I awoke in a warm cottage. My clothes were gone and smelled something familiar. The swamp from when I first arrived. Why was I back here? How did I even get here. I sat up and looked around to see the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She had raven colored hair that was tied back to reveal her slender, elegant neck. She was dressed in maroon robes that showed off her back nicely.
Please be gay. Please be gay. Please be gay. Please be gay. Please be gay. I thought.
She turned to look at me and smiled with yellow eyes. Yellow eyes! Dear God, what next? I thought. She turned around fully so that I saw the front of her robes scarcely covered her incredibly perfect breasts. I'm dead. I decided. I died and I'm in the afterlife and it is awesome!
"I see you're eyes finally opened." She said as she sauntered over to me.
My God, her accent! I thought. I jerked my mind off of her incredible appearance and tried to focus.
"Is this real?" I asked. Real smooth C.J. The woman laughed heartily.
"I'm afraid so. I-." She stopped. "Wait, I recognize you." I looked at her strangely.
"You do?" I asked.
"Yes," she said, "the two strangers in the Wilds that came from the flash. You and another woman were attacked by darkspawn."
"Ashley!" I said standing up way too fast. "Where-? Ah!" I gripped my abdomen and sat back down on the bed. The woman steadied me.
"Be careful," she scolded, "you don't want to open up those wounds."
"Where is she?" I asked through the pain.
"I don't know." She said. "The darkspawn won your battle at the fault of your general."
"What?" I said. "What are you talking about?"
"The general that you signaled quit the field. The darkspawn overran your forces."
I swallowed. So that meant that Ash... No.
"No," I said, "that's impossible. Why would Loghain do that?"
"Power? Revenge?" She said. "Who really knows?"
"Who are you anyway?" I asked. "Why did you save me?"
"I am Morrigan, and Mother and I saved you and your friends from the tower." She said. I heard barking from outside.
"Shabon!" I said relieved.
"Ah yes," Morrigan said with disdain, "your dog followed us here."
"Smart dog." I said smiling. It was a fake smile.
"Your fellow Grey Wardens are outside waiting for you." She said. I stood up a lot slower this time.
"Thank you Morrigan." I said. "My name's is C.J. by the way."
"I..." She drifted off. "You are welcome. Though it was Mother who healed you. Your clothes are on the table there." She pointed to a small table and I saw my armor cleaned with my daggers next to it. I walked to the table and took up my armor.
What was I going to do now? Ash could be dead for all I know. So much for meeting on the bridge I guess. Damn it all. The king could be dead and Duncan too.
Tobias, Lucas, even Darah, all gone because of one man. Teyrn Loghain. He killed them. By not doing anything. That fucking coward! I'll kill him myself! I will avenge Ashley!
I tightened the last strap on my right arm and left my left arm bare to show off the black markings. I dunno, I thought they looked cool.
I sheathed my daggers and took up my switchblade that I had saved as a little memento from home. I was glad when Tethra put it in my pack along with my phone that I had no use for anymore. I put the switchblade in my belt. My phone was probably long gone by now. Burned along with the rest of Ostagar. I sighed and walked outside.
"See?" An old woman said with the obligatory "I told you so" tone that comes with saying that particular phrase. "Here is your friend, alive and well."
"C.J.," Cayne said, "you're alive."
"Barely," I said jokingly. I felt two huge paws push me to the ground and a giant tongue lick my face. I laughed despite the pain. "Nice to see you too Shabon." I said petting him. I got up and looked over at Alistair.
"Thank the Maker you're alright." He said relieved.
"I think we should be thanking Morrigan's mother." I said looking over at the elderly woman who saved my life. She had shoulder length grey hair and dressed in normal clothes.
"That you should." She said. "You should also not talk of me as if I'm not standing right here."
"But what do we call you?" Alistair said. "You never mentioned your name."
"Names are pretty but useless. The Chasind folk call me Flemeth. I suppose it will do," she said.
"You're," Alistair stumbled, "Flemeth? So Daveth was right; you're the Witch of the Wilds."
"And what does that mean?" She asked almost accusingly. "I know a bit of magic and it has served you three well, has it not?"
"I don't care who she is," I said, "she saved our lives."
"A wise girl." Flemeth said. I swallowed when she looked at me. Her eyes burned with power. I wondered exactly what power the Witch of the Wilds had. However, something in me told me to try and not find out.
"So what are we supposed to do now?" Cayne asked.
"We need to bring Loghain to justice!" Alistair said. "Why would he do such a thing?"
"Now that," said Flemeth, "is a good question. Men's hearts hold shadows darker than any tainted creature." She sighed in thought. "Perhaps he believes the Blight is an army he can outmaneuver. Perhaps he does not see that the evil behind it is the true threat."
"The archdemon."
"What is an archdemon, exactly?" I asked curiously.
"It is said that, long ago, the Maker sent the Old Gods of the ancient Tevinter Imperium to slumber in prisons deep beneath the surface." Flemeth said this as she waved her hands for emphasis. "An archdemon is an Old God awakened and tainted by darkspawn. Believe that or not, history says it's a fearsome and immortal thing. And only fools ignore history."
"So we need to find this archdemon." Cayne said.
"By ourselves?" Alistair said looking at the elf as if he had just kicked a puppy. "No Grey Warden has ever defeated a Blight without the army of a half-dozen nations at his back." He hesitated. "Not to mention, I don't know how."
"How to defeat an archdemon," Flemeth said, "or how to raise an army? It seems to me, those are two different questions, hmm? Have Wardens no allies these days?"
"I don't know!" Alistair sighed. "Duncan said that the Grey Wardens in Orlais had been called. And Arl Eamon would never stand for this surely."
"Can't we go to him?" I asked. Alistair looked at me and thought.
"We could try." He said. "Arl Eamon wasn't at Ostagar, he still has all his men." He thought for a second. "I know him. He's a good man, respected in the Landsmeet. Of course! We could go to Redcliffe and appeal to him for help!"
"Surely there are others we can call on." Cayne said.
"Of course! The treaties! Grey Wardens can call on dwarves, elves, mages, and others to help against a Blight." I saw a renewed sense of hope in him. One that I didn't see when I first walked outside.
"I may be old," Flemeth said, "but dwarves, elves, mages, this Arl Eamon. It all sounds like an army to me."
"So can we really do this?" Alistair asked. "Can we actually build an army?"
"Isn't that what Grey Wardens do?" I asked.
"So you are set then?" Flemeth asked. "Ready to be Grey Wardens?"
"Ready as we'll ever be." Cayne said nodding.
"Now," Flemeth added, "before you go, there is yet one more thing I can offer you." I heard the door open behind me and I turned to see Morrigan walking toward us.
"The stew is bubbling, Mother." She said. "Shall we have three guests for the eve, or none?"
"The Grey Wardens are leaving shortly, girl. And you will be joining them."
Well, I thought, she wasted no time dropping the ball, did she?
"Such a shame-" she stopped, "What?" I tried not to smile at that for fear of her striking me down with that power in her mother that I could see in her.
"You heard me, girl. The last time I looked, you had ears." Flemeth laughed at her own joke. The three of us just looked at each other and shrugged.
"I think," Cayne said, "that's an excellent idea." I looked at him when he said it. He looked at Morrigan with absolute admiration.
"Have I no say in this?" Morrigan asked glaring at Cayne.
"You have been itching to get out of the Wilds for years." Flemeth said. "Here is your chance. As for you, Wardens," she turned to us, "consider this repayment for your lives."
"Very well," Cayne said, "we'll take her with us."
"Not to look a gift horse on the mouth," Alistair said, "but won't this add to our problems? Out of the Wilds, she's an apostate."
"If you do not wish to have help from us illegal mages," Flemeth said glaring at Alistair, "perhaps I should've left you on that tower."
"Point taken," Alistair sighed.
"Mother," Morrigan cut in, "this is not how I wanted this. I'm not even ready-!"
"You must be ready." The elderly witch said. "Alone, these three must unite Ferelden against the darkspawn. They need you, Morrigan. Without you, they will surely fail, and all will perish under the Blight. Even I."
"I," Morrigan hesitated then sighed, "understand."
"And you Wardens? Do you understand?" She turned to us again. "I give you that which I value above all in this world. I do this because you must succeed."
"She won't come to harm with us." Cayne said. I was astounded by his quick reaction to take her with us.
"Allow me to get my things," Morrigan sighed. She walked back into the house.
I looked over at Cayne. What has gotten into him? He was very eager to let this apostate join us. Then again, I was traveling with an apostate for about four days so I guess I couldn't complain about it.
Morrigan walked out of the house with a small pack and large staff.
"I am at your disposal, Grey Wardens." She said. "I suggest a village north of the Wilds. 'Tis not far and you will find much you need there. Or," she added, "if you prefer, I shall simply be your silent guide. The choice is yours."
"No, I prefer you speak your mind." Cayne said. Flemeth laughed.
"You will regret saying that." She said.
"Dear, sweet Mother," Morrigan said, "you are so kind as to cast me out like this. How fondly I shall remember this moment."
"Well," Flemeth said, "as I always say, if you want something done, do it yourself, or hear about it for a decade or two afterwards."
"I just," Alistair said looking at Cayne, "do you really want to take her along because her mother says so?" I jumped to defend him.
"We need all the allies we can get." I said.
"I suppose you're right." He said. "The Grey Wardens always took allies where they could find them."
"I am so pleased to have your approval." Morrigan said sarcastically.
"Can we just get underway?" I asked.
"I agree." The elf said.
"Farewell Mother," Morrigan said, "do not forget the stew by the fire. I would hate to return to a burned down hut."
"Bah!" Flemeth spat. "It is far more likely that you return to see this entire area, along with my hut, swallowed up by the Blight!"
"I," Morrigan backed down, "all I meant was-."
"Yes," Flemeth said, "I know. Do try to have fun, dear."
Before we left, Shabon barked at me. I turned to look over at the dog to see he had two packs with bedrolls attached to them behind him. He sat down proudly. It took me a second to realize that those were mine and Ashley's packs.
"Good boy!" I exclaimed petting him behind his ears and on his head. I went over to the two bags and sifted through one of them. It contained a lot of books and some herbal remedies no doubt for a serious wound. This one was Ashley's.
I looked through mine to see that it had a map of Ferelden, my iPhone 4 that was unusable by now, a few extra poultices, some water skins, and some sacks of dried foods made to last a long time. I took out my phone and turned it about in my hands. The cracks were still there.
I put it back in my pack and shouldered it. I took up Ashley's in my hand.
"Funny dog." Alistair said. "How did he know?"
"He probably recognized the smell of them while he was following Flemeth and Morrigan here." I said petting my dog. I finally realized just how smart these mabari are. I silently wished they had some back home.
I realized how valuable a friend I had in Shabon. I petted him again, and followed the others out of the Wilds.