Orzammar

There were two groups gathered at the entrance to Orzammar's main market. Torph grimaced, they all looked armed. Narascha gasped and pressed herself against Alistair's back, tugging her hood tighter down her face.

"That's Bhelen and Harrowmont," she whispered urgently.

Alistair frowned. "This doesn't look good. They look ready to fight each other."

"It is the Assembly who makes a King, and a King who nominates his successor," Harrowmont said, shaking his head. "None of it is carried in the blood."

Bhelen bristled. "Or it is now, when somebody tries to use the Assembly to pull a coup. Who is to say what my father said in his final hours, when the only one there was the usurper Harrowmont? You scum!" Bhelen spat. "First you tricked poor my sister and used her to put yourself in the position to succeed my father, then you make sure his last child couldn't be by his side to protect him from people like you."

Narascha choked. "He's using me again?"

Lawrien's jaw clenched so hard that Torph swore he could hear a crunch. She looked fucking terrifying again. It was only Ciara's grip on her cloak that kept her grounded too. Otherwise Lawrien would probably be trying to test Bhelen's dwarven resistance to her fire right now.

"How dare you use your sister again! I'll have you thrown in prison!" Harrowmont growled.

"You've bitten off more than you can chew!" Bhelen sneered.

"Handlers!" a man yelled. "Separate these deshyrs in the Diamond Quarter. I will not have Bhelen incite a riot!"

"Do not speak that way about the man who should be King!" a big dwarf, and fucking hell he was big, yelled.

He cut down the first dwarf with ease and with no hesitation. The guards pulled Harrowmont away, dashing off for safety while Bhelen watched him with a smirk. Bhelen turned and left, off to the tavern apparently, while the Guard Captain ran up the street to the body, yelling bloody murder about 'no fighting' and 'especially in front of outsiders'.

"Well," Torph breathed out uneasily. "That was quite the welcome home."

"Do dwarves do that often?" Alistair paled.

"It is horrid!" Wynne gasped.

"Oh no, we sing and dance for our guests normally!" Torph cackled.

"I have to admit, that would be amusing," Zevran chuckled. "Dancing, drunk dwarves!"

"Oi, casteless!" A guardsman marched their way. "What the hell are you doing with a weapon? You better have a good reason or I'll-"

"You'll what?" Lawrien's hands lit up with flames. "Don't threaten my Grey Wardens."

Shit, she really was looking for a reason to beat someone today, huh?

"Do you remember us, Guard Captain?" Ciara asked. "We were here for the expedition with Warden Commander Duncan."

The Guard Captain paused. "Shit, I forgot about that crap with the Proving when this piece of shit pretended to be a warrior. I still can't believe the Grey Wardens took him in."

"Yeah, lots of fun that." Torph smirked. "And look at me now, a big, bad Grey Warden going to go stop a Blight."

"Hooray for you," the Guard Captain said dryly. "What can I do for you, Grey Wardens? Where is Commander Duncan?"

Alistair's shoulders slumped. "He fell on the battlefield in Ostagar fighting the Blight."

The Guard Captain's face fell, all the anger gone. "Warden Commander Duncan died? Who is in charge now?"

"I am, Lawrien Amell." Lawrien nodded.

"You were one of the newbies," the Guard Captain eyed her wearily. "Where's the others? Yegrettie-"

"It's only us left," Lawrien said softly, as the Guard Captain's face fell again.

"I'm so sorry." the Guard Captain bowed his head. "I know we are usually close with all the Grey Wardens, but Ferelden will always have a special place with us considering we see your lot the most here."

"It's rough right now, but we'll rebuild," Lawrien said. "Just as you must here in Orzammar. Who can we talk to about the treaty?"

The Guard Captain grimaced. "You can shout at the Assembly I suppose, but they ain't going to do much but bicker with you."

"We'll try anyway," Ciara said.

"Yeah, if not we'll get some of the bigger ones to shout loud," Lawrien laughed. "Thanks, Guard Captain."

"No problem. Just try not to get yourselves involved in all this crap that's going on right now. I've got enough to stress over without your lot causing trouble too."

"We'll try our best." Ciara smiled.

Narascha spoke up only once they walked far away from the Guard Captain. "This is bad," she whispered. "Orzammar has never greeted its guests like this. My father must be screaming in his tomb right now."

"What do we do now then?" Torph frowned, eyeing Narascha. "Your old man wanted you to-"

"No," Narascha snapped, then softened. "Sorry, Torph, but I can't. For one I'm an exile, for second, I'm a Grey Warden. Thirdly I do not wish for it, especially not after all these people I loved and cherished threw me aside. I do not care that my father regrets it now. He allowed it. The only one who showed me any kindness was Harrowmont."

"Then let's go put him on the throne for saving your life," Lawrien said.

"The problem is Harrowmont isn't progressive. People like Torph can't fight, even when they are some of the best. You and Ciara saw the results of the Proving. Torph won, but they still wanted to kill him."

Torph grimaced. "You've got a point, but I wouldn't trust Bhelen as far as I can throw him considering what he did to you."

"I could just shoot them both with arrows," Epona offered.

"And then who would we put on the throne?" Ciara raised a brow.

Epona smirked. "Shale."

"Yes!" Shale beamed. "I shall rule with an stone fist!"

"If I wasn't so terrified of the idea I'd say that would be awesome," Torph admitted.

Faren laughed. "Yeah, then Shale and Alistair could have an alliance between their kingdoms-"

"Don't drag me into this." Alistair shook his head. "My kingdom would not associate with Shale's for my own sanity's sake."

"Then my kingdom will conquer yours!" Shale grinned.

Alistair whined. "Can't we just have a peace treaty?"

"Nope."

"Fine then." Alistair grabbed Lawrien by the shoulders and planted her between him and Shale. "I shall unleash my secret weapon!"

Lawrien grinned, her fist aflame. "Hell yeah!"

"Elven girl." Shale stared at Epona. "I shall be willing to befriend the squishy Dalish clans if you take care of the problem for me."

Epona shrugged. "Sure. I did put you on the throne after all."

"Ah! How the turns have tabled!" Lawrien cried.

"Tables have turned," Faren corrected automatically.

"Alright children," Ciara chuckled. "Enough playtime. We've got business to attend to."

"Boo!" Lawrien stuck her tongue out. "Boring, Ciara!"

"Yeah, we were enjoying playtime," Alistair teased. "You spoilsport."

Narascha couldn't help but smile and shake her head fondly at the sight. However she did pause when she saw Cobian scribbling furiously into his notebook as he pressed himself dangerously close to the railings of the pavements towards the lava. Morrigan was inching closer to his side, eyeing him warily.

Awww, was she going to try catch him if he fell?

"Bookworm Warden, the lava is bad," Shale said. "Step away from the lava."

"I'm writing about the layout of Orzammar and how its foundations-" Cobian began.

Shale reached out warily and tugged Cobian back by his cloak.

"Lava bad," Shale insisted. "I don't wish to see Bookworm Warden fall in. Your soft, squishy body will melt."

"It's all so fascinating though!" Cobian beamed. "I can't believe they built this kingdom around all this lava. It is beautiful."

"It's beautiful, sure, but its people are shit," Torph said. "And we're about to meet the shittiest of them all-"

"Ooooh, I see snacks!" Lawrien gasped. "Epona, come try out the cakes!"

"Cakes?" Epona blinked.

Ciara sighed. "And we'll be a while now. If everyone wants to wander around the stalls for a bit, feel free. I'm getting some tea, then I'll go get the keys to the Grey Warden estate from the Shaperate."

.:.

Leliana beamed. "There is a dwarf here, Brother Burkel has come here to try open a Chantry."

Epona stopped halfway through her snack. She had decided to try out some dwarven goods, she was enjoying a baked cake right now. Narascha was munching on one too, while Lawrien moved from one shop to another, anything that had food on it. Epona had noticed Cobian buying a beautiful golden hand mirror, while Wynne tasted some alcohol samples and Sten admired some paintings. All the dwarves kept staring at Shale with wide eyes, some even tripping over themselves.

"We hear no end of this Chant," Shale huffed. "Even here it is now sung? How annoying."

"It's a blessing, Shale!" Leliana beamed. "I think we should help him."

"By doing what exactly?" Epona raised a brow.

"Going to the Assembly and convincing them to let him open one up. They won't give him permission," Leliana insisted.

"You want us to do that when we're already about to try convince them to help us out with fighting the Blight?" Epona asked dryly.

"Not the best time," Narascha said quietly. "Also the dwarves of Orzammar will probably try burn the Chantry down in days."

Leliana frowned. "I know, but if it could help just one person like it helped me-"

"Leliana, I found a nug!" Lawrien yelled, startling them all, and much to Epona's horror, she was holding some weird looking creature.

Why was Lawrien always picking up animals? Epona hadn't forgotten the goat from back in Lothering.

"It's so cute!" Leliana beamed.

Epona blinked. Cute? That thing was cute?

"Where did she get a nug?" Narascha groaned.

"What is a nug?"

"Usually a snack."

"What do we name you?" Lawrien tilted her head, holding the thing up by its body.

"I think Schmooples would be perfect," Leliana said cheerfully.

Epona leaned closer to Narascha. "What is a Schmooples?" she whispered.

"I have no idea."

"I'm back with the keys," Ciara said as she approached them from the Diamond District. "We can go inside and place our packs in the estate, maybe even clean ourselves up a bit before the meeting."

"Can we bring Schmooples with us?" Lawrien asked.

Ciara raised a brow, then looked down at the nug in her arms, then sighed heavily. "Why do you have a nug?"

"Leliana can take care of him while I'm a Grey Warden." Lawrien grinned. "She named him after all."

"I will happily do that." Leliana beamed.

"That did not answer my question," Ciara sighed. "But alright, as long as it's not a Deepstalker you bring in next."

Lawrien opened her mouth.

"Don't." Ciara narrowed her eyes.

Lawrien laughed sheepishly.