There and Back Again Ch. 101-102

"Oh yes. Aedan was fighting him while the rest of us dealt with the guards and the mage; Howe was quite good for an old man." He grinned, his expression feral. "Nathaniel was supposed to wait outside the door, but instead he followed us, picked up one of the dead guards' swords, and ran his father through. Cut his throat, after, for good measure. Aedan told him he didn't have to, that he shouldn't have had to kill his own father...but hearing what he's been through, I'm not sure if that's true. I imagine it might provide Nathaniel some..."

"Closure?"

"Just so. Now, tell me about the palace?"

I told him what I knew of the discussion, the assassination attempt, and Loghain's responses.

"I'm guessing this Cauthrien didn't know about Loghain hiring the Crows, then, yes? How I'd love to be able to tell her."

"You'll get your chance at the Landsmeet. She'll be there with orders to keep us out. Even without all this, she'd let us through. She idolizes Loghain, but she's not stupid. Just a little blind."

I spent a while going from room to room, checking in on my companions, while I waited for the meeting to be finished. I'd barely seen Duncan in a couple of days, and so I spent a while chatting with him, ensuring he was caught up on all the details of what had been happening.

As I'd predicted, he wasn't happy that I'd put myself at risk by writing to Nathaniel, and was even less pleased with my letter to Varric.

"What if the Chantry hear about your skills as aseer?" he asked, after I paraphrased the one to Varric. "Bad enough Greagoir knows. You think it will matter to them that you have templar powers when you seem to be able to predict the future? Or when they learn you were sent to another realm by darkspawn magic? Never mind the Grey Wardens. I'm sure they'd love to study you and find out how you seem to nullify the taint somehow, and determine how much you know about the Architect. If they even dreamed of how many of their secrets you knew, they'd probably try to put you through the Joining again, which could very well kill you, given your...odd...reaction to the last Joining."

"I know, Duncan. I know, it's a risk. But you think it's better to allow Kirkwall to degenerate into chaos, to not prevent all-out war between mages and templars, given the chance? My life isn't worth all of those who might be saved."

He sighed. "I thought you told Alistair you don't have a hero complex."

I snorted a laugh and hugged him. "It's not a hero complex. It's a duty, and you, of all people, can't blame me for that, right?"

He chuckled and kissed my forehead. "Fair enough."

I checked in on the others in the barracks; Sten was impatient to get done with the politicking so we could get back to trying to kill the Archdemon, Jowan was anxious being in a city so near a very large, well-staffed Chantry, and the dwarves were bored and wanted to find something to go kill, though Bel had been working on his voice training when Leli had time, and he barely stuttered at all any more. Anders was asleep, still recovering from the magebane.

Blake was practicing his letters, between running errands for Theron, Duncan, or any of the others. He assured me he was doing well, and that no one had been unkind to him since Theron had taken him on. He'd probably put on ten pounds, since that day in the kitchens at Redcliffe, and he was going to need new clothes soon. I read with him for a while, just enjoying the simple pleasures of reading and watching a keen student learn.

I knew Morrigan had taken to eavesdropping in bird form, but I found Wulf and the other women – Kallian, Solona, Wynne, and Leliana – in the dining room, mostly trying to help Kallian feel at ease, from what I could tell. Wynne had checked her out and declared that Anders had done a good job at healing her, leaving her physically well, at any rate, and everyone just refrained from asking about her mental state.

I sat down with them in the middle of a discussion about what Kallian wanted to do since she was free. She didn't seem to know, just insisted she could not live in the Alienage anymore, though she did want to go visit her father. Happy to have something to do, we decided we would accompany her there right away. Faren was happy to come, as was Zevran, so we all went to change into armour and meet in the hall. Wulf, Solona, Leliana, Wynne, Zevran, Faren, and I all accompanied Kallian when we left Eamon's. She seemed less nervous with fewer humans around, and so many women. Wearing armour, a borrowed bow on her back, with a handful of people following her, she seemed almost like what I imagined she'd been before Vaughn – confident, relaxed, competent.

Until we were approached by a guard. I didn't recognise him, but he must have been one of Kylon's, since no one else should have been patrolling the Alienage gates. The poor sergeant hadn't been able to rid his ranks of all the idiots, apparently; this one was probably in his twenties, had tiny, piggy eyes and was significantly overweight. He had a sword at his hip, a heavy, impractical, ceremonial thing that looked like it had never been used, but no helmet and the straps on his armour strained against his bulk.

He held an apple, biting into it noisily and then addressing Kallian with his mouth full, spittle and chunks of apple spraying from his lips. "Oy, you! Knife-ears!"

Kallian tensed, and Wulf took her arm, dragging her halfway behind him. I stepped forward, blocking his line of sight to the fearful elf, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Ser?" I inquired, voice flat but not disrespectful. "May I help you?"

He looked me over, his gaze travelling over my tight-fitting armour with a leer. He tore his gaze from my chest to look back at my face. "I've got no quarrel with you, though I wouldn't mind getting to know you better, sweetheart." Zev stirred behind me, and I waved my hand in a gesture I hoped he'd understand. "But them knife-ears can't just parade around here with weapons. They're goin' to Fort Drakon."

I drew myself up, trying to look as haughty as I could. "I am lady Sierra Cousland, and these are my guards and my lady's maid. You shall not interfere here, guardsman, or I can guarantee your superiors will not be pleased by my complaints."

He looked at Kallian skeptically. "Body guards, I could almost let pass, my Lady, but that's no lady's maid." His tone was a little more respectful, but I still wanted to strangle him with my bare hands.

I took a chance that he was a pervert, in addition to an idiot. "Oh, you know, hired body guards are all fine and dandy, but there's nothing quite like the protection of a well-trained friend with unquestioning loyalty." I winked, and his eyes widened. I could hear Zevran chuckle at my back. "And she is very well trained."

He looked at her again, apparently unconvinced, and I glanced back to see her standing firm, cheeks flushed, but refusing to back down. I tilted my head, gesturing to her bow, and with a nod she unslung it and nocked an arrow. I turned back, grabbed the apple from his hand, and tossed it into the air, hoping beyond hope that she knew what she was doing with that bow. I probably should have asked her first.

To my relief, she spun and fired so fast I barely registered the movement, and the apple was pierced neatly through the center and pinned to the side of the building an inch from the idiot's right ear. The shaft vibrated with the force of the shot, and I doubted I'd be strong enough to pry the arrow free.

The guard gasped and jumped away, then turned to glower at the elf. He looked like he might try to make something of it, and I sighed.

I fished through the coin pouch on my belt while I nodded my head at the group behind me. "Look, guardsman, the group you see behind me are all that good." I nodded at the arrow. "They're not going to go quietly, and you're here all alone. And your sergeant owes my family a really big favour. Take this," I gave him a small handful of coin, "and go buy yourself a new apple. Forget you saw us. And next time you see Sergeant Kylon, ask him about my brother, Aedan Cousland, the Grey Warden. I think you'll find he agrees that you should walk away."

Grumbling, shooting dirty looks at me and Kallian both, ser piggy finally turned and walked away, leaving the gate unguarded. I approached Kallian slowly, stopping a few feet away. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yes. Though I'm not sure whether to be flattered or irritated." She chuckled, and I relaxed, releasing a breath I hadn't realised I was holding. I had been afraid she'd be offended – or traumatised – by my implication that she was a servant in more than just the traditional sense. It was sickening and racist, but it felt at the time like the best way to end the conflict before someone had gotten hurt.

"Definitely flattered."

"I'm sorry that I cost you-"

"Nothing I wasn't more-than-willing to pay. I'm just sorry it was necessary. Nice shot, by the way." I grinned.

"Not that nice – I meant to nick his cheek."