Chapter III - Highever

Leliana pressed quickly through the Forest of La'til making her way west through the Coastlands. She pushed aside any foliage before it could break her stride, as her eyes shifted from the path ahead to the boughs of the trees. She looked back over her shoulder and sighed as she realized the gap between herself and Bethany had widened. Leliana was skilled in navigating such terrain in strands of falling moonlight, but Bethany had fallen behind increasingly farther.

"Come Bethany, you must keep up," Leliana barked.

"Leliana, stop," Bethany blurted before she stopped and doubled over. "I cannot keep up."

Leliana stopped quickly before she turned and dashed back to Bethany. "We cannot linger here Bethany, we must keep moving," said Leliana, as she continued to look about the path before and behind them.

"But where are we going?" Bethany asked through heavy breaths. "We can't just wander aimlessly."

"We are not wandering aimlessly Bethany we are…" Leliana stopped midsentence and began to look about.

"Leliana, what is it?" Bethany asked as she looked around as well.

Leliana did not answer Bethany; she instead fell into the shadows and took watch over the area.

"Leliana, Leliana," Bethany whispered as she looked around the darkness anxiously. "Where are you?"

"You are alone apostate," a voice leapt from the shadows before they began to move and take the shape and a Templar Hunter, who stepped into the strands of moonlight. "I no longer sense your accomplice, she has abandoned you."

Fear rushed forward full in Bethany's eyes as she backed away from the encroaching Templar. "Stay back," she warned as threads of fire began to dance around her hands. "I refuse to be imprisoned when I have done nothing wrong," she said before she extended her arms and waves of fires rushed towards the Templar.

"You cannot harm me apostate," the Templar shouted, and before the waves of fire could reach their target the Templar became enveloped in a sphere of white light. "The power of the Maker will smite you apostate," proclaimed the Templar before the sphere exploded and white light smothered the flames and swept through the trees. They smashed into Bethany and knocked her to the ground before the Templar approached her.

Leliana feared for Bethany but she knew her steps had to be soundless and her timing perfect.

"There is no safe place for you apostates, you are abominations," the Templar said as he drew his daggers and stood over her. "If you can no longer be housed than you should be killed."

"I will not let you kill me," Bethany said as strands of lightning began to crackle and jump about her hands.

"Your magic cannot harm me, I would think you would know that by now," the Templar gloated.

Leliana closed the last few steps quickly, and there was only a fleeting gleam of moonlight off the blade of her dagger before in found its target through a gap in the Templar's armor. "How about my blade," Leliana whispered in the Templar's ear as she forced the blade in deeper.

Blood spilled out of the Templar's mouth, as Leliana pressed her arm under his chin. "Impossible," the Templar mumbled as he choked on his blood.

"What, that you no longer sensed me?" Leliana asked before she forced the blade in farther. "Yes your skills are impressive, but none rival those of the Bards of Orlais," she said before she twisted the blade. "May the maker forgive you," she prayed before she let his body fall to the ground.

"I thought you had abandoned me," Bethany said surprised as Leliana helped her to her feet.

"I did not come all this way to abandon you now," Leliana said before she wiped her dagger on her cloak and returned it to her back. "But there may be more hunters so we must keep moving, come," she beckoned, before she drew her hood and took to the path once again.

"You said that you are a bard from Orlais?" Bethany asked.

"Yes, I was a bard from Orlais before I came to Ferelden."

"So you are the same Leliana who fought alongside the Hero of Ferelden?"

"Such things are not important right now Bethany," Leliana dismissed her question.

"Such things are more important than you wish them to be," Bethany retorted before she stopped walking.

"What are you doing, we cannot stop?"

"If you are that Leliana, you are the one my sister met in Kirkwall," Bethany recalled before she backed away.

"Calm yourself Bethany, it is not what you think," Leliana assured her, but she could see nothing but fear in Bethany's eyes.

"What is not as I think?" Bethany asked, as she continued to back away. "Are you not part of the Chantry?"

"Not anymore," Leliana said sadly. "It is not as it once was, so I sought ways to make is so again," she continued, before she took a small step towards Bethany. "Now I am hunted by the Chantry more than any mage."

"Then why risk showing yourself to help me?" Bethany asked.

"Because we need your help," Leliana answered.

"We?" Bethany said confused.

"All will be explained soon Bethany, we are almost to our destination," Leliana assured her. "No come, we cannot linger here, lest we be captured by Templars, or worse."

Leliana pressed on through the trees for another hour, and since she could not feel any pursuers, she kept a pace that would not put such stress on Bethany. They finally reached the end of the forest and emerged onto the northern coast. Leliana kept them concealed in the shadows as they moved west along the coastline.

"Your pace is not as urgent as before," Bethany said as she walked closely behind Leliana. "Are we out of danger?"

"In these times we are never out of danger," Leliana replied, as she looked about her surroundings. "But we are well into lands friendly to us."

"Where are we?"

"Lands under the control of Highever and Teyrn Cousland," Leliana answered as she continued to look around. "Come, this way, we are almost to our destination."

Leliana slowed her pace before she stopped and looked down from the bluff where two knights stood. Leliana examined the knights closely until she could the Heraldry upon their shields. Two green spears crossed in front of a green drop was the Heraldry of Highever, but these knights bore on their shields a laurel wreath in the shape of wings, the Heraldry of the Cousland Family.

"We are here," Leliana said before she beckoned Bethany to follow.

They slid carefully down the face of the bluff, and Leliana walked out ahead of the Bethany as they approached the knights.

"Who goes there?" One of the knights asked.

"A friend of Highever," Leliana answered as she drew back her hood. "I am Leliana, and my companion is Bethany," she continued before she reached into her pack. She pulled out a letter and handed it to the guard, who held it open so that the light of the moon could fall upon it.

"We have been waiting for you, I am Alamis, commander of the Teyrn's personal guard, and this is Conner my second in command," Alamis informed her before he turned and walked back towards a cave hidden in the bluffs. "The Teyrn wishes us to bring you to Castle Cousland safely."

"Did you have any problems getting here?" Conner asked.

"Nothing we could not handle," Leliana replied.

"Indeed," Conner said with a grin before he ushered Leliana and Bethany into the cave.

"In this cave is a secret passage that leads into the castle," Alamis explained as he pulled a torch from the wall and lit a fire upon it. "We can enter the castle without anyone knowing you are there."

"If the Teyrn is friendly to us, why must we enter the castle in secrecy?" Bethany asked.

"There are many eyes watching the main entrances to Highever and Castle Cousland, so we will not us them," Leliana answered as she followed closely behind Alamis. "I think it best for the Teyrn if no one ever knows we were here," she added as she stepped through the knee deep water.

"Here," Alamis said as he pushed upon a rock and a stone door slid open before them. "We have a ways to go before we reach the castle, so we must hurry," he said as they all entered the passage and the door slid shut behind them.

Alamis struck a pace through the passage that Leliana approved of, for she was anxious to reach the castle. She could no longer use the moon to tell the passage of time, but she figured that they had been in the passage for about an hour before the passageway dead ended in a ladder.

"We are here," Alamis said as he climbed the ladder and pushed open a door in the ceiling.

Leliana followed him up the ladder, with Bethany behind and they emerged into what looked to be a larder. Leliana had never seen that area of Castle Cousland, but she was happy just to be in its safe confines.

"Come, we shall seek the Teyrn," Alamis said as they exited into through the kitchen.

There were barely any people about the castle at that time of night, except for a handful of guards scattered on patrol. They made their way to the doors of the main hall, which were flanked by two guards.

"Captain Alamis, the Teyrn has been expecting you, go right in," one of the guards said before Alamis pushed through the doors.

Leliana smiled inside as well as out as she saw Teyrn Fergus Cousland who sat upon a chair as he talked with his brother Lorien, the Commander of the Grey. It seemed that years as ruler or Highever had taken its toll on the Teyrn, as she could see grey hair within his beard and hair.

"Leliana, it is good to see you have arrived safely," Fergus said before he rose from his chair and walked over to give Leliana a hug. "It is good to see you again."

"It is good to you again as well," Leliana said happily as he kissed her hand. "I have not had a chance to congratulate you on your marriage and the birth of your son."

"They went to bed before you arrived, but you can meet them in the morning," Fergus said with a large smile upon his face.

"And you must be Bethany," said the Teyrn.

"Yes my Lord," Bethany said as she bowed her head.

"We were beginning to become worried about you two," the Teyrn said.

"You were worried brother, I had complete confidence in my love's abilities," Lorien praised Leliana before he walked over and they shared warm kiss. "Did you have any trouble?"

"No, everything was fine," she answered.

"If only that were the case," Lorien said with a grin, before he grabbed her cloak and looked upon the blood left from where she had cleaned her blade. "But it does not matter, as long as you are here safely," he said before he turned and looked upon Bethany, who bowed her head.

"I am not Teyrn, you need not bow your head to me," Lorien refused as he shook his hand to her.

"No you are not Teyrn, but whether I have fulfilled the duties of my order or not, you are my Commander," Bethany said as she continued to bow her head. "As well as the one who saved these lands from the Blight," she continued before she lifted her head. "That alone deserves such respect."

"Very well then, I am Lorien Cousland, and it is my pleasure to meet you Bethany Hawke."

"You as well," Bethany replied.

"Though I told Nathaniel to make sure you changed your given name as well as your surname," Lorien said with an irritated look upon his face.

"I did not feel Lily suited me well," Bethany said with a smile. "Wait," she blurted before her face shown full with confusion. "How do you know about that?"

"Do not feel that you have deserted the Grey Wardens, it was I who ordered that you be hidden after the events in Kirkwall," Lorien explained, as Bethany stood in silence, her look one of complete shock.

"What, why?" Bethany stammered as she shook her head, and struggled to find words. "I thought you disappeared."

"There a things afoot that will threaten every corner of Thedus if left unchecked," Lorien explained as he rubbed his fingers over his stubble.

"What things?" Bethany asked apprehensively.

"We have found evidence that the Tevinter Magisters were responsible for orchestrating the events in Kirkwall in an effort to force the mages to revolt against the Chantry," Lorien explained as the room stood in deafening silence. "Which they were successful in doing."

"We also have evidence that Tevinter Magisters have infiltrated the Chantry itself, and seek to influence decisions that will ultimately lead to its destruction," Leliana explained as she stepped beside Lorien.

"What, I can scarcely believe it," Bethany murmured as she shook her head. "How have they done this?"

"Over the course of many years, they have been planning this for some time," Lorien answered. "Leliana returned to the Chantry in hopes of discovering the exact details of their plans, but it seems that it was too late when we discovered the entire breadth of their plot."

"Is there anything we can do to stop them?" Bethany asked excitedly. "Is there anything I can do, you must have brought me here for a reason?"

"Nothing you can do tonight," Fergus answered. "I am sure we are all in need of rest, we can talk about things in detail in the morning."

"We have a room prepared for you Bethany, I hope it is too your liking," Fergus said. "I will escort you, along with my guard," he added as he turned to leave the main hall.

"I thank you for your hospitality," Bethany said before she bowed her head.

"Good night," Leliana said as they walked by her.

"I know it is the duty of any leader to keep his emotions hidden, but he was worried for you," Fergus whispered in Leliana's ear, which brought a warm feeling and a smile to her face. "He loves you very much," he added before he exited with Bethany and some of his guard.

"So what happened?" Lorien asked as he stared into the fire.

"Templars came for Bethany just as I got there," said Leliana, which caused Lorien to sigh heavily. "I doubt it was a coincidence," she added.

"It seems that we must tighten the circle of those involved in planning our actions," Lorien said.

"Yes it would seem so."

"But we cannot dwell on such things tonight for I am sure you are in great need of rest as well," Lorien said.

"Perhaps later," Leliana said as she walked over to Lorien and rubbed her hand upon his chest. "We have not had much time together since I returned from Orlais, and there are some things I wish to catch up on," she said as she looked deeply into eyes.

He smiled before he leaned over and kissed her softly and tenderly. "Anything you desire my lady."

"Well, aren't you sweet and attentive?"

"Let's go to bed."

"I thought you'd never ask."