Chapter 25:
On the third day up the mountain they were walking in a broad clearing when suddenly three people appeared in their path. Sylina stopped and blinked at them. Sten stiffened next to her and reached for his broadsword.
"The Wardens!" one of the men shouted. "Bring them down for King Loghain!" Sylina jumped back and took her staff out. Sten was advancing on the man and silenced him quickly, but Sylina saw that there were more than three men. As if out of nowhere, men sprouted up along the path, and some behind them. They were boxed in and everyone had drawn their weapons. As the soldiers descended on the group, Sylina started casting. She stepped back, knowing she would be useless if one of the soldiers closed in on her. She cast a flame at a man coming near her and he screamed and went down. She was making her way back to the rest of the group when she saw a mage appear on the enemies' lines. She instantly recognized the elemental power in the woman and she gave a shout.
Alistair saw the woman and dispatched the man closest to him with a shield bash to the head and a sword thrust to the stomach. He turned and headed toward the mage, seeing Sylina taking another step back as a man came near her. Alistair turned to the enemy mage and held out his arm and calling on the powers of a templar, he purged the area of magic and quickly followed by silencing the enemy mage. That's when he heard a scream and an angry shout come from behind him. He turned and saw the spell Sylina had been casting sputter out and the soldier descending on her with an evil grin.
Alistair's eyes rounded as he realized what he had done, and he ran toward her. He felt as if this was his life now, constantly running toward Sylina when she was in danger, but this time it was his fault. Guilt washed over him and he saw the man take an arrow to the shoulder. He silently sent a prayer to the Maker that it would take him down, but all it did was slow the man. The man's blade descended and Alistair thought it was over, only to hear the sound of blade meet wood as Sylina's staff blocked the blade. Alistair was almost there. He saw Hesper racing toward his mistress and wondered who would reach her first.
The second thrust of the blade was blocked again by Sylina, but as she stepped back she slipped on the mud and went down. The man didn't wait to bring his blade down and Alistair heard the scream rip through Sylina's mouth. Then he saw Hesper jump the man his jaws clenching on the man's throat. Alistair didn't wait to see if the Mabari would kill the man – he knew he would – he rushed to Sylina's side, skidding to a halt. The blade had been torn out by the impact of the Mabari's weight meeting the man and Alistair saw blood soaking Sylina's robes. The blow had hit her side below her ribs as she had tried to roll out of the way. She was gasping for breath and writhing in pain. Alistair's hands came up and he tried to put pressure on the wound. She yelped in pain as he touched it.
Leliana was suddenly beside him. "We have to stop the blood." She tore off a piece of cloth and put her hands over the wound.
"I'll kill him!" Alistair looked up as Morrigan was storming toward them. Her look was murderous. Alistair just stared dumbly back at her. "You nearly got me killed you fool!" Morrigan stopped and her eyes widened as she saw Sylina bleeding next to him. "Great. Now she will die and we will be stuck with you." She folded her arms.
Alistair looked back at Sylina who was panting, her eyes shut tight in pain. "Maker, make it stop," she gasped. Leliana was pushing down on the wound and Alistair saw that the cloth she had was soaked with blood.
"We need to do something," he whispered, more to himself as he stared hopelessly at his fellow Grey Warden. She had not just saved him for him to watch her die on the side of this blasted mountain.
"Lyrium," Sylina said between gritted teeth.
Alistair blinked. "I-Sylina I don't have lyrium." He heard a 'tsk' come from behind him and then a small bottle was shoved in his face.
"Take it you fool. She will be able to heal herself." Alistair grabbed the bottle and looked up and was surprised to see a flash of worry beneath the contempt on Morrigan's face. He decided not to ask her how she had gotten the bottle of illegal lyrium.
Alistair uncorked the bottle and moved closer to Sylina's head. Leliana helped him hold her head as he brought the bottle to her mouth. Sylina opened and gulped the contents. When it was drained she gasped and he saw her pupils dilate. He felt the surge of magic, a lot of magic for him to be able to feel it so strongly. Then she put her hands over her wound.
"Get. It. Off," she sputtered out, grasping at the bandage. Leliana grabbed it and threw it off the wound which started leaking fresh blood. Alistair watched as the redhead cut a hole in Sylina's robes where the wound was, exposing it to the air. Sylina barely nodded and put her hand back over the wound. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes and he saw a faint blue light appear where her hand was. He hadn't noticed this when she was healing his shoulder, but he figured he had only barely been conscious then. He watched for what felt like an eternity before the light disappeared and Sylina slumped against the ground. He looked at the place where the wound had been and saw only red raw skin.
Leliana touched Sylina's face. "She has passed out." Alistair saw that Sylina's eyes were closed and her breathing had slowed down.
"If she used all her mana she will die." Alistair's head snapped up to Morrigan, who was frowning down at Sylina. The witch's brows were furrowed.
Alistair shook his head. "What can we do?" He knew he was addressing the question to the witch, but he couldn't stand to look at her.
"We make camp and hope she is not stupid enough to have drained herself. She should also be kept warm. Her body will have to work less if it is warm...And if she wakes she will need food." Morrigan huffed and as she turned to go. "This is your fault," she snapped and walked away. Alistair felt a wave of guilt go through him. This was his fault. If he hadn't been so stupid as to silence the mage, or if he had aimed instead of just sending out a silence in all directions...Alistair closed his eyes. Sylina would die and it was his fault, just as everything was. Hesper whined and Alistair opened his eyes to stare at Sylina. He was vaguely aware that Leliana had left and he just blinked, watching Sylina breathe.
Suddenly Leliana was back. "Can you bring her to her tent, Alistair? I have set it up, just over there. I have Sten gathering firewood and Shale keeping watch...Alistair?" Alistair blinked at her and then down to Sylina. "Alistair, I can't carry her...I need your help." Leliana's voice was calm and Alistair nodded. He moved his arms under Sylina and lifted gently. He heard her murmur in her sleep, but she didn't move. He carried her over to the only tent set up and ducked inside. Leliana had even set out her bedroll and he placed her on that. He looked down at her and sent a silent plea to the Maker to watch over her.
"Alistair," Leliana said, frowning at him from the entrance to the tent, "perhaps you should stay with her."
"W-what?" he said, looking up at Leliana. Why would he stay with her...in her tent?
"Morrigan said that she should be kept warm and until we get the fire started the next best thing would be body heat." Leliana smiled and her eyes twinkled.
Alistair blushed down to his toes. "B-body heat?" he stammered.
Leliana chuckled. "Yes, Alistair, body heat. It is the next best thing to a fire, no? Just stay in there and she will be warm in no time." He heard Leliana chuckling again as she left the tent.
Alistair blankly nodded and saw the flap of the tent open as Hesper crawled in. The Mabari went to the other side of Sylina and rested his head on her leg. "She'll make it," Alistair whispered and the Mabari turned to regard him with its warm brown eyes.
He sat there for hours and even after the fire was started he couldn't bring himself to leave her side. This is my fault, he kept telling himself. His hand reached out and held hers as he watched her sleep. Leliana made food, but he wouldn't eat it. Not until she woke up. Because this was his fault. It wasn't until the night had half gone that Sylina finally stirred. Alistair was drifting and he thought he was simply seeing things, as he had thought she had awoken several times already. It wasn't until a faint, "Alistair," was heard that he moved. He was suddenly beside her, leaning over. He saw her eyes squinting in the darkness.
"Sylina?" His heart was beating and he squeezed her hand and felt a small pressure. "Oh, thank the Maker! You're alive." He saw her struggling to rise and he helped her into a sitting position.
She blinked and looked at him. Then her hand stretched down to her side where the wound had been. Her dress had been cut and Alistair saw that the skin was healed, but still raw. She put a slight pressure there and gasped. "So I suppose I didn't dream that," she mumbled, then looked up at him. She was silent for a moment then. "Alistair," she said his name forcefully. Her tone held back anger that he felt immediately.
"I-I'm so sorry Sylina, really I am. I feel awful. I just, I didn't realize..." he felt the guilt wash over him and he tried to bite it back, but hearing her say his name like that broke him. "Please...please I'll do anything. I'm so sorry."
"Alistair," she said his name louder and he stopped. "Please...I just...I need rest." She sighed and settled back down in her bedroll. "Just...leave," she said and rolled on her good side, turning her back on him. He felt as if she had punched him in the gut. He dimly nodded and left her tent.
The next morning, Sylina couldn't even bring herself to look at Alistair. She knew it wasn't completely his fault, but he was the instigator of the incident. She was angry that he would use his templar abilities so carelessly. She soon found out that Morrigan was just as furious with. She didn't even blame the witch, but at least she hadn't been stabbed because of it. Sylina felt Alistair watching her as they made their way up the rest of the mountain, but she didn't care. Perhaps she was being childish, but until her side stopped hurting she decided he could use a little silent treatment.
They made their way to a small plateau on top of the mountain. Sylina saw the great stone doors at the other end and headed for them. As she was walking up the steps she heard a man shouting: "King Loghain demands the allegiance of the dwarves! I am his appointed messenger!" Sylina sighed.King Loghain huh? Her anger boiled as she remembered that that had been what the attackers had been shouting about yesterday.
"Orzammar will have none but its own until our throne is settled," the dwarven guard at the door told the man. Sylina finished walking up the stairs and stood in front of the guard. She couldn't keep the smile off her face – she still found something incredibly adorable about dwarves since she had seen her first one on the road outside Lothering.
"Ser dwarf, I need to get into Orzammar. Why are the dwarves retreating?" Sylina looked quizzically at the guard.
The messenger responded. "They hide because they are dwarves," he sneered and Sylina bit back the spike of rage inside her at his blatant racism.
The guard's voice rose. "I challenge any race to fare as well as we. Our king is dead and the Assembly has gone through a dozen votes, without agreeing on a successor."
Sylina blinked. "But you must unite for Ferelden," she said, panic entering her voice. "A Blight is coming and we need the dwarves as allies."
The messenger turned to her, frowning. "Who are you to speak for Ferelden? You're no messenger to King Loghain, that's for certain," he sneered, looking her over. She glared back at him, this time showing her full contempt for him.
"Thank the ancestors for small mercies then," said the dwarven guard.
Sylina turned back to the guard, straightened her back, and handed the guard the treaty. "I am a Grey Warden, Ser dwarf. I come to see this treaty fulfilled and for Orzammar to aid me in the fight against the Blight."
The messenger turned to her, his eyes wide and disgust clear on his face. "The Wardens killed King Calian and nearly doomed Ferelden! They're sworn enemies of King Loghain!"
The dwarven guard spoke over him. "This treaty bears the royal seal. Only the Assembly can address it." He nodded to her. "Grey Warden, you may pass."
"W-what!?" The messenger turned and pulled out his blade and Sylina instinctually took a step back and suddenly Alistair was beside her, blade in hand. "In the name of King Loghain I demand that you execute this...stain on the honor of Ferelden...or I will!"
"If you fight, take it off my sodding doorstep!" the dwarf shouted at the group.
"If you have any shred of honor left you will fight me, Grey Warden!" the messenger shouted at her. She furrowed her brows at him and then smiled.
"Okay," she said, and saw Alistair stiffen. She walked down the steps and her group followed her, all of them unsheathing their weapons. This man was a fool. Sylina knew even if he managed to harm one of them, he could not possibly take down the whole group. Plus, she was angry, angry about being injured, about Alistair smiting her, about Loghain's tenacity in calling himself king. She wanted to take out her anger, and this fool was the perfect target. At the foot of the stairs her group turned to him and she saw he had several guards that had been waiting. She scoffed, it still wouldn't help him.
The battle was over almost as soon as it started. Sten lopped off two of the guards' heads with one swing and Sylina froze the messenger before he could lift his blade. Alistair sank his blade into the man's heart, Leliana picked off two men and Shale smashed another. Sylina shook her head and headed into Orzammar after the guard thanked her profusely for getting rid of the most annoying man he had ever met. Sylina couldn't help but smile a bit – she almost felt better after killing Loghain's messenger. Some of her anger had extinguished. She turned and smiled at Alistair and saw shock in his eyes, and then she chuckled all the way into Orzammar.
Once they were in Orzammar they quickly figured out what was going on. Two men were battling for the position of King – one was the late King's youngest son and the other was his old advisor. Sylina sighed and shook her head. They also found out that the Wardens had a complex in Orzammar that was gifted to them by the late king. So they ended up there at the end of the day and Sylina was exhausted. Orzammar actually reminded her a bit of the tower. It was mostly stone and she was constantly inside. She didn't mind too much. The ceilings were so high up and she almost forgot that it wasn't sky up there. And it was warm, not hot, just a comfortable warm from the lava flowing through town. Overall she would say she liked Orzammar very much.
The next day she took Alistair, Leliana, and Shale over to the Assembly. The Assembly Steward explained that there was nothing they could do unless they had a king as the treaty only obligated a king to help the Wardens. Sylina asked if there was anything she could do and the steward suggested talking to the candidates' seconds. He told her that Prince Bhelen's second was there in the Assembly hall now. Sylina nodded and walked over to the man.
Prince Bhelen's second, Vartag, told her that if she wanted to speak to the prince she would have to prove her loyalty. "How?" Sylina inquired, unsure if she liked the idea of running around trying to prove she was loyal to a man she did not know.
"If you want Bhelen to support you in your surface war you need to help him reclaim the throne," Vartag said harshly. "Harrowmont is trying to use the same plot of land to buy two different Assembly votes, Lady Dace and Lord Helmi. Take these promissory notes to them to show them the evidence, as a neutral party, of course. Convince them Lord Harrowmont plans to cheat them and you will be able to see Prince Bhelen." He handed her the notes.
Sylina raised her eyebrows. "Um...okay?"
"Do you want to show you are loyal or not!?" Vartag demanded.
"I-uh...sure." She shook her head and asked him where she would find these nobles. Upon him telling her they left.
"So…that wasn't suspicious or anything?" Alistair said, smirking at her.
She sighed and looked up at him, then down to the notes in her hand. "Do we have much of a choice? I mean...he is the king's son, and perhaps if we help him we can get our troops and move on."
"I suppose you're right," Alistair said. They headed to Lady Dace's estate where Vartag said she would be.
"So...are we going to track down this Lord Dace then?" Leliana asked as they left Tapsters. Sylina sighed and shook her head.
"I suppose we have to now," she sighed again and looked out at the lava that was flowing down the street. The patrons at Tapsters had told her that they viewed her as in an alliance with Prince Bhelen, which meant her options of backing out now were slim. She had also spoken to Lord Helmi and shown him the promissory note, and he had decided that Lord Harrowmont had not bought his vote. Sylina didn't like these politics already and they had barely begun to scratch the surface. "Well I guess if we are going down into the Deep Roads we should let everyone know and start preparing. Lady Dace gave us the map and the note with her permission." She groaned, the idea of going into the Deep Roads did not appeal to her. Especially since Leliana had been telling her about what lay down there. Thousands upon thousands of darkspawn, and it would be dark, and there would be corruption. She did not like this one bit.