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?

Zevran leant against the wall. Ferelden court was boring. Would it matter all that much if he just had a nap? He let his eyes close.

"Sari, I give you my word. I will commit, fully, to which ever task you assign me."

Remembering his own words he forced himself to be more awake. He surveyed the room. The nobles were 'discussing' the 'important' things. It seemed more to him that they were fighting over... well just about everything, land, resources, each other... He was surprised at the calm Alistair maintained.

Sari's mabari, Jimmy, sat obediently by Alistair's side, watching him just intently as he had his master before she'd left.

Slowly the nobles cleared the room. It took them long enough. When they were alone Teagan turned to the King, "Trouble with the Bannorn is hardly something new."

"This is different. They seemed organised. Not yet opposed to anything but prepared to support each other. I need to know what's going on down there." He smirked, "I'd usually expect Sari to have a brilliant idea right now. Never mind, I'll have to think of one myself."

"You can't just go poking around, your majesty."

"I know that and I can't hope to control the Bannorn by force. They'll either come to me with their demands or..."

Or they'll stab you in the back, Zevran thought. At least he'd found some suspects.

Alistair coughed and rubbed his head.

Jimmy tilted his head to one side and whined. Even he knew something was wrong.

Zevran frowned.

"Are you alright, your majesty?" Teagan asked placing a hand on the King's arm.

Alistair blinked. He'd started to sway. Looking up to Teagan he'd regained his composure. "I'm fine. Now, about the Bannorn… I had an idea."

Zevran watched Alistair closely. Those symptoms... He'd noticed Alistair had been coughing recently but he'd thought nothing of it. He'd been wrong. The contract must have been accepted before he'd got his hands on it. He had less time than he thought. Alistair had been poisoned already and he'd not even noticed. Whoever had taken the job was doing it well.

It was not hard to see why the dwarves had reclaimed Cadash Thaig. There was a strange beauty about the underground cavern. Surprisingly there was green all around such that Jeji almost felt as though he had strayed out of the deep roads and found himself somewhere else. The springs, creating the pools, evidently supplied much life here. Despite this, only one corner of the Thaig had been properly colonised and it was to this part Jeji and his group moved.

Each person he approached did not wish to speak to him. Was it because he was an elf? Or was there something more at work. He paused as the fifth person practically ignored him.

Something was going on.

No. He told himself. He couldn't jump to such a conclusion. He had picked up Sari's suspicious nature. And yet he hated to admit. She was probably right.

Aeducan Thaig was almost exactly as she remembered. Despite the people who had made it their home it still had that... air, that almost crushing weight that all the deep roads seemed to have. In the midst of the people it was clear to see quite a large force was stationed here. Bhelen had obviously not taken kindly to the darkspawn... but that's why she was here.

Examining those around her, quickly she picked out what looked like the commander of the troops. Moving over to him he nodded to her, "Warden-Commander, you here to help us fight darkspawn?"

"More or less." She replied, "I want to go into the deep roads and see why they're coming."

"They're coming because they always do. They're darkspawn."

She couldn't argue with that, "Is there anything you can tell me about the darkspawn?"

He snorted and raised an eyebrow.

"The Warden-Commander asked you a question." Burna drew her greatsword.

Sari placed a hand on the woman's shoulder, shaking her head. With a berserker in the party she was always worried the warrior might suddenly fly off the handle if anyone looked at her the wrong way.

"What would you like to know about the darkspawn then?" He folded his arms across his chest. Noting Burna still grasped her weapon he added, "Warden-Commander."

"Have you noticed anything unusual about them? Do they appear organised or employ specific tactics?"

"Now that you say it, they are behaving strangely... They come in small groups. Only around ten to fifteen. They hang around on the outskirts, just out of reach, for a long time before attacking, if you can call it that. They don't appear be organised Commander, far from it. They seem... strange."

"What do you mean? They're not attacking you?" Tabia asked.

"Well, yes... and no."

"Which is it?"

"Yes they come in brandishing their weapons and the like, but they aren't a problem. They're easy to take down."

And Bhelen had made it sound like a problem.

Sari paused, "What do you think they're doing?"

"Me? If I didn't know better I'd say something else was going on. Darkspawn may not be clever but this is weird. I've fought a lot of darkspawn and I've never seen them run towards us as though they were utterly intent on suicide like these do."

It was unusual, and she'd just gotten used to the organised darkspawn... "Do you mind if we take a look around?"

He shrugged, "If you see any darkspawn, you know what to do."

As he turned and walked away Sari smirked. Of course she did; she was a grey warden.

"Enough." Jeji shook his head. "We're not going to get anything helpful here." Turning to those in his team they agreed. "Let's get back to Orzammar, we can always help those in the Shaperate."

As he moved to the edge of the houses he froze.

"What is it?" Someone asked.

He peered into the darkness. Not responding. He looked left then right, had it been nothing?

Movement in the hidden black. Yes. There was something.

"Darkspawn." He whispered.

A group of ten had manoeuvred cleverly just out of sight. Now he could see them well enough to aim with his bow he would not be able to hit them. They were moving too quickly, they'd be out of reach before the shot fell.

He span round finding one of the guards, "Did you know darkspawn have been moving along here?"

"Oh, yeah. They do that about once or twice a week."

"And you didn't think to tell me?"

The dwarf shrugged, "They don't touch us why should we be concerned?"

Because Jeji would bet good money that he knew where they were going.

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