2. The Sodding Deep Roads

As the sun rose in the east, colouring the sky a soft peach, Kalli's eyes slid open and she turned her face towards Bethany. The young woman was still soundly asleep, blanket pulled up to her chin, hair in disarray. In sleep, she appeared even younger and Kalli was keen to know why she was in the deep roads in the first place.

Sensing his mistress' movements, Circus roused himself and padded towards Kalli's bedroll. With quick movements, the elven warden rose, sheathed her blades and supplied the dog with a piece of cured meat from her pack. Circus wolfed the food down in moments and looked up at Kalli, head tilted to the right. He whined softly. Kalli shook her head. "That's all you're getting until lunch, Circus. You're getting fat." The mabari aimed the dog equivalent of a frown at her and turned away, sniffing around the remains of the fire for any uneaten morsels left from the previous night's meal.

Though she would have preferred to let Bethany awaken in her own time, Kalli knew Stroud would want to make for the deep roads as quickly as possible so the elf gently shook the girl's shoulder. Bethany uttered a low moan and attempted to burrow ever deeper into her bedroll. "It's too early, Garrett," she moaned sleepily. Kalli blinked and looked up; Stroud and the others had efficiently broken camp and were now waiting for them. The elf shook Bethany harder, hissing, "Wake up!"

"Just boot her in the ribs," the scarred man ventured forth his solution. "Always works on me."

"We don't have time for this," Stroud stated.

"I bet you're a real barrel of laughs to hang around with," Kalli muttered. To Bethany's still-sleeping form she murmured, "Sorry about this, sweetie," and clamped her right thumb and forefinger around her nostrils, pinching them shut. After a few moments, Bethany surged upright, gasping for air. Wide-eyed, she observed her surroundings, noted Stroud and the other two men standing around her. Bethany's brown eyes flicked to the elf. Kalli inclined her head, smiling slightly. "Sleep well?" she asked. Without awaiting an answer, she offered her hand. Still only half-awake, Bethany grasped the hand and stood.

"Pack your things, we're leaving," the Antivan ordered.

Bethany stretched cat-like, arms over her head and felt her spine crackle. She winced and rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Dawn," Kalli answered, quickly bundling the other woman's bedroll and blanket. She pushed the bedding into Bethany's chest and the other woman grabbed at it reflexively. Keep her moving and acting and she won't have time to think over her changed circumstances. It was a coping mechanism Kalli had often used on herself, particularly after leaving the alienage and Shianni behind. Wide awake now, Bethany secured her belongings and became simultaneously aware of two things – the first was that she was ravenously hungry. The second was a dull ache in her bladder and she found herself missing Gamlen's Lowtown house – it had a chamber pot.

Speaking in low tones so the men wouldn't overhear – she valued what little privacy remained to her – Bethany informed Kalli, "I need to pee."

Kalli nodded and inclined her head to the bushes she'd noticed on the way into camp last night. "Over there. I'll keep the boys away." Bethany nodded gratefully and walked quickly to the bushes yonder. Kalli positioned herself so as to obscure the view from prying eyes. "What's on the agenda for today, Stroud?"

The older warden smoothed down his moustache as he answered. "Some farmers in the area claim to have seen darkspawn. We have discovered several entrances to the deep roads; we enter at the nearest one and wipe out every spawn we find. Questions?"

Kalli nodded towards Redmond. "Just one. What's the story behind the scar?"

Redmond folded his arms and glowered at the elf. "Nosy one, aren't you?"

The elf shrugged but said nothing. Redmond shook his head. "Whatever." He traced a forefinger along the twisted scar on his face. "I got this from the last man who tried to cheat me at cards. Want to know what he got?"

The corners of Kalli's lips tilted upward. "Dead, I'll wager?"

"Dead," Redmond confirmed. "Now, I don't know what your story is but cross me, and you'll end up the same. Savvy?"

Kalli turned a questioning look at Stroud. "Denerim is between us, elf," he said quietly.

As Bethany returned to the smouldering camp fire, gnawing on a piece of bread from her pack, Kalli nodded to Redmond. "Savvy."

Æ

"How much has Stroud told you?" Kalli enquired of Bethany. The group of wardens had made good time, arriving at their intended destination an hour after sunrise. Over the course of the march south and east, the wardens had split into two distinct groups – Stroud, Redmond and Josef in the lead and a little ways behind, Bethany, Kalli and Circus. Kalli was glad of the circumstances, it allowed her the chance to properly acquaint herself with her charge and Bethany seemed glad of the company herself.

"Only a little, so far," Bethany answered, slightly out of breath. Though she was taller and longer of leg than the elf, Kalli moved with a seemingly effortless grace and alacrity, forcing Bethany into a jog to keep up. "I know about the dreams," Maker, do I know about the dreams! "And the increased appetite."

Kalli shot a crooked smile at the young woman. "Don't worry about gaining weight. Even without all the running and fighting a warden does in an average day, the taint just seems to consume everything. I'm yet to encounter a fat warden." Kalli paused, considering. "Except Oghren. But that's due to the amount of ale he drinks. Sodding drunk."

"Oghren?"

Kalli made a vague gesture with her hand. "Old acquaintance of mine." As they walked, following the lead group, Kalli locked eyes with Bethany, ensuring she had her attention. This was the important part. "What about the thirty-year lifespan issue?"

Bethany bit down on her lower lip and nodded. It didn't seem fair – aside from giving up their families and old lives, even if a potential recruit survived the Joining, the taint in their blood would still claim them after around thirty years. If they weren't struck down in combat before then. Or suffered an accident. Or contracted a wasting disease and just faded away before they turned twenty-five. Bethany nodded. "Yes," she stated. "Stroud explained all that. It...seems like a heavy price to pay."

Kalli nodded. "It is." She offered up a wry smile, hoping to lighten the mood. "The good news is, you don't have to worry about that pretty face of yours coming over all wrinkled."

Unsure of how to reply to this observation, Bethany said nothing. After a moment, Kalli spoke, "May I ask a question?" When Bethany nodded, Kalli went on, "Stroud mentioned you were in the deep roads when you were tainted?"

"That's right. My brother and I were part of an expedition to explore an old thaig. We scrimped and saved for almost a year to fund the expedition, taking all kinds of paying work."

Kalli raised a hand. "Wait. You're telling me you paid to go into the deep roads?"

Bethany nodded. Disbelieving, Kalli added, "With actual money? On purpose?"

The young mage frowned at the elf. "You don't know what Kirkwall is like for refugees fleeing the Blight. We're treated worse than stray dogs. We needed the profits from the expedition, just to buy us some breathing space and keep the templars off my back." Defensively, she added, "I'm an apostate. Any mage the templars can't control, they kill or make tranquil."

Kalli hung her head. There you go again, Kalli old girl, making assumptions about things without all the facts." I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Bethany sighed. "It's fine. Anyway, about the expedition." She shivered as she recalled the weeks underground. "We didn't find just darkspawn down there. We found an idol of some sort, made from pure lyrium."

Kalli narrowed her eyes. Pure lyrium? "From your disquieted expression, I'm assuming the idol was problematic?"

"The dwarf in charge of the expedition, Bartrand, took the idol and sealed us inside the thaig. It took us days to find a way out and reach the surface." Bethany sighed. "And by that time, I was near death."

At Ostagar, Kalli had seen the corruption first-hand, in scouts returning from the Wilds – the chalky white skin, the visible lines of blackness pulsing beneath. Despite the best efforts of Circle healers, one by one those so afflicted succumbed or were fortunate enough to have friends slide a blade between their ribs and end their suffering. That the taint had almost taken one whose only crime was daring to improve her lot seemed like a grave injustice. "I...don't know what to say to that," Kalli replied softly.

"Neither do I. Anders knew of a group of wardens operating in the deep roads and took me to them. If he hadn't been able to convince Stroud..." Bethany's words trailed off at the look of recognition in the elf's face. With increasing curiosity, she said, "Anders is a warden, or was one. Did you know him?"

Unsure of how much of her past to reveal, Kalli asked, "This Anders you speak of, did he ever mention a cat?"

Bethany nodded excitedly. "Ser-Pounce-A-Lot!" After a moment she added, her tone accusatory. "He said the wardens made him get rid of the cat. They said it made him soft."

"Hey, don't look at me like," Kalli retorted defensively. "I gave him that cat!" Kalli saw the look of amazement in the girl's face and cursed in low elvish.

"Anders said the Warden Commander of Ferelden gave him the cat. That's you!" Bethany exclaimed.

The elven warden nodded and sighed, "For my sins, yes."

Unable to contain her excitement, Bethany clapped her hands; she was in the presence of a living legend. Eyes aglow, the young woman began, "You're the Hero of-" Kalli lunged forward, clamping her hand firmly over Bethany's mouth, preventing the vocalisation of that last word. Against the palm of her hand, Bethany uttered "Mmmph!"

Circus stopped walking and looked over his shoulder at his mistress and the mistress' friend. Kalli and Bethany pulled up short; Kalli brought her face in close to Bethany's, hand still pressed over the girl's mouth. Staring into her wide brown eyes, Kalli hissed, "Don't ever call me that!" Stunned by this sudden change in Kalli's demeanour, Bethany made no move to break free. Still eyeing her fiercely, Kalli demanded, "Nod your head if you understand." Bethany nodded jerkily. An instant later the hand was gone from her mouth and she gasped in a shocked breath.

"What's the matter with you?" Bethany spat angrily.

Kalli sighed heavily. "I'm not the person you think I am. I'm not the good and kind hero," she all but spat the word, "the bards sing of."

As they resumed walking, Circus again by his mistress' side, Bethany asked. "Why do you say such things? You saved the world. Maker, that sounds ridiculous when I say it out loud like that."

Shaking her head, Kalli replied, "Not just me. There were others the stories rarely mention – Wynne, Morrigan-"

Bethany broke back into the conversation, "Morrigan? I know that name."

Kalli shrugged, her manner indifferent. "Would not surprise me. She gets around."

Bethany folded her arms as she walked; the others had stopped a short distance ahead, standing around a rocky cleft in the earth – the entrance leading below she guessed. "You say you're not good," she asked her companion. "What did you mean?"

Kalli replied in lowered tones, "If we survive this little excursion, we can trade life stories. For now, suffice it to say I may have supported the wrong contender for the throne of Ferelden."

"Oh?" Bethany raised her eyebrows. "News from Ferelden takes time to arrive in Kirkwall but from what we've heard, the queen is an able ruler."

Kalli nodded. "True enough. She's also a right royal bitch."

Bethany gasped, afronted. "You can't say that about the queen!"

The elven woman smirked. "I've been heard to say much worse things about Good Queen Anora." She waved to the wardens assembled at the entrance. "Come, the others are waiting." Under her breath she added, "I hate the sodding deep roads."