Welcome back everyone. First off I'd like to thank all who read my first chapter, but special thanks to shadowwolf101286 and Anduren for their reviews, you've provided me with valuable encouragement and motivation to keep going. In answer to Anduren's question, "No." Eebon and Endrin will not be paired. I guess I can give that much away without ruining anything later on.

This chapter is a bit short, and also a bit lacking in action, but I promise that will change later. The next chapter will cover the Battle of Ostagar, so as you can probably imagine, all hell will break loose.

Once again, thanks for reading, please keep the reviews coming.

Oh yeah... I almost forgot. In this chapter a bastard sword is mentioned. Just in case anyone is wondering what that is, a bastard sword is also referred to as a hand and a half sword, it's small and light enough to be used with one hand, but also large enough to be wielded with two hands.

Duncan and Alistair found the new recruits and a mage they didn't recognize seated around the Warden's cooking fire, making idle small talk. Duncan was pleased to see that they all seemed to get along well enough, at least there hadn't been any fist fights or backstabbings. Glancing at Alistair, Duncan said, "So now we have a Dalish, a City Elf, and two dwarves of unknown backgrounds."

"And don't forget you have a former templar and teryn's son to top it all off." Alistair beamed.

Duncan chuckled, then turned his attention to the mage, still wearing the robes heavily stained with Eebon's blood. "So I take it I have you to thank for bringing Eebon back to us?" Duncan asked.

The mage, who looked to be maybe twenty, if even that old, nodded. "Yes sir. Just found him and his dog on the road and decided to help."

"Thank you very much for your assistance. Eebon is one of the most gifted Wardens I've ever had the pleasure of working with, and a true artist with a greatsword. And now, may I inquire as to what I can do for you?"

Tylis swallowed. "Actually I was hoping you'd let me join the Wardens as well."

Duncan and Alistair glanced at each other. "That's a strange request. I think this is one of the the first times anyone has sought us out looking to join. Usually we are the ones who have to find you."

"So is that a 'yes'?" Tylis asked hopefully.

"Well, that depends. What can you do?"

Tylis smiled. "I have at least a little skill in all four schools of magic: primal, creation, spirit, and entropy. I admit that my skill in creation and spirit is rather lacking, but I have done extensive studies of primal, and my mentor says I'm something of a prodigy when it comes to entropy."

Duncan looked at Alistair again. "What do you think?"

"I think, oh great, another mage!" Alistair joked, earning a glare from Duncan.

In a perfect imitation of Alistair's voice and speech pattern, Tylis said, "Oh great, another templar." The new recruits, except for Dharr, all shared a quiet chuckle.

"Hey!" Alistair said loudly, "How did you know that?"

Tylis grinned. "You templars always smell the same." Now the recruits broke into loud bouts of laughter, and even Duncan allowed himself a small laugh.

Duncan said, "In that case, may I be the first to welcome you to the Order." He cleared his throat and said in a louder voice. "Now, on to business. The five of you, led by Alistair will be venturing into the wilds. As I'm sure you all have heard by now, the woods are rife with darkspawn. First, let me say that you will be in no danger of running into a group too large and powerful to deal with. All Grey Wardens can sense the darkspawn, so Alistair will be able to give you fair warning. You must each bring back a vial of their blood."

At the news they would be trekking through the Korcari Wilds both Kylae and Tylis visibly paled, every Ferelden citizen had heard tales of the dark and untamed wild lands, and none of the stories made it seem a very welcoming place. Endrin smiled and nodded happily. She was born and raised in the Brecilian Forest, and her clan had more than once passed into the Korcari Wilds, occasionally even trading with the Chasind barbarians. Being on a hunt through dark forests with danger lurking behind every stone and tree made Endrin feel alive. As for the two dwarves, they understood full well the part about killing darkspawn, but having been above ground for three days at the absolute most, knew nothing about the Korcari Wilds, nor any other piece of Ferelden geography.

"As for the second task. To the southeast you will find the ruins of a tower once controlled by the Wardens. Somewhere inside you will find three scrolls promising aid from various peoples that will likely prove useful in the days to come. You need to retrieve these scrolls and bring them to me. Are there any questions." No one spoke. "Very well then I wish you-" Duncan stopped himself before he spoke again. "On second thought, Alistair, perhaps you should take our new recruits to the quartermaster and see if you can get them some better equipment. King Cailan previously offered to outfit our Wardens, so make sure the quartermaster is aware of that when you get there."

"Of course, Duncan." Alistair motioned with his hand, "If you'd all follow me."

Endrin stayed where she stood and scoffed. "Anything the Dalish make would be many times better than shemlen craft!" But after a moments consideration she muttered something about needing more arrows and trotted after the group.

Kylae walked beside Roaran and asked, "So how are you liking the surface world so far?"

"Huh?" Roaran grunted, "Oh, it's not so bad I s'pose. I still need to sample some human or elven brews before I make up my mind. Hey, maybe you can answer this, everyone else I've asked just looks at me crazy, what is it with humans and building up?"

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Roaran."

"Why all these really tall buildings and what not? What, are they trying to poke a hole in the sodding... sodding..." he pointed up, "What's the word for that thing again?"

Kylae couldn't help herself and laughed hard, clapping Roaran on the back.

"What did I say?" Roaran said. He was now totally confused. Of all the times he'd asked that question, he'd never had anyone start laughing.

"Oh-" Kylae gasped, "Sorry about that, it's not you. Heh heh heh! I've just never thought of it that way." She laughed again, "I think the word you were looking for is 'sky'. And we build up because especially in cities we got no other way to go."

"Well that's a load of bronto dung if I ever heard one." Roaran announced, "You can always go down."

Kylae slowed her pace and considered the logic. "Never thought of that... Maybe we should start!"

"Maybe you should." Roaran agreed.

Roaran found himself liking this elf. Kylae was actually the first elf he'd ever met, or even seen. Endrin of course being the second, but he in the brief time he'd been acquainted with Endrin, she seemed a bit... off, to him. Kylae on the other hand, Roaran knew a kindred spirit when he met one. He wasn't sure what the humans and elves called it, but if she were a dwarf, then she would certainly be a duster. He could see it in the way she carried herself and the way she talked. She seemed to have a built in resentment for authority, which greatly reminded Roaran of himself. He'd seen the way she jumped down Endrin's throat when Endrin had called City Elves 'flat-ears', and that had made Roaran grin from ear to ear when he saw it. And maybe one of the best things about Kylae, Roaran thought to himself, is that if she were a head or two shorter, and thicker boned, then she would be quite the looker! Roaran glanced at her again, maybe she was beautiful just as she was, he hadn't met nearly enough human or elf women to be a judge of either. Roaran shrugged to himself. Yes, he thought, I definitely like this elf!

After they arrived at the quartermaster's shop, Alistair immediately began negotiations with the burly man, and motioned for the others to treat themselves. Roaran quickly found a two-handed axe, the head of which was about a foot and a half from edge to edge, and gave it a few experimental swings. The third swing nearly hit Endrin in the process, but the nimble elf danced out of the way, glaring at Roaran, who only shrugged indifferently in return. "I'm taking this!" He called to the quartermaster, who nodded. Roaran began to make his way back to Duncan when he felt himself grabbed by the collar.

"Whoa there, Duster!" It was Dharr, and a good thing too, if anyone else had grabbed him then they would have received a fist to the jaw. "Where do you think you're going!"

"Get off me, Lordship!" Roaran growled, "I'm heading back, what's it to you?"

"Not until we get you into a decent suit of armor!" Dharr said, looking with concern and disdain at the thin leather armor. "One arrow, or glancing blow from a sword and you're done for! Now come-on! There's bound to be some dwarf sized armor around here somewhere."

Kylae grabbed a bastard sword that she thought might have been veridium when she heard a gruff voice behind her say, "You there! Elf! What do you think you're doing playing with my blades? And where's that armor shipment, you should have had it here an hour ago!"

Lost for a moment, Kylae found her voice and said angrily, "Are you mistaking me for-"

"I said, put the blade down!" The quartermaster barked, he brought back a hand to hit her.

Kylae braced for the impact, while at the same time thinking of where to stick the quartermaster with his own sword.

The hit never came though, and Kylae opened her eyes to see that Eebon had suddenly appeared in-between the two of them, the quartermaster's own hand disappeared into Eebon's far larger and stronger hand. Eebon bared his teeth in a snarl and applied pressure, the quartermaster fell to his knees and screamed as he felt his hand being crushed. With his free hand, Eebon reached down and grasped the unlucky man by his throat, pulling him to his feet, then yanking his body around so the quartermaster was looking Kylae at eye level. "Do you see her!" Eebon hissed, "Do you see that elf?

"Yes!" The strangling quartermaster choked out the word.

"She is not your servant! She is not anyone's servant! She is a Grey Warden, and is worthy of your respect. This Warden's name is Kylae! And she is better than you can ever aspire to be! Now you apologize to her right here and now, or I will crush your throat!"

The tone in the big man's voice told the quartermaster that this man was definitely not joking. "Alright!" He barely managed the word, and the big man finally released him. The quartermaster had to swallow his pride, and cough violently before he addressed Kylae. "I am most sorry, Kylae." He said, obviously hating himself for saying it, and Eebon for forcing him to say it. "Can you find it in yourself to forgive me?"

Kylae glanced up at Eebon, then back to the thoroughly cowed man. "No." She said. "Now leave me alone."

"Yes, my lady." And the quartermaster walked away.

Kylae looked up at Eebon, her respect for him going up yet again. "Thanks Eebon. Could have handled him myself, y'know?"

Eebon nodded. "I know, but I also know that you would have killed him... It angers me to no end how those with power... real or imagined, abuse those they consider under them."

"Where did you come from anyway?"

"The infirmary." Eebon said bitterly, and pointed behind him with a thumb. "Duncan has me staying there to recover my strength and rest."

Kylae smiled. "Looks to me like your strength is well recovered."

Eebon nodded, his face remaining grim. "I never lost it." He said seriously. "Anyways, that bastard sword is too big for you, may I recommend a short sword and buckler, or twin daggers?"

"Maybe you could help me pick some suitable equipment out?" She said hopefully.

"I'd like to." Eebon's somber expression finally broke and gave way to one of embarrassment. "But it would seem I'm in no condition to be seen by a lady."

For the first time, Kylae noticed that Eebon was wearing only a pair of wool pants probably given to him from the infirmary, he had no shoes on, and was completely bare above the waist. "Oh my...!" Kylae found the words leaving her mouth before she could stop them, and felt the blood rushing to her cheeks and ears.

For a brief moment, Eebon became the same Eebon that Kylae had met previously in Denerim, he smiled in the almost shy manner of his, and said, "Please excuse me. Kylae, my friends, good luck out there." Then he turned and almost ran back to the infirmary, Kylae however hadn't missed how his own cheeks had turned a few shade redder.

Roaran appeared again by Kylae's side, a massive axe in one hand, a suit of chainmail draped over the other arm. "That is the biggest man I've ever seen." Roaran said. He wasn't trying to be funny, he was merely stating a fact.

Kylae quickly glanced at the other recruits. Dharr had taken in the whole scene with the same quiet acceptance that he seemed to take in everything with. Tylis was wide eyed, and it suddenly became apparent to Kylae that the young mage had never been in a fight in his life. It was hard to tell exactly what was running through Endrin's head, the Dalish was smiling, although Kylae wondered if it was from seeing a human defend an elf, Eebon and Kylae's mutual embarrassment, or from seeing Eebon shirtless. Kylae found herself thinking that it had better not be because of the last option.

Endrin's bow sang sweetly, and another hurlock fell dead with an arrow through its eye, it's axe raised for a fatal swing at Alistair. The former templar looked back at Endrin with a look of shock and surprise on his face, "Nice shot!" he yelled. Endrin nodded in return than notched another arrow.

"Hey!" Dharr yelled angrily, "If it isn't too much trouble?!"

Alistair silently cursed himself and dove back into the fray. There were only a few darkspawn left, but he, along with the soon to be Wardens were exhausted, there were more darkspawn in the wilds than he had anticipated. To his left, Roaran swung his axe up between the legs of an unsuspecting hurlock, the darkspawn fell, half screaming half roaring, Roaran spit on the hideous creature, then brought his axe down into its chest, again, and again, and again.

With the last of the darkspawn killed, Endrin moved from one to the other, retrieving her arrows and making a quick scan to see if the darkspawn had picked up anything of value. Dharr followed her, usually bringing his own single-hand axe down into the corpses head or chest, then moving on to the next. Tylis was breathing hard, and who could blame him, he had been exerting himself to the fullest since the beginning of their little quest, freezing, setting aflame, electrocuting darkspawn, magically hurling boulders at them. Casting paralysis and illusion spells. Even causing them to fall asleep in the middle of a fight, much to the surprise of everyone.

"Hey guys..." Tylis gasped, "I think... I'm about... about done for."

"I'm with Tylis." Kylae agreed. "I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Alistair wiped black blood off his blade and onto the grass. "Come on guys." He tried, "We're close to the tower now. We're almost there! And then it's all downhill... Well, so to speak."

"You don't understand!" Tylis said, still gulping in fresh air. "I'm burned out. I've reached the point where I'm not even sure my spells will work anymore, or just fizzle out and do nothing at all. Unless one of you has a lyrium potion laying around, which I doubt, I'm done for. I'm sorry... I'm done."

Roaran wiped darkspawn blood away from his eyes and mouth before he spoke. "As much as I hate to agree, I'm afraid I have to. I haven't had a decent meal or even a single pint of ale in days, I got no energy left!"

"So much for the stout folk." Alistair muttered quietly, then yelled, "Ouch! Hey! What the hell was that?!"

Kylae covered her mouth as she laughed. She'd seen Roaran throw a small rock at Alistair. Before Roaran could say or throw anything else Dharr intervened. "Look Alistair," he started, "There can be no denying that all of know how to fight. But we don't all have the soldier type background. If I'm not mistaken, you've been trained how to do this kind of stuff since you were a boy."

"Yes." Alistair admitted.

"And Endrin," Dharr continued. "How would you spend your average day when you were with your clan?"

Endrin laughed, "Avoiding my chores and the elders." She couldn't help another chuckle, "I'm a hunter, I live for stuff like this. I've been a hunter as far back as I care to remember. This is nothing more than a brisk stroll through the countryside to me."

"Thank you Endrin." Dharr said, then turned back to Alistair, "And prior to this, I was a commander of the Dwarven armies. I feel completely at home on the battlefield. Roaran and Kylae and Tylis are warriors like us, there can be no doubt on that. But their baptism of fire has been only recently. This is their first true taste of war! So leave them be!"

Kylae was borderline offended at the implication that she couldn't press on any further. "You take that back, Dharr!" She said defensively. "I'm fine! I can press on if I want to!"

Dharr characteristically looked at her with his cool comprehending gaze that seemed to instantly penetrate all of her defenses. "Really? Is that true, Kylae? If it's true, then I will take back every word I said and we will press on towards the tower as if this whole discussion had never happened."

"I-" Kylae started, and she and intended to say that she was fine, and more than able to press on, but something in Dharr's eyes made her realize a truth that not even she had realized until then. She was exhausted, like she had never been before. She sighed deeply, "Yeah, I think you're right, Dharr. I'm worn out."

Dharr nodded, nothing but pure understanding in his eyes. "Then stay here, rest. The three of us will press onward. When we find the scrolls we will come back for you. You have my promise, we will not leave you behind. No one gets left behind!... Ever!" He promised. Then he whispered to Kylae, "I know you're the strongest of these three. Keep watch over them."

Kylae nodded and winked, but remained silent.

"Alright." Dharr said loudly, "Let's get going. I'll take point. Alistair, cover me. Endrin, stay back and watch out flanks."

"I've only got six arrows left, after that I'll have to resort to my blade."

Dharr rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Then use your six arrows, then use your sword and take whichever side Alistair is not on. Try to keep a triangle formation, both of you." Dharr led the way, his round targe shield in front of him, dwarven war axe trailing behind, Alistair behind him and to the left, moving in similar fashion, Endrin some twenty feet behind them both, arrow notched to her bowstring, eyes always on the move.