Lothering was a welcome sight, after two days of walking. I was ready to kill someone. Maybe in answer to that wish, bandits stopped us on the bridge in to the town.
"Well, look what we have here!"
"Great. Bandits. Let's just give them the money and be done with it." Alistair muttered.
I mentally rolled my eyes, "Hello." I said with a sweet, childlike innocence, "May we pass? We've been traveling for days, sers. I just want a warm meal and a bed to sleep in. I don't want any trouble."
"Oh, ho. Look at the little lady, here, boys. I'll tell you what, you can pass, if you can pay the toll. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave."
"A toll?" I wrinkled my nose in worry, "How much is it?"
"Fifty silver per person. Including the mabari, there. So, that's two gold, missy. Do you have that much?"
I glanced at Alistair, and he handed me the coin purse. I opened it and glanced at the contents. It would cost us everything we had.
"I'm sorry, ser. We just can't afford that. Isn't there something we could do? I'm half-starved, and I feel I might faint dead away soon." I looked up at the leader, the one talking to me, with sad eyes.
He shook his head, "I'm sorry, missy, but no toll, no passing. That's just the way it is. Now, there's another town just ov-"
His words were cut short by my dagger pressed against his throat.
"You will let us pass. Without resistance. I'm in a bad mood, from lack of decent sleep. I actually want to fight you, so just try something. Anything. I dare you." I promised coldly, adding a bit more pressure.
"L-let them pass, boys. There's no need for violence; it's never the answer." He waved off his goons.
"That's what I thought. Let's go." I met Alistair's eyes.
We'd stepped around the leader and the first of the thieves, when they attacked. Predictable.
The leader was on his knees before he knew what was going on. Before he knew they'd lost, and they hadn't even begun yet. Poor guys.
"Oh? You decided to test me?" I leaned my face in close to his, glaring, "I'm sorry, do you want to die?"
"N-no! We're sorry!"
"You're damn right you're sorry."
"Let us go. We won't hurt anyone else."
"Will you tax people for the use of the bridge, though?"
"Never again."
"Give us everything you've stolen."
"Wha-"
"Don't argue with me. I'm trying not to kill you, here. Don't give me any more reason to go through with it."
"Alright! Alright! Boys, give them what they want. All of it. It's only forty gold, but it's everything we've made."
"Good. Now get out of my sight. And don't come back, unless you've become refugees." I growled, pushing the man to his feet.
We watched them run off, tails between their legs.
"That was something." Alistair remarked as I put my blade away, "Where did you learn to do that? How were you so quick?"
"It's a skill I picked up. It's nothing."
"You're a master of manipulation. Like all women." Morrigan sounded almost pleased. I felt like that wouldn't happen often, and that I should bask in the glory of it when it did.
"What can I say? It's a gift." I walked away, averting my face, "Was it forty gold?"
"It was actually closer to fifty."
My brow furrowed, "Were we the only ones they charged fifty silver?"
"That's my guess." My fellow Warden peered into the coin purse, "There are coppers in here, too. I think they charged based upon appearance."
"So they should have stayed away from us. We literally have a mage with us."
Morrigan chuckled, "Oh, child, I was but a woman to them, and you a mere child. They might have thought we were a simple family, coming to seek refuge." Her nose wrinkled at the thought of being paired with Alistair.
I outright laughed. She glowered. He looked confused. The dog barked. Fun was had by all.
Morrigan stalked off, Seraphine loping after her, and left Alistair and me in the dust. He started on his way, too, but paused when he realized I wasn't beside him.
"Anastasia?"
I blinked, glancing up at him from where I crouched, "Hmm?"
"I've been calling your name. Like, five or six times. Did you know him?" he jerked his chin toward the fallen soldier at my feet.
I shook my head, frowning down at the body, "No, but there was something…. Anyway, he's got important-looking papers on him."
"And you, what? Want to hold on to them just in case?" he took one look at my face, "Maker's breath, you do, don't you?"
"Yes." I huffed, picking them up and taking his signet ring off his finger, "You never know what returning them or delivering them could do for us. Or simply reading them."
Before Alistair could stop me, I'd flipped over the envelope and slid out the papers within, murmuring, "It's open."
A quick glance at the documents had my eyes growing impossibly wide, "Oh."
"What? What's wrong? What does it say?" He sounded frustrated, whether at me or my reaction, I had no idea.
"You might want to look at this, Alistair." I held out the top paper.
His face was ashen by the time he was finished. Arl Eamon was sick, potentially dying. Our only known lead, the one who might have the ability to point us in the right direction regarding Loghain.
The paper crumpled as his hand fisted.
"Are you going to be alright?" he looked at me in surprise, "You said you know him. Earlier, back at Flemeth's hut."
"I…. I'll be fine."
I stood, stretching, "Why don't you go off and do adult things? I'll probably only get in the way. Besides, no one will take you seriously with a kid trailing you."
"What will you do?" a raised eyebrow.
Holding up my hands, I moved around him, "I'll be good. I promise."
On second thought…, "Could I hold on to the papers? Pretty please? I won't be a likely target to get attacked or anything. And I won't fall in a stream." I grinned.
He shook his head, relinquishing it, "Don't go getting any ideas. The chances of us finding this knight are slim. At best."
I skipped off, leaving him to talk to himself.
"Hey! I wasn't done yet!" He called out behind me.
I held a hand up to my ear, miming that I couldn't hear him and hurried my steps.
I glanced down at myself, conscious of how I must have looked. A child playing dress up. It probably seemed like I was wearing dwarf armor, to passersby. Stopping at a merchant who was arguing with a Chantry sister, I perused the clothing. The man shoved the woman, catching my attention. He made to do it again, but my hand gripping his arm stopped the motion.
"Wha- Who are you? Let go of me." He snarled.
My head tilted to the side, looking for all the world the child I was, "You shouldn't push a Chantry sister. That's not nice, mister."
"What's it to you?"
"Child, run along. You do not need to get mixed up in this discussion."
"Why are you being mean to the lady?"
"If you MUST know, she wants me to lower my prices."
"The ones who need supplies cannot afford the cost. They-"
He held up a hand, "Not my problem, sister. I'm here to sell my wares. If you don't leave me alone, I'll take them elsewhere."
I looked the man over, sizing him up. I could take him in a fight, but…. It was best to solve things peacefully. A child with weapons? Very much frowned upon.
"What of the good will you would garner?" he snorted, opening his mouth but I continued, "If you lowered your prices, people would be more willing to buy from you, thus inevitably putting more coin in your pocket. Is that not worth it?"
This gave him pause. He was silent for a few minutes, thinking it over.
Reluctantly, he nodded, "I…. Yes, I suppose so. Very well, I will lower my prices."
"Oh, thank you!" I clapped my hands enthusiastically, "I'll pay full price for what I buy this time, though, mister." I smiled cheerfully, "A sign of good faith."
His eyes widened, "I won't argue with that. Take a look at what I have."
I went back to shopping, picking out a soft, green peasant dress and comfortable, black flat shoes.
The sister thanked me and offered to show me to the Chantry, assuming I was a refugee. I didn't correct her, letting her lead the way. She gave me the grand tour, then left me to my own devices. I quickly ducked into a shadowy alcove and changed, tucking my leathers in to my pack. Good thing I was so small, else I would have had to carry them in my arms.
I looked around, my gaze landing on a man dressed in full plate armor. A knight. I wonder….
"Excuse me, but would you by any chance know a Sir Henric?" I inquired quietly, not wanting to startle him.
"I-Oh, hello there. Yes, I do. He is a comrade of mine. How do you know him?" he knelt on one knee, bringing himself closer to my level.
"I'm sorry. I…. On the way in to Lothering, I found a man. He had these on him." Pulling out the items I'd taken, I held them out.
He took them, looking them over. His jaw clenched, "You say you found him? How did you get the papers?"
"He was already…gone, when I happened upon him. I thought he looked important, so I picked them up. I was hoping I would find someone who knew him."
"Thank you, friend. I wonder how many of us have suffered his fate. I must return to Redcliffe at once. I am sorry, child. I have nothing to give as a reward."
I shook my head vehemently, "No, no. That's not important. I'm just sorry I did not have happier news to share."
With a parting smile, weary as it was, he took his leave. I watched until the door closed behind him, letting out a sigh. That poor knight. He'd been shaken by my words. I prayed to the Maker that he would have safe travels.
Leaving the Chantry, I wandered aimlessly around the village. An elderly woman, crouched down, drew my focus. She was talking with a young woman, telling her she needed more healing potions. I inched closer, eavesdropping.
"The fleeing soldiers won't last the night, if we don't get more elfroot for-"
"There's some growing outside the village. Please, Miriam, let me go-"
"No. Absolutely not. We don't need yet another poor soul injured, stretching our near nonexistent supply even thinner. We will have to find a way to make enough coin to purchase more." the old woman sighed, seeming to fold in on herself.
The other one frowned, looking as if to argue more.
"Hello." my voice was quiet so as not to make them jump.
"Hello, little lady."
"I couldn't help but overhear..." I held out the coin purse. Alistair's coin purse.
"I..." the two exchanged wide-eyed glances.
"Here. The wounded need it more than I do." with my hands free, I dug around in my pack. Pulled out a wrapped bundle of herbs, "This should help, too."
"Where did you..."
"I collect things." a nonchalant shrug, "You never know when someone else will need something you think nothing of."
I left them to their own devices, knowing the soldiers were probably from the battle of Ostagar and hoping it was enough to help at least one of them.
"Um. Excuse me!" a hesitant voice called out.
I skipped over to the new face, "Yes?"
She twisted her hands, glancing around like she was expecting someone to come out and attack her, "I, uh, I was wondering. You helped that Chantry Mother earlier and Elder Miriam just now. Is there a chance... That is... Would you be able to... Oh, bother. I'm sorry. I-I'm messing this up."
Shaking my head, I reached out and touched her forearm, "It's alright. Take your time. I have nothing else to do today." a gentle smile.
Her shoulders drooped, "Th-thank you. I, uh, I need traps. I don't know how to make them, though. You see, we'll need more food to make up for all of the refugees. There simply isn't enough to go around, at the moment. The only problem is, the traps have to be set before Barlin gets his hands on poison. He wants to poison the animals instead because the animals get on his land sometimes. No one here will make the traps, for fear of him. I would, if I only knew how to make them."
I nodded slowly, pulling tin and wire from my pack, "I can teach you."
"Oh! Thank you!" she led me in to her house, where we stayed for a few hours.
It was surprisingly simple to teach her. For all her hesitancy and quirks, she caught on quick. A fast learner. My favorite type. By the end of the impromptu session, she could make four traps in an hour. It might not have seemed like a big deal, except that when we started, she wasn't sure if wire was used in spring traps. How else would they be tripped in to springing? Something had to hold the tin together. After she understood that concept, it was a breeze.
Parting ways, she momentarily caught me off-guard, pulling me in to a hug, "Thank you. Thank you so much."