Duncan and Alistair did leave and Darrian was alone with his thoughts. He walked unsteadily next to stone table and sit on the stone next to it. Wind blown inside the temple, cooling his skin and did make him feel little better.

He put his head on his hands and let breath out, he had survived from the joining, he was now a Grey Warden. But price of it was higher then he had expected.

Pain had been horrible, was the pain that strike him unconscious, Darrian was not sure. Was it he pain that had killed Daveth or was it corruption. Darrian had seen in the sick-tent what do happen those that had been corrupted, they would die with pain and delusions. If they were lucky, if not then they would rise as a ghouls and attacked everyone.

Taste of it did hang heavily in his mouth. Darrian had drink blood before, but it was always been animal blood from the butcher, as an elf you could not be picky about your food.

Pain was something that prepare if you know what was coming. But the power the blood of darkspawns was something what against Darrian could not prepare.

Darrian swallowed, strong taste of tainted blood and hint of pain. That moment illness strike him again, he barely manages to turn and take few steps sideways, when he drop on his knees and throw up.

For a moment he thought he was about the die, he felt like his guts were on fire and everything was coming out. His body tried to get taint and poison out of him, but it was too late. Soon worst of it was over, some time Darrian just was there gasping his breath and tried to keep pain away. Then finally it eased and he did started to feel himself getting better.

He had vomit just black blood and he had taken just a sip from the chalice and there seem to be lot of it in the ground. Taint did sure spread quickly, Darrin could almost feel it. After a while weakness did pass and Darrian did stand up.

Darrin looked his hand, glass amulet the one that Alistair had give him, it was still there. Darrian looked the blood inside it for a long moment.

Now the corruption is inside me. How many had drink blood before me and have failed.

He put the amulet around his neck, turned and walked out of the temple.

He walked outside next to temple, near the scarp, it had once been grand balcony. There was great pyre there, Darrian walked next to it. He was alone he could her noises coming from the tents behind the temple. Pyre did burn brightly and it warm the air. It was beautiful night. Then he noticed two figure inside the pyre. Daveth and Ser Jory, it was their funeral pyre and almoust his too.

Once again coldness creep in him, but it was not cold air. Davet had drink fromt the chalice it had cost his life. Ser Jory had been horrified and refused to drink and tried to back away. It had made Duncan to kill him, Darrian had been stunned what had happen, he had stared both of they corpses when they had died.

Then it had been his turn, what was his choices. Duncan had saved him from torture and death in the hands of the guards. He had also speak with the king so no other elves would not be punished, for his crimes in Arl's palace. He could have beaten Alistair in combat, but both he Duncan, he would have lost. Where he would have run, he was just alone elf far from his kind and friends outside the alienage.

"Your consider yourself a dead." That you said to Duncan, now your words a put the test and you hesitate. Duncan saved you and perhaps rest of the alieanage when he talked to king. Now drink it you coward.

He did not let him self think anymore, then chalice was in his hand and he forced himself to take a sip.

Darrian looked the flames.

"I am sorry that you died, hope you find you peace."

Her remembered how some in the alienage did speak that dead were only one who had peace and rest.

My life is now fighting against darkspawn and blight, that Duncan had said.

Darkspawn were certainly a monsters from the darkest tales. His parents had said that monsters do exit, though his mother had said that some of them had shemlen faces or elven. Vaughen had proven that true. His father had tell some tales too, real monsters dragons and so on. And what he had now heard big dragon was leading darkspawn.

Then he remember the flashes of images he had seen and sound during the joining, thought mostly he had noticed the pain. But now when he started to think clearly there were something else too. Alistair and Duncan said he would start to see nightmares, that was not something to wait.

For a while Darrian just stand there thinking what had happened during last few weeks. His life had ended in the alienage, all he know was gone. He had talked with the king, deed what he could not believe. Things what he had done to save his family and what he had lost.

Don't stay here feeling sorry for yourself, Duncan expects better from you. In alienage your life did not improve when we pitted ourselves. You have show those shemlens that there is strength in elven people. My father told me to be strong and wise.

Darrian did straighten up, he still had time before he had to go in the meeting. Meantime he could check about the mabari in the kennel. If kennel master was correct, medicine what he had brought from the wilds should help it.

Perhaps I am not only one that had survived.