Chapter 28: Noble Meetings
Three days later, the wardens received an invitation from Lord Harrowmont to visit his estate. It might have seemed like a long time, but much had happened in Orzammar.
The day after the proving the assembly had been called back to session, Harrowmont's supporters had tried to force another vote for the crown. They used the Grey Wardens' victory as proof of the righteousness of their cause.
Bhelen's supporters countered. They said that Harrowmont had needed to turn to surfacers to win that proving, and therefore he was not worthy of the crown.
The debate went on for two days, and ended with the same deadlock as before.
Harrowmont must have recognized that he needed to do something more.
The morning of the third day, his second stood outside the warden compound, invitation in hand.
The lord wanted to talk.
Alim had been busy during this time. The proving and its aftermath had shown him he had two great weaknesses.
He intended to remove those.
He spoke with Alistair; he wanted the former Templar to train him in the use of a sword. The memories the elf had gained from the ancient stormbreaker were useful, but they were not the same as formal training. Alim used spellbinder like a club, he needed to use it like the sword it was.
Alistair agreed to help, provided that Alim did not get angry and turn him into a toad at some point.
The elf promised, not that he could have done that anyway, but still…it was amusing that his warden brother thought that he could.
The second thing he required was training in how to speak to the nobles without alienating them. Alim recognized that he could be combative at times, and a smartass. Nobles would not likely take kindly to either of those traits.
To that end, he spoke with Leliana. She had claimed to have had dealing with the nobles of Orlais during her travelling days; she thought that it was possible to coach Alim up to the level that he could speak without offending anyone.
It would be a bit of work, Leliana agreed, but it could be done.
Every morning, during breakfast, Alim and Leliana would practice; he would be himself, and she…Lord Harrowmont. She played the dwarven lord as one of the most pompous, arrogant, and self-righteous bastards that she could.
The first day of their training had gone poorly, with Alim ending up tongue tied by the insulted false Harrowmont, tongue tied and ordered out of his estate.
Zevran and Morrigan had both been amused by his failure.
Alim glared at them and asked Leliana to start again.
He did not give up, he refused to give up, they were doing this so that he did not say the wrong thing around the dwarf lord.
He would not stop until they had gotten this right!
By the morning that Harrowmont's emissary had arrived, the elf felt he was ready.
They were going to speak with Lord Harrowmont.
IOI
"So you see, Your Lordship," Alim began, "supporting the treaty is in the best interests of everyone."
Leliana frowned.
"I do not see how this benefits me warden," she said haughtily, "The darkspawn have failed to conquer us for centuries. Why should we involve ourselves in a surface war?"
"Self-preservation of course," the elf responded, "If the darkspawn destroy Ferelden, you will have a war on two fronts, above and below, you can't want that?"
"What I want warden," she replied, "Is to lead my people into the future. You clearly have no interest in us or our problems. Our throne is still in dispute.
Alim smiled.
"I support King Endrin's wishes in this matter, Your Lordship." He answered.
The sister smiled.
"Well maneuvered, Alim," she said as herself, "Bringing in the old king, makes you seem like you care about traditions here in Orzammar."
"Thanks," he said, his ears twitched with amusement, "Maker's breath, I swear Leliana, if Harrowmont is as arrogant a prig as you play him, I'm going to be hard pressed not to throttle him."
The sister giggled.
"I have been playing his arrogant to the extreme Alim," she reminded him, "Better you go in prepared for the worst, that way…you shall be ready, should it occur."
The warden mage nodded that made perfect sense.
Now, came time for her orders, she and Morrigan would not be accompanying the others to the Harrowmont estate.
He had another mission in mind for them.
"After my meeting with Harrowmont," he informed her, "I will be sending Bandit to you with a note. It will include everything that the dwarven lord has told us. You are to track down Bhelen's second, this Vartag Gavorn in the Assembly and convince him that our interest in working with the prince is genuine."
Leliana nodded.
"Morrigan has agreed to use her magic to cloak until you reach the assembly; I don't want any of Harrowmont's spies hearing about this."
"I could do this myself, minus the magic" she offered, "I can avoid being seen when I choose to, Morrigan is not the most subtle of our companions."
Again Alim heard Zevran's warning about Leliana being some kind of spy, but if she was, it was likely that their mutual needs were aligned, at least for the time being.
He would continue to test her, and see how far she would go.
He had warned Morrigan of his suspicions, she had promised to watch Leliana.
That was the best that he could do.
Not that the sister would not need Morrigan's help if this plan went to the void, she most certainly would.
"No, she isn't our most subtle," he agreed, "but, she has the power to get the two of you out of trouble if it comes to that." Alim said frowning.
"If Gavorn decided to punish the wardens by hurting you and Morrigan, her magic will be useful."
Again Leliana nodded.
"Alistair and I are counting on you," he reminded her.
The red head blushed.
"You honor me," she said shyly.
"I endanger you, I know that," he said seriously, "But you have shown that you have the skill to get what we need accomplished."
"It will be done," she promised, heading for the door, she paused only for a second to give Bandit a scratch behind the ears.
The Mabari panted happily.
Alim shifted, he should just let her go, but…no…he needed to say something.
"Leliana?" he said.
She turned.
"Maker watch over you," he said.
His words touched her.
"And over you Alim," she said smiling.
IOI
An hour later, Alim stood in Harrowmont's study, the dwarven lord had agreed to meet with them in private.
He had another task for them.
Apparently, Orzammar had been plagued for months by an ambitious criminal gang called the carta. Since the death of King Endrin, the criminals had become more brazen, openly striking at businessmen in the commons.
Harrowmont wished the wardens to deal with Jarvia, the leader of the Carta, with her gone; he could ride the popular support of this victory to the throne.
Zevran listened closely, as the warden elf, and the lord talked. He chuckled, oh how many of the phrases that the beautiful Leliana had drilled into the elf came into play here.
Alim came across as a skilled diplomat; Harrowmont was nowhere near the bastard that Leliana played him up to be. He respected the grey wardens, and appeared to be a very conservative dwarf. He stressed his desires to preserve the traditions of their people.
Of course…he still wished to use Alim and Alistair as his errand boys.
The assassin snorted.
Was Harrowmont really that different from this Prince Bhelen?
He claimed that he had no interest in the throne, that this was all a favor to his late friend the King.
Zevran did not buy it.
He had handled many contracts for the crows over the years, and he had never once met a noble who would jump at the chance to further his own agenda.
No, Harrowmont had to have his own angle in this?
Alim shook the dwarf lord's hand; he agreed to deal with this Carta for him.
Harrowmont offered them a chance to stay for midday meal. The wardens accepted, of course, Alim went up to his faithful hound, and asked him to return to the warden compound.
He would bring the dog a treat later.
Zevran smirked, that was the code phrase he had given Bandit this morning, the phrase that meant that he should seek out Leliana.
The assassin did not know how the dog was smart enough to obey, but Alim assured him that he was.
Bandit padded out of the estate, a note for Leliana hidden in his collar.
Zevran felt a surge of excitement.
Ah, the thrill of living on the edge, playing two powerful lords against the other, and all for the good of all Ferelden. Death and danger awaited around every turn.
The assassin could not help, but smile.
The wardens did know how to make a crow feel at home.
IOI
Leliana and Morrigan waited outside the Assembly, the witch paced already bored with their mission.
Leliana was the picture of calm; a bard had to know when to strike, and when to wait.
This…was the time to wait.
"Where is the fool mongrel," the witch spat, "Tis annoying to stand out here doing nothing?"
Leliana shrugged, she actually liked the quite, seeing all the dwarves going about their business.
It reminded her a bit of the cloister.
Not that she intended to waste her time here, now was the perfect opportunity to get to know their resident witch.
The sister intended to make the best of that.
"They say your Mother is Flemeth, a witch of the Korcari wilds, is this true?"
Morrigan glared at her.
"They also say that washing your hair in the winter makes you catch cold in the head," she snorted, "and we both know that this is not true, but…sometimes…they are right…and they are right in this."
Leliana shifted where she sat, she had heard many tales of Flemeth growing up, they still chilled her.
"So…um…you have heard all the tales of…"
"Of course," Morrigan sighed, "You think that my mother would let me go without telling me all the tales of her youth."
Here at least the two women had common ground.
At least…Leliana hoped they did.
"My Mother told me stories as well; it was through her that I gained my love of the old tales."
Morrigan sighed.
"My Mother's stories curdled my blood and haunted my dreams," the witch confessed, "No little girl wants to hear of the wilder men her Mother took to her bed, how she used them until they were spent, then killed them. No little girl wants to hear how this…this will be expected of her…when she comes of age."
Leliana shivered, she was not sure how to respond to that.
"Oh…um…I see."
"No," Morrigan said, "You really don't. I…ah…Alim's beast is here."
Leliana smiled as Bandit bounded up beside her, barking happily.
He rose up on his hind legs trying to lick Morrigan. She backed away, raising her staff.
"Away from me, mongrel," she hissed.
Bandit whimpered sadly.
"I think you hurt his feeling Morrigan," Leliana said, trying to comfort the dog.
"Ohh," she said haughtily, "the beast is just playing for sympathy, I know, I do it too."
Shaking her head, the sister removed Alim's note from the dog's collar.
"We have what we need," she informed the witch, let us go and speak to Vartag Gavorn."
IOI
The two women found Vartag Gavorn in the Assembly, the Prince's second was still trying to rally support for his Lord. He was a stocky beardless dwarf, he spoke with the oily shrewdness of a skilled con man, his eyes were careful and cruel.
He recognized the two women immediately.
He scowled at them both.
"You have a lot of nerve coming to speak with me," he growled.
"Greetings Lord Gavorn," Leliana said with an exaggerated bow, "Warden Commander Alim sends his warmest regards to your Prince."
Gavorn snorted.
"Considering how he came out against the Prince in the proving, I doubt that greatly."
Morrigan sneered at the dwarf.
"Do not be a fool, dwarf," she spat, "Alim Surana is a powerful mage, and leader of the Grey Wardens of all of Ferelden. The wise cultivate his favor. Should your prince wish to achieve his desires, t'would be best if you were wise as well."
Gavorn considered what the witch had said; there was nothing to be lost by hearing the two women out.
"A surprising offer," he said in an oily voice, "Considering his open support of House Harrowmont."
"And now he is in the Lord's good graces," Leliana reminded him, "Unlike your other spies."
That…got Gavorn's attention.
"The warden will supply us with information?"
Leliana flashed him a cruel smile, she felt dirty doing this, but was excited as well.
She had not had this much fun this her days with Marjolaine.
She hated that side of herself, but could not deny it either.
No matter what she did, no matter where she went?
She would always be…a bard.
"The warden will do whatever is necessary to defeat the Blight," she informed Gavorn, "As long as your master understands that, that he understands that Alim is not some pawn to be used, and then discarded. He is willing to reward your prince with what he desires."
Gavorn grinned.
"Very well My Ladies, you have my attention," he purred cruelly, "What sort of information does the warden offer.
Leliana showed Vartag Gavorn Alim's note.
The Prince's second smiled.
This…gave him an idea.