Chapter 9: Like Children They Played

At the words of the Revered Mother, the templar bashed Gwen in the back of the head. She was out cold; her body limp against the floor. Anyone could have easily mistaken her pale skin and thin figure for a corpse.

The cage was iron and rusted and smelled of rat droppings. It was smaller than a normal cage, more similar to a dog's kennel.

They threw her on top of the dirt and hay in the tiny cage, disregarding her head wound.

There was another cage next to Gwen's. It was taller and its occupant a giant of a man.

Although, it was hard to call him a man at all. He had grey hair, knotted into rows that traveled up his head like snakes. His jaw was hard and square, his eyes small and sharp.

The most striking feature, was that he had two horn-like stumps protruding from his head.

"Maker...oh...what?" Gwen mumbled, finally awaking from her violent slumber.

Gwen's eyes widened in a panicked state at her surroundings.

She flew upward, smacking her head into the metal bars. A red welt formed in the middle of her forehead, and she fell unconscious again.

The next time she awoke it was night; the stars and moon were her only source of light. The spots of unrusted metal twinkled and reflected in that light.

Gwen felt suffocated and trapped, the hay prickled and poked at her. Rashes had formed on the bare parts of her skin.

Gwen sucked in the stale and dirty air, and screamed. She screamed to the moon and the stars. To the Maker and to anyone that was listening.

"Parshara!" a voice yelled at her, booming over her.

Gwen's scream was halted to a stop by the voice, "Who said that? If you're out there, please let me out! I'm not a blood mage! That stupid fetcher lied to you!"

"I cannot let you go," the deep voice answered back.

"Please, I can't be here. I can't die! I have to...I have to leave." Gwen pleaded.

She looked around searching for the face of the voice, but the darkness consumed all.

"What's your name, Ser?" Gwen asked, hoping the person would not leave her.

"I am Sten of the Beresaad. They said you're a blood mage," Sten said.

Gwen wondered what the Beresaad was but felt the need to defend herself first, "I'm not a blood mage, I've been falsely accused!"

"That's what a blood mage would say," Sten replied stoically.

Gwen was frustrated, "I'm not a blood mage! Just...let me out of this cage please!"

"I cannot," he said again.

"Why?!" Gwen raised her voice, irritated.

"I am locked within this cage, and await my death."

"Cage? You're in a cage as well?" Gwen said angrily. Why didn't he say that earlier? Making me plead like a dog.

Gwen realised she was on all fours, leaning her face towards the icy bars, as though they would somehow disappear.

Suddenly disgusted with herself she laid down, exhausted from her yelling.

No one was coming to save her. No one.

IXI

Clink clink clink… a light tapping of metal against metal gently stirred Gwen awake.

"Psst, hey!" a voice hissed in the night, "Wake up, wake up."

The rusted metal creaked and groaned in resistance. A small yet calloused hand cupped Gwen's shoulder and shook her.

Gwen gasped awake, her eyes wide open.

"You're...the Sister from before." Gwen raised her hand and pointed at her, disbelieving.

The woman placed a finger over both their lips, gesturing to be quiet.

Behind her, a cough erupted the still night.

The Sister seemed surprised, but not panicked. She looked annoyed in fact.

"Sorry!" A familiar male voice whisper yelled.

"Be quiet!" Another familiar feminine voice whispered back.

"Why are we sneaking around in the night like thieves? I have not heard of Grey Wardens who sneak and hide," it was the voice of the man in the cage: Sten. He made no effort to conceal his loud and booming voice.

"We're trying to free a Grey Warden Sten. We're not stealing anything, just keep look out." Solona said authoritatively.

"Rrouf!" a mambari barked in agreement.

"You are all fools. All of you," a feminine voice arose.

"Ugh," the Sister groaned, "So much for being quiet."

The Sister pulled Gwen out of the cage. For the first time since The sun had set Gwen took in a breath of fresh air. Her lungs filled with cold and crisp air.

To Gwen's surprise, Morrigan of all people was standing with them. Looking very irritated at that.

Suddenly, the dog started to growl and Sten called out into the darkness, "Reveal yourself and you will be killed."

"Don't you mean or?" Alistair asked.

"No." Sten said simply.

"Scary," Alistair said, intimidated from Sten's cold warrior gaze.

"You can come out. We won't harm you unless you attack us!" exclaimed Solona.

A man in a dark green hood stepped forward, he raised his hands ominously. Every one became tense.

His hands went to his hood. It fell to his shoulders and revealed a young man with dirty blond hair and thick eyebrows.

"Leith!" Gwen shouted, surprised at the relieved sound in her voice. She was on her feet now, although no movement had been taken.

"You know him?" the Sister asked, wary of the man.

"Yes, well, no not really." Gwen thought about it. In reality they had only known each other for a few days.

"Not really?" Solona looked back to Leith.

"He's not going to attack us." Gwen hoped she had calmed Solona's suspicions.

The tension died down.

Leith walked over to Gwen, everyone stared at him as he passed. He had a half crooked grin when he said, "What'd you do this time?"

Gwen smiled, actually smiled, "Oh you know, just taking a nap."

"Hey, I won't judge you on where you decide to nap. But next time, you should let me know where." Leith's expression changed.

Gwen's brief moment of being light hearted had passed. Her smile was gone, just as it had came, "You shouldn't care. You barely even know me. And, why are you even out here?" She looked out at everyone, who was intently watching their exchange, "What are any of you doing here? I thought you were dead! And how did he," she pointed to Sten, "get out of his cage?"

A sudden burst of light and noise came from a nearby farm house.

"We need to leave now," Solona ordered everyone. Gwen refused to move, "Now!" Solona shouted at her angrily.

Gwen hated the fact that Solona was right, but then wasn't the time to have an argument.

She grabbed Leith's arm and ran.

Not too far out of town they encountered a small group of darkspawn attacking a dwarven caravan.

They dispatched them quickly but didn't stop to talk to the dwarves.

After they had ran a good mile away from Lothering, they stopped to rest.

Gwen wanted her answers.

"Solona." Gwen approached her.

She sighed, Gwen didn't have to ask, "I was hoping I could actually rest, but it seems you're persistent."

Gwen took offense at her comment, but instead of creating more conflict she said nothing.

"We arrived in Lothering yesterday afternoon. There was a commotion about something over by the Chantry, but we went to the tavern instead of investigating. That was my mistake I'm sorry. We might have prevented you getting locked up," Solona explained.

"But, how are you alive? Everyone at Ostagar...I saw them die."

"That's...a long story. The tower had been taken over by darkspawn, we fought our way to the top and lit the beacon. But...We were overtaken by the darkspawn. I also thought we were going to die but...You remember Flemeth? She saved us. The next thing Alistair and I knew, we were back in Flemeth's hut. She sent Morrigan to come with us... We have the treaties now. We can stop the Blight. All it requires is gathering an army."

"Only an army? Pfft, at least it's not ancient golems hidden beneath the Deep Roads or something," Leith chimed in. He had been listening to their conversation.

Gwen glared at him for interrupting and eavesdropping. She turned back to Solona, "And what happened while you were in Lothering? How did you know I was there?"

"We were attacked in the tavern. That's when we met Leliana."

"Who?" Gwen asked.

"The Sister." Solona pointed to the red head.

"Her? And she's the one that told you about me?" Gwen remembered her at the merchant's caravan.

"We asked about what had happened earlier. She told us about you, and Alistair recognized your description. We went over by the cages, but you were asleep. Sten told us you had hit your head. Good job by the way," She said sarcastically and smirked.

"You try being locked in a cage too small! And about Sten, was it you that unlocked his cage?" Gwen asked.

"We got permission from the Revered Mother. Although when we brought up the topic of releasing you they were outraged," Solona's mambari had been resting at her feet, sleeping cozily.

"Because they thought I was a blood mage," Gwen grimaced. She forgot how zealous Templars could be. I shouldn't have taken out my dagger, stupid stupid…

"Exactly. But we couldn't leave a Grey Warden to die. There's only the three of us left in Ferelden. We...can't afford to die," the mambari perked it's head up at the mention of it's owner's death.

"Don't worry Chip, I'm not going to die. Not if I can help it," she patted the dog and scratched behind his ears.

"Chip?" Gwen asked, thinking the name was a bit ridiculous.

"Yes," Solona became defensive, "His name is Chip because that's what I chose. And he likes it too, isn't that right Chip?"

The dog barked in agreement.

Gwen fought the urge to roll her eyes, it was obvious that Solona was a dog person. Not that she hated dogs, but she wasn't fond of animals in general, considering she had killed so many.

"Hey," Leith drew Gwen's attention, "Could I talk to you privately?"

Gwen raised an eyebrow but followed him away from the camp nonetheless.

"You're not going to brutally murder me and run away with all my stuff are you?" Gwen said jokingly.

Leith didn't laugh, "I'd never do something like that."

"What? Leith I wasn't serious. I know you wouldn't. And even if you tried you wouldn't win," Gwen believed herself to be more skilled in combat than him.

"Oh really?" he smirked. He drew his weapons.

Gwen furrowed her eyebrows, "What are you doing?"

Then he dropped them to the ground and tackled her.

"What in the-" Gwen managed to say before the wind was knocked out of her.

They tumbled through the leaves and dirt, messing up and pulling at each other's hair.

They punched and kicked at each other, avoiding the face, until they were both tired and exhausted.

They had bruises covering them, and leaves stuck in their tangled hair.

Gwen plucked one out of her hair and threw it at Leith, "Look at this!"

He laughed and grabbed a fist full of leaves from the ground and smothered it in her head.

"Oh! I hate you!" Gwen shouted, throwing leaves back at him, and their little fight resumed.

"I yield! I yield!" Leith surrendered. Gwen had him pinned against tree with a hand full of leaves just calling to be smashed into his face.

For a moment Gwen considered ignoring his surrender, the taste of true victory was close.

Their eyes met and he could see straight through her. He realised that she wanted to hurt him, even if it was a game. He shook his head almost invisibly, as to say don't.

Gwen was frozen for a second in time. Listening to the voices in her head that said to do it, that violence was worth the rush. But looking into Leith's brown eyes, he disarmed her. She had no reason to hurt him.

She disengaged, letting the crunchy brown leaves float to the ground.

She turned away from him, not wanting to see his reaction, "What did you want to talk about in the first place?"

"You're a Grey Warden," he said bluntly.

She turned around to face him. He was leaning against the tree with his arms crossed. Where was this coming from? Did he have a problem with Grey Wardens? "I am."

"So you're going to stop the Blight with those other people. Risking your lives in the name of honor and justice," he said.

"That's a bit glorified. But yes, that's what I'm meant to do," she said.

"Meant to do? To possibly die for a cause I'm pretty sure you don't care for?" He looked up at her questioningly.

"You don't know what I care about, so don't pretend to," she crossed her arms.

"Why are you here? Those people," he pointed outwards, "Do they care about you?"

"What are you talking about?" Gwen's voice and temper rose, her face turning red.

"I don't even know your name!" Leith shouted at her.

Gwen's expression turned blank for a moment, realising she had never heard him say her name.

"It's Gwen…" she mumbled, looking to the ground.

"Gwen," Leith exhaled softly.

"I wondered why you were gone such a long time. I thought maybe you left Lothering… when I went to the Chantry I heard about a girl, a blood mage, being put up in the cages. A small part of me hoped it was you, and I felt bad for hoping it was you, but I didn't want to believe you left." He was standing straight in front of her, concern in his features, "I saw you… passed out or dead I didn't know...in that tiny cage in the dirt. And I was angry. I was angry that I wasn't there with you. Don't you see now?"

Gwen held her breath, confused at the feelings rushing through her brain. She nodded. He didn't want her to die, because he cared about her. He would blame himself if she died. Gwen couldn't comprehend why he would care about an ugly and hostile woman, without even knowing her name. But he did.

He took a deep breath, preparing himself, and broke the silence, "So you're going with them then? There's no changing your mind?"

"I have to," It's what the Maker wants. She finished in her head.

"I promised you I'd follow you to the ends of Thedas."

"Leith...you don't have to. You can leave." Gwen started. She didn't want to let him get attached to her.

"No. I won't leave. It's not like I have anywhere to go anyway," he smiled that half crooked smile that Gwen was becoming used to, "Staying with you sounds good."