Chapter 29
Emma remembered her life in the other world, more or less. Her brows pulled down in an effort to recall her flat; there were brief flashes of different rooms, but if she tried to focus on one room, the memory would melt away. She gave up and tried to think of what would happen in Thedas... and there was nothing! She could only remember what had happened to her since she arrived in this world. Any future events were now hidden away behind an impenetrable fog that made her feel dizzy and disoriented whenever she tried to reach into it.
She tried to calm the rapid beating of her heart with a few deep, slow breaths. All right, this really wasn't a problem; Aedan and the others were all competent and capable enough to handle whatever was thrown their way. She stood, a smile playing over her lips, this could actually be fun now as she was stepping out into an unknown world. She deliberately shied away from the one thought that needed to be addressed: did this mean there was a chance she could be pulled back into her world?
She walked back down the slope and was met by Aedan. "There you are, I was just coming to get you."
"I just needed to clear my head, apparently my tolerance for ale is quite low."
He gave a throaty chuckle. "Oh, I don't know, you managed to stay on your feet as long as the rest of us." He gave her a quick kiss and his hand brushed over the small bump on her head. "Maybe no more staff spinning though." She sniggered as they joined everyone else and started the journey to Denerim.
During their travel to the capital of Ferelden, they came across a fairly large group of bandits, quite a lot of huge spiders and some civilians trapped by darkspawn. All in all, a fairly eventful few days travel until finally, they stood at the gates of Denerim. Emma looked around, hoping that something would jog her memory, and although it had a familiar feel to it, nothing about future events jumped out at her. They walked past the Chantry and she had to laugh at the Sister who was getting the Chant of Light wrong by inserting various food types in place of the correct words.
Emma was unsuccessfully trying to dislodge a dog that had taken a liking to her leg when she realised they'd all come to a stop outside a door. As the dog ignored her efforts she heard Alistair mention visiting his sister who lived nearby. Ah, a family reunion, this should be great, Alistair deserved someone nice in his life. Her thoughts were interrupted as the dog became even more vigorous in its attempt to mate with her calf. "Can someone get me a bucket of water or something?"
A small boy ran up, grinning. "C'mon, Thumper, leave the lady alone." The dog let out a happy bark and followed his young master.
"Thumper? I would have thought Humper would be a more suitable name," Zevran joked.
Emma rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Alistair. "So, how long has it been since you saw your sister?"
Alistair swallowed nervously. "Never, we've never met."
Emma could feel something needling the back of her mind, something she should know, but when she tried to pinpoint it, the memory slipped away. "I'm sure everything will be fine," she offered. Alistair gave a small smile and knocked on the door. A harsh voice told them to come in. The woman who met them was probably in her early thirties, her face had a pinched look and there was a hard gleam in her eyes that suggested she'd led a difficult life. "You want linens washed? I charge three bits on the bundle, you won't find better. Don't trust what that Natalia woman tells you either, she's foreign and she'll rob you blind."
"I'm not here to have any washing done. My name's Alistair. I'm... well, this may sound sort of strange but are you Goldanna? If so, I suppose I'm your brother."
Emma rubbed a hand over her eyes; that name definitely sounded familiar, and it gave her an unpleasant feeling in the pit of her stomach. She blew out a frustrated sigh, knowing she'd forgotten something important.
Goldanna eyed them with obvious mistrust. "My what? I am Goldanna, yes... how do you know my name? What kind of tomfoolery are you folk up to?"
Well, this wasn't the warm welcome Emma had envisaged for Alistair, and judging by the look on his face, he was just as shocked. After that, the whole situation just went from bad to worse. It seemed that no matter what Alistair or Aedan said, the woman managed to twist everything and throw it back at them. When it became clear that she was trying to get money from Alistair, he turned and left. Everyone followed quietly, no doubt as dazed by Goldanna's reaction as Emma herself was.
Alistair looked around the marketplace without really seeing anything, his features stunned, his eyes full of hurt. Emma wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry Alistair, she doesn't deserve you, and you don't need her. You have friends here who care about you."
Alistair pulled away and glared at Emma. "You're supposed to have knowledge of the future so why didn't you warn me? You told me it would be fine and I trusted you."
Emma stumbled back, feeling burned from the heat of his anger. "I'm sorry, if I'd known this was going to happen I would have told you." She felt a surge of annoyance; why the hell would he think she would do something to hurt him? She was about to ask him when he spoke again. "Would you? Because it seems to me that sometimes you just treat this as a game. Half the time you're not even paying attention to what's going on around you." Emma flinched, the words cutting too close to home for her to refute.
"That's enough Alistair. I know you're angry and upset, but you're taking it out on the wrong person." Aedan stepped forward, his eyes hard as diamond. However, Emma was working up her own head of steam. "So apparently Aedan was the only one who thought I was important to this group even if I never had another glimpse of the future?" There was a telling silence and Emma choked back her anger and sorrow. "I see. Well as I've lost the ability to do that, I'm afraid you'll just have to put up with my presence until we stop the Blight."
She wanted to run away from these people and just wallow in her own self-pity, but her pride wouldn't let her. Aedan stepped towards her at the same time as Wynne, Leliana, Zevran and Alistair. She felt Aedan's hand rest on her back as Wynne spoke up. "Emma, your insights have certainly been helpful on occasion, in fact, I have a feeling you know more than you let on sometimes, including what you would face in the Fade. Yet, that didn't stop you from going in to help a possessed child. You are still a most welcome addition to this group."
Emma blinked back tears as both Leliana and Zevran agreed with Wynne's speech. Alistair was the last to step up. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have taken out my anger on you, especially when you were trying to comfort me." He glanced over at Aedan. "Can I hug her?"
Aedan chuckled. "I think she'd be upset if you didn't."
Alistair pulled her into a tight hug. "I do trust you, and thank you for what you said."
Emma returned the hug with fervour. "I really am sorry I couldn't save you from that."
He nodded and pulled back. "Well, let's move on to our main purpose for coming to Denerim." Everyone gave a nod, however, Emma was already moving back to Goldanna's home. "I won't be a minute." They all looked at each other as Emma disappeared through the door and closed it firmly behind her. Suddenly there was the sound of a loud slap followed by an even louder screech, then the door opened and Emma stepped out, a satisfied smile on her lips and a red mark on her hand. Alistair looked at Emma, then to the door, then back to her. "Did you just..."
She smiled at him innocently. "Of course not."
"Dwarven crafts! Fine dwarven crafts, direct from Orzammar. You won't find better." Emma glared at the dwarf, before catching herself doing it and wondering why she was giving him a dirty look. Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by a heavily armoured man. "I recognise you... from Ostagar."
"Do you mean me?" she asked in surprise. The man glanced at her before sweeping his gaze over Alistair and returning back to Aedan. "You three are Grey Wardens, Duncan's apprentices. You killed my friend and good King Cailan. I demand satisfaction, Ser!"
The accusation hung in the air like heavy clouds before a storm. She gave a sideways look to both Alistair and Aedan, noted their eyes glinting dangerously at the slanderous words. The Knight had been pulled into the lies spread by Loghain and was still hurting over the deaths of his friend and his King. She had no doubt as to either Alistair or Aedan killing this man if they gave him the satisfaction he demanded. She stepped forward, her hand out in a placating manner. "You're mistaken good Ser; we are not Grey Wardens, nor have we ever been to Ostagar."
It took every ounce of effort to hold his gaze, but in the end, he appeared satisfied and with a murmured apology he left the marketplace. "Why did you lie to him? You should have let me fight the duel, or perhaps you don't think I could win," Aedan growled.
She turned to him, her temper still close to the surface after her argument with Alistair. "No, I don't think that. I do however think that we're going to need every Knight, soldier, mage, dwarf, and elf to fight the Blight so I see no reason to throw his life away just so the two of you can prove who has the bigger dick!"
His eyes widened. "Well, I wasn't going to fight him naked."
Emma bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "I meant that both of you want to prove how masculine you are by fighting a duel."
Aedan blew out a long frustrated breath. "I'm just sick of people assuming that the Grey Wardens are the bad guys."
Her face softened and she stepped closer. "I know, but after Ostagar we need to show the people that we can be trusted, and fighting an honourable knight in a duel won't do that."
He gave a nod. "I guess not, but it would have felt damn good."
She chuckled as she stroked the back of her hand along his jaw. "Keep your anger for the darkspawn."
He reached up and took her hand and pressed a kiss to the palm. "I can do that."
Alistair looked down at the note in his hand and then to a small house tucked away in the corner of the marketplace. "I think I've found Brother Genitivi's home."
