Soldier's Creepy Peak
The tunnels twisted and turned and then twisted some more. The journey up through them took a while with the wagons. However, when they stepped out of the last tunnel to look upon Soldier's Peak … well, no one had any words … not even Varric or Genitivi. The place was very large — competing with the Denerim palace kind of large, only more vertical, and not as spread out.
Anders stepped forward and waved everyone over to try to lift the portcullis. After a bit of a struggle, they got the portcullis up high enough for Elle to slip under. She released the lever and they raised the rusty iron gate, but she stopped the wagons with a wave of her hand just before she pulled her blades. Skeletons were rising from the snow to attack — skeletons wearing dilapidated armor of Ferelden's army as well as old Grey Warden armor. The battle took a while.
Once it was over and the courtyard cleared, Elle took a deep breath. Other than a few small cuts and bruises, there were no serious injuries and everyone was still alive. She smiled gratefully at the Highever soldiers. "Thank the Maker I listened to my father who insisted on you strong gentlemen coming with us!"
"No shit," Varric rumbled as he put Bianca away and started looking at the skeletons. "Andraste's Tits, that shit should have disintegrated by now! The skeletons should have been dust!"
Gorim shouldered the storyteller. "Never had to deal with walking skeletons in Orzammar," he grumbled.
"Blasphemy aside, Varric, you have a point." Elle turned to Anders. "Thin Veil, I'm guessing?"
Anders was sitting on the steps up to the main entry, trying to catch his energy up to his expenditure during that fight. "I'll take that guess and raise it to wager on more walking bones and demons inside."
Genitivi stepped up from the place he was standing with the Dryden family. He shook his head. "That battle centuries ago must have been horrendous. The kind where both sides felt righteous." Nodding toward Anders, Genitivi added, "The kind that draws attention from the other side of the Veil. Be very wary, Anders."
Mikhael Dryden walked up to Anders as they pulled their wagons into the courtyard. He told one of the younger lads to go just outside the walls and start a fire. "Me and the others'll follow behind you, Warden. Collect up bones and burn 'em."
"Good idea!" Anders grinned … both at the good idea and, no doubt, the fact that was the longest sentence ever spoken by the burly blacksmith in their presence. Not to mention that the Drydens rightfully looked to Anders as the leader in the wardens' keep.
Levi looked around and addressed Anders, too. "Warden, depending on the state of the inside, would you mind if we stayed here, cleaned things up a bit?"
"Well, I have no problem with that, but the Warden-Commander may have his own ideas." Anders put his hands on his hips and also looked around. "Settle in out here for now. It's probably a lot safer."
"Duncan'll see we're worth it, Warden! I promise you!" Levi grinned and motioned to the other Drydens. "Stay out here for now, family! I'll go with the warden and his group and check out the inside."
Genitivi also looked around. "I believe I'd be better suited to help send these defeated skeletons to the Maker." He held his hand up and bowed his head. As he began to speak, everyone else bowed his or her heads as well. "Blessed are they who stand before the corrupt and the wicked and do not falter. Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just. Blessed are the righteous, the lights in the shadow. In their blood the Maker's will is written." Then, he smiled. "Please be careful even with the Maker's Blessings."
"Checking out the inside" proved quite a bit more difficult than they may have thought … and, after the courtyard, they were expecting difficult. What they got were more skeletons, demons and fire demons … nasty ones … who sprang up after the skeletons had been dispatched.
Everyone stood at the ready when the last fire demon was sent back to the Fade. Two brave Highever fighters were seriously injured getting to this point. Anders was able to heal them to a point and told them to get some rest as Elle walked over to him. "Do you think it's over, Anders?" Elle was singed on her arm and really wanted it to be over. She was silently wishing she'd insisted upon Aggilana coming along.
Anders quickly healed Gorim's laceration, turned to Elle and started removing her gauntlets. "I hope so." He grimaced. "I'm going to need to see the rest of your arm. Armor off, please."
At first, Elle sent him a look. She hoped it correctly conveyed that he was crazy if he thought that she would take off her armor in a place where armor was definitely needed. However, as soon as no further demons or skeletons appeared … and Mikhael and the others started to clear out the old bones … she sighed. "Very well." She looked at everyone. "We'll take a break for rest and healing magic." She made sure she got Mikhael's attention. "No one is to enter any areas we haven't already cleared."
All she got was a, "Hmph," and a nod in reply from Mikhael.
In short order, her arm was healed along with others' injuries and some stamina was regained. Then, they tackled the kitchens. The only enemies there were spiders and rats. Absolutely nothing usable remained. The crates were barely holding together with nothing inside them but dust. Even the pots and pans had succumbed to time.
However, having such a large space delighted Levi's sister, Marna, who promptly took over the kitchens. She said she would deal with the spiders and rats. The flue was deemed clear and she soon had a good blaze going in the giant cooking fireplace. Mikhael and others were setting out some of the temporary tables they'd used on the journey there for Marna and the other ladies to work on.
Next, while Genitivi started to read through some of the parchment bits that weren't dust and books that hadn't disintegrated, they explored the rest of the bottom floor and the basements. Skeletons were everywhere, but none of those arose to do battle. The wardens' servants and their families died while trapped in here, as well. "Idiots who fight their righteous battles seldom consider the consequences to their servants." Elle motioned to several small skeletons huddled in a corner.
"Shit." Varric sighed. Everyone helped carry the bones of the servants and their children to the growing pyre outside. "Rest at the Maker's Side and know that your story won't be forgotten." Varric looked determined.
"I take it that your story of this place will include the consequences." Elle squeezed Varric's shoulder when he nodded. "Good."
The basement yielded the armory. There were many bits here that weren't a total loss. Leather was gone and metal was tarnished, but Elle thought the silverite might still be workable. She led Mikhael down there. "Do you think any of this is usable?"
He walked among the broken armor stands and weapon racks. He picked up a blade or two and a breastplate. "Some is. Some isn't. I can rework what I can for the Wardens in payment for staying here." Levi thought that was a good idea and so did Anders. He said he would add it to his growing list of questions for Duncan.
It was dark before the bottom floor and basements had been cleared of walking dead and demons and skeletons and bones and unusable detritus. Elle stared at the door to the next floor and turned to Anders. "Do you think it wise to wait until tomorrow to tackle the other floors?"
"I think it wise for all of us to get some sleep. I put a howler ward on that door and the soldiers have a watch rotation of four at all times with two in this room." He nodded to the hallway outside the room. "I suggest we sleep in the hallway tonight to be nearby. The barracks we found can be cleared out and used once we deal with the Veil." He looked up. "And, whatever else may be coming through it."
Elle chose to ignore that last statement. She tapped her hand with the rolled-up parchment she was holding. "Once we've cleared this place out … at least, initially … I'd like to expand my sketch, matching the outside walls to the inside walls." She rolled out the parchment and grinned. "A place like this has got to have secret compartments, hidden rooms, concealed stairs ..."
"Only you, Elle." Gorim shook his head while he laughed.
"Unflappable, I tell you!" As he rolled out his bedroll in the hallway, Anders added, "I think I'm already asleep."
Elle saw Varric leaning against a wall and joined him. She quietly said, "I'll let you in on a little secret, Varric." She got a pensive look. "I'm actually scared to death most of the time. I just refuse to give in." She took a deep breath. "Ahhh! That's the first full breath I've had in a few days." She patted his shoulder. "So, you see the heroine in your stories is quite the fraud."
The dwarf smiled at her. "Haven't met a real heroine yet who hasn't said the same thing, Elle." He chuckled. "Yeah, I give up. You don't need a nickname. I'm just going to call you Elle because that's who you are … scared, maybe … but genuine and real."
"Thank you, Varric." She rolled out her bedroll next to Midnight who was already fast asleep, twitching in a fun doggie dream chase. "See everyone in the morning." After motioning to one of the Highever guards, she added, "Wake me if you need another on watch." She stayed awake long enough to skim a few of the documents on thick parchment Genitivi had left her — seemed to be from a Warden Mage Avernus. The brief glance showed her some horrendous passages that she feared would keep her awake ... but exhaustion won out. It didn't take long for her to be twitching in her own dreams.
The next morning, Elle awoke to delicious aromas spilling out of the kitchen. It seemed she was the last one to awaken since she could hear quiet conversation coming from the kitchen and the front room which must have turned into a makeshift mess hall.
Anders placed a plate down next to her as her eyes were fluttering open. The plate held a generous helping of potatoes, onions, bacon and eggs with a half-piece of flatbread. "I thought it was about time someone woke you up," he said. "Midnight is already outside doing his mabari business."
Elle sat up and stretched. "My rumbling stomach thanks you immensely! I take it there were no emergencies last night?"
"Only scraping and sounds of tramping feet upstairs, but nothing came through the door." He smiled. "Not looking forward to the rest of today." As he stepped away, he motioned to her plate. "Enjoy while you can!"
After one bite, Elle got up and marched for the kitchen. It was filled with a dozen or more people from the Chantry, Highever and Denerim chopping, stirring, and kneading, but one lady was giving directions. "Who is the wonderful cook of this magnificent food this morning? Do we have you to thank, Marna?"
Marna laughed as she put a tray of rolls on the table to cool. "I'm only one of a very talented group of cooks! Now that we have a proper kitchen, we can do a bit more with what we have, my lady. Couldn't do more than the basics on the road."
"I should say you all do more than most could!" Elle sat on the floor in the corner and began to heartily tuck in. When she was finished, she said, "I think I noticed some space on the far side of the courtyard. You could probably start a nice garden in the spring."
"Levi's got some small pots we were thinking to plant some herbs in. Maybe find a sunny window somewhere once all this mess is cleaned out." Marna took a cutting board full of chopped vegetables and dropped it into a large pot. She swung it over the fire and added, "Hopefully, these vegetables from our root cellar in Denerim will stay edible until we can get more."
Elle jumped up and ran to her saddlebags by her bedroll. She pulled out a large sack and started looking through the pouches of seeds that she'd picked up here and there. She frowned when she realized it was very unlikely that she'd have the chance to use them this year, but now knew who could.
She handed the sack to Marna. "I'm a compulsive seed collector, Marna. With all this falderal going on in Ferelden, they would just go to waste with me. So, please put them to good use."
Elle pulled out the flower seeds she got from the Royal Kennel Master in Ostagar and split the quantity, tucking half back into pouch in her saddlebag. "These flowers make an ointment for mabari who get sickened by the Taint. I feel certain there will be Ferelden Wardens who have a mabari, so that would come in handy. I'll make you a copy of the formula for the ointment."
Marna looked up in surprise, but took the sack and opened it. She took out a few of the pouches that Elle had scrupulously labeled. "Marley potatoes, redbear carrots, sweetmary, herbs of all kinds … and berries! My lady, this is a treasure! Are you sure?"
"Just be warned that I'll take every opportunity to come up here to sample your delicious cooking!" Elle liked the Drydens. The jury was still out on Sophia to her mind, but these Drydens were very good people.
"I shall expect it, my lady!" Marna came over and looked to hug Elle. She stopped, afraid to overstep … but Elle just opened her arms and hugged Marna first. "And, I'll be sure to keep a supply of that ointment. You'll just need to send for it!"
"I hate to be the one to break up anything that makes our cook so happy, but we should probably move on." Anders stood in the doorway all smiles. Then, the smile faded. "Mikhael says that bad weather is on the way, so our mess hall may become a stable tonight. Hopefully, we can bunk upstairs once we're done with it."
"Don't you just love Ferelden!" was all Elle said as she walked over to her bedroll and finished getting ready. Midnight was laying down until she walked up. "Time to banish more demons to the Fade, my boy. Are you ready?" At his bark, she wrapped her arms around his rather thick neck. "I truly would be lost without you, Midnight."
When everyone was ready, the soldiers went through first. They were all ready to do brave and heroic things … but alas, nothing. It opened to a half-floor sitting room in front of a fireplace that would need some serious cleaning to get working. Then, they slowly climbed the few stairs to a larger floor.
Anders rolled his shoulder. "Stay on alert. The Veil is very tattered here," he whispered. "I wonder what made those noises last night."
As they slowly walked toward another staircase, a huge rage demon arose with skeletons around it. It took a while to realize that the skeletons were feeding the demon and keeping it up. Elle and Varric kept killing any skeletons that arose while the soldiers and Anders downed the demon.
By the end of the fight, Anders plopped on the stairs. He was spent … and pretty angry. He pointed to markings etched on the floor. "The sodding wardens summoned demons?! Demons?! Those summoning circles are like doors to the Fade! That is so many degrees of stupid!"
"I'd have to agree with you there, Blondie." Varric had taken to calling Anders that. "So, is there a way to sew-up the tear in the Veil?"
Anders sighed. "Yeah, but it'll take more than just me." He turned to Levi. "You folks may not want to bunk in here until we can take care of that."
Levi was thunderstruck. "I can't believe my ancestor was part of such a dark thing," he mumbled.
Soren shook his head. "They were outnumbered by Arland's men and they were desperate." He backtracked at Anders' glare. "I'm not saying it was smart." He took a deep breath. "So, what's kept those demons in here? Shouldn't they be spilling out into the countryside?" He leaned against a part of wall that sprung open behind him and clattered down a shaft. "Maker's Breath!"
Aromas from the kitchen wafted up as Elle and Soren slowly looked down to see Marna looking back up at them. "I know what this is!" Elle proclaimed. "I've seen these in the palace for easy access. Food from the kitchen can be lifted up here using this mechanism. It's called a ... a ... dumbwaiter! Of course, the tray and guide ropes have disintegrated completely and will need to be reworked."
"Yeah, glad the demons didn't know about that 'easy access' last night," Varric grumbled.
"Right." Elle looked to Anders. "Shall we continue on up?"
"Part of me says, 'Yes', but a big part of me wants to just lock it up and forget about it again." Anders looked miserable.
Elle walked over to him. "These wardens are not Duncan's wardens, Anders." She put her hands on her hips and looked around. "Plus, we've gotten this far."
"All right." Anders stood and walked up the eight or so stairs … to more awakening skeletons. "Andraste's flaming sword!" And, he wasn't referring to the statue of Andraste on a makeshift altar of sorts.
Fortunately, they were easy to dispatch.
The demon in the adjacent room … didn't look like it would be easy. It was wearing warden armor and looked to have been female at some point. It didn't attack mindlessly, so Anders ventured a question, "Who are you?"
"I am the Dryden, the Commander …"
That was all Anders allowed before he encased it in ice. "I'm sorry, Levi, but we cannot let her speak to us. Maker knows what she'll try to convince us of."
"I understand, warden. That thing's not Sophia anymore." Levi shook his head.
Nice armor, though! Elle had the decency to keep that thought to herself.
"Kill it." Anders stepped back while maces and clubs reduced the demon to a pile of ice cubes … which later became goo on the floor. Once that was done, Anders got a pensive look on his face. "Soren brought up a good point back there. Why are these demons trapped here?" He rubbed his face. "This place just doesn't quit."
"There are a lot of side hallways we're ignoring," Soren noted.
Anders slowly walked toward a doorway on the other side of Andraste's statue. "There's either another warden or a darkspawn this way. Maybe some answers?"
"Or maybe another crap-full of demons," Varric grumbled. "You Fereldans are certainly eager for opening doors and stepping in unknown shit."
Elle laughed. "That we are, Varric! Come Orlais! Come Tevinter! You will never keep us down for long!" When the soldiers gave a cheer, she added, "The only way to make the unknown known is to open a few doors sometimes, storyteller."
"I guess you're right there." He pulled Bianca off his back and readied it. "Okay, open the damn door so I can shoot what flies in at us."
The door opened to blessed fresh air! And, to a half-dozen easily dispatched skeletons. The short ramparts ended in a tower … and another door.
Anders opened it and strode inside, right past a number of multi-colored vials and what looked like journals of some kind. Right into a room with another person ... or something ... in it. Elle stayed back to skim some of the journals, but kept her ears open to what was going on in the other room.
"I hear you. Don't disrupt my concentration." The voice was male. After several long minutes, he turned. Through the doorway, Elle could see he was an older man, wearing a warden's tunic.
"And … who are you?" Anders asked.
The man narrowed his eyes at Anders. "You are the only warden among all these others?" When Anders only cocked his head, the man continued, "My name is Avernus."
"Surely not!" Elle stepped in and said that before she could stop herself. When everyone swiveled their heads toward her, she waved a book she was perusing and added, "I read some of the journals we found last night and glanced through this. Most of it was worn away, but Commander Dryden's senior warden mage was named Avernus." She glared at the old man. "You are either very, very old … a descendent who took the name … or a liar."
"I am very, very old." He held up his hand to stop any further comments. "You have diminished the demons below and killed the demon who had taken over Sophia's body, but we must work together to close my summoning circles before the demons start to replenish themselves. We can speak later."
Elle looked at Anders. "It's up to you, Anders. We can help this man, if you think he will do what he says, or kill him on your order."
"Morbid friends of yours, warden, but you know I speak the truth." Avernus started walking toward the door. "We don't have time to dither."
"Close the tear in the Veil first." Anders followed Avernus.
Elle believed everyone took a deep breath of fresh air before they entered the main building again.
Once in the room with the etchings on the floor, Avernus stepped to the front, "We must act quickly! The demons are clawing on the gates. The Veil must be closed."
Elle looked around. "What do you need us to do?"
"I will unravel the summoning circles I drew so long ago. Waves of spirits and demons will come through. You must dispatch them and keep them off me." Then, he stepped up and started speaking in a language Elle recognized as of Tevinter. It made her frown, but she didn't have long to be disgusted.
At each summoning circle, Avernus would stop and begin chanting. And, at each chant, a roomful of demons descended on everyone. The first time, Elle almost attacked Avernus, thinking he'd betrayed them ... but Anders waved her back to kill the demons.
Before the final circle was closed, a sodding desire demon decided to cross the Veil. That last fight was horrendous even with the superior numbers standing with the warden … wardens, Elle supposed.
But, they prevailed over the demons and the desire demon was sent back to the Fade. "It's over." Avernus didn't participate in any of the fighting but he looked more drained than Anders did. "The Veil is strong now … stronger, at least."
"Now, we have a few questions, Avernus." Elle then nodded to Anders.
"How have you survived all these years?" Anders was sitting on the floor with his back to the wall under the dumbwaiter.
"The Chantry foolishly forbids blood magic, but there are so many secrets to uncover. As my body decayed, I found ways to extend it … but, that can only go so far. I do not have very much longer." Avernus leaned on his staff.
"What really happened here?" Elle could tell that Anders didn't like Avernus' answer to his first question.
"What good would storytelling do you? The tyrant Arland is long dead along with all our noble co-conspirators and the grand rebellion." He shrugged. "Eh, it seemed so important then, but no one remembers it anymore … the kingdom lives on."
Elle looked at Anders. "May I, Warden?" When Anders nodded. "Why did the rebellion fail?"
"Too many mouths to quiet, even with Teyrn Cousland on our side, we were unable to succeed." Avernus seemed to be slowly aging before their eyes.
"I'm a Cousland." Elle looked skeptical. "That's my family you're speaking of."
"Is it?" Avernus looked more closely at Elle. "You lost many family members after the King's Guard ambushed a meeting one day." The implication that her family was part of a revolt was news to her.
Anders stood. "You had to know that summoning so many demons was foolhardy."
"Perhaps." He followed with a long-winded diatribe about how great a mage he was. Elle tuned out most of it. She recognized self-serving drivel when she heard it.
At a lull, Levi stepped forward. "Did Sophia know about the demons?"
"Of course! She gave the order. But, I would have summoned the demons anyway. Only under the wardens can true magical research continue. My only regret is that it all failed and I did not get the chance to make Arland pay."
"So, what did you do here all those years?" Anders stood and put his hands on his hips. He did not look happy … at all.
"I researched. Blood magic came from demons, so there was nothing I could use that they didn't know … but the darkspawn taint … that, they didn't know about. It gives us power. Wardens use it to sense darkspawn … a triviality. What I've discovered could not only save Soldier's Peak … with it, the wardens could become even more powerful against the darkspawn." Avernus took a deep wheezy breath.
"Can you teach me what you learned?" Anders seemed to be interested in the warden information.
"You've walked past all my research. It's all available to you, but only you, warden. These others are not to be privy to it." Avernus looked to be adamant on that point.
Anders turned to Levi. "This gentleman brought us here to find out about his ancestor. Levi, do you have any other questions?"
"Well, ser mage … do you have any proof that Sophia was a hero?" Levi seemed depressed. Elle's heart went out to him. All this was certainly not what she had expected.
"You are the boy who braved the tunnels! You heeded my call! So, you are a Dryden. The cosmos has a sense of humor." Avernus laughed. It wasn't a pleasant laugh.
"Your call?" Elle asked.
"He was only a boy when he entered the tunnels below. His heart pure. His character certain. In dreams, I gave him the keys he would need. I hoped that he would be my deliverance." He sighed. "Your great-great grandmother was the best of us. Brave, charismatic, fiery, utterly devoted to the fight, but still we lost. We fought against a tyrant, you know. So full of vigor then … so blind to consequence. But, proof? There's none to be had."
Anders put an arm around Levi's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Levi."
"I … I had hoped." Levi sighed and looked at his feet. Then, he smiled at Anders. "Thank you, Warden."
"So, warden, will you continue my research?" Avernus asked.
Anders looked at Elle and the others surrounding him. "I'm not the Warden-Commander here in Ferelden. Duncan is in Ostagar trying to hold back a Blight. It'll be up to him."
"A Blight?" Avernus became thoughtful. "Let me go over my research with you, Warden. I think you'll find some very useful things in it ... especially in a time of Blight."
Elle stepped up. "I've glanced through some of the records left here … your journals will, no doubt, be thorough and thoroughly loathsome." She looked at her friend and the only other warden here. "Anders, I know you're quite capable of taking care of yourself, but what if he uses blood magic on you for nefarious reasons." She smiled insincerely at Avernus. "The brain cannot be expected to function at a high level for two hundred years without thoughts of indestructibility creeping in."
Avernus looked around and then laughed, in his creepy way. "Yes, you are a Cousland, but you are not a warden and these discussions will be for wardens only."
"She's a warden recruit, Avernus. She can hear whatever you have to say." Anders gave Elle a quirky grin.
"As you wish, Warden Anders … and Warden-Recruit Cousland." Avernus motioned for them to follow him up the stairs back to the tower.
Elle turned to the others and made plans for initial clean-up of the rest of Soldier's Peak. After getting word that the bad weather was closer, it was decided that they would bed down inside for however long it took for the storm to blow itself out.
As Elle finally walked to the stairs ... to the waiting Avernus and Anders, the old warden smiled. "Yes, definitely a Cousland."
...
AN: Soldier's Peak with a dose of extra-creepy via the kid's skeletons. :( Next week, a wrap up and then on to Highever! I'm glad that you're enjoying the different "Life Goes On Elsewhere" take on DAO. :)
The Invisible Pretender, once I got this DLC, I would always do it right after Ostagar. Storage chest! Yay! However, the Drydens will have a run of the entire place in this AU. ;) Thanks for the words of encouragement! :)
Marika Haliwell, thanks so much for the review, story follow and favorite! :) No, no, no ... well, maybe ... no, not gonna happen with Loghain … probably! ;)
Guest, thank you for the review! No Disney princess is our Elle ... or Varric princess, for that matter. Although, Disney can treat some of its princesses pretty meanly before their prince shows up. ;)
