Infinity's Child

Part 3

The trip to Ostagar was a somber one. Duncan, respecting his companion's grief, gave her the space and time she needed to heal until finally, a few hours before reaching their destination, Evelyn began to once again show signs of life. "Brother Aldous never said much about why your Order was expelled from Ferelden." She said as the pair rode together, "Can you tell me more. Why did the king at the time banish you? It doesn't make sense to get rid of those most capable of combatting a Blight."

Pausing for a moment as he considered his words, Duncan spoke in a calm, measured tone. "It was because the Warden Commander at the time—Sophia Dryden—committed one of the what you might call cardinal sins a Warden could commit."

"Sophia Dryden…" Evelyn murmured as she struggled to remember Brother Aldous' history lessons. "If I recall correctly, her family was stripped of all its lands and titles because she led the revolt against King Arlen."

"Correct." Duncan nodded his head. "The Drydens were stripped of everything, but there's more. You see, Sophia was also Warden Commander of Ferelden. She brought the Wardens into the revolt against the king."

"Aren't Wardens supposed to remain neutral and not get involved in politics?" Evelyn inquired.

"Indeed they are." Duncan affirmed. "The Order must remain neutral in order to do its work. We cannot be seen to be taking sides. Regardless of her reasons or motives, by joining the rebellion against Arlen, Sophia's actions did a lot of harm." Shaking his head, Duncan lamented, "We've only just recently regained the Crown's goodwill and our presence in Ferelden is a tentative one at best." Sighing, the senior Warden complained, "Because we have to be careful in our recruiting and because this Blight is already upon us, there is a shortage of Ferelden Wardens. The Orlesians have offered to make up the difference, but there are problems in relying on them…"

"I'll say there are!" Evelyn retorted, "Seeing as how they had, until recently, occupied our land and did a pretty good job in brutalizing everyone here."

"We must learn to overcome old animosities…" Duncan reproved, "Or risk being overwhelmed by the Blight."

"Easier said than done." Evelyn replied, not accepting the rebuke, "Especially if it were your wife or mother or grandmother who was raped by some chevalier who had taken a fancy to her or if it was your son or husband who had been killed because he didn't bow down quickly enough for that chevalier's ego. Try telling them that they need to overcome their animosities."

"But overcome them they must." Duncan persisted. "The darkspawn and the Blight are far worse than even the most dire excesses committed by the Orlesians." As they approached the gates to Ostagar, the senior Warden raised his hand. "We have arrived and there is King Cailan to meet us."

"He probably still doesn't know about Howe's treachery." Evelyn concluded.

"Probably not." Duncan agreed, adding, "Perhaps it would be best that I informed him?"

"Why?" Evelyn countered, "Think I might be a bit too emotional?"

"In a word…" Duncan replied, "Yes."

"Tough." Evelyn bit back, "I'm telling him and that's all there is to it. Now…let's get going…I want to see Cailan."

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"That went well..." Evelyn grumbled sarcastically as she and Duncan walked towards the army camp following their brief audience with the king. Promises to take care of things afterwards…"

"Did you expect anything else?" Duncan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No." Evelyn shook her head. "I'm no idiot—unlike the king…"

"Evelyn!" Duncan snapped, "I'll remind you that he is the king."

"And the king is a fool!" Evelyn retorted. "You know that…I know that. Look…" The fiery red-head said, softening her tone, "He's a nice guy and sweet in that lovable puppy dog sort of way, and maybe…just maybe…one day he'd grow up to be a good king. But he's nowhere near there yet."

"The problem is…" Duncan sighed, "We don't have a choice."

"You go to war with what you have." Evelyn let out a breath of air. "Yeah…that's what my father used to say."

"He was correct." Duncan nodded his head, "As he was in many other things." As the pair reached the edge of the camp, the senior Warden instructed, "Take some time to get yourself situated. Then I need to ask you to find Alistair and the other recruits and join me at the large campfire." He then pointed to a large bonfire in the center of the camp. "When you are done, meet me there. I'll have further instructions for you. Your mabari is welcome to join me at the fire. I think we can scrounge up some scraps or leftovers for him."

"Find Alistair and the other two recruits and meet you by the fire—got it." Evelyn repeated. Turning to Izzy, she ruffled her dog's fur as she spoke to him, "Go on with Duncan, Izzy. He's all right and he'll have some treats for you. Be good and I'll bring you some more treats."

The dog wagged his tail and barked happily as he and Duncan walked away. Pausing for a moment to take in the sights and smells of the camp, Evelyn noticed a white-haired mage standing in front of a tent, apparently also sight-seeing. The stunning redhead also noticed a man wearing leather armor chatting up, without much apparent success, a female soldier and another man whom she immediately recognized as Ser Jory kneeling in prayer. All right…who do I see first? The dullard…the scoundrel…or the…whatever? Pausing for a moment as she considered her options, Evelyn's eyes fell on the sight of the kennel master withdrawing his arm in frustration after an apparently sick mabari had nearly taken it off. Approaching the man, Evelyn waved a greeting. "Hello! You seem to be having problems here? Anything I can do to help? I happen to have a mabari myself…or more like the mabari has me!" She laughed.

Joining Evelyn in her laughter, the kennel master replied, "There is more truth in that statement, my lady, than most people know." His laughter fading away, the kennel master's face took on a forlorn look, "I'm not sure if there is anything you can do, my lady. The problem, you see, is that these poor creatures have been infected with the darkspawn taint. I learned a little secret from…" He then lowered his voice to a very low whisper, "…an apostate mage who was a traveling healer of sorts that there's a white flower that grows naturally in the Korcari Wilds. Take that flower, add in some elfroot, deep mushrooms, and a touch of lyrium. It works quickly and the animal is completely cured."

"Interesting…" Evelyn mused, "I wonder…can it be used a prophylaxis, to prevent a mabari from getting the taint in the first place?"

"I've never thought of that!" The kennel master exclaimed. "I don't see any reason why not. If I had enough of it, we could find out."

"Great!" Evelyn smiled, "Look…I can't make any guarantees, but if I find myself in the Wilds, I'll see what I can do about getting you that flower. Also, if it's all right with you, we can try it on Izzy, my mabari, provided he's willing of course, and see if it does work as a preventative."

"I'd be much obliged, my lady." The kennel master bowed.

"My pleasure." Evelyn smiled back before remarking, "I wonder…if this cure works on mabari, why hasn't it been tried on humans? Do you know of it ever being tried on a human, dwarf, or elf?"

"No, my lady." The kennel master shook his head, "The healer never told me whether it would work on people at the time and I didn't think to ask him. I was young…" He explained, "And I and Elten, my mabari…" he said with a note of sadness in his voice, "…had run across a small band of darkspawn that had found their way out of the Deep Roads…they do that on occasion, you know. Anyway, Elten killed them all, but in doing so was seriously injured and infected by the taint. This healer passed by and saw us and cured him and then told me about the cure and how to make it. I'm not sure if it would work on humans, elves, and dwarves or not."

"Can I get you to write down the ingredients and how to make the potion?" Evelyn pleaded, "I might in my travels happen upon a scholar who might know or be able to find out. If this can cure us of the taint—or prevent us from getting the taint in the first place—imagine what that would mean."

"Most assuredly, my lady." The kennel master smiled, "It would be my pleasure. Please wait a few moments and I'll return with what you need." Minutes later, the man returned with a parchment. "Here, you go, my lady. I hope this proves of benefit."

"It just might one day." Evelyn replied as she carefully slipped the parchment into her satchel. "I had best go now, but if I go into the Wilds, I will keep an eye out for that flower."

"Interesting conversation…" Evelyn remarked to herself as she approached the first of her fellow recruits, a dark haired roguish man wearing leather armor and with a long bow and quiver slung on his back. "Hello." Evelyn politely introduced herself to the man whom she found out to be named Daveth. After several moments of idle chit-chat, Evelyn sent the man off to the bonfire where Duncan awaited. "All right…menial task number one completed." The redhead smirked, "Now…where to go? Seeing the white haired mage standing to herself, Evelyn decided to make her introductions. "Always pays to stay on the good sides of those who can shoot a lightning bolt up your ass." Evelyn muttered softly as she approached the mage.

"Ah…you must be Duncan's new recruit." The mage said as Evelyn drew closer.

Nodding her head in greeting, Evelyn replied, "Yes, my name is Evelyn. A pleasure to meet you."

"And I am Wynne and I am pleased to meet you as well. I am…as you've probably already guessed…" Her lips curled up in an amused grin, "…a member of the Ferelden Circle of Mages."

"It is good to have the mages with us." Evelyn tactfully replied.

"For someone of your youth, you seem to be quite the diplomat." Wynne observed with a mild chuckle.

"My father always said that you could catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar." Evelyn answered back, her mood momentarily darkening as her mind flashed back to happier times with her family.

"Your father sounds like a wise man." Wynne commented, her tone tentatively consoling as she noticed the younger woman's sudden depression.

"He was." Evelyn nodded her head in response. "Unfortunately, his wisdom didn't help him when he needed it to."

"I am sorry…" Wynne said in a gentle tone and then tactfully changed the subject, "What do you know about the darkspawn and how they originated?"

"Not much." Evelyn confessed, "Just what I was taught by Reverend Mother Mallol, Brother Aldous, and what little Duncan has told me. Why? Do you know something more?"

"What do you know of the Fade?" Wynne replied, answering Evelyn's question with a question.

Remembering her dream conversations with Apeiria, Evelyn's lips turned up in a half grin, "Oh…I know that we are all linked in ways that cannot be imagined. The cosmos is infinite and eternal."

"Curious…" Wynne remarked as her eyes reflected a careful reappraisal of the young woman standing before her. "Hopefully, after the battle we shall speak more of this."

"I look forward to it." Evelyn replied as she turned away, "But for now, I had best go. I need to round up a few strays and get back to Duncan."

Wynne responded with a laugh, "Then I had best let you collect your lost sheep. It would not do to keep Duncan waiting for too long. We shall talk more later."

Approaching the Chantry service where Ser Jory knelt in prayer, Evelyn politely waited until the Chant had concluded and the knight had risen to his feet. "Ser Jory?" Evelyn introduced herself.

"Lady Cousland." The dim-witted knight responded deferentially, "I am surprised to see you here. If you are looking for your brother, I am sorry, but Lord Fergus is scouting the Wilds with his men."

"So I've been told by His Majesty." Evelyn replied with a nod. "I'm not here as a Cousland though." She declared, "I'm here as your fellow recruit."

"You're to be a Grey Warden as well!" The knight happily exclaimed. "That is most excellent news."

"Not so good, Ser Jory." Evelyn replied, "You see, my father and mother were both killed by Arl Howe and his men and Castle Highever and the town sacked."

Upon hearing the news, Ser Jory immediately grew despondent, "My wife? Have you heard any news of her? She was with child…I must go to her."

Placing a firm, yet gentle hand on the knight's wrist, Evelyn shook her head, "That's probably not a good idea, Ser Jory. There's a man in a cage over there who they're about to execute for desertion and he was just prowling around the campsite at night. Now, I know you're no coward or deserter…" She said in a placating voice, "…but they're not concerned about that. They're looking to set examples to discourage cowardice and desertion, and they're not going to be too picky about who they make examples out of."

"But my wife…" Ser Jory protested.

"I'm sure she's fine." Evelyn responded in a kindly tone. "Once you became a Warden recruit, you left our service, so, they would not be looking to harm her." Evelyn tactfully remained silent about the fact that all bets were off when a city was sacked, there was no need to further worry the despondent knight. "Right now, though, you need to be focused. Duncan wants you to report at the bonfire." She said as if she were talking to a child, "I'm going to hunt down this Alistair bloke and join you there. Then we'll beat the darkspawn and go back to Highever with the army and you'll be reunited with your wife and I'll be able to settle some scores. Right?"

"Yes, my lady." The knight acknowledged.

"Great." Evelyn let out a breath of air, "Then I'll see you soon."

"Now…" Evelyn muttered to herself as she breezed past the quartermaster who was at that moment complaining about an elf and armor, "…to fetch the last stray." As she climbed the steps leading up to the old temple, the young redhead heard the sound of men arguing. Arriving on the scene, Evelyn spied a robed figure, obviously a mage, yelling at a not-unattractive blond-haired man wearing armor. Barely managing to maintain a neutral expression on her face, Evelyn watched as the mage stormed off in a huff after the man in armor had delivered, what to the young bard-in-training considered, a rather lame insult. As she approached the armor-clad warrior, Evelyn heard him call out in a faintly sarcastic tone.

"I don't suppose you're another mage, are you?"

"You're not a newt or a charred stump, are you?" Evelyn riposted.

"Point taken." The man replied, his demeanor relaxing. "Greetings. You must be the new recruit?"

Evelyn nodded her head in affirmation, "And you must be Alistair. Duncan wanted me to tell you to meet him at the bonfire."

"Excellent." The young Grey Warden exclaimed. "Have you met the other recruits?"

"Ser Jory and the would-be womanizer?" Evelyn chuckled as a wry smile crossed Alistair's lips. "Yes, I met them and sent them off to Duncan. They should be there by now."

"Great!" Alistair exclaimed. "Let's get going then."

"All right." Evelyn replied, adding, "And on the way over, perhaps you can answer some questions I have."

"I'll answer all the questions I can." Alistair replied, his expression now taking on a more guarded demeanor, as the pair began to walk down the steps, "But understand that there are some things I do not know and others that only Duncan can tell you."

Growing increasingly frustrated as her companion seemingly evaded much of her questions, Evelyn pounced on a juicy piece of information that Alistair had let slip. "If I survive?" She exclaimed in a loud voice, "What's all involved in this Joining?"

Instantly regretting his words, Alistair answered evasively as the pair neared the bonfire. "All I can tell you is that there are good reasons for doing what we do—including the Joining. You'll understand soon enough."

"Oh…I'm sure I'll understand." Evelyn grumbled, "But I'm not sure I'm going to like it."

"Ah…Alistair…" Duncan called out, rescuing his young apprentice. "It's good to see you here…provided you've finished riling up all the mages…"

"What can I say, Duncan…" Alistair began as Evelyn tuned out the conversation between the two men until finally, she heard Duncan's voice addressing her and the other recruits. She listened as the senior Warden issued his orders and then responded with a few pointed questions regarding the darkspawn blood and the joining, receiving in return only evasive answers until finally she, Alistair, and the other Wardens were dismissed.

"You'll soon understand…" A defensive Alistair declared as Evelyn and her little group exited the camp gate and entered the Wilds, "…that Duncan has good reasons for doing what he's doing."

"I don't like being treated as a deep mushroom…" Evelyn, not in the mood to be placated by smooth words, grumbled.

"What do you mean?" Alistair replied.

"Kept in the dark and shat upon." Evelyn snapped back. "I like knowing what I'm getting myself into and I don't like being told that I have to participate in arcane rituals involving darkspawn blood in order to join your super-secret society."

"The Grey Wardens do what we have to do to protect Thedas." Alistair vehemently protested. "And that includes the Joining. You'll understand why soon enough."

"You keep on saying that." Evelyn growled as the party neared the devastated remains of a scouting troop. Spotting a survivor, his body coated with blood, struggling to rise to his feet, the redhead rushed over to him. At once recognizing him as one of Fergus's Highever men, Evelyn called out, "Mikal? It's me…Evelyn Cousland! Stay where you are, I'm coming right to you."

"My Lady!" The injured soldier called back as Evelyn knelt down by his side.

"I'm here, Mikal. Give me a moment and I'll slap some bandages on you."

"Here." Alistair said as he handed Evelyn several bandages, and then kneeling down, helped her bandage the soldier's wounds.

"Thank you." Evelyn acknowledged before turning her attention back to the injured soldier, "Can you tell me what happened? Where are the rest of the Highever men and my brother?"

"I don't know, my lady." The soldier responded. "I and my men got cut off from the others. Lord Cousland ordered us to patrol this perimeter and act as a rearguard. We were ambushed by darkspawn. Strange thing, my lady…" Mikal noted, "They didn't kill the still living female soldiers we had…they dragged them off…"

Turning her head to Alistair and giving the junior Grey Warden a pointed look, Evelyn murmured, "I wonder why?"

Ignoring his charge's pointed question, Alistair addressed the soldier, "Can you return to camp on your own?"

"I can make it." Mikal replied. As Alistair and Evelyn helped the soldier to his feet, Mikal addressed Evelyn, "Be careful, my lady and I hope you find Lord Fergus alive and well."

"As do I, Mikal." Evelyn replied. "Now go and get yourself looked after."

As Mikal walked away, Ser Jory stammered, "Is this what we can expect? To be ambushed and cut down?"

"It'll be all right, Ser Jory." Evelyn responded encouragingly, flashing the knight her most winning smile, "We're all very capable warriors and I doubt we're going to be going into the teeth of the horde. All we have to do is get those vials of darkspawn blood and the treaties and then we go back to camp. A couple hours work and we're done—right?"

"That's right, Ser Knight." Daveth agreed. "We can do this."

"Yes, milady." Ser Jory replied as he fell into place behind the redheaded noble and the junior Grey Warden.

"Alistair…" Evelyn requested, "Walk with me a bit."

The pair walked in silence until Evelyn was sure that they were beyond earshot of the other two in their party. Then, she wheeled on the young Grey Warden, poking him in the chest with her finger. "Why in the Maker's name did Duncan recruit Ser Jory as a Grey Warden?" She demanded. "This whole experience is obviously beyond his ability to comprehend—much less deal with."

"Are you saying he's a coward?" Alistair retorted.

"No. He's no coward." Evelyn shook her head. "But surely you can see that he is not able to cope with—this. It's too much for him. He's just not mentally or emotionally prepared to combat darkspawn. Andraste's tits, I'm not sure I am! Duncan should have spotted that at once. So…why did he recruit him? To serve as fodder for the darkspawn?"

"No!" An outraged Alistair all but screamed, drawing the attention of the other two until he calmed down as Evelyn walked him further away. "No. We need more Wardens. You've seen how few we are."

"Yes." Evelyn nodded her head. "That's why you need to make especially sure that the recruits you take in are the best possible and Ser Jory is not the best possible recruit—he's not even the second or third best."

"You think so little of your own man?" An astonished Alistair snapped.

Biting back, Evelyn responded, "No. He's a good man. That's why I don't think he should be here. He should be back guarding and protecting his wife…"

"His wife might not even be alive." Alistair retorted without thinking.

Evelyn's hard slap across the former templar's face caused him to backpedal in shock. "Don't you think he knows that you jackass! Don't you think that's part of what's ripping him apart right now? Do you honestly think he is Warden material? Honestly?"

"I don't know." Alistair responded sheepishly as he rubbed his cheek. "But it's too late now. He's committed himself to the Wardens." He then looked pointedly at Evelyn, "That commitment cannot be withdrawn."

"Then I hold both you and Duncan responsible if anything bad happens to him because of your pig-headed stupidity." Evelyn announced as she quickly turned her back on the templar and walked back to the other new recruits. "Daveth? Ser Jory? Break time's over. Time to get moving."

After several encounters with the darkspawn and encountering the remains of two fallen Chantry missionaries and recovering one of their lockboxes, Evelyn and her party had defeated the last of the darkspawn camped, conveniently enough, at the Grey Warden ruins Duncan had marked for them. Searching about the ruins, Evelyn soon discovered a broken chest. "Guys!" The redhead called out, "Looks like someone else beat us to it."

"Who is it I wonder…" Turning rapidly in the direction of the voice, Evelyn spied a dark haired woman bearing a staff and wearing Chasind clothing. Apostate mage. The Cousland daughter immediately surmised, handle with care.

"My name is Evelyn Cousland." The redhead introduced herself, "You wouldn't happen to know where a bunch of old moldy documents scarpered off to, would you? If you do know, we'd be ever so grateful if you could point us in the correct direction."

Chuckling, the woman replied, "Greetings, my name is Morrigan and I do indeed know where your documents are…my mother took them."

"Those documents are Grey Warden property!" Alistair bleated, "Hand them back at once!"

Shaking her head in irritation, Evelyn stayed silent as she felt that Morrigan was doing a good enough job on her own berating the hapless ex-templar. Turning her attention back to Evelyn, a slight smile crossed the witch's face, "I will take you to my mother, if you'd like."

"That sounds like an excellent idea." Evelyn replied after hushing her companions' protests. "Lead on."

A short time later, Morrigan introduced the group to an elderly woman whom she introduced as her mother. The old woman dismissed both Daveth and Ser Jory with barely a glance. She gazed upon Alistair for several moments, her appraisal almost predatory. She then turned her attention towards Evelyn. As she gazed into Evelyn's eyes, the old woman's eyes widened in astonishment as she chuckled, " Chaos, Order, Infinity, Eternity, Oblivion, Death, and above it all the Three in One."

"What are you babbling on about?" Alistair interjected only to be hushed by the old woman.

"Don't speak when your betters are talking, child." The old woman admonished. She then turned her attention back to Evelyn, "So…why are you here Child of the Cosmos?"

"What did you just call me?" Evelyn asked. "Do you know something about where I came from?"

"Not much." The old woman replied, "Such knowledge is hidden even from me. But…I have a feeling answers will be forthcoming soon. But that isn't why you're here…" The old witch said as she presented a collection of documents, "You came for these—your treaties. Take them…you will need them soon. For now though, it is time you departed. Morrigan? Would you care to show your guests back out of the woods?"

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Events moved quickly as Evelyn suddenly found herself, along with Duncan and Alistair, both with grave looks on their faces, and Daveth, apparently unfazed by the ceremony about to unfold, and a much more guarded and uncertain Ser Jory, his eyes darting about and feet shuffling nervously. Placing a gentle hand on the knight's shoulder, Evelyn whispered encouragingly, "Relax, Ser Jory. In a few moments it'll be done and we'll all be Grey Wardens." Duncan then cleared his throat and began to speak.

"We are gathered here for the Joining…" Evelyn tuned out his words until he stated that some might have to make the ultimate sacrifice now rather than later.

A nervous Ser Jory quickly responded, "You mean we have to drink that…" He cried out, pointing at the goblet containing darkspawn blood. "And that it might kill us? What sort of blood magic is this?"

On hearing Ser Jory's words, Evelyn spoke in a soft voice, masking her growing anger, "Penny in the air…Penny drops."

"Huh?" Alistair muttered.

"A saying." Evelyn replied, "But not the point here." Turning back to Duncan, she said accusingly, "This is why you don't tell anyone about the Joining, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so." Duncan grimly replied, adding with just the faintest hint of menace in his voice, "And once begun, it must be seen through."

"Well, I'm ready." Daveth declared as he took the cup from Duncan's hands, taking a draught from it. Moments later, the Denerim cutpurse screamed as he collapsed to the ground writhing in pain until his quick, and apparently far from painless, death.

Shaking his head in sadness, Duncan simply stated, "Forgive me, Daveth." He then turned towards a stunned Ser Jory. Holding out the cup, he demanded, "Ser Jory."

"No." The knight vigorously shook his head as he backpedaled, his hands going to the hilt of his greatsword as Duncan approached him. "No…this is not what I thought it would be. I have a wife…an unborn child…"

Remorselessly, Duncan drew closer, drawing his sword and dagger. "You must."

"No!" Ser Jory cried out as he drew his greatsword. Faster and more agile, Duncan quickly got inside the arc of the sword and stabbed, skewering the knight in the chest. Whispering, "Forgive me," into the man's ear, Duncan withdrew his blade as Ser Jory's lifeless body sunk to the ground.

"You murdered him." Evelyn accused, her eyes flashing as her hands drew closer to her daggers. "All he wanted to do was go home to his wife and child."

"I had no choice." Duncan replied, a shiver going down the senior Warden's spine as he saw…something…in the eyes of the Cousland heir. Recovering quickly, he declared as his and Alistair's hands hovered near their weapons. "He drew on me first."

"Because you threatened him." Evelyn countered. Seeing in her peripheral vision the other Grey Wardens' hands edging towards their weapons. Evelyn forced herself to relax, "So…what happens now? Am I to drink from the poison bowl?"

"You must surrender yourself to the taint." Duncan declared as he presented the chalice to Evelyn.

Taking the chalice in her hands, she glared at both Duncan and Alistair. "I'll drink your foul brew. But know this, you two—if I survive this, I will one day see that Ser Jory, Daveth, and all the others dead as a result of your deception are avenged. I hope to be one of those avengers, but if not I, then others will avenge. She then drank from the bowl and promptly collapsed to the ground.

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Not only did Evelyn hear the dragon, she felt it. Turning, she saw the Archdemon in all his glory, his breath purple flame as it consumed all before it. Catching her in his gaze, the Archdemon demanded, "Who…petty mortal are you?

Evelyn felt something it building inside her. At first, a warm glow, the feeling grew warmer and brighter until beams of light shot out of her hands, stunning the dragon. "Wha…" Evelyn stuttered as the shocked dragon retreated.

"Surprised, my dear?"

Turning towards the voice, Evelyn immediately recognized Apeiria. "What just happened?"

"You just experienced a portion of what you truly are." The cosmic entity replied. "Unfortunately, you are still very much in the pupae stage. It is not yet time for you to fully develop into what you might become."

"Might become?"

"Yes." Apeiria nodded her head. "Whether you fully realize your transformation or not will depend on…"

"The choices I make." Evelyn finished.

"You're learning, my dear." Apeiria smiled. "Now it is time you awakened. You still have much to do."

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"Are you all right?" Alistair asked solicitously, "It was painful at my Joining too."

"Such are the sacrifices we all must go through." Duncan muttered.

Rising to her feet, Evelyn brushed off Alistair's effort to help her up with a curt, "I can manage myself." Fixing her glare on both men, the redheaded Warden declared, "I still haven't forgotten what you have done or what I have promised. The Blight is, for now, the bigger threat. But, after the Blight is over, there will be a reckoning."

"If you feel that it is necessary, then we will deal with that when the time comes." Duncan asserted. "But for now, we have business to attend to. The king has asked for you to join us at the war council. Finish what you need to finish and join us there."

"Fine." Evelyn nodded her head. "I need to find Izzy and then the kennel master and then I'll be there. Turning about, she walked away from both her fellow Wardens, the sneer of contempt on her face plain for all to see. "Izzy!" Evelyn smiled as her mabari rushed to her. "It's so good to see you again, boy. You been behaving yourself or have you been knocking up all the girl mabari?"

"Woof!"

"Yeah…I thought so. Look, boy…" Evelyn said, bending down and whispering low so that only her dog could hear. "We're stuck with Duncan and Alistair for now, but I don't trust either one of them as far as I can throw them and don't you trust them either. They just killed a good man because he didn't want to join their little club, so watch yourself with them." Hearing Izzy's confirming bark, Evelyn smiled, "Good boy! Now, we need to go see the kennel master so that I can drop off a flower for him and get you taken care of so that you can't catch the taint and then we get to listen to a bunch of idiots yell and scream at each other. Sound like fun?"

"Woof!"

"I thought you'd like it. Now, let's get going. I have a feeling we're going to be in for a bumpy ride."

A few notes: First thanks to everyone for reading this story! I am going somewhat off-canon here. I have to really—otherwise, all I'll be doing is giving you the nth rendition of Ostagar and I don't think anyone wants that! I'll strive to maintain the spirit of canon and lore, but I can't guarantee that I'll be following every bit of canon to the letter—I have to have the ability to mix things up a little. As for Evelyn, you've now seen a small smidgen of what she's going to eventually grow into…