Five Years After

Set after Witch Hunt. Sari and Alistair lead Ferelden, but a Warden's job is never done. She leaves just as a plot on her husband's life is discovered, can she trust others to take care of him whilst she does what a Warden does best?

"Finally decided to join us then?" Jeji smirked.

Sari had only managed to reach them when they stopped to make camp. She didn't like to tell them she'd decided to take the 'pretty route' out of Denerim. She wanted to get used to the shadows again, she was pleased at how quickly she'd managed to fade into them. She was just a silent and hard to see as she once had been. She did not respond but only looked over the group before her. Strategies filled her head, ways to arrange them, who would work best with who. She forced such thoughts out of her mind. She needed to rest.

Looking at Jeji she nodded, "You didn't miss me too much then?"

"Kedsh kept grumbling that you'd decided not to come at all." One of the others, Payl, told her.

"Tell him not to worry. I am here." And yet she couldn't but wish she was somewhere else.

As the days passed, the closer they got to Orzammar the more Sari felt her stomach begin to turn. Was she really that nervous? Did the deep roads really scare her that much? She'd always told herself that she wasn't going to go back until it was time for her and Alistair to... well, disappear.

She couldn't be that frightened. The only thing that awaited her was darkspawn. Darkspawn and dwarven politics. Hopefully she would manage to stay less involved than she had last time. Choosing a new King had not been what she'd envisaged when she'd turned up. No doubt this trip would be no closer to what she'd hoped for: an easy mission.

No, she corrected herself. She should hope for a good mission. That would be: killed Darkspawn, dwarves were happy, went home. But what mission ever left everyone feeling satisfied that a job was done well?

The halls of stone rolled overhead. Underground once again. Walking through the diamond quarter she sighed absentmindedly, was Denerim so different? The split of rich and poor here was greater than she cared to think. Bhelen had made it a little better.

"This way, my Lady." Kedsh indicated to the royal palace where Bhelen awaited her.

The assembly chambers were empty. They'd been so for almost a week. Many people hated what Bhelen had done and he hated their... interfering. What he would do with them was anyone's guess.

"He awaits in here." Kedsh continued.

The group walked into the mighty hall. Bhelen sat on his throne ready for their arrival.

"Warden-Commander, I'm glad you came."

She bowed slightly to him, "King Bhelen."

"I'm guessing you're wanting to get straight to the point, you always do." He stood and led them to a different room. One filled with notably less people. "Kedsh told you we've lost some patrols?"

Sari nodded.

"It's become more than that."

"More?" Jeji whispered. The rest of the group started to murmur amongst themselves.

"Continue." Sari silenced them.

"We've managed to move some people into a couple of the Thaigs. Since some of the groups were taken the Darkspawn levels have increased, even more. Adeucan Thaig has been attacked repeatedly. But we can't find where they're coming from."

"I'm assuming you didn't look too far in the deep roads, for fear of what happened before."

"Of course."

"Good." He made little sense. He'd told her nothing of much use, apart from that he was hiding something. Such a level of incoherence was unusual even in dwarven politics. "My group can take it from here. Do we still need a pass to enter the deep roads?"

"No, the guards will log you in and out. You'll have to check in every few days."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll have a team posted at one of the populated Thaigs, it's something we've done since people have been taken. Each team sent in must check back repeatedly to ensure any more casualties are quickly known about." He almost smirked as he continued, "And since we have the Queen of Ferelden in our midst we'd better make sure she is alright."

There was no way he could have guessed that when they'd first met.

"But how are we going to even get to the dead trenches if we have to check in all the time?" Jeji frowned.

Sari shook her head at him and tried to leave. "So be it. Thank you for your time."

"I trust you'll keep me informed." He stopped her.

"Of course." She smiled sweetly.

This time she got away. Part of her regretted choosing him to be Orzammar's king. He had done some good. After all, the castless had more rights now. And the progress in the deep roads had seemed encouraging. She just didn't trust him.

The group left the palace, following Sari. When they got to the commons once again she turned to them. She sighed glancing over the twelve faces that watched her intently.

"You look worried." Jeji said.

"I am. Something isn't right here." She bit her lip, plans started to form in her mind. "Jeji you're going to take a group to Cadash Thaig. See if the locals there know anything about what the darkspawn are up to. If they've been getting to Adeucan Thaig I find it hard to believe that they've been untouched."

Jeji nodded.

"Payl, you're going to take a group into the Shaperate. Check The Memories and try to speak to those there."

"What are we looking for?" She asked.

"I'm not sure. But something has happened, something they don't want to tell us. We can, thankfully, count on it having been recorded. And Bhelen hasn't restricted us from the memories... yet."

"What will you do?"

"I'm going to take a group to Adeucan Thaig. The darkspawn are interested in it. Shouldn't we be?"

The group of twelve split into three. Sari took only three others with her. Jeji also had three with him. Payl had the last four. Sari had insisted if they were going to search properly they'd need the most hands.

Sari had chosen Elwin, an elvish mage, Tabia, an elvish rogue, and Burna, a human warrior. She looked at each of them, "Ready?"

They nodded.

Without another word she lead them through the city and out into the deep roads.

Thanks for reading. Sorry it's taken so long - we have entered exam season :( :'( I'll post more as soon as I can.

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