Loghain shifted uncomfortably, feeling his age as he knelt in the cramped position, the weight of his armour announcing itself more so than it had done in a long time. All around him, men and dwarves were crouched as well, waiting for the signal to attack. This would be the surprise ambush and they could not strike too soon. He did wonder how much of a surprise attack it would be, considering the darkspawn could sense the Warden's just as much as they could sense them.
The call to arms had been a rude one. The castle was quiet, everyone was fast asleep in their beds when the scout had come racing to the gates to raise the alarm. He had whipped his horse until it bled, desperate to get as much distance between himself and the darkspawn as was possible. The sounds of the ringing bell had woken up everyone up in an instant, the sounds of banging and crashing could be heard from various rooms, armour being strapped to bodies as people ran passed each other in the hallway, the air thick with fear and confusion.
It was almost unnerving with how quickly everyone had gotten into position. They hadn't had long to go over the battle plans and strategies with all those who would be fighting. There were so many different elements to this and quick thinking and reactions would be needed if any of the plans failed. Even through the fear, it was possible to sense that deep courage, the grit and determination of the people of Ferelden. They would not be conquered again and they would drive the darkspawn back just as they had driven back the Orlesians. The difference here, of course, was that they were much better protected and armed than the rebellion had ever been. Despite the civil war, despite the numbers lost at Ostagar, the smiths that had joined the camp had worked day and night to provide armour and weapons suitable for such a battle. The Dalish had helped the bower, turning out bows and arrows of quality none in Redcliffe had seen before. Loghain mused at how far the rebel army could have got if they had been so well equipped. Maybe the entire ordeal wouldn't have taken so long.
On the hillside, the elves and Riordan stood waiting, their view of the paths below giving them a good position to rain as many arrows down on their enemies as possible, the main aim was to prevent as many of the darkspawn from reaching the village. Those who could not fight had been taken to the castle, locked inside it's strong walls until the fighting was over with. Everyone else was outside and armed, the mages were waiting, flanked by archers either side of them to protect them as they channeled their magics. Everything was so still and silent, it was as though everyone dared to even draw breath, lest it give their position away to the darkspawn. Riordan tensed, he could feel them drawing closer, as though the shadows in the depths of the mind began to take form. It was like he could feel their breath on his neck, a link to them and the Arch Demon that led them.
Sure enough, the first of the darkspawn horde appeared on the paths and were taken down quickly by archers and mages alike. Flashes of light and fire ripped in all directions, waves of ice freezing the darkspawn in their tracks, others with arrows piercing them in all directions. But then, the darkspawn began to materialise over the hillside, as though there was no end to their wave of darkness. The shouts of surprise were drowned by the moans of dying men and elves. Most of the archers had forsaken their bows, now fighting with daggers, knives and swords, unleashing vengeance upon the darkspawn for their fallen brothers and sisters. Riordan himself couldn't remember the last time there was a battle this intense. They just kept coming, no matter how many they cut down in their path. His armour was thick with blood, the handle of his sword grimy and slippery as he cut the head off yet another enemy. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest, but he kept on, the sounds of crumbling gates in the village below urged him forward.
Loghain and those under his charge were now engaging the darkspawn in the centre of the village, the wooden houses were catching fire, illuminating the streets for them as the battle raged. Once again, he was left impressed by the sheer skill in battle that the Dwarves seemed to possess. His mind wandered back to the Deep Roads, when the Legion of the Dead had saved him, Maric, Rowan and Katriel. If it hadn't been for them, he wouldn't be here today. The were just as impressive in battle, their fury and hate with the darkspawn went far deeper than any man on Ferelden could ever comprehend and they made sure that they got the vengeance for their long lost ancestors, the ones who were the first to fall to the taint.
Pushing a dead Hurlock from his sword, Loghain caught his breath, just in time to see more darkspawn swarming into the village centre. They were relentless and this time, they were joined by two huge Hurlock dressed in much superior armour. These were their war generals, the ones who kept the darkspawn lines and encouraged them into fierce battle. For anyone to think that they were just mindless monsters was inconceivable. Once you had seen the darkspawn in battle, you came to realise that they had the capacity to be far more intelligent than a host of men could ever be. Their fight wasn't over with yet, even with the first rays of daylight beginning to appear over the horizon.
Catheryn gasped to catch her breath, feeling her muscles burn in protest, the shining new armour that she had been gifted was now dirty and covered in darkspawn filth. An Ogre lay dead at the gate, but darkspawn continued to pile over the body as though it wasn't even there. It was like an endless ocean, crashing against the rocks, chipping away at the defenses as more of the men around her fell, catching her between dismay, terror and anger as they did so.
They had been expecting an attack, but not one to this ferocity. They had believed that the fighting would start in the village before it headed to the castle, but, they had seriously miscalculated. Catheryn had been stood there with Fergus, Alistair, Anora, Wynne, Morrigan and Maric, her blue and silver armour with it's glittering gold griffon looked just as majestic when stood next to the King and Queen of Ferelden. It was by far the most expensive piece of armour that she had ever worn and the weight of it took some adjusting too, for it was far heavier than her last set. She had been fidgeting, earning a look of disapproval from Fergus as she did so.
'The darkspawn, they're coming over the bridge...there's so many...and they ha-' The cry from the top of the wall was cut short as the man fell, an arrow through his head, meaning he was dead before he even hit the floor with a sickening crunch. Catheryn felt the entire area tense in an instant, everyone waiting, holding their breaths, with the soft mutterings of prayers to the maker rushing over the men. Her own heart was in her throat, preparing herself for the sound that soon followed, the great, monstrous sound of something beating against those old wooden gates, causing splinters to emerge, even after the very first strike.
It had taken the Ogre all of three strikes to break down the old gates, splinters flying everywhere, men stood in horror as they watched the giant blue monstrosity enter into the courtyard. In the blink of an eye, men were thrown against the walls, sickening sounds echoing around the courtyard. The lines of men were failing, consumed by their fear of something that they hadn't even thought of in their deepest nightmares. It was up to Catheryn and her companions to act, to make sure that the men didn't lose their nerve completely. The Ogre wasn't new to them and, in that moment, all anger was forgotten, both Catheryn and Alistair charging forward as they had done many times before. They were used to this fight now, able to dodge the massive feet as they aimed to kick or ducking out of the way of a great, sweeping arm. The effect it had on the others was almost instant and suddenly, they found their nerve again, taking the swarming darkspawn head on whilst the King and the Grey Warden took down the monster before them.
But now, the situation was almost hopeless and yet, those who stood refused to give in, refused to let the darkspawn win. Through gritted teeth they battled, black blood covering the ground, the cries of dying men echoing all around, but, it had to be ignored. The dead could be mourned later, the injured could be healed once the tide of battle had been turned. For now, the main focus was stopping this onslaught, no matter how impossible it seemed.
Loghain and Riordan stood side by side in the Village square, looking at the destruction around them, darkspawn and men both lay dead or dying on the ground, houses burning down around their ears, the distant sounds of the fading battle could still be heard. Both of them were wary, the battle in the village hadn't lasted nearly as long as they thought it would. Whilst there had been a large number of darkspawn, it didn't nearly match the numbers given by the scouts. Even allowing for human error, there was no way they could be that inaccurate.
As if on cue, booming barks could be heard, getting louder with every single one that was given. Loghain knew the sound in an instant, watching as the Mabari came crashing into the village, covered in black gore and ignoring the fallen in front of him as he did so. He stopped in front of Loghain, his barks were frantic and terrified, not even giving himself a chance to catch his breath before he turned tail and ran back up the village.
'The Castle!' It was a unanimous realisation and without so much as a second thought, both Loghain and Riordan rounded up those who were still able to fight, making their way frantically towards the bridge, ignoring the angry protests of their weary bodies. Loghain could feel his heart pounding against his chest plate, the adrenaline rushing through him, cancelling out all the sounds around him, his focus on one thing alone as he cut down the darkspawn in his path, stepping over them as though they were nothing, determined to cut a path through them even if it cost his own life.
Peering around her, Catheryn panicked slightly, Maric was no where to be seen and she hoped that he wasn't buried under the piles of darkspawn and people that now littered the courtyard. She parried the blade of a Hurloc as she looked around, her body acting almost automatically as the blade was brought round to cut off its head. Still the darkspawn came and she felt the despair rising in the pit of her stomach once more, threatening to overwhelm her. It took deep breaths to try and calm it, but, it didn't stop the way her hands shook as she swung her blade, her muscles now screaming in protest at the effort. With a grunt of frustration, she barrelled into the hurloc in front of her, knocking it down with the impact of her shield, the blade of her sword driving through its skull whilst she blocked another attack. She could feel the sweat stinging her eyes underneath her helm, her breath hot and misty inside the enclosed space. She wanted to take it off, to be able to breath the fresh air one last time before she fell, to feel the coolness of a breeze on her skin once more.
It was as these thoughts entered her head that her eyes fell to the gates, watching as Maric came bowling over the Ogre, sinking his teeth into the neck of a gemlock as he did. Behind him, she saw Loghain, Riordan and the rest of the forces, clearing the path to the castle, causing the darkspawn to almost panic in surprise.
Luckily, those who still able to fight were encouraged by the appearance, finding renewed vigor in their fighting, a new venom in each of their strikes. All hadn't been lost, they had hope again.
Before long, the last of the darkspawn had been defeated, the rest retreating over the hillside and melting into the shadows of the morning. It was a clear morning, the glow of the rising sun casting a golden colour on the ground around them, the tainted blood seeping into stone and grass, a scene of utter devastation emerging around them. It was impossible to tell how many had fallen, not just here but in the village as well. The most worrying thing was, the Arch Demon hadn't appeared, which meant that this wouldn't be their final fight and that alone was enough to send a chill to the very core.