Their eyes opened. Each had a different reaction to this new place. They were standing in the midst of a burnt village. The old wizard gripped his staff and looked around cautiously while the hobbits gaped at the desiccated buildings. The elf and the dwarf shifted their weapons uneasily and the two men just looked around.
"Where... are we?" a short, curly haired hobbit asked, glancing up at the wizard.
"I do not know, Frodo." he answered shortly.
"What happened here? It looks like this village burned." the younger of the men mused.
"Ssh, I think I hear someone coming." the elf hissed, notching an arrow. The group hurriedly scattered to hide behind the broken walls around them and waited.
"-so you're a Howe." a young blond man said, striding into view. Behind him walked a dour looking man with a bow strung across his back.
"Do you have a point, mage?"
"Hey, I'm fond of the Howes! I'm also fond of the whys, the who's and the what's!" the blond joked.
"How clever." the second man deadpanned.
"Ugh, it's shameful how long it took me to come up with that!"
"Would you just shut up for one second?" a crabby sounding woman called to them from out of sight, "You lot force me to come out here and traipse around in this forsaken place and won't give me a moment's peace!"
"Hey, Velanna, maybe you could complain with your internal voice next time." another woman said. The two women came into view, one was a tiny elf with pale blond hair tied up in a bun, while the other was a confident young woman who wore embellished silver armor and had an incredibly large sword slung across her back.
"Just trying to keep morale up, Velanna dear." the blond man laughed. The elven woman was almost visibly shaking in anger.
"Uh, Anders, I would quit while you're ahead." the other woman smirked.
"As you say, Commander."
"Say, Commander... Why are we here anyway?" a deep voice burped.
"We're here to find 'Kristoff', Oghren. You didn't have to come with us you know, it would've been fine if you stayed at the Keep." the 'Commander' said.
"Oh don't mind him, Commander, He's just hung over from last night." a younger sounding voice said. The next two speakers walked into view. They were two dwarves, a redheaded man with a large braided beard and a woman who wore a strange helmet.
"Commander," the dour man spoke suddenly, scanning the area, "We're not alone..." The company drew their weapons, the blond man and the elf gripping staves, identifying them as magic users.
"Who's there?" the woman asked, drawing her sword. The older man stepped into their view, holding his hands up to show he meant no harm.
"Please, lay down your arms. We mean no harm." he said, "My name is Strider, and these are my companions." He gestured at the others to show themselves. The woman glanced over them in confusion.
"Stand down." she ordered, "What are you doing here?"
"That, we do not know ourselves, my dear lady. Nor do I know where here is." the old wizard stated. She narrowed her eyes.
"This is the Blackmarsh." she said, sheathing her sword, "As you have so kindly given me your name, I shall give you mine. I am Demielle Theirin, Commander of the Grey, here in Ferelden."
"Ferelden?" one of the hobbits piped up. Demielle looked at the four tiny men in mild surprise.
"You have children with you? I suggest you get out of here, and fast. This area is very dangerous."
"Children? I'll have you know I am thirty-one years old!" he protested. Demielle's look only grew more confused.
"You are... a dwarf, then? You do not look like any other dwarf I've seen..." she continued, perplexed.
"We're hobbits!" a second one said, "Shirefolk, halflings?"
The warrior just shook her head, "Well, I have never heard of a hobbit but then again, before I became a Grey Warden I had never heard of a broodmother either. Not that I'm comparing you to that. Anyway, you still should get out of here. I can see you are armed but more dangers lurk here than can be killed by cold steel."
"Why are you here then?" the younger man asked.
"We are Grey Wardens." she said, as if that was all the explanation they needed.
"Ugh, can we not move on? If they do not wish to leave then let them stay. The sooner we finish our business here, the better." the sour elven woman, Velanna, complained.
"I thought you liked nature?"
"I like trees and greenery not burnt little shemlen towns, overcome with blighted creatures." she snapped. She glanced at the group in front of them and noticed the incredibly tall elf, "You there! You do not look like one of those trained monkey, dirt elves. From what clan do you hail?"
"I do not know what you mean by clan but I am Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil. Prince of Mirkwood." the lithe blond elf answered.
"Mirkwood?"
"It seems we are from different realms. We know nothing of this land while you appear to know nothing of ours." the wizard said.
"Isn't that something." the blond man, Anders, commented, "And here I thought we were the only realm out there. Ah well, there goes my hopes and dreams." Demielle began to feel a slight buzz at the back of her mind and immediately knew what it was. She glanced around at her companions, wondering if they had felt it too. She saw Nathaniel and Anders twitch and Oghren began to grumble again. She smirked slightly; those three would make fine Grey Wardens yet.
"There is no time for you to make it back to the Keep. Be on your guard, there are darkspawn nearby." she informed the group.
"Are darkspawn anything like orcs?" another of the hobbits asked.
"I could not say what an orc is but it sounds pretty hideous. And if darkspawn are anything, it's hideous." Demi debated silently for a moment on what to do with these people, "You seem to be able warriors. You could come with us now, if you wished to and we can escort you out of the Marsh when our business is finished here."
"Our only alternative is wandering aimlessly in this strange place, right?" the younger man asked.
"I say we let the ring bearer decide. What say you, Frodo?" the wizard addressed the hobbit who hadn't spoken yet.
"I say... we go with them."
"Good." Demi nodded curtly, "Then let's get the rest of the introductions over with and we can get moving."
"I am Anders."
"My name is Nathaniel Howe."
"Velanna."
"Sigrun, at your service."
"Th' name's Oghren."
"Strider."
"Boromir of Gondor."
"Legolas."
"It's Gimli."
"My name's Pippin."
"I'm Merry."
"Frodo"
"Sam."
"I am Gandalf."
"Great, now let's move." Demielle grinned and led the now doubled in size group out of the burnt village. As they explored the outskirts of the village, they began to see the same gross flesh sacs that they had found in Kal'Hirol. The darkspawn buzz grew louder and more persistent. They reached a clearing where, in the center lay the body of a man. Demi rolled him over slightly and saw the unmistakable Orlesian style moustache and the worn griffon crest on the man's chest plate. She stood quickly, not wanting to linger a moment more than necessary but was stopped by the gravelly voice of a darkspawn.
"The Mother, she was right. Slay the Warden and you would come. The Mother is always right." The creature went to continue but found that he could not form words around the arrow shaft that was now protruding from his mouth. He let out a strangled cry as three more embedded themselves in his chest. Demi turned to see the elf, Legolas, sighting another down the shaft.
"This is a darkspawn creature, yes? They are hideous indeed." he said, loosing the final arrow. It hit home and the Disciple fell to the ground, dead.
"You... remind me of Zevran." Demi said simply. Oghren burst into laughter, remembering the Antivan assassin, "Well, now that we know that Kristoff is dead we can head back to the Vigil and inform Varel."
"And what happens to us?" Boromir asked.
"I don't know. You can decide when we get there."
"Fair enough." Strider said.
It took them a day and a half to get back to the Keep. The other-worlders asking question after question about Thedas. Once they were back, Varel greeted them at the gates.
"Your majesty." He bowed slightly.
"Good to see you, Varel. We found Kristoff. He was killed by the darkspawn."
"Y-your majesty?" Pippin spluttered.
"Yes, oh, did I forget to mention? Along with being Commander of the Grey, I am also the Hero-Queen of Ferelden."