BioWare owns all but what I made up. : )
So the plot thickens! Something is really stinky in the state of Orzammar. I hope you continue Kai's saga.
Thanks to those who put me on favs and alerts as the author; and to those who put this on favs and alerts too. I can't tell you how much that means to me. So my humble appreciation goes to: ShortMage, The-Enduring-Fox, janetlee, taz3SGSN, Deeca, celtic-twinkie, and Miralsobel.
To my readers, lurkers, reveiwers...THANK YOU! To read your reviews is the icing on the cake. I write because I love to do it, but your thoughts on it, really make it all the sweeter. I appreciate you all so much.
And my thanks to my betas, Night Hunter MGS (whose brilliance helped make this Orzammar arc shine. Please read his works, he is a brilliant writer), Ladyamesindy (a prolific and wonderful author, who keeps me straight), Piceron (another talented lady, who smooths out my rough edges), Violet Theirin (yet another talented writer who is my Goldilocks), Blightsworn (talented author and my all-things-dwarven beta), and Janni (lovely, talented grammar checker, and a writer to read as well). I couldn't do it without you all.
And I apologize for this coming out so late. The holiday (Thanksgiving for all my non US readers) got in the way, as did a bout of writers block. I don't know why I was blocked, this chapter shouldn't have been hard to write, but it was like getting blood from a stone some days. So I am sorry for the delay.
Blessings!
"Nevarran mages?" Kai flashed Zev a look while raising her eyebrow, "I would wonder that you are joking, but I am sitting here watching two of them and how their presence effects everyone." Kai looked at Sal, "How would mages of any stripe control dwarves? You're magic resistant."
"Ah therein lies the proverbial rub, along with the 'which came first the Deep Stalker or the egg' puzzle." Sal barked out a short burst of sarcastic anger. "We may be immune to magic itself, but we are not resistant to being torn asunder by demons, salroka. These mages are holding our royal line hostage, as well as our beloved city. They have some sort of device which open portals to the Fade and pulls these creatures through. They have placed them in the palace, in particular with my sister and my nephew. They also have them hidden in various places around Orzammar, including Dust Town."
Sal made a motion for more drinks for everyone and waited until the various beverages had been placed on the table in front of them before continuing on. "I was on a mission at the time for Bhelen, when these mages came to visit along with their dangerous toys. They gave a little demonstration on the magical portal they snuck into Endrin, my nephew's, room."
It took every bit of discipline Kai had not to jump from her seat, "They didn't use the child as a sacrifice did they?"
"Easy, salroka, I'm no slick-tongued Shaper with stories. No, they didn't sacrifice my nephew, he was merely held at knife point, while the blood of the the guard they had overpowered was used to fuel the portal. Endrin's nanny was the 'example' on how it worked, the poor duster. They used the portal to call up a demon made of flame and it tore her apart." Kai watched as Sal knocked back yet another mug. Kai smiled in amusement, the dwarf wasn't even tipsy yet. Kai would have been under the table by now.
"Needless to say, my nephew has a new 'nanny' now." Sal motioned for a refill.
Kai snorted, "Let me guess, one of your less than welcome guests stepped in to take the position."
"You got it in one, salroka. Maybe you skyers aren't as dim as they say you are." Sal tossed Kai a saucy grin and a wink.
"Their plan is devious to be sure, but how did they get close enough to the royal family to implement it?" Zev's voice startled both Kai and Sal as he had been sitting so quietly observing that they had forgotten he was there. He chuckled at their expressions and shrugged, "I used to spy and kill in my old life. Old talents die hard, no?" He flashed his most charming smile making Sal laugh and causing Kai to grin and wrinkle her nose at him.
Sal answered him, "They came under the guise of negotiating lyrium, same as the Tower does here in Ferelden. Obviously that was a lie." Sal barked out a short laugh, "Well, not entirely a lie, they have been taking bronto-sized amounts of lyrium into the Deep Roads, but to what purpose?"
"You mean you don't know?" Kai almost thought she was hearing things.
"I mean just that, salroka. It isn't exactly safe to be in the palace, and it is Stone hard to sneak in. When I have managed, I am only able to see my sister. Bhelen knows what is going on, but seeing him is impossible, they are with him always." Sal threw back yet another tankard and asked for another round for the table. They waited until the barmaid returned with a tray, leaving drinks, and clearing the empty mugs away, before continuing.
"I am sensing that this isn't all of it. The disturbing happenings I mean." Kai cocked an eyebrow at the dwarva. Kai noticed the Nevarrans looking their way, "Laugh as if I just told a joke. We mustn't look too serious or our friends over there may get suspicious."
Sal threw back her head and laughed, slapping a hand on the table, "No it isn't. A group of our best dwarven engineers were taken with the first large shipment of lyrium into the Roads. They also visited the Shaperate and removed books on Cairidin, his anvil, and golems. So, if I had to guess, salroka, it has to do with recreating a golem army."
"That would be my guess too. Thought there has to be more to all of this than that. Amassing a golem army could take years. I don't see the Navarran mages spending years to make one such army, that would draw attention. Navarra has made its commerce and power by being a neutral player in Thedas. They have done very well doing so. They remain outside the fray, and they have the college for mages there. I suspect that someone is funding this group's operation. I also suspect it would not have the sanction of the Navarran government or the college. This might be a rogue faction of the mages." Kai absently ran a finger around the rim of her mug, thinking. "I think someone else wants the army, and hired the mages, to help make it happen." Kai shot Zev a look.
"I think we need to speak to our delectably endowed Wynne about the college and the factions, no?" Zev cocked an eyebrow with a saucy grin.
Kai nodded and chuckled, but grew pensive once more, "This is definitely more complex than what first meets the eye."
"When is it not, mi gra? Especially when you are involved." Alistair's voice teased in her ear.
"Ha, very ha!" Kai huffed into her own head. "But so true." She could feel him grinning.
She was startled out of her internal dialogue by Sal motioning to Corra. The hand motion for drinks she recognized, but the other had her curious. Whatever it was, the barmaid nodded and went to the back room behind the scarred counter. She wasn't sure what to expect when Corra returned with a tray which she placed on their table. The girl put down more drinks and a leather bag along with a round wooden board with round divots on its surface.
Aha! Kai had seen that board many times during and after the Blight as Oghren taught all of them to play his favorite way to pass time, besides drinking that is, dwarven checkers. She laughed when Sal upended the leather bag and began placing the stone marbles on the board's surface.
Sal cocked an eyebrow at her, "I figured our nasty friends over there were watching us a little too closely, the game might keep them from getting curious as to why we are still sitting here. You cloud heads aren't known for holding your drink." Sal flashed them both a smile, "This is..."
"Dwarven checkers, yes I know." Kai cut in, while taking a piece and making the first move. An aggressive move Oghren had taught her.
"Well, well, you are a skyer with unsuspected depths." Sal gave Kai a look of respect.
"Oh, si, she is indeed. Shall we make bets? Who takes the first piece? Who takes the most fastest, and who eventually wins?" Zev grinned and moved one of his pieces.
"Done, my pointy-eared friend!" Sal slapped Zev on the shoulder, almost toppling him again.
Kai waited for Sal to maker her move on the board, "We need to speak to Bhelen."
"Easier said than done, salroka." Sal moved her piece across the board, "As I said, there are mages with him at all times. Even I can't get in to see him, and I'm family. The only people allowed an audience with the king are merchants or those involved with commerce or trade." Sal sat back and drank from her mug, "They are trying to keep what is going on from raising the suspicion of surfacers as much as they can."
Kai observed the game board,and spoke while maneuvering one of the stone pieces to an empty space, "Would he see mages from the Tower?" She took one of Sal's pieces.
"Sod!" Sal slapped a hand on the table, "Well first bet goes to you, salroka!" Sal leaned in as if looking to see if Kai had cheated while pitching her voice low, "Well, yes. In keeping with appearances to outsiders, including the Tower, Bhelen continues to negotiate trade agreements himself. Why? Thinking of passing yourself off as a Tower mage? "
"I was thinking more of passing myself off as a templar escorting two Tower mages." Kai waited for each of them to move the checkers before continuing, "Do you think I might be able to get my hands on some templar armor? I know that the armor smiths here make and repair for those at the Tower."
Sal cocked an eyebrow, "They do, Janar in particular. He is one of the best armor smiths in Orzammar. He usually has a standing order with them. I am sure he can fit you with a full set of templar armor."
"Yes, well that may prove a difficult hurdle for Kai." Zev flashed her a grin while moving one of his pieces.
Sal raised her eyebrow once again while grinning, "Oh? Do tell, skyer, I sense a story here."
"Oh Si, not only does Trouble know exactly where Kai is at all times, she is often Trouble's most effective agent." The elf only threw back his head and laughed when Kai wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue at him.
"Isn't that an understatement?" Alistair's voice laughed into her ear. Kai gave a mental groan which only made Alistair laugh harder.
She turned back to Sal who sat chuckling at the exchange as well, "When I visited Orzammar during the Blight, I made a hole in Janar's shop's wall escaping from Jarvia's hideout."
"And?" Sal leaned in a wide grin on her face.
"There has to be an 'and'?" Kai shrugged.
"With you, salroka, yes." Sal's smile flashed white teeth.
"Hmm, our beautiful dwarven friend is a fast learner, no?" Zev winked flashed the dwarva a saucy grin.
Kai huffed out an explosion of breath while resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose, "Really, I ought to drop both of you into a lava channel." This statement only elicited more chuckles from the elf, the dwarf, and Alistair. "Fine! I also may have helped his daughter leave Orzammar to go study with the mages. So, he doesn't exactly hold me in the highest of regards."
"Oh ho! So you're the one that helped Dagna with her dream. We all thought she was crazy as a tick infested nug. Always waiting to talk to surfacers, counting out the time it would take to reach the Tower from here. No stone sense, that one. Why study magic when we can't do magic?" Sal tossed back the rest of her mug and motioned for more. "Janar tried to talk sense to her, and teach her to be a smith, but Dagna never stopped yearning. There was a rumor running around Orzammar, including Dust Town, that some skyer had taken Dagna away to the surface and given her to the Tower."
"You make it sound like a kidnapping!" Kai shook her head, "I assure you, I didn't have to 'take' her there."
Sal threw up her hands in supplication, "Easy there, salroka! Everyone, knows that, even Janar, though it embarrasses him to have a daughter who would rather be a surfacer studying an art she can never practice."
"Well, now you know why I can't go and ask to borrow a suit of armor from him." Kai shot Sal a look of regret, "I know he isn't happy about her life choice, but she is. I know what it is like to have a life others think you should live that holds no joy. I had to help her with her dream."
"You don't have to explain to me, salroka. As a Duster, I know about dreams that take you out of a life not worth living. Even better if those dreams come true with help from someone who really cares about you as a person. Unlike Leske, who peddled my sister as a noble hunter. He wasn't seeking to help her status from the goodness of his own heart."
"It was that kind of practice, and the horror that is Dust Town, that had me choose your brother-in-law over Harrowmont." Kai gave a rueful shrug, "I hold no love for Bhelen and Harrowmont was the better man, but Harrowmont believed in the status quo. I couldn't see you all surviving if things didn't change. Bhelen wanted things to be different, he spoke of this with the Shaper. No matter that I hold no love for the man himself, Bhelen was, and is, strong enough to help save you all. Harromont on the other hand..."
"Harrowmont would have spent his time dealing with in-fighting. Orzammar and we dwarves as a whole would have fallen, not by darkspawn invasion, but our own culture's collapse." Sal gave sarcastic snort, "Then there is Bhelen, I always figured he was a selfish cave tick who only loved power and himself; yet, he has improved Dust Town and the lives of the Dusters there. He abolished the casteless class, and those that go top side are welcomed back. Before these mages came, he was implementing reinstating Assembly with representation from Dust Town." Sal gave another bark of laughter and downed the last contents of her mug. "I know I have no love for Bhelen, but my sister does, and my nephew too; and he seems to love my sister and my nephew beyond all else, even the crown,which surprised me. He is willing to let whatever is going on continue as long as they pose a threat to Rica and Endrin."
Kai shot a glance under her lashes at the mages sitting in the middle of the room before moving another checker, "Sal, I need your assistance with several things. I need you to get templar armor from Janar, and I need you to get word to Bhelen through Vartag that I am planning a visit. I want him to warn Bhelen, I don't want him showing surprise."
"Si, as no doubt he will be watched closely by his new, devoted 'friends'." Zevran grinned and took one of Kai's pieces with his.
They went on playing and drinking. More Navarrans joined the others as the tavern filled. Kai took that as their cue to leave. They settled their bets over the game, paid their tab and made their way out of the tavern. They said their good byes outside and parted company, one to Dust Town and one group to the quarters Wynne and Anders had secured for them at the inn around the way from Tapsters.
Kai and Zev wended their way past the statues of the Ancestors. As they passed them, Kai wondered how Filda was doing. They had searched for the dwarf's son, Ruck in the Deep Roads. And that led her to wonder about the crazy blighter. When she saw him last he was turning into a ghoul from eating darkspawn flesh. He had begged they tell his mother he was dead.
She let out a huff of breath, so many unpleasant memories. Everything she did when she visited Orzammar seemed to be the choice of the lesser of two evils. Better hope it goes better this time, she thought to herself.
Zevran sensing her mood grasped her hand and gave it a squeeze. She gave him a smile and leaned in to give him a quick kiss, "Just an unpleasant trip down memory lane." She shrugged, "So, where is this inn?"
Zev took her to an alcoved courtyard behind the statues, one she had never taken notice of when she was there before. She looked up to see the stone sign carved over the door. Her dwarven was a little rusty, but she needn't have bothered. The picture below sported a carved nug eating lichen. "The Hungry Nug?" Kai looked at Zev and laughed before pushing the door open and walking inside.