Hi everyone! Apologies for the delay in updating, but you know life, computer issues, life ... This fic is definitely not abandoned, I've been wanting to write it for years., it just might take a little bit longer between posts as I try to balance everything at the moment.
Today's chapter is a little shorter, as well, but that's because the next one is all battle and fighting and adventure, so a little bit different to this one. I did enjoy writing this chapter, because I got to do a bit more of my own words here and there, rather than just transcribing their words and describing what's happening in the game.
Anyway, hope you enjoy. Feedback is always appreciated, as are reviews and favourites/follows.
Elissa slowly opened her eyes and found herself face-to-face with Duncan and Alistair.
"It is finished," Duncan said gently. "Welcome."
They stepped back as she started to rouse herself and sit up.
"Two more deaths," Alistair said, shaking his head. "In my Joining, only one of us died, but it was … horrible. I'm glad at least one of you made it through."
"How do you feel?" Duncan asked.
She sat for a moment but then forced herself to her feet, despite the pain still coursing through her entire body. "It's over," she said simply. "I'm fine."
Duncan clearly didn't believe her but Alistair continued talking before he could say anything else.
"Did you have dreams?" he asked. "I had terrible dreams after my Joining."
"Such dreams come when you begin to sense the darkspawn, as we all do," Duncan explained. "That and many other things can be explained in the months to come."
"Before I forget, there is one last part to your Joining," Alistair added. He handed her a necklace with a small metal and glass vial attached to it. "We take some of that blood and put it in a pendant. Something to remind us … of those who didn't make it this far."
"Take some time," Duncan said. "When you are ready, I'd like you to accompany me to a meeting with the king."
Elissa obviously had more questions, but at the moment all she could manage was a clipped, "very well."
"The meeting is to the west, down the stairs. Please, attend as soon as you are able." He then turned and left.
Alistair paused for a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something, but eventually, he must have been unable to find the words and he too left.
Once they were both gone and out of sight, Elissa staggered over to a nearby wall and used it to slide to the floor. She let out a heavy sigh and hung her head in her arms. She could still hear the faint whispers of all of those creatures all around her, feel the vibrations in her head and chest from the screeching roar of the dragon, and when she closed her eyes she could see the white eyes of that dragon looking straight at her, boring into her soul.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang from somewhere on the other side of the camp. The sound jolted her out of her stupor and she forced herself to lift her head up and open her eyes. She was still alone, which was good, and nothing seemed to indicate eminent danger. She took a long, deep breath. She needed to calm down. Like Duncan had said, she would be able to figure everything out, but in the future. After the battle. Now was not the time.
She took another bracing breath and steeled herself. Right now, she needed to take whatever was going on with her and put it all in a box and put that box in the very back of her mind where she couldn't worry about it. Right now, she needed to help Duncan and Alistair against the darkspawn.
Right now, she had a meeting with the King and she was probably already late.
She forced herself to her feet, pausing a moment once standing to steady herself. She was still shaking slightly, but she'd be able to hide it. She shook her limbs out, then squared her shoulders. With a quick touch of the pendant now around her neck, and a very quick thank you in her head for whoever had moved the bodies of the other two while she was out, she spun on the spot and walked down the ramp and towards the other end of the large ruined building where she could see that the King and the others were already assembled.
She walked with purposeful steps and her head held high, just like her mother had always taught her.
As she approached the table, she caught the end of what seemed to be a particularly heated conversation between the king and Teyrn Loghain.
"Loghain, my decision is final. I will stand by the Grey Wardens in this assault."
"You risk too much, Cailan!" Loghain countered. "The darkspawn horde is too dangerous for you to be playing hero on the front lines."
Cailan shrugged. "If that's the case, perhaps we should wait for the Orlesian forces to join us, after all."
"I must repeat my protest to your fool notion that we need the Orlesians to defend ourselves!"
"It is not a 'fool notion'. Our arguments with the Orlesians are a thing of the past." Cailan paused and settled the Teyrn with a heavy look. "And you will remember who is king."
Loghain sighed and shook his head. "How fortunate Maric did not live to see his son ready to hand Ferelden over to those who enslaved us for a century."
"Then our current forces will have to suffice, won't they?" Before waiting for a reply, the king turned to face the Grey Wardens. "Duncan, are your men ready for battle?"
"They are, your Majesty," Duncan replied with a bow.
Cailan gave a nod and turned his attention on Elissa. "And this is the lady from Highever I met earlier? I understand congratulations are in order."
Elissa gave the king a full bow. "Thank you, your Majesty."
"Every Grey Warden is needed now," Cailan continued. "You should be honoured to join their ranks."
"Your fascination with glory and legends will be your undoing, Cailan," Loghain cut in with a growl. "We must attend to reality."
"Fine. Speak your strategy," Cailan replied with a huff. He stepped up to the table and looked down at the giant map of the area laid there. "The Grey Wardens and I draw the darkspawn into charging our lines and then …?"
Loghain leaned forward as well. "You will alert the tower to light the beacon, signalling my men to charge from cover."
"To flank the darkspawn!" the king cut in enthusiastically. "I remember. This is the Tower of Ishal in the ruins, yes? Who shall light this beacon?"
"I have a few men stationed there," Loghain offered. "It's not a dangerous task, but it is vital."
"Then we should send our best," Cailan said firmly, standing up and looking towards Elissa again. "Send Alistair and the new Grey Warden to make sure it's done."
"I'll do my best, your Majesty," Elissa said, with another bow.
"You rely on these Grey Wardens too much," Loghain warned. "Is that truly wise?"
"Enough of your conspiracy theories, Loghain. Grey Wardens battle the Blight, no matter where they're from."
Duncan cleared his throat, getting the pair's attention. "Your Majesty, you should consider the possibility of the Archdemon appearing."
"There have been no signs of any dragons in the Wilds," Loghain said with a sneer.
"Isn't that what your men are here for, Duncan?" Cailan asked.
"I -" Duncan started. He stopped and gave a resigned nod. "Yes, your Majesty."
Suddenly, one of the mages that had been standing silent up until this point spoke up. "Your Majesty, the tower and its beacon are unnecessary. The Circle of Magi -"
"We will not trust any lives to your spells, mage!" snapped a nearby Chantry priestess. Elissa's chest tightened and she had the sudden need to flee. Only her training and the reassuring look that Duncan was giving her, telling her that he knew what she was thinking, kept her from running. She was so focused on the Grey Warden, and using his calmness and understanding to ground her, that she missed whatever came next in the conversation.
"Enough!" Loghain roared, suddenly wrenching her out of her trance. He paused and glared at Duncan and Elissa, and Elissa wondered whether he'd been watching them or whether he really just didn't like the Grey Wardens in general. "This plan will suffice. The Grey Wardens will light the beacon."
"Thank you, Loghain," Cailan said. Then he too turned to face Duncan. "I cannot wait for that glorious moment! The Grey Wardens battle beside the King of Ferelden to stem the tide of evil!"
"Yes, Cailan. A glorious moment for us all," Loghain muttered. He had turned away from the king and something in his tone set Elissa on edge. But, she couldn't figure out what.
After that, the meeting broke up and the parties dispersed, each heading over to their own section of the camp and their own battle preparations.
The three Grey Wardens returned to Duncan's fire in the camp. Loki greeted Elissa with a cheerful bark and she bent down to give him a good pet.
"You heard the plan," Duncan said. "You and Alistair will go to the Tower of Ishal and ensure that the beacon is lit."
"What?" Alistair cut in. "I won't be in the battle?"
"This is by the king's personal request, Alistair," Duncan explained. "If the beacon is not lit, Teyrn Loghain's men won't know when to charge."
"So he needs two Grey Wardens standing up there holding the torch. Just in case, right?"
"I agree with Alistair," Elissa added, standing back up. "We should be in the battle."
"That is not your choice," Duncan countered. "If King Cailan wishes Grey Wardens to ensure the beacon is lit, then Grey Wardens will be there. We must do whatever it takes to destroy the darkspawn … exciting or no."
"I get it. I get it," Alistair said with a sigh. "Just so you know, if the king ever asks me to put on a dress and dance the Remigold, I'm drawing the line. Darkspawn or no."
Elissa chuckled. "I think I'd like to see that."
"For you? Maybe," Alistair agreed. He then narrowed his eyes at her. "But it has to be a pretty dress."
Duncan let out a heavy sigh and they turned back to see him shaking his head. "The tower," he said, trying to bring them back to the problem at hand, "is on the other side of the gorge from the King's camp, the way we came when we arrived. You need to cross the gorge and head through the gate and up to the tower entrance. From the top, you'll overlook the entire valley."
Elissa nodded. "When do we light the beacon?"
"We will signal you when the time is right," Duncan answered. "Alistair will know what to look for."
"And what if the Archemon appears?" Elissa asked.
"We soil our drawers, that's what," Alistair replied.
"If it does," Duncan said, "leave it to us. I want no heroics from either of you."
"How much time do we have?"
Duncan shook his head. "The battle is about to begin. Once I leave, move quickly. You'll have less than an hour."
"Can we join the battle afterwards?"
"Stay with the Teyrn's men and guard the tower," Duncan said firmly. "If you are needed, we will send word."
Reluctantly, Elissa nodded.
"Then I must join the others," Duncan said. "From here, you two are on your own. Remember, you are both Grey Wardens. I expect you to be worthy of that title."
With a final look at each of them, he turned to go. But, Alistair called out to stop him. "May the Maker watch over you," the young Grey Warden said softly.
Duncan bowed his head at the farewell. "May He watch over us all."
The first drops of rain started to fall as they watched him walk away.
"You ready for this?" Alistair asked her, his voice still just as gentle.
Elissa gave him a sideways glance, then looked back to where Duncan had been. He was gone now. "Not at all," she said.
"Do you - I mean, I would -"
When he didn't seem to be able to continue, Elissa turned to fully look at him. Instead of pressuring him, however, she waited for him to be ready to speak.
"Would it be all right - I mean, I want to go and speak with one of the Chantry Sisters, do you mind waiting a bit?" he eventually asked, refusing to look at her.
"We have plenty of time," Elissa replied gently. "Take whatever time you need."
Alistair gave a crisp nod. "Thanks." He turned and looked at her, giving her a thin smile, which she returned.
"I'm going to stay here with Loki," she said.
He gave another nod, then turned and left.
With a sigh, Elissa sat down on the ground, trying to keep as much under the shelter of a nearby tent as she could. It would have been nice to have been in the tower and ready to go sooner rather than later, not to mention inside rather than out in the rain, but she understood the man's need for comfort and would not deprive him of it. Especially with what the night could bring.
A peel of thunder roared overhead and she cuddled into Loki as he came and lay down beside her.