Chapter 6 - HAVEN
"Hold there low-lander, you've no business in Haven, leave."
Nahalanee gave the man a warm smile. "I'm sorry, we were just looking. I never knew there was a
village up here. How long has it been here?"
"Haven's always been here, we just don't take kindly to outsiders poking around, leave."
"Can you tell me a bit about the village?"
"I'll tell you we don't like low-landers poking around, leave." This was going no where quickly.
"Fine, fine." she huffed.
"You can do your trading at the shop but then..."
She waved her hand impatiently cutting him off, "Leave, yes yes I got that part thank you."
"Ah, quiet, insular communities. There's always something nasty going on behind closed doors. I hope
it involves chains." Zevran murmured in a low voice then added with a shrug, "I hope they ask me to
join in."
"They are indeed hiding something." Morrigan added.
Nahalanee shook her head. "I'm sure Bodan has a few chains in his cart if your really that interested. "
"Ah yes, perhaps I should ask him about it, no?" Zevran replied with a grin.
They began walking up the hill toward the shop when Sten stopped her.
"Interesting strategy. Tell me; Do you intend to keep going north until it becomes south, and attack the archdemon
from the rear?"
"It'll never see it coming." She replied warily. Oh how she was tired of arguing with Sten. Always with the archdemon.
"Truly. It would surprise me if my enemy counter-attacked by running away and climbing a mountain."
"Don't argue with me right now, Sten please?"
"Oh, are we in some hurry? I ask your pardon, then. It seemed to me as though we were in the midst of
aimlessly climbing a mountain in the middle of nowhere to find the charred remains of a dead woman
on some frivolous whim of yours." She was surprised he hadn't needed to pause for a breath.
She sighed and rubbed her forehead with her right hand. "What then, Sten?"
"I will not simply follow in your shadow as you run from battle." He said looming over her dangerously.
Despite her better judgment she stepped right up to him head tilted so far back it looked as if she might
topple over. Had this been any other moment, a four and a half foot dwarf trying to stare down a seven
and a half foot giant would have been amusing. She took a deep breath and in her most authoritative
and intimidating voice she yelled up at Sten.
"You want to fight the entire army of the darkspawn on your own go ahead, but without a damn army at
my back I will go far in getting not only the last of the Fereldan Grey Wardens but all the rest of you
killed, and then what answers will your precious Qun get? And another thing, your not helping with all
this whining and complaining about how I need to fight the blight. I WILL defeat the Arch demon, I
WILL fight back the horde, and I WILL stop this blight with or without you! And I am NOT running
away like some scared little human child! Now either shut your mouth or draw your blade because I am
DONE arguing with you!"
She stood there defiant, her eyes blazing up at him, taunting him, daring him to continue the
argument...
In her mind she was picturing him raising one huge foot and squashing her her like a tiny insignificant
bug. She wondered briefly if it would hurt when it happened.
"Then turn and fight, you keep the darkspawn waiting." He turned and walked back the way they had
come. She could only assume he was going back to their camp where they left Leliana and Bodan, or
leaving for good. At that moment she didn't really care which.
She didn't realize how tense she was until she exhaled and shuddered. Morrigan grasped her right arm
to steady her, she wasn't going to collapse but she didn't mind the extra support either.
"Impressive" Morrigan whispered to the dwarf and then continued up the hill toward the shop.
Alistair and Zevran followed Morrigan leaving Nahalanee standing there regaining her composure. Not
since her exiled trek through the deep roads had she felt death so close at hand, only this time it was
literally staring down in her face.
She started following then noticed a young child who had been watching them turn and begin to chant
some odd rhyme.
"Come come Bonny Lynne; tell us tell us where you've been."
"Hi there." She said to the kid slowly approaching him.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Nahalanee, a Grey warden. Do you know what that is?"
"No, don't care either you shouldn't be in haven." He turned and began chanting again.
"Hey boy." she said to get his attention again, the boy turned back.
"What are you looking at?" He asked her as she leaned down slightly to look him in the eye.
"You're are a very clever boy, I bet you know a lot of things about haven." She said in a secretive sing-song
tone giving a little wink. It was the same strategy she used to use to get secrets out of Bhelen
when they were younger.
"Haven is haven, but I have a secret. Do you want to see?"
"Yes, show me whats the secret."
The boy dipped a small hand into his pocket, pulled it out and opened it, showing her a finger-bone.
She raised an eyebrow and made a sour face, "Who did that belong to?"
"Don't know, found it over by the mountain, its lucky to me though so don't tell anyone all right?"
"All right I won't, can you tell me where everyone in the rest of the village is?"
"In the chantry, I hate it up there I can't wait until I can go..."
"Go where?"
"You shouldn't be in haven." He turned playing with his finger-bone.
This time she let him go back to chanting his odd little rhyme. She was beginning to think this was a
bad idea as she hurried up the hill to join her companions in the shop.
"You're not from haven." The merchant behind the counter said when she entered the shop.
"Why do you all tell me that like I don't already know it?" She said with an exaggerated sigh. Morrigan
handled the trading, Alistair handled the questions, Zevran handled the laughs, and Nahalanee handled
the locked chest in the backroom, the one that sat next to a dead Redcliff knight.
They left the shop and she told them in a hushed tone of the dead man in the back as they walked up
the hill to the chantry. Once they got there they stopped and listened for a brief moment. "We are
blessed beyond measure; we are the chosen by the holy and beloved to be her guardians." Nahalanee
shook her head and entered the chantry.
"Lift up your voices, and despair not, for she will raise Her faithful servants to glory when Her-" The
mans sermon was cut short when the four new comers walked up and joined the crowd.
The people backed up and parted the way when they noticed the scowl on the preaching mans face.
"Please don't stop the sermon for us, continue." Nahalanee's voice took on a slightly amused tone .
"That is all for today brothers and sisters, we have guests. The rest will have to wait." He ushered his
flock out the door and turned his attention to the dwarf.
"You didn't have to stop." She repeated.
"It is better this way, Many of the villagers are uncomfortable in the presence of... strangers."
Zevran gave a rather exasperated sigh and rubbed his temples with his left hand. "How nightmarish to
live in such a rural village, the only entertainment being priests who go on and on about the chant of
this and that."
Nahalanee looked back at him just in time to see him drop his hand and start making wild gestures as
he continued.
"Just once I'd like to walk into one of these places and discover a lively dance, or a drinking festival.
Or an orgy. But alas, no." He dropped his hands and sighed, louder this time.
Nahalanee shook her head and dropped her face in her hand to angry to speak, or so it looked.. In truth
she was trying her hardest to get rid of the smile that suddenly crossed her lips and trying not to laugh..
To laugh now would be to turn the tables in the wrong direction, fast. Not that that's where it was
headed already.
After a long moment she raised her head and stared at the man. "I'm looking for the urn of sacred
ashes. I have it on good authority it's here."
"You come all this way chasing a myth? You will not find it in haven. We are simple people who enjoy
the pleasures.." She waved her hand once again, cutting the man off. Her patience with this place was
beginning to wear very thin.
"Then where is brother Genitivi." his face turned sour and he sighed, beginning to pace. Her right foot
slid back slightly and she turned her body sideways. Behind her she heard the slight movements of
those who followed her. She smiled inwards.
"You see, this is why we do not like...'visitors.' They are not like us, they will do us harm if we let
them." She tilted her head slightly and looked out the corner of her eye, behind her companions several
men dressed in splint mail began to advance.
He continued pacing and looking at the ground."We cannot let you bring others..."He was rudely cut
off when one of his guards gave a loud gurgled grunt. His head popped up and he shot a glance back
toward the noise.
"I'm sorry, you were saying?" Zevran quipped, giving a very apologetic look and tilting his head
curiously to one side, raising an eyebrow. The sincerity of his words and face were almost enough to
make Nahalanee laugh. "Please continue, father." Zevran said as he pulled his dagger from the guards
neck. The man slumped to the floor with a loud thud.
Battle ensued, Nahalanee was hit by a winters-grasp before she could finish pulling her weapons.
Instead of panic however, she felt pure annoyance as she thought, I really, really hate the ice and snow.
She took a couple good hits, one to her side and one to her leg before the battle was over. She re-sheathed
her weapons and bent over putting her hands on her knees taking several deep breaths. It hurt.
"Are you alright?" Alistair asked.
"Fine fine, just give me a minute."
She stood and touched her left side with her right hand, and pulled it away, it was covered and dripping
with blood. "Damn it." She said in a flat tone as she glared at her hand with disgust and anger.
She sat down hard on on the floor. "Ok, maybe I need a bandage." Morrigan knelt beside her and
helped her lay carefully on her back. "Pay more attention in battle." She said and chanted her spells,
her hands began glowing blue as she placed them on Nahalanee's wounds.
"OUCH!" she yelped
"Baby." Morrigan said and went back to her spell craft.
"It's Zevran's fault." She said looking up at the Antivan who was standing over her.
"Oh, and how is it my fault, my dear warden."
"I'm sorry, you were saying? You distracted me. OUCH!" She shot a glare at Morrigan.
"Stop moving." Morrigan mumbled.
"Well it is rude to interrupt you know." Alistair of course had to get in a word.
"Indeed, my friend. He was in the middle of a lovely speech on how he was going to kill us. I did not
want him to stop until he reached the climax. It was most intriguing."
Nahalanee shook her head and laughed, then yelped again. "Damn it Morrigan, that hurt!"
"I told you to stop moving." She pressed her hands harder on Nahalanee's wounds.
"There, try NOT to walk into anyone elses blades today." Morrigan sighed slightly drained, as she
stood. Zevran helped Nahalanee to her feet.
"Thanks" she said to Morrigan. And examined her armor, she could see her freshly healed skin through
the large slit in the leather. "Great,"she growled.
"Let us put another one on the other side, even it out." Zevran said as he ran his fingers across the
opening. She grinned and slapped his hand away.
"Lets just find brother Genitivi, or the urn, or SOMETHING and get the hell out of here. I've had
enough of cold mountains and snow." She grumbled. It was going to be a long, cold day.