11- Unapologetic Idealism

"This is as high as I can take a 'civilian'," Senior Enchanter Wynne said with a chuckle.

Mari laughed. "I'm exhausted! You could have told me that floors ago and I'd have gladly believed you."

"Yes, I've often said that the stairs and ramps in this tower have allowed me to keep up with the youngest of the Apprentices," Wynne said.

Mari leaned against the corner of a desk. "Some of them are so young." She sighed. "Some are scared, but many seem able to handle anything."

"That is a good description of our recent class of Apprentices, Mari," Wynne said. "I wish we could do something more to help the frightened ones, but they must learn to control their fear if they have any hope of controlling the constant barrage of demon promises."

"Is that true even for you, Wynne, and the other Senior Enchanters?" Mari asked.

"It is a lifelong challenge … much like the lifetime commitment of the Wardens who have adopted you. Your story is extraordinary, Mari. I'm sure you have temptations of depression that you battle constantly." Wynne leaned next to Mari.

"You're right. I do." Mari stood and faced Wynne. "You may always tell me if I'm out of line … but, I don't have Templar guards or ancient vows and rituals of Joining to bind me to staying strong or succumbing … and I manage anyway. Don't you think that the Chantry's method isn't really the only way to develop a strong mage? Maybe not even the best way?"

Wynne looked thoughtful for a moment. "I realize that you are speaking with but a few hours of experience in a Circle Tower, but mages are physically different from non-mages. We draw on lyrium in our bodies which we supplement with lyrium potions from time to time. This makes mages more susceptible to the demon onslaught. We can walk the Fade among demons and spirits with proper rituals and safeguards. As the Wardens have discovered a way to fight the darkspawn and kill Archdemons, the Chantry's way of training young mages … works, to put it quite simply."

"Perhaps the lack of lyrium on my old world was why we didn't have magic," Mari said quietly. Then, she looked at her feet a moment. "I admit that my experience is limited at the moment; however, you and I both know that if all those Apprentices pass their test to become recognized mages, this tower would fill to bursting in weeks." She intently looked up, directly at Wynne. "Those who do not pass are killed, aren't they."

Wynne's gaze became hard. "The Apprentices who fail the test become Abominations, a monster carrying a demon into the real world. It is the Abomination that is killed. The Chantry's methods are harsh, but, as I said before, they work. We do train them before they undergo the Harrowing test."

Mari wanted to argue so much more, but decided on the better part of valor … for the moment. But, this was … too rigid. She had to say a little more. "After talking with Andwn and Bryant, I agree to the need for training. But, what about before you get the opportunity to train them? If the Chantry hadn't already spread fear among the people, perhaps there wouldn't be so many frightened children downstairs unprepared for what was to come or mortified parents when their beloved child uses magic." She held up her hand to stop an interruption. "I am not disparaging you or anyone here, Senior Enchanter. It just seems to me … at this time and with my limited exposure … that small changes can be implemented, small adjustments to sermons and conferences and instructions upon the blessed birth of a child. It could make a world of difference to those children. Magic murdered is the Maker's Gift lost for all people." She stepped closer. "Don't you agree that if those young mages who turn into Abominations hadn't been made to feel like monsters at home, they'd have a better chance of survival."

Wynne looked through the doorway and Mari looked that direction. They spied a Templar hurrying away. No doubt, to find Greagoir to rescue Wynne from the crazy heretic. She turned to Mari and whispered, "You are not saying anything new, Mari, but it is the system we have and it will be the system we use." She wasn't angry. That surprised Mari. "Now, be prepared for Greagoir to come storming up here to correct your perceptions of reality."

Mari shook her head. "Is there someplace to hide?"

"No, there is not, Marisia. This is a closed tower, remember?" Greagoir said as he rushed in. The other Templar was not with him.

"Busted," Mari mumbled. When Greagoir and Wynne just looked puzzled, Mari explained, "Caught … a phrase from my world. Another phrase is: 'Caught with my pants down.' So, gonna kick me out now?" That caused Wynne and Greagoir to smile, which was Mari's hope.

Greagoir sighed and paced a moment. "I hope you understand that we Templars are often caught between mages and the public."

Mari threw up her hands. "A public not informed of the amazing possibilities of magic, Knight-Commander! There is NO place in the Chant that says, 'Lock up ALL mages! ALL mages WILL become Abominations and maleficars! Magic is a curse!' No where … in … the … en- … tire … Chant! I read it. I read it twice!"

"I daresay that's two times more than most of us," Wynne said with amusement. Then, she got serious when Greagoir glared at her. "Greagoir, Mari does have a point." She turned to Mari. "But, so does Greagoir. We don't make the rules. The Divine doesn't ask us our opinions … and she won't be interested in your opinion, either."

Mari sighed … mightily. "If they would just listen … really listen … to the faithful. The masses have a lot to teach about real … un-cloistered … life."

A Chantry woman walked into the room to everyone's surprise. With an Orlesian accent, she said, "Clearly, you feel passionately about these things, Marisia Park. Duncan has informed me about your path to this point. I'm curious. If you were Divine, what would you do … knowing that there are powerful people around you who do not want change?"

"Revered Mother Dorothea, I promise I shall be down shortly," Greagoir said quietly. "Sister Leliana is almost ready to leave as are the Wardens."

Mari was unsure how this would play out, but she answered Dorothea and ignored Greagoir. "I wouldn't speak with those powerful people right away, Your Reverence," Mari said. "I'd do what Greagoir said he was going to do soon. Speak with people around Kinloch and surrounding farms. See if they would be averse to a hospital … healing clinic … being opened up to help them. Hospitals with magical healing and a Templar presence to bring some ease to those who have been … who are skittish about being around mages. I would work with mages to see if they would feel comfortable going into the public with the magic they know. Magic is a gift for this world. It can heal. It can aid in combat, surely. But, the range of possibilities is so much greater. Magic can keep fires in kitchens and smithies going. Magic can move rocks. Magic can crush rocks. Magic can keep farm laborers healthy and performing at peak efficiency. Magic can put shields around the unarmed in a battle or a storm. Magic can be used to find and stop blood magic as an adjunct to the Templars. I'm sure there are quite a few other things that can be done. There has to be some benefit to the lightning magically produced. Slowly, once the good of healing is accepted, some of these abilities can be offered."

"But, you cannot ignore those in power forever," Dorothea said. "They will quickly hear about the faithful being endangered by loose mages."

"Probably, but once they see the gratitude from the faithful for the helpful magic … gratitude given freely, not coerced or expected. Even the powerful might realize that gratitude is easier to cultivate than fear. It's happened over and over on my world. The masses can truly only take so much before they revolt," Mari explained. "Fear will change to disillusionment and abandonment of the faith. Gratitude will last forever for a caring religion that does not elevate the powerful only. A canvas of smaller Chantries might illustrate this. I would wager that those Chantries who provide the most assistance to the faithful without requiring a tithe actually bring in more coin per giver than those that intimidate the faithful to give."

Dorothea chuckled. "That has already been done … and you are correct if you remove the wealthy donors from the list … but it feels wrong to the powerful who think they must command power."

Mari smiled at the looks of surprise from Greagoir and Wynne. "Unfortunately, you've found the fly in the ointment here. We are still dealing with people. We are a contentious lot by nature." She grinned. "We just need to find something else for them to command. For example, I've heard that Lord Seeker Lambert is head of the Templars and the Seekers of Truth. I have heard he is a disciplined man, but I have not heard that he is an unreasonable man. I am guessing that he has become accustomed to 'the way things are' and he would not want to give up his command or lower the number of Templars he does command." She turned to Greagoir and then Dorothea. "But! He wouldn't be. There would be more of a need for good Templars. More of the Apprentices would survive the mage test because the faithful would fear magic less and less. More Templars would be needed for the training Circles. More magic in use throughout Thedas would mean that more Templars would need to be present or, at the very least, patrolling the areas. Perhaps they could be trained to mitigate controversies before they turn into untenable situations leading to the appearance of an Abomination. However, even moreso than Abominations, Templars would need to be on guard for those mages who wish to use their trained powers to 'rule over Man'." She chuckled. "See, I'm reasonable. I know mages may be prone to the same extremes non-mages are."

"At least you aren't yelling to remove all the Templars. You are an unapologetic idealist, Mari," Greagoir said with a small, very small smile. "As you just admitted, people just don't work that way. Take care with your idealism here in Ferelden. I do not mean this harshly, but you are an outsider. Many would take exception with your arguments and that could put you and anyone with you in mortal danger."

Mari thought about arguing the point, but then took another tack. "You're right, of course, Knight-Commander. Thank you all for allowing me to vent … and giving me warning to take care to whom I vent in the future. Let's see how the Kinloch Center of Healing turns out." She chuckled. "My father used to call me an unrealistic idealist because I refuse to give in to hopelessness. Ahlnac sonde mak."

Dorothea looked at Greagoir for explanation. He said, "Old Alamarri for 'Find a way.' We learned that phrase in a story Mari told last night."

"Well, since I shall be joining you on your journey to Lothering, Marisia, I hope you'll tell the story again," Dorothea said. Mari knew that Loghain had reasons to hate the Orlesian accents, but she thought they were quite melodious … very close to French on Earth.

"I would be happy to, Your Reverence," Mari said. "Please, call me Mari. All my friends do."

The rest of the visit to the tower was short, sadly. The Wardens now had a new Templar-trained Warden. Anders declined unless a Blight came along, but he and Andwn had their heads together quite a bit anyway discussing magic stuff. Mari was not able to read any of their tomes on history, especially Blight history, nor a book about the Qunari religion/lifestyle that she'd only touched on with Aldous. However, Greagoir and Wynne told her that she was welcome anytime … as long as she kept her idealism under control with the mages.

Mari tried to say farewell to Bethany, but she was in a class with apprentices … not as a student, but as an assistant to the teacher. She had all the kids grinning and laughing and the teacher looked like he didn't have any problems with the way she was teaching them. She hoped Bethany found a place here and thrived. Maybe Mari would be able to talk to her the next time she came through. She gave a note to Wynne to pass to Bethany, telling her to send a note to the Warden Compound in Denerim if ever she needed anything. Wynne agreed … Mari was pretty sure she meant it.

Just before they left, Wynne slipped a note into Mari's hand: Mari, I was told you'd be going through Lothering. If you get the chance, please go by my family home and tell them that I'm fine. They've already made me a full mage. I passed their test quickly! Leliana knows where my family lives. I actually love it here! Thank you for the invitation to correspond. I promise I'll try to send you a letter as soon as I can. ~Bethany

Fortunately, after speaking with some of the mages, especially Anders, she felt that quite a few of them had mage idealism covered. They had fraternities of ideals, actually. Not all of the ideals matched her own, but then they needn't be the same. Everyone just needed to have a hope to cling to. To find a way.

The day was absolutely beautiful when they left the tower! Oh, it was cold, but the sky was clear, filled with puffy clouds and the winds were almost absent. Soon, the fields would be filled with busy workers planting for the new season. Rosy picked up on Mari's good humor for the better weather and had her own prance of happiness.

Dorothea had arrived at the Tower in a carriage driven by a young man from Highever. She had just returned from Val Royeaux through Highever. The plan had been to meet up with Bryant and Leliana and head back to Denerim. Since Bryant and Dorothea needed to speak with the Revered Mother in Lothering for some reason, Leliana and Dorothea were traveling with the Wardens. Ser Irminric and Curator Justine decided to come along, as well as a crate of books Justine was borrowing from the Circle.

Leliana rode inside the carriage with Dorothea and the two of them had their heads together. Duncan bought one of the horses from a nearby farm-hold for Warden Bryant. The horse he rode to the Tower was a Chantry horse. Both Duncan and Bryant thought getting him a Warden horse was the right thing to do. So, the plan was to drop the Chantry horse off when they passed through Lothering.

The young carriage driver brought a letter for Mari from Alistair that she was choosing to read later that night once camp had quieted down. After lunch, Leliana asked if she could ride Rosy while Mari rode with Dorothea. "You promised to tell her the story! I heard it in the back of the room at Kinloch Hold and it was wonderful," Leliana explained.

Once it looked like Rosy would be okay with Leliana riding her, Mari climbed into the carriage. "So, time for a little flight of fancy?" Mari asked with a smile.

"Yes! Please, I would love to hear this story that everyone is talking about," Dorothea replied.

Mari laughed. "Only because it's the only one they've heard recently, Your Reverence."

"Please, Mari, since we are alone in this carriage, call me Dorothea," she said.

That surprised Mari a bit, but she nodded and said, "As you wish … Dorothea. So, once there was a lad …" The tale was starting to be cemented in place and got easier with each telling.

When Mari ended it with Ahlnac sonde mak, Dorothea clapped and said, "That is such a good tale, Mari! And, such a good lesson for us all. Find a way." She chuckled a bit. "Leliana reminded me that I told her almost the same thing when we first met. It is a tale for her to tell if she wishes, so I will leave it at that. I mention it to assure you that I also believe it is important to never give up hope … to find a way. We all have it within us to do such great things, even if they seem small at the start." She cocked her head. "Tell me. Do you know about Orlesian Bards?"

"On my world, bards mostly exist in fantasy stories like the ones I write." Mari brushed her hand toward the window to the passing countryside. "I'm now living in a world that could easily serve as backdrop in my fiction. Anyway, those bards sing songs and tell stories; however, they also can act as thieves and spies. Very strong charisma. Are Orlesian Bards like that?"

"That is a basic description," Dorothea said. "Orlesian Bards are champions in what we call The Game in Orlais." Mari felt the capitalization of The Game. "It is an intricate and delicate intrigue that requires vast knowledge of history and people as well as the ability to act … or, rather, to lie convincingly."

Mari smiled. "I'll have to stick to just storytelling then. I can't really sing. I'm not very stealthy and I'm a terrible liar."

"Hmm, you have all of the other attributes … at least, in what I have witnessed," Dorothea said. "However, it is good to know that you are an honest bard, Mari. Integrity is something that is sorely lacking in our world … as it sounds like it was in yours?"

"Integrity, manners, compassion, honesty, consideration, trustworthiness. A major religion in my world had what they called the Greatest Commandments: 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. Love God above all else. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'. There was no mention of loving your religious leaders any more than your neighbor or not loving people of other faiths. There were also the Ten Commandments that included things like no false witness, no adultery, no killing. Those always seemed to be forgotten."

"Those all sound like very good rules to live by, Mari," Dorothea said. "Such a tragedy that they were forgotten." She smiled sadly.

Mari sat back in her seat. "Thinking back on things in my world before I was forced to leave, I should have seen it coming. All of us should have seen that attack coming." She shrugged. "Maybe some did, but they didn't pass it on to the public." She smiled. "I don't see those things to that degree here … yet. Maybe that's why I try so hard to point out possible alternatives. Find a way," she said, whispering that last sentence.

Dorothea moved to sit next to Mari and put her arm around Mari's shoulder. "May you never lose your light in the darkness, child."

For some reason, that simple gesture and statement brought a flood of tears … for how long, Mari had no idea. She felt Dorothea hug her tighter. When Mari could finally talk again, she noticed that the skies had grown a brilliant orange with streaks of red and purple. It was a glorious sunset. Almost an hour must have gone by. They were probably nearing a campsite or way-station for the night. Dorothea sat back a bit and Mari saw that she had tears in her eyes, too. "Do you feel better now or worse?" Dorothea asked.

Mari wiped away the last of the tears and smiled. "Better, very much better. Thank you so much, Dorothea. I … I can't believe I cried all that time."

Dorothea moved back to the seat across from Mari. "It breaks my heart when someone so bright and hopeful must cry, but then, it is important not to allow such sadness to fester, yes?"

"It is." Mari took a deep breath and saw the way-station ahead as the carriage turned the corner to head for it. "I think I'm going to ask to join the Wardens," she said quietly.

"Why is that important for you?" Dorothea asked calmly.

"I did nothing to change my old world," Mari replied, this time without tears. "My excuse was that there was nothing I could do, but there was. It was just difficult. It would take me away from my writing, but it didn't have to. I could have written more! I could have tried to convince others to … find a way to peace. Even if I had failed … and there was an almost 100 percent chance I would have failed … I should have tried. Now, I'm here. The worst scourge in Thedas is the darkspawn, an army of death, almost more deadly than the bombs I ran from. I need to be a Grey Warden."

Dorothea was serious for a moment and she laughed. When Mari's face turned from puzzlement to almost anger, the Revered Mother explained, "Forgive me, Mari. I am not laughing at your sacrifice for Ferelden and Thedas. I am laughing to think of the uphill battle of anyone who opposes you … darkspawn, human, elf, dwarf, Qunari … anyone." She reached over and took Mari's hand. "I think you will make a formidable Grey Warden. If Duncan declines to accept you, then I thought to find a place for you in the Chantry. That thought made me laugh, too. But, you must remain cautious no matter what path you choose."

"I'm well aware I need to be careful." This time, Mari moved next to Dorothea and gave her a crushing hug. "Thank you so much, Dorothea." She sat back. "I don't know the exact moment I made that decision, but it was here, in this carriage, crying in your arms."

The driver tapped the roof of the carriage. "We're going to stay at this way-station tonight, Your Reverence. It seems we have the place to ourselves for now."

"Are you going to ask him now?" Dorothea said.

"Before I lose my nerve? Probably a good idea," Mari said with a smile. She opened the carriage door and caught Duncan's attention. Dorothea got out and Mari said, "I'll be inside in a few minutes, Your Reverence."

Dorothea just patted Mari's shoulder and left Mari to speak with the approaching Duncan. "Warden-Commander, do you have a few minutes?"

Duncan looked back at the retreating Dorothea and turned back to Mari. "Of course." That was all he said. This was her show.

She guided him over to the edge of the road and sat on a stone fence surrounding a field, now full of slowly melting snow. "You said that I … that you thought I would make a good Grey Warden. Do you still think so?"

It was curious. He didn't smile. He didn't whoop in delight. All he said was, "I still think that." She could learn a lot from how Duncan never anticipated and only waited to hear what a person was trying to get out.

"Well, I wish to become a Grey Warden," she said, and then added, "I just realized this afternoon that I've been feeling guilty about doing nothing to stop the tensions in my old world. Not that I could have likely done all that much. I realize that, but I did nothing. I ignored my world … until it was gone. I think fate led me to that Eluvian you just happened to be walking by. I see the Grey Wardens as a way to help this world … really help this world in a very direct way." Then, she did hear a 'whoop!' … behind her. It was Ardoc coming back from stabling the horses. He must have been listening for a few minutes.

Duncan just motioned his head toward the way-station with a stern look to Ardoc. "That is a good reason, Mari. And, I accept. But, one thing you must realize is that you will need to take orders. What you do to help us may not be direct involvement in fighting darkspawn. Not that I'm saying you won't be called on for combat, but we may find that we need you to work more with Anton, or go on recruitment runs, or handle disputes between the Wardens and non-Wardens, as Dugan once suggested. It won't necessarily all be the glory of battle. In other words, it may not be in a direct way. Do you think you can take an order to stay behind if we go after a powerful darkspawn? An order to assuage the feelings of a noble's son who was turned down because his recruitment would have damaged a delicate balance with the royalty of a country?" He paused and stepped closer. "An order to transfer to a different country and take the direction of a new commander?"

"You bring up a number of things to consider, Duncan," Mari said quietly. Serving under anyone but Duncan sort of put a different spin on things. Duncan was a commander who listened to his people.

"In any case, I do not have all the components of the Joining chalice with me right now," Duncan explained. "Bryant's Joining used up most of what I have on me. Andwn has some, but not all. My second is Warden Captain Leciah and she is in Ostagar. She should have what we need. I wasn't planning to take a side-trip to Ostagar, but it wouldn't be a bad idea. It should take us about two weeks to get there." He smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. "I give you one, and only one, opportunity to change your mind. You have until Ostagar to use that opportunity."

"Thank you, Duncan," Mari said. Then, she went inside where Leliana was getting ready to cook her stew again! There was laughter and cautious congratulations … surprisingly to the Wardens for Mari seriously considering a life in the Grey Wardens.

Just as everyone was getting their bowls ready, in walked two dwarves: Voldrik and Dworkin Glavonak. They were on their way to Ostagar and the Wilds. They heard there were caves and tunnels in the Korcari Wilds. "And, where there are caves and tunnels," Dworkin said, "…there are lyrium sand deposits! I'm hopin' that it's so remote the lyrium sand will be untouched by anyone else who knows how tae use it."

Duncan and the Wardens tried their best to discourage the two brothers, but they were not to be put off … especially when they heard the Wardens were heading to Ostagar.

Fortunately, there was plenty of stew to go around and the dwarves brought a small keg of ale in! "I heard a rumor that the Wardens have found Soldier's Peak?" Voldrik asked.

Ardoc laughed and said, "So much for trying to keep it a secret."

"It's dwarven-built, so I'm sure it's still standing," Voldrik said. "My specialty is shoring up old buildings if you're interested. Once we finish Dworkin's expedition, I could give it a look."

"Yeah, Voldrik builds things and I blow 'em up!" Dworkin said with a loud laugh.

"Hmmm, actually, Warden Captain Leciah has mentioned in her reports that there are several old mines and tunnels too near to Ostagar for her liking," Duncan said. "Perhaps we could use you to collapse some of those caves and tunnels … after you get all the lyrium sand out of them, of course."

The rest of the evening was spent talking about plans to utilize the Glavonak brothers over the next few months, so Mari slipped to her bunk and pulled out Alistair's letter:

Dear Mari,

I was disappointed that you weren't able to swing by Highever, but I understand that you have much to learn about Ferelden. I was disappointed because I wanted to thank you for encouraging me to follow my own heart. So, thank you! Being a Highever guardsman is a challenge, but I've found that good humor goes a long way to avoiding most trouble.

Lord Fergus has enlisted me to go with him and Elle to Denerim. It's a long, involved tale, but Princess Anora wishes to develop a university here in Ferelden and Fergus has been put on her council.

However, as much as I enjoy the Highever Guard, I still think about the Grey Wardens. I can't shake the feeling that I should be doing more to protect Ferelden. Anyway, those thoughts are for a later time.

I hope this brief letter finds you well … and continuing to give shit to Duncan.

Until next our paths cross,

Alistair

Mari was touched by the tone of Alistair's letter. She hoped she was reading it correctly, but it sounded like he wanted to be a friend. For now, she would not assume anything more. She liked him. He was kind and thoughtful … and funny. She asked the carriage driver if he could take a letter back to Alistair, either in Denerim or in Highever and he agreed, so she sat down and wrote a reply:

Dear Alistair,

Sounds like you made the right choice for you, then! This will need to be brief as I really need some sleep tonight. Revered Mother Dorothea caught up to us just before we left the Circle. She was going back to Denerim with Sister Leliana and Ser Bryant, but plans changed as Warden Bryant needed to go to Lothering and tie up some loose ends. Yes, he fought darkspawn to keep them off Leliana and Bethany Hawke, a mage they were escorting to the Circle. He succumbed to the taint and Joined the Wardens while we were at the Circle.

Sigh. I ended up crying on Her Reverence's shoulder for a very long time. Don't get alarmed. It was something I needed to do for I now realize that fate has put me on a path to become a Grey Warden. I was feeling guilty for not really doing anything to help my old world. Not that I could have made a difference. I probably could not have. For one thing, I didn't have the combat training that I've been getting here. But, I didn't even try. Those tears were tears of guilt. I had to flee … and where did I end up? Under the friendship and protection of the Grey Wardens. It was right there in front of me this entire time.

I told Duncan I wanted to join the Wardens. He told me some harsh, but necessary truths about the order. Even one that Fiona forgot to mention: a Warden can be transferred to a different country. We're going to head to Ostagar after Lothering and his Second-in-Command Leciah has the components for the Joining chalice. Duncan's given me one, and only one, opportunity to back out. I have until we get to Ostagar to use that opportunity. Perhaps I'll use the "Alistair Maneuver" and just say I'll join if there's a Blight in Ferelden. Funny story about that Alistair Maneuver thing that I'll tell you when we see each other again. Anyway, that would be the best chance for me to serve under Duncan and not be transferred somewhere else I wouldn't be utilized to the best of my abilities. Hmm, maybe I can be a 'secret' Warden.

Well, this "brief" letter has gone on quite a bit, hasn't it? I'm glad you're happy in the Highever Guard. Our paths will cross again. I'm sure of it!

Maybe see you in Denerim?

Mari

As Mari folded the letter to give to the carriage driver, Leliana came over and sat next to Mari. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

Mari smiled. "Actually, I feel better than I have in a long time, Leliana. Something had been bothering me … and it turned out to be guilt. Even though it would have been almost impossible to make any difference on my old world, I didn't even try. I have a chance to make amends here. I may become a Grey Warden."

Leliana looked sad. "So, the Grey Wardens take another friend of mine. Ser Bryant has become a dear friend and I have sensed since I met you that we would also be good friends."

"I can write Fereldanese now, fairly well. Small words, anyway! So, I shall be happy to write to you and visit Lothering as much as I can," Mari said. "After all, your Chantry duties, no doubt, keep you as busy as I'll be. We can write, yes?"

That brightened Leliana up. "Of course, we can! I shall look forward to hearing from you as often as you can." Then, she slipped a folded parchment to Mari and whispered, "It is a private cipher that Dorothea and I use. If you need to include anything you don't wish someone sneaky to read, use this. I do have a question, though."

Mari slipped the parchment in her pocket, taking a moment to despair at learning yet another written language. "Hopefully, I'll have an answer."

"May I use your story?" she asked sheepishly. "I sometimes have children to calm and that story is perfect for them."

"You don't even need to ask, Leliana. Stories like that are for all to hear. Everyone should be able to think about finding their way through the darkness," Mari replied solemnly. She added with a grin, "And, you cannot begin to imagine the boost you just gave to my ego!"

Leliana shared a tale of her own with the group and told Mari she should feel free to use it, too. Mari would never look up at the stars again in the same way. Then, Leliana told about the legend of Flemeth. It sounded like another version she'd heard except for the daughters part. Who knows? The way her life was going, Mari might just meet the legendary abomination someday!

!¡!¡

AN: Thank you so much for hanging in there, Judy! I so appreciate that one-word review. ;) The next chapter is one of my favorites. Alistair is in it … maybe that's the reason. ;) Thanks for reading!