A/N: because the last chapter was so fuelled anything that would try and follow would seem slow so apologies. Clangers and tid-bits are galore in chapter four! But thanks once again for all the reviews and pointers; it helps me do this better. J I also want to say a HUGE sorry to anyone who may have tried to read it or got sent multiple emails about this chapter's release. I was having some difficulty with page breaks. SORRY!
CHAPTER FOUR - BEGINNINGS
Elissa drink and trust me
Forget...
This will hurt but you are stronger than you think...
Hold still
Sleep
Forget
"Warden…come on woman…wakey wakey…there you go!"
Elissa awoke and found herself wrapped up in a rug on the floor with the heat of a new fire crackling away beside her in the fireplace and her face dripping with cold basin water. A feint growl in her ears became louder as her head began to work.
"Morning sleepy Breeches. Had quite a little soirée here didn't 'ya? Always was a feisty one"
She cracked her neck whilst trying to get her eyes into focus. The first thought to enter her head was absurd yet she tested the waters anyway "Oghren?"
"Who else? Get your ass in gear girly, if you wanna leave without a fuss I suggest we leave five minutes ago. There is a small council of not to happy Warden type people pacing about outside. Well when I say council I mean one bloke with the same look a scared Mudsplasher has on his face"
"Leave? Go where…wait what are you doing here?"
"Orzammer you fool…now up. Pull yourself together and shake yourself down. Your man outside has all your gear, wouldn't give it to me so I sat him on a stool outside and told him to bring up a keg and I would bring you around. Got to tell you lady, the way that boy ran out of here woooooo…like death herself was whipping him on"
"The Mudsplasher?" she said as she rubbed her head slowly. It felt heavy and tender.
"Alistair!"
A loud belch echoed around the small room breaking the tension that name was about to bring.
"Maker, Oghren…are you drunk? And how did you know about Orzammer? And I repeat, what by Andraste are you doing here?"
Oghren looked at her and felt no answer would be a good one so continued to pile the remainders of the rocking chair onto the fire.
"Spit it out you disgrace of a Kondrat." She said toying with her mouth to get rid of an awful taste of what felt like sand and tar.
"Well, I arrived with your boy kings band. So, I take it the mess I just cleared up wasn't from long overdue make-up sex, warden?" he huffed in amusement as he started to stamp the fire out with his heavily plated boots. He didn't need to look to see what her face was doing, he shrugged and grunted as she was clearly not making this as much fun as it should be "Well the short of it was that I was off to the mages tower to pick up an overdue stray and take it home. I came across 'old blusher' along the Banns Cross and he suggested a trip to you would be advantageous, I think he meant your beer cellars. Needless to say that after he arrived that night everyone in the castle and their dog knew about your Deep Roads death wish. So like I said, if you wanna leave without any sodding fuss…move 'ya arse"
"Wait…that night?" her senses were getting a grip finally as the odd statement caught her ears.
"Yep…that was two nights ago. You have been asleep for two days you lazy scoundrel. Your Steward tried to wake you but when we saw no signs of anything but exhaustion I suggested we leave you where you felt comfortable…the floor" His bellow of a laugh hit every wall and bounced back onto another. It rang out so loud that Elissa winced and considered vomiting. She didn't remember drinking but she felt like she had drunk her weight in mead.
She gave herself a moment to take the last five minutes in as she stood and held her robe to her closely. She looked down at the dirt still embedded in her fingernails and grimaced; she hadn't even made it to the bath. She remembered watching the king's party leave in a rush just after Alistair slid out of the room last night, and then…. nothing.
Oghren pulled his belt up and took a deep breath. He seemed to be pleased with himself and had the beam of a housewife on his cheeks after waking the children and packing them off for schooling. She smiled at the comparison and her face hurt. It literally hurt to laugh. What on earth did she do to herself last night? She walked over to where she had left the under-chest the previous night and rooted around for a mirror. She gave her face a good look and noticed several small bruises around the cheeks and mouth. She didn't remember anything that would explain that. She did remember the whole dagger incident but when she searched her chest for any damage she was surprised to see none, she could have sworn it drew blood. Oghren broke her concentration with an even larger burp, to which her frown spoke volumes.
"Right, I'll be outside. You make sure you are too in five minutes. I have all we need. Oh and Elissa…" He held himself straight and cocked his head to an angle so that he could get a good look at her eyes "…I shall ask you once and then never again. Are you sure this is what you want?"
She nodded and immediately ushered with her head for him to get lost. He closed the door and she felt herself let go of everything with a large sigh. Two days? She wondered, I was…must have been more tired than I thought…Alistair.
The ache in her heart suddenly returned.
"SHES ALIVE!" she heard Oghren shout in mock jubilation as he shut the door.
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" I am sorry, but I just don't understand. Orzammer needs you? Give me an hour and I will accompany you Commander. Please don't steal away like this."
"I am not your Commander anymore Nerith." Elissa tossed a clean-fleeced blanket over her mount and returned to the stables for her saddle.
Nerith was not listening. He toyed with the several envelopes Elissa had just given him. One for each Grey Warden big wig that would no doubt, demand an explanation.
Nerith was her newly appointed second in command and not to happy about stepping up or her leaving Highever. " I would just like to know when this decision was made. Does it have anything to do with Alistair Theirin being here? Because you know they have no input into Warden affairs. Elissa…" he suddenly gasped and his face filled with pure horror, for a moment she thought something terrible may actually occur from her actions "…what will Weisshaupt say? Elissa the First Warden will be furious." She no longer worried.
She could literally see the man go white, well whiter than normal. He was a tremendous warrior but amazingly timid when it came to sticking to rules and the consequences. He was a devout and religious man for fear the maker would turn up at his door and punish him for forgetting a chant or dedication. She once had to turn a patrol of men around and head for the nearest chantry so that he could finish his absolutions correctly.
"I…I just don't see the sense in any of this. Your men will not take this well; they will never take orders from anyone other than you…they think I'm weak and scared compared to you. Oh my, speeches I will have to make speeches, rallying calls…Oh, please don't go."
She stopped as she did the final buckle on her saddle. She took a deep breath and turned to Nerith with a warm smile. She liked Nerith and had picked him from the others that morning to be her second. Some had thought it a joke as he was not leadership material but something in him on the battlefield was calm, calculating and courageous, more than she has seen in any of the others. He would lay down his life for anyone who could do the job better than him and in some ways this was his curse as well as his gift. But this was his journey now and his adventure. She wanted to make him see how this would be good for him and how it had made her the person she was today.
"LETS MOVE IT, WARDEN!" Oghren bellowed from the gates "TELL THE NUG TO PUT HIS HANDS DOWN HIS BREECHES AND FIND HIS ROCKS…WE ARE LOSING DAYLIGHT!"
Nerith blushed and Elissa held back a wish to laugh. Oghren never had timing or patience, it seemed she wasn't the only one who wanted to get it over with.
"Nerith, if you have never listened to anything I have ever said to you before…"
"I have listened to…"
"Nerith it's a saying." She rested her hand on his sinking and now embarrassed shoulder. Nerith was not the first man she had met who had been raised by the Chantry and was not surprised at Nerith's interruption.
"Oh…"
"If you have never listened to anything I have ever said to you before, than heed these words instead. Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared. Plus…"
She hooked one leg on to a stirrup and hoisted her weight up until she sat comfortably on her horse. She gripped the reins and tugged them readying her mount to prepare for movement. "Plus…a replacement will be here within seven days and Arlan will be staying on as your advisor" She watched as his face lit up with huge relief.
She reared her horse around and made a final salute. A small stabbing pain gathered in her heart as she took one final glance at her childhood home and the Wardens she had recruited, trained and brought through the joining.
"Goodbye my brothers…until the maker brings us together again" she whispered to herself then with a final push she remembered the true Highever, Goodbye for now to you to mother, father and brother. I shall see thee soon enough.
She sat up in her saddle and shouted back at Nerith over her shoulder as she trotted off and away through the gates
"Farewell Nerith of the Grey. In war may you find victory, in peace vigilance and in death…sacrifice."
"And you Commander" he shouted back but she was already gone.
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Up on a distant hill top a hooded figure materialised from the low winter clouds and planted its staff into the ground beside them. As the form crouched down wrapping its cloak tighter against the chilling wind a large black crow landed on the staffs tip. Two pairs of keen eyes now watched as the dwarf and the female human left the confines of Highever.
"Ride forward Elissa Cousland and we shall meet soon, you will hear my words as I spoke to thee the night eve. Remember when all is dark and the webbings of my wilds protect thee, sister…I shall return." The shadow shook its staff lightly and with silent understanding the crow cawed loudly whilst leaping into the sky and away atop the two travellers on their way to Orzammer.
The hooded figure retreated back into its clouded shadow, for now. Waiting for nightfall to descend upon Ferelden and Elissa Cousland.