A long voyage ends...Another begins

Kaine followed in suit, just behind the mother off to the right.

Selene led them a double doorway, which led into the chapel part of the Chantry. She immediately went down the isle towards the statue of Andraste, turned left without slowing or stopping, and entered a small study.

There was a large wooden desk, with various parchments, quills, and ink wells upon it. Three walls were covered in books, from floor to ceiling, all neat and tidy. She directed them both to sit in the two chairs in front of the desk, while she took the comfortable high backed chair behind it.

Kaine looked at the chair, and then at Mother Selene, "Who are you? And where is the REAL mother of this chantry?" Kaine demanded.

Selene chuckled, "What gave it away? The clothes? It was the clothes right?"

Kaine shook his head, "It was the fact that you didn't bow before the Antraste Statue as you passed it by."

"Yea, I keep forgetting to do that, " she shook her head, and smiled mischievously at Kaine.

"Tell me why I should not draw my sword and strike you down right now?" Kaine said angrily.

Selene crossed her arms over her chest and continued to smile.

Kaine looked at her curiously, and relaxed. "Tell me who you are and what you want." And with that he sat down in the offered chair.

" I am glad that you didn't have to kill me," she laughed. " No, I am not the Mother, however I do bare a strikingly resemblance to her." She pointed at a picture on the wall behind them over the doorway. The picture did indeed looked like her, with just a few subtle differences that one would hardly notice unless looking for them. The color of her yes were blue not green, and she had a small blemish below her right eye that Selene did not have.

Selene continued, "It was about a month for two ago that the Mother was traveling back from Orlais where she was visiting the divine. She and her templar guards were attacked and slaughterd by a group of darkspawn. All the templar were killed, and the mother was gravely injured."

"I happened upon them several hours later, with the last of the mother's life leaving her body. I bent down next to her, and she asked me to send word to her chantry here in Highever to let them know what happened. I agreed. She died in my arms moments later." Selene looked down and shook her head. She looked back up with an evil grin.

"How could I resist taking the Mothers place. It seemed like a cushy job for awhile. Plus I knew this is where u were going to land. Then over the weeks that I was here, I actually got to know the people, and admired their courage."

"This is all fine, however why are you telling two templars this? And what do you mean that you knew I was landing here?" Kaine questioned.

"Well, I know of a Kaine that matches your very description. He was said to be a giant of a man, that wore the bones and skins of dragons, with tattoos all over his body." She put her fingers together, and starting tapping them against one another. Her green eyes grew brighter as she continued. "I asked some of my, more less reputable contacts, and they said you were a mean spirited brute, who defied every rule he could. And commanded an underground very unorthodox group of templars called , The Reapers. And that he was headed to Fereldan by way of Highever."

"Well I would have to say your sources are rather accurate. But this still does not explain why I should not strike you down, skin you alive, and hang your body to those who would commit such sacrilege against the church."

Selene cleared her throat, sat back in the chair, and gripped the arms tightly.

"As fun as that seems, I something quite a bit better in mind. I wish to join you, and become one of your reapers."

Kaine looked over at Sloane, "What do you think of all of this?"

Sloane followed the others through the chapel, stopping briefly to bow her head to the statue of Andraste. After a life in the Chantry it was as natural as breathing, and she found it extremely odd that the Mother did not do it. Something very strange was going on here and Sloane found herself instantly on edge.

When they entered the study Sloane looked around briefly to assess the situation, but like Kaine she declined to sit. Sloane stood in silence as she listened to the other two talk. Even when Kaine relaxed and sat she remained standing, wary of the imposter. Unlike Kaine who came to the templars later in life, she had been raised in the Chantry since childhood and found the deception left a bad taste in the back of her throat. Sloane couldn't help the frown of dissaproval that was creeping it's way onto her face.

"What do you think of all of this?"

"I'm not sure what to think, Ser. I will of course follow your orders, but I would not be so quick to trust this one. How do we know she did not kill the real mother herself? If she can pull off a deception here for weeks how can we trust anything that comes out of her mouth." Though what an attractive mouth it is! She couldn't help but thinking to herself.

"And where did she come from that she has heard so much of you? She hasn't given actually given us much information to work with."

"This one is wise is she not?" Selene stated.

Kaine smiled and nodded, "She is right, we have no reason to trust you. You have yet to tell us who you are, like I asked you in the first place. I do not like to repeat myself."

"Well, lets just say we work for the same people. I am from your Kirkwall as well. The Kirkwall you know and love, " she smiled.

"I heard about you coming here from some of my underground contacts, and figured I would try and get here as quickly as possible. I was much closer to Highever than you were when you started out, so I made it here with plenty of time."

"The mother and the templars were killed and left at the road side, darkspawn seemed most likely, so I added that in."

"Allow me to travel with you and prove myself. I will tell the village that I am sending another mother to take my place here. Lamont can easily be bought with some extra coin."

She looked at both Sloane and Kaine, waiting for an answer.

"What do you mean MY Kirkwall?" Kaine asked standing and placing both of his hands on the desk, glaring down at the imposter.

"You know exactly what I mean." she replied, standing up, and putting her hands on the desk, glaring right back at him. Only she had a wicked smile on her face. She looked over at Sloane for a second and winked.

Slowly a small grin appeared on Sloane's face. "Well I don't trust her as far as I can throw her, but she would make the trip more interesting Ser."

Sloane's face turned more serious as she turned to the stranger. "Know that I will not hesitate to put a dagger through your heart if you endanger myself, my superior, or the mission in any way." Once she was sure her point had been made she grinned once more. "Hope you like dogs, because as far as I'm concerned Sobaka outranks you."

She then turned her attention to Kaine once more. "Are we going to continue to investigate this Blood Mage matter tonight Ser? Or can we finally go find some booze and maybe some good company? You should also have your injuries seen to before we hit the road Ser."

"Well I don't trust her as far as I can throw her, but she would make the trip more interesting Ser."

"Well I am sure that I could throw her pretty far," Kaine smiled evilly, "However, you are right, she will have to earn our trust."

"Are we going to continue to investigate this Blood Mage matter tonight Ser? Or can we finally go find some booze and maybe some good company? You should also have your injuries seen to before we hit the road Ser."

"Naw, there is no real point in pursuing this matter further really. The blood mage is dead, the demon slain, that is all that matters really. I think a few good drinks are definitely in order. And don't worry about my injuries, they will heal soon enough, just need another good battle and they will be as good as new"

He turned to Selene, "So is that even your real name, Selene?"

"It's the name I've been answering to for two months. You can't get any more real than that. But if must know, my real name is Alexia. But just call me Selene, its not every day a woman can pick a new name." she smirked.

"Alright then, we leave first thing in the morning. Its best to get some rest, gather all of your belongings, because we have a long trek ahead of us."

"I will meet you back at the inn."

With that, he nodded to Sloane, ruffled Sobaka's head, and headed out in search of a good stiff drink.

Sloane gave Selene one last wary glance and then headed for the door. She stopped briefly to talk with Lamont, telling him to meet them at the inn by sun-up, and then headed out into the night. Since everyone on the docks was now probably terrified of her, she chose to make her way to a tavern in the market district.

An hour later Sloane was on her third mug of ale and having a great time. She had found a decent tavern and joined in a card game with a group of merchants. Sobaka sat at her feet under the table while she proceeded to rob several of the merchants of their pay. Men often thought they were better card players than they actually were, especially after several mugs of ale.

When she tired of the card game she wandered over to an attractive elf sitting alone staring at the fire. He had short messy dark hair and intense dark blue eyes. "May I join you?" Sloane asked as she approached his table, two mugs of ale in her hands. The elf looked up at her and smiled nervously before nodding."Name's Sloane," she said as she sat down and set the mugs on the table, pushing one his way. "And this is Sobaka" she added as the mabari sauntered up and wagged his stubby tail.

"My name is Tevin. I saw you beat the pants off those merchants, good job. Better watch your back later though, they're sore losers." He looked her over appraisingly and decided he liked what he saw.

Sloane could see the thoughts behind his eyes and decided she had chosen well. Now that the card game was over it was time for her other favorite game and she planned to win. It was a good thing she knew how to sleep in the saddle as she doubted she would be doing much sleeping tonight.

Kaine woke just before day break, rolled out of a bed, and stretched. His shoulder was a bit stiff from being dislocated, but he knew he would have a speedy recovery.

He armoured up, strapped his sword to his back and left the tiny room. He took one last quick look around, just to make sure he didn't forget anything.

The tavern was pretty much empty, except for a few left over drunks from the night before. He walked towards the door, just as a man fell out of his chair in front of him. He stepped over him shaking his head, thinking to himself that people should drink if they can't hold their booze.

The sun hadn't quite made it over the horizon yet, but was starting to turn the sky pretty colors as it was edging its way.

He whistled, calling Horus to him. The bird replied with a shriek, diving down to land on Kaine's shoulder.

"And what have you been up to all night?" Kaine asked as he gently scratched the birds breast. All Horus could do was caw in response.

People were starting to enter the streets milling about, heading in the direction of where ever they worked.

He figured it was time to check on their horses and supplies before he got a quick meal.

With Horus on his shoulder, he strolled into the stables. The stable master was working on brushing down the horses for their long journey ahead. All the supplies had been delivered and packed onto the mules, ready for transport once they were all ready to go.

He gave the stable master a quick nod, and headed back out. Just as he stepped outside, Selene turned the corner. She smiled mischievously at him, and came to walk beside him as they both strolled into the market place. She placed her hand in the crook of his arm; he looked over and down at her, rising an eyebrow. She just smiled, and patted his arm with her other hand.

Kaine just shook his head, and escorted her to the nearest breakfast vendor.

"Such a beautiful bird you have there Kaine." Horus cawed in response, and hopped over to his other shoulder to get a better look at the lady. He stood on Kaine's shoulder proudly, puffing out his chest, enjoying the complements from the new comer.

"Don't encourage him, he already has an inflated ego." Horus cawed in defiance, and shook his head as if to say no.

"Does he actually understand you?" Selene asked.

"He sure does. I've had him for quite a while, nursed him back to health, and after that he hasn't left my side. I guess he thinks he owes me a life debt or something." Kaine replied, shrugging his shoulders.

He ordered up some eggs, sausage, and a large helping of ham. Then he ordered double.

"Hungry?" Selene asked, her eye brows raised in amazement.

"It's just a light meal. Plus, we won't be eating this good for at least three weeks. So you better eat up while you can. We leave in about two hours." Kaine stated as he turned and walked away, found a nice sturdy barrel, and hopped up on it to enjoy his small feast.

Sloane woke just as the sky began to lighten with the first rays of dawn. She had only been asleep for maybe two hours and she really didn't want to get up, but duty called. Placing a gentle kiss on Tevin's cheek she rolled over, got out of bed, and stretched. Sloane did several minutes of warm up stretches before getting dressed and heading out the door.

Sobaka was waiting for her in the hallway and the two headed down to the tavern's kitchen. The room was silent and empty as Sloane went about making breakfast. She found some raw meat for Sobaka and then set about making bacon and pancakes for herself and Tevin, whistling as she cooked.

When she got back upstairs with breakfast Tevin was just waking up. "Mmmm, looks delicious." he mumbled. "Oh and you brought breakfast, that looks good too." he joked as he sat up.

Ahhh, too bad I can't keep this one Sloane thought idly to herself as she leaned over and gave him a kiss. Breakfast was over much too soon and it was time for her to hit the road. She said her goodbyes and headed out into the town with Sobaka.

As they walked through the market district she picked up the familiar sound of a falcon and Sobaka let out a bark of recognition. Sloane slowly made her way through the gathering crowd and soon spotted Kaine and Selene.

"Ho there boss, good morning!" she called out as she approached the pair. "Ready to hit the trails?"

"Morning Sloane. Have fun last night I hope?" Kaine smirked as she walked up. He threw Saboka a couple of sausages, which the hound happily gobbled up. Kaine gave him a quick pat on the head, as he swallowed the last bit of his breakfast.

"Yes, it would be time to hit the road. Go get our guide, and Selene and I will meet at the stables."

"I would like to get as far away from this place as quickly as possible."

With that he nodded, and headed in the direction of the apothecary .

He swung open the door, and a wave of different herbs attacked his sense, and he coughed for a second, before heading to the back of the shop.

An aged man sat behind a wooden counter surrounded by drying herbs, a mortar and pestle, and many other tools used in making potions and poisons.

He looked up, and then way up, and squited behind his glasses, "Uhh, what can I do ye for sonny?"

"I need ten fire bombs, and if you have it, five quiet deaths." Kaine stood there, looking down at the old man, hands braced on the counter in front of him.

"Quiet Death?!? Are you crazy, no one is allowed to sell that. Do you know how much trouble I will get in just for you asking for it." he wheezed, clutching his chest in fright.

Kaine raised an eye brow, smirked for a moment, and took a pouch of gold off his belt, and threw it down in front of the old man. "That should cover everything."

The man looked down at the pouch, and then back up at Kaine. He tilted his head, jumped off his stool, and took his glasses off.

And in not such an wheezed voice, but one with lots of strength behind it, he replied, "You've got it. Give me a sec." And he scurried into the back room, coming back with a box loaded with firebombs and quiet death poisons.

"It was a pleasure." the old man nodded, put his glasses back on, and returned to be hunched over his counter, seemingly working on some potions.

Kaine grinned, scooped up the box, and returned to the stables, carefully packing his new special supplies away.

"Course I had fun last night boss. Lamont should already be at the Inn I hope. I'll have the horses saddled and ready when you arrive."

Sloane sauntered off towards the Inn, happy to be getting out of the town. She'd always enjoyed herself much more out in the forest, on the trail than stuck in a stuffy town. Towns had their advantages every now and again of course, but they weren't places she liked to stay long. A long, hot bath, a good meal, and a night of good company, and she was ready to be on the move again.

Lamont was just riding up to the stables when Sloane arrived. "Ho there, mornin' lass!" He called as he spotted her and dismounted. He seemed to have gotten over the shocks of the night before and had a big grin under his bushy beard. Sloane guessed that like her he was much happier out in the wilds than stuck in town.

"Good morning!" She called in response. "The others should arrive shortly. Let's get these horses saddled and double check the packs before they arrive. I never trust the work of a stable boy when it could mean my life." With that she headed into the stables and got to work. She had decided to name her horse Loshad, and had named Kaine's Kon.

The horses and mules were packed and ready to go, standing outside the stables when Kaine arrived. "This lovely stubborn boy here is Kon. Hope you don't mind I named him boss, you can change it if you like." Sloane said as she handed Kaine the reigns to his horse. "Haven't named the mules yet if you want to do the honours. We're ready to move out as soon as you give the order."

Kaine just shook his head, as he took about a piece of apple, and fed it to his horse. Giving him a good pay on the muzzle as it chomped away.

He ran his hand along the side of the horse, all the while speaking softly to it, so that would get to know his voice, and ease the tension the animal was feeling.

As he did one pass around, he fed the horse the rest of the apple he had with him, and mounted the horse liked a seasoned rider.

He gently nudged the horse forward, and once they were out of the stables, he kicked the horse hard. The stallion reared up, jumped forward, and galloped down the street, leading towards the edge of Highever.

Selene mounted her white mare, and edged it into a slow trot following in the dust of Kaine's Stallion.

( The Adventure Continues... https://dragonageafter.forumotion.com/t286-journy-from-highever-to-the-north-road#4400 )