Chapter 50: Two Brands, One Path (Faren)
- Well, have you found your perfect weapon? - an old merchant named Tegrin asked.
- Yes, - said Faren. - I'll buy this greataxe.
- What, are you compensating for something with such a huge weapon? - Adela asked him.
- Yes, my height, not what you're thinking of. It's hard to live in a world where almost everyone is taller than you.
Faren gave the merchant a handful of coins, and he took it.
- You did this so easily? - the Warden asked in surprise. - Won't you yell at me, turn away with contempt, or even wipe my coins with a rag? Well, you can see what kind of caste, or non-caste, I am from.
- Boy, can't you see that we're not in a thaig right now? - the old merchant asked with a sneer. - I have been a surface dwarf for thirty years, and in the eyes of these noble idiots of Orzammar, I am as casteless as you, but unbranded.
- Speaking of Orzammar. Haven't you heard how things are going there?
- I don't discuss politics. Take something else or leave.
- Here, - said Adela, taking an armful of arrows from the counter and giving the merchant the coins.
- Why do you need so many arrows? You two don't look much like archers.
- We have a couple of friends who are good archers. They didn't come because they are too reserved and don't like strangers. They're elves, never understood them.
Faren chuckled. Indeed, it's easier to say that their elf friends don't like strangers than that one of them is tainted with corruption and looks like a rotting corpse.
Taking the greataxe and the arrows, the dwarves slowly went into the forest, where Tamlen and Theron were waiting for them.
- Faren, how long have you been living on the surface? - Adela asked.
- Not so long. Duncan took me from the Deep Roads.
- From the Deep Roads? So you're from the Legion of the Dead? Why didn't you tell me right away?
- No, I'm an ordinary casteless. I was sentenced to exile in the Deep Roads for pretending to be a warrior at the Provings, but Duncan saved me. How long have you not lived in that other city, not Orzammar?
- Kal-Sharok is its name, it's far from here, somewhere on the border between Orlais and Anderfels. But I understand that you, branded ones, were not taught history and geography. Orzammar is not the only dwarven thaig to survive the First Blight. Kal-Sharok also survived. Orzammar only learned about it ten years ago. But it's not the point. My mother was a surface dwarf, and she was engaged in trade, she traveled to Kal-Sharok and back. Once in Kal-Sharok, she met one of the local merchants. Mom didn't have a brand, so he mistook her for a dwarf from the merchant caste. Mom, probably, expected that she would have a son, and she would receive the father's caste. But as you can see, I was born. For the first two years everything was fine, but then the deception was revealed. My father got angry, personally burned this brand on my face and banished us to the surface.
- Your father is a scumbag, that's for sure. How did you get into the Grey Wardens?
- My mother and I lived in the city of Jader, which is on the border with Ferelden. Mom died six years ago, but she managed to provide me with everything I needed and pay for melee training. When Riordan announced the recruitment, I immediately agreed and successfully passed the Joining.
- You and this Riordan. You spoke so enthusiastically about him that I don't understand who he is to you: a mentor, a friend or a boyfriend?
- It is hard to explain. Why are you asking? I didn't ask about you and Kallian.
- With Kallian it was not really serious. I immediately put my eyes on you. I have never seen such a beautiful and dangerous dwarf.
- Faren, your flattery will not work here. But your interest will be noted.
When the dwarves reunited with their companions in the forest, Theron spoke to them:
- Good arrows, ma serannas, friends, thank you.
- Yes, thank you, durgen'len, - Tamlen added quietly.
- What did you call us? - Faren asked.
- Durgen'len are dwarves in Elvish, - Theron explained.
- Did your boyfriend say anything helpful? - Adela asked indifferently.
- He said that the Eluvian, I mean, the mirror, teleported him to some kind of dungeon. There he was tortured by some "dark thing", as I understand it, a talking darkspawn.
- Nonsense. Darkspawn don't talk.
- I trust Tamlen. This "dark thing" gave him a choice: torture or infection, and Tamlen chose the latter and became a ghoul.
- Strange story. I hope he doesn't lie.
- In the morning, Tamlen was very ill, he... he was losing consciousness. Do we still have a long way to go to your friend?
- We'll be there in the evening.
The group set off again, and Faren had a lot of questions in his head. Will Tamlen live to see the end of the journey? Will that mysterious hermit help them? Do talking darkspawn really exist? And does he have a chance to impress the intractable dwarf from Orlais?