Chapter 45: Old Road, New Allies
They left Orzammar a day later.
Alim was grateful to be walking under the sun again. The wind and the rain whispered in his ears, welcoming him back to their world, it was like coming back to life after so long travelling in darkness.
No longer was this simply his and Alistair's quest, with Morrigan tagging along at her Mother's request. Their little group had grown since leaving the Korcari Wilds behind them.
A small army had sprung up around them, and that was good…
…But not good enough.
The elf sighed, they had the Dalish elves and the Orzammar dwarves, but even they would not be enough to oppose the massive horde that Alim had seen in the dead trenches.
The Archdemon still had them badly outmatched and outnumbered.
Hopefully the mages would help them tip the balance back in their favor.
"You seem troubled."
Alim nearly jumped, for such a large being Sten could be as silent as a shadow when he wanted to be.
It is likely what made the huge Qunari such a good soldier.
"I'm trying to come up with a way to convince the mages to side with us," the elf told him.
"You have your treaty," Sten said blandly, "Is that not enough?"
"For the First Enchanter sure," Alim shrugged, "It is the Templars that I'm worried about. If the Chantry has thrown its support behind Loghain…this…this could get very messy."
"More distractions," Sten snorted, "More delays, I am curious warden, how do you intend to end the Blight?"
It was a good question Alim realized; he really did not have a good idea on that point yet.
"We kill the Archdemon the Blight will end," he told Sten.
"Is that all?" Sten sound dubious, "Then why did you not kill the beast in the dead trenches?"
"I was in no shape to fight the Archdemon then."
"So you will now face it surrounded by an ocean of darkspawn. How will you reach it? If you reach it, how will you slay it? You say you are a grey warden, I have heard stories of your order."
"Really," Alim said dryly, "what did you hear?"
"Great strategists and peerless warriors, that is what I have heard of the wardens," he gave Alim an appraising cold look.
"So far…I am unimpressed."
Alim felt his temper starting to rise. How dare the overgrown bastard…
No.
No, he would not be baited like this. He would be calm and deal with this.
"I'm not here to impress you Qunari," he said, his ears lowering in anger, "I'm here to fight and kill darkspawn, and to end this Blight. Impressing you is the last item on my agenda."
He quickened his pace, leaving Sten behind. Bandit who had been walking beside his master growled at the Qunari and joined the elf.
Neither of them had time for his attitude right now.
IOI
The Qunari nodded.
Sten was pleased. Alim might not be as strong as a Qunari, but the Bas Saarebas understood duty and his place in the world.
Now he just had to remain focused on their mission. Ending the Blight, that meant that the elf could not afford distractions.
Like the red-haired human girl.
Sten snorted.
The elf might not think others saw it, but he did. Alim desired Leliana, and she…she perhaps desired him. They were too proud to admit it, but it was there.
It was a distraction. The way of the Qun was better, an assigned partner for reproductive purposes only. Every Qunari understood what mating meant, it was meant to serve the Qun as a whole.
Bas ra got distracted too easily.
One day those distractions would be their undoing. The Qunari would wash over Thedas and purge the basra.
Sten looked forward to that day…
…Even if he would not live to see it.
He would die forgotten in this land, far from the sights and smells of Par Vollen. He would die soulless, a deserter.
Asala.
He shook his head, he had pledge himself to the wardens.
That was all that mattered now.
He would not get distracted.
He would help them end the Blight.
IOI
Leliana walked near the back, once again she found herself walking beside Gus.
She had missed talking with the stoic young warrior. Gus was unlike Alistair or Sereda. He had reverence for the chantry, and faith in the Maker. She liked that.
She had the deepest respect for the others, but it was nice to have a fellow believer to talk to.
Their group had grown quite a bit since Orzammar. Sereda and Oghren had both decided to accompany them, along with representative from Orzammar's military. He was here to scout the Blight and aid the wardens in setting up a supply chain when the order was sent to Orzammar to finally march against the Archdemon.
After seeing the beast, the sister hoped that they had many, many more allies by the time that battle finally took place.
Bodahn and Sandal had also rejoined them. The merchant was pleased to see so many of his kinsmen travelling with the wardens now. In addition to the traders and soldiers that they had picked up, they had also picked up another traveler.
Her name was Dagna, the daughter of an Orzammar smith. The girl had approached Alim before they had left about joining them on their journey to the circle.
How she found out where they were going was anyone's guess.
The girl hoped to go to the circle to study. Alim had promised to speak to the First Enchanter on her behalf.
Morrigan had scoffed at the girl's dream; she would never be able to perform even the simplest spell craft.
Leliana was more understanding; she knew what it was like to try to forge your own path in the world.
Perhaps Alim did as well. He had allowed her to accompany them. He had also joined with Leliana when she had gone to confront the widow Filda about her son.
Alim could have told her the truth, but instead chose to tell the poor woman that her son was dead.
Filda seemed sad, but was grateful for the news.
As they walked away, she had given the elf a questioning look.
"What," he said, "Her son is dead, that poor wretch we met in Ortan Thaig might as well be dead. I would not see the woman tortured with the news that her son is a maddened ghoul, better to let her mourn and move on."
Leliana nodded; at every turn Alim continued to surprise her.
She glanced up at him; he led proudly from the front, his staff tapping gently on the ground as he moved.
She smiled fondly.
"You and Alim seem to be getting along better," Gus said conversationally.
Leliana nodded, "Alim is a good leader, and he kept us all safe in the deep roads and avenged those poor dwarves who were murdered by that evil harpy."
Leliana stood a bit prouder.
"I would die for Alim," she confessed.
Gus nodded; most of their companions who had journeyed into the deep roads had come back with a stronger sense of loyalty to the elf.
It was impressive.
"Speaking of getting along better," he said softly, "There has been a small change in the group since you have been gone."
"Eh?" Leliana raised a curious eyebrow.
Gus glanced behind them, Morrigan had had watch late last night, the witch was now napping in the back of Bodahn's cart. When he was sure she was not listening he turned to Leliana again.
"Morrigan and Alistair are together now," he whispered.
"What?" Leliana's mouth dropped open.
"They have been… enjoying each other's company for a few weeks now."
Leliana's eyes widened.
"I…I can't believe it," she said, "Alistair…he…he is so nice, and she…she…that woman is repellent!"
Gus smiled at her reaction.
"I didn't realize you cared so much for Alistair," he chuckled.
Leliana blushed.
It…it was not like that at all.
Alistair…he…he was her first real friend in the group. She had come to care about him like a little brother. The thought of him and her…
Yick!
"There is nothing between me and Alistair," she sniffed, "He is my friend, and a good man, but he is not like…"
She paused.
Gus tilted his head.
"Like who?" he asked.
Leliana fidgeted.
Alistair was strong and brave, but he was not cunning. He did not possess the ability to see all the angles. He did not impress her one minute and make her smile the next. He…
He was not like Alim.
The thought came unbidden, but there it was.
Alim.
"Sister?" Gus gave her a concerned look. He had seen the surprise in her eyes.
Fortunately he did not understand.
Maker save me.
When had friendship turned into affection? She had felt moments of warmth toward their leader sure, but she had never thought it to be actually attraction. She could not say when or how it had happened, but she doubted that it mattered.
Alim had enough on his mind right now.
She doubted that he even thought about her in that way.
She was not like Belle after all.
The bard sighed, she began to wall up her heart again. It was better that she not think of Alim in this way.
They still had a long way to go yet.
Alim did not need her confusing the issue, and more importantly, what would he want with someone like her.
She had too many sins in her past.
No, Alim was better off without her.
She was sure of that.
IOI
Sereda was not feeling well.
She was not sick, not in the usual sense anyway, and it was nice to be travelling with seasoned warriors again on a proper mission, but the surface…it…it was proving a bit more daunting then she had expected.
She knew about the surface world of course. Father had paid good coin on excellent tutors. She knew about the sun and the sky. She had heard of rain, but had never actually seen it. It had been snowing when they had left Orzammar. The sight had impressed her, but it was not unexpected. The heavy gray clouds made her feel better, the world simply had a higher ceiling then she was used to.
This morning the sky cleared for the first time, and she got a view of the big blue void the topsiders called the sky.
Oghren dealt with it in his usual fashion, he got drunk. Dagna was too busy prattling on about the circle to notice. The military representative ignored her, she being a kinslayer and all.
She wished that she had another dwarf to talk to about this.
All those old stories from her childhood came rushing back, about dwarves falling up into the sky, she knew they were silly, but…
The old child's fear was still there.
She kept her eyes on the ground before her, all the while trying to control her breathing. The air was so rich up here; it made her a little light-headed.
Ignore the sky, she reminded herself, just focus on what is around you.
She was currently walking near Zevran and Shale.
That might have been a mistake.
"So my fair golem," the assassin began, "You are indeed a woman underneath all that stone."
Shale sniffed.
"I am stone under all this stone," she replied, "I am a golem, I have no gender."
"But you were a woman once," he continued, "I would not have believed it myself."
"I do not think the painted elf needs to believe it," she replied, "Nor does it need to be said."
"Of course dear Shale, of course," he agreed, "Still…knowing what you were, you seem…cuter than you were before, how odd."
Shale glared down at him.
"If I catch the painted elf staring at my bottom, I will crush it mercilessly."
He held up his hands in surrender.
"What is it with women in this Ferelden? No sense of accepting compliments."
Seri chuckled.
Zevran smiled at her.
"And what of you dear Seri, Do you not accept compliments when they are offered?"
She smiled at them.
"Most of them are just dust elf," she replied, "Men trying to impress a lady of my station, or get into my smalls."
The elf grinned lecherously.
"The title may be gone my dear, but you still carry yourself like a princess, and as far as getting into your smalls, well…" he paused for drama's sake, "Only a fool would not desire such a strong woman as yourself."
She snorted; did this kind of false flattery actually work on surface women?
Her respect for them dropped.
"You can turn off the charm master elf," she informed him, "I'm immune."
"Pity," he replied.
IOI
Zev stepped back slightly. He had been admiring the lovely dwarven lass since she had arrived back in Orzammar in Alim's company. Normally, he did not consider dwarven women attractive; most of them were as hard and unyielding as the stone that formed them.
Seri was different.
She was strong true, but he sensed a warmth as well, one that made him curious to say the least.
The view from behind was not bad either,
It was settled, he intended to get to know their little Sereda a little better, and if they both found some pleasure from it…why not?
Zev smiled slightly to himself, it had been a while since a woman had caught his eye…
…not since Rinna had…
He stopped that thought even as it formed. Rinna was gone.
Why should he not seize upon a chance to have a little fun…?
…And if she got something out of it too, so much the better.
Zev nodded; yes this would make for a most intriguing distraction.
Let the games begin.