It took the group a good two weeks to reach the entrance to the deep roads that Surana thought would lead them to the right thaig, Kolt had still not made his attempt to run and the others were getting along rather well. Jana, Dan and Henselt were outright friendly by now, sharing war stories and bonding over the life of being a warrior.
Neva often sat by them even though she seldom spoke. Surana could see the longing in her eyes, she was missing her clan, and she was still suspicious of the shems. Kolt had tried to talk to the others about his life, but they did not find his stories of burglary and murder as entertaining as he did.
The sun was beginning its decent when they reached the downtrodden ancient gate that led down to the Deep Roads, making the mountain glow in an ominous red shade.
Surana swigged his potion of elfroot, crystal grace and Prohet's Laurel which now had become a daily routine for him as it kept the sickness at bay at least temporary. He saw Neva eye him as he did, as well as Dan and Henselt, but they did not question it. They all had grown a bit wary of their commander after they had seen him change in to a variety of animals during the weeks they had travelled together, and been fed Oghrens quite intimidating stories about him.
"We will go down tomorrow," the Warden-Commander declared and investigated the gate for a moment "I don't think we will have any trouble getting this thing open, Oghren, any insights?"
"I'm not a bloody smith," the dwarf belched from the campfire he had just set up "If it won't open we will break it down,"
"I guess so..." Surana mumbled leaning his head against the door.
He could feel them down there, scattering around. The song felt closer, nearer.
"You will have a task down there," he said interrupting his own thoughts by turning to his recruits "I want you to get five vials of darkspawn blood, and bring them back to me,"
"You are not coming with us?" Dan asked with a raised eyebrow
"Not first thing tomorrow, Oghren will accompany you. I need to gather some things in the forest so Zevran and I will do that. I am confident that you will return though,"
The recruits glanced at the big doors with hesitation in there eyes and Jana sneered;
"What is this? A test?"
"Yes," Surana replied simply "A part of you initiation. What good will you do as Wardens if you can't slay five darkspawn together with the help of one of our senior Wardens?"
"But blood?" the warrior asked eyeing him with suspicion "Is there blood magic involved?"
Surana groaned and glared at them all;
"Okay. First lesson of the Wardens; We do anything to keep the world safe from the Blights. There are blood mages within the Wardens, because blood magic is not inherently evil as the Chantry teaches. It grants more power and thus is more dangerous to use for the unwitting mage, but if one is well-versed in the dangers and does not do idiotic things it is no more a threat then lyrium,"
"Are you a blood mage?" Neva asked, with a shiver in her otherwise so proud voice.
"Yes," Surana sighed "Yes I am. And before any of you try to strike me down in some sort of righteous frenzy, I have fought my share of seasoned templars through out my days so if you attack me I will strike you down before you even notice. Understood?"
A nervous and unsure 'Yes, sir' came from all the warriors, Neva simply nodded and Kolt looked like he had seen a platoon of demons appear behind Surana.
He rolled his eyes at their superstitions and went into the surrounding woods in search of more crystal grace. Zevran and Oghren knew him well enough to see that Faeron needed some alone time, so they stayed back trying to calm down the panicked recruits.
The forest was calm, and the sounds of dusk flew through the air. Surana took a deep breath when he was far enough from camp to not hear them as more then muffled noises. How he wished he could have done this on his own.
This was the situation though, so he was not going to linger of what could had been. Staying close to the ground he started to search the forest for herbs, mostly Crystal grace for his potion but also other herbs that could be of use for them in the coming days. Elfroot grew in many places after all, but not in the deep roads.
He enjoyed the woods, to feel the grass against his skin and hearing the soft sounds of animals running through the tree crowns above him or bushes around him. He and Morrigan often chased each other through the woods or played hide and seek with Keiran in the wilderness during their time together. It was not as safe as the crossroads had been, nor as reclusive, but this was the next best thing he thought.
He could completely relate to his dead mother-in-law and why she had chosen to settle deep into the Korcari wilds.
Just as he had sat eyes upon a nice bundle of crystal grace the peace of the forest was broken. He scuffed for a moment, recognizing the sound of fighting immediately and then drew closer to the sounds to see what it was that was disturbing his peace.
After all, maybe it was one of his recruits that had come after him and would be in need of rescue.
That was not the case. Before him he saw another mage, an elf but seemingly no Dalish, bringing down a bear. Surana felt instinctively uneasy as he watched the mage fight, his technique was not that of a circle mage. He looked more natural, but much more graceful then any Dalish keeper he had seen.
Surana didn't like this mage. Not at all. Every fibre of his being told him that the bald elf was not to be trusted.
He prepared to leave as it was clear that the bear would be at the losing end of the battle, but as he turned around and he could hear the bear fall to the ground the other elf spoke;
"I can feel you, so come forth spirit, I mean you know harm,"
Spirit? Surana knew the words were directed to him, and he scoffed as he took a step out of the bushes glaring at the mage making it clear for him to keep his distance.
"Spirit? I've been called many things in my days, but that one was new. I seek no quarrel with you, mage, I'm just looking for some herbs,"
The mage looked like he had seen a ghost. Surana could not recall ever having fought nor threatened the elf before, but then again... there were so many people that had been offended or scared of him over the years. Maybe he had just forgotten this one? He did after all seem familiar.
"You," the elf gasped and Surana felt him pull at the fade which made it easy for him to raise a shield against the bolts of ice that came his way.
"I will give you that one without reciprocations," he muttered "Since you clearly are panicked for a reason I do not know. What are you doing here alone, mage? And how do I know you?"
The elf seemed to regain his composure and raised his hand in an apologetic gesture.
"I am sorry, Warden, I mistook you for somebody else. I am just making my way back home, and then this bear attacked me,"
"Bears rarely attack without provocation," Surana noted and stepped closer, examining the bear "And there is no village nor cottage nearby. Who are you?"
"I'm Solas," the elf said and Surana fought to keep his laughter to himself.
"Solas? Well... I guess that explains why you travel these lands alone,"
"And who are you?" Solas asked ignoring the glaring insult he had just been dealt.
"A Warden," the Warden replied glancing up at the elf next to him "Just picking some herbs for my troops while they prepare the camp,"
"Indeed," Solas said clearly not believing Suranas words "And why were you sneaking around in the bushes?"
"Well, I heard the fighting and when I saw that you would be fine on your own I simply was about to go away,"
"Very helpful I see,"
The sarcasm was so thick one could put it on toast.
"But then I got intrigued when you mistook me for a spirit. Not many mages converse with spirits as if they were of flesh and blood,"
"Many mages do not understand the nature of spirits," Solas replied with an icy tone
"Do you?" Surana asked burrowing his eyes in the mage, unsure of why he felt such a deep disdain for the mage.
"Better then most. The Veil is thin around you, Warden. Do you claim to understand the nature of Spirits?"
"Better then most," Surana echoed and got an annoyed glare from the other elf.
A bit like an old man glaring at a child claiming to understand the world. Surana did not appreciate the look at all.
"I heard the Wardens had gone missing. The Inquisitor is looking for them," the mage then said, watching Surana a bit like a wolf watches a rabbit "Maybe you should come with me, let me introduce him to you?"
"I don't have the time to go curtsying for Inquisitors," Surana replied with that aloof cool that had frustrated both royalty and clergy for years "I'm doing important things,"
"Saving the world is not important?" Solas asked scowling at him
"I am saving the world, hence not having time for Chantry politics. I've heard about this rebel Inquisition and its Herald of Andraste. I am not impressed," Surana shrugged and started to turn away.
The elf was boring, and he had to get back to the others.
"Few things do impress someone like you," he heard the elf mutter "As stubborn and blind for the world as always... well..."
Surana knew what was coming, he could not quit explain it with anything else but the routine he had of people trying to kill him as soon as he turned his back.
There was that slight pull in the veil, like the faint hiss of a snake in the grass and within a second he had dodged a flare of pure magic.
He knew then that this was not some ordinary apostate. No mage he had ever fought had been able to just pull things that pure out of the Fade.
The elfs face was contorted into the grimace of a predator.
"So you finally show your true self, the predator," Surana said in a low voice.
His soul was burning with an anger and hatred he could not place. It probably was the adrenaline of facing a foe greater then any he had struck down since the Blight, what else could it be?
The so-called elf said nothing, he just started circulating, waiting for an opening. Waiting for Surana to make a mistake.
Surana did nothing, he simply stood where he stood and followed this Solas with his gaze. He could feel the veil crackle with energy when Solas came closer and prepared himself for demons. It was impossible for any mage, even himself, to possess such control over the fade.
This wasn't an elf. He was something else. Probably a demon, possessing an elf.
A demon named Solas. It was unusual for them to have such an evolved sense of humour.
"I'm not going to give in to you," he said meeting Solas eyes with a stern gaze "I know who and what you are, Solas, but I'm not giving in to you nor your intimidation. This is my world, not yours. Be gone,"
It was a simple thing, the oldest purest form of magic. Words. He filled everyone with the intention of banishing the demon before him, saturating them with magic. Then with that simple phrase at the end he released them into the world. Forming it after his will. Solas got wide-eyed and stumbled, but he did not disappear as planned. The body still stood there, even though his power felt greatly diminished.
"What did you do?!" the bald elf barked "How..? You can not! You are mortal!"
Surana smirked. Oh how he loved when they panicked, even though he was just as surprised as his opponent over the results.
"You can thank me some other day. Now I probably should kill you, but the demon seems to be gone. Usually the host body die when I do that, but you live it seems. Well... I can't have everything I guess,"
Solas stared at him as if he was a maniac, an all to common reaction, and snarled;
"You don't even know what powers you dip into. Oh the arrogance! You are the embodiment of elfish arrogance!"
"Warden-Commander! Warden-Commander! Are you all right!? We saw a bright flash!"
It was Dan and Henselt coming charging out of the wood works, shortly followed by Jana and Oghren.
"I'm fine," Surana replied and turned to them "Just an angry apostate and a demon, I guess we found something to use as a lesson on when mages go bad,"
"Eh... boss..." Oghren looked confused as he searched the clearing with his gaze "Not if you disintegrated that mage or demon,"
"What are you talking about? He is.." Surana turned back to point at the elf and felt a flash of rage when the elf was nowhere to be seen "He escaped... Of all the blighted things in this world.. how?! I drained his magic! He was..!"
"It's fine, sir," Henselt said with a trembling voice "Maybe we can take that lesson just... as a theoretical thing?"
"Yeah.." Dan mumbled "I really don't feel like I need to see an abomination up close right this second,"
"And that is the attitude that will get you killed," Surana sighed "Always take the chance to study an enemy if has been brought to its knees. It will help you find its weak spots without having to fight it at its full strength,"
"Sure but..."
"And stop being so terribly afraid of magic, it is as natural as poison,"
He grabbed the bundle of crystal grace he had come for and stomped back to the camp, utterly outraged about that Solas escaping.