When Fate Summons (a Dragon Age fanfiction)

You Snuck Your Way Right Into My Heart

It was a somber party that moved down the mountain paths past the abandoned buildings of Haven. Alistair carried Anawyn's limp body, cuddling her against his chest. Thora walked at his side, her anxious eyes straying back and forth between the road in front of her and her daughter's face. She stumbled a lot. Cybele walked on Alistair's other side at first, but the events of the day caught up with her, and she fell back, too weary to keep up with him.

Before long, Cybele found herself at her mother's side. She'd found her mother's behavior bewildering today—switching from the aloof taskmistress Cybele had known to a woman who wept and hugged. Which was the real one? Cybele wasn't sure. So when her mother cleared her throat in preparation for saying something, Cybele waited, holding her breath, to see which person would be talking.

"Um," Morrigan began. It was a hopeful start—Cybele had never known her mother to fumble for the right words before. When her daughter didn't respond, Morrigan went on, "I ... am sorry. For what happened to you. It was not my intention—" She broke off, looking away.

Cybele looked up at her mother. "Was she really my grandmother?"

"Yes. Well ... yes." Morrigan looked uncomfortable.

"Did you really send me to her for training?"

"No!" Morrigan exclaimed. "I would never have left you with her."

"Where were you?"

"Trying to find you. It is complicated."

"You could've flown to get me. A lot faster than traveling like this," Cybele said impatiently, looking around at the group trudging their way down the mountainside.

Morrigan sighed. "I had not wanted to have to explain all this to you. Certainly not just yet. But I will!" she added hastily, when Cybele glanced up at her in disappointment. "Flemeth was much older than she seemed. She lived for so long by taking over the body of her daughters. Daughter after daughter, in a line stretching on for generations. And I was to be next. Had I come close enough to rescue you, Flemeth would have been able to ... take my body." Morrigan shuddered. "And everything that I am would have been turned against you. I could not bear to think of that. I—love you, my daughter."

"Mother," Cybele said in happy surprise. "Really?"

"Really." A rare smile shone on Morrigan's face as she looked down at her daughter. She put an arm cautiously around Cybele's shoulders, and the little girl pressed against her mother. After a few moments walking that way, Morrigan cleared her throat uncomfortably. "There is something I would like to speak with you about."

"What's that?" Cybele asked. She held her breath, waiting to hear all about the big blond man who had called her his daughter. Was that really her father? Did he care for her mother? He seemed to like that dwarf a lot, though. Cybele shuddered thinking of the dwarf's anger at her and at her mother. For a small person, she'd been pretty scary.

Morrigan, unaware of the slew of questions filling Cybele's mind, went on. "There is someone whom I would like you to know better. I think—I would like him to be a part of our lives. I think he would like that as well. Although I admit I have not asked him," she added, more to herself than to Cybele.

Cybele looked up, her eyes brightening. It must be the big blond man! And he'd come and live with them, and— Her dream-building was halted when Morrigan called out, "Xandros!"

The white-haired elf approached, his eyes soft as he looked at Morrigan, and then at Cybele. Crest-fallen, Cybele tried to return his smile.