Okay so I was going to work on History Repeats Itself because, well the feedback on that one is going quite well and I don't want to disappoint anyone and I'm sure with enough time on my iPod I can get the story up and running again. But right now, I got some fresh ideas and decided to let this one roll again. Hope you all enjoy! MOVING ON...
Disclaimer: I tried to steal it but it didn't work. Turns out I'm about as subtle as shouting FIRE in the middle of a movie theater. All together, don't sue me over it.
Comparing Scars...
"So where exactly are we going?" Asked Alistair. Roofus lead the way with his nose, followed by Sparrow and Alistair next to each other. They finally made it to Rookridge before the sun went down. As they made their way as quickly as possible, Sparrow noticed someone in the distance. Two men, to be precise, dressed as bandits. Because they were in fact, bandits. She held out her arm to stop Alistair and made a soft sound at a now growling Roofus. Reaching behind her, she pulled out her rifle and positioned herself to aim. The head of the bandit was right in her line of sight when her finger tensed slowly, taking a half step forward to ensure her bullet would reach it's target. Without another moments hesitation, the loud bang of her rifle pierced right between the bandit's eyes.
He dropped to his knees before falling face first in the puddle of mud at his feet. "NO," Cried his bandit companion. "We had so many plans!" He whipped out his pistole and aimed for Sparrow who quickly dove out of the way. Alistair, taking a hint that he should probably do the same dove on the opposite side of the path. His hand immediately went behind him as he reached for the steel sword hanging on his back that Sparrow had purchased for him. He still didn't fully understand the rifle and so they both decided to put that off until as long as possible. The bandit kept firing randomly in Sparrow's direction, giving Alistair his opporitunity. He slowly crept until he was a short enough distance and was easily closed as he lunged on the bandit shooting his newest... friend? Aquaintance?... before driving his sword through the bandit's heart. The bandit looked up at Alistair with glassy eyes and then looked past him into the sky.
"Nice work," complimented Sparrow as she emerged from the bushes, brushing the sticks and leaves off. "For a minute there I thought he had me pretty well locked in."
They continued on, running into bandit after bandit until they finally appeared in Bowerstone Old Town in the dark of the night. Sparrow took a deep shakey breath as she tried to make her way from one end of the district to the other, which was the market district. Familiar faces of her youth poked their heads about and shouted their greetings enthusiastically at Sparrow. She shook her head and continued on trying to block out the reoccuring question of where her sister was. Finally Roofus stuck his snout up in the air and with a deep sniff barked for his mistress to follow him and quickly. He just may have found treasure. A small smile appeared on Sparrow's face as she followed her fury friend.
They sprinted through the district ducking and dodging the civilians as they turned down a street which, once they reached they end, made Sparrow stop in her tracks. The house, which now stood proudly, much more proud than the makeshift hut that Rose and Sparrow lived in, made it nearly impossible for Sparrow to breath. She took a hesitant step forward to where Roofus began to dig enthusiastically. She knelt down and began digging with her hands pulling and scraping at the dirt. A book was uncovered in the dirt, tatered and worn, not only by it's unceremonial burial, but it seemed the book was never in good condition to begin with. Sparrow shook her head to herself. This couldn't be Rose's diary, could it? She flipped open the book to it's last entry. With a horrified gasp, her hand flew up to her mouth to stop her from crying out loud. It truely was what she expected. Rose's diary was still entact, barely, but enough for Sparrow. She read that last entry outloud, unaware she was doing so.
"I managed to find a nice piece of charcoal this morning so I can finally start writing again," she read softly. Alistair knelt down beside her to listen better. "I still haven't finished putting down the story of the warrior girl who fights snow monsters. Lily always likes listening to that one-sends her right to sleep! It's not so easy for me. Winter is getting colder and soon our shelter wont be anywhere near enough. We'll freeze to death if we don't find something better. And the family of travellers who let us stay in their caravan last year haven't come back this year. It was nice having someone looking after us for a change. If only we could find some secret passage into the castle... We're small enough that no one would notice us. We'd be like ghost, or like mice, hiding in the walls. We'd tip toe when everyone goes to bed and raid the larder. I bet they have so much food in there, they'd never even notice. Bah, day-dreaming isn't going to get us anywhere. You have to think of something Rose. You're the big sister, remember?"
"Sounds like she'd do anything for her sister," Alistair barely whispered. He was unaware that Rose was the older sister of Sparrow, who was staring at the pages sadly. Alistair thought it was for the same regret that he felt when he suspected death claimed both Rose and Lily in the freezing winters.
"She would have," agreed Sparrow. When Alistair's puzzled look caught Sparrow's eyes she sighed. "Rose was my sister. She died when I was ten."
"Oh I-" Alistair sighed, regretting that his foot had once again fallen into his mouth. It was a wonder it didn't choke him at times. "I'm so sorry for your loss."
"Thank you," She held the book to her chest for a moment before standing once more and slipping it into one of her pouches on her belt. "Well, that's enough of that." She straightened her back and stretched. "We should be on our way. The Hero's Guild is not too far from here. We should make it before dawn."
"You don't think we should stop for the night?" Half asked, half complained Alistair.
"I've wasted enough time as it is," sternly spoke Sparrow like a mother scolding her children. "We need to find the Hero of Will before it's too late and Lucien kills us all." 'Just because he managed to fail at that once doesn't mean he wont succeed on his second attempt,' she thought bitterly.
"Lucien?"
"Lord Lucien," she nearly spit when she referred to him as Lord Lucien. "Is the man responsible for my sister's death. He tried to kill me, but he failed. Look over there do you see that incredible tower in the distance?"
Alistair did see it. A high, almost triangular tower that was intimidating from far away, Alistair couldn't imagine what it would look like up close. "Maker's breath," his eyes were wide in astonishment. "What is that?"
"That is the Tattered Spire," explained Sparrow. "Within those walls hides my greatest enemy. He plans on rebuilding the Spire to make a single wish, one that could bring destruction to all of Albion. I cannot allow that to happen. I must seek the Hero's of Will, Strength, and Skill if I ever wish to defeat him."
"And how do you plan to do that?"
"The same way he did to my sister," she replied. "A single bullet."
"Right," nodded Alistair. "How exactly do I fit in to all this?"
"I could use all the help I can get," Sparrow shrugged. "Plus having a companion to talk to is nice." Roofus protested wih a loud whine. "Oh don't be such a baby. I was talking about someone to hold a whole conversation with. You can't really respond back and when you do it's just 'bark bark'. How am I suppose to know what that means?"
"Well you seem to understand him enough," countered Alistair. Sparrow shot him a look before continuing on ahead of him. He looked down at Roofus who, if he could, looked offended by his owners claim that she couldn't talk to him. "I understand." Roofus walked close to Alistair for a long time until Sparrow noticed he had left her company for that of a stranger. She waited for the two boys to catch up to her before she started once more towards Bower Lake.
"That hill down there," she showed him. "It's known as Hero Hill. There is a cullis gate that we need to go through if we wish to meet with Theresa and Hammer."
"A what?" Asked Alistair.
"It's a cullis gate," repeated Sparrow. "In short, it will get us from the top of Hero Hill to the Hero's Guild."
They made their way across Bower Lake until they had reached Hero Hill. It was much higher than Alistair had thought before. Sparrow and Roofus ran out ahead of him while he practically dragged hisself to the top. 'I've got to stop drinking,' he thought as he finally made it to the top where Sparrow and Roofus waited expectantly. "Are you alright?" Asked Sparrow. Instead of actually speaking, Alistair just nodded and huffed. "Alright, just step in this blue glowing... thing. And it'll take us where we need to go." Alistair hesistantly stood next to her as the gate's bright glow only grew brighter and brighter until the blue light became white. Alistair could not see a thing until the inside of a dark room, with murals detailing the life of some great hero. The walls were cracked and some of the painted had long since chipped away. Even parts of the floor were there no longer. Two women stood apart from each other. Each taken in by their own interest, neither of them at all alike. One woman, a large brown haired woman in robes like a monk stood carrying a large hammer and took the time swinging it around. Alistair didn't have to guess that she was Hammer, or if she was not, he could honestly say he was surprised. The other woman in a different set of robes, seemed as though she was waiting for Sparrow with news regaurding this Hero of Will Sparrow had mentioned before. Alistair couldn't make out any facial features as her face was covered by a large red hood hanging past her eyes and leaving the rest of her face in shadow.
"There you are," spoke Theresa. She didn't even look at Alistair. "I see you've gained a new companion." She took a slow step forward, closer to Alistair than he could have honestly said he was comfortable with. She circled around him once. "I can see you will serve a great purpose one day Alistair."
He was taken back at the old woman's statement. "You know who I am," he asked.
"My eyes may be gone," her tone was cool as she explained. "But I can see far more than what little this world itself can show me. Just as have known of Ferelden and it's fall." Alistair hung his head at the mention of his fallen homeland. "There was nothing you could have done. Ferelden had corrupted itself long before the taint had taken over." Alistair nodded but didnt' speak. Theresa turned back to Sparrow. "Now, you should continue on your search for the next Hero. I believe the second of our Heroes, the Mage, is in Brightwood. There is a powerful Will-user there named Garth. Do you remember that name?"
The name seemed familiar to Sparrow but she kept drawing a blank. Perhaps she had simply heard mention of him based on his status as a Hero. She shook her head.
"He was there the night Lucien killed Rose." Sparrow's eyes narrowed as she remembered the Mage rudely pushing past her as he took his leave of Fairfax Castle one second too early. Who knew if could have stopped Lucien from killing her sister?
"You didn't tell me that," gasped Hammer. "How are we supposed to trust him?" Sparrow agreed with Hammer. Who was to say that he wasn't working with Lucien in an attempt to bring down Albion?
Theresa held up her hand before further protests could be made. "Garth believed Lucien's interest in the Old Kingdom was purely academic. like his own. And Lucien, for his part, thought Garth was merely a brilliant scholar. When each learned the truth about each other, their partnership ended. Violently."
"Well that's comforting," thought Sparrow loudly. Though she wasn't sure if she was going to have quite as friendly a relationship with Garth as she did with Hammer. She did take comfort that he was just as willing to bring down Lucien by any means as she was. "Were exactly can we find Garth?"
"You will find Garth in Brightwood Tower. I have seen a vision of him toiling on some ancient technology there. Surely he intends to stop Lucien, but he cannot do so without help," She waved her hand for Sparrow and Alistair to take their leave. "Go and inform him of our intent." She quickly turned to Hammer. "Hammer you should remain here."
Dumbfounded that she wouldn't be able to take part in Sparrow's journey, a feeling Alistair knew too well, she was taken aback. "Why," she asked sharply. "I'm ready."
"With Lucien still searching for Hero's," explained the even tempered woman. "It's safest for you here."
"Fine," she pouted. "But don't think you're holding me back when the action starts." She looked at Sparrow who was trying to be comforting that she was stuck in the Guild while Sparrow and Alistair were free to do as they wished. "My father," She said sadly. "Thought his faith would protect him from the world. I wont make the same mistake." She walked away and brooded quietly to herself as she mourned the loss of her father.
"Go now," Theresa pointed to the cullis gate that Alistair and Sparrow had arrived in.
"So I get to stay here with this barrel of laughs," Hammer pointed at Theresa. It was quite clear that she didn't like the older woman who she considered to be holding her back. "While you go off into the world. Great." She sat down and folded her arms, clearly changing from sulking to pouting.
'I wonder if Theresa told her to put on a dress and dance the Remigold if she'd actually do it,' thought Alistair remembering himself protesting and angrily stalking to the Tower of Ishal because he would not be joining Duncan in the battle. He followed Sparrow to the cullis gate which lead them back to the top of Hero Hill, he pondered for a moment if instead of running, he could just lay on his side roll the rest of the way down. Sparrow, on the other hand, didn't waste time she tore out in front of the party, even Roofus looked as though he would protest from running too much.
"So tell me Sparrow," panted Alistair. "Was walking looked down upon in your childhood?"
"Rose and I used to run around a lot when we were children," confirmed Sparrow. "Rose used to tell me to run very, very fast and I could make bad men disappear so long as I was the fastest. She was almost right."
"You were very close to your sister," Alistair couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. His own sister Goldanna, had wanted nothing to do with him, for reasons he supposed he should have seen coming. It was that moment he learned to stand up for himself, but at the cost of the family he had always wanted. His brother, the King of Ferelden, came from a whole different world altogether, and now even if they could have formed some brotherly love, it was too late when he was killed in the Battle at Ostagar. Then again, he lost a lot of brothers that day.
"I was an orphan," started Sparrow. She quickly shook her head. "Well I still am an orphan really. But Rose tried to raise me to the best of her abilities, considering she was only three years my senior she didn't do a bad job of it. I sometimes wonder how she would have been if she was a proper mother with a good husband to take care of her." She paused for a moment and studied Alistair who seemed tense all of a sudden. "Did you have any siblings Alistair?"
"I had a half brother and a half sister," nodded Alistair. "My sister I didn't meet until the Blight had begun, that was a bad decision on my part. She rejected me as soon as she learned who I was and that I didn't have anything to offer her. I was useless to her if the king's bastard didn't have anything to give her children. Then again, we hardly had enough for ourselves."
"The king's bastard?"
"Riiight," he scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, my half brother, was the king of Ferelden. His father was my father although my mother was a serving girl who caught King Maric in the right mood, if you know what I mean." Sparrow looked at him wide eyed, did that mean he was a-? "A before you say it, no I'm not! Despite what happened in Ferelden, I'm not a prince, a king, or anything that has anything to do remotely with court! I'm just Alistair, everyone's made that perfectly clear." 'Perfectly,' the thought stung for a moment but passed quickly.
"So you are a prince," reasoned Sparrow. "Just denied your birthright?"
"In so many words I suppose you're right," shrugged Alistair. "Look it was alright that I wasn't known to everyone as Bastard Prince Alistair, even the few who DID know me that way was too much. Those that do know resent me or coddle me."
"Why would they resent you?"
"Because I was treated differently," Alistair tried to explain. "When I was training as a Grey Warden, Duncan kept me out of battles just so I wouldn't get hurt because if something happened to me and Cailan, who knows what would become of Ferelden? But I didn't know the first thing about being a king I was raised in Arl Eamon's estate but he kept me as far away from politics as he possibly could just to throw me right into the middle twenty-three years too late!"
"So you ran away from your home," Sparrow smacked her forehead and shook her head. "Those people looked to you!"
"No they didn't," defensively shot Alistair. "I didn't have to worry about it because Audrea made Anora queen. I was alright with that until she told me she was going to spare the man that killed my brother in Ostagar!" He paused for a moment and sighed. "I thought Audrea cared for me but she sent me to be executed. I managed to escape with the help of a friend. I never went back since."
"What happened to your friend?"
"She left for Orlais," Alistair let his head hang. "I wonder if she's okay. Maker, I hope she is."
"You love her," Sparrow didn't mean for the sound of jealousy to become so apparent. She had a habit of being about as subtle as shouting FIRE in the middle of the temple of Light. Though she usually didn't find herself jealous for a man she hardly knew, she couldn't deny that she was human with human emotions. Including but not limited to, jealousy and attraction.
"Who? Leliana?" Alistair wrinkled his nose at the thought, much to Sparrow's relief. "NO! No not at all. I mean I respected her, she was a good friend to me, but I was never in love with her." Sparrow kept her mouth closed but Alistair couldn't help but smirk as he realized Sparrow's expression changed when he spoke of Leliana and Audrea. "Why are you so interested?"
Sparrow opened her mouth for a moment, her cheeks flushed a red that matched her shirt. "Oh," she sputtered. "Don't even think so highly of yourself Alistair! It's not what you think."She folded her arms as Alistair kept smirking and following Roofus ahead of her. Though she couldn't say that she was in love with Alistair, she really wasn't going to deny that she was certainly attracted to him. Especially that smug look on his face as though inwardly he were giggling like a little girl. Those hazel eyes that were wide and curious like a child in one moment, then flashed serious and aged instantly like he had seen far more than most have in his experiences. Even his voice was attractive! After a moment of embarassed pouting Sparrow spoke once more. "So you've had feelings like that before?"
"Like what," asked Alistair still looking as smug as he had when he stopped and waited alongside Roofus who was looking from his mistress to his new friend with a tilted head.
"Love you dope," she snapped. Her cheeks never lost their redness and that only made things worse.
"I did," nodded Alistair. Like she had thought, his eyes went from childishly playful, to instantly serious. "But it was unrequited, I just didn't know it at the time."
"Audrea," she noted. "The one who betrayed you?"
"Yes," his smug expression now gone as he stared at his feet. "I loved her, I thought she loved me."
'I thought I meant something to you,' It was his last words to Audrea that night they took him away. 'But I guess now is as good a time as any to find out that something just doesn't cut it. One day I hope you get what's coming to you!' They certainly did, and yet Alistair was still left unsure of how he was suppose to feel. On the one hand he was giddy as a school girl that Loghain survived the Joining and was then killed by something else in battle, maybe an ogre, maybe the archdemon, Alistair didn't know nor did he care. Audrea though, after everything they had gone through together, did she deserve the same fate?
"How ironic," pondered Sparrow. "That we lose someone we love so much, turn into wandering strays, and then find ourselves depressed all the time."
Alistair chuckled. "I must say," he admitted. "It is as though someone threw us together to compare scars or something."
"Well I do have an ugly one on my chest where Lucien shot me."
"And I have a pretty nasty one where an ogre picked me up and threw me across a room like a ragdoll... Not one of my shining moments," he added sheepishly. "I couldn't walk straight for a week until we found Wynne. I was seeing triple everythings."
Alistair and Sparrow spent the rest of their journey to Brightwood comparing battles and scars. Neither knowing whose was worse. Both condemned to die, both betrayed, both without family. Whose was worse?
(A/N: FINALLY! Sheeze I felt like I was trudging through something really thick to get through this. Don't ask me why I just couldn't get this to go as I had wanted it to. So tell me what you think, should something be changed, should Roofus bite someone because it would be funny? Read, review, and remember: I love you! Especially all my reviewers and everyone else who added this to their favorites, alerts, or... some other third thing... Remember: I love you guy a whole lot!)
