I haven't seen many birds, Jimmy thought to herself. Maybe there aren't very many or maybe they ran off because of the darkspawn. If we were all sane, we would be running as fast as we could away from those things. I really don't want to see them again but that's probably not gonna happen. I wonder if they all think I am crazy for disappearing like that. Fen is probably furious. Great.
She sat up from her nest that she made next to a log in the clearing she stopped in. After blowing up outside of the hut and having Alistair come out to tell her everyone wanted her to be quiet and calm down she took off. When she first stopped in the clearing she spent the first few minutes crying. Once she stopped crying, she took her anger out on the log with her sword. Even though she knew she used it wrong she was proud of how strong she was. Deep gouges scarred the log and after she used up her rage, Jimmy spread out her cloak next to it and curled up in a ball to spend the rest of the time staring into space.
Most of the time she spent curled up she thought about what was going to happen. After getting depressed by that she began to think of what would have happened if she had stayed in her own world. After weighing the choices from what she thought would have happened to her, what little she knew of this world, and the likely hood of dying in either, this world won out. She decided it would be more enjoyable finally being able to fight back than being forced to hide in the shadows. It was much, much more enjoyable.
I wonder if everything is really going to be like that stupid game. What's with it's name anyways, Dragon Age. here are the dragons? You'd think with a name like that there would be dragons crawling all over this place. Well, at least I'm a cool looking elf. Wait, aren't they treated like shit? Great, now I get to be treated like shit in a different world and race! Just great.
She rolled over and laid on her back, staring at the grey sky. Thick clouds rolled like dark waves. If she focused, she could almost see angry faces in the clouds, as if they were daring anyone to complain about the weather. Occasionally she could see a small sliver of blue sky but the clouds always quickly covered it. It was as if they were keeping the lovely color to themselves. Jimmy scowled at the sky and flipped her middle finger at it, laughing at her stupidity.
As if the sky would be offended by something like that, she thought, chuckling to herself. I hope I on't get struck by lightning or it starts to rain. This place is wet enough. What's that smell? It almost smells like when we forced Tink-Tink to take a shower, sort of musky with a hint of sloppy mud. Does that tree have a face? Whoa, it looks like it does but its just the bark! Thinking of which, I've never seen many trees now there are more than I can even count around me. Talk about ironic.
For a few minutes she tried to have a staring contest with the face tree. She knew it was impossible to win but she tried anyways. Once she had to look away and blink a few times. For a second she could have sworn the tree face crossed it's eyes at her but that was impossible as well. The eyes were just bugles of bark conveniently growing near each other. Giving up on the losing game she sat up, pulling her knees against her chest and wrapping her arms around them while resting her chin on the tops of her knees.
A few flowers grew throughout the clearing, something she hadn't noticed when she was throwing her tantrum. Gently she plucked one and gave it a cautious sniff. The scent was heavenly. Smiling softly she sniffed the flower again, enjoying the sweet aroma. The petals were white and the center was bright red. She gave the flower a smile, twirling it gently between her fingers. If this place could grow such pretty flowers then it couldn't be that bad.
Playing with the flower made Jimmy remember something. While scavenging the dead soldiers she had come across some coins. Out of habit she hid them all over her person, to keep them safe. Now that she was alone she began to pull them out of her hiding places. Carefully she stacked them, gold going in one pile, silver in another, and what looked like copper in a pile. She counted them slowly, using a stick to write in the dirt how many she had. Of the gold she had found seven, the silver was around sixty two, and one hundred thirty three of the copper. She smiled gleefully at her piles of coins and slowly hid them in better spots on her person.
Jimmy stood up, shifting, twisting, and jumping to make sure none of her coins fell out or made any noise. A few shifts and fixes and her coins were hidden, safe, and silent. She shrugged and gathered up her cloak, tying it the base of her throat. Sword in hand as well she slowly made her way back to the hut, dragging her feet like a child who knew they were in trouble. Her stomach gave a low rumble and she glared at it, picking up her pace slightly. The last thing she had eaten was some dried meat and before that were some burgers. Real food would be enjoyable.
As she got closer to the hut she slowed down until she was creeping through the brush to peer into the clearing. Alistair was no where to be seen nor was Morrigan. Instead, Flemeth was sitting on the piece of wood Jimmy had been occupying earlier, Fen sitting at her side. Both were staring the opposite direction of her and they were talking softly to each other. Flemeth said something that made Fen swing his head around so fast Jimmy's neck hurt just watching. The wolf glared at the woman but she ignored him, still talking.
For a second, Jimmy pondered on the idea of sneaking up on them and eavesdropping on their conversation. She quickly disregarded that idea. Fen would know she was there the second she got close to them, if he didn't already know she was near. Carefully she pushed out of the brush she had been hiding in and strode across the clearing. Both Fen and Flemeth turned to watch her advance towards them.
"Felling better?" Flemeth asked with a cackle of laughter.
"Yes," she muttered, blushing slightly as Fen frowned at her. She ignored him and sat on the ground on the other side of the old woman. "Is everyone alright? No one died yet?"
"They are as well as anyone can be after being crushed by an ogre or filled full of arrows by darkspawn. Give them a few days of rest and healing and they will all be up and ready to go."
"That's good."
They all sat there, staring across the small pond. Jimmy looked at the two from the corner of her eye, still curious of what they had been talking about. Fen looked like he was sulking while Flemeth looked positively smug, like a cat who got the cream as they saying went. All was quiet until Jimmy's stomach gave an angry rumble that was loud enough for both Flemeth and Fen to stare at her. She blushed, giving them both a shrug. That made the old woman grin before she got up and went into the hut, leaving her alone with Fen.
"You were stupid," the wolf said darkly, glaring at her.
"I know," she muttered, fiddling with the hem of her cloak.
"First you insult Flemeth's daughter, throw a tantrum outside the hut, and then you run off into the unknown like a child. Do you have any idea of what could have been out there? I can't afford having you die when you haven't even done one thing to help save this world. Think before you act like a spoiled brat next time."
"You know this hasn't been exactly a walk in the park for me! First you drag me here, tell me I have to save the world, then expect me to know what to do! It would be nice if you weren't a smug ass all the time and kept treating me like an idiot. Yeah, I know I don't know very much about this place but I do know how to survive and sometimes I need to let out my frustrations, like a normal human-I mean, elf being. You are a talking, magic using wolf for crying out loud! Surely you know how it feels to be different!"
Both were quiet for awhile, glaring at each other when Fen finally sighed and looked away. "My scenario is a bit different than yours," he said, shifting slightly. "But I do understand partly how you feel. All I can say is that it will get easier as we move on with our course of action."
"He's right you know," Flemeth's voice said behind them. Both turned to see the old woman carrying two bowls of something hot. She set one next to Fen, who growled his thanks before digging in, and handed Jimmy the second. She nodded her thanks and dug in, eager to have something in her belly. "It will be up to you five to gain allies and help unite Fereldan to stop this Blight. If Fen says you can do it, I would listen to him. The canny old wolf have plenty of tricks up his sleeve."
"Look who is calling who old," Fen muttered. He gave a slight yelp when Flemeth smacked him across the ears, scowling at the wolf.
"You are older than me you flea bag," she sniped, sticking her nose in the air. "And your master is even older. Speaking of which, how long are they going to stay all mysterious and hide? Another hundred years or longer? You must be missing the comfy life of sitting at his feet at this rate."
"Oh shut up," Fen growled, flicking his tail to smack the old woman on the legs. "Don't you have some mysterious potions to go make and an outfit to plan? I know your schedule is quite busy these days."
Jimmy stared at both, quite confused at this point. She began to open her mouth to ask what they were talking about, then wisely shut it and focused on her food. Whatever they were talking about, she had a feeling it would be best for her to not know. It was probably best for her heart and her sanity.
"You two are going to have to sleep outside until you all leave," Flemeth said, glancing up at the sky. "The weather should be good enough and it will be more comfortable than trying to cram in the hut. We are filled to our ears and poor Morrigan is having a fit as it is about all of you being here."
"That will be fine," Fen said.
"Nothing new for me," Jimmy said with a shrug. "I've slept outside in worse weather with less. At least I have a pack for a pillow and a cloak for a blanket here."
That made the old woman laugh, patting her on the shoulder before taking their bowls and going back inside. Jimmy looked around, thinking about what to do. She could tell it was getting dark, the clouds were starting to look black and unseen insects began to sing. A faint wind began to blow, rustling the tree leaves. Pulling her cloak closer around her, she grabbed her pack and headed to a small over on the side of the hut. She took the leather she had left out and spread on the ground so she had something to separate her body from the ground.
Fen trotted over, laying at the top of her leather pad. She gave him a confused look and the wolf snorted, stretching out of his belly faced her. With a shrug she left the pack next to her sleeping area and laid down, pillowing her head against his belly. She wrapped her cloak around her, snuggling into Fen's soft belly. In a matter of moments she was asleep. It was a strange feeling, falling asleep feeling safe and warm. Before she would fall asleep either warm or safe, very rarely both. Never did Jimmy think she would feel both in a strange land with an endless amount of things wanting to kill them but she did.
A crowd of people, elves to be exact, were gathered in what looked like a large, rock walled and floored room. They were dressed in bright flowing clothes, dancing without a care in the world. Some sat in groups at the edge of was the dance floor, observing small objects or flipping through old looking books. It was peaceful here, as if time had slowed so they could all enjoy the moment.
Jimmy looked around her immediate area. A couple sat to her right on high back chairs sitting on a platform. They laughed, their hands entwined like people in love. The man, who was sitting on her right, clasped her shoulder with his free hand, grinning down at her. For some reason she smiled back, feeling happy, safe, and loved. The woman leaned around the man to give her a soft smile. Strangely, both their faces were fuzzy, as if she were staring at them through a unfocused looking glass. It should have bothered her but it didn't.
Looking to her left, a man stood there, covered in fancy armor with a large sword at his hip. His head was covered with a helmet but somehow she knew he was smiling. The armored man nodded at her as a woman dressed in black strode into the center of the dance floor. A black veil covered her face, black gloves ran all the way up past her elbows, and a floor length black dress that fluttered ever so softly. Solemn music began to play and the woman, after the dancers dispersed to the sidelines, began to sing.
"The thundering waves are calling me home, home to you
The pounding sea is calling me home, home to you
On a dark new year's night
On the west coast of Dale
I heard your voice singing
Your eyes danced the song
Your hands played the tune
T'was a vision before me.
We left the music behind as the dance carried on
As we stole away to the seashore
We smelt the brine, felt the wind in our hair
And with sadness you paused.
Suddenly I knew that you'd have to go
Your world was not mine, your eyes told me so
Yet it was there I felt the crossroads of time
And I wondered why.
As we cast our gaze on the tumbling sea
A vision came o'er me
Of thundering hooves and beating wings
In clouds above.
As you turned to go I heard you call my name,
You were like a bird in a cage spreading its wings to fly
"The old ways are lost," you sang as you flew
And I wondered why.
The thundering waves are calling me home, home to you
The pounding sea is calling me home, home to you
The thundering waves are calling me home, home to you
The pounding sea is calling me home, home to you"
Something in her heart broke as the woman sang, a feeling of despair and hopelessness washing over her. She looked at those surrounding the dance floor and saw they all wept. It felt like they all lost something so very precious, something that was dear to every single one. She turned her gaze to the armored man standing next to her, confused by what was going on and what she was feeling.
"Our ways are lost," he said, his voice muffled by the helmet yet strong like a bell ringing. "Try as we might, we cannot help those so far from our grasp. Are you the key? Perhaps you are. Perhaps you are our fall. Only time will tell. Show them the way."
Darkness filled the room, a stinky, foul feeling darkness. She could feel rage and hunger as whatever lingered in the darkness tore apart the room and engulfed those unfortunate to be near it. The couple next to her rose, magic filling their hands. She tried to say something, anything, but her voice was stuck. Fear crept over her body as she stared into the black, seeing hundreds of hate filled eyes leering at her when something grabbed her and drug her away.
Suddenly she was falling, like someone had thrown her off one of the tall skyscrapers she often glared at in her old world. Instead of being afraid, however, she simply accepted her fate. Plummeting downward, she stared up at the sky, smiling as a thought crept its way into her blank mind. 'Such a pretty, pretty sky.' As she grew closer to the ground, she closed her eyes and waited for her fate.
Jimmy sat up with a gasp, a sweat covering her body. Quickly she glanced around, making sure everything was right. Fen grumbled slightly, still asleep. Night had truly fallen by the darkness that covered the clearing. She sat there, shivering as she tried to remember the details of her dream. Like all dreams, it slowly faded as her consciousness took over. All she could remember was a simple phrase.
Our ways are lost, she thought, trying to remember it all. Only time will tell. Show them the way. Who the way and what way? Stupid dream. Stupid whatever it was that told me that.
She glanced down at Fen, who was still sleeping peacefully with an occasional twitch of his legs and tail. Carefully she laid back down. Soft fur tickled her nose and she brushed it away, staring into space as she waited for sleep to come back. Somehow she had a feeling that she would be doing a lot of sleeping the next few days, waiting for the three men to be well enough to travel. With a sigh she buried her face into Fen's side, grumbling softly about stupid people and stupid dreams.
Notes: Yep, Jimmy had a tantrum, got scolded, and felt like an idiot but she will move on! The song I had the dressed in black elven woman sing is The Old Ways by Loreena McKennit, an amazing song! It always made me think of the elves in DA. Sadness. Can anyone guess who the two elves were on the thrones and who the armored man was next to Jimmy? Bet you can't :) Whoever can guess right will get a cookie! Haha! But anywho, thank you everyone who has read this! I noticed this morning I have had 116 peeks! YAY AND THANK YOU! FYI, I will be going on vacation to my home state from the 14th of Dec to the 7th of Jan so I might be a little slow updating, lack of internet, crazy family swampings, ect ect.
A random thought, would it be inappropriate to put a cover picture of a giant peach? Haha I am guessing that is why most people look at this tale! 'WTF, Jimmy and the Giant Blight? Now I have to look at this...' I know I would ;3
Mendi I would never be after your heart, its too precious :) 'Sides mine has already been stolen haha! I am the same way with Alistair but once I forced myself to romance Zev. Needless to say I felt horrible breaking Alistair's poor heart but I hardened myself and continued on haha! I am glad you love this and I hope I do well for you!
Judy I am glad you like it! I hope you continue to follow the tales of Jimmy!
May the odds be ever in your favor!