BioWare owns all but what I made up. : )
Something is rotten in the state of Orzammar! Kai and gang will have to travel to the dwarven capital and maybe to the Deep Roads themselves. Hope you enjoy the next story arc.
Apologies once more for the delay. I am trying to get into a better groove of writing, but RL keeps thwarting me. I am so sorry. I am working on it, so I can get more out for you all to read. Thanks for bearing with me. I have the best fans, so I want the best for you.
Speaking of fans...I am blowing kisses to: gimmixrabbit, roxfox62, Lady Elle00, eireanestower, bbqsalmon, Turnstone, Dragon Wench, dazzleday, EZ-Kzombies, gaybounce, rianthepinkie, Akki May, Grannaah, Deeca, Blightsworn, Elvish Penguin, Mc Neko, dyslecksec, Alan Mc, riversend, Eddings Humour, RiverdanceKat09, The-Enduring-Fox, DreGregoire, TMcGeeSDCA, Cheerfully Shameless, wisecracknmama, Piceron. Thank you all so much for the story alerts, story favs, author alerts, and author favs. I get such a thrill when I see them. : )
And my shout out to my betas; Night Hunter MGS (my ass kicker general, and the man who helped me hammer out the story arc for Orzammar. Let's face it he is the Brain to my Pinky); Ladyamesindy who helps rein me in, and helps me unblock when I get stuck; Violet Theirin who is my Goldilocks; Piceron who reads, fixes things, and who like me, loves to kiss soft noses; and Janni, that blessed saint who keeps my grammar from being horrendous.
And my love and appreciation to all of you, my lurkers, readers, and reviewers. I really do have the best fans in all of the ff community. I adore writing to entertain you all. It is so exciting to keep writing, because of you. Remember, ideas are welcome! I love to give personal shout outs for ideas directly from PMs or from your reviews. *HUGS*
Blessings!
Kai had seen maps of the area when they had come on their mission to stop the Tevinter from cutting down the forest. It was a quick trip back to the mayor's manor to get maps that would allow Kai and her group to find the entrance to the Deep Roads near Gwaren. Kai wanted to put the dwarf's body back to the stone, as their tradition dictated. The man had risked his life to come to the surface. It was the very least she felt she could do.
Zev had informed her that the reason that he and Jarren had taken so long, was due to the difficulty of navigating the carnage to get the papers at the mayor's house. Fortunately, the darkspawn were not interested in them, and the intel on where the papers were kept had been correct, or it might have taken longer, if at all. As Zev and Jarren had made their way before, it took less time on the second go around, having the path paved already.
They made a makeshift stretcher with a ladder they found and carried the body of the dwarf the surprisingly short distance to the opening of the Deep Roads. As Kai was no longer able to sense the darkspawn, they took things slowly, leaving the man's body at the entrance and with makeshift torches, inching into the tunnel with weapons drawn.
When they determined that the darkspawn weren't in residence, they fetched the body and placed it gently a way into the tunnel. A couple of hours later, and some hauling of rocks, they covered the dwarf, consigning him to the Stone. Kai made a silent vow to find the man's family and get them word where he was. It would allow them to take him back to Orzammar if they wanted.
As for the town itself, Kai wanted it burned, first out of respect for the Ferelden men and women who had died there, and second for the taint from the darkspawn. While she hated destroying a town when the Orlesians themselves had failed to do so, it was necessary. And once Anora was off the throne, it could always be rebuilt. Or so Kai hoped, if she could get Anora off the throne.
They made their way back to the Dalish camp arriving late in the evening tired, hungry, and filthy. As they were walking back from leaving the ceffyls with the halla keeper, a familiar voice had Kai looking up even in her exhausted state. "By the stone, Warden, you smell like a privy in the heat of a sunny day, and you look like something that fell out of the backside of a bronto."
Kai grinned at Oghren. She noticed that his beard was growing in again. Zev raised an eyebrow at their short and slightly more furry companion, "So, my drunken friend, I see that you are in one piece. And since your voice is not higher, Felsi must have left you your manhood, despite what you did to her, no?"
"Yeah, well ya sissified pointy-eared freak, I wonder if you even have man parts." This statement was punctuated by a long belch and a swipe of one hairy arm across Oghren's mouth.
"But my dear Oghren, I have offered to show you my 'man parts' as you so delicately call them many times in the past. The offer still stands..."
"Bah! Stay away from me ya pansy." Oghren blushed as red as his hair before mumbling under his breath, "Sodding elf."
Zev threw back his head and laughed before clapping Oghren on the shoulder and walking with him towards the tents.
After food and baths, and not in that order, Kai handed off Anora's papers to Naseel. With the hand-off she gave orders for the scath who would be staying behind to burn Gwaren, with strict orders to make sure the flames did not jump to the forest and to stay down wind lest they get tainted.
She and Zev spent the rest of the evening playing with the twins. Who knew how long it would be before she would get to see them again?
The next morning they stocked up on supplies to take with them on their trip to Orzammar. In her head she compiled a list of those to take with her. Oghren seemed the obvious choice, as Orzammar was his home once. And could still be again with Behlen's rule and the change in those who lived topside now allowed to return. Not that she thought he would. Felsi and her mother were happy to live outside of Orzammar; and given Felsi's current state...well she doubted Oghren would leave her (no matter how hard he took the news to begin with). That, and Oghren had confessed to her during the Blight that topside had so much more alcohol for the tasting, and he had no desire to miss even one to go back to drinking mostly lichen ale and the stone of home.
Along with Oghren Kai intended to take Shale. Back when they had fought the Blight, Kai had taken Shale to find the golem's identity in the Deep Roads. Shale was both familiar with Orzammar and the Deep Roads themselves. And she was a formidable warrior, almost an army unto herself. She figured she might need that raw power if the Deep Roads were harboring thinking darkspawn these days.
And even more raw power could be added their group with Sten; Wynne for healing, and a group of her scath: Jarren and Rajeed, along with Tam and Hugh. Kai also intended to extend an invitation to Gnat as she and Rajeed had proven to be a formidable team on the Tevinter ship against the mage. Zev would never stay behind, so his presence was a forgone conclusion.
Of course Naseel argued that Kai should take her, but Kai firmly and clearly outlined why her second in the scath needed to stay behind; if anything happened to her, Naseel could continue to lead the scath, and continue the work of the Grief Argent. Kai also expected her to finish up getting the elves and the humans integrated and protected until they could separate and return to their usual travel routes in the Brecillian Forest. Kai was counting on both Naseel and Zaeed to carry this out and to make sure her scath continued the work of the Silver Griffon and to work on unseating Anora. Naseel had stiffly nodded her head and reluctantly agreed.
Kai gathered those she wished to travel with her around one of the large campfires in camp, along with the rest of her scath, so that she could tell them what had happened at Gwaren, adn what they had found there, aside from Anora's papers. She also inform them of her plans and hand out the assignments Naseel and she had collaborated on.
While she was speaking with the group, Kai noticed that Anders wandered up to the fire to stand next to Wynne. He was crunching on an apple and he flashed her a wicked grin when he caught her looking in his direction. She merely rolled her eyes and continued.
Kai described what they had found at Gwaren, which garnered uncomfortable looks in regards to the carnage. Her companions from the Blight understood the implications in ways her scath could not. "This is...disturbing, Kadan." Sten's mouth crimped at the corners.
"Disturbing, that is an understatement. Leave it to the sodding giant to point out the bleedin' obvious!" Oghren rolled his eyes. "Bad enough when they are dumb as a stump, or in the case of a Blight, slightly smarter than a nug; but from what you say, Warden, this is much worse. First that talking one you met up with, now signs of deliberate attacks testing strategy." Oghren walked over and clapped Kai on the shoulder, almost toppling her, "If that wasn't bad enough, you tell us that some rotting blighter of a wounded dwarf says something's goin' on in Orzammar." Oghren shook his head before taking a deep swig on his beard flask. Well, Warden, I have to say, bein' around you certainly ain't boring, heh, heh, heh."
"You can certainly say that again." Wynne crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow at her. "So, young woman, we are to go to Orzammar once again?" Kai nodded. "Hmm, the last time you were there you caused quite a stir and oversaw a political insurrection. Who knows what will happen this time."
"Hey! That wasn't my fault!" Kai used her mock insulted voice.
"Hm, you say that a lot you know." Alistair's voice teased in her ear. "Trouble always seems to know right where you are." She could hear the grin.
"Ha, very ha! Smart alec." Kai gave him a mental nose wrinkle.
"Just be very careful, my love. I don't like what that dwarf told you, or rather the impression he gave you, since he was slipping into insanity."
She could feel his worry, "I know, beloved, but you know I..."
"Have no choice...yes, I know. You say that a lot too." He chuckled into her ear, making her smile.
It was Shale's voice that broke into her conversation with Ali, "So it has decided we are to go to Orzammar once again?" Kai grinned at the golem and nodded. Shale's rocky chest rose in a sigh. "Back to the city of short smelly squishy creatures that leave their vomit where I step in it."
A wave of chuckles broke out amongst the group. Kai had to bite her lip to stop her own chortles, "Well think of it this way Shale, there aren't any birds underground."
"Unless you bring that pigeon you gave her for Satinalia...heh heh." Oghren grinned and tilted the beard flask back once more.
"Is it the shaven dwarf's wish to die? I could squish its head like a lemon if that is its desire. Squi-isssh." Shale's glowing eyes glared at Oghren who shrugged.
Kai broke in before Oghren could rejoinder, "So we leave tomorrow. Pack, and be ready to leave when the sun rises."
The group began to disperse, Kai turned to Zev and a voice called out behind her, "Seems to me you are forgetting someone, dove."
Kai looked behind her to see Anders throwing his apple core to the side. "Have I now? And I don't suppose that someone would be you, now would it, dove?"
The mage grinned at her. "Well considering the delectable witch you had with you before is off with your brother...seems to me you could use a back up who can shoot lightening at fools. Or in this case darkspawn. Am I correct? And I am proficient at healing which is always a bonus." He is smile became broader as he walked towards her with a raised eyebrow. "And as an added bonus, dear lady, I am easy on the eyes, I am entertaining, and I can even whip up a decent meal while traveling." He stood close and leaned in. "And should you find your bedroll a little chilly of an evening..."
Kai watched as the tip of a dagger appeared beneath Anders' chin. "I don't believe that part of your services will be necessary as her bedroll will hardly be...chilly, no?"
Zev grinned at Anders who returned the smile and backed away. "Yes, I see your...point, my friend. But my other talents are still on the table..."
Kai couldn't help but laugh and clap a hand on Anders' muscled shoulder, "Be packed and ready with the others. We head to Orzammar. "