Opposites Road

The men were oddly silent when she came down the stairs from her room. They watched her as she made her way through the tables. She shot a questioning look to the young woman who had brought her food and clothes and all she got was an embarrassed look and a shrug. It seemed the maid had let it slip that Teagan and her were not going to be more than what they were and the men were not taking it well.

Outside of the inn Shale was eying the growing flock of birds that had come in from the harbor from underneath the large overhang of the inn's roof. She bit back a chuckle and sidled up to her.

"They aren't going to do anything to you." she said. " They are far from here

"Filthy birds." Shale growled. "With their beady little eyes."

"Indeed," Ealisay thought for a moment. "in some places have a bird drop their filth on you is considered good luck." she shuddered slightly.

"They are wrong." Shale demanded. "I've had the worst luck."

"You're not the only one." Ealisay shook off the heavy feeling that was coming over her and sighed. "If we get going now the birds will be less likely to find you."

She started down the hill of the tavern with Shale in tow behind her. Major was sitting next to Jowan, either to protect the mage from the villagers' vengeance or to make sure he didn't escape. Ser Perth was not far away and he bowed his head in greeting before taking his station near Jowan.

"Bann Teagan has placed me in charge of the mage while you are away." the knight replied as Major did as he was told.

Ealisay looked down at the mage. "If anyone is going into the Fade then it will be you. You must atone for your actions."

"I-" Jowan started to protest but sighed in defeat. "I shall do as you say.'

"Good." she shifted her attention to Perth. "Where is Bann Teagan?"

"He is down at the docks by the general store." he answered.

"My thanks." she replied with a small nod and started down the steep hill and over the bridge down into the village.

The first person she ran into was Murdock who was still in his leather armor. He approached her as she came near.

"I never got to thank you for what you did for us." he started. "Without you or Bann Teagan we would all be dead."

"No, without your men your families would be dead." she replied. "I merely helped. If the creatures attack again during the night I am gone do the same plan as we did last night and you should be fine."

Murdock nodded. "Good luck my lady."

Ealisay quirked a smile. "Thank you, Murdock." she dismissed him with a nod and kept to her path.

The Bann was on the sloping shore near the general store where Perth said he was. Next to him was a small row boat and two other men. They turned when they heard the heavy steps of Shale behind her.

The men with Teagan stared openly at the golem, their eyes wide and their mouths nearly hitting the sand under their feet. She paid it no mind and instead focused her sight on Teagan who was also staring.

"Lady Cousland this is Captain Malcolm and his second Zee," the men bowed with their name. "They shall be taking you on the Tranquil to the dock on the shore nearest to the Circle Tower."

"Aye, the Templars won't let our dinghy come withing twenty meters of the island but they have a ferry that can take you across to the Tower. We shall, of course, take anchor until you have concluded your business there and take you, and the mages, on the return trip back." Malcolm said with a courteous smile. He studied Shale for a moment. "I think it might be better for your stony friend to stay here. My dinghy will not be able to take it to the ship without sinking."

"Oh dear," Shale mocked. "I should hate for that to happen."

Ealisay shot the golem an accusatory glance and looked over at Teagan. "You might watching Shale, would you?"

The older man eyed Shale for a moment and shrugged. "I suppose not, it might come in handy if we are attacked while you are gone."

"Goody." Shale sneered. "More squishy parts to be splattered all over me. How fun."

"I'm sure they'll be glad to scrub you down after the battle." Ealisay replied sweetly. "Now, please behave and don't kill any chickens while I'm gone."

"I don't like this one bit." the golem huffed.

"I'm not going to be fighting anything and I'm sure there will be dozens of birds following us over the lake," she shot the captain a warning glance. "Isn't that right, Captain?"

"Oh yes! Loads of birds all messy and-" the man played along to her question.

"No need to get dirty," Shale grumbled. "Go off and play with the disgusting little mages. Wouldn't want them to get the idea that they can experiment on me like the last one."

"Excellent." Ealisay grinned at the Captain. "Let's be off we're wasting time."

Malcolm bowed again and guided her over to the dinghy, as he called it. "Watch your step." he replied as she climbed over the side and took a seat on the bench in the middle. Major hopped in after her and sat in front of her. Malcolm and Zee started to push the dinghy off. "Don't you worry Bann, ser, we'll have your lady there and back before you know it."

"Maker watch over you, Lady." replied Teagan as the Captain and his second hopped into the small boat and started rowing to the ship that would take her to the Mages and hopefully and end to Redcliffe's troubles.

The traverse between shore and ship was a relatively quick but for her the distance was too few. She had no control over how fast they were going and that was something she was not used to. Shale and Major walked at her speed or rode at the pace she gave them. The Tranquil was standard styling of Calenhad ships with the bright read and white widow coverings over the windows of the captain's cabin. The crew that stayed of the ship lowered a swing that she slipped into so that they could pull her up over the side to keep propriety. Two of the stronger men met her at the edge and helped her over the side and placed her deftly on the deck. They tipped their hats to her and went back to raising anchor. Major would be hauled up with the dinghy since he could neither climb or use the swing.

Malcolm and Zee were not far behind her and Malcolm smiled broadly at her. "This way my lady. You shall use my cabin as your own."

Ealisay nodded and followed him as he showed her to her cabin. "How long shall it take for us to reach the Tower?" she asked. To her a "day" meant one span of time but could mean something different to Teagan and the Captain. Malcolm opened the door to the lower decks for her and ushered her through.

"With the wind coming from the south as she is it will take us less time than the Bann told you." Malcolm reassured her. "We should reach there about two hours after sundown."

"That is good to hear." she replied solemnly. "Thank you for the use of your cabin. I shall need to rest before seeing the First Enchanter."

"I shall have my men watch your hound for a while, if you wish."

Ealisay smiled and shook her head. "He can be a little troublesome but thank you for the offer."

"As you say I will have him brought down. I shall leave you for now." Malcolm bowed again and left Ealisay to the cabin.

It was a nice sized cabin, very tidy, with a map of Lake Calenhad on one wall and few shelves with books and other odds and ends scattered through out. At the side of the window was a desk and behind that was a long storage unit that spanned the length of the windows and acted as a seating area as well.

The door behind her opened and Major padded in. He looked up at her and barked softly.

"My first time on a ship as well, Major." she replied as the ship's bell sounded.

The mabari came over and jumped onto the seating area. One of the villagers had taken the liberty of giving Major a bath and he was clean of kaddis and gore. She plucked a book off a shelf about Antivan sailing and took a seat beside her companion. Like she did when she left the castle with Ser Gilmore she used Major as a back cushion and leaned against him to hold her up.


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The trip was quiet with reading and napping and a couple of meals with the captain and his officers. They were pleasantly polite with some table manners. It seemed that they had been sailors in the Ferelden navy and took to the lake trade to support and be near their families. They told her the news that had traveled through Ferelden behind her.

Lothering had been taken by the darkspawn after the defeat at Ostagar. The refugees that escaped had fled into the Bannorn for safety. Ealisay thought of the Orlesian woman in the Chantry and said a silent prayer for the woman to be safely out of Lothering. What concerned her more was that Arl Howe had convinced most of the Bannorn that her family were traitors and he was now Teryn of Highever and Arl of Denerim since the Arl died at Ostagar and his son died in a riot by the elves at the Denerim Alienage.

The thought of Howe sleeping where her father and mother had and his son...poor Thomas. Hopefully he wasn't in on his father's plan. Howe had played his deception very well the night her family died. She forced her hands to loosen their grip on her knife and fork before her hosts noticed. She plastered a polite smile on her face as she listened to the men finish their lunch and their conversations.

Sailors, she was told, were quick about their work and very clean if they were navy men. It was true for the crew aboard the Tranquil who cleared the lunch table and situated the cabin so that it was as if lunch had never been served. For the rest of the afternoon she kept to reading and figuring out how she would approach the Circle to ask for their aid. Major chewed on a large marrow bone that the cook had given him as a treat.

The sight of the lake turning from blue-green to topaz and finally inky black as the sun set was a beautiful sight that she hadn't witnessed the night before. The crew kept themselves entertained on the main deck with dancing and singing songs that sailors must have sung for centuries.

From above them the crew man in the crow's nest called out: "Kinhold Tower off the port bow!"

The music stopped and the crew rushed to do their duties. Captain Malcolm came over to her with a proud smile. "Just as I said, my lady. Will shall have you at the ferry dock within the hour."

"You have been most gracious, Captain Malcolm." she smiled up at him and then to the moon, full and climbing above them. "Hopefully it won't take long to get the Mages back so that we may reach Redcliffe as soon as possible."

"Maker hope so." Malcolm agreed and shouted an order one of the crew. With a small bow he left her and Major to watch the docks inch closer at the bow of the ship.

Zee and another sailor, a broad shouldered man by the name of Sue rowed her and Major over to the shore where the ferryman took across those who needed to the tower. There was an inn that the two men would wait for her in until she was done at the Tower.

At the dock stood a templar, fresh faced and bored, who looked her up and down in an accusatory as she came onto the docks. "No you cannot go to the Tower."

Ealisay tilted her head curiously and then flashed him a sweet smile. "Why not?"

"The knight-commander has ordered that the Tower be closed until he says so."

Ealisay pouted and sidled closer to the templar, " Please can you take me across?"

"No, I'm sorry I already took the Grey Warden and a few of his companions across."

"But it's important." her eyes grew sadder as she looked up at the young man. The sad and lost worked always worked with Fergus and Gilmore so she hoped it worked on all young men. "The Arl of Redcliffe's son is possessed by a demon and is terrorizing the village with the walking dead."

The templar had the gall to laugh at her. "Oh! Now that is a story! Walking dead! You're crazy lady."

The pout left Ealisay's face. "Major." she called and smiled up at the templar as her Mabari trotted up next to her. "Now sir it is not nice to ridicule a lady."

The templar laughed again. "A lady? Oh ha ha and I'm the Queen of Ferelden."

Ealisay's eyes narrowed into slits and Major growled menacingly at the Templar. Quicker than he could react she grabbed the templar by the breast plate and threw him over the side of dock. She didn't wait to see if he made it to the surface.

"To the boat." she ordered Major as she sprinted over to it. She ripped the rope off a pylon and jumped into the boat with it.

The templar was trying to reach the end of the dock when she started rowing for the Tower. "Hey come back here!" he shouted. "By order of the Templars come back here this instant!"

Ealisay was four boat lengths away before she tried to answer him. "Serves you right for laughing at me!" she shouted back and noticed that people were coming out of the inn to see what the fuss was about. Major barked a couple of times in agreement with his mistress.

She saw Zee and Sue running up to the dock to help the templar out of the water though the water was not deep enough for him to drown. Seeing the men had things well in hand she started her rowing in earnest. The dress was not too constricting on her shoulders so she could put her full strength into the movements. The feeling of moving the tiny boat was exhilarating to her as she watched the shore she was leaving and turning to see the Tower getting bigger.

The small waves rolling onto the Tower's shore helped at the end where she could concentrate on securing the rope that held the boat onto the dock. She grabbed a hold of the pylon and slipped the rope over it. Major jumped out of the boat and with his massive paws hunched down to hold the boat in place so that Ealisay could scramble out. From the Tower they heard a hound barking and Major barked excitedly back and ran off.

"Major!" Ealisay called after him and started to chase him at a jog. She followed the path that her hound must have take until she reached the entrance of the Tower.

The two Templars standing guard did not question her as she caught up with her hound. They bowed to her and opened the double doors for her. Inside stood a few templars and mages with for others, one of them a hound. A gray haired mage turned to see had entered the tower along with the trio and the dog.

She recognized one of them and one of them recognized her.

"Sister Leliana? Thank the Maker you're safe. When I heard about Lothering I had feared that you had been there." Ealisay was relieved to see the young woman safely away from the chantry.

"You." Leliana replied in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"I came on behalf of Bann Teagan and Arlessa Isolde." she replied.

"What can we do for you, my child?" an old mage asked turning her attention from the sister to him.

Ealisay turned to the old mage. "There is possessed child and we need to expel the demon..."

"Of course." the mage replied. " You wish to leave the child unharmed."

Ealisay nodded. "Yes, he is inside the castle and we cannot heal the Arl until we free the child."

One of the non-mages, a tall blond man in chainmail stepped closer. "What is a possessed child doing in the castle?"

Ealisay eyed the man. "Does it matter? There is a child in need, a village harassed by the walking dead and a man in need of healing." she snarled and turned back to the mage. "Ser, I beseech you to bring the lyrium and mages necessary to help us...I can explain in greater detail on the ship back to Redcliffe."

"We are on our way to Redcliffe to speak to Arl Eamon." Leliana interjected. She gestured to the elf and the blond man. "May we ride along?"

"Of course I'm sure there is enough room. I owe you a debt, sister, it's the least I can do."

"It will take us a few hours."the elder mage replied. "We've had a...problem that has taken a few of us out of action."

Ealisay looked around and saw, for the first time, the injured mages and templars. "Is there anything I-"

The entrance doors to the tower opened with a crash making everyone spin from their current positions to see who it was. It was the templar that Ealisay had pushed off the dock and stolen the boat. He was still wet from his swim with Zee and Sue right behind him wearing smirks. Major and the other hound growled at the man and sidled over to their masters.

"Templar Carroll!" the Knight-Commander barked. "What is the meaning of this?"

"That-that woman incapacitated me and stole the boat while I was drowning."

Ealisay scoffed. "The water was as high as my chest and you were being rude! Should have put you over my knee and spanked you like the child you are."

The blond man tried to stifle a laugh as did Zee and Sue. Carroll was steaming with anger at the actions of a woman smaller than himself and unarmed.

The Knight-Commander studied her for a moment and then sighed. "We will speak of this later, Carroll, go get dry and cleaned up in the barracks."

The young man straightened up. "Yes, Knight Commander." he bowed slightly and strode away from his enemy.

The Templar commander turned to the elder mage. "Irving, I don't think that any of the mages should be leaving the temple as of yet."

"This young lady has come all the way from Redcliffe and has defied your order of quarantine to help save lives." Irving replied.

"Irving." a woman feminine voice chimed in. Ealisay turned to see a white haired woman in red mage's robes come over to them. "I have a request. I wish to travel with the Grey Wardens, to help them with the Blight."

Ealisay was a little shocked at hearing that Grey Wardens had survived. She looked from Leliana to the blond man and then to the elf

"Are you sure, Wynne?" Irving asked.

"We would be honored." the elf replied.

"I cannot deny you anything Wynne." Irving replied with a small smile and turned back to Ealisay. "How do you know that the child is possessed by a demon?"

"The blood mage who poisoned the arl said that because the child was untrained the Veil could have been opened accidentally."

"A blood mage poisoned the Arl?" the blond Warden asked, aghast. "How did a blood mage get into the castle."

Ealisay tensed at her slip and looked up at the Warden. "I think this conversation is better left on the return trip to Redcliffe. Hmm?"

The Warden looked a little put out. She gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm sorry but we haven't been introduced."

"Oh, that is my fault." Leliana replied she thought for a moment and chuckled. "I do not even know your name either."

Ealisay's smile broadened. "I am Ealisay from Highever."

"I am Alistair, my lady." the blond man greeted and bowed to her.

The elf stepped forward and bowed though he didn't need to. "I am Daylen."

"Please there is no need for that Ealisay is fine," she chuckled and Major barked at her. "Oh excuse me, this is Major."

The hound barked happily at them and wagged his tail which caused his back end to follow suit. The hound that was with them mirrored Major and they bounded off together.

"We shall be ready within the hour, Lady Cousland." said Irving.

"Thank you," she replied and turned to Zee and Sue.

Zee lifted his eyes from where he was...staring and bowed. " We shall go and tell the Captain to bring the ship over to the tower. Come on." he replied and left their new passengers to prepare for the voyage.