears a sharp whistle and the carriage comes to a complete stop. He can hear footsteps making their way towards the back of the carriage. The latch to the small wooden door is pulled back and the curtains are pushed aside. Alistair can tell by the position of the stars in the sky, that he'd been asleep for a very long time.
"How's she fairing?" Cullen hoists himself up and slides in to sit beside the sleeping mage.
"Still feels cold to the touch, but her hair is back to normal." Stretching, the prince removes himself from the sheets. "How long have I been asleep?" He figures the Templar Knight is about to say 'a few hours'.
"Almost a full days worth." The Templar takes off a gauntlet and checks the little mage's forehead.
Shocked, Alistair hurries to put on his boots. "What? A day? You didn't think to wake me?" He continues to scurry about as he searches for the rest of his belongings.
The Knight pays no attention to the prince's concerns. "You haven't slept well in weeks. You didn't wake...I saw no reason to disturb you." Motioning with his chin, Cullen informs Alistair of their current status. "We're making camp. We'll continue on in the morning. Redcliffe is just another day's march now."
"Ok..." The prince grabs his armor and sword. "Who's cooking? I'm starving."
"Ty managed to snare a couple of rabbits." The Templar descends from the small carriage. "Zevran is going to make some broth with some elf root in it...We need to figure a way to wake her...even just for a few moments...she hasn't eaten in days..."
Alistair looks over his shoulder to the sleeping mage, then slides out of the cart. "Even if she does wake..."
"She won't have much strength." Cullen finishes for him. They both know that Keira will more than likely be needed to aid with whatever preparations that will take place at Redcliffe. If Thalia hasn't arrived at the Castle yet, they'll still need to administer the Arl with a cure.
"So what's the plan?" Alistair looks over the encampment and can see that everyone is busying themselves. Bodahn and Sandal are cataloging and organizing their goods, Sten is preparing a fire, while the two elves are skinning the rabbits.
"Get the Antivan to ready that drink." The Templar removes his sword and places it at the edge of the cart. "I'll wake Amell."
The prince heads in the direction of the rogues, while the Templar climbs back into the carriage. Just as he's about to lightly rock the mage, she begins to stir. Pulling his hands back, he sits back, resting on his knees.
"Amell?" He waits. Again the dark-haired woman moves slightly. "Can you move?"
Groaning, Keira tries to slowly sit, but quickly falls back down. Instantly, the Templar is at her side. "Try not to move too fast...you don't have much energy..."
"W-when's...the last time I ate..." She licks her dry chapped lips. "Or...drank?" Pushing the hair from her face, her eyes study her surroundings.
"Days ago...we've been...unsuccessful at waking you...or getting you to drink anything." Carefully, he places his right hand behind her neck and skull and lifts gently. "Alistair is going to bring you something to drink."
As if on high alert, the prince shows up, hot mug in hand. "Makers ass..." He places the cup at the edge of the cart and blows on his palms. "Did he have to make it directly in the damn cup?" Feeling eyes on him, Alistair looks up to see Cullen and Keira staring at him. "You're...you're awake..." His lips form a thin smile, then he notices Cullen glance at the beverage. "Right..."
The Templar takes the drink from the other man. "It's hot..." He places it between Keira's hands and watches as she blows a light frost over it, cooling it to the perfect temperature.
"Better..." She quivers.
With his left hand, the Templar aids the mage to bring the cup to her lips. "Slowly..." He reminds her. Watching her drink the liquid, he can't help but feel a sense of relief to know that she's awake and eating. Smiling, Cullen looks back to the other man who returns the smile.
"I'll get the elf to make more." Comforted with knowing that she seems to be out of danger, the prince's grin widens. Alistair taps the side of the cart with his open palm and heads back to the fire.
The mug now empty, Cullen removes it from the mage's shaking hands. "More?" He asks, hoping the beverage is doing her some good. She nods and his smile broadens. He places her head gently back down onto her pillow. "I'll be right back."
The mage grabs hold of his wrist. "Alistair will bring it...please...stay..." Her eyes are closed, resting.
"Alright." His lips form a thin line. "I hope...that you're...not...uhm...angry with us. You know...for having to..."
"Cullen...it's alright...had to be done. Thank-you." Her fingers follow the neckline of the long shirt covering her body. "I could have caught my death."
Rubbing his hands together, Cullen chews at his inner lip and leans to his side. Sore. "Me and Alistair...we've been...uhm well...we've been taking shifts, staying or sleeping by your side...b-but only to keep you from freezing to death." The Templar stares at his hands, suddenly ashamed of what they've done without her consent.
The mage opens an eye. "You know...even when my eyes are closed...I can still tell when you're chewing on the inside of your mouth." The mage snickers. "There's nothing to be ashamed of...you were all doing what you thought was best." Keira exhales slowly.
"Here we are. Another order of steaming rabbit and elf root...something or other." Alistair sees the glum look on Cullen's face. "You told her?"
"Yes, he did. And it's alright." The mage answers calmly.
The Templar takes the second round of broth from Alistair and again aids Keira to drink it. "We're about a day from Redcliffe." He informs.
Keira's brow lifts, with the sudden realization that she needs to get better, and in a hurry. "Alright." She takes one last sip of her liquid meal and decides that she's had enough. Pushing the mug away, she licks her lips. She can feel the effects of the root in her system. Her eyes feel heavy. "You should eat too. You guys must be starving."
Cullen nods to Alistair. The Templar climbs out of the cart, rubs his hands on his pants, and begins to close the curtains.
"You're coming back...right?" She shifts to lay on her side.
"Uhm... I can... if you need me to." He had figured that since her condition seemed much better, that she would be good to rest on her own.
"I'm freezing..." She says in a tired voice.
Alistair shares a concerned look with the other Templar. The mage is already surrounded and covered with furs and blankets. Again, Cullen is chewing his lower lip, thinking.
"Ty." He looks to the young elf, knowing he's the fastest in the group. "Do you remember that merchant we saw a few paces back, heading in the opposite direction?"
The elf ponders a moment then nods. "Yeah, the dwarf."
"Right...do you think you can catch up with him?" Cullen begins searching through his pack.
"Yeah, probably take me about half a candle mark to get to him and back. Why?" The rogue shrugs his shoulders.
Cullen places a leather pouch in Ty's hand. "See if you can get some bear skins at a decent price. Please. Whatever is left after that, is yours."
Eyes growing wide, Ty understands his task. Hooking his thumbs in his back pack straps, he strides off in the merchants direction.
"Those furs probably aren't that expensive. There are bear everywhere..." Alistair informs the other man.
"I know...but having an incentive, will make him run that much faster. Besides, it's not like I need the coin." Cullen explains while he heads to the fire pit in search of something to satisfy his aching stomach.
After eating and quickly washing up, the time has gone by rather quickly. And on time, Ty comes jogging down the path, a large grin splayed across his face. "Got the greedy bugger to give me four furs, some water skins and some clothing for Keira." Stopping just a few feet from the Templar, he pulls his pack from behind him and pulls out all that he has purchased.
"Right...Clothing." Cullen had completely forgotten that he had shredded some of her clothing. Although, she did still have her robes, it's still nice to have more on hand. "So what were you left with?"
"Nothing, Ser." Ty grins. "We're all family now. Anything we need, we provide for each other. Sides, we're Wardens. Not like we'll be buying houses or anything anytime soon." He winks in the large man's direction.
"Good point..." Cullen has a moment of clarity. The elf is right. They won't be buying houses, or spending their coin on things like furniture or linens. What they need is anything to do with combat, survival or knowledge. That's it. "So...what else did you get?"
"Lots. All stuff we needed though. A few potions. Antidotes for basic things. Food." Ty keeps on pulling things from his pockets, pouches and boots. "Cookies for Sten." He hands those off to the Qunari, lets face it, a happy Sten is a good Sten to have around. "Metal Polish for Zev...uhm lets see...oh...new bracers for you." Ty hands Cullen bracers with the symbol of Andraste etched into them. "A better pack for Alistair...some candles...a set of daggers...that's for me."
The elf's eyes brighten when he finds what he's been looking for at the bottom of his pack. "This...is for Keira." He hands Cullen a folded piece of cloth. "It's Dalish...he said it's a Circlet."
The Templar opens the cloth to find a beautiful headband made of silver. Placed in the front and on the sides, are clear quartz crystals, set in dalish knots.
"I got it for a good price. The man doesn't know his stuff that's for sure." Ty beams. "See, it's suppose to help with mana and energy conservation...and it's enchanted with air and ice elements."
"Good buy!" Alistair pats the elf hard on the back, while taking a bite from an apple.
"I thought so." The elf continues to smile.
The Templar attempts to hand the item back. "I want you to give this to her."
"What? You paid for it?" The rogue takes the headpiece back, baffled.
"True, but you were the one that worked for it...knew what it was to begin with. It'll mean a lot to her knowing you thought of her." The Templar explains, his features sincere and warm.
"Alright." The elf returns the smile, nods and heads back to the fire.
"If I'm not awake by sunrise..." The Templar looks to the Bastard Prince.
"Right...we need to get there as soon as possible. The Arl and his family are counting on us. I'll wake you."
With that said, Cullen tosses the bear furs into the cart, climbs into the back of the carriage, shuts the wooden door and slides the curtains together. Using what little light he has to see, he removes his armor, lies down beside the mage and does the best he can to cover them with the animal hide. Amell shifts and tries to sit up, slowly she pushes up with her elbows.
"Are you hungry? D-do you need me to get you something?" Quickly sitting up, and steadying the mage with his hands, Cullen tries to look beyond her strands of hair to see her face. "Water?" With his hands on her upper arms, he can feel that she's still icy cold.
"No..." She places a hand on his arm. "Just trying to see if I can sit up...on my own." Feeling dizzy, Amell slowly allows herself to lie back down. "You came back?"
Clearing his throat, the Templar replaces the blankets and furs back over the mage. "Uhm...well you asked me to."
"I didn't think you would return." Her voice is low. She regards herself as a mage and nothing more. With her health doing better than before, why should anyone trouble themselves any further.
"I-I see."
Her small fingers tug at the hem of his shirt. Then he sees her pat the empty spot beside her. "I know I'm making you uncomfortable as it is...I just don't know what else to do...other then setting this thing on fire...to keep warm."
"It's...it's fine." Pulling the covers up to allow himself to rest comfortably beside the little mage, he can feel the waves of cold coming from her. "I don't understand why you're so cold."
"Me either." Without asking, Keira places the side of her face against his chest, wraps an arm around his frame and curls a leg along his thigh.
Not knowing what to do, the Templar keeps his hands frozen in mid-air and lifts his chin. "Uhm...Keira?"
"Mmm?" Her hair tickles his throat and neck so he tries to blow it aside. "I'm sorry...but... you're so warm."
Sleeping beside her, while she was unconscious, was alright with him. It had to be done. However, now that she's in full control of her actions and well aware of everything that's going on, this is awkward on a level he can't explain. He starts to debate if he really should let the Antivan Elf take a shift. Then he mentally kicks himself for even having such a thought.
Hands still frozen in time, Cullen clears his throat. "Amell...I-I..." He can feel the heat rising up his neck and he wills his heart not to pace any faster. Nerves. "Do you...I-I mean...that is to say, you're not wearing much...and..."
"Oh be quiet. You're fully clothed." She stifles a yawn, and then places her arm back around his frame. "I won't tell anyone, promise...there feel better?"
Eyes still wide. Tired now gone, replaced with fully awake. Cullen gulps down a nervous lump in his throat when the mage pulls his hands down and forces him to embrace her. "You're not going to be struck down by the Maker and I'm certainly not going to harm you. Now...get over it, and sleep."
Right...He silently mocks her. Resting his chin on the crown of her head, he sighs. She'll surely be the death of him. Damn that old man, for making him make such a ridiculous promise, damn Jowan for his stupid antics and damn his own heart for being...human. When the mage stirs, and a cool breath escapes her lips and makes contact with his exposed skin at the opening of his shirt, Cullen sighs once more and stares at the ceiling of the darkened cart. You're doing this on purpose. He curses the Maker, knowing his creator is probably just loving every bit of this.
Finally, she settles and falls asleep. Her nose and lips are resting against the bit of skin he has bared. He hopes beyond anything that his chest hair and loud thumping heart doesn't do anything to wake her. "Please...just sleep...without moving." He begs in a whispered tone. With no options left, he shuts his eyes and tries to remember how many stairs are in the Tower.
The rays of the morning, warm the side of Thalia's face. Stretching from where she slept, against the window sill, she rubs the back of her neck. A large woolen cloak, with the Highever Symbol embroidered into it, falls from her shoulders as she sits up. Yawning, she picks the cloth up from the floor and wraps it around herself. Sighing, she rubs at her eyes.
"Still no sign of them?" Leliana inquires, trying to hide her concern.
"No...none yet." The elf looks to the rogue, and then over the entire room. Someone has restocked the fireplace, there's a fresh pot of tea on the table and Kate's hound in snoring up a storm. Her eyes drift over everyone. Irving is standing before the fire, his arms crossed behind his back. Kate is resting gently against her mabari on the floor, while her brother lies awkwardly along a wooden bench.
"Where's Morrigan?" She looks up to the rogue.
"Over there." She points to a crow, nestled on a beam in the ceiling.
"Clever." The elf admits out loud. Feeling stiff, she rises from her seat and uses her staff for extra assistance. Arching her back, she decides to have a talk with the Senior Enchanter. Trying for stealth, she tip toes towards her elder.
"I may be old, but I still know when someone is sneaking up on me." He announces, without so much as glancing in her direction.
Frowning, the elf stands beside him. "Good morning Senior Enchanter."
"Good morning dear." His eyes drift to her then back to the fire. "I must say...I do not have the acquired taste to properly appreciate your new choice in clothing."
Blushing, the elf wraps the cloak around herself more tightly. "They are Tervinter...Senior Enchanter."
Smiling, Irving nods. "I know." The old man folds his arms in front of his chest. "You wish to know of the boy and his father."
"Yes...were you able to do anything for them?" Her eyes beam with excitement, hoping for some good news for once.
Shaking his head, Irving sighs. "Unfortunately, I believe I'm either too old, or that the past few days events have taken far too much out of me." He tries to offer a reassuring smile. "But...I do believe once Amell arrives, that you two will be able to handle the situation just fine."
"What about the rest of the mages you brought?" The elf can't understand this man's logic.
"None are healers and the rest are far too young to tackle a demon in the Fade. Besides, I will need their help to allow Keira to pass into the fade." Irving takes a few steps closer and rests his hands on the young elf's shoulders. "You my dear...you'll have a great responsibility...not only will you have to aid with healing the Arl, but you'll probably be needed to make sure that the young lad survives as well."
"But no pressure." Fergus exclaims, while still laying along the bench.
Gulping down her fear, Thalia makes her way back towards the window. How is she going to tell them she wonders. How is she going to tell Keira, that most of the people they looked up to, either died in a horrible way, tortured and turned into abominations, or sided with Uldred, using blood magic as their weapon. How is she going to tell Cullen, that most of his brethren were murdered in cold blood, defending the Tower and it's inhabitants. Rubbing her temples, she begins to rehearse what she plans on telling her friends when they have a moment to spare.
As the elf looks out the window, she notices something, hours must have passed, because the sun is at a different spot in the sky and the air feels cooler. "Maker, have I been standing here this entire time?" Again, the Highever cloak falls from her shoulders.
"Yes, you have... and muttering to yourself all day as well." Fergus retrieves the cloak from the ground and drapes it over her shoulders. "You should eat..." He tries to convince the elf, but then something outside catches his eye.
Seeing him wincing, trying to focus on something outside, Thalia looks to his face, then decides to try to see what he's looking at. "Is that...?" She approaches the window and tries to stretch out her site further. "It is!" She claps her hands together.
The elf can see Keira, slowly walking across the bridge, her staff in one hand, and she seems to be using the Antivan's arm for assistance while walking. Patiently, the elf keeps pace with the dark-haired mage. "That's odd." Thalia notes and looks to Fergus.
"I'll inform the Guards and Irving of their arrival." Briskly, he takes off in the direction of the large wooden doors. Surana can hear him issuing commands and orders to the people on the other side.
"She must be ill..." Leliana peaks over Thalia's shoulder.
"Or hurt." The elf's gaze then lands on Bodahn's cart. Alistair and Cullen seem to be helping the dwarves set up shop in the small town. Selling goods when they can, is a very good idea. Then she spots Ty and Sten, already meeting up with Fergus and Kate. "I need to see her."
The elf deposits Fergus's cloak on a chair and dashes down the staircase, down the hall and out the main doors. "Keira!" She can see the dark-haired mage let go a breath of relief. The elven mage runs as fast as her little legs will let her. Pushing past Sten and Ty, a smile growing wider as her feet bring her closer to her best friend.
"Thalia!" Amell has her arms wide open, ready to embrace her long time friend. "I was so worried about you." The elven mage all but crashes into her.
"Me? What about you?" She hugs her friend tighter. "You look horrible..." The little elf let's go, takes a step back and pushes her friends hair from her face. "Are you alright?" Concerned, she cups Amell's face with her hands.
"I'm fine...these fine, strong men made sure of that." The two women chuckle.
"Fine and strong. My dear Warden, that's two compliments in one sentence. You must be feeling better." Zevran replaces Amell's hand on his forearm and leads her towards the Castle. "But please, we need to get you inside. Once you've cleaned up and had something to eat, I'm sure you and you're lovely friend here can catch up." His eyes meet Thalia's, trying to hint for her to persuade her friend.
"Right...I'll have Leliana prepare a bath. And I'll get you something to eat." She chirps, knowing that they still have much to do. As the trio makes their way to the entrance, Thalia can't help but glance over her shoulder to the two men at the cart. She sighs and continues on her way.
Sweating, grimy, tired and sore, Cullen follows Alistair as they head into the Redcliffe Castle. As they make their way up the stairs, Cullen begins removing his bracers. Rolling his head from side to side, he can't help but notice the lack of Templar Knights and Greagoir. He knows what's about to take place, and knows from experience that there should be far more Templars and mages on hand. He searches their helms, looking for a set of eyes he might recognize. All these faces, they are of the new recruits, the ones that had just arrived not but a month before he left with Duncan. Something doesn't feel right.
Alistair continues walking, but Cullen doesn't follow. Instead, he decides to go have a chat with Irving. The old man is standing near the hearth. As the Templar approaches, the Enchanter turns just in time to greet him.
"Ah Cullen...so nice to see you again." The old man offers a respectful nod that Cullen returns.
"Senior Enchanter Irving."
"Polite as always. And I see that you've kept your promise." Irving smiles warmly, pleased with the former Templar's work.
"I have." Cullen keeps his head bowed.
"And you will continue to do so?" The old man is testing him, and he knows it.
"I will. As I originally promise Enchanter." Cullen places his heels together. "But I do have some questions Senior Enchanter. Where's Greagoir and the Senior Templars?"
Shifting his weight, Irving takes a step closer to the fireplace. "I always knew you to be very observant..." The old man rubs his beard. "You might need to take a seat..."
After she bathed and got dressed in clean clothing, Thalia got Amell to sit at a small dinner table, where she told her everything that had taken place in Kinloch. Now, with this new disaster registering in her mind, Keira can't help but feel sick to her stomach. Covering her mouth, Keira lets out a tormented cry.
"No...we'll have to go back...we need to..." Tears well up in her eyes.
"I'm sorry...I wanted to wait until later...but I thought you should know." The pale elf places a small hand on her friends.
Shaking herself from her daze, Keira swallows hard. "No...no...it's...you were right to tell me...I-I...what are we going to tell Cullen?" Her eyes are still wet and and swollen, she dabs at them with her sleeve.
"I...don't know." Thalia exhales a shaky breath.
"Where's Wynne?" Keira's eyes search the room.
"She's been with the Arl, making sure his vitals stay the same. I haven't seen her much since we got here." The elf rolls her shoulders.
"And...you're ok?" Amell squeezes her friends frail hand.
"I'm uninjured,...I'll be alright...mentally...that might take a while. I've had more time to deal with this then you have." The two women sit in silence for a few moments. "We really should get out there."
The two mages, make their way back to the main hall. Everyone is ready and waiting. As they walk down the halls, Guards, Templars, mages and staff step aside to allow them to pass. When they enter the hall, Keira spots Cullen, staring off into nothing, looking grim. He's leaning forward in a chair, his arms resting on his knees. Her eyes meet those of Irving and she knows that he explained everything to the former Templar.
Bringing her attention to the task at hand, Keira straightens her back, grips her staff and marches on. You're their leader, you need to embody, confidence, strength and wisdom. She tries to convince herself of the very same thing. The two women meet up with Irving. They decide that Keira will deal with Connor, and when Irving senses that the demon has been vanquished, Thalia will administer the Arl with the antidote.
"Good luck." Thalia hugs her friend. "I'll see you in a bit."
Smiling, Keira returns the embrace. "Make sure to get some rest after, ok."
"Deal." The elf releases her friend and they both head up the stairs.