A rolling mist is clogging the thick, vibrant forest as I push through the moist underbrush. I've been plowing along like an ox for the past three hours. Morrigan, Leliana, and Duncan are using the path I make to walk behind me. Thankfully, all of them have fallen silent. They know that I'll only scream at them if they interrupt me. Stomping down bushes, breaking branches, and busting apart piles of leaves combine to make the toughest work I've ever done. However, I have to keep doing it. Duncan isn't intelligent enough to do everything I'm doing; Morrigan is too weak to do it; and Leliana is likewise too weak to do it.
It has to be done by a strong warrior; hence, why I'm saddled with the job. I inwardly grumble at the word 'saddle'. Our damned horses disappeared while we were in the Deep Roads and our bronto can't legally be taken out of the mountain. I'm still plowing through underbrush when a scream from my right captures my attention. Duncan growls, Leliana load her bow, and Morrigan transforms into a swarm of bugs. All of us turn towards the scream and charge. Well, Duncan and Leliana follow in my wake while Morrigan flies ahead. The scene we stumble across is stomach-churning. Three genlocks stand around the mutilated, bleeding corpse of a man and his son. Bows beside the bodies and a dead rabbit suggest they were hunters, or trying to be.
I begin trying to tear through the brush towards them while Leliana starts firing her bow. Meanwhile, the swarm of bugs that is Morrigan is flying from one genlock to another to string them. Duncan is forced behind me and is barking in an attempt to get me to move faster. He even starts nipping at my heels when we begin to near the genlocks. The darkspawn have been trying to push their way towards us; however, thy're less successful at pushing through the brush. A nearby hurlock that has arrows piercing his dead body reveals how the genlocks must have been able to get this far before being stopped. Leliana takes out one genlock with an arrow between the eyes while Morrigan completely swarms another another. Finally, Duncan and I reach the last genlock. I heave my sword over my shoulder.
The genlock's blade drinks off of my armored stomach. Duncan lunges forward, crushes the darkspawn's arm between his fangs, and holds him still for the killing blow. My blade cracks the monster's skull in two and his vile, black brains run onto the forest floor. The last living darkspawn falls to his knees while thousands of bug-bites rise up on his flesh. Slowly, he collapses and Morrigan reverts to her mortal form. The dark witch frowns as she realizes she's trapped in a small circle of brush, then transforms into something that would have helped us three hours ago.
Morrigan transforms into a towering, spiked wall of muscles. More specifically: a bereskarn. A bear corrupted by the blight. Morrigan was standing on her two back legs, but now collapses onto all fours. Leliana quickly uses my already-cleared path to join us. I'm the first to voice my opinion.
"Really? You made me go through three hours of breaking down the whole damned forest, and you couldn't turned into that damned monster anytime you wanted?". Morrigan's beady eyes narrow as she thrusts her head into the brushes and pulls it back. Tiny cuts and bits of grass are sticking to her snout. I quickly peel off my helm and shove it onto the woman's nose. Her eyes are still narrow, but she tries it again. Now the helm will keep her somewhat safe. Morrigan pulls her bear-head back and nods at me in approval.
"Thanks. Now, can you do the plowing?". She nods and begins to turn, but I reach out my hand to stop her. My fingers brush against slimy, rough skin.
"Not yet. I want to search the hunters.". Morrigan nods again before collapsing onto her ass. Duncan walks up to her and sits down beside her. Slowly, Morrigan turns her tremendous head towards my dog and lets out a low, loud growl. Duncan seems to smile before giving my helmet (which is still attached to Morrigan's nose and mouth) a kiss. Morrigan shakes her head before turning away from him.
A rancid, stomach-churning smell hits me and I try to trace it even though I think I know where it's coming from. Sure enough, it's coming from Morrigan's current form. Blood seeping from the spikes sticking out of her explain where the scent is coming. I try to ignore the mage's smell and instead turn my attention to the dead hunters. I kneel beside them and start looting. Quickly, things don't make sense. Trowels are shoved in both of their pockets; a pitchfork is tied to the man's back; and both have corn and carrots shoved down their pants. Leliana stands beside me and tries to offer an explanation.
"Farmers fleeing their farm?". I look at the broken bows on the ground. Make of weak wood and poorly constructed.
"Most like. I imagine they were from the south and seeking to go north. Heading through the thickest part of the woods was a smart idea. Darkspawn are monsters, but monsters similar in physical attributes to elves or men. Unless they had an ogre, then most darkspawn patrols would prefer the roads over woods. Not a good sign if they're both this far north. Means the blight is spreading even farther north than I feared.". I begin trying to put the mangled, bloody bodies back together while continuing to talk.
"They probably made the bows themselves. To hunt for food when their pants ran out, and the pitchfork was going to be used to ward off any bears or wolves. I'd imagine the darkspawn didn't take them by surprise.". I look around the area at the spider-web of trampled underbrush.
"No, I'm right. The genlocks and hurlock couldn't have made a sneak attack. I'd imagine the poor farmer and his boy got that rabbit, then saw the darkspawn either coming for them or patrolling the brush. They managed to shoot down the biggest threat: the hurlock. Only they underestimated the genlock. Dad here didn't even take his pitchfork out. Just trusted that he and his boy could shoot down three genlocks before they could get to them. Only that's a bet you'll lose every single time. Genlock aren't the toughest or strongest darkspawn, but shooting down that hurlock gave them enough time to get to the farmers and swarm them. Poor bastards. Didn't even get a shot off at the genlocks.". I stand and shake my head at the bloody corpses.
"Might've made it if daddy had taken out his pitchfork and trusted his boy to wound the hurlock.". Leliana counters my argument.
"They're unarmored. He'd have had to trust his son to take down the hurlock all by himself. They needed to try to shoot them down. Distance is key when you're unarmored.". I shrug and begin walking towards the hurlock corpse using one of the paths the genlocks had made. It's a little tinier than I'd like, but I manage.
"I never said they'd survive for certain. Most likely, they'd have died either way. I'm just saying the dad needed to have a melee weapon ready just in case the darkspawn reached them.". Leliana grunts as I kneel down beside the hurlock. I find nothing of particular interest on him, so I return to Morrigan and pat her side.
"Alright, let's get going.". Morrigan begins plowing through the underbrush northward like... Well, like a bear. Duncan runs after her as quickly as he can. Leliana and I make up the 'rear guard' as we stay within sight of the two, but far back enough we can have a conversation all to ourselves. Leliana silently holds out her hand to me. I take her hand and intertwine our fingers. Leliana brings our clasped hands up to her lips and kisses the back of my hand. A comfortable, kind warmth seems to fill my chest as I repeat the motion to Leliana. My partner chuckles and makes a demand.
"Tell me something I don't know about you.". I shrug and try to dodge the question.
"I'm not very interesting. You know how my mother died and how I got my scars in the progress; you know how I faked having sex and ended up remaining a virgin because of it; and you know how I was married and brought into the ranks of the Grey Wardens.". Leliana stops walking and her grip on my hands tighten. I stop and turn to her. My heartbeat increases and I have a powerful instinct to run at the angry glare Leliana is currently using to pin me to the spot.
"Leliana? My dearest, what's wrong? Have I said something to offend?". Leliana cocks her head and an uncomfortable hardness that I've never seen before comes to her eyes.
"Don't you play games with me! You NEVER told me that you were married!". I recognize the hurt in her eyes for what it is and try to comfort her, but before I can the human runs over me with her words. "Are you still married? Do you have a husband or wife? Kids? Am I just some damned fling to you? Are you going to go running back to your spouse after the Blight is taken care of?". A familiar wetness is beginning to work up in Leliana's eyes and I quickly rush to comfort the woman in any possibly way that I can.
"What? No! Leliana, trust me! Please! I love you! I'd never want to hurt you like that!". Leliana begins yanking her hand back in a desperate attempt to get away from me. I hold fast and try to explain myself to her.
"He's dead!". Shockingly, that does nothing to calm the woman down. She begins trying to get away from me even faster. I still hold tight and explain in more detail.
"We were meant to get married and he died at the altar!". Leliana holds completely still, but I'm not sure if that's because she wants to hear what I'm going to say or if she's afraid I might make her join my late husband. I take the moment to try to get my story out before Leliana panics and our relationship is forever ruined.
"Leliana, I didn't want a husband!". She remains silent and doesn't try to fight me, so I continue with my story. However, my grip on her hand never loosens.
"My father didn't listen to me when I told him that I never wanted to marry a man. He sent money to another alienage to get passage for my groom. He eventually believed me, but it was too late. We were going to go through with the wedding, and I had just promised myself that I would never let him touch me. But on our wedding day there was an incident. Some humans came into the alienage to find women to rape. My cousin attacked them and drove them away, but they returned during the ceremony. They kidnapped me, my cousin, and all the other women to rape. My other cousin, Soris, came and managed to free me.". I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and slowly let it out. I'm debating whether I need to tell her the next part or not. Eventually, I decide that it's for the best. Honesty is the best policy after all.
"I killed even more humans as a result. Babes, men, women, pregnant women, elderly, maids, nobility, guards. Anyone that got in my way that didn't have pointed ears died. When I got home Duncan had to take me away, or else I'd be executed.". I, surprisingly, feel a wetness coming to my own eyes. Not because of the humans I've killed. Because of the one I love. I meet Leliana's eyes and beg her.
"Please, don't leave me because of it. I killed them, but I never harm you. Please. Don't leave.". Leliana pulls me in close and wraps her arms around me.
"Never.".