Their orders were clear and simple enough: enter the Wilds, get three vials of darkspawn blood, find the Grey Warden treaties, and get back. It has been less than an hour since they started and 'Well… shit', she was terrified. In the first time they stopped for a breather, Alistair notices the unrest in their charge. Jory and Daveth were talking about tourneys, different approaches, of course, Jory about participating and strategies to win one and Daveth on how these events were great for pickpocketing.

Maeghan was by herself near the small fire they started to dry and warm themselves up a little as Alistair came and sat beside her in silence. "Soo…" he started it "tell me a little about yourself. Did you want to become a Grey Warden?" She contemplates for a minute before answering. It was an interesting idea when Duncan arrived at the Alienage, her mother was almost one, maybe she believed it would make them two closer somehow, but desire wasn't the main reason. "Well… yes and no?" he waits as she continues "I did wanted it, but I didn't have really a choice by then. What about you?"

He looks at the fire in front of them "I see… I was training as a templar for the Chantry before Duncan recruited me. That was about six months ago. I hated it. Duncan saw I wasn't happy and figured my training against mages could double for fighting darkspawn. Now, here I stand a proud Grey Warden." He straightens his posture mockingly at the statement, even though he felt the truth in it. "The grand cleric wouldn't have let me go if Duncan never forced the issue. I'll always be grateful to him." He smiles lopsided at the grass now. Mae interrupts his thoughts "You speak fondly of him." Alistair looks at his companion smiling at him, and he smiles himself "I've spent years in that Chantry, hopelessly resigning my own fate. Duncan was the first person in my life who cared what I wanted." He laughs a little and finishes his thoughts "He risked a lot of trouble with the Grand Cleric to help me."

"I know what you mean…" Mae lets out a small sigh "Duncan saved me from the garrison in Denerim, without his help… I would be dead by now." Alistair was not ready to pry, even more so when he notices her eyes fill with water. "At any rate…" his sentence is cut short as they hear a thud, and something dragging or being dragged near them. Jory and Daveth got alerted as well.

A bloodied soldier crawls himself in their direction now "Who… is that? Grey…Wardens…?" Alistair raises from his seat and closes the distance between them and the man. "Well, he's not half as dead as he looks, is he?" Mae put her hand on her forehead and closes her eyes, laughing would not be appropriate right now. The soldier speaks again "M-my scouting band was attacked by darkspawn! They came out of nowhere… out of the ground. Please, help me! I've got to… return to camp" Mae speaks first, kneeling near the man "We could take you back to camp, how are your wounds?"

"If you just… bandage me up, I… can get back myself" Alistair this time join Mae at the floor "I have bandages in my pack" and starts to quickly patch the man, and the first thing she thinks at that is 'Boy, he's bad at it…'. If the camp was a little further the soldier would be dead at the entrance. She interrupts and tightens the gauze a little as Alistair finishes tying everything, he nods appreciatively at her whispering "thank you" as they help the soldier stand up once more.

"Thank you!" the soldier groans "I… I've got to get out of here" the man hobbles away. Jory grabs the leader of their scouting band by the shoulder "Did you hear? An entire patrol of seasoned men… killed by darkspawn" Alistair removes the man's hand from himself "Calm down, Ser Jory. We'll be fine if we're careful."

Jory raises his voice much for Mae's dismay "CALM DOWN? Those soldiers were careful, and they were still overwhelmed. How many darkspawn can the four of us slay? A dozen? A hundred? There's an entire ARMY in these forests" Alistair agrees trying to keep the tone of the conversation light "Yes, there are darkspawn about, but we're in no danger of walking into the bulk of the horde."

Jory stammers more about how Alistair could be so certain, and how the Wilds are dangerous, and foolish, and reckless, and how he should've not come when Mae interjects "Don't worry Ser Jory" both men turn to look at her "I'll protect you!" she mockingly winks at the frustrated man as he walks away with Daveth. She laughs and hears Alistair jokingly whisper at her ear from behind her "I know I'm relying on you to protect me… either from darkspawn…or from them" and he looks in the direction of both other recruits.

She is concerned for a second on how the small hair on the back of her neck bristle at his breath, but he caught her by surprise, that's all. "I swear I'm the bravest one here" she chuckles at him. "Indeed" he agrees. They gather everything the set around the fire in order to get back to the task at hand, she holds two flasks of darkspawn blood they managed to catch before and turns to the Warden "Hey…Alistair" she quietly calls him "About the Joining ritual… can you tell me something? Anything?"

He lets out a long sigh "Look" he rubs the back of his neck "There's… not much I can tell you now, Duncan will explain everything when we get back" he looks away, but she doesn't let go "Surely you can tell me something."

He contemplates, wait until the others get some more distance and starts "I… I can't tell you much, all right?" he ponders, looking away from her before continuing "The Joining is… very unpleasant. I wish I could forget it, but I can't. I don't envy what you're going to have to go through." His face drops, the everlasting smile and cockiness she saw up until now leaves completely. She speaks again "Well, I'm strong" he turns to her as she trustfully presents her biceps to him, cocking one eyebrow as he smiles 'There you are' and continues, winking at him "I'm sure I'll be fine"

"That's the spirit" he lets out a chuckle "If becoming Grey Warden was easy, we wouldn't recruit the best." His smile is back, the ironic composure is as well, but Mae, for a glimpse of a second, perceiving his sadness still.