Ch. 11: In Which Werewolves Are, Apparently, Actually Real

Eventually, Alistair agreed to go along with Eamon's plan for the sake of getting rid of Loghain, who he apparently hated more than the idea of being king, and the Grey Wardens and company were basically shooed out of Redcliffe to go collect the remainder of the allies compelled by the treaties to help them, which was how they found themselves walking through the Brecillian Forest, looking for a clan of Dalish elves that was supposedly somewhere in the area.

"If I wanted to wander around in the forest, I'd have stayed at home," griped Morrigan.

"I'm sure we'll run into someone eventually, said Leliana optimistically. Morrigan rolled her eyes.

"Stop!" A pair of elves appeared from nowhere out of the trees. Leliana looked smug. "We've been watching you wander around for days," said one of the elves. "Why are you looking for us?"

Olivia spared a moment to be both mildly disturbed at the thought that they had been observed without anyone noticing for so long and annoyed that the elves had been watching them wander around without saying anything. Probably laughing hysterically. "We're Grey Wardens. We need to speak with your Keeper."

The elves looked at one another and had a hurried, quiet conversation. "Fine," said the one who had spoken earlier. He seemed disgruntled.

The Dalish camp was not far from where they had been. "Keeper Zathrian!" called out one of their escort.

A bald, robed elf turned to look at them. "Yes?"

"There are Grey Wardens to see you."

The keeper sighed. "Let me guess; you have come to ask us to honor our agreement to aid the Grey Wardens in combating the Blight." Well, at least they didn't have to explain what they were there for. "Normally we would, of course, do so instantly, but at the moment we have our own problems." Of course. Everyone did. The keeper gestured behind him, where Olivia now saw a large number of elves lying on cots and blankets, looking ill. "There are werewolves in the forest, mindless monsters that have been attacking our clan and infecting our people with their curse."

Olivia blinked. "Werewolves."

"Werewolves are real?" Bethany asked behind her.

Keeper Zathrian nodded. "And most of our hunters are succumbing to the curse, those that haven't already been turned into werewolves, that is. If I could just get the heart of Witherfang, the leader of the werewolves, I could use it to create a cure."

Olivia politely refrained from groaning and holding her head in her hands. "So, if we could bring you this Witherfang's heart, you could save your hunters and help us fight the darkspawn."

Keeper Zathrian looked happy. "Would you?" Olivia nodded. "Wonderful! Witherfang is smaller than the other werewolves and the only one of them that is white- all the others are brown. Bring me his heart and I'll be able to heal my people and help you. Their lair is in some old ruing off somewhere in that direction," he added, pointing.

Olivia nodded. "Right. We'll be back." She turned and strode out of the Dalish camp, followed by her companions.

"Everyone wants something," grumbled Morrigan.

"I'm guessing that these kinds of detours are normal?" asked Zevran.

"Very," said Olivia, stepping over a log. "We went to the Circle of Magi and had to fight a tower full of demons, abominations, and blood mages. We went to Redcliffe and had to fight a zombie horde, get a small child un-possessed by a demon, and go find the Urn of Sacred Ashes, where we had to fight cultists and go through a bunch of tests of faith. Nothing ever seems to be straightforward. I don't even want to think about what we're going to have to do to recruit the dwarves when we get to Orzammar."

"Maybe nothing," said Bethany. "Maybe they'll help us immediately." Olivia looked at her flatly. "Okay, probably not," Bethany admitted.

They came up to a waterfall leading into a stream with a fallen log lying across it. Olivia climbed up on the log and crossed, followed immediately by Morrigan, who leapt up easily and sauntered over like she was walking on solid ground. The others looked reluctantly at one another and began to follow them.

Before anyone else could reach the other side of the stream, a group of werewolves melted out of the woods and appeared surrounding Olivia and Morrigan, who readied spells. "Olivia!" shouted everyone behind them. Morrigan looked a bit irritated, possibly because no one seemed particularly concerned for her.

The wolves, however, didn't attack. The one ahead of the others growled. "The watch-wolves were right." What. Olivia distinctly remembered Zathrian describing the werewolves as mindless monsters, but here they were, capable of talking. And apparently of organizing a guard.

One of the other wolves spoke. "Another Dalish pawn come to kill us."

Olivia stared at them. "That's not exactly why I'm here. Also, I find being called a pawn offensive."

"We do not care why you are here," said the first werewolf. "You're trespassing in our forest. I am Swiftrunner," said the wolf. "I lead my brothers and sisters in the curse." Swiftrunner growled again. "Turn back now, go back to the Dalish and tell them you have failed in your mission. Tell them we will happily watch them suffer from their curse. We will watch them pay!"

All right, there was definitely more going on here than Zathrian had said. "What do you mean by that?" asked Olivia. "I don't want to fight you. Just tell me what's happening. Really. I don't want to work with the Dalish if they're going around cursing people."

Swiftrunner growled. "It was Zathrian who sent you, was it not? He wants only to kill us all, not to negotiate!"

"I'd, on the other hand, am a great fan of negotiation. Conflicts don't need to be solved with violence," said Olivia earnestly.

Swiftrunner growled. "Leave our forest while you still can. Go back to the Dalish and tell them they are all doomed!"

"I don't want to fight you, but I need the Dalish. I can't turn back until this is solved. Talk to me!"

"I don't really want to fight you, either," admitted Swiftrunner, "but I can't risk trusting you." Swiftrunner turned, and the werewolves vanished back into the forest.

Olivia glared stubbornly after them. "Something very strange is going on here, and I'm going to find out what it is!" she vowed.

After everyone had crossed over the stream on the log, they set off through the forest in the direction that they had been going.

As they passed a clearing, the gigantic tree in the center shifted and straightened. It had a face. Everyone turned to stare at it. "What manner of beast be thee, that comes before this elder tree?" it asked slowly. The tree rhymed.

"Er, I'm Olivia. A mage." Olivia answered after a minute of gaping.

The tree waved one of its branches, which looked like an arm. "Allow me a moment to welcome thee. I am called the Grand Oak, sometimes the Elder Tree."

Wynne looked awed. "The things that exist in this world. It's amazing." Olivia had to agree.

"And if you thinkst it much too soon, might I ask of thee a boon?"

Great. Even the trees wanted something. "What sort of boon?" Apparently someone had stolen the tree's acorn and it was going to die without it. That… would be an incredible shame. "I'll get it for you," Olivia promised.

After a bit more aimless wandering about in the forest, they came upon a campsite where an old man in torn, rough clothing stood. He looked at them as they approached. "Well, lookie here. Not a werewolf or a spirit. Not even a Dalish. What are the woods coming to?"

"Yeah," said Olivia, rolling her eyes. "Got a werewolf infested, spirit filled forest, then the Grey Wardens move in and there goes the neighborhood. So, who are you?"

"Questions, questions, questions, questions! It was questions that drove me mad," he said as if confiding a great secret. Questions I'll only answer with questions but answers I'll answer with the same. It's a trade!" He giggled.

So, he was obviously crazy. But…

Olivia eventually got the whereabouts of the tree's acorn from him after a long, roundabout question and answer session and traded it to him in exchange for a scarf that she'd found in the forest earlier.

They headed back to the Grand Oak's clearing, and Olivia handed over the acorn to the rhyming tree, who (which? Olivia didn't know how to refer to a sentient tree) did some sort of magic thing to make the barrier stopping anyone from getting to the werewolves' lair think that Olivia and her party were more trees.

Whatever the tree did, it worked. They were able to walk through the line of mist in the forest and reach the ruins.

The ruins were… really pretty. If they hadn't been filled with attacking werewolves, zombies, and the occasional ghost, Olivia might have really enjoyed this. "Ooh, what's this?" Leliana was pointing at a small, glowing red gem sitting on the ground.

"Is that filled with blood?" asked Bethany, seeming a bit disturbed.

"I think it's some sort of phylactery," said Leliana. "Probably holding a spirit."

"I have to agree," Morrigan added.

"Shouldn't blood have dried up by now?" asked Alistair. Morrigan rolled her eyes.

Huh. Olivia cautiously held out her hand and poked the gem. It was warm. Memories not her own flashed in her mind, bright, shining images of things she had never seen. The mind inside the gem pulled back, flinching, memories of being trapped and lonely for a very long time. Who are you? Olivia didn't speak out loud, but the mind seemed to hear her anyway. She got the faint impression of an elven mage in brilliant, gleaming silver armor. You were a mage? Asked Olivia. The mind gave a sense of both agreement and disagreement. She saw more images of the armored elven mage, someone who was both a mage and a warrior. There was a name for that, along with the memories- 'arcane warrior', an order of elven mages who channeled magic into physical strength and fought to defend their people. Olivia was captivated. The mind in the gem could tell- the sense of an offer came- it would show her how to become an arcane warrior, giving her what memories it had, in return for what it desired most- oblivion. You'd teach me? Asked Olivia. The mind agreed, desperate, promising to give what memories remained to it, adding that whoever followed its path would become the last of its order. The mind in the gem seemed to want that, as well- someone to carry on its order's legacy. How can I help? Olivia got the feeling that she need to put the gem on an altar- the mind in the gem's thoughts became panicked, not remembering where to find the altar. Olivia stood up, holding the gem, and looked around. There was an alter only a few feet away. She walked over to it with the gem. The mind in the gem became overwhelmed with disbelieving hope, not really willing to trust that its ordeal was finally going to be over. It sent Olivia a question- did she still want to become an arcane warrior? Yes, she answered it. More memories flooded into Olivia's mind fragmented and hazy, but also brilliant and beautiful- she could understand the order of arcane warriors, and how to use their skills. Thank you. Olivia placed the gem on the altar. She could feel the mind's relief and joy as it faded from existence.

When Olivia came back to herself, she found everyone staring at her. "Um, Olivia?" asked Bethany carefully. "Are you all right? You were acting kind of… weird."

"Sure," said Olivia cheerfully, not going into details. "I'm fine. Let's go."

Bethany and the others looked dubious. "Are you certain?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Yes I'm certain. The gem didn't possess me or anything." They didn't look too sure, but seemed willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.