Chapter 36: Friendship in the Dark
The journey to Caridin's Cross was a perilous one.
The deeper Alim and company pushed into the deep roads, the more darkspawn they encountered. The creatures seemed to grow far more cunning the deeper they went as well. Ambushes, traps, and lures were used to draw the warden and his allies to their doom.
Fortunately they no longer stood alone.
Sereda or Seri as she preferred to be called was a brilliant tactician. Oghren had told them that the girl had been named a commander in the dwarven army shortly before her exile. The elf could believe that. Seri had an eye for the deceptions that the darkspawn used. She and Stem deployed themselves brilliantly, often snatching victory from situations that should have left them all dead and broken.
Alim did not dispute the girl's taking charge of the group. He recognized the fact that he was no military genius, and was willing to use any and every tool at his disposal to keep them all alive.
If Seri could do that, more power to her.
He, Bandit, and Leliana deployed themselves as the dwarven woman required. Even Oghren, who had not stopped bitching about the 'dwarven princess,' fell into line for the good of the mission. Seri was their one best chance of fighting their way out of Caridin's Cross and reaching Branka in the old Ortan Thaig.
Of course not everyone was happy with this arrangement…
Shale did not like being ordered, the golem had agreed to follow Alim because he offered it a purpose, but Seri seemed to see as a siege-weapon, one without feelings or self-worth.
Shale did not like that.
IOI
"The dwarven woman does not possess a control rod," Shale began, "Why should I care what its orders are?"
Seri glared up at the stone giant.
"The orders I give keep people alive golem, I assumed that you would wish to survive the coming days yes?"
The golem's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"The dwarven woman sounds much like my pathetic former master. Wilhelm used to behave like that around me. Then one day he did something to me, and I killed him. Does the dwarven woman wish to take that chance?"
Sereda glared up at the much larger golem, her sword and shield in hand. She recognized that in a fight, the odds would be stacked against her, but she did not care.
She had faced greater odds since being abandoned down here.
Fortunately, Leliana had been listening to the exchange, she drew Alim's attention.
He was there as quick as he could be.
"Enough both of you," Alim said, he had been healing a wound on Sten's arm advanced on his two companions. He realized that if he did not step in he might have a fight on his hands.
He could not afford to lose either the skilled dwarf or the powerful golem. He needed to stop this right now!
"Seri," he began, "You must remember that Shale has free will. You should address it as such. Shale is a person, another soldier in this little army we are building."
The dwarf's eyes widened slightly.
"The golem is without control, and…it…it follows you anyway?"
"Would you like me to prove that," Shale asked, "I can squish you despite it not wanting me to."
"Shale no," Alim said hotly, "Listen…I…I know you do not like being ordered around, but during a fight, Seri recognizes the best way that we can achieve victory. Her plans will make squishing our enemies easier for you. All I ask is that you back her up when she gives an order. She will try to be more respectful to you, I promise."
"Humph," the golem snorted.
"Isn't that right Seri?" he asked the dwarf.
She did not reply right away.
"Seri?" he repeated.
Finally, the dwarf sighed.
"Very well warden," she answered, "I'm sorry for being so bossy master golem, it…it is just I'm used to having troops under my command. I forget sometimes that I'm not in the army anymore."
The golem considered Seri's apology, finally its bearing became less rigid.
"If the dwarven woman says what needs to be done I will do it, just don't order me," then it turned to Alim, "It has treated me with respect, I will continue to resist the urge to squash it and its squishy companions."
Alim smiled weakly.
"Thanks Shale, I…I think."
"Warden!" Sten called out. From down the tunnel the phlegmy voices of darkspawn could be heard approaching.
Alim drew his weapons, his companions did the same. Seri took point with Sten and Oghren ready to meet their advance. Bandit stayed close to Leliana, defending her against any spawn that slipped past the warriors.
The mage stood shoulder to chest with the golem; it would defend him and allow the mage to keep the others alive.
Alim grinned hungrily at the golem.
"Ready to squish some darkspawn Shale?" the elf inquired.
The stone giant smirked.
"Does it even have to ask?"
IOI
Several hours later, after several very bloody battles, Alim and company made camp for what passed for the night down here.
The elf did what he could to heal the wounds of their group; he decided to use magic as much as he could tonight. They were going through their medical supplies a bit too fast.
They would likely need those supplies the closer they got to Ortan Thaig.
They made camp in an old dwarven checkpoint, once it had been likely used to check for smuggled goods moving along the deep roads, now it provided at least some shelter against any shrieks that might try to sneak up on them in the dark.
Shale offered to take the first watch, since it did not require rest it was the most logical choice.
Besides, the golem found watching mortal creatures sleep disturbing, the rise and fall of breath disgusting.
Better to watch for darkspawn to crush.
Leliana agreed to watch the opposite side of the tunnel. She leaned against a crumbling wall staring out into the darkness, her bow at the ready.
Watching this darkness was better, she thought, much better than trying to sleep…
…Far better than facing her visions.
They started again the last time she rested, the glowing shape in the darkness, the river of blood, the mad laughter.
The bard shuddered.
Whatever this vision means, she suspected that they would be facing it quite soon.
Part of her feared that, is this a vision of what is going to happen, or what might happen? Will their actions change it, or bring that outcome to pass?
She has no idea, and that scared her more than any of Seri's warnings about the darkspawn, and what they do to the women they capture.
The darkspawn have the desires of men, and no soul to damn for the most profane of acts. It is said the women they take beg for mercy as the spawn…begin…after a while they like it, they become as monstrous as the creatures that violate them.
Leliana shivered, she cursed her bardic imagination in times like this.
Perhaps…perhaps this will be my punishment, she thought, my penance for all the evils of my youth? Marjolaine liked to believe that there would be no consequences for her actions…
Leliana knew now that that was untrue.
The bard sighed heavily.
She knew that one day she would have to answer for everything she had done in Orlais. She just hoped that when that day came…the Maker would see that she had tried to do better…
That she had tried to change.
Alim and Bandit came up beside her, she smiled weakly at them.
"Hello," she whispered.
"Hello back," he replied warmly.
Bandit barked, the sound echoed through the deep roads.
Alim shot him a look, silencing him.
There may yet be darkspawn close.
Alim looked at Leliana, he could see how tired she was, the bag's under her blue eyes. This place was not doing anything good for her that was for sure.
"You should get some rest," he advised.
"I'm fine," she said flatly.
His ears twitched slightly.
"Bad dreams?" he asked, "More visions?"
She nodded.
"The same one, the same one since we first came to Orzammar, Alim…I…I think we are getting close."
The elf nodded grimly. He did not understand where these visions came from, but he had come to trust them.
He had come to trust her.
He tried to make sense of what she had seen, a glowing object, could be something magical he supposed, Oghren had told them that Branka had left Orzammar in search of something called the Anvil of the Void, the secret tool to creating golems.
Was that the glowing object? It was possible.
The river of blood, that image disturbed him. Whose blood was it? Theirs, the darkspawn, it could be anyone's he supposed; from what Leliana said these visions were not always literal representations of the world.
Personally, the elf just hoped that they were not walking into a slaughter.
The mad laughter that was a bad sign, did it mean that one of them was going to go mad down here? More and more this quest seemed like a very bad idea. Ali had told him that the deep roads were safer to travel during a Blight, what with all the spawn up on the surface.
Given what they had faced so far, that did not bode well for the surface, if the Archdemon could afford to leave this many spawn behind…
No…he…he did not want to think about that.
Leliana stretched, arching her lovely back, Alim would be lying if he said he did not enjoy the view. Even dirty and covered with blood and deep roads grime…
Leliana was a beautiful woman.
He tried to push those thoughts aside; this was not the time or the place for a peasant boy crush.
He needed to remain cold, calm, and focused.
He sat down on an old pillar, part of the gate that had once been able to seal this checkpoint, a gate destroyed by the darkspawn long ago.
Alim sighed heavily, the task before them…it…it seemed hopeless. Even if they did manage to win the dwarves support, there was still the circle. Then they would need to convince the nobles, avoiding being killed by Teyrn Loghain in the process. If by some miracle they accomplished all of that, then they would have to find some way to reach the Archdemon, to slay the beast.
The elf snorted, they would have better luck punching out the Maker!
"Alim?"
Leliana's sweet voice drew him out of his dark thoughts; she sat down next to him. Bandit lay at their feet. He was pointed out into the darkness, watching for signs of trouble.
Alim's stomach twisted nervously, they…they were so close right now. He could smell her, the smell of leather and dried flowers. It was nice…of course after the smelling only darkspawn corruption and blood for the last few days, anything would smell good.
Leliana shivered.
Alim took off his coat; he draped it over her shoulders.
She tried to shrug it off.
"I can't," she said.
"Take it, it is cold down here," he said.
She wrapped herself in the garment. She glanced at him; Alim wore a simple grey warden gambeson, and leggings.
"Are you not cold?" she asked.
"No," he replied, "I…I haven't felt cold since I have been down here. It…it is the taint I think. I can feel it humming," the elf's eyes turned thoughtful; "I guess the joining changed me more than I thought."
"The joining?" she asked.
"The ritual that made me a Grey Warden, I can't talk about it, sorry."
She nodded, as a bard she understood the need for secrecy.
They sat like that in perfect silence, staring out into the darkness.
She could almost imagine the darkspawn out there, staring out into the light, watching them. Were…were they waiting for them to leave the safety of the light?
Were…were they waiting for her?
"Alim."
"Yes."
"Put your arm around me."
He looked at like she had just asked him to shoot her with a lightning bolt.
"What," he said, his voice cracking.
"Please," she murmured, "I…I need to feel something, some sign of life. I…I don't want to focus on the darkness anymore."
His fingers suddenly felt damp. No…no one…no woman had ever asked him to hold her before.
"Alim, please."
Don't be an idiot! She needs you damn it, help her!
He swallowed hard; slowly he lifted his arm and put it around her.
Her head rested against his shoulder, he could feel her breath, warm on his neck.
"Thank you," she purred.
Alim would be lying if he said he did not like this, the feel of her warmth against him, the soft tickle of her breath on his neck.
Bandit glanced up at him; he gave the dog a 'don't ask me' look.
Sighing the Mabari returned to its vigil.
Slowly the warmth they shared put Leliana to sleep, her eyes grew heavy and she snuggled deeper into his arms.
Alim did not even think of disturbing her. He just kept watch, watching the darkness for any sign of darkspawn.
He was watching over her…protecting her.
He felt the muscles in his back grow stiff, he ignored it. He felt a stone digging into his shoulder, he ignored that too.
Nothing mattered right now; there was just him…and her.
The two of them against the world.
The two of them standing alone…alone against the darkness.
A shy smile crept onto his face.
No matter what happened, he would make sure they reached Ortan Thaig. He would keep them safe.
He would keep her safe.
The darkness could kiss his elven ass!
He would fight it to protect her.
Feel sorry for the darkness.