A/N: Sorry I tried saving this one last night to my USB but the computer decided not to like me. Anyway we are now at Flemeth's hut. Aren't we all excited! Yes well I am (Especially since I had to type this twice). Anyway I wanna post a new warning for people reading. After Lothering things start looking a lot different then they do in the game. To be honest I did it to make the story a little bit more of mine and conserve on chapters (80ish chapters seems a bit much for me). This chapter is where Cullen gets a little bit more of his own character too not just a side character. Enjoy. BTW I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING EXCEPT MY CHARACTERS! MINUS CULLEN! HES BIOWARES TOO!
Witch's Words
Cullen awoke in a bed he didn't recognize. His head hurt and he could see nothing in the darkness around him. He rolled looking for anything when he felt the wrap on his eyes. "Will he be alright?" A female voice said relatively close to him. Cullen couldn't see her but knew it was Skyla by the concern in her voice and the hand around his. Slowly he un-rolled the wrap around his eyes; desperate to see anyone around him or get a feel for his surroundings.
"The Templar fool will live just as the rest have. Mother's work is very powerful, have no fear," Another voice, unfamiliar to him, stated. Cullen looked around and saw a green glow and a blue glow. He didn't understand so he unwrapped quicker. "He is awake at last." The other voice said smugly. Cullen huffed at her and continued to un-wrap his eyes. "You'd best tell him."
A hand fell upon his bicep, gently brushing his arm, "Cullen my love, I'm sorry. These mages did what they could but it was too late. I tried to help but I couldn't do anything," Skyla whispered to him, barely able to hold back the tears. Cullen's face turned pale and quicker he unrolled the wrap around his eyes. He desperately needed to see her face: her green eyes, her delicate tanned skin, her soft lips, and her gorgeous smile.
When the wrap fell from his face he looked for Skyla to his right but saw only the green light. "Where are you Skyla? I can't see you. I need you my love," He cried out for her. The green light shifted and he could start to make out the features of Skyla. "No. What sort of blood magic or trickery is this?" he demanded. He grabbed Skyla and shook her demanding an answer. Skyla's tears fell down her face as she wrapped her arms around her lover. "Skyla please, tell me what happened."
"An emissary threw a fireball after they broke the door down. I was busy putting up a ward around the group when you were hit across the face. Cullen I was too slow to save you. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me!" She pleaded with him. Skyla fell into his arms and wept on his shoulder, his grip releasing her from its great tightness. "I'll find a way to help you Cullen. I swear it on the blood of Andraste." Cullen held her close as she wept into his shoulder.
Several moments passed before the other figure spoke, "If you two are done feeling sorry for yourselves, my mother would like to speak to you all. She'll be returning soon." Cullen turned to the direction of the voice and saw the blue light. 'Magic, I can feel…no I can see it,' He thought to himself. "My mother is not a very patient woman for you to be gawking at me, templar."
Skyla looked at the other mage and snarled, "How can you be so cruel! He just lost his eyesight and you dare to not give him time to grieve! Us to grieve even!" The fury in her voice was so great; Cullen had never seen this side to her before. He slowly touched her hand and shook his head. "She dares insult you and you tell me to stop? You? My lover, a templar, and a Grey Warden!" Skyla looked appalled at him and he shook his head.
"Skyla, I do not care if she wishes to insult me." The words stunned both of the mages. "I wish to speak with her mother and thank her for at least saving our lives. You must not be ungrateful for what they have done, it is beneath you." He said in a cold tone. Skyla looked at him, pleading he wouldn't be saying what he is. "Not all apostates are bad Skyla, just Maleficarum." Cullen's head slowly lowered as he searched for his clothing. Skyla helped him get his armor on and his sword tied to his back. "Thank you my love."
Skyla just nodded at him. "Where is your mother now?" Skyla asked clearly not happy with the situation. Cullen paid her attitude no mind, waiting for the mage's reply. "I asked you a question Apostate!" Skyla yelled. It dawned on Cullen now. He finally remembered Skyla's uncontrollable hatred for Apostates since Jowan had used blood magic. "Answer the question or so help me!" Cullen had had enough.
"That's enough!" He yelled. Skyla turned to him stunned. Cullen caught himself with his cold tone. He didn't want to take the side of an apostate due to his Templar training but the woman had saved him and his father had always taught him to treat those who treat you with kindness, the same way. "She has helped us Skyla. She is not someone who should be yelled at. You're being unfair and ungrateful to her." Skyla was hurt that he was defending this witch instead of standing with her. She was even more hurt by the fact that she knew he was right in everything. Slowly she moved away from Cullen and to the door, tears slowly rolling down her face. "Skyla, wait. Please, I'm sor—"he started but she was already gone.
Cullen no longer saw Skyla's green glow but the blue one still sat in the room. She let out a small chuckle, "A circle mage and a Templar? Tis very curious," She said noticing Cullen's sour look on his face. "I saved your life Templar, remember that. I may not do it the next time you ask me to." And with that she was gone as well. Cullen was finally alone with his thoughts; they haunted him. He was a blind man who saw only lights of people. Who knows maybe he wouldn't even see normal people like merchants or farmers. Finally he stumbled to the door and fell out into the swamp.
DaODaODaO
Galen stood with Valtor and Alistair waiting for Flemeth to return. The old witch said she had business to attend to with the Chasind tribes and she would return soon. That had been over a day ago. Luna sat a few feet away from the three men on a log, silently singing a lullaby to herself. Katriel had wrapped her arms around the Dalish elf in hopes of bringing out of her catatonic like state. Deacon had traveled with Quartz in hopes of finding Maric and the sashes of the fallen Wardens at Ostagar. Galen had argued with Deacon to be allowed to go but the elder Cousland brother won when Galen passed out during the argument.
"I hate waiting," Valtor suddenly said breaking the silence. Alistair turned to the dwarf and shook his head. They'd all lost many friends at Ostagar and none were extremely thrilled to be alive where their friends had fallen. Valtor was about to say something when the door to the hut flew open and slammed. The three turned to see Skyla walking away from it in tears, finally sitting down by the pond several feet away from them. "Oh boy, Mage princess has learned that reality. Templar boy must be dead."
Galen's face turned pale and he looked at the witch as she exited the hut with a smile upon her face. Galen realized how attractive she was: her raven black hair, the porcelain white skin, and the yellow eyes that pierced your mind. He shivered as he thought of the many things he'd like to do to her. 'Keep your thoughts innocent now Galen. She's probably heard really stupid pick-up lines before,' he thought to himself. He forced himself to keep his eyes up and not looking at the cleavage that was barely covered by her robes.
He started walking to her to start a conversation but she was the one to speak first, "You're a circle mage. How did those two keep their relationship hidden from the others?" She asked him. Galen looked at Skyla who sat crying next to the pond. He realized that if Cullen had never come into her life that he may have been her lover, but he put the thought aside. "Oh are you a silent mage? A drastic change from your friend over there moping by the pond." Galen looked at her with a smile that made the newer female apprentices drool, she however was unfazed.
"They didn't. He was about to be transferred to Kirkwall before we broke into the repository. They'd been seen half a dozen times entering the other's room and then strange creaking sounds coming from the room," he said with a smile. The witch had smiled at the mention of the repository incident and demanded to know more. "We destroyed three of the phylacteries: hers, mine, and our friend Jowan's." He went on to describe the incident all the way up to being discovered by the Knight-Commander and First Enchanter.
"This Jowan is dead then?" She asked him. He shook his head and asked her why she thought so. "Well I assume he died on the road with this Lily since he doesn't travel with you or your companions." Galen frowned at the thought of Jowan's betrayal, still fresh in his mind. Galen told her more about the incident with Jowan and she was a good listener never interrupting. "Blood Magic in the circle. Tis exciting."
Galen had a hard time finding blood magic exciting so he decided to ask her what she meant. "Well you corner a dog he will resort to biting. The Templars cornered Jowan and he bit so to speak." Galen started to like this girl a little bit more and more. He hated the circle for letting the chantry just watch over them all the time; just waiting for someone to use Blood Magic. "One day I'd like to see the circle."
Galen snarled, "No you don't. It's a terrible place for anyone." Galen recalled the memory of being ripped from his mother's arms as he was dragged to the circle. If that templar hadn't come to check on Aldus then he would've been raised just like his older brothers. Galen had been playing with Gilmore, his best friend, when the Templar seized him and dragged him to his parents. Bryce Cousland was furious and almost had the Templar arrested before the Revered mother intervened. "Magic Exists to Serve Man and Never Rule Over Him." The next day he was on his way to the circle, not blaming his parents but the Chantry for what they did to the mages. "The circle is not a place for apostates." Galen said bluntly, "Especially one so delicate such as you." His frown turned into a mischievous grin as Morrigan snapped at him.
"I am not delicate! I am more powerful then you and your friend combined I bet!" She screamed. He had gotten under her skin. Good. They continued to argue for several minutes with the rest of the group looking on. The snow had started to fall and eventually the entire group retired inside the hut, Galen and Morrigan still arguing.
DaODaODaO
Quartz looked at the king's body and frowned. He had been so energetic in life it was odd to see him hanging lifeless on a crucifix. "That's just inhumane," She said to her traveling companion. Deacon came up beside her, the Mabari hound on his right. They'd retrieved the hound and the sashes from the ruins and were about to leave when they discovered Cailan's body. "Should we get him down?"
Deacon nodded as he unhooked Cailan's hands and feet and slowly lowered him down. "He deserves a funeral pyre. Something he definitely would have wanted," Deacon said. Quartz nodded and the two of them built a small pyre out of the battlements. Slowly they put Cailan on the pyre and lit it. "I'm sorry you did not survive my king. We shall make sure you are remembered for eternity. You shall be avenged." Quartz moved away from the pyre and was further away when she realized Deacon was still at the pyre.
"Come we must leave!" She shouted back to him. He looked at the flames dancing before looking at her, his Hazel eyes watery with sadness. As quick as she noticed the sadness it flicked away with his smile that made Katriel giggle each time she saw it. Quartz didn't understand the man, or the reason Katriel was head over heels for him. He was attractive yet something about him was just off. He had those headaches constantly and his dreams were worse than any of the other Wardens she had heard of. Slowly he joined her and the Mabari and they made their way back to their friends and the hut.
They'd trekked for two days before smelling the smoke of a campfire. "We are close, finally." Quartz had said ready to take a break from the walking. Suddenly a large roar echoed throughout the wilds in the direction of the hut. The two travelers looked at each other and ran for the hut. "Please don't be a dragon, please don't be a dragon!" She said to herself fearing the Archdemon had found them.
They arrived to see the group talking to a small old woman. Quartz instantly placed her as Flemeth the Witch of the Wilds, who had saved them from the tower and certain death. "These treaties I found while visiting the Chasind. They belong to you and the Grey Wardens. Ah it seems your two friends have joined us." The witch said pointing at the two. Deacon and Quartz slowly joined their friends when the witch let out a snarl. "You there boy, come with me!" Deacon looked at the witch stunned as she pulled him away from the group with the strength of an Ogre. "The rest of you stay here!"
Quartz, not one fond of listening slowly crept up to the window of the hut to listen in on the conversation. "You finally found a Grey Warden to live in then didn't you Dumat," She said with a smile on her face. Quartz didn't believe what she had just heard, Deacon was actually Dumat? "Well let me put it these ways, you two have to work together, so no more chasing him around in his dreams. And you, no more screaming at him and complaining of headaches." Quartz peaked inside to see Deacon remove the gauntlet on his left hand. She covered her mouth as she saw his arm was black as night but looked harder than steel. "Magic should come easy to you now Deacon, you're not the first to drink pure Archdemon blood and live. I was just visiting one of the others now."
Deacon spoke to no one in particular, "Dumat and I are one then…I could get used to this." He rolled his arm around inspecting every inch of it. "I can use magic now? That's pretty amazing." The witch slapped him hard. "What the hell was that fo—"He started before the witch kissed him. Now, Quartz had seen many disgusting things living as a casteless in Orzammar, this had just taken first place. "I am not sure what to say except, what the hell was that?" He said. The witch simply smiled before caressing his face as a lover would. "I'm sorry I don't think of you that way. You're a little old for me."
Quartz suppressed a laugh when the witch's face turned sour. "I did it for Dumat! Not you! He will remember me from many years ago. Before the first Blight corrupted him," The witch said. Quartz didn't know what to do now. Keep listening or go to the others. Then what? Tell the others or keep the secret. Finally she decided to not tell the others and confront Deacon when she had the chance. The two in the hut had made their way to the door when Quartz had just rejoined the group. "You may leave and take Morrigan with you! I no longer need her here besides you will need her magic!" She slammed the door behind Deacon and then let out a loud cackle. 'Things are getting a lot more complicated,' Quartz thought. She went to thinking of Duncan and how he brought Deacon to Ostagar. 'Duncan wouldn't endanger us...would he?'
A/N: Ooooo definitley some drama going up in here! Dumat and Deacon the same? I promise I'm going somewhere with it guys! I hope you guys have been enjoying the story so far...if you've been reading it. Well I'm gonna go back to writing some more. I'll see you guys when the next chapter is done. Review and Comment.