Chapter 33) Split Paths

Layla POV


"Wynne?" I sobbed, still shaking, one hand on the walls as I walked. "Irving?" I left the dorms to keep from waking people up, but now I couldn't stop crying and, worse, I couldn't find someone. "Someone?"

"What in Andraste's…?" Through my blurry vision, I see Knight-Commander Greagoir jogging down the hall. "It's… Layla, right? You're one of the new ones." I nodded, rubbing at my eyes to get rid of the tears. But they kept coming. "What are you doing up? It's long past lights out for the apprentices."

"I had a bad dream!" My voice wobbled. "It was so scary! I felt him choking me! So… So I wanted to find Wynne or Irving, but…!" Fresh tears streamed down my face. "I can't find them!"

"That… would be because you took a wrong turn." A warm hand awkwardly ruffled my hair and then strong arms picked me up. "Come on. I'll get you to Irving. So, stop crying. You're safe now."

"O-okay…"


I should not have taken that nap.

I had burst into a cold sweat, my body was paralyzed, a scream lodged in my throat, and my eyes burned with unshed tears. That dream… no, that nightmare… I had known it was a dream from the beginning, of course. All mages were lucid dreamers. But this had been a dream I had not been able to control, and that had been absolutely terrifying. I could still feel the green mist coiling around my arms, feel the heat of thousands of torches, hear the echoing roar of whatever that creature had been. It had looked like a dragon, but it had been far darker, sharper, harder than anything I'd read about.

"Are you awake now?" A gentle hand turned me onto my back and I could only stare wide-eyed at Nuada as he peered into my face. "It looks like it hit you bad," he murmured, brushing some of the hair out of my sweaty face. The gesture was both soothing and confusing. "That dragon like thing you likely saw was the Archdemon, by the way." WE HAD TO FIGHT THAT THING?! "Can you move?" I tested with my hands and, finding my fingers responsive, I carefully pushed myself up. That was when I noticed I was shaking. "You up for some soup?" My stomach was in absolute knots, but the thought of holding something warm was comforting, so I nodded. "I'll get it for you." He smiled, and I wondered why he was so nice to me now. I had been so certain he hated me for some reason, back when he refused to let me help him. "I'll be right back. Alistair is coming up behind you." I turned and saw he was right. But Alistair was clearly waiting to be invited over.

So, I waved him closer, still afraid of speaking. He all but fell to my side and tugged me into a hug, and I leaned my head on his comforting shoulder as Nuada left for the campfire not far away. "All Wardens have dreams like that," Alistair explained. I wished someone had told me that sooner. "That's how we know this is a Blight." I didn't ask why they didn't explain that to non-Wardens. I had a feeling the answer would just depress me further. "Ah, Leliana, perfect timing." I sat up straight again as Leliana crouched next to me, and pressed a bowl into my hands. "Nuada pass the job to you?"

"Yes, he figured it would be better to find Aiden and Cleon," she explained. She noticed my trembling and helped me steady the bowl. "Do you need help eating?" I shook my head. I had no intentions of eating quite yet. "All right."

"If Aiden and Cleon are coming in, that means a change in watch," Alistair noted. Carefully, he stood up, resting a comforting hand on my head. "So, that means Sten and I are up."

"I can take your place. I think they'll want to discuss-"

"No, no, the only other job is cooking and, trust me, we don't want me cooking!" Alistair laughed freely and a hint of resentment went through me. He was the senior Warden. Why was he running away from helping us make decision?! But, of course, I said nothing as he headed off. I watched him leave, noticing how that Sten person was glaring at me before he left with Alistair. He didn't seem to like anyone but Elspeth and Cleon, and I wasn't even certain of that. He was quieter than even the most stoic templars.

"Well, back to cooking with Morrigan," Leliana noted. I could only stare as she stretched up, flashed me a smile, and returned to the campfire. Morrigan was glaring at a pot hanging over the flames; I assumed it was still full of soup. Elspeth was near them, mending what seemed to be a shirt.

It was so quiet, I finally noticed. It made sense. We were quite a ways away from Lothering, or so it seemed by my still aching feet, and no one was really talking to one another. There was the crackling of firewood, and I thought there were a few insects and rodents scuffling about, but that was it. It was… unnerving. The Tower had always been filled with sounds, and the trip down to Ostagar had lots of talking. But, then again, Commander Duncan had initiated a lot of the nighttime talks and he was… he was…

"Did Alistair choose to not switch with Leliana for the watch?" Shaking my head, I looked up to see Nuada, Cleon, and Aiden walking to me. "Then again, he is a horrible cook," Nuada continued, sitting at my feet as Aiden sat to my right and Cleon to my left. Cleon immediately scooted so I could rest my head on his shoulder, an opportunity I took quickly. "You remember that strange grey mush, Layla?" The memory of Alistair's disastrous cooking attempt made me smile, if only slightly. "I swear that stuff was as potent as an Antivan poison."

"Taking you at your word," Cleon sighed. He dropped two papers down on my lap. "That's two of them." I wondered what he was talking about before remembering when I'd last seen them. These were the treaties. "Aiden has the third."

"Elspeth handed us the one she kept safe while we were making this camp," Aiden murmured as he set down the last one. I wasn't sure why he told us that. Maybe it was just to talk. "So, here we are."

"Well, let's be realistic and note that we are going to have to split up," Nuada began, all cheer quieting for the seriousness. I just studied the three papers, reading what bits I could see. "Normally, I'd say just split the group in three, but…"

"Even as a Dalish, I'd have to disagree," Cleon retorted, waving his hands as if to wipe away the thought. The treaties were really old. There were bits of yellow around the edges. But the writing was pretty. It was all spirals and fine lines, as if the writers were making it a work of art. "That bastard has people after us."

"And if we were ambushed by anyone, a small group might not be able to get away fast enough. Yes, I know. That's why I said 'normally'." Wait, did that say…?

"Is that one for the Circle?" I interrupted, voice soft and raspy. I set the bowl to the side and picked up the treaty. I smiled at the familiar symbol sketched in the corner. "It is. Let's go there first." I could go home!

"I'd actually argue the Dalish first, if we're not splitting up now," Cleon argued. I turned to pout at him, but he shook his head. "Dalish are nomadic. I have ideas of where Clans are now, but that might not be the case in even a few days." Ah… but…

"The Tower might not be going anywhere, Cleon, but the mages might." I could only stare in shock as Nuada defended my request. He even looked serious about it, though my tired mind found itself wondering how he could sit so straight without a chair backing him. Cleon had similar good posture. Aiden and I, however, slumped slightly. "Loghain or Anora could call on the mages to help them, and then they'll be caught up in politics when better suited elsewhere," he continued. "There's an argument for both."

"If… if that's the case, then perhaps a small group to the Tower?" Aiden hesitantly suggested. He flinched when all three of us looked at him. "It's j-just…"

"We know, but it's probably the best way, lethallin," Cleon interrupted, waving his hand in front of him again. "Layla will head to the Tower, and I'll head to the Brecilian Forest." I was very thankful to not have to go anywhere near that place again. "How should we split the others?" Wait, we were going to decide for them? I… wasn't sure how comfortable I was with that.

"I'd better head to the Tower with Layla, unless you two have a good reason for me not to," Nuada declared. I stared at him a moment before slumping a little further. He confused me so much. "I highly doubt a human noble, Warden or not, will be a welcome sight."

"Would a city elf?" Aiden asked Cleon. Cleon opened his mouth, shut it and tilted his head to the side in thought, and then finally nodded. "I take it there are some clans who aren't?"

"Some do and some don't," Cleon answered awkwardly. I placed my hand on his and he smiled at me. "I've met more that do, but having been away from the Clan, I find it hard to say whether we're in the majority or not."

"Then I'll head with you. Please take no offense, Mistress Layla, but even for the chance to see my cousin again will I go near the templars who took her away." He suddenly colored. "I… that wasn't… um…" Did he not mean to say that? Nuada looked amused by it. "R-regardless, Morrigan should also come with us. We might get away with calling her Warden or recruit, but…" It was far better to not even get the opportunity.

"Elspeth and I think Sten views magic as… distasteful, so it'll probably be better for him to come with the Dalish group." Was that why he seemed to disapprove of Morrigan and me? "Alistair will probably just go with whatever. He has for everything else." Cleon's tone implied he didn't exactly approve of that. "Nuada? What of Elspeth?" Obviously, she would want to go with Nuada, right? They were-

"She'll head with you," Nuada answered. All three of us stared at him. "…You three are acting like Elspeth and I are joined at the hip." Considering that we had all spent a significant time thinking the others were dead…! "Elspeth will far better enjoy seeing the Dalish and their traditions compared to seeing yet another Circle." At my questioning look, he smiled wryly. "We visited for the diplomatic reasons while abroad." He had been abroad? "You're all looking at me weirdly."

"I had heard Teyrn Cousland served as a diplomat for King Maric for around ten years," Aiden began slowly. Cleon and I exchanged a look and shrugged at the information. "I hadn't realized you visited him so much, my lord."

"I didn't." Huh? "I traveled with him." Ah! "Mother didn't feel comfortable letting him go without her, and she certainly wasn't going to leave us three behind." His smile seemed decidedly bitter, even though his posture was relaxed and poised. "I've only lived half my life here in Fereldan. Antiva is a wonderful place to spend your early years, though." Somehow… I thought he was being sarcastic, but I could not think of why. "Regardless, that leaves Leliana, right? And wherever Alistair will go. Personally, I'd recommend Dalish. He doesn't seem all that comfortable with his templar past."

"Since Leliana should go with you and Layla, I'd welcome the additional person," Cleon answered. Both Nuada and I looked confused, and he and Aiden exchanged a look that screamed volumes. "Leliana is… uh…" Strangely, he seemed to not be able to find the words he wanted.

So, Aiden finished the sentence for him. "She's vocal in accidental prejudices." Nuada started chuckling. "Is there something wrong, my lord?"

"That has to be the nicest way I've heard of saying she's a bigot," he explained with a small smile. She was? But Leliana was so nice. "That's all."

"I see, my lord." Aiden tentatively smiled back. "Regardless, is that… everyone?" The three of us nodded. "Then I suppose we inform them?" He looked uncomfortable suddenly. "Assuming, of course, they don't think we're being heavy handed, deciding while they're doing chores."

"It's not like they came over to weigh in," Cleon pointed out, a slight edge to his words as he finally stood up and stretched. "And it had to be obvious what we were doing." I supposed that could be true? "What do we do about that last treaty?"

"One of us will simply carry it?" Aiden looked at Nuada, but Nuada just smiled and shrugged. "I… suppose that's all there is to it."

"I'll carry it, if you'd like," Nuada offered as he stood up as well. "But we'll have to keep it extra safe. The dwarves… well, their politics reminded me a lot of the Orlesian Court and it's Game." Despite the word, I doubted this 'game' was all that fun. "Physical proof might help us cut through some of the bullshit."

"I understand, my lord." Aiden turned to me with a small smile. "Your soup has likely grown cold, Mistress Layla." I… had forgotten about it. In fact, all the talk had even made me forget I was sitting on the hard ground, a blanket still covering my legs. "Shall I fetch you a fresh bowl?"

"No, I am well," I reassured, picking up the bowl to eat the soup. Even lukewarm, it was delicious and comforting. Then again, excitement had made me hungry, and Neria once told me that hunger was the best spice for food. "Please, do not concern yourself." In fact, excitement nearly made me bounce in my seat.

I was going back to the Tower. I could go back home. I could hug Irving and cry over everything that happened. I could get advice! We could get supplies! Someone else could take charge!

Everything would be wonderful and peaceful there! I could not wait to see everyone again!


Author's Note: All right. We're finally reaching the end of the 'prologue' section of the game. Yes, splitting up. …It's slightly easier to handle so many characters this way. Slightly. (I will note that if a character appears to be fading into the background, PLEASE let me know. I might not even notice) Not a lot going on here, short chapter, sorry.

Next Chapter – Interlude, Morrigan. Last chapter before the main game begins. Promise.