The armory was almost completely picked over. Nynaeve compared a wand and a staff. The wand was small and light weight, and was engraved with runes that would add fire to her basic attacks, and also strengthen her own fire spells. The staff on the other hand was heavy and badly balanced, but long enough to fight an enemy that got too close. She ended up taking both.

Jory, the larger of the two men, had his own weapon and armor, but was looking through the other odds and ends. Daveth, the smaller of the two men, was testing out the bows.

"Do you think this is part of our testing?" Daveth asked. "They can't expect us to go into the wilds alone. It's suicide."

"Afraid to face your foe in a fair fight, thief?" Jory asked back.

"There's no such thing as a fair fight, ser knight," Daveth replied. "I level the field, so to speak."

"You, and your ilk, cheat, thief," Jory responded. "And you have no honor."

"Maybe I don't, but neither do those things out there." Daveth turned to Nyn. "You weren't here last night. Those things are demons, they are."

"I've faced a demon and won," she said. "I'm not afraid."

"Humph," Jory snorted. "A thief and a mage. I had not been aware that the Grey Wardens had such low standards."

Nynaeve kept her thoughts to herself, but she had wondered what the thief was doing here. He seemed to have no interest in battling darkspawn. "Why are you here, Davek?"

He gave her a charming smile. "I was caught stealing from Duncan, believe it or not. Couldn't believe my rotten luck. Thought he was just a sell sword down on his luck. A Grey Warden never would've believed it," he told her. "They was going to cut off my hand, they were. Until Duncan came. Gave me the choice. Go with him, or stay there. Wasn't really a choice was it? Rather attached to my hand, I am."

Nynaeve smiled. Daveth was charming, in his own way. She turned to Jory. "And you, ser Jory?"

"I am... was a knight of Redcliffe under the Arl Eamon. Last season I entered the tourney at Highever and won the melee," he told them proudly. "I also won the hand of a fair maiden, a second cousin to the Teyrn. She returned with me to Redcliffe as my wife. It was she who convinced me to join the Grey Wardens. I will make her proud."

"And you left her there?" Daveth asked. "Alone?"

"She is heavy with our first child and cannot travel. Why do you ask?"

"Oh. No reason." Daveth said. "Just if I had a pretty thing waiting for me back home I'd never have left."

"I will send for her as soon as I am able." Jory looked to Nyn. "What of you, mage? What brings you to the Grey Wardens?"

"I come from the Tower," she shrugged. "Not much to tell really." She hated having to lie, but it was much simpler than the truth. "We should get going before it gets dark."

"It's always dark in the wilds," Daveth said. "So I hear."

Nynaeve moved out first. She was determined not to show her nervousness. It wasn't fear. Or so she told herself. "What else have you heard about the wilds, Daveth?"

"My mam used to tell me and my brothers tales about the witches of the wilds," he said. "They mothers, daughters, and sisters who live out here away from men. They take men to give them more daughters, and sacrifice them to their forest gods when they are no longer needed. Boy children too, especially ones who misbehave."

"Especially boys who don't listen to their mams," Nyn said. "Right?" Daveth smiled. "Right," he answered.

Jory snorted. "Childrens tales." So were demons and darkspawns, Nyn remembered.

Alistair met them at the back gate. He looked as nervous as the recruits were. "Right, here you are," he said. "I'll go first, then Jory, next will be you Nynaeve, and lastly Daveth with his bow." Her name sounded nice with his thick Ferelden accent. "There should be an outpost of the king's soldiers along the way, we'll stop there before we continue. Right, no time like the present. Come on."

Their path was empty, of darkspawn and soldiers, and was easy to follow. Even Daveth relaxed. But when they came to the outpost it was quickly apparent something was wrong.

Alistair stopped at the dead, very dead, sentry. "They could still be in camp. Me and Jory will go in heavy. Nynaeve and Daveth, provide cover," he ordered. "And try not to hit us while you're at it."

Nyn was nervously anxious as she gripped the wand tight in her hand. And she was thankful that she wasn't alone. The camp was small and there were not many of them. The darkspawn looked more human than not, but acted like beasts. Jory cut them down with his two handed heavy sword and brutal strength. Alistair used a one handed sword and shield together, and fought with a grace that was almost beautiful to watch.

Daveth started to lob arrows behind her, and she set off a large fire spell in the back row. She then alternated between spells and attacks. It seemed to take forever, but finally the last foe fell.

Alistair begun to collect the darkspawn blood.

Nynaeve moved in, and noticed that Jory's arm had been injured in the fighting. She put her weapon away and approached him. "Give me your arm. I can heal it."

Jory held back. "No. Do not touch me. I will not have your foul magic on me."

Nynaeve was more angry than hurt at his distrust and fear. "Don't be a fool. How will you fight?"

"I will use a healing draught, mage. As the Maker intends."

Alistair cleared his throat. "As a Grey Warden you will be expected to stand with your brothers, and sisters, regardless of their talents," he told the knight. "And we have no time for this. You will allow Nynaeve to heal you, or you can turn back now and tell Duncan you failed."

Jory struggled, and Nyn was worried he may turn back, but he finally consented.

"You can heal me, lady mage," Daveth grinned. "If it will get your lovely hands on me."

"If I put my hands on you," she said, "you'll need a healer, ser thief."

Alistair laughed out. "Well, there's nothing we can do here. We should continue to the-" Nynaeve stopped listening to him, there was a sound somewhere. Sounded like a whine. She headed to the back. There was a cage with a large dog inside. A mabari hound like the ones back at the king's camp.

"Poor guy," Alistair had followed. "He might be infected, we should leave him."

"I'm letting him out," she insisted. She wouldn't, couldn't, leave a caged animal. "Give him a chance, at the least." Alistair didn't stop her as she unhooked the cage. The dog cowered in the back and growled. "Come on, boy," she called. He crept forward and smelled her hand. The beast easily weighed twice her weight, but she held still. He licked her hand, his head snapped up as though he heard something, and he ran off.

When Nynaeve turned she thought she saw pale yellow watching her from the forest, she blinked and they were gone.

"Right," Alistair called out. "Let's keep going."

There was more fighting along the way, but nothing that was too difficult. They were even beginning to work well together as a team. Daveth even started to enjoy himself, and Jory thanked her for aiding him in defeating a foe before it could strike him.

Alistair was no leader, however, he fought well. But without any strategy. And when he gave orders there was a slight delay, he was too unsure of himself.

When they arrived at the old Grey Warden keep, though, it was clear that it would be the hardest battle yet.

"Maybe we should head back," Daveth said. "Tell Duncan about the camp we found."

"I... don't know," Alistair looked back the way they came.

"We can return for the documents after the battle," Jory supplied, even the knight seemed afraid.

Nynaeve snorted. "I swear, I'm the bravest one here. And I'm a mage and a woman," she said. "We'll go around the ruin and attack from the back. I'll hit that group with my fire and Daveth will pick them off. You and Jory will make your stand along that narrow path there and strike them down as they come to you. I'll provide healing as needed."

"That... might work," Alistair looked surprised. "Right. You heard her. Let's do this."

The battle was difficult but in no way impossible. And there were no serious injuries, although, it was a close call when when one foe broke through and headed straight for her. Alistair fell back and slay the creature. His light eyes were wide in fear, she almost remembered another pair of blue eyes, and sweat dripped down his handsome face. She had frozen in fright, too shocked to even thank him and then he was gone again.

"We did it!" Daveth exclaimed and slapped Jory on the back. "Indeed," Jory said. "You did well, th- Daveth."

"We only triumphed because of your plan," Alistair gave her a small smile. "And I'll make sure Duncan knows it." Nynaeve smiled back. She was tired, she hurt in places that she hadn't known she had, and she had almost been killed, but she had never been happier. She belonged here in a way she never had in the Tower. Alistair clapped his hands together. "We don't have the documents yet. Let's go find them and get out of here."

On the way up the stairs, Nyn thought she caught those strange pale eyes again. Were they being followed? At the top of the tower the stairs leading down into the cellar was broken.

"What now?" Daveth asked. Both Daveth and Jory looked to her she noticed. Alistair was looking down. Nyn hadn't a clue. "Perhaps, we can lower someone down?" Jory added. It was a long ways down though, and even if someone could be lowered without injury, they wouldn't be able to return the same way.

"You could grow wings and fly down," a feminine voice called out from the broken window, "if you knew how."

Nynaeve was the closest to the strange woman. She was crouched within the window and wore a black sleeveless thing sewn with black feathers. Her hair as black and soft as the feathers was pulled back from a face that was as beautiful as it was exotic. The creature's, for Nyn couldn't be sure she was human, pale yellow eyes met her own.

"You...," Alistair came forward to stand with Nynaeve. "How did you get up here?"

"Mayhap, I swooped up here on my wings."

"Swooping is bad," Alistair mumbled. The woman giggled. "What are you doing here? This is Grey Warden territory."

"Grey Wardens no longer," she spoke. "This is my tower. And you be scavengers." The woman had an odd way of talking, as though not accustomed to speaking.

"She's a witch of the wilds," Daveth warned, "she is."

"I am, am I?" The creature giggled again. "Mayhap I be. You would like that, man, would you not?"

Nynaeve stepped closer to the woman. "Do you know a way down?"

"I might." The feathered creature slid inside. She glided over to Nynaeve and leaning in close took a smell. "You are a bird like me," she purred. "But you smell of a cage. Did they clip your wings, I wonder."

"Get away from her now, creature," Alistair placed his blade against her pale throat.

"You be nothing," she hissed. "I watched you as you made your way through the wilds, and you three be nothing. If not for this one you would not be here." She regarded Nyn, curiously. "I saw what you did. You freed that beast from its cage. Therefore I will free you from yours."

"Do you know another way down? Or not?" Nynaeve asked. She had no interest in whatever game the woman was playing.

"I do," she stood back with a strange smile.

"Will you take us?"

"I will." Without warning the woman started down the other stairs. "Follow me."

Nynaeve gave Alistair a shrug and followed first. "What is your name?" She asked.

"Names be meaningless," the woman answered. "Animals have no need for them. Only those who walk on two legs."

Nyn sighed. She was tiring of this. "What are you called?"

"I be called Morrigan," she said. "And sometimes I answer."

"I am Nynaeve."

"You be Nynaeve," she said. "Nynaeve be not you."

Alistair laughed and signaled to Nyn that the woman, Morrigan, was crazy. Nynaeve wasn't so sure.

Morrigan led them back outside and around the side. "This will lead you to what you seek." She pointed to a broken wall. Alistair started to move aside fallen stone. Jory moved to help. And Daveth joined them, probably only to get away from Morrigan.

"Thank you for your help, Morrigan." Nyn bowed politely.

Morrigan giggled. "I like you," she said. "I have seen the hordes out there. I have spoken with the animals. This is a battle your men cannot win. Run now while you have the chance. Or die with them."

"That is something I cannot do," Nynaeve said.

"We shall see," Morrigan begun to walk away.

Nynaeve watched her until she couldn't see her anymore, though, she noted the yellow eyes look back once from the forest.

"'I like you,'" Alistair mocked the witch. "Probably would like you in her stew." He motioned behind them. "She was right, though, this does lead to the cellar."

Nynaeve followed quietly behind and wondered what else she had been right about.