Chapter 4: The New Order

The warden fortress was in an uproar. Warriors rushed back and forth, servants hurried to perform their new duties, and officers found themselves being called in to discuss their more recent activities, with both good or bad consequences.

The new warden commander had decided to make waves.

His name was Cesare, formerly Prince Cesare D'Alviano. He was fairly young, with olive skin and dark black hair, and hard brown eyes, some said he was too young to be a commander, only in his early thirties, but he had become a warden at a young age. His predecessor had spoken well of him, they had served in the same scouting group together.

Ansburg, being the small place it was, become a hotbed of gossip. There was most talk in the base about the man. The rumor was that Cesare had been trained from birth by the Antivan Crows, that he had risen through their ranks to become their fifth talon. When a family rival became the master of crows, Cesare was to be assassinated, but escaped into the Grey Warden ranks. Even the crows were leery of assassinating one of the order.

Whatever his history, it was clear that the new commander was politically astute, far more than others who had served in the post in the past. He saw the wardens as a chance to build a massive powerbase for himself. All of Thedas owed them for defeating the Blight in Ferelden. The fact that it had been done by two surviving wardens was irrelevant.

Cesare would happily ride their success to power and fortune.

He had been called young, idealistic, and extremely ambitious.

All of these things pleased him.

He wished to expand warden power in the Free Marches. In the Anderfels, Wardens ruled over the weak nobility. He saw a chance to expand such thinking here. Dumar of Kirkwall was weakling, and Prince Goran of Starkhaven was untested and simple. The only real threat would be that Templar bitch in Kirkwall, but from what his sources claimed, this Meredith had her hands full dealing with rebellious mages, they would keep her occupied, and out of his business.

The new Commander saw this…as an opportunity.

So he had ordered the bulk of their scouting groups to return to base. He intended to address the senior wardens directly, let them know that the order was moving in a new direction.

Those that fell in line would profit, those that did not…would be left behind, but that was the way of the world.

The new commander had decided to make it so.

IOI

No sooner than Stroud and the others had arrived, they received a summons from the new Commander.

He wished to speak with both Alistair and Carver as well.

Stroud gave the others leave to see to whatever personal business they might have.

Loki broke away the quickest; he had many things to attend to here.

Carver and Arika barely acknowledged each other as they separated, the barest of touches, and the two separated.

Siobhan noticed that, she vowed to speak to her friend as soon as she got the chance. For now, she wished to spend time with Nigel; it had been far too long since they had been together.

Arika led Arin to the room he would be staying in while they were here; the two reavers spoke little of what had happened. Arika did not wish to speak of it, and Arin was now under contract. He would do what was expected of him.

Lin made her way to the home of her family. She had not seen her brothers and sisters for a while, and she wanted to make sure that Mother and Father were adjusting to life here in the fortress.

The pace of Ansburg was very different from the fishing village where she had been born. The cruel humans had blamed father when the fishing had turned sour, had burned his boat and broken his leg.

Lin had turned to banditry to feed the family, finally getting a price put on her head. The wardens had given her a new lease on life; she intended to make the best of it.

The twins made for the nearest tavern, looking for wine, women, and song. Most of the elven serving girls liked wardens. They intended to take full advantage of that.

IOI

"Ah, Stroud my old friend, it has been far too long!"

Cesare was in rare form, warm and welcoming, ushering in his three guests with smiles and offering his hand in friendship.

No one took it, they all knew better.

The new Commander had never been Stroud's friend. They may have been fellow Antivans but that was it. The senior warden was a soldier above all else, and loyal to those he served under.

Cesare would gladly order any of their deaths if it brought him closer to his goals. Stroud had seen him do this in the past; he had never understood the old Commander's fascination with the man.

He guessed that he never would now. Still, the man was Commander now, and deserved his respect, so he gave what he could.

"Commander," the senior warden said with a curt nod. He recognized the false friendship of the crows when he saw it. Few would shake hands with a crow in Antiva; it was too easy for one to slip a knife into your ribs if you did.

The new commander did not take offense.

"I have been eager to meet you as well Alistair," he said grinning at the man, "It honors me to have a hero of the Blight here in Ansburg. How is your lovely wife, still elven I assume?"

The commander chuckled at his jest.

Alistair did his best to smile.

He found that he did not like the new Commander, he would be respectful, but that was it. The oily friendship thing reminded him too much of Zevran. Alistair did not hold a grudge against his old companion, but hard feelings remained, many a night he had seen the assassin sweet talking his way into Lyna's good graces. Nothing had ever happened between his future wife and the assassin, but that did not mean that he did not resent old Zev for trying.

He thanked the Maker for Lyna seeing through his bullshit.

Alistair had not believed the elf, and he certainly did not believe this…warden commander…this crow prince. Duncan, his first warden commander had been like a father to him, a man he had cared for and respected.

Cesare was certainly, no Duncan.

Only after he had addressed the others did the Commander turn to Carver.

"I have heard much about you as well, young one. Stroud's reports speak highly of you, and I read your debriefing after that business in the Vimmark Mountains, most impressive."

"Thank you, ser," Carver responded.

"It is truly a shame that the Corypheus creature could not be taken alive for proper study," the new commander sighed.

Carver's eyes widened, was the man serious?

"Begging the Commander's pardon," Carver said, "But Corypheus was too strong, his song would have infected the entire order. Death was the only way to keep the world safe from such evil, any true warden would understand that."

Cesare's eye twitched, but his smile never faltered, if he took offense to the young warden's statement he did not show it.

He was too cunning for that.

"Perhaps," he purred returning to his desk, he sat digging through the many reports that needed his attention.

He glanced up at his subordinates.

"I am pulling you off your normal patrol route for a while," he informed them, "The Nevarran, Orlesian, and Ferelden garrisons have grown complacent, they will need to step up their own patrols, without aid from the Free Marches."

"Our brothers may yet need our aid," Stroud reminded him.

"The Free Marches needs our people here," the Commander repeated, "We have neglected our duties here in favor of aiding our lessers," the Commander frowned, "I will likely be assigning your people to work closely with Senior Warden Kilir's group, you have worked together in the past, yes?"

"Nug is an old friend," Stroud nodded.

"Excellent, then you should mesh well," Cesare grinned, "For now your men shall be assigned to the base until further notice. Our forces have been spread too thin in recent years. We need to remind the people that we are still relevant."

"The Blight showed people our relevance, Commander," Alistair reminded him.

"True, but that was in Ferelden, many throughout Thedas do not even realize that a Blight took place, we will have to remind them."

He rose from his chair, that oily smile once again on his face.

"Great changes will be coming soon," he promised them, "I will need every loyal warden to see that these changes are carried out without hesitation."

His grin widened, he looked at each of them in turn.

"I….trust that I can count on men such as you, yes?"

All three wardens stood at attention.

"We serve the wardens, ser," Stroud stated, "We shall do what is expected of us."

Cesare nodded.

"That pleases me senior warden that pleases me greatly, for now…dismissed."

The three wardens left his office, the Commander's new bodyguard closed the door behind them.

The three did not speak again until they were out in the courtyard.

Alistair frowned as he looked back at the Commander's tower.

"Anyone else feel dirty?" he asked.

IOI

Solen moved quickly through the dark corridors of the warden fortress. The young elf barely paused to acknowledge the gate guard as he passed by.

He had to hurry; he did not want to miss this week's sermon.

Keeper Locien did not like to repeat himself.

Solen was young, seventeen summers with unruly black hair and bright brown eyes. He had lived here in Ansburg less than two years. He had worked in the stables here for most of that time, it was good work he supposed, and it gave him spending coin, but it did nothing to deal with the sting to his elvhen pride.

Is that all we are? Servants to the shems? Were his children and his children's children destined to be servants?

He did not want that! they deserved better than that.

He deserved better than that!

Solen wanted to be more than a common servant; he believed that if given a chance, he could be more than what anyone expected.

Keeper Locien agreed with his feelings, he saw much in Solen, more than the shems saw, more than his own parents saw…

…more than his elder sister saw.

He finally arrived in the old reading room where the Keeper spoke to all those who would listen. Over twenty elves crowded into the seats, they chattered excitedly, none had expected the Keeper to return so soon to Ansburg.

They saw this as a good omen.

Locien smiled when he saw the boy, he gestured for him to be seated.

Solen blushed.

The Keeper directed him to sit next to Kelinda.

Kelinda, or Kelly as she was sometimes called, had been a source of distraction for Solen for months. She had grown up here in Ansburg; her father had worked as the blacksmith's servant. He had first come to hear the Keeper's words so that he could be close to her. He had hoped to catch her eye.

He had never expected to start believing in the Dalish Wardens words.

Kelly smiled at him, making his blush darken even more.

Why? Why oh why did he have such a hard time talking to her?

It was a question that would have to remain unanswered, at least for now.

Locien began his sermon.

The young elves fell silent, hanging on his every word.

They believed in him and through him…themselves.

"The Creators have abandoned us," Loki said, "They chose to wage war on their enemies the forgotten ones. They chose, in their arrogance, to cage themselves for fear of what the other might do. Because of their cowardice, the people now suffer," Loki bowed his head in shame, "We pray to the Creators to return, and why we stand idly by, the shems and dwarves make slaves of us all."

The young elves nodded, they understood the burden they faced as elves.

"The shemlen expect us to either lick their boots, or live as beggars in their cities," Locien spat angrily, "The Dalish hide in their clans, they chose not to help you, they have abandoned you, they consider you all flat ears, unworthy of the creator's love."

Solen sneered, yes; he had heard stories of the Dalish, especially Lyna, the Hero of Ferelden. As an elf, she could have stood up for their people, helped them achieve a new level of freedom.

Instead, she abandoned them to their fate.

Few understood what they faced, few cared.

Only the Keeper cared for their future.

Only, Locien knew the truth.

"I was exiled from my clan for my views," The Dalish warden continued, "For trying to tell my people the truth. The elvhen have not been abandoned, there is one who still wants to help us. Who wants us to regain everything the shemlen took from us. One who loves us, and soon his avatar will come, and the liberation of our people will begin. Do you know of whom I speak, my children? Do you know the name of our future?"

"Fen'Harel," Solen said proudly, "The great wolf!"

"Fen'Harel, the trickster," another elven boy said, "who will finally end the joke that is human civilization. Who will restore our pride and honor?"

"Praise Fen'Harel," Kelly said, her eyes gleamed fanatically, "And praise his avatar! Will the Avatar come soon Keeper? Will the elves be free to be elves again?"

Loki smiled wickedly.

"Soon, brothers and sisters," he promised, "The stars will soon be in alignment. Soon the Avatar will walk the mortal world, and grind our so-called superiors under his conquering feet. Praise be his coming! Raise your voices and despair not my children. Praise the great wolf, the dread of all humanity!"

"Praise be!" the elves shouted fanatically, even Solen found himself caught up in their fervor.

"Praise the great wolf!"

"Hail Fen'Harel!"

IOI

Lin listened as Loki finished his sermon, her copper eyes narrowed.

What in Andraste's name did he think he was doing?

Did he get off turning these poor children into human hating fanatics!

She hid as the young elves filed out, chattering excitedly, eager for the coming of this Avatar.

She saw Solen.

She glared at the young boy.

"You missed work again today," she said.

He jumped; he turned to where the voice had come from.

He glared angrily at her.

"What I do with my time is none of your business," he snarled.

"It is when they start threatening to fire you," she said, "The rest of the children look up to you Solen, you should not be here."

"I should just stick to the stables, yes?" he asked with contempt in his voice, "Just obey orders like a good little elf?"

"You have a good life here," she reminded him, "Much better than I had when I was your age. Don't you get it, if things work out here, you…you will never have to worry about being hungry, never have to worry about turning to thievery to feed yourself. Damn it Solen, I want a better life for you than that."

The young elf sneered.

"You sound like Mother," he snorted, "No offense sister, but I already have one of those."

"Mother is worried about you brother," she told him, "Father too, we just want you to be happy."

"Then stay out of my way," he said angrily, "Locien is right, we shouldn't be happy with the humans' scraps, we should be prepared to make our own way and seize the future for ourselves!"

Lin frowned, why did her little brother have to be so stubborn? Did he not see that all that hate that Loki was teaching him would just get him into trouble?

Why did he not understand?

"You should come and listen to the Keeper, sister," Solen advised her, "Maybe you would not act like such a flat-ear all the time, maybe…just maybe you would learn what it is like to be elvhen."

He stormed off then, leaving her shocked.

Solen had always been a good boy; he knew that she loved him, that everything she had done was for the good of their family.

She loved that little boy.

She missed that little boy.

She watched him go, pain shining in her eyes.

Oh Solen, what is happening to you?