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Chapter 11: Orzammar and the Dalish

Malcolm sat there on watch with Leliana, who threw the occasional glance at Shale. This has been the tenth glance from her. He leaned closer to her. "Leli, you're staring again. What is wrong?"

Without taking her eyes off Shale, she said, "I feel like there is more to him, or her, or… it."

He looks at Shale, who is throwing rocks at birds. "I understand. I don't know what I expected from a golem. Go to bed. I'm going to find out more about him."

As he started to get up, Leliana gently grabbed his hand and said, "Just be careful. I would hate to find out that you have been turned into a paste for saying the wrong thing."

He smiled as he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "Don't worry. If anyone were to turn me into a paste, it would be you if I screw up." She smiles as he helps her up. As she went to their tent, Malcolm walked up to Shale, who has stopped throwing rocks and sighs. "Shale?"

The golem turns and says, "Ah, it approaches."

"I would have expected golems to be… different."

"Different? Different than what? Different than a statue? Different from a log? Should I talk in a monotone voice? 'Yes, master. I exist to serve the master. I shall kill for the master and only for the master!' Perhaps it expected me to have a booming voice? Recite limericks? I can recite limericks, if it likes."

Malcolm smirks. "See, that is what I'm talking about."

"I have not met another golem, so I have no idea what golems are like. Why? Did it encounter other golems?"

Malcolm was about to say something then said, "No. No I did not. But you just seem very… animated."

"I don't know what other golems might be like, but I am already superior by virtue of my free will. This is a good thing."

Malcolm nods. "It's an experience, I'll give you that."

"Imagine the benefits! No need to eat or sleep or perform other… functions. Walk underwater, crush the heads of every opponent! The possibilities are limitless! Barring the occasional thirty years or so of paralysis, there's little to compare. Now stop talking so much. The wagging of its moist little tongue is distracting." And Shale walked off.

Malcolm walked to the tent that he shares with Leliana and walked through the flaps. He sees that Leliana is sleeping and quietly strips his armor off. After that happens, he lays besides her and tries to go to sleep but Leliana says, as he wraps his arms around her, "Hmm. It seems like you said the right things."

He gives a small chuckle as he says, "So far anyway. There is still time to become a paste."

A few days later

Malcolm pulled his sword out of the last bounty hunter and saw a foot sticking out from a rock. They had barely made it to the Frostback Mountain Pass and a group of bounty hunters had ambushed them. He looked at the group then pressed on. They walked up the slope and saw a small trading community in front of the mountain face, which has giant metal doors in it. They walked up to the doors, in front of which had a group of three humans arguing with a dwarf. "Veata!" the dwarf said, almost yelling. "This land is held in trust for the sovereign dwarven kings. I cannot allow entry at this time."

The lead human replies, "King Loghain demands the allegiance of the deshyr or lords or whatever you call them in your Assembly! I am his appointed messenger."

"I don't care if you're king's wiper, Orzammar will have none but its own until our throne is settled," the dwarf says as Malcolm and group walks up.

Malcolm, with respect, says, "I request permission to speak to your king."

The messenger said, "Who doesn't? If I can't get in, no one should."

The dwarf looks at Malcolm, "Orzammar has no king. Endrin Aeducan returned to the Stone not three weeks ago. The Assembly has gone through a dozen votes without agreeing on a successor. If it is not settled soon, we risk civil war."

Malcolm says, "A Blight is coming. They must unite for Ferelden."

The leader of the humans speaks up, "Wait, who are you to speak for Ferelden? You're no messenger to Loghain, that's for certain."

The dwarf adds, "Thank the ancestors."

Malcolm continues, "I am a Grey Warden, and we need our traditional dwarven allies," as he gives the dwarf the treaties.

As the dwarf took the papers, the human speaks up, "The Wardens killed King Cailan and nearly doomed Ferelden! They're sworn enemies of King Loghain!"

The dwarf looked over the dwarven treaty and said, "Well, that is the royal seal. That means only the Assembly is authorized to address it. Grey Warden, you may pass."

Then the human wined, "You're letting in a traitor? And a foreigner? In the name of King Loghain I demand that you execute this," he points at Malcolm, "stain on the honor of Ferelden!"

Malcolm looks at the winy bastard. "Run back to your false king. The dwarves will not hear him ever."

"You... You'll hear of this. King Loghain will see you quartered," he wined for the last time as he walked away.

The dwarf looked at Malcolm. "You've done me a service. That fool Imrek was barking for a week. Are all humans so touched?" He continues as the two dwarves behind him opens the giant doors, "You are free to enter Orzammar, Grey Warden, though I don't know what help you will find."

Malcolm walked through the doors and entered a hall that was grand and had statues of dwarves, and he thought that they must be revered highly. The group walks past the statues and to the next set of doors and walked into the main halls of the last occupied dwarven stronghold. A dwarven guard said to the group, "Welcome to main hall of Orzammar!"

As they walked forward, they didn't have long to admire the hall, as they noticed a group gathering up ahead of them. One of the dwarves says, "It is the Assembly who makes a king, and a king who nominates his successor. None of it is carried in the blood."

A different dwarf from the other group replies, "Or, as now, when someone tries using the Assembly to pull a coup. Who's to say what my father said in his final hours when the usurper Harrowmont was the only one by his side?"

The first dwarf said, "I'll have you thrown in prison."

"You've bitten off more than you can chew!"

Then a guard walked up and said, "Handlers! Separate these deshyrs in the Diamond Quarter! I will not have Bhelen incite a riot!"

Then a fourth dwarf draws his ax and approaches the guard while saying, "You'll not speak that way about the man who should be king!" And before anyone could do anything, the dwarf imbeds the ax into the guard's neck. The first group runs away while the other walks away and Malcolm looks at his group.

Meanwhile. Halia walks forward as three Dalish elves walk out of the bushes and the leader walks up to Halia. "Andaran atish'an, my friend. You have come a long way. I give you the welcome of our clan." She looks at the group. "These are curios companions you have. Might I ask the purpose of your visit?"

Halia replies with, "I have come on behalf of the Grey Wardens, sister."

The elf looks surprised. "The Grey Wardens? You… have joined their ranks? How unusual! Excuse my surprise… I will take you to the keeper right away." As she walks away, the group follows.

The group get led to the keeper, who says, "Hmm. I see we have a guest… one of our own, no less."

The hunter says to the keeper, "This one is from one of our sister clans to the north, Keeper, but claims to have come on behalf of the Grey Wardens."

The keeper looks at Halia with surprise. "The Grey Wardens? How unusual that one of our own should join their ranks. How did such a thing occur?"

Halia could feel that she was starting to cry. She forced the emotions down, so she could speak. "It's a… long story. Perhaps later?" 'Or never,' she thought.

"Very well." He looks at the hunter. "Ma serannas, Mithal, you may return to your post."

She bows her head. "Ma nuvenin, Keeper." She walks away.

The Keeper looks at Halia, "Now, perhaps we might introduce ourselves. I am Zathrian, keeper and hahren of this clan. You are?"

Halia gives a small bow, "My name is Halia, a pleasure to meet you."

Zathrian returns the bow. "If you came to bring news of the Blight in the south, it is not needed. I had already sensed the corruption. I would have taken the clan north by now, had we the ability to move. Sadly, as you can see, we do not."

Alistair pipes a comment, "Yes, it seems like you have had your own troubles. What are the odds?"

Zathrian looks at Halia and continues, "Do not allow our troubles to burden you, thought I suspect they may impact your mission. I imagine you are here regarding the treaty we signed centuries ago. Unfortunately, we may not be able to live up to the promise we made. This will require some… explanation. Please follow me." The group follows him to an area full of cots with wounded elves. "The clan came to the Brecilian Forest one month ago, as is our custom when we enter this part of Ferelden. We are always wary of the dangers in the forest, but we did not expect the werewolves would be lying in wait for us. They… ambushed us, and though we drove the beasts back, much damage was done. Many of our warriors lie dying as we speak. Even with all our magic and healing skill, we will eventually be forced to slay our brethren to prevent them from becoming beasts. The Blight's evil must be stopped, but we are in no position to help you. I am truly sorry."

Halia asked him, "Is there no way to help them?"

"The affliction is a curse that runs rampant in their blood, bringing great agony and then ultimately either death or a transformation into something monstrous. The only thing that could help them must come from the source of the curse itself, and that… that would be no trivial task to retrieve."

"You're talking about a werewolf."

"No. But it is the one who made these werewolves come to be. Within the Brecilian Forest dwells a great wolf-we call him Witherfang. It was within him that the curse originated, and through his blood that it has been spread. If he is killed and his heart brought to me, perhaps I could destroy the curse, but this task has proven too dangerous for us." He starts walking away and the group follows. "I sent some hunters into the forest a week ago, but they have not returned. I cannot risk any more of my clan." They stop in front of one of the landships.

"I'll find this Witherfang for you."

"I must warn you that more than werewolves lurk in the forest. It has a history full of carnage and murder, you see. Where there is so much death, the Veil separating the spirit realm from our own becomes thin, allowing spirits to possess things living or dead. But if you can indeed help… then I wish you luck."

"We should go."

"Of course. Head to the center of the woods to begin your search."

Hey guys. Sorry it's been so long since the last update of this story. Honestly, I think I might skip over most of the dwarven and elvish story, as it would just carry on and would get boring and only show the important parts, ie, talking to Cariden and the Lady and such.