We walked for a long time out of the Wilds. By now, I was used to walking everywhere.
I carried Ashley's pack in my hand. At the time, I wanted to hope that she was still alive. However unlikely that was. But something in me told me that she was still out there somewhere.
We were just outside a large field when we stopped walking.
"Why are we stopping?" I asked.
"Look there," Alistair said pointing to a brown mabari hound running toward us. I raised an eyebrow.
I watched Cayne walk up to the dog and kneeled down. The hound barked and turned around. I looked up to see the creatures that I was sensing around the corners of my conscience. I dropped Ashley's pack and let mine slide off my shoulders.
I drew my blades and ran toward the monsters with Cayne and Alistair while Morrigan stayed behind and drew her staff. I planted myself in front of a tall darkspawn, a hurlock I think is what Tobias called them, and slashed both blades at its throat.
The darkspawn fell and I dashed over it to drive one blade into another darkspawn and parry another darkspawn's sword with the other. I drew my blade from the limp tainted creature and kicked the darkspawn that I blocked. I brought my blade down on the creature's heart.
Shabon ran up from behind me and latched onto a short darkspawn, I believe Tobias had called them genlocks, and tore at it's leg.
I wondered if he was just as much of a Grey Warden as Cayne, Alistair, and I were. I looked over to my left and saw a hurlock with its sword raised about three feet from me now frozen solid. I had barely noticed it.
"Do try to focus in the heat of battle, Grey Warden," Morrigan called. I silently thanked her by shattering the frozen hurlock with one of my blades. I looked over to see Cayne and Alistair finish off the hurlock general and sheathe their blades.
The brown mabari that had aided us in the fight walked up to Cayne and sniffed him.
"I think this is the mabari I cured back at the camp." Cayne said kneeling down and petting the dog.
"I think he was out there looking for you." Alistair said. "He's chosen you. Mabari are like that, they call it imprinting." I looked down at Shabon and petted his ears.
"Are you sure you want to take this mongrel with us?" Morrigan asked. Cayne regarded the dog affectionately and petted him.
"Yes," he said, "I do." Morrigan scoffed.
"And I thought Alistair would be the only dimwitted one here." She said. I smiled slightly.
"We should be on our way." I said.
"Right," Cayne said standing up, "let's keep moving."
As we walked, the mabari walked alongside the elf.
"What are you gonna call him Cayne?" I asked. The elf thought for a moment.
"Hashael." He said. I nodded and we kept walking.
We came upon the walkway into Lothering. A group of men in armor. I looked over to the side and saw a body of a Templar.
"Wake up, men." A squirrelly looking man said. "We have more travelers to attend to. Led by an elf, of all things."
"Highwaymen," Alistair whispered, "preying on refugees escaping the Blight."
"They are fools to challenge us." Morrigan inquired. "I say, teach them a lesson." The bandit leader laughed.
"Now is that any way to greet someone?" The leader tsked, "A simple ten silvers will get you through."
"We are not refugees." I said.
"She's right," another man said who sounded about as stupid as he looked, "They don't look like normal refugees, and this one looks armed."
"The toll applies to everyone Heinric," the leader spoke matter-of-factly, "that's why it's a toll."
"Oh," Heinric said epiphanically, "Even though you're no refugee, you still gotta pay."
"Forget it," Cayne said dismissively, "I'm not paying."
"Well," the leader said as he reached for his blade at his belt, "can't say I'm too pleased to hear that."
"Right," Heinric said, "we get to ransack your corpse, those are the rules." Shabon growled fiercely.
"Let's finish this, gents," the leader said as he drew his sword. I drew my blades without a second thought and prepared for a few thugs to rush me.
Two came my way and I blocked one's blade easily. The other raised his mace and I rolled out of the way as he brought it down. I kicked the bladesman's legs out from under him and drove my dagger into his chest.
"Wait!" A cowardly voice shouted, "I yield!" I turned to see my dog pinning the leader down.
"Shabon," I called. The black dog let off but still remained tensed and cautious.
"We're just trying to get by, you know?" The thug said still on the ground. I could feel the fear in his voice. "Before the darkspawn get us all."
"Preying on the weak," I said, "pathetic way to get by."
"Look," he said, "I'll leave this place and never get in your way again, just let me go!"
"Go," Cayne said, "never return."
"Yes," he said standing up, "the darkspawn can have this place." He and his group of thugs ran off without looking back.
"Well," I said sheathing my daggers, "that was easy."
"It'll only get harder from here on out," Alistair said.
"What do you suppose is in these crates of stuff?" I asked. I didn't hear anyone answer my question, instead I let my gaze drift to a body on the side of the road. "Look," I said, "over here." I walked over to the body of the fallen templar.
"Those highwaymen must've killed him," Cayne inquired. I kneeled down and searched him, finding a crumpled letter stuffed in his belt and a locket in his clutched fist.
"Here," I said, "we should find who would want these." Cayne took both items from me and skimmed through the note.
"We can go to the Chantry and they'll find whomever needs these items." Alistair said.
Cayne put the note in his pocket and we continued toward the town.
"Ah," Alistair breathed, there it is; Lothering, pretty as a painting."
"Have you finally crawled out of your despair to join us?" Morrigan mocked.
"Is it so hard to believe that I'm depressed?" He defended meekly. "How would you feel if your mother died?"
"Before or after I stopped laughing?" She asked.
"Right," he said, "very creepy, forget I asked."
"Did you have something you wanted to say, Alistair?" I asked. I had the battle on my mind too. I still clutched Ashley's pack in my hand. I just had a gut feeling that she was still alive. Every instinct in me was screaming that she was alive and in danger.
"I was going to ask if our fearless leader had an idea as to where he wanted to go after we're done here." The human warrior said.
"I didn't really know where to start." Cayne confessed.
"I think we should start with those treaties we found in the Wilds," Alistair said.
"Treaties?" I asked. I had not a clue what he was talking about.
"Right," Alistair said waving his hand about as if to emphasize his next statement, "you don't know about them. We were actually searching for them when you arrived at Ostagar with your friend."
"Ashley," I said reminding him.
"Yes," he said, "at any rate, the treaties state that we can call on dwarves, elves, and mages. We also have Arl Eamon to appeal to for help. I suggest we go to him first. Bringing Loghain to justice should also be on the list, but Arl Eamon can help with that as well."
"What do you think, Morrigan?" Cayne asked.
"Go after your enemy directly," she said, "find this man Loghain and kill him."
"Of course," Alistair said, "he won't be expecting that. And it's not like he has everything like an army, and experience, and-."
"I was asked for my opinion and I gave it," Morrigan snapped, "if you wish to debate how something cannot be done, we shall stand here until the darkspawn are upon us."
"What do you think, C.J.?" Cayne asked.
"Where can we find the mages?" I asked.
"At their tower on Lake Calenhad," Alistair said, "we'll have to take a ferry across but we shouldn't have trouble."
"We should go there first." I said definitely. "If anyone would know where Ashley is, it's the mages."
"To my knowledge," Alistair said, "they have to have a phylactery in order to track Circle mages."
"Maybe she's there now," I said, "and even if she isn't, someone has to know where to find her."
"What if she's dead, C.J.?" Alistair asked. I flared.
"She can't be!" I shouted. "There's no way! The prophecy said that she would help me help Cayne. It was recorded in the Shaperate!" I sighed and clutched her bag tighter. "And even if she is, I'd still like to know so I can perform a memorial for her. I can't just not know." Alistair nodded.
"I understand." He said.
"We'll go to the Circle tower first." Cayne decided. "Where are these other allies?"
"The dwarves are deep within the Frostback Mountains," I said knowledgeably, "we need to speak with King Endrin."
"How did you know that?" Alistair asked.
"That's where I went after Ash and I were saved from the darkspawn in the Deep Roads."
"Right," Alistair said, "now, what of the elves?"
"My clan has already fled north to avoid the Bight," Cayne said, "we won't find them."
"I'm sure that if we look about the Brecillian Forest, we're bound to find one of the other clans." Alistair said.
"Then we're ready to start moving," Cayne said.
"Fair enough," Alistair said, "let's head into the village whenever you're ready."
Cayne led the way into the village of Lothering. It was a quiet little village, if not overshadowed by the complete air of impending doom. We first went to the Chantry to find whomever this note and locket was addressed to.
The Chantry was a large building with priests and refugees about. There were a few templars as well keeping guard over the despairing locals. Cayne walked up to a man in knights armor with a shield at his back with the sigil of Redcliffe on it. I recognized it from when we passed through Redcliffe on our way to Ostagar.
"Oh," he said when he finally noticed us walking up to him, "I beg your pardon, I did not see you approach. I-" he stopped, "Alistair?"
"Ser Donall?"Alistair replied.
"It is you," the knight breathed, "Maker's breath, I thought you were dead at Ostagar!"
"Not yet," he said glumly, "no thanks to Teyrn Loghain."
"Yes," he said, "with the king gone, Loghain's claimed himself as regent and branded all Grey Wardens as traitors," Ser Donall sighed, "if the Arl were well, he'd have none of this."
"If he were well?" Alistair asked. "What's happened? Is he sick?"
"The Arl has fallen ill of some incurable sickness," said the knight, "they've tried all sorts of healing magic but to no avail. The Arlessa has ordered all the knights of Redcliffe to search for the Urn of Sacred Ashes."
"Urn?" I asked.
"It's the fabled resting place of the prophet Andraste herself," the knight said as if it was common knowledge. "However, no one has come up with anything."
"Your friend," Cayne said, "Ser Henric is dead."
"Dead?" Ser Donall said in disbelief. Cayne handed him the locket and the note. "You have his locket...and a note?" He sighed. "Thank you for bringing these to me, I would've never known otherwise."
"You're welcome," Cayne said.
"Well, with Henric gone, I should return to Redcliffe. I bid you safe travels, friend. May the Maker watch over you."
Ser Donall regarded us one more time and walked out of the Chantry.
"We need to get to Redcliffe now more than ever," said Alistair.
"We will, Alistair," Cayne said.
We left the Chantry and continued throughout the village. We stopped at the tavern where we heard bustle from the inside as we approached the door.
"I wouldn't go in there if I were you," a refugee said, "it's packed tight in there and those soldiers are getting restless."
"We'll take our chances." I said bravely.
"Good luck," he said, "what with those bandits on the road and the soldiers in the tavern, it's a wonder that anyone can have any luck."
"There aren't any bandits on the road anymore," Cayne said. "We took care of them."
"Really?" the stranger's face lit up with delight. "Hey! Everyone! These are the people who fought off those thieving bastards!" He smiled and looked at Cayne again. "More will probably come but it's good to know that there is some justice left here. Thank you."
Cayne nodded and led us into the tavern. I brought up the rear with Shabon at my side.
We walked inside and a few soldiers saw us.
"Well," the leader said in a gruff voice, "it would seem that the Maker truly does work in mysterious ways."
"Uh oh," Alistair said, "Loghain's men."
"Didn't we ask around for an elf of this very description," a soldier said to his commander, "and every said that they hadn't seen one?"
"It seems we were lied to," the commander answered.
"Gentlemen," an exotic, almost French, accented voice came as a woman in a priestess robe walked up to the soldiers, "surely, there's no need for trouble. There are just hungry travelers seeking food and rest."
I looked over at her to see who this mediator was. She was beautiful definitely, red hair that came to her jawline with a single braid on the left side of her head. Her eyes were a light blue and her robe tried to hide her athletic build and almost succeeded. She had a dagger at her hip.
"Stay out of this, Sister!" The commander barked. "I was there at Ostagar, where Teyrn Loghain saved us from the Grey Warden's treachery."
"Treachery?" I said. "Loghain was a coward and quit the field and abandoned your king and the Grey Wardens to their fate when he could've easily saved them."
"You speak lies on behalf of the Grey Wardens!" The commander shouted. "Kill the sister and anyone who sides with the Grey Warden."
I drew steel and held it to both men's throats.
"Listen to me for a moment," I said quietly, "if we survived the slaughter at Ostagar, what makes you think that a bunch of petty drunken soldiers can defeat us?"
I watched the commander sweat as he thought for a moment. I could see it in his eyes that he was surrendering.
"Now," I said still with my blades out, "you have two options; I kill one of you and let my dog kill the other one," Shabon growled for emphasis, "or you both can live and take a message to Loghain for me."
"W-what do you want to tell him?" The commander sputtered. I took my daggers from their throats.
"All yours, Cayne." I said.
"Tell Loghain," Cayne said, "that the Grey Wardens know the truth and we are coming for him."
"Yes," the commander said, "we will go, right away." We watched as the small band of soldiers headed out of the tavern quietly and swiftly.
"Thank you for sparing them," the Sister said to me. I looked at her and swallowed nervously.
"Oh," I said dumbly, "of course."
"Allow me to introduce myself to you all," she was talking to the rest of us now, "I am Leliana, lay Sister of the Chantry in Lothering. Or I was."
"I am Cayne," the elf said, "pleased to meet you."
"I did not know that elves could join the Grey Wardens," she said, "I understand that you will need help on your journey. That's why I'm coming along?" Needless to say, we were all taken aback by that.
"Why so eager?" I asked.
"The Maker told me to go with you," she said. Full of surprises, this one.
"Uh," I said hesitantly, "excuse me?"
"I know it sounds crazy," she said, "but it's true! I had a dream, a vision!"
"More crazy?" Alistair said, "I though we were all full up."
"So why not let her come?" I asked. "If she is crazy enough to come with us, why not?"
"Good point," Cayne said, "You may come with us, if you wish."
"Perhaps your skull was cracked more than mother thought," said Morrigan.
"I will not let you down," Leliana promised.
We gave her some spare armor we had and let her change into it as well as giving her a bow and a quiver of arrows because she said that she was most skilled with a bow. We left the tavern after trading some supplies and having a drink.
I walked with the new member of our group and Shabon. She was a little taller than I was, the armor we gave her fit her very nicely and showed off her curves. She was beautiful to say the least.
"You don't look like you're from around here." She said.
"What gave it away?" I asked smiling.
"Your hair color," she said looking at my bleach blonde hair, "it's not exactly natural in Ferelden, and your accent isn't Orlesian."
"You're right," I said, "I'm not from here. I'm from somewhere else entirely; another world in fact." She looked at me with widened eyes.
"How fascinating!" She exclaimed. "I would love to hear stories about it."
We stopped at the sight of a rather large creature in a cage. It looked like an ordinary man; if ordinary men were about nine feet tall with ashen skin.
"Wait a moment." I said to the group in front of Leliana and I. I walked up calmly to the cage. "Who are you?" I asked the creature respectfully.
"A stranger come to see the caged animal?" He asked. "You speak with respect. I am Sten of the Beresaad."
"I am C.J. of the Grey Wardens." I said. "Tell me, why are you imprisoned here?"
"I have committed crimes against this community and the Revered Mother has sentenced me to rot in this cage." I regarded him. He looked like a very strong fighter.
"Tell me, Sten, if I set you free, will you help my group and I in our endeavor to stop the Blight for your atonement of these crimes?" He thought for a moment.
"I accept." He said. "However, I do not think that the Revered Mother will approve." I chuckled and took out my lockpicks.
"She doesn't even need to know, my friend." I picked the lock easily
and the gate swung open. Sten stepped out of the cage.
"I'm impressed." He said.
"C.J., are you sure this is a good idea?" Alistair asked.
"Sure I'm sure." I said. "Someone give this guy a sword and some armor and let's get out of here before we get stopped by some guards." I turned to Sten. "It's an honor to have you."
Sorry for the long wait. Admittedly, this is a bit of a weak chapter toward the end. But there's a lot here so enjoy it!