Chapter 10
Duncan woke her before dawn the next morning. Elias sat up and broke her fast on hard, day-old bread and dried meat before hoisting her aching body up and helping her Warden companion break camp. They were on the road again as the sun shimmered over the horizon and greeted them with its cheerful cherry rays. The young mage silently cursed them and told them to keep their good mood to themselves.
They traveled without speaking for several hours, which suited Elias just fine, as her foremost concern was putting one foot in front of the other. Her legs were sore and tired from a week's traveling, but even so, she knew it wouldn't look good for her to trip on an exposed root or fall headlong into a tree, despite how nice it might be to remain unconscious for a little while. Duncan was patient with her when she lagged behind, and as they drew closer and closer to their destination, Elias became more and more comfortable with the idea of this man leading her into battle.
They reached Ostagar around midday, just as Duncan had predicted. He hadn't been exaggerating; Ostagar was definitely a ruin in the most literal sense of the word. What had once probably been a proud, strong outpost of impenetrable stone was now a broken-down mess of cracked, moss-covered boulders and wind-weathered walls. The parts that were still standing appeared to offer some, if not complete, shelter from the elements, and one building, a tower in the distance a good deal smaller than the Circle tower, appeared to be entirely intact.
From this distance, Elias could see that nearly the entire space inside the ruins was packed with people, running to and fro about their business. Tents of varying sizes were pitched so close together that a single body could barely fit between them; numerous campfires littered the landscape, some still smoldering but most recently extinguished, sending the last remnants of their smoke trails curling skyward and away into the sunshine.
As they drew nearer, the young mage began to catch snippets of sound: men calling to one another, the clank of metal, the howling of war hounds as they anticipated their next meal or paced their kennels in boredom. Elias felt her breath catch as they neared the great wooden gates that separated the ruins from the rest of the world; she had never seen so many people before.
Two guards clad in grimy silver armor stood watch at the entrance, milling about and looking somewhat bored. When they approached, the young woman expected to be stopped, but both merely nodded deferentially when she and Duncan passed, allowing them through without question. Elias was impressed. Apparently they recognize him, she thought to herself, feeling slightly dizzy with nerves.
"So . . . are there other Wardens here?" Elias asked Duncan, trying to keep her mind off of all the overwhelming sights and sounds that were assailing her senses and making her giddy.
"There are only a few Grey Wardens within Ferelden at the moment," Duncan responded, walking purposefully through the heart of tents and soldiers, "but all of them are here."
"Not too many other concerns that outweigh this one at the moment, I take it?"
"This Blight must be stopped, here and now," Duncan told her heavily, making Elias feel slightly guilty for making light of the situation. "If it spreads to the north, Ferelden will fall."
"Ho there, Duncan!"
Duncan stopped short as a young man clad in shining plate mail sprinted up to him, grinning madly and accompanied by several others, all looking slightly less enthusiastic. Their leader was tall, blonde, and handsome: straight shoulder-length hair fell down gracefully around his angular, masculine face. Stubble littered his chin, but instead of making him look haggard, it only seemed to add to his allure. His stately armor was an attractive golden color, probably costing more than most people could earn in a year and, despite being rather bulky, it did not at all hide the fact that the young man was fit and muscular. The mage did not doubt for a second that he was capable of picking her up with one arm and throwing her over his shoulder without missing a beat.
Smiling, her companion stepped forward to clasp hands warmly with the younger man. "King Cailan! I didn't expect a—"
"A royal welcome?" the King asked, smiling roguishly. "I was beginning to worry you'd miss all the fun."
Elias managed to restrain herself from gaping in shock, eyes bugging from their sockets as if she were choking. He's the King! Her mind screamed, flabbergasted. I'm outside of the Circle tower barely a week and I meet the King!
"Not if can help it, your majesty," Duncan was responding, smirking.
"Then I'll have the mighty Duncan at my side after all. Glorious," the King said, immensely pleased as he turned to glance about him at the hustle and bustle of his army.
And now the man turned and his glance fell on Elias. The young mage gazed back steadily, taking several calming breaths in what she hoped was an offhand way. "The other Wardens told me you had found a promising new recruit," Cailan said, nodding toward Elias. "I take it this is she?"
"Allow me to introduce you, your majesty—" Duncan began, but King Cailan interrupted him once more.
"There's no need to be so formal, Duncan," he said with a shake of his head. "We'll be shedding blood together, after all." He closed the small gap between himself and Elias and gave her another of his winning smiles. "Ho there, friend. Might I know your name?"
She returned his smile, hoping she appeared deferential but warm. "I am Elias, your majesty."
"Pleased to meet you. The Grey Wardens are desperate to bolster their numbers," he mentioned with an approving glance in Duncan's direction. "And I, for one, am glad to help them.
Cailan ran one gauntleted hand through his blonde locks and continued. "I understand you hail from the Circle of Magi. I trust you have some spells to help us in the coming battle?"
"I will do my best, your majesty," Elias promised him, unsure how to answer without sounding either weak or arrogant.
"Excellent," the King said enthusiastically. "We have too few mages here. Another is always welcome. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to Ostagar. The Wardens will benefit greatly with you in their ranks."
"You are too kind, your majesty."
"I'm sorry to cut this short," the young king said, glancing between Duncan and Elias regretfully, "but I should return to my tent. Loghain waits eagerly to bore me with his strategies." He rolled his eyes skyward, and Elias stopped herself from laughing at the last moment.
"Your uncle sends his greeting, and reminds you that Redcliffe forces could be here in less than a week," Duncan told the King suddenly, sounding as if this were a point that the two men had exchanged words about before.
"Hah!" Cailan scoffed with a chuckle. "Eamon just wants in on the glory. We've won three battles against these monsters, and tomorrow should be no different."
"I didn't realize things were going so well," Elias voiced, hoping that she wasn't being rude by speaking out of turn.
"I'm not even sure this is a true Blight," Cailan said, frowning. "There are plenty of darkspawn on the field, but alas, we've seen no sign of an Archdemon."
"Disappointed, your majesty?" Duncan asked, mildly amused.
"I had hoped for a war like in the tales!" Cailan answered, his face lit with boyish enthusiasm. "A King riding with the fabled Grey Wardens against a tainted God . . .! But I suppose this will have to do . . ."
King Cailan walked several paces forward, and then turned around to address them a final time before taking his leave. "But I must go before Loghain sends out a search party. Farewell, Grey Wardens."
Elias and Duncan stood and watched him go, shoulders squared and hair wafting in the cool breeze, and the young mage felt very much like this man was a hero out of legend. Handsome, kind, and charming, he had ensured that the lonely young woman would love him and fight for him in only one conversation. And it was quite possible that he had done it entirely on accident.
"What the King said is true," Duncan told her as soon as the King was out of earshot. "They've won several battles against the darkspawn here."
"Yet you don't sound very reassured," Elias pointed out with a half-smile.
Duncan gestured politely to their right, indicating that the young woman should begin walking down the path the King had just vacated. Elias inclined her head in thanks and began to walk, keeping her pace measured to match the other Warden's.
"Despite the victories so far, the darkspawn horde grows larger with each passing day," Duncan told her as they walked along, Elias focusing on the older man's face instead of all the sights and sounds her wandering mind was crying out for her to pay attention to. "By now, they look to outnumber us. I know there is an Archdemon behind it. But I cannot ask the King to act solely on my judgement."
"Why not?" Elias asked, unaware how innocent she sounded. "He seems to regard the Grey Wardens highly."
"Yet not enough to wait for reinforcements from the Grey Wardens of Orlais," Duncan reminded her. "He believes our legend alone makes him invulnerable. Our numbers in Ferelden are too few. We must do what we can, and look to Teryn Loghain to make up the difference. To that end," he said, giving the girl a significant look, "we should proceed with the Joining ritual without delay."
Joining ritual? Elias mind repeated in surprise and alarm. What ritual? Why didn't he ever mention this before?
"What do you mean? What ritual?" she asked, deciding that she trusted the Warden enough to voice a bit of her apprehension.
"Every recruit must go through a secret ritual we call 'The Joining' in order to become a Grey Warden. The ritual is brief, but some preparation is required. We must begin soon."
Wonderful. "What do you . . . need me to do?" Elias asked, hoping she didn't sound as apprehensive as she felt.
"Feel free to explore the camp here as you wish. All I ask is that you do not leave it for the time being." The young woman nodded, trying not to smile. She was a mage, and obviously so; she had a sneaking suspicion that if she tried to leave, someone would decide that she was an apostate and haul her back, bound and gagged.
"There is another Grey Warden in the camp by the name of Alistair," Duncan continued as Elias drove the dark thoughts she had been entertaining out of her head. "When you are ready, seek him out and tell him it's time to summon the other recruits. Until then, I have business I must attend to."
They stopped walking and stood at the end of a bridge splitting the ruins in two and stretching out over the steep cliffs that held Ostagar above oblivion. Unlike the rest of the crumbling stone she had encountered, Elias noted that the bridge seemed entirely sturdy, massive and ancient and strong as the very mountains they were no doubt hewn from. It was wide, large enough to accommodate five men walking abreast easily, and in some even wider places, right now occupied by the odd guard here and there, that number could easily reach seven or eight. Statues upward of ten feet high were placed every few yards along its expanse, usually a regal male figure holding a spear and looking off wonderingly into the distance. Banners on long thin poles whipped through the air violently, their bright colors flashing in the weak spring sunshine.
"You may find me at the Grey Warden camp at the other end of this bridge, should you need to," Duncan informed her, gesturing to the very same monument that she had been admiring seconds before. Elias bowed and smiled at him, slightly taken aback that she was allowed to wander about unsupervised for the first time in her life, but not particularly keen to point this out and risk the older man thinking better of it. The Warden nodded slightly in return and departed, walking down the overpass without looking back, already intent on his next order of business.
She watched him go absently for several seconds until she remembered that he had given her a task to complete. Oh hell! She thought to herself. Who was I supposed to find?
Not wanting to appear to be following her superior about, Elias turned around and headed back they way they had come, letting her tired feet wander over the broken stone and through the ankle-high grasses that were beginning to obscure the structure of the fort. After several minutes, however, she grew bored; the rest of the camp was off over the bridge near Duncan, and save the local flora and fauna inhabiting the ruin, and the one or two bored sentries that were placed along its high walls, there was nothing to see on this side of Ostagar. Only the tower that she had seen earlier was of interest, but this was being watched over by one very alert guard, and Elias was too shy to speak with him.
So she walked purposefully back to the bridge and crossed, stopping for just a moment to enjoy the view and then continuing onward. Truth be told, the height made her dizzy, and the young woman was much more interested in seeing the people and bustling of the King's Army.
Several feet from the other side Elias stopped cold and stared in horror at the huge, crescent-shaped hole in the side of the expanse she was travelling. Wherever I am in the coming battle, Maker help me if it's here! The mental image of running about firing off spells and then falling right through a hole in the floor was quite strong.
To keep her mind off the idea of her petite body smashing against the mountainside below, the young mage wracked her brain trying to remember the name of the Warden she was supposed to be finding. Alaric? Ainsley?
"Hail! You must be the Grey Warden recruit that Duncan brought."
Startled, the young woman glanced up at the source of the voice to find the guard stationed at the end of the bridge waiting politely for her to respond.
"Oh . . . greetings," she offered, unsure of what to say.
"This place hasn't seen such bustle in centuries, I'd wager," the man said amicably, nodding behind him toward the rest of the camp. "Need any help getting anywhere?"
"Yes, thank you, "Elias said gratefully with a smile. "I'm looking for a Grey Warden named . . ."
Ackley? Amsden? Alistair? Alistair!
". . . Alistair," she finished, with only a second's delay.
"Try heading north," the guard responded, gesturing behind him. "I think he was sent with a message to the mages."
"Thank you, again," the mage said gratefully. "I'll be on my way."
"Good luck to you, then."
Elias continued on her way. Here, the ruin was much more solid, the crumbling of the walls not yet complete, still offering some shelter and cover should the camp be invaded. Instead of taking the guard's advice and heading to the north, she instead allowed herself to wander south; she saw to her right an encampment of mages and their templar guardians busy about their work, and made sure to give them a wide berth. I am a Warden now, she told herself firmly as she walked away, that part of my life is over.
Thankfully, there was plenty else to take in. She was in a roughly circular space, the middle of which was dominated by a large, two-tiered wooden platform with a set of steps at one end. A young woman in chantry robes was currently atop it, making some sort of speech that Elias tuned out automatically, but which the half-dozen men surrounding its base were listening to with rapt attention. She wandered among them for a short time, pretending to pay attention, before moving along and heading for the kennels.
The kennels, housing the King's war dogs, was easily distinguished by its smell alone. Having only seen a dog once or twice before, Elias wandered over curiously, in no hurry to finish her task. Duncan did tell me that I could go and find what's-his-name when I was ready . . . I'm just . . . not ready yet!
As she approached, a dark-skinned man in light armor stood up, rubbing his hands worriedly and mumbling to himself.
"Hmmm, this isn't good," he said to no one in particular. "I'd hate to waste such a promising member of the breed . . ."
Elias was just about to slink off quietly when he turned, spotted her, and walked up, appearing slightly rushed and irritated.
"Are you the new Warden? I could use some help," he said without pretext.
"What's the problem?" the mage asked, ignoring the irony of procrastinating one task to accept a new one.
"This is a mabari. Smart breed, and strong," the man said with some warmth. "His owner died in the last battle, and the poor hound swallowed darkspawn blood. I have medicine that might help, but I need him muzzled first."
He can't be suggesting what I think he's suggesting.
"Why do you think I could muzzle him?" Elias asked incredulously. If the dog handler couldn't manage it, what would her tiny inexperienced arms do except get torn off?
"You're a Grey Warden," he answered, as if this were all the explanation anyone needed. "Or soon will be. All Wardens are immune to the darkspawn taint. The most you have to worry about are some tooth marks."
"I'll give it a shot," Elias told him with a confidence she didn't feel.
"Go in the pen and let him smell you," the older man instructed, turning around and brushing back a dark strand of hair distractedly. "We'll know right away if he'll respond. I hope this works," he added as he opened the wooden door that led to the kennel to let Elias pass. "I'd really hate to have to put him down."
The young mage exhaled nervously and walked inside slowly, keeping her hands at her sides and her eyes locked on the injured hound.
When it saw her approach, the wounded animal rose off its haunches and locked eyes with her. She glanced back respectfully, attempting to smile and hoping that the mutt was smart enough to understand that this was a friendly gesture.
He stared up at her respectfully and backed down from the aggressive stance he had adopted the moment before. Elias could see that he was, indeed, very intelligent, and also, as the handler had warned her, very sick. He's huge, and beautiful, and in a great deal of pain her mind said in sympathy.
The young woman moved forward and crouched low, aware that if the dog chose to lunge at her now that it could easily tear her entire face off. Stretching out her arms to muzzle him, the mabari growled weakly at her but made no further protest, allowing himself to be touched by her strange hands.
After the leather was in place, Elias patted the beast gently, running her hands momentarily through the short, course brown hairs of his hide, lingering just slightly over the dark smears of war paint painted in symmetrical lines down his body. A beautiful, proud beast. I hope he'll be alright.
"Well done," the handler told her, sounding relieved as she made her way out of the pen, the dog still whimpering behind her. "Now I can treat the dog properly, poor fellow. Come to think of it, are you heading into the Wilds anytime soon?"
Maker, I hope not. "I may be, why?"
"There's a particular herb I could use to improve the dog's chances," he explained. "It's a flower that grows in the swamps here, if I remember. If you happen across it, I could use it. It's very distinctive," he assured her when she started to look unsure. "All white, with a blood-red center."
"Will the dog be alright without it?"
The keeper looked doubtful. "If he doesn't get it, chances are he'll need to be put down."
Elias' stomach squirmed at the thought of the proud, courageous animal being euthanized. "I'll see if I can find it."
"Good," the kennel master said kindly. "In the meantime, I'll begin treating our poor friend."
He bowed to her once and retreated back into the kennel to tend to his charges. Elias craned her neck to see what he was doing, but to no avail; the dog had gone too far back to be viewed from where she was standing.
I suppose I've wasted enough time dallying, the young woman said to herself with a sigh.
Turning northward, she quickened her pace and tried to look like she belonged, walking purposefully toward the area that she believed the guard had been indicating her fellow Warden might have gone. A woman passed her, appearing extremely disgruntled and glaring about her menacingly. Elias sidestepped her and was about to begin walking up the incline that led toward her destination when a cocky voice once again startled her out of her reverie.
"Well, you're not what I thought you'd be."
The man addressing her was tall, dark-haired and perhaps five or so years her senior. With his hazel eyes and rogueish smile, Elias decided that he was quite good-looking. He carried a handsome longbow on his back, which he was shifting absently as he stared at the young mage flirtatiously.
"What did you think I'd be?" Elias asked with a smirk.
"Not a woman," the young man said, emphasizing the last word just enough so that it stood out. "But here you are. The name's Daveth," he added with a fetching smile. "And it's about bloody time you came along. I was beginning to think they cooked this ritual up just for our benefit."
"Maybe they did," the young mage answered, grinning.
"Just to give us a good scare?" he asked with a chuckle. "No they don't really seem the type. I happen to be sneaking around camp last night, see," he told her, voice lowered conspiratorially, "and I heard a couple of Grey Wardens talking. So I listen in for a bit."
I'm sure entirely by accident, Elias' muttered silently, highly amused.
"I'm thinking they plan to send us into the Wilds," Daveth told her, eyes widening slightly in his excitement.
"The Wilds?" she asked, slightly embarrassed to admit that she was unfamiliar with the subject matter.
"We're right on the edge of the Korcari Wilds here," he told her. "Miles and miles of untamed country. My home village isn't far, and I grew up on tales about the Wilds. Even been in there a few times . . . scary place." Daveth mock-shivered and grinned.
"I'm sure they wouldn't send us into pointless danger," Elias told him reassuringly.
"Then why do the Grey Wardens only recruit people who can fight?" Daveth asked her with a raised eyebrow. "Or are you their first basket weaver?" He shrugged and smiled at her again. "I guess we'll have to wait and see. Like we've got a choice."
"I'll watch your back if you watch mine," Elias offered innocently, flashing the good-looking lad a winning smile.
"Oh, I'll watch your back," Daveth told her, laughing evilly to himself.
"Just don't get too distracted back there." She felt the heat rising in her face, a pleasant sensation that had been too-long absent from her life.
"I'll try to keep my wits about me," he promised, winking at her. "Anyway, I expect if you're finally here, that means Duncan is as well. That's where I'll be if you need me for anything."
He gave her one last devilish smirk before strolling off toward the large blazing campfire in the distance. Elias watched him go appreciatively for several seconds before shaking herself and finally setting to the task she had been given upon her arrival.
She strolled up the incline she had seen a few minutes earlier with renewed purpose, but stopped at the top. To her right was another incline, to her left a long expanse of empty space ending in a wooden table and benches attended by servants, elves by the look of them. She sighed. Of all the peoples in Thedas, elves were the only ones worse off than mages. They're probably slaves she thought in disgust, glancing toward them and feeling slightly sick. Although they won't ever be formally called that. Wouldn't be proper.
Elias turned her back on them and climbed the slope instead. Near the top several meters off two men were arguing. She approached slowly, unsure if she was in the right place or not, and listened to their banter.
"What is it now?" the first was asking, a swarthy gentleman of middle age, obviously a mage. "Haven't the Grey Wardens asked more than enough of the Circle?"
"I . . . simply came to deliver a message from the Revered Mother, ser Mage," the second was explaining, a much younger man very close to her own age, clad in heavy leathers and sounding slightly uncomfortable. "She . . . desires your presence."
"What her Reverence desires is of no concern to me," the mage replied acidly. "I am busy helping the Grey Wardens, by the King's orders, I might add."
"Should I have asked her to write a note?" the other man asked innocently, a smile beginning to creep into the corners of his mouth.
"Tell her I will not be harassed in this manner!" the mage said angrily, glaring at the younger man with extreme dislike.
"Yes . . . I was harassing you by delivering a message," the warrior replied sarcastically.
"Your glibness does you no credit," the mage responded, deadpan.
"And here I thought we were getting along so well," the second man said with a mock-smile. "I was even going to name one of my children after you. The grumpy one," he added after a moment's thought.
"Enough," the mage said, sounding tired and irritated. "I will speak to the woman if I must." He turned on his heel and nearly smashed into Elias. "Out of my way, fool," he told her harshly before stalking off down the rampart the younger mage had just come from, mumbling to himself darkly.
"You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together," the young warrior mused wryly, and Elias giggled.
"I know exactly what you mean," she said with a smirk.
"It's like a party!" he exclaimed excitedly, trying not to laugh. "We could all stand in a circle and hold hands . . . that would give the darkspawn something to think about . . . wait . . ." he said, voice trailing off as he studied her features more closely, his eyes lingering just for a split second on the tattoo etched into the left side of her face. "We haven't met, have we? You don't happen to be another mage, do you?" he asked her, sounding slightly worried.
"I am indeed a mage," she told him hesitantly, afraid of a negative reaction given his last foray into dealing with the Circle.
"Really?" he asked incredulously, sounding highly surprised and openly gawking at her. "You don't look like a mage! Uh . . . that is . . . I mean . . . how interesting," he finished, sounding pleased about something that the young woman must have missed. "Wait, I do know who you are!" he told her, apprehension dawning on his pale features. "You're Duncan's new recruit from the Circle of Magi! I should have recognized you right away. I apologize."
"And you must be Alistair," Elias replied, smiling. Too amused by the scene she had walked in on to pay much attention to whom she was speaking with, the young mage turned her full attention now to the man in front of her, relieved that at least part of the task Duncan had given her had been accomplished.
Alistair was tall, fair, broad-shouldered, and extremely handsome. She felt her ears grow slightly warm looking at him, and was amazed that she had failed to notice how good-looking the man was until now. He carried a short sword and shield on his back, and Elias hoped secretly that she would be somewhere near this man when it was finally time to do battle. Seeing him wielding the weapons he carried would be a welcome sight next to the gushing blood and flying heads that she was expecting.
"Did Duncan mention me?" Alistair asked, sounding slightly surprised. "Huh. Nothing bad, I hope. As the junior member of the Order, I'll be accompanying you as you prepare for the joining."
"Pleased to meet you," the mage said politely. "My name is Elias."
"Riiiight, that was the name," the young warrior said with a smile and a nod. "You know, it just occurred to me that there have never been many women in the Grey Wardens. I wonder why that is?"
"You want more women in the Wardens, do you?" Elias joked casually.
"Would that be so bad?" Alistair asked. "Not that I'm some drooling lecher, or anything—please stop looking at me like that," he added under his breath quickly, and Elias laughed again. "So, I'm curious," he said, brow furrowed slightly as he grew more serious. "Have you ever actually encountered darkspawn before?"
"No, I haven't," she admitted, hoping it didn't make her seem any more innocent than being locked in a tower away from the world naturally did.
"When I fought my first one, I wasn't prepared for how monstrous it was," Alistair explained, sounding slightly apprehensive. "I can't say I'm looking forward to encountering another. Anyhow, whenever you're ready, let's get back to Duncan. I imagine he's eager to get things started."
"That argument I saw. . ." Elias began, suspecting that she was being rude by inquiring into things that were not her business. "What was it about?"
"With the mage?" he asked, eyebrows raised. "The Circle is here at the King's request. And the Chantry doesn't like that one bit. They just love letting mages know how unwelcome they are."
The young woman scowled at the ground, but said nothing. If Alistair noticed, he made no sign as he continued.
"Which puts me in a bit of an awkward position," he explained, sounding just the slightest bit nervous. "I was once a templar."
Elias gawked at her new acquaintance so obviously that she felt her eyes would surely fall right out of their sockets. "You were a mage-hunter?" she blurted tactlessly, not sure how else to phrase it.
"Not that that's all templars do!" he assured her quickly, looking guilty. "But . . . yes. I was raised by the Chantry until Duncan recruited me six months ago. I'm sure the Revered Mother meant it as an insult, sending me as her messenger. I never would have agreed to deliver it," he said with a sigh, "but Duncan says we're all to cooperate and get along. Apparently they didn't get the same speech."
Making a quick decision in her mind that he seemed like a decent sort for an ex-templar, Elias smiled, slightly shy, at Alistair and said truthfully, "I look forward to travelling with you."
"You do?" he asked, sounding surprised. "Huh. That's a switch." He shook his head as if to clear it of unwanted thought before grinning and continuing. "If you have any questions, let me know. Otherwise, lead on."
Elias blinked a couple times before realizing he was being serious. Lead on? Me? Why me? Isn't he in charge? She asked herself, nevertheless turning about and descending the ramp she had just walked up and heading back the way she had come in search of Duncan. Is he just testing me to see if I know where I'm going?
What exactly her new companion was doing remained a mystery to her, however, as she wound her way around milling soldiers and hassled merchants and traced her steps backward to the spot Duncan had told her he could be found, Alistair a pace of two behind her. As she approached, Elias saw the older Warden, looking slightly hassled and short for time, emerge from a tent and speak with a man in armor she did not recognize. By the time they reached him he had finished, and turned to speak to them promptly.
"You found Alistair, did you?" Duncan asked rhetorically. "Good. I assume you're ready to begin preparations." He turned his attention to her companion and frowned, looking annoyed. "Assuming, of course, that you're finished riling up mages, Alistair?"
"What can I say? The Revered Mother ambushed me," Alistair joked with a grin, shrugging. "The way she wields guilt, they should stick her in the army."
"She forced you to sass the mage, did she?" Duncan asked, one eyebrow cocked disbelievingly. "We cannot afford to antagonize anyone, Alistair. We don't need to give anyone more ammunition against us."
"I apologize, Duncan," Alistair said, properly chastised. "I'll go collect who we're missing."
He marched off through the ruins and disappeared. Elias turned to question Duncan only to find that he had wandered back inside his tent, already intent on some other purpose. Having nothing else to do with herself, the young mage folded her hands and waited.
Within ten minutes, she saw Alistair's blond head bobbing through the crowd, followed by Daveth and another man perhaps ten years older, wearing full armor and running a hand through his thinning brown hair worriedly. As if on cue, Duncan reemerged from his tent as though no time had passed and stood watching the last few steps of their approach.
Once they were all within earshot of each other, Alistair stepped up and made introductions.
"This is Ser Jory, a knight of Redcliffe," he said, indicating the newcomer Elias did not recognize.
"How do you do?" he said politely with a courteous nod of his head in her direction.
"And this, of course, is the recruit Duncan said he was bringing," Alistair finished with a gesture toward Elias.
"That's me," Elias said nervously, attempting a smile. "The new girl."
"Now then," Duncan interjected, drawing all four sets of eyes in his direction. "Since you're all here, we can begin. You four will be heading into the Korcari Wilds to perform two tasks. The first is to obtain three vials of darkspawn blood, one for each recruit."
"What do we need the darkspawn blood for?" Elias interrupted, completely aware that she was bordering on rude.
"For the joining itself," Duncan said cryptically. "I'll explain more when you return."
"And what's the second task?" Elias asked, slightly guiltily, as Duncan stood waiting for her to finish interrupting before continuing.
"There was once a Grey Warden archive in the Wilds," Duncan told them, "abandoned long ago when we could no longer afford to maintain such remote outposts. It has recently come to our attention that some scrolls have been left behind, magically sealed to protect them. Alistair, I want you to retrieve these scrolls, if you can."
"And what if they're no longer there?" Elias interjected again, before Alistair had a chance to speak.
"It's possible that the scrolls may have been destroyed, or even stolen, though the seal's magic should have protected them," Duncan admitted with a frown. "Only a Grey Warden can break such a seal."
"I don't understand," Alistair piped up, sounding confused. "Why leave such things in a ruin if they're so valuable?"
"It was assumed we would someday return," the older Warden replied with a shrug. "A great many things were assumed that have not held true."
"How will we find this archive?" Elias asked.
"It will be an overgrown ruin by now, but the sealed chest should remain intact," Duncan informed her. "Alistair will guide you to the area you need to search."
Like he guided me back to you? Elias asked silently, restraining a giggle.
"Is this part of our Joining, too?" the young mage inquired again when she was sure her voice was neutral. She saw Ser Jory shift impatiently and felt even guiltier.
"No," Duncan assured her patiently. "But the effort must be made. I am confident you are up to the task."
"Find the archives and three vials of blood. Got it," Elias half-mumbled, embarrassed, deciding that she was done speaking for a little while.
"The scrolls contain treaties promising support," Duncan continued. "Treaties that may prove valuable in the days to come." He turned solemnly to his fellow Warden, who seemed to stiffen under the watchful gaze of his mentor, though not in fear. Elias got the feeling that the ex-templar held his commander in the very highest regard, and would like nothing better than to please him.
"Watch over your charges, Alistair," he commanded seriously. "Return quickly, and safely."
"We will," Alistair promised.
"Then may the Maker watch over your path," their Commander admonished with finality. "I shall see you when you return."
He nodded to them all once and departed, no doubt off to the next task in a very long list. The four companions stood and exchanged glances uncertainly for a few seconds before Alistair spoke up, gaze locked on Elias.
"We had best be on our way," he said, glancing skyward. "We'll definitely want to be back before nightfall. The gate is that way," he informed the young woman, pointing to their right.
Elias stared at the handsome young man incredulously as she yet again realized that he was waiting for her to move.
How does this always happen to me? She wondered as she forced her body to walk forward, the others falling into step behind her. Why me?
This must be part of her test. Or something. But Daveth and Jory weren't being made to play leader. Did she simply draw the short straw? Sighing, she decided that it didn't matter and moved on.
As they approached the gate that would lead them into the Wilds, the guard hailed them initially but let them pass, warning them that even Wardens wouldn't be safe in such a place and they should return as soon as possible.
Truer words were probably never spoken, Elias thought darkly as she trekked through the gates, past the safety of the walls, and out into the forest, Daveth, Jory, and Alistair close behind her.