Chapter 34; Against the shadow;
Characters of the chapter
Arya Stark Junior Grey Warden
Dajeah Junior Grey Warden
Marchand Colonel of the Imperial Army of Orlais
Nathaniel Howe Commander of the Grey in Westeros
Orvo Junior Grey Warden
Tormund "Giantsbane" A wildling chieftain
Thom "Blackwall" Rainier Senior Grey Warden, assigned to Westeros
Thorpe Junior Grey Warden
Arya yanked out Needle from the eye of a Hurlock, the creature crashing to the ground. Around her a fight between the Wardens and a couple dozen more of the monsters was coming to a close. For all their efforts to only engage when necessary this had already been the third fight they had had with the darkspawn since going beyond the Wall. Fortunately as Wardens they knew exactly what to do, and their fights had been little more than an annoyance.
Other than the actual run-ins with the darkspawn their signs of presence was unmistakable. Wildlife had been sparse, and what they had come across almost always seemed sick or injured. She and her friends had caught a rabbit only a few days ago, only to discover on skinning it that its flesh had been mottled with black pustules. That meal had been abandoned with haste. Though there was probably no risk of the meat sickening a Warden, but none of them could stomach the idea of eating it. Snow and ice hid the truth, but she suspected plant life was not faring much better.
She had not been around here before, so it was hard to gauge how much the weather had been effected. But a peculiar sense of foreboding had been with them the whole journey. A sense of wrongness that just wouldn't go away. It also felt colder than it had been south of the Wall, to her mind more so than it should have been.
After the White Walkers had been defeated, most of the surviving Wildlings had returned here to start their lives anew. With the changes the darkspawn had brought to these parts, Arya had to wonder if they'd ever be able to return after this time. The darkspawn could be slain or driven away, but the poison they spread around them… it would not go away so easily. This had been harsh land before, even with the recent temperature increase. If this was allowed to go on too long it might become too desolate for even those originally from here to survive. All the more reason to put this to rest as soon as possible.
As Wardens they could also sense the darkspawn, their minds a constant presence alongside their own. More alarmingly over the buzz of the darkspawn's minds there was there was a strange song, one they heard not with their ears, but with their minds. A song that was at the same time unbearably sickening and bizarrely beautiful. The melody of it lingered in their heads at all times, reverberating in their heads during the day and haunting their sleep during the night. When they were able to keep themselves busy they could almost ignore it, but the quiet moments were difficult for all of them.
None here had been Wardens during the Blight, so they could not be entirely certain, but this was probably not unlike the song of an Archdemon. She dearly hoped that was not what they were facing here. At least she had to agree that right now the facts did not support that conclusion. There were darkspawn about, but not the kind of overwhelming horde they had been taught about. And she supposed the Orlesian reports would have mentioned a corrupted dragon if there had been one. But that wasn't proof to the contrary either. All of this could yet change. The darkspawn that were currently here could be just a vanguard of a larger horde. And the entity in command might simply not have shown itself yet. All they could say for certain right now was that there was some higher entity organizing the darkspawn here. Once the Orlesian fortress had been retaken they would likely go to hunt it down. Killing it was probably the best way to bring this nightmare to an end.
"Is everyone alright?" Asked Nathaniel while retrieving one of the arrows he had fired.
"Looks like it." Blackwall commented.
"Yeah. And why shouldn't we be? Such a small band of darkspawn is hardly a threat to us. Heh. Pushovers." Dajeah said.
"No need to get cocky, young lady. In my experience that's usually when people get killed." Blackwall told her.
"I haven't stopped taking them seriously, don't worry. All I'm saying is that all of us have fought darkspawn before many times, so all of us know the extent of their capabilities, as well as our own. We knew we had the advantage before we started, just like we knew with the last couple of fights. The only way there would be danger to us would be if one of us made a mistake." She countered.
"Okay, okay, fair enough." He said.
"Come on. Let's gather our things and get moving. We should be reaching our rendezvous with the Orlesians within the day, provided we don't run into any more fights before that." Nathaniel ordered.
Indeed, after several more hours of travel they noted a mix of Wildlings and imperial scouts observing their progress. Soon after they noticed a squad of Orlesians approaching. As soon as they came into view Arya could see Dajeah tense up, a glower appearing on her face.
Apparently her friend's change in demeanor did not escape Natheniel's notice either. "Dajeah. Would you mind going to check that all of our supplies on the sledges are properly secured?"
"Sure thing. I'm on my way." The elf said tersely and left to do it. There had of course been no issues whatsoever with their supplies the whole time they had been here. But Dajeah looked more than relieved to have an excuse to get out of the situation.
One of the Orlesians approached them. "Ah, Grey Wardens, welcome. I am Colonel Marchand. I command the Imperial troops assigned to this operation. Might I ask which of you has the command of your order?"
"That would be me, commander Nathaniel. And Warden Blackwall here is my second in command." Nathaniel said.
"It's good you've come. I've no doubt your efforts will be sorely needed. Now that you are here it's probably best that I brief you in person." Said the Orlesian officer.
"Indeed. What is the situation here?" Nathaniel asked.
"Since our arrival here we have set up a fortified camp from which to operate and have made a few probing attacks to test the darkspawn defenses. Each of those have been turned aside by heavy resistance. There have also been a few raids against our camp, but we have managed to repel those. Our foraging parties were targeted in the first few days, so we have since suspended those and made do with supplies we've brought." Marchand described.
"That's good. I recommend you do not resume foraging even if you get the opportunity. We've found that a lot of the local wildlife has been sickened by the darkspawn. We can't have that sickness spread to your troops." Nathaniel said.
"Understood, commander." Marchand replied.
"If there have been only been a few raids against the Orlesian camp, then that means the darkspawn likely don't have the numbers to simply destroy the Orlesians. With us here we should have a fighting chance at this." Arya thought to herself.
"What of the fortress itself?" Blackwall asked.
"Well, like I've said, our probing attacks have been turned back, so we've seen the outside of the fortress, but not much else. Our scouts have noticed two breaches in the outer wall that the darkspawn have apparently not bothered to repair. Those are likely our best bet in getting into the fortress when we launch our attack. But what the situation might be on the interior of the fortress we have no idea. We do have a map that shows the original layout, but it's impossible to say what kind of changes the blighters might have made." Marchand said.
"I see. And what of the lighthouse?" Nathaniel asked.
"That remains in our hands, and the pathway between Thedas and Westeros is still open. The darkspawn have not made any attempts to cross the waters to take it. But the troops guarding it are few in number and what they are guarding is too strategically valuable for them to abandon their positions. I'm afraid they won't be able to help us in this." Said the Colonel.
"We were planning to launch a full assault this night, assuming you showed up. We could use your and your second in command's help in finalizing our attack plan. You troops can take a rest in our camp until then, and we'll treat them to a warm meal before the assault." He said then.
"I appreciate that. Let's go then." Nathaniel said.
They were led to the Orlesian camp past a dug trench and a wooden wall. Amongst the tents they waited, warming themselves by the fires, eating the soup and the bread that was provided to them. Simple foods, but nourishing. Most of them were glad to have that after a long day of travel. Dajeah continued to glare at every Orlesian she saw, but ate what was offered even so. Fortunately she was able to keep her hostility under control. Arya was certain there would be no trouble during the battle either. Whatever Dajeah's animosities, she was professional enough to set those feelings aside when they had a real fight on their hands.
As Arya was eating she noted a band of Wildlings standing about amongst the Orlesians. In particular a big fellow with a red beard. The sight of him made her smile and stand up.
"Tormund! Oi! Tormund! Over here!" She called out.
The Wildling turned on hearing his name, then returned her smile upon spotting her, striding over.
"Ha! Little Wolf! Didn't realize you'd be here!" He said, laughing and slapping her shoulder almost hard enough to knock her over. "Haven't seen you since that fight against those icy blue-eyed fuckers. So what are you doing in these parts? Did you brother send you?"
"Jon? Uh, no, though he knows I'm here. He sends his greetings." Arya said slightly bewildered, rubbing her shoulder.
"How is the old chap anyway?" He asked.
"As well as can be hoped, considering he has a whole bunch of wars to fight all at once. I'm just glad I'm around now to help deal with at least one of his headaches." She replied.
"So that's why you're here, these new critters that have shown up all over the place. I guess I should've figured they'd be trouble for you southerners as well." He said. "But who're these people you're with?" He then asked, motioning to the other Wardens.
"They're Grey Wardens. Or rather we are. I'm one of them myself now, you see. They're the reason I'm here." She said.
"Ah. I guess that explains the new gear then. Looks real good on you, by the way." He said, and she smiled at the compliment.
"You, know some of the metalfaces mentioned calling on Grey Wardens and I know you were what we were waiting for. But for all that I can't really say what a Grey Warden is. Perhaps you could tell me what your deal is?" He continued.
"Think of us as a special group dedicated to fighting the darkspawn. No one knows them better than us, and no one is better suited to fighting them." She explained.
"The way the Metalfaces speak about you, they speak as if there is something special about you." Tormund noted.
"Well, there is some truth in that, though even without hearing what they have said I think there is a good chance they exaggerate more than a little. I'm forbidden to tell you any details, but I can tell you there is more to us than just being skilled fighters that fight the darkspawn. A special kind of… potential that is added. We… make certain of that when one joins our order. Even so, we are still the same people we were before we became Grey Wardens. Me too." She said.
"So how come you ended up becoming one? What have you been doing since we last met?" He asked.
"Ah, a longer story, full of adventures no less." She said. Then her eyes turned to Nathaniel, whom she spotted on his way back to them. "Sadly I don't think I have the time to give the tale proper justice right now. How about we come back to this after the battle? I'll be happy to tell you the whole story then."
Tormund smiled. "Sounds good. That'll be a good time for swapping long stories."
"Good to have you along for the fight, Little Wolf. With you in the fight we will give these bastards a good hammering for sure. Actually, remembering what happened the last time we were in the same fight together, I think the darkspawn might be in trouble." He said.
Arya gave a short laugh. "Sure hope so. I'll be sure to save few of the darkspawn for you."
It was Tormund's turn to laugh. "No need to save em. I'll be right there in the thick of it before you know it. But I'll let you hear what your boss has to tell you now. Be seeing you, Arya Stark."
With that Tormund departed and Arya turned her attention back to Nathaniel.
"Wardens, gather round!" He told them all. Once they were together his eyes moved among them.
"I have reviewed the situation with the Colonel, and I have approved the plan they have come up with. Our gathered forces are to launch a two pronged offensive, aimed at the two points where the fortress walls have been breached. We wardens will divide into two groups so we can be with both assault forces. We will be the tip of the spear in this operation. We will punch through the darkspawn defenses, so the Orlesian troops can follow us through and carry the battle inside the fortress. Due to their small numbers the Wildlings will offer us limited support in the attack. Their leaders has some highly skilled archers at his command, so they will keep enemy ranged troops suppressed as we make our approach. And once the back of the enemy resistance is broken they will join us for the mop up stage. This way we hope to keep their casualties to a minimum.
"I will be leading the first team myself. Thom, you will be in charge of the second team." He told Blackwall.
"Understood." Blackwall said, nodding.
The Wardens present were divided roughly evenly amongst the two commanders. Arya was pleased to note she and her friends were in the same group, all under Blackwall's command. It was no accident surely. Nathaniel was no fool. He knew their little group worked best when allowed to work as a team. No way he would squander an advantage like that in a situation like this.
Once they were properly divided they began their preparations for battle. Nathaniel had brought the Orlesian map of the fortress with him. It was passed around so the wardens could memorize the most important areas of the interior.
As night began to fall the lights of the camp began going out one by one, extinguished so the eyes of the fighters could get used to seeing in the dark. Fortunately the sky was clear, the moon and the stars providing a decent amount of illumination. From what she could see in the distance it looked like the Orlesian fortress was still dark for the most part. Not that the darkspawn had significant need for lights, being tunnel dwellers that preferred to live in dark environments anyway.
As soon as the sun had completely set they went into action. They left the camp, keeping as quiet as they were able. After all, the closer they could get to their target without being spotted, the better. The trees offered sight cover some of the way. But the Orlesians had been thorough and diligent in preparing the defenses of their castle. Before they came anywhere near the base of the fortress there was a long stretch of open terrain where the trees had purposefully been cleared away, creating a killing zone. Arrows and frozen corpses told a grim tale of how much fire the previous attacks had come under. Hopefully this attack would have better time of it.
They waited until enough of the Orlesians and Wildlings had gathered at their flanks. Then Blackwall motioned forward and they took off running towards the castle as fast as the deep snows allowed, the other fighters following after them. They kept quiet in the beginning, but when the first arrows began flying at them war cries started echoing in the night. Stealth had served its purpose, now speed would replace it.
They ran onwards, the arrows continuing to fly. The Wardens were not hit by them, though more than a few thudded against Dajeah's and Thorpe's shields. Several of the Imperials were hit however, adding fresh corpses to those already present. There was also a bolt of fire that immolated a cluster of Orlesian troops. Figures. The darkspawn had their spellcasters present. That would complicate things. The Orlesian archers and Tormund's bows were returning fire, though it was hard for Arya to tell how well were they able to hit anything. As she was running she briefly spotted Nathaniel taking aim, sending his own arrow flying at the fortress.
Then they were at the breach, charging inside. Almost instantly she came across her first enemy, a hurlock raising a rusty sword to strike at her. Needle punctured its neck before it had any chance to do anything of the sort. The ducked under an ax blow from a second darkspawn, burying her Valyrian steel dagger in its stomach immediately after.
She fought on, the Valyrian dagger cutting through metal armor like it was paper, Needle making quick but lethal stabs at her foes, like a snake. At her side her friends did battle. Dajeah and Thorpe worked shoulder to shoulder, carving their way through the darkspawn with systematic efficiency. Orvo was roaring, the swings of his greataxe removing heads and limbs, even cutting some of the monsters in half. Blackwall was moving wherever his defensive skills were most needed, helping to shield his charges from harm while claiming a decent number of darkspawn kills along the way. The other wardens were swift to engage the enemy as well, each battling with great skill, committing themselves to their sworn task of purging this cancer from their world.
Despite there being only about a dozen wardens in this attack group, it did not take them long to punch a hole through the darkspawn defenders, leaving a trail of corpses behind them. Through that breach surged the Orlesians, bringing much needed numbers into the fight. A general skirmish began in the streets and buildings behind the walls. Once past the breach several squads also headed up the walls, to cleanse the darkspawn from those positions so those following behind would have easier time of it.
At first they were facing mostly Hurlocks and a few Genlocks. But soon enough rarer forms of darkspawn joined the battle, the kind rarely encountered above ground outside of the Blights. Shrieks preyed on them from the shadows and Emissaries unleashed blasts of arcane energies. Even an ogre lumbered in at the height of the battle, crushing several soldiers before the Grey Wardens managed to bring it down. Though her main focus was keeping herself and others alive, the presence of these rarer darkspawn did make her feel a little more uneasy. These varieties being here was one more indicator this was a serious incursion indeed.
The fighting cost many more Orlesian soldiers their lives. The Wardens did what they could to protect the rest. Despite the losses sustained the darkspawn were losing more, steadily getting pushed back. Many were also breaking off from the fighting and heading in another direction, meaning the second assault force was making steady progress as well. They were winning this battle. With that knowledge she fought with even greater vigor, seeking to end this battle as swiftly as possible, so lives would be spared.
She eventually found herself fighting on the battlements, to help clear away the darkspawn archers there. She killed two of them before they even knew she was there. A third one spotted her and took aim. But the shot was hasty and missed her by a dozen centimeters. By the time it had nocked another arrow she had reached it, cutting its throat open with the Valyrian dagger. She would have continued onwards but then she noted a flicker of light coming from behind her. She turned and saw an emissary standing on top of the stairs she had climbed only moments ago, fire burning in its fist. She would not have had no time to react before the darkspawn cast its spell. But before it could attack a new figure rushed up the stairs, slashing a diagonal cut across its back. As the Emissary fell down, Tormund came into view. She smiled at him and gave him a nod of gratitude.
They spotted no further enemies on this section of the battlements, so the two of them returned down the stairs. At ground level the fight was starting to wind down. With the Wildling now involved the darkspawn were now breaking, fleeing towards the inner portions of the fortress. The allied forces slew any they were able to catch, wildling archers slaying more as their enemy fled. From another part of the fortress surged forth the second attack group, tearing into the flank of the breaking darkspawn, cutting down even more.
With the darkspawn now dead or fleeing she looked for her friends, finding them a short time later. They looked winded, with more than a little blood on them, but otherwise they seemed ok.
"Hey, there you all are. Everything ok?" She nevertheless asked in confirmation.
"All good. A few nicks and scratches. Nothing to worry about." Thorpe said.
"Might be more than you think. That's mostly darkspawn blood, right? You can get really sick from that stuff. Lost a few of mine to it after earlier fights. You'll want to watch for the symptoms after getting that much on you." Tormund commented, concern in his voice.
"Yeah, you're right. Darkspawn blood can do that. And it's good that you are mindful of that. No need to worry over us though. Wardens can't catch their disease." Orvo said.
"You can't?" Tormund asked, surprised.
"Nope. One of the advantages of being a member of our order. As it is darkspawn blood still stings when it hits our skin, so it's not exactly pleasant. But we won't get sick from it. We can't die to it." Arya said.
"Sounds quite handy. But if that's the case, the why haven't…" Tormund began to ask.
"Wardens! Let's press onwards! We need to find the surviving darkspawn and end this before they get a chance to regroup." Blackwall called out, interrupting them.
The allied forces moved forward to the inner parts of the fortress, the two forces joining together for the final push. For a time there was no further resistance. The further they went the more signs of the darkspawn occupation they began to see. The skeletonized corpses of the former imperial defenders left where they had fallen, the bones of those that had been devoured strewn haphazardly all over the place. Surfaces coated in the darkspawn filth. In many places strange fleshy growths had begun appearing on the ground and on the walls, disturbed gasps made by those who had never seen such sights. Everywhere a stench of rot and decay lingered, growing stronger the further they pushed.
They arrived at a second set of walls. From there they had to follow the edge of the walls for a time, seeking the point of entry the darkspawn had used. Eventually they found the broken remains of a gate and passed through. Just on the other side they encountered a handful of darkspawn, which were slaughtered in a matter of seconds. After that brief clash an eerie silence lingered. The allied forces found themselves in the heart of this place, wherein lay several smaller keeps, which an attacking enemy that forced their way this far would have to capture one by one. Each of those structures was heavily fortified, a small castle in their own right, circling an open space which would have served as a killing zone against intruders emerging through the gate. Several bolt throwers would have added to what would have been a withering storm of fire. An excellently arranged defense, though apparently still not sufficient to stop the darkspawn.
Had those defenses been manned this fight would have turned brutal in short order. It might even have been too much, considering their swift progress so far was only because the fortress was in such disrepair. But none of the darkspawn were there to challenge them.
"So… where have the rest holed up?" Arya wondered aloud.
"Maybe we got them all?" One Orlesian soldier offered.
Arya briefly closed her eyes, concentrating. "No. They're still around here… somewhere." She said then.
Nathaniel walked to the forefront of their forces. His eyes scanned the surrounding keeps, keeping an arrow nocked in his bow just in case something came into view.
"Spread out. Find out where they are. If you see anything alert the rest of us once and we'll concentrate our forces there." He commanded then.
The allied forces spread out amongst the keeps. Arya and her friends picked one of the keeps and headed there to investigate, letting their ability to sense the darkspawn guide them. A handful of Orlesians and Wildling followed. There were enough of the creatures still about to make it difficult to pinpoint an exact location, but it did help guide in the general direction.
As with other gates, the doors to the keep had been smashed asunder. The hall beyond was a mess of broken furniture and darkspawn filth. Skeletonized, mummified corpses littered the ground everywhere, Orlesian and darkspawn both. More than likely this had been one of the last surviving holdouts when this place had been overrun. She could almost picture it. The desperate final clash in these halls, cramped and suffocating in the press of bodies. The defenders little by little drowned under a tide of monsters, everything ending in horror and death. Such a sad end. At least they could avenge those that had fallen here. If the dead cared of such things, perhaps it would bring them some comfort.
In here the presence of the darkspawn was too strong to know where to go. But they knew they were close by, at least some of the surviving ones. A runner was sent to alert Nathaniel of this fact. After that, they spread out in the keep, searching from room to room, weapons kept at the ready.
In the process Arya found a staircase leading downwards. A dim light emanated from somewhere at the bottom. She paused to consider for a moment. The darkspawn did prefer to live in caves and tunnels. Perhaps the cellars were a good bet to find them. Definitely worth checking out. She began walking down the stairs.
The stench of the darkspawn had been all over the keep of course. But halfway down the stairs the smell jumped to new disgusting heights. It was enough to make her gag seek to cover her nose. In that momentary distraction she failed to note a meaty growth on the next step, caught by surprise when instead of a solid wooden board her foot met a soft, pliant surface that shifted under her, throwing her off balance. She stumbled down the rest of the steps, just barely managing to keep her descent from turning into an outright fall. At the bottom she fell to her hands and knees, landing on the same kind of fleshy growth, coating the room from end to end. She snarled in disgust and picked herself up from the floor. Then a growl drew her attention, startling her. She looked up and gasped in shock and horror at what she beheld.
It was a towering mass of flesh, ring upon ring of rancid fat. From the sides extended thick greyish tentacles. At the front, far too many nipples in two rows, bigger and uglier the closer they were to the ground. At the top there was the vague form of a human's torso, with stunted arms and a neckless head with several chins, beady eyes and a lipless maw with many teeth, grinning with delight at the prospective meal that had so willingly wandered into its lair. It was the first time Arya had seen one of these grotesque things with her own eyes. But she had read of them before and so knew well what she stood in front of.
"HERE! HERE! I'TS A BROODMOTHER! OVER HERE!" She shouted as loud as she could, hoping to catch someone's attention. That was all she had time to say before the tentacles reached for her. The first two she repulsed with her weapons, drawing a little blood. A third sneaked in from a blind angle and wrapped around her ankle, yanking her off her feet. She found herself dangling upside down in the air while another tentacle caught her wrist, squeezing so hard she feared that bone might break.
The broodmother brought her close, its pudgy hands grasping the sides of her head. She saw its maw open, strings of drool between its teeth as it prepared to bite her face off. But in its eagerness it had forgotten she also carried a weapon in her other hand. And so Needle stabbed the monstrosity in the eye. She would have driven the blade all the way into its brain, but the creature screeched in pain and threw her away, leaving her weapon embedded in its eye. She impacted painfully against the staircase, the air driven from her lungs. As she lay there stunned, other darkspawn began pouring in through the side entrances. One rushed at her, about to run her through with a spear. But before it could reach her an arrow went through its head and it fell over mid run. She glanced upwards, seeing Nathaniel on top of the stairs, quickly rushing down, Blackwall and her other Warden friends right at his heels.
A fierce melee began in the room, Wardens battling the Broodmother and the other darkspawn. Orvo stopped long enough to help her back to her feet, after which she joined the raging battle, the Valyrian dagger carving lines through tentacles and darkspawn warriors alike. Orlesian soldiers and wildling fighters also charged into the room at the height of the fighting, helping tilt matters in their favor. Tormund also made an appearance again, joining the battle and slaying several more of the fiends with customarily ferocious fighting style.
Finally Nathaniel was able to take aim at the Broodmother, his arrow blinding its one remaining eye. Blackwall, Thorpe and Dajeah rushed to the creature next, each in turn carving great furrows in the mass of its body. The Broodmother was greatly weakened now, but still thrashing, still fighting. Arya took off running towards the monstrosity. Orvo moved forward at her side and together they cut down the darkspawn that sought to block their way. Then she climbed atop the Broodmother, using repeated stabs from her dagger to aid her ascent. Then she was on top of it, right behind its head, balancing as it tried to throw her off. She wrapped her hand around what passed or the creature's neck, plunging her dagger deep. The Broodmother's hands tried to grab her, but could not reach her. She dug around with the dagger, cutting through the thick skin and corrupt flesh. Then the dagger found an artery, slicing it open as well. Blood began fountaining out and the Broodmother's struggling slowed, then stopped altogether. She sighed with relief. The Broodmother was dead. They had done it.
As Arya jumped down the last of the darkspawn in the room were being cut down by the gathered warriors. There were still other darkspawn minds fairly close by, most likely originating from the other nearby keeps. But those were few and dwindling rapidly. This assault was all but over. They had won. She wished she was feeling more jubilant about it.
Not that anyone else was looking any more cheerful. All attention was instead drawn to the monstrosity they had just destroyed, horrified expression on most faces.
"What… what is that creature? And how the fuck did it even get here? It doesn't even have legs!" Tormund asked.
"That's a Broodmother. The darkspawn… they take women, turn them into that. And they in turn make more darkspawn. That's how their species comes into being. As to how one is here… it must have been someone local. An Orlesian soldier… or one of your people. Someone they found and brought here before she changed." Arya said quietly.
Briefly her eyes turned to the other dead darkspawn in the room. There were several of them that were out of armor and had been wielding only makeshift weapons. Clearly this Broodmother had already been busily birthing additional darkspawn. But at least this assault had cut that short. She remembered reading that just one of these things could create thousands of darkspawn across their lifespan. But that was not going to happen, thanks to their actions today.
Tormund looked more than a little green in the face. "That… that's just… gods these critters are foul!"
"Yeah. Us Wardens are more familiar with the darkspawn than most people in the world. Yet even then I'm constantly caught off guard by just how blatantly evil these things can be." She said.
He shook his head, absolutely disgusted. "I think I need some fresh air, away from all this stench. And maybe a strong drink to go with it. Since the fighting seems to have come to an end for today I guess I'll see you lot back at the Orlesian camp?"
"Right. See you." Arya said, continuing to stare at the Broodmother somberly.
Tormund wandered out of the room, the Orlesians and the other wildlings starting to leave as well. Arya took a step forth and removed Needle from the monstrosity's eye socket.
"I wonder who that used to be? Before turning into that." Orvo asked.
"I doubt we would want to know the answer to that question. That tale has such a sad ending. Enough to sour everything that might have come before it." Arya said.
"I know I don't want to know it. To be turned to such a monster… it's just plain wrong. Of all the horrors the darkspawn inflict on us, this is the worst. No doubt about it. I'm just glad we put an end to this one. It was a mercy surely." Dajeah said.
"Yes. It is that. Though far better is she had not been turned at all. But it's done now." Nathaniel said.
"Arya, are you feeling alright? It looks like the Broodmother roughed you up a bit." He asked.
"Yeah, it did a little. It's just bruises though." She said. Then she grimaced as she tried rotating the wrist the Broodmother had grabbed. "I supposed I should have someone take a look at my arm at least. Feels a little stiff. That thing had a strong grip, if nothing else."
"I'm sure the Orlesians brought healers with them. The least they can do for us is to see to whatever injuries we might have." He said.
"There are no more living darkspawn around here. Our job today is finished. I'll stick around to make sure the Orlesians know how to dispose of the dead darkspawn safely. The rest of you feel free to return to camp. If our allies want to celebrate the victory with you please keep the drunkenness at tolerable levels. I intend to have us continue our mission tomorrow." He told them next.
"And Dajeah? You handled yourself well with the Orlesians today, and I thank you for that. Even so I think it would be best if you stayed sober altogether. Just to be on the safe side." He added.
Dajeah sighed. "Yeah. That's probably for the best while I'm here. I don't want to test my self-control either. Nor am I terribly inclined to drink with Orlesians anyway. I think I'll get some sleep instead. It's been a long night."
"It has. And thank you. Sorry to single you out like that." He said.
"Well, I've made no secret where I stand. So I can't really blame you for doing that." She said, then left.
Arya returned outside as well, grateful of the cold open aid removing most of the smells from around her. After having her arm tended to and taking a moment to clean her weapons she intended to seek out Tormund. She had promised to trade stories with him after all. And there were other topics to discuss as well. She intended to advise him to seek out what other surviving Wildlings there might be around here and join the rest of his people south of the Wall. For now his part in fighting the darkspawn was over. The Grey Wardens would end this without him if they could. And if they were unable to and he would be needed again it would be best to have him join forces with the Twin Kingdoms and their other allies. A concentrated defense would be stronger. And if it came to that his people would certainly need his leadership.
Here the numbers he commanded were simply insufficient to make a meaningful difference against darkspawn. The Imperials would serve far better in that regard. Best case scenario was that he and his people would be protected from further ravages until this was over and he could return home afterwards. And behind the Wall, joined with other forces, he could help tip the balance should the worst come to pass.
There was still much to do, that much was certain. While this had been a sizable concentration there was no chance a fortress like this would have fallen such numbers. A larger force had struck here and had moved on afterwards, leaving behind the ones slain today. Hopefully that horde had mostly dispersed into the war bands they had been running into. In that case there was a decent chance they could cut through the enemy defenses and destroy the entity in charge, once they found it. If that being lurked in the middle of an ocean of darkspawn, things could get... tricky.