Tales of Aren Brosca
Recruitment: The Beginning
Aren Brosca, Warden-Commander of the Grey Wardens of Ferelden, looked out over the mountains in Soldier's Keep. After Morrigan had left through the eluvian, he had finished business with Ariane and Finn and went back to Vigil's Keep. There, he officially relinquished command of the Arling of Amaranthine back to the Howes. Nathaniel decided to stay there and help his family settle back in. Velanna had run off to the Deep Roads in search of her sister, Seranni. It appeared that Sigrun had gone with her on her Calling. Anders had been possessed by Justice and had taken off somewhere. That left only Alistair and Oghren. Unfortunately, Alistair, as the most senior Warden, was called to Weisshaupt to report about the Fifth Blight and the Darkspawn Civil War. Oghren was called to the Free Marches to help with training new recruits. That left Aren, all by himself.
He breathed in the mountain air, finally used to seeing the sun and sky. No longer did he fear falling up into it. A smile reached his eyes as he remembered first coming to the surface. It was blindingly bright. He didn't know how topsiders stayed on the ground. Eventually, he learned that he would always stay on the ground. If he jumped, he came back down.
There was a breeze that carried the cold from the south and it irritated the scars on his brand. Burn marks, scratch marks and cuts from a knife, he tried many things to get that thing off his face, the thing that marked him as casteless, as nothing. He was now finally something. Not just a Warden, not just a Warden-Commander, he was a Paragon, a living Ancestor. From a brand to a Paragon, he couldn't believe it. Now his family sat pretty in the Diamond Quarter. They were a warrior house, allied with powerful noble and smith houses.
Barkspawn came beside Aren and nuzzled his head into Aren's hand. He scratched behind the mabari's ears and smoothed the fur on his head. Barkspawn wagged his nub of a tail and panted. Aren looked down and smiled at the dog. Sadly, the title of Warden-Commander ran a bit hollow without any wardens to command. Aren had been making plans to visit different places of Ferelden and recruit anyone willing and had enough skill. Hopefully, some would survive. It was miraculous how many survived during the Darkspawn Civil War, Anders, Velanna, Nathaniel, Sigrun, and Oghren, Mhairi was the only one to die. Hopefully, the same luck would hold.
His plan was to visit Denerim first and see what the capital held. Then he would head to the Brecilian Forest and hopefully find a Dalish clan, now that the land belonged to them. Then off to Lothering and up to Orzammar. Of course, he had to send word before he arrived, he was a Paragon after all. They probably had statues of him up by now. Aren rolled his eyes and scoffed at that. Then to the Circle Tower and then down into a Deep Roads entrance he had discovered between here and Kinloch Hold. He had a lot to do and it would probably take him months. He turned from the balcony and smoothed his white shirt. After walking a few steps into his room, he looked around and then started packing.
Denerim, it had been mostly repaired since the Blight struck the capital. Of course, the palace, Fort Drakon and any place that had wealth or belonged to someone that had money, were the first places to be rebuilt. Then the streets and the marketplace were rebuilt. The alienage and any slums and back alleys were still in disrepair, but the elves were hard at work repairing their home.
Aren now wore the full regalia and armor of the Grey Wardens. He had a shirt and pants on and on top of that, chainmail and then a breastplate with the two-headed griffon emblazoned on it, the heraldry of the Wardens.
Cooked meats, freshly baked bread, perfumes, horses and druffalo dung, all the smells wafted into Aren's nose. He couldn't decide if it was good or bad. Many people, mostly humans, bustled about the marketplace. The hawker's shouts pierced the drone of voices. Aren still felt a little bit uneasy whenever he was in an area with large crowds. He had become accustomed to it and no longer skirted the edges of crowds, but he still didn't like them.
"Warden-Commander," a voice called.
Aren looked about from atop his short horse. He found the source of the voice not far off, near the corner of a store. It was a well-dressed man waving his hand in the air. Aren steered his steed over to the man while Barkspawn followed to the side.
"Warden-Commander, I am Nathan. I will be your ambassador while you stay in Denerim," greeted Nathan with a bow.
"Pleasure to meet you, Nathan. You may call me Aren. There's no need for titles," said Aren with a dismissal of his hand.
"Of course, ser. Queen Anora has provided you with a room at The Gnawed Noble Tavern. They even have a stall for your horse. And your mabari may stay in your room with you."
"Thank you. Extend my gratitude for the hospitality as well," thanked Aren with a smile.
"I will, ser."
"Also, I am here to recruit for the Wardens. Would you have any recommendations of where to start?" Aren inquired bunching his brow.
"Yes. We have some accomplished veterans at Fort Drakon along with a number of soldiers."
"Thank you. I will start there. Also, many wardens come from other places as well, less fortunate places."
"You could visit the prison?" suggested Nathan with a confused look.
"I will visit there as well."
"Alright then," said Nathan. "I shall lead you to the tavern and when you're ready, we shall head to the fort."
Rings of swords hitting shields and the grunts of men in battle rang throughout the Fort. It smelled musty and of stale sweat and ale. Nathan had introduced Aren at the front gate of the Fort and they called for a sergeant to lead them throughout. The general had already picked a dozen men and women who he said would be great to recruit for the wardens. Aren had different plans, however. He had learned that some of the best wardens came from the most unlikely places. Duncan, the Warden-Commander before him, had been a pickpocket. He only wanted a few from here.
The sergeant led Nathan and Aren to a railing that oversaw a large room with dozens of soldiers. They were grouped into three different units. Each one had a man that looked to be training them.
"The three men that are leading these drills," explained the sergeant, "are distinguished knights from the Blight." He gestured towards the men down in the training area.
"So, they already have experience fighting darkspawn?" Aren asked while watching the men.
"Indeed," replied the sergeant. "They have proven themselves very capable. They fought against Loghain's men as well."
"Veterans of the Blight and Civil War and now training soldiers. They must be good," Aren noted. He brought his hand up and rested it on his chin.
"The general would not have asked them to run drills if they weren't," the sergeant replied. "He only accepts the best, especially after the Blight and the Battle of Denerim."
Aren looked up at the sergeant. "May I meet them?" he requested.
"Of course, once they are done with the drills," the sergeant answered. "They should be done soon." The sergeant waved to a bench nearby, "shall we sit?"
Aren, Nathan and the sergeant sat on the bench and watched the three knights conduct the drills with the soldiers. Barkspawn was content laying on the ground next to the bench. Each knight had a favored weapon. One liked the standard sword and shield and had brown hair in a ponytail. His armor was of the Ferelden soldier make with lots of curves and a wolf pelt on his shoulders. Another wielded a larger sword with two hands and had red shaggy hair with black armor plate over chainmail. The last preferred a short glaive. He had light brown hair with bangs that pointed up. Aren gazed at the last one. He admired the knight's looks and the way he fought. Aren's eyes traveled over the man's armor. Hardened leather over chainmail. It fit well over his toned body. Each one knew their weapon well and were teaching the soldiers how to use those weapons. The knights finished the drills and performed maintenance on the weapons. Finally, they made their way up to the balcony. The sergeant, Aren, and Nathan stood up to greet the knights, as did Barkspawn.
"Greetings," the sergeant saluted the knights, "This is Aren Brosca, Warden-Commander of Ferelden, and Nathan, the ambassador to the Warden for his stay in Denerim." The sergeant gestured to each person to introduce them. "Aren, this is Derek, Aland, and Landon." Derek was the name of the sword and shield knight, Aland with the large sword and Landon had the short glaive.
"Stone-met, knights of Ferelden," Aren clapped a fist to his heart and bowed slightly. His gaze lingered on Landon. When Aren realized he was staring, he quickly looked back at the other knights.
"The Hero of Ferelden," Derek greeted, "it is an honor to meet you." He saluted Aren.
"Please, I'm not much of a hero," Aren admitted with a dismissal of his hand.
"You slew the Archdemon and saved Ferelden, possibly all of Thedas," Aland threw up his hands and exclaimed. "Of course, you're a hero."
"Well, if you say so," Aren relented. He rolled his eyes.
"To what do we owe the pleasure of meeting the Hero?" asked Landon.
"Right," Aren remembered. "I'm here to recruit more Wardens. Sadly, it is only me to defend all of Ferelden from darkspawn."
"And you want to recruit us?" asked Derek. He waved his hand at himself and the other two knights.
"Yes. The sergeant here," Aren gestured to the sergeant, "has praised you for your service during the Blight. Distinguished knights with experience fighting darkspawn would be a welcome addition to the wardens," he explained.
"Will we still be able to visit our families?" asked Derek.
"Yes, you can. Most of the time we will be venturing into the Deep Roads, but when we're not, you will be able to visit them. They could also come and stay at the Keep," Aren answered.
"Do you have ale? Can we party?" Aland inquired.
"Yes…" Aren answered. His brow furrowed.
"I would like to join if you'll have me," said Landon.
"Of course," Aren replied, "what about you two?" he asked.
"I accept as well," said Derek.
"Well, if those two are then so will I," said Aland.
"This isn't something to be taken lightly," Aren chided. He shook his hand and gestured to punctuate what he said. "This is serious. About half die just from the Joining. After that, your life is filled with nightmares, literally. And then there is the constant fighting of darkspawn and the horrors the darkspawn create."
"I understand the danger and horror," Landon insisted and he put a hand on his chest. "I still want to join."
"As do I," Derek agreed with a look of conviction.
"I have nothing better to do with my life," Aland shrugged, "not like my mother would care. So, yes, I still want to join," he said.
"Good, then you are now Grey Warden recruits," said Aren. "I still need more, so we will be traveling Ferelden."
"Understood," said Derek.
"Ser, we have plenty of soldiers here for you to recruit," interjected the sergeant as he held out a hand.
"With all due respect, ser, no," Aren shook his head, "some of the best wardens have come from more… colorful backgrounds and pasts. That being said," Aren turned to Nathan, "I would like to now visit the Denerim prison."
"Yes, ser," said Nathan with a bow of his head.
Aren, Nathan and the knights took their leave from Fort Drakon and headed to the Denerim prison. Barkspawn stayed next to Aren's side.
The stench of blood, sweat, urine, and feces invaded Aren's nose. He recoiled and put a hand over his face. He would much rather smell leather gloves that had been in the dirt than this. The prison was mostly quiet except for the sound of chains rattling every now and then, and people's murmurs and soft sobs. Only a few torches kept the darkness at bay. Row upon row of prison cells lay on either side of the hall. The prison guard escorted them through. Aren looked into each cell as they passed by. They were occupied with mostly men, ragged and unkempt. He stopped at one cell. There were two people in this cell chained on either side. They were elves, a man, and a woman. They both wore clothes that looked to be in decent condition at one point but now they were dirty. Aren guessed they had been in there a day or two.
"What's the story with these two?" Aren asked waving a hand at them.
"Ah, yes," began the guard, "these two were in their father's business helping out. Remarkable for an elf to have such a successful business. One of his competitors hated that and killed their father. According to the guards who arrested them, the woman killed the man who killed her father. Of course, it's still murder."
"They will be put to death?" Aren assumed.
"Yes," the guard confirmed.
"I would like to speak with them," said Aren.
The guard nodded. Aren approached the cell door and looked through the bars at the prisoners and introduced himself.
"The Hero of Ferelden? What are you doing here? Why stop and talk to us?" asked the female elf. "What are you doing in a prison?"
"I'm looking for people to recruit for the Wardens and you caught my attention. Not every warden is a soldier or a knight. Some of us, come from the lowest of the low."
"That's right, you're casteless," remembered the female.
"Was casteless," Aren corrected. He then caught himself. He was now a Paragon but hated being a Paragon, but he also hated when he was casteless.
"I'm sorry," the female said as she got up and walked over to the bars. She waved at the elven man to come with her. "I'm Trits and this is my brother, Krin."
"You may call me Aren," he said. "Tell me your story."
Trits scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I'm an elf living in a human city. My father was a woodcarver and damn good at it. Some shem decided he didn't like that and murdered my father. So, I got revenge."
"I could use that fire in the wardens, what do you say to joining?" Aren offered.
"The Wardens? Well, I guess that means I won't die here," Trits contemplated. She folded her arms.
"Let me assure you, you could die just from the Joining. If you don't you will be plagued by nightmares both in sleep and when you face the darkspawn."
"Please," Trits replied with a wave of her hand, "I've seen what they look like, they don't scare me. I can just imagine that they are every shem that ever called me knife-ear and stab them until they're dead."
"Well, like I said, I need someone with that fire." Aren looked at Krin. "What about you?"
"If you recruit me, I will serve. I will fight the darkspawn, ser." Krin's voice was weak and he stared at the ground.
Aren was worried about Krin. He hoped he would find his strength when facing the darkspawn, otherwise, he would die.
"It's settled then. You two are now Grey Warden recruits." Aren turned to the guard. "Get these two out."
"Yes, ser," said the guard. He went over to the door and took out a ring of keys. Finding the right one, he unlocked the cell door. It groaned and squeaked. He proceeded to unlock the chains from the elves.
"Those two? Really?" asked an agitated Derek. He scowled at Aren and the elves.
"Need I remind you where I came from?" Aren replied with an edge to his voice. He pointed to his brand under his right eye. "I was casteless. We are treated worse than elves. We are seen as a poison, a disease that pollutes the Stone. Many dwarves want to see us dead. Now, I am a Paragon and Warden-Commander. If you don't like this, leave."
Derek furrowed his brow and looked away. "No, ser."
"Good. If I hear anything else from you like this, you're out of the Wardens," Aren threatened.
Nathan, Aland, and Landon looked in different directions and shifted their weight. Aren noticed how tense he had gotten and relaxed. Barkspawn looked up at Aren and he patted the mabari's head. Derek could be a problem or he could get to know Trits and Krin and realize that elves were a lot like humans. They weren't less than, and neither was he. Never again.
Trits and Krin walked up to the group. Aren thanked the guard and hurried out.
"We're headed to the Gnawed Noble Tavern," said Aren. "We will stay there for a day or two while we gather everything we need to travel around Ferelden. Nathan, could you get Trits and Krin some change of clothes?"
"Yes, ser. I could also see to gathering supplies for your travels," Nathan replied.
"Thank you. Now, let's be off."
Aren and the recruits walked into the tavern only to find it a bit quieter than a tavern should be. The Wardens scanned the room. Everybody was keeping to mostly one side and they sometimes stared in one direction. Aren followed their stares and saw a qunari sitting alone in a corner. Of course, that would make everyone uneasy. The qunari was wearing shiny Silverite plate armor that covered him from neck to toe. It was well made and looked to be inspired by qunari design with sharp edges and geometric patterns. Aren shook his head and walked over to the bar. The recruits were still staring at the horned giant when they realized Aren had left and followed him.
"Excuse me, ser. Do you happen to know anything about the qunari?" Aren asked the bartender.
"I do," answered the bartender. "He is a mercenary who has traveled the lands."
"Thank you," said Aren. He then went over to the qunari and stood next to the table. "I'm Aren Brosca, Warden-Commander of Ferelden. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Aren put a fist to his heart and bowed slightly.
"Greetings, Warden-Commander. You may call me Koss," said the qunari. "You are the Hero of Ferelden I've heard so much about."
"The tales exaggerate, I'm sure," said Aren and rolled his eyes. "The reality is much darker."
Koss smirked. "Of that, I've no doubt. Tell me—" He was cut off by Barkspawn nuzzling his lap. The mabari looked up at Koss, panted and wagged his tail. Koss chuckled and petted Barkspawn. "What brings you to my table? Most of the people here cower away from me."
"With good reason," Derek muttered under his breath.
Aren elbowed Derek. Unfortunately for him, Aren's height meant the elbow went into Derek's manhood. He doubled over.
"I find myself needing more wardens," said Aren. He caught himself and added, "More than these recruits. Not that they aren't good. Although they haven't gone through the Joining. Now I'm rambling. Would you like to join Koss?"
Koss chuckled. "I didn't know that the Wardens took in qunari."
"We take in anyone willing to join," Aren informed. "Being a Warden isn't easy. The Joining itself is gruesome and what follows after is just as terrifying."
"I rebelled against the Qun," said Koss with a stern face. "I fought my way out and then had to deal with prejudice throughout my travels. I've fought giants and demons. I think I can handle darkspawn and a few nightmares."
"Then I welcome you to the Grey Wardens, Koss."
"Thank you."
"We have an ambassador who is securing mounts and supplies for our journey around Ferelden to recruit more to the Wardens. If I may ask, why are your horns short?" Aren pointed to Koss's horns.
"I filed them back to be level with my head. It's practical and they don't get in the way," Koss replied as he ran a hand along his horns.
"And your hair being cut so short?"
"I like how it looks."
"This is so cool!" Trits squealed. She shook her fists and jumped a little. "We get to have one of the big guys with us. Could I ride around on your shoulders?"
"We'll see," Koss chuckled.
Koss finished his drink and retired to his room. Aren went back to the bartender to order a few more rooms for his growing number of recruits. He gave each one a key to a room and they retired for the night.
The Wardens rode on their horses at a walking speed. The Imperial Highway loomed over the countryside, its weathered and tarnished white stone arches reached high overhead, but some of them were broken. The kings and queens over time had neglected the arches and instead devoted resources to maintain the actual road. On the one side lay the farms of the Bannorn and on the other side was wilderness. There were other people traveling on the highway, some had carts and others had horses. At regular intervals were guards stationed to protect travelers.
Aren led the way on his short horse. Barkspawn trotted along beside him. The knights, along with the twins and Koss, were behind him. Trits and Krin shared a horse while Koss rode on a large draft horse. They had gotten the supplies they needed to last them at least until Lothering. Any supplies they used up could be replenished there. Trits and Krin had also gotten a few changes of clothes along with a pair of daggers that Trits grabbed from her house and Krin found a simple axe and a wooden shield. They would need them to fight darkspawn.
Aren noticed how quiet everyone was once they got some distance from Denerim. Eventually, it was unbearable for him. "So…" he started, trying to find something to talk about. "What do you guys like to do for fun?"
No one answered.
"Wow, this is awkward," Aren stated the obvious.
Still, no one answered.
"Fine, I will start with myself. I come from Dust Town in Orzammar. As you all know. It's pretty similar to the alienages that the elves live in. It's a part of the city that no one cares about. Very few dwarves try to maintain it and they're all casteless. Nothing ever helps."
"Really?" Trits chirped in. "You guys don't take care of your home?"
"No, we don't," Aren admitted. "I think it's because everyone is looking for a way out. Some will try for the surface, some women become noble hunters, and others join the carta."
"Noble hunters?" asked Landon as he furrowed his brow.
"They're women who try to bed a noble man," Aren explained as he punctuated with his hand. "See, for us, a child joins the caste of the parent of the same gender. If the noble hunter has a boy, she may join the house of the father."
"Do men not pursue this?" Koss inquired. "Couldn't they hunt for a female and if they're child is a woman, he could join?"
"Huh, I guess I never thought of that," Aren noticed. "I don't think I've seen any male noble hunters, though. It's typically something only women do. My sister was one."
"Was?" asked Derek.
"Yes, she bedded the prince," Aren began. "She gave him a son, and with my help, Bhelen, the prince, took the throne and became the king. My nephew could become king after Bhelen."
"Wait, hold up," said Trits as she held up her hand, "you're royalty?"
"It doesn't work like that," Derek scoffed.
Trits glared at Derek.
"Not really. I'm not royal blood and some other nonsense," Aren explained. "But I do get to enjoy some privileges because of my close ties. What I enjoy more, is an entire warrior house because I am now a Paragon. House Brosca, some of the finest warriors. Most of them were people I liked in the carta who stuck to jobs that were more, let's say tasteful. They all thanked me, a lot, and happily joined. Some traditionalists call us the Brand House. We wear them with pride now."
"I wish we had someone who could make all of us elves nobles," Trits wished.
"With your position as a Warden, you could help that dream come to reality, Trits," Aren encouraged.
Trits smiled at that. Derek rolled his eyes.
"I'm curious about dwarven culture and society. Also about your beliefs. Could you tell me about them?" Koss asked.
"I would also like to know about their politics," added Derek.
"We are completely ruled by castes. Its everything to us. At the very bottom are the casteless. We are believed to be impure and rejected by the Stone. We can't return to Her when we die. I don't believe that. It's just what they tell everyone to justify something our Ancestors did way back," said Aren gesturing with his hand.
"Like how they say elves are less than because we didn't worship the Maker," asked Trits.
"Exactly. Someone always says something to justify their actions. Anyways, above that is the Servant class. That's right, servants are treated better than casteless," said Aren.
"What? Even elves in alienages can become servants," Trits pointed out.
"Yep. Then, above that, is the merchant caste, then the miners, smiths, artisans, warriors, and on top, in the Diamond Quarter, the noble caste."
"Let me guess, it's higher up than everything else," said Trits with a roll of her eyes.
"Yes, as is to be expected, sadly. Now, we believe in the Stone. We don't worship Her, but we respect Her. We believe that we came from Her and upon death, we return to Her. Those that return to the Stone, are called Ancestors, and sometimes we ask them for advice. We have a fighting arena called the Proving where the Ancestors show who they agree with in disagreements. Then, when someone does something miraculous, the Assembly votes and deems them a living Ancestor, a Paragon," Aren explained. "The Assembly is where the deshyrs, a representative of each noble house, votes on different matters. And that's pretty much dwarves of Orzammar for you."
"So, to gain political power, I would need to make friends with nobles and royalty there," Derek surmised as he rubbed his chin with his thumb and finger.
"Interesting, you could incorporate this belief with just about any," said Koss.
"Sure, now what about the rest of you guys? Trits, Krin, do you guys believe in the Maker or the elven gods?" asked Aren.
"Our parents never really taught us much about either of them," explained Trits. "We found out about the Chantry and stuff through humans. I am more interested in the Dalish and their beliefs."
"Well, I am hoping that we can find some in our travels. They have skills that would be useful in the Wardens," said Aren.
"Really?" said Trits, "that would be so cool."
Aren smiled. "Koss, you rejected the Qun?"
"I did reject the Qun," said Koss. "After that, I learned a great deal about many different cultures and beliefs. I met with some of the Rivaini Seers and spoke to Chantry priests. I admit, I have not encountered the Dalish in my travels. They do tend to be secretive."
"Ah, yes," said Aren, "Wardens have their secrets too."
"How is dwarven ale?" asked Aland. "I heard its really good. You guys make it with Deep Mushrooms instead of wheat. And I heard you guys have other drinks as well?"
"Well, yes," explained Aren. "We don't have wheat, but Deep Mushrooms grow in abundance. We do have other drinks as well, Lava Burst, Dragon Piss. I haven't drunk much."
"Do you not like to drink?" asked Aland almost accusingly.
"No, I don't. Not big into it," replied Aren.
"I'm the same way," Landon chirped in with a small smile directed at Aren.
"What did you have to do in the Carta?" asked Derek, almost like he was asking what sort of dark secrets Aren held.
"I did my best to stay away from the worst of it," Aren answered. "I mostly did the lyrium smuggling and shaking people down for money. I got quite good at both. I never had to use my fists and I could just use my words. Then when Beraht, my old boss, asked me to make sure his man won the Proving, that's when things went bad and Duncan had to use the Right of Conscription."
"Really?" prodded Landon.
"I needed to spike the opposing man's drink and I did. When I got back to Beraht's man," explained Aren, "he was passed out drunk. I took his armor and weapons and fought as him. Eventually I was found out. Beraht used his ties to arrest me and I fought my way out and killed him. Then the city guard caught me and that's when Duncan came."
"Wow," said Landon, surprised. "I never knew it could be so bad for some people."
Trits scoffed. "I got in many fights every time someone called me 'knife-ear.'"
"Trits, please don't," pleaded Krin, sheepishly.
She ignored her brother. "I kept getting in trouble with the guard and eventually I had to stay in prison for a few months because I was a 'repeat offender.'"
"Well, if you just stopped fighting people," said Derek.
"Excuse me, shem?" yelled Trits.
"Trits," pleaded Krin.
"I have to constantly fight to show you shems I am equal to you. I'm not less than you just because I look different."
"She's right," Aren interjected.
Derek scowled and looked away from the group. Trits smiled triumphantly and the rest were uneasy. They continued for some time in silence. Aren let the tension melt away and then it was replaced with the awkward silence once more.
"Derek, tell me about your past," Aren inquired. "Where do you come from? Do you have family?"
"I come from a decent plot of land in the Bannorn. My mother and father are Banns and I have two little sisters," Derek began. "They are both to be wed to sons of Banns in nearby lands to ours. I married the daughter of a very fine artisan from Highever. It helped strengthen our ties there. She now bears our first child."
"I'm happy for you," Aren said with sincerity. "I love children. They're all adorable. I won't have any children myself, however."
"No?" Derek prodded.
"Well, Wardens can't have children," Aren explained.
"We can't?" Derek asked with alarm.
"It's the Joining, it…" Aren was trying to find how to explain it. "I still can't give too many details, but, it introduces something to your body and it keeps you from conceiving a child."
"Then this will be the only child I have," Derek lamented.
"The rest of you don't want children, do you?" asked Aren.
"If I did, my mother wouldn't care," said Aland.
"No, I never planned on having children and my parents know," Landon answered.
"At my age," Koss chuckled, "no. And certainly not with my life."
"I never thought about kids," said Trits. "I don't think I ever really did."
"I never thought about it either," Krin chimed in. "I guess it's a no for me as well."
"Good, I didn't want any of you to have regrets," Aren replied. "I'm sorry, Derek. I will task what mages we will recruit to find a way for you to have more children."
Derek looked back up and was a little surprised. "Thank you," he said.
"What about the rest of you guys?" Aren asked. "Tell me about yourselves."
"I come from Gwaren," Landon began. "My parents are weapon and armor smiths. My mother is actually the one that designs the stuff and my father makes it. They employ a few people as well. My older sister is now married to a land owner in Amaranthine and my younger brother is set on becoming a knight."
"Just like his older brother?" Aren asked with a smile.
"Yeah, kind of," Landon returned the smile. They met each other's eyes.
"My dad was a wood worker," Trits chimed in.
"Yes, I heard he was good at it too," Aren replied.
"He was." Trits played with a wooden figure from her backpack.
"Is that carving special?" Koss inquired.
"It is," Trits said, still gazing at the carving. It was a of a fox.
"He said you were always like a fox," Krin added. Everyone was a bit surprised whenever he spoke. "You were clever, quick, and you always had a fire in you. Mom said she could see it in your eyes."
Trits began to tear up a little bit. Krin, already holding onto her while riding on the horse, hugged a little tighter.
"What happened to your mother?" Aren asked.
"She died during the Blight to darkspawn," Krin explained, his voice quiet. He was almost hiding behind Trits.
"I'm sorry you lost both of them to monsters," said Aren.
"Thank you," Trits said through tears. She wiped them away and stuffed the carving back in her backpack. "At least I get to kill darkspawn. That should make me feel better."
"It makes me feel better sometimes," Aren related. "Aland, what about you? What's your story?"
"I come from some place in the Bannorn," he began. "My father died in the Blight and now my mother inherited the wealth. My brother is a sergeant in the army and gets all the attention."
"His older brother overshadows him," Landon explained. "His mom seems to only care about his brother."
"Thanks for that," Aland said sarcastically.
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," said Aren. "I can see why you decided to join."
"We're also his only real friends," Derek added.
"Thanks. Again," said Aland.
"I understand even more now," said Aren.
They continued on for the day. They stopped twice to eat. Each time they took their horses down a ramp and onto the ground. They set up an area to eat and when they were done, they got back on their horses and continued on the Imperial Highway. Eventually, the sun began to set. Unfortunately, there were no inns or anywhere to stay for a few miles. Aren kept an eye out for a suitable area to camp. He found a ramp down and decided that the corner of the highway and the ramp was a suitable campsite. On the other side was a forest.
They began setting up their tents. Koss and Landon went out to chop some firewood. Trits and Krin shared a larger tent while the rest had ones just large enough to sleep in. They set up their bedrolls inside and began creating a firepit. Once Koss and Landon came back with some wood, they started a fire.
"All right," said Aren. "Who wants to take first watch?"
Everybody looked at him funny.
"All right, I will," Aren answered himself. "Landon will after that and then Aland, Koss and finally Derek. I won't make Trits and Krin do watch their first time camping."
"Um, Aren," said Landon, "we don't really need a watch. The only real danger are bandits but there haven't been many since the Blight. There are also guards patrolling the highway, even at night."
Aren realized that it wasn't the Blight. While Wardens ventured into the Deep Roads during those times of peace, this was the surface. After all the countless nights during the Blight, he had become accustomed to there always being a chance of attack during the night.
"Right," he said. "Well, we should probably all head to bed then."
"If you want," said Koss, "I could stay up a little later to make sure we really are safe."
"Thank you," said Aren.
Not long after, they began retiring to their tents. Koss did stay up later than the rest. Aren lay awake in his tent absently stroking Barkspawn's back as the dog slept. He kept reaching out with his mind to sense if they were any darkspawn around. There never was. That eased his mind a bit. Eventually, he finally succumbed to sleep.
Aren was the first one to wake up. He was used to nights of sparse sleep while camping. Slowly, everyone else woke up. Trits was the last one. They took their time eating breakfast and rolling up their bed rolls and tents. It was only an hour past sunrise when they woke up. Once they were ready, they set up their horses and started on the highway again.
"Krin, do you believe in the Maker or the Elven Gods?" Koss asked. They had been traveling for a few hours. Most were content with the silence for a while.
Krin looked surprised to have someone talking directly at him. He looked over at Koss and replied, "the Maker, ser."
"There's no need to call me 'ser'," Koss said with a smile.
"Sorry, s—" Krin stopped himself saying "ser" again.
"Good," said Derek. "The elven gods don't exist, only the Maker does."
"Hold on now," Trits interjected. "I don't necessarily believe in either but that is a fucking ignorant thing to say."
"Excuse me?" Derek retorted.
"You are so fucking arrogant. You're not right, you don't know shit, just like the rest of us. Really you just hate elves," Trits snapped.
"I don't hate elves," Derek snapped back. "You have turned away from the Maker."
"Fuck your Maker," Trits yelled. "You murdered us in His name."
"Enough," Aren turned back and halted the fight. "Trits, I understand where you're coming from, but arguing like this won't help anything. Derek, stop trying to justify your hate with the Maker. He loves all no matter what."
Trits and Derek both scowled in opposite directions. Trits let her horse slow down until she was behind the group while Derek went to the front. Aland and Landon rolled their eyes while Koss kept a peaceful demeanor during the bout. Aren had a deep respect for Koss and his sage ways.
Aland took out a flask filled with ale. Aren could smell it when Aland opened it. He took a swig. Aland offered it to Derek, to which he said no. The rest declined as well when offered, except for Trits. She met him half way in the group and just took a long swig of the ale. She looked satisfied. They shared the drink for the rest of their time traveling.
They found a nice place to stop to eat. It was next to a little pond with a few trees nearby. They sat around in a circle and tied their horses to one of the trees. They ate dried meats and fruits along with some stale bread. Barkspawn ate some druffalo jerky that Aren fed him. Once the mabari was done, he trotted over to Koss. He petted Barkspawn's fur and scratched behind his ears. Barkspawn panted and wagged his stub of a tail. Krin looked apprehensive at the dog. When Barkspawn made his way over to the twins, Trits played with him. Krin scooted behind Koss, hiding behind his large body. Koss merely smiled.
"I hope you aren't as childish as your sister," Derek said to Krin.
"No, ser," Krin said with a bow of his head.
"Good," said Derek, satisfied. He reached over to grab the shirt he wore the day before. "Now clean this for me in the pond over there."
"Yes, ser," Krin complied. He grabbed Derek's shirt and went over to the pond. Not many of the group heard what they were talking about. Trits looked from Derek to Krin and figured out what was happening. She waited until Krin got back and was about to say something.
"Krin," said Koss, "you will need to know how to fight if you hope to be a Warden. Come, I will train you."
"Yes, ser," Krin remembered he was talking to Koss and added, "sorry."
"There's no need to be sorry," Koss said with a smile. They walked away from the group a little ways and Koss began teaching Krin the basics of fighting. Trits visibly calmed down. She figured it was good for Krin to learn how to fight. Maybe it would toughen him up and he wouldn't be such a coward. Aren was glad that another fight was averted. If Derek didn't fix his attitude, there would be a lot of fighting in the group.
"Aland, you still have that flask?" Trits asked.
"Yeah," Aland replied. He dug around in his pack and found it. He tossed it over to her and she caught it with ease. She undid the stopper and downed what was left of the ale. She tossed it back to Aland. He caught it and looked at it as if he had lost a lover.
Once they were finished eating and Koss and Krin had finished their first lesson, they gathered the horses, saddled up, and were on their way again. Derek and Aland stayed to one side of the group talking. Trits and Krin rode next to Koss and they kept asking him about the Qun and his adventures. He enjoyed their curiosity and enthusiasm. Landon rode next to Aren.
"You never mentioned a father when you were telling us about your past," Landon noted.
Aren raised his eyebrows, looked over at Landon and then said "Oh, right. That's because he left for the surface not long after my mother was pregnant with me."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Landon offered condolences.
"It's ok," Aren assured. "He offered to take my mother and sister with, but my mother declined. She turned into a drunkard and it was really just me and my sister."
"Wow, you have had a very different life than me," said Landon. He realized how that could've sounded and quickly added, "not that I'm judging or anything."
Aren smiled, waved his hand and said, "don't worry. I know I have had a different life than most."
Landon looked relieved. "Well, it's made you who you are today, and I like who you turned out to be." Landon smiled.
Aren smiled back. "Oh? You like who I turned out to be?"
Landon looked away and blushed. "Yeah."
The rest of the second day went by much the same as the first. They found spots to eat and eventually, a place to sleep. This time, Aren knew not to call out watches. He did it in his head. Landon placed his tent closer to Aren's while Derek and Aland placed there's next to each other and Koss and the twins were on the other side of Aren. Derek and Trits were as far away from each other as they could be.
"Why did you abandon the Qun, Koss?" asked Derek on the third day of travelling. Aland rolled his eyes, as did Trits.
Koss kept his calm demeanor and said, "I left because I didn't agree with some parts of the Qun."
"Only some parts?" Derek asked with an edge to his voice.
"Yes," Koss began to explain. "I didn't like their ways of forcing the Qun on to others. I didn't like how they treated those that left the Qun either. I did like, however, that they try to make sense of things. They try to bring order in a world of chaos. Everyone is given value and a place in society. They worry about society as a whole. If I were to come to one of the Tamassrans with a question, they would be patient and listen and try to answer as best as they can. These are all things I like about the Qun."
Derek scowled off into the distance. "Well, you were right to leave the Qun."
"Was I?" Koss asked.
"Yes," said Derek as if it was fact.
"How so?"
"The Qun is wrong. You should worship the Maker," said Derek.
"If I recall correctly, the Maker didn't make the Qunari," Koss rebutted.
"The Qun is still wrong," Derek muttered under his breath.
"You are free to believe so," said Koss.
After that, Derek didn't talk to Koss much. Derek seemed to slowly keep to small talk with most of the group except for Aland and Landon. He tried to make Krin be a servant once more, but Koss intervened yet again. Aren was grateful for Koss. He knew eventually he would have to talk to Derek about his attitude, but Aren hated confrontation. He decided he would do it at South Reach.
At the end of the third day, they had arrived at their destination. Aren found an inn that could stable their horses. They only had so much money to last them the trip, so Aren doubled people up in rooms. Derek said he would only room with Aland and Landon. Aren knew that putting him in a room with Trits was out of the question. He put Derek and Aland in a room, Koss and the twins in another and Landon was in a room with him. He put himself in a room with Landon because he felt something growing there. Aren pulled Derek aside.
"Look, I know you're a traditionalist, but you're going to be working with people from all different parts of Ferelden. Some with different lives than you and some with different beliefs and yes, more elves and dwarves. You can't act like you are right and everyone should listen to what you say."
Derek looked down at Aren, his face stern but otherwise it had no expression. After a few moments, Derek finally spoke. "Fine. I will try to keep it to a minimum."
"Thank you," said Aren. "You really should see this as an opportunity to learn. Aren't other cultures and beliefs beautiful? I think so. I love having diversity. If we all had the same things it would get pretty boring really quickly."
Derek looked away and still kept that stern look on his face. Aren rolled his eyes, then said goodnight to Derek and to the rest of them. Everyone else then began retiring to their rooms. Aren plopped down on his bed as soon as they got in. Aren moaned as he hadn't slept in a bed for a few days. Landon chuckled as he set up his pack and supplies in a corner of the room.
"We should probably have a little something to eat before bed," said Landon as he took out a few pieces of dried fruit.
Aren sat up, took off his pack, and then moved over to the table and set his pack down. Landon went to the table and sat down with Aren. They enjoyed each other's company in silence as they munched on the fruit.
"Are you really friends with Derek or do you just tolerate him?" Aren asked.
Landon stopped midchew and looked at Aren. He then resumed chewing, swallowed and said, "I guess I just tolerate him," it came out more as a question. "I mean, when you get to know him, he's an alright guy. But yes, his ignorance is a problem."
"I talked to him before we came up to the rooms and he seemed to understand he needs to either keep it to himself or change," Aren stated.
They met each other's eyes and Landon said with sincerity, "No matter what happens to him, I am committed to the Wardens."
Aren smiled, "Good. I'm glad you want to stay," he said with warmth. "Alright, let's get some sleep. Tomorrow we head into the Brecilian Forest."
Aren and Landon finished eating and went to their beds. Landon took off most of his clothes except for light trousers and settled into bed. Aren watched his lean body in the candle light. Once Landon was in bed Aren then undressed as well down to his trousers and settled in to bed.