Chapter 105: Worthy
"I bid you welcome pilgrim."
The voice was warm and strong, they heard it not just with their ears but with their souls as well. It was not hard to figure out that this was the voice of the guardian that Kolgrim had spoken of…
Alim pursed his lips in thought.
Hopefully, whatever this guardian was, he would allow them to path unhindered.
The bulk of the group remained outside, even with the dragon dead; there was no telling if any cultists remained in the mountain paths. Their god was dead, as was their leader, given that; it was likely that if any of the Disciples of Andraste remained, they might attempt a suicide run of sorts, seeking to avenge what the wardens had taken from them.
After all that had happened, Alim was not willing to risk that, not after they had come so far. The temple at the summit of the mountain was far different than the rest of the cultists holdings, though no doubt as ancient as the rest of the ruins, the ice had not swallowed this part of the temple, the carvings remained pristine, they looked as if they had been carved mere days ago, instead of hundreds of years in the past…
Alim shivered, the air sang of magic. It sang of lyrium. Oghren concurred with that, whether the ancient Andrastians realized it or not, they had built Andraste's resting place in a site of great power. That power had changed this place, and everything in it.
If the ashes had not begun with mystical power, after several hundred years in this place…they certainly would have developed some. Magic had a way touching everything around it.
The ashes of Andraste were likely no different.
The warden mage may not have considered himself one of the faithful, but only a fool what not realize just how special this lost temple truly was.
He smiled slightly.
If the ashes were anywhere, it had to be here.
"Can you feel it," Leliana beamed, "This…this is hallowed ground, I'm sure of it!"
Alim smiled at her, his lover almost seemed to be glowing herself the excitement of the journey, the danger. It made her more radiant that ever.
Part of him wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her, but he resisted that urge…for now.
There would be time to enjoy his love's passion later.
Those who had grown up around the chantry were the first to volunteer to follow him in. Fergus, Wynne, Alistair, especially Leliana…all of them wanted to see the temple with their own eyes. Oghren agreed because he was hoping for more fighting, the battle with the dragon had gotten his blood racing, he was eager to find another outlet for his berserker fury. Kally and Theron came, but it was clear that neither of them sought the ashes for religious enlightenment. The female elf clearly wanted to protect Fergus; she had been listening to Kolgrim's ranting about his followers not being able to enter this place. She feared that there were traps inside. She said she would come, and help deal with them.
As for Theron well…
Alim's ears twitched.
The Dalish had clearly not forgotten his personal desire for the ashes, if they could heal him, if there was even a chance.
He clearly wished to try.
Alim led the way, he felt no ill effects from the dragon's attack, whatever spirit that now resided inside Wynne had proven its worth today. He was no fool, had it not been for Wynne and her…ally, he likely would have died.
He would have died, and all that he had learned about his people would have been lost.
What she had done was more than simply save his life. She had saved a part of the future of his people.
He gave the old mage a chagrinned look.
He intended to prove himself worthy of her effort.
"Are you sure you are all right?"
He gave Leliana what he hoped was a confident smile. His clothing had been all but destroyed, physically he was fine, and still…it would be a while before he would forget about the intense heat, the flame that had burned him despite his strongest spells…
The dragon's maw gaping wide, flames surrounding him, bathing him like water, burning him drowning him…
The elf shuddered.
He would likely carry the memory of what had happened for a very long time.
He would try not to let it affect his work, and he would try to keep these new fears from Leliana.
She did not need to be afraid that he had lost his edge.
The main hall of the temple was much like the outside, no snow or ice had reached here, no moss grew from the walls, and the ceiling remained strong and intact. The braziers along the wall burned brightly, though Alim could smell no wood or oil. Whether it was magic or dwarven engineering he could not say. His head swam with magical power.
A lone warrior blocked their path, his armor appeared archaic, but was clearly well serviced, he stood sentinel before the entrance, his great sword in hand, blade pointed down at his feet, ready to be raised at a moment's notice. He smiled slightly, pleased at the sight before him.
Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, Alim could not tell…yet.
They approached the man; they all bowed slightly in greetings.
The warrior merely nodded.
"I am the guardian of the ashes, pilgrims," he said, "I have waited so very long for this moment."
"Greetings guardian," Alim began, "I am Alim of the Grey Wardens. I seek a pinch of the Sacred Ashes of Andraste, to save the life of a noble man."
He met the guardian's eyes evenly.
"Will you allow this?"
A hint of amusement played over the man's lips, he did not seem to be mocking them, so much as pleased by their audacity.
"It is not my decision that you should reach the ashes, pilgrim," he said, "The gauntlet will decide that. If you prove yourself worthy, you shall be allowed to see the remains of our prophet, and take a single pinch of the ashes for yourself.
Alim's ears twitched, so it seemed they were not quite done jumping through hoops here, it seemed that this place had a few more surprises for them.
"What shall we face?" he asked.
"The gauntlet is a test of your faith, pilgrim, it is different for everyone," the guardian replied, "Even if your cause is noble, it must be endured, you must prove yourself worthy."
"Heh," Oghren snorted, "I'm guessing that Kolgrim arsehole and his buddies were never worthy then, huh?"
The Guardian sighed.
"Kolgrim knew nothing of true faith, his heart and words were laced with poison, for too long he led those that should have served Andraste astray."
"Guess you don't have to worry about that anymore, pal," the dwarf chuckled, "The boss here took care of ole Kolgrim for you, and we dealt with his giant lizard."
Oghren smirked.
"You can say 'thank you' if you want."
The Guardian lowered his head at the news.
"The Maker's justice be done," he murmured, "Andraste has finally judged the heretics and their beasts may they all peace in the next world."
Alim chuckled.
"Then the dragon wasn't Andraste then? Good. I was afraid you would say that it was her. I would feel more than a little awkward if that were so."
The Guardian might have smiled, it was hard to say with that old war helmet he had on.
"The dragon was a fearsome creature, but no, it was not our prophet reborn. Our Andraste sits at the Maker's side. True believers do not need audacious displays of power. My fallen brethren likely saw it as proof of their faith, a symbol far more visible than our absent Maker, and his silent Andraste."
Leliana frowned.
"Couldn't you have saved them?" she asked, "Couldn't you have saved them from their heresy?"
"You can't show a blind man how to see, nor teach a deaf man how to listen," the Guardian replied, "Kolgrim and his followers only sought the rewards the dragon had to offer, they cared nothing of our true Andraste, they abandoned their faith, and our promise."
Alim's eyes narrowed, this was all well and good he supposed, but if he was going to jump through even more hoops to try and save Arl Eamon, he wished to get to it.
"May we pass?" he asked.
"The way is prepared for you," the Guardian began, but first, a question if I may…"
The warden mage fought the urge to roll his eyes, but he nodded. Anything to get this final test underway, they still had a blight to stop after all.
The ancient warrior straightened, his timeless eyes burned into the warden.
"Jowan was your friend. You were like brothers once, yet, you left him to face the consequences of his actions. Tell me pilgrim, did you fail Jowan?"
Alim's eyes narrowed, he did not know how the Guardian knew about his past, and quite frankly, it did not matter. It was none of his business…still…
The elf sighed.
"Jowan chose his fate," Alim sighed, "If he had come to me about dabbling in blood magic before my harrowing, I might have been able to talk him out of it. I could have saved him, and myself, but that didn't happen. Jowan is responsible for his own fate, just as I am responsible for mine. I don't regret my choice to help him. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I…I just wish he would have chosen more wisely…I…He…"
The elf shook his head.
"It doesn't matter now. I did what I could, and so did he."
The guardian smiled slightly.
"Thank you," he murmured.
One by one he confronted the rest of Alim's party. He asked them about the failings of their pasts. He confronted them all, Alistair's shame about surviving when Duncan did not. The former Templar still blamed himself, but recognized the need to carry on in his mentor's name.
Wynne's fear was that the circle no longer protected the mages in its care, and that she defended a broken system. She admitted her doubts but little else.
He confronted Fergus about the deaths of his family, the murders that he had not been able to stop. The noble had been angry, but did not believe that he had failed his loved ones. Arl Howe and Elissa were to blame…
He would see the two answer for their crimes.
Oghren did not give the warrior a chance to ask him about his past. The dwarf openly admitted that he had failed his family, that he should have been a better mate, maybe he could have stopped Branka and saved their world, instead…he had lost everything.
He had no excuse for that.
Kally refused to meet the guardian's eyes when he asked about someone named Shianni. Kally had apparently failed to save the girl from being dishonored. She insisted that she did not blame herself; she blamed Vaughan Kendals for everything that happened.
She would not take responsibility for his crimes.
Fergus lightly touched her arm, she relaxed and smiled at him, drawing strength from his compassion.
Theron, normally the most mild mannered of their group glared hatefully when the guardian asked him about his friend Tamlen, the friend he had abandoned when he had first sickened with the taint.
The Dalish refused to answer the guardian, he told him to mind his own business.
It was then that the guardian turned his attention to Leliana. Alim was shocked by what the guardian asked her, or rather what he accused her of…
The Guardian knew about her visions, and demanded to know if she saw herself as Andraste's equal? He accused her of making up her visions for the attention, a means to make herself seem more than a simple sister in the Lothering Chantry.
"I never said I was Andraste's equal," she spat, "And…and the fact that you believe I made everything up…for…for the attention? I did not."
She glared coldly at him.
"I know what I believe, Guardian, and you will not take that from me!"
If the old warrior was insulted he did not show it. He simply thanked her politely for her answer and turned back to Alim.
"The way is now open pilgrims, may Andraste light you on your path."
The Guardian vanished in a flash of light, Alim blinked away the spots that the flash had made in his vision and faced the door behind where the guardian had once stood.
The door was now open, leading into a large chamber. He saw several lights flickering inside, not from torches he suspected but something else.
The warden sighed.
He suspected that the guardian was still watching them, even though it appeared that he had vanished.
He looked over his companions, none of them seemed as eager to enter the gauntlet now, not after the Guardian's questions.
The elf shook his head.
They all had things in their past they either wanted to forget, or at least pretended to. The Guardian's question about Jowan had been kind of a low blow.
Alim sighed.
Jowan was still imprisoned in Redcliffe; he would need to decide what to do about that. His old friend might not have been totally responsible for what had happened, but he had set off those events with his alliance with Loghain.
Bann Teagan had asked him his opinion of what needed to be done about Jowan. At the time the elf had no answers.
He realized that he would need to come up with some soon.
The warden mage whispered a spell, making the crystal on the top of his staff glow. He led the way into the first room of the Gauntlet, their first challenge.
He caught Leliana's eye, the bard turned sister was still a little angry over the Guardian's accusations, not that he blamed her.
Were they worthy? That was the question wasn't it?
Their purpose here was true, save Arl Eamon's life. Then, with his help, end the Blight.
But would that be enough for the Guardian, the Maker…or whatever it was that decided these things? Alim did not have any answers.
Were they worthy…?
They were about to find out.