I walked up to the tavern with Mahari to give Bella the money I promised her, she had refused at first but eventually gave in and agreed to let me help her.
"Hey Bella" I waved when I walked into the tavern.
"Hello Warden, please take a seat and I'll be right with you." She smiled as she rushed in the back, her arms full of mugs to refill with ale.
I sat down at one of the tables listening to the men gossip about information they had heard from previous travelers.
"Sorry… We have been busy ever since those creatures disappeared. Lloyd 's loving it but my feet are killing me!" she sat down across the table from me rubbing her eyes.
"Well I got something for you" I smiled pulling the pouch out of my cloak. "Here its five hundred silvers it should be enough for you to make a new life, do something different and get away from Redcliff."
Her smile widen as she hesitated to take the pouch from my hand. "That's an awful lot of money! I… I couldn't take that."
"Don't be silly I want you to have it." I grabbed her hand and dropped the pouch into her palm. "It's a gift."
"I don't know what to say Warden…. Thank you." She reached over the table pulling me into a hug.
"You're welcome Bella."
"Let me get you a glass of wine on the house" she smiled rushing into the back returning a few minutes later with a glass of wine in her hand.
I sat at the table starring out the window at the moon until Morrigan walking up the hill to the tavern caught my attention she was fumbling with her hands and watching the ground as she slowly made her way to the door. She walked in spotting me immediately and making her way over to me.
"Are you okay Morrigan?" I asked tilting my head trying to get a good look of her face.
"Actually I was wonder… while we are the tower could we look for my mothers grimoire?"
"Why would the mages have her grimoire?"
"A templar managed to get it away from her, t'was before I was born but Flemeth still spoke about it with great rage. I would like to find out what is within it, she would have put wards on it and I know her magic I would be able to get past them and understand the language it was written in."
"Do you know where it would be at in the tower or maybe what it looks like?"
"T'is a leather bound book with a leafless tree on the front as for where it would be I do not know but with the tower in such disarray I'm sure we would come across it eventually."
"Okay I'll tell everyone to keep an eye out for it when we go to the tower." I smiled.
We shared a bottle of wine together as she told me about the magic her mother had taught her and described her shape shifting in great detail, it was quite fascinating. We stumbled back down the hill towards Kaitlin's home, Morrigan tripped twice almost pulling me down with her. The second time I was laughing so hard it took twenty minutes till I finally pulled her up and then we just stood there trying to catch our breath.
"I haven't had so much fun for a very, very long time." She laughed as we stood in front of the chantry.
"We should do this more often, I say we get drunk at every town." I said grabbing her arm and pulling her back towards the house. "It must be later then I thought." I whispered as I opened the door to an empty and dark room the only light coming from the fire. Morrigan laughed the sound echoing through the house, I quickly covered her mouth with my hand shushing her as I tried to muffle my own laughter.
"By the stone, you two are louder than a deep stalker with its tail cut off!" Oghren yelled throwing pillow at us only to cause me to squeal and jump out of its path.
I pushed Morrigan into her room and headed up to mine tripping up the stairs with a loud thud, Sten groaned through his nose as I snorted trying to hold my laughter in. My room was black, Alistair hadn't even bothered to light the fire. I stumbled around my arms outstretched in front of me trying to feel the things I was stumbling over. The bathwater pot flew across the room when I accidently kicked it with my foot landing on the other side of the room with a clatter.
"By the Maker! Why are you so loud?" Alistair whispered the bed rustling as he rolled over.
"Well maybe if you would have lit the fire before you went to bed I wouldn't be falling all over everything!" I whispered angrily glaring at him in the darkness.
He sighed the sound of his feet padding against the floor as he walked towards me, he bent down grabbing me behind my knees and pulling me over his shoulders before walking over to the bed and dropping me in it. "There you're in the bed, now go to sleep!" he whispered climbing back into the bed.
I rolled over pulling the blanket up over my shoulders and draping an arm over Mahari and snuggling into him letting the alcohol pull me into sleep.
I cracked my eye watching as Alistair and Mahari tried to quietly slip downstairs before yawning and rolling over, pulling the blanket over my head.
"Morgan?" Leliana whispered cracking the door. "Are you awake?"
"Yeah" I groaned rolling over as her bare feet padded against the hard floor before she jumped into the bed pulling the blankets over shoulders.
"Do you want to go for a swim with me, before we have to leave?" she whispered.
"Sure" I stretched "I'll just wear one of Alistair's shirts so we don't have the same issue as last time."
She laughed crawling back out of the bed "I will meet you downstairs"
I climbed out of the bed grabbing one of Alistair's shirts off the ground and pulled it over me, I grabbed my brush and ran it through my hair before I headed downstairs.
"Morrigan, come with us." I said poking my head into her and Leliana's room where she was propped up against the wall reading a book.
She shook her head.
"Oh come on, you know you want too." I smiled grabbing one of Sten's shirts and shaking it in front of her.
She sighed slamming her book shut and scooting off the bed "Fine" she grabbed the shirt from my hand.
I turned around giving her some privacy, walking over and grabbing a small piece of meat from Zevran's plate he was holding smiling at him when he looked up at me with his eyebrow raised. Morrigan walked out Sten's shirt hanging down to her knees I wished I would have thought of snagging one of Sten's shirts since Alistair's barley covered my butt.
"Wow your hair is so beautiful!" I smiled grabbing some of it, letting it slide between my fingers as it fell to the ground. "How do you get it so… soft?" I grabbed some of my brown hair holding it with her black, hers was so shiny and smooth.
"Herbs" she shrugged. "I could give you some if you like."
"Oh would you! My hair has been so dry and dead since I left Highever." I twisted the ends of my hair squinting my eyes as I looked at the tips and stuck my tongue out letting it fall back to my chest.
"I can give it to you when we get back." She nodded.
I smiled grabbing her arm and pulling her out the door "We'll be at the docks" I called to Leliana who was talking with Alistair in front of the chantry. I let go of Morrigan running up the steps and jumping off the dock into the cold lake. "Well come on" I laughed motioning for Morrigan to jump in she stuck her toe in and pulled it out rubbing her hands on her arms. "Oh come on just jump". She rolled her eyes and sighed before diving into the water. Mahari jumped off the deck right after her as Leliana and Alistair walked up to us, Leliana sliding off the dock and into the cold water.
"Did you sleep well?" Alistair asked as I swam over to the dock.
"Yeah, I have a little headache but I'm sure Morrigan has a herb that will help." I smiled pulling myself up on the dock and wringing my hair out. "We should probably get moving."
We were on the road within the hour, I walked next to Morrigan watching the blue mist dance on her hand. "I wish I could do that" I held my hand out wiggling my fingers.
"I don't think your little templar would like you so much if you were a mage." She looked back at Alistair who glared at her.
I ignored her opening and closing my palm thinking that maybe I would suddenly shoot lightening from my fingertips if I tried hard enough, I gave up and began fumbling with my hair instead twisting it around my finger. It was a lot smoother since Morrigan had helped me rub the herbs she used into it after our swim. I looked up when Oghren's bright red hair caught my attention, he was slowly stepping closer to Mahari who would quickly move away from him.
"Hold still you sodding dog!" he yelled as he got closer to him again Mahari put his ears flat and looked up at him. "Yeah… that's right Oghren's your friend. Now just hold still…." He got closer to him stopping Mahari as he readied himself to climb on him, Mahari bolted ahead of the group away from Oghren. "You're so melodramatic! I haven't even put the saddle on you yet!" he called after him.
"Oghren you do know there's a huge wagon behind us you don't have to ride my dog." I called raising my eyebrow in confusion.
"Yeah but it don't look as fun as that mutt." He laughed.
We decided to walk through the night and rest at the inn Alistair had mentioned, Oghren asked about seeing if his old flame Felsi who worked as a barmaid at the inn. He spotted her immediately, I made him stay outside saying that I would talk to her first and then come back and get him, we bought our rooms and I went to speak with Felsi why everyone else headed up to bed.
"What can I get for you? And don't say mead. We ran out of that a week ago. And don't say rum either. Ran out of that the day before yesterday. And don't say brandy."
I laughed "When did you run out of brandy? An hour ago?"
"Oh we haven't yet, it's just terrible. We got it from a shady Orlesian trader, and I think it might really be turpentine." She raised her eyebrow.
"Felsi! I need tables cleared girl!" the bartender yelled to her.
"I've got a customer!" she yelled rolling her eyes.
"Your names Felsi?"
"Aye. Who wants to know?"
"I believe we may know the same dwarf… Oghren."
She sighed and rolled her eyes.
"If you don't mind me asking… what happen between you two?"
"He got drunk drunker than usual, even. Took off his pants and challenged a roast nug to a wrestling match at my father's funeral. He lost by the way. The roast got him in a head lock. He sat there crying for half an hour before someone pulled it off of him."
I burst into laughter wrapping my arms around my stomach "How do you lose to a piece of meat?"
"It was a sodding good piece of meat." She smiled.
"Felsi! What in Andraste's name are you doing? The table's girl!" the bartender yelled again.
"I've gotta get back to work."
I nodded heading back outside to Oghren.
"So… what did she say?" he smiled.
"How the hell did you lose a fight with a roast nug?" I laughed pointing at him.
"That fight was rigged!" he glared at me.
I shook my head "Let's go talk to her."
We walked into the inn and over to where Felsi was wiping down tables.
"Are you sure you're not a baker, cause you got a sodding nice rack of buns." He slapped her butt.
"Oghren!" I smacked him on the back of the head.
"Well look what the nug dragged in. I should have known you were in the neighborhood by the stench. What are you doing here?" Felsi folded her arms in front of her.
"Just trying to kick back with a pint. Fighting dark spawns a lot of sodding work, you know?"
"You're fighting dark spawn?"
"This man took on a whole army of golems single handed!" I smiled slapping Oghren on the back.
"Well some ones gotta do it, you know. Can't leave a blight to the humans, they'll much it up."
"The whole surface to choose from and you just happened to come to my tavern?" Felsi put her hand on her hips.
"Tell her its fate." I whispered pretending like I coughed.
"What? Oh, right. It's fate, Felsi. What can I say?"
"Fate? The ancestors must have a sense of humor then." She rolled her eyes.
"Sure they do! You had a good look at Lady Helmi, haven't you? If her face isn't a joke that the ancestors are playing, I'm a bronto's behind."
"So… Lady Helmi must be a paragon of beauty then." She smiled.
"Tell her you've been thinking about her" I whispered acting like I sneezed.
"I've been thinking about you Felsi."
"What do you want Oghren?"
"Nothin'. Just thought I'd see how you were doing is all. Well, maybe that and grease up the old bronto, if you know what I mean."
She rolled her eyes. "Well you've seen me. You'll have to go back to Orzammar for the bronto."
"Admit it, Oghren is a lot more fun than the men around her." I smiled.
"If by "fun" you mean "more likely to light farts on fire", yes."
"Ah, well it's been fun Felsi but I better go."
"Wait! You're leaving? You just got here I haven't even got to call you a shaft rat yet…"
"Why don't you two have a drink and catch up? I'm going to go up to my room." I walked up the stairs turning back and giving Oghren a thumbs up before disappearing down the hall.
I stuck the key into the door and pushed it open, I could see Alistair's shadow against the screens where the tub was as he dressed Mahari stretched across the bed. I pulled my armor off letting it drop to the ground and grabbed a shirt out of Alistair's bag and pulled it over myself climbing into bed with Mahari and pulling the leather tie from my hair letting it fall down my back, I tied the tie around my wrist so I wouldn't lose it and laid down on the pillow pulling the blankets over me. The bed dipped as Alistair climbed in pulling me across the bed towards him and burying his face in my neck.
We woke up just as the sun was falling, we didn't have enough coin for another night so we decided to just head over to the tower and hope that they would allow us to stay with them. Sten gave up his cookies so the man would allow us across, the boat could only hold four of us so Alistair, Morrigan and Mahari came with me. I ran my hand across the water as the templar rowed us towards the tower watching as the water waked behind it, Alistair slid forward grabbing my waist and pulling me back against his chest piece I laid my head back between his shoulder piece and neck putting my hand over his and lacing my fingers into his.
"It looks kind of creepy huh." I whispered looking at the tower.
"Yeah especially since we don't really know what we are walking into." He looked up at the tower.
"I'm sure we will be fine" I sighed turning my head and burying it in his neck and closing my eyes.
We followed Carroll up the stairs the tower made a low rumble as if it was alive, I reached out pulling myself closer to Alistair he looked down his eyes shining through the templar helm he was wearing he reached our wrapping his arm around my shoulder rubbing his hand on my arm the metal of his glove catching on the rough leather of my armor. They entered through two heavy wooden doors into a room full of templar's, they were all standing in front of another pair of huge wood doors their swords out ready for a fight. Carroll introduced them to the Knight-Commander Greagoir before rushing back to the boat.
"What's going on here?" Alistair asked pulling his helm off.
"We are dealing with a situation that does not involve the Grey Wardens." Greagoir answered glaring at him.
"As Grey Wardens we have a right to know! We could help." I returned his glare.
"Fine. I shall speak plainly then. The tower is no longer under control. Abominations and demons now stalk its halls. I have sent word to Denerim for reinforcements and the Right of Annulment."
"How can you think of annulling the entire tower?" I shook my head.
"This situation is dire. There is no alternative everything in the tower must die so it can be made safe again."
"The mages aren't helpless some must still live." Alistair looked down at me with a look a of worry.
"If any are still alive the maker himself has shielded them." Greagoir looked to the floor. "No one could have survived those monstrous creatures. It is too painful to hope for survivors and find… nothing."
"We will look for survivors then." I smiled.
"I assure you an abomination is a force to be reckoned with, and you will face more than one. If you succeed I would owe you much, enough that I would pledge my templar's to you."
"Then we will do it" I nodded.
"I will warn you, once you are through those doors they will be barred and remain barred until I have proof that it is safe once again."
I nodded and followed him to the huge doors, the templar's pushed them open and we walked into the hall of the tower. They pulled the doors shut, the sound echoed as they slammed shut.
"By the Maker!" I breathed putting my hand over my mouth and looking at all the bodies scattered down the hall.
"What has happened here?" Alistair whispered.
"Something horrible"