There had been no time to enjoy the afterglow of their new-found intimacy.

Nathaniel had, somewhat brusquely, been ordered to scout ahead of the group by Lynn the next morning, forcing him away from the woman he wanted nothing but to linger with, if only for a few more hours.

He had quickly shoved such desires aside however, the order had been needed...and during the day he'd felt a growing sense of panic among the group as well as himself.

The darkspawn were everywhere.

Hordes of them, thousands brazenly marching across the fields of Amaranthine, burning every hamlet and cottage in sight, slaying anyone and anything too slow to get out of their way. And they were gathering, the already great hordes flowing into one another as they destroyed all in their path, forming masses of writhing dark flesh and even darker steel intent on rending apart whatever little remained within the land.

Nathaniel had found himself struggling to guide the others safely through it all.

Two times had they been forced to fight smaller contingents of darkspawn, smaller meaning numbering a full five dozen. That they had even won both times was a miracle on its own...as was the fact that the darkspawn hadn't caught them with anything larger.

After the second battle they had all felt it, a force of two hundred darkspawn turning as one, racing to find the wardens that had slain their kin.

It had been a close call, at a time Nathaniel had even seen the darkspawn in the horizon, a dark writhing mass intent on their destruction.

It had taken them four hours to outstrip the darkspawn, and only the fact that they'd been through much as of late had kept them from falling from exhaustion.

As it was the entire group merely struggled for breath, Justice and Lynn the exception, as they spotted Vigil's Keep in the distance.

No order was given, but the entire group broke into a jog.

How many men do we have? Five hundred in the keep...the nobles have maybe four thousand in total but will be busy with their own battles unless they can reach us...which is doubtful. The city militia of Amaranthine numbers two hundred or so...we could also round up some peasants no doubt...

Nathaniel grimaced as he jogged, only dimly aware of Velanna suddenly jogging next to him, eyeing him with concern.

And the darkspawn numbers tens of thousands.

He glanced over at Velanna, finding the elf's hair freed and dishevelled as it swayed with her movements. If he had had the time he would have run his fingers through it, enjoyed the pure affection running from his heart to his limbs like a warm wave. Instead all he could do was offer her a small smile, with her echoing it with a worried one of her own. She saw his worry...what his calculations told him of their odds...and that, rather then the darkspawn, worried her.

Nathaniel forced his smile to become a little more genuine. We are strong in a way they aren't, we can win. He surprised even himself by believing it.

Velanna's pale smile turned into a grin, telling him she'd gladly prove him right, with fire.

That's my girl. Nathaniel shot her a final look of approval, his chest swelling, then forced himself to concentrate at the rapidly approaching keep.

The keep was far closer now, the warden's punishing pace having brought them close enough to see that the walls were swarming with archers, many watching the small group with nervous eyes.

Then a cheer rose from the archers, finally realising that the group was the Wardens.

The portcullis to the castle opened instantly, letting the group in.

They didn't stop their jogging until they've gotten into the courtyard, only then did they stop to breathe, to calm themselves.

That was difficult however.

The outer courtyard was a buzz of activity, as if it was an anthill that some child had kicked open. As Nathaniel watched men came rushing out from the inner courtyard, soldiers still pulling on their armour and weapons as they hurried for their regiments, the trickle of troops forming into ragged squares orderly arranged at the edges of the field. It was the only solid thing in the place, the rest being elven servants and soldiers running around, carrying various items in their arms.

It was chaotic.

Nathaniel's gaze was firmly drawn to a group away from the rest of the regiments however, eyebrow raised even as he felt some relief. Fifty knights.

The men weren't formed up in any way, many of them busy caring for their horses that were still covered with a sheen of sweat from a heavy ride. The horses were large and muscled, mostly covered in a plated caparisons of silverite and with eyes calm despite the chaos surrounding them. Fifty warhorses in heavy armour, a fortune.

"Seems Anora came through for us." Mhairi breathed somewhere to his right, sounding relieved. "I knew she would."

Nathaniel shrugged, having not been privy to any such talks. Yet he had heard about the new Denerim knights founded by Anora following the blight...and now eyed them with a mixture of dry amusement and wariness, feeling the change of the wind. If Ferelden survives...she will not be the Ferelden I once left.

The Mabari hounds staying close to the knights were definitely Fereldian, as was the heraldry painted on the shields of the knights, two hounds standing guard over a white and yellow shield. The heraldry of Ferelden, not the arling of Denerim...knights of the crown, no lord, nothing more. Nathaniel knew it to be significant.

Armoured in heavy plate armour of silverite and not only having swords strapped to their sides but also having lances nailed into the ground the knights could have easily been confused with Orlesian chevaliers. And the similarity is not only skin deep...

Nathaniel was, as many with their ear to the ground, aware of the queen's desire to centralise the government. Officially to make the country more safe, but only a fool would believe the official story. The knights of Denerim was just another nail in the coffin of the noble's independence, they could pursue and destroy any darkspawn or other kind of raid, they only answered to the crown, and they were equipped in a manner only the Ferelden royalty could afford.

If the force grew the nobility would become obsolete as guardians of the land, and once that happened...they would be weakened beyond measure.

But who would complain? Who could say that the knights weren't needed when the land was still being rent by warfare? Where fear of the still lingering darkspawn was everywhere? Where Anora's rule had only been strengthened every day, where she didn't even have to suppress noble's rebellions since her subjects would do it for her in a frenzy of bloodlust in an attempt to avert her vengeful gaze?

A hundred years of Orlesian occupation couldn't change us, yet now fear turns us into an imitation of Orlais... Nathaniel almost laughed at it, at Anora's cleverness, but chose not to, thjere was nothing to laugh about.

Still, they will come in handy.

As he watched one of the knights, a burly bald man with a somewhat round face, detached himself to head for the group and headed for Lynn. He had the look of a dockworker about him, reminding Nathaniel of Anora's growing preference of raising commoners to knighthood. Another clever nail in the coffin of the nobles, the commoners adore such things while the knighted ones becomes dependent on her appreciation...and loyal onto death.

He also spotted the seneschal approaching, face revealing his worry far too well. Damn man, you have men around you watching...Nathaniel shot the soldiers around them a glance, feeling their worried eyes upon the group, hoping a miracle, fearing the order that must come.

The knight reached Lynn first, assuming her to be the leader despite the elf still wearing her helmet, her stance stiff, tense. Next to her Justice stood, earning him a confused glance from the knight. The undead man had been wise enough to keep his helmet on, but that did nothing to stop the smell of him from lingering in the air...but with a frown the knight shrugged and turned to the Commander, there were more important things to focus on. "Commander, I am ser Parth of the Ferelden knights, her ladyship the queen sends her regards and hopes-"

"Spare me the pleasantries." Lynn snapped, eliciting a relaxed grin from the knight, confirming Nathaniel's suspicion of his origin, a real knight would have been offended, a rough man like the one before them however...would just be glad to get such things over and done with. "I see you all arrived, despite the darkspawn."

"Yes, it was difficult, but we did it." The man shrugged with a small grunt. "We could have engaged some of them but...I thought it better to report here." He eyed Lynn warily, unsure.

"Good." Lynn nodded, making the large oaf of a knight relax, obviously not completely used to his powerful role yet. "Are you ready to ride?"

"Give the word." The man nodded in turn, a nearly feral grin appearing on his lips, it was the grin of a man relishing violence. "We'll crush these things beneath our hooves at your command."

Then the seneschal was next to the knight, licking his lips as he muttered: "Commander...I bring ill tidings, the darkspawn are on the march."

"That much is obvious." Ser Parth snorted in derision, then shirked away ever so slightly when the seneschal shot him a glare, a glare Nathaniel knew had made many a new recruit whimper in fright. "Erm...ser."

The seneschal kept glaring though, obviously finding such a rough man in such a position of honour disquieting as well as irritating, Nathaniel had to agree. But the man finally shrugged, there was nothing he could do, and turned to Lynn. "Commander, some peasants and two lords with badly worn down entourages has already arrived, speaking of large forces of darkspawn scouring the countryside..."

Lynn didn't answer, the elf shifting where she stood, watching the seneschal, knowing there was more to come.

The man took a deep, shuddering breath. "Their main force is headed for Amaranthine though."

Nathaniel shivered. He had expected it, he had even known it...yet to hear it... Delilah, I hope you got out in time...it was a vain hope, why would she leave when she thought herself the safest behind her city wall and the militia guarding it?

He shot Velanna a glance, finding the elf glaring at him, daring him to despair.

It made him smile in recollection. Never lose hope...he offered her a nod and a smile.

"Maker!" Mhairi breathed, the woman's voice shaking. "Not again...we have to get after them, stop them!"

"Again..." Lynn's voice was but a whisper, barely audible for anyone save those closest to her, Nathaniel and Velanna exchanged a worried glance.

The entire day the elf had been...quiet...more so then usual. And there was a certain stiffness in her stance, not out of pain or pride, rather it seemed as if she held her back so straight out of a fear what would happen if she stopped...it was worrying.

Nathaniel didn't want to know why the elf kept her helmet on, or rather, he did but didn't want to think about it. It was all but a shell...and all that kept the woman standing.

The elf cocked her head to the side, then turned it, looking squarely at Nathaniel.

He swallowed, knowing. "Amaranthine is a commercial centre, without Vigil's Keep we will lose the land, Amaranthine is...expendable."

"What!" A punch, hard and fast, made him stagger, his body too numb with what he had said to really register the pain. Mhairi was in his face though, her hands around his collar as she glared at him, spittle flying from her mouth as she barked at him: "How could you say that! These are our people! Our duty is to protect them! We can't just abandon them!"

Nathaniel felt rather then saw Velanna move, and raised his hand in a gesture, calming her as he evenly met Mhairi's glare. "I'm relaying facts, nothing more."

The glare turned into a look of panic. "No! We can't...!" She shook her head and released Nathaniel, making him take a step back to regain his balance as he felt Velanna's hand sneak into his in support, it was a small comfort however.

Delilah... He swallowed.

Mhairi swung around, staring at Lynn, the woman looking ready to fall to her knees before her Commander as she exclaimed: "Please! We cannot stay here and do nothing! Our duty..." She shook her head, unable to continue as she visibly swayed where she stood. Our duty is to make the hard choices. Nathaniel glumly thought with a sigh. Delilah... Mhairi visibly shook as she muttered: "Please...we must...do..."

"And we will."

Huh!

Nathaniel nearly jumped at the words, blinking he looked up, stared at the Commander in disbelief, as were the others, stunned by the firmness of the three words.

The Commander seemed not to notice though, the amber eyes shining through the slits of her visor as she took a slow step towards Mhairi, the woman's face alight with fresh hope. "Let us stop them, let us..." The Commander reached for the other woman's hands, then thought better of it and let hers drop back at her sides. "...do it right..." She looked away, her voice a whisper: "...this time..."

Nathaniel found himself shaking his head. Every instinct told him to agree, to rush to the aid of the city, but he could not ignore his intellect, his responsibility. "Commander, if we fail the entire arling will fall, and even if we succeed but the darkspawn takes the Keep while we're gone the arling will fall. I urge you to reconsider."

"No."

The word was final, decisive, it might as well have been set in stone.

Maker no... Nathaniel shook his head, staring at the Commander in fear. Why would compassion move you now of all times!

The woman looked back at him, the eyes within the visor oddly...empty. It wasn't the deadness he'd seen before, nor a barely contained rage, it was just...nothing.

He found himself shivering even as the moment dragged on.

We're doomed...

Then the elf turned to regard the seneschal, her words were as hard as flint, yet another shell holding her together. "You will hold the keep until we return with all the men." Nathaniel blinked. Wait, I thought she said...oh Maker she can't be serious...well at least the Keep won't fall... "The Wardens will take the knights and head for the city." The Commander regarded the others, gaze lingering on Nathaniel's dubious expression, but saying nothing about it. She then turned to the nearest elf, a pale man whose arms were trembling under the weight of the two suits of chain he was carrying. "You there! Get us five horses, armoured if possible!"

The man stopped, struggling with the need to get the suits to their owners and the new order barked at him.

"NOW!" Lynn's bark sent him scuttling away, the two suits of armour thudding into the mud of the courtyard and drawing two angry yells from somewhere among the regiments forming up.

Nathaniel felt Velanna's hands on his shoulder, pressing down slightly, trying to tell him it was okay, that they could do it. Yet he could only shake his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Riding hard he was sure the wardens and their knights could reach Amaranthine in time...but what then?

He turned his head, moving to kiss Velanna lightly on the lips, but tasted nothing but his own regret. Fifty-six versus thousands...and I who just...

Velanna's breath washed against his lips as she spoke, tone firm, an order. "Hope."

"Hope." He repeated, but his words lacked heat.

8

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Thanks to Abydos Jackson, because she deserves it.