Chapter 35: Grand Plan (Neria)
- Well, how is Neria?
- You don't have to worry about her. Your friend will wake up and live. It is a fact.
Hearing two female voices, Neria regained consciousness. She immediately discovered that she had no clothes on, but she was covered with a very large and warm blanket. The elf looked with fear at Sereda and the unknown dark-haired girl dressed as a witch. To Neria's surprise, the dwarf had replaced her Gray Warden armor with a rusty heavy iron platemail.
- Don't be so afraid, - said the stranger. - Are you worried that someone will see you like this? Although, I will tell you, there is no point in hiding such beauty. You don't have to fear me. Men did not go into this hut, they are all outside.
- Sereda, where are we? Who is she? - Neria asked nervously.
- Calm down, you're safe, - the dwarf replied. - Her name is Morrigan, she and her mother Flemeth have saved our squad and healed you.
- And what about the army? And with the king?
- The one who was supposed to join the fight left the battlefield, - Morrigan said. - The darkspawn have won. Those he abandoned were torn to pieces. Your friends are very worried.
- Friends? Who else survived?
- That suspicious and narrow-minded human, your handsome mage friend, a free elf, an elf that looks sullenly at everyone, a brother and a sister, a sly human with crafty hands, and also a red-bearded dwarf. I don't seem to have forgotten anyone.
- Why did you and your mother save us?
- It's mother's choice. But she does not tell me why. I personally would save your king. We would have been given a ransom for his life.
- Are you sure we're safe here? Where are the darkspawn?
- Mother keeps them with her magic. They can't get through here.
- Maybe we should all talk to your mother. Do you have extra clothes here? I see that Sereda has changed her clothes. I think I need too.
Morrigan opened one of the drawers and took out a greenish robe, handing it to Sereda. The dwarf gave the clothes to Neria, who carefully examined the new outfit.
- Not my style, I'm afraid, - she said. - It's too revealing. I mean that cleavage...
- I wore this outfit when I was a bit younger and smaller, - Morrigan replied. – And since you are one of the elves, you are smaller than me now. My clothes from those days are just right. Or do you want to go naked to the laughter and joy of the rest?
- You really wore this? Okay, I don't have a choice. Give me five minutes.
- I'll gather the rest for now, - Sereda said.
She and Morrigan left the hut, while Neria put on her robe and the boots that came with it. It was very unusual for her to wear such clothes, but nevertheless she went out into the fresh air. Glancing at the others, the elf realized that the witches' range of clothes was very poor. Aedan and Alistair, like Sereda, got rusty heavy plate, Faren got a medium armor, Elissa, Kallian and Daveth were in leather armor, and Daylen, much to Neria's surprise, was dressed in the blue and red robes of a Chantry brother. Out of all of them, only Theron was more or less properly dressed in bright green light armor with patterns in the shape of tree branches. Neria quickly realised it was a Dalish armor. She could only guess who had visited the witches before and whether they had left their clothes and armor voluntarily.
The rest of the Wardens and the two witches looked at the elf. Alistair, Daveth and Kallian smiled at her.
- What, you've never seen how witches dress? – asked Neria.
- We have, but did not expect that you would dress like that, - Alistair answered. - But I like it.
- I still got the worst costume, - Daylen said. - Damn Chantry...
- Let's get started, - Flemeth said. - It seems to me that the duty of the Grey Wardens has always been to stop the Blight. Am I right?
- Yeah, but Loghain messed it up, - Theron replied.
- That Loghain of yours must have thought the Blight was just an ordinary army. Perhaps he does not understand what is behind the darkspawn.
- The archdemon… - Alistair muttered.
- May someone finally explain to me who this archdemon is? - Aedan asked irritably.
- Each Blight has a dragon to lead it. It is called the archdemon, - Neria answered. - Chantry believes that the archdemon is one of the ancient gods corrupted by the darkspawn. But Chantry can say a lot of rubbish.
- How can we contact the Grey Wardens in other countries? - Elissa asked.
- Cailan had already summoned them, - Alistair replied. - But Loghain must have delayed them somehow. We can send one of us after them. But unfortunately, none of us knows the way to the main fortress of the Wardens.
- We must warn everyone that Loghain is wrong, - Faren said.
- Who will listen to us?
- Well, don't forget that two of us are Couslands, - said Elissa. - I think our name still means something here. Well mine for sure. Aedan, no offense.
Her brother nodded his head, supporting his sister.
- Exactly. But not only you have connections, - Alistair said. - As a child, I grew up in the court of Arl Eamon. He is a man of honor and will demand that Loghain get executed for his crimes.
- Eamon and his army were not at Ostagar. Besides, he is the king's uncle, - Elissa supported him. - He can listen to us! And we can easily find the way from here to Redcliffe.
- You have much more than Arl Eamon at your disposal, - Flemeth pointed out.
- Right! The treaties! - Daylen exclaimed. - I spent some time studying them. With these treaties, we can ask for help from the first enchanter of the Circle, the keeper of any Dalish clan and the dwarven king. And they will all be obliged to help us.
- I'm afraid my clan is no longer in Ferelden, - Theron said. - They were about to go north to the Free Marches.
- Don't worry, your people have many clans. We'll find another one.
- Maybe I don't understand much about military stuff, but all these Dalish, dwarves, mages, Arl Eamon... This is enough for an army, - Daveth noted.
- Then we'll do this, - Sereda concluded. - Morrigan and Flemeth, thank you for everything, but it's time for us to go.
- Wait, - said the old woman. - You can't get out of here without help. Morrigan, you will go with the Wardens and help them until the end of the Blight. We've discussed it.
- Such a shame. Why are you doing this to me? - her daughter asked.
- You heard me, girl. You have ears.
- I think it's a great idea, - Daylen said.
- Are you serious? - Alistair asked in bewilderment. - She's an apostate!
- So do Neria and I now. So does Flemeth. And she saved you. You shouldn't be talking about apostates. If you don't like the presence of illegal mages, then please head back to the Tower of Ishal.
- Calm down, I was wrong, I don't want to have a conflict with you.
- Wardens, consider her the price for saving your lives, - Flemeth said. - Go, girl. You wanted to see the world, and here is your chance.
- Thank you, mother. Wardens, follow me, - Morrigan said. - I'll take you to the settlement.
The Wardens and Fen gathered their belongings and followed Morrigan, getting lost in the depths of the swamps.