Interlude: Cauthrien

Author's Note: Thank you Scampermax for pointing out that Neria's revenge is already half-complete, as poor Alistair has no spine as is. I promise that things will look up for him eventually. Really! He's about to get at least a little respect and love.

Wow, do I feel stupid. So that was Anora in the guard's uniform, was it? I can't believe that I didn't recognize her. Especially considering that I was forced to spend most of my teens dealing with her. Even more so when I think that I was only at Howe's estate to release her from her time out. I brought a bunch of guards, too, as Teryn Loghain thought that Howe might want to keep her there until the Landsmeet. Which I personally thought was a great idea but, as you probably know, Teryn Loghain never could do anything that upset his annoying little daughter. So he decided that we ought to allow to go to the Landsmeet since her heart was so set on it.

Oh well. I doubt that she went far. Once I've gotten the Grey Warden into jail, I'll just have to go and look in her usual hiding places. Most likely, she just went back home again and I'll find her at the royal palace drafting a few trade treaties in her office. If she's very upset, she'll be sulking and writing them in the closet or wine cellar, instead.

I was kind of surprised that the Grey Warden surrendered so easily. Does she care greatly about her comrades, and didn't want them to be injured? Might she actually be innocent? Is it possible that in blaming her and the other warden for King Cailan's death, that we've made a terrible mistake?

Well, I suppose that it's possible. Actually, now that I'm listening to her, it seems quite likely. The Warden keeps telling me that they were only with Eamon because Alistair insisted, and about how he forced her to come with him, using his superior size and strength to make her to do treasonous things. She claims that she tried to turn herself in at every opportunity, but that Alistair brutally stopped her from supporting the true rulers of Ferelden.

OK, it seems a little implausible that she's been held captive by Alistair for two years, but I suppose that it's possible that she didn't have a good opportunity to surrender to Teryn Loghain before now. And she seems genuinely interested in helping us. And it's hardly as though we can afford to turn away a supporter. So, sure, I guess that I might as well at least bring her to Teryn Loghain to see what he wants to do with her.

Um, OK, maybe not. She just started detailing what she thinks that Teryn Loghain may need to do to her in order to ensure that her story is true. Um, no, demented elf. Teryn Loghain will not be doing any of that to you. And I most certainly will not be helping him with it. Seriously, is some of that stuff you've mentioned even physically possible? And even if it is, why would you want to do it?

I think that I'm just going to throw her into Fort Drakkon for the time being. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to take off her armor, which will probably just encourage her. But I really don't want someone like her finding a way to escape. I've worked for most of my adult life in turning Denerim into a nice, clean, orderly city and I do not want someone like her loose in it, roaming the streets and harassing the population.

On the other hand, I will have to describe this conversation to Teryn Loghain tonight. I'm sure that he'll find all of this hysterical over a bottle of wine.

DA:O

Huh, so Anora's not back at the palace. She's not at the Gnawed Noble Tavern, either, or in the royal library. Or with Alfstanna, Sigard, Cerolic, or any of her other potential allies. I wonder where she could have vanished off to. I'm sure that she'll turn up, but I'm actually getting a little worried. Not as much so as Teryn Loghain, but still. I wonder where she could have gone? Could she have gotten homesick and decided that she wanted to return to Gwaren?

But why would she go there? She hates that place. And I know that she had her heart set on attending the Landsmeet. There's nothing that she loves better than dressing up and giving speeches. Weird. Well, I guess that she's bound to turn up by then, anyway.

DA:O

How strange. Teryn Loghain actually wants to speak to the demented Grey Warden. I sincerely hope that he isn't interested in her ideas. I mean, he's never seemed even remotely interested in any of that before...

I'm sure that he just believes that there's no reason to turn down any assistance. It has to be that. There is no other logical explanation.

And, um, if he wants to talk to her for some other, illogical reason, I'll just have to see to it that she vanishes quietly. Perhaps sometime late tonight.

Huh? The Grey Warden is gone. And half of Fort Drakkon has been murdered.

Oh, that was just nasty, whoever did that. Don't you know that all those poor guards had families and friends? I just do not understand what is wrong with whoever did this. And even worse, they weren't clean deaths. One of them was cut completely in half, another decapitated, and a third split open from neck to navel.

This is atrocious! Who could do something to a bunch of people who were just trying to earn an honest living? Most of them were decent folks. I knew all of their names, and had met some of their children. I remember trying to encourage Pieter's daughters to grow up and become knights, just like me. Because it's really awesome to encourage girls to have careers in traditionally male dominated professions! And now those poor little girls will never see their father again, and will probably not want to become knights at all, considering.

Poor Pieter. Poor other guards. Poor families.

And poor Teyrn Loghain. I can see him wandering around with a grief stricken expression, gently closing the eyes of the dead and doing his best to be strong and not to cry over the massacre of all of those poor, loyal guards who were just doing their jobs.

I don't know who did this, but I blame the Grey Wardens.

Thanks to reviewers such as shootingstar, gaj, kulyok, Lyna, alrock, Arsinoe, spotted bunny, Prisoner, Nowshin, ginganinja, scampermax, Lollytron, starowner badculture, milulu, Victoria, Enaid, Piceron, Sarah, Eva, Jenn, KimSmith, Draguna, retroswimsuit, Jessica, demonsshade, papillon, Holly, Lehni, Interesting, Meiran, Boredinclass, Golden Echo, Yashiro, Nithu and roxfox! You probably all deserve a better writer. Like one who isn't about to very temporarily put her fic on-hold to publish a challenge fic about Cauthrien. (Oh, don't whine too much. Someone in it will get to live out Neria's tamest fantasies. Just, um, not Neria. Or Cauthrien.)