There and Back Again Ch. 191

Chapter One Hundred Ninety-One: Story Time

I looked from one expectant face to the next, but none of the four looked anything but determined. They wanted me to describe their deaths. I gulped.

"First of all, please call me Sierra. I wasn't...I don't enjoy titles or excessive formality." Their expressions were guarded, so I hurried to reassure them, "No one calls me 'your Highness' if I can avoid it. Please." Alistair was grinning at my discomfort, and I saw a few smiles get suppressed when I rolled my eyes at him.

I turned back to Leandra -- the one whose death I most feared revealing. "If it's what you want, I'll tell you. Obviously, things have changed from what I knew, so it might not seem real to you because of that."

Alistair added, "Sierra changed things. She keeps saying 'things have changed' like she had nothing to do with it, but it's all thanks to her." He leaned over to kiss my temple as I blushed. Again.

I cleared my throat. "You also need to know that I heard about...I'll call them 'potential futures'. Alternatives -- because you all had choices, which changed the outcome depending on which decisions you made." They nodded, though their expressions were more puzzled than I might have liked. "Right, well...let me see. What I know about you is that you escaped from Lothering..."

I told them all of it. Fleeing from the darkspawn, one of the twins dying to defend Leandra from an ogre. Leandra winced, her eyes moist, but Bethany and Carver took it in stride, so I continued with the story. Being rescued by a shape-shifting witch. Carver scoffed at the concept of a woman who could become a dragon, but Bethany looked surprisingly pensive. It made me wonder what had happened -- because I knew Marian Hawke had met Flemeth, but clearly Carver hadn't, and hadn't even heard the story. Taking a boat to Kirkwall, only to find the gates closed, and Gamlen with no estate, no money, no influence. Working as smugglers or mercenaries for a year to pay back their entrance bribe. Living in Gamlen's hovel, scraping together enough coin to buy in to Varric's expedition.

"Bartrand stealing the relic and trapping everyone down there was bad enough, but then, if one of you went with Marian down there, you ended up tainted." I nodded sadly at Bethany. "I guess that part isn't so different." I shook my head with a sigh. "If Anders hadn't been with you, you'd have died down there. Not sure if it's better or worse, though. Because if you'd stayed behind, you would have been captured by templars and taken to the Gallows -- or if it was Carver, he was supposed to have joined the templars."

I kept expecting an explosion from the volatile man in front of me, insisting that he'd never have done such a thing -- but he just flushed, and no one said a word. I eyed him speculatively but didn't ask.

"Karl, you were caught communicating with Anders -- who was an apostate, not a Grey Warden." Sort of, anyway, and I wasn't going to go into that story if I could avoid it. "You got caught, and one of the templars made you Tranquil in order to trap Anders." I grimaced at the look of resignation on the mage's face. "He escaped the ambush, but you..." I really didn't want to say it.

He saved me the necessity. "Anders would not have left me there -- he would have known I wouldn't want to remain like that. And if the templars killed me, you'd have said so with much less hesitation. I assume he was forced to kill me?"

I nodded reluctantly. "He was devastated." My eyes swept over his unmarked forehead, assuring myself that it hadn't come true.

"And me?" Leandra finally asked.

I shuddered. "In a few years...there would have been a man. He pretended to be a suitor, but instead..." I looked at her again, and she nodded with a sad smile. "He was -- is -- a blood mage. He was -- is --" I grimaced, "attempting to...resurrect his dead wife using other women's body parts." Bethany gasped, and I struggled to swallow. "She...looked uncannily like you."

Carver leaped out of his seat with an oath, agitated, and I felt Alistair stiffen at my side as he watched the young man pace. His ire didn't seem to be directed at me, however, so we stayed put. Leandra had gone pale, one dainty hand at her throat in shock. And Bethany and Karl both looked away, Karl in disgust, though Bethany looked somehow...ashamed?

No one spoke for a long moment as everyone contemplated that horror. I couldn't stop thinking that all four of the people in front of me were supposed to be dead -- or would have been soon -- except possibly Bethany, who still ended up a Warden.

"I wrote to Varric hoping to warn him off the expedition, but I knew it wasn't likely he'd listen. He was the only one I knew how to contact. And when we sent Anders to Kirkwall, I couldn't tell him everything, but he was supposed to try to stop it, or if that didn't work, go with you so no one died of the taint. I told Varric to convince Marian to send you all away from Kirkwall. I'm relieved -- though shocked, I admit -- to see all of you. I didn't really think my letter would be heeded, and I knew Anders would have a lot of difficulty trying to change the outcome -- everyone would think he was crazy."

"He is crazy," Carver muttered, and I chuckled.

"So, with those horrible revelations behind us -- would you tell me what really happened instead?"

Leandra nodded and began the story.

"Well, we never had to 'escape' from Lothering, to start with." She smiled over at Carver. "After Carver and Marian came home from Ostagar, the whole town was evacuated."

Carver nodded. "The retreat was called, and our entire platoon headed to Lothering. Once they found out we were from there, our lieutenant released us to help mother and Bethany pack. We were assigned a caravan and a cart and so we left for Gwaren. We expected to be drafted back once we were moving, but we were placed with a different platoon who didn't know we were soldiers -- so we didn't tell them. Marian and I did volunteer to help out on the trip, though -- we took watches and guard shifts. We didn't desert," he declared defensively.

I just nodded, and he relaxed slightly.

"We travelled with the caravan, protected by soldiers, all the way to Gwaren. We had to watch over Bethany, of course, but there was only one templar with our group, and he died on the way. From Gwaren we took a ship to Denerim, and then another to Kirkwall."

A thought occurred to me. "A templar died?" I suddenly realised that all of these changes could have meant Aveline never ended up in Kirkwall -- and that would be a tragedy.

Bethany nodded. "Ser Wesley. He had the Darkspawn taint." She shuddered. "But there weren't any Grey Wardens around, I guess."

My heart racing, I asked, "And can you tell me, what happened to Ser Wesley's wife?"

"Sergeant Aveline was released from duty and chose to accompany us to Kirkwall after her husband died." Leandra frowned. "Poor woman. She seems content in the city guard, however."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh. Good." I struggled to focus. "And Kirkwall?"

Bethany answered. "Much as you said. Uncle Gamlen gambled away the family fortune and the estate; we all ended up living with him in Lowtown, and Marian and Carver were stuck running errands for Athenril to pay back the bribes we needed to get into the city."

Carver flushed and rubbed at the back of his neck, and I suppressed a smirk. I know exactly what those 'errands' entail -- and I'm guessing Bethany and Leandra don't.

"That ended a year ago," he cut in, clearly eager not to talk about smuggling for Athenril, "and then we met Varric. He invited Marian," his tone was clearly bitter at this point, and I tried not to roll my eyes, "to join his brother's expedition. We spent months working to raise the money, and then she left me behind."

Bethany shot him a dirty look. "Someone had to stay behind and watch over mother," she reminded him, "and you know very well the templars were closing in on us. I had to get out of Kirkwall for a while." She sighed and looked at me and Alistair. "For however much good that did me."

I pinched the bridge of my nose in irritation as the twins started sniping at each other. Both siblings bitter, both believing the other got the better deal. This is just perfect. I cut in before the two could come to blows. "So then you ended up in the Deep Roads?"

Bethany frowned one last time at Carver, then turned back to me and nodded. "Yes. We made our way through darkspawn and cave-ins and deepstalkers until we found some ancient ruins. When we saw the red Lyrium idol, Varric suddenly panicked and refused to allow anyone to touch it. He and Bartrand argued, but later while we slept, Bartrand stole the idol and locked us in. The ten of us—"

"Ten?" I raised an eyebrow in shock.

Bethany nodded. "Ye-es? Varric, Anders, Marian, and me, plus a few of the mercenaries Bartrand had hired for the expedition." I nodded, surprised; it had never occurred to me to wonder what happened to the other people in the expedition when Bartrand had scarpered. "And Bodahn and Sandal, of course," she continued. "We ended up finding a back way out, but it was full of Darkspawn and—"

"Rock demons. Or something."

Bethany hummed her agreement. "And treasure. We brought back as much as we could carry. Then I ended up developing the taint, somehow, and Anders put me through the Joining. We made it back to Kirkwall in time to find out that this idiot..."

She turned to Carver, and his face went red, his expression murderous. "What did you expect—" he shouted.

Only to be cut off by Bethany. "I never asked you—"

Leandra leaped to her feet, her brows furrowed, and while she didn't raise her voice at all, the demanding authority radiating from her stopped both twins in their tracks. "Enough, both of you."

When both looked away with matching sullen expressions, Leandra sat back down gracefully -- almost regally, actually -- and turned to me. "While Bethany and Marian were gone, things in the city began turning...ugly. The templars were raiding homes and businesses, arresting anyone who they deemed a mage sympathizer. There were people killed. It got so that we could barely leave the house without being questioned."

"I was concerned about what would happen to Bethany when they returned," Carver continued. "I didn't know she was a Warden, of course. But I thought my best chance would be to become a templar so that I could warn her if there was to be a raid -- or protect her if she was ever taken."

My mouth fell open in shock, and Carver flushed. "Marian isn't the only one who can protect our family."

Bethany, without a staff to hit him with this time, punched his shoulder instead. "You think your mage sister would prefer her brother was a Lyrium-addled templar? I'd rather have taken my chances in the Circle alone." She smacked him again.

"So..." I had so many questions I didn't know where to start. "...you're a templar, then?" We were going to have trouble if we were somehow harbouring a templar who'd deserted the Gallows -- I wondered if we'd end up with both siblings as Wardens. Leandra's going to kill us.

"No," Carver blurted. "I was only in training, not even an initiate yet, and when everything happened in Kirkwall..." He trailed off, and that led me to my other questions.

"Yes, about that. We've heard a little bit -- and a lot of outrageous rumours -- but what exactly happened in Kirkwall, anyway?"

Carver looked disgusted. "Turns out Knight-Commander Meredith was a complete degenerate. Preaching duty and honour and abstinence, and all the while betraying each of those ideals in secret." I had no doubt if the woman in question had been nearby, he'd have started a fist-fight. His lip pulled up in a sneer, but he stopped talking, apparently overcome.

I looked to Bethany and Leandra for more information.

Leandra cleared her throat. "We found out much later that the Knight-Commander was found, deceased, in a...compromising situation with a lady of the night."

"A mage," Bethany added, cleared incensed. "A blood mage, no less. Meredith abused her position to intimidate her, and then..."

"We don't know that," Karl broke in, one hand on Bethany's shoulder. "She may just have been using the services of the Blooming Rose."

"Wait, wait." I pulled my braid, agitated. "From the beginning, and use small words."

Carver scoffed. "There was apparently a blood mage working as a whore at the largest brothel in Kirkwall. Meredith was discovered in her room, deceased, and the mage appeared to have died from excessive use of Holy Smite."

Karl grimaced. "It apparently looked like Meredith killed her, then died accidentally."

"Accidentally? Is that what we're calling it?" Carver was clearly agitated. "She strangled herself to death in some sort of nauseating sex act that involved torturing the mage to death."

Leandra choked and reprimanded Carver, but he merely shrugged, unrepentant. The mental image was disturbing; I'd heard of auto-erotic asphyxiation, though honestly didn't believe anyone would actually do it. Imagining someone like Meredith doing such a thing...

And then I remembered Alistair's suspicion. Leliana -- was it possible? Could someone fake that sort of a death? It was a frightening thought, but honestly seemed more likely than Meredith playing S&M games with a blood mage, consensual or not. And it would accomplish everything that Dorothea could be hoping for -- humiliate Elthina and get her recalled, take Meredith out of the picture, and allow the Kirkwall Circle and Chantry to start anew with all different personnel. It was exactly the sort of plan that would appeal to someone like Ferelden's current Grand Cleric -- and my best friend, as awful as it felt to think those words.

Not that I was going to admit that out loud. "So Meredith died. Then what?"

Leandra answered this time. "It was terrible. Grand Cleric Elthina closed up the Chantry to 'investigate' and never came back out. Rumours leaked that Meredith was killed by a mage, and without leadership, a group of templars tried to annul the Circle without permission. The First Enchanter was somehow made Tranquil -- no one seems to know how that happened -- and a number of mages were killed. A larger group of templars fought to protect the Circle. The city was in chaos; riots began, and with the templars distracted, the guard didn't have enough manpower to quell them."

Carver interjected, "I had just barely started training. My Knight-Lieutenant knew Mother was living in Lowtown, and he allowed me to go home to take care of her, once the Circle was safe. And a good thing too -- several of our neighbours were killed in riots or fires."

Leandra nodded. "And then King Cailan showed up. He brought soldiers to supplement the guard, and Grand Cleric Dorothea took control of the templars. Together they restored order to the city. In the end, there were dozens of templars and guards killed, and a lot of innocent people who were just caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Marian and Bethany arrived home in the middle of the King's men trying to clean up the city."

I turned to Carver. "And yet, you're here now? I'd have thought the templars would be closing ranks and trying to increase their numbers, not letting their trainees flee to Ferelden."

He flushed angrily, and I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. "I'm not a coward!"

Leandra touched his shoulder gently, murmuring something I didn't hear, and he relaxed slightly.

"I was away from the Gallows when they started trying to determine who had lived and who was missing. Once I was able to get back there, I ran into the Knight-Captain, who told me I'd been recorded as 'missing'; when I told him Mother and Bethany were leaving Kirkwall, he promised to have my name struck off the records so that I'd be able to escort them. Otherwise I'd have been trapped in the Gallows and unable to protect my family."

"And I'm sure the new Knight-Commander will abide by his recommendation," Bethany consoled him. "He's a good man." She turned to me. "Marian worked with him a few times over the few months before the expedition."

"Who is the new Knight-Commander?" I asked curiously. I couldn't imagine Cullen being senior enough to get the position, and I couldn't think who else might be suitable. Bethany spoke of him as though she respected him, so it couldn't be someone like Alrik...

"Ser Thrask," Leandra answered.

"Thrask!" I smiled broadly. "That's...actually perfect! I'd forgotten about him for a moment." I recalled the kind templar from the game -- a templar whose career was derailed by Meredith because he wasn't zealous enough for her liking. I wonder if his daughter survived? "Brilliant! I couldn't have planned that better if I'd tried." Leliana probably could -- and did -- but that's another matter altogether.

"We haven't heard your story, Enchanter Thekla." Alistair smiled at the mage, who looked uncomfortable with the sudden attention.

"My story isn't all that interesting, I'm afraid. I had no idea Anders was in town until I was woken in the night by a mage wearing a hood over his face. He brought me down into the catacombs beneath the Gallows, where Anders waited for me. He brought me out through the maze of tunnels, and I've been laying low in Kirkwall ever since. It was frustrating because the templars were actively looking for me -- apparently my phylactery was destroyed by whoever helped me escape, so they were searching the city instead. Anders planned to get me out of the city after he returned from the Deep Roads...but by then the situation was a bit more complicated, what with all the rioting. Instead, when King Cailan offered his ship for the Hawkes to use, Anders asked if they would allow me to accompany them, and smuggled me on board when no one was looking."

I blinked. "Cailan sent you here in his personal ship?"

Leandra nodded proudly. "Marian and Bethany fought at his side when they returned from the Deep Roads to find a group of rioters attacking the Viscount's Keep. Anders introduced them afterwards, and so when Marian told him we were leaving, he offered."

"And he didn't return with you?" I was astonished that the King had allowed a refugee family to use his luxurious warship for a trip across the Waking Sea, but more irritated that it would delay his return having to wait for the ship to get back to Kirkwall.

Leandra merely smiled, almost a smirk, and the expression leant her an air of mystery that made it hard for me to demand she explain -- but there was something she wasn't telling me, I was sure. "He said he had some business still in Kirkwall and would come back later."

I sighed; I wanted to yell, but it wasn't like any of the people in front of me could have forced him to change his mind. "Idiot," I complained.

Leandra gasped, and I almost giggled. Alistair grinned at me slyly, and I had to look away before the hysterics hit.

"Thank you for telling us what happened," I finally said. "We hear rumours about Kirkwall but it's hard to confirm anything close to the truth."

We sat quietly for a moment, all contemplating everything that had happened. Leandra sipped her tea, and Bethany finally grabbed a pastry off the tray to nibble on. I encouraged her to take more; I remembered how hungry I felt those first few weeks as a Warden -- not that I could admit that.

Finally Leandra stirred. "So, what now?"

Carver added, "Yes, what are you going to do with us?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Do with you?" I blinked and slumped a little in my seat. "I really meant it when I said you weren't being kept here against your will, you know." I sighed and glanced at Alistair, who nodded.