And now for something, hopefully, not quite so depressing! Elissa and Duncan travel to Ostagar, and Elissa learns a little bit more about the situation she's managed to get herself into. Not a whole lot of action in this chapter, but she does get to meet some interesting people.
As before, I don't own any of these characters, places, or lore. Also, reviews feed my soul so feel free to send a few words my way, say hi, or give some feedback.
Enjoy!
The flight from the castle was a long one and they had to fight off several bands of Howe's men. But Elissa was in such a state of shock that she barely even noticed what was going on. She seemed to simply be going through the motions.
They moved south through The Hinterlands, towards Ostagar, their journey taking about two weeks. And the entire time, she barely spoke a word. They traveled near constantly throughout the day, Duncan stopping them only occasionally to eat or have a quick rest. Then, just as dusk began, they would stop for the night. Duncan would set up a fire, then lay out a small selection of food for them both. They ate in silence then, when he was finished, Duncan would tell her some of the history of the Grey Wardens. He was never sure if she was listening to him, she wouldn't talk or offer any sort of reaction to his tales, but he hoped that at least some of his order's story was sinking in. Especially as he hoped that it would soon become her order as well.
Eventually, they made it to the ruins of Ostagar, on the edges of the Korcari Wilds.
As they passed through the first set of massive stone ruins Duncan broke the silence. "The Tevinter Imperium built Ostagar long ago, to prevent the Wilders from invading the northern lowlands." They both took a moment to look around and appreciate the sheer scale of the monument. Elissa had never really seen anything on this scale before and Duncan, while he was used to such impressive stone work, never ceased to be amazed at the grandeur of the old Imperium creations. "It's fitting we make our stand here," he commented, almost to himself. "Even if we face a different foe within that forest."
As Elissa took in the buildings and ruins around her, she felt like she could almost be in a different world entirely. The part of her mind that was usually so focused on learning and exploring started to wake up. She had actually been listening to Duncan's tales every night, but it had been hard to make them feel relevant to the horrifying reality that she now found herself in. However, now that she was faced with the ruins she had something tangible to represent what her new future would be. And, instead of forcing her to relive the horrors of Highever over and over in her head, her calculating, inquisitive mind now had something to focus on.
The pair walked across a wide stone bridge that looked to go from the outer ruins towards the central hub of the old fortress. "The king's forces have clashed with the darkspawn several times," Duncan explained, "but here is where the bulk of the horde will show itself. There are only a few Grey Wardens within Ferelden at the moment, but all of us are here." He paused and turned to face her, making sure she understood the gravity of his words. "This Blight must be stopped, here and now. If it spreads to the north, Ferelden will fall."
At Elissa's solemn nod, they continued.
Suddenly, they were hailed down by a tall, blond man bedecked head-to-toe in gold plate armour, a gigantic sword strapped to his back. "Ho there, Duncan!"
"King Cailan?" Duncan said. He extended his arm to the man. "I didn't expect -"
"A royal welcome?" the king asked, interrupting him. "I was beginning to worry you'd miss all the fun!"
"Not if I could help it, your Majesty."
The young king grinned. "Then I'll have the mighty Duncan at my side in battle after all! Glorious! The other Wardens said you've found a promising recruit." He turned his attention on Elissa. "I take it this is she?"
Duncan nodded. "Allow me to introduce you, your Majesty."
Cailan stepped forward so he was in front of Elissa. "No need, Duncan. You are Bryce's youngest, are you not?" He asked. "I don't think we've ever actually met."
"Yes, your Majesty," Elissa replied with a bow of her head. "My name is Elissa."
"Your brother has already arrived with Highever's men, but we are still awaiting your father."
Elissa's entire body tensed and she had to force herself to remain calm. "He's not coming," she stated, and hoped the others didn't hear the slight dip in her voice. She cleared her throat. "He died when our castle was taken."
"Dead?" The king looked horrified. "What do you mean? Duncan, do you know anything about this?" He turned to the Grey Warden.
"Teyrn Cousland and his wife are dead, your Majesty," Duncan replied, his voice somber.
Elissa felt her throat constrict and her jaw trembled slightly as she heard said out loud what she'd been frantically trying to ignore. She folded her arms and forced the emotions down.
"Arle Howe has shown himself a traitor and overtaken Highever Castle." As Duncan continued and the king started pacing "Had we not escaped, he would have killed us and told you any story he wished."
The king shook his head. "I … can scarcely believe it!" He spun on the spot and turned to face the Grey Warden. "How could he think he would get away with such treachery?"
He ran a hand down his face and turned his attention on Elissa, looking her straight in the eye. "As soon as we are done here, I will turn my army north and bring Howe to justice. You have my word."
Elissa cleared her throat again then gave the man a low bow. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"No doubt you wish to see your brother," he said, but then frowned. "Unfortunately, he and his men are scouting in the Wilds."
"I am not so eager to tell him, Your Majesty," Elissa admitted.
"Of that, I have no doubt." He gave her a look that he probably thought was understanding, but it felt a lot like pity and it made Elissa's stomach twist. Perhaps sensing the change in mood, the king suddenly stood up straighter and gave her a firm nod. "You will see him again once the battle is over, I am certain. I apologise, but there is nothing more I can do. All I can suggest is that you vent your grief against the darkspawn for the time being."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"I'm sorry to cut this short, but I should return to my tent." He rolled his eyes and glanced at Duncan. "Loghain waits eagerly to bore me with his strategies."
Before he could leave, Duncan cut in. "Your uncle sends his greetings and reminds you that Redcliffe forces could be here in less than a week."
The king let out a bark of laughter. "Ha! Eamon just wants in on the glory." He shrugged. "We've won three battles against these monsters and tomorrow should be no different."
"I didn't realise things were going so well," Elissa commented.
"I'm not even sure this is a true Blight," Cailan replied. "There are plenty of darkspawn on the field, but alas, we've seen no sign of an archdaemon."
"Disappointed, Your Majesty?" Duncan asked pointedly.
Cailan sighed then look blissfully up at the sky. "I'd hoped for a war like in the tales! A king riding with the fabled Grey Wardens against a tainted god!" He gave another heavy sigh and turned back to face them. "But I suppose this will have to do." He gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "I must go before Loghain sends out a search party. Farewell, Grey Wardens!"
Elissa crossed her fists against her chest and gave a low bow. Duncan gave a small bow of his head, then the king walked off.
Once the king was gone, Elissa made to continue into the ruins, but Duncan held up a hand to stop her. She turned to face him, an eyebrow raised in question.
"What the king said is true. They've won several battles against the darkspawn here."
"Yet, you don't sound very reassured," Elissa commented.
Duncan glanced towards where the king had been. Seemingly satisfied that the man in gold was far enough away, he gestured for them to start walking again.
"Despite the victories so far," he said, "the darkspawn horde grows larger with each passing day. By now, they look to outnumber us. I know there is an archdaemon behind this. But, I cannot ask the king to act solely on my feeling."
Elissa pulled them up short. "What would you have him do?"
"Wait for reinforcements. We sent a call out west to the Grew Wardens of Orlais, but it will be many days before they can join us. Our numbers in Ferelden are too few. We must do what we can and look to Teyrn Loghain to make up that difference. To that end, we should proceed with the Joining ritual without delay."
"What do you need me to do?" Elissa asked immediately.
Duncan frowned slightly, but answered her. "Feel free to explore the camp here as you wish. All I ask is that you do not leave it for the time being." They started walking again. "There is another Grey Warden in the camp by the name of Alistair. When you are ready, seek him out and tell him it's time to summon the other recruits. Your hound can stay with me while I attend to some business."
Beside them, Loki gave a happy bark and Elissa gave him a small smile.
"The Grey Warden tent is on the other side of this bridge," Duncan said. "You will find us there, should you need to."
At that, he and Loki walked off, leaving Elissa alone at the edge of the main area of the ruins.
Instead of following them into the camp straight away, Elissa decided to back track a bit and wander around some of the outer ruins. She needed a moment to herself, to think. At one point, she came across an ornate-looking chest tucked behind a pillar. She made to open it and see what was inside, but found it lock and quickly realised she didn't know how to unlock it. She frowned in frustration and made a mental note to acquire some lock picking tools as soon as she could and start learning how to use them. She remembered stories she and Fergus had been told as children about dashing adventurers scouring the land for hidden treasure and, while they had played pretend, she had never imagined she'd ever actually have to know how to do it. She briefly wondered if Fergus had ever tried to learn, but thinking of Fergus made her think of home and she was definitely not ready to think about that so she shook her thoughts loose and kept walking.
After a while, she came to an area of the ruins that overlooked the forest valley that ran beside the fortress. She walked up to the edge and looked out across the wide expanse. It was breathtaking. She was up so high that she could see over the mountains in front of her to the planes and forests of the Wilds beyond. Below her, a heavy fog blanketed the valley floor, so thick that she could only just make out the very tips of the trees poking through it. And it was calm. She knew that below that calm facade, and within the trees, there were people and creatures tearing each other apart. But from where she stood she could see none of that and all she felt from the vista was an overwhelming sense of peace.
She looked out over the scene and took in a deep breath, letting the feeling roll through her.
Suddenly there was a metallic clanking sound behind her and a deep voice came out of the silence. "Woops! Sorry to interrupt."
The sudden sound made her lose her balance and she quickly scrambled back from the edge. She put a hand over her chest and bent over in an attempt to calm her racing heart.
"Apologies, my lady," the man continued. A quick glance up at the man told her that he was one of the king's soldiers. He took a step towards her. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
She straightened up and held up a hand for him to not come any closer. Her magic felt like it was vibrating just below her skin, ready to lash out and protect her. She took a few deep breaths and tampered it down. "It's all right," she said, after a while. "I was just lost in my own thoughts." She gestured out that the view. "It's quite beautiful."
Suddenly deciding she'd had enough exploring and should probably start familiarising herself with the campsite, she left the slightly confused guard where he was and made her way back towards the main part of the ruins.
On her way, she found herself at the gate leading to the gigantic tower that seemed to dominate the ruins. The gate was closed and a single guard stood in front of it.
"The Tower of Ishal is off-limits," the guard said as she approached. "The men stationed inside are securing it now."
Elissa studied the structure above them. The name seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite remember where she'd read about it. "What is the Tower of Ishal?"
"I think they used it once to watch for Wilders coming out of the forest," the guard replied.
"Why is the tower off-limits, exactly," Elissa asked.
"By orders of Teyrn Loghain," the guard said, standing a little taller. "The tower is being secured by his men to be used during battle. I'm told they discovered some lower chambers and they don't know how far down they go. So, for now, everyone's to stay out."
Elissa frowned. "Lower chambers?" She'd read a lot about military strategy and knew that buildings that went too far below the ground could quickly become a weakness if they came anywhere near the colossal network of dwarven tunnels that ran under most of Ferelden.
The guard shrugged. "I didn't see anything like that when I was there, but who knows?"
Elissa's frown deepened and a strange feeling made its way up her spine.
After a moment, she disregarded it with a shake of her head. She was letting her imagination and natural paranoia get ahead of her. "This is a pretty large ruin," she said conversationally, glancing around at the structures around them.
"Goes back to the time of the Tevinter Imperium. Dwarven made. That's probably why it's still standing."
Elissa had to agree. From what she'd read, only the dwarves would have the skills and knowledge to build something this grand and something that would withstand all this time and military activity. She gave the guard a quick smile. "I should go."
He gave her a quick bow. "Maker speed your steps."
Elissa stepped away from the tower and headed back across the large stone bridge, towards where Duncan had said the camps would be. As she reached the end of the bridge she noticed another solitary guard.
"Hail!" he called out to her as she approached. "You must be the Grew Warden recruit that Duncan brought."
Elissa came to a stop in front of him. She nodded that she was and gave him a polite smile. He was young, very young, and seemed to be vibrating with energy. Whether from excitement or nerves, she couldn't quite tell, maybe both.
"This place hasn't seen such bustle in centuries, I'll wager," the man said, stumbling over his words in his enthusiasm to get them out. He grinned at her. "Need a hand getting anywhere?"
"Where is Duncan's tent?" Elissa asked.
"Not far," the guard answered quickly. He seemed excited to be able to do something useful. "It's straight ahead, just past the royal encampment. Most of your fellows are in the valley with the army, but the recruits seem to be staying up here for now."
"Thank you," she said. "Actually, I'm looking for a Grey Warden named Alistair."
"Try heading north," the guard replied, gesturing behind himself. He paused and his grin got even wider. "I think he was sent with a message to the mages."
Elissa nodded. She felt like she was missing the joke, but appreciated the directions all the same. "Do you know much about Ostagar?" she asked.
If it was possible, the guard stood even straighter and looked even more excited. "It used to be a fortress, long time ago, so I understand. Back in the days when the Wilders used to invade the lowlands." He pointed back across the bridge. "You were just on the eastern side of the ruin. The Tower of Ishal is there, but Teyrn Loghain's closed it off until the battle. This side is the king's camp. We got the Grey Wardens here, the Circle of Magi, the Chantry … you can't swing a dead cat without hitting somebody important."
Elissa felt herself go cold. "The Circle of Magi is here?" she asked quietly.
"A few mages, yes." The guard paused and grimaced. "They even brought those creepy quiet fellows, the Tranquil. Gives me the shivers when they talk, all cold and even." The guard then shook himself and forced a smile on his face. "They're to the north of here, bunched up with a herd of templars glaring at them. Can't miss it."
Elissa's stomach dropped. There were templars here as well? She looked back across the bridge. She could run, get away before they would even know she was there.
Suddenly there was a commotion from inside the camp and she heard several dogs start barking and howling. She frowned. "Do I hear dogs barking?"
"This is Ferelden, isn't it," the guard said with a chuckle. "The king has his kennels on the west side of the camp. Stinks from all the hounds. These aren't cute puppies, though — some of those dogs bite the darkspawn and get too much of that blood in them … it's like poison. A slow, painful death. Terrible."
And somehow, it was the thought of those poor dogs, along with what would happen to Loki if she left, that had her rooted to the spot, on this side of the bridge, rather than running off into the night.
"Where is the King?" she asked. As she thought about it, she also knew that there would be no help from the king once this was all done, if she abandoned him now.
"Probably in his tent. He and Teyrn Loghain are on the southwest side of the camp. The king likes to spend time with his soldiers, though, sometimes even without his bodyguards. Drives Teyrn Loghain wild, that does."
Elissa looked where he was pointing and noticed the large gold tent off to the side. She then turned back to the guard. "Is there anywhere to get supplies?"
"Quartermaster," the guard said with a firm nod. "He's just a bit to the northwest."
"Thank you," she said. "I should go."
"Good luck with you, then," the guard said, with a grin that spread from ear to ear.
Elissa heading into the main area of the fortress. To her right, she could see the tell-tale flashes of ice and other assorted magic and she quickly turned left. She was going to steer well clear of that area for as long as she could.
She moved on and came to a stop in front of the large gold tent.
"Greetings," said the friendly guard standing at the tent's entrance. "King Cailan is not in his tent right now."
"Tell me about the king," Elissa asked, intrigued to learn about the young man she'd met. "You must see him a lot."
"I suppose I do," the guard said, puffing out his chest a bit. "Though he's spending most of his time with the Grey Wardens. He rides with them wherever they go. Loghain sees the king whenever he can and argues with him over coming battles, but the king just waves him off. The king wants to end the Blight with a single huge battle the bards will sing of for centuries. Do you think that's possible?"
"We'll see in the coming battle," Elissa replied.
"That's how the teyrn feels. He'll do what the king wants in the end, though. The king thought it was funny the teyrn called him reckless. And they fought about the queen."
"The queen?"
"She's the teyrn's daughter. He wasn't happy about something she did or the king did … I'm not sure." The guard frowned. "I probably shouldn't discuss it."
"I should go," Elissa said, and gave the guard a quick nod of her head.
"As you wish," the guard said. He was still frowning, and seemed a little confused as to why he'd just said everything that he had. But, while Elissa had never really been good at just chatting with people, she'd been schooled from a very young age in the art of politics, and persuasion was a huge part of that. She'd been taught to find just the right words that would have people telling you what you needed to know.
She was about to head over to Teyrn Loghain's tent when she misstepped on a rock and almost fell, her usual grace hampered by the numerous extra weapons she was still carrying. Immediately, finding the quartermaster went to the top of her list. She could find the teyrn later.
She spun around and started making her way towards where the guard on the bridge had said the quartermaster would be. After a short walk, she spotted a man in leather overalls standing in front of a small stall and a few weapon racks. Just before she reached the man, however, she was hailed down again. This time by an older woman standing underneath one of the large trees within the campsite.
Despite her desire to rid herself of the extra baggage, Elissa could not even contemplate being rude and instantly changed course so she was walking towards the woman. As she approached, she noticed what the woman was wearing. Her heart started hammering in her chest and she clenched her fists to stop her hands shaking. The woman was wearing mage robes. Specifically, she was wearing robes that showed her to be part of the Circle of Magi. She glanced past the woman and it was only then that she realised she'd managed to wander so close to the Circle's encampment.
She fought the nearly overwhelming urge to run in the opposite direction.
"Greetings, young lady," the woman said. Her voice was gentle but firm and it reminded Elissa of Nan's.
"Greetings," she managed to reply.
"You are Duncan's newest recruit, are you not?" the other woman asked. When Elissa nodded, she continued, looking vaguely impressed. "He's not a man easily impressed. You should be proud."
Elissa gave a shy bow of her head and muttered, "thank you."
"Allow me to introduce myself," the woman continued. "I am Wynne, one of the mages summoned by the king."
"Pleased to meet you," Elissa said, glad that her mind had caught up a bit and she was able to maintain her manners.
"Well met, and good luck to you on the battlefield," Wynne said with a small smile. Her smile fell and she turned somber for a moment. "To us all, in fact."
"King Cailan thinks the battle will go well," Elissa commented.
"The king must always seem confident. His behaviour affects the troops' morale," the old mage explained. Her smile returned and she gave a small chuckle. "He does seem to find his enthusiasm easily, though. Reminds me of a puppy, and I say that with both respect and affection. He is a fine man."
Suddenly there was a large crash and a scramble of raised voices. Wynne rolled her eyes. "To defeat the darkspawn, we have to work together. It's not an idea everyone seems able to grasp."
"Do you know much about darkspawn?" Elissa asked.
"Some. Do you? Do you know about the connection between them and the Fade, for example?"
Elissa frowned and thought about what little she knew about the Fade. "I know that the Fade is where you go when you dream," she said carefully.
Wynne nodded. "Any time your spirit leaves your earthly body, whether it's to dream or to die, it passes into the realm we call the Fade. It's home to many spirits, some benevolent, others far less so. At the heart of the Fade, lies the Black City."
"What's the Black City?"
The old mage gave Elissa an appreciative look, clearly pleased that she was taking an interest."Some say the Black City was once the seat of the Maker. But when mages from the Tevinter Imperium found a way into the City, it was tainted with their sin. That taint transformed those men, turning them into twisted reflections of their own hearts. And the Maker cast them back to the earth, where they became the first darkspawn. At least, that's what the Chant of Light says."
"The Chantry says many things," Elissa commented.
"It may be allegory, meant to teach us that our own evil causes human suffering. Or it may be true." She shrugged. "It is as good an explanation as any, for now."
"At least it's something to ponder."
"Yes, occasionally it's wise to contemplate one's actions." She gave Elissa an odd look, studying her for long enough to make the young noble start shuffling her feet. Eventually, the old mage shrugged and crossed her arms. "But, I'm certain that Duncan has more for you than to talk to me."
Knowing when she was being dismissed, Elissa gave the woman an awkward nod of her head. "It was nice to meet you," she said quietly.
She returned to her path towards the quartermaster. Just beside his stalls, she came across two soldiers.
"So, any last wish I can fulfill before the coming battle?" the guy asked a particularly uninterested-looking woman. Despite her expression, he continued. "Life is fleeting, you know. That pretty face could be decorating some darkspawn spear this time tomorrow."
Elissa wasn't overly versed in the romantic arts but even she knew that that was not smooth.
"Shall I take that quiet glare as a no?" the man asked, finally seeming to realise the woman's expression. He shrugged as she walked off. "Ah, well. Too bad."
He saw Elissa standing there and grinned. "Well, you're not what I thought you'd be," he said.
"What did you think I'd be?" Elissa asked, confused.
"Not a woman. Yet here you are." He seemed as oblivious to Elissa's unimpressed look as he had been to the other woman and just kept talking. "The name's Daveth. It's about bloody time you came along. I was beginning to think they cooked this ritual up just for our benefit."
Realisation dawned on her. This must be one of the other Grey Warden recruits. "What do you know about this ritual?"
"I happened to be sneaking around the camp last night, see, and I heard a couple of Grey Wardens talking. So, I listen in for a bit. I'm thinking they plan to send us into the Wilds."
"The Wilds?" Elissa asked, prompting him to continue.
"We're right on the northern edge of the Korcari Wilds here. Miles and miles of savage country. My home village isn't far. I grew up on tales about the Wilds. Even been in there a few times … scary place."
She frowned. "This seems like an odd place for an army to camp, then."
"I'm told the Blight started in the forest, so the army's here waiting for them to come out. Dangling meat in front of the bear, if you catch my meaning." He paused and his eyes darted around them, then he continued, his voice hushed. "It's all too secretive for me. Makes my nose twitch." He paused again, then seemed to get over himself and shrugged. "I guess we'll have to wait and see. Like we have a choice."
Something in his voice struck at Elissa. "They're forcing you to be here?"
"I got nowhere else to go after what Duncan saved me from," he muttered in reply. After a moment he stood up straight. "Anyway, I expect it's time to get back to Duncan. That's where I'll be if you need me for anything." He grinned, gave her a wink, and walked off.
Elissa rolled her eyes and walked in the other direction, finally making it to the quartermaster.
Before she could say anything, he started talking. "Have you seen an elf running about? Young woman, red hair? Carrying a suit of chain?"
"Can't say I have, no," Elissa replied.
"Blast it! Where did she go? That suit better be patched up when she gets back, or by the Maker, I'll -" He suddenly seemed to realise that Elissa was still standing there and he paused, looking sheepish. "Ah, pardon my manners. My troubles are no concern of yours, I'm sure. I'm the quartermaster … Did you come for supplies?"
"Do you need help tracking this girl down?" Elissa offered.
The man shook his head. "I'm sure you have better things to do than run errands for me. I can find her myself."
"What kind of supplies do you have?"
"Arms and armour, for the most part. It's for the king's men, but you Grey Wardens can buy what you need for a modest price." He glanced around them, only continuing when he seemed satisfied no-one was in earshot. "I also have some … goods on the side I can provide. Strictly off the record, of course. To keep morale up, you understand."
Elissa wasn't sure she did understand. Instead, she just asked to see his standard stock.
"Take a look," he replied and gestured to the stalls around them. "Let me know what you'd like."
"Do you buy items as well?" Elissa asked.
"I wouldn't normally, but to be honest with you, stock is limited so I'll have a look at what you've got and I might be able to send a few coins your way. Or we could make a trade if you see something you like."
Elissa unslung the longbow and gathered the bundle of blades she'd managed to acquire, and dumped them all on a large table the quartermaster had set up beside him.
She looked across at the quartermaster and her gaze fell on a small backpack, hung on a hook behind him.
"Ah, good eye," he commented, seeing what she was looking at. "A normal pack is a necessity for any traveller. This one, however, was created by the mages up at the Circle. It has a bunch of their enchantments on it so the wearer can fill it without it ever getting heavy."
"How much?" she asked.
"57 silver and 50 bronze."
Elissa frowned and looked down at the small money pouch she had tied to her belt. Without even looking she figured she'd have maybe half that. She was good with money and finances, but had never really had to carry around actual coins. All she had was a handful that Duncan had given her and the few coins her mother had picked from the dead Howe soldiers.
"You can have all these, in exchange for the bag," Elissa said firmly.
The man gave a bark of laughter. "What? You've got to be joking! Do you have any idea how hard these things are to come across? And you expect me to just hand it over for a handful of basic blades and a bow that looks like it'll snap in two the next time someone tries to string it?"
"This is enough to arm five men, at least," Elissa countered.
"And if I were running a charity, that might mean something," the quartermaster retorted. "But I'm not. I'm running a business."
She let out a heavy sigh. "What do you want for it?"
"Like I said, the price is 57 silver and 50," he replied. Elissa was about to argue, but he held up a hand to stop her. "But, I might have a way we can both get what we want."
"What did you have in mind?" Elissa asked, frowning at the man.
"As quartermaster, I get first pick on the spoils brought in after a battle, but as you can see I'm running low on stock so that doesn't really help me now." Elissa nodded she was with him so far and he continued. "I hear you Grey Warden lot are heading into the Wilds soon. You can have the pack, on the proviso that you fill it while you're out there - and fill it with proper stuff that I can actually sell, not flowers and herbs and other nonsense. You bring me everything you find and you can keep the pack."
Elissa thought it over for a moment. But it was a good deal so she soon nodded her agreement.
"Great," the quartermaster said and turned to pick the pack from its hook. "Here you go." He held it out to her, but as she reached to get it he pulled it back slightly and eyed her. "Proper stuff," he said firmly.
Elissa gave a firm nod and he handed the pack over.
She slung it over her shoulders. She moved around a bit and tried pulling out her various weapons. Surprisingly, it didn't impede her unsheathing or brandishing any of them. "Thank you," she said.
With that, she left the man to his wares. Now that she was a little less encumbered, she wanted to explore the camp some more.
Off to the side, between two massive purple tents, she saw a solitary mage standing beside a large chest. Her talk with Wynne had shown her that her knowledge on the darkspawn was severely lacking and, as the source of them seemed magical, talking with some more of the mages might help her understand them a bit more. Her father had always told her: "know everything you can about your enemy, pup. You never know what small piece of information might help."
With that in mind, she changed her course once again and made her way over to the mage. As she approached, she noticed he had a small sun on the skin between his eyebrows.
"Welcome, young woman," the man said. A shiver ran through Elissa's body. His tone was flat and he spoke with absolutely no emotion, no warmth.
"Greetings," Elissa said, somehow managing to sound unaffected. "Who are you?"
"I am one of the Tranquil, my friend," he replied. Elissa's insides froze. She'd heard whispers about 'the Tranquil' and the thought of even half of those rumours being true horrified her. "I'm of the Circle of Magi, but instead of casting spells and reading tomes, I spend my time enchanting. It is a time-consuming process, but invaluable. Enchantment provides the Circle its wealth. Certainly, we would not get by on charity."
"Um, what is enchantment exactly?"
"It is the practice of folding magical lyrium into items, first practiced by the dwarves," the Tranquil explained. "The Tranquil have learned their runes, and we use them to apply a variety of magical effects. We create the glow-lights, as well as the magic staff or the flaming blade. The irony, perhaps, is that it is our very disconnection to our former talents that allows the Tranquil to work with lyrium so. A true mage could not."
Again, the unnatural shiver ran up Elissa's back. She wanted to run, she wanted to get away from this man as soon as she could. Unfortunately, her desire not to be impolite, along with her general inquisitiveness towards everything and learning all she could, kept her in place. Albeit somewhat unwillingly. "What - what sort of enchantments are there?"
"Runes exist that hold the power of the elements, that increase strength or swiftness … almost any spell can be given permanency, given enough skill and lyrium. Naturally, the greater the power required the more expensive the rune will become to create. True power comes with a price, as we know only too well."
Elissa nodded, accepting his answer and his assessment. She paused and shuffled uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, but you speak rather unusually. Why is that?" She rushed the question out and winced, hoping the man wouldn't take too much offence from it.
It was unnerving, but he didn't seem to think anything of the question. In fact, his facial expression (or lack thereof) stayed the same. "Allow me to put it this way. Do you know why those with magical talent are feared?"
It was a question she'd asked herself many times when she was younger. She'd asked Nan once, but the old woman hadn't really known why, she just knew that magic, and people with magic, were dangerous and she needed to make sure that no-one found out she had it. And that had been the end of that conversation. Permanently. "Not entirely, no," she answered sombrely.
"Those with magical talent attract daemons and spirits. We can be possessed easily, and thus become horrors known as abominations. Even those with minor talents attract hungry spirits." Elissa had to force herself to stay and listen to the rest of the man's explanation. All she wanted to do was run and find somewhere to hide. This was all getting a bit too much. "Anyone with the power may learn blood magic from these daemons. Hence we are considered dangerous. This is our curse."
Elissa had to agree. Call it what you will, but having magic had never felt anything less to her than a full-blown curse. She didn't think that there could be anything worse than having to hide who you were, lest you be attacked and imprisoned.
But, the man wasn't finished. "Thus, I was made tranquil. Striped of emotions and talent, I am no longer dangerous."
And there it was. Something worse. Her anxiety about being found instantly multiplied tenfold.
"It sounds like a horrid practice," she muttered, her voice sounding weak.
"It might seem such to you, but I feel no horror. I am content to serve in my role."
"Let's talk about something else."
"Of course. What may I assist you with?"
"Never mind," she replied. "I - I should go."
"Goodbye."
Elissa spun on her heels and all but fled the man. She didn't look where she was going, just headed up the nearest ramp that would take her away from him. At the top of the ramp, were a few more tents, but these seemed to be more spread out than the ones on the lower level. She could see a priestess of the Chantry taking a small group of soldiers through prayers off to one side. Like she normally did when faced with the Chantry, Elissa continued in the opposite direction.
Her path took her past an area that seemed to have been set up as a makeshift hospital, with rows upon rows of stretchers. As she went past, she heard a man cry out from one of the beds.
"You!" His shout got her attention and she turned to face him. His skin was pale, unnaturally so, and his eyes were sunken, a blackness darkening the skin around them. He pointed at her with a trembling hand. "You need to convince them! We've got to run! The darkspawn are coming!"
"Why do you say that?" Elissa asked, trying to keep her tone gentle.
"I saw them!" the man waled. His entire body started to shake and his head snapped side to side as if fearing he was about to be attacked. Suddenly, he went completely still and fixed Elissa's eyes with his own. "We're gonna die!"
The lady kneeling beside the man's bed gave a heavy sigh and looked up at Elissa. "I apologise, Warden," she said. "He's been like this ever since they found him in the Wilds."
Elissa frowned. "Is it possible he has important information?"
"The commander who brought him here didn't seem to think so."
"You!" the man shouted out at her again. "You can feel it, can't you? They taint the land, turn it black and sick. You can feel it inside!" He was staring at Elissa, unblinking, and his whole body was shaking. He seemed to be begging her to understand. "They'll come out of that forest and spread! Like caterpillars covering a tree, they'll swallow us whole!"
"That's quite enough out of you," the lady cut in. She took a heavy breath, clearly trying to return to her more matronly demeanour. "You need to calm yourself, my good man."
"They were everywhere! I saw them!" the man continued. But now he was less forceful and Elissa could see him start to cry.
The nurse looked up at Elissa and gave her a look.
Elissa wasn't usually very good at social queues, but she knew a dismissal when she saw one. She gave the pair a nod farewell, muttered a quiet "take care" to the man, and left them to it.
Her eyes traveled over the Chantry priestess and the few soldiers that were around her. She suddenly tensed and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. One of the soldiers wasn't actually looking at the priestess, instead, he was staring straight at her. She wanted to run, but now that the man knew she'd seen him she couldn't just walk away. It would be impolite and right now she knew she really didn't need to make any unwanted enemies.
She gave the man a thin smile and a nod of her head, then took a few steps to the side, hoping that would be enough for the man.
Unfortunately, it wasn't. At her movement, the man hurried forward, quickly closing the gap between them. Elissa immediately felt her magic flare within her and her hands twitched, ready to grab her daggers.
"Greetings," the man said.
He seemed somewhat relaxed and friendly, but Elissa couldn't just ignore the gigantic sword strapped to his back nor the fact that he'd just been standing by a Chantry priestess. She raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to continue.
The man cleared his throat and shifted his feet nervously, which looked odd for a man his size. "You must be the third recruit we've heard about?" he offered.
"Yes," Elissa said with a nod. She made a split-second decision and forced herself to relax. She squared her shoulders and smiled at the man. "I am Elissa." Politely. Just as mother had always taught her.
"Ser Jory is my name," the man said with a goofy smile of his own. "I hail from Redcliffe, where I served as a knight under the command of Arl Eamon." He stopped in his pride-filled introduction and tilted his head, looking at Elissa with no small amount of curiosity. "I was not aware they permitted women to join the Grey Wardens. None of those I've seen thus far have been."
Elissa's smile immediately left her face and she gave the man a deadpanned look. "Is that a problem for you?" she asked, her voice icy.
"You obviously impressed Duncan, and that's enough for me," the man replied with a shrug, not really answering her question and clearly oblivious to her demeanour. She was about to say something when he just continued. "I hope we're both lucky enough to eventually join the Wardens. Is it not thrilling to be given that chance?"
"Yes, I'm looking forward to it," Elissa replied simply.
"I fought hard to get here. Impressing Duncan was not easy," Jory said. Something in his tone set her teeth on edge and she was about to snap back, but he continued speaking, clearly not noticed how annoyed she was getting. "Tell me, has anyone told you what this Joining ritual entails?"
"Daveth said we might be going into the Wilds."
Jory frowned. "I've never heard of such a ritual. I had no idea there were more tests after getting recruited." He was starting to look uneasy, shuffling side to side, his eyes flittering around at their surroundings. "I suppose since you're finally here, I'd best get back to Duncan. I shall see you there."
And with that, he suddenly hurried off towards where Duncan had pointed out that he'd be waiting.
Off to the far side of the area, she now noticed two large metal cages hanging from a wooden frame. A soldier stood beside them and, as curiosity got the better of her and she approached, she saw that the cage on the right held a nearly-naked, bloodied man. She frowned and stepped up to the cage. As she did so, the man inside the cage stood to greet her.
He let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Someone finally comes and talks to the lone prisoner? I don't suppose you've come to sentence me."
"You haven't been sentenced?" Elissa asked. She had rarely been involved in the justice side of running Highever, but from what she'd seen, her father rarely, if ever, would leave someone in this state without hearing their plea and sentencing them. And he would never put them on display like this.
"No," the man replied. "They put someone like me in a cage until someone important has time to decide what to do with me." With a heavy sigh, he sat back down. "I don't suppose you have a bit of kindness in you? All I want is food and water. They haven't fed me since I was locked up, and I'm starving."
Elissa's frown deepened. "Tell me why you're in there, first."
"I'm a deserter. Or so they think." The man let out another heavy sigh and shrugged. "I bet there's no arguing them out of it, though - armies are funny that way."
"Did you desert?"
"I wasn't deserting, but when you catch someone sneakin' around camp in the middle of the night, what else are you gonna think?" The man closed his eyes and leaned back against the edge of the cage. He paused, then looked back at Elissa. "Does it matter? All I want is a bit of food and water."
"It matters to me," Elissa snapped. She sighed. "If your cause is just."
The man chuckled. "Aww, that's sweet of you, dearie. How about you marry me instead? At least I could get a kiss before they hang me."
Elissa's jaw clenched. Back home, no-one would have dared speak to her like this and she was starting to realise, with this man, Jory, and even Daveth and the Quartermaster, that things were going to be quite a bit harder without the status of her name and outside the protection of the castle walls.
"And it's not as if they're wrong," the man continued speaking, causing Elissa's attention to return to him. She raised an eyebrow for him to continue. "I probably would've deserted later, just not when they caught me, is all. I hope that doesn't spoil your opinion of me. I'm still hungry enough to eat my shoe."
"I'll see what I can do," Elissa replied. Whatever her opinion of the man, that was no reason for him to starve.
"Just ask my guard for his." He gestured to the soldier standing by the cage. "He's still got some dinner; I saw him put it in his coat."
She gave the man a small nod then walked over to the soldier.
The soldier noticed her, his eyes raking up and down her body. "Lucky dog," he growled. Not exactly the greeting she'd been expecting. She frowned, but the man continued. "You Grey Wardens get to ride with the king while I'm left with the drudgery of guarding this deserter. They should have just hanged him. Put his head on a pike as an example!"
"Who is this prisoner, exactly?" Elissa asked.
"They say he was recruited before the war, up in Denerim," the man replied. He shrugged. "Probably figured he'd never have to fight if he served king, right?"
Elissa let the comment slide, changing the topic in what she hoped seemed casual. "I had a chat with him, actually."
"Don't expect it was an enlightening conversation," the soldier said with a snicker.
Again, Elissa chose not to take the bait. "He asked for some food and water," she said gently.
"Did he, now?" The man let out a bark of laughter, before quickly sobering up, crossing his arms and all but glaring at her. "Since nobody sends me nothing to feed him with, the only way he'll get that is if I give him mine."
Elissa shrugged and looked off to the side for a moment, as if something else had garnered her attention. Then she turned back to the soldier. "So you miss one meal," she said. She took another pause, then looked the man straight in the eye. "This man could be hanged soon."
She stayed, focused on the man, watching him slowly turn over her words. She noticed the moment the guilt started to play on him and made sure not to react. It was a persuasion technique that her parents had taught her. Make the other person think that there were other, far more important things, than what they wanted, in a way make them think that their stand is silly.
"All right, all right," the soldier said, shuffling from side to side. "I guess the poor fella could stand to have one meal in his belly before he hangs. Don't know why you care." Awkwardly, he removed a small cloth bundle from his coat and handed it to her. "I had nothin' to do with it, though. If anyone asks why he's burpin', I'm gonna say it was you, just so you know."
Elissa gave him a nod as if to say 'fair enough', then left the man to it and returned to the cage.
"So?" the man in the cage looked up eagerly as she approached. "Brought me some food, have you? I'm so hungry I could faint dead away."
"Here you go," Elissa said with a thin smile and handed the small bundle to the prisoner.
"Much obliged," the man said. He opened the pouch and grinned at the bread and cheese he found within it. "You're a kind soul, you are! May Andraste herself rain blessings upon you!"
Elissa left the man to enjoy his feast and looked around, trying to decide where to go next. She had been to every part of this area of the camp - well, except for the Chantry priestess but she had no desire to go there - so she figured it was probably time to go to the only place in the camp that she hadn't been yet and where she had been told to meet the Grey Warden Alistair.
She headed down the steps from the plateau area, past the Quartermaster, hurried past the tranquill with her head down, and up the ramp leading to the long, open building that lined one side of the camp.
As she entered the massive ruin, she heard an argument coming from her right. If the reports of Alistair being up here causing a nuisance with the mages were to be believed, then following the sound of the argument would probably lead her to him.
Sure enough, as she headed up the ramp to the right she saw a mage and a heavily armed soldier glaring at each other.
"What is it now?" the mage snapped. "Haven't the Grey Wardens asked more than enough of the Circle?"
"I simply came to deliver a message from the revered mother, ser mage," the soldier said, with no small amount of frustration clear in his voice. "She desires your presence."
The mage sneered. "What her Reverence "desires" is of no concern to me!" He squared his shoulders and puffed out his chest. "I am busy helping the Grey Wardens - by the King's orders, I might add!"
"Should I have asked her to write a note?" the soldier said glibly.
"Tell her I will not be harassed in this manner!" the mage all but shouted.
"Yes," the soldier snarked, "I was harassing you by delivering a message."
The mage pursed his lips. "Your glibness does you no credit."
"Here I thought we were getting along so well. I was even going to name one of my children after you," the soldier grinned for a moment, then the grin fell and he gave the mage a deadpan look, "the grumpy one."
"Enough!" the mage growled. He sighed and ran a hand down his face. "I will speak to the woman if I must. Get out of my way, fool!" With that he turned and pushed past Elissa, leaving her alone with a happily smirking soldier.
Once he was gone, she turned to look at the other man.
"You know," the soldier said, "one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together."
"Sorry, what?" Elissa asked.
"Oh, nothing. Just trying to find a bright side to all this." The man paused and settled her with a calculating look, eyes narrow. "Wait, we haven't met, have we? I don't suppose you happen to be another mage?"
Elissa's stomach plummeted. How could he possibly know? But what did he know? He didn't seem to be actively attacking her, so perhaps he was just joking? "We -" she started, then quickly had to clear her throat and start again, putting all her courtly training into keeping herself calm. "We haven't met. You must be Alistair."
"And that makes you Duncan's new recruit, I suppose?" the soldier grinned. So, joking about the mage thing then. Ha. Ha. "Glad to meet you."
He gave her a small bow, which Elissa returned.
"As the junior member of the order, I'll be accompanying you when you prepare for the Joining," Alistair explained.
"Pleased to meet you. My name is Elissa."
"Right. That was the name." Alistair said slowly, as if it'd been on the tip of his tongue. He shrugged. "You know … it just occurred to me that there have never been many women in the Grey Wardens. I wonder why that is?"
Elissa raised an eyebrow. "I can handle myself better than most."
"I'm getting that impression." Alistair chuckled. He shook his head, quickly sobering up. "So, I'm curious. Have you ever actually encountered darkspawn before?"
"No, I haven't," Elissa admitted.
"When I fought my first one, I wasn't prepared for how monstrous it was. I can't say I'm looking forward to encountering another." He sighed. "Anyhow, whenever you're ready let's head back to Duncan. I imagine he's eager to get things started."
Elissa nodded and they started walking.
"That argument I saw, what was it about?" Elissa asked.
"With the mage?" Alistair replied and when Elissa nodded, he continued. "The Circle is here at the king's request and the Chantry doesn't like that one bit. They just love letting mages know how unwelcome they are." Elissa frowned but didn't interrupt. "Which puts me in a bit of an awkward position. I was once a templar."
Elissa froze mid-step for a moment, but somehow managed to force herself to continue, hopefully before the soldier noticed.
"You were a mage-hunter?" she asked, trying to sound casual, but even to her own ears, her voice sounded strained.
"Not that that's all templars do, but yes," Alistair replied, just as calmly as he'd spoken before and she wasn't sure whether it was because he genuinely hadn't picked up on her uneasy or if he was purposely trying to act casual to put her at ease. "The Chantry raised me until Duncan recruited me six months ago. I'm sure the revered mother meant it as an insult - sending me as her messenger - and the mage picked right up on that. I never would have agreed to deliver it, but Duncan says we're all to cooperate and get along. Apparently, they didn't get the same speech."
They continued walking for a little while, in surprisingly companionable silence, before Elissa started to speak again. "What about the other recruits?"
"Daveth and Ser Jory are here in the camp. Have you met them?"
Elissa nodded. "Both of them."
"That makes things easy, then," Alistair grinned. "They'll both be back with Duncan by now."
She thought back to the two recruits and then glanced at the man beside her. And made a quick decision. She knew the importance of alliances, especially now on this unknown path that she found herself on. This man was the most experienced of the three, he also seemed friendly enough and, as an added bonus, had yet to make any overly sexist comment. "You know, I think I'm actually looking forward to traveling with you," she said.
"Really? Huh. That's a switch."
They both paused for a moment, then he started laughing. Elissa smiled, amazed to find how easy it was. He actually reminded her a lot of her brother. At least if everything else was falling apart around her she'd have someone nearby to crack sarcastic jokes with.
And there we have it. Next step: The Korcari Wilds... and Morrigan.
Leave a review if you have a minute. See you next time!