When I Look at You (a Dragon Age fanfiction)

Morrigan

Duncan sent the four of them out into the Wilds to collect vials of darkspawn blood and find some treaties the Grey Wardens had signed with various factions long years ago—and had left, for some unknown reason, in the midst of the Wilds.

Una found herself taking the lead of the little group. Dough-faced Ser Jory was willing enough, but preferred to follow. Daveth, the former cut-purse, was more of a guerrilla fighter, not much of a leader. Alistair hung back a bit also, although she thought that was probably to see what the rest of them would do.

As they moved deeper into the Wilds, they found darkspawn in plenty, filling their vials quickly. Una didn't find her first experience with darkspawn as disturbing as she had feared she would. They were creatures to fight, albeit smelly and disgusting, and fighting was something she did well. She remembered the long hours in the training circle with Father and Fergus with a mixture of sorrow and pride, and wished she had some way to tell her father how grateful she was for her years under his tutelage.

The chest in which the Warden treaties were supposed to be kept was harder to find. Eventually they located it, but the chest was broken and the treaties missing.

Una knelt down by the chest, searching for any trace of the papers. Her head snapped up when a voice came out of nowhere.

"Are you a vulture, I wonder? A scavenger, poking amidst a corpse whose bones were long since cleaned?" It was a smooth, female voice, cultured but cold.

Standing up, Una looked in the direction of the voice. There, climbing over a pile of rocks, was an exotic creature—a woman, but she moved and looked almost more like a cat. She wore only the briefest scraps of fabric, arranged to fall not unattractively in strategic locations. Coming closer to them, the woman continued, "Or merely an intruder, come into these darkspawn-filled Wilds of mine in search of easy prey?" She stopped, crossing her arms and staring at all of them. "What say you? Scavenger ... or intruder?"

When none of the men spoke up, Una took a step forward. "I am a Grey Warden, and the Wardens once owned this Tower."

The woman seemed amused. "The Wilds have claimed this desiccated corpse long since." She strode through the group of them, all three of the men hastily falling back to allow her to pass. "I have watched your progress for some time. You fight ... adequately. Turning to look at Una, she said, "Particularly you. Strange to see a woman fight so fiercely. And now here you are, disturbing shadows better left alone. Why is that?"

"Don't answer her. She looks Chasind," Alistair said in a low voice. "Others may be nearby."

"Ohh," mocked the woman, "you fear barbarians will swoop down upon you?"

"Yes," drawled Alistair, looking grim, "swooping ... is bad."

"She's a Witch of the Wilds, that's what she is," Daveth broke in, with barely controlled panic. "She'll turn us all into toads!"

"'Witch of the Wilds,'" the woman snorted. "What kind of mindless imbecile is frightened by a mere story?" She looked at Una. "Women do not frighten like little boys. Tell me your name, and I shall tell you mine." For a moment, she sounded to Una like a little girl trying to make a friend.

Una glanced around. None of the men seemed to offer her much guidance, so she said, "I'm Una."

"You may call me Morrigan. If you wish." The little girl seemed to peek out again. Then Morrigan crossed her arms, and the little girl vanished. "You sought something in that chest. Something that is here no longer."