Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age or any of its related characters. This is just for my own enjoyment and the potential enjoyment of other fans like me, and no monetary gain was expected or received.

Rating: T+

Spoilers: May contain spoilers for Origins, Awakening, Origins DL content, and Dragon Age II as well as the novels The Stolen Throne and The Calling.

A/N: Taliessyn from deviantart did an amazing piece for Loghain and Elilia's wedding dance, titled "El Condor Pasa." Check it out! It's in my favorites: same username there as here.

Chapter Seventy-Six: Expeditionary Force

Loghain and Elilia bivouacked in the Fishwife's Cloister to plan the expedition. Harvest, seated on her mother's lap, gleefully played with a meat pie while mother and father argued amiably over the details of outfitting.

"I conquered an entire Blight and never went anywhere with more than three other people," Elilia said. "We don't need to bring in that many mercenaries."

"An entire expedition went missing in this Amgarrak," Loghain said. "We're taking all the sword-arms we can recruit."

"I'd be happier if they were people we know, rather than random hires."

"It's not like we don't know an expedition's worth of adventurers. Hell, we could take an entire army with us."

"Laz and Varric are good in a scrap. Why don't we ask them?"

Varric turned around in the next booth. "Ask us what?"

Loghain turned sideways and looked at him. "Do you never move from that spot?"

"If I did, how would anyone find me?" Varric said. "Besides, I've been waiting for you. Scuttlebutt is that you're planning an expedition into the Deep Roads. Can't say I'm thrilled at the prospect of going back underground, but I'm always up for an adventure, particularly a potentially profitable one. And this time at least I'm fairly certain no one involved will attempt to bury me alive down there. Is that the little Hero? Hey, cutie-pie."

Harvest looked at the dwarf with wide eyes. "You weawwy showt," she said at last.

"She talks. That's…surprising. She's not old enough to talk, is she?"

"Tell her that," Elilia said. "She's getting to the age where she's finally starting to catch up to herself. A little."

"Not in terms of size. Even for a human baby, she's ginormous. Is that from the…you know…dragon's blood?"

"We think it likely," Loghain said.

"She can't…do that…thing you can do, can she? 'Cause that would be mayhem on a massive scale."

"Thus far there's no sign of it. Hopefully if she develops that ability it won't be until she's much older and can control it. I've never seen a dragonling breathe fire," Loghain said.

"So, are you in?" Elilia asked. "We could use you. Laz, too. And Paragon."

"Sure, I'm up for it. Laz will probably say yes, too, and the dog is always ready and willing. Who else you gonna get?"

Elilia looked at her husband. "You know, I've been thinking that a golem would come in real handy."

"I've lost track of Shale. She still in town, Varric?" Loghain asked.

"Oh yes. You think she'd want to come along?"

"We can but ask. Perhaps she's gotten tired of squashing pigeons by this time."

"Who else do you think we can get?" Elilia said. "I know we know an army of good fighters, but most of them? They're in the army. Or the Wardens. They probably can't come with."

"Why not? They're not doing much of anything else at the moment. Seems to me that bringing a few Wardens along would be wise," Loghain said. "How about that drunk Oghren? He stinks to high heaven but he's a formidable fighter. We'll need a few healers, too. Do you think Seanna would come along?"

"I'm not sure I like the idea of bringing Little Bird into the Deep Roads," Elilia said. "I'd rather leave her at Highever to help look after our dragonling. If you want Wardens, though, Bannistre is an excellent healer, and quite a formidable offensive mage, as well."

"That's the one that's related to Champion Hawke?" Loghain asked.

"Yup. Not that I knew that before the Landsmeet. Let me think. I'm just as happy that I don't have to pal around with Velanna any longer, but Sigrun would be a good fit. I'd like to take Nathaniel along but he's got his hands full these days."

"We can still ask. Information on a rediscovered thaig could be valuable to the Warden-Commander. How about Champion Hawke? Her capacity with the Crown is unofficial. She may be interested in joining us, for profit or adventure."

"We'd end up with Merrill, too, and possibly Bethany. That's a potent amount of magic right there."

"That seems like a decent expeditionary force to me," Loghain said. "If we can get 'em all."

"Even if Nathaniel can't come along he may assign us a few extra Wardens to investigate the thaig," Elilia said. "It would be valuable information for the Wardens."

"Word on the street is that a certain Chantry Seeker has finally found out that Hawke is employed by the Crown of Ferelden," Varric said. "I'm sure she's looking for an excuse to get out of town for a little while."

"Is this Seeker going to make trouble for the country?" Loghain asked.

"Hard to say. Good King Alistair has done his level best to make of Ferelden a Free Mage State, and he hasn't gone far out of his way to disguise the fact. I never completely got Lady Penteghast's measure during the hours I spent with her, but I doubt she's all that thrilled with the idea of a nation full of apostates."

"If she makes trouble, I'll kill her," Loghain said.

"Not so easy, Big Bull. She doesn't travel alone."

"I don't care if she travels with an army: if she runs afoul of me she's dead."

Elilia kept her hands clasped over her daughter's ears during this exchange. "Don't speak casually of killing people in front of the little hellion," she said.

"Sorry, darling."

"I'll forgive you this once, you rotten old cur."

"Harpy nag."

Elilia leaned forward and kissed him. "Love you."

"Not as much as I love you."

A/N: Been doing some brainstorming and I think I've come up with some good stuff for Amgarrak. Now I need to wrap my brain around the trouble at the Circle for IANPW so I can continue on with that adventure.