Gray Mercy Chapter I
„Ferelden commander", the announcer shouted, covered with gray fur, before he added less officially. „The so-called Hero of Ferelden, Crusher of Blight."
He didn't mind poisonous note in old man's voice. Everyone he's met so far in Weisshaupt fortress seemed dismissive at best about the notion that it took him no more than couple of years to almost single handedly stop the Blight. Even though Alistair was the one who in the end slew the Archdemon, some people found it hard to believe how such inexperienced city born elf organized defense against him and the Horde.
Mockery was least of his concerns. He calmly proceeded towards a round table of crude made, cursing its shape, for he couldn't guess which of the wardens gathered around it was the First. Those large men were similarly of crude made, shaped as much by their duties as they were by the severity of the Anderfels.
'So many Anders in one place', he thought to himself, grinning stupidly, 'and not one pursued by Templars.'
Puns aside, he was becoming increasingly aware that the Wardens stared at him as if the entire Legion of the Dead suddenly left the Deep Roads to parade before them. He wondered if they even knew about the Legion. They probably did.
Anyway, his fragile elven appearance, coupled with previous „grand" announcement earned him much unwanted scrutiny.
„'You' are that Hero of Ferelden", one scarred man, or, more accurately, one of them, cause they all carried battle scars, asked in disbelief.
„Some call me that", once again, he grinned, with no apparent reason, this time instantly reminded of now dead apostate.
He, too, was called by many names, by the same people who imposed the title of Hero upon him. Knifeear, Darkwolf, betrayer of King Cailan, and, worst of all, Infanticide, a title Loghain and Anora had spread during the civil war, after he was forced to personally end lives of two children-turned abominations, one in Redcliffe and the other in Honnleath. Those were first of his many lessons about corruption magic was. Also, one of the hardest decisions he ever made, which later rendered problems he otherwise might have had laughable, such as standing up to the Grey Wardens' central officials.
„Hero of Ferelden, eh?", one of the men stood, „if what they say about your role in ending the Blight is true, Hero of Thedas would be more appropriate."
He wasn't all that comfortable with the title. Not since he started to realize that Fereldens were seeing new Loghain in him. He saw it too.
They may have had different goals, bud that willingness to go to great lengths to achieve them was eerily familiar.
It will consume him too, one day. The request he was about to make to the First could have easily been the beginning of that.
He cleared his throat, though it was his resolve that needed to be purged. Yet, there was no trace of doubt in his voice when he spoke to them. No hesitation. No emotion, really. Only a hint of amusement leaked from his faint smile. „I believe you know why I am here."
„Indeed, I received your report, warden", he recognized the First when he responded from the way others listened to him. He was a dark man, much more dangerous than the rest, him included. Fereldan commander was fully aware that he is but a piece in Gray army led by the First, an accomplished piece, but a token never the less, while their leader had elite wardens in almost every country of Thedas at his disposal. More importantly, he had inherited the knowledge of all the previous ones who stood at the top of always vigilant guard against the darkspawn. He was rightfully higher in the hierarchy. However, Hero of Ferelden didn't want to guard the world any more; he wanted to make a push.
„So my request...", he started somewhat more insecure.
„... is denied", First calmly finished his thought in the way he feared the most. „If you want to start a war against magic, you are in the wrong order, boy. We won't do Templars' work."
„Than why did you call me all the way here?", he raised his voice in disbelief.
„To honor you for ending the Blight, of course", this First was more inclined to teasing than he would have imagined.
„You too?", elf quivered. „I don't desire any medals! Of all people, you should at least understand that that victory is meaningless as long as the darkspawn remain. They will return. We must..."
He suddenly stopped talking, noticing how people around the table struggle to suppress laughter, some even openly grinning. The man who stood earlier explained: „Easy, commander. The First was just testing how easily you give up. He has a habit of checking what people are made of before handling them a heavy burden."
„Not that you haven't already proven yourself by serving the order", the First interrupted him. „So, your wish to form that special platoon of yours is granted."
„You... you won't regret it... sir", he muttered, barely containing his excitement. Now that he got permission for his project, he was so relived that he became less careful, so they caught a glimpse of just how important this was to him. He dared view it like it was a turning point in the Grey Wardens way of operating.
In fact, he was so exalted that, afterwards, he remembered very little of the conversation except that the senior wardens soothed him with some good willed ridicule. It was only when the First put his signature on the treaty, next to the Divine's, that he felt like he could breath again. The ability to think clearly came back to him much later.
He must have looked in the scroll numerous times on his way back from the top of the mountain. It read:
Gray Mercy Union:
„In the light of recent disturbances, the Andrastian Chantry and the Gray Wardens both oblige by this document that they will offer mutual help and support during joint investigation of reported sightings of the Tevinter magistares.
According to the testimony of both Champion of Kirkwall, who has proven to have encountered so called Corypheus, a darkspawn-like creature, claiming to be an ancient magister, and the Hero of Ferelden, according to whom Ferelden wardens had dealings with the creature named Architect, an intelligent darkspawn, who matches the description of the Corypheus, there are serious indications of the return of the magisters, whose magic brought blight that we still suffer from. Since those magisters and their corruption is the epitome of what both of our orders stand against, we hereby promise to cooperate in terminating this alleged threat before it brings doom upon us all once again.
A small task force that will investigate these appearances within darkspawn is thus to serve under both Ferelden Warden Commander, Letjan Tabris, and Knight Commander of the Kirkwall, Cullen, in whose areas of jurisdiction, respectively, those sightings of 'magisters' occurred."
Letjan thought it rather ominous how the edges of the two seals crossed each other- rays of Andraste's burning sun reaching the tail of the Gryphon of the Gray. As if the flames will ignite him. Letjan's obsession with legends, especially those of king Cailanhead, verged on superstition. Yet, no number of bad omens would diminish his satisfaction with the reached agreement which opened the possibility to find out more about the ties of magic with the curse of the darkspawn, and its very nature, something he was always extremely curious about, believing that the Blights can't be properly stopped until they understand the way magic interacts with the world.
It was no easy task getting the two sides to comply to an agreement, with their traditionally strained relationship due to the opposite beliefs on whether or not restricted magic is an acceptable tool. Letjan himself was more with the Chantry on that. But his utter disgust for blood magic wasn't enough to secure trust of the Divine. In order to get it, Leliana, her personal agent, had to vouch for him, and even then, she accepted the idea of a temporary alliance only after he promised to do something as a return favor to her.
She made him take an oath that he will undertake one more endeavor while in Free Marches, in utmost secrecy, in exchange for the Templar resources. He had to recover book of Kouslan, from non other than pirate captain Isabela, who was once his mentor as well as a lover. Divine must have known about his connection to the thief, though he had even stronger one with the Sten, his first true friend whom he hadn't saw since his departure for Palaven. Letjan never did decide is he looking forward to the chance of seeing him again, or does he fear their encounter. He couldn't tell if the Divine plans to use the tome for achieving the peace, or as a bargain cheap, but it was significant enough to her to get him in her good graces.
As for the group that he was supposed to lead together with Cullen, Letjan didn't worry. Leliana, who previously operated in the vicinity of Kirkwall hand-picked them, and he trusted Leliana with his own life. Saying they were close would have been an understatement.
It was decided to start their quest in the Kirkwall area because incident at Vinmark mountains was the more recent one, and there were also more available information about Corypheus than about the Architect. At the time, it seemed logical. Now, it seemed frightening. For someone who has never before left Ferelden, visiting any other place was like venturing into the unknown, let alone such distinctively different place as Free Marches were supposed to be.
However, he didn't flinch. He couldn't, actually. How would he convince others to join them otherwise? That's what Cullen and him will have to do before anything else- recruit those few people Leliana recommended.
There, he will also meet with the two people from Fereldan that he personally invited, Slim Cauldry, master of contacts, his long term associate and a friend, and Dagna, lively dwarf who was still pointing out that she owes him for granting her an opportunity to become what she was today, an expert on magic.
He glanced over the Leliana's list for the last time: Fenris, Bran and Marrass.
Those three, Cullen and the two of his Fereldan associates will be the ones to make a breakthrough in the search for the truth and the salvation, the search that Letjan planned to lead like no one before him did.
Uncalled came the words that the First Warden left him with as he was leaving for the Kirkwall: „Now you wield the authority of both Wardens and the Templars. Be that as it may, do not delude yourself that this endeavor will be easier than when you opposed the Blight. It won't. Then, you battled an ancient evil, now, you'll face its roots."