The Dalish Commander (The Daughters of Thedas Book 2)

17: The Cellars

We arrived back at Vigil's Keep. Anders and Nathaniel were bickering back and forth and I was ready to knock both their heads together. Justice still looked lost and Oghren was... well, drunk as usual. Or at least well on his way to being so. I swear the Dwarf kept his brew with him just to annoy the hell out of me.

A beautiful blond-haired woman saw us and came towards us, relief on her face. "Kristoff!" she cried. "Oh, thank the Maker!"

Anders and Nathaniel both cut off from their argument and looked at each other.

"Oh, crap," I muttered. This wasn't going to end well. I had never met her, but I was sure this was Aura, Kristoff's wife.

Justice looked confused. "I fear you are mistaken, mortal," he said slowly. I was sure he was searching through Kristoff's memories.

She looked hurt. "Kristoff? Why are you...? What has happened?"

"Aura?" I asked. "You were Kristoff's wife, correct?"

"I am his wife!"

"This isn't going to be easy to take...," I started.

"Your husband is gone," Justice bluntly said. Not the approach I was going for. "And I inhabit this body now. His death will be avenged, I assure you."

I mentally smacked my forehead.

"You don't talk to widows much do you, son?" Oghren asked.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose and sighed. He just made it a hundred times worse for Aura. She shouldn't have found out this way.

"Avenged? You desecrate his body! How dare you!"

"It was not intentional. There was —"

Aura cut him off. "Get away from me!" She lifted her skirts and ran from the Keep.

Justice rubbed his forehead. "This body has memories of this woman. You called her Aura. Yes, that is her name. I did not know she would come." Justice looked distraught at her reaction.

"It must have been a shock to learn like this. I didn't know she was in Ferelden either."

"I must rectify this, somehow. Intentionally or not, I have done this woman a great disservice. My memories suggest her home is in Amaranthine. It will prey on me if we do not seek her out. There must be something that can be done to assuage her pain! Something!" Justice seemed desperate.

"I'll see what I can find out."

"Kristoff's memories suggest that he respected you greatly. I am beginning to see why. The Darkspawn call our attention but should we get the chance to seek her out, I would be grateful."

I spoke to Voldrik again and he requested granite for the walls and I assured him that if I found any I would let him know.

A sergeant approached me and saluted. "I don't mean to alarm you, Commander, but it's possible there are still Darkspawn in the Vigil." I hadn't sensed any.

"What makes you think so?"

"Let me explain. You know Dworkin? That mad Dwarf's bombs shook the whole Keep. Some of the deep cellars caved in. I suspect there are pockets of Darkspawn below, trapped. In time, they may dig their way out."

"And surprise us again," I sighed. "Take me to the cave in."

She did as she was told. "The Vigil goes deep. Real deep. The hallways down here have been crumbling for years and decades. And that blasted Dworkin's explosives didn't do the structure any favors."