Disclaimer: I wonder if these are actually necessary. Ah well, I don't own the rights to Dragon Age.
They had been walking a while when they came across some of the scouting group hanging from a fallen tree execution style. Jory and Daveth both paled, and Alistair shook his head, "poor sods. That just seems so excessive."
"Falon'din ghi'la ma(i)," Theron muttered, forcing himself to ignore the bit of him that found pleasure in those bodies hanging there.
Alistair stopped and pointed ahead at the hill, "Darkspawn ahead." Theron had the image of those monsters nearing Tamlen and was overcome with a sudden all-consuming rage; he drew his bow, ignoring the calls of the others and sprinted up the hill. Alistair let out a frustrated sigh and drew his sword and ran after the elf.
The three humans got over the hill to where the Darkspawn were only to nearly trip over a Darkspawn corpse with an arrow lodged in its eye. They stared dumbfounded at the sight of the elf viciously attacking another enemy with a third crippled on the ground. "Maker's breath!" Jory gasped.
Alistair snapped from his daze and rushed to help the Dalish hunter. He quickly bashed one of the spawn with his shield when it tried to target Theron with a bow. "I have your back," he shouted over the battle to the hunter, but there was no indication that he even heard. Finally, the other two joined in and made short work of the Darkspawn. The battle ended and the Warden looked to see Theron still attacking a body; he quickly grabbed the hunter and carried him away from the body. "Theron! It's dead!" He shouted as the elf struggled to break free, "stop it!"
The elf stilled at the shout and when Alistair saw understanding creep into the elf, he let him go. "Ir abelas(ii)," Theron muttered under his breath and looked away when Alistair just smiled happily at him.
"One day I'm going to get you to tell me what it is you're saying," he grinned and started walking. Theron stared after the blonde human in confusion, what human cared what he was saying?
They continued on their way with Jory and Daveth giving the elf much more space than before. "Is it safe to bring him?" Jory whispered to Alistair.
"He was hand chosen by Duncan," Alistair defended.
"He might attack us!" Jory whispered fiercely.
"I can hear you," Theron growled. Delavir shemlen(iii), he thought with a scowl.
The group had finished collecting the Darkspawn blood and that flower Theron wanted and were just now looking around the wilds for the ruin that held the treaties. Their progress had slowed because Theron couldn't keep up and refused to be carried. While the two recruits were busy bickering, Theron noticed part of a crumbled wall in the distance. Finally! He thought and started to pick up his pace when Alistair stopped him. That bit in Theron recoiled in disgust and he was reacting before he could stop himself. The elf slapped Alistair's hand away harshly, "tel'dera em!(iv)"
The Warden stepped back and held his hands up in a gesture of peace, he had no idea what the little elf said, but he knew it wasn't nice. "Easy, Theron, we're on the same side, remember? I was just trying to warn you that there are Darkspawn ahead."
The hunter closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. He worked hard to get his thoughts in coherent order once more. "Ir abelas, that was…unworthy," he apologized and reached for his bow.
Alistair nodded with that same smile as before and drew his sword, "shall we go get those treaties?" Theron nodded and quickly made his way up a tree to a low hanging branch, he no longer trusted himself to be able to get away quickly if one of those creatures got too close. He edged as far out as he dared on his branch and nocked an arrow; one of the Darkspawn had wandered away from the others and the archer loosed his arrow to have it imbed itself in the monster's throat. Its gurgling cry alerting the others to enemies. Even with its dying warning, it didn't take long for the four to overpower to Darkspawn and kill them all.
Theron walked over to the chest where the treaties were supposed to be when he was stopped by a voice. "Well, well, what have we here?" The dark haired woman walked along the top of a broken wall. "Are you a vulture, I wonder; a scavenger poking amidst a corpse whose bones have long since been picked clean?" She sauntered closer and Theron could practically hear the three behind him tense up, "or merely an intruder come to these Darkspawn filled wilds in search of easy prey?" She stopped and glared at the four, "what say you? Scavenger or intruder?"
The three behind him were speechless so the archer answered, "neither, this tower once belonged to Grey Wardens."
"Tis a tower no longer, the wilds have obviously reclaimed this desiccated corpse. I have watched your progress for some time. 'Where do they go?' I wonder. 'Why are they here?'" The woman walked a little ways away, her back to the group, "now you disturb ashes none have for so long, why is that?" She turned back to face them.
"Don't answer that, she looks Chasind and that means others may be nearby," Alistair warned.
The woman smirked, "you fear barbarians will swoop down upon you."
"Yes, swooping is bad," Alistair frowned.
"She's a witch of the wilds, she is!" Daveth fretted, "she'll turn us into toads."
"Witch of the Wilds," the witch drew out, "such idle fancies those legends. Have you no minds of your own?" She turned to Theron, "you there, Elves do not frighten like little boys do. Tell me your name and I shall tell you mine."
Theron studied the woman before answering, "andaran atish'an(v), my name is Theron."
The woman paused for a second as she mentally translated the greeting. "Now that is a proper civil greeting, even here in the wilds. My name is Morrigan. You came here looking for something that is here no longer."
"'Here no longer'?" Alistair parroted, "you stole them! You sneaky…witch thief!"
"How very eloquent," Morrigan sighed.
"Those treaties are Grey Warden property, I suggest you return them."
"I will not for t'was no I that removed them," Morrigan sniffed, "invoke a name that means nothing, I am not threatened."
"Who took them?" Theron asked before Alistair could say something else.
"T'was my mother, in fact," Morrigan replied.
Alistair made a noise behind him but the elf ignored him, he had had experiences with shemlen living in the forest before and they were never quite as hostile to his clan as village shems. "Would you take us to her?" Theron requested.
Morrigan smiled, "now there is a sensible request. I like you."
"Careful, first it's 'I like you' then zap! Frog time," the warden frowned.
"She'll put us all in the pot, she will!" Daveth whined.
"If the pot's warmer than this forest, it would be a nice change," Jory complained.
"Follow me then, if it pleases you," Morrigan walked off.
They followed the apostate to a small shack deep in the wilds. "Mother, I bring you four Grey Wardens who-" Morrigan started.
"I see them, girl," the woman snapped, "much as I expected."
"Are we supposed to believe you were expecting us?" Alistair scoffed.
"You are required to do nothing, least of all believe," the elder mage answered scornfully, "shut one's eyes tight or open one's arms wide, either way one's a fool."
"She's a witch I tell you," Daveth warned, "we shouldn't be talking to her."
"Quiet, Daveth!" Jory hissed, "if she really is a witch, do you want to make her mad?"
"There's a smart lad," the old woman grinned, "sadly irrelevant in the large scheme of things." She looked over to Theron who was rolling his eyes at the stupid humans. "But it is not I who decides," she continued, "believe what you will." She walked over to the elf that held his ground to her approach, "what do you believe? Does your elven mind give you a different view point, or do you believe the same as these boys do?"
Theron was quiet for a moment as he considered the question, just a couple days ago he believed him and Tamlen would protect the clan together but that was no longer possible. "I don't know what to believe," he finally admitted.
"A statement with more wisdom than it implies," she replied, "'be always aware.' Or is it oblivious? I can never remember." She studied the elf fighting against the corruption, "so much about you is uncertain and yet I believe. Do I? It seems I do."
Theron blinked believe what? He wondered.
"So this is a dreaded witch of the wilds," Alistair laughed.
"'Witch of the Wilds' huh. Morrigan must have told you that. She fancies such tales but she would never admit it," she laughed, "oh how she dances under the moon!"
Morrigan rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration, "they did not come here to listen to your wild tales, mother."
"True, they came for their treaties," she agreed, "and before you begin barking, your precious seals wore off ages ago. I protected these."
"You…oh. You protected these," Alistair deflated.
"And why not?" She started, "take them to your Grey Wardens and tell them this Blight's threat is bigger than they realize."
"Ma serannas(vi)," Theron thanked.
"Such manners! Always in the last place you look, like stockings," the elder mage laughed, "oh don't mind me, you have what you came for."
"Time for you to go then," Morrigan stated.
"Don't be ridiculous, girl, these are your guests," her mother scolded.
"Oh," Morrigan sighed, "very well. I will show you out of the woods. Follow me."
All four didn't return until well after dark; Theron had slowed even more and had still refused Alistairs help, the other two had long stopped looking to see if the elf was alright. They met up with Duncan after Theron gave the flower to the Kennel master. Alistair gave the commander the vials who took them, "we can now begin the Joining," he walked off and the junior warden led all three to where the Joining would take place.
"The more I hear about this Joining, the less I like it!" Jory complained.
"Are you blubbering again?" Daveth argued.
"Why all these damned tests? Have I not already earned my place?" Jory defended.
"Maybe it's tradition, maybe it's just to annoy you," Daveth growled, growing impatient with the warrior's cowardice.
Theron glanced over at them from his spot against the wall but didn't bother replying, he was too busy trying not to grab his head and scream at the terrible and beautiful song to stop. "All I know is that my wife is in Highever with a child on the way," Jory continued, "it just doesn't seem fair."
"Would you have come if they had warned you?" Daveth asked rhetorically, "maybe that's why they don't. 'Grey Wardens do what they must' remember?"
"Including sacrificing us?" Jory argued.
"I would sacrifice a lot more if I knew it would end the Blight," Daveth reasoned, "maybe you'll die, maybe we'll all die. If no one stops the Darkspawn, we'll die for sure."
"I just have never met a foe I could not engage with my blade," Jory defended just as Duncan walked over.
Duncan approached the table holding a silver cup, "at last, we've come to the Joining. The Grey Wardens were founded during the First Blight when humanity stood on the verge of annihilation. And so it was the first Wardens drank Darkspawn blood and mastered their taint."
"We're…we're going to drink the blood of those…creatures?" Jory stuttered, Daveth was surprised but would face this with courage, Theron wondered how exposing himself to more Taint would cure his corruption.
Duncan walked over with the cup and nodded, "as the first Grey Wardens did before us and as we did before you. This is the source of our power and out victory."
"Those who survive the Joining become immune to the Taint," he looked over at Theron as he said this, "we can sense it in the Darkspawn and use it to slay the Archdemon."
Theron stared at the cup in horror. I will make my clan proud he thought.
"We speak only a few words before the Joining," Duncan continued, "Alistair, if you would."
Alistair bowed his head and everyone followed suit, "join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the Shadows, Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn; and should you perish, know that one day we will join you." Jory stared anxiously at the cup.
Duncan held out the cup, "Daveth, step forward." The rogue stepped toward the commander and took a drink only to cry out in pain and fall to the ground with a gurgle. "I'm sorry, Daveth," Duncan apologized and Daveth made one attempt to get to his feet before collapsing dead. "Jory, step forward."
Jory stepped back and drew his greatsword, "I have a wife. Had I known."
Duncan set the cup down and drew his own blade, "there is no turning back." There was a brief fight before Duncan buried his sword in Jory's chest, "I am sorry."
Theron watched in horror but refused to run, he was dead either way it seemed. Could have died surrounded by my clan he mentally complained.
"Theron, step forward," Duncan commanded. Theron pushed himself off the wall and walked over and took a drink. The elixir burned going down and set his blood on fire. He could hear someone screaming before realizing it was him. His legs gave out and could barely hear Duncan as the darkness consumed his vision, "from this day forth, you are a Grey Warden."
i "Falon'din guide you." I couldn't find anything else that translates neatly into Elvish so I'm using this
ii "I'm sorry." If you needed to be told
iii Literally translates to "stupid humans"
iv "Don't touch me"
v A formal greeting
vi "Thank you."
Also, a big thank you to Project Elvhen on archive of our own for helping with my elvish and AeantizLKamenwati from archive of our own for being my beta!