Chapter 10: A few Silvers More
The wardens were still in Lothering, everyone had agreed that they needed to raise a little more coin before moving on. It was Alistair who had suggested the Chanter's Board. Alim had not been too happy with that idea, but in the end he had relented, did it really matter where they got their coin from.
Killing the bandits that had been living in the woods north of Lothering was by far the most lucrative of the items posted.
It also gave Leliana a chance to prove herself to her new companions.
She did not intend to let them down.
IOI
"He is getting away," Alim warned her.
"No he isn't," Leliana said softly, trying to reassure the warden.
The battle was over, two enemy Mabari laid dead, along with their handlers and two archers. Morrigan tended to Alistair's wounds while Bandit waited patiently for Alim's next order. The bandits' leader was running, trying to get out of range of Leliana's bow. She carefully loaded an arrow…and waited.
Leliana was not worried; she brought up her bow, the arrow nocked and ready. The last of the bandits was fast…but he was not fast enough.
She took a breath, savoring this one moment before she let her arrow fly.
A hint of a smile played over her lips, she could feel her heart beat a little faster, the excitement, the tension in her bow.
There had been a time when she had lived for this kind of thing.
IOI
She had returned from the chantry clad in her old armor, it felt…strange wearing it again, the creaking of her leather vest, the breeze on her bare legs. She took notice of how the ribbons on her boots had faded; she would have to replace them at the first opportunity. Her daggers were sheathed on her belt, her long bow and quiver on her back, it felt oh so familiar, like a favorite book read long ago.
Alim regarded the change, the elf nodded, seeing her in armor made her easier to stomach somehow.
"Are you any good with those?" he asked, pointing to her daggers.
"Oh yes," she smiled enigmatically, "But I'm better with this," she said tapping the bow lightly.
"We will see," Alim said with a flat snort. He had turned and strode away.
Leliana grinned and followed after him.
The elf sighed.
Despite his feelings regarding chantry sisters, Alim found himself admiring the way the armor fit the sister's body, how it was snug in all the right places.
Stop it damn it, she is a chantry sister for Maker's sake!
Alim shook his head. He had ago long realized that he had one major weakness; it was a weakness that had got him in trouble more times than he liked to think about, but it was something that her could not deny, nor truly wanted to deny.
Alim Surana was a sucker for beautiful women. When he was eight, he had had a crush on the miller's daughter that was why he had protected her in the first place. In the tower it had been worse, he lost count of all the times a beautiful apprentice had talked him into doing something foolish on her behalf. Not to mention all the times he had been punished for those mistakes, but he had always kept silent when Irving had asked him to name names.
He protected each and every one of them, he had received nothing in response to his sacrifices of course, but still he went back every time like the poor led fool he was.
No woman was interested in a too short elf, with too large ears, he thought bitterly. He needed to remain focused now.
He just had to remember what the red head was.
She was a sister, and was not to be trusted.
He would not make this mistake again; the sister was just that, a sister. No matter how good she looked in her armor, he was not going to allow himself to become enamored with her.
All he had to do was think of the robes she wore, that self-righteous attitude that every sister he had ever known had used.
All he had to do was think about Jowan, and how he had destroyed his life all for the love of a chantry sister.
After that, ignoring the red haired sister was easy, and he could focus completely on the business of stopping the Blight.
But first they needed to get more coin, so that was why they needed to hunt bandits.
Easy enough of a job to be sure.
IOI
The bandits had divided themselves into three groups, one by one the wardens had dealt with them, until only this last one remained, the last survivor…a man in heavy chainmail tried to run.
Leliana was determined to not let him get that far.
"Sister," Alim repeated, "Either shoot him or get out of the way."
"Of course warden," she purred.
The bandit paused, he was out of breath, and looked back to see if he was being pursued.
Leliana released her arrow.
It took the man in the right eye. He fell without a sound.
Alim's eyes widened, that…that had been a fantastic shot.
Alistair whistled; the sister was certainly a woman of many talents.
Morrigan rolled her eyes, "Can we free the Qunari and get out of here now?" she asked.
Leliana sauntered up lazily, eager to retrieve her arrow, it had been a long time since she had done anything like this, had felt like this, her blood pumping, the excitement of the hunt, the thrill of the kill.
It brought a rosy glow to her cheeks.
Alim went over the man's body collecting any spare coin or supplies. He pulled the man's great sword from its sheath. It was…in decent condition, could be a good weapon for their future Qunari companion.
Leliana watched them tend to the bodies. How many times had she done the same after a job, joyfully seeking treasure amongst those who no longer needed it?
We're the same.
Those word drew her up short, she…she could still here Marjolaine so clearly, even after two years past.
We're the same.
"No," she had said coldly, "I am nothing like you!"
"So you say…but here you stand, weapon in hand."
"Leliana, are you okay?"
Alistair question snapped her out of her memory, she felt…dirty. The old memory had leeched any joy or excitement from this moment. She was not that person anymore; she did not take pleasure in the suffering of others.
She was a better person now. She served the Maker.
We're the same.
"Leliana?" Alistair repeated.
"Yes Alistair," she coughed trying to distance herself from the pleasure she had taken in this act, "I…I am fine."
It was a lie of course, but at least…she had told it well.
"I think that is the last of them," Alim sighed, "Let's go back to that chanter, and get our coin, I want to be on the road again before dark."
"Tis a wonderful idea warden," Morrigan sniffed, "Provided we are done trying to solve the problems of every man, woman, and child in this village."
Alim could not help but snort at that, there was little more that they could do here. The citizens of Lothering had been warned. Now they needed to take it upon themselves to get out of the village before the horde arrived.
The wardens had given these people a chance, now they had to use it.
Maker help anyone who decided to stay.
The darkspawn would show no mercy.
Hopefully the people here realized that.
IOI
Chanter Devons paid them the gold that they were owed, he had even offered Alistair a new sword as reward.
It was an oathkeeper, one of the ones the Templars used, he had never rated one during his years of training, it felt strange to have one now.
He regarded his old warden sword, it had been damaged fighting the ogre in the Tower of Ishal, still…he found it difficult to part with it.
Duncan had gifted him this sword.
"Tis a blade fool," Morrigan sniffed, "Either trade it away or keep it, we care not. Just hurry."
Alistair glared at the witch, she would not understand sentimentality if it sat on her head.
He took one final look at Duncan's gift; he sighed heavily, and returned to that trader's cart.
HE managed to get five silvers out of the old blade.
It was not much, but Duncan would have been the first to say that their needs took precedence now over sentimentality.
They needed to do what they could to defeat the darkspawn.
That was all that mattered now.
IOI
The group returned to the Qunari's cage, the large warrior barely glanced at them as they approached.
"You wish anything more of me?" he inquired.
"We have the key to your cage," Alim informed him.
That got the large man's attention.
"I did not believe the sisters would part with it."
"They have…agreed to release you into my custody," Alim lied.
"I see," the Qunari said rising, "So be it, release me, and I will follow you against the Blight, and in battle I shall find my atonement."
"Thank you Sten," Alim said unlocking the door, "Glad to have you with us."
The Qunari opened the door and stepped out into the world again.
"And so it is done," he said, "May we proceed…I am anxious to be elsewhere."
Did Sten know that they had stolen the key? Would he have cared if he did?
Alim could not say; he was just grateful to have gained yet another warrior against the darkspawn.
They would need many more before all was said and done.
Alistair handed the Sten the great sword they had salvaged, the Qunari held the large weapon like Alistair held his long sword.
Sten twirled the blade, testing it, evaluating it for use.
Finally the Qunari nodded.
"Adequate," he murmured quietly.
They would have to find him some armor at some point Alim realized, for now he would just have to make do with the sword.
Not that it made Sten any less intimidating of course.
The large man was a threatening presence, even unarmed.
IOI
The group made for the Imperial Highway, leaving Lothering behind. The way was blocked however by a group of armed refugees.
Alim regarded the men; most of them looked like farmers armed with clubs and pitch forks.
The elf sighed; they so did not need this right now.
"We heard what was said," their leader said, "You are a warden."
"And I'm in a hurry," Alim replied, "Please stand aside."
The refugees ignored him.
"I don't know if you killed King Cailan, and Maker forgive me, I don't care. That bounty on your head could fill a lot of hungry bellies."
Alim raised his staff.
"Good people please," Leliana said stepping forward, "this is a mistake. We are trying to help you."
"But you will," the man hissed, "Attack!"
He went to swing his club at Alim, Leliana was faster, her dagger sailed through the air and stuck in the leader's chest. The man fell dead at their feet.
Alistair and Sten attacked, Bandit lunged taking down a man armed with a bow. Morrigan froze one of the refugees solid, shattering the body with a swing of her staff. Alim threw lightning from his fingers while Leliana used her remaining dagger.
The fight was over almost before it had begun.
"Fool," Alim spat, kicking the dead leader's body, "We didn't want this! You did not have to die!"
"It wasn't your fault Warden," Leliana said putting a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.
He looked at like it was some poisonous snake.
"Mind your place sister," he spat, jerking away from her. He hurried on, Bandit as always at his side.
Leliana stood there shocked.
What had she done? She had only wanted to help.
Alistair came up beside her; he offered her back her lost dagger.
"Don't worry about it Leliana," he said compassionately, "It is just Lim being Lim."
She shook her head, why did the elf hate her so?
She had done nothing to deserve such hatred.
Had she?