Chapter 75) Lament of Lothering

Nuada POV


During one stop at Lothering, I noticed something strange. There was a man actually talking to the Chasind, and it looked like a pleasant conversation. You didn't see that normally, especially in Fereldan.

I was so curious that I actually left the group to get closer, just to try and listen. I must have made a noise or something, because the Chasind suddenly stiffened, and the man turned to face me. "Ah, hello there, child," he greeted. He bowed to the Chasind and came over to me. "Are you lost?"

"No, I'm not," I answered. "I was just curious."

"About the Chasind?"

"Yes."

"Now, now, don't you know what everyone says?"

"I think the scholar known as 'Everyone' has many, many books out with wrong information." The man laughed at that. "I'd rather make my own opinion."

"I hope my children have the same mentality."

"You have kids?"

"I have five of them, four girls and a boy." Wooow… "I think the middle one is your age. Twelve?" He laughed again at my nod. "I seem to have not lost my touch. Well, child, if you will help me carry a few things, I do not mind sharing my knowledge."

Really?! "I would like that. Thank you, mister…?"

"Malcolm, child. Call me Malcolm."


The group to Ostagar consisted of Alistair, Wynne, Shale, Oghren, Layla, and me. The rest headed north to the former stronghold of the Wardens. It was all nice and fine… until we came upon Lothering. The place… the lively city of my memories… the scared town filled with refugees… it was nothing, nothing but a ruin now.

Not one of us made a sound as we stared at the Tainted land. Nothing would grow here. Nothing could grow here. There would likely never be a 'Lothering' again.

"So, this is how the Blight messes with the surface," Oghren finally growled. He glanced uneasily up at the sky before focusing on the ruins. "Like the thaigs, but something about it seems sadder. Maybe it's all the light." Yeah, ruins might look creepy in the dark, but it just looked pathetic with all the sunshine. "We need to find a place to make camp. Away from here. Two of us still aren't Tainted, and I'd like to keep it that way." It was a damn miracle that not one of our companions had caught the Taint yet. It really was.

"Let's split up to look for something, then," I whispered. I dragged my attention away and tried not to think of how, just a few short weeks ago, months ago, we had been protecting an over-full city. Had they all escaped? "Someone name the groups."

"Well, you and Layla must be paired together, as you two make my teeth hurt, and I'm supposed to be sitting up in an armchair by the fire, knitting baby-boots," Wynne immediately replied. While Layla squeaked in embarrassment, I simply smiled and shrugged. "How about I go with Shale, and Alistair and Oghren pair up?"

"If everyone else agrees, I don't mind." No protests. Well, well, it seemed a little sobering reminder of what we were trying to prevent did wonders to making everyone cooperative. I was so sure Shale would protest on principle. "Shale, if there are any birds, leave them be, okay?"

"I suppose I can try," Shale sighed heavily, sounding so mournful. It got a laugh out of us. "But if they defecate on me, all bet's are off." With that lovely warning, she stomped off, Wynne following her. Alistair and Oghren went a different way.

With a shrug, I offered Layla my hand, and lifted hers when she gave me it to kiss gently. I loved how her face lit up with both a smile and blush. "Pick a direction?" I asked. "Though, we could always let the others do the work."

"You would be all right with it for a grand total of five seconds," Layla retorted. She bit her lip before leaning up to give me a quick kiss. "I had been wanting to do that." …Well, now I was the one who was a little dazed. There was so much going on that getting giddy over things like this seemed silly. But emotions were silly. So. "Let us head that way." She pointed towards the outskirts of town. "I believe Elspeth, Aiden, and Cleon had set up their own camp in this direction." Mmm, that was true. It might be good to see if it was still viable. If not, then maybe we could find the spot in the woods where we had made camp after leaving Lothering.

Slowly, the two of us walked around the former town, glancing around for something that looked… well… safe. But everywhere we looked, we just saw… there were charred bodies. There was Tainted land. There were shattered ruins. Crops were rotting in the ground. Starved animal corpses. This was…

Oh, it also started snowing. The first snow of the year was falling on the ruins of fallen Lothering. The bards would have fun with that. For now, though, the snow just meant we needed to find a place to shield us from the snow.

"Oh, are you two travelers?" There… was a person here. There was a living person here. "Refugees?" she asked, voice wavering slightly. "Are you taken care of?"

"We are fine, ma'am," Layla answered. She gave me an incredulous look. "We… we are simply looking for a place to stay the night."

"We're heading to Denerim," I added, lying just a little. "Do you know of a place? Where are you staying?"

"Oh, I am in a village to the north, nowhere near where you are going. I was just heading back there when I saw you lot. Going to meet the templar who guided me here." She must be from Lothering, then, and came to pay her respects. "You can stay in the Hawkes' place." Hawke… I knew that name. Ah, yes, I definitely knew that name. I had met some of the family. "It's just right up there." She pointed and, from here, I could make out the roof of a rather pretty farmhouse. It looked… remarkably intact all things considered. "Don't know how Malcolm managed to build that place so well. It hasn't needed repairs since he and his family moved here ten year ago." That… was saying something. "Maybe he was a mage. Vesta was, at least."

"Vesta?"

"Second oldest child of the family, but they disowned her when she was outed as a mage last year and she ran from the templars." …That seemed… "You sure you two will be fine?"

"Yes, ma'am," Layla answered. She smiled sweetly. "You have our thanks. Will you be all right?"

"Yes, I just got to climb the hill here. Avoid the pass to the west. There are still darkspawn corpses there, including an ogre." Who in flames killed an ogre? They couldn't have been a Warden, right? "Rest well, and stay safe."

"You too!" Both of us waved goodbye to the old lady, watching her disappear into the distance.

As soon as she was gone, though, I let myself frown. "…Diana was a mage, though," I whispered. I remembered that. "So, why…?"

"I imagine they had to disown her to save the rest of the family from the templars," Layla answered sadly. I leaned over to kiss her cheek, to try and get a smile. I got one better: a giggle. "It happens sometimes. They must have kept up the story in Ostagar to prevent it from rippling back." That just… "I hope they are all right."

"I do as well." I looked back at the ruined Lothering. "This used to be such a happy city. The Blight ruined it." That was… lamentable. I felt sorry for the people. "We only bought a bit of time."

"The time we bought, though, saved people." That was true. "Let us get the others and get set up in the house."

"Lead on, ma cherie."


The house was really well built. It was nice and cozy, even before we set up the fireplace. We had some difficulties getting Shale inside, but we were all in and curled up to sleep by the time the snow began falling in earnest.

Well, everyone else was asleep. I, however, decided to wander about the house. It seemed the Hawkes, or looters, had cleared the place of valuables. However, there were little things I could see that were priceless. On the doorframe to the kitchen, I saw a height chart. Initials and dates besides the marks gave a clear picture of physical growth. Looking at it, I could see 'C' was the tallest, followed closely by 'M'. 'D' and 'V' were about the same height, while 'B' was easily the shortest of the four. Seven years of growth were marked here. I could see the ground in stains in the floor, likely marking some funny spill. Books were scattered in the bedrooms, tales of old lovingly marked and folded. A tattered little doll was tucked away under the bed, resting at last after a lifetime of adventures.

This was a house filled to the brim with memories. It was sad they had to leave it.

"Nuada, what are you doing awake?" I turned at Wynne's voice, and saw her gently smiling at me. "Could you not sleep?" she asked softly, walking over to stand beside me. "The journey will be hard, you know."

"I just wanted to look around," I explained. I gestured to the house. "It felt… wrong to not look around. This is a house with history to it."

"It's a house with magic to it. I can sense the magic within the walls still. Whoever built this place was a powerful, talented, and intelligent mage." She laughed a little. "I can see the scorch marks in one of the bedrooms, where a child mage practiced. There's also a warded room much like we have in the Circle, for lessons."

"…Makes what that woman say about Vesta being 'disowned' seem less plausible."

"I found a half-written letter hiding in the floorboards of the room I took up. It's addressed to a 'Gamlen Amell', talking about how a 'Malcolm' died. Despite that, though, there's evidence that there were six people living in this house." …Ah.

"Basically, just word talk."

"Just keeping her safe." Wynne sighed. "I am for the Circle, of course, but it seems these children had what many children mages do not have. Love, family, a sense of companionship, someone to keep them safe." Wynne smiled slightly. "I didn't have those things. My earliest memory was lying in a hayloft. It was in the Circle I found safety, sanctuary." She sighed heavily, eyes closed. "I was… scared of losing that. So, I gave up my own son."

"You… have a son?"

"Yes, I named him 'Rhys', but who knows if they actually gave him that name." She smiled bitterly. "When Layla came to me, asking for advice on her feelings, I tried to warn her against it. She has always been a dutiful child, but the choice between the Circle and Jowan was nearly enough to break her. I had feared something similar would happen. I know the pain, dearly, of choosing duty, and losing your love because of it." I… had no reply to that. "I was wrong, though. She is stronger than I thought, and you are good to her, good for her. She is laughing and smiling again."

"…I do what I can."

"I know. And so long as you continue to do so, I won't turn you into a toad." She laughed when I made a face. "Ah, but I suppose I should act like a nagging mother. Come; let us have some tea, and I will tell you stories of Layla when she was a child." Oh, now this I had to hear. "And I mean it, Nuada. You are very good for her, and she is for you. Despite my teasing, I am very happy to see you two together."

"And your opinions on the rest of the couples?"

"I think Cleon's influence is changing Morrigan, for the better, and her presence helps soothe a horrible ache. Whether or not it is something that will last, I am not certain. But I think the relationship is good for them both as well, and even if it ultimately leads to them separating, they will remain good friends." She smiled slyly. "I reserve my opinion on the other, potential, couples until they finally stop dancing around each other."

"Fair enough. So, those stories."

"Ah-ah. Tea first."

"Of course, how ever could I forget my manners! Here, sit down at the table. I don't make as good of tea as Elspeth, but I'm not bad at it. Let me spoil you."

"I'll take it." And Wynne smiled. "You are a good and kind child, Nuada. I'm glad to have met you."

"…Glad to have met you too, Wynne." I smiled at her. "Now, seriously, relax and let me spoil you a bit."

"Very well."


Author's note: In game, Lothering is destroyed and, thus, inaccessible after the first main quest is completed. But I did wish we could have seen pieces of ruined Lothering, since we didn't really get to see it in DA2 either (I think? Maybe there was a camera angle that let you). So, I showed it, and also brought up the Hawke family. (When I originally wrote the Ostagar and Lothering chapters, Vesta Hawke did not exist. Now she does, because there's a very specific thing I want to do and I can't couple it into the other two. Sorry.)

The title of the chapter comes from the item Lothering's Lament, used in DA2 to give free experience points. I never gave her name, but the old lady that appears here is Miriam, the village elder who gives you a quest or two when you're actually in Lothering.

Next Chapter – Heading to the Keep with Cleon