Dragon Age: King in Exile

Part Nineteen

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King Cailan has written Alistair into the succession and is ready to recognize him publicly. Loghain will do almost anything to keep that from happening. The darkspawn give him the perfect opportunity. Alistair/Cousland, featuring F!Tabris.

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Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize from Dragon Age belongs to me.

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The next morning dawned bright and rather too early, but Kallian was eager to make their way into the forest as soon as possible.

The others found themselves somewhat less eager, considering the warnings they had received the night before.

When Leliana joined them, she was armed with a new Dalish bow, and a pair of the boots she had so admired the night before.

"I found someone interested in trading," was all she would say, her expression smug.

Lanaya met them at the edge of the forest, telling them what signs to look for and which direction they must go to find the ruins where Witherfang made its home.

"Dareth shiral," she farewelled them at the tree line, a smile on her lips but worry in her eyes.

It was an old forest. The trees were large, the sky obscured by tangled vines and branches that stretched hundreds of feet above them. Moss crawled up knotted and gnarled trunks that were wider than eight or ten men together. Small streams wove through, forcing them to wade or jump across. The ground was rocky and uneven, blocking their view of the paths ahead. They followed the trail, but before long it was hard to say what direction they were traveling anymore.

At first the forest seemed like a normal sort of place. There were trees, animals, insects. But the deeper they went, the stranger it seemed. Sound became more muffled. The shadows seemed deeper. There was a rustling in the leaves above them, like whispers traveling through a crowd. Speaking felt… offensive. At least Kallian thought so. It didn't seem that Leliana felt the same way.

"You won't believe the story I got out of Sarel last night," Leliana gushed. "He told me all about their keeper, Zathrian, and his family's dastardly murder!"

"Lucky you," Kallian muttered, hoping to shut her up. "I just got asked about the horrors of life in an alienage."

"The story goes that his clan was camped in this very same spot in the forest, when his children were attacked and kidnapped and—oof!"

Kallian jumped and turned, seeing Leliana sprawled on the ground. The redhead's eyes were wide as she glanced behind her. "That root… I swear it raised itself as I stepped over it. The tree tripped me!"

"Foolish," Morrigan sneered before anyone else could respond. "Trees do not trip people. You should watch where you're walking."

"Or maybe the tree just didn't like your story," Kallian added, voice edged in sarcasm. "Who knows." She turned and kept going, not waiting for a reply. She'd like to be done and out of the forest again as soon as possible. She didn't want to think about Sarel's warning.

It wasn't long after this that they faced the first werewolves.

They were as large as Sten, angry, snarling, and fierce. Yellow eyes shone and glared, teeth snapped. Ragged hair stood on end. They came bounding out from between the trees as a round of howls went up in the forest.

Kallian ducked underneath a set of claws as she raised her daggers, spinning quickly out of the way. At a glance she saw her party attacking. The mages and archers had retreated to the center, surrounded now by the others.

Her eyes widened as she saw Alistair block a werewolf's jaws with his shield. "Don't get bitten!" she cried out in warning.

With another twirl she managed a good swipe at the nearest wolf's underbelly and it cried out in anger and pain. Distracted, it didn't notice her blade now on its throat. It died gurgling on the ground as Kallian moved to assist her companions.

When the last werewolf was dead, Kallian looked around. "Is anyone hurt? Did anyone get bitten?"

"Sten got scratched," Wynne answered, already preparing her healing spell.

Kallian nodded, relieved. "Well, they only warned us about biting, so I'm sure you'll be fine. Let's keep moving."

A few hours later, three werewolves stepped into the path, as Kallian and the others readied their weapons, the wolves stood there but did not attack. Kallian held up a hand in caution.

The lead werewolf opened his mouth, but he did not growl nor howl as the others had. He began to speak in a gravelly voice.

"The watch-wolves have spoken truly, my brothers and sisters. The Dalish have found new allies as fodder for our teeth and claws."

"You can speak?" Elissa asked. Her hands tightened on her bow as her eyes flicked between the three werewolves standing before them.

"I thought they were mere beasts," Sten muttered, arms crossed.

"We are beasts, but we are no longer mindless. Let that thought chill your spine," the wolf growled. "You speak to Swiftrunner. I lead my cursed brothers and sisters. Turn back now. Tell the Dalish you have failed."

Kallian's expression grew angry. "To the void with that! I'm here for the heart of Witherfang and I'm not leaving without it!"

"No!" Swiftrunner cried. "You will not succeed. We will watch the Dalish suffer the same curse we have suffered for too long. We will watch them pay!"

"I don't think so!" Kallian argued. "I'm getting my army of Dalish and no talking beast will stop me!" She gave the werewolves a scornful look and tossed her head.

Swiftrunner growled. "Run from the forest if you can. Run to the Dalish and tell them they are doomed… or you will share their fate." With that, he turned and began leaping away into the forest. "Come. The forest has eyes of its own and will deal with intruders as it always has!"

They lost sight of the werewolves quickly in the thick brush and trees of the forest, but Kallian made note of the direction they traveled in. Deeper into the forest, as always.

"What did they mean," Alistair asked from behind her, "that the forest will deal with intruders?" There was a grating sort of anxiety in his voice. Kallian hated the sound of it.

All were surprised when Zevran was the one to answer him. "It means there is something here… Spirits, animals, who is to know? But it is something that will harm us if we are not careful." Apparently Kallian wasn't the only one who felt something.

"We'll be careful," she said firmly, shutting down further discussion. "And the faster we move, the faster we'll be out of here. So let's go." She continued down the path in the direction she'd seen the wolves travel, assuming everyone would follow behind her.

Late in the evening, they began to look for a good campsite. Sten, their most experienced traveler, always found the best campsites. In the forest it was no different. Since their confrontation in Haven, he'd seemed to respect Kallian more, and she no longer even had to say anything to him for him to start looking for a campsite at the right time of evening. Light was never strong beneath the thick canopy, but she could sense it beginning to fail now.

Sten walked now with her at the front of the group, eyes scanning for the safest place to rest. He stopped short when around a bend in the path lay a perfect campsite, with a tent, fire pit, and bedrolls already prepared.

"Is someone else here?" Morrigan asked as she joined them, looking for threats in the trees.

"It is empty," Sten answered. Nestled in a lull between two knolls, it was relatively sheltered from wind and predators. The fire pit was unlit but piled high. The tent and bedrolls were in good condition, as if someone had come and prepared the site for them in advance.

"This is strange," Wynne said slowly as the last of the party caught up. "The werewolves would not use such a camp. Whoever this belongs to must be nearby."

"Could it belong to the elves?" Elissa asked, though her face was etched with doubt. Somehow it didn't look like a Dalish campsite.

They all moved to take a closer look of the various elements of the camp.

"These bedrolls are covered in leaves, as much as they're in good condition," Leliana said, brushing off said leaves with her hand. "They must have been here several days at least. Her hand lingered on the cushioned fabric.

"Enough wood to last the night," Zevran commented, motioning to the pile of wood at the edge of the campsite. "We wouldn't have to gather anything."

Kallian pulled back the flap of the tent. It was surprisingly dry and cozy inside. Was she dreaming, or was it warmer inside the tent? The woods were getting colder as it got darker. She rubbed her bare arms.

"Why don't we stay here?" Alistair suggested? The dog, Kitty, was already curled up by the unlit fire. "It seems safe enough."

Kallian moved back from the tent and a wave of exhaustion hit her. Wouldn't it be nice to just… rest?

"There is magic here," Morrigan said, sounding strained. "Something is drawing on my strength… we must leave this place!"

It took every ounce of Kallian's willpower to stand. She began staggering away from the campsite, barely able to focus on the others doing the same.

"Come… Kitty, please…" She heard Elissa's voice, weary and thin as she begged her dog to come away with them.

As Kallian began to feel a trickle of strength returning, she heard a gasp. She raised her heavy head to see Wynne staring in horror over Kallian's shoulder.

She turned to follow the mage's gaze and saw a shadow rising from the tent.

The more it took form, the more normal Kallian began to feel. Her head was clearing. She drew her daggers as more shadows rose from the fire pit and bedrolls.

"Shades," Morrigan hissed and began weaving spells with her staff.

Kallian dove in, hoping that these strange formless creatures would still be harmed by a blade. She breathed in relief as she felt resistance to her knives. Their unearthly screeches followed, making Kallian wish she could cover her ears.

She fought until the last screech pierced the air and fell into nothingness. As they looked around them, the tent was now tattered and torn, the bedrolls moth-eaten and full of holes, and the ground covered in bones.

They were all staring around them in silent horror until Kallian cleared her throat. "Let's go," was all she could manage to say. None of them were sorry to leave that cursed place behind. She held in a shudder. She didn't have to imagine what would have happened had they taken the bait.

They continued in increasing darkness until Sten finally declared he had finally found a safe campsite. None of them felt very safe in the forest, certainly not after the shades, but it was hard to argue against his certainty. In a hollow beneath a great tree and two large rocks, they set up their own, spirit-free tents and tried to sleep.

Kallian didn't have watch that night, but her sleep was disturbed nonetheless. The sounds outside her tent seemed unnatural. Whispers in the wind. Creaking and groaning that rumbled deep in the rocky ground. She tossed and turned, sleeping restlessly with dreams that left her heart racing in the morning.

She rose early, just as the grey of dawn started to pierce the canopy of trees. As she left her tent and looked around, she frowned.

"Leliana," she said quietly, to the bard who had been keeping the last watch of the night. "Have you been watching the road?"

The redhead shook her head. "I could not see past the ring of firelight," she said. "Why?" As she turned to follow Kallian's gaze, she gasped and needed no more explanation.

The path they had been following was gone.

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A/N: Hi readers, I wanted to give you a heads-up that my posting may become even more sporadic than normal as I'm expecting a baby at the end of this month! While it may take me some time to finish the story, please feel assured that I'm not going to abandon it. I have never abandoned a story that I started posting and don't intend to start now. Thanks for sticking with me this far!