Chapter 101: The Climb
The cold mountain winds battered them; the blowing snow stung their faces as they trudged up the icy slopes. It was not an easy thing that they endured, yet still they pushed on, for the sake of the mission they pushed on.
Alim gritted his teeth, he pulled his hood tighter down over his elven ears, his cloak whipping behind him, as he gripped his staff tightly in his hands, all the better to keep from getting blown back down the path.
The elf swore under his breath. He knew enough not to try and use his magic to calm these winds, this weather was not something he had asked for, which meant that any attempt to interfere in what should have been might bring down a worse fate upon himself and his companions.
That was the problem of being a stormbreaker, that ancient stormbreakers memories had shown him that much. They had power over the wind and the rain, but it was a power they had not made themselves, the gods still held sway, even cut off from his people as they were…
The elf frowned.
A stormbreaker was still bound by the gods' will.
"HOW MUCH FARTHER BROTHER?!"
He shouted into the wind, using just a smidgen of magic to be overheard over the screaming gusts of air.
Brother Genitivi led the way, sort of. The man's bad leg prevented him from walking. Alim had been forced to ask Shayle to carry him. The golem had not been pleased, memories of being forced to carry her old master likely bounded through her head.
Fortunately, she still responded to simple respect and the use of the word, please. As long as she was asked nicely it seemed; the golem was willing to go that extra mile.
"The lame brother says we are almost there," Shayle called back to the warden, "Then we can get out of this blowing snow, it doesn't bother me of course, but you squishy people have always had a problem with such things."
Alim held his tongue, not wishing to annoy the golem while she was carrying her charge. She was right of course, but that did not mean that he had to like it.
He glanced back at his companions; all had come with them this time. It was simply not safe for anyone to remain behind in Haven, not after Alim and company had killed the Revered Father.
Genitivi had told them all he knew about Haven and its people, the supposed Disciples of Andraste, for weeks the scholar had been under their tender mercies. He felt no compassion when the wardens and their allies had done what had to be done.
These people are a blight on the Makers face, Genitivi had said, let them all end for what they have done.
Alim agreed whole heartedly.
While Father Eirik had been trying to kill them in the chantry, a second group of guards had assaulted the wardens' camp. Theron and the others had been prepared however; months of being vigilant against ambushes had made their allies very quick to respond. The Disciples were not prepared to deal with such a heavily armed group, they had likely assaulted traveler along their home path before, but were clearly not used to a pitched battle.
Theron had led the group up the path and linked up with Alim and the others, villagers and guards assaulted them, emerging from the forest like wraiths from shadows. The people here threw themselves at the wardens like maddened animals. They sang out Andraste's name, and bayed for the blood of Alim and his companions.
The fight was hardly fair, villagers with axes and pitchforks against hardened rogues and warriors. The mages' defensive spell gave them an addition edge. Several of the warriors that they had fought outside the Spoiled Princess was also there, the ones that Leliana had called reavers, they proved a little bit more daunting, but in no way were strong enough to defeat the group at its full strength.
The surviving disciples retreated into the wilderness, fleeing before the wardens' superior might. The group searched the now abandoned village, seeking to ferret out any survivors that might hinder their quest further. What they found in the homes was disturbing, fresh blood, and signs of sacrifice. Morrigan commented that it was human blood, and that it was best that they be away from here quickly.
The cultists were scattered but not totally defeated.
Genitivi agreed with her, claiming there was likely more of them hiding up in the mountain. The brother's comment reminded Alim what the little boy they had met earlier had said.
Someday I will be old enough to go up the mountain and…
The elf sighed.
He would have preferred to avoid the mountain hideout completely, but the scholars work suggested that the Ashes they sought were hidden somewhere up there.
It seemed that they were not done with the Disciples of Andraste yet.
Which led them here, struggling through the too deep snow, it might have been spring below, but up here, the snows still held sway, it likely never left at such high elevations.
Again the elf cursed under his breath.
They were so soddening lucky!
He heard a gasp behind him, he turned to see Morrigan slumped down on all fours in the snow, Alistair went to help her, but she pushed his hand away, they might have shared a bed, but the witch was not above taking help when she was strong enough to do what was needed herself.
She used her staff to regain her feet; she saw that Alim was watching her.
The witch glared at him.
"Lovely," she complained, "We all get to freeze to death, digging for the bones of a mad woman!"
Alim gave her a chagrinned look.
He hoped that Leliana had not heard that.
He glanced at his lover; she was using her bow as a walking stick. She said nothing, her eyes firmly on the path in front of them. As a chantry sister, what they were doing, what they were seeking…
It was likely something very dear to her heart.
Alim's ears twitched.
He had thought he had heard.
"Here," Genitivi's voice rose over the screaming winds, even despite the climb and the cold, the brother could not hide his excitement.
They had found the entrance to the cultists' mountain hideaway.
Alim heard comments behind them, the others voicing their gratitude to get out of the harsh weather.
He chided none of them for that.
In this, they were all in agreement.
Thank you Andraste!
IOI
Leliana shivered as she shed her cloak, not from the cold, that still affected her true, but it was not what held her in its grip now, no…
The bard smiled.
They had made it.
They were here!
She almost squealed with delight!
She could see where the rock had been carved out of the mountain, she could make out the shape of the archway as they passed through it, even clogged with ice, it was clear that this path was not the result of natural forces, and if it was not…
It meant that they were finally drawing closer to the temple that Genitivi had described, closer to the ashes.
She could barely restrain her excitement.
How many pilgrims, adventurers and scholars had sought the ashes over the years, and how many had returned in failure, for them to have made it this far, to have been so close…
It had to be more than coincidence; it had to be providence, surely the Maker smiled on their journey. Surely he was leading them to the ashes…
Surely he was leading her.
She shook her head.
It was a hard thing to imagine, she had often asked herself the question, why her? Why had the Maker chosen her of all people to be a part of this? Leliana the bard had never been worthy of such things, she had been a slave to the material world and her own appetites.
Yet, the Maker had forgiven her, and had given her the visions, he had brought her to the wardens, he had brought her to Alim, her love…
She was doing his will now, she did not doubt that. What she had found with Alim was clearly proof of that.
Her dearest love would not have agreed of course, but that was alright. She was not here to convert Alim, nor would she have tried to. He was perfect, exactly the way he was, he did not share her faith, but he did not mock it either.
What they had seen over these many months, powers of both darkness and light. She could see the Maker's love in everything they had done. This group, this alliance of men and women, elves, humans, Qunari, and dwarves, it was proof that all in Thedas were the Maker's children. They might call him by another name, but the love of their creators still shown through.
She almost laughed.
Back in Lothering, her fellows would have treated her with disdain for saying such things. She would have endured of course, faith was not something easily proven, but in her heart she knew…
She had always known.
Shayle sat Brother Genitivi down near the entrance, a heavy stone door, adorned with strange markings. The scholar removed a small medallion from his pack, the same one that he had insisted that Alim take off the Revered Father. He began to twist and press on the small shape; it changed with each touch from the older man's fingers.
Next to him, Alim's ears twitched.
"How do you know how to do that?" that elf asked curiously.
The scholar smiled.
Few keys like this still exist in the world," he said sagely, "I have sought such things my whole life. I never dreamed that I would actually get to see…well…never mind."
The old man limped up to the door; Alim offered him a hand, to stay upright. Genitivi pressed the changed medallion into a slot in the stone door; he gave it a slight twist.
The door groaned, and slowly began to slide open.
Alim stepped back, his brown eyes scanning the opening before them.
Next to him, Brother Genitivi smiled and stepped through. The others were following closely behind him. They paused as they passed the threshold.
Leliana felt her breath catch in her throat.
Even filled with snow and ice, the temple was magnificent! Ancient symbols she had seen carved on chantry walls were everywhere, the great pillars carved with intricate markings, but under it all, she could sense it, a hum, a gently soothing rhythm.
We are here, she thought, this is most certainly holy ground! It could be nothing else!
"Amazing," she heard Genitivi purr.
Alim lightly touched the old man's arm, startling him.
The elf gave him a serious look.
"We have to stay alert now brother," he advised.
"Of course," Genitivi nodded, wiping at the tears of joy on his face, how long had he sought this place? How long had he dreamed of it?
Leliana smiled again.
She knew a little something about dreams.
IOI
Alim coughed slightly, the echo rang off the high ceilings. He cursed himself immediately.
He was sure that sound was heard throughout the temple.
The hairs on the back of his neck seemed to stand on end. He could not hear them yet, but he did not need to.
They had company coming.
Sten agreed to stay behind with Shayle and watch the brother, make sure that no cultist made it up here from the valley below. It was not safe for Genitivi to farther with his bad leg, not that that bothered him much. He felt it providence that he had guided the wardens this far.
He believed it was their destiny to reach the urn.
Alim hoped that he was right.
Seri and Zev also agreed to stay behind, both setting traps in case they had any more surprises from the disciples. The dwarf of course had no stake in seeing the ashes, she revered her Ancestors. Zev, well, Zev was her lover and likely wanted to stay close to her.
Alistair, Leliana, and Wynne were all eager to go of course. Even Fergus and Kally seemed intrigued. Oghren said he was going simply to kill things, that and he had come to miss the feel of good stone over his head. Alim had sought that Theron would stay behind but the elf insisted on going.
He did not believe in the Maker like the others, but his people still revered Andraste for freeing the elven slaves. She had taken Shartan, the father of the Dalish people as one of her disciples, she had granted them the Dales for his sacrifice, that the Chantry had destroyed them later was irrelevant…
Alim's ears twitched. Theron was not lying, he had come to know his fellow warden well enough to know that, but…he was not being entirely truthful either.
The warden mage wondered what his friend's game was.
Morrigan snorted, she refused to leave their side. She could sense the old magic in this place.
"I will not leave you to stumble through this place like a pack of awed idiots," she exclaimed, "Someone needs to keep their wits about them, tis' likely that I'm the only one capable of doing that."
Alistair gave her a warm look.
"We would appreciate your company," he assured her.
The witch winced at the warmth in his voice, she said no more.
Again Alim wondered what was going on in her head.
Hopefully Alistair could get her to open up to him later.
Not that that mattered right now.
The group pushed forward carefully, Leliana bounded ahead, keeping a wary eye out for trip wires and other mundane means of defenses that the cultists might have installed.
Alim reached out with his magic, sensing for anything…more…provocative. They already knew that the Disciples of Andraste were not above using blood magic.
He did not intend to get caught flat footed.
A battle cry emerged from a corridor off to their left, the group turned weapons at the ready.
Reavers poured out into the main chamber, snarling like wild beasts.
Alim smiled wolfishly.
He had hoped these dumb bastards would take the hint and flee.
Apparently, they were not even that smart, too bad…
Lightning leapt from his staff, as his fellows engaged their targets. The sounds of battle echoed through the temple. Alim struck one with his staff, while his sword beheaded a second.
The purging of the Disciples of Andraste had begun.
Andraste have mercy on their souls…
…Because the wardens certainly would not.