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Vhenan'ara	By : Arcanis_Born Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 6576 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from this.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Dragon Age: Origins is owned by Bioware, as with all its characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine, however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game.
I hope you guys enjoy, and I would appreciate any reviews!
Translations:
Mi bella: Antivan. "My beauty." Endearment Zevran uses for Riel.
Messerre: King's Tongue. A title of respect similar to "mistress" or "lord".

It took three days to get to Redcliff, mostly due to having to avoid Darkspawn or at times even fighting against them. And at the end of every night, Zevran went into Riel's tent where he would hold her until they both fell asleep. Often they would talk before drifting off, speaking of small things like what they saw or did that day. Riel would speak of her plans for the next day, including which route to take, or her worries about reaching Redcliff. And when Riel's nightmares came, Zevran would hold her and softly speak in Antivan to her, allowing her to calm and be able to rest again.
Even as they sat by the campfire, their positions had changed. Often Zevran opted to sit directly behind Riel, allowing her to rest against his chest as she ate or talked with others. And Creators, did she ever eat. Even when they stopped for a midday meal, Zevran made sure Riel would eat at least some of whatever was cooked or offered. Before, Riel would sometimes only eat once a day, or even go a whole day without eating. Now Zevran would insist that she ate until she was full, even waiting sometimes until she was finished before being satisfied enough to eat himself.
It was equal parts endearing and irritating.
Especially when Riel found that her armor was beginning to fit a little less well than it did before. However, if Riel tried to refuse the food or try to eat less in any way, Zevran would show his stubborn side to her. Something he often did when he tried to take care of her and she resisted for one reason or another. And this was no more true than when it came to any injury she may have gotten while travelling or fighting.
As soon as the fight was over and everything except Riel and her companions were dead, Zevran would come up to her and start checking her for injuries. Even Morrigan's teasing hadn't deterred his obsession with Riel's continued health. Leliana would giggle, calling his behavior 'cute', while Alistair seemed to get grumpier by the day. Sten and Shale would both grouse and grumble over Zevran's increased care, yet neither of them made as much fuss over it as Alistair did.
On the morning of the fourth day, the group finally reached the bridge that led into Redcliff village. The village existed on the southern most tip of Lake Calenhad, and acted as a major trading port between the Circle Tower, and Orzammar which were both farther north. It was also on the King's Highway, which led from Redcliff all the way to Denerim in the north, to Ostagar in the south, and the sea port of Gwaren in the east. So trade was normally bustling on clear days like the one that day, yet the village seemed oddly quiet as the group approached the bridge.
"Listen uh… There is something that I need to tell you…" Alistair stated, a soft blush coming to his face. It was the first time since Honnleath that Alistair had actually said anything to Riel, and she was honestly beginning to enjoy his silence.
"What is it, Alistair?"
"You know how I said that I was raised by Arl Eamon before I was sent to the Chantry? Well, as I said, Eamon isn't my father. He is actually my uncle."
Riel stared at him, trying to understand what he was saying. "So your actual father is…?"
"King Maric."
"What?" Riel exclaimed incredulously. "Wait, the previous king was your father?"
"I never actually knew Maric. My mother was a scullery maid in the castle, and it was made very clear to me from early on that Cailen was the true heir. Eamon raised me until I was sent to Chantry."
"So you're actually a prince?"
"Ha ha ha… Surprise!" Alistair joked half heartedly. "Seriously though, I never mentioned it because it I didn't think that it mattered. Cailen was the heir, not me. And I honestly didn't want you to treat me differently because of it. When people find out that I am Maric's son, they either treat me with kid gloves, or they hate me. Even when I was in the Chantry. The other initiates either thought I was 'putting on airs', or avoided me because they didn't want to get on the King's bad side."
"So you're not just a bastard, but you're a royal bastard then," Riel quipped with a sly smile.
"Ha! Yes, I suppose I am. I am sorry that I didn't tell you earlier, though."
"Hey, it was your business, Alistair, not mine," Riel answered truthfully. Creators knew she had enough things in her own part that she didn't want to speak about. This one thing she could actually understand about Alistair. Somethings just needed to stay in the past, and were no one's business than their own. "But why tell me now? Do you think that with Cailen dead, Eamon may try to put on the throne?"
"Oh Maker, I hope not!" he exclaimed, fear coloring his words. "Look, I'm not a prince. I'm just a poor sod who just happens to share some blood with someone famous. That's all."
"Very well, my prince," Riel laughed, bowing slightly.
"Oh I knew that I was going to regret this!" groaned Alistair. "Look, let's just get to the castle to see what is happening with the arl."
However, they barely got across the bridge before a man came running up from the village below.
"Are you here to help?" the man asked, out of breath.
"Help with what?" Riel asked, eyeing the man carefully.
"With the undead! The village is under attack!"
"Wait, what? Undead are attacking the village?" questioned Alistair, his face going pale.
"Aye ser! Every night now for these past few days. Bann Teagan is down at the Chantry, trying to organize and prepare, but things are looking dire, ser. That is why I was hoping you were reinforcements!"
"I know Teagan. He is Eamon's brother and a good man. We should help them!" Alistair pleaded, his eyes on Riel.
Riel looked between the unknown man and Alistair, her mind working. "Take us to Teagan."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Here, mi bella… use this to clean the wound."
Riel took the offered bottle of whisky with a grim nod. The battle the night before was brutal, yet they didn't lose anyone. As soon as the sun had set, undead had started coming from both the castle and the lake, surrounding the village on both sides. Riel had tried to prepare the village as much as possible during the previous day, including managing to find a large store of oil to use against the creatures.
Convincing the smithy to open his doors had been fairly easy too, thanks to the combined effect of both Shale and Sten. Although the man will have to repair his door once this was all over with. As luck would have it, Riel had even found proof of Loghain's connection to the Arl's sickness. Hiding amongst the tavern patrons, was an elf who was hired to watch the castle and report back to Loghain with news of when the Arl fell ill. Although it wouldn't prove that Loghain is responsible, it did show that the Teyrn at least knew that the arl would become sick. Rounding out the preparation for the coming night was convincing a few more reluctant fighters to lend their aid, and giving a much needed moral boost for the few knights that were in the village. By the end of it, Riel had been fairly confident that when the sun finally set the battle would go in their favor.
What she hadn't been expecting, however, was Morrigan getting hit as badly as she did. Which was now why Riel was about to pour whiskey on a still bleeding cut on her thigh instead of having the witch simply heal it with her magic. True, she could have chosen to use one of their few remaining potions, but Riel insisted that they save those for when they entered the castle later in the day.
"Do you want me to pour it?" Zevran again asked, yet Riel gritted her teeth and shook her head no. "Then at least take my hand, mi bella. Squeeze it until the pain subsides."
Riel looked over at Zevran for a moment before she adjusted herself so that he sat behind her. Taking his hand in her free hand, Riel took a deep breath and poured the liquid on her wound. "Ahh! Fuck!" she exclaimed as the wound immediately started to burn from the chemical reaction. Her eyes squinted shut and her head was thrown back as she gripped on to Zevran's hand tightly. "Zevran…." she cried out pleadingly, the pain shooting through her leg and up her whole body.
"I am right here, mi bella. Just breathe and it will pass soon," he crooned before kissing her temple. Zevran absolutely despised to see his Warden in pain. Yet with Morrigan still unconscious and Riel stubbornly refusing to take any potions, there was no other way to keep an infection from spreading. Blasted Templar! Zevran cursed to himself for yet another time that morning.
When the battle had begun, Riel had taken Zevran, Leliana and Shale up on to the path that led to the castle while Sten, Alistair, Morrigan and Fen'harel stayed in the village to protect the people there. Yet before too long, word was sent up the path that the village was taking heavy attack from the creatures coming from the lake. Riel and the others raced down the path and engaged the undead, keeping them far away from the Chantry and the innocents who hid inside.
Alistair was fighting near where Morrigan was casting spells. He was supposed to keep the witch from getting hurt, yet at some point during the battle he left Morrigan's side to slice at a skeleton attacking a lout of a man by the name of Owen. While Alistair was distracted, a skeleton had managed to blindside Morrigan and knocked her hard on the head with it's mace. Thank the gods Riel had convinced the woman to wear a proper helmet before the fight or else they would be burying the witch instead of just waiting for her to heal.
"Will you let me wrap it for you?" Zevran asked, desperate to do anything to aid her. Relieved when she nodded yes, Zevran took the long bandages and carefully set to work wrapping the wound, making sure it wasn't too tight or too loose. With each wrap around her leg, Zevran's irritation at the male rose. Blasted Templar! he cursed again.
"How is Morrigan?"
"She is still resting. The Revered Mother was able to rouse her well enough to drink a potion not long ago, so it shouldn't be long until she is able to waken properly. It will probably still be a little bit of time after that for Morrigan's magic to return to her, so I want you to stay still for a while yet. Anything you need, I will be happy to get it for you."
"I'm not a child, Zevran," Riel hissed, the pain in her leg making her temper worse.
"I know that, mi bella. But for now, I wish to care for you as I should. You can argue with me about when you are well."
"And the others?" Riel asked with a sigh, not wishing to start another argument with him.
"The Templar and Shale are fine. Leliana had some minor cuts, but nothing serious. Sten is nursing a cut on his hand from when he grabbed a sword away from a skeleton by the blade."
"Sodding idiot…" Riel cursed. "Can he still use it?"
"He didn't even notice it until the battle ended and wondered why his hand was wet!" Zevran chuckled softly. "He was offered a potion, however he is as stubborn as you are and refused."
"I guess we are alike in some ways, after all."
Zevran wrapped his arms around Riel's waist a little tighter. "You are nothing like that creature, mi bella."
"Pardon me messerre, but your mage - she is awake…" the Chantry sister replied, worry etched on her face.
"Thank you, dear sister. Would please be so kind as to inform our companion Leliana?" Zevran all but purred up to the woman. The woman's blush was obvious, even under the minimal lighting in the Chantry. The change in Riel was far less noticeable, yet Zevran could feel her stiffen against him. "You are who I wish to be with, mi bella. Have no fear," Zevran replied to her, squeezing her hand in his own.
"I'm not the first you've been with, though, am I?" Riel had no idea where the question came from, and she immediately regretted asking it. "Never mind, don't answer," she hurriedly said afterward.
Zevran sighed deeply. "You deserve to know the truth, my lovely Warden," Zevran reached down and lightly took hold of Riel's chin, lifting her face up to meet his. "However, I wish for you to look in my eyes so you can see the truth of my response in my eyes." A moment of silence passed before Zevran took another deep breath and spoke again. "No, you are the not first woman that I have been with," he answered truthfully. Immediately he felt Riel recoil against him, and for the first time in his life, Zevran wished his previous love life was something other than what it was. "However I swear to you, mi bella, that you will be the last. Even if you were to send me away today, I will never desire another woman, because for me, there could never be another."
Riel reached her hand up and lightly pulled his lips to meet her own. The kiss was soft, yet the meaning behind it was clear. When she pulled away, Riel looked up into his eyes and smiled. "I don't want anyone other than you, either."
Zevran returned her smile and kissed her forehead, mentally thanking the gods for the woman in his arms. "I am pleased," he whispered to her.
"Ugh… And here I thought that I wasn't going to throw up…."
Riel looked up to see Morrigan leaning uneasily on her staff a few feet away. "You're awake! How are you feeling?" Riel asked, her face brightening in a wide smile at seeing her friend.
"I would be better if a fool of man knew how to follow orders," she groused. "However, I still do not have any of my magic as of yet."
"When you do, our Warden needs attending. She was cut fairly badly during the fighting last night."
"I'm fine Zevran. It's just a scratch," Riel argued, rolling her eyes.
"Morrigan?" Zevran asked pointedly, ignoring Riel's protests.
"You are not the only one who cares for our skilled leader, elf," Morrigan replied in the same pointed tone that Zevran had used. "Do not worry, she will be my first priority as soon as I am able."
"Good. Now go rest so you recover quicker," Zevran stated with a nod back the makeshift cot that the witch was using earlier. Morrigan nodded her head, yet kept her sly smile on her face before hobbling back over to the cot and lying down.
"There are probably others who need healing more than I do, Zevran."
"Not to me, mi bella," Zevran replied with a slight squeeze.
"Excuse me Ser Riel, but when you are able I would like to discuss our next course of action," Bann Teagan stated as he walked over to her.
"We can discuss things now," Riel stated, sitting herself up. Yet when she tried to stand, Zevran refused to release his hold on her.
"You should remain resting until Morrigan is able to heal you, Riel," Zevran stated, his voice hard.
"By the Dread Wolf, Zevran! I am not some invalid or some sick child! Yes, I got a scratch on my leg, but I am still able to hold conversations!"
"It's not a scratch, Riel! I could see the bone underneath!" Zevran snapped back, his tone evenly matching Riel's.
"And I've received far worse before!"
"I know, I've seen it!"
"Uhh… Perhaps I shall see how the Revered Mother is doing with the others. Come see me later, Ser Riel…" the bann said cautiously, stepped back slowly before leaving the two quarreling elves.
"Just answer me one thing, please…" Zevran stated, his tone changing and becoming pleading.
"What?"
Zevran leaned in close to her so that he could whisper in her ear without others overhearing. "Please tell me why don't you heal it yourself?"
Riel's face blanched as a fresh wave of fear washed through her, followed quickly by a deep shame and sadness. Since that night at the river outside of Haven, neither of them had brought up her hidden powers. In fact, Riel was praying that maybe he would forget about what he saw completely. It seemed though that the Creators had other plans. Silence descended between then as she fidgeted with her fingers. A common habit Zevran had discovered that Riel did when there was something on her mind that she didn't want to discuss or know how to.
"I-... I can't…" she finally admitted. "When it first came to me, I was afraid of my masters using it against me. So I never used it. I hid it as best as I could, even when I was among the Dalish. Anything I have ever done with it has been accidental."
"Mi bella…." sighed Zevran.
"Besides, even if I could…. I can't be locked up again, Zevran. And if people were to know…"
"Shh, mi bella. I will never let anyone lock you away. You will never be alone again, I swear it."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Riel felt as if she was going to fall over. They had been fighting for the whole day, battling against undead, shades, and demons as she and her group fought their way through the castle. Earlier, Teagan had gone with Isolde into the castle and Riel worried about the fate of the man. With few answers from the arlessa, and more attacks on the way come nightfall, Riel had reluctantly agreed that he should go see if he could help the boy, Connor, while she and the others sneaked through the hidden entrance to the castle through the windmill.
"I'm going to kill that mage…" Riel cursed as she remembered the apostate they ran into down in the dungeon.
"I will hold him down for you, mi bella," Zevran laughed darkly.
Riel wiped her brow with the back of her hand before almost falling from a sudden dizzy spell.
"Riel!" Alistair exclaimed as he saw her begin to fall. However, Zevran was there beside the female Warden before Alistair could barely take a step towards her.
"Easy there, mi bella. Perhaps we should rest a minute, no?"
"No, I'm fine," Riel replied, waving Zevran off. "We need to find Connor and Teagan. I just need to catch my breath."
"The main entrance isn't too much farther. We should be there soon, and once there we can open the open the gates to let the other knights in."
"Just a little farther…." Riel whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

If Riel didn't believe in fate having a cruel sense of irony before, she did now. Standing there looking at the possessed child, Riel was torn between laughing hysterically at how fate had showcased wonderfully to her the dangers of hiding magic, and collapsing from sheer exhaustion.
Despite the potions and healing magic from Morrigan, Riel had lost a lot of blood between all the battles that had taken place over the last day and half. She was light headed and it felt as if every muscle and bone in her body hurt. She hadn't slept since the night before they arrived in Redcliff, and she knew neither had Zevran and Alistair. In fact, all four of them were barely standing at they faced down the demon that controlled the boy Connor.
"I don't like how you ruined my fun, elf!" the demon sneered from out of Connor's mouth. "You've killed my undead and saved that stupid village! Why do you interfere?" it roared.
"I always thought that demons strived for power? Yet you choose to make a deal with not just a untrained mage, but a child at that!" Riel taunted, hiding her exhaustion behind her anger.
"He is powerful enough for now. Besides, there are others who I could make deals with when this one proves no longer useful," the demon argued back.
"What if I could get you more power?"
"Riel, what are you doing?" Alistair hissed from behind her.
"What are you proposing, elf?"
"The Circle of Magi isn't so far from here. They have lyrium... lots of it. With lyrium, you could become stronger."
"Why use lyrium when I can use the blood of those hapless villagers?" the demon spat back.
"You and I both know that the boy isn't strong enough to keep using blood magic like that. Blood magic may be powerful, but it burns through quickly in the inexperienced. With lyrium, you could do so much more."
"Hmmm… Perhaps you are right. What are you proposing?"
"You let me and my friends leave, and we go to the CIrcle, where we acquire their lyrium, and bring it back to you. In exchange, you leave the village and the rest of the people in the castle alone until we get back."
"And if I refuse?"
"We kill you now," Riel stated flatly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"No! Connor!" Isolde cried out, yet Riel ignored the sobbing woman. If this was going to work, she needed to get the demon to agree.
"And what's to stop the demon from continuing to attack the village once we leave? Or even just escaping with the boy's body?" Alistair demanded from beside her, his anger twisting his features into something of rage.
"If it does, I bring back a whole legion of mages to hunt down the demon down and tear it apart from the Fade out," Riel replied coldly, her eyes still fixed on the demon.
"Very well, elf. Your offer intrigues me. You and I shall have an accord while you fetch me the lyrium!" the demon exclaimed happily before dashing off through a doorway and out of sight.
"Just what in the name of the Maker are you doing, Riel?!" Alistair shouted as he roughly took hold of Riel arm and twisted her around to face him.
Riel didn't even have time to react before Zevran's blade was at the Templar's throat, the blade a hairsbreadth away from cutting through the skin. "I would unhand our lovely Warden, Templar. That is, if you want to keep your head attached to your body."
"Gah!" Alistair shouted in frustration as he let go of Riel, his hands going to his hair and taking hold. "You better have a good reason for this, Riel! Because I swear to you, I will not stand back while you offer a demon buckets of lyrium or worse yet, kill the innocent boy that it has possessed!"
"No! You can't kill my son!"
"For the next few days, the demon controlling Connor will probably not attack the village below. That gives us time," Riel stated, trying to keep her voice level despite the fury rolling in her blood.
"Time for what? Do you even know what you're doing?" Isolde screamed again.
"By the Creators, if you don't back off woman -"
"I think I have an idea…"
All eyes went to the doorway where Jowen - the mage who poisoned Eamon and started this whole mess to begin with - stood, his face lined with worry and regret.
"You! This is YOUR fault! You did this to Connor! You did this to my family!" Isolde screamed at the apostate.
"Is that the mage? I-I thought you said he was locked up?" Teagan asked, his words still a bit slurred from the spell the demon had him under.
"He was!" Isolde raked Riel with a cold glare. "Someone must have let him go!"
"Look, I know that I'm responsible for all this, which is why I want to help fix this," Jowen meekly pleaded.
"Help? Help?! Why should we trust the one who brought this evil into my home?"
"Teagan, if you don't shut that woman up, I'm going to get Morrigan to use the last bit of magic that she has to put a sleep spell on her!" Riel roared. The pain behind Riel's eyes was bad enough without the arlessa's shrill voice adding to it every time she opened her Voidborn mouth.
"Oh please say that I can!"
"Isolde, please, let them figure this out. I trust Alistair and his friends. Come sit by the fire and I shall send one of the guards to fetch you some water," Teagan pleaded, placing his hands on Isolde's shoulders.
Isolde threw her arms up in the air in frustration before finally letting Teagan pull her away towards the hearth fire.
"Do you have an idea, Jowen?" Riel snapped at the mage.
"I do… sort of…"
"What do you mean, 'sort of'?" Alistair cursed. "This is ridiculous!"
"Shut up, Alistair, or I'll get Morrigan to cast a spell on you and I won't be nice enough to just ask for a sleep spell!" Riel shouted at the ex-Templar. She then lowered a heated gaze on the mage by the door. "Speak Jowen, and by the Creators, you better speak quickly. I have absolutely no patience left for bullshit."
"I know a spell," Jowen quickly stated, coming closer to the others. "I can send someone into the Fade to battle against the demon. Connor so far has only been possessed, not corrupted into an abomination. If we can defeat the demon in the Fade, he will be freed from it without us having to kill him."
"Just what kind of spell is this?" Zevran asked.
"I won't lie, it's blood magic."
"Oh that's bloody brilliant! Use blood magic against a demon!" Alistair exclaimed angrily.
"Morrigan, remember what you did to that emissary back in Honnleath?" Riel asked without even looking at the woman.
"Your wish is my command," Morrigan laughed before quickly casting a spell. Immediately a circle of light appeared under Alistair, immobilizing him while at the same time doing minor damage. "Although it would probably solve a lot of headaches, I made sure to not cast it strong enough to kill him. Although he will have one Fadeborn of a headache when he wakes up," Morrigan added with a twisted smile.
Jowen's eyes widened as he watched Alistair silently scream behind the walls of the spell. "Remind me to never get on her bad side…"
"That's good advice for anyone, my friend," Zevran added darkly.
"Now Jowen…. You said this was blood magic?"
"Yes. It requires harnessing the power of the lifeforce in blood to propel the mage into the Fade."
"Does it have to be a mage who goes in?" Zevran asked.
"Yes, I'm afraid so. Only a mage's mind is capable of dealing with the Fade while awake."
"How much blood will you need?"
"That's the problem…." Jowen paused, his face filling with grief.
"Alistair?!" Isolde's screeching voice came from behind Riel, causing her eyes to squint from the pain. "Just what have you done to him?!"
"I saved his life," Riel replied dryly to the woman.
"How is this saving his life?"
"Riel is this completely necessary?" Teagan added from beside Isolde.
"Ugh…." Riel rubbed her fingers against the pounding at her temple before turning on the nobles. "Look! I've had one hell of a bad day!" she shouted at the two of them. "I'm damn near falling over from exhaustion, blood loss, and muscle fatigue. I not only fought all last night to keep your village safe, but I've killed I don't know how many more undead and demons just within the castle trying to get to you. Now for some Creator forsaken reason I'm trying desperately to figure out a way to save your son from your mistake of not sending him to the Circle when you found out he was a mage to begin with!"
"Excuse me? How dare you!" Isolde spat.
"Oh do be quiet, woman," Riel sneered. "Your voice is like cat's screech when you step on it's tail." From behind her, Riel missed the amused and satisfied looks on both Zevran and Morrigan's faces. "Now, is what Morrigan did to Alistair necessary? No. But it was better than turning him into a frog and serving him up for dinner on the Orlesian Princess' next dinner meal!" Riel turned and faced Jowen then. "Now tell me - exactly - what you are planning, and is there anyway to do it without killing anyone?"
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Vhenan'ara