Sorry to say this guys and gals, but with all the big holiday stuff exploding around me, it's going to take longer to get chapters out for a while.
Please point out any glaring spelling mistakes, I was really tired when I typed this out.
I don't own so don't bother suing.
"What does he expect us to do about it?" I ask the young private after she's relayed a message concerning a second nobleman's daughter supposedly being kidnapped.
"His herald said specifically that Lord Bensley doesn't not have access to the amount of gold the abductor has demanded nor does he possess the sufficient manpower to rescue her on his own," the woman answers in a voice that is still quivering minutely, "He expressed a hope that the Grey Wardens might come to his aid."
"So he had deep enough pockets to send a perfumed herald, but not enough to save his own child?" I shake my head in disgust, "What is wrong with these people?"
"Think about what this could do for relations between the Grey Wardens and the nobles Commander," Varel presses, unable to fully suppress his horror at my show of apathy.
"Just because people inherit asinine titles, it does not mean they are also inherently noble," I argue while internally cringing at the thought of having to play nice with another gaggle of idiots, "Actions make a person noble, not some proclamation or accident of birth. If we agree do help this Bensley, it will be because of his daughter, not the greedy jackass who is too busy to save his own flesh and blood."
"Now there's the hard ass Commander we all know and love," Oghren snickers as he drops down onto the bottom step of the dais with a clang, "So when are we runnin' off the save the lass?"
"Wells, according to the letter, Bensley's scouts believe that the bandits are camped less than a half a day's ride from here, so we could leave in a few hours," I ponder aloud, formulating a plan as I go, "If we get lucky enough to find their campsite, we could scope it out after dark and move in on them in the morning while they're still groggy."
"Who will you be leaving in charge during your absence Commander?" Varel asks as he warily eyes the dwarf who is currently picking crumbs out of his beard and eating them.
"Alistair will be in charge while I'm gone," I assuage the harried seneschal, "He wants to be here for the groundbreaking for the kennels and I'm not going to make him turn around and leave again after spending a lone night here. Are you up for some mayhem though Oggie?"
"Always girl, you know that," he cackles then lets out a raunchy smelling belch before continuing, "Maybe we ought to take the new magic slinger with us, see how he does in a pinch?"
I nod my affirmation, "I was going to bring him, and Gavin as well because we need a good tracker," a loud bark in protest echoes through the hall, "Well, we need a second tracker to pick up on anything the first one misses."
"I'll keep the Captain in line while you're gone,"Mischa chimes in, startling Varel when she and Gavin materialize out of a shadowy corner, "Did you know that the catapults are fully functional here?"
Remembering a stunt she pulled back at Warden's Keep, I give her a pointed look, "No getting drunk and launching my husband out of random siege engines and into nearby ponds Mischa, promise me."
"I swear that I will not launch your husband out of any catapults," the witch vows with a perfectly blank expression that she only wears when she's trying too hard to look innocent.
"Gods help us all," I mumble before having everyone pull out maps of the area so we can refine our plan of attack.
The next few hours are spend memorizing the local terrain and landmarks, then working out the most likely places we may find the kidnappers hiding at. Alistair-while not happy at being separated again so soon after our reunion-accepts my decision when I bring up the kennels and the need to let his eye heal for a bit longer before returning to combat.
Anders, now clad in a set of soft leathers instead of his ragged robes, seems excited to be doing something besides running from Templars or cleaning the ransacked keep. Becca and Jayden throw the occasional envious look at his back as we make our preparations, but openly laugh once the mage remembers that the trip will include sleeping on the hard ground for at least two nights and begins begging to bring a tent.
"Sorry Anders, but we must be light and fast, so unless you can do both with an extra twenty pounds of gear, it stays behind," I inform the mage, who tries to make me give in by aiming his best wounded puppy face at me.
"It won't work," Oghren snorts while tossing Anders his now fully stocked pack, "Her old man has been trying that for years and she's yet to cave."
"But I'm so cute and lovable," he jokingly responds, falling into step behind us as we walk out to the stables, "No one can resist me."
"If the archdemon couldn't charm her, I highly doubt you could," Alistair laughingly retorts as he appears, leading my warhorse out behind him, "But if you wish to keep entertaining us, by all means continue."
"Yes, that's me, entertainer to the legends of Ferelden," Anders banters after expertly mounting his steed, "Maybe I should start doing shows rather than this whole fighting thing. I could sell tickets and make a mint, then retire someplace with a warm girl and an idiot I could shoot lightning bolts at whenever I get bored."
My husband chortles in amusement despite himself then kisses me as he hands over the reins, "If he gives you any trouble at all, just drain his mana and stab him a few times to remind him of his place in the pecking order. I love you."
"I love you too, but I'm not draining him or stabbing him unless he does something incredibly stupid," I trail my fingers across his ruined cheek, "Nor will you be doing it, especially if there is a crossbow in the vicinity."
"Hheeyy, it attacked me," the former Templar whines as I climb atop my mount, "Be careful my love, I'd hate to have to destroy the countryside searching for you."
"I'll do my best Ali," I vow to my overprotective spouse, then gesture for my other companions to follow after I nudge my horse into a lazy trot.
About two hours into our new mission, Anders directs his chestnut gelding up beside me, "You know, you never told me that you were with someone-that night we talked by the fire-I was just curious as to why."
The inquiry throws me for a loop and it takes me a minute to reply, "Umm, I really didn't think about it, mainly because half of Ferelden already knows about Ali and I being together."
"What about the other half?"
"Oh, they know I'm with Alistair, but believe some conspiracy theory that I'm having a torrid affair with Zevran," I snicker, recalling a few noblewomen who pleaded and begged me to regale them with tales of my erotic adventures.
One side of his mouth twitches impishly, "Are you?"
I can't help but gasp at the mage, "What? No! Why would I ever jump into bed with my own brother when I have a perfectly good husband waiting for me at home?"
"Well you never know with some pe-wait," I can see the color visibly drain from his ruddy cheeks, "You're married?"
I drop my head into my free hand and shake it in exasperation as Oghren bursts into laughter behind us, "What's wrong Sparklefingers, was yeh hoping to grease the old sword with the Commander or was yeh aiming for the pike twirler?"
In lieu of an answer, the man slows his horse until he is at the back of our group. When I'm certain that I'm not going to laugh, I give the dwarf a sidelong look, "Why do you have to be so mean all the time Oggie?"
"Yeah Oggie, why are you so mean to me?" Anders echoes.
The berserker twists around in the saddle the best he can in his plate armor, "Don't sodding call me that again or I'll snap ye in two boy."
"B-but she just called you that," he splutters in return, "And you smiled at her!"
"That's cuz we've bled together and she's family. Yer just the little nug trying to hump her leg," Oghren huffs, then dismisses the mage by turning back to look at me, "Where do you keep findin' these weirdos Commander?"
"I'm a magnet for crazy people. You're living proof of that," I fire back while trying to ignore the shaking of Gavin's shoulders as they tremble with silent laughter.
"Yeah, because you're such a pillar of sanity yourself," the Chaisnd ranger deadpans after composing himself enough to speak, "It's because of you that I originally thought that being mentally unstable was a prerequisite to become a Grey Warden."
"I lead a faction of an order that hunts darkspawn for a living, did you truthfully expect me to be anywhere near normal?" I counter with a laugh as mirth takes over once again.
Our fun is brought to a screeching halt though when my insides fill with a sick buzzing sensation.
"Darkspawn!" Gavin and I shout simultaneously as we jump from our mounts and draw weapons.
"We're about ready to start the real fun Nancy," Oghren smirks at Anders as he pulls his wicked looking double bladed axe off of his back.
The newest Warden mage frowns down at the dwarf, but any retort is forgotten as I point out a group of genlocks cresting a hill to our south. Seeing them, Oghren belts out his war cry and charges right into the fray while Gavin slinks around to the right of the mob, then begins mowing the creatures down.
"Stay behind me," I instruct Anders while picking off a few stragglers that had come our way. Through the chaos I can see Havoc darting in and out of the group on their left flank, all claws and teeth as he happily shreds them apart piece by piece.
It only takes a few minutes to exterminate the creatures and-after stacking the bodies-Anders sets them alight before we resume our journey.,
Once the sun starts slipping behind the hills, we find a place to set camp for the night. It's while I'm setting traps around the perimeter that my mabari growls and leaps into the underbrush, causing an unseen woman to scream in pain and fright.
Gavin and I race after the canine with swords drawn, and find a young woman in leathers currently flat on her back with Havoc's teeth hovering over the exposed flesh of her throat.
"Who are you and why are you trying to sneak around our camp?" I growl in a tone menacing enough to make the girl squeak.
"M-my name is Eileen Bensley, well it used to be, until a few days ago," she answers, her gaze traveling back and forth between Gavin, Havoc, and myself, "My father sent you , didn't he?"