Chapter 7: Out of the Wilds
Morrigan was not in the best of moods, not that Alim blamed her for that. The young witch had clearly not been prepared to be forced on the two wardens by her own mother.
Still Alim could not help but feel grateful for her company; they would likely never have found their way out of the wilds without her.
The elf had no idea how the woman navigated in this place, to him it was all just one big endless wall of fetid pools, withered trees and marsh gas.
Yet none of this seemed to bother Morrigan, she seemed to know exactly where she was going despite the unchanging scenery around them.
Alim was truly glad that she was here.
Alistair on the other hand…
The elf snorted, he recognized the fact that he was being uncharitable, everyone that Alistair had come to care about was gone; every other grey warden in Ferelden had fallen at the battle of Ostagar.
Now there was just Alistair and Alim…and all because of Loghain's treachery.
Loghain.
The elf's eyes narrowed in hate, he had not known the other wardens…accept for Duncan of course, but that did not mean that he did not feel anger about their betrayal at Ostagar. Alim had trusted that Loghain would at least do what was necessary to protect their home. Cailan may have been an over eager glory hound, but at least he was willing to fight and die for his people.
The elf had found himself thinking back to the conversations he had heard between the King and the Teyrn. Alim did not believe that this was all some last minute thing, that the tide of battle had changed and Loghain had simply decided to cut his losses. Even if that was the case, Loghain could have done something to distract the darkspawn, give the wardens and the King time to escape somehow…
But he had not; he had abandoned them all to their fate.
No…this was not the actions of a skilled General, these were the actions of a usurper, who saw the opportunity to rid himself of the one obstacle that stood in his way to the throne. It was not enough to simply kill the king however, that would have looked too suspicious, better to say that he had fallen in battle, fighting alongside his heroes the Grey Wardens.
Cailan had wanted to find glory…and all he had found was death in a darkspawn infested swamp.
The King and the Grey wardens had been murdered, and now the horde was going to march north unchecked…killing hundreds if not thousands more.
Teyrn Loghain was truly an evil man…far more so than anyone else.
Far more than any mage, Alim thought with a frown.
All his life, Alim Surana had been told how evil he was because of his magic. The sisters looked at him like he was damned, and the Templars looked at him like he was already an Abomination, and in need of a swift killing.
Alim hated that, he had not asked to be born with magic, nor had ever wished to use it to dominate anyone. He would have happily spent his life tending the Bann's kennels as his father had.
What happened in Ostagar was proof that you did not need magic to be evil.
One thing was certain, Alim did not intend to let the Teyrn get away with this, he would not be rewarded with the crown of Ferelden.
What he would get was the mother of all lightning bolts rushing through his brain.
Alim smiled at that thought, the Teyrn thought he knew what power was, to see his armies storm across the battlefield…
Alim would show him what the true meaning of a ordering a storm.
He found himself looking forward to that.
IOI
Alim moved up next to Morrigan, it had not been easy; the witch set a brisk pace. He needed to know more about this village she had mentioned.
"Are we close," he asked her.
"Tis not far," she replied, "we should reach your imperial highway by tomorrow after noon. Then tis less than a day's travel to the village I mentioned."
"Does this village have a name?" he asked.
"Tis a place of little consequence called Lothering."
Alim froze.
Morrigan noticed that he had stopped, and turned to face the elf, "Is something the matter warden?"
"Lothering," he repeated, "is it really that close?"
"Tis that close, yes," the witch answered, ""Why? Have you heard of it?"
"I…I grew up there," Alim said adjusting his hat; he did not want her to see the nervous look in his eyes.
"Ah," she replied, "than you know how intolerant such a place is to people such as we. I have visited there on occasion, and purchased goods from the local merchants."
"I would likely have gone more often if not for the town's chantry," she said wrinkling her nose in distaste, "Such places are intolerant, and make life difficult for strangers such as me."
Alim nodded, he knew very well how much trouble the chantry could be.
"A chantry," Alistair had sided up next to them as they had been talking, after day of silence it was kind of refreshing to hear him speak, "And in all that time they never thought that maybe…you were a witch?"
"Of course they have, they even sent out their Templars once," Morrigan said proudly. They found nothing,"
Lothering, Alim could scarcely believe it, he remembered that his home was close to the wilds of course, but he had never imagined that it would be this close, that he would ever be this close.
I can go see her, he thought, after all this time…I can finally see my Mother again.
He did not let his excitement show however; he chose to hide it behind a mask of indifference.
Still he could not stop the flame that had been lit inside of him.
Hope.
It had been such a long time since he had felt hope.
IOI
Alim was pleased when they finally emerged from the wilds, before them stretched the old imperial highway of Ferelden, but that was not the best part. The best part was that he recognized this section of the old highway. Even after all these years he still remembered it. The Bann's estate was not far.
He took the lead now; he informed the others that he knew people in this part of Ferelden, people that might help them get resupplied.
It was not entirely a lie, he was certain that Mother and the other servants might help them. He was not entirely certain how the Bann would react, but he was willing to take that chance.
He could not wait to see his Mother again; he had never blamed her during the last twelve years. It was the chantry sisters and their Templar puppets who had stolen him away from her.
He needed to speak with her, let her know he was okay.
As they cleared the final tree line, the Bann's estate came into full view.
Alim smiled.
He volunteered to go in first; he did not wish to scare anyone, with the horde approaching they would likely be scared enough as it was.
Alistair and Morrigan agreed wait along the road.
Alim hurried up the road to the main house, this would not take long.
IOI
Morrigan sighed heavily, she had no idea why Alim wished her to remain here with this Templar fool…surely he did not believe she had anything in common with the twit.
Her brow furrowed, she could feel him watching her, she was use to men's stares of course every time she had emerged from the wilds she had drawn them, but this…this was intolerable."
"Avert your gaze Alistair," she snorted haughtily, "if you know what is good for you."
"It is not what you think," Alistair said dryly, if the witch was trying to make him uncomfortable she would fail, "I was simply admiring your nose."
Morrigan's eyes narrowed, "And what is it about my nose that you find so intriguing?"
"Well," Alistair said flashing an evil grin, "I could not help but notice it looks exactly like your Mother's."
The witch's amber eyes widened, her hand went to her face self-consciously.
After days of dark and gloomy thoughts, Alistair could not help but smile at her reaction.
"You…I…I hate you so much!" she hissed.
Alistair could no longer help it…
He burst out laughing.
It was then that the sky began to darken, and a cold miserable rain began to fall.
IOI
Alim's happy reunion did not take place, it…it could barely be considered a reunion at all.
He stared in shock at the field of daisies behind the Bann's estate, Delwyn, the Bann's elven housekeeper stood next to him. She had once been one of his Mother's best friends. She had taught Alim to read and write when he was only just a fledgling.
And now she stood with him as he said his final good bye to his mother.
On the very spot where her ashes had been scattered six years ago.
The rain began to fall.
"She never gave up hope that you would return home," the old woman said, her hand resting on his shoulder, "She asked me to hold onto some things for you, should you ever return."
Alim tried to breathe, to release the fury at his mother's death, before the rain absorbed it and drowned all of southern Ferelden.
It might get at least some of the horde, but…
No, it would cause more harm than good, Alim would not risk harming the people of Lothering.
He would not become the monster they feared him to be.
Finally…he felt his control return; he could not stop the rain, but…
His sorrow had to be vented some way.
"How," he begged her.
The old elf frowned.
"She took sick shortly after you left, she never fully recovered," Delwyn said sadly, "I don't think she ever forgave herself for letting the Templars take you."
Alim clutched his hands into angry fists, he was furious at the Templars, the chantry, and most of all at himself.
"I killed her," he growled.
"No lad," the older woman replied, "Never think that, your mother did not!"
"I should have been here; I should have hidden my magic better!"
"You were an innocent child," the woman replied, her voice a soothing purr. She knew something about the lad's erratic moods. She needed him to keep calm.
"Where is the Bann," Alim asked, he needs to rally his men, the darkspawn are coming."
"He marched off with the Teyrn days ago," Delwyn responded, "His lordship is gathering men to protect Ferelden against the Orlesian loyalists that have overrun the nobility."
Alim felt a fresh surge of hatred for Loghain. Orlais…really, did the old fool not see the darkspawn horde, did he think they would simply leave Ferelden alone if ignored?
"You said you had some of my Mother's things?" he asked.
The elf woman nodded.
"I will take them, but then you must flee this place, the horde will sweep over Lothering in a matter of days!"
"But this is our home," the woman whimpered, "The Bann will be very cross if he returns and finds us gone. We can't…"
Part of him wanted to shake the old elf, to make her understand. He found himself praying that his words would be enough.
"There will not be anything left for the Bann to return to," Alim growled, "The darkspawn kill everything in their path. Please…" the elf begged, "In my Mother's name, save who you can, run north as far and a fast as you can!"
"What will happen to you?" she asked.
Alim wanted to tell her he would be all right, but he could not say that for certain.
"I am a Grey Warden," he said trying to sound braver than he felt, "I must stay."
AT the mention of his warden status, the old woman actually smiled.
"Then you have made your parents proud then lad," she said offering him a curtsey, "I will…try to convince as many of the others as I can to flee."
"Thank you Miss Delwyn," he replied.
"No, thank you dear boy, for staying to defend us," the old elf woman embraced him then, it was the first time in years anyone had ever hugged him like this.
"Maker watch over you Alim Surana," she whispered.
"And over you Milady," he replied.
IOI
Alistair looked up as Alim returned; the elf's scowl had deepened if that was possible. He carried a small sack over his back, far less than one might expect to start any kind of expedition.
"No supplies," Alistair inquired.
Alim glared at him, he looked like he was ready to bite his fellow warden's head off…but in the end the elf she gave a tired sigh.
"No," he grumbled, "We should push on; Lothering is only about another hours walk down the road."
Morrigan gave Alim an odd look, did she know that he had an ulterior motive for visiting this place.
Alim found that he no longer cared. He led them forward, shooting one final look at the Bann of Lothering's estate.
HE would never see this place again, nor stand over his mother's grave again.
He wanted to remember this moment…always.
So that when the time came he would be able to shove a lightning bolt down Loghain's throat in his Mother's name.
It would not make everything all right…
But it would be a start.