Neria wasn't kidding about the early start; we were back on the road before sunrise. We stopped just before the village proper, where there was only a cottage or two in the distance.
"We should make camp here, just to be on the safe side," Neria announces. Everyone begins setting up camp, but I'm not sure how to help so I hover near the wagon.
"Tell me, are you planning on leaving one child mage here while you run off to try and save another?" Morrigan asks as she struts past Neria with a pile of branches for the campfire.
Neria frowns. "I can hardly bring Faellathi with us for this, but if you're offering to stay behind with the Feddics, as a trusted friend…?"
"I did not leave the Wilds to play nursemaid, Neria."
"Nor would I ask you to, dear Morrigan."
"I'll stay here, if you like? I don't mind," Leliana offers.
Neria sighs in relief. "Thanks, Leli, I'd appreciate it."
I'm relieved too. Bodahn and Sandal are staying too, but they couldn't really defend themselves if we were attacked. Sten and Barkspawn definitely could defend us, but Sten looks a bit too scowly to make for good company and Barkspawn is too stinky. Leliana, at least, seems friendly as well as tough with her bow, and she smells like flowers.
When Neria and the rest of the group set off towards Redcliffe castle, Leliana pats the bedroll beside her, inviting me to sit down. "You and Neria both have the most gorgeous hair, will you allow me to braid it for you?" she asks.
"Um, ok." I swivel around, and Leliana starts brushing my hair in preparation for braiding. I can't stand the silence.
"So, um, how did you meet Neria?"
"Well, I was in the chantry in Lothering, and…" Leliana begins to explain.
Once Leliana starts chatting, she doesn't stop, I find out. She reminds me of Orla in that way. I wonder if Orla survived yesterday…No, stop. I forbid myself from thinking about the Circle. Anyway, Leliana tells me about how she met Neria, Alistair, Morrigan and Barkspawn in Lothering, how she came to Ferelden from Orlais because a lady that she was very close with tricked her into getting into trouble with the Orlesians. She asked about where Neria and I come from, so I told her about the Alienage in Denerim, and then about day-to-day life in the Circle.
Leliana also told me in more detail about what happened when the group went to the Dalish. She told me about the werewolf curse their Keeper, Zathrian, had created out of revenge, and the beautiful Lady of the Forest, who was also Witherfang, the result of the Lady being bound to a wolf by the Keeper.
They'd convinced Zathrian to end the curse, which resulted in his death, because the curse had kept him alive for centuries, and the Lady also disappeared. The werewolves turned back into shems—sorry, humans (Neria said that we should call them humans), and the Dalish clan's new Keeper, Lanaya, has promised that the Dalish will come to aid in the fight against the Darkspawn when it's time. I asked Leliana when it would be time, and she said as soon as they've gathered all the allies they can, and the archdemon is sighted again.
We eat lunch in silence, and my mind wanders back to the Dalish. Maybe, when the Blight ends, I can join the Dalish? They don't put their mages in Circles, and life travelling in aravels, among forest trees, with the gentle halla by our side… It sounds so much more beautiful and peaceful than a life in the city, being treated like dirt by stupid shems—Sorry, stupid humans. My mother and aunt were Dalish after all, so I'm at the very least part Dalish- surely they'd accept me? Or they'd give me a chance, at least. I make a mental note to ask Neria about this option later.
Sometime in the afternoon, Alistair shows up to let us know that the plan worked: the Arl's son, Connor, is freed from possession. It's already a little late in the day to move on, but we're all welcome to spend the night at Redcliffe's tavern, which also serves as an inn, as thanks for what they've done for Redcliffe. We pass the mages leaving Redcliffe on the road; thanks to quick thinking on my part, I dived into the covered wagon to hide, just in case.
Compared to Denerim, Redcliffe is a mess. There is debris everywhere, and smoke in the air blown back into the area from the boat burials on Lake Calenhad. There's also a distinctive lack of people for a village this size, like everyone suddenly decided to move somewhere else and abandon the village. Then Leliana explains to me where all the monsters had come from, and I look around at the emptied village with a new, sobered perspective.
Everyone must have lost someone. Whole families, even. One demon caused all of this? One mage, too… I hate to admit it, even to myself, but I can see why non-mages are scared of us. Hope's words about making sure my emotions serve only myself echo in my memory. I think I'm starting to understand what she meant; never, ever let a demon convince you they can help, no matter what you're feeling.
Neria and the others arrive at the tavern a few hours later, by which point I'm already in bed. I wake up when Neria, Leliana and Morrigan enter the room, despite their best efforts to tread quietly. "Where are we going next?" I whisper to Neria as she climbs into bed beside me. "Denerim, but we'll stop near Ostagar on the way," she whispers back.
"Why would you go back to Ostagar? I thought it was full of darkspawn?" I question, my whispering volume increasing.
"Shh, it'll be alright, the main horde will have long since moved on. We crossed paths with one of King Cailan's men from the battle. He was attacked by Teryn Loghain's men- we couldn't save him, but he gave us the key to a chest which should still be there, he said it contains proof of Loghain's betrayal. Alistair and I need that proof to clear our names, that way we might be able to convince the Ferelden nobility for fight for us, even if we can't find a cure for Arl Eamon."
"Is there a cure?"
"That's why we're going to Denerim; Bann Teagan's told us where to find a man called Genitivi, supposedly he knows where the Urn of Sacred Ashes is, and the Ashes are our last hope for a cure. Hopefully, it actually exists."
"What's the Urn of Sacred Ashes?"
"Andraste's ashes."
Oh. Wow. The way the chantry speaks of Andraste, it's easy to forget she was a real person, who would have real remains. Wild.
"Go to sleep now, we can talk more in the morning."
"Finally."
"Goodnight to you too, Morrigan."
