Chapter 37.

An End

"How's your face, Aedan?" Fergus sat next to his brother, watching as Nathaniel and Anders dealt with the remains of the ghouls with a pyre. The Teyrn still could not quite understand what had happened here; Aedan had been vague and blasé about the attack. Indeed, his younger brother had spent more time apologising to Fergus for making him worry, that the last few months had been brutal for him but there was no excuse for how he had acted.

Aedan himself had just sat on a battered stool, holding a poultice Anders had prepared to his cheek. Fergus had half expected his younger brother to be furious at the punch, instead he had just smiled, laughed and threw his arms around Fergus.

"I'm fine. Better than I have done in quite a while." The Warden Commander paused for a moment and shifted the poultice slightly. "You still hit like a little girl though."

Fergus chuckled to himself as he realised it was just like old times when they were boys. They had always gotten along, but like any family they had fought at times and had made light of it afterwards. Yet, it shouldn't have been like that. Too much had happened to both of them to go back to the way things were before the Blight. He knew that and he suspected that Aedan knew that all too well. Uncorking his water skin, Fergus took a sip of the tepid water and handed the skin to Aedan, who took it and nodded his thanks. "What happened to you, Aedan?"

There was silence as Aedan washed his mouth with the water before he tilted his head back. "I lost my way. It comes down to that. Too much happened too quickly for me and I lost my way."

"Is that all?" Fergus could tell that his brother was hiding something, keeping some secret from him.

"Well, if you want the truth, I may have been controlled by the Witch of the Wilds who wanted to destroy me and…."

Fergus cut him off with a light jab to his shoulder. "If you're not going to be serious then don't bother."

Aedan shrugged and corked the skin again before handed it back to Fergus. The commander rested the back of his head against a wall and watched as Anders used a spell to increase the heat of the burning pyre, turning the flames a deep shade of blue. "How is he?"

Fergus followed Aedan's gaze and was mesmerised by the shifting flames, not hearing the question until Aedan repeated it. Blinking quickly, the older Cousland turned and looked at Aedan. "Oghren will be fine. He'll be spending some time recovering, but I'm sure he'll be back on his feet before the winter; that's what the healers told Alistair."

"Good. I should have known that dwarf was too hard to kill." Aedan smiled to himself and closed his eyes. Anders had done as much as he could to heal Aedan's injuries, though the broken wrist he had suffered would take a few weeks to mend, was now bound and splintered with bandages and several light branches.

Beast yawned and rested his head on Aedan's lap, his fingers absentmindedly scratched the hound's ear.

Every thought Fergus had of pushing his brother for information about what happened was lost when he saw the pair reunited. Beast had always been Aedan's and to see them together again just made Fergus smile and join his brother in closing his eyes and leaning back.

Nathaniel and Anders hurled the last ghoul onto the pyre and stared wordlessly as it burned before seeking a place to make camp for the night, leaving the brothers alone. Nothing was said between the pair as they sat against the wall, Aedan scratching Beast's ear while Fergus reached for the water skin again.

Neither spoke for several moments before Fergus, eyes still closed asked a question he already suspected he knew the answer to.

"You won't be coming back with us, will you?"

"No."

Fergus sighed and opened his eyes. "I thought so. I will be honest, Aedan. Part of me wishes you would. You're my brother. You've done so much for Ferelden and there is much more you can do. And that part of me also knows that it can't ask you to do that. You've done more than your fair share."

Fergus paused again and turned towards Aedan. "Do tell me you're going to look for her."

"I don't know Fergus. I made her a promise." Aedan looked down at the rosewood ring on his finger. "The fact of the matter is; my life is going to be a short one. Do I want to search for her, and even on the remote chance that I do find her, I know that one day, I am going to have to leave her and whatever life we might have."

"Aedan. Do you love her?"

The younger Cousland answered without pause. "Yes. Of course I do."

Fergus clipped the back of his brother's head and glowered at him. "Then why do you even have to question it? So what, you might have to leave her one day. Would you rather have one moment with the woman you love in your arms and then die? Or would you rather live for eternity and never have that feeling?"

Aedan rubbed the back of his head and stared at Fergus. "Yes, you're right. But did you have to hit my head?"

"Yes. You're an idiot. It's the only way you'll learn." Fergus bowed his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed. "Look. Aedan. I do not know how long you might have in this world. But then no one knows. We go when we go, it might be tomorrow, or it could be in the next age. None of us know, nor should we know. Each day is precious and vital. We can't waste what time we have with wondering and living with regrets. I say this as your brother, Aedan. Go. Search for Morrigan and do not live your life with regrets."

Fergus opened his eyes and found he was talking to fresh air, Beast looking at him with a quizzical tilt of his head. Aedan came around the corner, carry a backpack and sorting through some provisions before looking up at Fergus. "I agree with you, nice speech by the way. I had no idea you had it in you. By the way, I'm taking some smoked meat, a length of rope and a blanket. I don't think Anders will miss it. But if he does then tough because I'll be gone… But tell him I said thank you."

Fergus chuckled, his brother joining in. "Some things never change, do they, little brother? What will I tell the others? The Hero of Ferelden can't just up and disappear, now can he?"

Aedan stopped laughing, and thought carefully before throwing the backpack over his shoulder. "I have no idea. Make up a story I suppose. Maybe I've gone off on some sort of quest. Maybe a lost thaig somewhere with an unspeakable horror! People love that sort of tale."

The brothers looked at each other, Fergus rose from his and threw his arms around Aedan. "Look after yourself, little brother."

Aedan returned the embrace with one of his own. "And you too Fungus."

With that, Aedan let go of his brother and started along the trail. After several steps, the Warden turned and called back to Fergus. "Just do me one small favour, please. Look after Alistair. Don't let him near any cheese, he has an unholy love of it. I mean it. Keep him away from any cheese."

Fergus smiled slightly and nodded in agreement, watching his brother walk away until he was out of sight.

Elfroot leaves fell into the bowl as the knife cut along the stem. The leaves would be useful for several poultices, while the stem itself could be used in a broth for the coming winter. Life in the marsh had been quiet, few travellers if any made their way along the old routes, a fact Morrigan had considered could only be a good thing. The fewer people that she encountered meant the fewer people knew that anyone lived in this area of the marsh. Anonymity, for the moment, protected and her child.

Indeed, the child was growing, happy and content. It had been difficult to leave the baby behind as she searched for roots and herbs. In the end, Morrigan had chosen to go out while the babe slept and was safe and secure in its basket. Though, while she had found it difficult to admit it out loud; she had always kept herself within earshot of the cottage in case the child cried.

In her heart though, Morrigan knew that they would soon need to leave the cottage. Winter was approaching and she would need to find a more suitable place to stay. The repairs she had done to the cottage were adequate for the warmer months, but the Witch knew that it would be next to nothing when the snows fell.

As she dropped another stem into a bowl, a flash of familiarity crossed her mind and with it come a sneer of anger. Morrigan rose to her feet, arcs of lightning sparking from her hand as her fingers clasped around the energy and formed a sphere of light. A promise had been broken and now the price would be paid. With an instinct born from a life in the Korcari Wilds, the Witch of the Wilds knew exactly where the bolt of lightning would strike should she release it from her grasp.

And there they were.

The same eyes; older, tired, yet seemingly full of life again. The hair was shorter than she had remembered it to be though it was still thick and messy. The hound as always stood beside him, ecstatic and bounding with joy at the sight of the witch, almost begging to be allowed to run to her.

Aedan, her Warden, stood before her with a hint of a smile curling the corner of his mouth.

"Hello Morrigan."