Summary:

Dealing with darkspawn in the Korcari Wilds is not a fun experience.

9:30 Dragon, Cloudreach 9th

Maiara

Wolves. That had been a surprise. At first she'd feared the sounds from the brush might have been darkspawn. It was a relief for the enemy to be simple wolves. It was strange that the creatures had gone out of their way to ambush them. Had they been waiting for someone from Ostagar to enter the Wilds unawares? Typically wolves would leave a large enough group alone and move on. Something must be very wrong for them to throw themselves at the group of recruits.

Maiara cleaned her new blade as her companions assessed any damage done during the fight. It had been a small pack of wolves, but they'd been evenly matched. It hadn't taken much to bring the creatures down, especially since Maiara herself had ruined the ambush.

The sword Nereus had gifted her was more suitable than the replacement she'd been carrying around since losing her original weapon in the forest ruins. He must have spent a decent amount of coin or talked someone into a deal in order to have acquired it. It was surprisingly thoughtful of the smart mouth mage.

He seems sincere enough in his efforts at unity.

He'd already shown he was pleasant enough around Adora and occasionally around Leif. The only person he seemed to be entirely at peace with was Duncan. That had struck her as odd, as the Warden didn't come off as someone who would let such sarcastic behavior slide. She clearly didn't know him as well as Nereus, though, and she didn't want to take the time.

Now they were with this new Grey Warden, the young man Alistair. He was barely out of boyhood as far as she could tell. He had to be younger than her by quite a few years. It was strange to see someone so young in command of so many. He seemed competent enough in battle, however. He'd shouted out orders as quickly as the wolves had come pouring out of the Wilds and he'd fronted the attack with his sword and shield.

"Well, that wasn't so bad as far as greetings go!" He said jovially, looking down at the wolf carcasses with a smile. "They could have done with more bark and less bite, though. Like you! You're much better at greeting people, aren't you?"

Lady barked cheerfully and trotted up to bump her head against the overly blithe human. Alistair reacted with a low chuckle and scratched at the hound's ears.

"What a good dog!" He complimented her, vigorously rubbing her broad head. "By the way, what's her name?"

"Lady," Adora supplied pleasantly. "I've had her since we were both pups. She's been a good friend for a long time."

Maiara wondered if they'd be resting for long. She was eager to get going, but at the same time… there were quite a few wolves. Some of them had been dealt with so simply that their coats were mostly untouched. She was willing to bet she'd get decent coin for their pelts back at the fortress. They could be used for quite a bit. She'd gone hunting with Tamlen often enough that she could skin them quickly and easily.

"Wait, since you were both pups? Don't tell me you were once a dog!" Alistair joked, still playing with the warhound.

There seemed to be a moment of hesitation before Adora replied. "I'm sorry; it's just something my dad used to say."

The elf listened carefully to the others even as she started skinning the nearest wolf. They didn't seem to notice what she was doing right away and it was always good to listen to others. There was much to learn from how people spoke to one another.

The older man, Jory, was afraid. "Maker's breath, I didn't expect wolves to just appear out of the blue like that! What if they'd been darkspawn?"

"What if they had been?" The licentious man, Daveth, was unexpectedly resolute. "We'd have killed 'em just the same, I think."

"So you say," the human knight griped quietly. "I didn't expect we'd be attacked right out of the gates. Didn't some scouts pass through here? Do you suppose they were attacked like that?"

She was only halfway listening to those two now. They weren't important and she was finished with the first wolf, rolling the skin up and tying it into a bundle. Onto the next.

"What's she doing?" Leif was asking warily, clearly having noticed her actions.

Before she could answer, Nereus spoke. "Collecting the pelts, I'd imagine. Not a bad idea. Fur never goes out of fashion in Ferelden. We might want to take some instruction so we can be of use in the future, should we encounter more wicked wolves."

"How can a wolf be wicked?" The dwarf asked skeptically.

She'd rolled three skins now and secured them in her pack. This time she cut in before the mage. "You'd be surprised how wicked a wolf can be. We speak of Fen'Harel, the Dread Wolf, with both fear and respect. He has done much to earn both."

Both mage and dwarf were watching her work now and she took care to show them how to deal with the skins.

"It's more proper to string them up, but we don't have the time and means to do so at the moment. So it's a little incomplete in this way," she lectured, pulling the skin away from the meat. "Still, we get something out of it, enough to sell. It's quick and dirty, but it's enough."

With their aid, she was able to quickly move through the rest of the salvageable furs. They'd spent a decent amount of time at the practice, enough that there were some mumbles of complaint from the others.

"We should get a move on. We've got about eight hours of daylight left." Alistair announced, looking out to the expanse of wilderness before them. "That's enough to flush out some darkspawn, but I can't be sure that's enough to find this ruin and pick up those treaties."

Maiara finished with the last of the skins, helping Leif and Nereus to store them in their packs in order to better share the burden. She wiped her bloody hands on the hides she could not salvage and rose to follow the Warden that led them.

"Lead on," she said candidly, waving her hand.

For a moment, it seemed that Alistair frowned at her comment before turning his face away. Unsure if that was what she'd seen, she followed along with the other recruits as the young Warden led them deeper into the Wilds.

A strange sound scratched at the edge of her mind as she walked. The sun was rising higher into the sky now, but its true shape and light seemed unable to penetrate the haze around the ancient swamp. Mist crawled along the ground, swirling around their feet, while the barren skeletons of trees and decrepit bones of olden ruins clawed up at the overcast sky.

Her clan had visited the Wilds in the past, but not in recent times. There was a dim memory from her childhood, the time when clan Sabrae last walked the damp earth of the Korcari Wilds. Tales of the woman of many years had brought them into the shadow lands of the swamp. The clan had made it through the Wilds peacefully, as far as she recalled and there had indeed been a woman.

The People called her Asha'bellanar. The humans called her Flemeth. Either way, she was a living legend, a woman who had lived through centuries, immortal, and lurking in the haunted forest on the edge of the known world. To the humans she was a ghost story told to frighten children. To the Dalish, she was an honored figure in their history, always on the side of the People and guiding them when they were lost.

It was in this memory of long ago that a bargain was struck between the witch and her clan. Maiara did not know the specifics, but she remembered peeking out from the aravel with the other children to see the Keeper speaking with an old human woman. An agreement seemed to pass between them and the clan departed from the wet confines of the swamp.

Maiara had watched from the safety of the aravel as the battered hut overgrown with moss and vines slowly dwindled in the distance. The witch had watched them, her strange yellow eyes gleaming in the half light of the woods like a wolf's. Before the view of the hut had disappeared, she'd fallen asleep to the gentle rocking of the aravel, dreaming of old women who turned into crows.

Adoracia

A trail of bodies greeted them around the bend from the wolves; human and darkspawn both. The humans were obviously a part of a scouting party from Ostagar and there were far more of them dead than the darkspawn. Further along what passed for a path in the swamp was a broken stone arch and a wagon burning to cinders. More bodies led the way.

Adoracia felt her stomach turn at the sight. They were carefully stepping around the mangled bodies, weapons drawn and ready – just in case. There was standing water nearby with another body floating lazily near the shore. It was as grisly a sight as any she'd seen. As much as she hated it, she looked at every face and thanked the Maker when she failed to recognize each one.

"Careful," Nereus whispered lowly, his steps barely making a sound in the muck. "This looks recent. There may still be enemies nearby."

They were approaching a broader section of the path, just before the ruins. One of the bodies moved and a low moan of pain sounded down the trail.

Alistair signaled for them to wait while he drew nearer to the body. When the man looked up, clearly alive, he gave the nod for them to join him.

"Who…?" The man rasped, barely able to get a word out. Recognition lit his eyes when he focused on Alistair. "Grey…Wardens…?"

"Well, he's not half as dead as he looks, is he?" The Warden in question proclaimed carelessly.

"Surprisingly not." Nereus concluded, kneeling down beside the man to inspect his injuries. His staff hovered over the man's wounds, glowing faintly in the misty light. After a moment, he stepped back and nodded. "I've done what I can. You should be feeling a lot less like a corpse, my friend."

The man sighed in relief. "Thank you, ser."

He still struggled to rise on his own; Leif knelt to offer him aid and brought the man to his feet. He swayed unsteadily for a moment, clutching his side, before bracing himself.

"Can you tell us what happened here?" Leif asked concernedly.

The man nodded slowly, his eyes focusing on the dwarf. "My scouting band was attacked by darkspawn. They… they came out of the ground. Maker, it was horrible." He clenched his teeth and his hand pressed against his side. A trickle of blood oozed from between his pallid fingers. "Please. I… I have to get back to camp."

"Damnit, Amell, I thought you healed this guy!" Leif growled, whirling to aim a glare at the mage.

Adora rushed to the man's side to steady him when he started listing again. He was absolutely filthy. She wondered how long he'd been lying in the mud, bleeding and praying that the darkspawn wouldn't come to finish him off.

"I said no such thing," the mage huffed. "I only said that I'd done what I could. I'm not a healer. You're lucky I accomplished as much as I did."

Alistair interrupted their bickering. "I've got bandages in my pack. That should be enough for him to make it to the gate."

After applying the field dressing, Alistair took the man's weight from Adora and helped him to stand on his own. When he was sure the scout could take his own weight, he handed him a vial with a crimson liquid.

"This should help you enough to get back." He said sternly, placing the draught into shaky hands. "Don't take it unless you absolutely need to, or you'll crash before you're rescued. Got it?"

The man nodded his head a few times, taking the vial and holding it close. "Thank you. Maker bless you."

"A moment, if you please," Adoracia interjected, stopping the man from leaving right away. The man looked at her with eyes glazed in pain, but she persisted. "Your scouting party…. Did you know a man named Fergus? Fergus Cousland?"

His eyes blinked a few times as his brow wrinkled in thought. "I… yes, my lady. His was another group, sent deeper into the Wilds. We… we lost contact a few days ago. I'm sorry."

Her heart thudded heavily in her chest as she stepped away, opening the road to him. "I see… thank you." Her world was shrinking as she looked to the bodies strewn across the forest floor. Her words came out rehearsed and stilted. "Maker watch over you."

They watched the man stumble back the way they'd traveled, his way unhindered by savage wolves and vicious darkspawn.

Adora wished she was going back with him. At the same time, she had the absurd urge to run off into the Wilds after her brother, venting her grief against the darkspawn until the mist and the swamp consumed her.

There is nothing left for me, she thought forlornly, staring out into the murky waters that lapped sluggishly against the muddy banks. This war has taken everything.

Faraway voices murmured behind her as she closed her eyes against the world.

"Cousland? Isn't that-"

"Not the time-"

"Is she going to be alright?"

"She has to be."

Come on, Adora Bell, her brother's voice hummed gently in her mind. Are you really surprised? You already failed me once. What's one more time?

She clenched her jaw against the doubt and tried to force it from her thoughts. Fergus would never say those things. While she knew it in her heart, her mind was not so easily convinced. Was she not a failure in every way?

The voices continued to burst through her inner dialogue.

"-an entire patrol of seasoned men killed by darkspawn!" Fear.

"Calm down, Ser jory. We'll be fine if we're careful." Reason.

"Those soldiers were careful and they were still overwhelmed." The older man's voice warbled uneasily. "How many darkspawn can we slay? A dozen? A hundred? There's an entire army in this forest!"

"I don't know about you, old man, but I can kill a hundred on my own." Bravado. Or was it certainty that spoke?

You remember them. You're not that far gone, girl. Was that Nan's voice she heard? The dead were making a community of her thoughts. Use their names. Snap out of it.

Adoracia opened her eyes and the world snapped back into clarity. She could hear the water moving through the reeds, the crackle of the dying fire, smell the rotting bodies, and see the sun glaring red through the haze of clouds and smoke. Lady was licking the hand that hung limply at her side.

She turned around to observe the argumentative group of recruits. Nereus and Daveth were taking bets on how many darkspawn they could slay. Leif was shaking his head and trying to hide an amused smile. Maiara was glowering at Ser Jory as he whined and worried to Alistair.

"There are darkspawn about, but we're in no danger of walking into the bulk of the horde," the Warden explained patiently, as if soothing a frightened child.

Ser Jory was not so easily lulled. "How do you know? I'm not a coward, but this is foolish and reckless. We should go back."

Silence lay heavily among their party as all eyes turned to the aging knight. He noticed the shift and opened his mouth defensively only to be cut off.

"For one who protests cowardice, you sound awful craven to me." Nereus said coolly, his bright blue eyes narrowing spitefully.

"Agreed," Maiara snapped, her scowl never wavering. "I find it hard to believe this one was chosen to be a Grey Warden."

"Now, see here-" Ser Jory stammered angrily.

"That's enough!" Alistair barked; ending the knight's reprisal before it could begin. "We are not going back until we have achieved our objective. Ser Jory, your courage is not up for debate. You have been chosen to be part of an elite calling; act like it. As for the rest of you," his amber glare skated across each of their faces. "You will act with honor. We are not children competing against each other. In this, we are a team. Take it to heart and move on."

Ser Jory looked thoroughly chagrined and easily fell in line with the others. Alistair turned back to look at Adora, his gaze stern before softening. He left Nereus to lead while he walked back to where Adora stood with her hound by her side.

She still hadn't moved by the time he stood in front of her, looking down with the kindest expression on his boyish face.

"Are you going to be all right?" He asked cautiously, his eyes searching hers.

For a moment, all she could do was stare at him, wondering if she knew the answer to his question. He waited patiently, calmly, as she sorted things out.

Lady whined softly and bumped the hand she'd thoroughly saturated in doggy drool.

Eventually, she nodded. "Yes. I think so. I'm… sorry."

He smiled encouragingly. "We could use you, you know. It'd be a shame to leave you behind."

"Would you?" She asked listlessly, moving at last to follow their party. "Leave me behind?"

There was hesitation in his steps before he caught up to her. Without looking to see his expression, she heard him say one word.

"Never."

Somehow, she smiled as they walked, quickly passing beyond the stone arch as they advanced on the rest of their party. Lady trotted happily at her side, occasionally darting ahead to sniff at something or bring her a "present." The first few gifts were slimy stalks of elfroot, which she thanked Lady for before handing them to Nereus.

"Why?" He gasped, staring at the plants with disgust.

Adoracia shrugged. "You're a mage. Can't you do something with them?"

"Of course I can. What sort of an amateur do you take me for?" He protested in offense.

"Exactly the sort you'd expect." Daveth retorted quickly.

That set the stage for a new round of lackadaisical banter between the two sharp tongued men.

The last gift of the day was a soggy ball of yarn. Adora had leaned down to retrieve the mystery item from Lady's maw only to immediately drop the wet thing back to the ground.

"Ugh!" She squealed, shaking the liquid from her hand.

"What is it?" Leif asked anxiously, jogging over to investigate. He had flowers sticking out of his pack.

Adora pointed to the tangled ball of yarn that Lady was already picking up. "Where did she even find such a thing?"

The dwarf narrowed his eyes before leaning back and laughing. "Who knows? I think she wants to play."

Lady barked affirmatively, her normally booming vocals muffled by the yarn. Adora sighed and held her hand out obligingly. The hound plopped the ball into her hand and jumped back, wagging her stubby tail expectantly.

The redhead pitched the ball over the heads of her traveling companions and the mabari booked it, zigzagging between the others, startling Ser Jory, and chasing after the ball of yarn. Boyish laughter trailed back from Daveth and Nereus, the both of them quickly settling to needling the middle-aged knight before Alistair stomped over to break it up.

Moments later, Lady was already proudly cantering up with the ball in her mouth. Once more, she dutifully dropped it into her mistress's hand before barking excitedly.

Adora smiled and shook her head before throwing the ball again. Her dog bounded after it elatedly, simple joy in every step.

It was always nice to feel needed.

Leif

"So, how do you know?"

Alistair looked confused. "Know what?"

"Know that we won't crash some darkspawn party or whatever." Leif said, nodding his head out to the vastness of the Wilds. "They could be anywhere, right? Just crawl up outta the ground like nugs?"

"Nugs?" The Warden asked puzzled.

"You guys not have nugs up here or somethin'?" He was equally confused now.

Maiara exhaled loudly. "Pig-rabbits. They're everywhere. They burrow in the ground to make nests."

The elf's description was strange, but seemed to serve its purpose. Alistair's eyes lit in understanding. "Ohhhh, that's what they're called! I'd always wondered. Cute little buggers, aren't they?"

"Cute?" Leif was affronted, his mouth twisting.

"I've only seen pictures," Nereus joined in. "They're creepy, if you ask me. Have you seen their feet? They look like hands."

"Do they?" Alistair prompted dubiously. "I can't say I've-"

He stopped in his tracks, his words abandoned as he motioned for them to halt as well. Leif watched him carefully, noting how he didn't seem to be listening so much as focusing. All he heard was the sounds of the swamp: insects mostly, the distant howl of a wolf, birds taking flight, the occasional echo of something dropping into the thick water.

"Darkspawn up ahead. Get ready." The Warden instructed quietly, drawing his blade and hoisting his shield. "Maiara and Jory with me. Leif: attack from stealth. Nereus: stick with Adora and Daveth in the back. Lady: you make sure we don't have any surprises."

Leif couldn't even see the darkspawn, let alone hear them. Still, he did as he was directed; slipping into the shadows of the brush as their party cautiously crept forward. For several heartbeats, he saw and heard nothing. Then, a low, uncanny chuckle sounded from ahead. He spotted them then, the monstrous, twisted features just like those they'd fought in the Brecilian Forest.

The darkspawn savagely thrust their weapons into the air, jeering hatefully at the approaching warriors and sounding their horrendous battle cries. Several of them came charging down from the hill they'd been perched on and they ran straight towards Alistair and the other warriors. Their blades clashed and the battle began.

Leif circled around the engaged darkspawn before lashing out with his mace and dagger. The first, he aimed for the back of its armored leg, crushing the crudely crafted metal and snapping the leg within. Maiara cleaved the injured foe in two and he moved on to the next, slashing through a gap in the armor and providing a distraction for Alistair.

Arrows stuck into the back of his next target, missing him by inches. Friendly fire, he noted, turning to see more darkspawn cresting the hill, jagged bows in hand as they fired down on all in their path.

Grumbling to himself, he blended back into the dusky shadows and stealthily made his way up to the hill. Before he could reach the first of the darkspawn archers, he watched as the creature was quickly engulfed by piercing shards of ice and feathered by arrows. He leapt out of the way and looked back to see Nereus, Adora, and Daveth had turned their attention to the hilltop enemies.

"Sod it all!" He snarled, turning to deliver a strike from his mace. The frosted darkspawn shattered under the blow, causing bits of 'spawnsicle to scatter across the hill.

At least his allies could see him now. Arrows flew well away from him, striking the darkspawn and causing the fiends to stumble.

As he drew closer to the nearest foe, the creature fumbled to drop its bow and take up a rusty axe in its stead.

"Is that it?" He grated indignantly, stepping up to face the grotesque creature.

It responded by hissing antagonistically, jerking forward and swinging its axe wildly.

Leif rolled out of the way, coming up behind the 'spawn with his dagger slicing through its heel. His foe stumbled, catching itself on its own axe. Unflinching, it lurched to its feet and wrenched the axe out of its flesh, ignoring the black blood that spurted from the wound.

"Uhh…" He took a cautious step back from the encroaching darkspawn.

Its skeletal face was covered in sores and open wounds; its soulless eyes stared without mercy. The blasted creature sure knew how to pull off intimidation.

"I don't suppose you'd accept an apology?" He baited tensely.

Its voice came out in a frenzied gurgle as it slashed out with its axe. Leif dodged it, bringing his dagger up to deflect it once before the blade was twisted from his grasp. He spit a curse, swiping out with the mace to throw its aim off.

"A little help here!" He cried, rolling to evade another blow from the axe.

The darkspawn raised the axe for another strike. Just before it brought the blade down, it lost its head. The body slowly registered its condition; the hands convulsing and releasing the weapon as the arms slowly dropped.

Leif scrambled out of the way just as the body collapsed, revealing Maiara on the other side. They stared at each other for a moment before Leif stood. Doing his best to suppress the shakiness from adrenaline, he nodded politely.

"Thanks," he said quietly before shuffling off to find his dagger. He didn't hear a reply from the stoic elf, but he was sure he'd caught her smilingly smugly.

Alistair had given them each an empty flask to collect the darkspawn blood. He'd urged them to be thorough and to fill the glass as much as possible before stoppering it. As they'd set about filling their individual flasks, Leif took the opportunity to search the bodies. For mindless monsters with no concept of society, they sure collected a lot of coin. Maybe they liked shiny things?

"Know this: All Grey Wardens can sense darkspawn. Whatever their cunning, I guarantee they won't take us by surprise. That's why I'm here." Alistair said composedly, cleaning his blade before sheathing it.

"You see, ser knight?" Daveth chirped merrily, popping a cork into his full flask. "We might die, but we'll be warned about it first."

"That is… reassuring?" Ser Jory grumped, pulling his sword loose from a hurlock.

"That doesn't mean I'm here to make this easy," Alistair assured them with a pleasant grin. "So far, you're all doing quite well. Go you. Now, let's get a move on."

With no wounded to account for, they marched on, deeper into the swamp. Leif was keeping his eyes peeled for more flowers in case he didn't already have enough. There were actually more flowers than he would have expected in such a cold, wet place. Not just the ones he'd been instructed to find, but all sorts of things. He found himself wandering from the path more than a few times to investigate the colorful plants.

"My mother called those 'little lanterns.'"

Leif jerked away from the red flower and whirled to see Nereus watching him with a small smile. He frowned and stomped away from the plant, returning to the main group without a word. He didn't hear the mage approach him before and he definitely didn't hear him follow him back, but there he was walking beside him with all the grace of the wind.

At first, he kept silent, unable to move passed the embarrassment of being caught unawares. Luckily he was saved by the guttural cry of darkspawn in the distance.

"Anyone else willing to bet there are more darkspawn ahead?" He asked offhandedly, brandishing his mace and dagger. He was already thinking a sword might be better for his fighting style.

"I don't know; it's so difficult to be sure. Alistair, are your Warden senses tingling yet?" Nereus continued lightly, quickening his steps.

"Here I was hoping we'd just skirt on by this band, but noooo." The Warden lamented good-naturedly. "You're all bloodthirsty, you know that?"

"You sayin' we're the ones who wanted to collect this blood?" Leif retorted, glaring when he spotted the darkspawn further up.

They didn't strike him as the type to set up a neat little camp. They'd clearly taken over an abandoned scout encampment or something and it looked like they were interrupting the foul creatures as they ransacked the contents of the tents and crates.

"Oh, let's just deal with these ones and move on." Alistair sighed, jogging ahead to lead the charge.

"Right behind you," Leif muttered, following along the shadow of a cliff as he joined the fray.

The day was already feeling longer than necessary. At least he was getting some good action out of it.

Nereus

The darkspawn had been in much greater number than any they'd previously faced. Even the darkspawn in the tainted ruins of the Brecilian Forest had been less concentrated and they'd been coming up from a crack in the Deep Roads. There had to be at least two or three darkspawn per person and while they were a lot to handle, they were cut down with very little damage done to their own.

Nereus had stayed back with Adora and Daveth as ranged support for the others. His spells were able to slow - if not outright kill – most of the darkspawn he went against. The archers were able to do their fair share of hindering the evil creatures and he was sure the pair of them had killed at least three foes between them.

Their support helped the warriors that fought on the frontlines, allowing them to take out the bulk of the enemy with little to no difficulty. They'd worked more fluidly as a team, even if there were a few scrapes and bruises. No one seemed critically injured, so Nereus was able to close the minor wounds they'd obtained in the fight.

They'd looted the bodies and the camp only to discover it had belonged to a missionary of the Chantry, of all people. He wouldn't have expected any Chantry folk to be capable or crazy enough to brave the Wilds, even to spread their prophet's words to the Chasind barbarians. The man's body was nowhere to be found, so he could only guess that he'd been killed elsewhere. There was no way he could have survived the Wilds with the darkspawn lurking about.

"I found somethin' earlier," Leif informed them upon their discovery. "There was a body, back where we found that scout. He had this letter on him. I think whoever made this camp was the one that wrote the letter."

That was certainly of interest. "Well, what does it say?"

The dwarf passed him the waterlogged note and he was able to make out the message from the missionary to his son. It sounded like there was a supply cache somewhere in the Wilds. Obviously his son wouldn't be needing it, being dead and all that.

The mage passed the note back. "Keep an eye out for these signs. We could use the supplies."

"Are we seriously going to spend the extra time to find this?" Daveth asked incredulously. "Don't we have a limited time out here? You know,sunset."

Nereus smiled craftily. "It's like a treasure hunt! I'm sure he squirreled away something nice for surviving. I can't imagine what you lot will do if I run out of mana and you have to protect me from the darkspawn… I would surely mourn your slow, agonizing death if you were to get hurt and I was unable to heal you."

"Treasure hunt it is!" The thief cried cheerfully. "Just in case, of course."

"Just in case," Nereus agreed.

Having cleared the camp, they moved on. Leif pointed out a few of the markers along the way and they followed what appeared to be a well-traveled route. It wasn't refined enough to be a road, but it was certainly wide enough. There was water on both sides now, shallow and smelly with decaying plant life. The trees bent at strange angles and the ruins stuck out of the ground like gravestones.

"Darkspawn ahead," Alistair warned, motioning for them to slow down. "This is going to happen a lot. Everyone did well during that last fight. I expect you to keep it up. You all know what to do, right?"

"Stab them and don't get stabbed back?" Leif asked wryly.

"Explosions?" Nereus offered gleefully.

Alistair had already begun to agree to Leif's answer and stuttered after Nereus. "Yes – wait, what?"

There was a dark, inhuman laugh from further up as a tall, armored darkspawn came into view. They'd been spotted.

"Now let's see…" Nereus aimed his staff at the foes that so readily revealed themselves. Ice danced between his fingers and power thrummed through the staff in his hand. "Which one first?"

Once the darkspawn were dealt with, they came to a fork in the road. There hadn't been any markers for a bit and it was difficult to see which way might lead them in the right direction. Daveth and Leif had climbed atop one of the more reasonable hills and tried to scout a path for them. There were ruins in almost every direction and any of them could be the one that held the Grey Warden treaties. There were ruins to the northeast that looked promising and the path looked like it might double back in some areas if that ended up being the wrong location.

Taking the northeastern road, they spotted more wildlife. Most of which didn't look too good. The few deer they spotted looked thin and sickly. A few hares had been caught in traps and had gone unrecovered; now they lay bloody and festering in the traps with insects swarming about. There were still flowers and brush, but more were looking to be ravaged by disease. Few herbs stood out that would be worth the risk to acquire.

The whole scene made Nereus uneasy. He'd never seen a place look so… sick.

"This is the effect of the Blight," Alistair said quietly, noting their silent observation of the devastation around them. "Swamps aren't pretty to begin with, but they're not supposed to be like this. The Blight is a sickness born of darkness. It taints the land, destroying everything in its path. If it continues to spread, nothing will grow here. It will become a wasteland, poisoned and unfit for life."

"Is this happening everywhere?" Maiara asked concernedly.

"Not everywhere," the Warden informed them sadly. "But where the darkspawn go, the Blight follows."

"That's why we have to stop it here, at Ostagar," Nereus added, looking away from an animal corpse floating in the muddy water. "We can't allow this to spread."

"No, we cannot." Alistair said solemnly. "That is why we must retrieve these treaties. If we fail… if Ostagar does not hold, we will need allies. Ferelden will fall if the darkspawn continue unopposed."

Nothing more needed to be said. They all knew the risks and there was no point in hiding behind ignorance. They had firsthand experience on what would happen if they weren't up to the task before them. Not even Jory was whining.

As they moved towards drier land, Adora was the next to speak. "The last Blight lasted twelve years and it spread so far, even with the support of the Wardens." She said, her small voice carrying easily in the eerie quiet. "Ferelden is alone. How many Grey Wardens are even here?"

Alistair was uncharacteristically silent.

"How many?" Adora pressed.

The Warden sighed, looking ahead as he answered. "About two dozen."

"Maker's balls…"

"Shit."

Nereus didn't feel like talking any more. He knew there weren't many Grey Wardens in Ferelden, but only two dozen… Their addition would bring the ranks up to thirty, but that wasn't much better. If the Grey Wardens were truly the only ones who could defeat the Archdemon, they were going to need more than skill and luck on their side.

They would need a miracle.

Notes:

I lied when I said the stuff in the Wilds would be short. Or rather, I wanted it to be, but I can't stop myself sometimes. I didn't want to drag this out, so I'm going to try to finish it in the next chapter.