When Fate Summons (a Dragon Age fanfiction)

Where Do We Go From Here?

Anawyn and Aunt Leliana made their way through the woods until they reached the lakeshore. There they paused for a brief moment, Leliana's head turned back toward the camp, listening. There were no sounds, either of battle or of pursuit, and Leliana touched Anawyn's shoulder, gesturing ahead. She leaned over, whispering quietly in Anawyn's ear. "Shorter distance by shore. Can you keep up?"

Nodding, Anawyn followed the bard, doing her best to step where Leliana stepped. This whole turn of events had Anawyn completely bewildered. Who were they running from? What kind of trouble were her parents in? She wanted to go back, to see what was happening, to help her parents. For a moment, she stopped walking, hesitantly looking over her shoulder.

Leliana turned, putting her hands on Anawyn's shoulders. She bent over, whispering fiercely in Anawyn's ear. "They'll be all right. And if you go back there, it will be worse for everyone. They need to know you're safe, and you have to trust them. Can you do that?"

Anawyn looked up into Leliana's face. She wasn't used to seeing this all-business side of her fun-loving aunt. Remembering the battle with Flemeth, Anawyn thought of how all the adults had changed when the fight was at hand, their easy smiles giving way to set mouths and hard eyes. Each person had done their job, trusting all the others to be there: Anders in the background healing, Leliana and Xandros at the edges with their bows, her father's sword and shield on the attack. It wouldn't have worked, Anawyn realized, if they hadn't all known the others would do what they were supposed to do. If this was battle, and her mother's tense posture had indicated that it was, it wouldn't work if Anawyn didn't do what the others were counting on her to do—escape with Aunt Leliana and find Anders and the others at Redcliffe.

She nodded at Leliana, squeezing the bard's hand. Leliana nodded in return, her shoulders relaxing a bit. She turned, leading the way again, and the two of them walked steadily onward, Leliana sticking to the shadows and Anawyn stepping behind her.

Dawn was breaking as they approached the small village of Redcliffe. Anawyn's eyes were drooping—she was so tired she was stumbling along behind Leliana, barely able to do more than put one foot in front of the other. Leliana found a protected spot behind a couple of rocks, drawing Anawyn into it. They took a moment to catch their breath, Leliana's blue eyes scanning the shoreline ceaselessly. She handed Anawyn the water skin and some beef jerky. Anawyn hadn't even noticed Leliana taking those things in their flight from their tent.

"We have to hurry. Even if there are Templars," Leliana said, "we should have gotten ahead of them. I've never understood why the Chantry uses exclusively warriors, and arms them all in such heavy plate. Mages in their light robes are much faster than anyone in heavy armor, even when their power's been drained. Still, lucky for us." She smiled reassuringly at Anawyn. "We'll sneak in a back way I know, so no one will see us."

The food and water, in addition to the knowledge that they were almost there and could rest soon, were sending renewed energy through Anawyn. "Have you been here before a lot?" she asked, remembering to keep her voice quiet.

Leliana blushed pink. "A few times," she said.

"Oh!" said Anawyn suddenly, remembering a conversation she'd overheard between her mother and Oghren and Felsi. "Ser Perth, right?"

Looking embarrassed, Leliana said, "Right." She looked sad for a moment. "He wasn't too happy to see me last time we were here." But before Anawyn could ask any more questions, Leliana stood up, taking the little girl's hand. "Let's go. No time to waste."

They skirted the village until they came to a small path in the rock that led up the cliff toward the castle. The path led them to a door in a vine-covered wall. Leliana removed a pin from her hair, her fingers expertly manipulating the lock until the door swung open, leading the two of them inside the walls and into the back of Redcliffe's kitchen gardens. Holding her finger to her lips, Leliana led the way through the gardens and in through the scullery to the kitchens.