A/N: So sorry for the long delay in getting this chapter posted! I am a weekend writer, and now that it is finally getting warmer, my weekends are filling up. I am still very upset with myself that it took this long to get this chapter up... I promise to do better in the future.

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age Origins or any of its characters - They are the property of Bioware.

Chapter 5 – Flemeth's Hut & Lothering

Ashlyn came inside the hut the next morning carrying a bag of supplies and a pail of water. She was met with the sight of Alistair lightly dozing in an uncomfortable-looking chair and holding Arianna's hand while she lay unconscious in an old raggedy bed. A very long night had passed with much stress and worry. There had been two arrows stuck in Arianna's chest and another one in her right thigh. After Morrigan's Mother had removed all the arrows, she had spun her magic into the wounds to stop the bleeding. She then used healing herbs to make the dressings that were now covering the Warden's injuries. The old woman had said that only time would tell if she would live through the night. Thank the gods Arianna is a fighter because I don't think Alistair could have handled another death of someone he cared about.

Ashlyn set the water down and searched through the supplies Morrigan's mother had given her. She pulled a bar of lye soap out and broke it in half before waking Alistair. "Alistair," she said softly as she gently shook his shoulder.

Like any well trained soldier, he came awake with a start. "What… what is it?" he asked as he released Arianna's hand and stood up.

Ashlyn tossed one half of the lye bar to him and said, "Go get washed up. You smell like a darkspawn armpit." When he didn't automatically comeback with a witty reply, she continued, "Trust me… that is one fragrance that will not attract Arianna. There is a small stream not far behind the hut, and you can find a towel hanging on the line outside that is dry. I am going to cleanse and redress her wounds while you're gone."

"Okay," he replied before slowly shuffling his way across the room. He looked back at Arianna when he reached the door.

"She is going to be all right," Ashlyn said trying to ease his mind.

"I know," he replied sadly.

"Everything else will be all right, too," she said with an encouraging smile.

"I hope you are right." With one last glance toward the bed, Alistair opened the door and went outside.

The elf shook her head and sighed at his departure. Did I look that haunted right after I lost Tamlen? She turned her attention to the woman lying in the bed. "You need to wake up," she whispered to Arianna. "I am not sure anyone but you will be able to get through to him in his grief." She then started to remove her fellow Warden's bandages. She paused for a moment to pull a small clothe from the supply bag before dipping it in the water and gently washing away the blood and filth of the previous night's battle from her friend.

She had just finished with the chest wounds when she heard Arianna mumble, "Alistair…"

"Shh Ari, he's fine. He went outside to get cleaned up," Ashlyn said, relieved that warrior was finally coming around.

"Ashlyn?" she asked as she opened her eyes.

"Yes, I am right here," she answered. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"Where are we?" the warrior wondered aloud as she took in her surroundings.

"We are at the hut of Morrigan and her Mother, who turns out to be the Flemeth of legend by the way. I can't believe Daveth was right about the whole 'Witch of the Wilds' thing."

"Somehow, I am not that surprised," she said as she struggled to sit up. "Why are we here?"

"What do you remember?" Ashlyn answered the question with another as she helped her friend get comfortable.

Arianna was thoughtful for a moment. "We were at the top of the Tower… and we defeated an ogre."

"Yes, that's right. What else do you recall?"

It was obvious that the warrior didn't remember all the details of the previous night because she exclaimed, "Did the King's army ever arrive?"

The elf shook her head solemnly. "No. Loghain and his men abandoned the Wardens and the King. It was a massacre… no one survived."

"Andraste's mercy," Arianna said quietly. After a moment, she spoke again, "I remember darkspawn bursting through the door and being shot with arrows, and Alistair… he saved me. But how did we get out of the Tower?"

Ashlyn explained how Morrigan and Flemeth came to their rescue. She also described the warrior's injuries and what had been done to heal her. "You may have a few scars, but you'll be back in fighting condition in no time."

"Are Jayden and the canines are okay?"

"Well, Arrow and Duke followed us here on foot. They arrived in the middle of the night and curled up next to me as I slept outside. As for Jayden… I assume he is still fine. The last time I saw him, he was sneaking off through the bushes with Morrigan saying something about needing to blow off some 'magical energy'."

"Morrigan, seriously?" Arianna chuckled. "I bet Alistair is thrilled about that. How is he holding up by the way?" she asked concerned.

"He's taking Duncan's death pretty hard. I am afraid his sorrow is consuming him. Hopefully, he will perk up a little now that you are awake," Ashlyn said as she returned to cleaning the last of the warrior's wounds.

"You and I both know how difficult it is to lose those we love. All we can do is offer support." She grimaced as the elf placed a fresh health poultice over her thigh wound.

"Let me get you something for the pain." Ashlyn went to the supply bag and brought back a health potion.

As Arianna drank the remedy, her friend continued, "He really cares for you, you know. He refused to leave your side last night."

The warrior smiled to herself and said, "I thought I had just dreamt of him talking and sitting with me."

"Alistair watches over you… the way Tamlen watched over me," the elf said in a tone that conveyed her heartache.

"Tamlen… that was his name, huh?" Arianna asked gently.

"Yes, and he was an amazing companion." Ashlyn shook her head as if to clear her thoughts and said, "I am going to dump this water, and refill the pail. We'll get your hair rinsed out when I get back." Before she left the hut, she turned back to Arianna. "I am really glad you are all right. Defeating the darkspawn wouldn't be the same without you."

- - - - - With Arianna - - - - -

Arianna felt much better after she was clean. Ashlyn had brought her breakfast which she consumed like she hadn't eaten in months. While she was eating, the the elf had set to work at re-braiding her long, blond hair. Once the braids were pinned back in her usual style, the two women emerged from the hut in search of their fellow Grey Wardens.

Duke came bounding over to them barking happily. Arianna affectionately stroked the soft fur behind the hound's ears and looked up to see Jayden and Morrigan sitting together by a fire where they were busy chopping up vegetables. Alerted by the dog's noise, Jayden smiled and stood up to come greet them as well. Morrigan nodded to her but stayed where she was to continue preparing what looked to be a stew.

"Nice to see you up and moving," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Lucky to be alive," she replied honestly.

"That you are," he agreed.

Ashlyn looked at Jayden and asked, "So Morrigan, huh? You know I didn't get the impression that you liked her 'that way' the last time we were in the Wilds."

This caused the mage to laugh. "I told you and Alistair back at camp that I am not inexperienced when it comes to the opposite sex. Besides, Circle mages don't 'do' relationships. Back at the Tower, we are forbidden from falling in love and having families. The Chantry and their templars don't want us reproducing more mages. So I am used to flings, and trust me, that was all Morrigan was looking for last night."

Ashlyn shook her head in amazement. "I can't imagine living that way… to be denied something as precious as love. Well now that you are a Warden, maybe you will be able to experience it someday."

"Maybe," he said as he glanced at Morrigan.

Arianna had to force herself to concentrate on the conversation in front of her. She couldn't stop thinking about Alistair, and her eyes sought him out while her friends were talking. I hope he is all right. I could tell Ashlyn was concerned about him. She finally spotted him standing with Morrigan's Mother out by a small pond. His back was towards her as he stared out across the water.

"Excuse me," she said before gingerly moving towards Alistair and the old woman.

Flemeth noticed her approach and said to Alistair, "See, here is your fellow warrior. You worry too much young man."

Alistair wheeled around to look at Arianna. She was taken aback by his reaction to seeing her. So much unspoken feeling was shining through his eyes. No one has ever looked at me that way before.

"You… you're alive," he said with relief. He walked to her and placed both hands gently on her shoulders. "I thought you were dead for sure."

"I'm okay," she said reassuringly. Remembering Flemeth's presence, she reluctantly pulled away after a moment to turn her attention to the infamous Witch of the Wilds. "Although I wouldn't be alive if it hadn't been for you as I understand. Thank you for saving us… but I have to ask, why did you do it?"

"Well, we can't have all the Grey Wardens dying at once, can we?" Flemeth continued by stating, "Someone has to deal with these darkspawn and destroy the Archdemon. It has always been the Warden's duty to unite the lands against the Blight, or did that change when I wasn't looking?"

"Of course not, but there are only four of us now," Alistair answered as they started walking back towards the hut. "No Grey Warden has ever defeated a Blight without the army of at least a half dozen nations at his back. Not to mention, I don't know how."

"How to kill an Archdemon or how to raise an army? It seems to me, those are two different questions, hmm? Have the Wardens no allies these days?" Flemeth asked as they reached Ashlyn and Jayden.

Alistair thought about it for a second before saying, "I suppose… Arl Eamon Guerrin of Redcliffe wasn't at Ostagar so he still has all his men, and he was the King's uncle so he would have a special interest in helping us. Plus, I know him… he is a good man. "

"I guess a trip to Redcliffe is in order," Ashlyn said.

There have to be others who could stand and fight with us, Arianna thought to herself. She then remembered one of the tasks Duncan had assigned them when they first came to the Wilds. "What about the treaties? Duncan said they promised support and could prove useful in the days to come."

"The treaties, of course!" Alistair said excitedly. "Grey Wardens can demand aid from dwarves, elves, mages, and other places. They are obligated to help us during a Blight."

"Well, it sounds as though your course is clear," Flemeth stated as Morrigan approached the group.

"The stew is bubbling Mother dear. Shall we have four guests for the eve or none?" Morrigan asked.

"The Grey Wardens are leaving shortly, girl. And you will be joining them," Flemeth told her daughter.

"Such a shame—what?" Morrigan looked at her mother with an appalled expression.

It took some convincing, but Flemeth eventually got her daughter to agree to accompany the Wardens on their quest. The Wardens themselves had mixed feelings on the matter. Jayden seemed pleased to have Morrigan join their party while Alistair didn't think it was a particularly good idea to bring an apostate with them on the road, but he eventually agreed with Ashlyn an Arianna that they needed all the help they could get. It was decided that they would leave right after lunch and try to reach the city of Lothering before nightfall.

Morrigan said her goodbyes to her mother as the Wardens gathered their equipment. We are going to have to pick up supplies in Lothering. We will need tents, bedding, and food to survive on the road, Arianna thought as she strapped on her sword and dagger. As she picked up her shield, the memory of Alistair saving her from the Hurlock Alpha's death blow came to mind. His shield sounded like it had cracked from the force of the darkspawn's strike. I shall have to repay him for his selflessness.

Morrigan again acted as their guide as they left the Korcari Wilds. She kept a lively discussion going with Jayden about different entropy spells she enjoyed using while the elf and the two warriors were conversing about Teyrn Loghain.

"It doesn't make sense," Alistair said angrily. "Why would he abandon the King, his son-in-law?"

"Power hungry?" Ashlyn asked.

"I don't know, maybe," Arianna said. "But I wish you had been at the strategy meeting with me, Ashlyn. I had an uneasy feeling about him, and it would have been nice to know what you sensed from him."

"Too late to do anything about it now," Alistair said sadly.

Ashlyn gave Arianna a worried look. Arianna nodded her head at her elven friend to indicate that she wanted to speak with Alistair alone.

"Excuse me. I am going to go see what is going on in the world of mages," Ashlyn said as she jogged ahead to talk with Morrigan and Jayden.

"Are you all right, Alistair?" Arianna asked. "I couldn't help but notice you've been quieter and more reserved than normal. Do you want to talk about Duncan?"

"I am not handling this very well, am I?" Alistair let out a large sigh. "Duncan warned me right from the beginning that this could happen, that any of us could die in battle. I just can't get past the feeling that I abandoned him. I should have been fighting beside him on the battlefield."

"I can completely relate. I had to leave my parents behind the night Howe's men attacked my home," Arianna said, nearly choking up with emotion.

"I am so sorry," Alistair said quickly. "We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to."

"No, please. I think it will help to talk about it," she said trying to regain her composure. "My mother and I were woken up in the middle of the night by screams. Howe's men had already killed my brother's wife and son by the time we reached them. Mother and I knew right away we needed to find my father, so we fought our way through our own castle. By the time we reached him, he had already been fatally wounded, and my mother would not leave his side when Duncan agreed to help us escape. I can't help but think I should have stayed behind with my mother to defend my father… and my home."

Alistair stopped their progress and turned toward Arianna. "But you would have died as well… if you had stayed."

She looked into his beautiful brown eyes and said, "As would you… if Duncan had not ordered you and the rest of us to light the Tower's beacon."

Alistair gave her an adorable smile and said, "I guess the Maker had different plans for us."

"I guess you are right," Arianna replied sweetly. As they started walking again, she decided it was a good time to bring up Alistair's damaged shield. "I haven't gotten the chance to thank you yet."

"Thank me? For what?" he asked.

"For saving my life at the top of the Tower. I remember you blocking that Hurlock's blow after I had been shot."

Alistair blushed and replied, "Yes, I couldn't very well let that lovely face of yours become darkspawn fodder now could I?"

"I am very glad you didn't," she said before pulling her family's shield from her back. "Here, I want you to have this. It is the Shield of Highever. It was my father's. I know it would honor him for you to carry it."

Alistair seemed hesitant to accept her gift. "Are you sure about this?"

"Of course. I don't want you to be unprotected with a damaged shield," she said motioning toward the cracked shield he currently had strapped to his back. "Besides, fighting with sword and shield was always my father and brother's thing. I am a dual weapon kind of girl."

"Thank you," he said sincerely as he accepted the Shield of Highever from her. A feeling she couldn't describe filled her when she saw Alistair holding her family's shield. It was like that shield had always been meant for him.

"Let me take your old shield for now. We can try to sell it in Lothering. Maker knows we are going to need to find a way to raise some money to purchase all we need for traveling."

"We'll figure something out. Don't worry," Alistair reassured her as they increased their pace to catch back up to their companions.

- - - - - Passage of Time - - - Back with Ashlyn - - - - -

It was late afternoon when Lothering came into view. Alistair was much more talkative after he and Arianna rejoined the group, much to Morrigan's displeasure.

"I found him much more tolerable when he was wallowing in grief," the female mage said to Jayden while Alistair was explaining to the group how Arl Eamon raised him before he was sent to the Chantry.

Ashlyn overheard the comment and chuckled to herself. Those two are about as different as night and day. There is never going to be a dull moment with this group.

Right as they were getting ready to cross the bridge into town, they were stopped by a group of bandits.

"Halt. No one enters Lothering without paying a small toll first," the leader of the highway men said.

The Wardens and Morrigan looked upon the bandits with expressions ranging from disgust to loathing.

Before any of them had a chance to respond, a large bulky man walked up next to the leader and said, "They don't look like them other refugees. In fact, that one sort of fits the description of the woman Teyrn Loghain's men were searching for," he said as he pointed at Arianna.

"You're right," the leader replied as he surveyed Ashlyn and her companions. "And I bet Loghain's soldiers would pay good money for turning this group in if they are really are Grey Wardens. Get 'em boys."

"Fools," Morrigan said before unleashing a most impressive array of lightning bolts at the attacking men.

Jayden added his magic to Morrigan's while Arianna and Alistair charged the highway men. Realizing she was too close for archery, Ashlyn drew her daggers and followed the warriors into battle with Arrow on her heels. With very little effort, the traveling companions had cut down every last one of the bandits.

"Well, at least one thing stays the same," Ashlyn said as she wiped the blood from her blades.

"And what is that?" Jayden asked.

"Bandits in the city are just as stupid as bandits in the forest," she replied.

"Spoken like a true Dalish elf," Morrigan complimented.

"If what they said is true, that Loghain has men searching for us, then we need to be extra careful in town," Alistair said.

"Alistair is right," Arianna agreed. "We can't let anyone know we are Wardens." She looked at the stockpile of goods the bandits had swindled from people fleeing the darkspawn. "I know we should just get the supplies we need and leave, but I want to turn in the money and items the bandits have taken from the refugees as well."

"Would it not be wiser to simply keep the loot and use it to procure our own supplies?" Morrigan questioned.

"No," Arianna answered. "The people in this town need this much more than we do. We will find other means."

Alistair seemed very pleased with their leader's decision. "Well, let's get on with it. Jayden, give me a hand with this chest."

As he bent down to collect the pilfered items, Alistair saw the body of a dead knight lying a few feet away. "Poor soul," he said as he approached the body. He noticed the deceased had something clutched in his left hand. "What do we have here?" he asked as he removed a small locket and piece of folded parchment from the body.

Arianna watched Alistair with interest as he opened the note. "What did you find?"

"A locket and a letter addressed to a Ser Donall from a Ser Henric. That's funny… I know a Ser Donall from Redcliffe. I wonder if this is addressed to the same person. We should try to find him if he is here and give him these things."

"Of course," Arianna said before looking towards Lothering. "Let's get moving. It's going to be dark soon."

They quickly gathered the bandit's loot and headed into town. On their way, they were met by a templar.

"Word of warning to you strangers, Lothering is lost," the templar said upon their arrival.

"Lost?" Ashlyn asked.

"The scouts say the darkspawn are headed this way. And if it is shelter you seek, it will be hard to come by here. Danal's Tavern and the Chantry are full to bursting with refugees fleeing from the south."

"All we need is supplies… and to turn in the money and valuables the bandits who were outside of town took from the people passing through."

"The bandits who "were" outside of town? Are they no longer there?" he asked surprised.

"We took care of them," Alistair responded. "They will not be a problem for you anymore."

"This is excellent news! Those scoundrels have been a real nuisance. You will find my commander, Ser Bryant, in the Chantry. He is who you need to see."

"Thank you," Arianna said as the group continued walking to the largest building in town.

When the Chantry's heavy, wooden doors opened, they saw a well-armored man giving orders to other templars.

"That must be him," Jayden said taking a step back. "Well, I think it is best if Morrigan and I sit out on this conversation. If you need us, we'll be outside." Jayden handed Ashlyn the goods he was carrying and took his fellow mage's arm to pull her back outside.

Ashlyn stood dumbfounded with her arms full. "What was that about?"

"Oh mages, and their utter dislike of templars," Alistair responded dryly. "Really, we're not so bad. At least I'm not, am I?"

"Yeah, you're not so bad… for a self-important, Chantry-loving, tight-ass templar," Ashlyn said with a wink.

"Thank you Ashlyn, I feel so much better now," Alistair joked.

Arianna laughed and said, "Come on; let's get this over with."

They walked up behind a group of templars.

"Excuse me, Ser Bryant?" Arianna inquired.

"Yes, that's me," the heavily armored man responded as he turned to face them. "How may I be of service?"

"We wanted to turn these items in." Arianna gestured to the goods the three Wardens were carrying. "We were hoping you would be able to either return these things to their previous owners or distribute them to those in need."

"Previous owners? Where did all this come from?" Ser Bryant asked.

"A band of not so intelligent bandits who made the mistake of trying to collect a toll from us," Ashlyn answered as they started to hand everything over to the templars standing beside their commander.

"I don't know what to say… most people would have just kept everything for themselves. Thank you. I cannot let your generosity go unrewarded." The templar commander reached behind his chest plate and pulled a small pouch out of his shirt pocket. "It isn't much, but there should be at least a sovereign in here." He handed the pouch to Arianna.

"Thank you Ser Bryant," she said as she accepted the small purse.

Ser Bryant thoroughly assessed the three Wardens before stating, "You don't seem like the other refugees. Are you some of Arl Eamon's knights?"

"Actually, we are looking for one of his men, a Ser Donall. Have you seen him?" Alistair inquired. "We have a message for him."

Quick thinking Alistair, Ashlyn mentally praised. Now Ser Bryant won't contemplate us being Grey Wardens.

"Why yes I have. In fact, he is here in the Chantry now. You can find him in the back library searching for information on the Urn of Sacred Ashes."

"You have been most helpful," Arianna said to Ser Bryant as the Wardens turned to head to the back of the Chantry. "Thanks again!"

"Smooth talking back there," Ashlyn commented to Alistair once they moved out of earshot of Ser Bryant.

"Well, I really did want to find Ser Donall, but it does make for a convenient excuse for us being here," Alistair responded.

"Ser Bryant mentioned something about an Urn of Sacred Ashes. What was he talking about?" Ashlyn asked.

Arianna explained, "It is said to contain the ashes of Andraste, which can cure any ailment. But it has always been assumed to be merely a myth."

"Yes, you would have to be desperate to go looking for that," Alistair added. "I hope everything is all right in Redcliffe."

The chantry really was overloaded with refugees. They had to weave their way around groups of people as they made their way back to the library.

"This is horrible," Arianna said sadly. "So many people forced to flee their homes."

Alistair nodded in agreement. "It is a good reminder of what we are trying to protect."

As they rounded a large group of shelves, they saw a knight in the middle of the aisle skimming pages of an old book. He looked up when he heard their approach. He raised his eyebrows in surprise when he recognized Alistair.

"Alistair, is that you?" Ser Donall asked.

"Yes it's me," Alistair returned happily as he shook hands with the Redcliffe knight. "How have you been?"

"I am good. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Arl Eamon."

Alistair's smile disappeared and his eyes lighted with concern. "What is wrong with Eamon?"