Forgive me! I am so sorry for the lapse between chapters. The mundane world has kicked my butt to Thedas and back. I am hoping to get the next chapter out in the next couple of days to reward your patience. If you are still with me thank you soo much. Judy: As always thank you for your faithful comments. Oscar (or) Other Spanish speaking guest: I agree. I always thought this was missed in the game if you play a mage. Thanks for commenting. Gemini Sage: Thanks for the comment. I am glad you found it funny and interesting.
"I think that was a wonderful thing you did with the prisoner. Few would have bothered. After all he will be executed for desertion as soon as someone gets around to it." Alistair said falling in step with me.
I shrug, unconvinced. "I'm not sure you're right. I think most people are compassionate and kind-hearted. At least in principle. It might be more difficult to see because we are in a military camp and he a deserter. But even the solider gave him his dinner."
"Only after you traded him the silver. It was about making a profit for him."
I turned and put a hand on Alistair's arm, stopping his momentum forward. I searched his face to see if he really thought that was the way people were.
When our eyes met, I swallowed hard and almost forgot what to say. Over the pounding of the blood in my ears I said, "I believe he only wanted the money to show he wasn't a pushover. Or that he would give in just because a girl asked him too. Ten silver really isn't that much."
"Yes, but he could have summoned food for the prisoner and just done his duty. It takes a special person to give without a thought to yourself."
I flushed and knew I must be scarlet from his compliment. I tried to downplay my actions. "Fooled you. The entire time I offered the money, I hoped he would just give the food to the man without requiring the silver. I was going to use the coins to buy a pair of boots."
Alistair chuckled, not fooled. She had already asked about leaving the encampment to get a flower for a sick hound. He would argue, but from the blush he could see she was uncomfortable. And even though her blush was pretty he hated making her uncomfortable. Instead he said, "Let's get back to Duncan. I am sure he's wondering where we are."
I frowned, wishing that in all my wandering around the camp with Alistair and without him, I would have found the mess tent. A hot meal was right under the bath on my list of wants. I almost said something to Alistair, but before I could, he heard my stomach complaining.
His eyes twinkling, he told me to follow him.
Stunned I followed him without question. I had suggested when we first teamed up he lead. My argument was he knew the camp where I didn't. He declined, telling me I would remember where things were better if I found them myself. He then told me some story about bad things happening when he led, including losing his pants.
I wasn't sure how he could loose his pants by leading but I had to admit it was very appealing to find out if it was true.
We were sitting at a table eating a bowl of pea and lamb stew when another Grey Warden recruit found us.
After introducing himself, he explained he thought they had made me up. Alistair invited him to join us for the meal. He declined the meal but slid onto the bench to keep us company.
I listened to his story about growing up about three miles east of the encampment and then escaping to Denerim. When he told me about being a cutpurse and trying to steal Duncan's money, I gasped in surprise.
I looked at Alistair to confirm the story. I noticed his smile was tight and forced. Which made me wonder if he didn't like Daveth.
When the other recruit confessed, it astonished him that Duncan could keep up with him Alistair's expression changed to smug approval. It occurred to me it wasn't a matter of liking or disliking Daveth. Alistair didn't approve of stealing from the leader of the Grey Wardens. From his story about his conscription by Duncan to his disapproval I began to understand how much he meant to Alistair.
As we walked back to the enormous bonfire in the center of camp, I explained to Daveth that I was also conscripted from the Mage Tower. This lead to a discussion of how a mage can be conscripted with the Templars having complete control over them.
Alistair reminded us of his own experience with conscription and explained that even the Chantry or Templars couldn't tell Grey Wardens no. King Maric gave them complete autonomy and concessions in recruiting. The end of Alistair's story gave Duncan the perfect opportunity to chastise the former Templar.
Feeling that Duncan didn't know the situation, I jumped to Alistair's defense.
"Duncan, you don't understand. I was there. It wasn't Alistair's fault. The priest was the one who insulted Uldred. Alistair tried to tell him he was only delivering a message. But Uldred wasn't interested. He couldn't take out his frustrations on the priest. So, in typical Uldred fashion, he bullied the messenger. The only thing Alistair did wrong was stop him from badgering him."
Duncan closed his eyes, shook his head, and groaned. "And the priest made Alistair insult the mage by suggest naming a child after him."
"Um," I looked at my feet in both annoyance and to hide the grin. The comment was funny, especially since what made Uldred more upset was that he couldn't make Alistair cower like he could apprentices. I was trying to help him, but it looked like I was just getting him into more trouble.
I opened my mouth to say more, but Alistair called my name and shook his head.
He quietly stood there and took the rest of Duncan's reprimand and offered his apologies. Then left to find the two missing recruits.
He didn't have to go far. Walking up to the bonfire was Aedan, and a fully armored knight. I marveled at Cousland's timing and briefly wondered what he had done all day.
Ser Jory introduced himself and explained that he was from Highover by way of Redcliffe. It didn't surprise me that Aedan had found someone from the same city. Other than the entire murder of his family, he was extremely lucky. I just wondered if he found him here in the camp, or did he leave looking for Fergus.
Wherever he went, Aedan traded out his short swords for a long bow. I wondered if the battle he and I had with the Darkspawn on the road caused him to change his fighting style.
When introductions were complete Duncan explained the first part of the joining ceremony for becoming Grey Wardens. He danced around our questions, not really giving an answer but assuring us we would know more when we returned from the Wilds. Our assignment was to gather the blood of the enemy.
I scoffed under my breath, understanding immediately why the subterfuge and secrecy around the ritual. It was a form of blood magic. I could only imagine after the incident at tower what Aedan would think.
But it struck me as a little odd. A former Templar would accept such a thing. And then I realized that if he allowed blood magic to be performed it couldn't be normal forbidden blood magic, mages were constantly accused of practicing.
I would try to keep an open mind. Not that I would admit it, but I was worrying. Blood magic always had a cost.
They challenged us at the gate. But once the solider saw Alistair in our team he allowed us to go through into the Wilds.
Standing on the other side of the gate and watching it close behind me left me feeling as if I swallowed something that would not go down. I knew it was fear. But I wasn't sure why. Aedan and I worked together to take out a party of Darkspwan and now we had three additional people.
"Alistair, you're the Grey Warden, you take the lead." Aedan said.
"I am not here to make this easy on you. This is your trial," Alistair said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Then Lord Cousland should do it." Ser Jory suggested.
That rankled me. I spent the entire trip, well most of it with Aedan the proclaimed leader. And now here again he was going to take over. "No."
Aedan guffawed at my rejection. In a scoffing tone he said, "I take it you want to be the leader."
I shook my head no and said, "I wouldn't do any worse than you. But I don't think we should have a leader. I think this is a test of our devotion and determination. Which means no one person can decide for all of us. Am I right, Alistair?"
"All I can say is Duncan gave you a task to do. I am only here to make sure you don't run into something you can't handle."
"I agree with the pretty mage. If we stand around here talking about this, we are going to be out here all night. I don't know about you, but there are a lot of things in the Wilds you don't want to run into at night."
"That's right, you grew up here before you went to Denerim. Have you been out in the Wilds before?" I thought that if he knew the wilderness, he could take point and guide us. That hope was dashed when he shook his head no and said not for many years.
We'd left the camp on a worn path, Jory and Daveth taking the lead. Me, Rabbit and Aedan following and Alistair bringing up the rear.
On a whim, I asked Aedan about the change in weaponry. And whether he realized it, he gave me the biggest compliment, telling that I was right. We only needed so many swordsmen, and after realizing the two other recruits carried blades, he traded out the sword for a bow.
When he noticed the blush, he jokingly pushed me and told me not to let it go to my head.
We couldn't have gotten more than a half a mile deep into the wilds when we came upon the carnage of a battle. There was blood everywhere, but only one body. I jumped slightly when the body moved.
Aedan and I exchanged startled glances when a broken and raspy voice spoke. My surprise quickly turned to mirth with Alistair's dead comment. Even Aedan cleared his throat trying to hide his own humor.
Alistair treated the soldier's wounds, and we sent him back to camp. I wandered away from the group, looking for the rest of the soldier's men. I could faintly hear Ser Jory's rising panic. And wondered how a knight could be so afraid, after all Duncan must have seen something in him.
I couldn't hear what Alistair was saying, but from the tone of his voice he and Aedan were trying to calm him down.
Startled, I jumped when something wet brushed against my leg. Relief washed over me as Rabbit nudged my hand again. Aedan's Mabari followed me.
I lectured myself for giving Jory a hard time mentally for doing the same thing. After all I had traveled almost a month with the hound and he still startled me.
"Where are all the bodies, boy? The solider said his entire squad was ambushed. In the shape he was, he couldn't get to far from where they were attacked."
Startled again when Alistair said, "Darkspawn take prisoners and the dead with them. There's and ours. They eat them or use them in their alters."
"Eat them?" Jory and I repeated, horrified.
Alistair grimly nodded. I watched the fear cross over the other recruit's faces at the disgusting reality occurred to them. Aedan once more tried to reassure Ser Jory while pushing his own fear down. I couldn't read what Daveth was thinking. But my fear was slowly being replaced by anger at the audacity of the monsters we were fighting. And knew if I could hold on to that anger the fear couldn't control me like it was doing the knight.