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Lothering
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The lock on the cage broke. So did Lethendralis. Fenris searched what he had pillaged from the bandits, and found a heavy mace.
"Do you not need a weapon yourself?" Sten asked, when Fenris handed it over to him.
"I have my gauntlets," Fenris said. Though truly he was moody for the loss of his sword. It had served him well, even from before his time as a fugitive.
It seemed perhaps he might be able to purchase, or otherwise negotiate a replacement, once he got back into the village. But this proved to be a vain hope. Escorting a Qunari around a village of humans was bound to bring unwanted attention, even when the Qunari in question wasn't a wanted criminal. Fenris hoped that the tentative peace brought down by their intimidating presence would last long enough to reconvene with Alistair and the others at the village tavern.
The peace seemed already broken when they arrived though. A pair of soldiers in full uniform bolted past, howling something about murderous Grey Wardens. A few of the villagers cheered their retreat. Others seemed more ambivalent.
Fenris considered the tavern door for a moment, but thankfully did not have to wait long before a bedraggled-looking Alistiar stumbled out, followed by Fenris's Mabari, and a Chantry Sister with bright red hair.
"Oh, good, you're here," Alistair sighed, heaving no less than three tents and bedrolls off his back. "I got us supplies. And visited the Chantry. And, um, I don't suppose you've heard that Loghain blamed the Wardens for the loss at Ostagar, and we all have bounties on our head?" He gave a painful looking smile.
"I had heard that, yes," Fenris said. It was among the gossip he'd overhead about the village.
"Well, it looks like our cover is kind of blown," Alistair said delicately.
The Mabari barked, and huddled next to Fenris.
Fenris sighed. He was still carrying the wolf pelts, and the packs from the bandits. "I've been running jobs off the Chanter's Board. I had hoped to collect on the jobs performed, but it is probably best we leave at this point."
"Any jobs not collected upon may be considered a donation to the Chantry," said the red haired Sister. "I think that a noble goal in of itself."
"Who is this?" Fenris asked.
"Oh, I am Leliana," the Sister said. "You must be Alistair's fellow Grey Warden. A noble position, one fit for a great hero."
Fenris blinked at her, and then narrowed his eyes at Alistair. "This is the reason everyone's suddenly aware of who we are?"
"She's, um-" Alistair looked helplessly between Fenris's glare and Leliana's blankly expectant smile. "She's coming with us!" he announced.
"Why?" Fenris asked.
"Because she, uh, said so?" Alistair said apologetically.
"Saying 'no' never crossed your mind?" Fenris asked.
"And this one is green and feckless," Sten offered in Qunlat.
"Weren't we all once?" Fenris grumbled.
"Not to this extent," Sten mumbled.
"Um, excuse me-!" Alistair protested. "Some of us can't speak… whatever it is that you're speaking."
"We were, uh-" Fenris stalled. "Just talking about… the Chant of Light…"
"And you are also more feckless than you first appear," Sten said pointedly.
"You know, I'm not the only one that showed up at our meeting spot with an extra date," Alistair protested weakly. "That's not the Qunari that everyone's been talking about, is it?"
"I am," Sten said, before Fenris could decide whether to deny it.
"The Reverend Mother said he slaughtered an entire family. Even the children," Leliana said in a hushed voice.
"It is as she says," Sten agreed.
"Oh, yes, just- Peachy," Alistair said sarcastically. "I'm sure we'll all have a lot of fun together." But Fenris watched as he clearly lost steam on whatever further accusations he planned to throw, and sighed.
"Sten has not eaten in nearly three weeks," Fenris said.
"Oh, poor dear," Leliana clicked her tongue softly. "Truthfully, I did not agree with the Reverend Mother's judgement in this," she said conspiratorially. "To be left to starve, or taken by the darkspawn… No one deserves that. Not even a murderer." She tapped one of the packs Alistair had dropped. "You have bread," she commanded. "I will see if I can get a mug of weak ale for him." She disappeared back into the tavern.
Alistair sighed, but dutifully dug through the pack for a roll of bread. He was on his knees, when he handed it up to Sten.
Sten accepted it with both hands and a mild look of surprise. "Meravas. You have my thanks."
"Sure," Alistair agreed. "Just don't wolf it down too quickly."
They stood a moment, awkwardly, as Sten ate and they waited for Leliana to reappear. Fenris took a moment to bundle the wolf pelts and help Alistair rearrange their packs.
"Where is the witch?" Fenris asked.
"You mean Morrigan?" Alistair replied. "I haven't seen her."
Fenris waited a moment, and when nobody swooped out from the rafters, he said this.
"Perhaps she has decided to move on, and will no longer trouble us."
Alistair snorted. "If only we were that lucky." But he seemed to perk up at the thought. "Perhaps we'll also get out of here without incident."
They were not that lucky.
"I don't know if you Wardens killed King Cailan and, Maker forgive me, I don't care. That bounty on your head could fill a lot of hungry bellies."
When the enemy was this committed to killing and dying, there was nothing to do but meet them. Fenris dropped the packs off his shoulder and flexed his hands in his gauntlets as the ambushing party approached. Sten had similarly gone for his mace. The Mabari charged. Even Leliana had not faltered, face grim but resigned as she reached for the pair of daggers at her belt. Alistair was the only one left fumbling and sputtering as they were once again betrayed. And then Fenris lost sight of him, as they were surrounded.
A motley collection of farmers and refugees, armed only with sickles and spades and hoes, were hardly a match for trained soldiers and a war dog. But Fenris badly missed his sword as he ducked underneath the swings of the assailant's weapon, and drove his hand through their stomach.
One of the refugees shrieked, like Fenris was a demon. Not even the one he'd impaled on his gauntlet. And Fenris had a burning desire to be rid of them all. He ripped through two more, blood splattering over his face and knees and coating him up to the elbows. He was panting heavily by the time he was done, and it took some effort not to chase after the farmers that had fled shouting in fear.
Alistair sheathed his sword. "Well that's… new," he said, looking at the heart, still beating in Fenris's hand.
Leliana looked a bit more pale than usual. Sten muttered something about Tevinters and turned away.
Fenris cursed. He squashed the heart in his hand and threw it to the ground.
The dog came up to sniff it, and before picking it up to chew plaintively.
"So… You haven't done that before," Alistair said lamely.
"Thus far, we have not been fighting living beings," Fenris said. "I was not sure the darkspawn would cease attacking, once their hearts removed."
Alistair chuckled nervously. "Well, we've probably left some kind of impression on this village. Can't imagine what stories they'll spread around. The Wardens go around freeing murderous Qunari and ripping people's hearts out for their dogs to eat. Very Hound Warriors." It had the cadence of a joke.
Fenris scowled to cover his hurt. "More likely, they'll be dead of the Blight, or of starvation, before they get around to telling anyone anything," he snarled.
The Mabari was licking the blood from his right hand, and Fenris turned it around to pet him gently. At least he still had one supporter.
He picked up his packs, and continued on. And he listened, for the way the others stepped in behind him as they made their way up the ramp to the Imperial Highway, and then on out of Lothering.
Fenris felt, with startling feeling, that he hated this town, and was glad to have it behind him.
It was a sombre walk. Sten was completely silent, but for his footsteps, behind Fenris on the left. The dog trotted loyally at Fenris's side on the right. Alistair and Leliana lagged behind, and Fenris caught snippets of their conversation.
Do you think he's right? About what will happen to all those people we left behind in Lothering?
Some will find their way to Denerim. Many will die. As the Maker wills.
More mumbles.
If the Blight isn't stopped, everyone will die. You are doing what you must, Alistair, as is he. You will need to steel yourself, you know this… I don't believe you. And either way, it's not as if any of us has a choice.
And then silence.
They walked for an hour or two, before the sun had really sunk too low in the sky to continue. But there was a beacon out further off the road, and it seemed to be staying still as Fenris and the others approached. As they neared, it spread out into the warm orange glow of firelight. And by the time Fenris recognised the canopy and who they might be approaching, two yellow pinpricks, like the eyes of a cat, turned and locked on him. They drew him in like a spell, pulled to the centre of her gravity.
"Witch," Fenris greeted when they came upon her.
"Warden," Morrigan returned, standing up over the fire. She looked between the rest of the group with a pursed lip, like they'd displeased her. "It certainly took you long enough to catch back up."
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