Hi,
JFYI, this chapter digresses slightly from Warden/Leliana centred previous ones.
This one is more like an public introduction of the Warden in Haven to the Inquisition.
Don't worry, it's only this one chapter.
I am going to release next chapter on Sunday, perhaps on Monday.
In that chapter will be long awaited reunion. Yay.
Anyway, enjoy this chapter and feel free to leave a message in reviews.
-ooo-
Nevarran beauty was waiting in tense anticipation with the entire staff of the Inquisition in Haven in the largest room of the temple - the main hall. She hoped that her intuition hadn't been wrong and the man, whom they had chosen, was as capable in administration of the organization as he was on the battlefield.
The tension in the hall was steadily rising. Displeased voices were heard across the room. Sounds silenced immediately when the knight in a massive dark armor stepped through the door and was striding confidently through the crowd to the pedestal in the middle of the room.
He climbed on top and sternly regarded his audience. His steel voice demanded attention from all in the room. "We know why we are here. What we are against. What we are supposed to do. I won't repeat that." He stopped and paused for a moment.
He locked his eyes with the Seeker and continued. "The real question we have to ask ourselves is HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT?" He raised his deep voice to emphasize his point. "That, I can tell you."
He was slowly walking around the podium looking down at his spectators. "A wise woman once told me an old proverb." He paused and added jokingly. "And no, it was not my mother-in-law." Eliciting chuckles from his viewers before continued.
"If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm."
He seriously carried on. "And that is our manual how to proceed. We must strengthen ourselves and our organization. We must present a united front to our enemy." He let it sink.
"And to achieve our goal, we need order. I had scrolls with instructions nailed to the doors in the temple. There is a list of meetings that our council is going to have with each mentioned group in these papers." An approving murmur was heard.
"You will be divided by your professions to groups no greater than five persons each. Those five will choose one that will represent them on our meetings. Once a year every member of that given profession will vote their Master. Master will get the seat at the High Council and represent his guild in matters of strategic importance there." He slowed his explanation.
"Every group will have a speciffic task. Some tasks may require a cooperation of several groups together, but each one of them will be supervised." He pressed on.
"Our meetings are going to take place once a week on Monday. We are expecting ideas, solutions, suggestions from representatives related to their assigned tasks. Specifications of particular tasks will be discussed during our fist meetings. And on Sunday everybody gets a free day to relax." He eased the atmosphere and earned a terrific applaus.
"The situation, we are in, is difficult. Don't let me fool you." He seriously kept going. "However it brought us together as allies and friends. Look around you, you are not in this fight alone." He made a short pause.
"We will fight because some things are worth fighting for. We will fight and we will win our future. Future for ourselves and our children." He passionately shouted and slowly went down from the stage to the excited audience. The crowd was electrified by him.
The Inquisitor slowly turned to the Seeker and uttered in astonishment. "Wow. It was rather a speech from a final battle." And Cassandra could only agree.
Wow indeed.
-ooo-
So never ending series of meetings started. The new leader insisted that through all of their sessions two others would be present beside him - the Seeker and the Inquisitor.
Stewards, clerks, herbalists, smiths, merchants, peasants, workers and many more went in and out of the war room pleading their cases. They were given tasks and offered consulting, then escorted and left to their work.
It was difficult at first but the wheels had been set in motion.
The only exception of a new established order were mages, soldiers and spies. Soldiers were already operating in small units and spies were working independently. Mages were primarily focused on healing and support.
"What is status of your troops, Corporal Rosslin?" The new leader initiated a talk with a current head of Inquisition military forces.
"Ready for your orders, my l.. ehm." Corporal stuttered.
"What's the matter?" The knight questioned.
"I am not sure how should I adress you?" Rosslin stated uncomfortably.
The Nevarran Seeker and the Inquisitor looked curiously at their nameless leader as he tilted his head at the question. Both had been wondering who their mysterious benefactor was as well. At this point the Seeker had already formed some idea in her mind.
Their leader was studying an uneasy soldier in front of him for a moment before he inquired. "How do you adress Lady Cassandra?"
Corporal stated. "Commander Pentaghast."
Eyes of the man at the head of the table glazed for a moment as if remembering something before he approvingly nodded and remarked. "It will be sufficent."
Rosslin saluted. "Understood, Commander."
"I have special tasks for your troops, Corporal." Commander continued. "Firstly you divide your soldiers into five divisons by their skills. Units will be Guards, Soldiers, Scouts, Sappers and Lectors." He paused and Rosslin nodded in response.
He sank his eyes into the man in front of them and pushed ahead. "Guards will secure and patrol a nearby area around Haven. Part of Soldiers, divided in units, will escort convoys of carts with supplies on the roads with at least one of Scouts per each convoy. The rest of Soldiers will form small mobile strike groups to perform hit-and-run attacks. Scouts will scout in Ferelden to gather information and warnings of an immediate attack. Sappers will procure equipment for the army and provide its maintenance. Lectors will start to teach militia and any volunteers to fight. Details will be specified lately." With that the Commander turned to look at Cassandra who approvingly nodded while the Inquisitor had been trying to get to know as much knowledge as possible.
"Any questions, Corporal? No? Then you are dismissed." Corporal saluted and briskly walked away to carry out his orders.
"Now, Miss Harding, we have much to discuss regarding our intelligence network, no?" The Commander turned to a young dwarf lady who vigorously bobbed her head.
"How many agents do you have in field? How many can we use now?" The de facto leader curiously inquired.
"Commander, I have to point out that right now we are stretched too thin. After the tragedy in Haven we lost a majority of our spies there." She composed herself. "I have twenty agents on various tasks right now and ten at your disposal."
With sympathy for her plight he softly questioned. "May I have a look at those tasks later?" She politely nodded and gave him a slight smile.
The Commander proceeded questioningly. "It caught my attention that we don't have many horses to support needs of our intelligence?"
She nodded. "Yes, we are short of money right now and horses in Ferelden are high-priced. There are few of them in the village but we can't afford them."
He nodded in understanding and grabbed a small pouch on his belt and tossed it to her. Though surprised she managed to catch it. Inside were dozens of sovereigns. She looked curiously at him when he remarked. "It should be enough. The rest use at your discretion to strenghten our intelligence."
He changed a topic. "What is your assessment of the situation? How should we proceed in gathering our allies?"
She looked thoughtful for a moment before suggested. "I think we should secure our allies in Ferelden first. Then we wouldn't have to fight on two front lines. Ferelden is a natural fortress surrounded by mountains. Any invasion would have to come from the Waking Sea or through the only ground passage in High Mountains from Orlais. Both are easily defensible."
"My thoughts exactly. I see you are not just very pretty." He earned incredulous looks from a pair of ladies next to him while a young dwarf girl was blushing violently.
Does he flirt with every pretty woman he meets?
He continued with a soft smile directed at the young woman in front of him. "For now I need your agents as messengers. After delivery of my messages they will return to their original posts. Is it acceptable, my lady?"
She nodded avoiding his gaze shyly.
"Very well. The messages are here." He opened a small bag on the table and extracted sealed letters with a symbol of the Inqusition on them.
The Seeker and the Inquisitor looked at each other in confusion. They have no knowledge of the existence of these letters or contents it included.
The Commander continued undisturbed as he slowly laid one letter after another on the table in front of him. Eyes of a pair next to him widened as he named their destinations.
First
…to the King Allistair Theirin with an offer of a partnership between Ferelden and the Inquisition…
Second
…to Denerim Bank with a request to open a credit account in the name of the Inquisition…
Third
…to Master Wade of Denerim with a request to purchase his services as a master smith…
Fourth
…to Teyrn of Highever with a request to purchase long-live food from their granaries…
Fifth
…to Nathaniel Howe of Amaranthine with a request to lend a unit of silver knights to bolster our forces…
Sixth
…to Mikhail Dryden with a request to send a catalogue of his made armors and weapons…
Seventh
…to Keeper Lanaya of Dalish with a request to purchase herbs from the woods…
Eight
…to the King Bhelen Aeducan with an offer of a partnership between Orzammar and the Inquisition and a request to purchase lyrium from the dwarven mines…
"It should be sufficent for now." He stated to the audience that stared at him wide-eyed, now including agent Harding when she saw to whom was addressed the last letter.
She shook off her shock and spoke. "It should be simple enough to deliver. I don't think it will be so easy to convince them, though. We don't have any authority here nor any respect."
"Don't worry. They will co-operate." He declared with such certainty that she didn't doubt it.
"That is not all, though. I have a special assignment for you. You have to locate a new base for the Inquisition."
"What? Why?" The Inquisitor queried while the Seeker looked thoughtful.
"It is simple enough. This location is not secure, not defensible, and especially not strategically placed to wage a war against the Elder One." He responded prudently to the Inquisitor and turned to agent Harding.
"In short I need a place similar to Redcliffe Castle. Placed somewhere on the border between Orlais and Nevarra. The place with sturdy walls, easily defensible, maybe in the mountains with an easy access to the Imperial Highway. The temple in Haven will stay an auxiliary base. After we will secure our allies in Ferelden, we will have to move on. I don't expect a palace but it must meet demands I named you."
"Don't concern yourself with the cost. I am prepared to invest thousands of sovereigns into it. " He commented while Harding's eyes almost popped out of her head. She wasn't the only one.
"That is all for today." He rose from his seat. "Ladies. Have a pleasant evening." With a small bow he excused himself leaving perplexed women behind.
-ooo-