Interlude – Child of the Wilds
Why, oh why, did the fate of Thedas have to rest in the hands of imbeciles? She wishes it were otherwise. After all, considering what she needed to do… well, everything would've been easier if there were less do-gooder and more pragmatic.
She hides a sigh as she tends to her own fire, separate from the others, thinking. Her mother had prepared her for this. She doesn't think she is ready for the… for the everything, but this is it. She will follow the ritual, and then a piece of the old magic will come back. She smiles a little at the thought. The ancient magics, lost to time, returning to the world and making it a little less mundane… that is one of her greatest, if childish, wishes. It is a desire she keeps close to her heart.
Remembering her intentions, she returns to studying the group. She ignores the women; the ritual can only work with a man, after all. Sadly, it also involves a Warden, meaning that she can only play with the interesting creature that is Sten. Still, it could be worse, she supposes. After all, she has a pick of four.
Granted, she would truly have to be desperate to go after Alistair. Templar trained, and sniveling in his belief of being the knight, even though she can see the shadows in his eyes and heart. How idiotic could he be, to still hold onto such naiveties when it was obvious even to a child he had suffered for his weak notions.
Aiden is another who annoys her. Too much control, too much groveling. She had thought he might be like the mighty oak tree, but instead he is nothing but a willow, bending and sinking, never taking a step without checking over his shoulder three hundred times. It baffles her.
Nuada… is not a bad second choice, she supposes. He is aware of her mother, after all, and aware of how many of the old magics require bargains and prices. But his insistence on the mask is as aggravating as Alistair and Aiden. A mask so well worn that is it almost impossible to tell when he is wearing it and when he isn't. Masks are used to hide what is underneath, and not even she is curious enough to find out what darkness lies behind the smile. She would leave that to stubborn, naïve Layla. Let her crash and burn in the dark, she cares not.
So, that leaves her instincts to be correct. Cleon is clearly her best choice. Aware of the older magics, aware of her mother, yet also has none of the shadows the other three have. Separated from his only life, he would also be easier prey to lull into something fun and enticing. Something she would be able to use later, when it came time to reveal the Ritual. The fact that he is so handsome is, of course, merely a bonus for her. Yes, she could feign interest quite easily for someone who looked like that. She just has to play the game and…
"Morrigan?" Startled, she looks up and finds Elspeth next to her, holding a steaming cup in hand. She wonders how the young noble could sneak up on her, who is used to the Wilds, but dismisses the thought quickly. It wouldn't do to show anything but calm confidence in a situation like this. Her mother had taught her well. "I brought you some tea," Elspeth whispers, head tilted down. "It'll help you sleep." She knows she doesn't need the help, but finds herself reaching for the cup anyway. It's ceramic, and warm to the touch. "Let me know if you want it made differently, please."
"Why go through that trouble?" The question escapes her mouth before she can think twice about it.
"I imagine it is a great deal less trouble than what you and mother went through to save those three." She highly doubts her mother finds anything troubling. "I know how my brother can be." Yes, that's right. Elspeth is twin to Nuada, the younger of the two. Calm, still water to her brother's laughing wind, and she tries to remember a line in a book she read about winds and storms and still waters running deep. "It is also a show of appreciation." Elspeth does not look her in the face, but at the ground as she talks, and she cannot help but compare it to Leliana, singing and laughing even with the blood in her scent, and Layla, bright and fiery like the sun. "You did not have to help us further with this. So, you have my thanks."
"What would you do if I said Mother and I had ulterior motives?" She probably shouldn't have said that, but, again, the words slip out before she can think twice. She is caught off-guard and it takes her too long to think straight.
"Does not everyone?" She could not find a reply to that. "It does not change that I am thankful." Elspeth gives her a small smile and she doesn't know what to do with it, so she looks at the tea. It's a pleasant color, even in the darkness. "Pleasant dreams, Morrigan."
She waits until she hears the footsteps leaving before looking up again, eyes narrowing as she surveys the group once more. They… confuse her. Not that she would admit it to anyone but herself, but they do.
Maybe there is more to the world than what her mother taught her after all.
Author's note: So, here we go. A dip into Morrigan's head!
Next Chapter – Into the Woods with Aiden (I apologize, it's a traveling chapter.)
