Legend (Dragon Age Origins)

Chapter 26: Flemeth

Summer was reaching its final days, and with it came an icy chill that marked the beginning of autumn. The cold bit into their cheeks as they pressed deeper into the Korcari Wilds, as if it were warning them away from the secrets the dark woods held.

Tugging her cloak tightly around her shoulders, Dru kept her eyes to the shrubbery as she recounted their former path through the thick trees. An unnerving feeling filled her. The Wilds were not as she had remembered. There was a dark tang in the air, as if nature itself had become tainted by the touch of the darkspawn.

She glanced toward Alistair, who followed closely behind, King Cailan's sword held loosely in his hands. The dark circles beneath his once bright eyes told her that the memories of those he lost had joined the nightmares that plagued them each night. She hoped that once the Archdemon was dead, that the both of them could enjoy a peaceful slumber at last.

The group soon emerged at the edge of a gloomy yet familiar swamp. Dru waved her hand and they crouched down behind the tall weeds. Ahead of them, a squat wooden hut sat at the edge of the clearing. A small campfire had been lit and a feeble old woman stood alone, the flames illuminating her wrinkled face. She appeared to be throwing slabs of meat into the depths of the flames.

At Dru's command, Alistair peeled away to the left, delving deeper into the woods. Sten and Wynne moved to the right, toward the dense trees. Each of their weapons dripped with a lethal poison that Zevran had concocted. A poison fit for a king, he had boasted.

Jaw clenched, Dru counted down from ten before rising and making her way through the murky swamp. Flemeth didn't look up as she approached, too preoccupied with her menial task. As Dru came closer, she saw that Flemeth was burning parts of darkspawn bodies. The smell of the scorched flesh stung Dru's eyes and throat.

"Flemeth."

Dru stopped walking, her hands squeezed into tight fists at her sides.

Flemeth turned her amber eyes toward her, her thin lips curving into a sly smile. "I bring you life and now you've returned to take mine away," she commented with amusement. "I only wonder what took you so long."

Dru wet her lips. Of course, Flemeth would know what they had come for―what they had discovered. Sending Morrigan with them into the world, it was only a matter of time before she learned the truth. The only question was why? If Morrigan's body was so precious to Flemeth, then why risk losing her?

"Lovely Morrigan has finally found someone willing to dance to her tune." Flemeth turned her head toward the dark sky. "Such enchanting music she plays, wouldn't you say?"

"We know your secrets."

"Which secret, I wonder? What has Morrigan told you, hmm? What little plan has she hatched this time?"

Dru had been sitting alone by the tree. Morrigan's company a surprise, but not unwelcome. Brandishing the grimoire, flicking through its bound pages. Long paragraphs scrawled in a language that only she could decipher. The sketched images... a female body surrounded by symbols.

Dru tried to swallow but found that her throat was too dry. She trusted Morrigan. Did she not?

"I just want the truth," she managed.

"The truth? As if it were nothing!" Flemeth shook her head. "No, no. Far better the lie. Far better the comfort of blankets and a mother's love. Do not worry, child. This is a poor dance that Flemeth knows well. Let us see if she remembers the steps..."

Flemeth slowly stretched her arms out by her sides, as if lifting something heavy yet unseen. Dru's eyes widened as black smokey tendrils flowed across her skin, encircling her arms and sliding toward her fingertips. Flemeth's wicked smile stretched toward her ears before she lunged forward, her arms snapping out toward Dru.