Chapter 5

On a small hill, a few darkspawn lay dead from stab wounds and arrows. She gave them a cursory glance before heading under the arch where a soldier's body swung eerily to and fro. That hadn't been quite so creepy in the game; she felt a moment of pity for the poor sods as she continued on her way.

When she finally saw Alistair and the recruits, they were about 150 yards from the booby-trapped bridge. Shit! That fight was always difficult. She put on a spurt of speed, waving her arms to catch their attention. Daveth spotted her first; his eyes widened, and then he turned to get Alistair's attention. As one, the group turned and watched Emma running towards them. Now that they were all looking at her, she had a horrible feeling she would go ass over tit and land at their feet covered in mud. Thankfully, she managed to make it with the bare minimum of stumbling and arrived breathless, but intact.

"Emma, I thought I told you to leave!"
She was bent over, hands resting on her knees as she regained her breath. This had looked so much easier in the game, but, in reality, all the running around was bloody exhausting.
"Emma..." Alistair's tone warned her that he wouldn't be willing to wait much longer. She stood up and pointed to the wooden bridge in the distance. "There are traps at the end of that bridge, and they're a bit tricky to disarm when you've got a Hurlock Emissary throwing balls of fire at you."
"So, you're a rogue now instead of a mage?"

She glared at Alistair, then realised that she must sound ludicrous. He started to turn away. "Look, I don't have time for this. We need to finish before night closes in."
She racked her brain trying to think of a reasonable explanation for what she knew. The proverbial light bulb flashed above her head. "I am a mage and I have visions of the future."
He turned slowly, scepticism clear in the depths of his cinnamon-coloured eyes.

She held his gaze. "Please, let me help!"
Alistair glanced to Aedan, who smiled and gave a barely perceptible nod. It seemed Aedan's air of natural leadership had already started taking shape. "Fine, but if you start whacking the darkspawn over the head..."
She held up her hands. "I promise, no whacking."

He gave a nod and they started to move slowly towards the bridge. Emma took the time to draw on her mana until her body fairly vibrated with power. "Blimey, this is one hell of a rush," she whispered.
Emma was ready for the rogue Genlocks that appeared out of thin air and froze them before they had a chance to strike. Alistair shattered one with his shield, while Ser Jory crushed the other with a blow from his two-handed sword.

At the edge of the bridge, she could hear the snarls of the darkspawn and a chill wormed its way through her body. She cast telekinetic weapons and flaming weapons. Alistair jumped a little as flames ran along his sword. "A little warning would be nice next time." But he smiled, obviously pleased with the additional damage he could now wield.

Emma smiled, "Right, well, in that case, you might want to stand back for a minute. I don't want to hit anyone with friendly fire."
She envisioned a tempest forming above the horde of darkspawn, and seconds later, glowing strands of lightning struck the enemy. For a while, flashes lit up the sky and the crackling of electricity mixed with the loud grunts and screams of the hideous creatures. Strangely enough, Emma could feel it when the spell was ending. "Okay, you can start moving now. Just remember, stay on the left-hand side and jump when you're a couple of yards away from the end of the bridge."
Alistair, Aedan, and Ser Jory charged forward, taking advantage of the darkspawn's dazed state. Daveth stayed back with Emma, shooting arrows as she shot spells.

With all the darkspawn in the area dead, Alistair walked over to Emma. "It seems you've remembered how to use your magic; and as such, your help would be welcome." He smiled, and she saw the Alistair she knew and loved, briefly appear. He'd taken only a few steps when he swung around, fixing her with a stern stare. "However, when we return to camp, I'd like to know why you didn't use your magic before."
Emma nodded, acknowledging his words, desperately trying to think of a reason, and hoping that future events would distract the young Grey Warden from following up. She felt a nudge against her shoulder and looked up to see Aedan smiling at her. "Nice to have you back."
She grinned in response. "It's nice to be back."

They made their way up a hill and encountered another group of darkspawn including a Hurlock Alpha. The creature was much more skilled than the darkspawn they'd previously encountered, meaning they had to fight faster, harder, and smarter to take it down. When the battle ended, they took a moment to regain their breath and knock back a health potion, then they moved on towards the ruins. They found the chest, cracked and broken.

"Well, that doesn't bode well," Aedan muttered.
Emma knew exactly what it meant, but kept her silence. While they'd been moving through the Wilds, she'd remembered the butterfly effect. She wasn't meant to be in this world, so it seemed likely that she could screw things up with her words and actions. It was a bit of a conundrum, because this world wasn't real - except that to her companions, it was. Damn it, this sort of thing made her brain hurt.

Eventually, she decided to provide a heads-up when they were approaching dangerous areas, or if they got stuck on puzzles. She lost her train of thought as Aedan squatted down next to the chest. That ass! It was just begging to be bitten or squeezed. Alistair moved next to him and stood in a bent-over position while trying to look inside, and Emma bit her lip in an effort to fight back a groan. Maker's breath, what a sight for sore eyes.

A movement from the shadows of the ruin caught her attention and she got her first look at Morrigan. Emma wasn't into females, but there was no denying that the woman walking towards them was stunning, as long as you ignored the contemptuous look in her eyes. As the apostate moved past everyone to take her stance on the nearby wall, Emma moved to a position behind Alistair while she waited for the line that had become synonymous with the Grey Warden.
"You fear barbarians will swoop down upon you?" Morrigan taunted.
Alistair glowered. "Yes, swooping is bad."

Biting her lip, Emma tried to hold back the excited giggling that threatened to overwhelm her. However, some of her excitement waned when she saw Morrigan raise one perfectly shaped eyebrow in her direction. Okay, that woman could give a rather nasty glare when she wanted to.
"Witch of the Wilds? Such idle fancies, those legends. Have you no minds of your own?"
Her gaze slowly moved back to Emma. "You there! Women do not frighten like little boys. Tell me your name and I shall tell you mine."
Emma cleared her throat, startled to find herself pulled into the conversation. "It's Emma, pleased to meet you."

Oh bugger, that line hadn't sounded quite so lame when she'd been reading it from the dialogue options. As Morrigan answered, Emma sidled over to Daveth and Ser Jory, trying to remain inconspicuous. Morrigan tracked her movements, before finally turning her attention back to Aedan. Thank the Maker! She blew out a relieved sigh, glad to be out of the spotlight.

It took her a moment to realise they were all on the move, no doubt heading to Flemeth's hut. She winced at the throbbing in her feet, wishing she'd been pulled into the latest Dragon Age game where they had horses. Ah well, she would get to experience the blight with the Hero of Ferelden, Alistair and all the others. Funny banter, great locations, darkspawn horde, an Archdemon... wait... why was she getting excited again?