Duncan needed new recruits, and he needed them within two months.
Even as he now approached the Teyrn of Highever's castle, the king was at Ostagar, probably preparing for another battle. He had left most of his Grey Warden's behind to scout and predict when there would be another attack, and had sent a select few to help him find recruits.
Hopefully it would be enough.
The people of Ferelden had been without Grey Warden's for two hundred years, when the order had been exiled for trying to usurp the king. King Maric, the present king's predecessor, had allowed the order back in, fearing a coming Blight. He'd had his own reasons for believing one was on its way, as Duncan knew. And besides, it had been four hundred years since the last one. Thedas was probably overdue.
How long could it possibly take to find a dragon, cast down by the Maker and imprisoned underground?
But that wasn't the point. Duncan had seen what was to come; he knew from personal experience and from his Warden senses that the time had come. An Old God had been found and tainted, and it would be coming to the surface soon, an army of darkspawn in tow.
But for the next few weeks, Duncan would be gathering recruits. He had already received word from fellow Grey Wardens that they had found some, but he knew that nothing was certain at this point.
Duncan waited outside to be let in; chaos reigned in the castle, as the king had sent for forces from all the nobility in Ferelden. His wait was not long, and soon he was greeted by the teyrn himself.
"Greetings, Teyrn Cousland," Duncan said, crossing his arms over his chest and bowing in the Ferelden fashion. The teyrn smiled at him.
"Duncan! What a pleasure to see you," the teyrn replied. "No need to be so formal! I thought we'd gone over this before? It's Bryce to you." Duncan bowed again, indicating that he would indeed be formal with the man, and Bryce laughed. "I suppose you're here about recruiting?"
"Yes," Duncan said, leaving it simply at that.
"There is a young knight who might be a good candidate here. But I would like you to meet my daughter. Follow me." The Grey Warden Commander did as he was told. "If you would please wait out in the hall, I'll call for you in once I am ready."
Once again Duncan did as was asked of him, and he waited patiently in the hall, gaining odd looks from passerby. Luckily they were too busy to question him, as he had little patience for such things at the moment, and his wait was uneventful.
Soon a guard fetched him, bringing him in to the main hall where the teyrn stood with his daughter and Arl Howe.
"It is an honor to be a guest within your hall, Teyrn Cousland," Duncan said, bowing again, as if the former confrontation had never occurred. The teyrn's daughter watched him with a certain gleam in her eye, noting his Grey Warden tunic and smiling enviously. The woman was rather young, barely out of her teenage years by the looks of it, and had long brown hair - currently in a braid down her back - and sparkling blue eyes. She was of moderate height and build, but Duncan could tell by her stance that, even though she wore no armor at the moment and had only a longsword at her side, that she knew how to handle herself. She looked like a snake, ready to strike at any time, even though there was no danger present.
Duncan had heard many good things about her, and it was for her that he had come. It was only a matter of recruiting her.
Arl Howe, who was an older man with graying hair and dressed in noble attire as the others, kept his expression blank. Bryce smiled at Duncan amiably again.
"The honor is mine," the teyrn replied. "This is my daughter, Elissa. Elissa, this is Duncan."
"Nice to meet you," Elissa said, bowing to the man, a smile still playing on her face.
"Your lordship," Arl Howe began before Duncan could respond, facing the teyrn and still sounding rather unenthusiastic. "You didn't mention a Grey Warden would be present." Both Duncan and the teyrn eyed the man suspiciously.
"Duncan arrived here recently, unannounced," Bryce explained carefully. "Is there a problem?" The Arl laughed nervously.
"Of course not," he began. "But a guest of this stature requires certain protocol. I am... at a disadvantage."
"We hardly get to see one in person, that's true," the teyrn agreed, leaving Duncan feeling rather like an animal more than a member of an esteemed order. "Pup, Brother Aldron has taught you who the Grey Wardens are, I hope?" he added, addressing his daughter now.
"Of course," the girl said, smiling. "They are a great order who defeated the Blights in the past." Duncan smiled at the girls enthusiasm.
"That's right," Bryce said, looking relieved that she hadn't embarrassed him. "Duncan is looking for new recruits before joining us and his fellow Wardens in the south. I believe he's got his eye on Sir Gilmore." The teyrn looked to Duncan, as did the others.
"If I might be so bold," Duncan started somewhat hesitantly. "I might suggest that your daughter is also an excellent candidate." The girl's features lit up at the prospect.
"Honor though that might be," Teyrn Cousland said, standing between Duncan and his daughter defensively, "this is my daughter we're talking about." Duncan was at a loss and about to apologize when the Elissa stepped in.
"I think I would rather like that, father," she said. He glared over his shoulder at her.
"I've not so many children that I'd gladly see them all off into battle. Unless you intend to invoke the Right of Conscription...?" the last part was directed at Duncan, who managed to keep his composure. It was not a good idea to make powerful men like the teyrn angry.
"Have no fear," he said. "Though we need as many good recruits as we can get, I have no intention of forcing the issue." There was a brief, tense silence before the teyrn resumed his former place, no longer standing in front of his daughter, who now fought the frown that was tugging at her lips.
"Pup," he began, addressing her. "Can you ensure that all of Duncan's needs are seen to while I am away?"
"Of course," she replied with a bow.
"Good." Bryce proceeded to give instructions to his visibly upset daughter, and Duncan began to formulate a plan. If she wanted to join, then her father technically could not stop her. It was just a matter of if the girl wanted it bad enough.
If not, then the young knight would have to do. Duncan was running out of time.
Elissa gave one last look at Duncan, looking as if she wanted to speak with him, but left without anything more than a "Yes, father." Duncan was sure that he should have a talk with her later, but for now, the teyrn wanted to discuss what he assumed would be travel and battle plans with the Arl and himself, though the latter would not be final until they knew the situation at Ostagar was known.
Soon the plans were made and the Arl was dismissed, and just as Duncan thought it would be safe to call for a servant to bring him to his rooms the teyrn stopped him.
"Duncan," he said, his face serious. "I would ask that you do not try any form of persuasion on my daughter while I'm gone. I do not wish to see her in Ostagar when we arrive there." Duncan fought scowling to himself, thinking about how he was often quite readable, even as a young boy when he'd first joined the Wardens. But that was irrelevant now.
"Yes, Teyrn Cousland," Duncan said, bowing. He was, of course, lying, but he would not make his move until after the teyrn and his forces left the next day. "If you don't mind, it has been a long day of travel, and I would like to go to my rooms now."
"Of course," Bryce replied, looking somewhat relieved. He called for a servant, who delivered Duncan to his room and a hot meal for him soon afterward. Duncan sat down at a desk in the study connected to the room, and began writing out plans for the coming weeks.
Duncan and the other Grey Wardens needed all the help they could get. With that in mind, he would be traveling southwest toward the circle tower for the mage that he would be retrieving. Unlike his trip to Highever, didn't know of anyone who he might be looking for once he arrived there, which would make things more difficult but hopefully wouldn't take entirely too long. The First Enchanter had been speaking highly of one of his apprentices, though the mage's name escaped him at the moment. Duncan was hoping he could recruit a more experienced mage, but any would do. Mages were essential in any army.
A fellow Grey Warden was supposed to meet Duncan at the Circle Tower, where he would hand over his recruits to be brought to Ostagar for their Joining. Duncan would be going to Denerim, where the most likely source of candidates would be; not in the city itself, but in the walled-off area known as the alienage. Elves lived there as second-class citizens, trod on by the locals and treated hardly better than animals (and in some cases, worse), and he knew that this kind of harsh life could breed the strongest of people. He had known a Grey Warden who had come from an alienage, and she had been tough as nails, one of the greatest Grey Wardens he'd ever met. He wondered briefly how she was doing and if she still lived, offhandedly noting that he hadn't contacted her in months. She'd probably been trying to contact him, but he'd been busy with the coming Blight, working first to prevent it but now working to end it.
Duncan shook his head. Now was not the time or the place. After finalizing his plans, he rose, cleaned off the desk and went for a walk around the castle. Many of the men had already left for Ostagar, including the teyrn's son, Fergus. Some servants dawdled here and there in the fading sunlight, along with the guards who stood watch at the castle vigilantly. They bowed to him when he passed, and he returned the favor, entering the main hall again to find Elissa and a young man discussing something in hushed tones. Duncan hoped he wasn't interrupting them, but didn't have to worry about that.
"Ser Duncan!" Elissa exclaimed in surprise, bowing. "I had thought you had gone to bed."
"I actually wanted to speak to you first. And please, just Duncan," Duncan replied, returning her bow. There was a pause.
"Oh! This is Ser Gilmore, the one Father said you were interested in," she explained, not without bitterness. The young knight bowed.
"I would be honored to join your order," the young man said. Duncan studied him for a moment. Perhaps he wouldn't be so bad; Duncan had heard that he lived in a small village and Teyrn Cousland had invited him to the castle to train. Surely the boy must be talented for the teyrn to do such a thing.
"As would I," Elissa added. "If Father would let me. I've read so much about the Wardens; I can't believe that people think the order is rubbish now! How ridiculous!" Ser Gilmore cast the girl a warning glance, perhaps trying to get across the message that Duncan didn't want to hear about his dying breed, but Duncan appreciated the girl's bluntness. It would be necessary as a Warden, especially in the upper echelons. Worrying about the emotions of others would merely get in the way.
Duncan had learned that a long time ago.
"Are griffons really extinct?" Elissa asked off-handedly. "You don't have any hidden anywhere?"
"Sadly, no. They are extinct," Duncan explained with some amusement. Elissa frowned.
"What about dragons? Do you ever see those?" A shadow passed over Duncan's eyes. Yes, he'd fought a dragon before. He was silent for a long moment.
"Elissa-" Ser Gilmore started, chastising the girl once he saw Duncan's face.
"It's all right," Duncan interrupted. "Yes, sometimes. Pray to the Maker that you never do." Elissa frowned.
"Surely they can't be that horrible," she insisted.
"They are. They are deadly fast and strong, and hard to kill," Duncan explained. Not to mention that the archdemon took the form of a dragon.
Ironic, he thought, that the Blight would bring with it the thing that he'd told the girl to avoid.
"Isn't there any way that they can live with people without killing them?"
"Elissa, I'm sure that Duncan hasn't come here to listen to your ideas on dragons, majestic beings that they are," Ser Gilmore said, the last part of the sentence dripping sarcasm. Elissa glared at him. "You'll have to excuse her. She has this fascination with dragons and the arcane. Could you tell us more about the Grey Wardens?"
"Is there anything in particular you wish to know?" Duncan asked, wary. He didn't want to give out too much information.
"What's Weisshaupt Fortress like?" Elissa asked, the curious gleam back in her eyes.
"It's beautiful," Duncan said, relieved that she asked something that everyone knew about. "It's where Grey Wardens spend a lot of time training, though hopefully we could get a place for Ferelden Grey Wardens to be headquartered. Unfortunately we are too few to merit such a thing at the moment." Elissa frowned again.
"That's terrible! What if there's a Blight? Like the raids down south, are they serious?" she asked. Duncan thought for a moment about whether or not he should speak of such a thing, and then nodded to himself.
"Yes, I believe it is. Though I suppose we should discuss this more later? I'm sure you have to get to sleep, you will be busy tomorrow," Duncan said, noticing that the teyrn's wife, Eleanor, was entering the room and not knowing exactly what she would think about the situation. Judging by the look on her face, she didn't think it a good one. Elissa looked about to protest, but then noticed her mother as well and smiled pleasantly at her.
"Good evening, Elissa, Ser Gilmore, Duncan," Eleanor said. "I thought you all would be heading off to bed, there's a lot to do tomorrow." Though she didn't say it, the threat was in her eyes. They were going to bed now, or, at least, Duncan and Ser Gilmore were leaving. She looked like she had a few choice words for her daughter. Duncan bowed.
"I was just saying the same thing," he said. "Goodnight Milady, Elissa, Ser Knight." With a final bow he dismissed himself and went back to his rooms.
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Author's Note: Ok, I hope this doesn't seem horrible, I'm not going to tell everyone's origin stories word for word, just Duncan's view up until he dies. Don't think it's terribly cliche. R&R