Legend (Dragon Age Origins)

Chapter 15: The Fourth Night

With the sun slowly setting over the village, the companions crowded into the corner of the local tavern and exchanged stories over pints of ale. The tavern was packed, filled by volunteer fighters who wished to drink their fears away.

Outside, Teagan and the other soldiers were preparing the village for the upcoming battle. Dru watched them through the grimy window as they ran about, hurriedly barking orders and repositioning the barricades. It reminded Dru of the battle at Ostagar. But inside the tavern, she was safe from those memories, and Dru tried to focus on the people around her now rather than those she had left behind. 

"Were you really in that cage for twenty days?" Alistair asked Sten. Having already consumed an entire pint of ale before the others had even touched theirs, Alistair's face was flushed bright pink.

"It might have been closer to thirty. I stopped counting after a while," Sten replied dismissively.

"What did you do?" Alistair pressed on. "Twenty days is a long time to sit in one place and do nothing."

"On good days, I posed riddles to the passersby's, offering them treasures in exchange for correct answers."

"Really?"

"No."

"Aw, that's too bad," Alistair pouted. "That's got some serious potential."

Morrigan made a distasteful noise and rolled her eyes. Unlike the others, she was slowly sipping from a glass of wine.

Cheek cupped in hand, Dru absentmindedly traced a finger along the lip of her mug as she watched the overweight tavern owner insult his waitress. She wondered how some humans could be so angry when they had so much luxury and freedom in their lives.

Leliana slid across the bench and nudged Dru with her elbow.

"Do you see that elf sitting in the corner?" Leliana jerked her chin.

Dru turned her head slightly, enough to bring the elf into her peripheral vision. He was sitting at the bay window, his knees drawn to his chest as he stared out at the village. He was wearing a green tunic with a leather chest-plate strapped to the front. Although it was odd to see an elf in human territory, he wasn't doing anything particularly suspicious. 

"What of him?" she asked.

"Something about his demeanour is very... off." Leliana squinted. "His posture is very tense, and he keeps staring worriedly out the window as if waiting for someone to come for him."

Dru decided to entertain Leliana, deciding that confronting the stranger could at least provide her with some form of entertainment, besides listening to Alistair and Morrigan's arguments. Besides, it had been a long time since she had a chance to belittle or insult anyone.

The two women headed over to the window, placing themselves directly in front of the elf. He started when he found them standing over him, then quickly looked away.

"Not looking for company," he said flatly.

He was fighting to appear tough and calm, but Dru saw the way he pressed his hands to his knees to keep them from shaking. Eager to increase his nervousness, Dru hunched over him, pressing her forearm against the window frame.

"We just want to ask a few questions. Starting with why you appear..." She poked him in the shoulder, causing him to flinch away from her. "Jumpy," she concluded with an unnerving smile.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the elf said a little too quickly.

"But you do, don't you?" Leliana countered. "I know a spy when I see one."