"Welcome home, son, you look like you've had a rough trip," Arl Rendon Howe said to Nate as the later came down the plank from the ship he'd been on. For a moment he was disorientated, wasn't he doing something else? For some reason he thought he'd been in the Blackmarsh of all places. But that couldn't be right.
Lifting a hand to his forehead in a futile attempt to clear the fuzziness from his head, Nate said, "Hello, father. The travel itself was fairly smooth, but I'm wondering about the food..."
His father clapped him on the shoulder, "Then let's get you home as quickly as possible so that we can get something decent in you."
"I won't argue with that," Nate replied with a faint grin.
It didn't take long for them to get to the carriage where his few traveling things were being loaded into place. The crowds had seen their Arl and his heir and parted way for them with respectful murmurs and bows. For some reason that bothered Nate, though he couldn't put his finger on why. Of course they would react in such a way, his father was almost as respected as Bryce Cousland. Maybe not as well loved, his father was a bit more prickly than the Teyrn of Highever.
Yet it seemed as if their expressions were oddly...blank. He mentally shook his head, the bad food must be affecting him worse than he thought.
Once they were settled and the vehicle moving, Nate sighed in relief, then smiled, "Despite the bad food, the trip was a success."
Rendon closed his eyes and let out his own sigh of relief, "Good, good. Cailan will be relieved. With the Blight affecting the southern farmlands, he was worried about us all starving come winter."
Nate knew why he had to go to make the deals with Starkhaven, Kirkwall and Tantervale for supplies, but he didn't like it. With the Blight going on, he should have been home helping organize his father's forces. But with Bryce and Fergus injured at the Battle of Ostagar, neither one was in any shape for extended travel. The only other choice was Marlana, and no one in their right mind wanted her as a diplomat, no matter how charming she could be.
Yet, there was something not quite right about those thoughts and memories.
"Before you ask, yes, Fergus is healing well, as is Bryce." Suddenly a glint of evil laughter filled his father's eyes, "Though I should warn you. Your mother probably has a number of lovely young women to introduce you to."
Afraid of putting his foot in his mouth, Nate just looked as his father a little worriedly which just earned him a broad grin, "It's not just your age and your mother's concern at a lack of grandchildren. It's the fact that someone put in a genuine offer for Marlana's hand and she accepted. The wedding is going to be held in a little over a month."
Lana of all people was getting married? Nate goggled a little causing his father's grin to broaden then it fled as he became serious, "Indeed. To that young Grey Warden that saved the lives of her father and brother. The only complication is that he's one of Maric's by-blows."
"You don't think..." That little treacherous voice that had been whispering doubts became louder. That wasn't right either. For some reason he thought they were already married. The little whisper continued, She's already Alistair's Queen.
But that couldn't be right. So he stifled that treacherous little thought.
The older man shook his head, "No, neither of them are the ambitious grasping sorts to go after the throne. You'd think everyone would be relieved that Cailan has a potential heir since he hasn't produced one with Anora."
Even though his mind still felt muzzy, Nate was starting feel somewhat alarmed. His father was never this chatty and certainly didn't gossip like this.
However, this was always how he wanted his father to act... And other memories were starting to surface. Like the fact his father had been dead for over a year due to his greed.
The Arl of Amaranthine frowned, "You really don't look well, Nate."
"Who are you?"
"What kind of question is that? I'm you're father, of course. Maker's breath, but you must be more ill than you thought if you're asking things like that." The older man started to reach for him.
Afraid of what that touch might do, Nate flinched away. "Rendon" looked hurt, "I'm only trying to help you, son."
Shaking his head, "I don't know who you are, but you certainly aren't my father. The Rendon Howe I knew would never gossip in such a way." As the fake started to protest, he cut him off, "Besides, I know my father died over a year ago."
Not giving the imposter, though the back of his mind whispered demon, a chance to react, Nate dove out of the door of the carriage. His hopes that the vehicle hadn't been moving very fast were proven to be true. So instead of having a very painful fall, he found himself in a fast tumble on the ground. When he came to a stop, he found his bow at hand.
The bow that he didn't have when he got off the boat. His grandfather's bow, then one that always drove his father into a rage. Seeing it ripped away the cobwebs that had been clouding his mind. Looking around, the area still looked like the road between the City of Amaranthine and Vigil's Keep, but... But it looked tattered. Faded. Dream like.
A scream of pure fury drew his attention. It looked like a mostly naked purple woman. With horns. And a tail. And flaming red eyes. Nate had heard stories of desire demons, but never thought he'd encounter one. At that moment his greatest desire was to get away from the thing.
Thought led to deed as he started to scramble away from the furious demon. She growled, "Foolish mortal, I was making every dream a reality."
"It was a lie!"
"All mortals lie to themselves, why not accept the ones that would make you happy?"
Realizing that it was futile to argue with a demon, Nate chose to answer with a flurry of arrows. She howled in pain as one of the projectiles found its mark in her shoulder. A flick of a clawed hand sent a line of fire in his direction which he just barely managed to avoid. There was another shriek and suddenly the demon had friends.
Oh crap, was all he could think before he was running for his life. Fortunately the "woods" were fairly close and he was able to lose himself among the trees. Furious bellows came from the other creatures that had been summoned. He guessed they were rage spirits and shades, but wasn't sure. Now he regretted not paying more attention to the different types of demons and what their abilities were.
One thing he did know though, was that he needed to take out the desire demon first. Hoping that he was concealed enough, the archer drew one of the specialty arrows he'd been given. Supposedly made by a Dalish craftsman for the clan's hunters, the Wardens somehow got their grubby paws on a small number for their elite archers. He doubted the Dalish part, but it was definitely made by a master craftsman.
After knocking the arrow, he held the shot until the right moment. When he finally released the bow, the arrow arced straight and true for its target. The demon collapsed in a silent heap with the arrow buried deep between its eyes.
Proving the stories that some demons weren't terribly bright, the hunting minions of the slain demon appeared to be completely unaware of what happened to their leader. Shaking his head in disbelief, Nate continued to eel through the shadows of the forest to continue hunting the demons one by one.
When the last rage demon died, the forest faded away, but left the road in place. One that apparently led to a village. One that he'd seen before in ruins. Then he realized the road he was on had three other winding branches and each one had a distant figure approaching.
With a start he realized he could actually feel them in his head and so Nate hoped they were his fellow Wardens, because if they weren't, he had no idea how to find them. Considering the greeting he got from his "father", he readied his bow just in case, though he didn't have it aimed at anyone in particular.
"So this is how you greet your friends, Nate?" Donal asked with a mock pout.
He squinted at the mage, it looked like Donal, albeit a bit singed in spots. But then again the desire demon made him believe his dead father was alive. The mage sighed a bit, "You ran into a demon, didn't you?"
Nate nodded cautiously and the other man shrugged, "I don't know how to prove who I am. If I were a demon, I'd be able to use your own thoughts against you. At least here in the Fade. In our reality, they're at a bit hindered at being able to do that."
Oddly enough, that did a lot to settle his worries. Relaxing a little, he nodded in the direction of the other two figures. "Think they're Moira and Irminric?"
"Maker, I hope so. It feels like them, but being trapped here like this..."
"Yeah." There was nothing else to say as they waited for the other two to join them.
Irminric was the first to arrive, even though his armor was marred by claw marks, he seemed fine, "Andraste's blessing on you both."
Donal exchanged relieved grins with Nate. Irminric snorted, "You thought me for a demon?"
Nate shrugged, "After I went through, a man can never be too careful."
The former templar thought about it for a moment, then nodded, "Fair enough."
At that moment Moira arrived with a dark scowl. Her clothing was not just torn by claws, but it looked like one boot had been chewed on, not to mention assorted scorch marks. The scowl deepened as she took in the careful expression of the three men with her, "Damn demons. And before you ask, I'd know if any of you sorry lot were one."
Holding his hands up in a placating gesture, Nate said, "I believe you. Now that we're all back together, does anyone have any ideas on how to get back to the real world?"
Moira nodded sharply, "We find the miserable bastard that brought us here and convince it to release us."
Donal stared at her, "It's here in the Fade with us?"
She looked startled, "You can't sense it?"
He shook his head, "I can sense the three of you, but no darkspawn."
Irminric said quietly, "I too can sense the beast, though I thought it was just my imagination. It's in the center of the village, right?"
"Yes, that's what it feels like to me."
Nate shrugged, "It's a start at least."
As the tattered group began to wend it's way through the weird dreamscape, Nate mentally shook his head. Who would have thought that becoming a Grey Warden would have led to being trapped in the Fade to hunt darkspawn?
He refused to think about what the demon had offered. That was a dream long since dead.