The Dragonborn Comes

Chapter 31 -- One Dwarf, One Elf, One Human

*****

"I understand they no longer wish to be Wardens," Alistair stating, a hint of accusation in his tone. The fact Cerys stood by my side now, instead of his, didn't help the mood.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "It's their choice in the end."

"But they agreed to become Wardens. They can't back out now."

"Well, they haven't undergone the Joining. I doubt they even know what the ritual entails," Riordan admitted, "We can't exactly force them. Have you explained the Joining process to them, Alistair?"

"Well, no..."

"So the secret is safe. And although I would prefer they join our ranks, we can't force them. They are still assisting us against the darkspawn, and will help us gain victory, but they haven't been Wardens through this entire process, and from what I've been told, their assistance has been invaluable. Trust me, once a Blight ends, we receive plenty of recruits, who quickly realise that, outside of a Blight, the life of a Warden can be rather dull."

"What do you think?" Alistair asked of Cerys.

"What I think doesn't matter. The fact is that Natia, Sereda, Solona and Lyna do not wish to join the Wardens any longer. They will continue to assist us to the very end, then they will move on with their own lives."

Alistair scoffed and looked at me. "And I wonder why..."

I hadn't had a problem with Alistair the entire time we'd worked together. In fact, I considered him a friend. So why now? I glanced at Cerys and figured it out immediately. And I knew I wasn't going to put up with his shit. "Pull your head out of your arse, Alistair."

"What did you say?"

"You made the decision, not Cerys."

"This isn't about..."

"Fuck off, it isn't. You've been in a mood ever since I returned."

"I thought she would understand," he whined.

"I do understand, Alistair. You made your decision. I will continue to work by your side, but that's it."

His eyes narrowed. "You never really loved me, did you?"

That was the

wrong

thing to say. Cerys stepped forward and gave him an almighty slap. "Fuck you, you selfish, arrogant bastard!" She actually choked back a sob. "I did love you. I was willing to give up everything, and I mean

everything

, to be by your side, because I loved you. But, for whatever reason, you chose to cast me aside for her. Very well, I'll accept that, but if you think I'm going to continue playing nice, you're in for a rude awakening. As far as I'm concerned, once the Archdemon is dead, you can go fuck yourself." And, with those words, she turned and strode out of the study.

Alistair looked ready to make a comment, but a glare from me led to whatever was about to be said to be swallowed down. "Look, Alistair, I don't want all of us falling out right now. It would be the worst time, as we need to be united in the face of Loghain. Whatever the case, I support your decision to become king. I think you'll be a good one. As for Anora, between you and me, I understand why. Agreeing is a bit more difficult, but I understand." That earned a smile of gratitude. "As for Cerys, I think you'll just have to leave her be. The wound is still raw. And as for the other girls, well, maybe they can remain allies of the Wardens but without being Wardens, if you understand what I mean."

Riordan nodded. "We often work with other groups against the darkspawn. Having the Dragonborn as an ally in the future will only be a boon. So, you're heading to the alienage now?"

"Yes. Anora has given us something to go on, so we'll find out what is happening. I'll take a small group, just the girls and Zevran, as we all work well together."

I found Cerys outside, stalking back and forth across the courtyard, blade twirling in her hand. She looked ready to kill, so I approached cautiously. Noticing me approach, she kept pacing and twirling. "He doesn't understand," she stated quietly.

"I think he has a lot on his mind. And there's no doubt he knows you were with me last night. He probably thinks rather lowly of you right now too."

"What did he think I was going to do? Cry in my bed, pining after him, hoping he might just change his mind?"

I couldn't help chuckle. "Probably," I admitted, "He did love you, Cerys. Still does. It's obvious."

"And those feelings were returned without hesitation. But he chose Anora. And, you won't believe me, but I don't blame her one bit as I know she was a very good queen. I gather from the conversation that she was as surprised by the proposal as anyone. Marrying her fallen husband's bastard brother? Yeah, that's just plain weird." She finally stopped pacing and sighed. "I'll admit it; I would have liked a chance to be queen, but I also would have loved being his wife too. But he's thrown away any chance at that. I don't hate him. Part of me still loves him. But I despise him for making that decision."

"Okay, so we kill the Archdemon, what do you do? Return to Highever?"

"What will you be doing?"

"Not returning there."

"Well, neither will I then. Are you still my sworn warrior?"

I couldn't help smile, getting down on a knee and bowing theatrically. "Of course, my lady." Looking back up, I asked, "Want to go see what's happening in the alienage?"

"Why not? Hopefully I get an opportunity to kill something too."

Gathering Solona, Leliana, Lyna, Sereda and Natia, we also took Zevran along, as we figured a couple of elven faces might help make headway if we came across an angry pack of elves. None of us had a clue what was causing the unrest, but the guards we approached on the edge of the alienage just called them a bunch of uppity knife-ears, which upset Lyna and I nearly put him on his arse. But despite managing to walk around in my armour, I was still in a bit of pain, and I didn't think I'd be much help in a fight. Adrenaline always helped, though.

I remembered Dust Town vividly, and the alienage was almost a carbon copy of it, though full of elves instead of dwarves. I don't want to say they looked pathetic, but the air of desperation that pervaded almost seeped into the skin. Zevran didn't look surprised at all but Lyna was upset within minutes, not believing her people could live in such squalid conditions. "They don't really have a choice," Leliana told her quietly.

"Why?" Lyna asked.

"Because some of our kind can be complete bastards," Leliana replied bitterly.

Our progress was noted by one or two elves, but as we walked towards the middle of the alienage, to what I could call the main square, we were greeted by one hell of a large oak tree. "It's a

vhenadahl,

" Zevran stated.

"A what?" I asked.

"It is... difficult to explain to humans. Let's just say it's a symbol for our lost homeland," he replied.

Noticing a large crowd nearby, we wandered over to the edge of it. I was surprised to see a few humans around, the angry elven woman who turned towards us wasn't a real surprise, to be honest. She strode up to me, probably because I was the biggest and she wanted to prove she wouldn't be intimidated. I merely smiled at her, as she was rather cute, thinking that because she had a headful of very bright red hair. Her attitude was feisty, and I liked my women feisty too. That just left me thinking I had a thing for redheads, and maybe for elves. And dwarves... Gods, I really have a problem...

Anyway, she did notice the elves in our group, that didn't change her opinion of our arrival, thinking we were there for our own nefarious reasons. So when I said we were actually there to help, her attitude changed only slightly before another elf stepped forward, introduced herself as Neria, another blonde haired elf like Lyna, but a pair of beautiful brown eyes, that reminded me so much of Natia, it was scary. Like Lyna, she also had facial tattoos that accentuated her eyes and her cheekbones, and I know I was staring, before I finally cleared my throat she could explain what was going on.

"A plague? Since when?" Leliana asked.

"That's what the Tevinter mages are saying."

"You're letting Vints help you?" Cerys exclaimed, "Are you people crazy or stupid?"

Neria and Shianni shared a glance. "I think it's bullshit," Neria admitted, "But what can we do? We certainly can't fight against their magic. But we've had no explanations about the disappearances. On that count, Shianni has every right to be concerned. Can you help us, strangers?"

"Let me speak to the Vints, see what they can tell us," I replied.

It went about as well as you probably expect. A whole lot of dead Vints, though thankfully the elves in the crowd were smart enough to scatter when the fighting began. I enjoyed bloodying my sword, all the aches and pains from my time in jail disappearing as I felt the surge of adrenaline once again. The Vints didn't really stand a chance once my blood was up. Entering the so-called hospital, we wiped the floor with the Vints inside. I didn't even take a scratch, and we found evidence of something awful as a trio of elves were locked in a cage, being prepared for 'shipment'. I'm sure I wasn't the only one with a bad feeling settling in their stomach.

Back outside, Shianni and Neria were awaiting our return, and we put two and two together. Neria insisted on helping us. We were no longer recruiting Wardens, though a quick conversation with Cerys suggested she could always decide later. Neria was at least interested, admitting that it was an excuse to get out of the alienage. I think she might have had other reasons that she didn't wish to divulge just yet, but once I said it was fine, she headed off to her home, returning a few minutes later in some tight-fitting leather armour and a bow. A couple of my girls noticed my stare and made quiet comments.

This was serious business, and we all had game faces on as we tore through the alienage. The Vints had come in numbers, and were ready for us. Cerys and I led from the front as the warriors we were. Neria and Leliana were armed with bows, Zevran, Natia and Sereda with dual daggers, Solona and Lyna with staffs. Working in such small confines, as most buildings in the alienage were little more than hovels, we managed to progress without too many injuries, while continuing to find more elven prisoners.

The whole affair was unsettling, but what really pissed most of us was running into an elf actually working

for

the Vints. Lyna couldn't hide her disgust, while Neria was on the verge of murder. The Vint elf, who introduced herself as Devera, was clearly a slave, though her words suggested either brainwashing or... Gods only knew. But she wasn't stupid either, looking across our group, and she realised she'd die quickly.

"Take us to whoever is in charge, and you alone may leave. Consider this an opportunity at freedom," I said. I don't think everyone agreed with me, but I thought I was helping.

"And what could Ferelden possibly offer me?" she retorted.

"You might be poor, but you will be free. Or you can choose to return to your master, wherever Tevinter lies. But lay your sword down and take us to your leader, and you have my word that you, but only you alone, may leave in peace."

She considered my proposal in silence for at least a minute before she nodded. I breathed a sigh of relief and she led us through a few buildings, towards what looked like a warehouse. It was there that we were introduced to another Tevinter mage, an arrogant son of a bitch named Caladrius. He was surrounded by at least a dozen other people, a few mages and warriors, while against a far wall were at least a dozen elves caged up. None of them looked in good condition. I heard Neria whisper a name, so figured she recognised one of them.

The bastard tried to buy me off. Granted, the sum of gold he offered was eye-watering, and I'm sure another person in my position might have considered it. I told him to fuck off and used my Thu'um. Chaos descended as we split up, those of us armed with blades leaping over the barrier and getting in close. I went straight for Caladrius, the mage having to use his staff to parry my blade. But he was a mage, not a train warrior, and once my blade cut his staff in two, I thrust my sword through his gut, all the way to the hilt. When his eyes started to dim, I made sure to turn the blade, enjoying the cry of pain, before I withdrew, kicking his body to the ground.

Two more died by my hand before the battle ended, another mage, who tried using a frost attack, which I shrugged off with a laugh, and a fellow warrior, who left me thinking that Vints didn't make great warriors. Once all the enemy was dead, we immediately moved to the cages and released the elves, noticing Neria immediately embrace an older elven gentleman, who she then introduced as the alienage's

hahren

, Valendrian. We found a plethora of evidence, particularly against Loghain. The fact he had allowed the slave trade to operate in the capital itself would cause a near riot. As for the elves, they were just thankful we'd rescued them in time.

Returning the main square of the alienage, the elves were incredibly thankful we had rescued so many. I doubt it was going to change the status quo between humans and elves, but at least they could rely on a few of us. Neria then announced her intention of following us, and it appeared to come as no great shock to anyone. She disappeared to grab her few possessions, before there was a round of goodbyes. Before we left, Shianni pulled me to the side and made me promise I would look after her. "She's had a hard life, and the past few months have been worse. I'm entrusting her life with you, Dragonborn."

"You know who I am?"

"Everyone knows who the Dragonborn is now. Word of your exploits have spread far and wide. Denerim is awash with chatter of this man with the soul of a dragon and a gift that could provoke fear across Thedas."

"I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing."

"If you truly are an ally of our people, then it can only be a good thing. Though, even with that gift, you are still only one man. And you are not in a position of power. But we have to take what we can get."

Our group as a whole was still pissed off upon returning to Eamon's estate. I called he, Alistair and Anora together, and once they were in the study, I put everything we found on the table and explained everything we'd found. It wasn't a case of they didn't believe me, they did. It was just that it was unbelievable to comprehend that Loghain would authorise it. But his signatures were on the paperwork. The evidence was irrefutable.

We now had more than enough allies and evidence to tear down Loghain. Anora and Alistair had agreed to marry to bring stability to the throne and to the country. I could see both of them found the situation very awkward, but quite frankly, that wasn't my problem. Anora remained friendly, at least, and she did offer to sit down with me at lunchtime in private, and we got to know each other. I sensed an attraction on her part. Again, not arrogance, just fact. It wasn't that she was flirting, but she had a look in the eye that suggested she at least liked what she saw.

She was also honest with me, considering we were talking in privacy. She was completely weirded out by the fact she would be eventually marrying Alistair. And I was honest and sympathised with her. But we both agreed it was probably the best choice available. I didn't know her that well, but had heard good thing about her rule alongside Cailan, enough to suggest that she was the one who did most of the work as Cailan enjoyed other aspects of being king.

"He was a good man at heart, but administration was not his strong suit," she admitted.

"I've heard other rumours, though I do not wish to speak ill of a dead man," I said.

"What you've heard is true, Ragnar. Because I was unable to conceive a child..." She trailed off, and a moment of heartache crossed her face.

"It might happen with Alistair."

"The very thought of that with him is... I'm sure he's a good man, but whenever I look at him, I see Cailan. Can you understand how unsettling that is?"

"So how will it work then?"

"We'll marry and rule together. But as for physical intimacy, I'm not sure I can do it." I found it strange she'd be so open with me. Maybe it was because I was a stranger, and trusted I wouldn't go repeating it. "The only problem we would face is that of an heir. One would eventually be expected."

"Find a surrogate, a woman to carry his child. Sure, the child will be a bastard, but at least it would be of his blood. And, at least if you agreed to it, you'd know upfront instead of it being a secret. Knowing Alistair, he'd never agree, but maybe his future wife could convince him it's a good idea."

I'm not sure she'd ever agree with that idea, but I could understand why she was hesitant about marrying Alistair, and why the thought of probably just kissing him was incredibly awkward. I had a feeling it would be a marriage in name only, but they might end up living rather separate lives. Alistair didn't ask what we'd been talking about when leaving her quarters, though I noticed a moment of panic, almost laughing as I'm sure he probably had a fleeting thought that I'd been in their screwing his future queen.

It was now a case of waiting for the Landsmeet to begin. Thankfully it would be in two days' time, so we only had to fill one more day with jobs before the fun really began. News continued to flood in about the darkspawn running riot across Ferelden, though it appeared they did not have their sights set on Denerim, or at least not yet. Asking about previous Blights, all I was told is that they usually lasted decades. We were looking at ending a Blight within a year, something unheard of before.

After dinner that night, I retired to the sitting room with all my girls. We opened a couple of bottles of wine, and a bottle of spirit too. Wynne joined us to have a good laugh, as did Morrigan, which was a real surprise. Zevran regaled us with plenty of time as an assassin, and I wasn't surprised to hear he'd dealt with them during my time in prison. Even Ohgren came to sit with us, and he managed to behave himself. Mostly...

Eventually splitting into smaller groups, I found myself talking with Morrigan alone. I certainly hadn't planned it, and after a couple of drinks each, she was certainly friendlier than normal, particularly when one of her hands started to feel me up.

"Why do you make me beg?" she asked quietly.

"Beg for what?" I retorted innocently.

"Do I really have to say it?" I relented slightly, and simply shook my head. "I know you have all your women to satisfy. I just thought I'd made my own feelings clear."

"You did, Morrigan. But it's... different with you. You're not really part of everything. You keep yourself aloof." I raised a hand, as she looked ready to argue. "I'll give you a clear example. The other night, upon my return from jail. All six girls joined me in my room. You were nowhere to be seen."

Her face fell. "I wanted to but..." She trailed off and sighed before meeting my eyes. "You know I'm not like that."

"Which I understand, but you should also see that, from my point of view, I'm left wondering what you really think most of the time. You give hints and suggestions, but someone like Natia tells me bluntly what she wants."

"I want you to fuck me!" she exclaimed, a bit louder than she probably intended, as nearly everyone else turned silent and stared at the pair of us. Morrigan immediately started to blush as I just returned their looks. One or two burst into laughter, a few more comments being made about me.

"Okay, now I know what you want," I said quietly, "But it can't happen tonight. I promised Sereda she can have my company."

She rested her hand on mind, a surprisingly gentle gesture. "I can wait, but not too long," she said softly.