Chapter 36: Haven
Creepy.
That was the one word that came to mind as Solona and her companions made their way down the streets of Haven. The villagers were beyond isolationists, most refused to even emerge from their houses, except to say that they had nothing any lowlander would want.
The warden mage could not shake the feeling that they were being watched; she felt a strange stirring in her blood. It wasn't darkspawn; she had come to know that sense pretty well over the last few months. No, there was something else here, something the villagers were going out of their way to keep secret.
These people were definitely hiding something.
They found a little boy outside his home and he at least would talk to them a little. He told them about the village's revered father, something that was unheard of elsewhere in Thedas. He also mentioned something about going up the mountain. What that was about… Solona had no idea. He then proceeded to show Solona his secret, his very own lucky charm; it was a bleached human finger bone.
"It is lucky," the boy said with a strange gleam in his eyes, "I keep it with me."
Solona shuddered, something in the child's eyes struck her as disturbing.
That only reinforced her initial opinion of this place.
Creepy.
She wished that she had taken the Teyrna up on her offer now. Elissa had offered them a company of her best men. Though she had been flattered, the mage thought it best that the Teyrna keep her soldiers. Elissa intended to continue her hit and run attacks against Loghain and Howe and would likely need every man she had left.
Even Kallian had agreed to return to her service, much to the regret of Leliana.
The elf was still weak; it would take time for her to recover fully from her injuries. Elissa intended to send her to Redcliffe, to await the wardens' return. Leliana was saddened to see her lover go, but the elf assured her that she would be alright.
"We will see each other again soon," Kallian smiled as she lightly kissed the bard's lips, "Go and find the ashes, Ferelden needs them."
Leliana smiled. She would miss having Kallian at her side, not to mention in her bedroll, but their mission still took precedence.
The Blight had to be stopped.
IOI
Their meeting with Father Eirik of Haven did not go very well, in fact it as not much of a meeting at all.
The man was another blood mage, and he and his guards attacked them.
Solona snarled, just once she would like to enter a place, any place, where someone's first reaction to her was not to try and kill them.
Alistair made short work of the blood mage; the others took down Eirik guards with ease.
Solona sighed, she suspected that this would not appeal very well to the rest of the people of Haven, but if she was being truly honest with herself that didn't bother her very much. Whatever evil that had taken root here needed to be purged if they were to find the ashes.
How many innocent travelers had these people murdered over the years to protect…whatever it was…that was going on here?
The warden mage couldn't even begin to guess.
A search of the chantry revealed a hidden room, inside they found the missing Brother Genitivi. The scholar was certain that the Ashes of Andraste were indeed here. After a brief bit of healing, Genitivi was back on his feet and ready to lead them to this mountain temple he described, but before they could go one piece of business had to be dealt with. Leliana and Wynne remained behind to protect the Brother.
Genitivi called the people of Haven the Disciples of Andraste. These disciples had split off from the chantry proper long ago, and now their views no longer allowed any outside view. They killed any who opposed them.
These people were a cult, and a dangerous one.
Solona knew that they had to be dealt with.
She led the rest of her party back outside; the villagers were waiting, they had gathered weapons, their eyes crazed as they attempted to destroy Solona and her friends.
The Wardens and their allies waded into the fanatics.
The purging of Haven had begun.
IOI
Villagers emerged from their houses wielding knives and pitchforks.
They were hopelessly outmatched.
"Flee," Solona ordered, "Your lives mean nothing to us! Run and you will be spared!"
The villagers shrieked their war cries and charged.
Solona and her allies cut them all down.
A fireball exploded from Solona's fingertips, scattering a large mob of the villagers. The mage felt dirty.
This is ridiculous.
She hated this, it was one thing to defend herself, it was another to slaughter someone when they had no chance of stopping you.
The few soldiers that Haven possessed were Reavers, Solona knew about them from her readings in the tower. Reavers were warriors that drew strength from physical pain, both from others and their own. They also were said to possess other strange abilities like being able to scare someone dead with a look.
They would not get close enough to use such ability.
Solona made sure of that.
The few mages here were all blood mages and poorly trained. Brother Genitivi suspected that these people had lived here in isolation for hundreds if not thousands of years with no real knowledge of the modern chantry and the circle.
There mages had no defense against Alistair and his abilities.
The battle ended almost before they even got started.
Finally… the villagers took the hint, the few survivors fled into the wilderness. Solona stopped Binder from pursuing. Her eyes wandered over her companions, all seemed to be well despite the ferocity of the fighting.
That pleased her, this way, she could feel justified letting at least some of the villagers go.
She was tired of killing these fools.
Solona shook her head, she was pleased that none of her companions had come to harm, but still…
"The bas-ra gave you no choice kadan," Sten had approached her with barely a sound, she could understand now how truly great a warrior he was, "they should have known better than to challenge a superior force."
She knew Sten was right; these people were not simply innocent victims.
She would try to remain focused on that.
"They were fools to stand in our way," Morrigan sneered, "So much trouble for the burnt bones of a madwoman. Are you certain this is the only way, Lona?"
Alistair raised an eyebrow; he had never heard Morrigan speak with any of her companions with such familiarity.
Solona smiled slightly, Morrigan had been many things to her on this journey a companion, a teacher, a sounding board when she needed one. Somewhere along the line, the witch had become soothing more, more than the complete and utter bitch that Alistair referred to her as.
Morrigan had become her friend.
She finally came to this realization a couple days ago. Solona had presented Morrigan with a gift, a hand mirror she had purchased in Orzammar months ago. Morrigan had told her once how she had 'acquired' such a mirror when she was still a child. How that child had had her heart broken when Flemeth had smashed it.
At the time, Solona had bought it expecting to reward the witch for sharing her knowledge with her, but then the business with Flemeth had occurred, and Solona had forgotten all about the mirror…until that moment.
The gift, as well as recovering Flemeth's grimoire, had been enough to break through the witch's armor of hostility.
Morrigan had been… moved by Solona's gesture. She had almost been in tears. Morrigan did not see herself as the type to make friends.
The fact that she had made one shocked her.
"Of all things I thought I would find on this journey," the witch had said with a wistful smile, "I never expected to find a friend…much less…a sister."
Solona had smiled at that, Morrigan was not the easiest person to get to know, but despite her rather prickly demeanor, there was a good person within her.
Solona had finally seen that side of the witch.
As she had been walking away, Morrigan had stopped her.
There was something the witch had to tell her friend.
"Though I may not always prove worthy of your friendship Lona," the witch had said sadly, "know…know that I will always treasure it."
Solona did not know what Morrigan meant, but let it go when Morrigan suggested a run in the woods.
The two of them had transformed into wolves and spent the rest of the evening enjoying the summer night.
It had been peaceful, a night Solona would always remember.
A night with a good friend, she had been grateful for that.
"We have no choice Morrigan," she shrugged.
The witch nodded, she would back the warden's decisions.
Zevran ran back to bring the rest of their party up. Now that the way was clear, it was time to enter this temple the scholar had mentioned.
No more villagers assaulted them, but Solona doubted that this was not all of these Disciples of Andraste; she suspected more awaited them in the temple.
As it turned out…she was right.
IOI
Solona stared up at her surroundings in awe. This temple…built so long ago to honor their prophet was still beautiful despite time and the cold. She wondered how it was built, had many of Andraste's followers labored here over a few short years, or had the construction of this place taken decades.
She hoped that when all of this was done they would be able to return here, that she would be able to explore the wonders of this place for herself.
A person could spend the rest of their days studying such a place and still never find all the answers, but it would be worth the search. She was sure of that.
Genitivi agreed to stay behind as the rest of them moved on. Solona left Binder with him, just in case.
The rest of the party proceeded onward; more fanatics attacked them as they penetrated deeper into the temple. The structure eventually opened up into a series of caves that led up to the mountain's summit.
The fighting was very fierce in these close quarters. Reavers and their mage allies leapt out at the wardens from behind closed doors. The warriors engaged the Reavers while the mages dealt with any magic users they encountered. Zevran and Leliana disarmed any traps blocking their path.
Everything seemed to be going their way.
That is when they saw the first of the dragons.
Solona was shocked, she had never seen dragons fight alongside allies before, but the various dragonlings and drakes they encountered did not even try to attack the cultists they encountered.
Apparently the dragons viewed these humans as guardians.
How very lucky for them.
Alistair, Sten, Oghren, and Shale dealt with them the best they could. Occasionally a reaver would slip past and try to ambush the m from behind, the mages and rogues dealt with them as quick as they could. Soon, blood coated the chambers of the mountain. Dragons and cultists alike lay slain at the wardens' feet.
It was only when they neared the summit of the mountain that the leader of these fanatics finally revealed himself.
Father Kolgrim struck Solona as the worst kind of fanatic, one who believed his own raving. The man claimed that Andraste had been reborn as a high dragon, a counter point to the ancient dragons of Tevinter. He made no mention of the Maker in his ranting; in Kolgrim's eyes the Maker had abandoned mankind long ago.
Andraste, his Andraste was all.
Solona had decided to play along for a bit, the man and his remaining followers had them a disadvantage, they knew the terrain, and had her companions surrounded in the main chamber.
Solona listened to his ranting; let him think she was willing to help him.
The man wanted her to corrupt the ashes with the blood of a high dragon.
Alistair, Wynne, and Leliana regarded her nervously; did they honestly think she was going to help this mad man? It was possible, she supposed, helping the man would gain them access to the ashes quicker.
She shot her allies a trust me look, hopefully they would understand.
Kolgrim led them to the mountain top, to the upper temple that held the ashes, the High Dragon he called Andraste blocked their passing. The cult leader pleaded with the beast to let them pass by.
Solona and her friends stood ready, if Kolgrim did not live up to his promise…
The dragon finally listened; it withdrew to a ledge over the temple entrance.
The way to the Ashes was now clear.
Solona, Alistair, Wynne, and Leliana entered the upper temple.
The warden mage could feel the change in the air; this place was infused with very old, very powerful magic.
One thing was for certain she thought.
The Ashes were here.