AN: For my daughter, whose pleading for another chapter finally forced me to get back to this, and for Liso66, who bravely faced the giant dust bunnies to find Lanie for me.
When Elandria left the meeting with Ashalle, she was feeling satisfied with how things had gone. She had answered all his questions, and she was expecting the Wardens to return to Amaranthine in the next day or so when they had completed the rest of their business in Denerim. Elandria realized this wouldn't be the end of the matter and that more questions were sure to come from Weisshaupt. She just hoped she could figure out what was going on with Kellin before then. Elandria was really hoping that this ability he seemed to be displaying was a result of the Lenayath between Torin and Kellin and not something that had to do with the Archdemon.
As she continued to think and worry about Kellin, the city bells rang six. The normal routine in the palace had been turned upside down lately with the wedding and the assassination attempts on Alistair and Kellin, but Elandria hoped things would soon settle down. Alistair had told her that he and Eamon normally spent some time at the end of each day going over things that had happened that day and preparing for the next. Elandria decided to make for Alistair's study to see if she could catch the two men together. She had purposefully not mentioned anything about the nanny situation to Alistair. She wanted to wait until Eamon was present as well.
Elandria turned in the direction of Alistair's study with her two guards trailing her. Today was the first day that Niall Black had been back on duty since the wedding reception. Elandria had glared at the man this morning and simply told him "not to try anything," but she knew her battle wasn't with him. It would be with the Revered Mother, although Elandria wasn't feeling as if she was in a particularly strong position in that regard with the desire demon still lurking in the Fade waiting to be dealt with. One problem at a time, however, she thought to herself. Now was the time to take care of Eamon and the nanny situation.
Elandria arrived at the study door to find three guards stationed outside. Before they could even speak, she held up a hand and said, "Don't even bother trying to stop me." She walked past them and knocked on the door as the three guards exchanged glances.
"Yes?" came Alistair's voice.
Elandria pushed the door open and entered, telling her guards they could remain outside before shutting it once again behind her.
"Lanie," said Alistair in a fond tone of voice. He rose from his chair and came around from behind his desk to lean down and kiss her softly on the lips. Elandria smiled up at him as he lifted his head. "Here, have a seat. Eamon and I were just about finished."
"Thank you, Alistair," Elandria said as she took the other chair before Alistair's desk. Elandria smiled at Hugh, who was standing quietly along the wall. "Hello, Hugh," she said, acknowledging Alistair's guard commander.
Hugh nodded to her but didn't speak. He much preferred being just a part of the surroundings and not drawing attention to himself when he was on duty.
"Hello, Elandria," Eamon said as he started to get up.
"Please stay, Eamon. What I want to discuss with Alistair concerns you as well," Elandria said. Eamon halted midrise and resumed his seat in the chair.
Alistair returned to his place behind the desk and asked, "What's on your mind, my dear?"
"Did Eamon tell you what happened yesterday with the nanny?" Elandria asked.
"He just mentioned you rejected the one he had selected," replied Alistair.
"But not until after he had brought the nanny in to meet Kellin. I'm not so sure Kellin needs a nanny. Zynalla, Torin, and the other servants all have him well in hand. Plus I try to spend as much time with him as I can," said Elandria.
"He most certainly does need one," retorted Eamon before Alistair could say anything. Eamon leaned toward Alistair as he said earnestly, "I'm hearing grumbles about so many elves surrounding the prince, and they are getting worse. Kellin spent his first few years raised among the Dalish; his mother is an elf; his guard commander is one; and now his primary caregiver is one as well. I don't understand why you didn't put Ser Bryce in charge of Kellin's guard detachment instead of that young elf. Granted he performed well with the attacks the other day, but let's hope that wasn't a fluke."
Alistair looked at Elandria with a question in his eye and a raised eyebrow. Elandria thought a moment and reluctantly nodded to Alistair.
"Eamon," Alistair began. "There is something you don't know about the relationship between Torin and Kellin. Torin is more than Kellin's guard commander."
"What do you mean?" Eamon asked.
Elandria picked up the explanation. "There was an elven ceremony performed before Alistair ever knew about Kellin's existence. It's an old and rare ritual that magically bonds the two of them together. Torin is Kellin's leigeman for life. They are linked by the magic that was performed that day. As a result, Torin often knows when Kellin is in danger before the danger is even apparent. It's happened a few times already, such as the assassin's attack the other night and Torin putting Kellin into his bed instead of Kellin's own." Elandria turned to Alistair. "But that isn't what is concerning me right now. It's Kellin himself."
"What about Kellin?" Alistair asked.
"Kellin's reaction to the nanny was extreme. He was screaming that she was 'bad' and 'black,' but how did he know that and what did he mean by 'black?' Torin's indications of danger seem to be generated as feelings so I'm wondering if this is somehow related to that. Perhaps it is all a side effect from the bonding of the Lenayath or …." Elandria trailed off.
"You are worried it might be something else," Alistair said shrewdly.
Elandria returned her gaze to Alistair's. Her worry for Kellin overrode her normal caution in front of Eamon as she replied, "What if it has something to do with his slaying of the Archdemon when I was carrying him?"
"Oh wow," said Alistair softly, sitting back in his chair thunderstruck. "I never even considered that. What are you suggesting, Lanie?"
Elandria pushed herself out of chair in her agitation, forgetting there were others in the room beside her and Alistair. "I don't know and that's what is worrying me. We've talked about how my magic has changed as a result of the Old God's soul moving through me. Kellin had even more contact with it than I did in destroying it. What if it changed something inside him as well, and how would we ever know?"
"Wait a minute," Eamon said, his confusion evident on his face. "What are you two talking about?"
Alistair and Elandria exchanged guilty glances. "Might as well tell him the rest," Elandria said ruefully. Elandria had been slow to warm to Eamon after learning how he had treated Alistair as a child. She had watched the relationship between the two men in the days she had been back in Alistair's life; however, and she realized that Eamon had grown beyond the mistakes of the past. If Alistair trusted him, then she would too.
"Eamon, what I'm about to tell you can never leave this room. These aren't just secrets between Lanie and me, but they are secrets of the Grey Wardens," Alistair stated solemnly. "Hugh, that goes for you too," Alistair added as an afterthought, although Hugh had proved himself countless times over the years and he wasn't worried about Hugh's discretion.
"I understand," Eamon said. "I won't tell a soul, not even Isolde."
"The only way to truly slay an Archdemon is for a Grey Warden to kill it. If not, the Old God's soul seeks out the nearest darkspawn and the process begins all over. If a Grey Warden slays the Archdemon, however, the Old God is drawn to the Grey Warden, but both the Warden and the Archdemon are killed."
Eamon looked even more confused than before. "Then how is Elandria alive?"
"Very good question. The answer is the Old God's soul wasn't drawn to Lanie; it was drawn through her to Kellin because he carried the taint that he inherited from both of us. HE is the one who actually destroyed the Archdemon. That's why the Wardens were so interested when they heard that Lanie was alive. No Warden had ever survived the destruction of an Archdemon before. Somehow in defeating the Old God, the taint was cleared from Kellin and allowed him to survive. Otherwise, he probably would not have lived… much like Moira." Alistair finished softly, looking down at his hands on the desk. Alistair had learned to live with the constant ache from the death of his daughter, but at times the pain of her loss still overwhelmed him.
"Moira's cause of death was never explained beyond illness. You are saying now it was somehow related to the Wardens?" asked Eamon.
Elandria quickly spoke so Alistair wouldn't have to answer that painful question. "Yes, Eamon. It is extremely unlikely that Alistair or I could ever have another child that would live much past its birth. The taint that flows within us is too strong now and a child would inherit our taint and could not survive it, which is what happened with Moira. But let's get back to Kellin."
Alistair looked up at Elandria, "So we need to watch Kellin and see if he exhibits any… abilities."
"I think so," agreed Elandria with a nod. "What happened yesterday may just be tied in with the Lenayath, but so much of our elven lore was lost, I just don't know exactly what is happening with Kellin or why."
Eamon cleared his throat. "I hate to say this, but if word gets out that Kellin has 'abilities,' it could be a threat to his taking the crown someday."
"I know," said Elandria. "That's one reason I'm worried and wondering just how many people we want to have access to realize that Kellin may be…special."
"Are you sure he isn't just exhibiting mage power that he inherited from you, Elandria?" asked Eamon.
"No, he's not. I would be able to detect the flow of mana within Kellin if that were the case, and I haven't felt anything like that from him. Whatever this is, it is not mage ability," Elandria said confidently. "Besides he is still too young. My power first showed at around six, and that was considered extremely young. I would expect it to be at least a few more years before there are any signs if he ends up being a mage," she replied.
"How likely is that?" asked Eamon nervously. "Even with the loosening of the controls on mages, there is no way Kellin will be able to be king if he controls magic. Neither the nobles nor the Chantry would ever tolerate a mage-king."
"I know," said Elandria sadly. "But there is no way to know until his power manifests, if it ever does, but let's not borrow trouble. It's a possibility, but there is just as large a chance he will not be a mage. Let's concentrate on what is best for him now and worry about that later."
"Well, what is best for Kellin is to have a human nanny as he begins to learn the things he will need to know to be king. Alistair, you have done a wonderful job these past years learning what you should have known from a young age, but you know as well as I that it took a lot of work and a lot of your time. You worked nonstop for years playing 'catchup.' Ferelden was lucky that you were willing to do so. Kellin needs to learn those things you had to work so hard at as he grows so that all the information will be there from day one when he someday becomes king, Maker willing," Eamon declared strongly.
Alistair looked at Elandria. "Lanie, Eamon is right. The nobles will become discontented if we do not allow more humans around Kellin. And he is also right about Kellin needing to learn about the kingship ahead of time. I was so ghastly unprepared after the Blight. If it weren't for Eamon, I never would have been able to do this job. He taught me so much of what should have been second nature to me, the names and alliances of the different noble houses, the influences on trade and taxation, services to the people, and so much more. All of it I learned from him. Kellin may not have an Eamon when the time comes. He has to be more prepared than I was."
"I can understand that," Elandria said. "However, I want to meet whoever you select ahead of time, and I want to be present when Kellin meets this new nanny. Because this person is going to have such involved contact with my son, I want some say in who that is."
Alistair looked at Eamon, "That seems reasonable."
"I have no problem with it," Eamon replied with a shrug. "As long as we are agreed the nanny will be human and be able to run the nursery as she sees fit."
Briana spent the next two days in Camden's sickroom with Alec to assist her. Fox left one of his men on guard in the room and she caught a glimpse of at least one more outside the door. Briana had assumed that Camden was one of Fox's men, but it soon became clear to her that he was as much a prisoner as she or Alec were. Briana was pleased that by the end of the day, Camden's fever had broken. The willow she had included in the drafts she gave him along with the cool bathing of his skin had done the trick.
Shortly before the evening hours of the second day, Camden roused himself and opened his eyes, blinking as his vision adjusted. The first thing he saw was the woman sitting by his bedside. She was looking away from him, but when he moved she quickly turned back to face him. Camden was encouraged by the kindness he saw in her big brown eyes.
"Camden," she said, reaching out a hand to hold him down and keep him flat in bed. "My name is Briana. I've been taking care of you. How are you feeling?"
Camden moistened his lips before speaking. "I'm better," he said with surprise. "My head isn't hurting as much."
"That's very good," Briana said encouragingly. "Here, let me get you some more water now, and hopefully later we can get some food into you."
As Briana turned to pour him another drink, Camden looked from Briana to Alec and his eyes grew watchful. "I suppose I should say thank you for taking care of me. But what exactly is going on here? Where am I and why am I being held?" Camden saw a quick glance pass between Briana and Alec.
Briana returned her attention to Camden as she handed him the goblet and then spoke, "We were rather hoping you could tell us. Alec and I were accosted on the road outside Cove and brought here with no reason given. We are somewhere in the western bannorn, but I couldn't tell you exactly where."
"I too was taken from the road," Camden admitted after he took a long pull of the water. "You have no idea who they are or what is wanted with us?"
"A man named Fox leads these men, but I highly doubt that is his real name," Briana said. "How long have you been here?"
"I'm not sure," Camden said. "I hardly remember arriving here, wherever we are. I was on the road between Amaranthine and Denerim when I was taken. I fell sick after the first two days and was barely conscious on our arrival."
Again, a look passed between Briana and Alec. "Is there any reason you can think why someone would want to kidnap you?" Briana asked. "Obviously, the same person must be behind both our abductions. I just wish I could figure out why."
A wary look passed over Camden's face as he considered what to say. He had no idea who these two strangers were, regardless of the fact that the woman seemed to be taking care of him. Caution would be his watchword for right now. He would try to give no clues to who he was. "I have been out of the country for some time. I was just returning to my family's home. I hadn't been in Ferelden for more than a day before I was taken."
"I see," Briana said. She had been watching Camden closely while they talked. She would eat her hat if he wasn't a noble of some sort. His underlying mannerisms and manner of speech all screamed of a privileged upbringing. Now she regretted not having paid more attention when she had lived at the Palace. She had been too focussed on her healing skills to have paid much attention to politics and who was who among the noble families of Ferelden.
"What about you?" asked Camden. "Is there any reason someone might wish to take you and your man captive?"
"How do you know Alec is 'my man'?" Brianna asked, more as a delaying tactic than anything else as her eyes went to Fox's man standing by the door.
Camden saw her glance at the guard at the door and then turn back to him. It only took him a second to make the connection and realize that she wouldn't say anything important that could be overheard by their captors. "I just assumed," he said and then changed the subject. "How long before I can get up?"
Briana laughed, a soft tinkling sound that mesmerized Camden. "Men, I swear you make the worst patients. If you continue the way I expect, you may start getting out of bed tomorrow. You will be weak, however, and fatigue easily so no promises until I see how you are."
"I understand," Camden said, and he did, but he also had no desire to lie in this bed at the mercy of whoever had taken them. Camden wasn't the most athletic of men, his gifts lying more in his mental abilities, but he didn't plan to roll over and play dead either. If they could find a way to escape their prison, he would be more than willing to do his part.
The next morning Rhedyn acted as if nothing unusual had occurred the night before. She helped Zevran break their camp and pack their tent and other items on the packhorse. She even smiled at him a time or two, which worried Zevran. The fact that she projected this false cheer only highlighted for him that she was hurting inside. However, Zevran didn't know Rhedyn well enough to attempt a confrontation to force her to face whatever she was running from, as he would have done with Elandria or one of his other close companions. The only thing he could think to do was go along with her pretended nonchalance and hope that he could somehow find a way to help her. Zevran didn't think to ask himself why it mattered to him that Rhedyn was hurting or just why he wanted so badly to help her.
Zevran pushed them hard that day, wanting to make Stormgard as quickly as possible. They camped late that night and were once again on the road early the next morning. After a few hours of traveling, they came to a small village. It wasn't large, but it seemed a bustling place. There was a blacksmith, a tavern, a small marketplace, and small cottages that lined the road into and out of the village.
Zevran stopped outside the tavern. He asked Rhedyn to stay with the horse. He didn't trust that their possessions wouldn't disappear if they both entered the building. Zevran removed his weapons, leaving them on the pack horse, and Rhedyn watched disbelievingly as his whole demeanor changed. He seemed to shrink an inch or two and his face took on a faintly worried expression. He ran a quick hand through his hair mussing it and hunched his shoulders. He pulled his cloak tightly about him to hide the fineness of the tailoring of his clothes before entering the tavern with a hitched gait. In those few seconds, he had gone from the confident man she had been traveling with to a timid elven servant. Zevran returned shortly telling her they were in Cove, which was the village that was on the outskirts of Stormgard. Again the transformation took place, in reverse order this time, and Zevran was once again the man who had been at her side since Denerim. Rhedyn was puzzled as to why Zevran bothered to pretend to be someone he wasn't. She filed away her question for a later, more appropriate time, however. Zevran took the horse's reins from Rhedyn as he turned in the direction he had been told Dougal, the tracker who had first followed Briana's trail, lived. They passed through the small town, heading away from Stormgard itself. As they followed the road, clearings gave way to trees and finally Zevran located the turnoff to where Dougal kept a small cottage.
The cottage didn't look like it was big enough to contain more than a single room. It was constructed of a mismatch of logs that had mud daubed in between each one to block the wind. The roof was done in thatch, and smoke rose from the small stone chimney in one corner. The place was quiet as Rhedyn and Zevran approached. Zevran once again handed the lead line of the horse to Rhedyn and he moved close enough to knock on the door. There was no answer. Zevran turned to look back at Rhedyn and noticed her attention was focussed on an area beyond the small cabin.
She said very quietly with her lips barely moving, "We're not alone."
An older man, short but wiry, entered the clearing around the house from the direction Rhedyn had been watching.
"Greetings, ser," began Zevran.
"H'ain't no ser hair, young'un," the man stated in a thick local accent.
"You are Dougal, correct?" asked Zevran.
"That be me," the man replied with a nod.
"My name is Zevran Aranai. My companion is Rhedyn Altanori—"
"And just what elves be wanting me for?" Dougal interrupted rudely.
Zevran schooled himself to patience and said, "We have been sent to try and locate the missing princess. I understand you were the one who followed her trail as far as possible. Is that correct?"
"H'aye, I followed them for quite h'aways. I suspects they made for the road. H'only makes sense that's where they went. Once there," the man paused and shrugged. "Well, youse cain't track on The North Road, too much traffic."
"Would you be willing to take us to where you lost the trail?" Zevran asked.
"Now, why in tarnation would I wants to do that?"
Zevran tried again, "We have been sent from Denerim to—"
"Don't care none about them fancy folks in Denerim."
"Ser, we need to locate the princess and as soon as possible. Too much time has been lost already. Now, we can do this the easy way just between the three of us, or Rhedyn and I can make our way to Stormgard and Bann Alfstanna and back here again with her blessing and her orders. I know these are her lands and you must abide by her laws. I was just thinking we could take a shortcut and skip all that," Zevran said persuasively.
"Hum," the man seemed to consider what Zevran had said. "I suppose so," he finally replied. "H'is there h'anything in it for me?"
"We would of course reimburse you for your time," agreed Zevran smoothly.
The man grumbled a bit under his breath, but the promise of pay seemed to mollify him.
Rhedyn had stayed quiet and in the background, watching as Zevran dealt with the human. She was becoming fascinated with the different personas Zevran seemed to be able to put on with hardly any effort. Here with this Dougal, he seemed much more in charge and in control. Even his speech pattern was subtly different as he attempted to use his intonation to compel obedience from the man. Rhedyn had never seen anyone with the skill Zevran had of becoming the person that would best suit a situation, but today Zevran was teaching her how useful such a talent could be. Rhedyn's view of things had always been very black and white. Growing up in her clan, there were no real secrets so the idea of hiding who or what she was would never have occurred to her. There was a part of her, however, that was drawn to that idea and of being able to hide the things she didn't want to show to the rest of the world. Rhedyn made a note to herself to study Zevran for the rest of the trip to see what she could learn from him.
At Zevran's insistence, Dougal agreed to lead them to the trail immediately. He went into his cabin to gather his things and prepare it for his absence. Zevran and Rhedyn waited outside.
"So, my dear, it seems our mission's direction will soon be in your hands," Zevran commented.
Rhedyn raised a shoulder and answered without looking at him. "If the trail is there, I can follow it." Rhedyn had confidence in her abilities, but the length of time that had passed since the princess's abduction worried her. She wasn't about to admit that to Zevran though. She was bound and determined to pull her own weight on this trip.
Once Dougal exited his cabin, the three of them set off on the trail Dougal had followed days ago. Zevran could see no indication of a trail and he just hoped the man knew what he was doing. Dougal swore he could take them to the exact spot where he had lost track of Briana's captors. Rhedyn's eyes were in constant motion as they traveled. She noted the tell-tale signs that indicated the passage of large groups of people. She grumbled to herself about the stupidity of humans as she could find no trace of the group that had taken the princess on this trail. The large group of men that had accompanied Dougal had disturbed the original track to such an extent that she couldn't differentiate between the two parties. She hoped desperately that the men had just turned around at some point and hadn't totally destroyed all the evidence the kidnappers had left behind.
AN: Thanks to Windchime68 and ladyamesindy for their help and guidance once again. I've made a New Year's resolution to have this story done well BEFORE the next New Year's Eve rolls around. Let's all hope I keep it.