Chapter 3. New Faces

[Sura]

Red hair.. The woman Sura now looked at had red hair. She was sitting beside a campfire singing and playing the lute. Sura recognized the song, it was an elven ballad called In Uthenera. The woman's voice was breathtaking. She had never before met this woman or even recalled seeing her before, yet she could feel some strong connection to her within her heart. Alistair stood nearby, there was also several other people around that Sura didn't recognize. She was seeing some sort of vision she assumed.

Flemeth's Hut [Sura]

Sura awoke in bed in what seemed to be a small cabin. All of her clothes and weapons had been stripped away and she was just left in her smallclothes. She looked around and saw a scantily dressed woman with black hair standing nearby. Her clothing choice left little to the imagination. She had yellow eyes, dark purple lips, and stood with a proud demeanor. She seemed to just be slightly older than Sura.

"Ah, you're awake. Mother will be pleased. Come outside once you're dressed." She spoke with a tone that could absolutely care less. She turned and exited the cabin.

Sura looked around her and found her weapons, armor, and other possessions sat on the floor beside the bed she was in. She got up to get dress and retrieve her items.

Where's Alistair? Where the hell even am I?

She headed outside to where the woman whom she had just met now stood with Alistair and an old woman. The old woman introduced herself as Flemeth, and her daughter was Morrigan. Flemeth explained how she had rescued Sura and Alistair from atop the Tower of Ishal and nursed them back to health. When asked of why she did this, she simply just said not all of Ferelden's Grey Wardens can go dying at once with a Blight about us. Something was horribly off about this old woman.

By the Creators, this old woman is the asha'bellanar!

Flemeth would neither confirm or deny the myths around her, but Sura had heard many stories. This woman was supposedly extremely powerful and hundreds of years old. Sura was unsure of what to make of all of this, it was bizarre. Then again, the events of the past few days had all been a bit crazy and a lot to take in. Flemeth told them of how the wellbeing of Ferelden now lie in their hands. They would need to recruit and unite the mages, elves, dwarves, and humans into an army to defeat the darkspawn and the archdemon. To further Sura's bewilderment, the woman presented them both with Grey Warden treaties which they'd need in order to do this. As Sura and Alistair turned to leave-

"Wait! Take Morrigan with you."

Morrigan had many protests and unkind words for Flemeth, but ultimately there was no refusing what this old woman said. Morrigan was a powerful mage and shapeshifter. Sura was happy to have her along. She'd be a lot of help and maybe she'd finally have another mage to help her with her magic again.

They started their trek toward Lothering. It was the nearest town and they'd need to get some supplies before heading to Redcliffe. Alistair was eager to get to Redcliffe because he was certain the Arl would help them. They'd been walking for some time when Sura heard a bark from behind her. It was the mabari she nursed back to help in Ostagar. It ran up to her, tackling her and licking her face.

"Well, I think we just got another new friend to tag along. How about it, Dozer? You like that name?" Sura gave him a scratch behind the ear.

He replied with a happy bark.

With a smile Sura said, "It's settled then."

Lothering [Sura]

Lothering was a small little town. If not for the Blight causing people to move north, Sura assumed that normally it wasn't as crowded as it is now. Morrigan being uncomfortable with so many people stayed on the outskirts of the town with Dozer. Sura and Alistair had split up. Alistair went to ask around of any news. Sura had bought supplies they'd need like tents, bedrolls, supplies for potions, food, among other things. While Sura had went about buying supplies, she'd noticed she was being watched. A human woman with chin length red hair wearing robes of the Chantry sit on a bench ten feet away watching her. She had a curious expression on her face. She had fair skin and eyes as blue and sparkling as sapphire. She was beautiful. Sura caught herself staring back and looked away blushing.

An unsettling thought came over Sura.. She'd seen this woman before. This was the woman from her vision.

She met up with Alistair in front of the tavern. When she looked again to the bench the red haired woman had disappeared. Upon exiting Lothering they find a man in a cage. At least Sura thought it was a man. He was huge, with dark skin and long braided white hair. He explained how he was qunari and he was sentenced to death for murdering a farmer and his family. Morrigan was keen on bringing him along with all of them, saying he could be useful. He wouldn't be the only murderer among them. He agreed to be at their service if they freed him and for them to call him Sten. Sura picked the lock to his cage and handed him a sword, which he oddly refused.

Now they were back on the road again. All of a sudden an arrow flew past Sura's head. It landed in the throat of a bandit right behind her that was about to take her head off. Two more arrows fly by taking out the remaining bandits before Sura or her companions could react. The red headed woman Sura had seen earlier now walked into sight with a bow in hand. She was now dressed in leathers with daggers sheathed in her belt. Sura could only stare with a surprised expression. What kind of Chantry sister was this? And how's she manage to look even more beautiful while murdering people?

"You're Grey Wardens. I want to come with you to help and it looks like you could use that help." She bent over to retrieve her arrows from the bandits. She spoke with an Orlesian accent, but her voice and the way she spoke filled Sura with butterflies.

"H-How do you know who we are?" Sura was unsure what to say.

She giggled. "Well, your group doesn't exactly blend in."

"Fair enough, I guess."

The vision Sura had seen must have been a glimpse at the future. This woman was meant to travel with them. She revealed her name to be Leliana. Sura hung back from the group to talk with her as they walked. Morrigan kept shooting the woman glares. If Morrigan could suggest to bring along some farmer murdering qunari, why couldn't Sura choose to bring along some not so innocent Chantry sister? As they talked Leliana told Sura of how it was a vision that made her want to join them. This was her fate and what the Maker wanted according to her.

She saw a vision too?

Leliana noticed the shocked look on Sura's face. "I-I know it sounds crazy. I won't blame you if you don't believe me."

"No, that's not it. Just.. I had a vision too. With you in it. I believe you, I just don't understand what it means."

Leliana's eyes widened. "You did? The Maker works in mysterious ways.."

Camp [Sura]

They'd set up camp a little ways off the road. Morrigan pitched her tent as far away from the others as she could possibly get it. Sura gave her tent up to Leliana and just decided to sleep under the stars until they could get her another possibly when they reached Redcliffe. She'd spent many nights sleeping under the stars so this wasn't anything uncomfortable for her. She remember one night distinctly. Her and Merrill had decided to take a walk away from camp to talk without prying ears. They'd lied down side by side in a clearing gazing up at the stars, just talking about anything and everything. Sura could remember even how Merrill smelled, she always had this floral scent about her.

Sura sat by the fire now cleaning her bow and crafting more arrows. Her bow was made of ironbark, with beautiful carvings covering the entirety of it. She was preparing to set out on a short hunt to clear her mind. She stood up and stretched, strapping her bow onto her back.

Leliana approached her with her own bow at the ready. "Mind if I join you?"

Sura smiled. "As long as you don't put me to shame out there." They started walking together through the woods.

"I couldn't compare to a Dalish elf when it comes to hunting."

"I'm not exactly an elf," Sura said with hesitation in her voice. She brushed hair back from her ear before continuing, showing that she had human ears. "I'm only half elf."

"But you were raised among the Dalish?"

"Indeed, I was. Shh, look up ahead." Sura crouched down urging Leliana to follow suit. Up ahead was a deer. It would make for a day or two of good eating. Sura aimed with her bow but an arrow took the deer in the head before she could get a clear shot, killing it instantly.

"Couldn't compare to a Dalish, huh?"

"Lucky shot," she giggled.

By the Creators, Sura couldn't get enough of her giggling and smiling. She was doomed to fall for this woman. Sura hauled the deer back to the camp where she set off to skinning it and taking what meat they could eat. She cooked some to eat now and made jerky from some of the other. She'd use the deerskin to make a blanket. They could use as many of those they could get in the fast coming winter.

As Sura settled in to sleep, a thought flashed across her mind. There could still be assassins out there searching for her right now. She knew what those people were capable of. If so, she and her companions had a hell of a fight ahead of them.