Chapter 21 - The Little Town of Lothering

"Well, there it is. Lothering." Alistair sighed dramatically, waving a hand over the expanse, as if the dirty little town was one of the most beautiful sights he'd seen. "Pretty as a painting." Serena peered around, taking in the features of the village from the Imperial Highway.

"Ah, so you have finally decided to rejoin us, have you?" Morrigan's voice was a long drawl. "Falling on your blade in grief seemed like too much trouble, I take it?" She made a noise in the back of throat that sounded like a snort.

Alistair rounded on the witch, his temper flaring up. "Is my being upset so hard to understand? Have you never lost someone important to you?" His eyes narrowed angrily and he turned back to the railing. "Just what would you do if your mother died?"

"Before or after I stopped laughing?"

"Right, very creepy." Alistair sighed. "Forget I asked."

Serena frowned, looking out over the bridge's railing. The walk here had been uncomfortable, with Alistair avoiding her gaze and Morrigan completely content to not say much of anything. She wished she could pull him aside and explain that last night hadn't been a rejection, not at all, she had just been startled and... She sighed.

"You have been very quiet, Alistair," she said softly, her eyes still on the town. She felt him shift beside her, his eyes studying her profile.

"Yes, I know. I was just... thinking."

"No wonder it took so long, then," Morrigan muttered crossly.

"Oh, I get it." Alistair turned, leaning on railing with his arms. Serena glanced between the two of them, waiting for the inevitable theatrics. "This is the part where we're shocked to discover how you've never had a friend your entire life, right?"

"I can be friendly when I desire to," the witch shot back. "Alas, desiring to be more intelligent does not make it so."

Alistair held up a hand, stopping her stream of insults. "Anyway..." He glanced over at Serena, and it was the first time he had looked her in the eyes directly since the night before. "I thought we should talk about where we intend to go, first."

Serena shrugged, her energy zapped, despite it only being the early afternoon. Maybe it was their bickering that took so much out of her. "We should try and use these treaties, I assume."

"I agree," Alistair said, his eyes searching her face. "Have you... looked at them at all?"

"Briefly, in my tent last night." Serena pulled them from her knapsack, handing them to Alistair, pointedly avoiding his gaze now. "There's three main groups, I think."

"Yes, the Dalish elves, the dwarves of Orzammar, and the Circle of Magi." He flipped briefly through the sheets of paper, studying them quickly. "I also still think that Arl Eamon is our best bet for help. We might even want to go to him first."

"Then we'll resupply here, and head to Redcliffe tomorrow." She glanced between the two of them, waiting for their objections, but surprisingly neither of them said anything.

Serena shrugged, leading the other three across the bridge to the exit for the little town. It was there that they ran into a group of men lazing about. Various boxes and satchels lay about their little makeshift camp. Serena quickly surveyed the scene, assuming the worst.

"Wake up, gentlemen! More travelers to attend to!" A dark haired man shouted, rousing the others. He appeared very well armored for a stroll along the Imperial Highway. Serena put a hand on the daggers at her side.

"I'd guess the pretty one is the leader," the man said, sizing her up, his dark eyes lingering on her chest.

"Err... they don't look much like them others, you know." A balding rogue came to stand next to his leader, eyeing Serena's group uncertainly. "Uh... maybe we should just let these ones pass..."

The leader smiled engagingly at Serena and she noticed his face was dirty, like they'd spent days sleeping on this road. "Nonsense, Hanric. Greetings, travelers!"

Alistair came to stand at Serena's side, his tall figure adding to their groups' intimidation factor. He leaned in, speaking softly so only she would hear him. "Highwaymen. They're preying on those fleeing the darkspawn, I suppose."

"They are fools to get in our way," Morrigan said clearly from Serena's other side. She was leaning lazily on her staff, but her yellow eyes were alert. Beside her, Peanut barked happily. "I say we teach them a lesson."

"Now is that any way to greet someone?" The dark haired leader shook his head in mock exasperation at their group. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. A simple ten silvers and you're free to move on."

Serena stepped forward, her smile coming easily. "You should listen to your friend," she cooed at the leader. "We're not refugees." She pulled one of her silverite daggers and flipped it in her hand idly.

"What did I tell you? No wagons, and this ones armed!" The bald fat man watched Serena flipping the dagger, his eyes following it up and down, over and over. "We ought to just let them by."

"The toll applies to everyone, Hanric," the leader said, standing his ground and turning back to Serena. "That's why it's a toll, and not, say, a refugee tax."

"Oh, right." The bald man turned to their group, straightening his shoulders. "Even if you're no refugee, you still gotta pay."

"That's funny," Serena said. "You don't look like toll collectors..."

"Ah, but its for the upkeep of the Imperial Highway here!" The leader grinned at her again, and Serena felt Alistair shift beside her, his hand on his sword hilt. "It's a bit of a mess, isn't it?"

"You've been doing a bang up job then," Serena replied, her eyes narrowed at the man. She stepped forward, moving past the group. "Now, if you'll excuse us-"

"It's not really a toll," another bandit said, stepping in to block her way. This one was stocky and well muscled. "We're just robbing you, see?"

"Do shut up..." the leader remarked, his eyes rolling. He moved to stand behind Serena so she was cut off from Alistair and the others. "Even a genlock would have understood that."

Serena pulled her dagger, quick as a flash and slid it across the lackey's throat. He dropped like a sack at her feet, his blood already pooling at her feet. She turned on the leader, her second dagger poking into his side. "You saw how this ended for your poor friend here. Do you really want to fight a Grey Warden?"

"Did she say she's a Grey Warden?" mumbled the bald one from behind the leader. "Them ones killed the king!"

"Traitors to Ferelden, I hear," the leader said smoothly, backing up from Serena's blade. "Teyrn Loghain put quite a bounty on any that are found."

"Did he now?" Serena said dangerously, and once again she felt Alistair at her side. She heard the metal scrape of his sword being drawn. Behind her, Peanut growled.

"But, aren't them Grey Wardens good, boss?" The balding man glanced down at his dead friend. "I mean, really good? Good enough to kill a king?"

"You... have a point," the leader conceded. He exchanged a quick glance with one of his fellows, nodding. "Well... let's just forget about the tax, eh? We'll just leave you all to your darkspawn-fighting, king-killing ways, shall we?"

"You really are too kind," Serena said, advancing on the leader again with her blade. "Go. Leave your things." She grinned at the dark haired leader, slicing the laces holding his leather armor together. "We'll take care of it all for you."

"Of... course," the man said, holding his breastplate together with one hand and waving to his surviving fellows with the other. "We'll just be going now. Do enjoy your stay in Lothering and all that." They bolted down the road Serena and her group had come from, their packs and other things left in a heap nearby.

"Well done," Morrigan said, her tone infinitely approving. She came forward and started rummaging through their packs. "I honestly didn't know you had that in you."

"Neither did I," Alistair added, his voice right near her ear. She turned and grinned at him, glad that their earlier awkwardness had evaporated. "Promise you won't stick me with those things if I make you angry?"

"I promise nothing," Serena said, sheathing her daggers. "Plus, I think you rather like the danger of it all."

"This is true." Alistair kneeled down, sorting through the bandit's discarded things. "Oh, shiny!" He pulled a long sword out of its sheath, admiring the blade. He tested the weight in his hand. "This is perfect..." Alistair strapped the new cover to his belt, sheathing the pristine sword inside. "Maybe I should donate this one to the Chantry?"

"Or you could sell it," Morrigan replied, rolling her eyes. "All this adventuring isn't free, you know."

"Hey, did you two see this?" Serena put down the knapsack she'd been rifling through to kneel beside an enormous crate. "Someone is... someone is lodged back here." She tugged on the crate, Alistair coming over to help her push. He looked down at the body and grimaced. Morrigan pointedly ignored them.

"It's a templar," he said quietly. "He's..." Serena stared down at the man's body, his arms and legs lying in strange angles. "The bandits must have ambushed him, looted his corpse, and then shoved him back here."

"That's awful!" Serena fell to her knees next to the slain man. "Is there... does he have any identification on him?" She ran her hands through his pockets, pulling out some papers and a small amulet. She scanned the papers quickly. "The amulet doesn't say anything, and these are all about some... urn? Do you think anyone in the Chantry here would know him?"

"It's worth a try," Alistair said, he put out his hand to help her up. "He could have just been passing through, but we should check, just in case." Serena nodded, placing the amulet in one of her belt pouches. She turned to Morrigan, who seemed to have finished canvassing the bandits' supplies.

"Did you find anything else useful?"

"Oh, many things, yes. About 100 silvers, along with some things I think we should hold onto, in case funds run low, which they eventually shall, considering how much you two seem to eat." She gave each of the Grey Wardens a sharp look, and Serena could feel herself blush.

"The rest is practical... there were some small weapons and things, some food rations, a couple of healing packs..." She handed a large backpack to Serena. "I noticed your own pack is rather small, too, so I grabbed this one for you-"

"Thank you, Morrigan!" Serena slipped her own pack off and started exchanging her things into the new larger one. She was right, this one held at least twice as much, and she could stash her bedroll inside it instead of having to tie it to the outside. "This is... thank you."

"'Tis nothing," the witch replied, smiling gently.

"Well, will wonders never cease? Look at you," Alistair said, chuckling softly. "Making friends, after all." Morrigan rolled her eyes, turning away. Alistair grinned at Serena, offering his arm to her. "Shall we?"

Despite Alistair's earlier assessment of the little village, Lothering turned out to be a depressing hole of a town. Upon entering, they were immediately accosted by angry villagers and even angrier refugees.

Morrigan quickly broke off from them, muttering about searching for a merchant to trade with and Serena waved her off. She hoped the witch would find a merchant she could barter successfully with, but Serena assumed Morrigan's quick exit had more to do with the nearby clamor than their need for coin. Taking one look at Serena, Peanut had turned and followed the witch.

"There ain't no room here, so don't none of you even think about staying!" a man shouted, a small child clinging to his leg.

"We gots quite enough to be getting on with them darkspawn about in the damn forests, and we don't need more damn refugees like you about!" exclaimed another, slamming his door.

"They're just so friendly," Serena muttered to Alistair as they passed. "I rather think I might come back here, once the Blight's over. Seems like a lovely place to raise a family..."

"First you just have to land yourself a husband," Alistair remarked, his eyebrow quirking.

Serena laughed. "Oh, well, that shouldn't be too hard. I'm a Grey Warden, Alistair, and there's apparently a huge bounty on my head, to boot! What man wouldn't want a piece of this?" She waved a hand to indicate her body.

"You know, you have a point." He cast a gaze around the tired looking village, a smirk visible on his lips. "Maybe I should start searching for a wife myself..." Serena gently pushed him and he laughed. "Okay, okay, maybe not here. The next town, then? You seem like a good judge of character, Serena. Maybe you could help me out?"

"I will do no such thing," Serena said, sticking her tongue out at him. "I'm not some village matchmaker, Alistair. If you want a wife so badly, you'll have to woo her without my help."

"Ouch. Considering my luck with women, looks like I ought to re-join the Chantry... become a brother of the faith... live a life of religious contemplation..." He leaned close, dropping his voice to a seductive whisper. "I might as well lose all hope of ever landing a lady in my bed..."

"I absolutely hate you," Serena hissed at him, her face blushing red. "You know that, right? Especially right now?"

"I do," he replied, grinning. "And I absolutely love it." They passed near a tavern called Dane's Refuge and Serena tugged on his hand softly.

"Could we stop, just really quickly? Maybe grab something to drink?" Her face took on a sweet pleading look Alistair couldn't have resisted had he even wanted to, so he simply nodded, holding the door open for her. They saddled up the small bar, Alistair signaling to the bartender on duty.

"Two... uh..." Alistair turned to Serena uncertainly. "I don't think I ever asked what you drink?"

"Portsmouth ale, if you have it," Serena finished, addressing the barman.

"We don't carry Portsmouth since the highways been overtaken by them bandits," the bartender replied. "We do have Amber Dawn, though, straight over from South Reach."

"That'll be fine," Serena said, passing a handful of coppers across the bar. The man slapped down two flagons of ale and moved on to serve another customer. She took a swallow of the heady brew and sighed. "Now this is how you start an adventure."

Alistair took a swig from his own ale and looking sideways at her. "Serena, I'm not sure how to say this... I wanted to apologize."

Serena peered at him curiously. "Apologize? For what?"

Alistair cleared his throat, his countenance suddenly tense. "Last night, mostly..."

"Oh, that." Serena swirled a finger around the rim of her mug. "I actually wanted to talk to you about that, too." She looked up at him and her blue eyes were utterly earnest. "I really-"

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here, boys." Serena saw a large hand smack onto the bar next to her and she groaned. "Two little hapless Grey Wardens, all ready for us. I think we've just been blessed."

Serena glanced at Alistair, her voice clear. "Why is it we never seem capable of having a single pint without someone trying to kill us?"

"Must be our engaging personalities," Alistair replied with a snort. "I think these are Loghain's men, they have the seal of Gwaren on their armor." He turned on his stool to regard the man. "May I help you? My lady friend here and I were just sitting down to have a drink together and-"

"Shut it, Blondie," the large man snapped. "We ain't here for none of your jokes."

"Yes, Alistair, they are not here for our jokes," Serena mocked. She could see the leader's flesh redden as he realized he didn't intimidate them. "They are here to attempt to threat us and possibly try to shove very pointy things into our tender flesh."

"I'd love to shove some of my pointy things into your tender flesh, gorgeous," another one of Loghain's men said. "Traitorous or not, I bet you taste real good. Why don't you ditch Blondie here and come out with us?"

"Oh, my, and with such an invitation, how can I possibly resist?" Serena hopped off her stool, smiling. "See, Alistair? Here's a husband for me already." She leaned towards the man, her hand sliding to her dagger.

"Serena... don't rough him up too badly," Alistair called, grinning. He turned to the large man acting as their leader. "I really can't take her anywhere anymore, she just gets..."

Behind the man, Serena kneed her admirer hard in the groin then kicked, knocking his legs out from under him. He grabbed one of his fellows and they both tumbled to the ground as Serena crunched one of his hands under her boot. He howled in pain and a few nearby patrons laughed at the sight.

"...So excited," Alistair finished. He stood from his stool and was surprised to find he had a good five inches on the man, he didn't even come up to his nose. Alistair pulled his new long sword from its sheath and smiled. "You're Loghain's men," he said, pushing the man right at the yellow wyvern on his armor. The man stumbled, tripping over one of his lackeys, and fell to the ground.

"Gentlemen, surely there is no need for trouble. These are no doubt simply more poor souls seeking refuge in our small town." A red haired woman in bright Chantry robes stepped forward.

"They're more than that! They're Grey Wardens, these two!" one of the fallen lackeys cried. He tried to stand up but Serena shook her finger back and forth menacingly.

"Ah, ah, my good fellow. I would stay down if I were you," Serena teased.

The red haired woman came to stand beside Serena and she saw the woman had a small sword strapped to her back. How interesting. She was unaware that the Chantry sisters carried weapons these days.

"Get out of it, Sister. You protect these traitors, you'll get the same as them."

"Oh, come now! Traitor is such a harsh word." Serena put the heel of her boot on one of the man's fingers and pressed it down. She could hear a loud crack as the finger broke. The man grimaced but said nothing. "Can't we just talk about this little… misunderstanding?"

"I doubt he would listen," the Chantry sister replied. She had an interesting accent; certainly she was not a native of Ferelden. "He blindly follows his master's commands."

"I am not the blind one!" one of the bearded lackeys yelled. "I served at Ostagar, where the teyrn saved us from the Grey Wardens' treachery! I serve him gladly!"

"So by saved you, you mean he had you slink back to the north while the rest of us fought for our lives and died for our king?" Alistair held his sword tip to the leader's throat. A small trail of blood was beginning to trickle down the man's neck. "Is that what you mean?"

"Enough talk," a new guard came forward and Serena realized she hadn't even known he was a part of the group. "Take the Wardens into custody. Kill the sister and anyone else that gets in your way."

"And who is going to do that, exactly?" Serena asked. "Your fellows are quite indisposed, and…" She pulled one of her throwing knives and landed it right in the man's helm. It stuck out awkwardly from the leather and the man peered at it, his nerve shattering. "You seem less inclined to take advantage of us now, too."

The man pulled the knife from his helm and removed it. His forehead had a small cut in it that was bleeding freely down his face. "All right, you've, uh... made your point."

"Oh, puns! I love it." Serena pulled another knife and tossed it at the man, landing it in his boot. He howled and tried to jump back, tripping and slamming his head into the bar. Serena frowned as she watched their pints of ale tip over the bar and land on the men.

"You've won, we surrender!" he shouted from the ground, his other men were nodding, terrified.

"Good. They've learned their lesson and we can all stop fighting now," the Chantry sister said. Serena glanced at her and smiled, and saw the expression reflected on the red haired woman's face.

"Before you go, would you mind relaying a message to Loghain for us?" Serena pressed her heel onto the man's hand and he yelped.

"W-what do you want to tell him?" the man spluttered.

"Tell him the Grey Wardens know what really happened," Alistair said suddenly, his sword pushing against the throat of the man at the bar. "Tell him he'll pay for what he's done, and we'll be coming for him."

"Yes, that's perfect," Serena said, clapping a hand on the back of the injured man at her feet. "Now, feel free to leave the bar and never return."

"I'll... yes. I'll go tell him. Right away." The man stubbled up with his fellows. "Now, even. Thank you for not killing us!"

"Goodbye! I hope you enjoyed your time in Lothering and all that!" Serena called, echoing the bandits' final greeting. She turned back to the bar, where Alistair still had the man on the end of his sword. Serena grabbed the man by the arm and swung him in the direction of the exit. "You, too, I'm afraid. We won't have any stragglers."

The man stumbled and fell to the ground, clutching his neck. "I... right. Goodbye." He scrambled out the door on all fours as the bar patrons laughed and cat called.

"I apologize for interfering," the Chantry sister said. "But I couldn't just sit by and not help."

"Well, we certainly appreciate what you tried to do," Serena replied, elbowing Alistair to put his long sword away.

"I'm glad you found it in your heart to offer those men mercy." The red haired woman extended a small hand to Serena. "Let me introduce myself. I am Leliana, one of the lay sisters of the chantry here in Lothering. Or, I was, rather."

"Was?" Alistair asked.

"I joined the Chantry to live a life of religious contemplation," the woman explained. "But I am no priest, not even an initiate."

"Right, well, neither are we, so you're in good company." Serena shook the woman's hand. "I'm Serena, and this hulking beast of a man is Alistair."

"Hulking beast of a man?" Alistair said, rolling his eyes. "Are you trying to tell me I'm fat?"

"It got boring just calling you Alistair," Serena replied, shrugging her shoulders. "And yes, you are getting a bit rotund around the middle if you ask me." She turned back to the Chantry sister, Leliana. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sister."

"Those men said you're a Grey Warden. You will be... battling the darkspawn, yes? That is what Grey Wardens do?" She paused, wringing her hands a little. "I know after what happened in the south... you'll need all the help you can get. That's why I'm coming along."

"Forward, isn't she?" Alistair observed. "Hello, pleasure to meet you, I heard you all like risking your lives, so I'm coming with you!"

"Oh, well, we will need the help," Serena reasoned. She dropped her voice so only Alistair could hear her. "And she certainly seems more friendly than Morrigan, no?"

"Pffft, your boot kicking me in the front of the pants is more friendly than Morrigan, Serena."

"The Maker wants me to go with you," Leliana said suddenly, as if she could sense them deciding against her coming along.

Serena exchanged glances with Alistair again. "Err, could you... elaborate?"

"I... I know that sounds... absolutely insane- but it's true! I had a dream... a vision!"

"Oh boy," Alistair muttered. "More crazy? And here I thought we were all full up."

"Look at the people here. They are lost in their despair," the sister pleaded. "And this darkness, this chaos... will spread. The Maker doesn't want this. What you do, what you are meant to do, is the Maker's work. Let me help you!"

"Of course," Serena said, smiling at the woman. "I will not turn away help when it is so... earnestly given."

"Thank you! I appreciate being given this chance. I promise I will not let you down."

"Let me warn you, though," Serena said seriously. "This bar scuffle was nothing. Alistair and I have not been Wardens for very long, but already we have seen... many deaths. This will not be an easy road to walk."

"No, I understand. More than you could know." The woman ducked her head briefly, intoning a passage from the Chant of Light. "Blessed are they who stand before the corrupt and the wicked and do not falter. Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just."

Serena smiled, liking this woman more and more every minute. "That is one of my favorite passages. I think it'll be good to have you along. Do you have your things here?"

Leliana shook her head. "They are in the cloister at the Chantry, I can retrieve them quickly though."

"Ah, no matter. We need to visit the Chantry anyway," Alistair said, tapping the pouch the dead templar's amulet was in. "Remember?"

"Oh yes," Serena replied. "Well, seeing as our pints are on the ground, perhaps we should just head over there now?" Leliana nodded, leading the way out of the bar. Upon exiting, they immediately ran into Morrigan.

"Ah, there you are," the witch called. She handed Serena a large pouch that jingled with coin and pointed. "I sold the extra things we did not need, but there is... something interesting over this way I would like you to see."

Morrigan led them over a small bridge and into a wide field. "He is over here."

"Wait... he?" Alistair asked. He glanced at Serena, his face a mixture of curiosity and confusion. Serena simply shrugged, waiting to see what the witch was up to. What they found was the last thing she had expected.