The trip to Redcliff was long, and Cat could easily believe why it took almost a year for the wardens to gather their allies. Travel times were nothing to joke about and the load screen she used to complain about taking too long, was nothing compared to the real thing. For two weeks they walked, starting when the sun rose, and stopping only when dusk settled in.
Duran led them at an intense pace that she wasn't used to, but they could all see his desire to hurry back to Redcliff, so they didn't complain. For the first few days, Cat wasn't sure she would make it, but Wynne had helped heal her sore muscles and blistered feet each evening.
Despite the endless walking, Cat enjoyed herself immensely. As they walked together, they spent most of the time talking. Everyone was so curious about her home and everything about it that she finally declared that she would get to ask a question for every one she answered.
She thought she had known them pretty well and for some, it was mostly true. What she hadn't expected were all the small things that simply couldn't be put into the game. She discovered Wynne's love of scary stories, Zevran's ability to juggle, Oghren's spot on imitations, and even absurd things like Alistair being able to wiggle his ears.
After training, the evenings became a time for them to show off for each other, and she eventually convinced Morrigan to show them her ability to transform into an animal, which gave way to awed voices, and ended by Dog chasing her excitedly.
She even enjoying the training. Though it was mostly for her benefit, the others participated as well. Watching them spar with each other was always fun, but she also liked when they taught her new things. She learned from each of them, how to read the moves of fighters of their specific type and style, how to spot openings, and how to inflict the most damage.
Of course there were things that she didn't like, the lack of bathing everyday was first and foremost. Digging a hole to use as a bathroom ran a pretty close second. Cat missed a lot of the modern conveniences that she had always taken for granted, but their importance waned as each day passed.
"I believe it is my turn for a question, is it not?" Leliana asked her, pulling her from her reminiscent thoughts.
"Sure Leli," she answered. She had decided that that they all needed nicknames like she had, but Leliana and Alistair were the only ones who accepted theirs. Once she had tried calling Oghren "Oggie" which ended in an insulted dwarf that ignored her for hours afterward. "Ask away," she said.
"I want to know about this Steven," Leliana said, causing Cat to wince.
"Steven? Why?" Cat asked.
"Well, you have mentioned him several times, along with your family, but I am certain he is not related to you, by what you have said," she accentuated this with a wink.
She knew it would come up sooner or later, so Cat figured she might as well get it over with. "Well, that's true. We were married," she said nonchalantly.
"Ooh, do tell!" Leliana linked her arm in Cat's as they walked along.
Cat glanced around, noticing that while no one else looked their way, all of their previous conversations had stopped.
"There's not much to tell, Leli," she said at last. "We met, fell in love, and were married."
"How long?" she asked. Cat sighed internally. She should have known Leliana wouldn't let it go at that.
"Five years," she replied.
"You must have married very young," Wynne remarked.
Cat turned to her in surprise. "When I was 19," she said. "It that young compared to women here?" she asked.
"No," Leliana said and Wynne shot back with "but you barely look 20 now!"
Cat rolled her eyes, "I'm 25, actually. Most people assume I am younger. I think it's the freckles," she said with a grimace.
"That does not add up," Morrigan chimed in with a frown on her face. "If you have been married for five years, then you are 24 years old."
Cat sighed loudly this time. She had been dreading this. "I was married for five years," she said nodding. "Then we divorced."
"Divorced?" a few of them asked at once.
"Yes," she replied. "Meaning we are no longer married."
Leliana looked shocked, and Morrigan thoughtful, but it was Wynne that spoke. "In your land, people can decide to undo their marriage?"
"Yes," she replied. "Steven decided that he no longer wanted to be married, though to be honest, we were unhappy for some time before that," she explained.
"The man is obviously a fool, or perhaps deranged," Zevran offered from behind her.
"I have never heard of such a thing," Leliana said quietly.
"A man who does not fulfill his oaths has no honor, and deserves death" Sten added suddenly.
Everyone stopped and stared at Sten, disbelievingly.
Cat smiled. It gave her the best feeling in the world; not what he had said, but that HE had said it. Maybe he was finally warming up to her.
Duran cleared his throat, causing everyone to look at him. He looked at Cat and asked, "This is the man the demon was impersonating in the fade?"
"Yes," she replied.
He nodded. "Thought he was a nug-humper then, haven't changed my mind" he said. No one spoke for a moment, and Duran turned and started walking again. Then Oghren began laughing loudly, and they all joined in.
"Good one!" Alistair hooted. Zevran went so far as to hurry forward to join Duran in the front and pat him on the back.
Cat just grinned. Dwarven curses aside, this had been far easier to talk of then ever before. It seemed having friends made all the difference in the world.
A few days passed, and the weary group entered Redcliff. They made their way to the castle where they informed Connor's uncle, Bann Teagan, that the mages from the Circle were on their way to help remove the demon from his nephew.
Teagan and Lady Isolde, Connor's mother, were thrilled at the news and offered the group rooms and food while they waited.
After another day of waiting, Cat wanted to go explore the village, and she had a good idea of who wanted out of the castle just as much as she did.
"Hey Al!" She called out, ending her search as she found him out by the stables.
"Hello Cat," he replied. "What can I do for you?"
"I find myself in need of a guide," she said. His brow rose in question, so she explained. "I'd like to go to the town" she said. "You know, check in on the people, see how they are coming along… see if anyone needs help," she added knowing that would be what he wanted to do.
"I… but- " He seemed torn in indecision. "But what if the mages arrive, and we aren't here?" he asked her.
"I imagine they will start to prepare for whatever they are going to do," she answered. "We will only be gone a few hours, so I doubt they will be able to start without us." She knew he considered Arl Eamon, Isolde and Conner as family of some sort, and would want to be there for them.
He thought it over for a time, and Cat wondered if he would refuse. Finally he nodded. "Okay then, but only a few hours, right?" he asked.
"Absolutely!" she agreed cheerfully. "Let's go!"
It took a bit longer to get going, as Alistair decided to ask for a horse. However, Cat was grateful he did when it was a much further walk than she assumed. The game had made everything seem so close, and she shouldn't still be surprised at this point.
Once they made it into town, Cat let Alistair decide where to go, as he had been here before. She knew that they had fought a hard fight against some walking corpses that the demon inside Conner had created, and that many people had died before the wardens had shown up to help. She had no specific destination in mind, just wanted to see everything.
They spent their time greeting villagers, helping where they could, and receiving gratitude that they promised to pass on to the rest of the group. Alistair also showed her around the chantry, answering questions that she posed about the religion.
"It seems like the people are rebuilding, though the town is still in rough shape," she commented as they left the chantry.
"Yes, they've been so kind with their gratitude though really, they saved themselves," he mused. "We helped, but I don't know that we could have done what we did without all the extra help."
Cat smiled, "Extra help?" she asked.
He smiled ruefully in return. "I'm sure you already know," he teased. "But yes, there were a few others in town that fought with us. Some knights of the Arl, the townspeople, a dwarf, and even the tavern owner."
Cat's eyes brightened as she remembered. "Dwyn!" she said excitedly.
"What?" he asked.
"So, Al" she smirked. "How much money do you have on you?"
"I still don't understand why we had to buy Sten a new sword." Alistair said the confusion evident in his voice.
"Shh!" Cat glared. "Keep it down, it's a surprise!" she whispered. "Now, do you want to give it to him, or should we find Duran?" she asked.
"Definitely Duran," he answered. "I can see it now. 'Surprise Sten, have a new sword.' Then he picks it up and challenges me to a duel."
Cat giggled. "That actually sounds pretty accurate for Sten," she conceded. "Though with this sword, you may be surprised."
Alistair grabbed her arm pulling them to a stop, and eyeing her carefully. "This isn't just any sword, is it?" he asked seriously.
"No," she said. "You would have found it eventually, but I wanted to save you the trip to Orzammar, where you would have found out that it was actually here."
"If that's true, then you're forgiven for not telling me about this sooner," he responded in awe. "But why not give it to Sten yourself?"
"Well, technically, you bought it, not me." His gaze narrowed, and she knew he wouldn't accept her answer.
"Al, you remember what Sten was doing when you met him?" she asked.
"Of course, he was in cage in Lothering," he replied.
"Why?"
"Because he had killed a family," he answered, still not understanding where she was going with this.
"Why did he kill them?" she asked quietly.
"Because…" he stopped to think. "Oh, because they couldn't tell him where his sword... was…" He looked at her incredulously. "This, isthat sword?"
Cat nodded. "And so, I can't be the one to give it to him," she said. "Whoever gives him back his sword will be, like, a hero to him."
"Whoa," he breathed out, looking at the sword in an entirely different way. "Well that settles it. We need to find Duran." He started walking again, and she quickly caught up as they entered the castle. "I'm just not cut out to be Sten's hero."
Cat smiled as she looked at Alistair. How little did he know… "Just so you know Al," she said, causing him to look over, "you'd make a pretty great hero."
Alistair didn't respond with words, but his blush said everything.