Redcliffe loomed into view, the castle of Arl Eamon looking over the village almost protectively, casting its shadow over the red cliffs that gave the area its name. Sabia sighed, shifting her pack and stopping to arch her back in an attempt to get it to pop. They'd pushed the last leg of their trip, and she was looking forward to a bed and a decent meal- maybe even a bath with hot water if she was lucky. She wasn't looking forward to dealing with Eamon, especially since she knew he would be just as adamant against Loghain as Alistair was- not to mention she had no desire to deal with his simpering wife, Isolde.
"Sabia, can I talk to you?" Alistair said suddenly, breaking her from her reverie. She turned to face him, her expression curious, but she felt a sense of apprehension. She really didn't want another shouting match with him- the past day had actually been pleasant, and she didn't want to spoil it. He pulled her aside from the rest of the group.
"Sabia, remember how I mentioned Arl Eamon had raised me and that it was rumored I was his son?" He asked, his brow furrowing. Sabia nodded, her mind whirling quickly as it switched into gear for politics- something a Cousland mind was raised to do. He hesitated, seeing the glint in her eye, and she forced her expression to go neutral, despite her quickly calculating mind ready to seize on anything that might be useful.
"The thing is, my mother was a servant girl, but my father was NOT Arl Eamon. I was sent to Redcliffe because...," he trailed off, finding this difficult. Sabia was patient, letting him bring it into the open on his own. She didn't want to provoke him, not before heading into the den of lions that were the Guerrins. Alistair sighed.
"My father was King Maric," he said finally, and Sabia's mind stuttered to a halt, her eyes blinking.
"I... what?" She asked incredulously. He rolled his shoulder in agitation.
"I'm the king's bastard. There, I've said it, let's move on," he said hastily, turning to go. Sabia snatched at his arm gently, pulling him back.
"Wait. Why didn't you tell me this?" She asked, examining him in a new light. She wondered why she hadn't noticed it before. The same easy going face, the same facial structure, even the same sense of humor as Cailan- and Maric, if her faulty early childhood memories served her correctly. Her tone was gentle, and Alistair gave her a pathetic look.
"Because I was always coddled, that's why. Even Duncan kept me from battle," he said plaintively. Sabia dropped her hand from his arm, biting her lip.
"Does Loghain know?" She asked, waiting for the explosion from him. It didn't come, Alistair simply sighed.
"Most likely. He was my father's best friend and all," he grumbled. Sabia tilted her head.
"Why did you hide this from me?" She asked, but instantly regretted the question as Alistair's gaze grew hard.
"I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that you still think Loghain didn't betray us," he said acidly, and Sabia had the grace to wince, wondering why Loghain would want Maric's son dead. Was he afraid Alistair would try to overthrow Anora and kill her? That had to be it. Loghain would do whatever it took to protect his daughter, she thought. She met Alistair's eyes.
"Well, I know now, but it won't make a difference to me. You're still Alistair," she said simply. Alistair snorted, and his expression remained hard, even though Sabia had expected it to soften.
"And you're still crazy," he replied. Sabia didn't even blink. She knew what he thought of her, and she didn't care. He sighed and motioned at the rest of the group.
"Let's go then, shall we?"
Sabia nodded silently and followed him towards the bridge leading into Redcliffe, but her mind was a roar of ideas- none of them pleasant as she realized Eamon was going to take advantage of this situation, and she was hopelessly outnumbered.
...
The village was a right state after the battle. The group hadn't expected to find the village under siege by the living dead, but it had. Corpses had shambled from the castle and into the village, intent on killing all in their path. Sabia and her group fought them until daybreak, when the sun shone on their victory. Gore and corpses littered the ground, but thanks to Wynne's healing, and the combat prowess of their group, none of the dead were villagers. Bann Teagan presented them as heroes, and requested that Sabia come meet him at the windmill.
"You'd think no one was in the castle, with how quiet it is," Teagan remarked as the group approached them. Sabia had them stand back a bit, only Alistair coming with her to talk to Teagan. He turned to face her, his eyes taking in the sight of her. Sabia didn't waver under his scrutiny- they both knew this was no time to think about how the two of them had almost been married. He cleared his throat.
"We need to go to the castle and see if Eamon and his family still live. We need to get to the bottom of all this- Maker's breath!"
They turned to see a woman in fine silk running to meet them, a guard at her side. Sabia suppressed the snarl that threatened to curl on her lips as she recognized Isolde. Teagan ran to her, embracing her.
"Isolde! I'd worried that no one was left alive!" He said. Isolde pulled back, and her face was etched with what looked like weeks of worry and sleepless nights.
"Teagan, thank the Maker you yet live! I need you to come to the castle with me, Teagan," she said hurriedly, looking at the group. "Alone."
Sabia tilted her head, narrowing her eyes, and even Alistair looked suspicious.
"Alone. That sounds safe, I'm sure," Sabia drawled dryly. Isolde looked her angrily.
"Who is this woman, Teagan?" She asked, her Orlesian accent very thick in her anger. Sabia bristled and the snarl she was fighting finally broke loose on her lips.
"This woman? You speak to the last surviving Cousland, and future Teyrna of Highever!" Sabia hissed. "You mind your betters and shut your disrespectful Orlesian whore mouth, or I'll do it for you!"
"Sabia! Have you no manners?" Alistair said angrily, and even Teagan looked affronted. Leliana looked offended at the comment, but Zevran and Morrigan snorted in amusement- Morrigan was even grinning widely. Isolde turned to Alistair, her look going from being indignantly cowed to snide.
"Of all the... what are YOU doing here, Alistair?" She said in an ugly tone. Alistair scowled and looked at Sabia- almost apologetically, she thought.
"On second thought... never mind. How... nice to see you, too, Lady Isolde," he said lightly. Isolde turned back to Sabia, false apologies on her face.
"Forgive me, my Lady... I had heard the Couslands were all dead. I did not know you were the Teyrna now," she said, her voice not convincing Sabia. Alistair rolled his eyes.
"She's not Teyrna. Grey Wardens can't hold titles," he said. Sabia flicked her gaze to Alistair, her eyes glinting maliciously.
"Oh? Then I won't have to worry about what you told me earlier, will I?" She shot back, her sharp tongue leaving a cut he'd feel for a while- he winced, much to her triumph. Her mind was whirling at this admission of information from Alistair. That definitely would come in handy, should Eamon try to push Alistair on the throne- and she knew he would. Eamon had never been a supporter of having a Mac Tir on the throne, and Alistair, as naive as he was, would be the perfect puppet. She stored this away in her mind for later and turned her attention back to Teagan.
"Surely this is a trap. You cannot go alone. We need to go in there and find out what's going on," she said, folding her arms under her breasts, rolling her shoulders back and standing straight to send a message to Isolde that she wasn't going to tell Sabia no and succeed at it. Isolde thought otherwise, however.
"No, I promised, for Connor's sake, that I would only bring back Teagan. Please, you have to honor this request!" She pleaded, her voice sincere this time. Sabia lifted an arched brow and shifted her weight.
"Why so? What's going on in the castle? There's something you're not telling us. What are you hiding?" she asked evenly. Isolde glared at her.
"That is a rather impertinent question. This is a family affair that is none of your concern," she said testily. Sabia snorted.
"Your husband owes his allegiance to the Grey Wardens in time of a Blight, and seeing as there are corpses walking out every night and terrorizing your village, it's more than a family affair," she retorted nastily. "You can hardly be ignorant of the walking dead pouring forth from your castle in the evening, unless you are hiding something."
Isolde's face went pale and blank, and she stammered a few times before falling silent. Alistair sighed.
"Lady Isolde, the Grey Wardens protect the people against the Darkspawn, but we are obligated to help in any time of strife. We are guardians; it's what we do. We can't help if we don't know what's going on," he said gently. Isolde ignored him completely and turned back to Teagan, her eyes pleading. Sabia bristled angrily. She may not LIKE Alistair, but the Orlesian had no right to ignore him like that.
"We're going," she announced heatedly, turning to go. Teagan blinked at her, and Alistair's eyes widened.
"WHAT? We are NOT leaving!" He insisted. Sabia snarled as she turned to face him.
"You have eyes and ears as well as I, Alistair. We're obviously not wanted nor needed here. We saved the village. Let whatever's running amok in the castle run its course, and we'll come back later. I won't BEG a fool to be allowed to solve problems that aren't mine. We could have been to Orzammar and back by now, with the dwarves' allegiance," she spat angrily. "Hell, we could have found the Dalish by now. Let's go. This fool woman wants to ignore help, then so be it."
She turned on her heel and shoulder her pack, striding off. Sten and Morrigan exchanged impressed expressions, and Zevran was chuckling to himself. Wynne and Leliana stayed rooted to the spot where Alistair stood. Alistair folded his arms over his chest and waited for Sabia to realize he wasn't following. Sabia turned and lifted an eyebrow. Alistair met her cold emerald gaze defiantly. She kept her expression cool, lifting a brow.
"So. Going to wait out here in the cold then? Be my guest,' she said. Wynne made a pleading gesture.
"Sabia, these people need help. We cannot leave," she said softly. Leliana nodded in agreement.
"What if there are children in there?" She asked. Sabia snorted.
"Then she is all the more fool for ignoring help when it is offered. Your affairs cease being private when you have undead spilling from your castle. It only raises my suspicion that she won't let us help," she countered. Sten nodded in agreement.
"If the woman wants to have a single man handle the problem, let her have her wish. Our efforts are better being used elsewhere," he said in his flat neutral tone. Morrigan leaned on her staff, frowning.
"I agree. Tis her own problem if she thinks one man can fix this. Let us be off so we can find the Dalish or seek the aid of the Dwarves. Tis a foolish thing to waste any more time here. There IS a Blight going on after all," she said dryly, rolling her eyes. "Why IS it people think a Blight is the most opportune time to kill each other?"
Teagan strode over to Sabia and came close to whisper in her ear. Sabia almost balked at his closeness, but kept her composure.
"Take this ring," he whispered, taking her hand to look like he was pleading with her while slipping a signet ring into her palm. "It opens a secret passage that runs to the castle. I will go inside with Isolde, and you and your companions will be able to sneak in, should I need help," he murmured. Sabia sighed, feigning reluctant agreement, then nodded.
"I knew you were smarter than that, Teagan," she said softly, her lips almost brushing his ear. The Bann flushed, and he headed back to Isolde.
"They are going to wait in the village and restock their supplies. I will go with you, Isolde," he said. Isolde looked on the verge of tears.
"Thank you, Teagan!" She wailed. "Let us not waste any time!"
Sabia watched them go, her eyes shooting daggers at the Orlesian's back, her lip curled in a hideous snarl. Alistair looked at her apprehensively, and as soon as they were out of sight, Sabia strode to the windmill.
"Come on. Teagan give me way into the castle. He's a smarter man than people give him credit for," she said simply, brushing straw on the floor aside to reveal a door with an odd lock. Sten scowled.
"So we are to waste time on this woman's plight, and are to sneak in to do so?" He asked. Sabia nodded, shooting him her own scowl to show him that she disapproved of this as much as he did. Sten snorted, but said nothing.
"Thank you, Sabia," Alistair said quietly. "Eamon and his family mean a lot to me. They did raise me."
Sabia gave a derisive snort of her own.
"I'm doing this so we can get the aid we need. Eamon is necessary. His wife means nothing to me, even more so after how she thinks she's better than me," she growled. Alistair frowned, his face darkening.
"Don't tell me you hate Orlesians, too," he spat. "I swear, you and Loghain should have married or something, what with the way you two think."
Sabia's face went bright red, and she whirled around to face Alistair.
"You shut your mouth right now. Don't speak of matters you know nothing of. I don't have to explain myself to you, of all people."
She turned on her heel, pulling out her dagger and sword, gouging the walls as she stormed down the tunnel, leaving Alistair standing there, his eyes wide and unblinking. Leliana shook her head and Zevran snickered in appreciation, muttering something good naturedly in Antivan.
"That was not wise, Alistair. She is a noble. There are politics at work here you don't know of, and you most likely brushed an exposed nerve. I wouldn't mention such things again," she said softly so Sabia wouldn't hear. Alistair blinked finally and looked at Leliana.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"Nobility often end up in political or arranged marriages, like Queen Anora and King Cailan, or King Maric and Queen Rowan. Most likely, Sabia had an arranged marriage waiting for her and becoming a Warden and losing her family ended it," Leliana responded quietly. Alistair blinked again.
"Surely she would want OUT of that," he said incredulously. Morrigan lifted a brow and Zevran chuckled.
"Not if her intended was a fine specimen, or a powerful one," he said simply. "You're a man. You saw how Teagan looked at her when we entered the Chantry. I know I did."
Alistair rolled his shoulders uncomfortably. He had. When they entered the Chantry where the Bann was defending the villagers, his eyes had immediately flicked to Sabia, lighting up in disbelief and pleasure, and the two knew each other. Was it possible that Sabia had been pre-contracted to Teagan? He shook his head. No, she had made her dislike for Eamon clear, why would she marry his brother? Unless she didn't want to, but she had shown only kindness and warmth to Teagan. Perhaps he had been an option. Alistair's mouth curled slightly, disgust roiling in his stomach as the thought hit him- Teagan could have been out ranked by someone else. Someone like Howe, pushing for one of his sons... or even Loghain.
"You... you don't think she was pre-contracted to LOGHAIN, do you?" He whispered to Leliana, who shrugged.
"It would make sense, seeing her defensiveness over him, but she hasn't spoken of him in the way one would speak of their fiancé. She speaks of him like someone would of their hero or family friend- which Loghain was, if I'm not mistaken of my knowledge of the noble families. The Mac Tirs were close with the Couslands," she said. Alistair nodded, remembering Loghain's reaction when he'd found out Sabia was to be recruited. He hadn't been close enough to be involved in that altercation, but he'd definitely heard the Teyrn's enraged bellows from where he'd been, and had seen the rage on his face as he accused Duncan of all sorts of things.
"No, I don't think so, either. He would have been much angrier and louder if she was his intended. He confronted Duncan about her becoming a Warden, and he was loud enough to frighten the Chantry Sisters. If she HAD been his fiancé, I think he would have leveled the ruins," he said, his eyes watching as Morrigan strode ahead to walk at the side of Sabia and Avariel. Leliana cocked her head, and Zevran shook his head.
"It would explain why he wanted me to keep her alive and brought to him, though," he put in thoughtfully. "Perhaps her father had asked Loghain to protect her if something happened to him or her mother. Definitely a common practice amongst nobility."
"Do you think Duncan would have relinquished her, had she been promised to the Teyrn?" She asked. Alistair shrugged, but he felt a twinge of discomfort in his gut. He knew the answer, and it didn't set right with him- despite his hatred for Loghain, and his confusing dislike for Sabia. He knew Duncan wouldn't have released her. He would have made the Teyrn's intended a Warden, and for some reason, this didn't set well with him.
"I... I don't know," he lied. "I know Wardens have the right to Conscript those they need, but were it me, I wouldn't have taken a man's wife from him."
Leliana nodded, satisfied with the answer, then looked over her shoulder to smile at Wynne and Sten who lingered at the back of the group. Wynne nodded, not even looking up from the rapidly growing cloak she was knitting. Leliana giggled at the woman's task.
"So," Morrigan asked quietly as Sabia sheathed her weapons and moved to stroke Avariel's ears. "I take it there are politics at work here."
Sabia nodded, her eyes focused at the tunnel ahead, and Avariel rubbed his cheek against her hip, begging for more petting. She smiled a bit, running her fingers through the canine's thick grey fur. Morrigan eyed the mabari. His snout was slightly longer than the average mabari's, his coat thicker and longer, and the hound actually had a longer tail with thick fur on it. She looked back at Sabia.
"He's not a purebred Mabari, is he?" She asked. Sabia jerked at the sudden change of subject, but her demeanor softened as the talk turned to her dog. She nodded.
"He's not. His grand-sire was a wolf. The breeder's apprentice lost the dam, and when she came back, she'd taken with pup by a lone wolf. Most of the pups were given away, as they weren't pure bred, but he kept one to see how the combination would fare. That female ended up breeding, and he didn't think the pups would be good enough for a noble, and he thought about putting them down. My father, who had been looking for a Mabari to give me for my tenth birthday, liked the look of them, and brought home Avariel for me. He's not purebred, but he has a fierceness that rivals a purebred. If anyone ever so much LOOKED at me oddly, Avariel would be on guard. It's how I knew Thomas, Howe's boy, was a man not to be trusted- Avariel would never let him come near me," she explained, the dog looking at her with adoration. She rubbed his ears lovingly.
"I don't care if he's not purebred. He's the best dog in all Thedas," she crooned, earning a happy whine from Avariel. Morrigan nodded in approval.
"He certainly is formidable. It's the wolf in him, I should think," she said. "I still think that he should stop putting half eaten hares in my pack."
Sabia snickered and nodded in return, and Morrigan cocked her head.
"You should ignore the idiot templar," she said bluntly, making Sabia blink. "He was raised in the Chantry, was he not? He knows nothing of your world."
Sabia ground her teeth.
"Then he shouldn't speak of what he doesn't know. He has no idea what it's like to be constantly surrounded by politics, to be immersed in them to the point where you're dancing to an unseen melody whenever other nobles come to call, or when you go to Denerim. He doesn't know our world, so he should shut his mouth about it," she said heatedly. "He doesn't KNOW me, or my life before this."
Morrigan nodded, eyes fixed on the end of the tunnel.
"I don't think he'll be inclined to make that mistake again. The bard and I spoke to him. The assassin might have put in a few copper's worth of words as well."
Sabia was silent, her fingers rubbing her Mabari's ears, and her eyes were pained. Morrigan cocked her head in her bird like way, and Sabia was reminded of a crow as she did so- the same curious intelligence and wild beauty was in her expressive eyes. She knew Morrigan was going to ask her a blunt but curiosity laden question, but she knew that it would be alright with the mage if she didn't answer right away.
"You had an arrangement, didn't you?" Morrigan asked, not surprising Sabia with the bluntness of her inquiry. Sabia nodded.
"When I turned twenty-two, quite a few noble ladies began to whisper that something must be wrong with me, seeing as I wasn't married and still living at Highever, even though I wasn't the heir to the teyrnir. I actually had to verbally fight Bann Esmerelle off me at one of Anora's salons. She asked if I was infertile, if that was the reason I hadn't been married off," she said, her lip curling at the mention of Howe's closest associate.
"Words travels faster than the swiftest horse. When I came home to Highever from Denerim, I swore I'd not go back to Anora's court unless she desperately needed me, and Father pulled me aside. He said he'd been searching for potential matches for me, because the flapping tongues of the women were contagious, and their husbands were talking, too."
Morrigan made a small sound of disgust.
"Marriage, children. Why do nobles think it such a necessity? I prefer my freedom," she quipped. Sabia nodded in agreement.
"I was happy being a bachelorette. I wanted to be a lieutenant in Loghain's forces, or a personal bodyguard for Anora. I wouldn't have minded being Teyrna of Highever, as I was raised to do such, but that was to fall to Fergus as eldest. Father sympathized with me, and who could blame him? I was his youngest pup, and it pained him to see me married off and sent from home. He knew I couldn't stay home forever, though, and he started looking for a husband for me, seeing as I never fooled around with the other nobility, and had not developed any interest in anyone," she said, her eyes not even looking at the tunnel anymore- they were looking in the past.
"Bann Loren's son, Dairren, was mentioned. He was intelligent and handsome, but useless with a weapon. Bann Teagan was considered, as was one of the sons of the Bann from Waking Sea and Dragon's Peak. Howe, of course, pushed Thomas and Nathaniel at Father as well. None of them were good enough for Father, save Teagan. He considered Teagan a long time, but without warning, he set it aside. He set all the proposals aside."
Sabia bit her lip, and Morrigan cocked her head again.
"I take it you never found out why," she said simply. Sabia nodded.
"It's been three years since then, and no other offers were made. Father stopped looking, but I heard whispers that I was no longer on the market. I was spoken for, so to speak. A year after the contracts were looked at, the whispers stopped, and I was back to being referred as the 'willing spinster'. Not that I cared. I was happy where I was, if a bit uncertain about what I wanted to do. I don't know what happened to make father cease his search for a husband for me, but frankly, I don't care," she said, her tone indicating that the conversation was over.
The group filed in closer together, apprehension and silence settling over all of them. They'd reached the end of the tunnel. Sabia glanced at all of them.
"Let's go, then."
...
Sabia flicked gore off her weapons, looking to see if Ser Perth and his men were unharmed. Receiving an affirming nod, she and the knights headed to the front gates of the castle. The main door had been sealed off, so they'd had to sneak through the cellar and into the courtyard- encountering undead and a missing girl they'd promised to find, who had fled home through the safety of the tunnel, as well as a blood mage.
The blood mage and Wynne knew each other- as was to be expected with how small and closely knit the Circle was, and Wynne told Sabia he'd broken his phylactery and escaped the Tower using blood magic. Sabia could care less- she only questioned him when he mentioned that he'd been hired by Loghain to poison Eamon. She'd had to fight a smirk of amusement- Eamon had moved against Anora before, it almost seemed fitting he was poisoned. However, the mage- Jowan- revealed that the Arl's son was a budding mage, and could have torn the Veil. Sabia rolled her shoulder in disgust as she thought about Isolde's selfishness. Her desire to keep her child to herself was harming everyone around her.
Even though Wynne and Alistair had protested it greatly, Sabia didn't see the point of the mage being locked up. He'd been tortured, and was obviously starving, left for dead in the cells. After giving him some food and water, she had unlocked his cell and told him to flee- but not before telling him that if he ran into to Loghain again, to give him word that she was alive. An argument had broken out- Alistair and Wynne had been furious, Sten thought her foolish. Morrigan had agreed with Sabia, and Zevran and Leliana were only neutral to stay out of the argument.
As the group entered the main hall, they were greeted by the sight of Teagan dancing madly, performing acrobatics that Sabia knew Teagan hadn't been capable of before. A young boy clapped as he watched, but the smile on his face was not that of an entertained child- it was shadowed with malicious glee that a child's innocence was not capable of mustering. Teagan stopped as they approached, and scrambled to the boy's side. Sabia flicked her eyes to Isolde standing nearby, her shoulders slumped in agonizing defeat. She felt a hot flush of pleasure spread in her chest at the woman's expression, unable to hide her condescending smirk.
"Well, well well. Looks like I was right. You were hiding something," she said, stopping a few feet away from Isolde, putting a hand on her hip. Isolde looked too upset to even challenge why she was there.
"Please. I do not want anyone to be hurt. Just turn and go," she pleaded. Sabia lifted a brow.
"And leave Teagan the way he is? I think not," she retorted. The boy shot her a dirty look.
"I don't recall giving either of you women permission to speak!" He said, and there was a malevolent, dark and harsh undertone beneath the young boy's voice. Sabia blinked, and Wynne and Morrigan both hissed.
"Abomination, how lovely," Morrigan said dryly. Wynne was livid.
"You... you let your son become an abomination? You KNEW your son was a mage and did not send him to the Circle for training? Do you know what you have done to your son?" She demanded, her eyes wide. Isolde let out a plaintive cry, but did not speak. The boy glared at them.
"I can't see it very well, Mother. What is it?" He asked, his tone demanding an answer. Isolde looked on the verge of tears.
"This... is a woman, Connor. Like I am," she said hesitantly. Connor sneered.
"Lies! She is younger than you, prettier, too! I am surprised you don't have her executed out of jealousy and spite!" He cackled. Isolde fell to her knees, begging.
"Connor, please, do not hurt anyone else!" She cried. Teagan cackled madly from the floor where he sat.
"MARMALAAADDDEEEE!" He bellowed, rocking back and laughing. Connor glared at him.
"Quiet, Uncle! What did I tell you about yelling!" He snapped, and Teagan fell silent. Sabia looked at Teagan in horror.
"What have you done to him?" She asked incredulously, eyes wide. Connor smirked.
"I like him better this way. No more pathetic demands. He won't tell me to do anything ever again," he said slyly. Teagan cackled again.
"Nobody tells HIM what to do! NOBODY! HA HA HA HA HA!"
Sabia narrowed her eyes and tilted her head at Wynne.
"There's nothing to do to fix him, is there? The boy, I mean. Obviously, if the demon is gone, Teagan will go back to normal, and the dead will stop rising, right?"
Wynne shifted uncomfortably.
"The boy is an abomination. His inexperience in magic has torn the Veil and he was seduced by the promises of a demon," she said hesitantly.
The boy glared at Wynne.
"It was a fair deal! Father is safe from the poison, and lives! IT WAS A FAIR DEAL!" He roared, bolting from the room.
Isolde fell to her knees, screeching sobs coming from her throat.
"Please, Warden, save my boy!" She cried. Sabia fought to hide her snarl. She felt no pity for this woman and what her selfishness had wrought. She turned to Wynne and Morrigan, who looked back at her- Wynne with worry and apprehension, Morrigan with slightly guarded indifference.
"Is there anything we can do? I could give a whit for the selfishness of one woman who thinks she is above Fereldan law, but...," she trailed off. Morrigan shook her head.
"Tis the reason discipline is needed for mages. Demons would eat you alive if you did not have it," she said airily. Wynne snorted.
"Yes, because a woman in the Wilds teaches PERFECT discipline by playing bait and switch with Templars in the woods," she snapped. Morrigan laughed.
"It worked better than your training- I have had freedom all my life, and I am not an Abomination, am I?" She replied snidely, a smirk on her faces. "And your Circle had quite enough of them running amok. Such an education I have missed, truly!"
Sabia snapped her fingers, distracting them from the cat fight that surely would have erupted.
"This is neither the time or place to argue over such. The boy is already possessed, and no lack of training is to blame, it's his mother's selfishness. What I ask is if there is anything that can be done," she said, feeling smug with every wince that came from Isolde. Wynne and Morrigan both shook their heads, and Alistair looked pained.
"The thought of killing a child... I...," he began, then cut off. He cleared his throat. "If he's an abomination, there's nothing we can do."
Wynne nodded sadly, and Morrigan simply gave Sabia a look that spoke her piece on the matter. There was nothing that could be done. Isolde threw herself at Sabia's feet, screaming and crying. Sabia pulled back, trying to keep the look of disgust off her face, ignoring the murmurs from Ser Perth and his men. She practically recoiled at the lack of composure from the woman who thought herself Sabia's better.
"Please! There must be something you can do! Don't kill my baby! You are a woman, surely you would not kill your own son! Surely you would fight for him!" She cried.
Sabia fought the urge to kick the woman in the face as her words made a stab run through her belly, through the womb that would never carry a child. She hissed, Isolde looking up at her in surprise.
"Don't talk to ME about what I would do with my own children, woman," she spat. "If I were ever blessed enough to have a child, I wouldn't risk losing him to a demon. Better he be safe being trained by someone who knew what they were doing, rather than have him kill helpless villagers. The comfort of one mother and her child does not warrant the lives of countless others!"
Isolde blinked through her tears.
"You would sacrifice your child, then? What kind of woman are you?" She screamed. Sabia yanked her up by the front of her dress, forcing her face close to hers.
"YOU did this woman. NOT me. Don't you DARE compare yourself to me. I'll never be mother, but if I had a child hurting innocent people and had no way to stop him, I would make the right choice. THIS is YOUR fault, not mine. You brought this on yourself."
Isolde pushed herself back, scrambling from Sabia.
"NO! You won't hurt him! You'll not touch my boy!" She screeched. Sabia looked at her companions in exasperation.
"What do we do?" She asked. Morrigan snorted.
"Kill the demon. Tis the only recourse," she said. Sten nodded.
"This is why my people keep mages on leashes," he said curtly. Wynne looked crushed.
"I cannot think of anything else to do," she said sorrowfully. Alistair nodded in defeat, saying nothing. Sabia sighed and moved in the direction that Connor had run. The knights didn't follow, trying to restrain the madly giggling Teagan. Isolde followed them into the next room and rushed at Sabia, balling her fists.
"NO! YOU WILL NOT HURT MY BABY!" She wailed. Sabia lifted a brow as Isolde flung her fists at her back. She sighed again, and lifted her lip in warning, Avariel growling his own warning.
"Woman, stop that," she said, her voice dripping with threat. Isolde ignored her, banging her fists uselessly against Sabia's leather armor. Sabia let out a heavy breath of exasperation and drew back her fist. She let her fist fly, connecting with Isolde's jaw, knocking her out cold. Alistair and Leliana looked at her in horror,
"You just knocked out Eamon's WIFE!" Alistair cried. Sabia growled.
"She was only making this difficult. Be glad she hadn't pulled a weapon on me, or I would have killed her in self defense, if Avariel hadn't done it first. Let us find the child and be done with it. I am not eager to kill a child, but we must think of the other lives at stake," she said, heading up the corridor.
They searched the castle for hours, but the boy was nowhere to be found. Sabia was about to scream in frustration, when they finally cornered him in the study of Eamon's quarters. Sabia approached him cautiously, and the boy looked at her with wide eyes.
"You should go before the angry lady comes back," he said, and the undertone in his voice was gone. "She doesn't like anyone coming up here. She'll hurt you, and I don't want to see anyone else get hurt. Please, go!"
Sabia blinked, taken aback by the boys plaintive plea.
"Hon, do you mean the demon?" She asked. He nodded.
"She came to me while I was dreaming. She pushed her way in, and I couldn't stop her. She promised to save Father, and he didn't die from the sickness. She makes me hurt people though, makes them do bad things. I don't want to hurt people anymore. I want it to stop!" He cried, tears pouring down his cheeks.
Wynne moved to hug him, wrapping him in her arms.
"You poor child. You poor child," she said softly, her voice choked with tears.
Sabia turned to see Isolde in the doorway. She narrowed her eyes.
"Do you not hear your son?" She spat. Connor looked at his mother imploringly.
"Please, mother. Don't let me hurt anyone again. I don't want you or Uncle to be next. I can't stop the angry lady anymore!" He cried. "It hurts when she makes me do things. It hurts when she's inside me. Please, Mother, make it stop hurting!"
Wynne pulled back and Isolde crushed Connor to her chest. She shook as she cried silently, and Sabia was quiet, waiting to see what Isolde would do. The woman pulled a dagger from her belt, and Connor convulsed.
"Mother... she... she's coming! It hurts, Mother! It hurts so much!"
Isolde kissed his forehead.
"Mother will make the pain stop, Connor," she choked out. "I'll make it stop."
She slid the dagger between his ribs, and he fell slack in her arms, eyes closing. A shriek of anger, pain and rage sounded in the room as the demon's link to the mortal world was severed, and it was only rivalled by the sounds that came from Isolde's throat as she held her son's body to her chest. Sabia turned silently, leaving to room to leave the mother to grieve in private. Alistair glared at her as the rest of them filed quietly out of the room, Zevran shutting the door behind them.
...
Teagan regarded Sabia carefully, and she met his gaze evenly. He let out a quavering sigh and ran his hands over his face.
"And it's over... I... I wish there was something we could do, but..." He trailed off. "You did what had to be done. Maker knows I couldn't have done it."
Sabia shook her head.
"I didn't. Isolde did it. I would have done it if she didn't, but she did. I know you must think me a monster, but it had to be done," she said softly.
Teagan drew closer, and she flinched almost invisibly, but said nothing as Teagan embraced her.
"You did what had to be done. I do not begrudge you that. I hate to admit it, but it was Isolde's selfishness that brought this on. It could have been prevented," he said, pulling back before the hug grew awkward- something Sabia silently thanked him for. They stood looking at each other quietly, before Teagan turned away, looking at the door that closed off Eamon's room.
"The fact remains that Eamon is still comatose, and we need his voice to rally against Loghain," he said. Sabia made a soft noise.
"You, too, huh?" She asked, her lips pursing. Teagan scowled.
"Sabia, he ABANDONED Cailan's men," he said heatedly. "He labeled you as outlaws. Surely you don't SYMPATHIZE with him?"
"I was Conscripted, Teagan. I didn't WANT to be a Warden. I was Conscripted right out from under my parents and forced from Highever before their blood even ran cold. Loghain tried to plead on my behalf to have me released, but Duncan refused to let me go. I didn't want ANY of this. I wanted to find Fergus and retake my home. Who knows what Howe is doing to it, or what lies he's spreading about our family!" Her voice had started out calm, but rose in pitch and anger with each syllable.
"The Tower of Ishal was overrun by Darkspawn, from tunnels below. We had to fight an OGRE to get to the beacon. By the time we had lit it, it was most likely too late. Loghain is defensive of this country, but he won't send men to their deaths if he can prevent it. If he'd sent his men in, they would have gone to their doom, and would have left Ferelden defenseless. You know just as well as I do that Loghain would never leave this country defenseless, not with our freedom only so recently won from Orlais. He did what he thought was right for our country."
"And what of Cailan? Did he do what was right for Cailan?" Teagan retorted angrily. Sabia narrowed her eyes in a mixture of pain and anger.
"I was there when the plans were laid out. Loghain kept trying to tell Cailan to stay back, and not be on the front lines, that it was foolish and dangerous. Cailan wanted to be a king from a fairy tale, fighting at the front lines and charging to victory. If he'd listened to Loghain, he might have been able to be saved. His own obsession with glory and tall tales were what killed him, Teagan," Sabia said. "No one could save Cailan at that point. Not even the Wardens, seeing as Duncan died as well. There were just too many Darkspawn."
Teagan looked away, and Sabia realized with a pang, that he might not just be mourning Cailan's loss as a nephew- he and Eamon probably were feeling the loss of their connection to the throne, and probably were wondering at their fate with the Landsmeet with the Mac Tir family having hold of the crown. She made another impatient sound softly in her throat.
"You never struck me as a very political man, Teagan," she said quietly. Teagan scowled.
"I'm not, but now that my brother lies ill, I have no choice but to be involved, don't it?" He said bitterly. Sabia sighed and looked at Eamon as he lay there, dead to the world.
"How are we supposed to bring him back?" She asked.
"The Urn of Sacred Ashes," Isolde said hoarsely, coming into the room. "The Ashes of the Maker's Bride and Prophet will restore him."
Sabia blinked.
"Are we sure it even exists?" She asked incredulously. Teagan cocked his head.
"Isolde sponsored a scholar by the name of Brother Genetivi. He had made some progress in his research and believed he had a lead as to their location," he said. Sabia made a small sound of disbelief.
"The ashes. Truly?" She asked. Isolde nodded.
"He is in Denerim."
Sabia blanched.
"If his allegations are true, I will be happy to help find these ashes," she began, and Isolde gave her a genuine, albeit pained and watery smile.
"I thank you for your willingness to help my husband," she said. Sabia held up a hand.
"However. You said DENERIM? I doubt I can waltz into the city without being apprehended by the guards and taken into Howe's custody, where I would be slain on the spot. Surely there is some way to contact him and have him meet me elsewhere. It's too risky. I have a price of five hundred sovereigns on my head!" She said.
Isolde and Teagan's eyes went wide.
"FIVE HUNDRED sovereigns?" Teagan repeated incredulously. "That's a ridiculous amount of gold for your death!"
"No. That's Loghain's reward for bringing me back alive. HOWE, however, would not need that money, and would slay me on the spot," Sabia said, frowning. Teagan looked at her as though seeing something about her for the first time.
"Loghain wants you alive? I see... so then..."
Sabia blinked.
"Then what?" She asked, confused. Teagan blinked and shook his head.
"It's nothing, my Lady. I'd... heard rumors that he took your family's death hard. He- he did promise your father that he'd protect you if something happened to him, did he not?" He said, and his tone seemed hasty to Sabia. She narrowed her eyes slightly, but said nothing, merely nodding. He straightened himself up and cleared his throat, only furthering Sabia's suspicion that something was up. She pushed the thought aside. Her business would not be aired in front of Isolde- not if she could help it.
"Back to the matter at hand. Is there any way to contact this scholar and have him meet me outside of Denerim?" She asked. Isolde frowned.
"I have not heard from him in weeks. I fear his messages are being intercepted," she admitted. Sabia huffed.
"Lovely. Howe's doing, no doubt. Looks like I have no choice? Looks like we have to go to Denerim. Maker help me," she said in exasperation. "I will go. However, I will leave this warning."
Teagan blinked.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"If I find the Dalish on the way to Denerim, I will make a detour to remind them of their obligation to the Wardens. There is a Blight coming, and I need all the help I can get. I have yet to see hide or hair of the Dalish, so if I do find them, I won't squander the opportunity," she said carefully. Teagan nodded, and Isolde nodded as well- if a bit reluctantly.
"He is comatose, but stable for now. Go and make haste," he said, following her from the room. His tone warmed a bit, his eyes softening into an unreadable expression. "And... be careful."
Sabia paused, examining his face carefully before she nodded and pulled her cloak on, drawing the hood before sweeping from the room.
...
"So let me get this straight. We are going on a quest to find ashes of a dead woman- ashes that may not exist?" Sten asked in disbelief as they made camp. Sabia snorted as she focused on her task, her eyes narrowed in concentration.
"Believe me, Sten. I do NOT like this idea any more than you do, but Eamon is the only one who has the authority to call a Landsmeet- the only one who WILL and isn't cowed by the current power holder," she replied, eyeing the stitches she was sewing into Alistair's shoulder. Alistair winced as the needle and thread moved through his skin, but he remained still- and quiet. He knew better than to evoke the wrath of the woman sewing a gash in his flesh shut. Zevran, however, was not being sewn together by Sabia's steady hands, so he felt no need to make the comment Alistair left unsaid.
"You mean Loghain," he said simply. Sabia narrowed her eyes further as she carefully slid the needle through the skin again, eliciting another hiss from Alistair.
"No. I mean Rendon Howe, the bastard who hired you. Anora is queen, but Loghain is her regent, and he is not a politician. Howe, unfortunately, is, and will be feeding Loghain all sorts of poison, whispered in his ear," she said, pausing to wipe blood from the stitches. Alistair gritted his teeth and she made a soothing sound, grinning at how much of a baby he was being over a few stitches.
"Loghain is paranoid over keeping Orlais out of Ferelden, and Howe is no doubt drawing on that to bend Loghain to his will. It would not surprise me if he made a reach for the throne himself by offering one of his sons as a new husband for Anora. This is my theory, of course, but seeing as the man slaughtered my family, it would not surprise me if that is what he planned," she concluded, tightening the stitches gently and tying them off. She pulled out some salve and rubbed it on the stitches tenderly before wrapping Alistair's shoulder with clean bandages. Alistair rolled it tentatively and blinked.
"Thank you, Sabia," he said, taken by surprise. "I didn't know you were skilled at first aid."
Sabia nodded and tucked her supplies away.
"Skill learned from my mother. One doesn't always have a healer available," she said simply, looking at Wynne with worry, her brow crinkling. Wynne was sleeping soundly in her tent, the flaps open in the warm air. They'd been attacked by a group of darkspawn that had them completely outnumbered and overwhelmed, and Wynne had passed out after over exerting herself. Sabia had urged them to stop and make camp, and had seen to it that Wynne was comfortable. Though her patronizing could get grating, the woman was useful, and had a good heart. Sabia wouldn't take chances with her health.
"I'm glad. You were far more gentle than I thought you were going to be," Alistair said, putting his gambeson back on. Sabia snickered.
"I try," she said, then turned to face Zevran. "We're heading to Denerim. Everyone will stay outside the city limits. You, Morrigan and I will be going inside to seek out the scholar Teagan mentioned," she said.
"What? Why? Why should we stay outside?" Alistair protested. Sabia set her mouth in a firm line.
"Because Morrigan can change into a crow, and Zevran and I can sneak past the guards. We have a bounty on our heads and Howe's men seek our deaths. We have to be covert about this. Denerim is dangerous- it's a dragon's den, and Howe and Loghain are the dragons that would eat us," she said sternly.
"So you're finally admitting Loghain is dangerous," Alistair said wryly, giving her a sidelong smile. Sabia snorted, trying to keep the ire from the sound. Alistair was on a dangerous middle ground between pleasant and angry, and she didn't want to argue like they HAD been all day.
"He's always been dangerous. He picked well when he chose the wyvern to be the heraldry for Gwaren, as I've known him to be as dangerous- and quick tempered- as one since I was a girl and first spent a week at Gwaren at Anora's side. He's dangerous when what he loves and strives to protect are threatened. He's more dangerous now because Howe has sank his fangs into him and injected him with his poison," Sabia said heatedly, shuddering with rage. "I can't wait to kill that treacherous bastard."
"So you sneak in, talk to Genetivi, then what? We go seek out this Urn? A myth?" Morrigan asked. Sabia shrugged.
"It is not high on my priorities at the given moment. I will be seeking out the Dalish, and if we traverse that way, we will go to Orzammar as well. Our allies are more important. I'll not waste time," she replied, pulling out some deathroot and a concentrator agent, preparing to make poisons. Sten and Morrigan exchanged equally exasperated looks, but were quiet. Sabia was quiet as she brewed her deadly concoction- Zevran had taught her to make Quiet Death, and she enjoyed the effects it had on foes, so she tried to keep a decent stock.
"If it comes to it, I will go underground and find those who are loyal to us. If I can find at least a handful of nobles willing to support my claim as the heir of Highever, I can call the Landsmeet myself- I do outrank Eamon, after all," she said, not tearing her eyes from her task. Alistair blinked.
"You would be that desperate to call the Landsmeet?" He asked. Sabia held up a vial of the Quiet Death, making a purr of satisfaction as she saw it was clear as water, swirling the poison in its vial before sealing it with wax. She looked at Alistair seriously after putting the vial in the pouch on her belt.
"Loghain is being poisoned by Howe. The quicker we get to him and kill that snake, the quicker I can get the poison out, and maybe once he's cured, we can work together to save Ferelden."
Alistair huffed.
"He won't work with us. You know this, Sabia," he insisted. Sabia cocked her head.
"He will listen to what I have to say, Alistair. Trust me on this. I'm practically family," she said gently. Alistair fumed at her.
"Trust you? You made Lady Isolde KILL her own SON! How can I TRUST you?" He raged. Sabia sighed. So now that she was no longer sewing him up, he finally unleashed his wrath. She let him hiss and spit like an ally cat as he ranted and paced by the fire. After he'd ranted, he stood just out of reach, his chest heaving as he glared at her. Sabia eyed him coolly.
"Are you quite done yet?" She asked. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out, he was so taken aback by her lack of remorse. Sabia lifted a brow then went back taking inventory of her poison ingredients, ignoring him. She didn't have to explain anything to him, she owed him nothing. He was there, and they'd already had this argument earlier. He knew Wynne had said there was nothing that could be done. Sabia had a nagging suspicion that the blood mage might have known a way- it would have been messy, no doubt, but he might have known- but there was no use crying over an apostate she released. She packed her things back up and moved to the edge of camp, sheathing her weapons, Avariel sidling up next to her.
"If you're done, I'll take first watch tonight. I'd suggest you all sleep. I intend to press hard to Denerim over the next few days," she announced. Zevran and Leliana mumbled, but Sten nodded in approval. Morrigan shrugged apathetically and wandered over to her shelter. Alistair glared at her before retreating into his tent. Sabia sighed to herself, scratching Avariel's ears as she stared at her surroundings. She halfway wished something would pick a fight with her, she was shaking with suppressed anger. Maybe she would get the fight she wanted in Denerim.