Thanks to Asiera for betaing this chapter! :)
The structures that came into view as they drew ever nearer to Ostagar were imposing, tall and shining brightly in the sunlight. Though they were mere ruins of their former glory, the vestiges of the fortress were still enough to chill Rina's spine. As they came within viewing distance of the army, Rina had to pause and appreciate the sheer size of it all.
Activity picked up in pace around them as messengers ran errands for their masters, the faint barking of dogs she had heard earlier was steadily becoming louder, and there seemed to be no end to respectful looks and greetings that Duncan was forced to stop and give every time someone important-looking glanced twice at him.
Every so often, Rina would glance at her ever silent fellow recruit. Her eyes narrowed at the complete lack of reaction and suspicion began to creep into her stomach as her mind kept turning back to the words that had been spoken between them.
Ignoring it for the moment, Rina adjusted her pack and rolled her shoulder, grimacing at the stiffness and smell of the leathers she had stripped from several corpses. The weight of the sword at her hip and the daggers on her back as well as the small knives tucked into her armor were a comforting feel against her body as they moved deeper into the camp.
Tilting her head back, Rina glanced at the arch that moved to shelter them and almost missed the glint of sunlight off the golden armor of the man approaching them. The mage froze as her eyes finally landed on the golden haired man who had walked over to their party and was currently exchanging pleasantries with Duncan.
For a second, she couldn't hear what was being said or see what was around her. For that instant in time, all she could see and hear was the occasion that she had first met the boy-king what felt an eternity ago. She was held captive in the moment of their meeting, when Cailan's cheeks had been flushed with excitement and his tone spirited as old myths walked from legend and into his grand throne room. The grumbling of their guards had been amusing. Jeremy had simply laughed in the face of naked swords bared against their own strength and magic. Cailan had been the first to introduce himself and Anora.
Then, as soon as the past had overtaken her senses, it was gone and Ostagar stood before her again, and she was simply a mage taken from the Circle.
Suddenly, his bright blue eyes slid to her and his eyes widened in surprise, recognition flashing through them. "Lady Rina!" he gasped, and pain lanced through her with his words. "How fares Lord Jeremy these days?"
She faltered and then felt the old smile slide across her lips; one that held no form of happiness behind its curves.
Duncan blinked as her body language shifted and she lost the bright edge of energy that her movements that usually held.
"He's well, your majesty," she informed him smoothly. "Dead, but well in all other regards, I suppose."
"Oh," he said, suddenly fumbling for words. "That is…I'm...sorry?"
It sounded like a question and he flushed because it alsosounded like he was asking how he shouldfeel about the news.
Her smile turned into a strained grin as her heart clenched. "It's quite alright, Highness. It was little over three years ago. Most of the sentient dragons are gone, killed alongside him in a war against the Lanshae. Lucas is also very dead, so there's no need to worry on that front."
It was, she would reflect later, only fair that he know the fate of those he had met and the enemies they had proposed he face with them. Their reason to break the traditional isolation had been to seek aid against Lucas. Cailan had promised them a hundred mages and their Templar guardians should they simply send up the call for help again, but that call had never been sent and the need for them was long since past.
Duncan turned his head to frown at her. Her tone was light and she made no move to bow as a lesser ranked individual would have. Rina could see he accurately suspected she was familiar with him.
"When I heard that two elves accompanied the Warden Commander, I never thought that one would be the Dragon Consort," Cailan said, attempting a smile.
Rina laughed. "Just Rina, these days. Hopefully Warden Rina soon," she responded before turning to nod at her companion. "This is my fellow recruit, Rose."
"All the arrangements have been made, Magister. We simply require your seal."
Rose felt dwarfed by the falling citadel they stood in, a comparison she thought the architect speaking to her Master would not appreciate. It was strange to see someone stand before him without fear, even someone who had little reason to fear magic. She expected her Master to be affronted by his abrupt personality, but he simply nodded to the silent figure behind her.
The amount of gold needed to restore these ruins to their original state was almost staggering. Her Master was too proud to care. There had been whispers, harsh rumors of things happening beneath his mansion that would be devastating if revealed. Perhaps, if there was something else to see, something to improve the city, prying eyes would look elsewhere.
They departed silently, leaving the dwarf slightly flustered that he'd been trusted with the sum. But There could be nothing left to chance. There were many more places to see today, lost to the merciless progression of time.
She felt their absence, even in the grip of memories. Rose jumped, turning from the almost-intact wall in front of her to catch up to Duncan and Rina.
This place was almost simple compared to the monuments that she'd seen repaired, only a handful of the projects favored by the Magisters. The bright stone used here was not often chosen in Minrathous, and only seen favored in one citadel, just miles from her Master's home; a citadel bought with blood for the silence of underhanded officials.
Rose managed to sneak behind Rina, hoping her lapse had not been noticed, just in time to hear herself introduced. For the first time, she gave her attention to the human before her, dressed in grand armor and carrying the arrogance that only nobility could.
Ignoring Rina's awkward handover, she nodded once to him. "Your Highness," she said stiffly, for who else here could afford such an inane amount of guards simply to greet a Gray Warden?
Rose had vowed to never bend knee for another again, and most certainly not a human. This boy, with his youthful face, blonde hair and tall stance might like to view Rina as an equal, but Rose could only be what she appeared to be- an elf. She couldn't claim to be surprised by that. She had yet to meet anyone who could ignore her race and perceived status in this world ruled by those who thrived on contradiction.
There was an awkward silence, and she offered Cailan no further words.
"Pleased to meet you!" he greeted, oblivious to her hostility. "The Grey Wardens are desperate to bolster their numbers and I, for one, am glad to help them. I understand you hail from Denerim?"
Rose did not miss the closed expression her Commander was giving Rina, or the way she shifted, avoiding his gaze. She trained her eyes on the king. "More or less," was her curt reply. "I am not sure if the hovels you call 'Alienages' can be considered part of the city."
He was momentarily startled and Rina's lips curved in amusement. The mage huffed a breath of laughter when the king simply blinked owlishly at Rose.
"How is it there?" he inquired innocently. "My guards have never allowed me to visit, so I have never seen the Alienage," he said, voice laced with an odd kind of humor in an attempt to soften the conversation.
With those words, Rose lost the tenuous control of her temper. This king, this shemlen wished to know how her kind lived? "I think you would find it not to your liking, Your Majesty." Her voice almost froze the air between them. "Unless, of course, the perverse desires of Arl Urien and his son are shared by the rest of your court."
If Duncan's sudden unease was anything to go by, she walked a dangerous line.
Rose crossed her arms, fixing in her mind the look on Shianni's face when she'd found her on Vaughan's floor. "I'm afraid you'll have something of a crisis awaiting you at home, seeing as Lord Vaughan...overstepped...himself. I am forever grateful to Duncan. His intervention saved me from the gallows- cold comfort to my cousin, whom Lord Vaughan raped before I slit his throat."
Rina sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Duncan simply stared, not quite sure what to say. Cailan blinked at Rose for a moment. "What?" was his best response.
"Cailan. Majesty," Rina said patiently and waited until he looked at her. "It seems there was an incident in Denerim in your absence that was likely the result of years of abuse. You need to take a better look at your nobles before you give them any kind of power."
"Not that the Wardens are in any position to tell you how to rule," Duncan cut in smoothly when Cailan continued to stare at her. "We are, after all, politically neutral in all cases."
"Does it matter? The graves beneath the vhenedhal will be heeded, eventually. I simply brought it to His Majesty's attention. Better he hear the truth of the matter before his pet nobles whisper lies into his ears."
Cailan's gaze was a little darker when he glanced at Rose. "Your people will have justice. As soon as we are done here, I will turn my army towards Denerim and deal with Arl Urien and his family immediately," he promised.
Rose was too shocked to respond immediately. She couldn't believe his promise. A shem couldn't possibly care about this... What she had said was out of pure spite, something to shock him. She nodded numbly, hearing some vague acceptance from the woman behind her in her continued silence.
Then, he looked at Rina. "Will you speak with me once you have finished you duties for the Wardens?"
"Of course," she answered, face blank.
His lips twitched into a smile. "Well, then allow me to be the first to welcome you to Ostagar. The Wardens will benefit greatly with you in their ranks," he said at length. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I should return to my tent. Loghain waits eagerly to bore me with his strategies," he said with a rueful smile.
"Your uncle sends his greetings and reminds you that Redcliffe forces could be here in less than a week," Duncan said, sliding over the awkward silence that seemed to fill the space in the next moment.
The young king simply laughed at that and his smile broadened. "Eamon just wants in on the glory. We've won three battles against these monsters and tomorrow should be no different."
Rina and Rose studied him for a long moment. "You sound very confident of that," Rina commented at last.
"Overconfident, some would say. Right, Duncan?" he asked with another laugh.
Rose had a few other choice words she could willingly offer, but she held her tongue. If Cailan's offer had been honest, she had no intentions of giving him reason to change his mind.
Duncan's features hardened for a fleeting instant before he carefully said, "Your Majesty, I'm not certain the Blight can be ended quite as…quickly as you might wish."
Cailan shrugged."I'm not even sure this is a true Blight. There are plenty of darkspawn on the field, but alas, we've seen no sign of a dragon." He realized what he was implying a moment after the words slipped from his tongue, glanced at Rina, and colored a brilliant shade of crimson. "Ah, that is…what I meant to say…"
Rina laughed and tilted her head."A sentient dragon could not be bothered to attack humanity. If your archdemon is a sentient dragon, then it is not very intelligent and therefore not one of mine," she said and Cailan visibly relaxed. Her smile remained fixed in place as she studied him for a long moment. "You mentioned Loghain awaits your presence, Highness? I'm sure you don't want to keep him waiting to review the tactics that will see your troops through tomorrow night," she said and he winced.
Rose resisted the almost overwhelming urge to scoff at that. It really wasn't any shock that he hadn't quite considered the consequences of war in the pursuit of glory.
In a softer voice, Rina added, "Off with you then, Cailan, and never forget that your soldiers and your people look to you to provide peace. Bring them home safely."
He colored slightly and said, "Yes, well. It is likely that he will send out a search party soon if I do not turn up. Farewell, Grey Wardens!" With that he departed, leaving behind a bemused Rina.
Rose watched him stride off, eyes shadowed by her hair and her features carefully blank.
Duncan eyed Rina and she met his gaze with her own passive stare. "Grey Wardens do not have authority over the king," he said evenly.
"I'm not going to apologize," she returned. "We might need his support in this venture, but that doesn't mean you get to ignore his tendency to chase after distractions. Not when it might get us all killed, Commander."
Duncan simply blinked, more than a bit surprised as she turned from him to study Rose.
"And who are you to give orders to your Commander?" Rose demanded, despite the fact that she too hadn't really shown the king the respect such a title demanded.
Rina's grin was a touch feral as she chuckled. "Someone who knows Cailan," she answered. "If he isn't set back on the proper course from time to time, he's liable to forget there isa war."
Rose's expression remained passive. "Regardless, it is not your place."
"Then whose place is it?" she returned.
"Enough," Duncan cut across them. "We should proceed with the ritual."
Rina glanced at him, a sour look settling across her features.
"Every recruit must go through the Joining," he answered the expression on the elf's face.
"The Joining?" Rina asked, an odd note coloring her voice. "I've read references in old dragon history, but they were never really clear on what it was."
Duncan didn't look surprised, but he bypassed the comment entirely. "You may wander the camp for the moment, but I will ask you not to leave. There is another Grey Warden in the area by the name of Alistair. When you are ready to begin, find him."
Rina simply smiled at Duncan before nodding and vanishing to ransack the camp.
A heavy sigh came from Rose; she relaxed her posture and avoided looking at either of them. "I'll get Alistair," she volunteered.
When the young women were a good distance away, Duncan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. If the archdemon didn't kill him, then these two most certainly would.
After that, there was a full hour in which he took care of the menial tasks that made him a commander. He set the patrols for the night, spoke severely with the Warden that had attempted to solicit a female soldier for sex, and ordered several repairs to their equipment. He even had a spare moment to contemplate dinner before a knight found him and started ranting on the topic of one of his recruits about her thieving ways.
"I'm certain there is another explanation," Duncan said sharply, a frown creasing his features.
"No there's not," the knight snarled back, hands clenched into fists. "My man caught her with her hand in his pocket."
"Careful. We are talking about a Grey Warden. I would trust her word over your man's," Duncan replied coolly. Even if he could easily bring himself to believe the remark about Rina, he was inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt when she was not present to defend herself. "In any event, I vouch for the good conduct of all Grey Wardens here. Are we clear?"
"Yes, Warden," the knight grumbled before wandering off.
Duncan watched him go. Belief or no, she had had that new, enchanted ring and it had looked far too expensive and well crafted to have been sold to her by the quartermaster. Perhaps a sharp word wasrequired with her to curb her habits of lifting items from the unsuspecting...at least from those she was not quite skilled to catch unawares. A Warden did, after all, use a range of skills and tools to accomplish their missions.
In retrospect, Rose probably should have ignored the conversation. Creators knew that she'd heard more than enough lecherous comments in Denerim, directed at her or not. But her mixed emotions from her encounter with Cailan had left her on edge, and the increasingly uncomfortable female soldier that had been cornered looked like she could use some help.
"Life's fleeting, you know. That pretty face could be decorating a darkspawn spear this time tomorrow-"
"Have you seen a Warden around here? Alistair, I think?" she asked loudly.
"Shall I take that- Oh, it's you!" He took a long look at her, his eyes straying a bit too long. Rose decided to ignore it. "Well. You're not what I thought you'd be."
"And what did you think I'd be?"
The rogue grinned, completely oblivious to the narrowing of her eyes. "Not... an elf. Yet here you are." His tone was not winning him any respect, either. "Name's Daveth-"
"Right. I'm Rose." The soldier from earlier had made a hasty retreat. Rose glanced in the opposite direction, hoping he'd take the hint. "So, the Warden... seen him?"
Daveth spared the soldier a parting glance, though by now Rose was certain she must be almost out of sight. "Oh, I dunno. There's a lot of Wardens around here. Could be anyone."
And, of course, Duncan had given almost no information beyond a name. Rose sighed. "Fine, I'll look myself." She'd barely gone three steps when he called after her.
"Wait! Aren't you worried? Have they told you anything about this Joining ritual?"
"No."
"I hear they might be sending us into the Wilds."
Dear Creators, was he trying to start a conversation?
He ignored her silence. "I grew up in a village not far from here. There's all sorts of creatures, witches, and Maker knows what else."
"They wouldn't kill us just after recruiting us." Rose replied tersely. "If you're so afraid, just watch my back and I'll watch yours."
"Oh, I'll watch your back."
That was the last thing Rose intended to let the cheeky rogue say. Her thin fingers were on Daveth's throat in less than a heartbeat. As fast as he was, being a rogue, he hadn't expected her attack. "Or I could kill you now." Rose suggested icily. Her grip was far from tight enough to strangle him. Still, he panicked, hands grabbing at her wrists. The slowly darkening tint of his face just made her smile.
"You know, not that I've got a death wish or anything, but it's generally frowned upon to murder the Warden recruits beforethe Joining."
Rose couldn't help it. The voice she heard was warm, and practically bursting with suppressed laughter. A genuine grin passed her lips and she turned her head slightly. "But it's fine to kill them afterward, you mean?"
She still couldn't see him clearly, only the glint of the sun on his armor. "Oh, yes. We kill them by the dozens. A very close Warden secret, mind you; we make up the Blight so no one gets hanged for mass murder."
If possible, her smile widened.
"But, seeing as we're trying to keep up appearances, you should probably let him go before he passes out."
She glanced at Daveth and the alarming shade of red he had turned. With a soft sigh, she let go.
He fell to his knees, coughing and gasping. After he managed a few deep breaths, he glared at her. "A bit extreme, wasn't it?" he rasped.
"Oh, you're fine," Rose scoffed. "I'd be more worried about the fact that you let an elven woman bring you to your knees one-handed."
"You're mad!" he exclaimed angrily.
"No, I just don't take kindly to human fools who think I'm an easy lay."
His wide eyes narrowed, then that smug expression was back. Really, hadn't he learned his lesson? "Well, it's not like I could miss the scenery-"
Daveth's head snapped back with a sharp crack. He howled, clutching his bleeding nose. "What a shame." Rose's voice was deceptively soft. "Your eyes will be blurry for quite a while- think of all the scenery you'll be missing!"
The human scrambled to his feet and fled her presence, leaving Rose clutching her sides as she laughed. She had almost forgotten the stranger who had spoken before.
"Well. That's one way to make new friends."
Rose turned, something telling her that this was the Warden she was to bring back to Duncan. She took a moment to study him, from his red-blonde hair to the strange color his eyes. There was something familiar about him, but she couldn't quite place it.
"I'm not here to make friends," she said, careful to keep her voice neutral. No point in getting off on the wrong foot to begin with.
"I don't know, maybe he likes pain. You could have him hanging all over you by tomorrow."
Rose arched an eyebrow. "I wouldn't recommend it unless he wants to fight the darkspawn off with his teeth."
He laughed, his shoulders shaking and face alight with amusement. There was something endearing about it. "You know, I must say, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together."
"How long they survive in each other's company is something else altogether," Rose shot back.
"I think I've got a fair chance, here. My name is Alistair, the new Gray Warden." He glanced at his armor and grinned sheepishly. "Though... I guess you've already figured that out."
Her hand was offered to him before she was aware of making the decision. "Rose Tabris." Creators only knew what her true surname was, but she'd adopted Cyrion's when she moved to the Alienage.
Alistair nodded as he shook her hand. "Right, that was the name. Are you the recruit from the Circle? Duncan spoke quite highly of you."
An identical face flashed across her mind, the smell of stale alcohol and the uneasiness of fear made her whole body go very still. Rose's smile faltered. The Circle? He thought she was that other girl, Rina. It occurred to her that she knew nothing of this man. Feeling slightly horrified, she took a step back and attempted to collect her thoughts. This was a stranger, a human; a future comrade. Duncan's words came back to her, about prejudice getting in the way of fighting together. Rose had told him she could do it. "I'm no mage." She corrected, her tone far cooler than before.
Either he didn't read the warning in her voice, or he decided to ignore it. "Oh! Then you're the hero from Denerim." He seemed a bit more pleased than seemed decent about that.
"Hero?" She echoed hollowly.
"Well, Duncan wasn't very specific. He just said you were about to be hanged for taking the blame for someone... Or something like that." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I... didn't read the missive well, to be perfectly honest." At her sudden silence, Alistair shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. "Anyway, I assume you're ready to go back to Duncan? I'm to accompany you as you prepare for the Joining."
Rose's good humor was completely gone. She hadn't wanted to think of magic or Tevinter or what had happened to Shianni today, but everyone seemed determined to remind her in one way or another. "I'd rather prepare on my own."
"I know, I felt the same way. Unfortunately, they don't give us much choice in the matter."
Rose crossed her arms defiantly. "I don't appreciate the thought of a baby-sitter."
"Don't worry, I'll try not to embarrass you."
"Oh, I don't think you'll have to try."
Alistair laughed again. "I like you. You're a funny, funny woman." His face lit up as something occurred to him. "You know, I just realized... There aren't a lot of women in the Gray Wardens. I wonder why that is?"
Rose knew a double-edged question when she heard it. "Perhaps because we're too smart for you."
"Oh? Then what does that make you?" Shit. She walked right into that.
Her mouth opened, then closed. Rose couldn't remember the last time she'd been struck speechless. "I-" Oh, she wanted to wipe that snarky look off his face. "Incredibly unlucky," she concluded.
Whether by unnatural intelligence or dumb luck, the Warden didn't comment on her answer. She could hear the laughter in his voice, though, and it irked her. "Well, if you have any questions, let me know. Otherwise, lead on."
In the corner of the camp where the sick and injured were brought together, Rina stood before a cage with food she had liberated from a guard in one hand. With the guard still thoroughly dazed from her disorienting spell, Rina exchanged the food and drink for a key and returned the prisoner's blessings. Turning, she found a male in armor staring oddly at her. Tucking her prize away, she smiled at the man. "What brings you to this side of camp, good sir?"
He blinked. "Oh, I'm one of the Grey Warden recruits," he answered. "I am Ser Jory. Why do you wear armor? I thought elves wore only common clothes."
She felt a stab of annoyance, but let it roll away as with other emotions. "I'm another recruit," Rina answered, then her eyes darted to a flushed figure making its way up the ramp, his eyes over his shoulder.
Jory followed her gaze and smiled slightly. "That is Daveth. He was recruited from Denerim. Duncan found me in Highever."
A smile crinkled the corners of her eyes as she chuckled. She almost liked him despite his earlier comment. "I and another recruit were Conscripted within the vicinity of Denerim. Were you Conscripted or did you impress Duncan enough to be recruited?"
Jory blinked. "I won a tournament that was meant to find the best swordsman in Highever. Let me tell you, it wasn't easy to impress Duncan."
The man Jory called Daveth was edging closer, eyes still trained over his shoulder as if he was watching someone. It was only when he nearly nearly collided with another soldier that he looked ahead. He locked eyes with Rina. His blotchy face paled instantly and sweat beaded on his brow. "You- but she- Over there-" He laughed nervously and took a step back. "Deja-vu. Wonderful thing. Wouldn't you know?"
Rina took a step towards him, uncertainty lighting her features. The rogue back pedaled, ran to the left, leaping over the stone barrier to the lower level of the camp.
Alistair had heard a lot of strange thing; growing up in the Chantry had pretty much guaranteed it. He'd learned quickly to smile and nod and ignore most of what he was told. He'd seen some strange things, too, but only after his Conscription.
This one, though, caught him off-guard. Well, not only the identical women glaring at him in tandem, but his meeting the longer-haired one earlier had been a... unique circumstance, to say the least. One didn't often come across dainty elves manhandling human rogues twice their size.
"Uh... I take it that's a no...?" He asked carefully. Based on their reaction, his remark about them being related was probably more true than either of them would like to admit. After all, why by the Maker would two identical elven women just happen to meet here, both as Conscripted Warden recruits? Coincidence could only go so far.
"Quite obviously," Rina bit back at him as she shifted her pack and glanced quickly away.
"If we're going anywhere, I'm seeing the Quartermaster first and getting some potions. I don't fancy a trek through the Wilds with only my skill for healing." She paused. "Which, trust me, you wouldn't want to do. I'm good with things like fire and lightning, but healing? I'm better at turning things inside out."
With that, she set off back across the camp towards the Quartermaster. Jory stared after her, looking a little green. "She's a mage?" he asked.
Alistair resisted the urge to clutch his stomach, certain he looked about as green as the warrior. "Yeah," he replied. "And one I'm making a point to avoid if I run out of potions."
He turned to Rose, who was looking a bit too smug at the panicked glances Daveth gave her from his place beside Duncan yards away. "Do you know crafting?" Alistair asked her.
She blinked, and her eyes focused on him. Rose's gaze was incredibly direct, far more than any other elf he'd known, even more so than many humans. "Poisons, yes. Poultices? I'd probably make a corrosive acid on accident."
"Right. Well. Potions it is then." He tried to smile, but the thought of going out into the Wilds with four green recruits and only a handful of health potions was making him a little nervous. What was Duncan thinking? Sensing Darkspawn was not going to be an asset if one of them died of blood loss.
The thought made him glance at Jory and Rose. He never looked forward to Joinings. He'd sat through a fair number since his own, and it never got easier. Tomorrow morning, one of them was bound to be dead, maybe all of them. He thought of Daveth's terror of the small elven woman, and the thought of Rose not making it through the ritual suddenly and inexplicably bothered him. It could be that strange something about her; those eyes that demanded respect, or at least recognition. The other one, Rina, had the same sort of presence. But she felt almost aloof to him, as if she were separate from them. The remaining recruits were good men, he supposed, but not by any means extraordinary.
Or it could all just be the funny smelling cheese he'd had the night before. There was no way to be certain, anyway.
Rina slipped back into the group a while later, her pack noticeably lighter and with a new sword that made Duncan stop and eye her. She simply flashed him a grin as she handed about small sacks that held six potions each. "Don't use them all and do try to not get yourself killed. I can sear wounds closed with fire so you don't die of blood loss, but that can lead to nasty infections. So try not to get wounded before we can get back to camp."
Alistair decided not to comment, instead leading the group to Duncan. He ignored Daveth's quick maneuver to stand as far away from Rose as possible. "Well, here they are. Four recruits, all ready for the secret impending initiation."
Duncan sighed at the spectacle they were making, but said nothing on it. "I see you've found Alistair. Good. I'll assume you're ready to begin, then," he said. "So long as you are done riling up mages, Alistair."
"What can I say? The Revered Mother ambushed me." He shrugged. "The way she wields guilt they should stick her in the army."
"She forced you to sass the mage, did she?" he asked skeptically. "We cannot afford to antagonize anyone, Alistair. We don't need to give anyone more ammunition against us."
Alistair sighed heavily. Some people just couldn't take a joke. "You're right, Duncan. I... apologize."
He turned his gaze back to the four recruits. "Now, then, since you are all here, we can begin. You four will be heading into the Korcari Wilds to perform two tasks. The first is to obtain four vials of darkspawn blood, one for each of you."
"What do we need the darkspawn blood for?" Rina asked, tilting her head.
A closed look settled over his features as he studied her. "For the Joining itself. I'll explain more once you've returned."
A strange, strangled squeak came from the rogue hiding behind Ser Jory and Alistair fought to hold back something he suspected might turn out to be a girlish giggle.
"And the second task?" Rose asked.
"We had an outpost in the Wilds once and it has recently come to our attention that several important scrolls were left behind. They were magically sealed for their protection," Duncan answered, his eyes flicking to Rose and then settling on Alistair. "Alistair, I want you to retrieve these scrolls if you can."
Rina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "Find the archive and three vials of blood. Understood. Let's go." She set off at an abrupt trot towards the Korcari Wilds, never once looking back to see if her companions were following after her.
