The Beginning of The End

The next morning Riley awoke in a strange room. Her head was splitting as she attempted to sit up in the bed she was lying in. Rubbing her temples she had hoped that that would help ease the pain. She drew in a deep breath trying to regain her composure when she heard a door open. She snapped her head up instantly regretting her decision.

"You're awake. Good. Mother would like to see you," Morrigan, the woman from a few days ago spoke.

"What? How did I get here?" Riley asked trying to push back the migraine that was wishing to take over.

"My mother, of course. She flew you and your warden friend in here last night from the tower. Along with a boy and his mutt who were running in the forest in an attempt to evade the darkspawn horde that surprised everyone at your camp last night."

"Jaegan? He's okay?"

"Yes. Very well, in fact."

"I need to see him," Riley instantly jumped to her feet throwing her shirt and pants back on and completely forgetting about her boots that were at the end of the bed.

Morrigan turned to remind her but she was already out the door. She shrugged her shoulders and followed suit figuring that the girl could grab her boots later. She wasn't going to do her dirty work.

"Riley!" Jaegan shouted running right into her arms. Riley fell to her knees tightly embracing Jaegan as if it was the last moment she would get to see him. She sighed into his shoulder as she felt relief wash over her body knowing that he was safe.

"I was so worried about you last night. How did you escape without even a scratch on your body?" Riley prodded looking over Jaegan for any scrapes or bruises.

"Yevvan and I slipped out the back of the tent because we heard the fighting getting closer. We didn't want to be there when the darkspawn approached. Those things are really scary!"

She smiled at him and ruffled his hair before standing up to see that Alistair was staring at the lake water. She waved to Jaegan who ran back to Yevvan. She made her way over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He glanced at her not realizing who it was and then shock overcame his expression. He immediately pulled her into a tight hug and not letting go. Riley confusedly hugged him back.

"I—I'm sorry, I'm just really glad that you're alive. None of the other Grey Wardens made it out of the battle yesterday," Alistair looked to the ground with an expressionless face, "not a single one of them."

"What about Duncan?" she softly asked feeling her heart drop into her stomach.

"No. He—he didn't make it either. The king perished on the battlefield as well. That damn Loghain withdrew his men just as the battle was starting. The bastard of a man just— he just…" Alistair heated up but slowly his flame diminished at the thought of all of his friends who became family that he had just lost that night.

Riley was speechless. She had no idea what to think or feel. These people that Alistair thought of as family all died in the most horrible of ways. Betrayed by someone who they thought of as their friend. There was no way for her to even come close to understanding how he was feeling right now. She had no family to speak of that would care for her the way that she was sure Duncan and the other men and women cared for him in the order.

"I'm so sorry Alistair. Is there anything that I can do? Can I help in any way?" she asked resting a hand gingerly on his shoulder.

"No, not really. I'm just going to have to find a way to deal with this. We've got a world to save now, don't we?"

"I—I guess you're right about that. We are the only Grey Wardens left."

"You guys have a world to save," Flemeth said as she approached the two, "and I wish that there was something that I could do to assist you in your efforts, but alas I have nothing to offer."

"You've done enough, Flemeth. You save Alistair, Jaegan and I. We are more grateful to you than you will ever know."

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong. The both of you have an important mission to be on and you're going to need all of the help you can get," Flemeth spoke handing the treaties over to the wardens, "you're going to need these if you're going to be able to muster up an army big enough to assist you in this coming war. Morrigan will be accompanying you along your journey as well, if you'll take her?"

"Mother?!" Morrigan shouted in displeasure, "do I have no say in what I desire to do with my life?"

"Morrigan they will need you when the time is right. For now venture with them and ensure that the wardens are able to fulfill their duties if they'll have you."

"No, no way," Alistair immediately responds, "you can't be serious?"

"I think that we'd love to have you along Morrigan," Riley grinned as she slightly kicked Alistair in the side of his leg.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"Right now we need all of the people that we can get, and Morrigan is a powerful mage who will definitely come in handy when dealing with enemies."

"Alright, alright. Have it your way."

"Great, let's get a head start before the horde catches up to us. Don't want the darkspawn to kill us all before we can save the world, amiright?"

"I guess this is where we say goodbye mother. I will see you again once this is all over," Morrigan stood tall in an attempt to hide her feelings of sadness of leaving the home that she had known for majority of her life.

With that the four of them make their way in the direction of the closest village to gather supplies and gather info on what has been going on in the outside world after their battle at Ostagar. The two wardens were nervous as to what may happen knowing that the one who betrayed their king and the grey wardens in their dire time of need was telling the world to cover his behind. For all they know any grey warden could be deemed a traitor in the land of Ferelden.