Chapter 77: Four Roads (Sereda)

All the Wardens and their companions gathered in the courtyard. Sereda and Gorim stood in the center.

- So, what do we have at the moment? - Sereda began to speak. - The Circle mages are on our side. The twins have recaptured Highever. This are the good things. Tamlen, may ancestors protect him, was healed, but did not survive the Joining. We've also lost Arl Eamon. And this is bad.

At this moment, Sereda looked disapprovingly at Kallian. The elf felt clearly uncomfortable from this look.

- Eamon could have united the Banns against Loghain, - Adela added. - Is there anyone else who could do the same?

- Teagan! - Aedan answered. - I don't know him very well, but if he's half as good as his late brother, we can win the trust of the Banns.

- The Sacred Ashes can heal him, - Elissa added. - Weylon, Brother Genitivi's assistant, has come here. He asks for help in finding his brother and the Urn in the village of Haven in the Frostback Mountains.

- I'll go with Weylon, sister. Who's with me?

- When Sten sent me to the west, I was also in the Frostback Mountains, - Basarad said. - I know my way around the area quite well. I will go with you.

- Where kadan goes, so do I, - Sten continued. - But I fail to see the actual need for this journey.

- Do we have the opportunity to find the legendary Urn of Sacred Ashes? - Leliana asked. - Aedan, you can count on me.

- You'll need someone who knows how to talk to villagers, - Liam said. - I will help you.

- Searching for ancient treasures? How romantic, - Zevran exclaimed. - I'm in.

- Me too, - Kallian added, looking at Zevran. - I have my reasons.

- Should I go with you, cousin? - Soris asked.

- No need, better help another group.

Jowan took a step forward.

- I have something to do too! - he exclaimed. - Since I'm free, I have to save Lily!

- Whom? - Almost everyone asked in unison.

- His girlfriend. It's a long story, - Neria explained.

- If you haven't noticed, there's the Blight now, - Cullen said, approaching the apostate. - Why should we waste time on this?

- I don't... I don't know, - Jowan answered. - You know what Aeonar is, right?

- This is a prison for apostates like you, Morrigan and the old Qunari.

- My name is Ox, - Ox intervened. - Try to remember it.

- Lily is not a mage, - said Daylen. - Sending her to Aeonar was unfair. I will go with you and help negotiate with the templars for her release. But I don't know where Aeonar is.

- I know, - said Ox. - I used to live not far from this prison and I can show you the way.

- It's too dangerous to send three mages out there without supervision, - Cullen objected. - I'm going with you, and I won't accept your refusal.

- I agree, provided that you control yourself, - Daylen said. - Who else wants to come with us?

- I can't leave you alone, Daylen, - Morrigan answered. - I have my own interest in the templar prison. They may keep grimoires that will give us knowledge and strength.

- I assume none of you know how to pick locks? - Soris asked, looking at the mages and the templar. - I can. If you really want to get someone out of prison, I can help you.

- Thank you two for volunteering to help us, - Daylen said.

- Under other circumstances, I would forbid you to waste time on this, - Sereda said. - But after I went to Denerim for Gorim, and the twins took part in the siege of Highever, I would be a hypocrite if I forbade you to go there. So, we have two more treaties: with Orzammar and with the Dalish elves. I want to go with Theron to look for his brethren...

- Not so fast, Sereda, - Faren objected. - So you will run through the forests, while Adela and I, two branded ones, will go to Orzammar? The local noble idiots will laugh at us. They won't consider us worthy of attention.

- You know that Gorim and I were exiled. We can't go back.

- So what? Don't let us go there alone. Your father can support you.

- You have an influential father? Didn't you tell us that you are from the warrior caste? - Alistair asked in bewilderment.

Sereda was shocked. She wanted to put this off until the last moment. But it looks like she'll have to tell everyone about herself now. Taking Gorim by the hand, she began to speak:

- Sorry for misleading you all. When we met, I introduced myself as Sereda Rumold, a dwarf from the warrior caste. But I lied to you. My real maiden name is Aeducan. I am the daughter of King Endrin, and until the death of my elder brother, I could lay claim to the throne. I was exiled for the murder I didn't commit.

- Another noble one? Why am I not surprised? - Daveth noted.

- Your father will listen to you and send troops to the surface, my love, - Gorim said. - We will go there together with Adela and Faren and achieve our goal.

- It will be difficult, but I agree, - Sereda supported him. - The four of us can go there, but we could use some help. Who wants to go to Orzammar with us?

- Daveth and I will go, - Elissa answered. - I've already been to Orzammar before. But I'll leave Roger here, my little boy is afraid of closed spaces.

- I'll go too, - Shale added. - Perhaps there, underground, I will learn more about myself.

- So, only Neria, Theron and his clanmates, Alistair and Wynne remain, - Sereda summed up. - How are you going to look for the Dalish?

- When our clans stop in Ferelden, they set camps in two places: the Brecilian Forest and the Wending Wood, - Theron said. - First we will look for traces of the Dalish in Brecilian, and if we find nothing there, then we will go north to Wending.

- How will the Dalish react to the presence of two humans in your group?

- We will explain to them that these are our friends.

- This is a good plan. Then we can part ways. In an hour, each group will go their own way.

After an hour of rest, all four groups gathered on the outskirts of the village.

- Well, is it time? - Alistair asked.

- Yes, - Sereda answered. - Take care of yourselves. We all have a difficult task ahead of us, but we must do this. Once you've done what you were supposed to do, head back to Redcliffe. There, together with the assembled army and the healed Teagan, we will think about what to do next.

- Good luck! - Kallian told the Orzammar group.

Four dwarves, a golem and two humans emerged first, heading northwest. Sereda, walking next to Gorim, could only hope that her father would listen to her and agree to help.

End of the Act 1