A Life's Worth

From The Ashes

Eloriel woke up with a start. She soon cried out in pain as her shoulder throbbed with suffering and soreness. She tried putting pressure on it to calm it down but the pain only amplified. She muffled her cry of pain as she realized that she didn't know where she was.

It wasn't Ostagar, this place is made of wood, not stone.

It wasn't her clan, they banished her.

No being able to think of anymore possible explanations, Eloriel scanned the room further. There was a fire pit, a bed which she laid in, and an iron chest. Her interest piqued by the chest, Eloriel stood up, not remembering her injury. She winced as she collapsed back into the hard bed.

How and when did I get injured, anyways?

She tried recalling her memories but it came out in fuzzy blurs. A fire, an arrow, a tower, and...darkspawn? She shook her head. Duncan told them it was clear of darkspawn. The tower was far from the fighting, but close to see. The signal. Did she and Alistair set it off?

"Alistair?" Eloriel called out, hoping for an answer.

"You mean that crying mess outside?" a voice Eloriel could hardly recognize asked.

Eloriel turned her head to meet the 'Witch of the Wilds.'

"Hey Morrigan. Did you bring me here, wherever here is?"

"I thought you would cry too," the woman admitted with an unsatisfactory frown.

"About what?" Eloriel asked.

"You had lit the signal. Somehow you and the doofus made it through all the darkspawn. However, your leader-"

"King Cailan?"

"The other one."

"Oh, Loghain?"

"My point is that he retreated at your signal. All the Grey Wardens and others in the battle perished at the hands of the darkspawn. A mix up in the communication, I presume?"

Eloriel's mouth gaped at the news. "No, he knew about the signal and the plan."

"Then he abandoned the king?"

"Why?"

"How should I know? All I know is that mother should have rescued the king instead of two Wardens. No offense, though I do not care either way if you do or do not, but I am sure that the king would be worth more in money than you two."

Eloriel laughed. "I know right? You really should've done it. You'd be filthy rich by now. And you would-wait, your mother saved us?"

Morrigan stood, blinking at the elf's frankness and careless attitude. "Yes she did. Changed into a giant bird and picked you up, one in each talon, if you believe that." She paused, confused. "Why would you agree with me?"

"The king thing? Well simply because it's true. And funny. You should keep up with the serious yet joking thing your doing. Especially the 'changed into a giant bird' thing.

"You are a strange one."

"I get that a lot, believe it or not."

"Oh, no, I completely believe that."

"So Alistair, please tell me he's taking this well."

"Not even close."

"Thought so. I can't blame him though, those people were his friends, his family. And it's tough, losing everyone in his life, I know a bit about that."

"Everyone? Are you not a Grey Warden?"

"Yeah but after this he'll kick me out for sure. We barely know each other and from what I can tell, we won't get along well."

"You did leave him in he swamps. But he did go looking for you so I do not think you are correct."

"Like I said, I don't think we'll get along. I am a knife-ear, and to him, a weak girl. Last time I checked, he was a shem. We don't tend to get along."

"No one will get along with another no matter who."

"I guess you're right."

"I am always right."

"Great, you're that type of person."

"Yes, yes I am, but it is true."

"So where's Alistair?"

"The crying little boy is outside."

"He lost his friends and family, Morrigan, it's a bit rude to say that," Eloriel huffed.

"Really? Because I am sure that the Grey Wardens were brave and noble. Why would one of them cry? No, I believe that his friends and family would tell him to stop crying and be a Grey Warden."

"You know, that's actually a very nice thing to say, when you put it that way," Eloriel admitted.

"I am not nice," Morrigan shot back, scowling at the elf.

"Fine, fine, have it your way," Eloriel sighed. She began to inch towards the side of the bed, once she had made it she lifted her legs over the bed and attempted to stand up. The wound in her shoulder pounded her with pain as her sleeping legs gave up and she slumped back into bed. "Uh," Eloriel began, looking up at the witch timidly. "Can you help?"

Morrigan sighed as she reluctantly pulled the elf out of bed and kept her up so that her legs would wake up and actually do their job.

"Alistair, he's not hurt or wounded, is he?" Eloriel asked.

"He was knocked out, same as you, but since he has been in your order longer, he healed quickly. Now he is just hanging around, hoping you will get better. He worries to much about you. You were going to survive."

"He was worried about me?"

"I might be worried too, if I were as stupid and foolish as him," Morrigan shrugged.

"I think I got it now, thank you," Eloriel said, motioning to her legs.

"Blundering fool," Morrigan mumbled, letting go of her arm. Eloriel slowly made her way across the room, stopping a few times to rub her shoulder.

"You know, for a wound, this hurts more than it should, I mean, I'm barely using my arm and it stings!"

"'Tis a darkspawn-made arrow that pierced you. You are lucky that you were a Grey Warden or you would have died by it and the poison."

Eloriel nodded along, now opening the door. "Thank you, Morrigan," she said with a big smile as she stopped halfway out the door.

"What for?"

"For helping me, silly."

"'Twas my mother who plucked you from the tower and healed you."

"I doubt she did that by herself."

"You are mistaken."

"Well, then I thank you for taking the time to talk to me today."

And with that she slipped out the door. A befuddled Morrigan behind her.