When Fate Summons (a Dragon Age fanfiction)

Don't Stop Believin'

The Deep Roads were, to use her father's word, creepy. Very creepy, Anawyn thought. In the distance, she could hear the dripping of water somewhere, mingled with strange screechings like metal on metal. There was little light, other than the one that hovered above Granny's head, and so Anawyn saw mostly shadows. The walls they passed were covered in glorious mosaics and carvings, but she couldn't see enough of them to determine what they were of. The bits she did see looked eerie, half-glimpsed eyes watching her and parts of pictures the more sinister because she couldn't place them in context. The smells were nearly overpowering—the sourness of the damp, mildewing everything that had been left behind; the dry, dusty odor of the Stone all around them; the increasing noxiousness of the taint. And the crawly feeling of her skin signaling that darkspawn were near was always present in varying levels of intensity. She squirmed with it, the prickling keeping her constantly on edge.

Granny, seeming unmoved by all of it, led the way, moving steadily ahead through the passageways. Anawyn hoped Granny knew where she was going, because Anawyn herself would never be able to retrace their steps, not this far.

Cybele held Anawyn's hand tightly. It was comforting to be together, even though nothing had attacked them as yet. Shadows seemed to skitter away from Granny's light, little clacking sounds receding into the distance. Anawyn wondered if those were the spiders Uncle Oghren had once told her about ... and if the giant spiders were afraid of Granny, how was Anawyn supposed to stand up to the old woman on her own?

At length, they came into a giant cavern with a large grotto inside, the sound of the water lapping at the edges of the stone reassuring in its normalcy. Granny stopped, lighting several torches that were bracketed to the walls, so they had a decent amount of light for once. There was nothing to make a campfire from, but Granny handed out bits of beef jerky and dried apple—not very much of either, Anawyn noticed. Either they were running out of food, or Granny was planning to be down here for a while.

She and Cybele ate, but with less appetite than they would have expected. Something about the Deep Roads made Anawyn nauseous, and she could barely stomach the food. When they had finished, Granny stood up. "I need to get something from under the water," she said. She grinned mirthlessly. "I don't suppose I have to tell you to stay where you are? The light will discourage the darkspawn, but not entirely. Remember your magic. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"We'll be fine," Anawyn said stoutly.

"Of-of course," Cybele echoed, but with less conviction.

Granny looked at them both for a long minute, looking almost indecisive, then she shrugged off her robe and dove into the pool.

"Anawyn, are you scared?" Cybele asked.

"Yes," Anawyn said bluntly. "My mother always says it's dangerous to pretend you're not scared. It makes you fight less defensively."

"Oh. My mother says it's a foolish human weakness to be scared and we're too powerful for that."

"Cybele ... what did your mother do during the Blight?" Anawyn held her breath, waiting for the answer. She wanted to know if Cybele's mother had ever crossed paths with her father ... but she didn't want to know, either.

"Um, I think she traveled. Sometimes late at night, when she's tired, she'll talk about camps, and tents, and ... Grey Wardens! Say, Anawyn, do you suppose my mother knows your mother?" Cybele looked excited.

"Maybe," Anawyn said in a small voice. She wasn't sure if she was happy with that answer or not. "Does— Does she ever talk to you about your father?"

"No. Not really. She didn't like him much, it sounds like—when she does mention him, it's always about his stupid jokes or how he's too soft-hearted. But my mother doesn't really like men at all. Or people. Sometimes I wonder if she likes me," Cybele said sadly. "I wish I knew if she even missed me."

"Cybele, can you keep a secret?"

"I think so."

"I mean, even from Granny." Both girls looked toward the water, but it was still and unmoving. Whatever Granny was doing, it was taking a while.

Cybele looked doubtful. "I think I can keep a secret from Granny. Anawyn, sometimes I think ... maybe my mother didn't send me with Granny after all."

"I don't think she did." Anawyn leaned in closer. "Last night, when I was gone, I saw the King of Orzammar." Cybele's eyes grew wide, her mouth forming a surprised O. "He's an old friend of my mother's, and he wanted to take me—us—away from Granny. Cybele, our parents are looking for us!"

"What? What do you mean? How do you know that?"

"Uncle Gorim told me," Anawyn said, her voice rising in volume in her excitement. "He said my parents, both of them!, are following us, and your mother is with them, too."

"How does a dwarf know about my mother?" Cybele wrapped her arms around her knees. "And why would my mother be traveling with your parents?"

"I ... don't know," Anawyn said, feeling the excitement recede, leaving her feeling deflated. "Uncle Gorim said so."

"And you trust him?"

"Of course! He was my mother's Second—like her partner, kind of—for most of her life when she lived in Orzammar. She's responsible for putting him on the throne."

"It would be nice to think Mother was coming after me," Cybele said wistfully. But her face looked brighter.

Anawyn just hoped she'd be able to protect her friend until their parents caught up. "Please hurry, Mother," she whispered softly to herself.