The Daughter of Tethras

Disclaimer: Don't own Dragon Age

A/N:

Chapter 27 (Escaping the Wastes)

Bianca looked back at Lantos with a vicious sneer, growling while sidestepping to the right. "What do you want?" She held the shoddy Venatori sword with its tip still pointed at the man. "What are you doing here? How did you find me, why did you find me?" Lantos rolled his eyes and flicked his fingers out one at a time until he reached four.

"Let's see…" She held her breath as his eyes sharpened like that of a dragon. Though she didn't trust him, she couldn't detect the usual look of violence his eyes harbored moments before he would attack. "I would like to get you out of this damned place." He rolled his head to the right and brought down his forefinger. "I'm trying to help you. I followed that your cracked out mother, and finally to get you out of this desert."

She pushed the blade forward. "I don't believe you." Right now all she could think about was each time she let this man abuse her, and how dangerous he could be. Lantos shrugged and looked into the distance. "When I started dating you, I might have believed you then. I was naïve, I was younger and weaker. So forgive me if I don't believe you now."

"Of course you don't." He crossed his arms and closed his eyes as the dragon's roar echoed once more in the air. Lantos breathed out slowly and raised his eyebrows. "That doesn't matter. You want to live, to see your old man again for whatever reason, and you have no armor." She looked down at her clothes with a soft groan and took a step back.

Lantos opened his eyes he pointed to the sword in her hand. "That shitty sword you lifted off the Venatori is only going to get you so far. Not to mention, you saw how out of his mind that mage was…and you thought the Carta clan was bad?" Bitterness stung her chest and she visibly cringed. "Sorry."

She looked at the mage and her body's shivering increased. "You want me dead," she whispered. Her eyes flew up to Lantos and he dusted off his armor with an expression of nonchalance. "Or you want me to yourself?" Lantos raised his head and stared off at the sky with a heavy sigh. "What do you expect to gain by getting me out of this place?"

"Well let's see. You're the one shot Thedas has at not sinking into the ocean as far as I know." The man shrugged again and huffed. "An army of demons puts a serious damper on some of my life goals."

"I don't believe you." Lantos's right eyebrow rose and he cast a skeptical eye upon her. She thought for a moment and listened to the wind hissing in her ears. "Okay, so maybe dying would cancel your plans, but why should I care what you have planned? You were going to kill Dasher!"

"Was." Lantos raised his shoulders and dropped his arms. "I'm not asking you to believe me." He took a step forward and his sharp eyes burned into her retinas. She flinched and pushed the blade forward once more. "I'm telling you that if you want to live, you'd better follow me." Lantos placed his right index finger on the tip of the sword and gently pushed it down. "Now what's it going to be? I'm fairly certain you were never stupid…"

"Go to hell."

"Bianca."

Her voice rose with anger. "You've done so much to hurt me in the past, why should I ever believe you're not going to do the same to me right now?" She could feel the lightness of the sword, so Lantos was right in that it was a shitty blade. "I have a crappy blade, I have no armor, how am I to believe you wouldn't take advantage?"

"No you're right." He turned his back to her and walked forward, waving his hand in the air. "You have absolutely no reason to believe I wouldn't try to hurt you right now." She started to lower the sword, tensing when Lantos peered with a sideways glance over his shoulder. "I do not care about you and want little else to do with you."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. His words didn't hurt her as much as they may have before, which was a surprise. She did detect sarcasm in his voice, so that was more startling than anything else. "You really know how to make a girl feel good about herself, Lantos."

"Well, I am saying what you want to hear from me, correct?" Lantos turned and brought his hands to his chest. "I saw your mother attack you, she came in the direction of the Hissing Wastes, so I came looking." Her blood ran cold and she glanced suddenly over her shoulder.

"The Hissing Wastes?" Lantos nodded. She'd heard fleeting mentions of the location, and she despised it with every fiber of her being. That her mother would abandon her here spoke volumes of just how much Davri hated her. "Okay…" Her heartbeat steadied itself and she lowered her voice back to a whisper. "This is the Hissing Wastes?"

Lantos paced to the right, his narrow eyes searched the sea of sand and his mouth slid into a thin line. "It's a dark and deadly place. You can try to make it out alive in your current state, but I can almost guarantee you, you won't survive."

He raised an eyebrow and started walking off. "Really believe me or not, it's up to you. You can follow one guy you really don't like or be used and killed by the Venatori, Red Templars, and whatever else is in this hellhole. Up to you."

She lowered the blade further and ground her teeth together. "You're an asshole, Lantos." Lantos raised his right hand and curled all fingers but his index.

"I may be an asshole, Bianca, but I'm a right asshole." He looked over his shoulder with a smirk. "And you know it. I'm the only chance of you getting out of this desert alive." She truly had no choice, and as much as she was disgusted by his mere presence, she had to follow him.

Bianca grunted her displeasure and followed after him. At least she could go until she was able to obtain some decent weaponry or even armor that would fit her. Despite the fact that the Venatori didn't appear to have any dwarves with them. "Just stay at least five feet away from me at all times." He laughed and shook his head.

"Even from six feet, I could still reach you if I really wanted to." A shiver ran down her spine and she tightened her grip on the sword's hilt.

"I'm serious, Lantos!"

The man replied with a grunt and his eyelids fell halfway. "I know you are." She ran her hand through her hair, sweeping it behind her left shoulder with a confident huff.

Suddenly Lantos leapt behind a rock and motioned at her, catching her off guard. "Get down!" He hissed and motioned again. Bianca glanced in front of them and saw a mass of Venatori studying what appeared to be an old Dwarven ruin. Her eyes shot open and she jumped behind a rock next to Lantos.

"What are they doing out here?" She whispered. Lantos raised his head above the rock and furrowed his brow.

"What? The Venatori or the ruins?" She didn't care about the ruins, although it was a curious sight to see them above ground. At the same time, considering Solas's tale about the two factions of ancient humans that split up, it was possible the short humans also known as ancient dwarves were responsible for these.

"The Venatori, damn it."

Lantos hummed thoughtfully and slid his hand down his beard. "Looks like they're investigating the ruins. There's too many of them. We'll want to avoid a fight." Bianca agreed to his terms, not wanting to fight any further enemies. "By the way, no one knows where your mother took off to."

"What do I care?" She felt alone enough, and now didn't seem the right time to discuss the fact that nobody knew where she was except Lantos. "We're in the middle of a Venatori camp in the middle of nowhere, and I'm forced to follow you out of here. The last thing I want to hear is how nobody knows where I am."

"Thought you'd be interested." He sat with his back against the wall and crossed his arms. "And you don't have to follow me."

"We've been through this already…"

He shrugged and turned his head, glancing sideways at the Venatori campground. "Your father's out looking everywhere, and teams have been dispatched to almost every place you've visited."

Nausea swirled about violently in her stomach and she began to seethe while turning her glare upon him. "I wish you wouldn't spy on us. Is that too much to ask?" Sure it was too much to ask of him, but while they were here, he needed to know how much it annoyed her that he continued to spy on everyone.

Lantos snickered and shut his eyes. "Honestly? You're asking me? Don't flatter yourself Bianca, I've given up that pursuit if I'm honest." She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow. She was skeptical and unsure of what he meant, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to press for more information. "I don't spy on you." He dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "Not half as much as that deranged mother of yours.

There was venom when he spoke of Davri. Bianca leaned towards him and her forehead tensed as a great deal of suspicion arose in her. Though, she was more concerned with why he knew so much about what was going on in Skyhold and less with why he sounded like he disliked her mother. "Then what are you doing? How are you getting in and how do you know what's going on?"

Lantos paused and slowly rubbed his neck. He peered to the south and pulled his hand away while heaving forth a heavy sigh. "Because I date one of your scouts." She hesitated briefly, but when he mentioned Scout Harding, she had to keep from screaming at the top of her lungs.

"What?" She clenched her fists and her glare grew colder as she contemplated gutting Lantos on the spot. "What do you mean you're with Scout Harding? You'd better not hurt her." Lantos waved his hand in the air.

"I wouldn't. She wouldn't let me anyway if I tried, she's tough." She did have questions about this, but now wasn't the appropriate time to ask. "I care about her. I'll tell you that much." He had to know she wouldn't believe those words, not now.

It was beginning to make sense, however. The way Harding was acting whenever they talked about the guys they were interested in, and the letter from Lantos that mentioned his dating someone, and now all of a sudden there was today. "When you told that mage back there that your girlfriend wouldn't be happy if you let me die…" Lantos nodded slowly and Bianca visibly cringed. "How could I miss that?"

"I was talking about Harding."

Her chest tightened and bile stung her stomach and throat. "Goddamn it." She wasn't sure how to respond to the news. Part of her was angry at Harding for not telling her, part of her wanted to demand that Lantos stay as far away from Harding as possible, while another part of her wanted to believe that Lantos could ever possibly change.

Lantos leaned around the rock and extended his arm, pointing to the south. "Let's keep moving while they're distracted. I told Harding where I was, so she should actually be setting up camp." He leaned back against the rock and shut his eyes. "We came together initially but someone else saw us chasing after your mother and he came running too. She stayed behind to help him make some quick weapons in case they were needed."

"Who?"

"This really annoying as hell guy that Harding says you've been talking to quite a bit." Bianca leaned her head back slowly, trying to think of who it could be. When she thought about Sandal, her eyes lit up with delight.

"Sandal? Is Sandal with you guys?"

Lantos rolled his eyes and started to stand. "Yeah. That guy." Lantos huffed and started off. Bianca followed in quick pursuit. "I don't know what you see in him. He's no fighter, that's for sure, he's just a damned shoe merchant."

"Well maybe I don't need a fighter to meet my needs." She paused for a second to contemplate what 'needs' she was referring to. "I um, I mean to say we're not together or anything…"

Lantos rolled his eyes and responded with an annoyed grunt. "Let's just keep moving." He bolted forward and Bianca followed after until they reached a shadowy area to hide in.

"What's your problem with Sandal now?"

"Other than he's a shoe merchant with a name that is suggestive of footwear? Maybe the fact that he thinks he's 'enchanting'." Lantos narrowed his eyes and huffed. "Or perhaps the fact that he doesn't fight, but can kill things with puny, pathetic rocks."

Bianca smirked and her eyelids fell halfway. "He's a good man. Jealous?" Lantos raised his eyebrows and threw his head back with a laugh.

"Of what? Him? Please." He leaned against a tree and looked past it, narrowing his eyes at the Venatori soldier taking a leak in the sand. "At least I don't need to flirt constantly."

"What do you mean?"

"Are you entirely oblivious to the fact that the shoe merchant is flirting with you every time you two talk? I can't hear enough about it from Harding." Bianca narrowed her eyes and the corner of her mouth slid back into her cheek as she watched Lantos leave the hiding spot.

He approached the Venatori soldier stealthfully and Bianca listened as the only sound in the air was the soldier whistling while taking a leak. "Sorry to disturb you," she heard Lantos say. Her eyes widened as the man started to turn his head, then jerked as Lantos shoved a dagger into the back of his neck.

When Lantos returned, he looked her in the eyes and hesitated when she squinted. "What's the problem now?"

"The guy wasn't doing anything, we could have just gone past him."

"And risk getting caught? I don't think so." She started to protest, but he spoke above her, causing her to keep quiet. "Listen. If we're spotted by a soldier and we let them pass, they can go back to camp and have every damn Venatori in this desert looking for us. It's a chance we can't take."

"He might not have even spotted us!"

"You don't know that."

"Yeah well you don't know if he would have seen us."

"Hey." Lantos raised his hand, holding his dagger horizontally in the air. "Which of us has the weapon and armor right now? Huh? If you want to fight a bunch of Venatori soldiers in your current state, be my guest, but I think you should be more concerned about surviving this desert."

She clenched her teeth and sucked in the heated air through the slits between them. "Lead on then, oh fearless leader." Lantos huffed and started walking, muttering something under his breath.

It was unlike him not to fight if she did respond with a snide remark, but as surprised as she was, she still wasn't letting her guard down around him.

He rounded the corner of a large wall and she started to follow, stopping when she heard him shout. The panic in his voice paralyzed her, and she watched as he came flying back into view. "Lantos!" He put his right hand on his left side and sucked in deep as she ran up to him.

"Careful." She looked over and saw a rift with a giant Pride demon staring them down. Her blood ran cold and her eyes darted to the flimsy broadsword in her hand. "Bianca. Just so you know, Scout Harding will kill me if you die."

"Yeah?" The ground shook as the demon took a step towards her. She could feel her pulse vibrating through her body and terror constricted her throat, keeping her breathing shallow and nervous. "I think she's the last thing you'll have to worry about if this thing kills us. Are you hurt?"

"A bit, but I'll be fine." Lantos stood and grunted as he stumbled to the side. When she looked, she saw a single slice in his armor. There was some blood present, but not enough to gauge damage. "Shit." His face tensed with pain and he placed his hand firmly against the wound. "You're probably enjoying this right now…"

"If I were in a good state, I'd care less, but…" The demon took another step and raised its hands. Energy pulsed between its claws, and the creature's roar echoed in the air. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but you being alive is probably a benefit to us both."

She raised her blade and watched as two more demons came from the rift. One was a Shade while another was a large Terror demon. "Oh shit." The terror demon rushed her and raised its thin, slimy arm into the air. Thinking fast she grabbed the hilt of her blade and raised the sword diagonally in front of her, blocking the creature's downward slash.

Bianca countered with a shout and slashed the creature with the blade, watching as it dug deep into the demon's side. "It's not a good sword, but it's still of use."

Lantos staggered towards the demon and reached for his dagger. "Just don't get hit," he stated, "You have no armor. Those claws can tear you apart in one swipe."

"You think I don't know that?"

"When did you get confident enough to talk back?"

"Considering you haven't attacked me yet…" She thrust the sword into the demon's chest and groaned at the squishing noise of whatever organ she sliced through.

Lantos drew his daggers and jumped behind the Shade demon and stabbed into the creature's back. Both demons collapsed to the ground and the Pride demon roared out in anger.

Bianca slashed at the creature, but the sword barely scratched the demon's thick, scaly leg. Her body paled and she looked up just as the demon braced for a swing. "No." She dropped her sword and pulled her hands in front of her face, preparing for the impact.

A familiar twanging noise buzzed in her ear and she raised her head in time to see an arrow on fire pierce into the demon's right eye. "Wha-" She lowered her arms as the creature reared its head back and let out a violent cry.

"Freeze it," someone muttered. Her heart skipped and her mouth opened in a gasp as she watched an icy blue rock fly into the demon and freeze its body on impact. When she turned, she saw Sandal and Harding nearby.

Sandal grinned and Harding lowered her bow. "Thought you could use some help," Harding said with a smirk. Her eyes darted to Lantos and her smirk faded. "Oh god, you're injured!" She ran over to him while Bianca continued to focus on Sandal.

She threw her arms around his neck, laughing jovially. "I can't believe you're here." Sandal hugged her waist and she buried her head into his chest. Her eyes welled up with fresh tears, though not of sorrow but joy. "How are you even here? Lantos said you followed him and Scout Harding, is that true?"

"Yeah." She raised her head and he brushed away a tear on her cheek with his thumb. The caress drew warm blood to her cheek and she closed her eyes, breathing in slowly. "All three of us saw that woman take you. I grabbed your weapon and armor and followed when I saw Harding and that guy follow that woman."

"That guy?" Lantos grunted. Bianca turned her head and saw Lantos approach with his arm around Harding's shoulders. She had an arm around his waist, holding him stable. "I do have name, you know."

"Oh I'm sorry." Sandal pulled back and turned to Lantos, narrowing his eyes. "I wasn't sure if you worked with names, or maybe 'that shoe merchant' is as much of a name as you're willing to give out." Lantos pulled his arm away from Harding and started to growl.

"I am in no mood for your sass, you glorified excuse for a salesman."

Sandal raised an ember colored rock and closed his eyebrows together. "Just because I don't fight with swords or arrows doesn't mean I can't take you down." Lantos reached back for his daggers, growling again.

"I'd like to see you try. Salesman."

Bianca's heart sank and Harding rushed between the two men, extending her hands outward. "Enough! We didn't come all this way to bicker." Lantos grunted and lowered his hands. Bianca's eyebrows shot up and she folded her arms across her abdomen.

"I'm impressed, Harding. He actually listens to you." Harding flashed a nervous smile and Bianca narrowed her eyes. "We will talk about this later." She moved her gaze towards Sandal and grinned when she saw her armor and axe behind him. "My armor. I could just kiss you." She ran past him and grabbed her weapon.

Once she put her armor on, she approached the frozen Pride demon, and with a mighty swing she shattered the demon with her axe. "That's better." She glanced at the rift and extended her hand, tensing and sneering at it as energy pulsed from the anchor and sealed the rift.

She attached the axe to the holder on the back of her armor and turned to the others, grateful for their presence. "Because I have absolutely no idea where in this desert we are…" She extended her hand and smiled at them. "Lead the way. I'm ready to go home."

"Your Dad's ready for you to be back," Harding replied. "I think he'll be thrilled you're safe."

Sandal smiled with compassion and his eyelids fell halfway. "We're all happy you're safe."

Lantos rolled his eyes and walked past the group, holding his hand to his wound and gazing at the desert in front of them. "She's not safe until we're out of this goddamn place." She nodded in agreeance.

"I'll be glad never to come back here again." She glanced at Lantos and pointed to his wound. "Sandal, Harding, is there any way to heal that wound?"

"I brought some bandages with us," Harding answered, "Give me a moment." The woman was clearly concerned for him, and she worked swiftly to pull the bandages from the packs they had with them.

She and Sandal took their seat on a rock and watched as the Scout doctored up Lantos's wound with medicine, chuckling when he not only complained about the pain of the medication but when Harding told him to shut up and deal with it.

Harding was so focused on him, and Lantos had a strange expression on his face that made Bianca a bit jealous. "She really cares about him?" Bianca tilted her head and crossed her arms. "And he looks like he cares for her. How? I mean, why is he changing all of a sudden?"

"I doubt it's sudden," Sandal answered, "I guess he just met someone worth changing for."

"And I wasn't worth it?"

"I didn't mean it like that." She bowed her head and closed her eyes as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You weren't right for each other."

"I know all that. I guess I'm just surprised…I'm still keeping an eye on them, but for right now, I just want to get out of this place."

What did you think of that chapter? There's a bit of party banter as you can see that I hope you enjoyed. Well, Harding and Sandal got there with her armor and weapon, so she's got a fighting chance now. Close call there. It's not over yet, one more hiccup coming up, but at this point, what do you think could possibly go wrong?