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Duncan and Alistair helped Zeva to her feet. "How are you feeling," Duncan asked, concern evident in his eyes.
"It is over, and I am fine." Zeva said, and smiled gently at the two men.
"Good." Duncan replied. "I need you to join me in a war council meeting with the King."
"Me?" Zeva asked, a questioning look on her face. "I cannot imagine why the King would want me there."
Duncan laughed softly. "The King is extremely fond of the Grey Wardens and he values our opinions. He would like to congratulate the newest member of the Order."
His gaze darkened. "Teyrn Loghain has also requested your presence."
"Teyrn Loghain? Why? "Zeva asked. She could not help the rush of pride at thinking that Loghain wanted her in a strategy meeting.
Duncan scowled, then recovered himself. Now is not the time for jealousy, he thought. "He said you had spoken earlier and you seemed to have a steady head on your shoulders. I think he is hoping you will help him convince the King to stay out of the battle."
"Would that not be best for the country?" Alistair interjected.
"It would, but King Cailan will never agree," Duncan sighed. "He is determined to stand with the Grey Wardens. And we serve His Majesty. So if he deigns to fight with us, we must stand at his side and protect him as best we can."
Zeva nodded. "Then let us go. I think it unwise to keep the King and Teyrn Loghain waiting." She turned and headed toward the War Council table across the ruin from the old temple.
Duncan followed, smiling proudly at the newest Warden. Maker, she truly is a woman of reckoning.
o~~~~~~~~o
Alistair would be furious, and Zeva could hardly blame him. The meeting with Teyrn Loghain and the King had not gone as Zeva hoped it would.
Cailan and Loghain had argued on almost every point. Loghain was sure that Cailan should remain away from the fighting and had turned to Zeva, hoping for support. She had given it, attempting to remind the King how important he was to his people.
Cailan's response had been predictable. "How can I call myself a King if I am not willing to battle for Ferelden?" The King also reiterated how important it was to the glory of the kingdom that he fight with the Grey Wardens.
Zeva cringed when he mentioned glory and she could not help but notice the smile which Loghain gave at her reaction.
Duncan had noticed the smile, as well, and had to fight back the jealousy which rose in his chest. I must not let her distract me from my duty, he thought to himself. Now is the time to fight.
In the end, a plan was agreed upon by both sides. The King, his men and the Grey Wardens would attack the darkspawn from the front. Loghain would hold his men at the side, flanking the horde. When the beacon at the Tower of Ishal was lit, Loghain would join the fight with his troops and attack, as well. In this way, they could surround the darkspawn and hopefully secure a decisive victory.
Duncan and Zeva made to return to the Warden camp, to give the news to Alistair. Much to her surprise, Loghain pulled her aside before she could leave. She could feel Duncan's eyes on her as Loghain said quietly, "I thank you for your efforts to sway Cailan from his foolish desire for glory! You are a very intelligent woman and would make a fine general for any army. Maker watch over you."
She was sure there was something more shining in his eyes, some deeper sadness, but he bowed slightly and retreated before she could fully grasp it. She bowed to King Cailan and followed Duncan to their campsite.
o~~~~~~~~o
Duncan stood before his Wardens and spoke quietly but firmly, "You heard the plan. You and Alistair will go to the tower of Ishal and make sure the beacon is lit."
Zeva nodded sullenly, but Alistair spoke up angrily, "What? I won't be in the battle?"
"This is by the king's personal request, Alistair," Duncan explained. "If the beacon is not lit, Teyrn Loghain's men will not know when to charge."
"So he needs two Grey Wardens standing up there holding the torch, just in case," Alistair responded, sarcasm evident in his voice.
"Alistair, Duncan is right." Zeva said calmly. "The King asked this of us and we must do as he commands."
She turned to Duncan, smiling sadly. "And where will you be?"
Duncan tried to hide the pain in his eyes. "I will be fighting at the King's side with the rest of the Grey Wardens, again at his request. We will signal you when the time is right. Alistair will know what to look for."
"And what if the Archdemon appears?" Zeva asked, tears filling her eyes.
"If the Archdemon arrives, leave it to us. I want no heroics from either of you, do you understand?" Duncan said slowly.
Zeva nodded and smiled softly. She would not let him see her cry. That was not how she wished him to remember her, should the worst occur.
Duncan sighed and looked to Alistair. "Then I must join the others. From here you two are on your own. Remember you are both Grey Wardens. I expect you to be worthy of that title."
As Duncan turned to leave, Alistair spoke softly to him. "Duncan, may the Maker watch over you."
"May he watch over us all," was the soft reply.
Alistair turned away, heading toward the bridge. Zeva stepped forward and put her hand on Duncan's arm to stop him. When he turned and looked at her, she saw the tears glowing in his eyes.
She smiled and whispered, "I love you, Duncan," before turning and following Alistair to the Tower.
As they approached the bridge, Zeva heard a bark and turned to see Nihlus run to her side. He wagged his tail and she bent down to scratch his head and kiss his nose. Suddenly, she was struck with a marvelous idea.
"Nihlus, boy, I have a very important job for you.."
o~~~~~~~~o
Duncan hurried toward his fellow Grey Wardens in the front of the battle line, his mind in complete turmoil. Zeva's words kept playing in his head. I love you, Duncan.
She had said she loved him! His heart soared at the thought, and yet it broke in two, as well. Why hadn't he said anything? Why hadn't he held her one last time, kissed her lips?
You know why, you damned fool! he thought angrily. You and your sense of duty. You would rather play the Warden Commander than tell the woman you love how you feel - even as you are both marching off to possible death!
He only prayed that he hadn't missed his only chance to tell her.
Cailan clapped Duncan on the back as he approached. "Welcome friend," the King said. "It is almost time."
Duncan surveyed the troops and addressed the King. "The plan will work, your Majesty."
"Of course it will," Cailan said confidently. "The Blight ends here!"
As night fell on Ostagar, the darkspawn horde approached the keep gates, and the King's army was there to meet them. They stood silently for awhile, each side preparing for battle.
From the center of the horde came a darkspawn dressed in special armor. He was obviously their general. He looked at the Ferelden army and gave the order to charge.
The battle had begun. The King's archers attacked first, followed closely by the Mabari hounds. As the horde came closer, Duncan yelled for the Grey Wardens to attack and the two competing armies met in a clash of swords and shields.
During the melee, Duncan looked toward the Tower of Ishal. Zeva was there, racing to light the beacon. Maker, keep her safe, he prayed as he engaged another darkspawn with his blade.
o~~~~~~~~o
Lighting the beacon was proving to be far more difficult that either Alistair or Zeva had thought it would be. They raced across the bridge, narrowly avoiding fireballs from the horde, only to be met on the other side by a mage and a guard stationed at the Tower.
"Are you the Grey Wardens?" the guard shouted agitatedly.
"Yes," Alistair answered, "what's wrong?"
"The Tower!" the guard yelled. "It has been taken! Darkspawn came from out of the ground and have overrun it. Everyone is dead!"
Alistair looked at Zeva and spoke quickly, "Then we must fight our way up and light the beacon ourselves!"
They raced toward the Tower and entered the front door.
Zeva and Alistair fought their way through the Tower, killing darkspawn on every floor, until they finally reached the top.
"Hurry," Alistair said as they sped up the final set of stairs. "Loghain will be waiting for the signal!"
The rushed into the room and froze, looking at the bodies all around them. Across the room, its back turned to the party, was a gigantic ogre. It turned to them and attacked.
The mage they had recruited sprayed the ogre with Cone of Cold, which froze it into place for a short time. Alistair and Zeva circled the creature and attacked from both sides.
The battle was long and bloody. The ogre managed to incapacitate the mage and Loghain's guard, leaving only Alistair and Zeva to fight it. Alistair attacked from behind, striking the ogre with his shield and knocking it to the ground.
Zeva ran up from the opposite side and sank her blades into the monster's chest. It wailed and fought to stand up, to no avail. Zeva climbed onto its chest and thrust her blades into its throat. Blood gushed from the creature's body and within a few moments, it died.
Alistair helped Zeva down from the creature's chest. "We have to light the beacon," he said and moved to the large fireplace at the side of the room. He lifted the torch and placed it on the woodpile, sending flames shooting through the chimney into the air.
There was no time for rest, however, as more darkspawn flooded into the room. We will never make it, Alistair thought as he cut deeply into a genlock. Suddenly, a Hurlock archer climbed into the room and took aim at Zeva. As Alistair fell amidst the bodies of the dead around him, he saw the Hurlock let loose the bow and strike Zeva in the chest. "NO!" he screamed, and the world went black...
o~~~~~~~~o
Below, on the battlefield, the Ferelden army cheered as the beacon came to life. Duncan looked up briefly and smiled. Loghain's men would join the fight and they would win!
On the hill above the battle, Loghain and his second in command, Ser Cauthrien, saw the beacon's light rise into the sky. Loghain watched it burn for a moment before turning to Cauthrien and saying, "sound the retreat."
Ser Cauthrien looked at him in shock. Surely she was hearing him wrong. She moved closer to him and said, "But what about the King? Should we not..."
Loghain grabbed her roughly by her armor, "Do as I command!" he said in a low and deadly voice. Shaking her head sadly, Cauthrien turned and signaled for her men to leave.
Now, Loghain thought as they rode away, we can get back to the business of running Ferelden. He looked back at the Tower one final time. I wonder if the Cousland girl lived? He secretly hoped so. She would make a wonderful soldier should she choose to obey him...
o~~~~~~~~o
On the battlefield below, the darkspawn grew more numerous and Duncan knew they would soon be overtaken. Where is the Maker's name were Loghain and his men? He knew they should have seen the beacon, and yet they had not arrived.
His attention was drawn to the King, who was fighting heroically amongst his men. Duncan allowed himself a moment to feel proud of the young King, and then the picture before him made his blood run cold.
An ogre was moving swiftly toward Cailan, throwing soldiers out of his way as he approached. Before Duncan could even warn the King, the ogre was upon him. He grabbed Cailan around the waist and lifted him off of the ground. In one instant, he roared loudly in Cailan's face and squeezed his hand tightly closed, killing the King instantly.
The ogre threw the body of the monarch to the ground and Duncan saw his chance. He ran at the ogre and drove both of his blades into the monster's chest. He used the blades to climb up the huge torso, and stabbed them into the creature's neck, killing it.
As Duncan fell from the ogre's chest, he was hit with a bastard sword from behind and fell to the ground. He crawled toward the body of the King. I am so sorry, Cailan. I could not save you. I could not save any of them. His last thought was of Zeva. He could see her shining hair and bright eyes. He could feel her lips on his, kissing him softly.
I am so sorry, my darling. Please forgive me for never telling you how much you meant to me.
I love you...
o~~~~~~~~o
From across the field, Nihlus ran toward Duncan. He had been instructed by his Mistress to protect the Warden, and he knew he had to act immediately or it would be too late. The darkspawn were too busy with the soldiers to take notice of a single dog, so he was able to move with relative ease to the Warden's side.
He reached the body and sniffed quickly. Yes, there was still the smell of life on him. He had to hurry, though. He grabbed the Warden's armor and pulled, slowly inching him away from the battlefield and into the relative safety of the Wilds.
o~~~~~~~~o
Zeva awoke slowly, feeling as though she had been trampled by an angry pack of Brontos. She opened her eyes and looked around. Where in the Maker's name am I?
A familiar female voice spoke from across the room. "Ahhh! Your eyes finally open. Mother shall be pleased."
Zeva looked up into the dark eyes of the lovely girl they had met in the Warden ruins. "I remember you - the girl from the Wilds"
"I am Morrigan, lest you have forgotten," she said with a slight smile. "And we are in the Wilds, where I am bandaging your wounds."
She paused a moment and added, "You are welcome, by the way!"
Zeva looked at her, confusion clear on her face. "What happened? How did I get here?"
"How does your memory fare?" Morrigan asked. "Do you remember Mother's rescue?"
"I remember being overwhelmed by darkspawn," Zeva said, slowly shaking her head.
Morrigan smiled and replied, "Mother managed to save you and your friend, though 'twas a close call. What is important is that you both live."
"Wait!" Zeva suddenly shouted. "What happened to Teyrn Loghain? We lit the beacon! His men should have come! I don't understand!"
"I am not sure who this 'Loghain' is. Maybe you should ask Mother." Morrigan replied. "The man who was to respond to your signal quit the field. The darkspawn won your battle."
"NO!" Zeva exclaimed. "Teyrn Loghain would never abandon the King. It just isn't possible!"
Her next question brought tears to her eyes. "What about Duncan and the other Grey Wardens?"
Morrigan shook her head, smiling sadly. "Those he abandoned were massacred. Your friend... he is not taking it well."
Zeva could no longer hold back the tears which flowed down her cheeks. "Neither am I! This is horrible! Oh, Duncan!"
"Of that I have no doubt," Morrigan stated. "Your friend has been inconsolable since Mother gave him the news. He is outside by the fire. Mother asked to see you when you awoke."
Wiping the tears with the back of her hand, Zeva said softly. "Thank you for helping me, Morrigan."
"I... you are welcome," Morrigan stuttered. "Though Mother did most of the work. I am no healer."
"I should get dressed," Zeva said and climbed out of the bed. Morrigan nodded to her as she pulled on her armor and headed out the door.
o~~~~~~~~o
Alistair stood by the lake, staring over the water, lost in thought.
How had this happened? How could Loghain have abandoned Cailan? Oh, Maker, Duncan! Why couldn't I have been beside you? Maybe I could have saved you!
He was awoken from his reverie by Morrigan's mother. "See? Here is your fellow Grey Warden. You worry too much, young man."
Alistair turned quickly toward the hut and felt his heart clench. Zeva! She was alive!
He moved toward her and whispered. "You.. you're alive. I thought you were dead for sure."
"I'm fine. I appreciate your concern." Zeva softly replied.
Alistair shook his head and sighed. "Oh, this doesn't seem real. If it weren't for Morrigan's mother, we would be dead on top of that tower."
The woman in question moved forward and spoke sternly, "Do not talk about me as if I am not present, lad."
"I.. I didn't mean... but, w-what do we call you?" Alistair stuttered. "Y-you never told us your name."
The old woman smiled and answered. "Names are pretty, but useless. The Chasind folk call me Flemeth. I suppose it will do."
"The Flemeth?" Alistair said, shock in his voice. "From the legends? Daveth was right. You're the Witch of the Wilds, aren't you?"
Flemeth laughed darkly, "And what does that mean? I know a bit of magic, and it has served you well, has it not?"
"If you're Flemeth, you must be very old and powerful." Zeva finally spoke.
"Must I?" Flemeth said, turning to the Warden. "Age and power are relative. It depends on who is asking. Compared to you? Yes, on both counts."
Alistair stepped forward, a desperate look on his face. "Then why didn't you save Duncan? He is.. was.. our leader." Zeva's heart broke at hearing mention of her beloved.
"I am sorry for your Duncan, but your grief must come later, in the dark shadows before you take vengeance, as my mother once said. Duty must come now." Flemeth said sadly. "It has always been the Grey Wardens duty to unite the lands against the Blight, has it not? Or did that change when I wasn't looking?"
"Why would Loghain turn on us?" Alistair suddenly exclaimed.
"Now that is a good question. Men's hearts hold shadows darker than any tainted creature." Flemeth explained. "Perhaps he thought the Blight is any army he can outmaneuver. Perhaps he does not see that the evil behind it is the true threat."
"The Archdemon." Alistair stated bluntly.
We can't just hide and do nothing! Zeva thought. Duncan would want us to fight! She straightened her shoulders and spoke up. "Then we need to find this Archdemon."
"By ourselves?" Alistair turned to her, surprise evident on his face. "No Grey warden has ever defeated the blight without the army of a half dozen nations at his back. Not to mention... I don't know how!"
Flemeth smiled at Zeva and asked, "how to kill the Archdemon, or how to raise an army? It seems to me those are two different questions, hmmm? Have the Wardens no allies these days?"
Alistair answered, "I don't know. Duncan said that the Grey Wardens of Orlais had been called, and Arl Eamon would never stand for this, surely."
Arl Eamon? Zeva thought. He had spent time at Cousland Castle and she knew him well. She looked to Alistair. "Eamon Guerrin? The Arl of Redcliffe?"
Alistair nodded. "Arl Eamon wasn't at Ostagar, he still has all of his men, and he was Cailan's uncle. I know him. He is a good man, respected in the Landsmeet."
He paused a moment, then added, "of course! We could go to Redcliffe and appeal to him for help!"
Zeva smiled. Perfect! "What about the treaties Flemeth gave us?"
Flemeth smiled affectionately at Zeva. "See, there is a smart lass."
"Of course! The treaties!" Alistair exclaimed. "Grey Wardens can demand aid from dwarves, elves, mages and other places. They are obligated to help us during a Blight!"
Flemeth nodded her approval to the Wardens, "I may be old, but dwarves, elves, mages, this Arl Eamon, and who knows what else - this sounds like an army to me."
Alistair turned to Zeva and asked. "So, can we do this? Go to Redcliffe, and these other places and build an army?"
"Well, we are Grey Wardens. Isn't that what we do?" Zeva asked, her smile widening.
Zeva and Alistair thanked Flemeth for saving their lives and were rewarded with a surprise. Flemeth declared that Morrigan would be travelling with them to stop the Blight, much to her daughter's dismay. Flemeth told Morrigan that there was no choice, as the Wardens would not succeed without her. The beautiful mage finally agreed, and suggested they head to Lothering, a town just to the North of the Wilds, where they could purchase some supplies and seek out news of the Blight. The Wardens agreed and the three left Flemeth's camp, determination driving their steps.
o~~~~~~~~o
Zeva awoke from yet another dream about the Archdemon, and looked about their camp. Morrigan had set her campfire away from theirs, saying she preferred privacy, and Alistair was staring absently into the firelight.
She rose from her bedroll and approached Alistair, sitting down and putting her arm over his shoulders.
"Do you want to talk about Duncan?" she asked softly.
"You don't have to do that. I know you didn't know him as long as I did," Alistair replied. If you only knew, Zeva thought, fighting back her own tears.
She pulled away, her eyes seeking his own. "He was like a father to you. I understand."
Alistair met her gaze, then returned to staring at the fire. "I... I should have handled it better. Duncan warned me right from the beginning that this could happen. Any of us could die in battle. I shouldn't have lost it, not when so much is riding on us. Not with the Blight and everything. I am sorry."
"There's no need to apologize, " Zeva said quickly.
Alistair paused, and added, "I... I'd like to have a proper funeral for him, maybe once this is all done, if we're still alive. I don't think he had any family to speak of."
"He had you," Zeva stated simply.
"I suppose he did," Alistair whispered. "It probably sounds stupid, but part of me wishes I was with him, in the battle. I feel like I abandoned him"
As do I, my friend, Zeva thought sadly. She answered quietly, "No, I understand completely"
"Of course, I'd be dead then wouldn't I? It's not like that would make him happier." Alistair said thoughtfully.
He looked up from the fire, meeting Zeva's gaze once again. "I think he came from Highever, or so he said. Maybe I'll go up there sometime, see about putting something up in his honor."
He smiled warmly at her, and took her hands in his own. "Thank you. I mean it, really. It was good to talk about it, at least a little."
Zeva returned the smile, "Maybe I'll go to Highever with you, when you go." After all, I have much to mourn there, she silently added.
Squeezing her hands lightly, Alistair said, "I would like that. So would he, I think."
Zeva rose from the campfire and returned to her own bedroll. She laid down, her back to Alistair, and finally allowed her tears to fall. In such a short time, she had lost everything she loved. Her family, friends, even Nihlus. And, at the center of her grief were memories of Duncan. I will avenge you all, she swore silently. I will kill Howe for all he has done to my family. And Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir - he will pay dearly for taking Duncan from me.