BioWare owns all but what I made up. : )
I have admit, this is the hardest part for me to write, because I have no idea if any of you are still interested or if you've chalked me up as a done deal and moved on. I am so, so, sorry for taking so long with this chapter. Many things have happened in real life that kept me from writing along with a bad case of writer's block. I owe you all so much more than apologies and I hope this chapter helps a little in making it up to you all. And I hope I have what will be exciting news, I am writing my own original story which I hope to publish as an e-book. I hope you'll like it. I'll let you know when it gets done. It's a terrible thing when the muse goes on a vacation, but she seems to have come back with a vengeance now! : ) Hopefullly, real life will have settled down to let me take advantage of that.
Again, I am so grateful to all of you. Please know I thought about you all and worried that you'd give up on me. For those that didn't, thank you so very much! And thank you to my newer fans as well. I can't believe (with a lack of posts) that you all are still finding this story, and finding it worthy of putting on alerts. I hope to do better in posting for this and all my stories.
Personal thanks to all who've put me and this story on favorites: rachefoz, Nocterayne, Nemi-chan, Merisell, melgonzo, Parliment of Ravens, Ellika, BurningTheMidnightOil, RavennaL, skorge, Anya Fira, Breaniver, JayBetti, Jdpupstar, Yuki-sama, DragonQueen76, Sara-hold-the-h (love that name), pixieO8353, LisaRae, HappyLittleCupcake (yum), Selande, Calliope Sol, Volunteer Elf, FriendofSirDidymus (the air is sweet, and fragrant, and none shall pass), Vadriel (whom I owe special apologies to, I really did intend to put the next chapter out when I told you, please forgive me). I love all of the names you all are far more clever than I. And I am so in awe of all of you. Thank you once again, from the bottom of my heart.
Thanks also to my betas and friends, I couldn't do half as good a job without them. Ladies, big hugs: mckillian, Piceron, Ladyamesindy, Violet Theirin, Stella Smooth, and Liso66. Oh, and the esteemed brownc0at as well. Please check out their works as all of these ladies are writers (and very talented ones) in their own rights. That they help me at all is another blessing and constant source of amazement.
Blessings!
They arrived back at their rooms at the Hungry Nug inn to find Sal sitting in a chair in Kai and Zev's room, feet propped up on the stone bureau, swigging ale from a tankard while occasionally popping a bit of greasy sausage into her mouth from a plate piled with more of the same.
The dwarva had a book propped in her lap that looked familiar to Kai, and apparently to Wynne as well. "You'd best not be getting greasy fingerprints on those pages, young lady." Wynne cocked an eyebrow at the rogue.
Sal grinned and shut the book closed with the hand holding it and carefully placed the tome down on the bureau away from the ale and sausages. "I may come from the dust, but I do have some manners. Not to mention that I just learned how to read, so books are...precious, shall we say?"
Sal swigged more ale followed by more sausage. She chewed and swallowed ending in a swipe with her hand across her mouth. "This book in particular is precious, for more than one reason. I didn't know that it was possible to do what is described on page fifty-six without some help from elaborate dwarven mechanical devices." The rogue glanced at the binding as if memorizing the letters embossed there. "The Rose of Orlais, must remember to find a copy."
"Oh si, my dear, fellow rogue, mechanical devices can be such fun. And that particular book has many delightful ideas within its pages ." Zev winked at Sal as he sat with Kai on the bed facing their friend while Wynne went to fetch more chairs. "I myself have a fondness for rope. Of course there is something to be said for the amorous effects the outdoors can induce. Why Kai and I-"
Kai stopped him with a finger to his lips while her face flushed which only caused Zev to kiss its tip and laugh. She wrinkled her nose at him and turned to Sal. "Yes, well, we need not go into that."
There was a loud clomp noise as Wynne grabbed 'The Rose of Orlais' shutting it smartly having removed it from Anders who had been flipping through its pages with a look of energetic concentration. "Really, young man, I would think that you don't need any more ideas put into that fevered mind of yours."
Anders blushed causing the room to erupt with laughter.
Kai turned back to Sal. "So, Wynne says that the armor has arrived?"
Sal nodded and flashed a grin at Anders. "Yes, and it's some of the smith's best work. It awaits you in the church. Brother Burkel thought you might all find it more convenient, and less likely to arouse suspicion, if you appeared from the church. The Nevarrans seem to only watch the merchants not the church." Sal leaned forward grabbed the mug next to her plate and drained its contents before swiping her hand across her mouth. "And I have brought cleaning supplies for you to carry with you as volunteers cleaning the place, in case they are looking."
This elicited a moan from Anders followed by an 'ow' as Wynne smacked the mage on the back of the head. "Put on your big boy pants, young man. It isn't as if you'll be the only one in uncomfortable clothing." Wynne cocked an eyebrow while crossing her arms over her chest.
"I wouldn't be groaning if it were pants I'd be wearing instead of that metal monstrosity along with a skirt." Anders grumbled. "It's worse than the man dress for magi."
Kai bit her lip to keep from laughing as she waved a hand to stop Wynne from retorting the younger man. The elder mage turned to Kai, "My clothing arrived from its final alterations by way of Brother Burkel as well."
Kai turned back to Sal. "So when do we gain an audience with King Bhelen?"
"I had Vartag schedule you all to appear at the hour of betting." Sal pointed to the dwarven lyrium clock and the glowing rune on it's surface for the word bet. "I thought you might like to have the meeting as soon as possible so you know what awaits you in the Deep Roads. And I thought a certain handsome mage, might appreciate having the time spent in armor as short as possible." Sal winked at Anders. "I also thought that a certain mage, might show his appreciation, privately, for such thoughtfulness?"
Anders grinned. "I think I could work myself up to long periods of gratitude for you, dove."
Kai rolled her eyes at them both before setting them on the clock. Kai was grateful for the timepiece in their room, as one used to using the sun to tell time, the perpetual "twilight" of Orzammar always threw her off. If she hadn't just been on the surface with Zev enjoying lunch and well, other activities, she would have sworn that the hour of betting had long since passed or was still a long way off. "So," Kai glanced at the glowing rune showing the time, "This being the 'hour of sharpening,' we have an hour, if I'm reading that correctly."
Sal grinned and nodded. "Aye, weapons are being honed, armor is being oiled and soaped in readiness for the Proving later. The king will of course attend the Proving to keep up appearances that all is well. Vartag and I figured that The Revered Mother would know no one comes before the king during the hour of Proving."
Kai nodded. "Well then, we'd best get ourselves dressed and made presentable to appear before royal company."
She heard a groan and watched Anders flinch and give the elder mage a cheeky grin before Wynne's hand could be employed to the back of his head again. Kai smiled and shook her head.
Sal only laughed and rose to take her leave, placing the plate of sausages on the floor for Argus and Pounce, with a friendly pat for each. As she made her way to the door, she stroked Ander's arm while batting her eyelashes. "Don't worry handsome, I have some salve and very nimble fingers that are good at buckles. I'm sure I can help ease the pain. I'll be at Tapsters, and if you find you have the energy, we can practice page fifty-six from that book."
Zev chuckled. "That should give you something delightful to focus on rather than the armor, my sparkle fingered friend, no?" He clapped the mage on the shoulder before opening the door for Sal who winked, saluted, and disappeared into the shadows of the hallway. "Such a delightful creature."
"Hah, she reminds me of you!" Kai grinned at him.
"Oh, si, and I am delightful, am I not? Or did our lunch not prove that, my dear Kai?" Zev winked while giving her a lusty smile, making Kai blush and roll her eyes and the others to laugh.
"I walked into that. You are too slick, Zevran, you'll slide out of your coffin." Kai shook her head and indicated they should collect the armor and Wynne's costume and dress for their meeting with Bhelen.
After the long ride on the lift back to the Diamond Quarter-with Kai barely refraining from humming "The Girl from Emponeema Thaig" under her breath-it left only ten minutes until their appointment to spare, Kai wondered if they shouldn't have made the meeting with Bhelen for the hour of singing. It wasn't just Anders' grumbling, but she found herself trying to learn to walk and move in heavy metal armor, accustomed as she was to lighter leather. She felt like a bronto lumbering around and only hoped that her awkwardness wouldn't show and give the game away. More time to wear get used to the weight of metal might not have been amiss. Add, add to that, the helmet was hot, stuffy, and severely limited her vision-something that could prove deadly for a rogue used to lighter leather armor and open helmets.
"I think you look sexy in templar armor, mi gra." Alistair's voice had a teasing tone. "If you wear it in the Fade we can play Templar and naughty mage."
Kai gave him a mental eye roll. "You have been around Zev way too much."
Alistair only laughed. "Yes well, I still couldn't say that without blushing. Which your father finds amusing, by the way. Just glad your mother isn't here to ask me why I'm turning red."
Kai laughed and then sobered immediately. "Really, how did you move in this armor? I feel like a salted fish packed in a barrel." She huffed into the helmet and regretted it. "And this helmet is stifling and I can't see a thing!"
"Well, metal armor is all I have ever worn, so you get used to it. I know I would feel naked in leather armor."
"Naked huh?" Kai gave him a mental grin. "I think I can arrange a much more fun way of feeling naked the next time we meet in the Fade."
She could sense him blushing and shuffling his feet. "Oh you are evil, you're a bad person!"
"Do you hate me?" Kai gave him a mental smile.
"Yes, and I'll show you how much when you come to the Fade, cheeky monkey!" She could feel his smile. "Uh oh, your mother just showed up and asked me why I'm blushing, thank you so much! Must go, bye, my love!"
Kai turned her attention back to trying to walk as if she had worn restrictive metal armor most of her life instead of supple leather. She wondered if Anders, walking in front of Wynne, was having the same difficulties. They surrounded the elder mage, pretending as they were, to be an honor guard for "The Revered Mother".
One good thing about the metal armor Kai found, distracted as she was with just walking, she passed by Harrowmont's estate without feeling the usual wave of guilt over the man.
She made note of the small pockets of Nevarrans throughout the corridor, noticing there were fewer here than in the market and performing mental arithmetic on the possible numbers overall, depending on how many were at Caridin's Cross in the Deep Roads. With groups ranging in number from one to three, and no larger than three, she estimated their overall number to not exceed fifteen, maybe twenty-five at the most here in Orzammar itself. At least she hoped it would be more in the fifteen range. If the Nevarrans were building a golem army in the Deep Roads, surely it wouldn't require more people than that to watch and set off the traps here in the city.
Sure Kai, keep telling yourself that. And if nugs had wings, they'd be pigeons. Let's face facts, we're running blind. She could only hope that Bhelen would, Maker please, somehow be able to tell them more despite his extra surveillance. Her mental tirade at herself was interrupted when she almost tripped, as the thick metal toe of her boot caught a crack in a flagstone.
Luckily there weren't eyes to see her stumble-distant as they were from the few merchant stalls allowed in the Diamond Quarter, and its well-to-do citizens were indoors probably eating-what passed for a light meal and dressing for the Proving-though Wynne did look over her shoulder with a cocked eyebrow. Kai shrugged slightly as Wynne could not see her a rueful grin.
They walked up the stone steps to the level of the palace and more steps lead them to the doors of same, with a brief stop as guards enquired as to their business there. The waiting room was filled with more dwarven nobles. Kai watched the guard give a sidelong glance to the side of the room where some of the Nevarran's sat on a bench talking with each other. She watched one of the human strangers nod slightly in the affirmative and tilt their head towards the throne room doors. Kai also noted that her scath Tam and Hugh were in the room as well. She didn't see Sten.
The guard huffed under his breath and spoke to Anders. "Wait here, I will announce your arrival to the king." They watched the man walk to the thick, dwarven iron, throne room doors decorated with the squared spiral design and Aeducan family seal. He knocked, stuck his head inside, and engaged in a brief discussion with someone behind the door before turning his gaze towards them and nodding his head indicating that they should proceed on.
They moved forward through the doorway filing into the spacious room, the sound of the door shutting behind them echoing off the stone walls as all conversations had stopped with all eyes in the room trained on them, before their measure was taken note and conversations started up once more. The only eyes that kept sliding towards them were from the Nevarrans and they were being discrete about it.
The room remained as Kai remembered it from their last visit, one long rectangular space with the throne on a dais at one end and the doors they entered in at the other. A long woolen rug woven with more geometric designs in black, white and red bisected the room leading to the throne. Long stone tables, with benches on either side, held various people in attendance.
Kai noted the Nevarrans seated at those tables-along with various dwarven nobility- and on the benches along the walls. She also made note how some of their strange visitors sat at the tables closest to dais where they could, no doubt, keep their eyes and ears on the king and any visitors.
Sten stood behind and to the right of Vartag who stood right behind the throne . The giant Qunari was in the shadows but not hard to miss.
They walked single file toward the throne, and stood on either side of Wynne, once they reached it. Kai observed Bhelen as they moved toward him, she noted the dark circles under his eyes and the deepening of the lines around his mouth. Dwarves being stout, and muscular folk-with Bhelen being no exception-the dwarven king looked a few stone thinner, as though not only had he not been sleeping, but not eating as well. Not that it surprised her, she doubted she would feel like sleeping or eating if the twins were under constant threat of being dismembered by demons.
Kai's eyes slid toward Vartag Gavorn, Bhelen's right-hand man, best friend, and go to man for dirty deeds done dirt cheap-should the need arise.
Kai's vallaslin were covered by Leli's makeup, and she had pulled her dark curling locks into a severe bun to fit under the helmet-not a hairstyle she favored-yet she knew that Vartag would have recognized her if she removed the headgear, even without the heads up from Sal about her and her team's arrival.
The man was too sharp by half, and his skills, including excellent powers of observation, were part and parcel of what made him such an affective operative in dwarven politics. Kai suspected that Vartag helped procure Bhelen's siblings' downfalls so that the youngest of the Aeducans might have a clear and unhindered path to the very seat on which he now sat. Kai had a moment to wonder if Bhelen was regretting his ambitions for the first time.
Bhelen rose and gave Wynne a short bow which the mage returned. Vartag waved a hand and a couple of servants brought padded wooden chair and small table which they sat on the dais next to the throne. A third servant appeared with a tray containing a bottle of wine, one bottle of-what Kai guessed to be-ale, a mug, a glass, and a plate of fruit. Wynne placed herself in the chair while Kai and Anders took up defensive positions.
Vartag put a stack of parchment, a dwarven ink pen, and a small chest, which he lifted the lid of, to show glowing chunks of lyrium. The 'conversation' began between Bhelen and Wynne in earnest. From what snippets of conversation Kai caught, she was glad Wynne was on their side. She also had insight as to how they obtained so many items for such good prices when it was the elder mage's turn to buy supplies during their Blight days-Wynne was quite the negotiator. Kai would have felt sorry for Bhelen, if this had been a real negotiation that is.
She bit her lower lip to keep from laughing at the thought and sobered immediately. Nothing she had overheard so far seemed to be any sort of code or clue as to the Nevarran mage problem awaiting them in the Deep Roads.
Kai hoped, with the advanced notice, that Vartag and Bhelen would have designed some plan to let them know more about what was going on. But neither the conversation nor the papers-which Vartag took back after Wynne signed them, nor the chest of lyrium-which was also summarily removed-appeared to have any message. In their place Vartag set a carved wooden box on the table opening it to reveal a beautiful chess board inlaid with different colored stone. The pieces matched the board squares and were intricately carved squat pieces in the dwarven style.
Bhelen waved a hand at Vartag, once all the pieces were placed on the board. "Your Reverence, I hope you don't mind if we start our new game in person after our last finished via letter. And I had this set made especially for you after our last meeting."
Bhelen leaned forward with cocked eyebrow while offering Wynne her pick of light or dark pieces, letting the elder mage decide to go first. "It has been thoroughly inspected for quality, I assure you." Bhelen's eyes darted very subtly towards one of the groups of Nevarrans. "In your last letter, you asked me to teach you the strategy that allowed me to checkmate you in twelve moves, did you not?
Bhelen began moving pieces around the board, occasionally asking Wynne to move one of her pieces as well, again nothing in his conversation with the mage gave Kai any clues. She was beginning to wonder if the dwarven king was being watched so closely he dared not send any message their way. If that was the case, it was going to make the trip to the Deep Roads even more tricky and dangerous with what little information they had.
It was as Kai stood worrying into her own skull that the doors to the throne room burst open followed by the sounds of voices raised in argument. One of those voices was extremely familiar...Oghren!
Oghren's cover story, one that the dwarf had come up with on his own-much to everyone's surprise and awe-that having helped stop the Blight, and traveling with the "Hero of Ferelden," being a hero in his own right-and now that Kai was supposedly dead-wanted to re-establish his house in Orzamar.
Oghren's insane, and very dead wife, Branka, ironically enough, had been obsessed with finding the Anvil of the Void and rebuilding a golem army to fight dark spawn and restore the might of the dwarven empire. She had taken their entire house into the Deep Roads, all save Oghren.
Branka's obsession drove her to madness and cruelty, she had used the people of their house, from family members to servants-after the soldiers were dead-as cannon fodder for the darkspawn and the traps Caridin left to deter anyone getting to the anvil. That "fodder" include Branka's lover, Hespeth, who had been tainted and who was slowly becoming a broodmother when they found her. Kai shuddered at the memory of the poor "blighter"-as Oghren would have said-with a second shudder at the horrific process required to make a human, elf, Qunari, or dwarf into one by means of violation and eating the flesh of darkspawn That discovery had caused Kai months of nightmares added to the ones that already occurred due to the taint.
And here she was, putting herself back in the Deep Roads and darkspawn territory. "Mi gra." Alistair's soothing voice echoed in her head and she gave him a wan mental smile.
In the end, Branka had forced Kai to kill her, once the knowledge of how golems were made-using live dwarves against their will when volunteers were lacking-was revealed by Caridin who had been turned into a golem himself for protesting. He exposed the dwarven empire's embarrassing secret past and Kai had taken Caridin's hammer, and with his blessing, destroyed the anvil-or so she'd thought-smashing it into pieces. Caridn thanked her, then threw himself into a lava channel lest anyone try and pry the secret of its making from is creator.
Now here they were again, waiting to go back to the Deep Roads and the very anvil which should not exist-Kai having thrown the anvil's rubble in after Caridin.
Oghren made his way towards the dais weaving slightly and his odor arrived at the throne before he did. He smelled as if he had fallen in a vat of lichen ale. He pointed a finger drunkenly at Bhelen as the guards tried unsuccessfully to restrain him. "Oi, you sodding nug humper, you promised me a meeting!"
Bhelen waved the guards off. "I was hoping you'd be sober Oghren, though I should have known that to be wishful thinking." Bhelen crossed his arms over his chest. "Traveling with the 'Hero of Ferelden' apparently did nothing for you. Still the same drunken lout you were before Branka up and left you behind."
Oghren roared and stumbled forwards reaching for Bhelen but the small table was in the way which he bounced off of scattering the chess pieces. Kai leapt forward grabbing Oghren with both hands by the front of his shirt, under the pretense of protecting Wynne, while Anders jumped in front of the mage doing the same.
The dwarf smelled even worse up close, but his breath was clean-at least of alcohol-when he bellowed and protested at her. He winked at her before he slapped at the metal chest of her armor as if trying to get away. Kai obliged and shoved him backwards where he fell as if in a drunken heap.
True to his part, Oghren grumbled as he picked himself up. "Sodding cloud head! I am a warrior and a hero!" He swayed on his feet.
Bhelen merely motioned to Sten, who nodded and grabbed Oghren by the scruff of the neck. "You are here without an appointment, Oghren. You're a loud and lousy drunk. Your 'hero' status went the way of that woman you fought the Blight with. I decide if you are a hero, and I decide if you get your house back." Bhelen motioned to Vartag who handed him a fresh mug of ale-the other having rolled across the floor spilling its contents.
Bhelen took a long gulp before handing it back. "I have a job for you Oghren. If you complete your task, I'll restore your name, your house, and your money." Bhelen gave a harsh bark of laughter. "I might even make you a paragon."
Oghren shot Bhelen a resentful look. "And what task would that be?"
"I need an envoy to visit Kal-Sharok." Bhelen nodded to Sten. "Make sure he packs and escort him to the Deep Roads. Take Tam and Hugh with you. He may be a drunkard but he does know how to fight, as long as he can stay standing."
Sten nodded and simply used his large hand on Oghren's neck to "steer" the protesting dwarf towards the door. Once closed, all noise was cut off, throwing the room into a sort of stunned silence before soft conversation resumed once more.
Vartag motioned for a servant to come and retrieve fallen chess pieces, and for another to clean the spilled ale and wine that splattered the floor.
Once the table had been righted and the box for the chess pieces and board placed on it, Wynne scooped pieces out of her lap with an air of affronted dignity and placed them back into their slots. With the board and pieces safely tucked away Wynne handed the box to Kai with a dismissive wave of her hand.
Bhelen apologized and arranged for Wynne to be served a fresh glass of wine while he and she chatted, looking nothing so much more than a couple of political heavy hitters having a conversation to smooth ruffled feathers.
Kai schooled herself to hold the box as if it held nothing of real importance, though she realized that Oghren must have created a diversion for Bhelen or Vartag to get a message to them and it probably rested in her hands.
It took all of her rogue discipline not to squirm with impatience to leave and not leap forward when Wynne finally rose to extend her hand to Bhelen in farewell. Bhelen made mouths about the palace being at her disposal for the night or as long as she cared to stay. Wynne demurred saying that her meeting with Bhelen had been a convenient stop on her way to the mage tower for pressing business regarding the templars there-for which she thanked him for allowing her to arrange it at such short notice. She would stay in Watersedge before taking a ship to Kinloch Hold the following morning-and this all said for the convenience of the prying eyes and ears in the room.
Bhelen merely nodded and motioned for one of the guards by the door to escort them from the throne room and back to the corridor in front of the palace. They made their way to the lift and back down to the Market area.
The doors opened and Brother Burkel appeared on cue to escort Wynne back to the church for a final blessing. They passed all the Nevarrans in the market before ducking into the church to change into civilian clothing.
As they exited the church doors loud shouting could be heard echoing of the stone walls and high ceiling of the market area. Oghren's shouts filling the large open room as he was escorted to the Deep Roads. Dwarves ran past gathering in a crowd to watch, as did the Nevarrans. Kai and her group followed suit and pretended to give up when they couldn't see through the crowd already there. They took themselves back to the inn with the box with the chessboard and pieces safely wrapped in the rags and stuffed in the basket with the cleaning supplies used as their excuse for being in the church for such a long time. Kai made a mental note to thank Sal for being such a devious person. That is, Kai would thank her when Sal and Anders emerged from enjoying the pleasures of each others' company. Kai shook her head and laughed as Anders took his leave of them and disappeared into Tapsters in search of their delightful friend.