The Lady of The Forest

Epona regretted only a few of her life choices. Meeting the Grey Wardens and becoming one was one of her biggest ones. Especially right now. Right now they were surrounded by werewolves, all growling and snarling at them. It made Epona twitchy. She wanted to grab her daggers and warn them off. Her bow would be pointless, not in such close range, but her daggers would work well enough until she put some distance between them all.

Danyla could be in this crowd though, and that was the only thing keeping her thoughts from racing. She promised Athras she would look for her.

Also Lawrien was growling at the werewolves, and if anything was a good distraction, it was that. The girl was crazy.

"We're about to be murdered," Epona grumbled under her breath.

Cobian threw her a smile. "We are under a parley. So they shouldn't kill us until we at least meet the lady."

"And if they don't keep to the parley?" Epona raised a brow.

"We set Lawrien on them," Faren added cheerily.

Morrigan snorted. "And we run."

"Perhaps everything shall go well no?" Leliana smiled.

"As the shemlens tend to say. Bullshit." Epona scowled.

Morrigan huffed. "T'is more likely you will do something foolish and get us eaten."

Faren snorted. "Well, ladies first."

Epona was about to retort when she spotted what was standing in the centre of the room on a platform. She froze at the sight, stunned as warm eyes landed on her and a smile appeared on the beautiful creature's face, a kind smile. One like what a mother would offer their child. It made her feel warm and soothed, instead of wary like she had been the past few days. Epona made her way past her companions, her hand landed on Lawrien's shoulder on her way past, Lawrien who eyed her. Her face was oddly blank, but Epona paid it no mind.

"Who are you?" Epona asked.

"I am the Lady of the Forest, and I welcome you back, Epona." The Lady bowed her head. "It has been a long time, and for you as well, Lawrien Amell."

Lawrien scrunched her nose. "This is weird."

Epona could see flickers of green off her arms again, but shook her head. "None of this makes any sense."

"I must admit that I was expecting another werewolf," Morrigan said.

Swiftrunner snarled. "You will speak with respect to the Lady of the Forest!"

The Lady merely stroked Swiftrunner's shoulder, who slumped, instantly relaxed and soothed.

"Hush, Swiftrunner," she said. "Your urge to fight has only done harm to those you wish to protect. Do you wish for that to continue?"

"No, my Lady."

"Many things have changed since the last time the old bloodlines of the Knights came together," the Lady said softly. "Epona and Lawrien are not as they once were. Most of the children of those times are not. But now we must try to regain peace, especially if Mahariel and Amell have joined together."

"How many of these bloodlines are there?" Faren groaned.

"The elven had a bloodline that followed each of the Evanuris," the Lady said.

Epona grimaced. "So nine."

"You said the elven," Cobian said, his brow furrowed. "But that means there are other races who have old bloodlines."

The Lady smiled. "Indeed. You humans and the dwarven also had old bloodlines that protected your races. When they joined together it was to create a miracle to fight against an impossible force of destruction."

Lawrien grinned. "Like the Archdemon!"

"Yes, and I believe you are here for the Dalish treaty," the Lady said.

Leliana nodded. "Yes, which is why we need this war to end between the werewolves and the Dalish! There must be a way we can end this peacefully."

"No doubt you have questions, mortal," the Lady said. "No doubt all of you have questions, especially you two." She stared at Epona and Lawrien, her gaze soft. "I am sorry how complicated life has became for you both."

Lawrien snorted. "I'm not. It's quite the adventure."

"It's been a headache for me," Epona grumbled.

"I don't believe Zathrian has told you everything about us either," the Lady said.

"Firstly I made a promise to a kinsman of mine," Epona said. "Is there a Dalish elf here by the name of Danyla?"

The Lady startled, then smiled, and nodded. "Yes, I found her, confused and frightened, and brought her here. She is asleep right now." The Lady's eyes narrowed. "Did Zathrian tell you he created the curse that these creatures suffer? That he now has to endure? That his own have to suffer as well?"

"He created it?" Faren looked stunned while Epona gritted her teeth.

"It can't be true!" Epona bristled. "If that were the case he wouldn't leave his own people to suffer it!"

Lawrien gasped. "That's why he's so angry."

Epona scowled. "What?"

Lawrien stared down hard at the Lady. "Tell them what happened all those years ago."

Swiftrunner growled, but the Lady nodded.

"Zathrian lost his children to a human tribe that had tried to drive his clan out of the forests near them years ago," Swiftrunner began. "His son, they murdered while his daughter, the humans... They raped her." She saw Faren stiffen, looking pale as Swiftrunner continued with a low growl. "They left the girl for dead and her clan found her. She later learned that she was... With child, and in her despair, committed suicide."

"So he placed a curse upon the humans. T'would have taken incredible power to achieve such a thing," Morrigan noted.

"Thus he bound the Lady of the Forest into the form of a great wolf," Cobian said softly. "You are Witherfang, are you not, my Lady?"

Epona felt a spark of fury hit her like a hammer. Anger at Zathrian. She didn't understand it. It was anger akin to those who would hurt someone she cherished.

"And if my thought process is correct, Epona, or Epona's ancestor, once cared for this forest," Cobian continued. "You two were friends before this temple was invaded during the Exalted March, and in their path of destruction, the Chantry murdered your friend, Mahariel. You were left alone, and one day Zathrian bound you to Witherfang to avenge his children."

The Lady stared at Cobian quietly for a time, then smiled. "You are a smart human indeed. I didn't think you would catch on so quickly."

"And you have now attacked the Dalish to share with them your curse to force Zathrian to act," Cobian said. "It's already taken affect in some of the Dalish too."

"Yes, he ignored us every time he passed this way with his clan." The Lady's gaze hardened. "We now refuse to be ignored."

"Pretty crappy timing," Faren muttered. "Considering the Blight and everything."

Swiftrunner growled. "We spread the curse to his people. He must end it to save them."

"I doubt he ever would. He seems to enjoy seeing you wolves suffer," Morrigan pointed out.

"Get out here." Lawrien suddenly snarled.

They all froze, throwing each other baffled looks, but finally footsteps echoed at the edge of the room, and climbing down the stairs was Keeper Zathrian himself.

"I should have known better than to hide from your sense, Warden Amell," Zathrian said.

"Warden Commander Amell." Lawrien stormed up to him. "And because of you we're all stuck in this piss take!"

"Piss take?" Zathrian snapped. "How dare you! They murdered my son and raped my daughter-"

"They didn't!" Lawrien yelled, fire flickering from her shoulders. "Their ancestors did! And some of these people had nothing to do with it at all. Only victims of a curse, like your children were victims. Now its your own clan that are suffering this curse!"

"I will protect my people-"

"And Danyla?" Epona asked coldly. "She's here too. You cast her out when the curse infected her."

Zathrian softened. "Epona, when I have Witherfang's heart-"

"My ancestor's friend," Epona said.

Zathrian stiffened. "Epona, no, you don't know this spirit-"

"What are you hiding from me?" Epona frowned. "Why is there a ghost of me haunting these walls? One who may look older, but still eerily similar to me?"

Zathrian shook his head, and he swallowed thickly, a wobble in his voice. "It's nothing. Nothing you need to worry about. Please, Epona, just forget anything you saw here. For your own sake, my girl, please-"

"I need to know," Epona said shakily. "Because the way it sounds it was like I was already here, and not one of my ancestors. Who were these Emerald Knights and why do I feel so much dread?"

"You do not need to know anything! You are a mere child in comparison."

"I'm a Grey Warden!" Epona snapped. "We who battle darkspawn and conquer Blights. I am no mere child anymore. That day has been gone for a long time, and my youth was gone the day Tamlin was murdered by the taint."

"And yet you underestimate the human races evil!" Zathrian argued. "You are letting this spirit get into your head!"

Swiftrunner snarled. "She is the Lady of the Forest and you will address her properly!"

"A new name?" Zathrian sneered at the Lady.

"It was them who named me Zathrian. Just as they named themselves. They follow because I help them find who they are-"

"Who they are does not change whom their ancestors were! Their twisted shape only mirrors their monstrous hearts-"

"And what does that mean for our people?" Epona snarled. "We have been cursed too! Are our hearts truly so monstrous?"

"Curse has grown out of control," Cobian said. "Needs fixed."

Faren snorted. "It certainly had gotten carried away with itself."

Leliana nodded. "This has gone too far, I know it hurts, but this isn't the way."

Lawrien frowned. "All he can see are his people. His children. Pleas will not work because their pleas did not, nor did his prayers."

Zathrian snarled. "You certainly like to reveal all my pain, don't you, Amell? Is that the human part of you I wonder?"

The Lady's voice grew desperate. "It does not have to be this way, Zathrian. There is room in your heart for compassion. You love your clan so much-"

"And I will protect them!"

"Then you have to end it. It's gone on for too long," Leliana pleaded. "Vengeance is never the answer!"

"I will not-"

"Is your need for vengeance the only reason you will not end it?" The Lady pondered. "Zathrian and I are both tied by blood to this curse. He bound me with his own life force."

"Through blood magic? How curious, but it does make sense," Morrigan said.

"At least it was his own blood," Cobian said. "Much more powerful."

Morrigan paused. "How do you even know that?"

"Blood tied to magical abilities, families can inherit magical traits and strengths." Cobian smiled. "Also read it in a book."

"I'm surprised they had that in your castle," Morrigan snorted.

Cobian's smile grew. "They didn't."

The Lady ignored them. "Your people believe you have discovered the immortality your ancestors once had but that is not true. As long as the curse exists, so do you."

Swiftrunner snarled. "Then let's kill him!"

"For all your talk you are still only beasts!" Zathrian snapped. "Only I know how to end the curse and I will never do it!"

This wasn't like him. He wasn't usually this angry. Epona always remembered Zathrian as being a calm, soothing influence when she had been a child. She respected him. Epona didn't want to see him so angry and broken.

"Keeper Zathrian. Please. Stop this," she begged. "It's gone on too long."

"Even one of your own children plead for you to stop," The Lady insisted but Zathrian's expression only darkened further.

"Because you have tricked her!" Zathrian snarled, his eyes quickly glancing over her while Epona fought not to flinch. "Please Epona, da'len, let us destroy these beasts and save our people."

"I can't. Not like this. We helped create this problem, Keeper. I would have agreed if it was the same people who did this to your children, but this was generations ago." Epona hardened her resolve as she approached him. "And even worse, these are our people being hurt now. Danyla is here! Our own kin. We have to stop this for her sake."

Zathrian reached out and she was almost startled when his hand carefully stroked her cheek. He looked thoughtful, considering, but his gaze grew hard as he looked up over her head, towards where the Lady stood. Instantly an overwhelming drowsiness hit Epona, her thoughts clouded and her eyes and limbs heavy. She dropped her bow and her legs gave way only for a warm arm to catch her. Everything grew too dark for her to see clearly but she vaguely thought of Keeper Zathrian before she blacked out.

.::.

"What did you do to her?" Leliana snarled, bow and arrow pointed right at Zathrian.

"Merely seeing to it that she is no longer manipulated by you humans," Keeper Zathrian sneered as he stood up, leaving Epona lying limp at his feet. Faren debated about going over to try wake her up but it was a magical induced sleep right? Would shaking her awake even work?

"As if Epona could be so easily manipulated," Lawrien snorted.

"Agreed, she tends to disagree with us on principle," Cobian added.

"It's because you two are crazy!" Faren blurted out.

"Says the one who jumped on a dragon," Morrigan huffed.

"I did that to save you and Cobian!"

"Thank you for that." Cobian smiled warmly.

"Not the time to be thanking me!" Faren scolded.

"I will not surrender to any of you. None of you understand my pain!" Keeper Zathrian snarled. "I will take Witherfang's heart, with or without your help, Grey Wardens!"

Faren groaned when the trees began to move again, and when all the werewolves were imprisoned in magical force fields. Because yeah, that was great, just fantastic! And now Lawrien was setting all the angry trees on fire.

He should have stayed in Denerim.