"The Maker sent you to us for a reason." Leliana's eyes were bright. Excited.
I stared at her for a moment. I couldn't deny some far-off deity might have had a hand in my coming here, but I didn't believe in anything greater than myself. With everything I'd been through, I couldn't imagine divinity controlling everything that had happened thus far.
"You cannot control the...travel?" Wynne asked hesitantly.
"No. It happens while I'm asleep. Only, I get no rest afterward." I rubbed my eyes tiredly, "I'm even more worse off than when I'd gone to bed."
"We'd noticed, but we didn't know what to do." Alistair offered an apologetic smile, which I returned.
I turned my attention to the mages, "I was actually trying to come up with a way to ask you two if you could help me with it."
"A quick question, if I may." My teeth clenched at Zevran's interjection, "This is a new magic to you, yes? You've never had it before, in all of your lives?"
"Maybe I can go back and stop myself from not killing you." I narrowed my eyes snarling, "That's always an option, seeing as how you can't seem to keep your mouth shut."
Everyone looked at me with surprise clear on their faces.
"This conversation is taking a bad turn." Leliana moved to stand between the elf and me, "For now, let us focus on the travel."
"Please. I would like to just go to bed, but I guess we should figure this out." I let my head flop back, "I wasn't even aware an assassin had snuck in. I would have died, had it not been for Zevran." I added grudgingly, "And if I don't get some actual sleep soon, I'm going to have a tantrum."
Alistair started laughing.
My eyes were slits as I raised my head, "You're…laughing…at me."
My reaction only made it harder for him to stop.
Morrigan spoke, her voice raised to be heard over him, "What you need is an anchor."
Wynne nodded slowly, "Like a ship. If she were to be held here by something, then the travel would only happen when she desired it."
The mages looked at me, appraising.
"Like a token." I clapped my hands excitedly, jumping up from the floor and racing to my pack.
"A token?" Leliana sounded confused.
I paused, remembering, "Oh. Right. The Fey. Faeries. They like tokens, which are things that hold sentimental value to someone. Usually, if you want something from one, they ask for something dear to you." I continued my pursuit, knocking a book off the table in my haste.
Morrigan bent to pick it up, her eyes growing huge, "This is… my mother's grimoire. How did you come upon this?"
"I found it when I was saving Amell and Surana." I lied, scrunching up my face in innocence.
"Might I keep this? Study it?"
"Sure." Shrugging, I smiled slightly, "I had no use for it, anyway."
I turned back to the bedside table, pulling the bag out from under it. In the back of my mind, I realized I hadn't hidden it, yet I clearly knew where it was. I squashed the uneasy feeling and rooted around inside the bag, until I'd found it.
"Is that a rock?" Alistair was incredulous, "How is that sentimental?"
Resisting the urge to snap at him or stick out my tongue, I held it out for the others to see., "This is a gem, not a rock. It's called opal, where I'm from, and it enhances abilities. Or, the exact opposite. It depends on your intentions. Now, we just have to figure out how to make it keep me in the present."
"No small task." The red head leaned over my hand, getting a good look.
The iridescent surface reflected the light from the candles. It looked like it was glowing.
"After it has been magicked, perhaps someone other than you should have possession of it. After all, what good is an anchor, if you hold on to it yourself?" that thick Antivan accent had everyone exchanging glances.
"You raise a good point. You'll have to hold on to it, then." I said nonchalantly.
His eyes widened, then narrowed to slits, "And why would you wish for your assassin to have the only thing that keeps you grounded?"
"Because you barely sleep, so you're the best candidate. Plus, I don't think you could lose anything. Seriously."
"Oh, no. I lose plenty of things. You shouldn't-"
"I'm sorry." I shifted, looking at Leliana, "Do you hear something? It sounds like consent, right?"
She giggled, a grin spreading across her face, "Oh, yes. He sounds positively thrilled at the idea."
"That's what I thought." I nodded in satisfaction, "Now that that's settled, we'll figure this out after we leave the city."
"What? We're leaving?" Alistair was slightly distressed.
I frowned, "We can't stay here for much longer. The fact that we've been safe until now, is a miracle. An assassin snuck in while I was asleep. And I don't mean Zev."
"The morning would be better." The door opened, revealing Sten, "It will attract less attention than leaving in the night."
"Wise words, Stenly." I sucked in air, choking on my embarrassment. Did I just say…?
"Stenly." He spoke slowly, sounding it out. Weighing the feel of it. His gaze settling heavily over me, he nodded slightly. Accepted it.
Crisis averted. I imagined it wouldn't be pleasant, being murdered by a Qunari.
"Alright, I'm kicking you all out. I'm tired, and I think it's time for-" I froze, my vision blurring. Blood dripping from my nose.
Before me, was Lake Calenhad. A man was rummaging through a pile of debris, muttering to himself about a sword. A foreign blade, made by the Qunari. He was saying he wished he had sold it for more, that the man outside Orzammar had practically stolen it from him.
The scene shifted, and I saw a man. He was grinning like mad, watching as a fire waged war on a castle. People were screaming, begging the Maker and Andraste for help, but none came. I could feel myself shivering from the horror of it all. Suddenly, I was inside, seeing the wreckage. Feeling the flames against my skin. I clamped a hand over my mouth to stop from letting out a scream of my own. Another man stood with me, this one desperate to survive. To save the older woman behind him, who was bent over something. I moved toward her and realized it was a body. Probably her husband, judging from the tear stains on her cheeks and how tight her hold was. They were his parents.
A shout made my head whip around, and that's when I noticed the younger man was fighting off soldiers. He was slowing, any minute now he was going to be cut down.
Just as my sight started returning to normal, he fell. And he didn't get back up.
I blinked in the darkness of the room, the shift throwing me off, before I collapsed to my knees and hugged myself. Tears streamed freely down my face.
"That was…." Alistair was the first to reach me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, "Are you going to be okay?"
"I…" I hiccupped, "I just need a minute. That one was just…bad. So much bad."
"You went in to great detail, until you were inside the castle. Then, you just stopped and went silent." Wynne's voice sounded from close by.
"I didn't realize. Sometimes, I do that."
"This sword, you mentioned. You said it was Qunari made."
I raised my head slowly, wiping my eyes, to look at our resident Qunari, "Is it yours?"
He seemed to hesitate, "There is a possibility."
"We'll look for it, then, when we go to Orzammar, okay? We have to seek out the dwarves, anyway."
He nodded, holding me to it.
"I wonder who they were." Alistair murmured to himself.
"Are." I stressed, squeezing myself, "Who they are. I have visions for a reason. They're not for my health, most of the time."
"Most of the time?" the elf quirked an eyebrow.
"Yes. There's been one or two that centered around me." At that, I looked down, staring at my hands. Getting lost in memory with the deformed dragon.
"We'll leave in the morning." Leliana chimed in, patting the top of my head, "You should get what little rest you can, in the meantime."
"I will watch over her." Zevran moved to sit on one of the chairs.
"No." I shook my head, "I'll be fine tonight." I stared down at the opal, still clutched in my hand, "I have a feeling tonight is safe."
"Are you just saying that, so you can be alone?"
"No. I feel it." I pressed my other hand against my belly, "Here, in my gut. I'll be fine."
And I was. I woke up the next morning, after a dreamless sleep, refreshed and ready to go.
...
As I was making my way to meet the rest of the group at the gates, Slim Couldry stepped out from behind Goldanna's house and directly in to my path.
"You should be careful, walking around this early in the morning, little lady. They say there's a thief out there who can steal something while you're looking right at it."
"Is that so?" I hid my smile.
"Mhm." He nodded, his gaze beyond my shoulder, "They're trying to come up with a name for them. Some want to call the thief the Dark Wolf. Others think they're more like a fox. Clever and cunning."
"Are you taking a poll? Because I like the Crimson Vixen. For irony."
A wink, "I'll write that one down. Now, you should get to where you're going. You never know when something might get stolen."
"I appreciate the advice, sir." I started walking away, waving over my shoulder, "Have a nice day."
"Hello." I murmured quietly.
"Who was that?" the thick Orlesian accent came from beside me. Leliana had slipped from the shadows of one of the buildings off to my left.
"Good morning to you, too."
She gave me a look, "You shouldn't associate with that man. He-"
I rolled my eyes and held up a hand, "You can stop right there. I know who he is. Besides, he was just warning me about the new thief. I am a child, after all."
"You should be more careful about who you're seen with."
"I'm a child. Come on, Leli. No one gives me a second glance." I waved away her concern.
Alistair gave us a questioning look, but I ignored him and kept walking until I was beyond the city limits. Seraphine bounded toward me, almost knocking me down.
I paused, reaching down to pat her head, "Now. Where are we going next? There's the dalish and the dwarves."
Ali dug out the map, muttering something about Eamon.
"What was that?"
"We still have to figure out how to save Arl Eamon. I can't just let him die. Not after Connor…"
"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll be able to find something that will work." I pointed at the map, "Where are we going?"
Leliana was looking over his shoulder, "The dalish are closer. Orzammar is across the map, on the other side of the lake from the Circle Tower. The elves would be easier to reach."
"Ah, but they're not the friendliest, or so I've heard." I was a little surprised by the nervous tone of Zev's voice, but I didn't comment on it.
"We should head there first, then. You never know-they might get upset if we ignore them and go to the dwarves first."
"Didn't you say that you helped a dalish tribe in the past?" Wynne brought up a good point.
"Yeah, but… I believe the dalish move around a lot. If we do come across them, it probably won't be the same group. But it wouldn't hurt to mention it." I turned to Sten, murmuring under my breath, "Is that alright? Can you wait that long?"
His gaze was heavy, piercing. I waited in silence, letting him think on it.
Finally, a nod.
"I will get that sword back for you. Some way or another, I will do it."
"I know."
My cheeks heated at that. It was so simply and calmly stated: there was no doubt in his mind, and it made me eager to get it to him. There was no way I would fail, not with everyone by my side.
I mentally shook myself. When had I become so sentimental and weak? Was it just because I was, in all actuality, still a child? I didn't want to think on it too long, afraid I might be losing my touch. Going soft.
"Are we ready?" my frustration leaked in to my voice, causing eyebrows to raise.
Everyone gave some sort of noise of consent, and we continued, following the road.
"I wonder what goes on in that head of yours." Morrigan appraised me quietly.
"Everything."
"Did you turn the gem in to an anchor?"
My hand slipped in to my pocket, grasping the stone, "No. Not yet. I'm worried it won't work. I have to let go of that fear before we try. It's amazing what the brain can do."
"What do you mean?"
"If you believe something won't work, then it won't. Even if it's impossible for it not to, the mind can influence whatever it is. Make it not do what it can."
"Hmm. Interesting."
A smile threatened to break free, "You didn't sleep last night, did you?"
"What makes you say that?"
"Just your attitude this morning." I glanced at her from the corner of my eye, "Were you reading the book the whole time?"
After a slight hesitation, "Yes. Do you wish to hear what I have found?"
"What did you find?"
"Tis not what I expected. I had hoped for a collection of her spells, a map of the power that she commands, but this is not it."
"Yet you seem disturbed."
"Disturbed? Yes, perhaps that is the right word. One thing in particular in her writings disturbs me." She held the book out, pointing to a passage on one of the pages, "Here, in great detail, Flemeth explains the means by which she has survived for centuries."
"A spell of immortality?" I peeked at the words, trying to see what she saw, but the letters were all jumbled. I couldn't read it.
"Oh, if only 'twere so. Flemeth has raised many daughters over her long lifetime. There are stories of these many Witches of the Wilds throughout Chasind legend, yet I have never seen a one. I always wondered why not, and now I know. They are all Flemeth. When her body becomes old and wizened, she raises a daughter, and when the time is right, she takes her daughter's body for her own."
"So, what do you intend to do about this?"
"There is only one possible response to this; Flemeth needs to die. I will not sit about like an empty sack waiting to be filled." The way she held herself seemed to stiffen. She was bracing herself. "Flemeth must be slain, and I need your help to do it."
"Very well. I'll help you." I offered a smile, unease curling in my stomach.
A look of surprise, which she quickly covered up, "Then what needs to be done is for you to go back to Flemeth's hut in the Korcari Wilds, without me. If I am present when she is slain, I cannot be certain that she would not be able to possess my body, right there. So, I must stay at camp. Confront her, and slay her quickly. I doubt she would truly be dead, even then, but it will take her years to find a new host and recover her power. If that is even possible. The thing I must have, is her true grimoire. With it, I can defend against her power in the future. Everything else in her hut is yours."
"I'll see what I can do."
"I am grateful. The sooner this can be done, the sooner I can set my mind at ease."
The rest of the journey to the Brecilian Forest was uneventful. The whole time, I was quiet and withdrawn, though, thinking on the confrontation we would have with Flemeth. She'd told me to kill her, so I would. It was now, the time leading up to it, that I was worried about. We would have to be great actresses, the two of us, to fool the others in to thinking she was actually dead. Or would stay dead. Or something along those lines.