We arrived in Lothering after four days of walking, as Morrigan had predicted. The journey had been dull for the most part, with the exception of the arrival of the Mabari hound I had saved at Ostagar, much to Kahn's delight. Alistair and Grayson initially tried to talk me out of naming him Larry but I stuck to my guns and so, Larry the Anklebiter joined our band of merry Wardens. He stayed close by me as we walked, occasionally running off into the surrounding woods and returning with sticks for me to throw for him. When we made camp, I spent some time with him, trying to teach him some basic tricks and discovering just how intelligent Mabari really are. Grayson initially tried to help me with his training but Kahn got so jealous that eventually he gave up and settled for calling out helpful suggestions and words of encouragement while sitting by the camp-fire. At night, Larry slept across the entrance to my tent, and I fell asleep listening to a cacophony of loud snoring. I wasn't sure who was worse, Larry, Kahn or Alistair, but I was sure that I had never felt safer.
The night before we reached Lothering, Alistair, Grayon and I spent some time going over the Grey Warden treaties and came to the unanimous decision that our first stop should be Redcliffe. It made sense, being the closest potential ally on the map, and the men liked my suggestion that the Arl might provide us with some horses from the stables there, making travelling to our subsequent destinations much less arduous and potentially saving days of travel time.
The complete absence of darkspawn on the road surprised me, to say the least, but I wasn't complaining about that considering I had lost my weapons at Ostagar and didn't exactly relish the idea of having to fight hand-to-hand with a hurlock.
The first sign of trouble appeared upon our arrival in Lothering, in the form of the "toll-collectors" on the Imperial Highway. There were around a dozen of them and they were all armed, but most of them lay around, lazily. I didn't suppose they had had much reason to be on their guard, given that most of their victims had been helpless refugees or lone travellers. The ground was littered with corpses and I had to fight a wave of nausea as I stepped over the body of a dead elf. I reached one hand out to Larry, instinctively, burying my fingers in the fur on the scruff of his neck. At the sight of us, the leader grinned, impishly, strolling towards us with all the confidence of a man who was used to getting what he wanted.
"Wake up, gentlemen." He called. "More travellers to attend to. I'd guess that fellow is the leader." He said, gesturing to Grayson, who raised an eyebrow, suspiciously. One of the men muttered something unintelligible into the bandit leader's ear and he shrugged him off. "Nonsense! Greetings, travellers!"
"Highwaymen." Alistair muttered so that only we could hear. "Preying on those fleeing the darkspawn, I suppose."
"Pond scum." I agreed, not bothering to keep my voice down.
"They are fools to get in our way. I say teach them a lesson." Morrigan said, haughtily.
"Now is that any way to greet someone?" The bandit tutted, mockingly. "A simple ten silvers and you're free to move on."
"I don't think so." Grayson replied, coolly. "The only thing I'm going to give you is this single opportunity to step aside. And I'm being generous."
I started to look around for anything I could use as a weapon, anticipating that a fight was inevitable at this stage, but there was nothing around. If it came to it, I'd have to disarm one of the bandits. I scanned the assorted men and quickly found my target: a short, weedy, balding man whose twin daggers were just visible over his shoulders. I locked eyes with him and he made a lewd kissing face at me. I narrowed my eyes, murderously. Oh yeah. I had no problems with hurting that guy.
"Lauren, hang back. I'll toss you the first blade I find." Alistair murmured, as the exchange between Grayson and the bandit grew openly hostile.
"If it's all the same to you, I'd like to avoid having a sword chucked at me. Don't worry, I'm resourceful." I assured him. He didn't have time to argue, because all at once the air was filled with the song of blades being drawn, and he drew his own, charging at the nearest bandit. Larry and Kahn bounded into the fray, snarling viciously, and I made my move. I ran at full speed towards the man with the twin daggers and threw myself into a slide tackle, gathering a handful of grit as I slid across the rough ground, and rolled forward, rising to my feet in front of him. He barely had time to register my sudden appearance before I threw the grit into his eyes, blinding him, and he stumbled backwards, yelling in surprise. I followed through with a swift, flying kick, sending him sprawling onto his back and landing in a crouched position on his chest, pinning him to the ground. His blades clattered from his hands when he fell and I swiftly retrieved them before he could recover himself. He gaped at me, fearfully, and I pouted my lips in an ironic air kiss before bringing the hilt of one of his own daggers crashing down on the side of his head, knocking him out cold. I rocked back on my heels, taking a moment to congratulate myself silently on how cool that must have looked and, once again, marvelling at my new-found combat abilities - it really wasn't getting old- and yelped, rolling backwards just in time to avoid another bandit's blade. The near-miss humbled me slightly, but probably not as much as it should have.
Now armed, I fell into formation with Alistair and Grayson as Morrigan blasted spells left, right and centre. I was so distracted by the display of magic that I almost took an axe to the face, and I yelped and dodged at the last second. Larry barrelled past me, leaping at my would-be attacker who screamed in terror as he was mauled by the gigantic hound. Barely thirty seconds after the fighting began, the bandit leader cried out in surrender.
Grayson demanded they return everything they had stolen and told them to clear out, and they scampered, emptying their pockets as they ran.
"So, you're just allowing them to leave, then?" Morrigan remarked, disapprovingly. Grayson turned to her, frowning.
"There's no sense in killing for killings sake. We're Grey Wardens. We kill darkspawn. That doesn't give us the right to cut down anyone we disagree with unless it's absolutely necessary." He replied, and I beamed at him in admiration. Morrigan Disapproves: -5, Lauren Approves: +5, I thought to myself with a wry smile. We gathered up some of the supplies that the highwaymen had left behind, including a coin purse full of silver. The man I had knocked out still lay unconscious on the ground and I stripped him of his shoulder holster, pulling it on and tightening the straps before sheathing my newly acquired daggers. I turned to see Alistair crouching over a body - one of the bandits' victims. I walked over to him, recognising as I did so that it was the body of Ser Henric.
"He was a Templar." Alistair said, sombrely. "So senseless...with all of the war and the devastation going on in the world, to have met his end at the hands of common bandits. He deserved better." I crouched down beside him, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He had this." He said, holding up a letter. I didn't have to read it to know what it said but I took it from him anyway, skimming the words for appearances sake.
"The Urn of Sacred Ashes." I said. "Andraste's ashes are supposed to have healing powers, right?"
"So they say, but it's an old legend. I wonder why he was looking for them." He mused as we rose to our feet and walked over to join Grayson and Morrigan. I shrugged.
"He was on his way to Lothering...maybe someone in the village knows? We could ask at the Chantry."
He nodded, thoughtfully, tucking the letter inside his armour and looking around. "There it is. Lothering. Pretty as a painting." He sighed.
"Maybe we should-" I started, but Morrigan cut me off
"Ah, so you have finally decided to rejoin us, have you? Falling on your sword in grief seemed like too much trouble, I take it?" Morrigan drawled, her yellow eyes flashing with that trademark Morrigan charm. I bristled, angrily, but Alistair seemed more irritated than upset by her remarks. The two had barely exchanged a word since Morrigan had joined us and, whenever they did speak, neither of them made any effort to hide their contempt for one another.
"Is my being upset really so hard to understand?" Alistair fired back, defensively.
"Back off, Morrigan." I said, in a warning tone. She rolled her eyes, but said nothing.
"You have been pretty quiet, Alistair." Grayson said, diplomatically. Alistair's expression softened and he sighed.
"Yes, I know." He said, shifting uncomfortably at being the focus of everyone's attention.
"Let's head into the village." I said, changing the subject. "We need supplies and, I can't speak for the rest of you, but I need to eat something, anything that isn't Alistair's stew...no offence." I said, quickly.
"Mm...some offence." He replied, grinning as we started to head further into the village. "All right, I admit I'm no chef...but nobody was poisoned and nobody starved to death. I call that a success."
"I call it a miracle." I teased.
"Look at this place." Grayson breathed, and I followed his line of sight. There were easily over a hundred tents, pitched haphazardly around the village.
"It looks like a shanty town." I muttered, as a young man stumbled by us in a daze. "Or a music festival." I offered, speaking mostly to myself.
"A lot of these people appear to be Chasind. Refugees fleeing the blight, no doubt." Alistair observed. "It doesn't look as though anyone's helping these people. Where are the Arl and his men?"
"We should split up." Grayson declared, much to my surprise. "We need supplies and information. Alistair, Morrigan, why don't you see if you can scare us up some food? Redcliffe is...what? Five days from here? Maybe six? Grab as much as you can carry. Lauren and I will head to the Chantry and see what we can find out. We'll wait for you there."
Alistair and Morrigan glared at each other and I winced.
"Good plan, Gray but you miiiiight want to rethink the teams." I suggested, so that only he could hear. "Unless you're hoping they'll kill each other, in which case, more food for us."
"You're probably right." He replied, looking between the two of them. "Okay, new plan. Lauren, you go with Alistair, make sure he doesn't eat all of the rations. Morrigan, you're with me."
Both of their expressions brightened, instantly. Alistair threw Morrigan one last dirty look as she left with Grayson in the direction of the Chantry, before turning to me.
"So. Where does one find food in what is essentially a refugee camp?" He mused.
I turned towards the Chantry expecting to see the unscrupulous merchant standing outside it's gates, but there was nobody there, just a family of refugees huddled together, begging passers by for food and coin. I wondered if perhaps someone had driven him off already. That would be just our luck, it seemed. I turned back to him with a shrug.
"Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe we could check the local tavern?" I suggested. We might even bump into Leliana, I thought to myself as we crossed the bridge over the river and headed towards the run-down pub. As soon as we entered I made a sweep of the room. It was bursting at the seams with villagers and refugees, but no Leliana. No sign of Loghain's men either...maybe things were different this time. Or maybe we're just early, my brain offered, ominously.
We fought our way through the crowd to the bar at the back of the room and Alistair struck up conversation with the tavern's owner. They didn't have much, he said, but he was willing to sell us as much as he could spare. I was sorely tempted to ask for a beer but I was pretty sure Alistair wouldn't approve and I thought better of it. I smiled and gratefully accepted the cloth sack of food from the owner, thanking him and noticing as I did so that Alistair slipped him a few more coins than he'd asked for. He caught me looking and grinned, sheepishly, before turning and leading the way out of the tavern. I stowed the food in my pack and followed him, making one last visual sweep of the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of flame-red hair, but seeing nothing. I left, reluctantly, thinking that maybe I'd get a chance to come back later to look for her, but also considering the very real possibility that Leliana's absence had more than a little to do with the butterfly effect Flemeth had spoken of. That was a worrying thought.
Alistair made to head back to the Chantry but I suddenly remembered another of our potential companions was currently locked in a cage less than a hundred yards from us.
"Wait, Alistair." I called, and he stopped in his tracks, turning back to look at me. "Let's...look around before we head back."
He followed me along the path until we came to within a few feet of the cage and I froze so suddenly, unprepared for the sight of the Qunari in real life, that Alistair slammed into the back of me, grabbing me by my upper arms to keep me from losing my balance at the impact.
"What...?" Alistair started to ask before he followed my line of sight and his eyes fell upon Sten. "Okay, what is that?" He asked, in barely more than a whisper.
"Qunari." I replied, quietly. Alistair tilted his head to the side, squinting.
"Are you sure? Don't Qunari have horns?" He asked, studying the captive giant, pointing his index fingers up at the sides of his head to demonstrate what horns are. You know. Just in case I hadn't heard of horns before.
"Not this one." I shrugged, feigning ignorance. "Let's talk to him."
"You want to talk to the giant criminal?" Alistair asked, mockingly.
"He's in a cage, Alistair. I think I'll be safe." I replied, rolling my eyes at him.
"Exactly. He's in a cage...probably for a good reason. And besides, he may not even speak the common tongue. Qunari have their own language." He said. I had a feeling he wasn't truly that ignorant, but rather was just finding excuses to not get any closer to the intimidating mountain of brawn. I couldn't say I blamed him.
"Why don't we ask him?" I asked, striding forwards without waiting for a response. Alistair cursed and followed me, reluctantly.
I approached the cage warily. I knew he couldn't hurt me even if he wanted to but Christ, he was terrifying in real life. He was huge, easily seven feet tall and almost as broad as Alistair and Grayson standing side-by-side.
He paid no attention to me until I was standing directly in front of the cage and, when he finally did look down at me, his expression was one of contempt. I drew myself up to my full height, which wasn't saying much, and lifted my chin in determination, forcing myself to maintain eye contact. I knew I couldn't show fear or he wouldn't take me seriously.
"Shanedan." I greeted, and saw his expression shift ever-so-slightly at my use of his mother-tongue. "Maaras shokra. Anaan esaam Qun."
He responded in Qunlat, but I had just exhausted almost my entire knowledge of the language, unless you counted the phrase, "I will bring myself sexual pleasure later while thinking about this with great respect" and, somehow, I didn't think that was quite the response he was looking for. I did pick out the word "Viddathari", however, so I could guess at what he was asking from context alone.
"I'm not Viddathari." I replied, in English. "I'm a Grey Warden. My name's Lauren, and this is Alistair."
"I am Sten of the Beresaad." He replied, eyeing me with sudden curiosity. "My people have heard of your Grey Wardens." I waited for the insult to come, but it never did. Huh. Maybe throwing in some Qunlat had softened him up a little.
"Why are you in that cage?" Alistair asked, with a great deal of concern.
"I have been put here by your Chantry. I suggest you leave me to my fate." He replied, in a deep, even voice.
"The Chantry? Why, what did you do?" Alistair probed, suspiciously.
"I have been convicted of murder. Have the villagers not spoke of this?"
"We just got here. We haven't spoken with anyone." I explained. "Who did you kill?"
"The people of a farmhold. Eight humans, in addition to the children." He said, without anything even resembling emotion.
"Jesus." I knew this already, of course, but somehow, standing there, actually hearing him say the words in that calm, monotonous voice, it was like hearing it for the first time.
"My life is forfeit now. I have been here for twenty days, and I will not last much longer. A week at most."
"You've survived in there all that time? Without food or water?" Alistair asked, his suspicion now outmatched by his curiosity. "That's a long time."
"Maybe for you." Sten growled. I turned to Alistair.
"We can't just leave him here." I whispered, pleadingly. "Left in a cage to starve to death or be eaten alive by the darkspawn? It's barbaric."
"He is a murderer..." Alistair began, and I widened my eyes, imploringly. "But, you're right. Nobody deserves to die that way. Maybe we can speak with the Revered Mother..."
That was all the green light I needed. I turned back to the caged Qunari.
"How do you feel about seeking atonement for your crimes?" I asked, brightly. Alistair seemed to sense where I was going with this and he nudged me, but I ignored him.
"Death will be my atonement."
"What a waste. Atoning for death with more death? Wouldn't you like to balance the scales a little? Save some lives?" I asked, with a slow smile. He growled, thoughtfully, before shaking his head, abruptly.
"Parshaara. What I want hardly matters." He said, his previously calm, steady voice taking on a hard edge.
"Maybe not." I agreed. "But what I want might. I can speak to the Revered Mother, ask her to have you released into my custody."
He studied my face, apparently looking for a sign that this was some kind of cruel trick.
"Perhaps...if you told her the Grey Wardens needed my assistance..." His tone was vaguely hopeful, and he seemed to realise this because he added, "It seems as likely to bring my death as waiting here."
"Okay, then." I swung my pack off my shoulders and reached in, grabbing a bread roll and a water skin. "In the meantime...here," I offered, holding them out to him. He regarded me with a look of deep mistrust, but slowly reached out, accepting the food. "We'll be back." I promised, shouldering my pack again. "Come on, Alistair."
We headed back towards the chantry, with renewed purpose. When we reached the bridge, Alistair reached out and grabbed my arm, gently. I turned to face him, with a question in my eyes. He looked at me in silence for a moment, as if unsure of how to word his thoughts.
"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, waiting for him to chastise me for recruiting Sten.
"You spoke to him in the Qunari tongue." He frowned. I nodded, impatient for him to get to the point. "And you gave him food and water. And now we're on our way to speak to the Revered Mother to have him released to us to aid us against the blight; giving him a chance to atone for his crime and, if looks are anything to go by, giving us another skilled warrior."
I was confused. This all sounded pretty positive to me. I was still waiting to be chewed out, so I was struggling to follow his line of enquiry.
"Yes. I'm sorry, did you have a question, or...?" I asked, defensively.
"No." He replied, chuckling slightly. "You just...surprised me, that's all. You keep doing that." He said, softly, with a strange look on his face. I wasn't sure exactly why, but I could feel my face grow hot at the unexpected compliment. I cleared my throat, embarrassed.
"It wasn't a big deal, Alistair. I just did what anyone would do." I said, dismissively.
"Right, of course. We're in a village full of people and he's stood there starving for twenty days." He replied, with an amused grin. "I think you may be overestimating the compassion of strangers."
"Well, that's new." I replied, raising my eyebrows in surprise. "Nobody's ever accused me of being an optimist before."
"Oh, don't worry. I'm sure it's just a phase. It won't last long in a blight, I assure you." He joked, and the awkward moment was over. "Where did you learn to speak Qunari, anyway?" He asked as we continued.
"Qunlat." I corrected. "I've picked some up, here and there. I don't know much, just a few basic words and phrases. Don't be too impressed."
"Okay." He replied, quickly.
"Well, you can be a little bit impressed." I grumbled and he laughed, a real laugh that I couldn't help but join in with, and we made our way to the Chantry to meet Grayson and Morrigan, both of us now in notably better spirits than we had been when we arrived in Lothering. But, as Alistair had said, optimism doesn't last long in a blight, and I was about to find that out for myself.
AN: Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone who has faved, subscribed and reviewed. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave me some feedback. It warms the cockles of my ice-cold heart.
, your suggestion of the lethal shoes made me chuckle, I'm totally going to try and incorporate that in a later chapter. It definitely sounds like Lauren.
x-Punch-Buggy-Red-x you're right, thanks for bringing that to my attention. Apparently FFNET censors urls, so I'll write out the link in non-url format. It should be the user's name, which is valerie1972 dot tumblr dot com /post/62304818756/ferelden-travel-distances-and-times. I hope that makes enough sense to follow it because it's definitely worth a peek.
Thanks again for taking the time to read this. I'm currently in the market for a beta reader, so hopefully all subsequent chapters will be of a higher quality.