DISCLAIMER: I base my stories on Intellectual Property (IP) owned by BioWare™ and EA™. I pretend to live in their world. This chapter contains dialog from Dragon Age II.
SPOILERS: I refer to information from the games, the novels and the comics. If you have not played or read, please beware.
A SONG IN THE STILLNESS
Chapter 11: BARTRAND!
9:32 Dragon, Justinian === In the Deep Roads
As Alun and Anders had surmised, the darkspawn had fared far worse than Sandal. A rune which went Boom, according to young dwarf, provided the blow that left a pile of darkspawn at his feet; but even Anders could not explain the ogre, frozen in mid leap, in the middle of their path, nor could Sandal's cryptic explanation, not enchantment. Shooing Sandal back to his father, the group continued on to find an alternate passage through to their destination.
To Alun's relief, the stone golems did not come to life as they passed, but more darkspawn appeared. That all Hawke's companions had agreed to take the little pill that had worked so well for his friends during the Blight, alleviated Alun's concerns for them as they fought their way through the hurlocks and genlocks. Hawke, Varric and Fenris had the skills to defeat the attack, but no one could fight darkspawn and remain unscathed. He had his own stash and Anders had arrived from Amaranthine City with more, taken from Liam's supply. They might use them up on this mission, but Alun guessed Anders could get more from Liam, if he asked. Soldier's Peak had continued to order supplies through Varric, enabling secret communications between Anders and Liam.
In truth, Alun did not know how well Anders would fare in a fight. He and Anders had not traveled together that often during the Blight. Anders had stayed in the North with Nate, Pippa and the Nevarran wardens, where he learned to fight and to focus his magic, healing and rejuvenating when needed, and keeping clear of the soldiers when casting elemental spells. When joining Rory Hawke's companions, Alun had noticed that, on occasion, some frost would form on Fenris' cauldron or gauntlet, earning the mage a glare from the elf. Fenris did move quickly for a two-handed warrior, but no more quickly or unpredictably than he or Rory did, so Alun had to wonder at the close calls. He knew there was no love lost between the mage and the elf.
And if I'm not more careful, or Hawke and I don't talk, there'll be no love lost between me and her. On the surface, Alun had deferred to Hawke's leadership, but here, in the Deep Roads, he had taken charge without thinking when they met their first darkspawn. Darkspawn. Deep Roads. Grey Warden. It had been automatic, and the others had obeyed, but Hawke had scowled at him afterwards. As the group stood near the precipice overlooking the lava river, he tapped Rory on the shoulder.
"Can we talk?"
"About you taking over the lead?"
"Well," he shrugged, "yeah. Sorry, it just came naturally."
"Naturally?"
"Look, I've been in the Deep Roads and not just a quick peek. I spent weeks in the Roads on a mission with some Grey Wardens out of Orzammar. We fought darkspawn with the Legion of the Dead, killed a broodmother, battled golems, and defeated deepstalkers, spiders, spirits and anything else the Roads could produce. It's what I know how to do. On the surface, you know as much as I, but down here, I'm the expert."
"So, you want to lead?" Rory's voice had an edge to it.
"I want to keep us all alive. I know how to fight whatever the Deep Roads have to throw at us."
Varric's voice cut in. "Grey has a point, Hawke. He's more experienced than any of us, even Blondie."
Rory turned to look at Anders, who had clearly also heard the conversation. He nodded in confirmation. "Down here, he's forgotten more than we'll ever know."
"But you're not a warden." Rory's clenched jaw made her chin stick out. "Yet you make it sound like you were in charge. Why would wardens let a civilian lead?"
"I am not a warden. I take the same Blight pills you do, to prevent Blight sickness. Wardens use civilians during a Blight." He sighed. "Look, I'll go along with whatever you decide, but I can't promise not to yell commands if I think I know better in any given situation. I have the experience. I just want us all to get out of this alive."
Rory stared at the ground and dug her boot toe into a rubble pile. He didn't answer my question. Weeks in the Deep Roads, even if he didn't lead, does give him more experience than I have. Or Anders, apparently. Finally, she looked up. "You're it, Alun, for as long as we're down here."
Alun grinned. "Agreed and, for the record, I'm happy to explain my orders or confer if we have the time." He held out his arm and Rory grasped it. Neither saw the look of relief that passed between Anders, Varric and Fenris.
"How do we proceed, then?" Hawke asked.
"I'll lead with Varric, Anders will stay in the middle and you and Fenris will bring up the rear. Anders can sense darkspawn in any direction, but he's the most vulnerable to attack." Alun gave Fenris a stern look. "He's our healer, but he can also do damage. We need him along." He turned to Anders. "But, you don't need to cast quite so close to any of us. Am I clear?"
Lips pressed into a line, Anders nodded. Rory, her mouth quirking up, looked between the two men. Seems our Alun knows more than just darkspawn fighting tactics. This may work out. Speaking up, Rory said, "Alun's right, you two. Save your quarrels for the surface."
Alun turned and strode off with Varric jogging along beside him, and the others fell into formation behind him, as he entered yet another crudely carved side tunnel.
x==========x
"Andraste's Knickers," Anders muttered, "what else will these ruins throw at us?"
"Well, the golems didn't activate, and we haven't seen any shrieks, brontos, spiders, nugs, or deepstalkers," Alun replied.
"Right…and no dragons," Anders smiled.
"I'd settle for a nug right now," Varric muttered, "roasting over a nice fire, preferably on the surface."
"You eat nug?" Rory asked.
"Pretty tasty," Alun said. But don't tell Leliana I said that. When he heard Anders chuckle he wondered if he'd spoken aloud.
"Didn't Leliana have a pet nug?" Anders asked, smirking.
"She did," Alun confirmed. "And she did not approve of eating them, but, she wasn't in the Roads with us. I'll take nug over deepstalker any day."
"Deepstalker? Youate deepstalker?" Varric's eyebrows arched.
"After weeks in the Roads…yeah."
"Let's hope we find this thaig and get out before we need to eat either," Fenris growled.
"Agreed," Varric growled. "I hate the Deep Roads."
"But you're a dwarf," Anders said.
"A dwarf born on the surface with no memory of or ties to Orzammar or any other thaig. Not like Bartrand, who's always bemoaning our lost heritage."
They turned into another passage which opened into a larger space at its end. A shadow formed on the floor ahead of them.
"Shit," Alun said. "You had to mention we hadn't seen a dragon didn't you Anders?"
"Is that-"
The shadow materialized into a dragon before Anders could reply.
"Spread out and surround it, but keep away from its mouth," Alun yelled. "Try to avoid its feet and tail, but definitely stay away from those jaws and teeth. Either go for its legs, or shred its wings. We want it disabled so we can kill it. Anders-"
"-I know, immobilize it. I've fought a dragon before and it was bigger."
"It's always bigger," Varric quipped aiming Bianca. "Right, Hawke. The one in the Bone Pit must have been twice that size."
Rory sped to the rear, dancing around the tail, while Alun and Fenris attacked opposite sides of the beast, going for the forelegs. Before they could disable it, a score of dragonlings ambled out of some hideaway and began to attack the archer and the mage. Leaving Fenris and Rory to continue attacking the dragon, Alun hurried to take on the dragonlings with Anders' help. Varric moved away from them once the dragonlings turned to attack the warrior and mage, and began to alternate shots between the dragon and its young. As he aimed toward the dragon, a dragonling leaped toward him, but fell at his feet, frozen, before it could do him any harm. He nodded towards Anders and then continued shooting. Alun, standing in a glyph that paralyzed anything that approached him, his two blades swirling through the air, soon defeated the other dragonlings.
Alun, Varric, and Anders returned to attacking the dragon, which had flown to another corner of the large room. Fenris had shredded one wing as the dragon landed, preventing further flight. Anders and Varric inched forward, casting and shooting, as Alun raced to attack the dragon's left foreleg. Stabbing with one blade and slashing with the other, he succeeded in shredding the muscle and the leg collapsed, but the head, on its long neck, swooped down towards him. Just in time, he rolled out of its reach. As Fenris struck the right foreleg with a mighty blow, causing it, too, to collapse, he heard Alun shout, "Not again, you bloody beast."
Unable to fly, the dragon stumbled along the floor, pushing its bulk forward using only its powerful hind legs. With full use of its tail, neck and jaws, it remained a challenge to the companions. Varric, whispering encouragement to Bianca, took aim at the head and, this time, the quarrel flew true and penetrated an eye. The great head fell to floor, jaw snapping, as Fenris and Alun drew near. Fenris stepped forward and buried his long blade in the dragon's skull.
"That's it?" Hawke asked.
"Seems like it," Alun agreed. "No more dragonlings arriving."
"What did you mean, not again?" Fenris asked.
"I…um…I fought a high dragon once. I almost ended up as its dinner. Bigger than this one…lots bigger, but I somehow survived thanks to our healer." He saw Hawke, Fenris, and Varric look at Anders. "No, not Anders, another healer. Anders and I didn't always travel with the same companions during the Blight."
"I sense a story, Grey."
"You'll have to make it up, Varric. Beyond saying it did not happen in Denerim, I'm finished talking."
"So, the Archdemon didn't almost eat you?" Hawke said.
"Sorry, no. Varric will have to look elsewhere for that tale." He wiped his blades and looked around the room. "We should take the dragon scales. They make good armor. Wouldn't hurt to eat and rest either. This is as good a spot as we've found. We'll each take watch." He looked at Rory and she nodded agreement.
Fenris, Alun and Hawk began harvesting the scales while Anders started a small fire and Varric began to heat water. Dried mushrooms and beans, salted meat and a few spices would make an edible stew, given Varric's skills. Anders kept the fire going, sliced up the bread and cheese, and made tea. Fenris sometimes took a turn at cooking, but their companions refused to let Rory or Alistair do anything but eat. By the time the dragon scales had been spread out to dry, the aroma from the stew had made them all hungrier. They pulled their bowls and spoons from their packs and Varric served.
"Good thing you insisted we keep our packs, Grey," Varric said.
"Always keep you pack," Alun replied.
Fenris nodded. "You never know when you're going to have to run. Best to have your weapon, coin, and food at all times."
"True," Hawke said. "We learned that the hard way when we ran from Lothering. Had too much to carry and had to drop it when we fought darkspawn. Lost food and coin that way."
Rory had wondered how they would track the watch without stars to guide them, until Alun pulled a small sand glass from his pack and handed it to her. "Right," she said, "experience. I get it."
"Two turns should be a full watch," Alun said.
"I'll start alone," she offered, "for one turn. Then Fenris can join me for the second half of my watch. We'll continue that way with Varric, Anders and finally you. You'll be on your own for that last turn. Will that work?"
"It will."
Pushing forward after a short rest, the five companions found themselves on the original path shown on the map.
"Let's get back to Bartrand and let him know we found a way through," Varric said. "That should make him happy."
"Does anything make your brother happy?" Fenris asked.
"No, Broody. That was sarcasm."
Anders snorted.
As Varric expected, Bartrand only asked what had taken them so long and offered no thanks. When Bartrand immediately ordered his mercenaries to strike camp Varric objected, telling him he could either let them get some food and rest or Bartrand could venture off on his own. Cursing the Stone and anything else he could name, Bartrand had backed down. Rory, Alun and Fenris had eaten quickly and curled up in their bedrolls, but Anders had remained by the small fire. Varric settled on a convenient flat stone next to him.
"So, you and Grey did travel together during the Blight?" he asked Anders.
"We did. The Warden Commander recruited me into the Grey Wardens from the Fereldan Circle Tower after Uldred's mage revolt."
"Which you spent in a cell in the dungeons."
"Right."
"Where did you go from there, Blondie?"
"Lake Calenhad Docks, where we split up again," Anders said, thinking quickly to decide how much to tell the overly curious dwarf. "A group of us went to meet some Nevarran Wardens who had arrived in secret on an island just west of the Storm Coast, since the Regent, Loghain, had forbidden any foreign wardens from entering Ferelden. The Nevarrans initiated me into the wardens and I spent most of the rest of the Blight with them. We went with Fergus Cousland and Nathaniel Howe, who had set up a refugee camp on the Storm Coast, to recapture their ancestral lands in Highever and Amaranthine. We all rejoined the Ferelden wardens in Denerim just before the final battle."
"And Grey?" Varric tried to look only slightly interested.
"Alun traveled with the Fereldan wardens and their companions."
"After you met the Nevarrans?"
"He didn't stay with us for long. He and a few others went off to meet some Dalish and then returned to the Fereldan wardens, who had traveled south from the Docks. He went to Orzammar after that. I went to Highever." Anders frowned. "What are you trying to find out, Varric?"
Varric shrugged, eyes wide to feign innocence. "Nothing. Just curious about the story, Blondie."
Anders stood. "I'm going to sleep. Ask Alun if you want his story."
A few hours later Bartrand's yelling and the noises from striking camp woke Hawke's group. Bodahn came over with hot tea and warm porridge, which they wolfed down before stowing their own gear in their packs. Somewhat refreshed, they set off towards the Primeval Thaig, leading Bodahn, Sandal, Bartrand, and his dwarves and mercenaries.
x==========x
Once around the collapsed bridge, the path led ever downward. They passed the dragon they had killed and retrieved the scales they had left behind, stowing them in Bodahn's cart. Except for a few deepstalkers, which were easily dispatched, they met no opposition, not even any sign of darkspawn. Alun and Anders thought that the 'spawn had not penetrated this deep for some reason and everyone welcomed the easy travel. The two Fereldans did wonder if something worse lay below which discouraged even darkspawn from the depths, but sensed nothing and decided not to worry.
As they approached the area where the Bartrand expected to find the Ancient Thaig, what looked like red vines began to creep up the pillars and walls, and hang like stalactites from the ceiling.
"Is that lyrium?" Varric asked, looking at Anders.
"It's red," Alun said, "but it looks like the blue lyrium veins we saw in the Deep Roads under the Frostbacks." He too looked at Anders.
"It feels like lyrium, but wrong somehow," Anders said. "I wouldn't take a vial made from that stuff, no matter how low my mana fell."
When they reached a broad, flat area, Bartrand ordered his hirelings to set up camp. More lyrium, red lyrium, glowed in clumps on the ground and in veins running through the walls. Leaving Bartrand to supervise the dwarves, mercenaries, and Bodahn, and Sandal as they set up camp, the five companions set off to explore.
Starting down a narrow pathway, leading out of their camp, Varric peered ahead. "Whatever's through there looks like it's still intact." He looked at the others. "Think we'll find something?"
"Bartrand is far more enthralled with place than you are," Hawke said.
"Unlike him," Varric replied, "I wasn't born in Orzammar. I wouldn't be down here if there wasn't profit in it. This entire place gives me the chills. Let's hope it's worth it."
"I'll second that," Alun said. "This is unlike any Deep Road passage I've seen. And not just because of the red lyrium. Whatever we find may not be very pleasant."
"Its old," Varric said, almost whispering. "Even I can feel how ancient these stones are, and I don't like it, but I suppose we'll have to go down there to find out."
Edging along a path between walls glowing red with lyrium deposits, Alun shifted his pack and wondered if he should have just left it at the campsite. All five of them had left the site quickly, keeping their packs, to avoid Bartrand's shouts and the confusion of set up. Only Bodahn and Sandal had set up their camp quickly, pulling their tent from their cart hauled by a biddable bronto. Varric had stopped to refill his potions belt and the others had followed suit.
As they moved forward, the path curved and descended a flight of stairs to a landing. Suddenly, numerous fade spirits materialized, attacking from either side. Quickly moving back, Anders began to cast, freezing a pair near Alun, who quickly shattered them with his main blade, while stabbing at an unfrozen one near his off hand. Fenris, holding his long blade parallel to the ground, swept through three more spirits, bisecting them. Rory took on two more as they tried to move towards Varric and Anders. A bolt took one of those and Rory killed the other. Silence returned to the passage as the five companions looked at each other and the depths beyond.
"They're not darkspawn, right?" Fenris asked.
"Fade spirits or shades," Anders said. "Grey Wardens can't sense spirits, unfortunately."
Alun crept to the top of the next flight of stairs, which led to a wider, better lit space. He nodded, and the others followed as he slowly moved down the steps. A door blocked the passage ahead. Alun motioned for the others to form an arc around him in their battle stances. Seeing each ready, blades raised, Bianca loaded, and frost swirling above Ander's palms, Alun opened the door.
"What," Varric complained, "that's it? Another hallway and another door."
"Let's be careful at the next door too. Darkspawn aren't the only danger down here," Alun said, peering at the path ahead.
The others gazed around them and then followed him towards the next door. Pushing it open, Rory saw more steps rising from the broad, empty room behind the door. No spirits manifested as they entered. Looking up, they saw what looked like an altar.
"Do dwarves worship a god?" Rory asked. "I thought they just venerated their Paragons and the Stone itself."
"These dwarves, or whoever lived here, may have had different practices," Varric said, following Rory up the steps to the altar where they both stopped, eyes wide. The others stumbled to a sudden halt behind them.
"Do you see what I'm seeing?" Varric asked, an excited undertone to his voice.
"An idol?" Rory asked, studying the statue. "Is it made of red lyrium?" She reached for it, but Varric took it first.
"This is what we came for," he said, jubilant.
Alun looked at the dwarf, a slight frown creasing his forehead at the dwarf's sudden excitement. Anders turned as movement at the doorway caught his attention. He saw Bartrand enter.
Stepping to the top of the stairs, Varric held up the idol. "Look at this, Bartrand. An idol, made from pure lyrium, I think. Could be worth a fortune."
Bartrand whistled. "You could be right," the older dwarf mused. "Excellent find."
As he tossed the idol to Bartrand, Varric suggested they look around to see if any more valuable relics could be found further in. Bartrand caught the lyrium relic, muttering you do that as he left, closing the door behind him.
"The door!" Hawke yelled and raced down the stairs too late to catch the door before it latched.
"Bartrand," Varric called, catching up to Hawke. "The door. It shut behind you.'
Outside, Bartrand laughed. "You always did notice everything, Varric."
"You're joking," Varric said, his voice rising. "You're going to screw over your own brother for a lousy idol?"
"It's not just the idol. The location of this thaig alone is worth a fortune and I'm not splitting that three ways," Bartrand snarled. "Sorry, Brother."
"Bartrand. BARTRAND!" Varric stared at the closed door, hands clenched at his sides, but it did not open. "I swear I will find that sorry son-of-a-bitch - sorry mother - and I will kill him!"
"There's got to be another way out of here," Alun said from the top of the stairs. "There's a door beyond the altar up here."
Passing through the door at the back of the chamber, the companions entered a strange world of dwarven passages lit by the red lyrium veins and clusters. High ceilings, supported by carved square columns laced with lyrium veins, cut through the depths. As they walked past lyrium nodules, more fade spirits materialized, pouring out of side chambers, and golems activated, causing the companions to move forward cautiously, blades drawn, and bolts loaded, after defeating each attack. Odd humanoid shaped rock figures joined the shades and golems in subsequent attacks.
"Should we be grateful those things don't all attack at once?" Varric muttered.
"We should," Hawke said. "We can handle a dozen, but more…we might be in trouble."
The group, led by Alun with Anders in the center and Rory, Varric, and Fenris in the rear, moved forward carefully. The passage widened, and the group spread out in an arc behind Alun, eyes widening as they tried to comprehend the vast space opening around and above them. Before they could appreciate the strange beauty of the cavern, more rock creatures attacked. Two cast spells, while the others fought. Alun attacked one of the rock casters, while Anders and Varric focused their attacks on the other. Rory and Fenris took on the other creatures. Once more, they managed to defeat the dozen or so attackers.
"What are these things?" Varric asked, sounding both curious and exasperated. "They seem like rock wraiths, but…."
Another rock wraith assembled itself from a pile of boulders rising to twice Alun's height. Unlike the smaller wraiths, it spoke.
"They hunger. The Profane have lingered in this place for ages beyond memory, feeding on the magic stones until the need is all they know."
"They feed on the lyrium?" Rory asked.
The demon did not answer, directly. "I am not as they are. I am a…visitor."
"It's a hunger demon," Anders snapped. "It doesn't feed on Lyrium, it feeds on the – what did it call them? – the Profane's hunger."
Ignoring Anders, the demon continued. "I would not see my feast end." The demon, in its wraith's form, leaned towards the companions. "I sense your desire. You seek to leave this place, but you will need my aid to do so."
"Why?" said Alun, waving away the objections both Anders and Fenris began to voice.
"There is another door that leads to the paths far above us. That is what you seek. It has been sealed, however, and cannot be opened without a key. I know where the key is. Do as I ask, and I shall tell you."
"We have all the information it can give," Alun said, drawing his blades. "Now we fight!"
"Most unwise," the demon sneered.
The companions fell on the demon with blades, bolts, and frost, defeating it with surprising ease. They searched the room for the key the demon had promised, but found nothing but another door at the top of a flight of stairs. Expecting it to be locked, they cheered softly when the handle turned, and it clicked open, only to find another rough walled corridor filled with Profane. Fighting their way through, they climbed more stairs and found themselves in a larger cavern. Giant square pillars rose into the darkness above them.
"What is this place?" Fenris mused.
"This is the vault," Varric said scanning the vast space with its columns veined with lyrium. "The dwarves would have brought-" Varric stopped, turning as rocks tumbling together sounded behind him. "This can't be good," he said, watching a huge rock wraith form and tower over them.
"Its larger than the demon," Rory said.
"And infused with red lyrium," Anders said stepping back with Varric to give the fighters room to swing their blades. "It may have magical powers, like some of the other Profane. Be careful."
Taking their now familiar positions, Alun and Fenris attacked the beast's legs, Varric aimed his bolts at the core and head, while Anders alternated his healing and elemental spells. This Profane had more talents than its smaller brethren. In addition to the stone swords extending from each arm, which could spark lightening during a slash, the creature could roll itself into a ball and roll into its adversaries or form itself into a pike and lunge. Fenris and Alistair barely leaped to either side the first time the Profane attacked in this mode. Fortunately, Rory, Alun, and Fenris learned to recognize when it began to change shape and could avoid being rolled over or impaled, but it also limited the damage they could inflict.
Once they thought they had seen all its tricks, it did something new. It disappeared and reappeared across the room, threatening Varric and Anders, who moved to put one of the pillars between them and the Wraith, while the warriors and Rory rushed to the creature's new position. No sooner had they begun to attack again, the creature transported itself to the room's center and began to spin, unleashing a red haze.
Varric and Anders, already behind a pillar, began yelling at the fighters to join them. Fenris, the last to reach the shadow of the pillar blocking the radiating haze, stumbled and leaned against the column, fumbling for his potion belt. Alun held out a vial as Anders cast a healing spell on all of them. Quaffing the potion, Fenris nodded at his fellow warrior. The five companions huddled behind the pillar until the haze faded. Venturing out, they found the Wraith collapsed after its exertions and rushed to attack. As they did, smaller Profane appeared, which Rory and Varric quickly subdued, while Anders froze and Alun and Fenris attacked, hopeful that the creature had exhausted itself. A vain hope, it turned out.
Not only did the Wraith revive, it added new methods of attack, sometimes exploding itself. Falling flat or retreating behind the pillars proved the only defense against the blast of rocks. Pillars also provided a defense against the vortex which pulled all the companions towards the Wraith. Anders and Varric stayed near a pillar as they shot and cast, while Rory, Alun, and Fenris tried to stay aware of the nearest one so they could retreat quickly to relative safety.
Collapsing against the pillar, Alun swore, gulped a healing potion, and peered as far around the pillar as he dared. "Are we even doing any damage to that thing?"
The others looked at each other. Anders and Varric had managed to remain unscathed, but only by repeatedly retreating behind the pillar, which limited the effectiveness of their attacks. Rory's face had blood splashed across it from a slash to her arm. Fenris and Alun had no visible bleeding, but both moved more slowly than usual. Anders' healing and the potions did not fully heal the bruising inflicted by the rock hewn weapons the Wraith wielded.
"It seems not," Fenris finally said. "This radiation seems as strong this time as the last two."
"Maybe it will take it longer to recover," Alun said. His mouth quirked as he thought, you're bright siding.
The others looked at each other, wondering what the normally serious warrior would find amusing in this situation.
"That's an optimistic view, Grey."
"Called bright-siding." Seeing their confusion, he explained. "You know, looking on the bright side."
Varric snorted.
"Strange time to do that," Fenris rumbled.
"No, it's a good time," Rory said. "Makes me feel better anyway." She smiled at Alun.
'Let's pretend I'm right," Alistair said. "It's about to collapse, I think."
They rushed out and attacked the rock pile, trying to inflict as much damage as they could, leaving Anders and Varric to handle the Profane who seemed to appear whenever the giant Wraith completed a radiation attack.
The three blade wielders forced themselves to strengthen their attack as the creature collected itself and tried to rise from the ground. It failed and fell back. As it did, Varric and Anders killed the last Profane. The five of them stood in place for some time before anyone spoke.
"Well, that's another creature I can add to my collection of strange beasts battled," Alun muttered.
"Large collection?" Rory asked.
Alun shook his head. "Too large."
"Rock wraiths are supposed to be dwarven legends," Varric said. "They're not even supposed to be real."
"Maybe you should have told it that and it would have just gone away," Anders said, as Fenris hid his chuckle with a cough.
The five companions left the pile of rocks behind and continued across the cavern.
"Let's hope that key is here somewhere," Alun said, poking among the rocks littering the ground.
They searched the cavern, beginning on the side where they had entered and moving across the space. As they reached the far side, Varric disappeared around a wall. The other four companions followed his voice.
"I suppose it doesn't matter if it's real," Varric said, a smile slowly widening. "Look at what it was guarding,"
"Maker!" Alun said, as Anders dropped to his knees and let gold coins flow through his fingers.
"It's all treasure," Fenris said.
"Lots of treasure," Hawke said, as she smiled too. "Enough to buy back mother's patrimony and keep Bethany safe."
"Let's hope the key is here too," Alun said softly and nodded towards the door which might lead out to the upper roads. "Each of you take a box and start searching."
"While you're searching for that key, gather as many of the best items as you can carry. Let's make this fiasco worth our time," Varric suggested.
"The key," Rory sang, waving a large brass key over her head. "Now to collect what I can carry."
"Don't empty your packs," Alistair cautioned. "We still have to get through the Deep Roads, so we'll need potions and food." He looked at the chests. "If we pay attention as we walk out, maybe leave some marks, we can return. Don't take more than you can carry. It's safer here than dropping it along the way."
"Can we put wheels on some of these chests?" Varric wondered. "Blondie, can you conjure up some wheels and axles?"
Anders laughed. "Sorry, Varric, I'm a mage, not a smith or carter."
"How about a sledge? With five of us, we can take turns pulling it and still stay observant," Rory said, giving Alun a sideways glance.
Alun smiled. "We can try it, Rory, assuming the others agree."
"I might be able to create an icy path," Anders said, rubbing his chin. "It should take much effort and will make sliding the sledge easier."
"So, you can make wheels," Varric chuckled, "or their equivalent."
"Maybe two to pull, two to lead and scout and one to follow?" Alun suggested.
"You expect more dangers in front of us, rather than behind?" Fenris asked and then looked at Anders. "Assuming that Anders leads."
Anders snorted, but, seeing a look from Hawke, refrained from commenting.
Alun regarded the elf for some time before answering. "I do expect trouble ahead. We've killed off all the Profane and Anders senses no darkspawn, but I expect that will change as we climb."
"We need Blondie to make that icy path, so you might as well accept it, Broody," Varric said. "And he's the only warden among us." The dwarf looked at Alun. "Right Grey?"
"Right." Alun knelt to fill the pouch he had created from his spare tunic, ignoring Varric's smirk, while the others worked on creating the improvised sledge. Could be worse. He could have called me Prince. Alun shook his head. At least he hasn't told the others or reported my survival or whereabouts. He frowned. As far as I know.
They packed quickly, improvising the sledge using blades for runners and broken crates and chests for the bed. Smaller chests and pouches held the coins, gems, and even weapons and armor stored in the vault. After ensuring the key worked, they settled down for some food and rest before continuing their journey.
"Are you always this cautious, Grey?" Varric asked as he readied another stew. Alun had insisted he ration the remaining food to make sure they had enough for a week's journey.
"In the Deep Roads, I am," he said. "The Profane aren't edible and I haven't seen a deepstalker, a deep mushroom, or even a spider in days."
"You'd eat a spider," Rory squeaked, as Anders mimed retching.
"I never have, but take out the poison sacs and, yes, if the alternative was dying of hunger."
"He has a point," Fenris said. "Let's ration what we have carefully."
"And keep a careful watch," Rory added. "I don't want any Profane to surprise us!"
"I'll stay with you for the first turn of the glass," Alun said. "You shouldn't watch alone in here."
Gathering outside the door after their rest, they set out on a passage that soon began to climb.
"I'd say this is our way back," Varric said.
"How long to get back?" Rory asked.
"If we're unlucky, maybe a week."
"And if we're lucky?"
"We stumble over Bartrand's corpse on the way."
A/N: Thank you for reading and to those of you who reviewed, favorited or gave kudos. Thanks to my wonderful betas Kira Tamarion and Elyssa Cousland whose efforts make this a better story. Any errors are mine. I hope you continue to read and enjoy.