Chapter Two
Conscripted
"This is akin to kidnap, I'll have you know." Caden snapped angrily. The Grey Warden walked ahead of her, his back giving no clue as to whether he was listening. Given that this was the fourteenth time she had said this, she doubted he was paying much attention to her. She was weighed down with most of the gear he had brought to the Alienage (a single tent, the spare weapons, the food and cooking implements and the Maker-damned documents that proved that he did indeed have the right to conscript whomsoever he chose). This pack-horse act was apparently designed to toughen her up and strengthen her on the journey to Ostagar. She thought it was just a ruse to try to tire her into silence.
Duncan had outlined their travel plans before they left: heading down through the Hinterlands and to the edge of the Korkari Wilds where the decrepit fortress of Ostagar stood, where the Kings armies were massing to make a final stand against the darkspawn. Whatever they were, Caden griped to herself. Duncan was the leader of the Grey Wardens, that much she knew and she knew enough of their tales to understand a little of what awaited her. Duncan had explained that there was almost certainly a Blight upon Ferelden, but try as she might, Caden just could not envisage what he meant. Finally he had broken it down to her to explain that it would be bad news for Shems and elves alike and that had sunk in, even if she was hazy on the exact details.
She had had to admit that when Duncan stepped forward to defend her when the Arls men had come to arrest her, she had been grateful. For all her brash words to Soris, she did not particularly have any desire to die at that very moment. Her father had looked close to tears when the guards descended upon the Alienage. At least Soris had stuck to his word and allowed her to claim that she alone had brought the estate to its knees. Shianni had not been mentioned by the guards, but even if they had connected her with the events, she had become hysterical upon returning to the Alienage and had needed a sleeping draught to calm her into a deep slumber.
Shianni…Caden hadn't even been able to say goodbye, as Shianni had been asleep. What would she think when she awoke to find her cousin gone? It had been difficult enough for Caden to say goodbye to her father, who insisted that before she left she had to strip off the blood soaked wedding gown and wash. When she was dry, he had presented her with ageing leather armour that had been kept maintained for years without her ever having clapped eyes on it. It had been her mothers, along with the boots he had given her as a wedding gift.
"So, I take it being a Grey Warden is not something most people sign up for if you have that Right of Conscription?" She called out crossly, trying to illicit any sort of response from the silent man leading the way. "I'm guessing you have to use it often?"
For a while she thought he was continuing to ignore her, but then, without breaking his stride, he spoke. "Actually we find many people who wish to join up but due to extenuating circumstances we are forced to use the Right in order to convince others to let them leave." Caden frowned at this.
"Like what?" she asked in spite of herself.
"If we conscript a mage, usually." Duncan explained, slowing to fall into step beside her. "Often the Templars do not wish to release them into someone elses responsibility. I have also had to use it in Orzammar should a casteless dwarf be in the employ of one unwilling to part with them." He gave her a sideways glance. "The last Warden I conscripted was training to be a Templar. I almost had to use the Right, but the Revered Mother acquiesced to allowing me to take him."
"Oh." Caden said quietly. She had never heard of Orzammer and while she knew Mages and Templar's existed and what they respectively did, she knew little about them. She had rarely ventured into the market district in Denerim and never beyond that, bar her bloody sojourn into the Arls estate. She was seeing more of Ferelden now than she ever had before and she felt very young and stupid.
"Do you often find recruits at Alienages?" she asked after a moment.
"Not often, I have to say." Duncan said regretfully. "Those we recruit need to already be trained in fighting, in discipline. They need to be strong and clever and we only take the best. Sadly, as you know elves are not often trained in the art of fighting and they tend to be malnourished and weak. We sometimes find the Dalish to be more what we seek, yet on the whole they tend to be reluctant to leave their clans."
"Wait, the Dalish exist?" Caden asked, momentarily forgetting her earlier question.
"Oh yes," Duncan said with a chuckle. There are more camps than you might imagine. But they are a secretive people and difficult to track down."
Caden thought about this as they walked and cast her mind back to the days when she had first heard of the Dalish. She had been a small girl and overheard some of the elders talking about a group of boys who had left to find the Dalish. She had asked her mother about them and been regaled with stories of tribes of elves who lived free from humans and whom the humans feared, instead of the other way around. It was around that time that Adaia had begun to teach Caden the art of fighting.
Caden sighed at this memory. If Duncan heard her, he declined to push for an explanation.
"I think it would be a good idea to set up camp here, don't you agree?" He said instead. Caden nodded and set the pack down, untying the ropes that held the tent in place and began to erect it while Duncan started to collect some firewood.
"I nearly recruited your mother a long time ago," Duncan said, once their brief meal of potato and carrot stew (they had been unable to procure any meat) was over and they were sitting beside the warmth of the fire.
Cadens head flew up in surprise. "What?"
"I came to the Alienage in Denerim many years ago before you were born and discovered a remarkable woman, by the name of Adaia."
Caden frowned but said nothing. Duncan went on: "I had heard tell that there was a troublemaker in the Alienage who was a menace to every human who entered. Of course, this was told to me by humans, so naturally they would say that." Duncans eyes sparkled with mirth as he told Caden about her mother. "She looked a lot like you, Caden, I have to say I nearly thought you were her when I first clapped eyes on you. Not just in look, but in the way you approached me. I believe she greeted me with the same level of contempt and aggression as you did."
Caden couldn't help but flush with embarrassment at the memory. Duncan laughed heartily as he took in her expression.
"I wanted to recruit your mother." Duncan said fondly. "She was magnificent."
"Why didn't you?" Caden asked, her curiosity most defiantly piqued.
"Valendrian convinced me not to." Duncan said. "Apparently Adaia was being courted by a handsome young elf by the name of Cyrion and Valendrian believed my taking Adaia away would cause such misery in both younglings. As we were not in any dire need of Wardens I let them be, and I am glad of that. Grey Wardens have a hard life separated from their families with no true home and I am so happy to see that Adaia found love with your father and that they were blessed with you."
"My mother taught me everything I know about fighting." Caden said thoughtfully. "And she told me stories about the Wardens, but she never said she was nearly one of them."
"I thought that must have been where you learned it." Duncan said. "I was saddened to hear of her death."
Caden focused very intently on the smouldering flames at this. She picked at the grass that was scuffed on the toe of her boot. Her mother's boots…
She stood up suddenly. "I'm going to get some sleep."
"Very well, I will wake you when it is time for your watch." Duncan said amiably. Caden hesitated then disappeared into the tent.
Ostagar was a grey, decaying fortress awash with colour. To Cadens fatigued eyes (Duncan had chosen to cut their last night's sleep short in order to push on to the camp and reach it by midday) it reminded her of the travelling minstrels that had danced throughout Denerim one midsummer many years ago. The different colours of the soldiers denoting different factions, flying banners and the tents draped with coats of arms were all too bright assaults on her tired disposition. There was a steady drum of talking, sprinkled with the occasional laugh even. The melodious words of the Chant of Light floated through the air. Caden blinked as she followed Duncan leading a path through the throng. The noise and sight of it all baffled her senseless and it was all she could do to wearily place one foot in front of the other. When Duncan stopped all of a sudden, she actually walked right into him, bumping her face against his back. She stepped around the Warden to the sounds of bluff boyish charm.
"...and I understand that this is to be your latest recruit, Duncan?" the tall, blonde man was saying. Caden flinched when he addressed her directly. "I hear that you hail from the Alienage back in Denerim? Never had the chance to grace the place myself—my advisors seemed to think it unsafe (ridiculous notion!). How are things there of late?"
Caden opened her mouth and tried to say something polite, but the tiredness seized her tongue and she blurted out: "The arls son kidnapped me and raped my friend so she—I killed him." She froze when she realised what she had just said and raised a nervous gaze to the man addressing her. It was then the sudden realisation dawned on her, that Duncan had called him 'your Highness'.
His Highness looked bewildered. "You...what?"
"Its true, my liege," Duncan stepped in for the second time since Caden had been introduced to him. "The elves of Denerim have long lived under the cruelty of the arls son. I have been advised that this sort of behaviour is sadly uncommon. Caden here was moments from being married when Vaughan descended on the wedding party to steal the women away." Caden nodded silently.
The kings face set into a determined gaze and he actually placed a hand on Cadens shoulder. She forced herself not to flinch at the touch of his hand. "I swear you now that as soon as we are finished here, I will return to Denerim and have words with the Arl. I won't have citizens of my city being treated in such a way, whether they live within the walls of an Alienage or outside of it."
Caden was bowed down by the forceful promise. "Thank you, your Majesty." She said humbly.
The king smiled, then turned back to Duncan. "Now I'm sorry but I must cut this short..."
Caden was finally freed from pack carrying duties and although she had been given clear instructions and directions to find a fellow Warden, her curiosity at the sight of this place lured her elsewhere. She wandered through the separate camps listening to the noise of the chatter and barked orders and mostly went unnoticed. She passed by a group of mages who looked like they were assisting one of their members who was in some sort of trance. A Templar keeping watch explained that the central mage was within the Fade at that time. She did not know what that meant. She found the source of the Chant of Light when she walked by a dais on which a Lay Sister was praying over some kneeling soldiers. She walked over to a demonstration on general was giving to some infantrymen as he stood beside a dead darkspawn. So that's what they look like, she mused to herself before heading elsewhere.
Eventually Caden glanced at the sun in the sky and realised just how much time had passed since she had been sent on her quest. She hurried to the stone ramp she had originally been directed towards, but this Alistair fellow was nowhere to be found. Cursing her curiosity, she turned and headed back down, unsure of where to go next. She could head back to Duncans tent and ask him for advice, but she was hesistant to do that. As much as she had balked at the idea of leaving the Alienage to become a Warden, she did not much relish the idea of being turned away now for making such a mistake. After all where would she go? She couldn't go back and she knew nothing of Ferelden outside the Alienage so where could she head for? Besides, ever since Duncan had told Caden about her mothers almost conscription, the idea didn't seem quite so ludicrous after all. She even found herself looking forward to the idea. Just a little, mind.
Still it was enough that she did not feel like returning to Duncan just yet. She would circle the camp once more just in case she found this chap. Duncan had given her a rough description, so hopefully she would be able to recognise him from that. She headed west.
"You there, elf!" Caden froze at the words. "Yeah, you. What are you doing dressed like that?"
Caden turned to see a burly man striding over to her. The feelings of humiliation felt for many years in the Alienage caused by humans like this one came flooding back. With it came the fury and indignation she had always been taught to suppress. The soldiers around them hushed as they looked over at the commotion. Caden fixed cold eyes on the man who was nearly twice her height.
"How dare you address me so, human." She snapped, angrily. "Do you address every one of these soldiers in such a way or is this treatment reserved for your servants?"
The man stopped mid-stride and his face paled. He held up his hands in a gesture of forgiveness. "Oh, my apologies!" he said quickly. "I must have been mistaken."
"Yes, you must have." She snarled, not willing to forgive this error, thrilled by the fact that she was able to assert herself for once and to have this human apologise. "I would suggest you remember this the next time you speak to an elf with such disdain."
"I will," he muttered, before backing away. Caden bit back a smirk. She felt oddly more victorious then than she had done back at the palace in Denerim. The smirk died as the images from that night a week ago flooded back into her mind and she shuddered instead. She gritted her teeth: best not to think about it.
Caden swung around to leave and smacked straight into the breastplate of a tall soldier behind her. She threw out her hands as she glimpsed the armour right before impact and felt large hands clasp her arms to steady her. A blush shot over her skin as she realised that it was the second time that day that she had walked into a human—why did they have to be so tall and solid?
"Whoa, are you alright there?" the voice belonging to the body spoke.
Caden nodded and stepped back, eager to have his hands release her. "I'm fine...just didn't look where I was going." She explained hurriedly.
"I'm not surprised," the soldier said. "I saw the way you spoke to the quartermaster just now—I think I would have sped away myself."
The blush turned into two pink spots on Cadens cheeks as she flushed with resentment again. She turned her gaze upwards to glare into his face. "Oh, I suppose I should have held my tongue? Just allowed such wanton disregard for elves to go unchecked?"
The soldier frowned, confused. "No, I didn't mean that at all. I just meant that I would have wanted to leave after speaking to anyone like that—but that's just me. I'm not a big fan of confrontations, you see. I'm pretty uncomfortable right now, if truth be told, especially as I've just had a dressing down as well for, what was it? 'Sassing a mage', I think Duncan put it. Not my best moment..."
Now it was Cadens turn to frown. "Duncan?" she asked.
"Yeah, you know, tall man, dark beard, charges about all over the place gathering minions to do his bidden. Him."
Caden was at a loss for words. "I...he's the leader of the Wardens."
"In Ferelden, yes, that's what I said." He shrugged. "Or, you know, words to that effect."
"You are a very strange human." Caden said slowly. He laughed.
"You are not the first to tell me that." He stepped back and cocked his head at her. "We haven't met have we?"
"I haven't met many people here, besides Duncan and that rude individual just now." Caden said, as she began to realise who she was speaking with. "You're Alistair, aren't you?"
"Guilty." He replied. "You must be Duncan's new recruit."
"Yes," Caden said. There was a long pause, before she suddenly realised that he was waiting for her name. "I'm Caden." She said. "Sorry, I'm not used to humans wanting to know my name."
"Well met, Caden." Alistair said jovially. "Now that we've found each other, shall we head back to Duncan? No doubt he has some exciting task lined up for you. Test your mettle and whatnot."
They fell into step beside one another, Caden hurrying to match his long stride.
"So, you're from the Alienage in Denerim, I hear." Alistair said as they walked. "Duncan always said he wanted to recruit more elves...we don't have that many elves in the Grey Wardens. Nor women, for that matter so you're quite a rarity."
"Humans often underestimate elves," Caden said bitterly. "The only human men I have ever met were only after one thing and that wasn't hiring us to fight in wars."
"Until now," Alistair added. Caden glanced at him in surprise. "No-one in the Wardens will treat you poorly. Once you become our sister we will protect you as one of our own. We're more like a family than a regiment."
Caden stopped. "I can look after myself, thank you very much. Duncan didn't save me from the clutches of some evil letch—I did that myself!" She whirled around and stormed off, throwing one final angry sentence over her shoulder towards the shocked looking Alistair. "And I have a family already. Or rather I did, until Duncan took me away from them."