Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Ferelden Way

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age 2.

When Merrill finished her truly epic rant about how they couldn't just leave well enough alone and go back to Kirkwall but instead needed to try and find and stop the missing demon, Emma just yawned. "So is that a 'no' then?"

"Of course it's a no!" Merrill snapped.

"She's kind of nasty today," Emma complained.

"I'm not being nasty!" Merrill objected. "It's just that this is really important and-"

"I can explain what happened," Marethari said, walking up behind them.

Emma jumped. "Maker! Were you, like, following us or something? How did you even get up here so quickly?" she asked suspiciously. "Is anyone else freaked out by this?"

"I don't know," Isabela replied. "Quietly walking so as to not attract our attention when we were focusing on other stuff doesn't really strike me as all that suspicious."

"I'm the Keeper and we've been here for seven years," Marethari explained. "You think I don't know a shortcut?"

"Merrill evidently doesn't know a shortcut," Anders pointed out.

"Yes and I feel like if you really knew of a shortcut then you really should have told us," Emma complained. "Because, seriously, that is extremely rude. We had to walk all this way and it apparently only took you five minutes."

"Merrill has been too busy living in the city, studying blood magic, and consorting with a demon to learn the lay of the land," Marethari explained. "I'm very disappointed in her."

Merrill looked hurt for a moment before brushing it off. "Never mind that. You said that you can explain? Well, explain then."

"The demon always wanted you to repair the Eluvian. Since it's a portal between dimensions, it would have freed it from its prison and it would have been free to attack this world. You would have been it's first victim and I couldn't…I didn't have the heart to lose you," Marethari said solemnly.

"W-what?" Merrill asked, horrified.

"This sounds an awful lot like you spent all these years telling her not to do this but never actually bothered to get around to explaining why you didn't want her to do this," Carver accused.

"I did not want to upset her," Marethari defended herself.

"And so you decided that the best way to not upset her was by…disapproving of her and allowing the clan to turn against her without letting her know just why that was and risking that one day she might get possessed or release a demon?" Carver demanded angrily.

"I never would have let her get possessed," Marethari claimed. "But yes, all the rest of that is true. Looking back, perhaps that was not the best way to handle the situation but there's really nothing that can be done about it now, is there?"

"You don't even look sorry!" Carver complained.

"It is Dalish policy to never look sorry," Marethari claimed.

"What did you do with the demon?" Merrill asked quietly.

"I couldn't fight it in the Fade and I couldn't free it without making it stronger," Marethari admitted. "And so I accepted it into myself so that you would be safe."

"Do you expect me to thank you?" Merrill asked, surprisingly cold. "What part of 'I can handle it' and 'it's my price to pay' didn't you get?"

"I knew that that was what you wanted but I didn't want to watch that happen to you," Marethari said quietly. "You are like a daughter to me. If there must be a price, which your stubbornness assured us there must be, then it shall be mine to pay."

"But what about the clan?" Merrill demanded. "They need you."

"Perhaps they need you," Marethari suggested.

"After the last six years of believing I'm a monster? After Carver and Malcolm and Rowan? No. I-I can never go back," Merrill told her. "I don't even think that I want to. You can't do this to them."

"It's already done," Marethari said quietly. "There is nothing else to be done."

"Back in Ferelden, Connor Guerrin was possessed by a demon and so the Circle sent somebody into the Fade to drive the demon off," Anders offered. "It took a lot of lyrium but, well, we kind of have lyrium to spare."

"Everything's done better in Ferelden," Emma said, pleased.

Marethari looked uncertain. "I don't know. That sounds risky."

"Compared to killing you, I think this is an acceptable risk," Varric said dryly. "In fact, since we won't have to fight you in the real world where innocents can get hurt and there can be collateral damage, this is probably less risky than getting yourself possessed and fighting you out here."

"It will be fine," Emma assured her. "Aveline?"

Obligingly – for a change – Aveline snuck behind Marethari and hit her over the head with her sword.

"I can't believe she did this," Merrill groused.

"She probably saved your life," Varric pointed out.

"We don't know that! She knowingly and purposely got possessed because she was so sure that I was going to be tricked and trapped. Well, maybe I wouldn't have been. Who knows? But now I'll never be able to find out and I'll never be able to fix the Eluvian!" Merrill cried out.

"It's rather bad form to be so upset about someone who risked their life for you and might still die," Fenris told her.

"I know, I know but…she always treats me like a child!" Merrill said, waving her hands around.

"And you can take that up with her once she's no longer possessed," Isabela told her. "Or at least rant at her grave, I guess. Make sure you're drunk first, though, or else it's kind of weird."

Carver threw Marethari over his shoulder and they left the cave.

Almost immediately, they were set upon by several Dalish.

"Honestly," Emma said, annoyed. "Did the entire freaking clan follow us up here? Why didn't we just make it a field trip or something?"

"We saw the Keeper come up here," one of them accused. "Where is she?"

"Why would you follow her?" Fenris inquired.

"…Because…we…did," the elf said not at all helpfully. "Now answer the question or we will have no choice but to assume that you killed her because you're a foul blood mage who consorts with demons!"

"Would someone diplomatic like to handle it?" Emma asked, glancing Varric's way.

Varric stepped forward. "I suppose I can. Marethari called us up here because there was a demon that needed to be disposed of. She and Merrill successfully killed the demon but she's badly wounded and so we must take her to a healer in Kirkwall. She's going to be fine, though, as long as you let us pass and get her the help she needs."

"Well why didn't you say so?" the elf asked. He started making shooing motions. "Go on, get our Keeper all healed up so that we may hopefully finally move on. Although, for the record, we still hate and blame Merrill for this."

Merrill sighed. "And she really thought I could ever go back to this?"

"Hey, you don't get to reject us!" the elf cried out, stamping his feet. "Only we get to reject you! Which we are! Right now!"

"Fine, you can reject me," Merrill said tiredly.

"Hey, you don't get to agree with us!"

"Is there a reason that you've brought an unconscious Dalish Keeper to me?" Orsino asked uncertainly.

"There is," Emma confirmed. "In fact, there is usually – but not always – a reason for the things that I do."

"And that reason is…?" Orsino prompted.

"She got herself possessed and we don't want to kill her so we need a ritual to save her," Emma explained.

"I'm sorry but I'm not sure that we can do that," Orsino said apologetically.

"Why not?" Emma demanded, glaring at him.

"Well, we need a great deal of lyrium-" Orsino started.

"We brought our own," Varric interrupted, holding the bag of lyrium up.

Orsino blinked, surprised. "Well, that's certainly unexpected. But Meredith would never allow-"

"Isabela's got that covered," Emma assured him. "She's keeping Meredith distracted in her office by proposing interesting changes to the templar uniform and confusing her by subtlety flirting with her."

"But we would need several mages and the templars don't like to let us gather," Orsino told them.

"We brought out the big swords and actually sought out Sebastian, of all people, to tell the templars he was starting up a prayer group," Emma revealed, making a face. "And knowing him, you'll probably actually have to go to that. But we will save Marethari since that is what the Ferelden Circle would do and I'm feeling a little homesick."

"How will you let them know what's really going on so that the ones who attend will be willing to do this?" Orsino pressed.

"Simple," Emma replied. "Anders is explaining the situation in Ancient Tevinter."

"Well, I guess you've got all your bases covered," Orsino marveled, shaking his head. "Will you be going in yourself?"

Emma laughed. "Yeah, I'm not that invested in saving her."

"I'll go," Merrill volunteered.

"And Fenris and I agreed – for once – that Merrill's just as likely to try and learn more about fixing the Eluvian and get possessed as she is to actually do what she's supposed to do and kill the demon so Fenris is going," Emma finished. "Any questions?"

Marethari was saved and Emma couldn't get out of the Gallows fast enough (certainly not fast enough to escape Carver's constant "Bethany's right there, Emma. See, she's even helping with the exorcism. Just say hi!"). Merrill and Carver went off with Marethari to go convince her to just let the clan move on now that Merrill was in no danger – real or otherwise – from the demon.

Somehow, Emma found herself in Aveline's office.

"Emma, it pains me to ask you this but people seem to believe what you say. Everyone thinks I'm coddling my men and so I need you to come with me and watch my husband's patrol tonight so you can tell them that I'm not coddling them. And then I'm going to need you to go to a treasonous meeting where the old guard captain is trying to stage a mutiny and deal with that," Aveline informed her.

"I could," Emma agreed. "But all of this sounds like 'not my problem.'"

"Emma!" Aveline said, appalled. "I get that we don't like each other but what about Varric?"

"Varric?" Emma brightened. "Good idea. I should go see if he needs anything."

Emma had to stop by the viscount's keep again on her way home because apparently Carver had left something of his in there and he thought it was terribly rude of her and Anders to just without waiting for him.

The minute they walked in, three women walked down the stairs to meet them.

"So, even the Divine fears us now?" one of them asked proudly. "She should. Kill the spies!"

"Is there any point in asking what in the world is going on?" Emma wondered to the world at large as she began her counterattack.

"I believe we're under attack," Merrill offered. "Although I'm not sure how we're 'spies.' Don't spies have to pretend to be on your side or something? We just walked in here."

"Crazy blood mages rarely make sense," Anders opined.

When the blood mages in front of them were dead, Emma looked over to see a red-head pulling daggers out of two more.

"The Revolutionists," the woman said, "I should have known that they would be part of this."

Emma clutched at her ears. "Maker! My ears! Are they bleeding? They feel like they're bleeding."

"I don't think her voice is that bad," Merrill told her.

"Well that's because yours is terrible, too," Emma told her.

The woman looked confused.

"Emma hates Orlesians and their accents," Carver explained. "Now, who are you?"

"I am Sister Nightingale," the woman introduced.

Emma stopped clutching at her ears long enough to say, "Lies! Her name is Sister Leliana and way back in Lothering, after you had gone to Ostagar, she used to walk around insisting that that Maker was talking to her. She's kind of super crazy."

Leliana flushed. "That's…not quite what happened…" She cleared her throat. "Didn't the grand cleric send you to meet with me to tell me about the state of the mages situation in Kirkwall?"

Aveline, who worked truly ridiculous hours and had very little to show for it, stepped out of her office to go see what the commotion was. "You didn't inform the guards, of course."

Leliana was puzzled. "Why in the world would I need to inform the city guards about my top-secret and essential mission for the Divine?"

"You wouldn't," Carver replied. "Aveline just likes to pretend that she's important."

"Ah," Leliana said, nodding. "I think I have a pretty good grasp of the mage situation now. I let word that an agent of the Divine would be here and because I was attacked by about five people, I have no choice but to condemn this entire city since it is clearly out of control."

"I…wouldn't argue with the fact that Kirkwall has its problems," Carver said slowly. "But seriously? You're going to let the fact that five people attacked you turn you against everyone? You're telling me there's not five bad seeds in the apples of Orlais?"

"No, there are," Leliana assured him. "It's just that what are the odds that the only bad seeds are the ones who came after me? I was attacked and therefore I must draw my own conclusions and quickly let the Divine know how hopeless this all is."

Anders' eyes began to glow blue.

Carver grabbed his arm. "No, don't kill her!"

"But she's going to send an Exalted March down on our heads!" Anders protested, his voice deepening. "Or at the very least get us a Rite of Annulment."

"And killing her will only be a worse report than any of that," Carver pointed out.

Anders hesitated and then sighed, shutting his eyes. When he opened them again the demonic glow was gone.

"I have to say that I also find that highly disconcerting," Leliana informed them.

"You should probably go before-" Carver started to say.

"Mage situation?" Anders demanded. "You want to know about the mage situation? I'll tell you about the mage situation!"

Carver sighed. It was going to be a long night. "Too late."

Emma stepped into the Chantry and everyone held their breath as she stepped over the threshold.

"What?" she asked, annoyed.

"It's just…you didn't burst into flames," Isabela said, awed.

"Why would I burst into flames?" Emma wondered.

"Well, you're…you," Fenris said vaguely.

"That's not really an answer," Emma pointed out.

"When was the last time you were in here?" Varric demanded.

"I…don't remember," Emma admitted.

"Certainly not since you've become the Champion," Carver told her.

Emma shrugged. "Hey, I'm the Champion now. Meredith now actually has to at least humor me. I don't have to go to the Chantry if I don't want to. But I have to talk to the grand cleric. It's important."

Unsurprisingly, Sebastian was prattling on while the grand cleric didn't really seem to be listening. When Elthina's eyes landed on Emma, she dropped the prayer book she was holding.

"I-Champion!" she said, stunned.

"Yes, that's me," Emma said tightly. "Seriously, this is not a big deal. I've been in the Chantry before."

"This truly is a sign that the Maker has turned away from the world," Fenris told her.

"Of course it's not a surprise!" the grand cleric blatantly lied. "It's just…was there something you wanted, dear?"

"Yeah, I was in the viscount's keep last night and got attacked and then met a 'Sister Nightingale' – really Sister Leliana – and she said that she's going to take the fact that she told everyone where to find her and was attacked as proof that Kirkwall is completely without hope and she further suggested that, if you want to live, you evacuate immediately," Emma explained.

"I…what?" Elthina couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, why didn't you tell me to stay away from the keep that night? Or to actively go there expecting to meet with someone?" Emma demanded.

"You never come by the Chantry," the grand cleric replied. "I had wanted to tell you and ask you to go but you never gave me the opportunity."

"Everyone else sends me letters that Carver reads and then lets me know if he thinks it's important," Emma said pointedly.

The grand cleric nodded. "Very well. In the future, I will make sure to send you a letter."

"Do you see, Your Grace?" Sebastian asked urgently. "Everyone is agreed. You must leave Kirkwall for your own protection!"

"What kind of grand cleric would I be if I abandoned Kirkwall now in its hour of need?" she demanded.

"A living one," Anders murmured.

"If Her Grace will not leave Kirkwall then neither will I," Sebastian declared. "I'll be like her bodyguard or something."

"You're not fooling anyone," Isabela said coolly. "You were never going to leave even if she did."

"Besides, the situation is deteriorating rapidly enough without my absence. What do you think a sign that everyone believes that it is too dangerous for even me to remain would do to everyone else?" Elthina inquired. "There would be open fighting in a matter of weeks!"

"You really should think of your health," Anders urged.

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