Warden Tales Of The Deep Roads
It was still snowing in the morning but it was one of those pretty snows with light flakes slowly drifting down. The staff had wisely left the wagons on the Imperial Highway's elevated road with several rotating guards. So, it was simply a matter of waking and feeding the people and heading out!
Alistair rode next to Elle and they talked about everything but themselves. Varric joined and told his fanciful stories about their adventures. Oghren, Gorim and Odonna rode nearby and listened in.
"You know, I wish I'd befriended a storyteller to follow me around," Odonna said with a laugh.
Gorim firmly shook his head. "Don't look at me! I can't tell a story ... and you know how bad I am, Odonna." He looked at Elle. "Odonna was always the one to update everyone on our progress on this or that."
"Engaging a storyteller was one of my more practical ideas." Elle took a final bite from her egg and bacon sandwich and tossed the rest down to Midnight, who downed it quickly.
"Does the mutt ever get fat?" Oghren asked. "Everyone feeds him constantly."
Elle turned in her saddle at Midnight's bark of indignation and everyone's laughter. "He can understand you, you know." She leaned down and added, "He just doesn't know us yet, my precious boy."
"The only thing we have close to that are nugs. Some of the noble ladies keep 'em on their laps." Oghren shrugged. "Never understood that one."
"I've never heard about nugs. Are they like mabari?" Elle asked.
Gorim, Odonna, Oghren and even Varric laughed harder at that one. Odonna explained, "They are nothing like your brave Midnight. When trouble comes, they will run away at top speed, squealing all the way."
"The most disgusting things about nugs are their hands … yes, I said hands, not paws ... creeeeeeeepy." Varric shuddered.
"There was a nug seller in Dust Town. They look kinda like bunnies, but creepy, like Varric said." Alistair took a swallow from his canteen.
"Dust Town?! What were you doing in Dust Town?" Gorim asked Alistair.
"One of the hoops we had to jump through to get the dwarf army for the Wardens." Alistair had a pretty good frown going. "We had to decimate the Orzammar Carta."
"No kidding?!" Varric asked.
"No kidding," Odonna replied, but she was grinning. "We wiped the floor with 'em, too! All their merc mages … bam! … Alistair hits 'em with his Smite and the rest of us moved in for the kill after they hit the floor. Some duster had already killed Beraht for us. Jarvia was heading up the Carta, hiding behind a wall of traps. When she fell, the rest of them scattered … just like nugs. It was wonderful." She noticed Alistair's glare. "Sorry, Alistair, I know you hated to do that, but it really was a service to Orzammar."
After taking a deep breath, Alistair said, "I didn't feel guilty at all for not telling anyone about all the supplies we filched from their lair. Good thing we took them, too. Little did we realize that assignment was just a warm up."
"Yeah, next that sodding bastard Bhelen sent the wardens into the Deep Roads to find my wife, Paragon Branka," Oghren grumbled. "That's where I joined up."
"You're the husband of a Paragon, Oghren?" Elle asked. "My, but you're full of surprises!" She leaned toward Midnight. "Alas, it seems that we do not know Oghren, either."
"I'm still sorry we had to kill her, Oghren," Odonna said quietly.
"Don't be. She'd gone bleedin' crazy by then. The gettin' there was the hard part." Oghren stretched his back. "This horse ridin' is faster than walkin' but it just makes me hurt in different places." He finished his stretch with a booming belch. Midnight barked and gave Oghren a doggie smile of approval. "Heh, heh, you and I are gonna get along fine, dog."
"Yeah, the Deep Roads is such a lovely vacation spot … let's see … giant spiders, darkspawn of all flavors — ogres, genlocks, hurlocks, emissaries, shrieks, broodmothers, ghouls — and then there's the traps, ancient Paragon golems, insane Paragon females … did I mention giant sodding spiders? And, oh yes, the Archdemon." Alistair just shook his head.
Elle stopped her horse. "You saw the Archdemon?! Down there?" She turned to Odonna and Oghren. "How big are these Deep Roads? Or, am I mistaken that the Archdemon is large?" she asked as she started to walk her horse again.
"No, no ... it was quite large ... and, fortunately, it didn't seem to notice us or care to do anything about it, if it did. There are chasms that are hundreds of feet deep and caverns that are even taller. Most of the formal 'roads' are riddled with cave-ins and crosscuts to get around the cave-ins." Odonna looked at Alistair. "You forgot the mazes, Alistair."
"Right, sorry … without a dwarf with you, you will get hopelessly lost." Alistair looked ahead. "I need to check in with Rance and Anders." After turning toward Elle, he added, "Are you going to want Anders to go with you to Haven?"
"I was hoping you just wouldn't notice, to be honest." Elle sighed. "I would hate to keep him away from Ostagar, but we could definitely use some of his ice spells and healing. I promise I'll try to get us down there as soon as we can. Would you get into trouble if Anders stayed?"
"Heh. Probably. But, I agree that you need him, too. Let me talk to him and see what he wants to do." Alistair nodded and moved up in the line.
Once he was out of earshot, Varric leaned toward Elle. "Sooooo?"
"Soooo? There are usually more words attached to that elongated word, storyteller." Elle replied with a twinkle in her eye.
"It seemed like you two broke the ice last night. Just asking. That's all." Varric shrugged and then grinned.
"Alistair is a fine man, Elle, but I suspect you already know that. I was impressed at how he handled Bhelen. He's a good leader ... when he's forced to be." Odonna smiled.
"He does seem to be a good man, Odonna … and we did break the ice, Varric. Soooo, does that answer your question?" Elle asked.
"It does … for now." Everyone laughed at Varric's eyebrow wiggle.
...
With several camps along the way, the group soon made it to Sulcher's Pass a few days later. Each evening — likely by arrangement of self-appointed matchmakers, Varric and Odonna, Elle and Alistair got a few minutes alone. They were getting to know each other by talking about things in Ferelden, things with the Wardens, things with the Deep Roads, things with the dwarves, things with Ferelden nobles, etc. It was an excellent way to find out feelings and opinions about mutual interests.
Vartag had sent an advance request for the inn there before he returned to Orzammar. It was older than the one at Crossheights, but a lot larger. Since they were so close to the cutoff to Haven, everyone was a little jumpy and paranoid. A good night's rest would be most helpful for overactive nerves.
Alistair walked up with a note ... and something that looked like a rod with a gem on the top. "Duncan has requested that my group continue on to Ostagar with a stop to check in at Honnleath. However, he adds that Anders is free to go with you as long as you get to Ostagar as soon as possible."
"Sounds like the plan we already came up with, then." Elle glanced at the rod.
He held it up. "A merchant overheard that we were going to Honnleath and gave us this ... he called it a golem control rod. Said there was supposed to be a golem in Honnleath. With the Blight and all, he wasn't going to head down there, so he gave it to us. Odonna was quite excited."
Elle laughed. "An army of dwarves and a golem for the Blight? I think Duncan and Loghain will give you a medal, Alistair!" She had just stabled Rebel and was walking out of the barn with her saddlebags. She smiled at Alistair. "I will miss our conversations in the evenings, Alistair."
"I will, too." He smiled. "We have one more night, though."
"We do! How would you feel about talking about ourselves this evening? There are some things that I'd love to know about you and I'm sure there are some curiosities about me that you may want to know." Elle felt her blush rise. Maker! I never blush! she chided herself. Thankfully, it seemed that Alistair just assumed it was the cold.
"All right. I suppose it's only fair … although, I suspect you already know or have guessed much of what I would tell about myself." He frowned. "I haven't had the most interesting of young lives."
"On the contrary, you must have had an extraordinary young life … but, let's eat some dinner, listen to Varric and then take a walk outside later." She looked up at the sky filled with stars and moons. "It will be a bit colder with such a beautiful clear sky."
Alistair laughed. "Yeah, I think I vote for a warmer place. There's an upstairs sitting room." He laughed a bit harder. "Of course, Varric told me about it so he probably has spies already there to listen to us."
She narrowed her eyes. "No doubt, but we can foil them by speaking very quietly." Then, she winked. "Or not!"
Someone hollered Alistair's name and he went off to see about it and Elle went inside the inn. She had a surprise when she stepped inside. "Leliana! What are you doing here?" Elle said as she hugged her friend. Leliana's Chantry armor (not robes) did not escape Elle's notice.
Leliana giggled and returned the hug. "So?"
Elle just shook her head and huffed. "What is it with bards and the word 'so'?!"
Leliana giggled some more. "I saw you speaking with Alistair Theirin … and it looked very friendly."
Elle looked askance. "You already know who he is?!"
"Of course," she replied. "The Chantry knows a lot about a lot. Remember? That's why you tapped into us as a resource."
"I see you brought some Templars and clerics with you. Are you here as Sister Leliana ... or as some representative of a potential Divine-to-be?" Elle asked intently. She had always suspected there was more to this simple Chantry sister.
Her Orlesian friend sighed. "I'm here as a little of both. Dorothea heard that Brother Genitivi was going ahead with his expedition, thanks to you. She wanted someone here who could get a report to her immediately. We have several birds with us to do just that."
"I suppose that does make sense. It would be a monumental discovery for the Chantry." Elle became thoughtful. "You know, there is a decoy Temple."
"We do." Leliana smiled. "You are already thinking what I am thinking. If we do find the real Temple of Sacred Ashes, we will have to decide whether we want to announce it to the public … or use the decoy as the public shrine."
Elle pursed her lips. "Saying out loud made me decide that would be a bad idea, I think. It would be a lie, Leliana … a sin in the Eyes of the Maker."
"I agree, but you and I are not the ones to make that decision." Leliana looked sincerely conflicted.
"No, no, my dear friend, we are the ones to make that decision." She looked around at the soldiers laughing and getting their things to their rooms, at Aggilana and Anders joking around, at Genitivi laughing with Varric. She leaned closer to Leliana and whispered, "You would have to kill all these people, including me, including yourself, if you wish to keep such a holy shrine a secret."
The shocked look on Leliana's face told Elle that she had hit upon one of Leliana's most dire quandaries. "I would never do that!" Her words were not going to admit it, but her face belied the horror at the thought of that potentially necessary situation ... perhaps, a reminder of her early days as a bard? Days that she escaped from by turning to the Chantry? Days she would never wish to return to? All that she did say was, "There are other ways to assure secrecy if it comes to that."
It wasn't an argument that Elle wanted to get into ... or even think about ... at that moment. Only the Maker knew if this place even existed ... and Elle would have to see it herself, first. So, she decided to change the subject. "So, what else do you know about Alistair?"
That brought a smile to her troubled friend's face. Leliana laughed. "No. No. No. You will have to ask him!" Then, she walked off to arrange for her own room.
Elle started to think about what Leliana's true history was but then stopped. She had other priorities for the evening. After dropping her saddlebags off in her room, she and Midnight made their way around the great hall, touching base with everyone there ... before she climbed the stairs to find the sitting room Alistair mentioned.
He beat her there and already had a tray of cheese and toast along with some wine sitting on the table in front of a very comfortable sofa. The sofa was facing a small fireplace with a beautiful hearth. Everything is this inn was full of character and well-tended. Varric was right. It was a nice, private room ... with no listening holes that she could see.
Sooooo ... Elle found herself on the comfortable sofa, sitting next to Alistair, nibbling on toasted bread and slices of cheese. Alistair poured out two glasses of white wine.
"It's Lothering Creamy Nut cheese, I hope it's not too pungent for your tastes." Alistair smiled at Elle's reaction to the pungency.
"Well, it's a bit ripe, I think. The innkeeper must have bought too many wheels and we are suffering his miscalculation." However, she kept eating it, nonetheless.
"Maker, she knows cheeses, too," Alistair mumbled as he put a big piece in his mouth.
"Okay, that one thing about me! Your turn." Elle grinned.
"Hey! The cheese thing is something about both of us! It's your turn." Elle then discovered that Alistair had a mopey doggie look to put on when he wanted his way.
"You look like Midnight," she said as she tossed Midnight a piece of bread with cheese on it.
He looked over the bread he was about to bite into. "Did it work?"
Elle laughed. "All right … coward. Let's see. You know I like to know things. One thing you may have guessed, but I've never mentioned before, is that I actually like the cold weather. The nice snow tonight was …" A very loud boom of thunder interrupted her. "Thunder snow, not so much."
"Okay," he sighed, put down his food and sat back on the sofa. "I assume you know who my father is."
Elle also put down her food and turned to face him. She wasn't expecting the conversation to turn so serious so quickly. "Cailan shared a concern after Duncan told him all about what it took to be a Grey Warden … and why the Grey Wardens were necessary to kill the Archdemon. Cailan said something like, ' … and Alistair, what if …' I had only just met you moments before, so that was curious. Then, I asked Loghain what you were to Cailan and he just made fun of me."
"He made fun of you?" Alistair turned to face Elle. He had a confused look.
In a mocking poor impression of Loghain, she said, "'A secret that you don't know? You must be slipping, madam.'" Then, she added, "But, he didn't confirm or deny anything." She picked up her glass of wine and drank a goodly amount. It was very good wine. "Mmm, this makes up for the crunchy cheese."
Alistair laughed. "So, how did you figure it out?"
She smiled fondly at him. "You smiled. If Cailan hadn't said what he did, I might not have noticed … but I did … Your Highness."
"Maker." He slid down and put his head on the sofa back. "Messed up by smiling."
"Don't be silly. Being a son of Maric is something to be proud of, Alistair. Where have you been hiding all this time?" Elle tried to slip in that question … but it didn't work. Clever man.
"Uh uh … you need to tell me something about you, first." He grinned. Maker, but she was becoming fond of that grin.
Then, she put her head on the sofa back. "All right. You told something serious, so I will, too. I was betrothed to Nathaniel Howe until his father sent him away and turned him into a horrible man." She went on to tell about the incident with Nathaniel and Vaughan Kendells. She was surprised when Alistair reached over and wiped a tear off her cheek. She hadn't even realized she was tearing up.
"I'm sorry, Elle. That must have been horrible." He didn't apologize for asking. He didn't hem and haw. He sympathized.
Elle reached up and took his hand in hers. However, she didn't let him off the hook. "Okay, now where have you been?" she asked with a slightly damp wink.
"Right." He squeezed her hand and let go so he could pace a few steps and stand next to the fire. "I may be the wrong one to ask why, but Maric left me in Redcliffe. My mother was a serving wench there." He shrugged. "Just a man of power forcing his way on a powerless woman. She died when I was born."
Elle frowned. "I met Maric when I was younger and spoke with him a few times ... but my parents fought alongside him during the rebellion. I've also been friends with Anora for a long time. Consequently, I got Loghain to talk about Maric from time to time. In everything I heard … well … that just doesn't sound like something Maric would do, Alistair. Are you certain?"
He shrugged and picked up his wine glass. "That's what Eamon told me."
"And, you believe he's telling the truth?" she asked.
"I had no reason to doubt him, I guess." He leaned against the mantle. "Why? Who do you think my mother is?" He looked so sad, it almost broke Elle's heart.
She sighed. "I'd like to make a new rule to this game we've begun."
He only raised his eyebrows, which she took to mean, go ahead.
"If either of us doesn't want to continue, all we have to do is say, 'Stop'. Does that sound fair?" she asked.
"Yes … but I'd really like to know who you think my mother is." He sat back down and turned toward Elle.
She took a deep breath. "Okay. Your approximate age seems to coincide with a trip that Maric took into the Deep Roads with the Orlesian Grey Wardens about twenty years ago."
"Huh. I am twenty years old. Duncan told me he met Maric on that trip. I never realized it matched my age. I wonder if that was the time." Alistair put his head in his hands. "And, he told me he had something to tell me when I got back to Ostagar. I wonder if it has to do with who my mother is." He looked up with a smile. "If it is, Duncan will love to hear that you figured it out and told me already."
Midnight got up and put his head on Alistair's leg while Elle put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Alistair. That's not an easy thing to hear out of the blue like that."
He skritched Midnight's scruff. "Why would Eamon lie to me?"
"At a guess, to cover for his sister's honor … even though she was dead a number of years, by then." She huffed. "Total honesty … I don't trust Eamon Guerrin. He married an Orlesian tramp, you know. However, seeing how well you turned out, I may need to adjust my feelings about that."
He chuckled and took her hand again. "I say that Eamon raised me, but it was mostly done by the good people of Redcliffe village. The Arlessa kept ranting that she thought I was Eamon's child. I just found it easier to avoid her and spent a lot of time down in the village stables." He lowered his head to speak to Midnight. "I was really raised by mabari."
Midnight's bark confirmed that must be the reason Alistair was such a nice man!
"When I was ten or so, the Arlessa convinced Eamon to send me to the monastery in Bournshire. I was so angry about it most of the time. I'm afraid I didn't have a very nice reputation. Eamon tried to see me a few times, but, in my stubbornness, I didn't want to see him. When I was old enough, I was sent to Denerim for Templar training. That's where I became friends with Frieden. They held a tournament for Duncan when he said he was looking for new Grey Wardens." He grinned. "I didn't even win, but Duncan chose me. I owe him a lot for that." He squeezed her hand. "Okay, tell me about your childhood."
"My childhood couldn't have been more different, Alistair. I was raised with the certainty of knowing my parents and my ancestors." She smiled at him. "My real name is Elethea. I was named after …"
"Elethea Cousland? Wasn't she the first Teyrna of Highever?" Alistair looked smug that he knew that.
Elle was surprised. "She was! Well, the first under your ancestor, Calenhad. We barbarians have a long history, after all." She chuckled. "Do you know a lot about our history?"
"I suppose, if I were to be totally honest with myself, the education I got in the monastery was hugely better than I would have gotten from the mabari in the Redcliffe stables." He laughed as Midnight gave him a sideways glance. "But, I'm sure it wasn't nearly as much fun as the mabari would have made it. Anyway, history was always one of my favorite subjects."
Midnight moofed his agreement and curled up on the floor between Elles's and Alistair's feet. Elle appreciated that her precious furry friend approved of Alistair.
"I look at history as our blueprint of the future … if ignored, dire consequences can happen." She chuckled. "Of course, it was my recent study of Grey Warden history that frustrated Duncan. The reason for the necessity of Grey Wardens is right there! So plain to see. The first Archdemon only died after the Grey Wardens were created and only a Grey Warden has made the killing blow on Archdemons since then."
He got quiet, but then said, "There is another secret you may not have gotten from history." He turned to her. "There are very few Grey Wardens who have had children."
She got quiet. "The taint," she whispered. "Dear Maker, did you want children, Alistair?"
He looked into her eyes longingly and she felt the sadness. "Only recently, Elle."
A rush of emotion overcame Elle and there was no way she could have stopped herself. She put her hands on both sides of Alistair's face and kissed him. He returned the kiss as she slipped her arms around his neck for many fairly passionate minutes. She pulled back first …but only after a very long time … and put her head on his shoulder. "I thought we were just going to be friends," she murmured into the very warm crook of his neck.
That drew out a chuckle as he put his arm around her shoulder. "With the end of the world hanging over us … well, you know … I mean, why wait to say things?" He pulled back a bit and asked, "Have I made you uncomfortable?"
"Maker no! I kissed you, remember?" She smiled up at him. "Did I make you uncomfortable?"
"Heh, no, you just beat me to it, that's all." He pulled away and took both of her hands. "I think I was smitten the very moment I met you in Ostagar, actually."
She squeezed his hands. "One other thing I've learned over my life … which has been a couple years longer than yours, by the way … so, you just kissed an older woman … is that the future is always a mystery. At Soldier's Peak, they are working on refinements to the Joining potion along with other potions for Grey Wardens. One of those might make it easier to have children. It might also make it easier to kill the Archdemon."
He did look guardedly hopeful. "I suppose Anders is working on it now?"
"Maybe." She sighed. "Anders saw an old friend who was recently made Tranquil. Even Anders felt an execution would have been more merciful for his friend. I hope he is able to work through his feelings about that." She sat back and put her head on his shoulder again. "Anders recently recruited Enchanter Niall into the Wardens, who was sent to the Peak to work on things."
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders again, only a bit tighter this time. "What did Anders' friend do?"
"From what little I can get out of people, the apprentice, Jowan, fell in love with a Chantry initiate. She found out that he was on a list to be made Tranquil because there were rumors that he'd been dabbling in blood magic. Ordinarily, I wouldn't just take the word of a Templar … even, Greagoir … but Jowan used blood magic to escape the Tower and almost killed a couple people." She sighed. "He was caught and … here's something curious … Irving said that he couldn't just execute Jowan and, he said, 'Grand Enchanter Fiona has some things in motion, Anders. Good things, I think. And, that's all I can say at this time.' What did that mean? I have no idea."
"Neither do I. I did overhear some of the mages talking at Ostagar. It seems that they're getting restless all over. Have been for years. More and more are trying to escape the Circle ... especially in Kirkwall ... and more and more Templars and Seekers have become intent on seeing that they come back." He held her tighter. "Some said that Fiona has also been traveling around speaking with all the Fraternities. No one knows if she's stirring them up or trying to calm things down." He sighed. "Traveling around and speaking to the Circles is something that a Grand Enchanter does anyway."
A short rap at the door caused the pair to scoot to opposite sides of the sofa as if they were teenagers in a parent's bedroom! Then, they laughed. Elle said, "Come in!"
Gorim opened the door a crack, but didn't look in. "I thought you might like to know that almost everyone else has gone to their rooms, Elle. Since we want to get an early start tomorrow, I thought you'd want to know." She heard him chuckle.
"Maker's Breath! You can look in if you want, Gorim." After Gorim just looked in with a grin and stood in the doorway, she turned to Alistair and winked. "I suppose we need to end our nice evening and get some sleep, Alistair. We both have hard journeys to make tomorrow."
Alistair stood and held down his hand to help Elle stand. She decided not to make a big deal out of it and accepted his offer. "I need to check in with Anders before morning, so … as much as I hate to end our conversation … I thank you, Gorim." He grinned at Elle. "And, don't think that I've forgotten that it's your turn to tell me a new thing about you next time, my lady."
For some reason, Elle really did like Alistair calling her "my lady".
They separated and Elle and Midnight went to their room with two single beds … the room only shared with Aggilana that night. The Templar was already asleep so, Elle quietly undressed and slipped between the sheets while Midnight took up a place in front of the door.
Her last thoughts were jumbled. She felt that she was falling for a man who was riding headlong into the Blighted part of Ferelden. She might never seen him again. A worrisome thought creeped in that she was only looking to replace the hole in her life created by the loss of Nathaniel. She would not wish to hurt Alistair, so she told herself to go slowly to make certain.
Of course, she was riding headlong into a den of crazy cultists who believed in a risen Andraste. Events may cause their relationship to go slowly, regardless.
Ah, the future … how she truly hated not knowing what was to come!
...
AN: Next time, Haven! Thanks for the Story Alert add, benjammindeth!
The Invisible Pretender, since Alistair is in the "Leader" role in this AU, I'm having him grow beyond the follower role. Hope you continue to enjoy it and thanks so much for your kind words! :)
Judy, thanks for your uplifting support! :)
