As it turned out, there wasn't much in the way of darkspawn for Ithilian and Lucien to avoid. A lone scouting party had chanced across them and met a quick end, but apart from that, there was little to oppose them but the uneven footing. He'd started out scouting ahead, but after some time navigating the tunnels, Ithilian had taken to falling back with Lucien. The tunnels all seemed to be leading them in the same general direction, so he could only hope that they eventually led them back across the path of Nostariel and Ashton. He also hoped the ease of their passage didn't mean the other two were being swarmed. If they were, there was little he could do about it but push forward and hope to find them anyway.
"The Alienage received a rather large influx of new residents recently," he said somewhat quietly, and somewhat out of the blue. "Almost more than we were equipped to handle, actually. Most of them had the same story, something about a slave transport, and a rescue orchestrated by, among others, a large Orlesian man with one covered eye. Do you make a habit of freeing slaves, chevalier?" The influx of bodies had undoubtedly put an extra strain on he and Amalia, but Ithilian approved wholeheartedly. He had not even heard about the presence of elven slaves in the area, otherwise he would have taken the fight to the slavers himself.
Though the walk had been mostly silent thus far, Lucien did not mind when that changed. Actually, the comment brought a small smile to him, being rather unsurprised to be described in such a way. Usually, the height, the accent, and the eyepatch were predominant in first impressions of him, from what he could gather. āAh, yes. My apologies for the lack of warning, but I do not believe any of us were expecting to run into slavers. It was initially an unrelated matter, but I was glad to help where I could. We all were, of that Iām quite certain.ā He took the question about his habits to have perhaps a degree of humor, as it was hard to call any such thing a āhabit,ā but he answered with sincerity anyway.
āItās a bit specific, but I suppose Iāve been able to do so more than once, yes. Thoughā¦ admittedly not so many, usually.ā He ran into the occasional slave or prisoner in his line of work, and it wasnāt as though heād ever just leave anyone there to rot in a cage while he walked away free as heād walked in. The thought alone sat uncomfortably ill with him, like heād eaten something spoiled. āIād prefer it if Iād never needed to, butā¦ the world does not change by wishing, no?ā
"No, it does not," Ithilian agreed. He led on in silence a while longer, and was actually a bit relieved when he heard the telltale sounds of a darkspawn up ahead. He held up a hand to Lucien to indicate that he should stop, before lowering it several times, suggesting he crouch down, if he were so willing. The Dalish hunter did so as well, moving behind a large rock that obscured him effectively from the road ahead. A pair of lightly armored hurlocks came into view up ahead, armed with bows and clearly on a patrol of the area, searching for their unwanted guests. The sight of a darkspawn was enough to confirm to Ithilian that not all of them had gone Nostariel's way.
His initial thought was to draw an arrow and rid the world of these vermin. He drew the string back softly, aiming for the nearest one's head... but something stayed his hand. The passage was narrow, and the crisscrossing one would allow the survivor of the attack to disappear swiftly. They weren't immediately in front of Ithilian, either, but some distance away, and they didn't appear to be heading their way, or heading anywhere in any particular sort of hurry. Years ago, he would have dropped the first and charged the second without a moment's hesitation, damning the consequences and doing whatever he could to make their ends as painful as possible.
Now, though... he let the tension out of the bowstring, leaving the arrow nocked. The pair of scouts continued on their way, out of sight, and not in the direction Ithilian had been planning on heading. They would not be warning other darkspawn of their presence anytime soon. He waited until he could hear them no longer, and then stood. "Not so long ago, I would have been reluctant to speak with you at all. Hate is easy to grab hold of, and a double edged sword." He tipped his head sideways to indicate that they should move on. "Some friends of mine have convinced me to try living a little differently. For the most part, I've found myself pleasantly surprised."
He peered around the corner to make sure the two darkspawn were gone, then moved on. "We can't wish change upon the world, and we cannot wish away the changes it has on us, for better or worse. I think, for once, this is going to be better for me."
Lucien moved behind an outcropping of rocks, locking his limbs in a somewhat bent position to prevent any of the plates of his armor from clinking together. He stood with his back pressed to the wall, shielded from sight by the crumbled structural damage, though this also meant he couldnāt see the Darkspawn. He could, however, see Ithilian, and he watched his ally to determine what he should do. His hand drifted slightly towards the haft of the axe, but he lowered it again when he realized that a fight was apparently unnecessary. As soon as the all clear was given, he emerged from the spot, glancing around. No more āSpawn for now, apparently.
They continued down the pathway for a time, and when Ithilian spoke again, Lucien was mildly surprised to hear it. Not, perhaps, for the content of the words, but the fact that they were being said. He pondered the sentiment a while, and then nodded. āThat is not the easiest of transitions to make, but a worthwhile one. Or at least, I have found it so as well. It was not so long ago that I probably would not have spoken to you, either. I wasā¦ much more arrogant, then, and rather insufferable. It was hard to see past my own nose, and that was when I had both eyes with which to make the attempt. The rude awakenings seem to be the most effective, for me.ā Lucien didnāt allow himself to be frustrated by that, anymoreāhe was just glad that he had changed. While he was far from the person he wanted to be even now, at least he knew that there was a difference between the two. And he was certainly closer than he used to be.
So they were both reformed men, then. Ithilian didn't find it too hard to believe. Very rarely did anyone make the right choices the first time around, it seemed. And not all were as lucky as they were. For many, the damage would be irreversible by the time they realized any damage had been done at all.
"The last time we were down here together," Ithilian said, "you told me of the location of a Dalish clan in Ferelden, the Relaferin. I suppose I have you to thank as well for my change, at least in part. My time with them was extremely useful. How is it that you knew of them? Dalish don't often allow outsiders among them, particularly shemlen." If he had done something to gain their respect, then it was possible Ithilian had entirely misjudged Lucien from the very beginning.
Lucien smiled at that, shaking his head faintly as if heād just remembered something fondly. And he did, after a fashion. āAh, so you found them, then. As for how I found themā¦ I think we tend to be willing to put differences aside when survival is at stake, no? Rilien and I had just left Orlais and were crossing Ferelden while the Blight was still active. On our way into the Frostbacks, we stumbled upon a Darkspawn ambush, though not for us.ā He remembered the ensuing argument with some odd sort of amusement, largely because arguing with a Tranquil was a very strange sort of experience.
āIn what was perhaps one of my more indiscreet moments, I tried to flank the ambush. Rilien made sure I didnāt get killed. Even soā¦ it was a bit of an ugly fight. I didnāt know there was a second wave of Darkspawn until I was in the middle of it. Fortunately, the clan was much more tactical than I was and rallied well enough to break through both waves.ā Heād been in something of a bad way after that, actually, and for a while, it was uncertain whether heād managed to contract the Taint or not. All in all, not one of his smarter decisions, but thenā¦ right and smart did not always correlate, as his former Bard friend had always been quick to remind him. āMy injuries delayed me a bit, though, and they were kind enough to let us stay in the meantime. Are they all well? I remember that the ambush destroyed the majority of the aravels, and Iām not sure if the mountains had the right supplies to rebuild them.ā
Indeed, Ithilian felt as if he was seeing the man truly for the first time today. It made him wonder how much else his hate had hidden from his sight. More than the loss of the eye had, no doubt. "They are well, yes," he answered, glad to say it. "By the time I left them, they had moved back down into the woods and rebuilt the aravels. If they are still there now, I cannot say. I would have joined them, actually, if I hadn't had things to make right in Kirkwall. They're good people."
His words became somewhat tinged with a heaviness. "My own clan was further east at the time. I was the only survivor of the Blight among them. Going there again... helped me on my way to making peace with that. My clan was not fortunate enough to come across someone of your caliber... until now, that is."
The chevalierās face pulled into a frown at the thought, and he shook his head. There was definitely an oversight thereāthe feuding civil government had honestly cared very little for the fate of the smallfolk, and even less for the elves, of course. He doubted Ithilianās was the only such story, but that made it no more fortunate. āI am truly sorry to hear that,ā he said, sighing through his nose. He paused a moment, almost certain heād heard something, but after several seconds, it turned out to be nothing in particular, and the scenery wasnāt much changing either. He as well could only hope that Nostariel and Ashton were not being overwhelmed elsewhereāhe was fairly certain that sheād told him the Roads were only supposed to be this deserted for the first couple of years after a Blight. He wasnāt sure how the Spawn built their numbers back up so quickly, but then againā¦ perhaps some things were better unknown.
Picking up his walking pace again, Lucien turned back to Ithilian. āYou know,ā he said at last, āIām willing to help, where itās needed. Iāve not been much to the Alienage, given the fact that it has two very capable guardians alreadyā¦ and I know my presence is not exactly reassuring to some. But if thereās some way I can assist even so, especially given all the new residents, I would like to know what it is. Justā¦ if you happen to think of anything.ā He was stopped from saying anything further, though, because he heard something again, and this time he knew he wasnāt just imagining it. Removing the axe from his back, he raised an eyebrow, as if to ask if Ithilian wanted to go investigate. He had learned his lesson from that ambush, after allāwhere possible, utilize the scout, even if there are only two people on the journey.
Ithilian could indeed think of one thing, but it would have to wait, as he was starting to sense the threat as well. He adjusted his grip on the bowstring and the arrow and moved forward cautiously, to the edge of the corner they were approaching. The sounds and the smell beyond were unmistakably darkspawn, and more powerful than anything he had encountered before, even during the Blight. He peeked around the corner, cautiously. What he saw was something he had always blocked from his mind, but also something he had always known to be true.
"There will be no getting around this," he whispered back to Lucien. That was when he caught sight of Ashton. "But at least we're not alone."
"The Alienage received a rather large influx of new residents recently," he said somewhat quietly, and somewhat out of the blue. "Almost more than we were equipped to handle, actually. Most of them had the same story, something about a slave transport, and a rescue orchestrated by, among others, a large Orlesian man with one covered eye. Do you make a habit of freeing slaves, chevalier?" The influx of bodies had undoubtedly put an extra strain on he and Amalia, but Ithilian approved wholeheartedly. He had not even heard about the presence of elven slaves in the area, otherwise he would have taken the fight to the slavers himself.
Though the walk had been mostly silent thus far, Lucien did not mind when that changed. Actually, the comment brought a small smile to him, being rather unsurprised to be described in such a way. Usually, the height, the accent, and the eyepatch were predominant in first impressions of him, from what he could gather. āAh, yes. My apologies for the lack of warning, but I do not believe any of us were expecting to run into slavers. It was initially an unrelated matter, but I was glad to help where I could. We all were, of that Iām quite certain.ā He took the question about his habits to have perhaps a degree of humor, as it was hard to call any such thing a āhabit,ā but he answered with sincerity anyway.
āItās a bit specific, but I suppose Iāve been able to do so more than once, yes. Thoughā¦ admittedly not so many, usually.ā He ran into the occasional slave or prisoner in his line of work, and it wasnāt as though heād ever just leave anyone there to rot in a cage while he walked away free as heād walked in. The thought alone sat uncomfortably ill with him, like heād eaten something spoiled. āIād prefer it if Iād never needed to, butā¦ the world does not change by wishing, no?ā
"No, it does not," Ithilian agreed. He led on in silence a while longer, and was actually a bit relieved when he heard the telltale sounds of a darkspawn up ahead. He held up a hand to Lucien to indicate that he should stop, before lowering it several times, suggesting he crouch down, if he were so willing. The Dalish hunter did so as well, moving behind a large rock that obscured him effectively from the road ahead. A pair of lightly armored hurlocks came into view up ahead, armed with bows and clearly on a patrol of the area, searching for their unwanted guests. The sight of a darkspawn was enough to confirm to Ithilian that not all of them had gone Nostariel's way.
His initial thought was to draw an arrow and rid the world of these vermin. He drew the string back softly, aiming for the nearest one's head... but something stayed his hand. The passage was narrow, and the crisscrossing one would allow the survivor of the attack to disappear swiftly. They weren't immediately in front of Ithilian, either, but some distance away, and they didn't appear to be heading their way, or heading anywhere in any particular sort of hurry. Years ago, he would have dropped the first and charged the second without a moment's hesitation, damning the consequences and doing whatever he could to make their ends as painful as possible.
Now, though... he let the tension out of the bowstring, leaving the arrow nocked. The pair of scouts continued on their way, out of sight, and not in the direction Ithilian had been planning on heading. They would not be warning other darkspawn of their presence anytime soon. He waited until he could hear them no longer, and then stood. "Not so long ago, I would have been reluctant to speak with you at all. Hate is easy to grab hold of, and a double edged sword." He tipped his head sideways to indicate that they should move on. "Some friends of mine have convinced me to try living a little differently. For the most part, I've found myself pleasantly surprised."
He peered around the corner to make sure the two darkspawn were gone, then moved on. "We can't wish change upon the world, and we cannot wish away the changes it has on us, for better or worse. I think, for once, this is going to be better for me."
Lucien moved behind an outcropping of rocks, locking his limbs in a somewhat bent position to prevent any of the plates of his armor from clinking together. He stood with his back pressed to the wall, shielded from sight by the crumbled structural damage, though this also meant he couldnāt see the Darkspawn. He could, however, see Ithilian, and he watched his ally to determine what he should do. His hand drifted slightly towards the haft of the axe, but he lowered it again when he realized that a fight was apparently unnecessary. As soon as the all clear was given, he emerged from the spot, glancing around. No more āSpawn for now, apparently.
They continued down the pathway for a time, and when Ithilian spoke again, Lucien was mildly surprised to hear it. Not, perhaps, for the content of the words, but the fact that they were being said. He pondered the sentiment a while, and then nodded. āThat is not the easiest of transitions to make, but a worthwhile one. Or at least, I have found it so as well. It was not so long ago that I probably would not have spoken to you, either. I wasā¦ much more arrogant, then, and rather insufferable. It was hard to see past my own nose, and that was when I had both eyes with which to make the attempt. The rude awakenings seem to be the most effective, for me.ā Lucien didnāt allow himself to be frustrated by that, anymoreāhe was just glad that he had changed. While he was far from the person he wanted to be even now, at least he knew that there was a difference between the two. And he was certainly closer than he used to be.
So they were both reformed men, then. Ithilian didn't find it too hard to believe. Very rarely did anyone make the right choices the first time around, it seemed. And not all were as lucky as they were. For many, the damage would be irreversible by the time they realized any damage had been done at all.
"The last time we were down here together," Ithilian said, "you told me of the location of a Dalish clan in Ferelden, the Relaferin. I suppose I have you to thank as well for my change, at least in part. My time with them was extremely useful. How is it that you knew of them? Dalish don't often allow outsiders among them, particularly shemlen." If he had done something to gain their respect, then it was possible Ithilian had entirely misjudged Lucien from the very beginning.
Lucien smiled at that, shaking his head faintly as if heād just remembered something fondly. And he did, after a fashion. āAh, so you found them, then. As for how I found themā¦ I think we tend to be willing to put differences aside when survival is at stake, no? Rilien and I had just left Orlais and were crossing Ferelden while the Blight was still active. On our way into the Frostbacks, we stumbled upon a Darkspawn ambush, though not for us.ā He remembered the ensuing argument with some odd sort of amusement, largely because arguing with a Tranquil was a very strange sort of experience.
āIn what was perhaps one of my more indiscreet moments, I tried to flank the ambush. Rilien made sure I didnāt get killed. Even soā¦ it was a bit of an ugly fight. I didnāt know there was a second wave of Darkspawn until I was in the middle of it. Fortunately, the clan was much more tactical than I was and rallied well enough to break through both waves.ā Heād been in something of a bad way after that, actually, and for a while, it was uncertain whether heād managed to contract the Taint or not. All in all, not one of his smarter decisions, but thenā¦ right and smart did not always correlate, as his former Bard friend had always been quick to remind him. āMy injuries delayed me a bit, though, and they were kind enough to let us stay in the meantime. Are they all well? I remember that the ambush destroyed the majority of the aravels, and Iām not sure if the mountains had the right supplies to rebuild them.ā
Indeed, Ithilian felt as if he was seeing the man truly for the first time today. It made him wonder how much else his hate had hidden from his sight. More than the loss of the eye had, no doubt. "They are well, yes," he answered, glad to say it. "By the time I left them, they had moved back down into the woods and rebuilt the aravels. If they are still there now, I cannot say. I would have joined them, actually, if I hadn't had things to make right in Kirkwall. They're good people."
His words became somewhat tinged with a heaviness. "My own clan was further east at the time. I was the only survivor of the Blight among them. Going there again... helped me on my way to making peace with that. My clan was not fortunate enough to come across someone of your caliber... until now, that is."
The chevalierās face pulled into a frown at the thought, and he shook his head. There was definitely an oversight thereāthe feuding civil government had honestly cared very little for the fate of the smallfolk, and even less for the elves, of course. He doubted Ithilianās was the only such story, but that made it no more fortunate. āI am truly sorry to hear that,ā he said, sighing through his nose. He paused a moment, almost certain heād heard something, but after several seconds, it turned out to be nothing in particular, and the scenery wasnāt much changing either. He as well could only hope that Nostariel and Ashton were not being overwhelmed elsewhereāhe was fairly certain that sheād told him the Roads were only supposed to be this deserted for the first couple of years after a Blight. He wasnāt sure how the Spawn built their numbers back up so quickly, but then againā¦ perhaps some things were better unknown.
Picking up his walking pace again, Lucien turned back to Ithilian. āYou know,ā he said at last, āIām willing to help, where itās needed. Iāve not been much to the Alienage, given the fact that it has two very capable guardians alreadyā¦ and I know my presence is not exactly reassuring to some. But if thereās some way I can assist even so, especially given all the new residents, I would like to know what it is. Justā¦ if you happen to think of anything.ā He was stopped from saying anything further, though, because he heard something again, and this time he knew he wasnāt just imagining it. Removing the axe from his back, he raised an eyebrow, as if to ask if Ithilian wanted to go investigate. He had learned his lesson from that ambush, after allāwhere possible, utilize the scout, even if there are only two people on the journey.
Ithilian could indeed think of one thing, but it would have to wait, as he was starting to sense the threat as well. He adjusted his grip on the bowstring and the arrow and moved forward cautiously, to the edge of the corner they were approaching. The sounds and the smell beyond were unmistakably darkspawn, and more powerful than anything he had encountered before, even during the Blight. He peeked around the corner, cautiously. What he saw was something he had always blocked from his mind, but also something he had always known to be true.
"There will be no getting around this," he whispered back to Lucien. That was when he caught sight of Ashton. "But at least we're not alone."