Chapter 26

O! Wanderers In The Shadow Land

Núria hadn't expected the Donarks to be a pleasant place to stay in. She had known it would be hot and moist and generally unpleasant as far as climate was concerned. What she hadn't expected was, for example, that dusk would only allow them half an hour to prepare for complete darkness. It couldn't be late in the evening when for the first time night began to fall. With two mages among them, they saw no need to find a cave or some other shelter for their tents, but stayed in the open with another ward - one that would make quite a racket, as it were, since whatever might decide to attack them here was likely scared by loud noise.

Freak weather was not the most worrisome thing about the jungles however. The night was filled with shouts of animals Núria couldn't define, and as they travelled deeper into the forest, these sounds seemed to get to her. Her dreams were filled with shadows moving in an almost complete darkness, and sometimes a strange scraping noise could be heard as well. Whenever that came, she awoke with a start, sometimes finding all in a silence that was more frightening than the voices of animals.

Judging by Morrigan's facial expression, she was concerned about something too. Her daughter cried a lot more and quite a bit louder than before, and Núria wondered what dreams like hers would do to a small child. 'Núria … can I ask you something?' Jowan prompted her and brought her out of her reverie.

'Certainly,' she said.

'Can there be darkspawn here?' he asked, looking from right to left as though he might spot one if he looked hard enough. 'Or something related.'

'What would be related to darkspawn?' Núria asked with a slight smile.

'Something that is giving me nightmares,' Jowan said firmly. 'I don't normally have nightmares. And it's not the same as the darkspawn dreams, and I can't sense any.'

'That's because none are here,' Morrigan said behind them. 'What you feel, I feel as well, and 'tis certainly not darkspawn. Are any of you having nightmares?'

'That would be an overstatement,' Zevran said. 'But I've slept better than I do here.'

'Me too,' Leliana said. 'I have strange visions in my dreams, but they aren't that bad. I suppose it's the heat.'

''Tis certainly not the heat,' Morrigan said coldly. 'It seems that Jowan and I respond more strongly than the rest of you. 'Twould mean that we have to do with some sort of magic.'

'Whatever it is, I do not want to be taken into the Fade again,' Núria said. 'And the dreams remind me of that.'

'We won't,' Jowan said in a hushed voice as though he were worried someone might overhear them. 'It's strange, always gives me the feeling I am intruding.'

'Hmm,' made Morrigan. 'Have you ever used your blood magic to control someone's mind?' Jowan stared at her.

'Of course not!' he said emphatically. 'And I am not going to, either, no matter what you say.'

'Calm yourself, man, I wasn't suggesting that,' Morrigan told him. 'But then you could tell us if we are actually intruding on something.' She sighed. 'Telepathy can be a dangerous thing. Most telepaths need to see the one whose mind they want to read, some even need to touch. Blood magic makes telepathy possible for any mage, but even the most foolish warrior can do it if he is … gifted with this special ability.

'A powerful telepath cannot only read another's mind, however, they can also speak in someone's head - anyone's head, actually. We might have to do with some sort of telepath here.'

'Do you think there are people here?' Núria asked in amazement. 'No one can live here!' Morrigan laughed.

'How typically arrogant for a Fereldan,' she said. 'I do believe there are tribes of elves or humans here. But I am also sure we will never see them, even though they're likely watching us. They might even have a spiritual leader who could be capable of such a means of communication. I doubt it, however.'

'What then?' Jowan asked. 'We only get those … dreams at night, I don't hear things now, except for those that are obviously real.' Morrigan shook her head.

'I am almost disappointed,' she said. 'You do not dream while you're awake, obviously, but you asked if there is darkspawn because you sense something even now, didn't you? I suggest the two of us attune to this feeling and try to find out where 'tis coming from.'

'You think this is one of the dragons,' Zevran said suddenly, and Morrigan nodded appreciatively.

'I see you're not only pretty,' she said. 'Good to know.'

The next day they found the largest water filled cave so far. The ones they had seen before had been about as wide as Núria's forearm was long, but this one's diameter was at least two metres. The water inside it was very clear, and while the sun stood high they could see far down into the cave Morrigan called a cenote. 'This might be what we are looking for,' the witch said in an almost reverent tone. 'We are close to our first target, I sense it.'

'Hang on, are you suggesting that there is a dragon underwater?' Jowan asked incredulously. 'Aren't dragons supposed to be fire-breathing creatures? How could it survive down there?'

'I've seen two dragons so far, but only one breathed normal fire,' Núria told him. 'The archdemon breathed … something no less dangerous, but I wouldn't know that it was quite the same.'

'Besides, this dragon is not merely a dragon,' Morrigan reminded Jowan. 'We are facing a god, not an animal.'

'Or at least that's what they say,' Zevran muttered, kneeling beside the water. 'Let's assume that there is an Old God down this hole. How are we getting there? Or can you make us breathe underwater?' Morrigan remained silent, so Zevran turned to look at her.

'Truthfully, I do not know how exactly we can get there,' she admitted. Leliana laughed softly.

'You were going to work out that problem when we faced it, were you?' she asked. 'Since we can't get to the dragon for obvious reasons, can we get it to come to us?'

'Which would rule out the option to kill the thing while it's sleeping,' Zevran stated coolly.

'Yes, well, perhaps it will still be a bit groggy,' Leliana replied with a shrug. Núria laughed.

'I really don't think so,' she said. 'Morrigan … In case we cannot get down in any other way than drowning ourselves, can we call the Old God?'

'Do you have a darkspawn at hand?' the witch asked in reply. 'No? In that case, I fear that might prove difficult. I might try, but I would rather attempt to find a way to it.'

'A question,' Jowan prompted. 'I still doubt whether the dragon can live under water, so let's assume there's a dry spot somewhere down there with the dragon in it. Is there any way to find out how far we would have to dive? Perhaps it would be possible.' Morrigan gave him an appraising look.

'You're not as stupid as you look after all,' she said. 'I could try and figure out the distance, I could even find out whether there is a path creatures as large as ourselves can take. It would, however, take me some time.'

'Well, the sooner you get started, the better,' Zevran told her.

'I will have to control an animal to make it swim down the cave,' Morrigan said. 'If I want this to be of any use, I have to be in a kind of trance. What with an Old God trying to influence us at night, I need you to shield me from it.' Jowan nodded.

'Of course,' he said simply. 'I'll do that.'

'There is always a certain risk to such an endeavour,' Morrigan said atypically softly and with a slight frown. 'Should the animal die while I still control it, that might kill me as well. Having a daughter to take care of, you will understand that I have … reservations.'

'I'd do it for you, but honestly, I wouldn't know how to find the dratted thing,' Jowan told her, scratching his head. Leliana frowned slightly but didn't say anything.

'I am aware of that,' Morrigan told him coldly. 'All I need to know is that someone will look after Darya if I am gone.'

'No, we'll leave her here by the cenote and go home,' Zevran said, rolling his eyes.

'I'll take her,' Jowan said quickly. 'I'll take care of Darya.' Morrigan blinked and nodded.

'Very well,' she said. 'In that case …' The witch sat down cross-legged and placed Darya wrapped into a blanket next to her. Leliana picked her up and started pacing with the child in her arms while Jowan held his hand over Morrigan's head in a horrible reminiscence of Isolde. But this time, no one died. It wasn't very long before a lizard scurried down into the water, diving in snake-like motions, down, down, down, and out of sight. Núria had to remind herself to keep breathing, all was quiet but for the distant noises of the jungle. Morrigan and Jowan were motionless, both with their eyes shut tight and looks of concentration on their faces. Leliana held Darya in her arms, rocking her softly to keep her sleeping, but in the bard's face the tension showed clearly. She exchanged a worried glance with Núria before she resumed her pacing.

It felt like ages before Morrigan stirred and Jowan relaxed. 'From here we stand no chance,' the witch said slightly breathlessly. 'Perhaps from another cenote there is a way.'

'So the solution is to drown innocent lizards until we find a path we can use or until you die,' Zevran summed it up. 'That doesn't sound like a good plan to me.'

They made camp hastily beside their cenote when night began to fall. Núria kept glancing out of her and Zevran's tent to see Morrigan kneeling beside the waterhole her arms stretched before her, the palms touching the water. 'Don't worry so much, she'll figure out what to do,' Zevran said softly, pulling Núria down onto the bedroll.

'I'm just concerned that she'll fall asleep and land in the cenote,' Núria replied. Zevran chuckled.

'We'll hear that, trust me,' he said, kissing Núria lightly. 'Do you know what she's doing?' Núria shrugged, settling against Zevran. 'Ah, well, she'll surprise us then. This was blood magic, wasn't it? What they did to that lizard.'

'Morrigan did,' Núria corrected him. 'What Jowan did was weird, but not blood magic.' She sighed, sliding one arm around Zevran to caress his back. 'You were right, you know? About my judgement.' Close as he was, Núria felt the laughter rippling through his body.

'Of course I was,' he replied. 'I should know you by now.' Zevran leaned down to kiss Núria deeply, his hand finding her breast.

'Zev, Morrigan is out there and …' she began, blushing crimson.

'And in some sort of trance,' Zevran finished her sentence. 'And if she were in a tent she'd hear us just as well as out in the open.' Núria closed her eyes and decided she didn't care. Her hand travelled down Zevran's side, but before it could get very far, a splashing noise and a shriek came from outside. Zevran didn't even jump, but he started shaking with laughter. 'Your predictions are just as good as your judgement,' he claimed. 'Let's see if she needs help.' Zevran rose gracefully and slipped out of the tent in his smallclothes. Núria followed after she had put on her breeches and tunic.

By the time she got to the cenote, Zevran had helped an enraged Morrigan out of the cold water. 'Hasn't you mother taught you not to sleep leaning over cenotes?' Zevran asked her with a smirk.

'I wasn't sleeping, fool,' the witch said angrily. Jowan and Leliana had both approached too, the latter slightly flushed. 'You,' Morrigan said angrily, pointing a finger at Jowan. 'You must have realised what's happening.' Jowan went crimson.

'I didn't,' he said quickly. 'I felt something, but I …' He cast a sideways glance at Leliana. 'It didn't reach me as well as it reached you, whatever it was.'

'You are a mage, you're supposed to be reached by it,' Morrigan said angrily. 'Unless you shielded yourself, which would be a stupid thing to do if we want to find the Old God.'

'I swear, I didn't shield myself,' Jowan told her fervently. 'At least not consciously.'

'Look, why don't you just tell us what happened, apart from the obvious,' Leliana asked Morrigan in a slightly angry tone. Morrigan turned her gaze from Jowan to Leliana.

'Might you by any chance have caused a distraction from what is really the point of us being here?' Morrigan asked scathingly. Jowan glared at her.

'Talking about what is the point,' he said, 'what happened? Did the dragon do something to you?'

'No,' Morrigan said darkly. 'It's sleeping, it cannot do anything. But I know where we can find it. Or rather, how.' A meaningful look was on her face, and Núria waited patiently for about half a second.

'So?' she asked finally. 'Where are we going?'

'Nowhere,' Morrigan told her briskly. 'We're close enough. Do you trust me?' Núria stared at her for a moment before she nodded. 'And Jowan as well?'

'Of course,' Núria asked with a slight frown. 'Why?' Morrigan took a deep breath and got to her feet.

'Obviously, we cannot walk up to the Old God and do away with it,' she said. 'At least not physically. So we have to find it on another level. Since it can so easily influence Jowan and me, 'tis only logical that we can do the same to it.'

'Do you mean by entering the Fade?' Núria asked, dreading the answer.

'As I told you once, no,' Morrigan said. 'This is different. If I wanted to enter the Fade, one of us would have to die, as you know, or else we would have to be at least ten mages. What I would like to attempt is to forge a mental connection between all of us. If then Jowan and I for once allow the strange mind to control us, we will find the dragon in the end and face it … in whatever way that might be.'

'I'm not sure if that sounds comforting,' Zevran said. 'You couldn't elaborate, could you?'

'What she says makes sense,' Jowan claimed. 'We let the dragon find us, we'll end up in the same place this way or that. And the dragon won't be any more awake, because it isn't looking for us in its waking mind but in its sleep. I wouldn't dare to claim it won't be able to defend itself at all, but certainly not like a dragon that is awake.' Morrigan nodded.

'And we will not be fighting a physical being,' the witch said. 'We will destroy the mind of the creature, thereby killing its body.'

'That sounds a lot more like rape than like killing an animal,' Leliana said with a frown.

'How is that worse than murder?' Morrigan retorted.

'Of course it's worse!' Leliana said loudly.

'We are talking about a creature that will be mentally raped by darkspawn unless we kill it first,' Zevran explained calmly. 'What we intend to do will be quicker and cleaner than that.' Leliana sighed.

'Right,' she said. 'Do you wish to wait and prepare yourselves, or can we do it at once?'

'Wouldn't it be better if we started in the morning so we're all properly awake?' Leliana asked slightly hesitantly. Jowan smiled.

'That won't make a difference,' he said. 'You don't tire easily if you're acting independently of your body. And this will be no more dangerous than it would have been if we had found a dry cave with the creature in it.'

'Perhaps,' the bard replied in a slightly higher voice than was usual, 'but it's so unfamiliar. Is this really a safe way to deal with the dragon?' Jowan shrugged.

'As safe as any other way,' he said.

'For us perhaps, but what about you or Morrigan?' Leliana insisted. 'She thought it would be dangerous to control the lizard. Won't this be worse?'

'We will all be in some amount of danger,' Jowan explained. 'We will expose ourselves to the Old God, and the only reason why we can dare to do that at all is because it is sleeping. What Morrigan did … sending an animal she controlled into almost certain death … You must imagine it like this. Her mind, her essence, was inside a creature that was going to die. So if she couldn't get out of it in time, she would have been in danger. We will certainly not be inside the Old God. We will face it on neutral ground, so to speak. I cannot tell you what we have to expect, but this way our chances of managing to kill it before it notices us are a lot greater than if five people with a baby and a mabari march up to it trying to be stealthy.' Leliana took a deep breath.

'Well,' she said slowly, 'in that case we should perhaps get this behind us sooner rather than later.'

((Chapter Heading is the first line of a Tolkien poem from the Lord of the Rings;

I am very sorry for my prolonged absence, but I was busy for a while looking for a job. Not that this is such a time consuming process, but it's tiring in a way few other things are, and I couldn't just get myself to write. Now I have a job, and although that will make updates slower than they used to be at times, it calms me enough to continue. Next update will come sooner. ))