Terrifying Words

Lawrien could feel Faren's anger, desperation and terror. It was sinking into her, making her dizzy and frantic, but her own anger hit her when she saw the big fancy tree in the middle of the square burning down, and Faren surrounded by guards.

What was surprising though was that he was on his feet, backed up against a building, daggers bloodied. She grinned at the sight. He had fought. Faren was still fighting, but his clothes were torn badly, as if someone had tried to rip them from his body, especially at his legs (no, no way. Not again-)

That was a lot of blood. He was bleeding heavily from a wound on his side, and his shoulder too. Lawrien focused intently on the wounds. The physical ones.

"This is hopeless, Faren," Vaughan mocked from behind the guards, safely away from Faren's daggers. "Look at you! What a mess. Your family is dead, gutted like the little rats they are. I had my fun here, raping and murdering your people, and now it's time you come home with me. Give up. You aren't good for anything else but being mine."

Faren breathed in shakily, hands twitching around his daggers. "I'd sooner stab myself in the throat than go with you, but I also know this hell... this didn't happen. I already know that. I cut your throat and I became a Grey Warden-"

"HA!" Vaughan cackled. "You? A Grey Warden?"

"This is just my nightmare," Faren hissed through clenched teeth. "It's my fucking nightmare."

Arrows immediately flew by Lawrien's head, plunging into the guards without warning. All the demons startled at that and whirled around, facing them, as the 'guards' with arrows in their heads slumped to the ground, their forms returning to their demonic forms. Faren let out an anxious cry, stumbling back to lean against the wall.

"I fucking knew it!" Faren cried out. "Oh thank the Maker-"

Lawrien threw a fireball at Vaughan, or at least his demon fake, and exploded that demon to pieces. Zevran was instantly at Faren's side, steadying him, as Epona and Lawrien finished off the last of the demons.

"Faren!" Epona rushed over. "You're bleeding a lot, and your clothes are ripped-"

"Vaughan, or whatever that was, tried to force himself on me again..." Faren said, his voice thick with exhaustion, as he leaned heavily on Zevran. "I punched him and escaped when I woke up in this hell with him on top of me, but he came here with all his guards and... I tried to stop him... I couldn't... everyone kept dying..."

Faren looked around the Alienage, at the bodies of all his people lying on the ground, and Lawrien felt another wave of despair hit him.

"Maker... if I had ever disobeyed him before..." Faren shivered. "I knew this would have happened, but seeing it... hearing all the screams... my dad tried to protect me... Soris, Shianni... Uncle Kerth..."

"This never happened," Epona said firmly, then eyed Lawrien, full of worry. "What happens if someone is wounded in a dream like this?"

Lawrien frowned. "Wounds are fine, those can be healed, but death can't. Let's get out of here now and get him healed."

"My dear Grey Warden," Zevran began, wrapping an arm around Faren's waist while he hoisted Faren's arm over his shoulder. "If you really wanted me to carry you to safety, you did not need to get yourself stabbed, you only needed to ask."

Faren snorted a laugh, then winced. "Ow... don't make me laugh, Zevran... It hurts..."

"Ah, very sorry about that, Faren. I can concur that stab wounds, do in fact, hurt a lot."

.::.

"Well I have Cobian," Morrigan sighed.

"Tough time getting him?" Torph asked.

"He was interviewing the demons."

Everyone stared blankly at her, then at Cobian, who was still scribbling in that damn notebook, then at Calenhad who sat by Cobian's feet, tail wagging.

"Y'know..." Torph whistled. "That actually doesn't surprise me."

.::.

Lawrien and Epona had left Faren and Zevran with the others, as Lawrien, Epona and Witherfang walked into a house. It was small and wooden, but there was a fire crackling away with multiple chairs crowded near it and a thick rub on the floor. She could see multiple children on the floor playing with toys, and a woman mixing food in her bowl while Alistair sat on the floor, playing with the kids.

"Well there is Alistair." Epona crossed her arms. "Is his dream to spawn several children? There appears to be quite a few here. The woman isn't even Ciara, she may have brown hair, but that is clearly not her."

Lawrien shrugged.

"Lawrien?" Alistair startled as he stood up, smiling warmly at her and Epona. "And Epona too, hey you too, it's great to see you. When did you get here?"

Epona sighed. "Of course he's still unaware."

Alistair laughed sheepishly. "Did I miss a reunion date or something? Sorry about that, Epona."

"What are you doing here?" Lawrien asked, ignoring the demons watching them.

"Seeing my lovely sister and her children. This is Goldanna!" Alistair grinned, waving a hand towards the adult woman. "Oh, Lawrien, she's the best! And have you met the kids? They are so sweet, I can't believe I actually have such a big family!"

He felt overjoyed. In fact it was the happiest Lawrien swore she had ever felt him in months. But he always regarded the Grey Wardens as his family. Duncan especially.

"You already have a family," Lawrien said, her brow furrowed. "The Grey Wardens, remember? We have a job to do."

He frowned and stepped away from them, towards his 'family'. "I don't think I'll be coming... I don't want to spend my life fighting, only to end up in a pit rotting with some darkspawn corpses..."

Lawrien frowned. "You're leaving the Grey Wardens?"

Alistair faltered. "Yes... Lawrien, I...I have a family now-"

Jory had a family. He had been nervous, but warm and hopeful until the Joining. Until he had to risk his life and know he could be separated from his family without doing a heroic deed as a Grey Warden, he felt like he hadn't accomplished anything and had been terrified. Lawrien had tried to avoid the Joining, had tried to get as far away as possible, but she had felt Jory's terror. His fear. His love for his wife and his unborn child before Duncan cut him down.

Duncan had felt so cold.

"So you'd just abandon us? Abandon Ciara?" Lawrien asked darkly. "You know the price for leaving the Grey Wardens. The burden Duncan had to carry out. Do you really think you're so special right now that you can leave it?" she continued on coldly, clenching her fists as they flickered with flames, her head throbbing. "Jory had a family. He still died to keep our secrets. Faren loved Daveth, he was family too, but he didn't survive the Joining. What makes you think you get to leave when they didn't?"

Epona's eyes widened. "Lawrien..."

"Lawrien, I-" Alistair faltered. "Things are fine now..."

"Then where is Ciara?" Lawrien barked. "You love her, don't you? So, where is my sister?!"

Lawrien threw a punch, getting Alistair right across the face. Alistair yelped, stumbling back, even as his 'family' screamed.

"Are you really that useless of a Templar, Alistair? Morrigan's right to mock you if that's the case!" Lawrien snarled.

"You're being just as bad as her, right now, Lawrien!" Alistair snapped, catching her next punch with his hand, but Lawrien burned him, making him hiss and pull away. "Lawrien-"

She tackled him to the ground with a howl, throwing another punch.

"I don't think that is how you're supposed to wake him up," Epona huffed, then shook her head. "I'm just going to kill the demons."

"If you love Ciara so much then she should be right here, you bastard!" Lawrien insisted. "But she's not because she's trapped on her own and we're not there to help her. So wake the hell up!"

Alistair caught her fists this time, and they scrambled on the floor.

"Stop it!" Alistair hissed.

"No!" Lawrien yelled. "Duncan is dead! Yegrettie is dead! Our brothers and sisters are all dead and you want to hide away in this pleasant dream because you want a family? Jory wanted his family! Daveth wanted his! I want mine! I want Ciara, I want Myra and Anders and Jowan and Epona wants her daughter and Tamlin-"

Epona bit her lip at the thought, then shook her head and stormed up to 'Goldanna', and punched her across the face with a right hook. The punch threatened to break Epona's fingers- not her speciality that- but it served to make the demon revert back to its original form. Alistair screamed, horrified, and Lawrien launched a wave of fire at Goldanna when Epona stepped out the way.

"S-She's a demon?" Alistair yelped, leaping to his feet the moment Lawrien scrambled off him. "W-What?"

"We've been trapped in dreams and nightmares by a Sloth demon we encountered in the Circle's tower," Epona explained. "You've been fooled, Alistair, as some of the others were."

"At least it wasn't just me..." Alistair muttered.

"Hurry up and fight then, shemlen," Epona scolded. "We need to get to Ciara, set her free, then end this Sloth demon once and for all."

Alistair paled. "Ciara isn't free yet?"

"Why do you think I'm so annoyed?" Lawrien snapped.

Ciara should have gotten free by now. She was smart. She was smart enough to see through a pretty dream, so in that case she must be trapped in a nightmare.

Lawrien really didn't want to see this nightmare, but she would need to brave it for Ciara. Brave it and burn it to ash for scaring her sister.

.::.

Myra followed Lawrien, Alistair and Cobian into the last doorway. Cobian who had insisted on coming to document more demons. He had learned a lot, yes, but apparently he wished to learn even more. They were immediately in a ballroom filled with people in luxurious dresses and tailored suits. They were laughing, the sound of glasses clinking together as they cheered.

"I take it this is a dream?" Alistair looked around, dazed.

"This is Ciara's nightmare..." Lawrien whispered, then her face twisted, angry and nasty. "Dammit. Damn them."

"Nightmare? What's so nightmarish about this place?" Alistair frowned. "It's beautiful."

"I remember this ballroom..." Cobian's brow furrowed. "The Free Marchers, ah, yes, the Trevelyan House-"

Myra shivered. "Oh no."

"I don't get it. This looks like a lovely ball. What's wrong?" Alistair frowned, then his nose wrinkled. "Do you think the cheese is bad?"

"The Trevelyan House are people my family do not associate with," Cobian said, his brow furrowing. "They aren't kind people."

Lawrien marched through the party, peering through the crowds. "I can't see-"

Cobian walked over, grabbed her waist, and lifted her up.

"Hell yeah, thanks, Cobian!" Lawrien grinned, but it quickly faded when her eyes scanned the crowd, then narrowed. "I see her."

Her eyes had hardened as she jumped back down from his hands and marched through the party. Myra followed close to her heels, and she could feel Ciara's distress and fear. It made Myra shiver.

She hadn't felt that afraid in years. Not even after Jowan betrayed them all.

Ciara stood as still as a statue by the time they reached her side. She barely acknowledged them at all to be honest, just kept her head lowered, eyes meekly on the floor. Myra's blood boiled at the sight. Ciara who would greet them with an amused smile, or a gleam in her eyes, was so quiet and subdued. She hadn't even spoken a word. She was literally standing by a wall, as if some kind of decoration instead of a human being.

"Ciara!" Alistair hurried over. "We're glad you're okay."

She didn't say anything. She didn't even move. Her head remained bowed.

Myra gritted her teeth at the thought. This was definitely Ciara's nightmare for sure. What better way to make her suffer by taking the ability to move or speak from her? This damn Sloth demon would pay for this, as would Uldred.

.::.

"You can't move?" Lawrien asked sharply.

Ciara shook her head. It was a small thing, hardly noticeable, and it made Cobian shrivel. This was the kind of behaviour people expected from noble women in other countries. They wanted quiet, sweet girls who were pretty and decorative and gave them good heirs. His mother never acted that way, nor did Oriana. Not even any of the servants. And to see Ciara like this? Headstrong Ciara who was clever and witty and had a sharp, deadly edge to her? This had to be killing her.

Alistair who looked ready to vomit, and commit murder all at the same time. He looked heartbroken and angry and it was such an odd look on him.

Lawrien's scowl deepened. "And you can't talk."

Again it was a small shake of her head.

Lawrien's eyed hardened. "Then I'll talk and move for you." Lawrien, despite being shorter and despite Ciara being in a huge dress, still stubbornly dragged Ciara over her shoulder. Ciara laid there limply, when she should have been clawing and hissing at Lawrien for ruining her hair. "I'll beat the shit out of this nightmare and drag you right out of it!" Lawrien clutched Ciara tightly, and marched towards the cheering crowd. "Let's kick their asses, Ciara!"

Myra was right behind them.

"What are you doing? Put down Ciara this instant!" A dark haired man approached, his footsteps heavy, face furious, but Lawrien's fist, a stone fist, landed in his face, sending him crashing across the ballroom.

"You're Kyron, aren't you?" Lawrien spat. "Or at least pretending to be him."

"That means this is Terrance." Myra's gaze turned to the other tall man marching their way, drawing his sword, with light brown hair like Ciara's.

Cobian could see Lord Kyron Trevelyan Senior and Lady Amaleia Treveylan approaching hurriedly, their faces frantic. Myra froze them in an instant, her eyes sharp, while Lawrien burned Terrance alive by launching a fireball at him. The crowd turned against them immediately, but between Cobian, Alistair, Lawrien and Myra, they managed to thin them out fast. The weaker demons falling to their magic and blades fast.

Ciara still hadn't moved despite the demons deaths, so Lawrien headed right back for the door, as did the rest of them. The moment they were through Ciara was immediately in action, leaping from Lawrien's shoulder back down to her feet.

"I do not wish to do that again," Ciara said sharply, her eyes hard, but she yanked Lawrien and Myra into a quick hug before letting go. "Thank you for saving me from that though. I appreciate it."

Her words were surprisingly sharp despite the thanks, but Cobian could see how frantic and irritated she looked. It was the most anxious Cobian swore he had ever seen Ciara before. Lawrien gave her another quick hug, and Myra pressed a kiss to her cheek, before the Amells allowed her to step away again.

"So we're all reunited huh?" Torph said, sitting up, deliberately keeping his eyes on them. "Now how do we get out of this hell hole?"