Prayer for the Traveler

Chapter 7: All the Kings Horses

May 3, 2010

Alistair returned and Duncan called for him to enter. He moved to the meeting table, set his plate down and took a seat next to Duncan, across from Erin.

"Alistair, it is good to finally meet you. I trust no one came to harm in The Wilds?" Erin said in greeting, but also seeking reassurance that Aiden had made it back in one piece.

"And you as well. We sustained only superficial injuries and they have been healed. Thank you… for your concern."

"Excellent question Erin. Alistair, did you acquire the necessary items and retrieve the treaties?"

"We did Duncan, however, the treaties had been secreted away by two very strange women, and I think they may have been apostates."

Duncan mentioned something about "Wilders" and reminded Alistair that apostates were not the concern of the Grey Wardens.

Turning to Erin, and with no small amount of blush on his cheeks at being scolded yet again in her presence, Alistair joked, "You know, you could give the Templars a run for the money on who has the most stylish apparel."

Erin laughed, "Oh, I've seen a couple of them now. I believe they win that contest, hands down."

Duncan decided to get down to business since time was growing short. "Alistair. What we're about to tell you stays with the Wardens, understood?"

"Yes Duncan, always."

"Good. This is going to sound incredible, and it certainly is, but I assure you, I am not playing a joke on you and am very serious."

Duncan and Erin explained exactly who and what she was. She showed Alistair her Katana, and even removed a boot so he could see her body suit. They showed him the gear they had hidden from others, including the camera.

Erin explained some of the concepts of her religion to him and how they affected her "job".

Alistair, to his credit, listened intently to everything they told him, asking thoughtful questions when he needed them to elaborate. He occasionally interjected humorous comments; apparently this was something he did when he became uncomfortable. Not quite as implacable as Duncan, but close. It surprised her.

When they had explained and shown him all they felt they could, Duncan turned to Erin, "I believe now, in the privacy of this tent and our compound, would be a good time for you to assume your true form. I want Alistair and me to be prepared for it before we are in the thick of battle. Everyone is nearly finished with preparations and we can safely expose your presence to the Archdemon. I do not sense it near us, but I cannot know how that affects you."

"Certainly Duncan. Just… turn on all of your lanterns. I glow a bit. Also, my voice will be different and you should be prepared for that. The same, but I won't exactly be human anymore and it takes on a rather, ethereal quality. It can be… overwhelming I guess is the best word to describe it."

Alistair and Duncan set about the tent, lighting all of the lanterns. Erin stood in the middle of the tent and spread her arms slightly out from her sides. Her body began to sparkle in millions of blue-white specs of light. Her form shifted, starting at her fingertips, spreading up her arms, across her torso and finally to her legs and head.

Her armor and weapons seemed to disappear as they were replaced with the armor of The Traveler. Her eyes changed from amber-green to the blue-white light of her order. Her head was encased in an intricate, dark silver helmet with blue light flickering at every edge.

Every inch of her was covered in overlapping scales of varying size, depending on their location, each the same dark silver of her helmet; the same blue light flickering over their edges. At her shoulders, the scales were large and curved like the pauldrons of plate armor; her knees and elbows were covered in a similar fashion.

She held out her right hand and instantly summoned a longsword. Slightly bending her left arm, she instantly summoned a shield, and then a large spike in its center that would impale whatever it contacted. Suddenly she wielded two daggers; a moment later, a greatsword, a double bladed axe, a compound bow, and finally, a Kyoketsu-shoge, its chain extending and contracting on demand.

The transformation from one weapon to another was almost indistinguishable; each a marvel of elegant craftsmanship, scroll work and light. They appeared to have been forged by a master craftsman at the pinnacle of his profession and infused with his very essence.

She walked towards them, hands empty, reached her hand out to Alistair and said "Hello, I am The Traveler. It is a pleasure to meet you." He shook it tentatively as he struggled to make sense of everything he just saw, shivering at the sensation that traveled in to him at her touch. "Was she… taller?" he asked to himself.

She turned to Duncan, crossed her arms on her chest and bowed, "I am at your service Warden Commander. It will be an honor to fight at your side." Her voice was both beautiful and strangely haunting, as if there were twenty of her talking at once, each with a minutely different pitch, each echoing at the same frequency.

Alistair and Duncan were speechless. She was indeed taller in this form and her eyes nearly met theirs at her new height.

"Oh, Duncan, I can still do this." She disappeared momentarily, finally bringing him out of his stupor.

"I see you do not lose your sense of humor in the process."

"If you were the enemy, trust me, you would not find me very funny at all."

"You said you can fall from great heights as well. So, could you, like… jump off the edge of this ruin and be fine?" Alistair asked with no small amount of trepidation.

"There is a limit. It has more to do with the distance traveled and its affect on my form as I fall, than the impact itself. The farther the distance, the faster I travel, the harder it is to maintain the form. I do try to avoid it if possible."

"I guess I understand. Maybe. Wow. I mean, WOW! That… You're… WOW!" Alistair stammered as he moved back to the table and sat down with a thud.

Erin leaned in to Duncan and whispered, "I see a preview was a good idea."

"Alistair, kindly look in the other direction for a moment" Duncan said before he kissed her. A tingling glow emanated from the kiss and tickled his lips and senses. "I just had to know what that felt like." He said grinning at her. "You can turn around again Alistair."

"I never, actually, had a chance to turn Duncan. Soooo, you two are definitely… interesting. And you've known each other for what, three days, maybe four?" Alistair said while shaking his head from side to side.

"That is not open to discussion. She is nearly my age and we are both fully capable of making our own decisions." Duncan wasn't angry and the statement was more of a gentle warning than anything else. "It is past time to meet with the recruits and begin the joining. Alistair, gather them and meet me at the bonfire, I'll just be a moment."

Erin slipped out of her form and adjusted her armor while she waited for Alistair to leave.

Duncan breathed deeply with the weight of what was ahead of him. "Erin, I'm afraid you will have to remain behind while we complete the ritual. Protocol demands that only Grey Wardens attend The Joining. Afterward, I must meet with the King and Teryn to finalize our strategy, and then we march to war.

"I would have liked to have you with me at the meeting, but I don't think it's wise. There will be too many questions from the King, the Teryn, maybe even the Revered Mother. Please, remain here in the tent until I come to collect you. We will speak again before the battle when I have a better understanding of where your presence is needed most."

He paused for a very long time, looking in her eyes, memorizing them.

"We will most likely not have another chance to speak privately before then. I want you to know that no matter what happens tonight, I have no regrets. Knowing you has been one of the greatest honors of my life; second only to the honor of serving as a Grey Warden. I have lived more fully with you in three days than I thought possible in a lifetime.

"Live well, honor your order in all that you do. Should I fall tonight, I will do so knowing Ferelden is in your capable hands. Remember me with happiness, never sadness."

Erin was wearing her warrior's armor of honor and duty. They knew this was coming and she was a professional. She owed it to Duncan and all of her fallen brethren to remain stoic in the face of great loss; in the service of her mission.

"Duncan, you have my word as a soldier, that I will honor your request. I will not falter; never doubt this. I believe it was no accident that I appeared on your path when I entered this world, and I too, have no regrets. As you ask of me, I ask the same. Be happy when you think of me and know that I will be doing the same. You will be a precious gem in my memories.

"Duncan, will you indulge me in a prayer before you leave?"

"I am happy to."

Erin knelt and placed her hands together, Duncan did the same, kneeling beside her. "Duncan, at the end, when I say "Amen", if it suits you, you may repeat the word yourself to finish the prayer." She bowed her head and closed her eyes.

"The Lord is my Shephard; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul:

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His names' sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil; For thou art with me;

Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;

Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,

And I will dwell in the House of the Lord Forever.

Amen"

Duncan repeated her, "Amen".

They both rose, facing each other. Erin stood before Duncan, feet together; back straight, arms to her sides. She raised her right hand to her forehead and saluted Duncan with the discipline of a veteran soldier. "That is how we salute where I come from."

Duncan returned the gesture in traditional Ferelden style. He smiled warmly at her before leaving to attend to his men.

XXX

Another joining and two more men lay dead; one slain by his own hand. He had become increasingly wary of Ser Jory's demeanor upon arriving at Ostagar. The young man had grown more timid and fearful with every new task set before him. He had widowed a woman he would never know and left an unborn child without a father with one strike of his dagger.

Fate was unkind to Daveth as well. It was always painful to see the hope and promise of a new recruit leech out of their eyes as the taint took them, but Daveth's death was a particularly hard blow. He had seen himself in the younger man; a mirror to who he was when Commander Genevieve conscripted him so many years before.

At least one of them had lived and Aiden would make a fine Grey Warden. His upbringing as a Noble would serve the Order well as politics were an ever-present challenge they faced. He was also a very capable warrior and his shield and sword prowess was impressive for one so young.

Duncan asked Alistair to fetch Erin and to meet him at the bonfire; he and Aiden would attend the meeting with the King and Teryn and join them there later.

As they walked to meet the King one final time before they were handed over to The Maker's mercy, Duncan reflected on the past few days.

He was confident Erin would survive whatever happened this night, and he truly hoped she would keep her promise. He did not want to be a source of pain for her. She must have seen more than her fair share of death and loss, but she had not taken to a man's bed since joining her order. She was a warrior, but she was also a passionate and giving woman. Women like that tended to mourn their losses profoundly; he had witnessed it first hand in Genevieve's fade dream.

"No regrets," he whispered in affirmation of his promise to Erin.

XXX

Alistair interrupted Erin's meditations to collect her for Duncan. They would have a few moments for him to debrief her before the battle would begin. She grabbed her pack and attached it to her back; she could not leave it behind in case the Teryn's strategy failed.

They waited at the large bonfire for Duncan. She saw Aiden and breathed a sigh of relief. She did not, however, see Ser Jory or Daveth. She did not mention it. She didn't have to. Duncan's eyes gave away their fate.

"Erin, you are to accompany me with the King's forces. Aiden and Alistair, you are to climb to the top of the tower and light the beacon, signaling Loghain to attack."

"We won't be fighting?" Alistair asked in a rather impertinent tone.

"Alistair, the King himself requests it. It is imperative the beacon be lit when we give the signal. You know what to look for. You will have about an hour to accomplish your task."

Aiden spoke up then, "I understand Duncan. Are there any reports of darkspawn at the tower?"

"Not that I'm aware of, but there is no safe task and no guarantee you won't encounter any."

"Then we're off. Maker watch over you both. Alistair, best we get moving."

Erin took a moment to call back to Aiden, "God bless you and keep you Aiden." He turned back and saluted her, smiling in response before rejoining Alistair.

Erin slipped in to form at Duncan's urging as they made their way to the main forces. Before they could get to them, however, a breathless guard caught up to them.

"The tower is overrun with Darkspawn Commander. Aiden bid me to ask for reinforcements. He and Alistair are making their way to the tower with the help of a mage, but they are significantly outnumbered."

Duncan and Erin looked at each other in silent agreement of what must be done. "Show me the way" she said as she turned to follow the soldier. She looked back before she crested the hill and their eyes met one last time before he walked out of sight.

"God watch over you Duncan, until we meet again."

XXX

Erin shielded herself and the soldier from the large, fiery missiles the darkspawn launched at the bridge. That it hadn't collapsed was a testament to its ancient builders. The tower was a grizzly scene. The courtyard outside was strewn with dismembered bodies, human and darkspawn alike.

When they entered the tower, Erin knew she was playing a wicked game of catch-up with Aiden and Alistair. She grimly searched the faces of the dead as she made her way through the tower, hoping she would not find them among the corpses. They met no resistance on their way through the various levels of the building. Aiden and Alistair must have been merciless in combat; she thought as they continued up the tower.

As they neared the fourth and final floor, she could hear the sounds of battle. She and the soldier entered the rotunda to find the signal fire had been lit, but Alistair and Aiden lie in pools of blood as the darkspawn advanced on their bodies. Her heart broke at the sight. She turned her attention to the enemy. With both hands, she grasped two emissaries to her and impaled them on summoned daggers. She drew her bow and let fly several arrows, felling the archers.

She felt a rush of wind as a giant bird flew past her, she gasped in horror when she saw Aiden and Alistair both in its grasp.

She quickly felled the remaining enemies, turned to the soldier and said, "I am sorry, but you are on your own, I must get back to the King." She ran to the edge of the roof and launched herself in to the air.

She ran as fast as she possibly could back to the bridge, making her way back to the main battlefield. As she ran down the slope where she had last seen Duncan, her heart sank again. Men were scrambling everywhere. One ran past her screaming at her to flee; the battle was lost. Loghain had quit the field and they were overrun.

She slipped in to stealth and continued anyway. He did not say the King was dead, there was still hope. That hope faded to despair as she surveyed the carnage before her. Darkspawn were busy eating the dead. A very large, horned beast looked enraged as it searched the corpses, for what, she could not know. She saw the remains of some of Cailin's men, then a few Wardens, but there was no sign of Duncan or the King.

She decided this was a futile endeavor. Killing these minions did nothing to end the blight; they would just keep coming. She had made Duncan a promise and she would see it through. She needed to kill the Archdemon; it wasn't here and she had to find someone who knew how to find it. If Duncan lived, they would find each other, God willing.

She slipped out of her form, staying hidden, and followed the path of the others fleeing the battlefield.

~TBC~

A/N: UPDATE 9/24/10 - I won't have another chapter up until Monday or Tuesday. I am SORRY. I will be out of town and unable to work on the story. I do hope to get 8 and 9 up fairly quickly upon my return, and we may even have Zevran in the group before they are done!

Well, we knew a serious chapter was coming, didn't we? No mushy goodbyes for Duncan and Erin, they are professionals, this is war. I can't believe it took me 7 chapters to get out of Ostagar.

As always, please let me know what you think and PM me if you find typos or grammatical errors. It may be a day or two before the next chapter/s come out. I have to rework some of my timelines and draft a solid outline before I start writing again.

FYI... In game fun I found while researching Duncan. If you fail at pickpocketing one of the Ash Warriors or the Soldier Daveth talks to, then approach Duncan at the bonfire (before going to the wilds to be safe), you will see a soldier talking to him about you being a thief. You will then get a nice extra dialog bit with Duncan regarding your "skills". It is supposed to work if you fail at with any soldier, but I'm not sure.

Also, for you Zevran freaks, I have uploaded my Zevran head morph to. OK, it won't let me post the website here, it's on my profile. There are in-game images of the morph for you to view before deciding. If you wish to add the file to your game, unzip the file using any ZIP software and place the .mor file named "em_genfl_" (jeez, I can't even put a file name here?) in to your override file. The path to the override file should be...

Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age\packages\core\override

Hope you like it.

Cheers!