Chapter 65: Soldier's Peak
A cold icy mist covered the courtyard of Soldier's Peak, but it had nothing to do with the winter. The very air surrounding the fortress seemed frozen in time.
Alim shivered, he sensed the wrongness of this place, this place…it…it felt timeless, like the centuries had not dulled the malice that had been perpetrated here. Despite its advanced age, much of the old fortress still seemed pristine, no weeds had swallowed up the cobblestones, no moss or mold caked the walls. Even the old wooden fence posts seemed untouched by the scars of time. Some force seemed to be preserving the peak; he could almost smell blood and death on the air, even though no violence had been committed here in centuries.
The warden mage's ears twitched nervously.
Something very, very bad had happened here once.
Fall back! Fall back already!
The voices seemed to come out of nowhere. Alim and the others drew their weapons. The mist seemed to take shape, soldiers ran through the courtyard, all of them wearing or carrying shields of the royal family of Ferelden.
One of the specters shook his head in frustration.
"The peak has been sealed Milord," another of the apparitions told him, "Taking this place will not be easy."
The long dead noble sniffed.
"I gave the wardens one chance to die with honor. Instead they hold up like cowards. We follow the King's advice then. We shall starve them out."
"But the peak has months' worth of supplies?"
"We have time. When the wardens are too weak to lift their weapons, we will send them to their final judgment."
The ghosts faded into nothingness.
Once again the courtyard sat empty.
Levi Dryden shook his head.
"Felt a bit woozy there," he murmured rubbing his eyes. "I…I have not gone mad have I? You saw it to?"
Alim nodded, yes, he had seen them.
Leliana shivered.
"I heard an Orlesian ballad about something like this once," she said, "A lady trapped in a dream, in the story, Bellisa never wakes up."
Levi paled at that little comment.
"Your pretty friend is beginning to make me feel uneasy warden."
Alim silenced her with a glare. They did not need Leli's love of ghost stories scaring everyone right now.
This place was intimidating enough on its own merits.
"How is this possible?" Levi asked him.
Alim shuddered, if Levi could feel what he felt standing in this place, he would not need to ask that question.
This place was wrong…simply and utterly wrong.
"The veil is thin here," Alim sniffed, "Like the circle tower was during its… recent troubles."
The elf did not go any further into what happened. He did not want Levi to start seeing an enemy in every mage that he met.
That would not be a good thing.
"I fear you are right warden," Wynne said wrapping her cloak tighter around herself, "I can feel the cruelties of this place, these old bones of mine don't like it."
Morrigan snorted.
"Tis only the veil," she sneered, "If being in such a place bothers you old woman, perhaps we should have left you behind in your tower. It must be past your bedtime."
Wynne gave the witch a dirty look but did not respond.
Levi gave the three mages a nervous look.
"The veil?" he asked.
"Tis what separates this world and the next," Morrigan purred, "Holding back the realm of demons."
Levi paled.
Alim gave Morrigan a cold stare, but the witch was not intimidated, the elf suspected that growing around her mother; she was likely not intimidated by anyone.
A shame that Levi was not made of the same stuff. The merchant looked like he was ready to bolt.
"Demons," he gasped.
Alim seized him by the arm; he had no desire to see the man try to run and hurt himself.
"WE are not defenseless here," he reminded the merchant, "This group has faced nightmares before, and we will do so again. Think why you are here Master Dryden, think about your family, you told me yourself, you descend from a line of lions, let their courage fill you up."
Levi took a deep breath; the man closed his eyes and seemed to focus. When he opened them he seemed stronger.
"Maker's thanks you came with me warden. I would not know…"
The elf stopped him with a raised hand, his ears rose slightly.
"Shh," Alim said silencing the trader.
A mournful wind blew through the abandoned fortress, but that was not what prompted Alim to interrupt Levi.
No.
He…he had heard something.
Snap.
The sound drew the elf's attention, it…it sounded like something heavy falling on cobblestones. Silence reigned again for a few moments, and then…
…something more.
The sound of rattling armor, and the hiss of long silent tongues, the rise and fall of booted footsteps.
The elf's eyes narrowed.
It was clear that they were no longer alone.
…If they had been so in the first place.
A figure staggered out of the old stable, the man…no…not a man, not anymore anyway. His armor was rusted and cracked, his skin dry and pulled tight over long mummified muscle.
Kally gasped, she looked about to panic, but Gus did what he could to steady her.
Alim did not fault her.
Kally had clearly never seen an undead before.
Alim was a little envious of that fact.
Leliana sent a single arrow shot through the creature's eye. It staggered, and hissed, but then it fell with barely a sound.
Unfortunately, that sound was enough…
It awakened others.
Growls and hisses filled the courtyard; the snow that coved the floor of the old courtyard began to move, and to shift.
Long skeletal hands poked up through the snow, some still bearing swords and axes.
The wardens and their allies took up defensive positions, but still the enemy rose. These were unholy things, creatures that had not known life or motion in centuries.
The dead of Soldier's Peak, back to fight again.
Corpses, unburied for centuries stood, preserved by the fel-magics that filled this dark and tortured place. Most of the corpses wore the armor of the King's men, but a few wore the tattered remnants of warden armor.
In life they had been enemies, but now they were allies.
Alim glared at the monsters, he sooo did not need this right now.
He gestured to the sky.
Lightning came down striking the largest mass of the undead, burning some and destroying others, but still the monsters did not slow, more of them shambled forward, drawing their weapons.
"Shit," the elf spat.
He had wanted a battle…
…It seemed that he had found one.
More corpses shambled into the courtyard.
Many in the group froze, the horrific sight of the walking dead entrancing them.
"Wake up you fools!"
Morrigan's words shook everyone out of their stupor, the witch whispered a spell, fire covered the blades and arrowheads of her companions.
"We must burn them all, tis our only hope," Morrigan sent a jet of flame at a corpse in warden mage robes, its dry flesh went up like a torch.
"Use the fire!" the witch repeated, "Burn them…burn them all!"
Zevran was the first to take the witch's suggestion to heart. He lobbed fire flasks at the undead; their bodies caught quickly, quickly being turned into ash.
The warriors met the undead blade upon blade. Alistair protected Morrigan while Oghren and Seri lunged into the creatures. Bandit ripped off arms and legs, stopping the corpses before they could get too close to his Master and his allies. Kally and Gus fought back to back driving back any undead who foolishly tried to get behind them.
Levi stayed close to Alim, hiding behind the small elf. An undead mage shambled down from one of the ruined walls.
It threw lightning at the elf.
The shield that he raised dealt with most of the energy, by it still made the hair on the back of the elf's neck stand on end.
He stared at the undead, his face a mask of rage.
You want lightning, you bastard!? I will give you lightning!
Alim's ears lowered like an angry cat's. By his choice of attack, the creature had decided its own fate.
Alim raised his staff, elvhen words emerged as the storm clouds gathered overhead, growing darker and angrier with each passing second.
Alim called down the storm.
Winds lashed the corpses, shattering them against the ancient stone walls. Lightning roared down upon the undead, it jumped from body to body at the Stormbreaker's command.
Funeral pyres long overdue began to burn.
It did not take the wardens long to finish off the survivors, leaving the keep finally open to them.
Alim downed a vial of lyrium with a single swallow; he grimaced at the foul taste, but acknowledged its need.
The undead they had fought was proof that something dark had happened here, was still happening here.
Now…now was the time to end it, to free the poor souls so horribly trapped here so long ago.
Alim looked down at the bodies of the wardens who had once lived here.
The sight made him grimace.
What had caused all this? Why had the wardens needed to be starved out by the King's men?
There was only one way to find the answer to that particular question.
The Answer was simple, even if he had not agreed to help Levi regain his family's honor.
They would need to go inside, and get to the bottom of this.
It was the only way to end this…
…the only way to seek their answers.
IOI
…And we send a message to that fat bastard, that we would all rather die than accept to live under tyranny!
The wardens faded away as their cheer rang out in Alim's ears. They had entered the keep just in time to see another vision of what had come before. Levi's Great, Great Grandmother rallying her men as they stood starving and freezing during their final days.
The elf had to admit, Sophia Dryden had had some balls. Another commander might have surrendered, but she and her men had chosen to fight on.
A truly brave woman, it seemed that Levi was right about his family had come from a line of lions.
"So brave," Levi said, his eyes glistening, "Even when starving."
Alim nodded, but…at the same time…he could not escape the fact that he was still missing something. They knew that that king's men had attacked this place, and that the wardens had retreated back into it, but they still did not know why. Killing the wardens seemed a little too extreme for the wardens just becoming unpopular with the nobles.
The warden mage turned to the merchant. Much of what he had seen here still did not make sense.
Do you know what caused all this?" he asked the man.
Levi Dryden shrugged.
"Not much is known about that time," the man confessed, "King Arland Theirin…his death was followed by a massive civil war, loads worse from the one we are seeing now. The palace…Maker…most of Denerim itself was nearly burned down in all the fighting that followed."
"And most of the records with it," Alim sighed. The elf shook his head, so much that they did not know…far too much.
He led the group forward, looking for answers further in.
He found himself walking beside Leliana; the bard seemed troubled, that cute little worry line marring her brow.
Seeing it made him shudder, he longed to take her in his arms, to kiss that line smooth, to then start on her lips and work his way down, her neck, her shoulders, her breasts...
She does not want that you idiot! She doesn't even want you!
The thought struck him like a lash, cutting deep into his heart.
He was truly a fool!
HE ached for her, longed to touch her. Maker save him, but he was lost in the deepest throes of lovesickness.
And he knew the only cure would be time, to suffer in silence. He had had crushes before, but nothing like this.
He…he had never fallen this hard for anyone before.
It was horrible, it was stupid, but that was the way it was.
"Can I ask you a question?" she whispered.
"Yes," he said coldly, hating how much his heart leapt at the sweet tones of her voice.
She gave him a hard look, the anger in it shocked him, normally she was so at peace…so certain.
"What have I done?" she asked.
You rejected me, his thoughts screamed, but he hid them behind a mask of indifference.
"I don't know what you are talking about," he replied.
The look of hurt in her eyes surprised him.
"We were talking," she said, "We had…we had become friends. I want to know what I have done wrong. Why have you turned so cold to me?"
Friends.
Alim shuddered, there was that word again, the word that symbolized the death of any possible relationship. It fueled his temper anew.
"I was growing too close," he said angrily.
She tilted her head in confusion.
"What does that even mean?" she asked.
Alim, in his anger kicked open the door to the warden barracks.
"LIM!" Alistair shouted his warning.
Five undead wardens stood before them. Four on a small ledge taking aim with bows. Another charged the elf with a sword.
He did not have time to raise spellbinder.
Leliana leapt before him shielding his with her short sword and dagger. The move shocked the elf.
"WHAT IN THE VOID ARE YOU DOING!" he shouted.
"PROTECTIMG SOMEONE I CARE FOR," the bard replied hotly, "That is was friends do, no?"
She pushed the corpse back.
"Down," he cried.
She dropped to her knees. He sent a fireball whooshing over her head.
It exploded among the archers, scattering them.
The warrior she pushed back charged again.
Leliana swept his legs out from under him.
"I will know what I have done wrong," she said fiercely.
Alim charged the burning archers before they could get a chance to reload.
Her statement shocked him.
"You want to do this now?"
The undead warrior was on his feet again, slashing out with his sword. Leliana met him head on, her anger at Lim fueling her aggression.
"You can't runaway here, or shut me out," she replied in anger, "I would hear your reasons now."
The elf cursed under his breath.
Stubborn, foolish, wonderful woman.
"You said you just wanted to be friends," he spat.
"We are friends," she replied removing the arm of the warrior, his sword fell away; the undead dropped his shield and went to retrieve his sword. Leliana rolled under his guard and tossed a fire flask in his face. The undead roared and staggered back; she set her feet waiting for its next charge.
"We are friends," she repeated, "At least I thought we were!"
Alim waded into the fallen archers, cutting them to pieces with spellbinder. It was creepy, he sliced off a limb, and it crawled towards the body it had come from, trying to reconnect itself and continue the fight.
It was disturbing, but no more than the storm raging in his stomach, the anger that the bard had provoked.
"I've heard women say that want to be friends with me before Leliana," he replied, "I know damn well what that means."
IOI
What?
Was that was this about? Did Lim think she was trying to manipulate him somehow?
Leliana shook her head, had the coldness of the last few days been just a…a misunderstanding?
It hardly seemed possible.
The burning warrior tried to grab her; she danced away, and delivered a vicious spin kick to his jaw.
The undead's head went flying.
She looked at the elf in shock. Had he read some negative meaning into her words that night they had stood watch together? She had meant nothing, they had been such cold companions, ever since Lothering, and for her to call him friend…it…it had been meant to compliment how close they had become.
She had meant nothing negative by it.
"There was no underlying meaning to my words Lim," she sounded so hurt now, even as she cut the undead warrior in half with her short sword. The arm and torso tried to continue to fight, but she removed the remaining arm.
She looked down at the destruction she had wrought, a storm in and of itself.
Alim…he…Maker she had never been so confused. Angry, ashamed, vindicated, the emotions warred on her face.
Alim…he…he had awakened something inside of her, something she thought long dead, or at least, in deep hibernation.
She did not wish him to be angry with her, not anymore.
She…she had never wanted to cause him pain. She…she did not want to hurt him. She could not even dream of hurting him…
…not anymore.
IOI
Alim digested her words. Even as he cut down the last of the undead wardens, he…he was trying to make sense of all of this.
She had not meant anything negative. She called him friend, because she saw him as such? It…it did not seem possible.
Had he taken things out of proportion again, given his failed history with the girl's in the tower?
It was a possibility.
He gave her a sad look. She looked hurt, had…had he hurt her with his coldness? He…he had not meant to…
He did not wish to cause her pain.
They faced each other, both covered in blood and ash. Both panting and sweating from the exertion of the fight.
His ears lowered in shame.
"We're…we're going to have to have a little talk," he said.
That seemed to pacify the bard, at least for now.
"Later," she said sheathing her sword and walking away.
Alim watcher her go, enjoying the view of her swaying hips, at the same time cursing his weakness.
Later, he reminded himself, we have work to do here…
We can discuss things…later.
IOI
Their companions had not moved. The bard and mage had cleared the room during their…discussion. They were silent as the two combatants passed them by, heading for the Peak's long abandoned kitchen.
There were some knowing smiles passed within the group, most recognized what had happened between Alim and Leliana. Wynne just frowned and shook her head.
Zevran chuckled when they were both out of earshot.
"What is so funny?" Sereda asked him.
"Those two are great," the assassin smirked, "Better than a troop of actors for their entertainment value."
Sereda shook her head.
"That is why you do not mix warfare with pleasure," she said, "It leads to trouble."
He smirked at her.
"Truly my dear," he said, "And you have never had a relationship with one of the people under your command?"
She shot him a dirty look, but it faded…turned into something thoughtful.
"I did not say that," she whispered, "It…it is just trouble."
The smile on his face widened.
"Sometimes that trouble is worth it," he said.
She turned away, but he thought he caught a hint of a smile on her lips.
"Yes," she replied, "It…it can be…"
The assassin felt pleased.
Finally…some progress.
And so their dance continued.