The Dalish Warden (The Daughters of Thedas Book 1)

16: Infiltrating the Castle

Soundtrack:

Ride of the Rohirrim ~ Howard Shore (Castle Redcliffe) 

The tunnel went under the lake and emerged in the underbelly of the castle. How they had managed to build a tunnel under a lake was beyond me. From the smell of blood, fear, and unwashed bodies, I would judge we'd emerged in the dungeons. Chains hanging from the walls and a cage in the corner confirmed.

"I once locked myself in a cage when I was a child for a whole day," Alistair said.

"Too bad they didn't leave you," Morrigan retorted.

"Hey!"

I carefully stepped towards a door and held my hand up. "Shh." I could hear something on the other side. It sounded like snarls. I drew a sword. The others had drawn their weapons. I pushed the door open as I heard someone's cry.

"Get away from me!"

Three corpses were trying to get into one of the cells. One saw us and decided we were easier prey. I cut it down as the others came towards us. Between the four of us, they, too, fell quickly.

"Hello?" We heard a man call out. "Who's there? Is there anyone alive out there?"

We looked at each other and approached the cell that the corpses had been gathered around. We came into view of a man wearing robes. This must have been the Mage Isolde had mentioned.

"Wait... you don't look like the Arlessa's guards."

"What was your first clue?" Morrigan asked, sarcastically.

"Are you from outside the castle?"

"Possibly. Who are you supposed to be?" I asked.

"My name is Jowan. I'm a Mage Lady Isolde hired to tutor her son, Conner."

I was right. Conner was the Arlessa's son.

"Well until they, ahh, threw me in the dungeon here."

"Lady Isolde mentioned there was a Mage behind all this."

"Yes, let's anger the Mage," Alistair's comment was ignored.

"No! I... I poisoned Arl Eamon but that's all I did." He put his hands around the bars. "I know it looks suspicious but I'm not responsible for the creatures and the killings in the castle. I was already imprisoned when all that began." Didn't mean he couldn't still have done it. He pushed off the bars and a look of shame mixed with pain crossed his face. "At first, Lady Isolde came here with her men demanding that I reverse what I'd done. I thought she meant my poisoning of the Arl. That's the first I heard about the walking corpses. She thought I'd summoned a demon to torment her family and destroy Redcliffe. She..." He looked down. "Had me tortured. There was nothing I could do or say that would appease her. So they... left me to rot."

"Why did you poison Arl Eamon?"

"I was instructed to by Teyrn Loghain."

"Anyone else have the feeling Loghain has a finger in several pots?" Alistair asked. This was the second hired man of Loghain's in Redcliffe.

"I was told Arl Eamon was a threat to Ferelden, that if I dealt with him Loghain would settle matters with the Circle."

"Oh, look. Another empty promise."

"Alistair, shut up," Leliana said.

Jowan sighed. "You see, I'm a Maleficar; a Blood Mage."

"You?" Morrigan asked, surprise in her voice. "A Blood Mage? Truly? I would never have guessed." Was that sarcasm? It was hard to tell with Morrigan most times.