Alistair woke up before dawn, his stomach in painful knots. He didn't want to admit it, but he was perhaps more nervous than the recruits. It was his first time leading a party and he was filled with doubt about his abilities. He checked his shield and armor for holes and then went about sharpening his sword. The sound seemed to awaken everyone else, Temene the last to stumble out of the tent bleary-eyed.
"Here, sit," he offered her the smooth stump he was sitting on after she'd ladled out some breakfast for herself.
He felt too nervous to eat, especially now that she was awake. When he looked at her, he felt an excited little tickle in his stomach, and something deeper, hidden away in the loins. The Chantry had tried its best to stifle those feelings, but now that he was a Warden, they'd come rushing back. The stories the other wardens told around the fire had sent his imagination running wild.
"Almost ready to head out," Duncan clapped him on the shoulder, startling him.
"Yes, I think so," Alistair squeaked.
"I have every confidence in you," Duncan smiled, seeing where Alistair's eyes lingered. "Just don't get distracted."
"Of course not," Alistair gaped as Temene licked a wayward bit of honey off her spoon.
After everyone had finished breakfast, Alistair led them towards the south gates that led to the wilds. The morning light was dimmed by a thick layer of clouds and Alistair hoped they wouldn't get rained on.
"Has anyone else fought darkspawn before?" Jory asked nervously as they passed under the portcullis.
"Not my area of specialty," Daveth replied, looking over at Temene.
"No," Temene shook her head.
"Don't worry. They die like anything else. Just keep your wits about you," Alistair tried to reassure them.
They headed out across the rolling hills towards the southeastern lands, where the ancient Grey Warden outpost was located. A fetid odor began to swirl through the wind as they continued on and worsened each step that they took.
"What is that smell?" Jory asked, scrunching his nose.
"It smells like death," Daveth replied.
Continuing on, they soon traced the smell to the remnants of a fight, blood and corpses littering the ground.
"They must have been scouts from the army," Daveth looked down at the Ferelden crests on their hauberks.
"What killed them?" Jory asked nervously.
"Darkspawn," Alistair replied, seeing the telltale signs of corruption on the body.
Temene covered her mouth, running to a nearby bush, ready to retch. The sight of the mangled bodies was too much for her. As she bent over to vomit up her breakfast, she heard a low voice croak from the underbrush. She shrieked slightly and nearly ran into Alistair as he rushed heroically to her side.
"Are you alright? What's the matter?" he asked.
"There's someone alive under there," she tried to keep herself from vomiting on him.
"Who goes there? What happened here?" Alistair asked, pushing the bush aside.
The man hidden underneath was badly bloodied and pale. "My scouting party was attacked by darkspawn. I managed to crawl in here as they were hanging the bodies. It was horrible. The horde is closer than expected."
"He's badly wounded," Daveth noted as he and Jory helped him from the bush.
"Here, allow me," Temene tried to compose herself.
She knelt and laid her hands close to the wound on the man's side. White healing wisps emanated from her palms and knitted the man's flesh back together.
"That will staunch the bleeding, at least. I should have a draught to manage the pain," she reached into the small pouch on her belt.
"Maker bless you," the man tried to smile.
"We'll help you back to camp," Alistair insisted as the man managed to his feet.
"No, it is not far. You're Wardens, I know you have business elsewhere."
Daveth and Jory helped the man back to the path, while Alistair looked ahead, searching for any signs of darkspawn. He could sense them somewhere, but was unable to pinpoint their location. Temene sat on her heels, looking paler than she had been previous.
"Are you going to be alright?" he asked, kneeling next to her. "You saved that man's life."
"I'm just not used to anything like this," she shook her head.
"How about some water?" he held his water skin towards her.
"Thank you," she smiled and took a small drink from it.
He helped her up and they continued on when Jory and Daveth returned. It was not long before they came upon a small pack of darkspawn. Before they could even engage them, Temene knocked them down with an enormous fireball from her staff.
"Was that too much?" she asked, looking nervously at Alistair.
"No, that was perfect," he grinned. "But it will be hard to get blood out of them. We'll handle the next batch."
It wasn't long before they found another pack of stragglers that were easily cut down by the three warriors. Alistair collected enough blood from the bodies to fill three vials and stored them in his small pack.
"Did you expect this many?" Daveth asked, after they had killed yet another pack of wandering darkspawn.
"Not really, but we should be fine," Alistair lied. He may have been a newest warden, but he could still sense the horde growing closer and wanted to return to Duncan as soon as possible.
They walked through the late afternoon, until the ruined Grey Warden tower came into view. The foundation was intact, but the rest of the tower was little more than piles of stones. It looked to Alistair that their search would be fruitless.
"Looking for something," a voice called from above them as they dug around a pile of rubble.
"Wha-?" Alistair wiped sweat from his brow.
"Huh, a Witch of the Wilds," Jory squeaked as feather-clad woman appeared above them.
"Who are you, what are you doing in this tower?" Alistair tried his best to sound authoritative.
"Tis a tower no longer," the dark-haired woman smiled, looking them over. "And who I am is not your concern. I imagine your concern is for the Grey Warden treaties that were left here long ago."
"Where have you taken them?" Alistair demanded.
"I took them nowhere," the woman smirked. "Twas my mother that took them. The magic that protected them wore off long ago and she was kind enough not to let them fall into the wrong hands."
"Then you must take us to your mother so we can retrieve them."
"No! They're witches. I don't want to go anywhere with them! They'll turn us into toads!" Jory protested quietly.
"Shut up, Jory," Daveth chastised him.
"You are awfully silent," the woman looked at Temene. "Are you these men's mute servant? Do you not fear I will turn you into a mouse?"
"I am no one's servant," Temene glared at the woman. "And even if you are a witch, no spell exist to change the shape of an unwilling body."
"So many believe," the woman laughed. "Come, I will take you to my mother. I give you my word no harm will come to you."
The party reluctantly followed the woman, Morrigan, further into the wilds. Alistair grew more nervous as the sun began to sink, but did not voice his concerns to the rest of the party. They finally reached a small hut that leaned against a crumbling stone tower. A wizened old woman stood by a small fire, tending a large pot.
"Our visitors have finally arrived," the old woman called to Morrigan.
"You don't expect us to believe that you knew we were coming?" Daveth asked, with slight fear in his voice.
"And if I did, would it make you any less terrified of me?" the woman cackled.
"We have come for the treaties you have stolen," Alistair interjected.
"Stolen? I merely held onto them. After all, something so important shouldn't be left to rot in a tower, am I right?"
"It was, yes, I suppose so," Alistair sulked. The old woman pulled a stack of folded papers out of her apron and held them out to Alistair.
"Take them and unite the land under your banner. This Blight is worse than your betters could imagine."
"What does that mean?" Jory asked nervously.
"It means good wardens are needed now more than ever before," she replied.
"Thank you, whoever you are," Alistair replied suspiciously, taking the treaties from her.
"You can call me Flemeth if you must. Morrigan shall escort you out of the wilds, you wouldn't want to be caught out here at night," she cackled again, returning to her stew pot.
The party eagerly left the strange old woman and followed Morrigan back towards Ostagar. The path she took was unfamiliar, but got them back faster than the way they had come. She disappeared shortly after the gates to the fortress appeared in the distance.
"I think they were apostates," Alistair remarked as they continued toward the gates. "I have half a mind to send some templars out to capture them."
"Something tells me they would not easily be found," Temene frowned.