When Fate Summons (a Dragon Age fanfiction)

Take It on the Run

The two women were on the road less than an hour later. It was difficult to talk too much with the pace Thora set. But once night fell, they had to slow to a walk—the best lanterns didn't add any too much light to the dark roads. Thora decided that while they were forced to go slowly, she needed some answers.

"What is she going to do to the girls?" she asked, her heart in her throat.

"Physically? Nothing, for now. Your daughter's magic will need training, and she will need to be older before Flemeth can feel comfortable taking her vessel. My daughter—" Morrigan bit her lip, looking away. "My daughter she will retain intact until she has decided how best to harness the Old God."

"Will the darkspawn be seeking your daughter? They are drawn to the Old Gods."

"It is possible."

"So between the Grey Warden taint in Anawyn's blood and the Old God's soul in—I'm sorry, I don't know your daughter's name."

"Cybele."

"The Old God's soul in Cybele's, those three are perfect targets for any roaming bands of darkspawn."

Morrigan glared at the dwarf. "Aren't you supposed to have eradicated the darkspawn?"

"Apparently it's not quite so neat as we were led to believe." Thora shrugged. "There aren't many of them, but they appear occasionally. Can Flemeth handle herself?"

"My mother can become a giant dragon. What do you think?"

"So you think there's no immediate danger to the girls?"

"Flemeth will be trying to bend them to her will."

Thora laughed mirthlessly. "I wish her luck. An entire keep full of Wardens has tried to bend Anawyn's will. Flemeth may be a powerful old woman, but I still give our daughters fairly good odds against her." After a moment, she looked at Morrigan. "What does she look like? Cybele."

"Alistair," Morrigan said disgustedly. "Her hair and eyes are my color, but her face ... is his."

"Anawyn is the same. Alistair's face with my hair and eyes. And Duncan, his son, as well—his mother's coloring but the Theirin features." Thora laughed again. "That must drive you crazy."

"And you as well," Morrigan said. "I take it the course of true love has not run smoothly?" It was mockingly said, but her eyes were unexpectedly kind.

"I suppose that was to be expected."

"Let me guess—Alistair attempted to do what is right by everyone, and ended up falling all over his own feet and making things worse?" Morrigan gave a rare, genuine smile. "Who could have guessed?"

Thora smiled as well. "He's good to Anawyn, and does his best to be a good father. It's ... as much as I could have hoped for."

As they reached the end of the Wending Wood Thora felt the prickling of her skin that signaled the presence of another Grey Warden. "Xandros?" she called softly, and tried not to jump as the white-haired elf appeared out of the trees.

"Commander," he said, his eyes going from Thora to Morrigan and back.

"Xandros, Morrigan," Thora said. "I take it you didn't find her."

"No," he said. "But I saw what happened. The little one rested under some trees, and was joined by another person—an old woman, if I had to guess—and a young child. Footprints about the same size as Anawyn's. It got too dark to see well, so I haven't dared to keep going, lest I miss something. For what it's worth, I have not sensed her."

"Flemeth may well have flown off with them, once it got dark and there was less chance of being seen," Morrigan said quietly.

"Xandros," Thora said, "Morrigan's child was the other girl. And her mother the ... kidnapper."

"Her mother can fly?"

"Her mother is a dragon."

"Only occasionally," Morrigan put in.

The elf's green eyes studied the witch. "I see this situation is rather more complicated than we had thought. Where are you going, Commander?"

"Denerim. The King needs to know of this." Thora took a deep breath.

"I will accompany you," Xandros said.

"Very well. We'll make camp here until it gets light enough to see. I want to make sure we've uncovered everything we can before I go to her father." Thora felt the tears welling up again, so she busied herself unrolling a blanket. "Best get some sleep," she said, desperately reaching out with all her senses to feel her daughter near, but there was nothing.

She tossed and turned for what seemed like hours before eventually crawling out of the blanket at first light. They were moving more slowly than they had yesterday while Xandros searched for signs of the old woman and the two girls. He eventually found where the three of them had turned off the road. Morrigan looked at the traces of little feet, her face softening as though she could feel some essence of Cybele in the footprints. Xandros pointed out a large swath of grass that was bent and trampled. "That looks like a dragon's tail, don't you think?"

Morrigan glanced at it. "Yes. That was my mother."

"How can you tell?" Thora asked.

"I can feel it."

"We'd best get moving, then," Thora said wearily.