Duty's Choice: The Bastards of Ferelden - Chapter 34

Mater of Puppets

The Edges of Bannorn - Spring 2, Day 27

In the purple glow of twilight, they finally stopped. Their pace had been slightly quicker than usual, and for most of the day they had been going downhill, into the Bannorn, Elinora expected. Their halt was late, and she didn't hear the usual sounds of making camp. Voices, male, lots of them, some unfamiliar. A fire glowed beyond their canvas prison walls.

Petra moved to the tailgate of the cart. As her hand pulled the canvas, she was pushed back. Sten's gruff voice commanded, "Stay where are until you are summoned. And make yourself presentable."

Elinora gave the canvas flap a dirty look. They hadn't stopped nearly as often as requested that day. She was cramped and cranky to begin with, but between the orders and insult she was in an extra bad mood. And then there was the kidnapping and not knowing where she was being taken by seemingly possessed Wardens.

This was not going well. And she had no idea what to do about it.

Petra helped Elinora into her low boots and some fresh clothing. Presentable wasn't a bad idea and she hadn't felt presentable in days. She set her old dagger at the end of the mattress, within easy reach from outside the cart. She hadn't gone completely stupid, just very cautious.

Full dark had settled in the wagon when Rainer threw aside the flap and put down the tailgate. He held out a gentlemanly hand. "El, come with me."

Elinora looked up at Rainer, still trying to figure out how to get out of this. With eye contact, all thoughts fell out of her head.

Rainer's eyes were wrong. They had a golden glaze over them, like a thin paint had been spilled over their usual deep blue.

She bit her lip. "No."

Rainer's eyes narrowed. A heartbeat later, he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the cart. She protested but didn't struggle. She was more concerned about hurting the baby than fighting her captor.

Once outside, she took a good look around. They were camped in a hollow that backed up to a rocky wall. Trees were thick around, but this area was cleared. Tents circled a massive bonfire centered in the hollow; tents that had been here for a while.

There were new Warden faces around the camp, ones that hadn't been in Highever with Rainer's party. They had been waiting, and were golden-eyed to a man. Those eyes watched her impassively.

A dark slash in the rock wall of the back of the camp looked to be a cave in the firelight. Picks and shovels were scattered around it. Elinora caught a glimpse of what looked like dwarven carving before Rainer tugged her to face a large tent.

Rainer let go of her arm and took up a guard position behind her, his hands lightly on her shoulders. Barth dragged a much more pliant Petra along as well. Elinora hardly noticed.

Morrigan emerged from the large tent, a dark smile on her face.

"This is all your doing, isn't it?" growled Elinora.

The witch shook her head as her grin widened. "I serve something much, much greater than myself." She closed the distance between the two them, her hand resting gently on Elinora's belly. Elinora tried to retreat from Morrigan's touch, but Rainer was a solid wall behind her.

Morrigan sighed. "After all we have been through together. No matter." She stepped back and turned. "Ashling, come out and join us."

A little girl pushed aside the tent flap and shyly crept to Morrigan's side, her golden eyes fixed on Elinora.

Elinora knew; she could sense and see it. This was the child conceived that night in Redcliff. This was the child with the soul of an Old God. This was the child in the Divine's vision.

Alistair's eldest daughter.

Morrigan smiled down at the girl and stroked her wheat-gold hair. "No need to be shy, child. This is an old friend of your mother's, one that I fought the Archdemon with. In fact," Morrigan looked back to Elinora. "This is the Warden that slew the Archdemon."

Ashling stepped away from her mother, the shyness gone. "I have you to thank for my creation." Her voice was still that of a little girl, but her tone was ancient. Elinora shivered. Rainer's hands squeezed her shoulders. The girl approached Elinora with reverence, gently laying her head against the bulge of Elinora's belly. "Hello, little brother. We have such plans for you."

Elinora's blood turned to ice and the baby kicked. "What plans?"

Ashling pulled her head away, but replaced it with a light hand. "The Old Gods sleep beneath the earth, singing to those that would hear. Unfortunately, the Chant drowns out the song. The Darkspawn hear it, but bring corruption and what was once a god becomes an Archdemon. That will not do." Ashling's voice faded.

Morrigan put a proud hand on her daughter's shoulder. "They need a pure vessel, one that can hear them. All Grey Wardens hear the Calling, but they do not listen. They push it away, wall it out, until the wall cannot hold anymore and the Deep Roads await."

Elinora looked around her at the still Wardens, their golden stares empty. "They hear it, don't they?"

"They hear her," Morrigan nodded down to Ashling, who smiled up at her mother. "A pure, true song, and they obey her."

Elinora's eyes narrowed. "But not by choice."

Morrigan shrugged, but Ashling answered. "They all choose to hear me, and who can resist something so beautiful?"

"Urthemiel, Dragon of Beauty." Elinora whispered.

Morrigan smiled as Ashling scowled. "Ugly name. Mama chose better. You destroyed the corrupted vessel. And now we have another pure one, strong with Warden blood, ready to carry another of my kind."

The baby kicked, hard.

Ashling pulled back her hand as if it had been burnt. Her golden eye's narrowed. "Something is wrong."

Again, he kicked, harder than the last time. Elinora grunted, her hands instinctively stroking her belly. That usually helped, but he kicked again and again, each time with more force. Before she even realized, Rainer was supporting her and she was wailing in pain.

"Surrender!"

The Wardens spun, except for Rainer who was protectively holding Elinora. Into the edges of the firelight strode a haggard Templar, armed and ready. Templar after Templar emerged from the darkness, surrounding the camp and slimly outnumbering the Wardens. "Hand over the girl or we will take her by force!"

Wardens drew weapons, but held their positions. No one was surrendering.

Elinora screamed and all eyes turned to her. Her belly was visibly contorting. It felt like the baby was going to rip through her abdomen.

Which he was.

There were whispered prayers to Andraste and the Maker from the Templars, but the warriors did not move.

Petra threw off Barth's grip and ignored the Templars to run to Elinora.

"Stop!" ordered the Knight-Commander. He took a step toward Petra, and two Wardens took a step toward him.

Elinora wailing again.

Petra shot the Knight-Commander a look that froze him. "You will let me tend to this woman. Unless you want whatever is inside of her unleashed on the world, you will not interfere!"

He nodded once and backed off.

Petra's hands moved up and down Elinora's belly, using every bit of magical and medical knowledge she had. "Try to stay calm, El," Petra said evenly, though her pale face said she was terrified. Elinora tried the breathing she'd been taught, but it all became little yelps of agony.

Petra pulled away, staring in disbelief and Elinora's wriggling belly. "I can't… I can't do anything. Nothing's touching it." The mage moved to put Elinora's arm over her shoulders. "We've got to…"

"No."

Everyone looked to the small girl who had spoken. Ashling looked horrified and confused as she placed both hands on Elinora's visibly writhing belly. "No, no, little brother," she whispered. "It's too soon." Her expression grew desperate. "Not like this, no…" Ashling looked up to Elinora, her eyes glowing like twin suns.

A brash young Templar took a step forward, sword poised to attack. Ashling swung to face him, one small hand in front of her, one still on Elinora's shifting belly. "No!" she shouted.

With the clatter of armor, the Templar collapsed. In the moment of shocked silence, Ashling inhaled sharply, her arms dropping to her side. Her eyes dimmed a little and she smiled. "Ah. That will work. We'll meet soon, little brother."

Elinora opened her mouth and only managed, "What…"

Ashling raised her pudgy arms over her head with a deep inhale. Everyone in the camp, Wardens, Templars and mages, swayed. With an exhale, the little girl clapped her hands to Elinora's belly.

With a rush of pure power, the world went white.

Elinora screamed.

Then there was silence.

Elinora opened eyes she didn't know she'd closed.

She was the only one standing.

Elinora blinked. Her belly was bruised and achy, but no longer trying to break open. And for the first time, she could sense her baby. He was confused. She didn't know babies could be confused.

She was certainly confused, and dizzy.

Templars and Wardens were scattered on the ground like fallen leaves. Petra was draped over Rainer's still form. She was just raised enough and Elinora was able to bend just enough to find the mage's thready pulse. Petra was still alive. Hopefully that meant the others were too.

Ashling lay in a golden heap at her feet. Morrigan had neatly fainted in front of her tent. How long until they woke up? What if the Templars woke first? What if they were dead? She didn't have time or even the ability to check them all. Elinora had more important things to worry about.

Not worry. Panic.

She couldn't get her mind to think past one, irrepressible thought.

Run.

With as much haste as she could manage this heavy with child and armed only with a dagger, Elinora plunged into the woods, heading north.