The Joining and What Came After
So this is what it takes to be a Grey Warden. To drink the vile, tainted blood of those evil creatures and be forever separated from the common people. Duncan recited the vow and words, filled the cup and passed in unto them. Poor Daveth. He so willingly drank the blood from that cup, so willing to take in the taint for the chance to be able to stop the Blight and be more than what he was. Alas, he died choking on that filthy bile. Ser Jory was unable and unwilling to make that sacrifice. He refused the cup at sword point forcing Duncan to kill him. Despite Aedan's contempt for cowardice, he couldn't blame Jory for what he did. After all, he had something to live for. And so did Aedan. The joining cup passed to Aedan's hands, the rancid, acrid stench of the blood filled his nostrils and he drank deep. The pain was excruciating, it flooded through his very being! His muscles burned and his skin was on fire. Was he dying? No, he couldn't be dying. There was still too much he had to do! He still had to avenge his family! No, he wasn't going to die! He refused to die! And then his world went completely black…
He found himself in a world of burning shadow, death and decay surrounded him… was he in hell? Then a great shadow landed upon the desolation around him, a dragon possessed of infinite evil. It looked down on him and Aedan knew it saw him. It said something, Aedan didn't know what, but he knew the beast spoke to him! Then dragon breathed rancid fire down on him and he could feel his flesh burn! Aedan's eyes fluttered open. He was alive. He looked up to see Duncan and Alistair standing over him, the pain and burning was gone.
"It is finished. Welcome." Duncan congratulated.
"Welcome THIS!" Aedan screamed as he swung at Duncan's face, but his head was still aching and he missed by a wide margin. He swung again but was held back by Alistair. "You murdered Jory! Damn you! He had a family!"
"Jory was warned that there would be no going back, as were you all." Duncan explained calmly. "When he went for his blade I had no choice. It brought me no pleasure to end his life."
"It doesn't look like it brought you any guilt either!" Aedan spat with his fists still ready.
"Aedan! Please calm down!" Alistair urged. "I know you don't like, I don't either. But we all have to make sacrifices in order to end the Blights. Sometimes that means doing things we'll hate ourselves for."
Duncan stepped forward and motioned Alistair away from Aedan. "Alistair is right. We Wardens pay a heavy toll for being what we are. You will learn more in the months to come."
"I don't have time for your secret rituals or you risking my life for your clandestine bullshit! I've got something to live for!" Aedan screamed.
Duncan looked at him sternly, "There are more important goals than your revenge, Aedan. You want to save your homeland, this is the only way to do it. If you love your country then trust that what we do is for that goal."
Aedan grunted in anger and relented. Damn it. They had a point. He hated being forced in to anything, but they had a point. If he could help save his country he would. He knew where to find Howe later. "Come, the king is waiting for us." Duncan ordered.
The three of them made their way to the king's war council, he was having an intense argument with Teryn Loghain over the battle strategy. Apparently Cailan wanted to fight alongside the Warden on the frontlines and Loghain didn't want the king to go off and play hero in the heat of battle. "Too risky" he said.
"If that's the case then perhaps we should wait the Orlesians forces to join us after all." The king suggested cheerlessly. Judging from the look on Loghain's face that had to sting.
"I must protest to your fool notion that we need the Orlesians to defend ourselves." Loghain argued. Aedan knew he still hated the Orlesians, and he didn't blame him. But even Aedan knew that no country should combat the Blight alone.
"It is not a 'fool notion'." Cailan argued very seriously. "Our arguments with the Orlesians are a thing of the past. And you will remember who is king." Oohh. Aedan didn't realize the king had set of brass like that. Maybe he deserved his kingship after all.
Loghain's face was twisted with anger and bitterness as he clenched his mailed fists. "How fortunate that Maric didn't live to see his son ready to hand Ferelden over to the ones who enslaved us for a century."
"Then our current forces will have to suffice, won't they?" The king rebutted. Aedan had to give props to Cailan. Not many were capable of making an argument with the Hero of River Dane, let alone start one. And it was a valid argument.
The king turned to Duncan and congratulated Aedan on his Joining. They were unnecessary, after all, he had no choice, apparently. The king assigned Aedan to stay behind and light the Tower of Ishal when the signal was given. It was a bullshit assignment. Aedan was there to fight, not act a torchbearer. But apparently Loghain didn't even trust the Wardens to do that. Aedan took great offense, Loghain knew who he was but didn't even trust him to such a menial task. However, the king told Loghain to stow his conspiracy theories. Duncan took Aedan and told the battle plan to Alistair. Alistair was less than enthusiastic.
"What? You mean I won't be fighting in the battle?" Alistair whined.
"This is by the king's command. We need that beacon lit or the teryn's men won't know when to charge." Duncan explained.
"So he needs two Grey Wardens standing there to hold the torch, does he?"
"I agree, you brought us here to wage war! Not play spectator on the sidelines." Aedan argued.
"That is not up to either of you." Duncan reminded them. "The king is counting on you both with this task."
"Fine." Alistair whined, "But if he tells me to don a dress and dance the remigold, I drawing the line, Blight or no Blight."
"I thought Templars were used to wearing dresses and prancing around like idiots." Aedan commented.
"Well, we are, but there's always this really uncomfortable draft when wearing a dress. Oh, and I am not exactly wearing clean drawers right now."
"Gross."
Duncan sighed in exasperation. The battle was going to begin in no less than an hour if there was any preparation to be done it had to be done now.
Dane was sitting right next to Aedan, begging for some of the Mabari treats his master had just gotten. As Aedan purchased some final equipment and did some final preparing Alistair approached him. "Look, Aedan. I think we should talk. The way you acted back there after the Joining Ritual…."
"You do not know me, Alistair!" Aedan barked. "I don't have to explain myself to you!"
Alistair remained completely calm. He wasn't going to leave his fellow Warden like this. "I know more about suffering than you might think, Aedan. But you're right, I don't know you. That's the problem! How can we be expected to be trusted with each other's lives if we know nothing about each other? Whether you like it or not, we're brothers in this cause now."
Aedan already had a brother. "Fine, Alistair." He answered with controlled anger. "You want to know about me? I'll tell you. My full name is Aedan Ciaran Cousland of Highever. My father was Teryn Bryce Cousland. At the Landsmeet to determine who would take up kingship after Maric's death, my father was actually forwarded to be king. My family has governed the terynir of Highever for six hundred years. And in one night it was burned to the ground and my family slaughtered like sheep because we opened our doors to a man we though was our friend. And to top that all off I get pulled into the Grey Wardens and I'm told that I can't leave and I'll probably never see justice for my family. So forgive me if I'm a little on edge." Aedan's face was hard and painted with bitterness.
Alistair had heard that Aedan lost his family, but he didn't know the circumstances. Alistair was a bastard-son. He never really knew what it was like to have family. For Aedan to have his life so violently ripped from his must be devastating.
"So what's your story? What made your life so bad that you so willingly joined the Grey Wardens?" Aedan asked.
Aedan had just told him his life, it was only fair Alistair do the same. "W-well, you see. The thing about that is…"
Before Alistair could give his answer the battle horns sounded. The battle for Ostagar had begun. "Oh, thank the Maker." Alistair sighed, drawing a look from Aedan. "Oh, I mean, uh, l-let's get to the Tower of Ishal!"
Two and Half Hours Later...
Alistair and Aedan had finally made it to the top of the tower with one soldier and a mage with them. The tower was completely overrun by the enemy. There were many questions running through Aedan's mind right now. Had they missed the signal? What were these darkspawn doing ahead of the horde? How did they even get in the tower? But the most important question running through Aedan's mind right now was…"How the fuck did an ogre get to the top floor!?"
The ogre charged at them, goring one of the soldiers on its massive horns and ripped him off, tearing him in half! The ogre threw the torso right at Aedan and knocked him to the ground. Covered in the man's blood and guts, Aedan hopped back at his feet trying to keep a safe distance from the ogre.
"Mage! Fire spells at his head! Alistair! Dane! Attack his legs, cut off his support!" Aedan ordered. He went berserk and charged forward, keeping the beast's attention on him and away from his comrades. Even in his berserker state the ogre was infinitely stronger than him, fortunately Aedan was infinitely faster! With his sword and axe Aedan ducked in and out of the ogre's reach, laying deep gashes in the behemoth's thick skin with every swing. The mage rained down fire into the ogre's face while Alistair and Dane attacked its massive thighs, stopping its movement. Dane latched onto the ogre's leg, tearing the creature's dense flesh with his powerful jaws.
The ogre finally had enough! It kicked Dane off its leg and backhanded Alistair, but he ducked beneath the massive fist. The ogre bowed, aiming its horns and charged straight at Aedan! Aedan quickly dropped onto his back and stuck his sword out in front of him like a lance. As the ogre charged over Aedan's body, his sword sliced into the ogre's belly spilling its guts all over Aedan! Its intestines hanging out of its body like a bunch of rotted sausages, the ogre stepped back, yowling in horrible pain!
Aedan, still coated in blood bounded back to his feet and lunged forward at the ogre's massive body, driving his sword straight into its black heart! The monster fell backwards, its mass shaking the ground as it landed. Aedan yanked his sword from the ogre's chest, and before the ogre could do anymore, Aedan drove his sword straight into the monster's thick skull and right into its brain. And twisted!
Aedan drew his sword out the stinking ogre's thick skull and flicked the blood of the blade. Aedan hopped off the eviscerated corpse, Dane bounded toward him jumping and barking in happiness. Aedan happily pet the giant dog as Alistair wiped the sweat and blood from his brow.
"We've certainly missed the signal." Alistair gasped as he tried to catch his breath. "Best light it quickly. Loghain better be ready, the king is depending on us!"
Aedan ran over to the torch and lit the fire, and after fighting a hundred darkspawn and an ogre to get here it felt like a victory! The torch blazed bright and majestically! Aedan ran over to the window overlooking the battlefield, eager to finally see the legendary Hero of River Dane in action! The Grey Wardens and the king's men were in the thick of the battle, the darkspawn were beginning to push back, but when the teryn charged their flank victory would be theirs! Loghain's men sounded their war horns and proceeded to march. But wait. Wait! They were marching away from the battlefield! What was this!? "Alistair! Loghain's retreating!" Aedan screamed.
Alistair's eyes went as wide as saucers. "What!? No, that can't be! If he doesn't charge that battle will be lost! What is he doing!?"
Loghain's men were in full retreat and left the king and all the Grey Wardens to be overrun by the darkspawn. They were going to lose! Before Aedan could fully register what was going on he heard the door behind burst open and darkspawn flooded in! They threw an axe right into the mage's face! Aedan and Alistair stood their ground!
"You want some of me!? You ugly, tainted motherfuckers!" Aedan screamed as he swung his weapons hacking and slashing at everything he could get close to. More darkspawn flooded in, they were being overrun. They fought their hearts out but they were still tired from fighting that ogre. Aedan saw Alistair fall from a club to the back of the head! He had to keep fighting! He could not die now! The darkspawn fired arrows at him, nailing him the ribs and chest, but nowhere vital. He had to keep fighting! They tried to attack him from behind but the shield on his back deflected their blows. He felt the burning swings of their blades cut into his flesh, but still he would not fall, he refused to!
He was wearing out and he knew it. He would not last much longer, but he had to keep fighting! Aedan felt a powerful blow to the back of his head. The world slowed down as he fell to the ground, the darkspawn had him fully surrounded. He looked out the window one last time. He thought he saw something flying towards the tower. Was the Lady-of-The-Skies coming for him? And then his world went completely black….
The Next Morning Deep in the Wilds...
How fortunate that the same Wardens who Morrigan found in the Wilds would be the same ones that her mother had rescued. She was even able to rescue the dog that was with them. The blonde templar's wounds were superficial, he was merely struck on the head. Although, if her mother hadn't saved them his wounds would have been worse. The tattooed man, Aedan, was a very different story. He was covered in blood, his own and the darkspawn's, with deep cuts all over him and arrows sticking out of his body. She had to strip him completely naked in order for her mother to clean his wounds before they got infected. Before she could get a good view at anything worth looking at her mother shooed her away. Such a shame.
Now here she was alone with a handsome young man sleeping in her bed. Under any other circumstances she would have called it a good day. Alas, it was not this day. Her mother was able to fully heal his wounds, it was most fortunate that he was a Warden otherwise the taint from the darkspawn blades would have made things very difficult. But now there was nary a scratch on his well-toned body.
Morrigan took a moment to completely take in the view of the comely lad currently in her bed. His face was long and handsome, with a strong jaw and high cheekbones. His hair was black like charcoal, with the sides of his mane tied into a long braid going down the back of his head. She had seen his eyes when they first met; they were a deep blue color that matched the tattooing on his face.
She looked at all the elaborate tattoos he had etched into his skin. On his powerful chest, over his heart he had a badged shield with a white wreath in the form of wings on a blue field stamped on it. On his right arm was a green raindrop with two spears crossing in front of it. And on his left arm was a black snowflake with two axes crossing each other. She knew that symbol, it was the mark of Haakkon Wintersbreath, the Avvarian god of snow an winter. Was he an Avvar? Earlier she saw on his back was a scantily robed woman with wings. Who was this woman? Was it the prophet Andraste? If so, how curious. At the base of her feet was a set of words but Morrigan couldn't read the language it was in. On both of his knees were tattooed the symbol of Fereldan royalty. Two mabari facing one another, one with a scepter, the other with an axe over a quartered badge shield with red and gold opposite each other. Was there a meaning behind all of these elaborate designs? Or were they simply meant for decoration to enhance his appearance? Because if so, it certainly worked.
As she looked at his sleeping form she couldn't help but notice how magnificently defined he was. Unlike some the Chasind men she had been with, who had muscles but were big and burly like apes, he looked like a sculptor chiseled him perfectly from stone. Every muscle she could see was strong and taught, and after seeing what he could do to those darkspawn she had no doubt they were well maintained. The ones that caught her attention the most, however, were those magnificently formed abdominal muscles. They were six compact hills tightly knitted into his abdomen, with absolutely no traces of fat on them. As she continued to stare at those godlike muscles, she couldn't help but feel the urge to touch them! She lowered herself closer to his sleeping body and extended her arms to rub her hands on that powerful midsection. Her soft, skilled hands were a hair away from touching his flesh when his powerful hand wrapped itself around her neck.
Aedan's eyes shot open and they glared violently, "You the maid?" he asked in threatening sarcasm.
"I am Morrigan, lest you've forgotten. And you'd best remove your hand, lest I undo the healing my mother put so much effort into." She threatened.
Aedan slowly withdrew his hand from her slander neck. "Sorry. That was a reflex. What were you doing, anyway?"
Morrigan's coughed with embarrassment as she turned her blushing face from him. "I was merely…bandaging your wounds."
Aedan didn't notice her blushing "Oh. Well, thank you for healing me, then." He said sincerely sincerely.
"I…you are welcome." His thanks caught her off guard. "Though Mother did most of the work. I am no healer."
"Were my injuries severe?"
"Yes, they were. Mother had to sew up two three-inch slash wounds, one five-inch, pop your shoulder back in, remove five arrow heads, a sword tip and a war axe that got lodged in your back. But, thanks to mother, you are right as rain. But in all honesty, you should probably learn to duck."
Aedan couldn't help but laugh. "I'll take it under advisement."
"How does your memory? Do you remember mother's rescue? It was a very close call."
Aedan sat himself up and rubbed his aching head, then he realized something. "Wait. The battle! The king! What happened at Ostagar last night!?"
"Ah, yes, the battle. The man who was supposed to lead the charge up and left the field. Those he abandoned were massacred. Your friend isn't taking it well." Morrigan informed him coldly.
"My friend? You mean Alistair?"
"The suspicious, dim-witted one who came with you. Yes. He is out by the fire with my mother?"
"And is he alright?"
"He is as you are. Though it would be unkind to say that he is being childish."
Aedan couldn't believe this woman's tone. "Very unkind! Those were his friends out there!"
"And do you think they'd encourage his blubbering? If so then they are not the Grey Warden the legends note."
"Spoken like an empty person whose never known joy. We're all allowed to mourn when we suffer loss."
That remark stunned Morrigan. "You should… go now, Mother is waiting."
"Actually I have a few questions, if you don't mind."
"Ask your questions, then. I do not mind." She actually didn't, so long as he continued to sit there with no shirt on.
"The battlefield. What happened after Teryn Loghain quit the field?"
"That is the man who was meant to charge when the signal lit, is it? The darkspawn took the field and butchered the army there. The Grey Wardens lost."
"Were there any survivors?"
"Some. But I suspect they are long gone by now. Those who weren't able to flee the field… I suspect you wouldn't want to know what is happening in that valley now."
"Please tell me. I insist."
"Are you sure you want me to describe it?"
"Yes…please. I must know. Paint me a picture." Aedan had to know what Loghain's actions had done. So he could hate him more for it.
"I had a very good view of the battlefield. 'Tis a grisly scene. There darkspawn feast upon and defile the dead. Those who weren't fortunate enough to be killed are taken. Dragged by the darkspawn back underground, screaming. What happens to them there I do not know, but I think we can guess the worst."
Aedan would remember the pain that each loyal soldier and Grey Warden suffered and he would visit that pain tenfold on Loghain right next to Howe! And then he would send them both screaming on their way to hell! "Next question, and this is very important. Is Dane here?"
"I do not know who that is." Morrigan answered flatly.
"My mabari war hound."
"Ah, so that's your beast, is it?" Morrigan's tone was most annoyed. "Yes, he is here." Aedan sighed with relief. "He spent the whole night trying to get close to you. Mother found him distracting so she had me watch him outside. I half hoped he would just run off, but instead he kept jumping on me and covered me with his slobber and foul breath. I had to bathe for an hour!"
Aedan couldn't help but laugh. After so much loss it was good he didn't lose his most faithful companion. "Thank you once again for your assistance, Morrigan."
"You are…most welcome." Morrigan was unused to being thanked by others. "But you should go now. Mother is not a patient woman."
As Aedan got up from the bed and put his cloths and armor on, Morrigan made sure to take one last look at his perfectly shaped, tattooed body, for surely she would not see it again. Such a shame really, she would have liked to have had her way with him before sending him back out into the Wilds. Well, no matter. Surely whatever her mother had planned for them had certainly nothing to do with her.
Two Hours Later...
Morrigan couldn't believe this! Not only did the Wardens leave the swamp, but she was forced to go with them too! And to make matters all the more unbearable that flea-ridden mongrel refused to leave her be. So Frustrating! She tried to push her anger aside. After all she did want to leave the swamp and see other things, and perhaps with these Grey Wardens she would finally see what the world was like instead of knowing it from her mother's skewered vision.
Alistair's mind was still plagued with grief over what happened last night but he knew Duncan would want him to soldier on. This was his duty as a Grey Warden and he was going to let anyone down! He knew Arl Eamon if anyone could help them against Loghain he could. And they could use the treaties to secure allies from the other factions in Fereldan. He just wished they didn't have to bring Morrigan, but both Aedan and Morrigan's mother insisted that she come. After all, her magic would be useful. He just wished Morrigan was the quiet, wallflower kind of mage, instead of the creepy steal-your-soul kind of mage. Alistair still couldn't believe her mother was actually Flemeth, the Witch of the Wilds! That would probably explain her perpetual bitchiness.
Aedan was still wrapping his mind around everything. Loghain's betrayal, the defeat at Ostagar, his brother's fate. But they had to continue on. He still had a hard time believing the old crone they met in the Wilds was actually Flemeth!? He knew the story very well. His family was tied to it, but he never gave thought to the witch's actual existence. Morrigan didn't seem willing to accompany them, at first, but Aedan believed she was more pissed off about being forced to go rather than going off on her own. He could see she wasn't very happy about Dane being so close to her. For a shapeshifter she didn't seem to be dog person. He walked in between her and Dane and tried to start a conversation. "Have you ever been outside the Wilds before, Morrigan?"
"I've been to Lothering on occasion, but never for long. I purchased goods and watched its people, curious beings that they are. But I always left quickly before the Templars of the locals took notice. Why do you ask?"
"You didn't seem very pleased about coming with us. Are you sure that you want to leave your home behind? We're not forcing you to be here."
"And if I didn't truly wish to be here, I would not be. Rest assured, Warden, I am here of my own volition."
"And why is that?"
Morrigan paused for a moment and searched for an answer. "Because...I want to see mountains. I want to witness the ocean and step into its water. To experience a city rather than see it in my mind. Actually, truth be told, leaving is harder than I imagined."
Aedan knew that feeling of desire mixed with reluctance. He felt it when he so eagerly wanted to leave home for the first time when he went to the university in Orlais, but was apprehensive to leave the familiarity and comfort of his home. "I know that feeling, Morrigan. More than you could imagine. If there's one thing I've learned this week is that things you enjoy can quickly burn to the ground. So be sure to enjoy everything you can for it can quickly be taken from you."
That bit of wisdom caught Morrigan off guard. She hadn't expected Aedan to give such profound advice, let alone care enough to give her any. Perhaps this quest wouldn't be the curse she originally thought it to be. Perhaps Aedan could save his homeland after all.
And so forth he went, this mighty Alammari, sword in hand.
To fight the tainted 'spawn, Chasind and Avvar.
For all who threatened the valley would know his strength.
And all who lived in the valley would stand behind him as their Teryn.
For he was Hafter, son of Dane, and protector the Fertile Valley.
And all his sons would share his strength and protect this Valley, our sacred home.
Fereldan Poem, This Rise of Hafter
