Duty's Choice: The Bastards of Ferelden - Chapter 23

The Lost

Warden Outpost – the morning after

Elinora and Alistair returned to camp hand in hand and perfectly moon-eyed. Their self-absorption was ruined by Maphisa running up to meet them, her expression bleak. "Commander, Padrac died in the night."

Without another word, Elinora broke into a run and headed into camp. It was empty of Wardens. She ran down to the Joining chamber.

Alcina knelt beside Padrac's body, weeping. Vallis stood beside her, a comforting hand on her shoulder. At the sight of Elinora, he left the girl's side to meet his commander.

"It took him just a few hours ago. He was raving about pretty-faced demons. I think his heart gave out." The mage reached into his robes and handed her a folded piece of parchment. "This was on him."

Elinora opened it numbly. An unintelligible scrawl covered the page. "I have no idea…"

Alistair appeared behind her and placed a warm hand on her shoulder. "Its Templar cipher. I can try to translate it, if you like."

She nodded numbly, passing Alistair the parchment, her fears realized. "Prepare a pyre. We'll burn him properly."

"Forgive me for saying, Commander," Elinora looked to her other side and found a dwarf there, one of the warriors. "Fuel is a bit of a problem, for burning so much. We return our dead to the Stone."

Elinora thought for a long moment, then looked to Padrac's corpse. "We'll send him down the lava flow." The others looked at each other, but none argued.

Hours later they trudged down to a lower passage where the river of lava flowed widest, heating and lighting the surrounding caverns. With solemn words, they slid Padrac into molten rock and watched silently as his body burned and sunk. Once gone, they headed back to camp.

About halfway back, Alcina stumbled with a wracking sob, her self-control broken. Elinora sent the others on, pulling the girl to her, stroking her hair and letting her cry out her pain. Everyone but Alistair and Maphisa nodded and continued on. Elinora nodded to Alistair, a silent assurance that everything would be fine. He nodded back and headed up the passage. Maphisa stayed and Elinora would not send her away.

And there they stayed a while, sitting on the stone floor, Alcina howling into Elinora's shoulder and Maphisa holding her hand.

Love was a harsh mistress.

Upon returning to their outpost, Elinora put Alcina to bed. The girl had been up all night as Padrac's fever burned, held his hand when the Maker called him. She was exhausted and would be of no use until she rested.

Maphisa leaned against the wall of the cave that served as barracks as Elinora emerged. "She should have known better," the elven girl muttered bitterly. "Get close to someone, then they leave you."

Elinora met the angry glare of the young woman. "You haven't left her."

Maphisa gave her commander a confrontational look. "Nor will I ever. We're all we have in the world, and I won't abandon her."

With a faint smile, Elinora put a hand on her shoulder. "You have the Grey Wardens now as well, and we won't abandon either of you."

She could see the doubt in the younger woman's eyes, but she nodded and Elinora left it alone.

Back at camp, Alistair was intently working on the message. He handed her the scrap of parchment he was writing on. "He was spying on you."

Elinora scanned what Alistair had figured out. Padrac's notes dated all the way back to when they had caught him outside of Haven. "He seems to have known what we were up to. The Ashes, the potion, the lot of it. Alcina must have…" she broke off with a sigh, then continued reading.

When she finished reading, Elinora tapped Alistair's translation to her chin, thinking.

"Uh oh," Alistair began. "I know that look. What are you plotting?"

A wicked grin spread across her face.

Oh yes, she had a plan.