Ch. 4: In Which Olivia Gains Companions

A couple days later, the three of them were walking down the road when a large brown mabari burst out of the bushes and planted itself in front of the group, growling at the road ahead of them. Almost immediately, a group of darkspawn appeared around the bend and the dog launched itself at them, snarling. Alistair drew his sword and shield and did the same, snarling included, while Olivia and Morrigan began casting spells at them from a distance. The group made short work of the very small band of darkspawn, mainly because of the dog running around and chomping on the creatures' legs.

After the fight, the dog went up to Olivia and looked at her happily, wagging its short tail. It looked familiar. "Are you the dog from Ostegar?" The dog's tail wagged more frantically.

"I think he's chosen you," said Alistair. "They call it imprinting."

Olivia rolled her eyes. I know what imprinting is, Alistair. I had a mabari before when I was a kid. Templars killed him." The dog whined and nosed her hand. "Aww, it's okay, boy. That's not happening again. C'mon," she rubbed the dog's head. "I'll call you Dusty, How about that?" the dog wagged its tail.

"Do we have to take this mangy beast with us?" complained Morrigan. Olivia got the feeling that she wasn't a dog person.

"Aww, he's not mangy," said Alistair.

"And even if he was, I'd know how to treat it," added Olivia. "My mother made sure I knew when I got my first dog, Rusty. C'mon boy."

Much to Morrigan's obvious dismay, the dog followed them down the road.

They eventually reached the town of Lothering. While walking down the road into town, they were met with a suspicious-looking barrier of overturned wagons. A shifty, dark-haired man in cheap armor walked over to hem with a sleazy smile.

"Well, look here. More travelers. Led by a woman, of all things."

Wait. Did he seriously say that? He did. Olivia gave him her nastiest glare, the one promising a fireball to the face. "'Of all things'? What, exactly, did you mean by that?" she asked tightly. "Are you being sexist?" Olivia's hand twitched toward the knife in her belt.

"No!" said the man defensively.

"Maybe we should let them pass," said the large man standing behind them, looking with apprehension at the expression on Olivia's face. "These don't look like them others."

"You got that right," said Olivia viciously. "I'm from F.M.A.S, Female Mages Against Sexism, and if you puny highwaymen think you can get away with getting money out of my party after that comment…." Olivia trailed off, still glaring.

The bandit leader turned pale. "Sorry! We're just trying to make a living! Please don't turn us into toads!"

"Scram, then. And I don't want to see you around here again, or else… And magic doesn't work that way!" she added as an afterthought.

The terrified robbers fled as quickly as they could. "F.M.A.S?" asked Alistair bemusedly.

"I made it up just now. It's not real," said Olivia.

Olivia ducked behind their wagon barricade to rummage through the highwaymen's spoils. "Money, weapons, wanted poster for 'those traitor Grey Wardens'- lovely, now we're officially on the lam. How did they even know we survived, anyway? To town, then?"

"Before we go, I think we should decide what we're going to do," said Alistair. "Personally, I think our first stop should be Redcliffe."

"We should go after Loghain immediately before he has a chance to cause more trouble," said Morrigan. "Ignore Alistair."

Olivia looked flatly at the two, who had spent the past week bickering. "How about we compromise? Let's go to the Circle Tower first."

"How is that a compromise?" asked Alistair. "That way neither of us is happy!"

"Yes, but I'll get a chance to gloat about my freedom to the Templars. So I'll be happy."

"Now that sentiment I can understand," said Morrigan.

"At least someone does. Let's go. I'm impatient to see if this town has any decent armor or at least non-arrow-hole-filled clothing I can acquire."

Olivia led her slightly-less-than-enthusiastic companions down the only real street in town, stopping in front of a building with a sign picturing a full flagon out front. "I suspect that this is the bar. Shall we?" She swung the door open, feeling inordinately pleased.

As they entered the bar, a redheaded woman in Chantry robes looked up from the corner and a half-dozen armed men in the center of the room stood up and walked toward Olivia's group. "Well, well, well," said the apparent leader. "Haven't we spent all day asking about a woman by this very description?"

"In a bar?" asked Olivia skeptically. "Seems like you've really been exerting yourselves. And are you looking for me or just someone who looks like me? Though either way that's kind of creepy."

The man looked angry. "You know what this is about! We work for Teryn Loghain. You are Grey Wardens and therefore traitors who must die!"

At this point, the woman in the Chantry robes stepped in between the two groups. "Now gentlemen, I'm sure we can resolve this peacefully…" With a snarl, the man drew his sword and Olivia jerked the redhead out of the way just as the blade slashed down through the air where the woman had been standing moments before. Looking annoyed, the sister kicked the attacking thug in the groin, sending him collapsing to the ground, howling in pain, then grabbed a knife off a nearby table and stabbed another of the thugs in the gut. Both Olivia and Alistair stared at her in shock for a few moments before Morrigan's zapping a third thug with lightning reminded them that they were under attack and they helped finish off the remaining enemies.

After the fight was over, Olivia stepped up to the thug leader, now the only surviving enemy. "I could kill you, but you're kind of pathetic, so I'm not going to. Oh, and remember to pay this place's owner compensation for the mess." The thug nodded mutely and headed over to the bar, where he handed his entire purse over to the man behind it, shooting Olivia nervous glances the entire time, then ran out the door, slamming it behind him. The barkeeper motioned, and several burly men game and began cleaning up the dead bodies while the rest of the clientele, apparently realizing that the excitement was over, went back to what they had been doing.

Olivia smiled at the redhead. "Thanks for the help. Where'd you learn to do that, anyway?"

"Places," said the sister evasively. "So are you really Grey Wardens?"

"Yesss…" said Olivia slowly. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Oh, no, not at all. The Maker told me to help you. He sent me a vision. I'm Lelaiana, by the way."

"Right…Well, if the Maker's on my side, welcome aboard," said Olivia sarcastically.

Apparently unable to recognize Olivia's tone, Leliana grinned. "Great! We're going to have an amazing time traveling together!" she said obliviously.

Olivia smacked her own forehead. "Okay…I'm just going to go… talk to this fellow." She hurried over to the bar. "Sorry about the…" she gestured vaguely to the bloodstains on the floor.

"No problem at all," said the bartender, looking gleefully at the thug leader's purse. "What can I do for you?"

"Got any rooms?"

"I'm afraid not. I could…"

"Never mind. You wouldn't happen to know where the Hawkes live, would you?"

The bartender looked a bit confused. "Yeah. They've got a place just west of town. You can't miss it."

"Thanks. I… just thanks." Olivia hurried back over to where Alistair and Morrigan were standing awkwardly with Leliana. "Hey, listen. Would you three mind staying here and doing… whatever you feel like… for a while? Actually, you don't even need to stay- just meet me back here in a couple hours. I've got some personal stuff to do."

"You seem nervous," commented Alistair. "Is this about your aunt again?"

"Maybe," Olivia answered defensively.

"Are you going to be all right? Do you want me to come with you for, you know, moral support?"

Olivia smiled. "You are far too nice. I'll be fine. Thank you for offering, though." She ducked outside and began wandering over to the west side of town. The only residential building was a small, neat house on the other side of a small hill from the town, surrounded by a fence. Olivia unlatched the gate and walked nervously up to the front door. Would they really want to see her? Was this even the right house? Maybe she should just…Olivia shook her head firmly and knocked on the door.

Nothing happened and Olivia was just about to lose her nerve and run away when the door was opened by a distinguished-looking older woman. "Maker's breath! Olivia?" Olivia broke down crying.

Three hours, several cups of tea, a bath, and a change of clothes later, Olivia had finally calmed down all the way and spilled her entire story to her aunt Leandra and cousin Bethany, who Olivia was slightly shocked to see as an adult rather than the adorable little kid that used to follow her and Pandora around. "I'm really, really sorry about falling apart like that," she said. "I don't normally cry, ever. And I'm sorry for bothering you like this. I can leave if you don't want me around."

"Why wouldn't we?" exclaimed Bethany. "You're family!"

"Well, I just…" Olivia groped around for words to describe the nebulous feeling.

Leandra looked at her shrewdly. "Living in the Circle has given you self-esteem issues. As for the breakdown…Olivia, when was the last time you really cried properly?"

"Um…" Olivia had to really think about that. "Nine years? The Circle doesn't really appreciate whiny apprentices."

"Oh, honey," said Leandra sadly. "Occasionally crying about something that really upsets you doesn't make you whiny."

"I meant that letting people know that something upsets you is a bad idea," muttered Olivia. "The Templars take it as a sign of weakness and weak mages get made Tranquil. I don't wanna be made Tranquil. That's why I'm a Grey Warden now. Grey Wardens don't do that stuff to people."

Leandra and Bethany both looked mildly horrified. After a few rather awkward moments, Leandra spoke again. "While you're here, I have a favor to ask you."

"You do?" asked Olivia, surprised.

"When you leave, take Bethany with you."

"Wait, what?" exclaimed Bethany and Olivia simultaneously.

"I need to wait for Carver and Pandora to get back before I leave but, knowing them, they won't until the last minute and, while I would really prefer Bethany leave while it's still safe, I don't want her to go alone or with strangers, because of the mage issue," explained Leandra.

"So you want to send her off with someone you haven't seen in ten years?" asked Olivia incredulously. "What if I'd become a mindless Chantry drone or something?"

"If you were I wouldn't have asked you, but it's pretty clear you aren't. There are dozens of Templars you could have set on us if you were, you just told us half an hour ago that you're traveling with an apostate, and even if you were so brainwashed that you'd betray your own family, Pandora would get you, Grey Warden or not."

Olivia shuddered. "She's only become tougher and more protective, hasn't she?"

"And developed a hero complex, if you listen to Carver."

"I'm still a Grey Warden, though," pointed out Olivia. "You don't think that traveling with me might be kind of dangerous?"

"Being a Grey Warden just means you'll be able to protect her. If anyone finds out she's a mage and makes trouble over it, claim she's another Warden."

"I can't believe nobody is asking my opinion about this," grumbled Bethany.

"What is your opinion, then?" asked Olivia.

"Oh, I want to go with you. I just felt left out of the conversation."

"Then it's decided," said Leandra triumphantly. "Bethany, go fetch your quick-getaway bag."

"Okay," said Bethany cheerily.

"I still think this is an incredibly rash decision," commented Olivia.

Leandra rolled her eyes. "If I wasn't the type of person who made rash decisions, I wouldn't have eloped to Ferelden with an apostate."

Bethany returned, carrying a tough leather backpack slung over one shoulder. "I'm ready!"

"Don't forget the rest of the pastries from tea!" Leandra handed Olivia a cloth bundle and began herding the two young women outside.

"Okay, what just happened?" asked Olivia once the door had slammed shut behind them.

Bethany shrugged. "Who knows, really. It's my mother. Maybe she thinks I need to deprogram you or something."

"Always a possibility. I guess we're going?"

"Yeah. We should probably go find out if your companions have killed one another yet. It sounded like a real possibility. Besides, Mother won't let us back in the house now."

As it turned out, Morrigan and Alistair had not killed each other. They were sitting in the tavern with Leliana, each trying to ignore the other.

"Where have you been?" complained Morrigan. "These two dragged me into all sorts of nonsense while you were gone."

"What happened?" asked Olivia suspiciously.

"Well…" said Alistair. He began a long description of various escapades in one long run-on sentence that Olivia tuned out halfway through.

"You forgot about the dwarves," added Leliana, when Alistair was finished talking.

"Oh yeah, we rescued a pair of dwarves from some darkspawn outside of town. A merchant and his son. Also did you know that there's a Qunari locked up in a cage on the edge of town?"

Olivia didn't. "Yes," answered Bethany instead. "He killed my best friend and her family."

Alistair looked horrified. "So…" he said awkwardly after a few moments. "What were you doing?"

"Well, I had tea with my aunt."

"That was anticlimactic."