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: Not happy with this chapter, but at the very least it represents the end of all game content that I felt I needed to bring into the story, right or wrong. From here on out it should be mostly a matter of tying up multitudinous loose ends, which is going to take some work.
Chapter Eighty: A Golem's Memories
"I thank you for seeing us back home," Jerrik said. "The surface is…disconcerting, to say the least. I'm not sure we could have made it back on our own."
"Pray don't mention it. What now for you?" Loghain asked.
Jerrik sighed heavily. "It's going to take time for Brogan to get over Amgarrak. I'm not so sure I don't need a little time myself. I suppose we'll take it easy for awhile, and work on these research notes we found. It doesn't make up for the lives that were lost, but at least we salvaged something from that place. The golems we are able to improve with this knowledge will serve as the best tribute we can make to our men."
They were invited to stay as guests of House Dace, but everyone was eager to move on. Before they could leave Orzammar, however, Shale approached Loghain and Elilia privately.
"I wonder if I might talk with you about memories," she said.
"You were hoping a return to the Deep Roads might spark some," Elilia said. "Did it work?"
"Somewhat. I recall a place called Cadash Thaig, but I do not remember its significance to me. I was hoping perhaps we might go there."
"Where is this Cadash Thaig, Shale? Do you even know?"
"Yes, I do. It is not far from Caridin's Cross. I could lead us there easily."
Elilia looked at Loghain. "I don't think anyone would be very enthused to go back into the Deeps, Shale," she said.
"I swear it would not take long. If I remember nothing further when we get there, we will turn around and go home."
"This means a lot to you," Loghain said.
"If you could not remember a large portion of your past, would not the discovery of such be of immense importance to you?"
"It wasn't a question, Shale. I'll go with you, though I don't relish the idea of going back into the Deep Roads. The others may prefer to go home."
"Well, if you're going I'm going," Elilia said.
"We'll ask if anyone else will come. I wouldn't like to make a repeat journey into the Deeps without a healer at the least."
"I thank you for this," Shale said. It did not escape either of their notice that the golem had stopped referring to them as "it." "For creatures of flesh, you are excellent…what is the word I am searching for? 'Friends?'"
"We are friends, Shale," Elilia said. "You have been good to us as well."
"It is strange to me. I do not remember ever having friends, and yet I feel I must consider you as such. If you are not my friends then it makes little sense that you would follow me on my quest. It is doubtful that there is anything of value to you to be found in Cadash Thaig."
"The Wardens may find it valuable. Their aid would be welcome," Elilia said.
"We can but ask. Come; let's not waste time being about it," Loghain said. "The longer we leave Harvest with your brother, the greater the chances we'll find him eaten alive."
"Oh, don't even jest."
They returned to the others. "So that's what we're up to," Elilia said, as she finished explaining. "We could use some help, but we won't take it personally if you don't come with us. Amgarrak was enough for anyone."
"Well, if we can reach a new thaig, information about it would be good for the Wardens to have, and Maker only knows what could be down there," Nathaniel said. "We will go with you."
"After what we saw in Amgarrak, I'm not letting you go it alone," Laz said. "Even if there aren't any monsters there could be traps. Me an' Paragon are in."
"A golem's search for meaning in life? Color me intrigued," Varric said.
"If I can be of any help at all, I am happy to lend my aid," Bethany Hawke said.
"We're in," her sister said, with an arm over Merrill's shoulders. Champion barked, and Haakon followed suit. They were in, too. Loghain felt oddly touched by this unanimous show of solidarity, and hid it as usual behind gruffness.
"It might be every bit as dangerous as Amgarrak. Don't throw your lot in with us unless you're sure you can handle it."
"We came through what we faced in Amgarrak because we faced it together," Merrill said. "We all know the danger. What happened to poor Chatterly could easily happen again to any of us. But friends stick together, no matter what. Right?"
"Right," Elilia said, and stuck her hand out. One by one, the others all piled their hands on top of it, even Shale. Last to move, Loghain at last put his hand on the pile.
"It surprises you, doesn't it? Having friends," Elilia whispered to him as the group set out.
"Always. I guess they're just something you find even when you're not looking."
"That's the glory of it. Friends are a luxury even the poorest can afford, and even an old grump like you can scarcely undervalue them."
"I have spent my entire life undervaluing my friends," he said.
"No you haven't. You've tried to, but you can't."
Caridin's Cross was, thankfully, still mostly empty from their earlier passage. Shale led them in a direction they'd hardly explored before, and found a narrow fissure left behind from an ancient rockslide.
"This is the passage to Cadash Thaig," she said. "I am sure of it. Give me a moment only to enlarge the opening so that we may pass."
They all stood back and watched as the golem began ripping away the loose stones. Thankfully the rest of the rock around the slide seemed stable enough, and not soon to enclose them in an underground tomb. In a matter of minutes Shale had opened the passage so that they could clearly see the corridor beyond. Oddly, though the tunnel they were in appeared natural, the newly opened tunnel showed signs of dwarven architecture and pavement.
Shale led the way forward. There were darkspawn in the new tunnel, gibbering madly but easily dispatched by the strong party. They followed the corridor as it wound through the rock, and finally they came to a wider, more open area lined with houses. It was strange, but the green moss on the stones looked like soft, short grass. It gave the thaig a surface look that other thaigs in Loghain's experience lacked. It was…almost nice. If not for the feeling of long-abandonment.
Of course the place was not thoroughly abandoned. They encountered hordes of darkspawn, and several packs of deepstalkers. The going was tough, but they had the right team for the job, with plenty of magic and plenty of muscle. At various places along the way Shale paused, caught in the grip of a memory. It was clear that she knew the thaig, though how and why were still unclear.
They fought and wound their way through the thaig until they came near the end of the place. A tall statue with memorial plaque stood near the corridor leading out.
"I've seen a stone like that before," Elilia said. "It's a memorial to the volunteers of the golem project."
"Let's take a look," Loghain said.
"Look at that, there's a familiar-looking name," Bethany said. "Shayle of House Cadash."
"What? Let me see," Shale said. She pushed her way to the front of the group. "Yes. Yes. That was I…Shayle, of House Cadash. I was a woman."
"You knew that was how golems are made," Elilia reminded gently.
"To know is one thing, but to remember is quite another," Shale said. "This is…tremendous. And not entirely a comfortable feeling."
"You were a member of the noble house that founded this thaig," Loghain said. "You must have been a passionate warrior, to volunteer yourself for such a drastic act."
"It seems I have much to think on," Shale said. "Let us depart this place and go home. I thank you again for coming with me. It…means a great deal to me."
"That's what friends are for, Shale," Elilia said.