Mythal's Favour: A Dragon Age Origins Fan Fiction

Chapter 14

Chapter 14 - Forgotten Memories

Ayu looked up at the Shaper in surprise.

 “I knew you had forgotten.” he said gently. “That book was written partially in your own hand, when you saved Orzammar from an onslaught of Darkspawn. But you were called Astyth then.” The dwarf leaned onto his cane as he sat forward in his chair.

 Ayu could not believe what she was hearing. She stared at the thick book in her lap, her hands running over the soft brown leather. She looked at the Shaper once more. He nodded to her, and motioned her to open the book. Taking a steadying breath, Ayu gently opened the cover, exposing the yellowed parchment locked within.

Herein lies the recorded memories of Astyth the Grey

 Recorded 5:26

 Ayu's companions stared at her expectantly. Glancing at them and then back down to the words on the page, Ayu cleared her throat. “It's a book – about me, I mean, Phoenix . . before she was me. She was here . . in Orzammar.”

 “Yes she was. She did us a great service then. But if you'll indulge an old dwarf, I'd like to tell you the story.”

 Ayu nodded eagerly and moved closer to the Shaper of Memories. She sat on the floor between Zevran and Leliana's chairs. She gently laid the tome in her lap, her fingers constantly tracing the mark branded on the cover.

“Allow me to start at the very beginning. The creature that lives within you was born along with our Stone Mother. They are sisters, if you will; born of each other. Fire Mother, Phoenix I believe you called her, is the blood of the stone. The heat and light of the channels of magma beneath our feet is further proof of her existence. For generations, the dwarves utilized the resources from both our Mothers. The Deep Roads have been warmed and illuminated by carving openings through the stone to expose the magma below. If you venture into the Deep Roads, you will see these channels still open.

 “But I digress, you are not here for a lesson in dwarven architecture.” the Shaper chuckled before beginning once more. “Fire Mother lived within the stone since her birth. She flowed through it for Ages. However, over time, she became unhappy being underground. She wanted to be free from the stone. Free from the confinement. Stone Mother felt sorry for her sister and opened a fissure to the surface. Fire Mother eagerly rose through the fissure and erupted into the surface world above. She still has roots in the stone and is always a part of it, but she lives in the sky now.

 “The Darkspawn had been forced back into the Deep Roads by the human army on the surface.” the Shaper began, sitting back in his chair and getting comfortable. “The dwarven armies continued to battle the creatures, until eventually, they began to recede deeper underground. It had been quiet for almost two years, the Dwarves claiming victory. That's where you come in, my lady.

 “A female dwarf, her tongue removed and therefore speechless, arrived at our gates with a handful of her Silent Sisters. Her name was Astyth the Grey. She bore the same marking that you do – that is how I recognized you.

 “It was a challenge for Astyth to be granted time to see our King. He was preoccupied with his own political means. Orzammar was still in celebration from the defeat of the darkspawn. The King honestly believed that the dwarves had won a significant victory over the monsters. Astyth was insistent that she should be granted a meeting with the King. The King, becoming exasperated with her, finally granted her an audience. She explained to him, though written pages, that she was the embodiment of our great Fire Mother and that Orzammar was in great danger. He brushed her warnings aside, convinced that she was crazy. Orzammar was in no danger.