The sapient darkspawn moved closer to the soldier, barely holding his ground at the ledge of the battlement. "It has ended just as he foretold." Without cause, the darkspawn in chainmail and proper crafted armor kicked the man off the wall and down to the stakes below. It turned back to its fellow darkspawn brethren, one of which was holding a man down on his knees with sword to his neck, "Be taking this one, gently. We are wishing no more death than is necessary.
The man scoffed, "Necessary? As if your kind has ever done anything else!"
This strange talking darkspawn knelt down to the man, "You are thinking you know of our kind, human? It is understandable. But that will soon be changed."
He wasn't afraid of it, "Others will come, creature! They will stop you!" The other darkspawn had turned as they heard the clashing of armor rushing toward them.
Mhairi pointed to the man, "There he is!"
The strange looking darkspawn turned to them, showing red war paint across its eyes with the right side peeking up to its forehead. "It seems your words be true. More than you are guessing."
Ander was completely amused, "It is talking!"
Oghren yelled, "Well, let's shut it up already!"
"Commander!"
The talking darkspawn stood up, drawing its sword and shield, "Capture the Grey Warden," pointing out Theron, "These others, they may be killed." The hurlock who was holding the human punched him, knocking him down as it charged into battle with the others.
There was one for each of them. Deesh rushed to attack the talking one, locking swords with it and pushing it back. As she pushed, something felt strange about this darkspawn. Deesh barely felt the taint within it. Whatever was going on, she was sure that Shade might be able to get some answers from its corpse.
Anders moved back behind Oghren, leaving the dwarf to fight two hurlocks on his own. Or at least until the mage set one of the darkspawn a blaze, startling the second and leaving it open for Oghren to chop down.
Theron knocked a genlock around with his bow until he managed to grab one of his dagger to finish it. Shadow had little difficulty with the genlock, blasting it back with her strange powers and crushing its head.
After a few initial strikes and blocks, Deesh moved onto an aggressive push against the talking one. After its few strikes the darkspawn lost ground against her as it now ironically stood where the soldier was. Instead of doing the ironic thing of kicking the darkspawn down to the spike, she stabbed her sword into its side, pulling it down to the ground. Mhairi was about to rush over to finish it, but Oghren stopped her. "Don't interfere. You'll live longer." She turned to see Theron and Shadow also just watching Deesh continue toward the darkspawn.
Deesh's ethereal Ghostblade slithered down her arm, forming in her fingers as she stabbed it through the downed darkspawn's arm. From her pack Deesh then drew out two crystals, one a dark purple and the other a lighter, near translucent pink. "Forged from the ether, bound to thy fates," magical energy started to swirl around Deesh's free hand, "Used by another, until your soul degenerates." A sword soon appeared in her hand, less transparent than the Ghostblade but it was dipped in ethereal energy. The moment the sword appeared Deesh had already spun it around and pierced the new ethereal blade through the darkspawn's chest.
From the sword's entry, a flash of light was pulled out of the darkspawn, as the strange light fluttered around her until it poured into the darker crystal. Deesh seemed curious about this event, but put it aside as she returned the crystals into her pack, leaving the sword behind.
Theron and Mhairi checked up on the human, helping him up, "Commander, I owe you my life." He caught something at the edge of his sight, something that Deesh was also looking at, "Soldier on the road. It seems we have more company. Hopefully they're more hospitable than our previous guests."
Instead of following them down, Deesh remained with the corpses as she moved closer to the dead leader. Shadow walked over to Deesh as she looked her kill, "So what was with the lightshow?"
"I wanted to learn something. I did."
"So, what did you find out using the crystals?"
"They're called soul gems. They're used in magical enchanting methods and 'recharging' the enchantments of certain items. To fill an empty soul gem, one must cast a specific spell or know the alterations to summoned weapons and kill a… whatever is killed their soul is ripped from them and put into the gem."
Shadow watched the summoned sword return to the ether from whence it came. "I'm going out on a limb and assume there was a major difference between the two gems you held out."
"The black soul gems are the only ones capable of holding the soul of humanoids."
"You mean a sentient?"
"Same thing to most." Deesh was pulling the darkspawn's chainmail hood off its head. "The few times I've trapped a darkspawn's 'soul' before, it went into a normal soul gem." Deesh was more interested in the strange war paint pattern covering its face, "This looks like a mask… a lopsided mask…"
Shade was fluttering about, doing his own scans of the darkspawn, "The metal from the armor seems indigenous to the region. So, wherever it came from shouldn't be too far from here. Or stole from."
Shadow moved toward the edge, looking down to the soldiers gathered at the gate, "Well, we'll probably end up finding them sooner or later. I'm just curious what we're supposed to do with the losses suffered."
Deesh looked out too, "Theron has three Grey Warden recruits with him now. Weather they live or not will be up to Sithis. The seneschal can worry about the guard recruitment. Since the Wardens also like keeping their rituals secret, and we're not partaking, we should help secure the area."
Deesh and Shadow stayed together this time, Deesh even letting her deepstalkers out as they patrolled the vigil. Everything they saw could be solved with more soldiers and a good mason to restore the walls.
Returning to the vigil, they found Theron, Oghren and Anders without Mhairi. "It's a shame, I was starting to like Mhairi."
"So that's the risk one takes to become a Warden?"
Deesh nodded, "You die because you're a coward and the Wardens can't allow you to leave, or the taint claims you. Which is why you and I would never be able to join their order."
"Oh, you mean besides us not being from this world or how weird it would be."
Deesh continued toward Theron, who just finished speaking with two of the soldiers before waving them down, "About time you two returned. We've a prisoner who gave four Wardens trouble capturing him."
That interested Deesh as they followed Theron into the dungeon. The guard warmly greeted them, "Ah, Commander! Good thing you're here. This man's been locked up three nights, now. Good men died while this one was protected in his cell."
The prisoner looked to Theron before scoffing at him and turning away. "Who is he?"
The guard shock his head, "He won't give his name, all I know is he was caught poking around the castle in the middle of the night. I'd say he was just a thief, but it took four Grey Wardens to capture him. You best be careful. Whoever he is, he's no ordinary burglar, that's for sure."
Deesh had been staring at the man for some time now, though her interest only seemed to peak even further now. Theron nodded to the guard, "Leave us to talk with him."
The guard saluted, "As you wish, Commander. I'll tell the seneschal you came. He'll want to know what you decide to do with this man."
As the man left them Deesh moved to the prisoner's belongings, looking over it. She was sniffing around before she started tasting the gloves. Shadow then joked, "What, can't get enough human sweat?"
While Deesh hissed at her, Theron moved closer to the cell as the man finally acknowledged their presence. "If it isn't the great hero, conqueror of the Blight and vanquisher of all evil." He finally got up looking slightly down to the elf before him, "Aren't you supposed to be ten feet fall? With lightning bolts shooting out of your eyes?"
Theron seemed to laugh at the notion, "The darkspawn probably think so."
"Somehow, I just thought that my father's murderer would be…more impressive." Before Theron could think of who, the man proudly proclaimed, "I am Nathaniel Howe. My family owned these lands until you showed up. Do you even remember my father?"
Deesh interjected, "It appears my misdirection worked."
"Come again?"
Deesh looked to Nathaniel, keeping her cloak over her shout, "I spread rumors and stories that it was the Hero of Ferelden who slew Rendon Howe, freeing up the Cousland boy from any ramifications."
Theron was surprised, "You pinned a crime onto me?"
"It's harder to attack a war hero who saved everyone then it is to convict a noble." Deesh didn't care if he really did want revenge, whatever his motive might be, "Regardless of what you believe child, "your father brought the shame to your family's name and hi death."
Nathaniel seemed to be in denial, "My father served the Hero of River Dane and fought against the Orlesians! Yet our family lost everything! I came here…" Nathaniel then slammed his fist against the bars, "I thought I was going to kill you. To lay a trap for you. But then I realized I just wanted to reclaim some of my family's things. It's all I have left."
Strangely Theron could at least sympathize with Nathaniel on the last part. Instead of arguing with him Theron inquired, "How much did you know about your father?"
Nathaniel scoffed, "If you're asking whether I know what he was up to, the answer is no. I was squired in the Free Marches. Look, I know you're a hero. You fought a war and you won, and to the victor go the spoils, right? Whatever my father did, however, shouldn't harm my whole family. The Howes are pariahs now, those of us left. It's all thanks to you and your companions. And now you get to decide my fate. Ironic, isn't it?"
Theron then asked, "What will you do if I let you go?"
"If you let me go?" Nathaniel almost scoffed at the notion, "I…don't know." Looking away, "I only came back to Ferelden a month ago. If you let me go, I'll probably come back here. You might not catch me next time," trying to sound threatening or something. it wasn't exactly working.
Shadow was quick to point out, "you know that isn't exactly making the best case for yourself."
"I could lie, if you prefer," a hint of sarcasm sprinkled in.
Deesh offered a suggestion, "Why not use that energy to redeem your family's honor."
Nathaniel really laid it on now, "You're right. I'll go join King Alistair's service immediately. He'd be certain to give a Howe another chance?"
Theron was about to say something, though the guard returned, "I brought the seneschal for you, Commander."
"I see you've spoken to our guest. Quite the handful, isn't he? Have you decided what's to be done with him?"
Theron looked to the man, "Did you know this was Nathaniel Howe?"
"A Howe?" The seneschal sighed, "It figures that they would turn up again. The Howes are implacable enemies, Commander."
Theron turned to Deesh who nodded to him. Shadow just leaned back, watching, "I wish to invoke the Right of Conscription."
That caught both Nathaniel and the seneschal off-guard, "You what?"
"I'm sorry, Commander…the Right of Conscription? On the prisoner?"
Nathaniel openly opposed, "No! Absolutely not! Hang me, first!"
Shadow pointed out, "Ain't it better than dying?"
"Hard to say. You like having Grey Wardens who want you dead?"
Theron smiled, "Some of our best friends have wanted us dead."
Nathaniel wasn't sure how to feel about that, "You really want a Howe as a Grey Warden? You are a very strange man. I can't decide if this is a vote of confidence or punishment."
Shadow pointed at him, "Why not both?" That didn't seem to have help reassure him.
"An…interesting decision, Commander." The seneschal unlocked. "Come with me, ser. We'll see if you survive the Joining."
While preparations for Nathaniel's Joining were underway, Deesh's attention went to a nearby forge and the smith working it. She found two familiar faces there as Harren turned to Wade, she walked over to surprise them. "Master Wade, it has been some time."
Harren was the first to turned to them, "Oh no…not you…"
Shadow looked over, "So is this who you went to for those dragon armor sets?"
Harren groaned, "Please don't remind me…"
Looking around, the forge and the tools at his disposal, he seemed to have been set up with the best equipment possible, "The Wardens commissioned you to be their smith here? Word must have spread of your work for us before the Battle of Denerim."
"Yes, and I get to freeze for it…" Wade was pouting as he stood next to the forge's fire.
"Well, I have a commission for you that I think would perk your interest." Deesh knelt to remove one of her boots, placing it on the table. That didn't really interest Wade, though she soon put her freed foot up next to it. "I have tired forging my own footwear, most don't come out well…"
Wade was still pouting about the cold, "You know I don't do commissions… They're too restrictive and demanding…"
"Well, from where I'm from, no human would ever consider making anything specifically for my people. Often, we had to make do with just going barefoot or simple sandals. But I crafted these boots with magic runes. I could understand if a craftsman such as yourself wouldn't want to besmirch your name by failing to keep these enchantments during a cosmetic alteration…"
Wade reached out, stopping her from pulling the boot off the table, "Now, I wouldn't say it'd be impossible. A challenge perhaps…but nothing I can't handle."
"Of course. And with any material you'll ever need," Deesh then started pulling out dragon scales and bones along with a few ores, "I can provide it. I'm sure you'll first need models of my feet…"
Wade pulled out a strange box, "I don't' suppose you'd be fine with doing this? I don't want the mold to be ruined by hastiness."
Deesh wanted this to be right, "How long will it take to set?"
Wade was getting the mix ready, "About ten minutes, per foot."
She figured that would be the rough estimate. "Would there also be an attachment or covering that can be placed over my claws for colder weather or when I don't want to expose my feet to something?"
"I'll see what I can do, but no promises."
Shadow waved off, "Well, since you won't be needing me I'll have a look around here. Until you or the Wardens are done."
"Try not to start a Blight without us."
Shadow was surprised at the joke that Deesh just made, though with how strange the darkspawn were acting perhaps she wasn't too far off about the source. As she looked around she was glad to at least see the guards they had saved were out on patrols to ensure such an attack couldn't happen again.
Even so, the attack took its toll both on their numbers and moral. Moving through some debris Shadow stopped when she heard something. "Shade, you picking that up?"
"Yeah. It sounds like it's coming from behind the debris over there."
Shadow moved through the war-torn area, trying to find the source of the noise. After a few boxes and planks were tossed aside she found it, "Aw, are you the sweetest little thing…" Shadow picked up the tiny kitten, "Were you hiding from the big bad darkspawn?" The kitten pawed at her fingers, "Aren't you a brave little one. Come here," she picked it up, "Let's find you a new home instead of hiding out here in the debris."
"Isn't he the twentieth one to find its way to you?"
"No…more like twenty-third. But come on, can you deny this cute little face?"
"I can when they try playing with me like a ball of yarn."
"Well to be fair I've wanted to swat you, for completely different reasons."
"Gee, thanks."
Shadow was still playing with the kitten in her arms, "Well, until everyone else is done you and I and some fun things that we can do together."
