Chapter 47) Found
Nuada POV
"Elspeth." Even though Uncle Loghain hadn't called me, the two of us went together to him. I was mostly there to give Elspeth a shield, though. Uncle Loghain was kind, but also a little scary. We'd only known him for a few months. "You two need to learn to not be such a set," he gently scolded with a sigh. Elspeth and I simply looked at each other and shrugged. "Anyway, hold out your arms, Elspeth." Confused, she glanced hesitantly at me. I smiled reassuringly and she did so. "Here." He plopped a strange, brown puppy into her arms. It took me a few seconds to realize it was a mabari. I'd never seen one before.
Elspeth's eyes were wide as she stared at the squirming puppy, who immediately barked and licked her face, making her giggle. "He's wonderful…" she mumbled, half-hiding behind the puppy. "Um…"
"I thought he might imprint on you." Right, mabari were said to choose their owners. "He's yours." Elspeth gasped in delight and I smiled warmly. It was the first time I'd seen her so happy since we left Nevarra years ago. "I'll smooth it over with your dad." He poked me in the head. "You help her take care of him. Mabari puppies are rascals, just like you."
"Hey!" I protested, pouting playfully. But it went back to a grin as I watched Elspeth coo over the puppy. "Thank you."
"Seemed like she had a hard time faking friends." He gave me a look and I innocently shrugged, like I had no idea what he was talking about. "Mabari are good companions for the shy, and for the hurting." That fit Elspeth well. "Still trying to find one I think will get along with you."
"I'm good. I have people." But I could feel a real smile make its way onto my face. "Thank you, though."
"So, that's what the werewolves look like," I murmured, carefully signing the words. I knew I had a sheet of paper just in case, but I still wanted to get this right. The sooner I did, the easier it would be on Cleon. Even as we chatted, I could see the frustration in his posture, but his eyes were stubborn. He and I were the same in that sense. We refused to let the sudden diminishing of a sense break us. I was glad he agreed to let me sit with my right side against the wall. I really didn't like anything being on that side. "That is really fascinating."
'Glad you're enjoying it.' Cleon, of course, was scowling as he signed, but I couldn't blame him. He'd lost a lot in it. I had no doubts I'd be just as surly next time we fought demons. 'But yes, that's the gist of it. And this tea is weird.' Now that was a subject change if I ever heard one.
"Weird in a good way or bad?" After I signed, I sipped my own cup. Elspeth, mostly because she'd missed it, had made tea for everyone and was currently passing it out as we relaxed in the common room of the inn. I liked it, but Elspeth always knew how I took my tea.
'Getting back to you on that. Never had this type before.' Ah, yes, that did make sense. 'Others seem to like it.' I glanced at the others and smiled as I realized he was right. 'Anything else you wanted to ask about?' Well, I had basically been interrogating him on the Brecilian Forest and werewolves all morning. I had to do something to lighten the mood.
I grinned as the perfect subject popped into my head. "Yes, actually, I do." He sighed a little. But he didn't look annoyed, so I kept going. "You want tips for Morrigan?" He frowned a little at my signs and I wondered if I'd gotten any wrong. Wait, what was the sign we agreed on for Morrigan? Shoot, I couldn't remember. So, with a sigh, I jotted down Morrigan's name on the paper and tried again. "Do you want tips for Morrigan?" I pointed to her name, and he still gave me a confused look. What was I…? I was relying on tone and smile to communicate the innuendo, and all he likely got was me grinning like an idiot. Good job, Nuada. Thankfully, there was a sign for 'sex' among the Antivan and Kinloch Hold sign languages, so I added that in, and laughed as his face darkened with a pink blush, clapping my hands as he glowered.
'You are an absolute idiot!' he signed sharply as soon as he caught my attention again. I simply grinned, though I did try to quiet down. 'No, I do not need those sorts of tips!' He was still pink in the face. 'Fen'harel's teeth!' At least, that's what I assumed that sign was. It certainly was a favorite with him.
"I'm sorry. I had to." My hands shook as I signed, due to me still chuckling. He swatted at my hands, still scowling, and I held them up in a peaceful gesture. He crossed his arms. "I'm allowed to tease." I grinned as I signed and he just sighed. "I was teasing Alistair yesterday about Elspeth, you know."
'Good,' he finally signed, letting himself talk again. 'Push them. I'm tired of trying to figure out if there's something or not.' Yes, I was also curious as to whether they had compatibility or not. Unfortunately, Elspeth's issues impeded it a lot. 'But fine, if you're going to tease, so am I.' Uh oh. 'What's the deal between you and Layla?' Wha…?
I opened my mouth to answer, hands ready to sign, but I couldn't think of the words I wanted. Unconsciously, my eyes darted to her, chatting happily with Wynne and Morrigan over some magical theory, and I knew my expression softened.
Cleon waited patiently, though, and I finally signed, 'I'm sorry. I don't know.'
He gave me a hard look before replying, 'this probably can go unsaid, but don't try anything serious unless you're sure.'
'I know. I promise.'
A hand appeared between us and we both looked up to see Aiden there. "Sorry, but might I have a bit of your time, Lord Nuada?" he asked, signing for Cleon. "I got everyone to write down their skills." Oh, yes!
"I want them!" I laughed. I waved so Cleon's attention came back to me before signing, 'Yay, strategy making time!'
Cleon rolled his eyes, but smiled as he signed, 'I'll leave you to it. Going to talk to Zevran.' Aiden and I both waved goodbye as he left.
Aiden took his vacated seat, spreading out the papers. "Here they are, my lord," Aiden murmured. I couldn't help but notice the title sounded warmer, less like a servant addressing a master, but more of a friend calling another friend an endearment. "As much as they all could remember, at least." I also noticed he sat and stood straighter, more confident, and honestly, his clear gaze reminded me a lot of Father. "Yours isn't here, of course, but I figured you know your abilities well enough." Give him a little more time, and I was convinced Aiden would be a leader soldiers would beg to serve. "My lord, are you listening?"
"I am," I reassured. I automatically moved my hands for the signs, just to get used to the habit. "I was simply admiring your handsome visage!" He actually gave me an exasperated look! Success! "Fine, fine, you want me to be serious."
"I know it can be difficult…" He snapped his jaw shut, eyes darting to the side sheepishly. I just grinned. Yeah, it would still be a bit. But, honestly, it probably wouldn't be too long now. "R-regardless…"
"I was thinking of how much more confident you seem." He gave me a curious look and I smiled. "It's nice. I'm glad for it." I turned my attention to the papers, giving Aiden time to compose himself as his jaw dropped. "So, these are everyone's abilities and skills?"
"Yes." Wow, this was written quite neatly. "At least, I think so." I glanced at him and he grimaced. "I have… the barest of reading abilities. It's enough to communicate with Cleon, thankfully, but I never had to learn anything more complicated than a tavern menu to survive in Denerim."
"…I can teach you." He smiled at my hesitant offer. I thought about asking him a question that had been lingering in my head, especially after Elspeth told me about her conversation with him about how the Couslands were perceived by elves, but I decided against it. It wasn't suited for the topic. I'd ask him later. "It might be difficult getting a hold of books, but…"
"Thank you, my lord. I'm beginning to think I need to know." His eyes were serious. "Can you help me ask Zevran for knife lessons?" Did he say 'knife'? "Valendrian gave me one that belonged to my mother."
"Why would you need my…?" I began, but then I answered my own question. "He's Antivan and you're quite handsome, so he's flirting." Aiden just sighed and I snickered. "Yeah, I can, but you might have to deal with the two of us bantering. It's just how Antiva works."
"I will trust your judgment, my lord." He went back to serious. "I was also thinking that everyone needed to learn some sort of secondary weapon."
"I can teach everyone hand to hand combat." I surprised myself with the offer. I had never wanted to teach. I had never trusted myself. Yet, now… "Between Alistair and myself, I'm sure we can teach people longswords."
"Have him teach Lady Elspeth. Maybe something will happen and she'll stop thinking we're silly for teasing." I had to bite back a smile. "Sten is teaching me more greatsword techniques under the guise of beating my ass into the ground." That sounded like him! "Leliana…"
"If she doesn't know more than one weapon already, I'll eat my armor." He burst into laughter, and I let myself smile this time. "I think I can also convince Wynne and Morrigan. Will Cleon get mad if I use him as bait for the latter?"
"Alistair did it." Ha! "That done with…" Aiden pulled out the last treaty from his pocket, smoothing it out on the table. I folded the paper with the skills listed and set it to the side. I'd study it later. "We have to decide the next step."
"That's true." I tapped the paper and then tapped next to it, representing the invisible fourth source. "Either we go to Orzammar or Redcliffe."
"It's probably best to assume we're going to have trouble no matter where we go," Aiden sighed. I sighed too, and nodded. It was much safer on us that way, mentally and physically. "So, where to go?"
"Orzammar is going to be a nightmare even if the place is running normally," I told him. I paused as I heard a mabari bark and immediately twisted to check on Elspeth. I caught the tail end of her wince, but her hands remained steady as she passed tea to Sten and Alistair. What bits of her conversation I could hear hinted she was telling the about the tea itself, to both of their curiosity.
"My lord?" Ah! Aiden!
"I'm sorry." I returned my focus to him. "That was a mabari." Aiden nodded, understanding. Ah, I missed Eoin. "Anyway, though, Orzammar is complicated. I've gone once and I honestly can say it didn't impress me."
"Bad?"
"Orlais's Game made more sense." His expression blanked. "Remind Elspeth, Leliana, or me to give you all a description of the Game. Who knows? You might have to play."
"Maker have mercy." I grinned at his deadpanned tone. "Redcliffe was fine before Ostagar, at the least, but it's not far from Lothering, if I'm remembering correctly?"
"It's a decent travel, but it is possible for darkspawn to have already shown up. That's likely going to be what we're dealing with."
"And Arl Eamon?"
"If worst comes to worst, I have fifty things I can blackmail Eamon on, and I am pragmatic enough to pull that out if need be." He gave me an incredulous look and I grinned. "Don't underestimate how much information a flirt picks up. If people think you're occupied, they just babble. Not to mention, Highver does have some spies." Most noble houses did. "Father had it on hand just in case Isolde proved false." Aiden had a thoughtful look. "Something wrong?"
"I… don't suppose we could utilize…?" He sighed, shaking his head. "No, sorry."
"I don't have the information on hand, so I can't answer that." I grimaced at the thought. Spies would be helpful right now. "A lot probably burned, and it wouldn't surprise me if the record of which spy was where was among the things." Ah, we'd kept really important stuff at the castle, just in case. Damn Howe for burning it.
"Right." Aiden sighed again. "Regardless, should we split the group again?" That was the question. In theory, it would be faster, but you also had the problem of what potential trouble we'd face…
"That's probably a question better put to the group," I answered after a moment of thought, standing. Aiden nodded and stood up as well. There was a bit of scuffling behind us, the innlady dealing with a rambunctious child from what I could hear. "So, shall we join the o-?"
"Uncle?" My thoughts slammed to a stop. My body stiffened. Even my breath stayed trapped in my throat as everything in the world just froze. "Uncle?" I was hallucinating. I had to be. That couldn't be… "Uncle!" If that wasn't the case, then it was something else. Some other child calling for their uncle in a voice so like… "Uncle!"
Slowly, certain I was falling into insanity, I turned, the world disappearing. The only thing I could see, hear, was the little boy standing just a short distance away, staring at me with eyes the same color as Fergus's, set in Oriana's face, and hair a darker shade of Oriana's.
I was hallucinating. I had to be. There was no way… It couldn't be…
"Uncle!" The little boy threw himself at my leg, making me stumble back. He was… I was dreaming. I was back in the Fade. Layla and I hadn't escaped and the Sloth demon just gave me an even more elaborate dream to keep me trapped. Though wait, no, I doubt the demon making me lose my eye would be… though it could be really elaborate… "Uncle." No, Layla and Wynne had said we were out, and I trusted them, and damn that whole escapade for making me unsure of what I could see and feel. "Found you." He looked up at me, tears filling his eyes. Still, I could only stare. This… this was… "I finally found you, uncle." His hands shook as they clung to my shirt. They pressed into my stomach, hard enough to hurt. "I was really, really scared, but I found you!"
"Yeah, you're the best at hide and seek," I whispered, the words falling out automatically. Shakily, I rested my hand on his head, certain he'd fall apart at a touch. But no, my fingers just touched soft hair. "Oren." The name made it all click and I felt my breath hitch in a sob as I crashed to my knees, gathering him up in my arms, pressing his face into my shoulder. "I'm sorry to make you wait, Oren." I couldn't stop crying. But I didn't care. I didn't care at all. "But I'm here. I'm here." The world around me roared into life, and I could hear the gasps of shock and yelps of surprise, the whispers asking what was going on, the sharp crack of a teacup shattering against the floor and yells of pain as hot tea splashed on them.
But it was happy barks that caught my attention enough to make me look up and I smiled though the tears as I saw Eoin rushing up, limping slightly. No, this couldn't be a dream. I would've never had him limping in a dream.
He affectionately nosed my face before suddenly jumping up, paws resting on something. The something yelped, sounding like Elspeth, and I had it confirmed when she collapsed next to me, arms wrapping around all three of us as she broke down in tears too, smiling wide as Oren wriggled out of my hug just enough to cling to her skirt.
Alive. They were both alive. Eoin was alive. Oren was alive. Two things I couldn't even bring myself to hope for had… they were both…
Ha, maybe miracles were possible after all.
I still felt like a weeping wreck hours later. I took deep breaths to try and calm my raw nerves as I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. Oren had a lot to tell Elspeth and me. Eoin protected him during the attack, and Rory, bless him, actually managed to find him and get him to Father and Mother for last goodbyes. Father told them of a way out, after giving them a pack full of things Oren didn't know, and Rory basically picked up Oren and ran all the way south, Eoin taking an injury that caused his limp. When they got to the inn, Rory made the innkeeper promise to keep Oren safe before dying of his injuries. He'd apparently used the last of his breath to tell Oren to wait for Elspeth and me here, to hide until we came to 'seek' him, making it a game to keep Oren calm. He was… always loyal, and always faithful. I wished I could've thanked him, one more time. I owed him a drink or ten.
"Nuada?" Right, I was in a room with all the others, everyone gathered after scouring the area for information while Elspeth and I tended to Oren and Eoin. "Is everything all right?" And that was Wynne, asking gently. "You and Elspeth look wan."
"We're simply a bit tired," I easily lied, opening my eyes and smiling. I hoped it didn't strain. "Oren is a nightmare to put to bed." But he was fast asleep in a room down the hall, Eoin guarding him. "I'm sorry. Have I missed anything?" Belatedly, I brought my hands up to sign my words for Cleon. I caught his nod and focused on everyone.
"Zevran was just saying he actually managed to gather quite a bit of information," Leliana answered. Zevran, bowed with a little flourish, despite sitting on… was that a dresser? This room didn't have nearly enough room for everyone, yes, but did he have to perch like a bird? It made me grin. "We haven't heard his source yet, though."
"My dear Leliana, the source is simple," Zevran laughed. He brandished a piece of paper like a note. "Just a little wave of this and behold! Information!" Was that the paper that showed he worked for Loghain? Never let it be said a Crow wasn't clever. "Now, my information. Most of what I heard was, sadly, not useful." The paper disappeared as he shrugged. I glanced around and saw Layla signing for Cleon. Good. "I did hear that a young Thomas Howe was in charge of Highever, though." Thomas… "I also heard that there is some sort of strange trouble. Amaranthine soldiers suddenly disappearing, and their corpses being found, neatly killed and all belongings stripped."
"Guerilla tactics," Sten supplied, while Elspeth and I shared a secret grin. Our people were fighting back. "Clever, but useless in a long-run unless there is a push with an army that can regularly gain supplies." Yes, that was true. "And runs the risk of being found." If Thomas found where they were hiding, I would be very shocked. If they were where I thought they were, then they were very well hidden. "But why gather this information?" …Ah. "You have to defeat the Blight, yes?" That was the rub. That was… that was the very irritating rub.
I ground my teeth, frustrated as I closed my eyes again, listening to the others talk without processing their words. I was torn. As a Cousland, my duty was to protect Highever, and my heart screamed for it too. However, as a Warden, and to be honest, also as a Cousland, my duty was to end the Blight and protect Fereldan. I had no idea which duty should take… no, I did. I was a Warden first now. I just didn't like it. I also didn't like having to separate from Elspeth so soon, but I knew I would have to. Her duty was to protect both Fereldan and Highever. We would leave to go to either Redcliffe or Orzammar, and she would leave to go to Highever. That was the fact of the matter, and there was nothing to be done about it. I just had to swallow the frustration and pain, and not let one bit of it show.
"Supplies?" That word filtered through my ignoring and I opened my eyes, focusing on Aiden as I recognized his voice. "Ah, sorry," he murmured, hands fluttering with signs so Cleon could keep up. I almost sighed in envy. I'd have to work hard to become fluent. "I was simply wondering… Highever still has supplies, yes?" I nodded, frowning slightly. Yes, we had copious amounts of supplies, but Elspeth could win those without our help. We needed soldiers to fight and use those supplies. "I was also trying to remember what Master Duncan said Highever's rights were, in terms of it being a principality? None of us remember anything." I glanced at Elspeth, curious as to why she hadn't spoken up, and saw her focused on the pack. We'd brought it from Oren's room to look through after talking here. "My lord?"
"It means we govern our own taxes, and there's a small tariff for goods exported to and from it," I answered easily. I crossed my arms, before immediately un-crossing them so I could sign for Cleon. I had to remember that. "Highever is essentially autonomous, and, really, Loghain naming Howe Teyrn, or acknowledging the title, is really illegal, but we… don't… have…" I trailed off as a piece suddenly thunked into place in my head, and I turned to Elspeth, wondering if I was horribly off.
But she had the same stunned look on her face. So, without anything but a silent nod, we lunged for the pack Oren had, ignoring everyone's yelps as we rifled through. There were portraits, important letters, sentimental things… and there, right on the bottom, was a book. I snagged it first and yanked it out, flipping through quickly. Elspeth leaned over my shoulder, skimming the words so all I had to do was flip.
"There!" she gasped, pressing her hand against the page. She and I shared a grin as we both confirmed it was what we thought it was. We had him. We had him!
"Um…" Both of us looked up to see everyone staring. "Sorry, but you two just suddenly went quiet," Alistair mumbled awkwardly, running a hand through his hair before signing. I wasn't sure if Cleon was paying attention, though, considering the annoyed scowl he had leveled at us. "What's going on?"
"Basically, Father was a sneaky son of a bitch, and set a trap," I answered, grinning. Elspeth took the book from me, and flipped through the rest of it as I stood up. "And that trap caught Loghain and Howe both." Everyone was giving me weird looks, and I briefly wondered why before cursing silently. This was just like with the Crow situation yesterday. I had to remember that I haven't known them forever. "I'm sorry. If you'll give me a second…"
"We can call 'oathbreaker'!" Elspeth declared fiercely, eyes lighting up. She stood, showing me another page, and I smirked at the words there. Oh, yes, we had them! "We can call 'oathbreaker' on them both." And everyone but Aiden and Alistair just stared in confusion. Should I explain? Wait, but what signs did I need to use?
"Oathbreaker is one of the harshest insults in Fereldan," Alistair hesitantly explained for everyone. He used the templar sign for 'damned and condemned' for 'oathbreaker'. That was incredibly accurate. "Because of the nature of Fereldan, oaths and promises are held in the highest esteem. No one will want to associate with one. I think my lessons described them as 'demons in human form'." He looked to me, frowning in confusion. "I thought you have to have physical proof to call one that, though, legally."
"There is a legal process for that?" Morrigan asked, incredulous. I almost rolled my eyes when I realized she had pressed herself into Cleon's legs, much like a cat curling around their favorite toy. "How pointless!"
"You can make whispers of it, but if you want to go through the official naming of it, then you have to go through official naming things." Alistair's voice was very dry. "Don't see what's so complicated about that. We're talking about a legal designation."
"Is that not too large a word for you?"
"If I may interrupt your arguing, I'd like to explain things," I deadpanned. Cleon, catching on despite me not signing, rolled his eyes and signed to them both, too fast for me to read. Whatever it was, it made both of them sigh and look away from each other. "Thank you, Cleon." Elspeth passed me the book and signed out things for Cleon, leaving me free to just focus on my words. I knew she'd know exactly what I'd need. "Now, it all lies with this lovely book." I held it up for emphasis, grinning. "It contains copies of every oath sworn to and by Highever, starting from when Sarim Cousland took over Highever. Some are simply referenced now, due to the conditions of the oaths no longer applying. However, there are some old oaths that hold fast to this day." I flipped open the book to the first page Elspeth and I found. "One of them is this." I turned the book to face them, even though I knew they wouldn't be able to read it from where they were. "This is the oath King Calenhad swore to my ancestor, Elethea Cousland, upon her swearing fealty to him during Fereldan's unification." I saw their eyes bulge and grinned. "This is the oath every ruler of Fereldan takes up upon taking the throne, due to the wording. King Calenhad specifically phrased it so that Highever would always be a principality to Fereldan, no matter what family held the throne." My grin turned to a smirk. "This is also the oath Loghain took on the second he declared himself Regent. With this as physical proof, we can name Loghain 'oathbreaker', and it will have a huge effect, since it is such an old oath."
"We also have the oath Howe swore to Father," Elspeth added, taking advantage of the stunned silence. For my part, I could feel the battle-fever pulsing through my blood. They were trapped. They were trapped, like rats in a cage. Father, you kept thinking of how to protect everyone until the end. "With it, we can call him 'oathbreaker' as well. He's avoided it with his lie of my family being traitors, but that will not protect him when his oaths state that he should have collaborated with another lord of equal or higher rank to investigate, instead of ambushing in the night." Elspeth's hands practically flew with all the signs, and I knew the two of us would have to clarify things later judging from the confusion I saw flitting across their faces. But that was fine, because they were listening. "With that, soldiers and supporters will leave their side, if only to protect their own reputations. This is also not a morally grey- Cleon, Alistair, by all that's holy, shut up and let me talk." I probably would've laughed at Cleon and Alistair's immediate winces and snapping of jaws, but I was a little distracted because I swore the last time I heard Elspeth talk like that, we were five years old. "Now, then, this is not a morally grey scenario. Loghain broke an oath he took up upon becoming Regent. Howe broke the oath he swore to Father. There is no ambiguity."
"That means there's not going to be any 'maybes' involved," I picked up, giving Elsepth a chance to breath. I set the book down so I could sign and give her hands a break too. "Anyone who stays with Loghain and Howe is far more terrified of their reputations than the sanctity of their own, completely amoral, or absolute idiots who shouldn't be ruling lands in the first place. We'll be doing Thedas a favor removing those last two." I caught a couple of grins. "With their support weakened, so will their side in the Civil War, leading to less battles, and less chances of indiscriminate slaughter."
"So, we will have a high number of Fereldan soldiers to recruit when the time comes." Elspeth's eyes shone with determination, and I thought I saw Aiden nod, smiling slightly. "If… no, when we secure an alliance with either Highever or Redcliffe, then we can also call an emergency Landsmeet to bring all the nobles together. I can win over any nobles who hesitate to join up with the Wardens." I smiled softly, a little sad, but mostly glad, at hearing her being so confident. "From there, we can end the conflict with Loghain in a single duel."
"And I will win that duel." This… this would work. We just had to get to that point. "So, when I win-"
"That's quite the boast," Sten scolded, interrupting us. He looked rather unimpressed and I could feel myself scowl. "You should not-"
"Is it boasting when it is fact?" I demanded calmly. I met Sten's eyes firmly, shifting my stance and head just as Father taught me to hold myself with the utmost confidence. It was one of the first lessons any Cousland learned. By holding ourselves a certain way, we could convince thousands to follow us. "I will win. I can beat Loghain, easily, as I have two advantages over him. One is that I was his student. I know most, if not all, of his tricks." Those lessons… they had always been fun… "The second is that he likes me. He will hold back, whether he consciously acknowledges it or not, because the duel will be with live steel. I don't have that same hesitation." If killing Loghain were what I had to do to protect Fereldan, I would do it. I would wonder the morals of it later. "So, I will win. It's that simple. However, even if I did not have those advantages, I would still win. I will shatter impossible odds if that is what it takes to do my duty. Shattering Loghain's shield is child's play compared to that." To my slight surprise, he simple nodded. Well then… "So…"
"Forgive me, but if I might cut in and summarize?" Aiden requested. All eyes focused on him, but he was looking right at us, even as his hands carefully signed out his words. "When you win, we will have the ability to defeat Loghain with minimal losses on either side." Both Elspeth and I nodded. "Then, it seems the best action would be to go to Highever." …Wha…? "I won't claim to know the best path for tactics, but those supplies will be helpful, and there might be some soldiers who survived." I opened my mouth to tell him how low the odds were, but then snapped my jaw shut. Oren had survived. Eoin had survived. I should… I should stop being so pessimistic. "Lady Elspeth stated this plan can be put into motion when we reach either Highever or Redcliffe. Redcliffe, however, is nebulous. But we will have Highever's alliance as soon as we free it from the Howes, yes?" I nodded firmly on that one. "Then that's that. We head to Highever, tomorrow." …I absolutely adored Aiden. I really did. "So, if I might indulge in a bit of teasing?" He immediately grinned. "Lady Elspeth, I think that's the most you've said to anyone in the group in one sitting." Ah. Um… oh, shoot, I should probably give the others a bit of a warning about what sort of teasing to go…
And there went Elspeth ducking behind me, eyes darting to the ground as she all but hid. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, voice squeaky yet quiet. "I know it's annoying." Aiden's expression immediately blanked, and I fought off a sigh. Yes, I definitely needed to warn them about Elspeth's self esteem issues. They popped up at moments others wouldn't expect. "People like me quiet." Cleon winced. Why? What did I miss there? "I'll… um… just go and look through the rest of this." Before anyone could protest, Elspeth was out the door, pack in hand.
In the very awkward silence, I debated going after her. As much as I wanted to, it was probably better for me not. We actually had other people now to depend on. "Wynne?" I began, turning to her. She waited patiently for me to continue. "Do you mind terribly chasing her down and seeing if she'll babble to you? You act just enough like our mother that she might."
"Of course, dear," Wynne agreed with a smile. She stood up and brushed off her robe. "I think I have a bit of an idea of what might be going on. Irving suffered horribly from it when we were apprentices." Oh, well, that did make it easier. "Besides, I think all of us need to go and prepare for the trip tomorrow."
There was some mumbling agreement and it felt like I'd just blinked and everyone disappeared, leaving just Aiden, Cleon, Layla, and me in the room.
"I'm sorry, Lord Nuada," Aiden mumbled. Aaahh, guilt was setting in. I could tell by how he slumped. "I truly meant it as simply…"
"You and I know that," I reassured. I debated finding a seat, but decided to just keep on standing. "She knows that too, on some level. She just… it's just something her mind does, turn what should be playful into barbs that dig into the skin." Maybe Wynne can help her figure out tricks to deal with that? She'd just pretended to not feel, and it wasn't like I had a better coping mechanism. "Add in some lovely episodes in our past that I am nowhere near drunk enough to talk about, and… actually, maybe I should get drunk enough to talk about them one of these days." I hummed a little in thought, partly because it was probably a good idea, and partly just to change the subject. Also, it bought me time to sign things out for Cleon. "We'd need a lot of Antivan wine, though, or perhaps aquae lucidis."
A clap caught my attention and I looked to Cleon. 'Do you even get drunk?' he asked, expression droll. I wondered if he was remembering the drinking at Redcliffe. 'You downed how many mugs of ale?' Yep, he was.
"I probably only drank two. The rest was sleight of hand." Cleon gave me an incredulous look, while Aiden and Layla giggled. Elspeth must've told them back then. "What? It's only cheating if you get caught." Cleon didn't even bother trying to sign, just lunged at me with the intent to playfully hit me. I decided to be equally playful and catch him, spinning him around. "Goodness, Cleon, you should've mentioned wanting my embrace." He freed an arm to bop me on the head. "Hey!" I dropped him and he landed with a grace a cat would envy. "Alack, alay, woe is me to be so cruelly rejected!" He rolled his eyes at my signing and tapped the side of his head. "Is that going to be our sign for 'touched in the head' insanity? I rather like it." He simply grinned. "To be actually serious, yes, I can get drunk, though I will admit it takes a lot of it. I've had to drink a lot of wine over the years to be polite at parties." Aiden and Layla were still giggling, so I should take advantage of this to say… "Also, thank you." All three looked at me in confusion, but I simply bowed my head. "Truly, thank you, for letting us go to Highever."
I felt a hand press down on my head, saw by the clothes it was Cleon, and didn't even have to look up to know he was signing, 'idiot', likely while smiling.
"He is right, Nuada." Layla appeared on my left, shifting to stand on my right when I raised my head. "Besides, you saved my home, remember?" she gently chided. She slung her arms around Cleon's and mine, signing carefully so Cleon could follow. "Why should I not want to help you save yours?" I…
"Also, while our scars do not run nearly as deep, I don't think any of us left without injuries," Aiden added. He stood across from Layla in the impromptu circle, resting his hands on Cleon's and my shoulders briefly before returning to his signing. "Just as I know Cleon and Layla did not leave my Alienage without scars." Both of them smiled sadly. "When there is a chance, I will want to at least have someone check on my home. It only makes sense that we do the same for yours." Aiden immediately made a face. "It took forever to think of a way to get you and Lady Elspeth to agree, though. I had Zevran and Leliana helping me." Ahaha… "I was grasping at straws with the supply thing."
Cleon waved his free arm to catch our attention. 'Well, it led to a future plan of action, so all worked out,' he signed. The three of us smiled and nodded. 'So, are there any plans to come up with?' Well…
"Actually, I want to get something out of the way first." All of us focused on Aiden. "For some reason, everyone seems to like me as leader." He actually sent me a dirty look! I just grinned without any sort of shame. Layla giggled, while Cleon shrugged with an air of nonchalance. "Now, if that's going to be the case, which I think I'm stuck in." Now the dirty look was being leveled at all of us. "I'm going to be smart and delegate. Even if I were capable of doing everything, which I'm not, splitting the job is such a good idea when we've a diverse group that's only going to get larger." He pointed to me before going back to signing. "Lord Nuada, you're second in command." Huh? Okay, that made sense, but I was a little surprised to hear him declare it so firmly. "You're also the main strategist of the group, and of the army we're eventually commanding." I decided the best option was just to nod. That also made sense. Cleon was probably the only one of us four with as much training in it as me. I… also liked it. "Cleon, you're going to be the scout, and coordinating strategies with Lord Nuada." Cleon nodded when Aiden stopped signing briefly. He and I exchanged a look that promised we'd hammer out the details later. "Mistress Layla, you have the unenviable job of making sure we all don't die." Yeah, that was probably the hardest job right there. Still, Layla simply smiled. "With that clear, we should probably get down to business." A song I'd heard in a Nevarran tavern came to mind, about defeating an enemy, and I knew that was a sign that I needed a short break.
"Forgive me, please, but I'd like to check in on Oren before we sit down for who knows how long," I said, freeing my arm from Layla to sign. "I want to make sure he hasn't woken up from nightmares."
"We should probably also snag some drinks and snacks," Layla giggled. Her cheer turned to a frown as she paused on a sign, but Aiden covered for her. "Thank you." She smiled again. "So, Cleon and I can go get that, while Nuada checks on Oren? Aiden, will you just wait here?"
"Yes, I think I'll take a moment to enjoy the quiet," Aiden replied, smiling. A series of crashes outside, though, made it fade for a sigh. "Or, rather, I think I'll go check on that instead." Cleon gave Aiden a confused look. "Sorry, Cleon. There were crashes." He nodded, frowning slightly. "Hopefully, it'll be an amusing story to start the meeting off with."
"I'll be heading off then," I stated, heading for the door. I paused when I reached it, though, and turned back to them. "And, again, thank you." I left before they could protest that they didn't need thanks. I could be grateful anyway, right?
Smiling to myself, I wandered down the hall, trying to remember where the room exactly was. It shouldn't be far, and really, I could just walk by and wait until I heard a mabari bark, but that might wake up the other patrons and…
My thoughts stilled as I heard whispers and I automatically pressed myself against the wall to creep closer. I grimaced at the disadvantage I was at, since this method put my right side closest to the source, but it was the words I'd need more than anything for eavesdropping. So, who was…?
"I'm sorry to bother you, Alistair." Oh, it was Elspeth, talking to Alistair. Well, now I had to wonder if I stayed for future teasing material, or left to lessen the chances of me being a mood killer. "It was an idea I had for the Landsmeet, but I did not want to say it in front of the others."
"The Landsmeet?" Alistair sounded confused. "Now what idea would you have that would involve…" His voice trailed off for a sigh. "That's not going to work. You already know. Somehow." She knew what?
"I dragged it out of Uncle Duncan. It would not be the first time I'd gotten information that way." I wracked my brain, trying to remember what she could possibly be referencing. But Ostagar felt so long ago, so it was difficult. "You're Cailan's brother." My thoughts froze for the second time today. Holy… "That means, legally, you are a clear candidate for the throne. That… can be used against Loghain…"
"Oh, you don't want me leading!" Alistair's voice sounded light, but there was a tremble I did not think was laughter in it. "We'll get lost! People die! And then we're stranded in the middle of nowhere! Without any pants!" …I wanted to laugh, but there was no way I was going to give myself away right now.
"I will not force you to take it." Elspeth's words were firm. "I simply wanted to make sure you were aware of the possibility. Please, think on it."
"Fine." He sounded defeated. "Um… Elspeth?" I heard her make a little noise in confusion. "You… you haven't been nice to me because I'm a royal bastard, right?"
"Why would I?" She sounded confused. "I've grown up as the daughter of a Teryn, surrounded by royalty and nobles from many countries. Titles don't impress me. They're nothing more than a burden, really, one I shoulder gladly, but a burden nonetheless. Without my father's, no one would ever look twice at me."
"I… don't think that's the case." Alistair's voice was soft, shaking a bit from nervousness. "You're very pretty, and very intelligent. It's fun listening to you talk about history, and you and Nuada looked like you were having fun as you bounced off one another in there." I could easily imagine Elspeth staring in shock. "And I should probably leave before I put my foot in my mouth, right? Right." He laughed. "So um…"
"Alistair?" I could barely hear Elspeth. "Thank you."
"For babbling? Sure, anytime?" There was a short pause. "Wait, that sounded stupid. Okay, leaving, now. See you in the morning."
"With a flower, yes? I like them."
"You do?" I could hear the silly grin in the words. "Then yeah! With a flower."
"Then, goodnight." I heard Elspeth walk off and had to fight to keep off my laughter. If she confided in him like that, then she had to like him a lot. I was going to have so much fun teasing her.
So focused I was in trying to keep quiet, I completely missed Alistair's footsteps coming closer. In fact, I wasn't even away he'd moved until he yelped, startled by my presence around the corner. "Oh, hiya," I greeted, waving a little as he stared. I wondered what to say next, and decided to admit how long I'd been there. This was obviously an important secret to him, and I liked him enough to not want to horde blackmail material. "So, that's why you look so much like Uncle Maric."
"You heard that, then…" he sighed, slumping. He looked almost like a kicked mabari. "Look, I…"
I held up a hand. "I won't tell." He smiled in relief. "And I won't force you. But I do want you to think strongly on it, Alistair. You're allowed to think for yourself, and you don't have to be a pushover." He looked hesitant, but I kept on. "That's all. Think and make the decision you think is best. Don't rely on anyone else to make it for you."
"I…" He sighed again, running a hand through his hair. "I'll try." That was probably the best I was going to get.
So, I should make the subject lighter. "Also, congratulations are in order." He now looked confused. "Elspeth never confides in anyone, so your courting is obviously working." He squawked in protest, coloring a deep red. "But you've still a lot of work left. She's selectively dense, as I'm sure you can guess by this point, and horrible at communicating her feelings." Of course, I couldn't talk. "Let me know if you need help." I clapped him on the shoulder and walked past him. "Sleep well, Alistair." If he made a reply, I definitely didn't hear it, but that was fine. I did just give him two shocks.
As I walked down the hall, though, I found myself smiling, and not just because of the teasing. Oren and Eoin were alive and I was going home. And I was going to save it with my dear, dear friends.
This was definitely one of the best days of my life.
Author's note: Welcome to the next arc of Saga, retaking Highever. Should be relatively short, especially in comparison to the Circle-Dalish arc. It's honestly something I'd wanted in the game proper. I also have the group themselves setting up the plan for the Landsmeet, showing them making plans and moving forward, and Aiden setting up the 'roles' of the four 'leader Wardens'. Basically, everyone is growing up. Yay?
(Also, just for clarity, Elspeth suffers from depression. It shows more here because Nuada is aware of it, and she's opening up to the others, which leads her more susceptible to the doubts depression can cause.)
Next Chapter – We're traveling to Highever with Cleon
