Chapter 2: Morrigan's Farewell

The area was already swarming with darkspawn and the city was under siege; perhaps already overtaken. The sky was filled with the smolder of devastation as the capital of Ferelden burned. The air was thick with the smell of blood and death brought on by the bodies that painted the way to the city gates.

The army from Redcliffe advanced onto Denerim with their courage relying on the words, "For Ferelden! For the Grey Wardens," from their prospective king.

Alistair halted at the bottom of the stairs after his battle speech to ask Elissa, "Are you sure you're all right? You're pale, and I don't mean pre-battle-jitters pale."

"This is hardly the time, Alistair," Elissa shrugged off his gentle touch from her shoulder. "The darkspawn horde is upon us."

She ran off before she could be questioned again, following Morrigan who was walking rather than running. But Elissa preferred not to speak to anyone and ran ahead of the entire group, twirling her daggers out of their sheaths. She could not explain why she was angry, other than she did get little sleep and she was faced with the very large task of leading everyone into city, despite that it was Alistair who was going to be king and should be leading his men—this thought would not have usually bothered her, but today Elissa was feeling quite irritable.

Elissa plunged her daggers into the first darkspawn she came across in a very unforgiving manner. The first dagger went into the genlock's eye; the second dagger went into its throat. Blood was splayed in two different directions as she quickly tore through it like cloth and proceeded to delve both blades into the genlock that had come up behind her.

The hurlock that now approached was waving an axe at her arms. Elissa kicked the dead genlock that was still attached to her daggers into the hurlock, knocking it off balance enough to give her time to move behind it and stick a dagger between the plating of its weapon arm. As she twisted that dagger, causing the hurlock to drop its axe, she used her other dagger to stab it in the back of the neck, jumping almost on top of it as it fell to its knees and then to the ground.

Elissa looked up and saw Zevran in all his Antivan leather glory and with his own two daggers out, standing in surprise because he had been too late in lending help with the kills. He made an impressed whistle and said, "Perhaps I will start calling you Lady Death. A beautiful name, yes?"

Feeling crankier than ever, Elissa pushed past him. "This is not a game, you know," she scolded. "We have to clear a way to the city."

"But of course, my fair battle maiden," he answered with his usual flirtatious vigor. "I have no intention of staying to play with the darkspawn. Although they would make an interesting torture victim, don't you think?"

Elissa dodged out of the way of an arrow from another genlock and was going to call for a ranged attack, but Leliana was already on it. The bard had her longbow out and had already pierced the genlock in the chest. Another shot to the chest and the genlock was downed.

"If I may, Warden," Zevran said as he ran alongside Elissa. "You do not seem your usual self. It hurts to see you so worked up. Not in the good way," he added with a sly grin. "It's okay," he said encouragingly, "You can tell me. Especially if it was something your betrothed has done. You'd be surprised how many brides hire assassins for their wedding night. And who ends up in bed with the bride before the morning."

As Zevran spoke, Elissa came up to another few genlock and hurlock and perfectly executed a whirlwind maneuver as adrenaline surged through her already boiling blood. Zevran joined the dance and finished each one off as they stumbled backwards from Elissa's cutting-force. He smiled at Elissa when the deed was done, but she grimaced as she took a step back.

Sheathing her daggers, she then covered mouth. "I think I'm going to be sick," she stated before running off towards a spot with tall grass near the wall of the city. There, in slight seclusion, she had another moment as her stomach emptied of the rations she had eaten earlier.

This time it was Sten that saw Elissa as she leaned against the wall and held her breath to pass the nausea. "Kadan, there is something wrong?"

Elissa looked up at Sten with tears in her eyes. "Sten, you can't tell Alistair," she sounded desperate and pathetic, but she couldn't seem to get a hold of her emotions. "I can't have him worried about me. Not now. We have darkspawn to kill and an archdemon to slay."

"Yes. I understand duty comes first," he said tonelessly. "That does not mean Alistair is not already worried. Why do you shed tears, kadan? Are you in much pain?"

Elissa let a few tears drop before wiping away what was left. She took a deep breath. "It is difficult to explain," she replied. Really, she could only wonder what was happening to her. And how could she explain the sensation of mood swings, hot flashes, and nausea to a warrior like Sten. "I'll be fine,' she lied. "Let's get going."

The city gates were broken inward and had been shattered at their centers like the darkspawn had used a large battering ram to break through. The fiery remains of that battering ram lay in area between the two gates. The ram, which had probably been fortified with fire, was abandoned and left to burn after the darkspawn broke through the secondary gate. It was obvious that the gates had not been designed with a darkspawn attack in mind, because the doors of the gates were also almost completely torn off of their hinges. Elissa was sure it would only take two ogres to accomplish the feat of pulling the fortified doors off their solid steel hinges.

Since becoming a Grey Warden, she had seen enough darkspawn to know that they were capable of enormous feats of strength through numbers or by their sheer size. The battering ram they brought along must have been for show, but Elissa wasn't entirely sure if the darkspawn were capable of coming up with such things as scare tactics.

Or maybe that was the archdemon's job, she thought as she looked up and saw the archdemon circling a part of the city that was ahead.

She was entranced for a moment as she watched the archdemon breathe fire; convinced that if she listened closely enough, she could hear the archdemon laugh as it set the city ablaze. She could sense the archdemon, and she knew it could sense her too.

Elissa began to itch. Her blood was urging her to seek the archdemon out. It was still calling to her, and she itched to heed its call. It seemed the only thing slowing her down from obeying was the wave after wave of darkspawn that kept running towards her only to fall onto her blades. She did not know it, but Elissa was moving towards the direction of the archdemon in a trance-like state.

She had almost reached the portcullis that separated the first part of the city to the rest when Wynne halted her, bringing Elissa out of her trance. "Warden," Wynne said warily. Elissa could see in Wynne's eyes that she was concerned. "We need to see Riordan before entering the main part of the city."

"Yes, of course," Elissa agreed.

With Wynne behind her, the two regrouped with everyone in front of the city gates. The area had been cleared for the moment and soldiers were tending to the wounded or watching for anymore darkspawn.

As Elissa approached Riordan he said, "You've managed to fight your way to the gates. We're doing better than I hoped."

"That will change quickly," Sten put in his few words.

Oghren exclaimed, "Bloody nug runners! We're numbered three to one!"

Wynne, who was still behind Elissa, said, "What are we to do now, Riordan? You have a plan, I assume?"

"The army will not last long, so we'll need to move quickly to reach the archdemon," he cut to the point. "I suggest taking Alistair and no more than two others with you into the city. Anyone you don't bring with you can remain here to prevent more darkspawn from entering Denerim on our tails."

"I can go alone," said Elissa blankly, not exactly thinking clearly as she began to itch again. She wanted to go, and go now to the archdemon.

The response she got was not a quiet one. Everyone protested at once and Alistair was the loudest of all of them as he shouted, "What?! No! No! You absolutely will not! What would that accomplish?"

Riordan had the most curious reaction as he regarded Elissa with a serious and thoughtful gaze. "The Blight is heavy on all our minds, young Warden." He seemed to know exactly what was running through Elissa's head—the voice of the archdemon. "It affects some more than others," he offered as a vague explanation to everyone else. "That is why we do not go into battle alone. We would lose ourselves if it were not for our allies and friends."

"It was foolish of me to suggest it," Elissa frowned, avoiding everyone's gaze. "How do you suggest we do this, Riordan?"

He immediately went back to strategy. "We're going to need to reach a high point in the city… I'm thinking the top of Fort Drakon might work."

Alistair exclaimed again, all though not quite as assertive as he had to Elissa. "The top of…? You want to draw the dragon's attention?"

"We have little choice," he said sternly. "Though I warn you that as soon as we engage the beast it will call all its generals to help it. I can sense two generals in Denerim. You may wish to seek them out before going to Fort Drakon."

"Do you know where these generals are?" Leliana chimed in. "I'm sure that if we did slay those generals, it would stop the darkspawn in the city from doing a lot of harm!"

"Neither of them are near Fort Drakon currently," Riordan answered. "But there are too many darkspawn here to tell you more."

"There's one in the direction of the Market District, and the other is in the direction of the Alienage," Elissa said as she felt inward, feeling the presence of two very powerful darkspawn.

"Yes… Yes, I believe you are right," Riordan readjusted his answer as he, too, reflected inward. Then his dull-blue eyes flashed with apprehension as he met Elissa's eyes. He looked like he wanted to say something important, but he instead hardened his gaze and seemingly forced the words, "Let us decide who you will take into the city?"

"I'm going," Alistair said with no room to argue. He did not look at Elissa for permission either. He was hardened on the decision.

"I think it best if I went," Wynne said a little harshly.

"That is two," said Riordan. "One more, then."

"Shale," Elissa declared.

Shale made a long sigh but said, "If it insists."

"Fair enough," Riordan eyed Shale with an understanding. He knew how handy the golem would be in a fight against a dragon. "Anyone else will need to remain here and assist in keeping more darkspawn from coming in the gates behind us. Who will lead them?"

"Leliana," Elissa did not think twice.

"I will?" she was surprised. "I mean, I will!"

"That should be sufficient," he established. He leaned in closer to Elissa, letting apprehension show again. "Nothing you have done has prepared you for what you face now, Warden. May the Maker watch over you."

"May the Maker watch over us all," Elissa returned the sentiment. Those were Duncan's words. It felt right to repeat them.

A silence fell over the group as they glanced at one another. No one wanted to say a goodbye and no one really wanted to acknowledge that this could be the end. Oghren started humming some dwarven battle tune. Leliana was patting Sten on the arm. The Mabari war hound was nuzzling Elissa's hand as it whined; she bent down to pet him.

Wynne was the first to approach Elissa. "So this is it then," she started. "Whatever happens now… to either of us, know that I am proud to have called you friend. I have your back, Elissa. But may the Maker also smile fortune upon us."

Oghren stepped up to Elissa next saying, "When from the blood of battle the Stone has fed, let the heroes prevail and the blighters lie dead. As one of the blighters, I sodding salute you. Let's show them our hearts and then show them theirs. Haha!" He walked off laughing.

Sten stood tall in front of Elissa. "Are you ready? We have reached the battlefield at last."

"Thank you for everything, Sten," Elissa politely bowed her head.

"You have carried us this far," he was always so confident. "Do not doubt that."

Leliana came up to Elissa and held her hand. This was odd to Elissa and it reminded her of a conversation she had had with Morrigan about all the touching people do in human society. Handshakes, hugging, holding hands. In this case, Elissa couldn't remember the last time she had held a woman's hand, so she assumed it must be an Orlesian thing and said nothing.

"So, this is it… the end of our tale." Leliana squeezed Elissa's hand. "We've come so far. It's strange knowing that all our fates will be decided in a matter of hours." She released Elissa's hand and bowed, "Thank you for believing in me, Elissa. I will do my best here. Be safe, friend, and may the Maker smile fortune on you."

For first time, Zevran did not look happy. Elissa pulled him aside from the rest of the group and immediately said, "Zevran, you are by far the best assassin I have ever spared. I will never regret that decision."

"You know how I feel about you, Warden," he said softly. "I cannot say I am happy with the way things have turned out." He tried smiling, but it was forced. "Alistair is a lucky man. I think he will treat you right, but I do not think he will ever understand… How shall I say this? …your kinkier qualities?"

"How do you know Alistair has not already seen them?" Elissa offered a smirk.

"An excellent point," he smirked back. "Fine, fine," he cracked and became his usual self. "Say hello to the archdemon for me. He never writes anymore, it's rather distressing. And… do watch your back. No getting eaten. Unless you think it's really important, of course."

Morrigan was at the edge of the group, silently standing as far away as she could without looking like she wasn't a part of the group at all. She had her gaze on the archdemon in the distance, but Elissa knew that she was waiting for her.

As Elissa came to stand next to her, Morrigan gawked and said, "So after all that and I'm not going with you?"

Elissa chuckled, replying, "In your condition?"

Morrigan laughed back. The laugh sounded almost like Flemeth's, but Elissa would never dare say this to Morrigan without expecting a major backlash.

"Oh, I see," Morrigan finished. "Very well. Then this is where we say our farewell."

"And if I die?" Elissa said simply.

"Then I would mourn the passing of a friend."

Morrigan then sighed, torn between frowning and glowering. "Once this is done, no matter how it turns out I will be gone. You are aware of this, yes?"

"I will miss you, Morrigan."

"I… I will miss you too." She had finally decided upon frowning. "Allow me to say only one thing before I go."

"You know," Elissa replied as she was trying to hold back tears. "Before we started this mess of an adventure, I did tell you I preferred you to speak your mind."

"And have you come to regret that decision?" she asked quietly.

"Do I regret calling you a friend? Never."

"That is what I wished to say," she had difficulty getting out. "I knew nothing of friendship before we met. And now I do. I will always consider you as such.

…Live well, my friend. Live gloriously."

She turned and walked away, but did not stop or even look back. When Morrigan got far enough, she shape-shifted into a wolf and ran out of sight. No one noticed except for Elissa and Alistair who had walked up next to Elissa.

"There she goes," he whispered. "Never to be seen or heard of again."

"I will remember her," Elissa breathed slowly.

"Unfortunately, so will I," Alistair did not say sarcastically. He shuddered.

"Morrigan has given us a chance to live," Elissa refused to look at him.

"You put more faith in her than I would in your shoes," he sounded frustrated.

"We are both two very stubborn people, Alistair." She finally turned, several late tears streaming down her face as she met Alistair's eyes.

And there it was. The look in Alistair's eyes that made Elissa's world so small, but infinitely beautiful. It was the look she had been so afraid to acknowledge this day, in fear that it might distract her from the task of slaying the archdemon, or that it may have even diminished after what Elissa made Alistair do with Morrigan. It was that very look of his that had driven her to make all of the choices she had made up to this point, including Morrigan's proposal.

It was the look of a man who was irrevocably in love with her. And she with him.

Elissa fell into Alistair's arms that welcomed her without hesitation. "I love you, Alistair," she said with all her heart.

"And I love you," he said back. "Always."

Silence fell upon the entire group as they all seemed to notice the two of them. Elissa realized how dramatic it must be to see two lovers sharing their last moments before they went into battle together.

The tension was hard to swallow, so seconds later she broke it with, "I would kiss you, but I kind of lost my lunch at the gates." She pulled away from the hug to catch a smile on Alistair's face.

"I saw that," he confessed. "I don't know why you thought running away earlier would stop me from keeping an eye on you."

"Are you admitting that you stalk me?" she mockingly acted taken aback.

"Yes! You caught me! I am as guilty as charged. I've been watching you get dressed. I've been watching you get undressed. I watch you eat. I watch you sleep." He paused. "I particularly love watching you sleep," he said more casually.

"That's not creepy at all," Elissa crossed her arms and smiled.

Finally, she looked around at the rest of the group; they were all staring at her. She closed her eyes and said, "My friends," in a whisper. When she opened them she took several steps forward. "Let's go end this Blight!"


Riordan had left ahead of the group. His mind was set and he was focused on killing the archdemon. However, that was not the only thing on his mind.

Elissa, the young Warden and Duncan's last recruit, had more than proven herself to be a capable Warden. She had traveled across Ferelden and gathered a sizable army in record time that could stand against the darkspawn horde before them now. She appeared to be a natural leader and reminded Riordan a lot of himself when he was first recruited.

The young Warden had even managed to band together an unusual group of companions, who under normal circumstances would probably not get along. A Qunari, an apostate, a former Antivan Crow, a dwarven berserker, a rock golem, a senior mage of the Circle, and a lay sister of the Chantry. There was Alistair too, but as another Grey Warden his duty was alongside Elissa's. As for everyone else, they had such respect for the Elissa that each of them were willing to follow and even go into battle with her.

So why was a Grey Warden as strong-willed as Elissa already showing signs of the Calling?

It was true that during a Blight all Grey Warden were affected more by the taint carried in their blood. The archdemon and a Warden's increased interaction with the darkspawn typically made the lifespan of a Grey Warden shorter during a Blight. But Elissa was already showing advanced signs of blight sickness and she had been a Grey Warden for barely two months.

It took Riordan years before he could sense when darkspawn were near, and even more to refine that sense in order to tell how strong the darkspawn nearby were. Elissa could already sense the almost exact location of a darkspawn. It was clear that the taint in her blood was severe, like she has had direct contact with the archdemon.

The taint within himself was already starting to slowly kill Riordan. He had declared that he would make the final blow to the archdemon for this reason. He could only be troubled by what would happen to Elissa when the archdemon was slain and the Blight was over. If it were not for the Blight, Elissa could very well have found herself in the Deep Roads already, heeding the call to search out the darkspawn and the Old Gods.

The thought was tragic, to see someone so young and spirited to succumb to the taint so soon. If the Maker would not intervene in light of such a tragedy, then what could save the young Warden?

Riordan had to put it all out of his mind, because he saw his chance to attack the archdemon. And he jumped...