Mythal's Favour: A Dragon Age Origins Fan Fiction

Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Sidetracked

The sounds of Beren and Sandal chasing each other around camp woke the party members from slumber. Ayu rolled onto her stomach and covered her head with her pillow. She sighed to herself as she heard Sandal give out another loud giggle, and she sat up in her blankets. Her hair was fluffed out in a torrent around her head, her blankets obviously had been abused in the night. Untangling her feet, Ayu stood and stretched before dressing and stepping out into the cool morning light. Her companions were also starting to emerge from their tents, most of them bleary eyed and groggy.

Leliana started to make a hearty breakfast for the group while the others took down the camp. On a couple of occasions, Ayu caught Zevran looking at her as she moved about the camp. When she looked into his eyes, he would give her a mischievous grin. Ayu caught herself blushing more than once that morning. The tents were taken down quickly and all the gear was stowed onto the cart. After loading up the cart, the party sat to eat and relax before finishing their journey to Redcliffe.

The journey to Redcliffe went by quickly enough. The companions talked amiably to the steady sound of Ajax's hooves on the packed earthen road. They arrived in Redcliffe, making good time from Haven. Bann Teagan and the remaining mages were relieved to see the group return with the ashes. Isolde treated Ayu as coolly as ever, though Connor was excited to see the Wardens and hear all about their adventure.

Bann Teagan had the Wardens follow him into the Arl's room. Arl Eamon was an older man with a bushy gray beard, and lay sleeping in his plush bed. A couple of mage healers were in the room with him, attempting to make progress with his recovery. Upon entering the room, Teagan motioned one of the mages to come forward. He did so quickly and Ayu handed him the small pouch of ashes. The mages rapidly prepared the ritual that they would use to heal the Arl.

Ayu and party waited outside in the hall until the mages had finished, and the Arl was awake. Teagan poked his head out of the door and asked the Wardens to enter the room.

“The Arl would like to see the two of you.” Teagan told Ayu and Alistair.

The Wardens entered the Arl's room behind Teagan. The Arl was sitting in a chair when they entered and he offered the pair a seat. Teagan sat next to the Arl, Ayu and Alistair opposite them.

“I wish to personally thank you for saving my family and I. I do not know what I would have done if I discovered that they were gone. I understand that you had to go to extreme measures to revive me and for that I am eternally grateful.” The Arl spoke clearly for a man who had been asleep for so long. “I trust she knows about you Alistair?”

Alistair cleared his throat before answering his uncle.

“Yes Eamon, she knows that I am the bastard son of King Maric.”

“Good. Well that's one less thing to worry about.” Eamon rubbed a hand across his face. “Please educate me on what is happening in Ferelden. What have I missed?”

Bann Teagan and Alistair filled the Arl in on the state of the blight, Loghain's desire to kill the Wardens and the Chantry's need to capture Ayu. As the men talked, Ayu watched the Arl's face fall as the news became more and more grave. Teagan had been receiving reports from his men that Darkspawn sightings were becoming more frequent across the central area of Ferelden. He had also heard that Loghain is offering a tidy sum of coin to whoever brings him the Wardens, dead or alive. Ayu was shaken by this news, but tried not to let it show.

Arl Eamon told the pair that he would begin making preparations to hold a Landsmeet and that he believed that Alistair should take the throne as king. Ayu agreed that Alistair would make a good king, tapping her temple a couple of times, but he looked at her skeptically. He was not too fond of the idea.