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The Last of the Couslands	By : MistressofMagic Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 4401 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Bioware and EA own everything associated with the Dragon Age universe. I am making no money off of this fan fiction.

Chapter List
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Chapter 29
Haven
Just as Wynne had predicted, Alistair was back to his normal self the following morning and they were able to pull up camp and move on. Luckily for everyone's sake, the weather was not too harsh. Although the sky looked as if it would burst and drop rail or snow or a mixture of the two on them at any moment, the clouds did nothing but occupy the sky and block out the sun. They ran into some more Darkspawn along the way, and at one point they had to backtrack their steps as Bridget accidentally made a wrong turn. After a few hours of traveling, Bridget finally noticed the path leading up into the mountains, or into Haven rather. She looked at the others apprehensively. A fog covered the ground eerily, and the grass was dead and cold. Slowly they climbed up the path, only the sound of their breathing was heard. Once they reached the top of the path, Bridget noticed the entrance to the village, and a guard standing there. Odd…why would they need a guard? This village was fairly hidden as it was high up in the mountain pass, and the path leading up to it was easy to miss. An unsettling feeling crept it's way into Bridget's stomach as she approached the guard. His skin was deathly pale…and his expression was stony. He narrowed his eyes at her. Bridget cleared her throat as she approached him.
"Um, excuse me, sir?" she asked softly.
The guard looked at her.
"What do you want?"
Bridget licked her lips.
"I was actually wondering if I may explore Haven a little."
The guard shook his head.
"We do not appreciate foreigners traipsing about our quiet village." He spat.
Bridget sighed.
"Okay, since I can't look around then, can you tell me a little about this village?"
The guard looked at her suspiciously and crossed his arms.
"Ask your damned questions and be on your way then." He stated.
Bridget looked past him at the dismal village and asked,
"How long has Haven been here, exactly? I have never heard of it."
The guard sighed and replied,
"Haven's always been here, we just keep to ourselves."
Bridget slightly narrowed her eyes.
"I see…who is in charge of this village then?"
The guard replied,
"Father Eirik is our spiritual leader and guide."
Leliana raised her eyebrows.
"A Revered Father? I have never heard of this."
He sighed and stated,
"It has always been that way in Haven. We do not question tradition."
Bridget looked at him.
"Are your traditions very different from ours then?" she asked.
The guard cut his eyes at her and said,
"Our ways are not the ways of the lowland cities."
Bridget nodded slowly.
"Interesting…"
The guard shook his head and said,
"You may trade at the shop if you wish, but then I suggest you and your…questionable companions leave."
Zevran looked taken aback.
"Surely you are not referring to me now, are you?"
The guard ignored him and brushed them off. Bridget walked past the guard and led the others into the village. She looked around and furrowed her brow until Alistair nudged her.
"There's a child over there, maybe he can tell us something."
Bridget spotted the boy Alistair spoke of and approached him slowly. He was chanting a rather odd…poem and had a distant look in his eye.
"Err, excuse me, little boy?"
The child stopped mid-sentence in his poem and looked up at her.
"Who are you?" he asked.
Bridget tipped her head to the side.
"Who are you?"
The boy crossed his arms.
"I asked you first." He quipped.
Bridget looked at him. She wasn't about to tell this child her name, so she went with the next best thing.
"I'm a Grey Warden. Know what that is?"
The boy shook his head.
"No, and I don't care to either. We don't associate with lowlanders."
Bridget frowned.
"Okay…"
She thought it odd that the boy seemed to have no interest at all in the fact that she was a Grey Warden. Usually children from Fereldon grow up on the tales of the Warden's bravery and skill. This here was just another unsettling fact to add to her list of curiosity about this village.
"What, why are you looking at me like that?" the boy asked her.
Bridget knelt down in front of him and said,
"Come now, I bet you're clever. Can you tell me anything about Haven?"
The boy shrugged.
"Haven is Haven. But I have a secret; do you want to see it?"
Bridget nodded.
"Why not?" she asked.
The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bone of a finger. The bone looked as if it had been polished as it was a exceptionally bright white color. Bridget stood.
"Where did you get that?" she asked slowly.
The boy replaced the bone and said,
"Over by the mountain. It's a secret, so don't tell anyone okay?"
He then walked away from them, chanting that strange poem again. Alistair cleared his throat.
"Well, that wasn't creepy at all."
Bridget nodded and looked at them.
"Something's going on here…let's go to the shop and see if we can find anything else out."
The others nodded and Bridget led them up a small hill towards the upper part of the city. After asking another village where the shop was located, they told her where to go after pointing out that she didn't look like she was from Haven. Bridget stopped outside the shop and looked at the others.
"Okay, Alistair come in the shop with me. Zevran, since you and Leliana are experts at sneaking about, check the back of the shop, look through the windows and see if you see anything. We'll meet back in front of the shop in about five or ten minutes."
Zevran nodded.
"Sounds like a plan!" he said as he grabbed Leliana's hand.
Bridget and Alistair entered the shop to find the shop keep standing behind the counter. He looked at them curiously.
"Hmm, you don't look like you're from Haven." He noted.
Bridget sighed.
"Why does everybody tell me that like I don't already know it?" she asked.
The shop keep shook his head and replied,
"I'm sorry, we just don't have many visitors. Did you want to trade?"
Bridget nodded. The man laid out his wares on the counter and Bridget pretended to look over them. Alistair happened to glance up and out the nearby window to see Zevran signaling for them outside. He placed his hand on Bridget's shoulder and said,
"Perhaps we can come back later."
Bridget looked at him and knew that something was wrong by the look on his face. She bid farewell to the shop keep and walked out of the shop with Alistair where Leliana and Zevran stood in the shadows waiting for them.
"What did you find?" Bridget whispered.
Leliana swallowed.
"We saw a body laying in the back room…"
Zevran nodded.
"His armor appeared to be from Redcliffe."
Bridget's eyes widened. She followed Zevran and Leliana towards the back of the shop to look into the window.
"Maker…that man was sent here by the fake Weylon!" she hissed.
"And just what do you think you're doing?"
Bridget and the others turned to see the shop keep staring at them. Before he even had a chance to raise his blade, Zevran had snuck up behind him and slit his throat.
"We need to get to the Chantry." Bridget stated.
They were attacked by more villagers along the way and when they finally barged into the Chantry, they found who Bridget guessed was Father Eirik preaching about something that Bridget cared not to know. She pushed her way through the crowd until she stood in front of him. She noticed the staff strapped to his back and narrowed her eyes.
He was an apostate.
"Well, I had heard that we had a guest in our village. Tell me, how are you enjoying Haven so far?"
Bridget rolled her eyes.
"Please, cut the welcoming bullshit and tell me what's going on. I saw the knight's bodies, you can't deny that."
Eirik crossed his arms.
"This, my brothers is what happens when you let an outsider, a lowlander into the village. They have no respect for our privacy."
Bridget narrowed her eyes, her fingers itching to grab her blade.
"You would bring war to Haven with your ignorance, no doubt." He spat.
Alistair took a step forward and asked,
"What have you done with Brother Genitivi?"
Eirik looked at him and replied in a drone like voice,
"We do not owe you any type of explanation for our actions. We have a duty to protect Her. All our sins will be forgiven."
Bridget drew her blade just as fast as Eirik cast a spell. She dodged the fire ball he shot at her and went to aid Leliana. Zevran evaded a freezing spell and provided the distraction Alistair needed. He was able to bash Eirik with his shield. Once he was down, Zevran sunk his blade into his chest. Soon enough, all the other cultists were killed and Bridget and the others stood amongst the bodies. Alistair put his blade back in it's sheath and shook his head.
"Your skills of prediction scare me." He chuckled.
Bridget sighed and smiled before glancing around the room. She noticed a very poorly concealed secret passageway and shook her head.
"You'd think they would've done a better job than this." She stated.
Alistair pushed on the door and immediately it moved out of their way, revealing a frail man lying on the floor amongst scattered papers and books. Bridget rushed over to him.
"Please don't be dead!" she exclaimed.
She knelt next to him and touched the side of his face. His skin was cold…but wait he was stirring! Bridget let out a sigh of relief.
"W-Who are you, oh they've sent you to finish it, haven't they? Please, make it quick…"
Bridget shook her head.
"My name is Bridget, and I am here to help you."
She helped the man sit up slightly before he winced in pain.
"You have no idea how refreshing it is to see someone not from this village." He stated.
Bridget smiled.
"Oh no, I clearly know what you mean."
He winced and grabbed his leg.
"Ugh…my leg is not doing well…and I can no longer feel my foot."
Bridget reached into her pack and pulled out some bandages.
"I have these, they might help. You will need to rest though." She stated.
The man shook his head.
"No, not now…I'm so close, the Urn is just up that mountain."
Bridget's eyes widened.
"You must be Brother Genitivi then! I need to find those ashes, Arl Eamon grows sicker as the days pass on…the Urn is his only hope." She said.
Genitivi's eyes widened.
"He is sick? Will he live?"
Bridget sighed.
"He was poisoned under Loghain's orders." She stated.
Genitivi bowed his head.
"The Arl…he is a good man of a noble soul and heart. Surely the Ashes will save him."
Bridget nodded as Genitivi continued.
"There is an old, old temple within the mountain; it was built to protect the Urn. The temple though…it is always locked, however Eirik wears a medallion. That medallion is the key."
Zevran dipped his hand into his pocked and withdrew a golden necklace with an intricate charm dangling from it.
"Is this it? I nicked it from him after I killed him."
Genitivi nodded.
"That is the very one. If you take me to the mountainside, I will show you."
Bridget looked at him.
"Are you sure you can make the journey?" she asked.
Genitivi nodded.
"I'm not going to let a bum leg stop me from this. If someone gave me their shoulder to help me though, that would be most helpful."
Bridget grinned and helped the Brother stand.
"You may use my shoulder then, good man."
Genitivi nodded.
"Thank you. Come now, before more of those deranged villagers show up."
And so with Genitivi's guidance, Bridget and the others arrived at the Ruined Temple that was carved into the mountain. Bridget placed the medallion in the slot and turned it counterclockwise as Genitivi stated. The great doors soon opened and they slowly entered the Temple.
A/N: Yay! Brother Genitivi's okay! Next chapter Bridget and the others begin to explore the bowels of the temple, coming across some very interesting things. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! :)
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The Last of the Couslands