Amaranthine – Adamantine

Serenity POV

He sighs as the messenger delivers the grim news. Amaranthine is being overrun by darkspawn and Vigil's Keep is being assaulted. He doesn't need to look at the two men at his side to know what they are thinking. Fergus and Alistair have always been easy to predict.

"Have you heard anything from the two locations?" Alistair asks. One would assume he was taking the news well, if not for the fact that his trademark smile was nowhere near his face.

"The last we heard, the Queen had infiltrated Amaranthine to look for survivors alongside three Wardens," the messenger answers. He is one of the villagers who'd volunteered for patrolling the outskirts and learned of the attack through a relative. "We have heard nothing from the Warden-Commander in the Keep."

"She's probably neck-deep in troublesome nobles," Fergus comments. He can see the fear in his friend's eyes, though he is certain few others could read that in the easy tone. "Serei would also refuse to abandon Amaranthine, after losing Highever."

"Teagan, what would you suggest?" Alistair asks.

He turns and faces his 'nephew' and King, but it takes a minute to answer. "I would prefer to help them, but I'm not certain where or how."

"Why not turn to the Siege first?" Fergus suggests. "From the report, there are far fewer in Amaranthine, and Amaranthine got off lightly in terms of casualties during the Blight. It should be fine."

"Then allow me to lend what few soldiers Redcliffe can spares." He's rewarded for the offer by Alistair's bright smile.

"Check on Connor and Isolde before leaving, Teagan," Alistair half-orders. "It'll take a bit to tell the troops to leave behind the village girls their seducing."

"Hopefully, we won't… interrupt something," Fergus laughs.

He shakes his head at the jokes, nods a dismissal at the messenger, and goes to obey the order. From there, he will find the armor he used during the Blight and march out with the rest.

He owes Agrona for saving Connor, so he prays that they'll not arrive too late to assist her. He prays that Serenity, his friend and Queen, is all right in Amaranthine. Finally, he prays that the Maker will watch over Fereldan, as he did over Connor.

"Uncle?" Connor calls. He reaches down to hug him, as is his new habit. Connor thankfully remembers little of his time under the demon's control, but the scars will not disappear anytime soon. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Send some of the knights off to the separate corners," he says. "The fastest available. Surely, there will be others who will help." Many owe their lives to the Wardens. That had to be paid and now is as good a time as any.

It was long after midnight that my body relaxed enough to doze off. It ached horribly due to the stress of battles. My extensive scarring made it all the worse. If only the fighting would stop! Then I could rest and be happy.

"What are you doing?" I heard Velanna ask. Blinking awake, I pushed myself up to see her carefully peeking inside the little alcove. "Sleeping?"

"More like wishing the fighting was over, so that I can return to my manipulating and stop my fighting." I was feeling a little more like Agrona than myself.

"Didn't you manipulate the Captain into giving you full command?"

"No, I have that by right as Queen. I just tricked him into admitting it." I shook my head and stood up. "Is something wrong?"

"A soldier that was patrolling was brought in as a gibbering mess," she explained. "Nathaniel and Anders are listening in already."

"Lead the way."

Velanna quickly led me to another alcove, one crammed with the Captain, Anders, Nathaniel, and a shivering soldier. Someone had put a blanket around him and a hot mug of tea in his hands, as if he'd caught a chill. But it was obvious he wasn't cold. He was just terrified out of his mind.

"There you are, my lady," the Captain greeted. He was in a much better mood than he had been before my little nap. I'd gotten annoyed with his insistence that I report absolutely everything to him, so I'd 'helpfully reminded him' that, as Queen, he should actually report to me, not the other way around.

"We just got him calm enough to talk somewhat coherently," Anders explained. "The rest of his group is dead. He came in with one on his back, but that one was dead before he got here."

"He looked like something tried to eat him," Nathaniel added grimly. That one sentence gave me an idea of what had happened. But the soldier's report confirmed it.

"They… they were like m-maggots!" the soldier stammered out. "But… but they were walking! And they had these horrible claws jutting out of their skin and horrible, horrible sharp, pointy teeth!"

I felt a sigh come on, but managed to swallow it. "I think we found the Children," I murmured. "Terrific."

"Method for fighting them?" the Captain requested. "In case they break through?"

"Long-range is preferable, but if you have to be up close, try to keep your back to the wall," I answered, wracking my memory for my lone encounter with the creepy things. "If they pin you, you'd better hope someone notices and gets it off of you."

"Do we know how many there were?" Nathaniel asked. "Did he see only one?"

There was a sharp bang against the Chantry door. Everyone whirled to see the door had splintered.

"I think we're about to find out," Anders answered with false confidence. "Orders?"

"Someone get everyone to more secure parts of the Chantry," I relayed immediately. "I don't care how cramped it is."

"I'll have my men on it at once," the Captain promised.

"Velanna, think you can manipulate some trees to help us out?"

"If I can get to a window," she answered slowly, as if thinking very carefully. "If I can get to a window, I can create something."

"Nathaniel, help her to one. Anders, make sure the healers get ready. Captain, what soldiers aren't moving the refugees are going to help me keep the doors shut until Velanna's done."

As everyone moved, I found myself thinking of Ser Gilmore and the other soldiers who'd held the gates as Duncan and Agrona dragged me out with Kaiser.

Andraste, give me strength.

Velanna was a genius. She'd burned a lot of magic, but she'd done it brilliantly. Using the trees, grass, and flowers nearby, she'd woven a cage to protect the almost broken doors of the Chantry that sustained itself by slowly absorbing the blood of the Children that had gotten skewered in the weaving. The only downsides were that Velanna had to sit and recuperate from it, and that the only way out was by dropping down from a second floor window.

"So, just the three of us against all these darkspawn and Children?" Anders sighed. He absently healed a cut on my face that I'd gotten from one Child's claw slipping through the splinters. "I'm beginning to think it'll be easier to get the mages freedom."

"You forgot to mention that their disciples are actually showing a sense of tactics," Nathaniel pointed out as the darkspawn effectively organized themselves through the town.

"I was trying to forget that part."

"There's nothing to be done," I pointed out. "Velanna has to recover and the guardsmen are still too wounded to do anything but emergency fighting." She did say it wouldn't take long, but I'd opted to go ahead anyway. The darkspawn were showing tactical prowess and, following that logic, it wouldn't take them long to figure out that they could just burn the thing blocking them. "Nathaniel, you've better eyes. What's the pattern?"

"They were emerging from the inn, based on the initial clustering," he reported, gesturing at the bodies. "That's why so many appeared at the Chantry so quickly, it looks like. I think the inn is connected to the tunnels, so this makes sense. Now, however, they seem to be gathering towards the main gates."

"Are the gates up?" I asked, alarmed.

"They were brought up right before, but brute force will take just about anything down."

"We need to hurry, then." I glanced at Anders. "Burn the path behind us to lessen the chances of us getting caught in a pincer immediately." Based on the numbers, though, us getting surrounded was inevitable.

"You got it, my lady," Anders replied with a strained grin.

We ran as fast as we could. Heat at our backs told me that Anders had did as I asked. There wasn't really much of a plan, though. There were too many to figure one out on the fly.

"Focus on the gate!" I ordered right before leaping into the fray. "Defend it with everything you have!"

"This normal for the Wardens?" Anders called, preparing an ice spell.

"It's going to be," Nathaniel answered for me. "For Amaranthine!"

I lost track of time. It became defined by the number of darkspawn I killed, the number of Children that tried to eat me, the number of arrows that thudded into the forces, and the amount of magic thrown into the fray. When I could, I tried to take note of the other two.

Nathaniel had, quite sensibly, put a tree to his back. The only thing better would've been a wall, but that didn't provide quite the range of movement while still protecting his back. He needed that protection, given the number of darkspawn trying to claw his arms off.

Anders was on a higher level, using the height advantage to better take out the darkspawn clustered about us with fire and ice spells. He focused on the mages, trying to overpower them. I was certain he was succeeding, but worried over how low his magic reserves were getting. How long had we been fighting?

My body gave me the answer. Too long.

My blood suddenly screamed and it felt like a dragon started roaring in my head. Andraste, help me. I'd hit my limit. I had to pull back, or I'd shift into that permanent berserker state. I could not afford that.

I made my way to Nathaniel and ducked behind the tree to try and catch my breath. Perhaps if I could exert some control, I could extend the limit. I couldn't leave Nathaniel and Anders to fight alone. Not yet, at least.

"You all right?" Nathaniel asked me as soon as he had space to breath. His quiver was empty. "Anders! Over here!"

"I'm not wounded," I reassured him in a strained voice. "I… I have a limit on how long I can fight with my head on straight. It's a long story. The short version is that you should avoid drinking dragon blood." Also, stay away from Averrnus's experimental potions, but Nathaniel and Anders wouldn't learn about him for a while. He was pretty secluded in that old Warden Keep, after all.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"We're also completely surrounded," Anders informed us with an oddly cheerful grimness as he dropped down to our location. Taint back under control, I looked around to see he was correct. We were completely surrounded by intelligent darkspawn and children, not far from the gate. I was glad to note the gate was still closed. We hadn't failed yet. "Think Velanna would mind doing some more plant manipulation to save us?"

"We'd have to get word to her," I reminded him.

"Giant fireball and us screaming 'help us, oh wonderfully superior Dalish!'?"

Right then, the tree twisted and groaned, uprooting itself to better entangle its branches through the darkspawn horde.

Nathaniel, sensibly, climbed to the top of the tree after stealing some arrows off nearby corpses. The tree held itself as still as it could, as if to lessen the chances of him falling. As he helped Anders and me up, he commented, "I think she heard us?"

"Velanna, you're supposed to be resting," I growled. Nevertheless, I was very thankful. "Anders, can you attack without hurting the poor tree?"

"The poor tree that is racking up a higher body count than everything else combined?" Anders asked incredulously. "You're worried about hurting it?"

"So, you can't?" Was he too tired?

"I didn't say that," he grumbled, before gesturing to cause giant spikes of ice to erupt from the ground. Each one was placed carefully to avoid a branch. "See?"

"Splendid." I smiled and hefted up Vigilance. "All right. I think I got my second wind. I'll strike and you two cover?"

"Shouldn't take long," Nathaniel agreed. "The tree did a lot of damage. We really should think of a reward."

"I'm getting out of here before the whole 'treating the tree like it's a person' thing rubs off," Anders laughed. The tree shifted suddenly and almost knocked him off. "Okay, Velanna, I'm sorry for insulting your tree. You could try to not kill me."

Somehow, the little exchange gave us all new energy as we swung into the fight. Combined with the panic and chaos induced by the sudden, and unexpected, leafy assault, the darkspawn and Children found themselves dying in droves. In a matter of minutes, the last of the fighting was over. Thank Andraste.

I smiled as the sun gently peeked over the gates Nathaniel was working on re-opening now that the threat was over. Anders was setting about burning the darkspawn, so that they didn't pollute the water supply and gardens. A pinky dawn to signal the end of the fighting here. It was oddly fitting.

"Looks like the worst is behind us here," I heard Velanna say from behind me.

"You were supposed to be resting," I gently scolded her as I turned to face her. I noted that, though she was pale, she was walking reasonably straight.

"One of those Revered Mothers found a refined lyrium potion in her stores," she defended. "She gave it to me and I was back to full health in a few seconds. After that, I merely entered a meditative state that allowed me to communicate with the plant-life. All Keepers are capable of doing this. It's not feasible in an open battle, but in the confined space I was trapped in, it worked out well." She smiled ruefully. "I will need to rest before I'm of any use in a battle proper, though."

"We'll see about Nathaniel carrying you."

"I do not need-!"

"Gates are open!" Nathaniel suddenly called. "I broke the locking mechanism though. Some darkspawn had cracked it."

"Don't worry about that," I reassured. "Let's get the others out of the Chantry. That is, if Velanna hasn't taken it down already?"

"No, I jumped down just as you did," she mumbled.

"How are we going to get them out?" Anders asked. "Fire?"

"You are not burning it, you pyromaniac!"

"That's rich, coming from you."

I was really exhausted by all of this. I knew because I actually let my annoyed groan slip through before giving in to my incredible need to just scold them. It provided Nathaniel with great entertainment, at least.

The first thing I did upon exiting the city proper was to go visit the refugees outside. There were more there, most crying from relief. In the corner, though, was the man who'd reminded me of the underground caves. A small blanket covered his face, telling me he was dead.

"He lived long enough to hear the city had been saved," a woman whispered. A small girl was curled up asleep in her lap. "He got to see his children and grandchildren one last time."

"I'm glad," I whispered. Still, I wished that I could've saved him.

"Serenity!" Anders called. I turned to see him waving next to a panting man dressed in the light armor of a messenger. "Letter from the Keep!"

I ran for them, wondering how in Andraste's name a message got out. Anders, Nathaniel, and Velanna clustered around me as I flipped open the letter to read. The messenger was sitting now, gray with exhaustion. He must've been running throughout the night.

'Your Majesty,

I write this in place of the Warden-Commander. We are assuming that you shall not abandon Amaranthine, so she is strengthening the defenses to outlast the assault. A darkspawn the Commander dubbed 'Watcher' has given us information pertaining to the Mother in charge of the forces attacking us. Namely, he informed us that she is nested deep below Drake's Fall. I encourage you to head straight for their upon securing Amaranthine. It shall be the best way to assist us, given that Teyrn Cousland is away at Redcliffe.

Seneschal Varel'

So, she was in Drake's Fall, an interesting location. I disliked the fact that Fergus was in Redcliff. There was little chance of reinforcements for Agrona, unless word somehow reached him in the south. I would just have to pray that they could hold out.

"We make for the Dragonbone Wastes," I stated, folding the letter and tucking it into my pocket. "Just us four. We'll be able to move a lot faster that way."

Speed was of the essence, even more so than it had been when saving Connor. Andraste, bless us with… well, everything.

Author's Note – Scene at the beginning is Teagan. I deliberately set it up to contrast Serenity's logical thoughts, because she doesn't know everything all the time. It also addresses my big question of why no one tried to help the Warden while Amaranthine and the Vigil were both under siege. Decided to draw some parallels to scenes in Origins, for my own amusement.

For those who don't remember, Drake's Fall is the ruins inside the Dragonbone Wastes. The Nest is underneath that.

Next Chapter – Keep under siege with Agrona. We have two chapters and an epilogue left of Awakening.