OSTAGAR FALLS
-Nessa Mahariel-
"Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that can not be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day we shall join you." Alistair finished the strange oath and stepped back allowing Duncan to take the strange silver chalice.
Why am I here? I thought to myself as Duncan called Daveth forward in a solemn voice, I should be with the clan, or out hunting or doing anything else, just not here.
(Hours earlier)
"Are you a vulture, I wonder, a scavenger poking amidst a corpse whose bones were long since cleaned?" The raven haired human woman spoke in an enchanting voice as she walked slowly down the stairwell, she was dressed in a peculiar fashion, leathers and animal skins with a top that left little to the imagination, she may have been one of the barbarian Chasind that had lived in the area. The staff she carried however marked her as a mage just the same, and that meant keeping an eye on her while my hand went towards my knife. "Or merely an intruder, coming into these darkspawn filled wilds of mine in search of easy prey?" the woman continued stopping at the foot of the stairs and looking at each of us in turn, I noticed with a start that her eyes were a shining yellow gold like an animals. "What say you, hmmm, scavenger or intruder?"
"We are neither, the Grey Wardens once owned this tower." Ser Jory spoke up from the back of the group.
"Tis a tower no longer, the wilds have obviously claimed this desiccated corpse." The woman began to pace towards us, "I have watched your progress for some time, where do they go I wonder, why are they here" She came to a stop next to an fallen section of wall overlooking the wilderness and turned back to face us. "And now you disturb ashes that none have touched in so long, why is that?"
"Don't answer her, she looks Chasind, and that means others are probably nearby" Alistairs voice whispered, "No shit Alistair" Gareth's responded under his breath as he scanned the upper ramparts his hand on his sword. I just kept my eyes on the woman, she seemed unafraid, even as she stood alone against six armed wardens, one of whom a mage. The human was confident if nothing else. "Oh, you fear barbarians will swoop down upon you" the woman taunted Alistair; I was surprised that she had heard his whispered comment. Alistair was visibly put off by this as well and glared at her, "Yes, swooping is bad," Gareth shut his eyes tightly while Will laughed under his breath, Alistair may have been a fine warrior but eloquence seemed lost on him.
"She's a witch of the wilds she is, she'll turn us into toads" Daveth stated suddenly, the man looked more terrified then I'd ever seen him, I remembered then that the man had grown up around this area meaning that this women was very likely the subject of his childhood nightmares.
"Witch of the wilds am I, such idle fancies those legends, have you no minds of your own" the woman remarked looking at the poor man, causing him to shrink back even more.
Her eyes suddenly alighted on Will and Gareth, the young mage slowly got to his feet, hand gripped tightly on his staff while the warrior grit his teeth and glared back at her. "You there, handsome men, tell me your names and I shall tell you mine."
"Damn witch" Gareth muttered under his breath but was pushed to the side by the mage who walked in front of him.
"You may call me William Amell, former mage of the circle of magi, emphasis on former," he gave her a small smirk, "and current grey warden recruit milady, a pleasure to meet you." he finished with a low flourishing bow. Even the woman seemed taken aback by the courtesy, unable to hide the incredulous look she gave the bowing mage; I couldn't believe the shem, flirting in a place and time like this with a woman like her.
"Now, that is a proper, civil greeting, you may call me Morrigan" she glanced at Gareth, all signs of surprise gone once again, "I didn't catch your name"
"Gareth Cousland" the woman looked at him as if expecting him to go into the same level of detail as the mage, but got nothing but a glare in response.
"Shall I guess your purpose then, wardens, you sought something in that chest, something that is here no longer."
"Here no longer" Alistair said stepping forward to stand beside Will pointing an accusatory finger at the woman, "You stole them didn't you, you're some kind of sneaky witch thief" in retrospect I thought it probably sounded a lot better in his head, if the Templar would only use it, Morrigan picked up on that quickly.
"How very eloquent, tell me, how does one steal from dead men hmmm?"
"Quite easily it seems, those documents are Grey Warden property and I suggest you return them." Finally some words of sense, the woman might be confident but even a powerful mage would have trouble facing six opponents alone.
A look of indignation crossed the woman's pretty features, "I will not for it was not I who removed them, invoke a name that means nothing here no longer if you wish; I am not threatened"
"Then who removed them" I spoke up from the back of the group.
"T'was my mother in fact." The woman said crossing her arms lazily.
"Can you take us to her?"
Her face lit up, "Now there is a sensible request. I like you" she spoke with a small laugh in her lips.
Alistair turned back to me with a concerned look on his face, "I'd be careful if I was you, first it's I like you," he tried to imitate the woman's voice, failing miserably, "and then zap, frog time."
"She'll put us all in a pot she will, just you watch" Daveth said, still with that shaky whimper. Jory just looked at him and sighed "Well if the pots any warmer than this forest it would be a nice change.
"Follow me, then if it pleases you." The woman said finally turning around and beginning her descent down the ridge.
"See, no one fights and we get our treaties." Will said with a bright look on his face, Gareth just walked behind and slapped him across the back of the head before heading after growling something about the mage being a love-struck idiot.
-William Amell-
(Hours Later)
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, Maker preserve me,
It wasn't the most eloquent or polite of thoughts I'd ever had but to be fair I wasn't in such a good mindset at the moment. We'd made it back to the camp a little over an hour ago and met with Duncan where we each gave him our vials of blood as well as the treaties, who he quickly handed off to the elf warden Vera for safe keeping. My thoughts weren't much on the conversation at hand, I was still thinking about Morrigan, the enchanting witch. I had been in the tower for almost my entire life and have seen my fair share of beauties, Rayya had been a looker, I'd made a point to tell her, but Morrigan was on a whole different level. She had taken us to her mother's house, I still couldn't believe that, a house, not a hut or anything, a large house at that in the middle of the Kocari wilds.
Her mother turned out to be a very old woman, hair grayed and stooped with age, her mind however was sharp while she gave us cryptic answers to our many questions. She had given us the treaties, no problem or hassle, and merely told us to warn the wardens that the threat was greater than they realized, she then had Morrigan guide us back to the camp safely avoiding the horde.
I had tried to talk to the woman but she refused to speak more than a few passing words, as soon as we reached the camp she turned around and with a small smile bid farewell and began walking back into the forest. As the others moved toward the camp I turned around to get one last glimpse of her but All I saw behind me was a raven sitting in a low hanging tree, which cawed once before taking flight.
Duncan told us that we were to report to the ruins where I had met Alistair within the hour, that was all he told us before he and Alistair walked off, leaving us to our own devices, Gareth, Daveth, and Jory had moved towards the cook fire for some food, I moved with them intending to join them. Nessa just wandered off towards the kennels a small look of excitement on her face, strange, I thought she had hated dogs.
Now however everything just seemed wrong, we arrived at the ruins just as Duncan instructed. He and Alistair came shortly afterwards, Duncan carrying a small silver chalice with intricate designs scrolling the surface, it was at the same time both enchanting and terrifying. He then informed us we would be drinking the blood we had collected, it was about this time I started really getting chills, now though with Daveth lying dead in a puddle of vomit and blood on the ground and Jory crawling on the ground trying to hold his entrails in.
The man had attacked Duncan after seeing what drinking the cup did to Daveth, saying that he had a wife and would not do something so suicidal, to which Duncan responded with a hushed apology and a blade in the guts. Now he just stood there looking at me covered in Jory's blood a solemn look on his face, the message was clear, turn back or refuse to drink, and you die. I briefly contemplated firing off a quick spell but thought better of it, Alistair was looking right at me with a hard glint in his eye. He was here for me, if I made a move to hurt Duncan I would be drained of my power by the Templar's abilities and dispatched as easily as Jory. I couldn't blame Alistair though, from what he'd told me, Duncan was as good as a second father to him.
"Step forward William, from this point on you are a grey warden"
I just took a short breath and accepted the cup, staring down at the dark substance. "So let it be" I brought the cup to my lips, the taste was horrible and I had to do my best just to avoid spitting it out, the blood burned down my throat, I let out a last gasp and looked around handing the cup back to Duncan. "Huh, I feel fine" and then the pain began, with the last thing I remember is falling to my knees and grabbing my throat, seeing the looks of horror on Nessa and Gareth's faces, that and Mouse's manic laughing in the distant part of my mind.
-Gareth Cousland-
The pain was incredible, darkness surrounded me as I felt myself falling and lurching, screams, howls, and laughter all around me. In the distance I could just make out the form of a large dragon flying through the darkness releasing gouts of corrupted flame, its skin drawn tight and its eyes dead.
I had never been so frightened, suddenly there were dark figures all around me, screaming for my blood and the blood of others, and the song, the seductive but equally disturbing song. It would be a kindness, a privilege, no a blessing to just end it all, to just fade away. Then a sudden change in the laughter caught my attention, I knew who this was, no, NO, I would not die, I would not stop until the owner of that voice was a corpse, until all he was smashed and broken, not until his heart was in my hands. I roared out his name, I would not fall until my family had vengeance.
My eyes opened to an unfamiliar tent but the laughter I could still her it, "HOWE!" The elf tending to me jerked away at the sound of the shout and fell back as I pushed myself up. Heaving breath after breath I looked around, I was in the Grey Warden encampment inside of one of the tents reserved for the wounded. The elf was saying something but I wasn't hearing him.
"Where's Duncan?" I said, voice raspy, she just stared at me dumbstruck.
"Recruit, you just went through an experience I wouldn't wish on anyone, even the worst of your kind." The elf tried to push me back down to the cot but I pushed his hands away and gave his a firm stare.
"Duncan, where is he?" I repeated slowly stressing each word.
"Fine, I'll get him", the elf wandered out of the tent muttering something about the diminishing quality of shem recruits. A minute later he returned, bringing the dark skinned warden commander along with him.
"Ah Gareth, I'm good to see you awake and moving, though I will have to concur with Remus here, you should rest." Duncan said putting his arm on my shoulder.
I pushed it off and got shakily to my feet, "I'll rest when I'm in the ground Duncan, I came with you because of duty and I intend to do it." At this Duncan just shook his head and stood next to me, reaching into his belt. He raised his hand to reveal a small silver amulet with a small dark red jewel, no, an ampoule, containing a very memorable substance. "Is that?"
"This is the warden's oath; it contains a small sample of the blood we drink to become what we are. It represents our new life and those who failed to make it this far." I took the necklace, remembering Jory and Daveth's deaths. "Make sure those that we have lost did not die in vain."
I put on the necklace its weight settling next to my silver leaf, when I suddenly remembered "Nessa, the mage, what about them, are they alive as well"
Duncan moved to leave the tent but stopped with one arm on the flap, he looked around at me, "Nessa and William also survived the joining, though they awoke much earlier than you, both are fine, we were more worried about your condition." He then left me to the ministrations of the other warden.
I looked to him, all I was wearing were leather breeches along with "Remus was it, where are my weapons and armor?" the elf looked at me and sighed, finally seeming to realize he wasn't going to stop me from leaving, now that I looked closer I could see that the elf was dalish like Nessa, though with harsher facial tattoos.
"Your sword and axe are at the arms tent, they will be returned to you by the quartermaster, your armor was barely being held together, dents scratches and plating damage, I'm surprised it held up as well as it had, it was ancient."
"It was my father's, was it truly that bad?"
"We have a dwarven smith who joined the wardens here, he informed us that work had been attempted but it was shoddy shore up work at best and it was a miracle it stayed together with the age he put it at, he is fitting something more suitable for you, you're to pick it up whenever you felt ready to move, which I suppose is now."
"Damn smith, he'd told me he fixed the old set, paid him a good amount too, well it had been good armor and had served me well enough" I thanked the old elfand walked out into the camp.
An hour later I walked out of the armorer's tent in new plate armor, it was similar to what Alistair had been wearing but less bulky, it felt good, and certainly fit better than my previous armor, I was larger than my father and his armor had never fit me very well. I also had my sword slung across my back and the darkspawn alpha's axe at my belt in a new sling. I don't know why I felt compelled to keep the thing but it just seemed too fine a weapon just to leave around, the smith had looked askance at the maker's mark adorning the blade, it was apparently the symbol of house Aeducan, the current royal house of Orzammar. Whoever the blade had belonged to, they had been important.
"Gareth!" I turned to see Will and Nessa moving through the tents in my direction, Drey at their heels, I'd been looking for the dog. As I knelt down to give Drey a scratch on the head, Will gave me a pat on the back.
"By the Maker, I'm glad you're alright." He turned to Nessa who was hanging back watching the both of us. "I told you Nessa, Gareth's too stubborn to let a little thing like poisonous blood take him down, I survived didn't I?"
Nessa just smiled and looked at me with her large green eyes "Thank you Gareth, I'm glad you're alive as well, if you had passed I would have been left alone with this fool shem, you at least have some measure of sense." Will scowled but when he dropped his head I could see he was smiling.
"The core group is still together against all odds, that's what I find important." Will said quietly.
"Core group, what shit are you spouting now mage?" I asked him trying to avoid Drey's tongue.
The mage looked embarrassed and began rubbing the back of his head, one of his nervous habits, "Well you me and Nessa, we came with Duncan together, not to disrespect Daveth and Jory, Maker rest their souls, but you are the comrades I came with and despite our differences we survived and you have to admit we work well together." He looked at me and Nessa hopefully "We three make a good team" To this statement Drey gave an argumentative bark and started growling at the young mage you leapt back and wave his arms, "Okay sorry, sorry Drey, four, the four of us make a good team." The dog nodded its head and went back to harassing me. The mage just looked at him strangely before turning to me again. "You saw that right, I'm not crazy this dog is way too smart"
I just grinned "Smarter then you mage?" to which Nessa just laughed and Will to grin sheepishly.
"Anyway Gareth, we were sent to tell you that Duncan wants us to attend a meeting between himself and the king to discuss the teyrn's new plan." Nessa cut in before the mage could retort. "It's being held as we speak"
"All right lead on" I got up ready to follow these two looking at each in turn, a naïve joking mage and a Dalish elven huntress, core group indeed, though I had to admit, as stupid as it sounded, I liked it all the same.
(Hours Later)
I ducked my head as the tower above us exploded from the force of the flaming projectile, I raised my shield over Nessa's head to block any falling debris, Alistair doing the same for Will, when the dust settled I looked up to scan our surroundings. The battle was in full swing down below in the valley, the screams and howls of dying men and darkspawn alike pierced the night along with the sounds of explosions and the crash of metal on metal as the two sides fought.
"We have to get to the tower, cross the bridge while they reload the siege weapons Alistair yelled leading us in a charge over the bridge overlooking the valley passing crews of men and archers firing arrows, bolts and ballista shots into the horde below.
Our duty was an important one if less dangerous than that of the other wardens, while they joined the king in the vanguard against the darkspawn, myself, Alistair Nessa, and Will were to move to the tower of Ishal, an old crumbling tower that was being had been renovated into a signal tower, we were to oversee the lighting of the torch once the signal was given. When the torch was lit, Teyrn Lohgain and his men would flank the horde in an all-out charge which would cripple their advance and stop their retreat. All in all a good plan, if we could make it without getting killed first.
As we reached the foot of the tower Nessa suddenly grabbed her head as if in pain, I put my arm on her shoulder and shook her, "Nessa what's wrong we need to keep moving"
"The singing, the noise, it's coming from the tower, dozens of voices." She said, a blank look on her face, I just looked at Alistair confused. He had a concerned look on his face looking from Nessa to the tower.
"She's sensing the darkspawn, like all wardens do, though some wardens have a much greater ability to do this than others, they are able to distinguish individual numbers from a much greater distance," He turned back to the elf "Nessa, you're certain you can feel them coming from the tower, not below?"
"No they are definitely on the tower." She responded with a pained look, Alistair swore under his breath.
"If the tower is truly lost then it's our duty to get to the beacon and light it ourselves, without it the battle is hopeless."
-Nessa Mahariel-
I wished I was wrong, I really did, but with how loud the noise was singing in the back of my head I knew it was a childish hope, the darkspawn were in the tower.
I'd almost expected the singing to stop once I had become a grey warden; it had plagued me since I awoke in my keepers tent, the constant sound at the back of my mind. Undertaking the joining however seemed to have only tempered the noise, while at a distance I heard nothing, a blessing I had enjoyed, now that the horde was upon us I could feel each note in my mind, as well as make out the presence of each of the darkspawn calling out to it in response.
As we entered the tower courtyard, all I could hear was screams and yells from inside, I could also make out the shapes of some of the darkspawn attacking the outer guards, the attack had come from within somehow, bypassing the guards and taking the tower by surprise.
Alistair ran ahead and drew his sword pointing at each of us, "Try and support the surviving guards, Will cast support and blow apart any separate darkspawn groups you see" The mage nodded and raised his staff and began chanting under his breath, he then raised his hand and sent a bolt of fire at a pair of darkspawn who were closing in on an injured soldier, blowing them apart in a explosion of heat and burning flesh.
Raising my bow I nocked my arrow and sighted a distant darkspawn which had noticed our presence, entering a state of calm. One quick breath later the creature was falling to the ground an arrow in its neck and my bow was drawn again, it was almost too easy. I thanked the creators for my mentors in the clan and for the newfound awareness, disturbing as it was. As dark as it was with only torches to provide light, I could still accurately place each darkspawn exactly, it was simply a matter of placing an arrow in them.
Gareth and Alistair were off on the far side of the courtyard facing off against three large darkspawn. Alistair dispatched his opponent with a stab to the gut while Gareth slammed the side of his shield into another's face, turning quickly to block an incoming swing. He knocked the creature off its feet while it was unbalanced and brought his sword down to silence its screams. As we dispatched the last darkspawn, we made a note of the survivors, most of whom were either too heavily injured or frightened to assist us any further. As we made our way through the tower we encountered heavy resistance from the darkspwn, from the looks of things the horde had splintered, sending this group in through a system of caves the ran underneath the tower, from there it was a simple matter of breaking through into the basements and attacking the tower proper.
"I don't understand, there wasn't supposed to be any resistance here." Alistair said sounding somewhat panicked as we moved through the levels.
"You were complaining to Duncan about not being in the battle earlier, weren't you?" Gareth responded, leaning against a stone arch taking a quick breath and stretching his sword arm. The mage wasn't much better, having been forced to use his spells against multiple groups of darkspawn.
The gore left behind wasn't helping matters, the mage alone had already taken much of my herbal supply, and the carnage had been brutal around the soldier's quarters and still looked somewhat pale. I wasn't doing so well myself, if this is what a large number of darkspawn could do, I shuddered to think at what the whole horde running unchecked might do.
"Yeah, you're right; I guess there is a silver lining to this after all." Alistair stated with a laugh, by the creators the shem made for a decent leader in battle but his humor left much to be desired. Either wants to fight, or don't, choose one.
We were forced to clear the tower floors as we moved along but with Will's magic and a bit of patient thinking we managed to move ahead without much difficulty until we reached a large door which Alistair bolted through quickly.
"This should be the top floor; we've surely missed the signal, lets…" The Templar stopped dead in his tracks looking straight ahead. Gareth bowled into him with a quick curse and rounded on him.
"What's wrong!? Light the damn… Oh shit" he said turning wide eyed to see what we were all looking at.
-END
A/N: I just recently hit over 1000 views, honestly I thought I'd be lucky if 10 people read what I wrote, thank you to everyone who has dropped a favorite, given a review, and who just took time out of your day to read and follow the story. Thank you all so much. With classes going on right now it's getting harder to find time to get these down but you all motivate me to keep it going.
