Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age or the ballad Darrian sings. I just changed "Baltimore" to "Denerim" for context's sake.

Chapter Five: Val Royeaux

"There were four old whores from Denerim
Drinking beer and wine.
The topic of conversation was
'Mine is bigger than thine...'"

"Dear Maker! Darrian!" Elissa said, trying not to laugh. "Shhhh!"

"What?" Darrian said innocently. "If they truly can't speak Ferelden to serve me, then they won't understand." Nearly every trader they had approached in the Upper Market didn't – or at least refused to – speak Ferelden. Elissa, after haggling furiously with the general trader in Orlesian, had found this hard to believe, since every Orlesian trader she'd ever met was a capable linguist.

"You know it's because I'm an elf," Darrian said. "An uneducated and lowly elf." Elissa thumped his arm when he started putting on sad sighs and over dramatic woeful faces.

"Shut up. They're not talking to me in Ferelden either, but if that's their reason then they're not worth my time. Or money."

So Darrian had devised a sort of... test. The bawdy ballad was a favourite in the docks apparently, and it was making Elissa cringe (and laugh).

"The first old whore from Denerim said,
'Mine's as big as the air.
The birds fly in, the birds fly out,
And never touch a hair.'"

"That's disgusting!" Elissa exclaimed, giving in to the laughter. "Ewww not even Oghren sang as song as bad as that!"

"The second old whore from Denerim said,
"Mine's as big as the moon.
The men jump in, the men jump out,
And never touch the womb.'"

To make it better, Darrian was making big animated gestures to go with his singing while Elissa was laughing. It became apparent then which traders were lying – half a dozen of the nearby stall-owners were pulling faces or reacting to Darrian's bawdy ballad.

"The third old whore from Denerim said,
'Mine's as big as the sea.
The ships sail in, the ships sail out,
And leave their rigging free.'"

"Maker, please make him stop," Elissa said between giggles. "That's horrible."

"Nearly done, 'Lis, but we can't leave out whore number four...

The fourth old whore from Denerim said,
'Mine's the biggest of all!
A man went up in the springtime,
And didn't come out till fall.'"

Elissa must have been a sight, doubled up with laughter in the middle of the market. "You're a shining example of our nation, Darrian, I applaud you!" she said sarcastically once she had recovered.

"I do my best," Darrian said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. "Now, out of the traders the only ones not to look horrified or sickened were the potions lady on the corner, and the blacksmith over here. And he does have the best armour in the market. We can't have the Hero of Ferelden returning home in raggedy leather."

"It's not raggedy! And remind me never to tell you anything again." Ever since Darrian had wheedled the full true story from her, he'd been teasing her with that Maker-forsaken moniker.

"But look at that splintmail! It's white steel. White steel! We'll have to orchestrate your glorious return to Denerim! White steel – and a white horse! And a big blue cape with the Grey Warden insignia on it...!"

"Right, that's it, we're leaving!"

"Hah, wait, watch how their eyes have lit up now! Yep, ladies and gents, you snubbed the Hero of Ferelden, nay the Hero of Thedas-!"

"Leaving!" Elissa repeated, grabbing Darrian by his thick black hair. The elf yelped as Elissa dragged him back to where they were staying in the lower market.

"Ow-ow-ow-ow let go, you can let go now!" Elissa released him and he turned to face her, his hair stuck up at every angle. "Why'd you run off?"

Elissa rolled her eyes. "Some of us aren't a fan of fame and all the baggage that goes with it. Besides, I've probably got as many friends as enemies. People who would use a celebrity to their advantage."

"Ah... okay. Point taken." Darrian looked suitably abashed as they walked back to their tavern together."

"...so what are you going to do when we get back to Ferelden?"

"Maker! This again?"

"What?" Darrian he said innocently. "I'm curious! Besides, the last three times I've asked we've either been attacked by bandits or you've changed the subject. Come on. You must have thought about it."

"Of course I've thought about it," Elissa said, walking up the stairs of the inn to their room. She unlocked the door to find Madoc waiting obediently by the door. He yipped happily as they entered and started jumping in small circles. Elissa stretched out on the bed, her back propped against the headboard, strangely exhausted even though all they'd done was walk around the city all day. No fighting, no bandits, no darkspawn – just walking. Madoc hopped on the bed at her feet, his head resting on her legs.

Darrian latched the door behind him and went to the window to open the shutters, letting the red evening sunshine pour in. He flopped on the bed beside Elissa and looked up at her. "So go on," he said, reaching out to poke her middle. "What are you going to do?"

Elissa sighed and reached over to the bedside table for her book "Spirit Warrior: Fade spirits and techniques for the non-mage." It was one they had "borrowed" from Weisshaupt – admittedly, perhaps not the best one to be carrying around in Orlais, the home of the Chantry and the Templars, but there was no reason for them to bother Elissa in the first place and what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. "I'll probably go to Highever first," she admitted. "You're coming with, by the way."

"Yes ser!" Darrian said, coupled with a mock salute. "What about the Warden-Commander position?"

"It can wait," Elissa said grumpily. "It's not going anywhere. Besides, I ought to go to Highever to get yelled at by my brother. Then to Denerim to see where the others are at and mayhap get yelled at by them as well." Darrian knew that by 'others' she meant her travelling companions from the Blight. "S'pose I ought to see the Queen while I'm there. Make sure she hasn't ruined the place."

"Well don't you move in august company?"

"Shut up. And then of course the Alienage – make sure your kinsfolk got home okay. And so Shianni can yell at you the same way Fergus will yell at me."

"Thanks. You're so generous," Darrian said sarcastically, sitting back onto his knees. "How's the shoulder holding up?"

"I'd say it's back to normal. Or as normal as it probably ever will be." Elissa rotated it experimentally. "Fiona's a good healer. And about the only person at Weisshaupt who was approachable and you could get a straight answer from."

"Aside from the First Warden," Darrian pointed out. Elissa shook her head

"He was only being approachable because I'm useful to him. I have the ability to make the Wardens a solid presence in Ferelden again and therefore one less country outside of the Anderfels to worry about."

Darrian paused thoughtfully, leaning back on his heels and reaching back to scratch Madoc's back. "So when are we going to... hey, is that a hawk on the windowsill?"

Elissa looked up from her book at the dark-feathered bird of prey on her windowsill. She slipped her bookmark back in between the pages and shut the book with a soft snap. Madoc looked up and cocked his head at the newcomer, his ears pricked. "Well," Elissa said quietly. "This is a surprise. Come in if you're coming then."

Darrian looked at Elissa as if she'd gone mad as she stood up and walked to the window. The hawk hopped off the ledge and onto the floor and Elissa shut the window shutters.

There was a rustling of power and the edges of the hawk seemed to blur and shimmer. In a matter of seconds, the bird had turned into a woman and Darrian had fallen off the bed.

"Andraste's tits!" he swore, looking up at the dark-haired mage in standing where the bird was, wearing a deep red floor length dress. Her dark hair was bound in a tight bun with gold pins and a heavy gold choker was clasped about her neck. Dainty gold trimmed shoes were just visible beneath the hem of the dress. "How did you...? What in the...? Elissa, have you been drugging me or something?"

The mage eyed Darrian with narrowed golden eyes. "Another suspicious dim-witted one? Your judge of character hasn't improved much. Though I'd never thought you'd be one to take an elf to your bed."

Darrian's raised an eyebrow. "Well, excuse me for not being entirely prepared for a shapeshifter in my bedroom. I'll make sure to keep the windows shut the next time we're in Orlais."

"Plus he's not sharing my bed," Elissa added.

"Not in the sexual sense anyway," Darrian added, picking himself off the floor and dusting off his jerkin and leather trousers.

"Hm. Shame to let such a pretty one go to waste."

"Morrigan," Elissa said with a sigh, reaching up to squeeze the bridge of her nose. "I assume you have a reason in coming here. I had thought never to see you again, especially after our last... discussion."

Morrigan turned to Elissa and looked her up and down, noting the light tan to the Ferelden's once pale skin and the shine in her dark hair (which, judging from the extra whirl in the spiral of her bound braids at the base of her neck, had gotten a lot longer). "You are looking well my friend. Travelling the warmer parts of Thedas has done you some good, I think." Madoc hopped off the bed to sit at Morrigan's feet. He looked up at Morrigan expectantly and gave a short happy bark. "Yes, yes, you too," Morrigan said with a weary sigh. She reached down and patted Madoc's head quickly.

"'My friend'?" Elissa queried, folding her arms and eyeing Morrigan warily. "The last time we spoke it was hardly on such good terms."

"I..." Morrigan looked hesitant and her eyes flickered to Darrian.

Elissa sighed. "Darrian, would you take Madoc for a walk for a bit? Ten minutes at most. Come back if there's any trouble."

Darrian looked like he wanted to object but acquiesced to Elissa's request. He whistled and Madoc jumped to his heels. "Come on boy," he said, "let the ladies have their catch-up natter, hm?" Darrian grabbed the room key from the side table and opened the door, letting Madoc out into the corridor before following shutting the door behind him.

Silence reigned following the elf's exit. Elissa said nothing, and wasn't going to be the one to start this conversation. It was not her that had left, after all.

Morrigan made a frustrated huffing sound, but it appeared to be directed more at herself than Elissa. "I was foolish. Truly. I should have known that you wouldn't have agreed to such a thing – why, I know not, even though I have had time to ponder it. Why did you turn it down? Did you not trust me?" The old Morrigan slipped back then, control she had apparently learnt in Orlais slipping away, her eyes flashing angrily. "Was your talk of friendship and trust all lies?"

Elissa looked at Morrigan in the eyes squarely, blue meeting gold, and sighed, letting her arms drop to her side. She walked over to the bed and sat down on it heavily.

"The... ritual. Several things made me uneasy. Firstly, that the creation of a child... a tainted powerful child, a tainted powerful child with the soul of an Old God – you said yourself that it would be a beacon for the Archdemon. If it was a beacon for the Archdemon then what if it became a beacon for darkspawn? An Old God reborn – I agreed with you when you said some things should be preserved in this world, but such a thing has too much power, too much risk."

Elissa looked up at Morrigan, who was avoiding her gaze. She sighed and continued. "Secondly, even if you did have this child and could protect it from the lure of the taint, what of Flemeth? You said yourself that your mother, though forced from her current mortal body, was strong enough to linger as a spirit until she found a new vessel. I know you said you would protect yourself from her but what if you couldn't? Flemeth, Witch of the Wilds, the Woman of Many Years, shapeshifter extraordinaire – what if she managed to overpower you and gained control of that child?

"Thirdly, you said your mother sent you for that purpose, to capture the soul of an Old God. But we learnt that your mother never did anything for anyone else, even sacrificing her own daughters to prolong her life. She wanted that child, and she would have sought you and the child. Truly, it was not you that I did not trust but your mother."

Elissa sighed again, pushing a stray hand of hair behind her ear. "Finally, what you asked of me was not mine to give. Had it been in my power – my personal power - to give you a child I probably would have done. As it was, you needed Alistair. His body was not mine to give you."

"And now it's not here at all," Morrigan commented callously.

Elissa glared at the witch. "What, and you think I wanted it this way?" she snapped.

"Would you have changed your mind? Knowing what you know now?"

"Would you have even offered?" Elissa countered.

Morrigan's lips drew into a tight line. "I would have told you together," she conceded. "Got you to fetch Alistair, and told you together. That way he would have been able to make the decision."

Elissa laughed softly, but the sound was bitter. "The look on his face would have been a picture, that's for sure." She paused and met Morrigan's eyes. "In answer to your question, no I wouldn't have changed my mind."

"Not at all?"

"No. I would have changed my battle plan later, though."

"Oh?"

"Mmhmm. Left Alistair at the gate and taken Sten instead."

Morrigan huffed and walked over to sit beside Elissa on the bed, her shoes making sharp tapping noises on the wooden floor. "So you really had resigned yourself to die. I never wanted to believe it."

Elissa didn't want to talk about that battle anymore so attempted to change the subject. "Why Orlais, my dear Morrigan?" Elissa asked.

"Because it's the only country that borders Ferelden?"

Elissa looked sidelong at the witch. "But you're a mage and a shapeshifter – don't tell me you couldn't have been able to fly across the Waking Sea. Plus, crossing the Frostbacks takes longer than a sea voyage... It's been over a year since the Blight ended... have you really been here all this time?"

"Most of it, yes."

Elissa looked at Morrigan more closely and grinned. "You were listening to Leliana's stories weren't you? About dresses and jewellery and -," Elissa looked down at Morrigan's prettily dressed feet and laughed. "Fancy shoes!"

Morrigan stretched her legs to show off her gold trimmed shoes with tapered heels. "I thought the bard was exaggerating. I was pleasantly surprised to find out she wasn't. Oh, except I'd quite happily do without the din from that forsaken Chant day and night - it is ridiculously annoying, but one gets used to it I suppose."

"So what are you doing here? Or was it simply to satisfy your curiosity?"

"Must there be any other reason?"

"Curiosity is not enough for you to hang around people all the time. And nobles, no less, judging from the quality of your dress. They're the worst examples of humanity."

"And also the most interesting," Morrigan pointed out. "They're impossible to fathom! The constant bickering, the saying one thing to one person's face and saying something else as soon as they've walked away – truly the oddest thing! Why, I can't understand it at all, but the constant battle using deceit and rumour is so entertaining!"

Elissa laughed. "You would like that part of politics. But who would have thought it? Morrigan, Witch of the Wilds, a courtier! I take it your social interactions have improved somewhat?"

"Evidently, since they have yet to turf me out onto the street."

"And what of your magic?"

"Certain members of the court are... aware of it."

"Oh? And how have you managed to keep the Templars at bay?"

"One of the empress' bards was kind enough to forge Circle of Magi documents for me. I am, as far as they are aware, a mage from Tevinter. The rising tensions between the two different Chantries means that no one will be willing to try and verify that information – nor will the Tevinter Templars be quite so eager to co-operate."

"And should they find out the truth?"

"Then my stay in Orlais is over," Morrigan said with a shrug. "I will likely tire of the place before then."

"Believe me, if you enjoy court politics as much as you appear to, you will be entertained for a while longer."

"You are probably right," Morrigan conceded. Silence fell between them and Morrigan's eyes were drawn to the two backpacks propped against the wall, reminding her of Elissa's companion. "So who is the elf?"

"Darrian? He's a Grey Warden – my first recruit," Elissa added, looking a little smug.

"Skilled then?"

"Better than Leliana at locks and traps and almost as good with a bow. Virtually silent when he takes a step. Not too shabby with a pair of blades either. I met him in Minrathous – he was one of the elves Loghain had sold in to slavery," she added by way of explanation. Morrigan snorted.

"Ever the altruistic one."

Elissa shrugged. "I like to think equal parts altruistic and pragmatic. He was technically a murderer."

"'Technically'?"

"Well there were some severely mitigating circumstances."

"Self defence?"

"Family defence," Elissa amended, and briefly relayed the story Darrian had told her.

"And do you believe him?"

"Well it would explain why Vaughan wasn't about Denerim all the time we were there – and the riots from the Alienage. Plus the few times I've had the pleasure," she said sarcastically, "of Vaughan's company at court I can safely confirm he is – was – a veritable slimeball. He likely deserved whatever it was Darrian dealt him." Elissa shrugged. "No matter. He's a Warden now – the past has little bearing on his future."

"And what future might that be?"

"Whatever he makes of it," Elissa said cryptically. She smirked at the annoyed scowl that flitted across Morrigan's face. "He travels with me for now, but I don't know what I am going to do yet. I may take up the Warden-Commander post, I may not. Mayhap I'll stay in Highever and help my brother for a time. Or maybe I'll just keep travelling."

Morrigan paused and regarded Elissa closely. "Something's changed in you, sister. You were always so careful, always planning ahead, playing your cards carefully and mapping out each week towards your goal. Now you're just..."

"Reckless?" Elissa supplied with a smirk.

"I was going to say aimless, but once upon a time the two were the same thing for you."

Elissa shrugged. "Perhaps. People change, Morrigan - I'm sure you've noticed that much."

Morrigan was about to open her mouth to argue when the sound of the key scraping in the lock interrupted her. Darrian popped his head around the door. "Permission to enter?" he said with a cheeky grin.

Elissa snorted. "Permission granted. Where's Madoc?"

"Right here," Darrian said, opening the door further to let the mabari in. Madoc barked happily and wagged his stump of a tail. Morrigan rolled her eyes.

"People may change but that hound never will."

Madoc whined and cocked his head, confused at Morrigan's comment. Elissa laughed.

"That's a sort of compliment I guess, Mad. Because I love you the way you are and I hope you never change."

Madoc barked happily and trotted around the bed to rest his head on Elissa's lap, his mistress reaching out to scratch his back fondly. Morrigan stood up from the bed and brushed the rumples out of her dress. "Well, I shall leave you be. For what it is worth, my friend, I am sorry for not being there with you for the final onslaught. I daresay it was a battle to remember."

"No need to apologise, Morrigan," Elissa said as the witch's outline shimmered and changed into the hawk shape she arrived in. Morrigan hopped onto the window ledge and looked at Elissa with a tilted head. "It was my choice – my fault," she added with a sigh. "Fare you well, my friend – should you ever tire of Orlais, know wherever I am you will be welcome."

Morrigan shook out her wings and feathers in response and bobbed in as near a thing to a nod as her bird form could muster before taking off into the darkening evening sky.

"So that was one of your companions during the Blight, huh?" Darrian said, flopping backwards onto the bed. "What did she want?"

"Answers," Elissa replied absently, looking out of the window.

Darrian gave Elissa a quizzical look. "Were they what she wanted?"

"I guess so," Elissa said with a shrug, pushing Madoc's head off her lap and swinging her legs onto the bed, reclining against the pillows. "She didn't zap me, so I can't have annoyed her too much."

"Fair enough. So!" he said, stretching his arms and putting his hands behind his head. "Where are we off to now? I don't know about you but I've had enough of these Orlesians. They're almost as bad as Tevinters, seriously!"

Elissa grinned and swung her legs up onto the bed, Madoc hopping up besides her. "Tomorrow we hit the Highway again and follow it South." She looked across at Darrian with a smile. "I've been travelling long enough. It's time to go home."

x.x.x.x

*sigh* so my exams are over and hopefully I haven't flunked them – so fingers crossed this gets updated a little faster than before lol! Hope you're enjoying it so far (I cannot wait to get Elissa back in Ferelden – booyah!) and if you have a minute please review! They really make my day :D :D :D