The Dalish Warden (The Daughters of Thedas Book 1)

55: Playing Politics

We were in the courtyard when I turned to the others. "Loghain is up to something in the Alienage," I said. "That something has the Elves riled. So we should be careful when we go in there."

"Another dangerous task, I see," Morrigan said. "'Tis becoming a normal thing for us, is it not?"

"Maybe we should see if we can hear some rumors first," Zevran said. "Taverns are the place to listen in."

"And find trouble," Alistair put in.

"We can kill two birds with one stone," I said. "We can get a feel for where the nobles here for the Landsmeet loyalties lie and maybe hear a rumor or two about the Alienage."

"She has a point," Morrigan agreed.

We went to the Gnawed Noble Tavern, which was across from Genitivi's house. When we walked in we heard a pair of nobles talking about Howe's demise. They both seemed very pleased that the man was dead.

"A place for the wealthy nobleman to drunkenly lounge about and wait for their turn to be pick-pocketed," Zevran said. "Marvelous!"

I rolled my eyes. "Try not to pick-pocket anyone," I said. "That will not help our cause."

Morrigan chuckled.

A waitress walked up to us. "The nobleman in the booth over there wishes to speak with you." She indicated one of the nobles who had been speaking of Howe.

"Looks like you have an admirer of the noble kind," Morrigan quipped.

"Ha ha, Morrigan."

I went over to him and he looked me over. I hoped my annoyance at the way he was looking me over wasn't showing on my face. Actually, I hoped it was. The Elven racism was getting very old, very quickly.

"I thought it was you," he said. "The Dalish woman. My son described you in great detail, right down to your tattoo and eye color. He tells me that I owe you his life." Not what I was expecting to hear. Truthfully, I was expecting some comment about some knife ears intruding on his escape from the stresses of the Landsmeet.  I realized then that this must be Bann Sighard, the father of Oswyn, the young man we had freed from Howe's torturers. "Oswyn is my only son. You may ask any reward it is in my power to find." He was indeed grateful for his son's rescue. I could see it in his eyes. And in the fact that he was ignoring that I am an Elf.

"All I want is for you to speak out against Loghain," I said.

Sighard nodded. "Thank you again. Know that I will stand behind you at the Landsmeet with all the support I can muster. In fact," he added with a smile. "I shall be taking my supper today with Bann Reginalda of the White River Bannorn. I'll speak to her about this at once."

"My thanks."

"No, my thanks for returning my son to me. I will be forever grateful for this."

We left him and Zevran and Morrigan split away from us to see what they could hear. I spotted a dark-haired woman in light armor that looked a lot like Irminric. Alistair and I approached her.

She looked up at us. "May I help you?" she asked.

"Excuse the intrusion, but are you Alfstanna?" I asked.

"How did you know my name?"

I pulled Irminric's ring from my pack. Thankfully, my pack hadn't been touched during my stay in Fort Drakon. "I was asked to give you this." I handed it to her.

She studied it. "This... is Irminric's. Explain yourself! My brother would no more part from this ring than with his own head!"

"Irminric asks that you pray for him."

"I haven't heard from him in months. Where is he? What happened?"

"He was captured while chasing a Maleficar."

"Captured by whom? And why? I think I will have to get this story from my brother himself. Thank you for bringing me this news. If you will be so kind as to tell me where he is, I will go to him at once."

"If I tell you this, I would like your support against Loghain at the Landsmeet."

Alfstanna chuckled. "Ah, politics. You're more canny than I thought. Appearances can be deceiving indeed. My voice will be yours then, assuming I find Irminric alive." Fair enough.

"He's in the dungeon of Howe's estate here in Denerim. He was alive when I saw him last."

"Thank you. Take this." She handed me a necklace with a blue-green stone. "Waking Sea will not forget your assistance." She excused herself and left the tavern. And I wondered what it was with humans insisting on giving gifts as rewards.

"You scare me," Alistair said. I gave him a puzzling look. "If I didn't know better, I would have said you'd grown up doing that. You've grasped the politics game very quickly."

"Well, I kinda had to, didn't I?"

"Good point."

We were joined by Zevran and Morrigan. "Not a single rumor can be heard about the unrest, but there are several nobles who support the Grey Wardens," Morrigan reported.

"Well, that's good news."

We left the tavern and Alistair led the way to the Alienage. Zevran read a notice on the Alienage wall and chuckled. "Realin, Alistair, look at this," he called.

"'Don't believe the lies!'" Alistair read aloud. "'Friends of the Grey Wardens assemble. The hidden pearl holds the key to resistance. The griffons will rise again'."

"At least we still have allies," I said. We turned and went into the Alienage. Pol had lived in the Alienage before coming to my clan. But even with his stories, I really had no idea what to expect among the flat ears.