Chapter 3
Ostagar
"I am relieved you have returned!" the keeper said as the group returned, "And I did not expect to see you again so soon, Duncan."
"I was not expecting to return so soon either, Keeper."
"Dare I ask of Tamlen? What did you find of him?"
Asil replied softly, "If he was alive, the darkpsawn would've killed him."
"There…there were darkspawn in the cave?"
The notion seemed to worry the keeper very much.
"There is much to discuss, Keeper. I have learned a great deal since I was last here," Duncan continued.
"Let us speak privately within my aravel then, Duncan. Merrill, warn the hunters. If the darkspawn are about, I want the clan prepared."
"Ma nuvenin, Keeper. Right away," Merrill replied, heading off to organise the hunters.
"Asil, allow me some time to speak with Duncan. We will discuss your cure later."
"Very well, Keeper," Asil said, bowing her head.
"Tell Hahren what has occurred. He now has the sad task of preparing a service for the dead."
Asil swallowed her sorrow as Duncan and the keeper entered the tent. She found Hahren nearby.
"So you return with the Grey Warden, but without Tamlen. What happened, da'len? Is he truly lost to us?"
Asil wished everyone would stop saying his name. She just wanted to forget about it. At least for now.
"Yes, Hahren. He is dead," Asil wished it was not true, and something inside her told her there was a chance, but she knew it was just a hope that had no chance of being true.
"So…another of our children has perished. To think I'd live to see this…" the old elf said sadly, "It seems the will of the Creators that I sing the dirge for those I held in my arms as babes."
Hahren gazed off into the distance as he often did and recited a poem, as he also tended to do,
"Swiftly do stars burn a path across the sky, hast'ning to place one last kiss upon your eye. Tenderly land enfolds you in slumber, softening the rolling thunder. Dagger now sheathed, bow no longer tense. During this, your last hour, only silence."
Does he have to torture me so, Asil thought. She kept herself composed, but it was hard.
"Will you prepare a service for Tamlen?"
"Of course. We've no body to return to the soil, but we shall still sing for Tamlen. The creators must come to guide him."
"But what if…Tamlen isn't dead?"
Asil knew he was, but somewhere she still clung to the fleeting hope he wasn't. Hahren just shook his head sadly. Asil knew what he meant.
"I better check on the Warden," she said.
"May the gods guide you path, da'len."
Asil arrived just as the keeper and Duncan came out of the tent,
"Your keeper and I have spoken, and we've come to an arrangement that concerns you," Duncan said, "My order is in need of help. You are in need of a cure. When I leave, I hope you will join me. You would make an excellent Grey Warden."
Asil was taken aback. Leave the clan? She would never do such a thing.
"What does this have to do with my cure?"
"Everything, I'm afraid. The darkspawn taint courses through your veins. That you recovered at all is remarkable. But eventually, the taint will sicken and kill you, or worse. The Grey Wardens can prevent that, but it means joining us."
Asil could tell that Duncan spoke the truth, but was still reluctant,
"Will I be able to return to the clan?"
The keeper spoke up this time,
"We do not know. But we could not watch you suffer. They Grey Warden offers you a way to survive."
Asil wasn't even sure she would make a good Warden. Duncan detected her uncertainty,
"This is not simply charity on my part. I would not offer this if I did not think you had the makings of a Grey Warden. You will likely never return here. We go to fight the darkspawn, a battle that will take us far from your clan. But we need you and others like you."
The thought of leaving the clan, her home, seemed to painful to Asil. She knew nothing else except the Dalish way of life. She had never even seen a human city.
"Why should we trust this idea, Keeper?"
"A great army of darkspawn gathers in the south. A new Blight threatens the land. We cannot outrun this storm."
"But the Dalish have outrun every storm before…"
"Long ago, the Dalish agreed to aid the Grey Wardens against a Blight, should that day arrive. We must honour that agreement."
Asil looked down, sulkily. She knew she was acting many years younger than she was, but she didn't want to leave her home. The keeper lifted her chin up,
"It breaks my heart to send you away. As it would to watch you die slowly from this sickness. This is your duty, and your salvation."
Asil sighed, "If it is the only way and my duty, then I will go."
Duncan smiled, happy for the arrangement and consent,
"I welcome you to the order. It is rare to have a Dalish amongst us, but they have always served with distinction."
The keeper hugged Asil,
"I know you'll do your clan proud, Asil. Take this ring," she said, slipping a small piece of jewellery onto Asil's finger, "It is your heritage and will protect you against the darkness to come."
"Are you ready to go?" Duncan asked.
Asil looked over to Hahren as he prepared Tamlen's last rights,
"I would like to stay for Tamlen's funeral."
"We have much ground to cover, but I cannot deny you that. Say your farewells…then we must be off."
"Come then, Asil. Before the Creators guide you from us, let your clan embrace you one last time."
As the sun began to set and the fireflies lit up the clearing, Asil walked through her clan who had lined up to see her off after the funeral. Friends and family who had been there alongside her for her entire life. Men and boys, women and girls who had she had shared the road with. Tears stung her eyes and she walked past them, but she blinked them back. Asil couldn't bear to cry in front of Duncan. She gave a big hug to Merrill, one of her closest friends in the clan, as well to the keeper, who had been there for her always. Duncan stood waiting for her. She followed him up the stairs away from her clan. She kept turning to look back at the sad, yet proud faces. She wanted to turn around and run back and never leave again, but Duncan gently faced her forward again.
"Don't look back, Asil."
She looked at her clan one last time. She would not look back.
Asil and Duncan walked in silence through the forest. Asil usually wasn't one for starting conversation, but she felt obliged to with Duncan, seeing as she was going to be a Grey Warden alongside him.
"So where are we going, exactly?" she asked.
"We will be travelling south through the hinterlands to the ruin of Ostagar, on the edges of the Korcari Wilds."
"Ostagar?"
"The Tevinter Imperium built Ostagar long ago to prevent the Wilders from invading the northern lowlands. It's fitting we make our stand here, even if we face a different foe within that forest."
They eventually arrived at the gates of Ostagar. When they did, Asil's eyes widened. She had not seen much of the outside world and cities were a foreign concept to her. The sight of stone structures almost as tall as mountains amazed her. Duncan continued his explanation of the plan as they approached Ostagar while Asil gazed around in awe.
"The king's forces have clashed with darkspawn several times, but here is where the bulk of the horde will show itself. There are only a few Grey Wardens within Ferelden at the moment, but all of us are here."
Asil wondered if the other Grey Wardens were also human. She assumed they would be and hoped they were as well-mannered as Duncan.
"The Blight must be stopped here and now," Duncan said firmly, "If it spreads to the north, Ferelden will fall."
Asil barely heard Duncan's warning. She was still looking up at the gargantuan stone walls.
"Not used to this, are you?" Duncan asked. Asil shook her head,
"I've seen a village or two in my time, but never a place like this. I though the forest was big but these buildings…how do people not feel small near them?"
Duncan chuckled,
"It can feel like that sometimes."
"Ho there, Duncan!" a voice called. A young man in shining gold armour strode towards Duncan. He had a cheery and rather boyish face and young, bright eyes. He quickly shook Duncan's hand.
"King Cailan? I didn't expect…"
"A royal welcome?" the king said, "I was beginning to worry you'd miss all the fun!"
"Not if I could help it, your Majesty," Duncan replied, bowing his head slightly. Asil was perplexed. Amongst the Dalish, the clans measured the ability to be a leader through age and experience. Yet here was a man, possibly younger than herself, leading Ferelden. Asil was a little annoyed at the thought that humans picked their leaders so strangely and her annoyance began to affect her perception of the king. Cailan continued ranting to Duncan,
"Then I'll have the mighty Duncan at my side in battle after all! Glorious!"
Asil raised an eyebrow at the king's demeanour. She had to give it to him, he was enthusiastic.
"The other Wardens told me you've found a promising recruit. I take it this is she?" he said, looking at Asil.
"Allow me to introduce you, your Majesty," Duncan began. The king waved him aside.
"No need to be so formal, Duncan. We'll be shedding blood together, after all. Ho, there friend!" he said brightly to Asil, "Might I know your name?"
Asil crossed her arms, her Dalish-born dislike of humans setting in again. The king after all was the one that refused land to the Dalish.
"I'm no friend of yours, human lord."
Cailan did not seem offended. He merely chuckled.
"You've got yourself a lively one, Duncan. And I was beginning to think the Wardens were all stodgy priests!"
He looked at Asil thoughtfully,
"You are Dalish, are you not? I hear your people possess remarkable skill and honour."
"I thought humans considered us dangerous vagrants,"
"To be fair, your people can be a bit…standoffish. Not that I blame them, of course."
The king noticed Asil's still arched eyebrow,
"I tell you this: You are very welcome here. The Grey Wardens will benefit greatly with you amongst them. I'm sorry to cut this short, but I should return to my tent. Loghain waits eagerly to bore me with his strategies."
Duncan spoke up,
"Your uncle sends his greetings and reminds you that Redcliffe forces could be here in less than a week."
Cailan dismissed the news,
"Ha! Eamon just wants in on the glory. We've won three battles against these monsters and tomorrow should be no different."
"You sound very confident of that," Asil interjected.
"Overconfident, some would say. Right, Duncan?" the king said, followed by another seemingly characteristic chuckle. Duncan was not convinced however,
"Your majesty, I'm not certain the Blight can be ended quite as…quickly as you might wish."
"I'm not even sure this is a true Blight," Cailan said, turning to face over Ostagar, "There are plenty of darkspawn on the field, but alas, we've seen no sign of an archdemon."
"Disappointed, your majesty?" Duncan added.
"I'd hoped for a war like in the tales! A king riding with the fabled Grey Wardens against a tainted god! But I suppose this will have to do," he said, turning back. Asil was almost a little shocked by the human king. Even she knew that wars were no glorious tale if her race's history recalled. Yet this man still had a boy-like view of battle.
"I must go before Loghain sends out a search party. Farewell, Grey Wardens!"
Duncan bowed his head and Asil begrudgingly gave a stiff nod. While Cailan didn't seem too bad for a human, Asil wondered if he was truly king material. Asil and Duncan watched the king stride off, flanked by his guards.
"What the king said is true. They've won several battles against the darkspawn here," Duncan said.
"He didn't seem to take the darkspawn very seriously," Asil replied. Duncan motion for her to follow him,
"Despite the victories so far, the darkspawn horde grows larger with each passing day. By now, they look to outnumber us. I know there is an archdemon behind this. But I cannot ask the king to act solely on my feeling."
"Why not? I mean, he seems a bit of a fool but he seems to regard the Grey Wardens highly."
"You must not speak of the king so. He is…over-eager, perhaps, but he is also one of the few Grey Warden allies. It is true though that he will not wait for re-enforcements from the Grey Wardens of Orlais. He believes our legend alone makes him invulnerable. We must do what we can and look to Teyrn Loghain to make up the difference. To that end, we should proceed with the Joining ritual without delay."
Asil gave Duncan a suspicious look,
"What do you mean? No-one told me of any ritual."
"Every recruit must go through a secret ritual we call the Joining in order to become a Grey Warden. The Joining is what will cure you of the suffering your tainted blood surely brings you. If it had been possible, I would have done it before now."
Something about Duncan's tone of voice told Asil that there was something he was omitting about this ritual. And there was obviously a reason this "cure" had not been mentioned before. Asil voiced her ruminations,
"Why didn't you tell me about this cure before?" she asked, a little annoyed. She did not see why Duncan had to bring her all the way here to do the ritual, or why he had to make her a Warden at all. Asil figured he could have done it back at the Dalish camp and none of those painful goodbyes would have to have been said.
"It is a secret. And it is not a simple antidote. The Joining is what will make you a Grey Warden. Until then, you must trust that what is done is necessary."
Asil was still not fully convinced, but most things seldom did. She would not accept an offer or trust a person until she knew as much as she could about it. This made the uncertainty of the ritual start to grind in the back of her mind. Duncan said that there was time to prepare for the battle, and suggested that I use it wisely while he sorted out other things. As he approached what seemed the edge of the city, he remembered something else,
"There is another Grey Warden in the camp by the name of Alistair. When you are ready, find him and tell him it's time to summon the other recruits."
Asil did not realise there were other recruits. She realised sullenly that they would most likely all be human. While she certainly was growing to like Duncan, the same could not be said for most other humans and she was not overly looking forward to having to spend time with a race she had been raised to mistrust. Hopefully, she thought to herself, they'll be like Duncan. And not like every other human she had met in her entire life.
Asil realised Duncan had lead her to a massive stone bridge that spanned the gap over a small valley. She had thought the area they were in was the entirety of Ostagar but it seemed she was wrong. Across the bridge was a rather unorganised collection of stone walls, towers and spires pointing towards the heavens. Asil realised Ostagar was not really a city, but one giant fortress, even if it was in ruins. It had been built with defence in mind and she could see now that the two halves of the fortress had been built on adjacent rocky mounts with the bridge spanning between. Asil could still not believe the size of Ostagar. She had always thought human settlements to be ugly places but Ostagar had a stark beauty about it. The bridge was lined with marble statues of human heroes and arches and spires had been built into the fortress in a way that made it visually impressive but imposing at the same time. As Asil entered the main area she was met with the sights and sounds of soldiers preparing for the oncoming battle. It was good to see that most were not dismissing the darkspawn as an idle threat as Cailan did. While Asil was rather blunt towards humans, her curiosity made her come into contact with the various parties situated in the ruin. Even though an elf-born hatred of humans kept running in the back of her mind, she was fascinated by the Ash Warriors, the Templars, the mages and even the flat-voiced Tranquil. All in all, her extended contact with humans wasn't progressing as bad as she expected, except when her and a Chantry priest came into a fiery argument over gods after the priest had called Asil a "paegan worshipper". Though Asil did bring herself to carry a conversation with a mage named Wynne.
"Greetings, young lady," the mage said, "You are Duncan's newest recruit, are you not? He's not a man easily impressed. You should be proud."
Wynne was the first person Asil had come into contact with that had not made a remark about her being an elf. Asil had already been infuriated many times that day after being mistaken for a servant or a messenger. Her respect for the older mage immediately increased when she didn't question Asil's race. Asil decided it high time she found Alistair. In the process, she also found the other recruits Duncan had mentioned. The first, Daveth, she found chatting up a female soldier. His tone of voice and general bandit-ish appearance made Asil like the man less. It was he who spoke to Asil first as she walked past.
"Well, you're not what I thought you'd be."
Asil stopped in front of the man who was leaning against the wall.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, ready to bite back at this cocky sounding recruit.
"Oh, me and ser knight were just betting on what the third recruit would be. Not an elf. Yet here you are."
Asil sighed, annoyed. Another human surprised by an elf doing something other than squiring or running messages. He didn't seem to notice Asil's distaste.
"The name's Daveth. It's about bloody time you came along. I was beginning to think they cooked this ritual up just for our benefit."
Asil raised an eyebrow, "Isn't that a little paranoid?"
"Ha!" Daveth laughed, "That depends on what kind of life you've led. Me, I'm perfectly willing to accept that this Joining is some kind of punishment."
It seemed Asil's deduction of Daveth being some kind of brigand or less-than-honourable person might not be that far from the truth. Daveth continued,
"I happened to be sneaking around camp last night, see, and I heard a couple of Grey Wardens talking. So I listen in for a bit. I'm thinking they plan to send us into the Wilds."
Asil had found that the humans had a strong fear of the Wilds. They had stories and legends that painted the place forebodingly. Admittedly, even the Dalish wanderers stayed away from the Korcari Wilds, however Asil had always been told it was just another forest like any other. Asil had once asked why they tribe never went into the Wilds if it was just another forest. The elf she had questioned never really answered her. Asil now knew that the Dales still feared the Korcari as much as any other race. Still, Asil saw no reason to be scared of the place.
"So what? That wouldn't frighten me."
"Cannibals, beasts, witches, and now darkspawn? What isn't to be scared of?"
Asil wondered how much of that was purely human superstition. She figured at least half.
"It's all to secretive for me," Daveth continued, eyeing behind Asil as if looking for someone,
"Makes my nose twitch. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Like we have a choice."
Asil was intrigued by his last statement,
"They're forcing you to be here?"
"I got nowhere else to go after what Duncan saved me from."
After that, Daveth left in search of Duncan. Asil was interested in the fact that there was another who was here not by choice. After all, neither was she. Asil soon found the other recruit, the "ser knight" Daveth had mentioned.
"Greetings," he hailed in a voice one would expect of a knight, "You must be the third recruit we've heard about."
"Yes, I am Asil," she said neutrally, not sure on how she would judge this human.
"I am Ser Jory. I hail from Redcliffe, where I served as a knight under the command of Arl Eamon," he gave Asil a curious look, "I wasn't aware elves could join the Grey Wardens. Those camped in the valley are all human."
Asil was quick to jump to aggressiveness again,
"Do you have a problem with that?"
"No. Clearly the Grey Wardens pick their recruits on their merits. I hope we're both lucky enough to eventually join the Wardens. Is it not thrilling to be given that chance?"
Asil did not find Jory too annoying as she did with other humans, though she couldn't exactly share his enthusiasm for the situation. She decided not to voice her thoughts and instead questioned about the mysterious Joining ritual.
"I'm curious about the Joining ritual."
"As am I. Has anyone told you about it?"
"It's all a big secret, apparently."
"I never heard of such a ritual. I had no idea there were more tests after getting recruited."
He had a nervous look in his eyes for a moment, as if he was contemplating the next tests distastefully. Asil's opinions of the two recruits were mixed. She wasn't sure if she liked them. Hopefully, she thought, Alistair will be different.
Asil found Alistair easily enough. He was on the south side of Ostagar and it seemed he was being hassled by a member of the Circle.
"What is it now?" the mage asked, "Haven't the Grey Warden's asked more than enough of the Circle?"
"I simply came to deliver a message from the revered mother, ser mage. She desires your presence," Alistair replied sociably enough.
"What her Reverence 'desires' is of no concern to me. I am busy helping the Grey Wardens, by the king's orders, I might add!" the mage replied aggressively. While he said he was helping the Grey Wardens, the way he said it suggested that he did not like it.
"Should I have asked her to write a note?"
"Tell her I will not be harassed in this manner!"
"Yes, I was harassing you by delivering a message," Alistair said sarcastically. Asil had to admit, she liked the human's sass.
"Your glibness does you no credit."
"Here I thought we were getting along so well," Alistair continued in his sarcastic tone, "I was even going to name one of my children after you…the grumpy one."
In spite of herself, Asil sniggered.
"Enough! I will speak to the woman if I must," the mage concluded, obviously defeated, "Get out of my way fool," he said as he pushed past Asil. Alistair took a step forward and ran a hand through his hair,
"You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together,"
While Asil found Alistair quite humorous, he was curious to her,
"You're a very strange human," she said, forgetting it was not the norm in human society to address each other so.
"You are not the first to tell me that," he said with a smile, "Wait, we haven't met, have we? I don't suppose you happen to be another mage?"
"We haven't met. You must be Alistair."
"And that makes you Duncan's new recruit, I suppose? Glad to meet you," he said offering his hand out for a handshake. Dalish elves did not use handshakes as a form of greeting, but luckily Asil had heard of the formality before. She hesitantly took his hand and shook as she had seen other men do.
"As the junior member of the order, I'll be accompanying you when you prepare for the Joining."
Asil didn't feel the urge to be as unpleasant to Alistair as she felt with other humans. She even felt as so far to think of him as handsome.
"Pleased to meet you. My name is Asil."
Recognition dawned on his face,
"Right, that was the name. You know, it just occurred to me that there have never been many women in the Grey Wardens. I wonder why that is?"
"Probably because we're too smart for you."
"True, but if you're here, what does that make you?"
"Just one of the boys?"
"Sad, isn't it?" he grinned. His playful expression suddenly turned to one of curiosity, "So, I'm curious- have you ever actually encountered darkspawn before?"
Asil knew she had, but was more intrigued whether Alistair had,
"Have you?"
His expression changed again, this time to one of dark recollection, "When I fought my first one, I wasn't prepared for how monstrous it was. I can't say I'm looking forward to encountering another."
Yet he's a Grey Warden Asil thought to herself. A Grey Warden who's afraid of encountering darkspawn. It was an odd thought, but Asil had to admit herself that she did not wish to encounter the darkspawn again either.
"Anyhow," Alistair declared, clearing Asil's train of thought, "We better head back to Duncan. I imagine he's eager to get started."