I cursed as I lost my grip and the arrow tip knicked the edge of my palm. I knew humans smithed differently but what they were selling was barely passable for elves. I had spent the better part of the morning mending my gear, refastening arrow heads, and mixing what elfroot I had left with the rotgut alcohol they sold in town into passable tinctures.
I had barely slept more than an hour at a time last night with the new nightmares piled on top of the previous. Different scenarios started but always ended with that human swinging his axe at me before I would wake up in a cold sweat. It was self-defense. He was trying to kill me but no matter how many times I told myself this, he was always waiting for me when I slipped back to sleep. It just continued to rake across my nerves. Morrigan lounged atop her perch on a boulder jutting from the bottom of the hillside, reading some dusty old book. It wasn't much of a surprise Morrigan would have had to kill in defense long before now. Based on how little impaling a bandit with ice had seemingly bothered her.
But Alistair? He paid me no mind where he sat under a tree using his new sharpening stone on his sword. He didn't seem much older than me and said he'd been a trainee before joining the Wardens. But the way he handled himself yesterday… I guess Templars start some things early. I blew out an aggravated breath, throwing the arrows back into their quiver.
Alistair called, "Everything alright?
"Sure," I clipped gesturing to the quiver before throwing them next to my pack. "I don't think I'm going to make these any better."
"We should be able to buy better supplies in Redcliffe," he sheathed his sword as he stood, nodding back to the village. "Come one. Let's get one last meal before we're back on the road."
"I think I prefer the field mice over what that barkeep is passing off as food," I said scrunching my nose at the thought.
He smirked before offering his hand, "Very likely, but I doubt there'll be as much to find being so close to the Bannorn. Given it's just a tad illegal for just anyone to hunt the lord such-and-such's sport."
I curled my lip and rose to join him, ignoring his hand, "I thought it was just Dalish they didn't like hunting around here." A sharp whistle brought Banal'ras bouncing over, his whole backside swinging as his nub wagged. I sighed exaggeratedly, "Fine, but I hardly see it as helpful if I vomit it back up by noon."
"Whaaat? The tavern cuisine is at the forefront of the Ferelden experience!" He joked, already walking back toward town.
I hummed in a sarcastic agreement, calling to Morrigan, "You coming?"
"I've had enough of that village, thank you," she said curtly. I shrugged before following after Alistair. At least she can guard our things while we're gone.
We followed the muddy road past refugee tents and the occasional human carrying or carting their life north past this poor town.
"So," Alistair drawled, quirking an eyebrow at me, "I'm dying to know. First time in a human village. Is it everything you dreamed?"
I snorted, "Oh yes, as loud and crowded as I've always imagined. Though the smell is a surprise."
He chuckled and made a point to take a long sniff. "Ah, smells like home."
"If this is what your human castle's smell like I truly pity you all," I said, adjusting the loose black hair at the sides of my face in a feeble attempt to obscure my vallaslin. It was likely just my nerves, but it seemed like more people were staring today than I remembered yesterday.
"The horsestables," he corrected, quirking an eyebrow at me when he noticed my discomfort and increasing our pace with a few extra glances to our sides. "Speaking of. You don't talk much about your clan. What was it like?"
I shrugged as we finally turned the corner to the tavern, Alistair opening the door for me before filing in behind, "It's home." We quickly located a small table not far from the door this time and seated ourselves after flagging down a waitress for some breakfast. "We move around with the seasons and tried to stay out of human sights."
"I get that. But what was it like? You're nomads, right? So do you just carry around tents everywhere?" He inquired, leaning his elbows forward on the table.
We passed the time answering his questions. The aravels fascinated him but no more than the wonder when I told him about ironbark. When I handed over my knife, he was so enthralled with inspecting every detail like he could uncover its secrets that way that he didn't even acknowledge when the bread, cheese, and ale arrived. It was like watching a da'len with a new toy.
"Do you ever trade with humans?" he asked reaching the knife back, giving the food a look of surprise before digging in.
"If we get too close, they tend to show up with axes and templars," I replied nonchalantly, picking at the rim of my mug.
"Oh, right. Sorry," he remarked somberly. "Have you ever had to fight them?"
"No. It's gotten close before, sure, but we've always managed to scare them off. We try to move on before they can come back with reinforcements," I shrugged thinking back to my last hunt with Tamlen when we had done just that. Though for a moment I thought Tamlen would truly kill them. And not for the first time I wondered if it would have been better if he had survived to fight this war. I grinned at the thought of my very anti-human clanmate having to likely be bound and drug to Ostagar. But he wouldn't be struggling with the morality of killing in defense.
"But you've been in combat before?" he frowned. I shook my head with a tight-lipped smile and his eyes widened almost comically, "You're having me on."
I leaned forward, resting my chin in my hand in amusement and pride at his astonishment, "I'm a hunter. I've hunted game for the clan to eat, nothing more. I've sparred with my friends, but my clan isn't known for our warriors."
"Impossible," he protested, shaking his head. "You got Duncan's attention without formal combat training?"
I grinned smugly, "I mean I'm one of our best archers, if I do say so myself. But Tamlen would regularly knock me on my ass."
"Was that your teacher?" he inquired, popping another bite of cheese in his mouth.
I surprised myself how easily I had brought him up and straightened myself in my seat again, setting my hands in my lap out of sight, "Kind of. He was the friend I mentioned." I replied, Alistair's hand dropped to the table, and he straightened as well, but I continued with a wave of my hand before he could say anything, "It's alright. It is what it is."
"Did he use the darmisu, too?" he asked, stumbling clumsily over the Dalish.
I smirked at the attempt, "Dar'misuwere my choice of weapon. He used a longsword, Dar'Misaan, and shield like you, actually."
He stumbled over his tongue to pronounce dar'misaan until I nodded holding back a laugh when he got it correct. Close enough at least. His eyes alight with intrigue, "What's the word for shield?"
"That one's lost to us," I shrugged at his disappointment.
We spent the rest of our meal teaching him elvish for different weapons then to random words like shemlen, durgen'len, and even Banal'ras' own name meaning. He even suggested nicknaming him Banal for short, of which I feigned insult explaining that change of his name from 'shadow' to 'nothing'. I imagined the hell Tamlen would raise at my teaching a human elvish and my humor had turned to something uncomfortably close to guilt.
"But think about it, if I learned enough, we could have our own secret conversations," he whispered conspiratorially, "No one would ever know!"
What would Keeper or the Hahrens think? Before I could let him down, we were interrupted by two familiarly armored soldiers stopping next to our table, smirking down at us. One was a broad man with an umber complexion and a scar running jagged and deep across his left cheek, and the other a pale, lean human with beady eyes and chestnut hair tied back. Glancing to Alistair, I saw him offer a polite smile, but also that his right hand had fallen to his lap beneath the table. What he didn't see was one more soldier approaching from behind him. "May we help you?" I asked the scarred soldier, the hair at the back of my neck standing on end when a floorboard creaked behind my stool. A low, barely audible rose from Banal'ras under the table.
The darker human glowered between the two of us, "It seems so," without turning from us he addressed the other man at his side, "Didn't we spend all morning asking for an elf and human pair of this very description?"
My blood turned cold recognizing the wyvern decorating the soldier's pauldrons. His partner laid an armored hand on his broadsword at his back, "We did, Commander. And nobody claimed to have saw them. Though I distinctly remember this savage from Ostagar."
I shifted my feet under the stool ready to spring up to fight when a honeyed, heavily accented voice rose from behind Alistair, "Gentlemen, surely there's no need for trouble." A ruby haired, pixie-faced priestess materialized from between the soldiers dressed in chantry robes with a disarming smile and soft gaze, "These are no doubt, simply more poor souls seeking refuge."
The commander turned a threatening glare to the priestess, "I suggest you stay out of state business, sister," he turned back to us with a look of disgust. "These traitors are under arrest by order of the Regent."Shit.
"I'm sorry but-" I was interrupted when a heavy hand roughly grabbed hold of my right shoulder. On reaction, I twisted and threw my elbow up and behind me, launching off the stool and was surprisingly rewarded with an audiblecrunchof the soldier's nose before he tripped back and fell to the floor, a rush of blood down his chin. Banal'ras leapt from under the table and Alistair was already on his feet, deflecting the soldier's sword with his own. I narrowly avoided the swing from the commander's, ducking past him and trying to stay near enough to not risk a wild swing to the other patrons.
My heart dropped when my heel caught an uneven board. I dropped into a low crouch to avoid his sword though I felt the breeze of the swing as it arced above my head. Trying to retreat his pommel came swinging back, just catching above my temple and I felt the skin tear as my vision was momentarily covered in stars. I changed grip on my dar'misu and swung up, feeling my blade catching off his shield and he stepped back to avoid me. Following his balance, I pressed forward into his space, throwing my left swing into the elbow of his sword arm. But I was met with a sharp impact from shield knocking my dar'misu out of my right hand and causing me to stumble into a nearby table. Just as he reared back his sword, Banal'ras latched firmly down on his arm. I pushed myself off the table and sunk my blade into the unarmored space of his shield arm. The commander roared and tried to wrench himself from Banal'ras' hold unsuccessfully.
The first soldier with his bloodied nose appeared from the other side of Banal'ras and prepared a swing at him. I launched over him in a panic and tackled the soldier to the ground. Through a cacophony of metal clanging on the floorboards and my own blood rushing in my ears, I didn't miss the sharp whine behind me.
We landed hard and I ended up straddling his waist, balanced by my grip on the top edge of his chest plate. His wide eyes stared back at me in terror before coughing blood back in my face. I realized my left hand was still gripping my dar'misu and it was deeply embedded between chinks of armor and his ribs. His hand grabbed my wrist shakily. I couldn't breathe as I watched the light leave his eyes.
I jerked back around at another pained whine behind me. Banal'ras sat nearby with a deep, bleeding gash just behind his shoulder. It seems the sword had made momentary contact. I wasn't quick enough. His large paws slid forward as he lowered himself to the floor. I crawled my way over to inspect the wound. Pressing my palms to the deepest section, I looked up to the scuffles above me.
I expected to see the leader coming back for me, but the priestess had him on his knees. She stood behind him with her knife pointed at his neck, her right hand twisting his sword arm high above his head. All with barely a lock of hair out of place.
Alistair freed his sword from the chestnut-haired soldier's belly and let him fall to the floor with the others.
The commander seethed past gritted teeth, "Alright! You won. We surrender!"
The similarity of his plea to the bandit from yesterday ignited an anger in my chest. I curled my lip and grabbed the one dar'misu that had fallen to the floor during my tussle. I rose to stand before him, shaking once again but this time with fury, and he sent me a look of thinly veiled disgust. I rubbed a rivulet of blood away that threatened to drip into the corner of my eye, never breaking my stare with him.
The priestess looked up to me with a satisfied tone, "Good. They've learned their lesson, and we can all stop fighting now." She announced and released her holds.
Before the commander could do more than drop his arm, I stepped forward angling the tip of my blade just under the soft latch of his jaw and his eyes flashed back to mine, this time with thinly veiled fear. I was momentarily disturbed at my own fury but pushed that far to the back of my mind. They're all willing to fight to the death until it's their lives about to end. "Take a message to Loghain," I commanded, hoping the severity not lost in the waver of my voice.
"What-what is it?" he fumbled.
"The Wardens won't let his treachery go unanswered." He nodded slightly upward from the pressure of my blade, and I withdrew it from his neck. I didn't bother watching as the commander shuffled past me, one other near Alistair clutching at his side followed swiftly along. Alistair, I noted, didn't seem worse for wear but for a busted lip and how he held his shield arm close to his side. Only just noticing his shield was still on the floor, under the now upturned table.
The priestess smiled at me brightly after Loghain's soldiers filed out.
Looking around I was surprised to see the others in the tavern had all pressed to the other side and all of them were giving us a variety of cautious and fearful and some angry stares. I decidedly didn't care and immediately grabbed my satchel from the ground before kneeling back beside a now panting Banal'ras.
"That looks deep," Alistair said with clear concern as he knelt next to me.
"It'll be fine," I said shakily, failing at pulling the cork from the potion in hand, fingers slipping either from the adrenaline or the blood between them.
"Here allow me," the priestess offered, kneeling across from me with an open potion of her own which she began to pour into the gash. Banal'ras' skin twitched at the sensation and his breathing slowed to huffs.
I watched in relieved fascination as the bleeding began to slow before me. Her potion obviously much more potent than mine. Pulling out my knife, I managed to leverage the cork out of my potion after a couple shaky attempts. I held it out to Alistair where he now sat also watching the priestess, with his shield arm tucked against him. He gingerly took the bottle, scanning me with a furrowed brow.
"This isn't mine," I smiled, lifting my hands to gesture at the lack of wounds other than the one that throbbed at my temple.
"Thank you." He drank deeply but reach the bottle back again with some left, gaze flickering back to my forehead, "Some of it is."
I quickly downed what was left and returned my attention to Banal'ras as the priestess began spreading a thick yellow gel into the gash.
The bartender pushed his way over from the silent audience, face red and pointing a knobby finger at me indignantly, "I don't care who you are, youwillclear out these bodies from my inn." He pointed at the two corpses whose blood was beginning to pool between the floorboards.
"They were just protecting themselves, Dane," the priestess appealed. "And you have been wishing to throw out those soldiers since last night."
Dane grumbled a curse before fixing me with stern look, "Get rid of the mess and I don't kickyouout. I can't have corpses in my tavern!"
Alistair stood abruptly with an apology to Dane and began to carry the bodies out of the tavern starting with the one that still had my dar'misu in his chest.
I grabbed some poultice from the priestess' jar she held and began working it into the other end of the wound.
"I apologize for interfering, but I couldn't just sit by and not help," the priestess spoke as the crowd in the tavern began to slowly return to conversing and now whispering between them.
"You'll hear no complaint from me. Thank you, truly. Though I'm afraid you might have painted a target on yourself," I replied tiredly, feeling the throbbing headache now that the adrenaline was wearing off.
"Please don't worry about me," she beamed.
"I confess I didn't know the Chantry trained their priestesses like their Templars."
She giggled, "They don't. And I'm a lay sister, not a priestess. I've taken no oaths beyond my affirmation to the Maker." Once satisfied with the work we completed on Banal'ras moved to kneel next to me. With a look of question, she hovered a poultice-covered finger near my face. I nodded and she continued to dab the cool ointment to my gash, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Leliana. It's quite a pleasure."
"I'm…," I hesitated momentarily but continued when I realized anonymity is long dead here, "I'm Dahlia. This is Banal'ras. Alistair is my companion," I listed flicking my gaze to where the blonde had returned and was righting the chairs and table. "You have our thanks."
"They say you are Grey Wardens. I'm surprised you're an elf. But elves must want the Blight defeated as much as humans, no?" she asked blithely securing the lid back on the jar.
I felt my eyebrow twitch and I sniped, "Do you think elves immune to taint? Or surprised that the Wardens would recruit an elf?" I stood ready to be done with this town.
"Oh no! I did not mean to offend!" she exclaimed standing beside me, her silvery blue eyes wide, "I'm sorry! My words were clumsily chosen. I only meant that I have not seen many elves, especially Dalish, taking up arms in Ferelden."
I positioned myself to Banal'ras' side to allow him to lean against my hip as he stood, "Not many humans notice the Dalish part."
The priestess smiled tentatively, "I've had the pleasure of meeting Dalish back in Orlais."
I rolled my eyes. Apparently not enough. I helped Banal'ras out of the tavern to lie in a relatively grassy patch near the shallow river. Once he settled, I immediately slipped off the bank and began rinsing myself of the soldier's blood. The priestess had followed silently beside Alistair. He waited for me to notice and offered me the dar'misu I had left in the other soldier. I accepted with a nod and went back to ridding myself and it of the evidence.
Leliana turned to Alistair and introduced herself again, "You two will be moving on to fight the darkspawn, yes?"
Alistair's head snapped up in surprise, looking between us and the nearby villagers with concern. I shrugged at him tiredly, "She already knew. Apparently so does the rest of the town." I said, gesturing to the drying blood on my brow.
"The darkspawn are our priority, yes," Alistair answered her, still on alert by the stiffness in his shoulders.
"Of course, and I know after what happened, you will need all the help you can get," Leliana spoke confidently, "That's why I'm coming along."
I nearly slipped on a mossy rock making my way back to the edge of the bank, "You're- You know we'll be walking into tainted battles? While we're currently targeted by your Regent?"
She nodded resolutely, "Politics can be messy and misconstrued. What cannot is the risk of the Blight. I cannot just sit by while people suffer. If there is anything I might do, I would. Please, allow me to assist you both."
I grumbled before stepping back to the bank to pull myself out when Alistair's hand was once again outstretched before me. I hesitated out of pride but took his hand anyway and he pulled me the rest of the way up the loose bank. I shared an uneasy look with him before he replied to her, "It will be dangerous. There's a risk of becoming tainted every time we engage the darkspawn...," he paused until she nodded determinedly. He looked to me once more briefly, "But, we would appreciate help wherever we can get it."
She flashed us a blinding grin and clapped her hands together, "Of course! Thank you, you won't regret it."
"Oh, Morrigan's going to love you," Alistair smirked, pulling a rag from his pocket to rub at the drying blood on his gauntlets. Yeah, he's used to this. He stilled, smile faltering when he noticed me staring at his hands.
"Maybe we should take this somewhere else?" I suggested, motioning to the people around us I was now sure were looking at us closer than yesterday. Turning to where Banal'ras laid, "What do you say?"
He wagged his stump of a tail and rose to stand much easier than earlier and we began walking back the path we came. Leliana gave him a soft smile and cooed, "You are quite the handsome beast, aren't you? And so brave to defend your lady in battle." His tail wagged a little harder.
"Just curious. Why not help the refugees here? Why join our fight?"
"The Maker told me to." I nearly tripped with how fast I turned my head to look at her. Alistair had also stopped, shocked into silence at the sureness of her answer. "I-I know that sounds… absolutely insane but it's true! I had a dream- a vision!"
"More crazy? I thought we were all full up," Alistair murmured under his breath.
"I get it but look at the people here," she motioned around us, "They are lost in their despair, and this darkness- this chaos will spread. The Maker doesn't want this. What you do, what you aremeantto do, is the Maker's work. I want to help!"
My lip turned at the religious tones she painted. There isnothingdivine about anything that's happened so far. "What we aremeantto do is cut off this Blight before it destroys everything and everyone in its path," I informed with a sigh. "If you want to fulfill your religious duty I urge you, stay here. Help those sleeping in the mud."
"I could help them and so many more by helping you defeat this Blight," she said with a determination set in her posture.
I looked at Alistair again and he gave me a pursed smile that told me 'go ahead, might as well', "Thank you, truly," I started, "But I want you to promise something."
She pursed her lips and nodded, "Alright then."
"What we're doing may get you killed. If at any point you feel your Maker calling you to another duty or you feel compelled in any other way, I want you to leave."
Her face was one of open shock which slowly turned over to a hurt confusion, "I-"
"I mean it," I interrupted. "We need every ounce of help we can get. But I willnotbe responsible for your death. I will not hold you to this mission."
Her confusion was slowly replaced by a full smile and before I could react, she'd grabbed me by the jaw just under my ears and pressed a kiss to my cheek. I felt my face become unbearably hot as she beamed back at me, "Whatever you say, ma comandante."
Leliana was beyond ecstatic at the acceptance and had immediately began in on her skills and questions about us as we trekked back to camp. Alistair gave a brief recount of Morrigan, save too much about her being a mage, and our journey since the defeat at Ostagar. Surprisingly the sister was unfazed at the implication of us having an apostate with us.
I let her and Alistair chat for the most part. Between my headache and the sticky heat that had settled in the town I was in little mood to talk. Not to mention trying to pick out the traces of blood around my fingernails.
Surprisingly, as the road lead us just beyond the bulk of the refugee tents, Morrigan was waiting for us. Her golden eyes, scrutinized us before landing glaringly on Leliana. "I know you're not doing what I think you're doing," she said with an acerbic defiance.
I was quickly losing what little sanity I had left, "Her name is Leliana. She saved our asses and wants to help."
"She's with the Chantry," Morrigan rebounded, glare never leaving Leliana who surprisingly held it easily with a smile.
I sighed, "Please. We were just attacked by Loghain's men. Between his army and the Blight, we need more fighting power on our side."
"You trust too easily, Warden," she warned.
"Do I have a choice?" I resumed walking with every intention of lying down. Maybe I got knocked harder in the head than I thought given my weariness.
Morrigan stepped to block my path. Before I could grumble at her she jerked her chin to the side and walked off to a side road, "Follow me."
Oh, for the love of- Leliana was suddenly at my side, linking her arm with mine. She winked and began to pull me after Morrigan, a curiously excited expression on her face. I arced my head back to make sure Alistair and Banal'ras were following. Banal'ras was moving easier than before. Alistair was busy watching the groups of people, likely for more armored unfriendlies.
I allowed myself to be towed while Leliana chatted away about picking up her old leathers and bow from the Chantry before we leave. She didn't seem to care or perhaps notice I hadn't been responding as she flitted through her talking points. Soon enough, Morrigan came to a stop before the road turned back inward toward the town.
"I may have found you more 'fighting power' as you put it," she suggested with a devious smirk before stepping aside for me to continue forward, pulling away from Leliana's grip. Settled at the edge of a fence lined field was a string of tall cages too narrow to do much besides stand in, all empty but one. As I neared the figure in the cage became evidently the tallest person I'd ever seen. With skin an ashy brown and near white hair braided tightly to his head which reach nearly to where the bars began to curve to their ceiling.
"Is that…a qunari?" Alistair asked incredulously as he came to stand beside me, face in awe as he studied the hunched figure before us.
I turned back to Morrigan questioningly. She crossed her arms and looked appreciatively at the cage, "You said you needed aid in battle. He could take on ten soldiers at once."
"-and currently in a cage…" Alistair remarked curiously.
I turned back to the man in the cage. His sunken, purple eyes rimmed red as his stony gaze lifted to stare back at us. "I've only heard stories."
I was embarrassingly knocked out of my gawking when the qunari spoke in a deep, gravelly, and very much annoyed voice, "Leave me be,bas."
"My apologies for disturbing you. My name's Dahlia. Might I have yours?" I inquired.
"It does not matter." I bristled at his dismission. He's the one in the cage. Doesn't he see the opportunity? What did the humans even punish him for? I moved closer to the cages as the giant continued to watch me. Something about his eyes was gentle despite his gruff appearance and sharp features. The giant's frown deepened at my approach, "You are not one of my captors. I will not amuse you anymore than I have the humans. Leave me in peace."
I frowned. He sounded so subdued and defeated. "The humans made you a prisoner? Why?"
Leliana spoke up, "A few weeks ago, the soldiers found him at a nearby homestead. He had killed the farmer and his family." The qunari had made no attempt to refute her.
Something didn't fit right, "Is this true?"
"It is as the priestess says," he said simply.
Then why did I not feel from this qunari what I felt from the bandits or even Loghain's men? Can he be responsible for murdering a family but, yet, I sense no maliciousness from him? Does that make it worse?
Alistair remarked unhappily, "Ah, a murderous qunari. Yes, we'll take him too."
"The Wardens are renowned for recruiting those of all creeds," Leliana chimed in, "Perhaps he could be useful?"
I turned to her, "You're a human prie- chantry sister. You want me to free someone who murdered your villagers?"
"We all have sins to atone for," she replied, more serious than I'd thought her capable. "A qunari could indeed be a formidable ally."
"Thisis a proud and powerful creature," Morrigan declared, appraising the giant before us, "Trapped as prey for the darkspawn. If you cannot find a use for him, I suggest releasing him for mercy's sake alone."
"Mercy?" Alistair asked incredulously, "I wouldn't have expected that from you."
Morrigan turned a sharp glare and quick quip to him, "I would also suggest that Alistair take his place in the cage."
"That's more like it," he deadpanned, crossing his arms. Children. All of them.
The qunari spoke up, "Parshaara, leave me to my fate." The way he said it made up my mind.
I turned back to the cage, ignoring the humans, "I gave you my name, qunari. I wish to have yours before continuing. I don't wish to call someone by their race."
"You mock me," Sten accused. "Or you show manners I have not come to expect in your lands. Though it matters little now, I shall die soon enough."
I flinched at his bleakness, "I find myself in need of skilled help."
"No doubt," he replied curtly with a flicker of his gaze to the group behind me. I bit my cheek to not smirk at his jab and held his gaze expectantly. Surprisingly, he relented, "I am Sten, of the Beresaad- the vanguard of the Qunari."
"Have you heard of the Grey Wardens, Sten?" The first flicker of life I'd seen from him flashed across his face. His purple eyes meeting mine fully for the first time. "I'm a Grey Warden sworn to end the Blight. My party is traveling to recruit soldiers and armies but we need to survive at least till we stop the horde. We could use someone of your size fighting with us."
"Surprising," he mulled, straightening from his spot, scrutinizing me head to toe, "My people have heard legends of the Grey Wardens strength and skill… I suppose not every legend is true." He said more as a statement of fact than an insult. He almost sounded disappointed.
I pointedly ignored his abrasiveness, "If I were to have you released, would you follow my lead?"
Sten nodded without deliberation, "I doubt the Revered Mother would accept, but perhaps if you told her the Grey Wardens required my assistance. Fighting the Blight seems as likely to cause my death as staying here."
"Then I will leave you for now," I bowed my head slightly.
"Farewell, then," he replied, leaning back against the bars.
I wearily led our group back up the road a ways before Alistair spoke, "Are we sure we could trust him? He did kill a family; he doesn't even deny it."
"Honestly? I'm not sure, but-," I caught myself picking at my ring again and clasped my hands together, sighing to Leliana, "You were willing to vouch for him. Why?"
"I think you might suspect as I do," she mused with a knowing look, "When the soldiers found him among the dead, he did not fight his arrest. He went quietly in chains. It is only because of the Blight that the soldiers have moved on without serving his execution."
Alistair cocked his head, "He gave himself up?"
"There's more to it I'm sure," I explained. "I think we should take him. Like Flemeth said," Leliana jerked at the mention of the witch, "We're going to need all the help we can get."
"Priestesses, dogs, and now qunari? That's quite the collection you've started," Morrigan remarked.
"Don't forget apostates," Alistair jibed.
A cool breeze swept by carrying the undeniable scent of rain. "Come on," I beckoned the group back toward camp.
