You've been gone too long

Loghain was slowly adjusting to being alive again, though he was still confused as fuck what was going on. It shouldn't really have surprised him that Morrigan had done something crazy like this. It was definitely the ultimate sign of affection, bringing your lover back from the dead. He'd wondered what Morrigan would do without him, there was a part of him that figured she would just go back to the person she'd been before him. She was so strong, so independent, he couldn't imagine her falling to pieces over his death, let alone doing dark magic rituals to get him back. Still, again, he supposed it absolutely shouldn't have been a surprise, if he'd really spent time thinking about it, thinking about them. 

He'd sent Calixte back to Val Royeaux to fill in Kieran and explained they he was better off taking Morrigan to Amaranthine, Lana would know what to do. Of course, he had no idea they'd had a falling out. So it just made the most sense to him to take her there where Lana could help. She had to know what to do, because he sure as fuck didn't. What if she didn't wake up at all, what if the magic she'd performed had done some permanent damage. He was lost, alone, and desperate for answers as to why Morrigan was unconscious. 

The ride was long, as he also didn't know about the eluvian network, not that it would have helped terribly as there wasn't one in the ruins of the old Circle. Eventually he found his way to Amaranthine and Vigil's Keep. Once he was outside, he carefully got Morrigan off the horse and into his arms, and then went inside. He was looking around, not seeing anyone immediately, he called out hoping Lana was there.

Lana! Lana I need your help!!! A ghost from the past, his voice rang out throughout the Keep, urgent and worried.

Lana sat alone at a desk in the main hall, intently reading letters from her various scouts. A raven sat perched nearby, the latest carrier of news from the borders. The sightings of the darkspawn had become erratic, limited. It made no sense. They'd not killed the archdemon, but if it was no longer in Ferelden... where could it have gone?

The whole concept was giving her a headache, and she started to rub her temples after setting the last letter down. A few moments and a sigh, she was reaching for new parchments. She'd pull back her scouts, let them rest and maybe find volunteers to spread out further - beyond Ferelden. Seek what was abroad where the darkspawn were concerned.

A familiar voice echoed through the keep. Lana froze. Familiar though it may be, it was not a voice she expected to hear ever again. Suspicions roused, she set everything down and shifted into a cat. Disappearing to the shadows, she darted through the familiar halls and to the voice she once knew all too well.

But, it was not as she expected. Some spirit, some trick or trap that'd slipped through their defenses. But no. Could it be? The passed out witch in his arms certainly pointed to yes.

Shifting back to herself and stepping out from the shadows, she spoke. How can this be? Are my eyes deceived by some trick? Her gaze narrowed, still a distance away. Still wary it was not as it appeared. Though she could feel no magic presently at work, it did not mean a mage of more power than her could keep its weave of deceit hidden.

Loghain breathed a sigh of relief at Lana’s presence, he’d been so worried about Morrigan that it hadn’t even occurred to him how out of place his presence would be, but then by her questions he could only surmise that Morrigan hadn’t informed Lana of her intentions. He wasn’t sure what opinion Lana would have on the matter, but he would be a lot more comfortable discussing his situation once he was sure that Morrigan was all right.

Look, you can probably explain better than I can what Morrigan did that has resulted in me being here, but I’m afraid the priority right now is making sure Morrigan hasn’t gone and killed herself in the process. I mean she’s breathing so, that’s a good sign, but it’s been hours. Waking up to an unconscious Morrigan had caused him to go into instant panic mode, on top of trying to figure out what the ever loving fuck was going on.

What Morrigan did. Lana's eyes narrowed a bit, settling on the woman in Loghain's arms. What - under any other circumstance - might have been the first thing she'd focused on.

Wary still of some trick, Lana ventured a little closer to Loghain and Morrigan in his grasp. Lifting the other woman's hand, she pulled her small knife. Pricking a finger on the witch, Lana watched the blood drip down the edge of the knife for a moment. Then, without preamble, she sliced that same blade down her scarred palm, having dropped Morrigan's hand.

Her eyes rolled back before going red for a few long, silent moments. Lana let out a heavy breath when she came back to, red fading from her eyes. She'll live.

Lana sheathed the dagger and focused back on the ghost before her. She's the same one that took your life. Why change that now? Suspicion hung in her tone. Concern and worry that this was some dream she'd soon wake from, or some elaborate trick.

Once Lana did her thing and said that Morrigan would be all right, he breathed a bit easier. Then he turned a bit and looked around, and seeing a table, that was more or less empty, he carefully set Morrigan down. His arms were going numb from having carried her. He stretched and took another look at Morrigan, watching her chest rise and fall with her breaths, made him feel a bit better. Then he turned his attention back to Lana.

It’s Morrigan, I learned to stop questioning the whys a long time ago. You were surprised to see me so I take it she didn’t talk to you first. Then again I guess if she had, you might have been there when I woke up. Then he paused, he hadn’t talked to anyone until Lana, he had a hundred questions, but one that surfaced immediately was about his family. Is Kieran all right? I realise he’s probably in Orlais but….. He didn’t ask about Asha, because he didn’t know there was an Asha to ask about. He also didn’t mention the odd looking cat that had followed them home, which he assumed had taken off once he got to Amaranthine, what he didn’t know was that the cat was waiting outside Vigil’s Keep for him.

Lana snorted. Of course she did not speak with me first. Her arse would be flying right back through an Eluvian if she'd come 'round here. The way she's been lately. She curled her lip slightly, then shook her head. To say the women were on ill terms might have been an understatement. As much as she loved and cherished the woman she called sister, that did not mean they always got on swimmingly.

A shrug. I've not heard word on Kieran in months. If Morrigan's been there, though, I'm certain he's fine. After a pause, she added: Which is more can be said for the rest of Orlais. Lana waved her hand slightly, another shake of her head. Blight took nearly all of it. And none of my scouts have been able to penetrate the overwhelming darkness to find the archdemon.

Despite the casual manner in which she fell back into talking shop with Loghain, she still felt uneasy about the whole thing. It wasn't normal for a once dead man to suddenly be up and walking. Or talking. Especially with, evidently, all his faculties about him.

We've another witch about. After Morrigan is brought to healers to be observed, I should like for you to meet her. While Lana did not know the witch as well as she liked to think she knew Morrigan... she knew it would not hurt to have another daughter of Flemeth lay eyes upon the walking dead. Perhaps she'd sus out more than Lana herself could if foul play were at hand.

In many ways Loghain should have died back in 9:31, if it were not for Lana who had seen fit that he would be more use to the Wardens than a dead man. Not a popular opinion with everyone, but he had no problem serving Ferelden through the Wardens, even if the irony wasn’t lost on him. He respected the fuck out of Lana and probably always would. Now in this moment, he had even more questions as Lana spoke. Something was off about how she talked about Morrigan, but with everything going on he wasn’t sure now was the best time to bring it up and ask about it. So for now he just made himself a mental note to ask about it later when things were less pressing.

If it weren’t for Kieran I’d say they deserved it, karma finally kicking their arses. His voice trailed off. It would be nice to think that it was karma kicking Orlais’s arse, but with Ferelden having their 2nd blight in less than two decades, one would have to ask what Ferelden had done to warrant such karma.

He nodded at the comment about the witch, in a haze of worry and confusion. Another witch? Well Lana wouldn’t bring it up if it wasn’t important. He hesitated, part of him didn’t want to let Morrigan out of his sight, but with Lana there now, what could he really do for her, better to stay out of the way of the healers and let them do what they needed to do. He was too dazed to even let the idea of another one of Flemeth’s daughters sink in entirely. It was inconsequential really, if Lana felt he should meet someone, well he’d trusted her for going on twenty years, so he didn’t question when she said there was someone he needed to meet.

I guess it shouldn’t surprise me Flemeth has more daughters out there. Morrigan’s never mentioned her to me, does she know about this witch? Loghain asked, tipping his head slightly, then rubbing the back of his neck. Coming back from the dead took a lot out of a person.

A sharp snort and curt laugh came to his commentary. That certainly sounded like the Loghain she'd always known. Indeed. I'm more concerned with the safety of the rest of Thedas in finding the blighted thing. She sighed, shaking her head.

Lana gave a quiet hum in thought to his question. She does. Mirage is older than Morrigan and, unfortunately, is Orlesian. Her nose scrunched slightly. I forgive it only for the knowledge she has brought. What she knows about the griffons has been invaluable. Even if her... whims are a bit capricious.

After a moment she added: Do not ask if that is truly her name, I do not know.

Clearly the fact that Mirage was Orlesian made Loghain’s eyes roll, a slight scowl. Any time the conversation moved to anything to do with Orlais it made Loghain bristle with anxiety. Of course, he didn’t entirely understand why, or just how badly his mother’s rape and murder had effected him. If someone had asked point blank he’d probably say he was long over it, mainly because he wasn’t the sort to admit to weakness too openly.

Still, he also trusted Lana with his life, since years ago his life had literally been in her hands and she had chosen to spare his. If she trusted this, Mirage, then who was he to second guess that, even if he didn’t altogether like it.

Well, if you think she’s useful, who am I to argue. It wasn’t as if she was bringing an army into Ferelden, so what harm was one Orlesian. He thought that, though he still cringed a bit His trust in Lana went deep, and even if it was hard to swallow his pride and suffer an Orlesian, he’d do it because it was Lana. Suddenly it occurred to him that he had no idea how much time had actually passed since Morrigan had killed him.

How long has it been any way since? There wasn’t exactly anyone I could ask when I woke up. From my point of view I can’t tell if it’s been weeks or months or years. He hated feeling out of the loop, not knowing what was going on, it made him feel ill prepared and powerless.