Chapter Three: Ostagar
"See there, dear girl," said Duncan pointing to a high tower on the horizon, "that is Tower Ishal of Ostagar, if my calculations are correct we should be arriving there shortly."
Yvaine breathed a sigh of relief, this had been the hardest journey she had ever been on, she had spent a majority of the trip dwelling on thoughts of her parents and Ser Gilmore occasionally wondering about Fergus, "I'm glad this will be over soon, not that I haven't enjoyed your company, Duncan."
Duncan smiled at the young girl, a pang of guilt stabbing his heart as he looked at her youthful appearance, he knew what they were embarking on would not be easy and she had already lost more than most girls her age lost in an entire lifetime and now he was bringing her to face another trial. It was hard for him not to answer all of her questions, she had asked a great deal on the first day of the journey, but with him answering fewer and fewer she had stopped asking. He knew she was curious, her mind would not be at ease until she had been told every variable, much like her father, but tradition and promises made long ago forbade him from uttering even a single syllable about any secret the Wardens held. 'Maybe I'm asking too much of her too soon,' thought Duncan, 'She has been through a great ordeal, maybe I should delay our arrival by a few more days until she is in a better state of mind.'
"Duncan," said Yvaine, pulling him from his thoughts, "Can you tell me more about Alistair?"
Duncan sighed, he wanted to tell her about his newest recruit but he thought it was better she learned about him on her own, "I've told you all I really know, if you want to learn more, you'll have to speak with him yourself after we arrive at Ostagar."
"Which is hopefully soon," mumbled Yvaine, her back and legs aching from riding for hours on end, Gawain had taken to walking beside her horse rather than running ahead he seemed to have sensed her distress and wanted to be closer to her.
"Don't worry, Yvaine," said Duncan kindly, "all of your questions will be answered after the Joining ritual, can you wait until then?"
Yvaine could not help but smile, the more she was around him the more she felt as if he had always been around for her entire life, "Yes, Duncan, I think my curiosity can wait to be sated until tonight."
"Good to hear," said Duncan, leaning across the gap between their horses and patted her shoulder, "You are very much like your father, he always wanted the answers at the start, but he was willingly to compromise when it was necessary."
Yvaine fought back the tears that stung her eyes, she thought she would be able to hear about her father after these last few days but she was wrong, in fact it was harder than she realized it would be. They rode in silence for a another hour, neither knowing what to say to the other to ease the tension that seemed to be brewing between them, it was Duncan who decided it was he who should end the quiet.
Duncan cleared his throat, "I'm sorry to have brought him up, I apologize for my tactlessness, please accept my humblest of apologies."
"You speak like a nobleman," smirked Yvaine, "and I accept your apology, Duncan, though it is entirely unnecessary."
"Your compliment is very displaced, Yvaine," replied Duncan softly, "I may speak like a nobleman, but before I was a Grey Warden I was a thief, and a murderer." He said the last few words so quietly, Yvaine almost missed hearing them.
"Whom did you murder?" asked Yvaine, hoping he was willing to speak about his past more than he seemed to about the Grey Wardens.
"Another Grey Warden," said Duncan, looking off into the distance, "When I lived in Orlais, I was desperate for a few coins to buy bread, when I saw him walk into the inn I followed him and waited until he was asleep. When he did, I crept into his room and searched as quietly as I could for anything I could sell, I saw a ring sitting on the nightstand and reached for it but he was awake by then and grabbed my wrist. We fought like two starving cats over a piece of fish, at one point I gained the upper hand, holding a knife to his throat telling him to give me the ring and I would spare his life. He refused my offer so we continued our struggle, at some point my dagger managed to pierce his lung, as he laid there dying he looked me straight in the eyes and thanked me for ending his life."
"That must have been awful," said Yvaine, glancing over at him, now seeing past the persona and seeing the actual person beneath the armor.
"It was," said Duncan thoughtfully, "I was arrested shortly after that, and told that the man I had unintentionally murdered was a Grey Warden. The night before I was to be executed, Commander Genevieve arrived and asked me to be a member of the Grey Wardens, I refused her initial offer, remembering how the Warden I had killed had thanked me for doing so. To me the life they led must have been worse than anything I had ever known."
"That sounds fairly well reasoned," said Yvaine slowly, thinking about what she would have said if she had been in the same situation, "How did you become a Grey Warden then, if you refused the Commander's offer?"
"I was getting to that, be patient, Yvaine," said Duncan, laughing at the scowl on her face before continuing his story, "The next day, I was walked to my execution, a huge crowd had amassed to watch the killer of a Grey Warden get his dues when suddenly Commander Genevieve burst forward and said 'I invoke the Right of Conscription, this young man is to come with me and become a Grey Warden.' No one was more surprised than I was when she announced her intentions and I was forced to follow her out of the prison yard and to Weisshaupt where I underwent the Joining and continued to rise within the Grey Wardens."
Yvaine was quiet after Duncan had finished his story, this great man had murdered in cold blood and then repaid his debt by fighting alongside the Grey Wardens, she was not sure what to think of him now or why he had told her his story in the first place when he could have so easily dodged it like all of the others. She had heard that anyone could become a Grey Warden, even the worst of mankind, but she had never heard of the killer of another Warden joining their ranks, let alone becoming the leader. It struck her as odd that the Grey Wardens were as compassionate to murderers of their own people as they were to the lowliest slave, she knew they needed people to join their order but she did not realize they had been that desperate.
"Duncan," said Yvaine a while later as she tossed a half eaten apple to Gawain, "Why did you tell me that story?"
"To show you that even the best of the Wardens did not come from the most sparkling of backgrounds," said Duncan, smiling kindly at her, "You're story is not as bad as some of the others nor is it the best, it is simply you and that is all the Wardens care about in a recruit."
Yvaine felt herself smiling, she was glad to know that her family's tragedy nor her background would influence whether or not she would be able to become a full-fledged Grey Warden, something she had been worrying about since they had first started the journey. They continued their ride, commenting occasionally about the various fauna and flora, Duncan telling her which roots and mushrooms were edible and which ones were better for making medicine or poisons. When the pillars and moss covered walls of Ostagar came into view, Yvaine practically stood up on her saddle to get a better view, eliciting a chuckle from Duncan who thought now was the time to prepare her for what to expect when she arrived in the fortress itself.
"Yvaine," said Duncan as she sat back down on her horse, "there are a few things to keep in mind while wandering around camp: first most will not know about what happened in Highever so do not take offense or lash out if someone asks why your father has not arrived, second both King Cailan and Teyrn Loghain are here, please try not to disturb them too much, they have a great deal to plan for the upcoming battle."
Yvaine rolled her eyes, "Duncan, I appreciate the instructions but I know how to handle myself around nobility, I am skilled in the practiced and appreciated art of shutting my mouth."
Duncan laughed, "I wish Alistair had learned that art. Speaking of Alistair, during your wanderings, you should also try and find him he will be accompanying you while you prepare for the Joining. I would suggest asking the guards but it'd be easier to just look for a line of irritated faces, that's usually a good sign they have spoken to Alistair, the one at the end has spoken to Alistair the most recent."
"Is he that horrible?" laughed Yvaine, thinking to herself that she and this Alistair would definitely get along.
"Not usually, but if he's riled someone up, expect fur to fly," said Duncan, shaking his head as he thought of Alistair.
They arrived at the gates of Ostagar shortly after, a pair of guards waiting to greet them, Yvaine had hoped their arrival would go almost undetected so she could avoid as many people as possible when she heard several people walk up behind her as she dismounted from her horse. When she turned around she was stunned to see King Cailan standing before them in gleaming golden armor, a smirk graced his handsome features, his light blonde hair tied back against the wind, as he approached closer Yvaine could see in his grey eyes he was happy to see Duncan. She had often heard the courtiers speak in hushed voices that the King was a fool, and a mere puppet being controlled by Loghain, though right now Yvaine could not picture a more inspiring king he looked the part and even when he spoke he commanded the same respect as any noteworthy king of the old days would have.
"Ah, Duncan, glad to see you made it back in time," said Cailan, shaking hands with the Warden, then he turned his attention to Yvaine, "This is the newest recruit I take it?" He scanned Yvaine up and down, amazed that she was as tall as she was, the last time he remembered seeing her she was a few inches shorter and still a blossoming woman.
"Yes, your Majesty," said Duncan quickly turning to Yvaine, "This is—"
"Teyrness Yvaine Cousland," cut in Cailan, his eyes wide with amazement, "I'm surprised your father let you accompany Duncan, I was told you would be taking care of the affairs in Highever while he and Fergus were here."
"You have met Yvaine before, your Majesty?" asked Duncan, looking from Yvaine to Cailan.
"Many years ago, in fact," replied Cailan, "She, her brother and I were playmates as children. I believe the last time we saw each other was at a feast her father held in my honor during my wedding campaign with Anora, you participated in the tournament and knocked that idiot Dairren on his ass."
"I'm honored you even remembered me, your Majesty," said Yvaine trying to stifle a giggle, then her demeanor changed to one of sorrow, "and as for my father, he and the rest of my family were . . . uh . . ." She could not bring herself to complete the sentence, it would make the situation even more real than it already was.
"My lady," said Cailan kindly, approaching Yvaine as if he were her brother instead of her king, "do not be afraid to speak of your father to me, I will accept the news with grace and dignity befitting my station, or so Loghain has instructed me to do so."
"Your Majesty," said Duncan quickly, "maybe this could wait for another time, the teyrness has just arrived after a long journey and she is probably in need of proper nourishment and—"
"It's alright, Duncan," said Yvaine a small frown creasing her brow, she knew she would have to tell Cailan the fate of her family and it was best to do it sooner rather than later, "Your Majesty, my family was . . .was. . . murdered."
"Murdered?!" exclaimed Cailan, clearly outraged, "By who, sweet lady?"
"Arl Howe," spat Yvaine, the very name bitter as wormwood on her tongue.
"Arl Howe?!" repeated Cailan, his own anger and sorrow flaring up, "That bastard, my lady, I can assure you that as soon as this darkspawn threat has been dealt with I will personally lead the troops to Highever and reclaim your family's home for you."
Yvaine was stunned, after her talk with Duncan she had abandoned hope that Cailan would do anything to assist her in reaping vengeance on the treacherous arl, "Thank you, your Majesty, this is more than I had ever expected."
"Your father was a good friend," said Cailan crestfallen, "For him to have died in the manner he did, is not only the ultimate betrayal, but also an insult to the very life he led. I will make sure your lands are returned to your family, Yvaine, that you can be sure of."
"Your Majesty," said Yvaine carefully, "I was wondering, has my brother Fergus arrived yet? I was hoping to find him and tell him about . . ."
"No need to continue, dear lady," said Cailan, putting his hand on her shoulder, "Your brother did arrive, currently he is on a scouting expedition in the Korcari Wilds though I do not expect him to return for a few hours. When he does, I will make sure he is informed of your arrival, until then I suggest you make yourself more comfortable in camp."
Yvaine wanted to leap into the air for joy, this was the best news she had heard in days, without thinking she embraced the king ignoring the gasps from the guards around them, "Thank you for this, your Majesty, you have no idea how this news has brightened my previously dark and troubled mind."
Cailan was surprised and rather pleased that he had given her the desire to break protocol, and he embraced her in return, "I am glad to have brought you this news, dear lady. You are a shining example to us all, despite what has befallen you and your family, you have honored Ferelden by traveling from your home and agreeing to join the legendary Grey Wardens, I hope the rest of the people in this land can learn from you."
She was released from the crushing embrace of the king and smiled up at him, glad to know that despite all she had heard, he was everything to the contrary, "You do me and my family a great service with your words and promises, your Majesty."
"As you do me the service of assisting me in this battle," said Cailan, flashing her a toothy grin, "Now, while I would rather remain here and continue to speak with both Wardens, Loghain has requested my presence once my business with you has concluded. I see you are in good hands, Yvaine, so I trust you no longer need to speak with me. Duncan, I will be expecting you tonight before the battle, there is a great deal to discuss and I'm sure Loghain would love to boss you around too."
Duncan frowned, "You should not speak of the teyrn in such a way, your Majesty, it has been his strategies that have won the battles so far and as king you must consider his expertise and opinion."
"I know," groaned Cailan, "I would look forward to discussing them more if he did not constantly say, 'You may not fight with the Wardens, Cailan.' He is anything if not persistent to make his point."
"Well, your Majesty," chuckled Duncan, "if you would stop maneuvering yourself to the front lines with us during these strategy meetings, the teyrn might stop reminding you."
"You have a point there, Duncan," sighed Cailan, "either way, I am afraid I must be off, I hope to see you both later tonight. Yvaine, I am glad you have made it here safely, and good luck tonight with the Joining."
Yvaine and Duncan bowed to him as he departed from the clearing, and they themselves started walking towards the camp that had been set up where the stronghold's former courtyard had been. Gawain was happily running ahead, barking at the birds and licking some of the soldiers, Yvaine smiled, she was glad at least someone was enjoying themselves.
"Your hound is friendly even for mabari standards," chuckled Duncan and Yvaine nodded in agreement, "Your familiarity with the king is most. . .interesting."
"I've never been one for standing on ceremony," replied Yvaine, "I would have hugged you as well when we first met had it not been for the arl and my father being present."
Duncan smiled, "I am flattered to know you are comfortable enough with me to exhibit such a familiar display."
"I hugged the king to fully show my gratitude for the news about my brother," continued Yvaine, petting Gawain as he trotted back to her, "A simple 'Thank you, your Majesty' did not seem to cover how I was feeling during that moment."
"After all you have been through, I could not imagine any better news for you," said Duncan and they arrived at what looked like the Grey Warden's tent as there was a flag flying above the tent with the griffon insignia of the Wardens emblazoned on the blue field.
"I must leave you now, Yvaine," said Duncan, "I have some business to discuss with a few of the other Wardens before the next battle, I will take your hound with me, there are some preparations for him to be made as well before he also encounters any darkspawn. Please, feel free to explore the camp, just make sure to find Alistair before the sunsets."
"I will, Duncan, thank you," said Yvaine and she quickly embraced the Warden, wanting to show how grateful she was for all he had done for her over the last few days.
Duncan returned her gesture and felt a rush of guilt, while he knew what must be done he did not want it to happen to this young girl, "I'll see you soon, Yvaine, please excuse me."
Yvaine released him, slightly puzzled at his behavior though she chose not linger on it too long, instead she focused on all that was around her amazed that King Cailan had been able to join together so many opposing forces. She looked to her left and saw the Templars and the mages being blessed by some members of the Chantry, she saw a few Dalish elves speaking with human merchants as if they were already on friendly terms, there was even a small band of dwarves wandering around the same as she was though they were less steady on their feet. Yvaine felt as if every sensation had been ignited at once, every where she looked there was something new to hear, smell, see, even taste as she sampled something the dwarves had cooked up. The meal was what she was used to but it felt good to have something warm in her stomach after having eaten nothing but bread and apples for three days straight, and even the ale the dwarves had seemed better than what was usually found in most human taverns.
After her brief meal, Yvaine continued to wander around the camp, keeping an eye out for anyone she thought might be this mysterious Alistair she had heard so much about so far she had yet to see the long line of irritated people that Duncan had said would lead directly back to Alistair. She did start to hear raised voices and she chuckled to herself, from what she could hear above the clamor of the camp the argument sounded rather ridiculous, so she decided to investigate. She walked over to a small grove of trees where a band of rouge looking men were standing with their bows loaded and some had blades unsheathed all directed at the young man standing in front of them with his hands up in a type of protective surrender stance.
"Alright, I get the message," said the young man, "I still don't understand what the big deal is, all I asked is if you cuddle your mabari when you're sleeping."
"You insult us and our hounds with your foul words," sneered what appeared to be the leader, "I don't care if you are a Grey Warden, no one insults the Ash warriors and gets away with it!"
The Ash warriors lunged at the young man and Yvaine was about to join in to defend the other Warden but she quickly saw he was more than capable of handling this himself, he blocked several of the fired arrows with his shield and knocked down a few of the men with swords. It was not until he turned his back that Yvaine jumped in, she saw what he did not, the leader of the warriors was going to take advantage of the young man's vulnerability unsheathing her sword she dove between them, blocking the warrior's blade with her own. She took full advantage of his surprise and used the momentum of their locked blades to propel him backwards and he landed flat on his back.
"What the—?" started the young man, turning around fully only to see Yvaine standing over the knocked down Ash warrior, "Oh, wow, you did that?"
Yvaine put her sword back into its home, "You sound surprised that a woman is capable of taking down a warrior."
"I'm not. . .I mean . . .well it is unusual . . .and I'm going to shut my mouth now," said the young man when he saw Yvaine's face.
"You bitch!" shouted the fallen warrior as he stood up and dusted himself off, "How dare you humiliate me!"
"You had already humiliated yourself," said Yvaine coldly, spinning around to look at the man full in the face,"Only a coward would think to strike a man when his back is turned, even without me, you have managed to make a fool of yourself. Now collect what dignity you have and get away from here, and don't you ever try to harm another Warden so long as I draw breath."
Yvaine walked off, her head held high, the men she had left in the dust were staring at her with their mouths opened none of them had ever met another woman like her and they were hoping to never be on the other end of her blade. As she walked she heard running footsteps behind her, she turned around and saw the young man from before trying to catch up with her, she smiled to herself, she had a feeling this was Alistair.
"You . . . walk . . .really fast," wheezed the young man as he stopped to catch his breath, hands resting on his knees.
"No faster than you, I'm sure," replied Yvaine amused at this man, he was nothing like she had expected, from what Duncan had said she thought he would be more of a teenager rather than an adult though he was young, and even from the briefest glimpse she saw he was rather handsome in a devil-may-care, rugged way.
"You had a head start," protested the young man, and he stood back up.
"Shouldn't have made a difference," teased Yvaine, leaning against the tree behind her, fully examining the fine specimen in front of her.
"Oh, to the Maker with technicalities," smirked the young man, she could see his soft brown eyes roaming her form.
"Am I to assume you're Alistair?" asked Yvaine, blushing slightly as she watched a small grin form on Alistair's lips.
"You are right in your assumption, dear lady," said Alistair, coming up beside her, leaning against the same tree, "and you're Duncan's latest recruit, am I correct?"
Yvaine smiled, "Indeed you are, Alistair."
Alistair started to wrack his mind, trying with all of his might to remember where this woman was from and what her name was but he kept getting sidetracked whenever he even glimpsed at her dazzling brown eyes, "Forgive me, my mind's drawing a blank on your name."
Yvaine laughed and Alistair knew he wanted to make her laugh again, just to see her face light up and hear the wonderful melody of her laughter.
"My name's Yvaine Cousland," said Yvaine, smiling at him, "I'm from Highever."
"That was the name, right, sorry," apologized Alistair, blushing all of the way up to his ears, "Anyway, I also wanted to tell you thanks for having my back, it's not many people who'll defend a person they've never met."
"You're welcome, Alistair," said Yvaine quite surprised, "though you seemed to have a handle on the situation before I got involved."
Alistair laughed, he knew she was trying to compliment him but he felt a little uncomfortable to receive such high praise, "You're too kind, Lady Cousland, far too kind."
Yvaine cocked her head towards Alistair, "How'd you know I was nobility?"
"The Cousland name is one of the oldest in all of Ferelden," replied Alistair, "I'd have never passed my history lessons if I hadn't learned at least that much."
Yvaine smirked, "Try being a Cousland and learning all of that stuff, there's a lot of added pressure."
"I can only imagine," said Alistair, watching the wisps of her wheat colored hair blowing in the breeze, hypnotized by the movements. They were silent for a few moments, then Alistair remembered the reason why Yvaine had probably been searching for him in the first place.
"Duncan sent you to find me, didn't he?" asked Alistair, and he saw her nod, it took all of his restraint not to sigh, "It'd probably be a bad idea to keep him waiting, I guess we should head on over back to the Grey Warden tent." He started walking off towards the tent hardly noticing Yvaine beside him, his mind filling with scenarios that all ended with a frothing mouth and blood spilling from the eyes.