Author's Note: Thanks to everyone reviewing and following! I love reading your comments, they crack me up.
Chapter 41 - What's The Qunari Word For Annoying?
The Brecilian Forest was beautiful, in a... spooky sort of way. The area just beyond the Dalish camp was lush and much more exotic than the Kocari Wilds had been, with streams running throughout and large leafy plants bursting out of the ground. The trees were thick and enormous, the tops reaching so high Serena had to crane her neck to see them.
"You know, they say the Veil is thin here, and all manner of strange things may be seen..." Leliana was keeping pace beside Serena, her new bow out. Serena had been delighted to find out Leliana was just as good a shot as her, and had taken her down into the village at Redcliffe to see if the blacksmith could outfit her with a bow of her own.
The man had been so happy to have his daughter back, he'd made Leliana a beautiful long bow, and Serena a newer, better bow, with a slight recurve. They had practiced with them out in the archery fields at Redcliffe one afternoon, and Serena had been thrilled to see the balance was absolutely perfect.
"So, the Veil... is that like what happened in the tower?" Serena asked.
"Mm, I assume so. Granted, this would be a bit different, since those... monsters... were summoned." They passed a small sapling that had been hung with skulls and Leliana pursed her lips. "The Veil between the worlds often tears on its own when a place has seen much bloodshed. Memories of the spirits haunt the ground, some searching for victims, and others for whatever they need to give them peace."
"You know, considering Ferelden was basically founded on bloodshed and violence, I'm surprised we don't run into these things more often." A uneasy feeling had started to creep up on Serena, and she pulled her daggers. She saw Leliana glance down at the two shiny silverite blades and pull her bow up straighter. "Just in case..."
"Sten! Behind you!" Serena heard Alistair's voice and she turned as a large gray wolf vaulted from the rocky ledge above them. The qunari turned in one fluid motion, his great sword catching the wolf in mid-air as he slammed it down. The wolf yelped in pain, unable to move, as four more wolves dove in from the thick underbrush and Zevran and Alistair moved to engage them, back-to-back.
A long low howl sounded, and two other enormous wolves, standing on their hind legs, appeared in front of Leliana and Serena, their muzzles thick with a white froth. Leliana pulled her bow, shooting the first in its abdomen and it howled again, setting to charge, as Serena's mabari bounded forward, teeth bared.
Behind her, Serena heard the sounds of scuffling as the men took care of the wolves. A icy spell shot between her and Leliana and the second werewolf froze as Serena sprinted, her boot snapping out and kicking it into pieces. The darker wolf continued to hiss and snarl as Leliana circled it, peppering it with arrows as it made to claw at her. Serena pulled a throwing knife from her belt, one of her last, and tossed it at the fiend's chest, where it finally fell to the ground in a heap.
"Hmm. They're a lot fouler than I thought," Alistair said, pushing on the fur pile with the toe of his boot. "I'm surprised they'd come this close to the Dalish camp. Do you think they're planning another ambush?" Some of the others were moving further along the path, their weapons out as Serena kneeled down beside the werewolf, peering into its face.
"Could be, although I'm not sure how... sentient... they are." Serena glanced around at the other bodies. "The wolves are normal, at least. They're not infected, I mean."
Alistair turned and looked down, his honey colored eyes peering keenly at her. "Can you just... sense that?"
"Yeah, it's... I don't know how to explain it. I just know." Serena shrugged, sheathing her daggers once again. "It's more intense, here in the middle of the forest, than out on the road. Kind of like our..." She dropped her voice low so only he could hear her. "Like our other senses."
"Yes, I can feel that oh-so familiar ache, just beyond..." Alistair gazed into the forest, his mouth curving into a frown. "Darkspawn..."
"Did you... hear the call? Last night? I saw it again, the dragon." Serena sighed heavily. "I can't wait until we kill that thing, Alistair. These dreams... they're the absolute worst..."
Alistair put an arm around her hips, tugging her close in a brief hug. "I know." They crossed another small stream and caught up with Leliana, who was watching the woods apprehensively.
"Sten, Zevran, and Wynne went ahead to scout," she said. "These woods are... very confusing."
"It's the magic," Morrigan replied, joining them. "I could sense it back in the Dalish camp, but here is it much older... more powerful. It's in the very trees. They do not appreciate our presence, it would seem."
"It's not the demons-coming-to-ruin-your-life type magic, right?" Serena asked, nervous. "Just the general sparkly bits? Fireballs and the like?"
The dark haired witch rolled her eyes. "'Tis not demons, as far as I can tell." Serena let out the breath she didn't realize she'd be holding and Leliana arched an eyebrow at her.
"What was your nightmare, Serena? When we were in the Fade?"
"I... uh..." Serena glanced at Alistair, then quickly away, her facing flushing. "My family... I was... back in my family's castle. It was silly and awful. I... I've been trying to forget it, actually."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"
"It's alright," Serena said swiftly, kneeling down to pet Peanut and avoid the bard's apologetic gaze. "We should just get moving, though. It'll be nightfall before you know it, and I don't know about you, but I don't want to be fighting in the dark." She ran a hand over Peanut's head, scratching at his little ears. "I hope you're ready, boy." The mabari let out a quick bark and she started back down the path.
"The watch-wolves have spoken truly, my brothers and sister."
Serena turned at the gruff sound, and three werewolves rose to their hind legs, standing near a small waterfall. "The Dalish send a human, of all things, to repay us for our attack, to put us in our place. What a bitter irony." The beasts words were punctuated with heavy rasping breaths.
Serena backed up, holding her mabari back by the collar. "Excuse me- what? The Dalish didn't send us as... we're not mercenaries."
"Do you take us for fools? We know you come from their camp outside the forest. No doubt the old keeper himself sent you." The werewolf appeared to be their leader, and his keen eyes bored into Serena's. "You speak to Swiftrunner. I lead my cursed brothers and sisters." He flung out a clawed hand.
"Turn back now, go back to the Dalish and tell them that you have failed. Tell them we will gladly watch them suffer the same curse we have suffered for too long. We will watch them pay!"
"I would prefer to speak with you, actually," Serena said calmly. "I want to know what the Dalish did to incur your... wrath."
"Was it not Zathrian who sent you? He wishes only our destruction, never to talk."
Serena bit back a retort about bald elves and sighed. "I'm not Zathrian. Surely there is a way we can solve this peacefully. You were human once, or elven, were you not?"
"The... the time for peace is long past." Swiftrunner's eyes glowed with an unnatural fury. "There will be no peace between the elves and we who are cursed!"
"But some of you are Dalish, I know this! How can you hate them so much?"
"You- you know nothing, do you?" one of the other wolves spat.
"They know nothing of us, and even less of those they server." Swiftrunner turned back to Serena. "You are a fool, and we are done talking. Run from the forest while you can. Run to the Dalish and tell them they are doomed."
"I will do no such thing. I don't want to fight you, Swiftrunner, but we're not backing down on this."
"I do not wish to fight you, either, but we cannot trust you." The beastly wolf turned to its fellows, growling. "Come brothers and sisters, let us retreat. The forest has eyes of its own, and it will deal with intruders as it always has." With a quick motion to its fellows, the werewolves fell to all fours and bolted back into the forest.
Alistair watched as Serena let go of Peanut, her shoulders slumping miserably from her confident stance just a moment before. Her hound moved forward to start sniffing loudly at where the wolves had stood and he saw her shake her head.
"Well, that went well," Serena muttered darkly. "I suppose that did answer the sentient question, though."
"Warden!" Serena turned to see the giant form of Sten hefting a body over his shoulder while Zevran and Wynne followed a few paces behind. "We found this elf just beyond those trees."
"Oh!" Serena peered around the huge qunari's shoulder to look at the man. "He's... he's one of the Dalish. Is he alive?"
"Do you think I would heave a dead body all this way?"
"What you do in your spare time is none of my concern, Sten," Serena said tartly. She rolled her eyes and placed a hand on the elven man's neck. "Could we take him back to the camp? He's still breathing."
"I healed him as best I could, but the man needs rest," Wynne added, her eyes focused on the elf.
"We are at least an hour's walk into these woods..." Leliana began. "Perhaps we should split up for a time?"
Sten eyed his companions warily. "I will take the elf and your warrior hound back with me."
"His name is Zevran, and his name is Peanut," said Serena, pointing to each.
"Oh, I feel so honored. Does this mean we are best friends now?" Zevran asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Just the dog, then," Sten replied.
"Peanut."
"That is a stupid name. He looks nothing like a nut. I would prefer to call him Dog."
"I would prefer to call you by a lot of names, but I refer to you as Sten, don't I?" Serena flapped a hand at him. "Just go. The Dalish camp is that way. Wynne, could you please accompany him? I'm afraid our large friend here will forget he carries a living breathing person on his back." Wynne nodded, a small smile on her lips, and followed the qunari and Peanut down the path.
"By the Maker, that man will be the death of me..."
The forest, as many had so far claimed, was indeed a wild and savage place. The sun passed quickly overhead as their group wandered deeper into the darkening wood, they were attacked by a few more pockets of wolves, a small band of darkspawn, and a...
"Tree! Oh, sweet Maker, that's a tree!" Serena shrieked as the gigantic wooden hand reached down and plucked her from the path. It's fingers trapped her arms to her torso as she struggled against it, unable to reach any of her weapons. "I can't... ughhh-" Her breath was knocked out of her as the giant walking tree squeezed her chest.
"Serena!" Alistair bashed into the truck with his shield, unsure what to do to take down a tree. With a loud swish, another tree appeared behind him and he yelled, spinning to swing his sword at the hand that came down for him. A loud crack and the branch snapped under the weight of his swing, the wooden fiend howling as it clutched at its ruined arm. Alistair turned, ready to reengage with the tree holding Serena captive.
Nearby, Leliana pulled a flaming arrow, aiming for the strange eyes that had appeared in the bark of the injured tree, rolling wildly in it's trunk. The arrow hit true, and the tree howled once again, toppling over.
"Get out of the way!" Morrigan cried, flinging a spell at the oak's topmost branches. Leliana clutched at Alistair's shoulder, drawing him back out of range as the tree holding Serena stomped about, flailing her about in its hand as she squirmed uselessly in it's fingers.
"It will stomp us if we stay here!" Leliana shouted at him, her hands grasping at the neck of his armor.
"But she's still- Serena!" Alistair made to move back and the bard pulled harder as a second fireball jettisoned out of Morrigan's hand, exploding into the trunk as the tree twisted, using it's other hand to try to put out the fiery leaves atop it. Behind them, another tree stepped forward to join its fellow.
It immediately grasped for the nearest person, and Zevran rolled out its way, just missing the trees' long branching fingers as it reached for him. He sprinted a short distance down the path, leading the enormous tree away from Leliana and the others. The tree scrambled after the assassin, grabbing uselessly as the elf ducked and dove, digging into his belt pouch.
"Before we get too friendly, I would prefer if you at least buy me a drink first!" Zevran pulled a small metallic ball from his belt and tossed it at the oncoming tree, where it exploded in a bright burst of flames, immediately engulfing the tree as it howled, its mouth filled with long sharp splinters.
Meanwhile, Serena struggled against her own woody assailant, the fire from Morrigan's spell getting closer to her with every second. "Let! Me! GOOOO!" Serena screamed, wiggling out of the tree's somewhat loosened grip. With a painful yelp, she pulled herself out of its wooden fingers and flipped back down to the ground. Breathing hard, her knees crumbling under her own weight from exhaustion, she fell to the dirt with a thump.
"This is not a safe place for you, my dear," Zevran said, appearing beside her like magic. Sweeping his hands under Serena and lifting her easily, the assassin quickly strode over to where Leliana was forcibly holding Alistair back out of the way of Morrigan's spells and dumped Serena into his arms. "I believe this belongs to you."
Bemused, Alistair simply nodded numbly, all the fight going out of him as he dipped to his knees to check on Serena. He laid her gently onto the ground, his eyes frantically searching over her body for injuries as Morrigan fired off another fireball from each hand, the two remaining trees screamed, collapsing to the ground in a burning pile.
"Nicely done," Zevran replied, grinning at the witch. He stepped over to one of the downed trees, examining it closely.
Serena coughed, her hands grabbing for Alistair and Leliana as they helped her back to her feet. "Oh, Maker, I was nearly crushed... to death... by a tree. A tree. A bloody tree!" She stomped over to where Zevran was, kicking at the mangled branches. "Stupid thing, you nearly throttled me!"
"I believe that was their intent, yes," Zevran murmured. "This makes me think perhaps we are on the right path, afterall." Morrigan and the rest had gathered around and he turned to Serena. "Shall we continue then?"
Serena gave the tree one last good kick then nodded. "Yes... thank you, by the way. All of you. I don't think I could handle it if I'd died there... my tombstone saying 'Here Lies Serena, She Was Killed By A Tree.'"
"Maker knows I could use a stiff drink," Leliana replied, shaking her head as they continued down the path. Each was now extra wary of the trees, in particular, and when Serena heard a quick snap, she threw out her hands, stopping Alistair and Leliana beside her.
"Hold. I heard something." She crept forward, her hands on her daggers. "I'll be damned if some other..." Serena started as a werewolf limped out of the brush in front of her, obviously in pain. Scraps of clothing dotted its body as it crawled before her.
"P-please... help... listen... I am not... the mindless beast I appear to be..." The wolf's voice, though mangled as they all were, was recognizable as a woman's. She held out of a paw, her chest heaving in great gasping breaths. "I am cursed... it... burns in me! I was an elf... bitten... and fled into the forest... the werewolves, they... took me in. But I had to return. I had to! My husband..."
"D-Danyla?" Serena said cautiously. "Are you... are you Athras' wife?"
"Yes! Please... you must help me..." The werewolf doubled over again, wheezing hard. "Bring him... a message... for me..."
Serena could hear Leliana quietly gasp. "Oh, the poor woman! She is in such pain..."
"This... scarf... bring it to him. Tell him... I love him." The wolf clawed at its neck, pulling a tattered scarf from its neck. "Tell him I am dead... and with the gods. I beg you..."
"We spoke to him, he is very worried. He... he suspected this... befell you."
"I want him to be at peace..." the werewolf cried, her entire body wracking with sobs as she held the scarf out to Serena. "He is a good man. Please do not... let him suffer... thinking of me."
"Y-yes, of course." Serena took the scarf and folded it gently, placing it in her pack. "I will make sure it gets to Athras, with your message."
"Ah, the pain! The curse... is fire in my blood! Please, I must ask you... end it for me! Quickly!"
"I... yes, I will, I promise... I hate to ask this, but can you... do you know where the wolves are? The others?"
"There is a ruin... in the center of the forest... You may find them there. They will think... you mean to kill them." The werewolf convulsed violently and Serena felt a stab in her heart at having delayed the woman's pain further. "I can... tell you no more... the pain! It is... too much. Please... fulfill your... promise."
"Yes, of course." Serena placed a hand on the shaking head of the beast, bringing her dagger around swiftly to slice the woman's throat. Blood poured from the wound as Serena gently laid the werewolf woman down in the soft dirt. "I'm sorry, Danyla. May you find peace now."
"Is that the elven man's wife?" Wynne, Sten and Peanut came up from behind them, Wynne placing a tender hand on Serena's shoulder. Serena nodded.
"It was as he thought. She had turned." Serena peered at the others, noticing her mabari had been fighting. "Did you all make it back all right?"
"We ran into two Blighted wolves," Wynne replied. "Sten took care of them easily enough. I noticed the burning trees back there..."
"Oh, those," Serena mumbled. Her ribs still hurt a bit from being trapped by one of the trees' branches. "I was unaware that even the trees could fight in this forest, but..."
"Yes, we ran into one of the walking trees, as well," Sten grumbled, shrugging his massive shoulders. "The bas saarebas lit it on fire and we were able to continue here."
"Bas saarebas? What's that?"
Sten glanced at Wynne, then Morrigan. "The kossith term for magic-wielders."
"Ah, mages. Yes. So... what's a kossith?" Serena asked.
"I am a kossith," Sten replied.
"I thought you were a qunari."
"Yes."
Serena frowned. "Then what's a kossith?"
"I am. As you are a human, that is an elf, and that is a hound. I am one of the kossith."
"Then what's a qunari?"
The giant sighed, as if this was common knowledge and Serena was merely being difficult to vex him. "The Qunari are those who follow the Qun. Any may follow the Qun; human, elf, dwarf, kossith."
"Oh." Serena paused. "So, we're not incorrect in referring to you as a qunari, right?"
"No. I follow the Qun."
"This sounds like it would be a great beginning to a riddle," Alistair said. "A qunari, an apostate, and an elf walk into a tavern..."
Morrigan rolled her staff idly in her hands, her yellow eyes looked the same color as the werewolf's to Serena. "If the vocabulary lesson is all done, 'twould be wonderful if we could get to this ruin the dead werewolf spoke of before nightfall. Or we are attacked by more magical screaming saplings."
"Right, sorry." Serena wiped her dagger blade of the werewolf's blood and sheathed it. "I imagine we're... west of the ruin now, then, if it's truly in the center of the forest."
Upon entering the center of the forest, however, they found themselves amidst a thick fog. Walking through it several times netted them no progress at all, and Serena found herself turning to her companions in confusion.
"Wait here," Leliana said, sprinting into the mist once again. A minute passed while the others stood waiting until she ran back out. "Back here again! So what do we need to do? Is it magic that is keeping us from getting through the path?"
"Maybe there's another path around this... whatever this is," Alistair suggested, waving a hand at the fog. "Unless suddenly werewolves can do magic, too."
Serena snorted. "After the trees, I refuse to be surprised by anything in this place..."
They spread out, searching the other paths for signs of the ruin until Zevran called out. "Wardens, I believe I found our ruins!" The assassin was standing atop a downed pillar, grinning broadly. He held out a hand to lift Serena up next to him, and she peered down into the shallow basin below, where a small camp had been pitched.
"Shall we?"