Prologue: Betrayal

Chapter 11: The Innocent Traitor; An Understanding; Our Last Feast; The Battle of Ostagar; The Infinite Army; A Regrouping; Oaths; Departure

The Infinite Army:

"So we've two high risk prisoners in our care, and one of them we cannot dispose of ourselves? Something doesn't feel right about that, Ysil." Aedan voiced his concern as he and the Dark Mother sat in the Great Hall.

They were at a rectangular table, and were sitting across from one another so they could face each other. The table itself could seat at most eight people, but they were the only ones there at the time aside from the newly named Cousland Vanguard and remaining Castle Guards. They had a lot to talk about, and since Ysil was there to help they needed to work everything out together.

The woman nodded and took a sip of her red wine, "We've already been through the matter of the prisoners, but I can recite it. The only reason we're keeping Iona is because she is not ours to deal with. She is under Lady Landra's and Bann Loren's jurisdiction, but if they fail to deliver proper justice you can step in. Arl Howe's daughter is a prisoner of war and could prove to be a vital asset to us. We have something he loves, whereas he has nothing against us other than an army."

"Bah, you think he actually cares about his daughter? The man's a greedy rat, all he cares about is money, power, and perhaps a good lay." The Lord scoffed, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "I say we milk her for information and if nothing comes of it, we kill her."

Ysil giggled at the idea, but shook her head in refusal. "That wouldn't be wise. I agree with you on gathering information, but killing her is a bit too far, my Lord."

"And what would you have me do, dear lady? Have her sit there as a pretty ornament for my castle? I think not. I shall preserve her life for a period of time, using her to gather information. After that I will attempt to ransom her to Howe, on my conditions. Depending on how that goes, she may or may not be executed." Aedan said, utterly dismissing the topic. Any further conversation on the matter was ended with that expert maneuver.

"Understood, Lord Cousland." Ysil replied with a soft frown, "We have a lot of work ahead of us. Our Vanguard unit should be reaching Ostagar by now, if they haven't already."

Aedan nodded, "Let us pray to the Maker that they are not late. I need my brother found before he gets himself slaughtered by the Darkspawn. In the mean time, where exactly are you and your lot based? I've never heard of you before."

Ysil had almost expected that question. It just wasn't something she had expected him to ask at the moment. How would she break that to him? 'Oh it's confidential?' No, that'd just make him pester her about it or even give her an ultimatum; something she didn't want at the current time. Perhaps generalizing would be easy enough, though it'd be the truth. Yes, that was how she was going to respond.

"We're based deep within the mountains to the west. The reason you haven't heard of us is because I've been very careful with how we go about our business. We're self-sufficient so we don't need to worry about trade, and we've made sure that we work under various names so that we can't be traced. Now, we've taken up your name, my Lord. We are your Vanguard." She answered with a small grin on her face, "And I must say that I am glad to have the chance to serve you."

"And I'm glad to have your help, my lady. How strong is your army? I need to know your numbers so that I can strategize accordingly." Aedan asked as he looked over at the large wooden door that had to be repaired.

Ysil nodded before answering his question, "We currently have about three thousand men."

"Three thousand?!" Aedan asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Yes. By next month our numbers should be around nine or ten, depending." She informed him with a purple flash in her eyes.

Aedan shook his head in disbelief, "You're joking. Trying to make me feel relieved."

"No, I mean it truthfully. I could show you, if you'd like... but you must understand something that will be hard for others to accept." Ysil stated with a sigh, preparing to be forced to take over command of the young Lord.

"And what's that?" Aedan asked with genuine curiosity.

"My men are cousins of the Darkspawn. They look like more... pure Darkspawn. Whereas the Darkspawn the armies are down south fighting are corrupted creatures, mine have a special type of corruption to them. They have the same taint running through their veins, but they have more control over it than other Darkspawn. Because of that, they are special and have unlocked their hidden potential. They do not hate the more fair races, as you can obviously tell, but they are not afraid to defend themselves. We've recently broken free from the Archdemon to help the surface take care of it." She explained rather hastily and admittedly nervously.

Aedan didn't know how to process what he had just heard. She was with the Darkspawn? Hadn't he just thrown Lyna in for the same thing? But wait, if all of her men were Darkspawn why didn't they just attack on sight? Why were they apparently not hostile like the others? It all made little sense to the human Lord, but that was why Ysil was there; to explain her actions and what she had just said. What she suggested was dangerous to say the least, especially if Aedan were to accept her and her men as his main force. What if someone took off their helmets and saw what they were underneath? Did they look like Darkspawn? If so, Aedan knew he wouldn't be able to accept it. Otherwise lords from all over Thedas would be traveling just to put him down.

"What?! Ysil, by the Maker you have one minute to explain what you mean before I take the necessary actions for you working with the Darkspawn." Aedan threatened before Gruk pushed open the door to the main hall.

"We are not Darkspawn." He growled as he and four of his men made their way towards the table the two were seated at. "We merely share the same origin. We are stronger, faster, smarter, and independent. We do not serve the Archdemon and we do not wish the utter annihilation of life like they do. We live to serve the Dark Mother and that is it. If she orders us to follow the commands of someone else, we will do so without question or hesitation"

"We can provide you with thousands of men, Aedan. You won't have to worry about your lands being in danger ever again." Ysil said with a light smile, "We are also working on a mercenary-like division to work beside the Logosha."

Aedan froze for a moment as he recalled where he had heard that name before. Then he had realized that it was mentioned by the Grey Wardens during their brief stay at the Castle. So she was the leader of the mysterious Darkspawn the Wardens were after? Interesting... he definitely saw the advantage of allying with them. The only real issue still blocking him from saying that he was fine with it was the fact if they were ever discovered... it risked a lot. Then again, he'd have legions at his command. Would it really even matter if he were caught?

Perhaps it was too late to decline her anyway. She had aided him thus far in exposing the real threat to he and his beloved Ferelden. Iona was consulting with the real Darkspawn, he had seen it with his own eyes. She was also not in control meaning that she was merely an agent and could not be trusted. This woman, however, was in charge of the Logosha. Without their help, he wouldn't have been able to protect his village from the raiding Darkspawn or give his actual men a rest from their duties. Hell, Iona would have already fed those Darkspawn the information, whatever it may have been, and returned back to bed with Aedan by now.

"I definitely see where you are coming from, Ysil... The power you are offering me is... tempting to say the least. But, I have a question for you. What if they are caught? We are going into battle, casualties will be had no matter how good or 'perfect' one's self is. It wouldn't be hard for someone to discover their true identities at that point." Aedan stated, wanting to see her take on the matter.

The woman nodded and ran a hand through her long and beautiful black hair. "They resemble humans enough to not be distinguished after a battle, to aid this point is the simple fact that when a Logosha dies they are torn up. It takes a lot to take down even one fully trained Logosha."

"I see... Well, it's too late to tell you and your men to pull out anyway. Whether I like it or not, I find myself needing your help once again Ysil. I just ask that you-"

Ysil quickly interrupted him, "The power of the Logosha is yours to command, my Lord. You need not worry about me interfering with how you use them. Just remember to form a council, and I recommend you use the one that is already in place rather than form a new one. I have the ultimate overriding say, but you have the right to command our infinite army as you see fit. Highever is yours, after all. Not ours."

"Thank you, then. Truly. I feel a bit like a hypocrite for imprisoning Iona for dealing with the Darkspawn when I feel like I am doing the same myself." Aedan said as he scratched the back of his neck.

Gruk nodded, "It is understandable, Lord Cousland. You are a human, to you we must all seem like Darkspawn despite our very clear differences. The Dark Mother hasn't told you this, at least to my knowledge, but please keep our race a secret to the Grey Wardens and all others as best you can. If we are exposed I understand you cannot help it, but we currently don't have enough influence to have something like that get out and around unless it is an accident." He then turned his attention to Ysil, a worried and curious look upon his face. "You made him the Dark Lord? That isn't a rank I was taught..."

Ysil giggled, "It's because I just made it up while you two were talking with each other. I figured that if he is going to be leading the entirety of the Logosha with me, then he should have a position to himself. To our forces he is the Dark Lord - something simple to not confuse everyone, and to all others he is merely a Lord."

"I... see. So you are serious about sharing your rule over the... Logosha?" Aedan asked with a raised eyebrow.

The woman nodded, "Indeed. Though I am the one in complete charge. That hasn't changed. You are just a rank above High Warchief."

"What?! Ysil, you cannot do that! That's overriding years of trad-"

"Times change, my dearest Warchief. That is a fact we all must get used to. Besides, we did just get done saying he could control all of the Logosha. That includes you." Ysil said with a sigh, "Don't take it too personally. Honestly."

"Forgive me, Mother." Gruk said as he bowed his head in regret.

Ysil merely waved dismissively at him before speaking, "Go get our portals open Gruk, I sixty men will not defend a whole castle and its surroundings for long."

"As you command." The Logosha said before turning around and taking his leave from the Great Hall.

Aedan let out a soft sigh before standing up. That was it, he had to turn in for the night. He had just done a lot in the last day, no, in the last afternoon than he ever had his entire life. So many decisions made in what felt like a split second. He just hoped none of his decisions would come back to bite him in the ass. He had a lot of planning to do now, especially since he couldn't trust the Logosha or their leader. That was all that was apparent to him, how could he ever trust the Darkspawn? It was in their nature to want to erradicate the world above. No matter how much they said they were different he couldn't believe them. Perhaps in time that would change, but he was living in the now. He couldn't foresee the future, but he knew Howe was going to make moves soon. Thus, he had to find a way to beat the man to the chase and perhaps make a move before he did. Capturing his daughter was certainly one way of making a preemptive strike without the Arl even knowing it. Though, the Howe family probably had found out by then. Every decision he made from the time Howe attacked to the current hour had been formed off of his dedication to Ferelden and his people. He did not like dealing with Darkspawn, whether or not the Logosha were truly kin to those monsters. But he had no other choice available to him. If he said something they did not like, they could end his life and the entirety of Ferelden from what he had heard. Best case scenario would be that the Howe family came back and actually succeeded that time around; something Aedan would rather die before allowing that rat to accomplish.

Ysil watched as the newly appointed Dark Lord of the Logosha left the Main Hall. She would take over whilst he got some rest. She was more than willing to schedule patrols and prepare the outermost settlements for a war. War was coming to Ferelden, and at the same time so was a Blight. There was no denying those facts, unfortunately. She got up and left the Main Hall to begin writing in the Castle's Teyrn's quarters. Or, really where Aedan had just went to go get some sleep. That was the only place she could think of that had official seals, parchment, and ink. She also had to prepare for the Grey Wardens. The Vanguard had made it to Ostagar after all, and they had reported that the Grey Wardens were coming in greater numbers than she had originally anticipated. She was amazed that more did not die during that fight. The Warden-Commander must have knew better than to risk all of their lives. She had kept her eyes on Duncan for quite some time, and he definitely was impressive with his foresight.

Within an hour of his disappearance, Lord Cousland awoke to hearing the sounds of chanting and marching. Alarmed, he rushed outside of his chambers to encounter a heavily guarded home. There were two guard per door, for nearly every door in the Castle's housing. He walked outside and saw patrols manning the walls as well as the ground, all of them bearing the marks of the Vanguard. He rushed passed patrols and civilians alike until he made it to the Main Hall, spotting a glimpse of a large armed force in the courtyard. Once inside the Hall, he saw something he hadn't expected.

Ysil was channeling a large portal that had been pouring Logosha for the hour he had been away. Eventually she ended the portal when the Castle's limits were met.

"By the Maker, Ysil, what are you doing?!" Aedan asked as he approached the woman, the Logosha assuming their positions.

The woman shrugged as she turned to look at Aedan, "Making the Castle safe, my Lord. These beings are your forces, and I saw it fit that they take residence in your castle so that the Arl will frown upon such an idiotic move as to attack again."

Aedan snarled as he looked her coldly in the eyes, "Things that happen up here occur differently than wherever you are from, Lady Ysil. A force of hundreds suddenly appearing is the work of demons, and such things are not allowed to happen. He could use this against us, form an arm-"

"In the middle of a Blight, it would be most unwise for all of Ferelden to band together to take down one Lord. They have bigger and better things to worry about, such as the Darkspawn in the South making a push to the North." Ysil interrupted.

Aedan placed his face into his right palm, "That's the thing, the nobility of the surface is anything but logical."

The woman sighed and nodded in defeat. "If our reports from the Ostagar ruins are true... I should have known that. My apologies, Lord Cousland, it will not happen again."

"It's too late for such talk. I'm going to get rest, and I'd suggest you do the same. We have a lot of work ahead of us." Aedan said before turning around and heading out of the Main Hall.

Ysil nodded and gave a polite bow as the man walked out of the hall. When she turned around to face the large entrance to the hall, she found herself facing a familiar face. Her mother's true form, a demonic one yet it was very alluring. Even to the Dark Mother herself.

"You know that boy will not remain an asset forever, don't you my daughter?" The demon asked with her voice as soft and cool as the evening wind. "The Shadow is coming. Your father is ever so close to us again."

Gruk growled as he felt the words the previous Mother spoke ripple through his blood, "What?! Impossible!" He roared as he looked over to Ysil.

"I agree with Gruk, he is long dead! Mother, you must be mistaken!" The Dark Mother said in shock, making the demon smile.

"Trust me, I am far from mistaken." The demon spoke, "You must not let the Wardens know of the Logosha or your origins. In fact, you should withdraw back to the Long Stretch. There is no telling how an interaction with Shadow may go between you two."

"Well, you shall see soon enough. I am not abandoning Lord Cousland over a lie you created." Ysil grumbled before walking out of the Main Hall with Gruk following close behind.

He let out a huff of confusion, speaking hastily to the Dark Mother. "Did I hear correctly? Warchief Herigan is alive?"

"Apparently, and he is coming here. Be on high alert." Ysil spoke as she continued moving towards the Teyrn's housing, leaving Gruk behind to stand there and try to understand what he just heard.

A Regrouping:

Duran groaned loudly as he slowly came to wake up. He could feel a very faint pain in his abdomen, but it was nowhere near as bad as one would have thought it would have been. He woke up without his armor on, in fact, he only had his underwear on. He had bandages wrapped around his body in various locations including his stomach, though. When he sat up he saw a woman in front of him putting a book back upon a shelf. Ah yes, he recognized her immediately; one of the 'Witches of the Wilds' they had ran into whilst getting their Darkspawn blood for the Joining. He wondered if all human women that lived outside of cities dressed such as her. Not that he would complain if they did...

"Ah, your eyes finally open. Mother shall be pleased." The Witch known as Morrigan said in her rather soothing voice as she walked over to his bedside.

Duran nodded slowly, "Aye... I remember you. You're Morrigan, the mage in the Wilds that stole the ancient treaties."

She scoffed, "I did not steal them, and one would think you would be more grateful to the one who has been bandaging your wounds. You are welcome, by the way." She said with a bit of sass to her voice before continuing on, "How does your memory fare? Do you remember Mother's rescue?"

"No I don't remember your bloody mother's rescue! I got shot in the bloody abs and fell over like a sack of stone." Duran said a bit agitated now, "Where are my mates? What the bloody hell happened?"

"The man who was to respond to your signal quit the field. The Darkspawn won your battle. Those he abandoned were massacred. Your friends... they are not taking it too well. Aside from the mage who remains indifferent." Morrigan informed the dwarf. "They are all outside, with Mother. She had asked to see you when you awoke, by the way."

Duran nodded before slowly getting up, "Then I'd best get ready and be off. Wouldn't want to keep my mates and your mum waiting for too long."

"Your items are in the chest at the foot of the bed." Morrigan told him before turning around and walking over to the fireplace where there was a pot filled with boiling contents. It smelled rather nice, believe it or not. It made Duran hungry, but he had work to get done.

It took Duran a few minutes to get into his clothes and armor, but when he did he felt much better. Of course, there was a glaring problem with his armor and that was the fact that there was still a hole where the arrow had penetrated his abdomen. Great. Just another thing to worry about and protect. Oh well, such was a male dwarf's life. Well, at least the noble dwarf who had once been named a Commander of Orzammar. Oh, how his brother would pay if they ever crossed paths. Wardens were supposed to forget their pasts, and perhaps with time he would end up forgetting his own. But it still was burning brightly in his mind and heart.

Without another word to Morrigan, Duran walked towards the door and opened it. Immediately the surrounding smells of the Wilds penetrated his nose and made him want to spit. It smelled nearly as bad as a sick nug.

"I'm sayin' you need to get yer bloody head on straight, mage! Just 'cause yer little young 'apprentice' may have died back there doesn't mean we shouldn't head north like Shadow told us to! She may still be alive!" Duran heard Natia growl.

"There were too many of them, and Loghain betrayed us all. There is no way any others survived the attack. As Flemeth said, she saw no others in the vacinity of the tower." Daylen replied as he crossed his arms, "Meaning our friends have perished thanks to that stuck up 'hero' who betrayed his king and son-in-law."

"Enough!" Duran growled as he walked out, "You two are arguing like imbeciles. I expected more from an intelligent mage and battle-hardened thug. We need to make our way north, there is no exception to that rule. Shadow ordered us to get to Castle Cousland, and that is what we're going to do. He has the damned treaties we need, so if he's dead we're heading back to Ostagar."

Flemeth's eyes narrowed before she let out a hearty laugh, "So the voice of reason awakens. I trust you slept well?"

Duran then looked up at the human woman, shaking his head with a less-than-amused look on his face. "Aye. Like I got slammed against the stone with a torch sticking inside of my gut."

"I hate to interrupt you two before you get out of hand, but can we go back to how we're supposed to even get up to Castle Cousland? That is an entire country to travel in a few days, and the Darkspawn surely have this area surrounded." Daylen interjected as he looked between the two.

Duran nodded at the mage, "Then we'll just have to be sneaky little buggers about it, won't we?"

Flemeth got another chuckle out of that, "You two are perhaps the loudest creatures ever to have entered my home, and you have a mage who is rather elderly. I don't think you'll accomplish much sneaking about in the wilds."

"That's not what I meant," Duran grumbled, "We'll just navigate around the Darkspawn and head up north."

The woman smirked and her eyes narrowed once more, "Again, you two are dwarves who have never been to the surface until now... and he a Circle Mage. How well do you think you can navigate the Korcari Wilds? No, what you need is a guide. And fortunately for you three, I believe I have just the person for the job."

As if she had been summoned, Morrigan walked out of the hutt with an innocently unaware expression on her face. "The stew is bubbling, mother dear. Shall we have three guests for the eve or none?"

"The Grey Wardens are leaving shortly, girl. And you will be joining them." Flemeth replied.

"Such a shame..." Morrigan began before realization suddenly struck her, "What?!"

Flemeth's face took an amused expression, "You heard me, girl. The last time I looked, you had ears!" She said with a laugh.

"Just what we needed," Duran said as his eyes looked at Natia, "A scantily clad human who would probably tip over the first time a Darkspawn nudges her a wee bit."

The two dwarves chuckled before Daylen spoke up and gained their attention, "I believe it is an excellent idea."

"You would, old man." Natia spoke with a rather accusing tone of voice.

Morrigan growled before speaking, "Have I no say in this?"

"You have been itching to get out of the Wilds for years." Flemeth explained, "This is your chance. As for you, Wardens. Consider this repayment for your lives."

"We would be glad to take her with us." Daylen replied with a small smile, gaining two disbelieving eyes on him.

Natia spoke up for Duran, "Who the bloody hell made you captain of this wee squad we got going on here?"

"I did." Daylen spoke, "The one with more intellect than the two of you combined."

"Why you large piece of aged nug droppings!" Duran spoke out in anger, trying to go after the mage before Natia stopped him.

"Mother... this is not how I wanted this. I'm not even ready-" Morrigan began to speak before getting interrupted by Flemeth.

"You must be ready. Alone, the remainder of the Wardens which could very well be these three need to unite Ferelden against the Darkspawn. They need you, Morrigan. Without you they will surely fail, and all will perish under the Blight. Even I." The elderly Witch spoke.

"I... understand." Morrigan replied defeatedly.

Flemeth once again turned her attention to the three bickering Wardens, which gained their attention as well. "And you, Wardens? Do you understand? I give you that which I value above all in this world. I do this because you must succeed."

"We understand." They all said in unison.

Morrigan nodded before heading back inside to gather a few valuables. She met them back outside in five minutes, where she found the Wardens prepared for travel and still arguing with one another. It was going to be a long trip, and she wished that they would shut their mouths upon leaving the safety of Flemeth's hut.

"I am at your disposal, Grey Wardens. I suggest a village north of the Wilds as our first destination. 'Tis not far and you will find much you need there. Or, if you prefer, I shall simply be your silent guide. The choice is yours." The Witch stated with her seemingly usual unamused tone.

Daylen and the three spoke amongst themselves, "We wish you to speak your mind, Morrigan. After all, you're a part of our little group now."

"Ha! You will regret saything that." Flemeth said in a teasing manner.

"Dear, sweet mother, you are so kind to cast me out like this. How fondly shall I remember this moment." Morrigan replied.

"Well. I always said if you want something done, do it yourself, or hear about it for a decade or two afterwards." Flemeth said with a shrug.

Daylen then stepped forward and cleared his throat, "I do apologize for interrupting, but we really should leave now. The day is wasting away and I would prefer to arrive at Lothering before sunset."

"I agree," Morrigan said, "Farewell mother. Do not forget the stew on the fire, I would hate to return to a burned-down hut."

"Bah. 'Tis far more likely you will return to see this entire area, along with my hut, swallowed up by the Blight." Flemeth responded quickly and with a relentless tone taking place in her voice.

"I... all I meant was..." Morrigan spoke sadly, her expression resembling her tone.

Flemeth replied with a softer voice, "Yes, I know. Do try to have fun, dear."

Daylen turned around and nodded at the two dwarves before Morrigan walked passed them and took the lead. It would appear that they were going to make a brief stop at Lothering before continuing northward to Castle Cousland. If they were lucky, they would arrive at the castle by tomorrow. It didn't take that long to travel around Ferelden, especially since they could find refugees and caravans heading in their same direction. The only real limitation to that was the fact most would follow the largest road in Ferelden rather than cut through half of it.

Meanwhile far to the north of the Korcari Wilds, Shadow and the large band of Vanguards had made camp. They had regrouped with Lyna and the other Wardens as well as the rest of the Vanguard warband a few hours past. They were tired from constantly being on the move and needed rest.

"Judging from the surroundings, we are about half way to the Castle." The leader of the Vanguard, named Firlan spoke. "Should take us about 'til midday if we leave first thing tomorrow morning. This is a good position, however, we've got the obvious sight advantage on this hill."

"Very well. Neria, come with me and help me aid the wounded. Lyna, help the Vanguard keep watch whilst the others set up camp." Shadow ordered before he and the young elvish mage moved over to the three wounded Wardens.

Neria shook her head, "It's a miracle how they survived the battle with wounds like these."

Shadow nodded, "Pay more attention to Alistair as I need your healing expertise focused on him, I will focus on Daveth. Elissa's wounds are minor and have already been dealt with."

The female mage nodded as she began focusing healing magics on the critically wounded Warden, though began to speak to Shadow. "You really should talk with Lyna when you are done patching Daveth up." She said softly, "Not that it's really any of my business."

"It isn't in the slightest." Shadow growled back as he began to place soaked bandages on the man's exposed chest. His cuts weren't worth the expense of magic, but they weren't simple enough to go without some aid.

"Look, all I'm saying is that she evidently likes you a lot. You can't just play her, it would tear her apart." She continued on, eventually stopping the healing magic and reaching for bandages. "It's none of my business, but I'd rather not see one of my friends in these dark times get lost."

Shadow let out yet another growl of annoyance as he finished bandaging Daveth. Once his business was complete, he stood up and walked over to Lyna who was making good use of her vision. The hill they were on was covered by trees, as was a lot of the land below; but she could still see far into the distance. Anyone who was moving nearby would be spotted by her, as long as they were in her field of vision. Shadow was not within her vision, of course, so when he placed his hand on her shoulder she jumped and nearly stabbed him in the kidney with her dagger. An attack that would have been successful if he hadn't grabbed onto her wrist.

Once the Dalish huntress knew who was beside her, she took a more peaceful and calm stance. She pulled her hand free from him and sheathed her dagger, her face warm for some odd, yet not-so-unknown reason.

"Shadow." She muttered quietly, her eyes going back to scanning the distance.

The man nodded slowly, "I believe we made a deal back at Ostagar, and we survived so I suppose that means..." He took a deep breath in, exhaling very slowly. "...That we can start a relationship and get to know one another properly. No secrets or anything, starting today."

"I would like that a lot. But, I didn't mean to force you back there. If you truly don't want to, we don't have to pursue something like this." Lyna replied, placing her gaze onto him now.

"Eh, if I didn't want to I wouldn't have agreed. In times like these, it is good to have someone to hold onto. Especially since we may not see the end of this Blight. With Loghain betraying us and the King, we have no choice but to fight two wars. We need to get to Castle Cousland, sort everything out, and get to work. There will be no time for delay, even us resting here right now poses a great risk. What I'm saying is... in order for us to get through to the other side of this age, we'll need the Creators' blessings." He spoke with a grim tone.

Lyna slowly placed her arm around him, leaning into him which caught him off guard. "Do you think we will make it out with our lives?"

Shadow shook his head, "There is no way for me to answer that. Just know that if we fall, the Orlesian Wardens should be able to prevail where we failed. The only downside is that if we fall, all of Ferelden goes with us."

"Then we aren't to lose." Elissa said as she rubbed the back of her throbbing head. "I'll die before my homeland is ravaged by the Darkspawn, and whatever is left afterwards is reclaimed by the Orlesians."

Shadow chuckled, "At least your motivations are in... or close to the right places. We get a few hours' worth of rest, and then we continue marching the rest of the way North. With any luck we'll be seeing those two dwarves and their Knight-Enchanter companion soon."

The rest of the day, night, and most of the next day had passed without any real events. Ferelden was scrambling around trying to screw its head on straight. Daylen, the two dwarves, and Morrigan had stopped in the small village of Lothering. A village that had already seen hell, and would see more soon enough. The group of Wardens hastily recruited a Sister of the Chantry who went by the name of Leliana. Along the way, Natia decided to pick the lock of a cage that held a prisoner; a Qunari who went by the Name-Title of Sten. They didn't stop for anything else other than to refill on essential items such as food, drink, and potions. They did help a child find his way to the Chantry to be taken care of - his mother had been ravaged by wolves. Soon they found themselves on the Imperial Highway, taking the long and cautious way to Castle Cousland by means of passing the Circle Tower. They knew of the betrayal Loghain had pulled at Ostagar, and knew his forces as well as any of his allies would be watching the road to Denerim.

They ran into a few Highwaymen, a couple groups of Darkspawn, and some hostile wildlife. Ultimately, their trip was decent and without any real harm. They found themselves inside Castle Cousland during the dinner hour, the sun had begun to set and night would be upon them within another hour's time. The group of six made their way into the Main Hall, the Cousland's Vanguard opening the large reinforced wooden doors for them. They entered the Hall and saw Shadow, Lyna, Darrian, and Neria standing there as servants placed food upon the large table.

"Shadow!" Duran and Natia called out, causing the Wardens ahead of them to all turn around.

The dwarves rushed for them whilst Daylen, Morrigan, Leliana, and Sten just walked up to them. "Where's the others? Alistair, and Daveth? Elissa? Please tell me they made it lad." Duran asked Shadow.

The Black Warden nodded, "They did indeed make it, but barely. Had we not been there to retrieve them, they'd be overrun with Darkspawn. Daveth and Alistair are getting taken care of by medics, while Elissa has gone to talk to her brother. It has come to my attention Loghain abandoned the battle in our time of need. I see you three have made some friends."

"Indeed! The nearly naked one is Morrigan. The redheaded robed one is Leliana, and the big respectable lad is Sten!" Duran reported with a smile, waiting to hear their responses to his introductions.

Morrigan simply hissed, "I am not nearly naked, dwarf. I just prefer to travel light." She replied with venom in her voice.

"Sure. If that's what ye surfacers call it." Natia said with a chuckle of her own.

"A pleasure to meet you, Shadow. The two Wardens and their mage companion have told us a lot about you on our journey." The Sister said with a polite bow.

Sten simply remained silent, save for a grunt and nod he sent in Shadow's direction. The towering Qunari didn't seem to interested in being within a human castle. Nevertheless, Shadow gave them all a respective bow. The Morrigan woman intrigued him, as they had met a couple times before. Not formally, but he had observed her and had a feeling she did the same to him. She was one of the Witches of the Wilds, but such tales didn't put fear into his heart. Leliana he had a good feeling about. Her presence was one of warmth and safety, though cold secrets lingered behind the surface. She had a great many secrets within her, that much he could tell by her presence alone. Sten was a Qunari. From the name, or title, alone he could tell the Qunari was a warrior.

"Now, please let us take our seats. Elissa should be coming with Lord Cousland and his new advisor shortly to join us." Shadow said as the large group made their way to the table and took their seats.

Shadow sat on one end of the table alone, with Lyna to his right and Neria to his left. To Neria's left were Daylen, Morrigan, Duran, and Natia. To Lyna's right were Darrian, Leliana, and Sten. Elissa would fill in the gap whilst Aedan and his new adviser would fill the other end of the table opposite of Shadow.

They had some minor talk with each other of various topics. The only one who remained silent was Shadow. He felt something within the castle that didn't sit quite well with him. A presence he hadn't felt in a long time, as well as something relatively recent. It almost felt like Darkspawn were there, but it was such a feint sense that he couldn't trust it. In fact, his worrying of the presence of old overcame his worry of the Darkspawn possibly being near the castle. A few minutes passed until Elissa came walking in with her brother and a rather young woman with purple eyes. Immediately Shadow's blue eyes turned a fiery blood-red and interacted with the woman's, causing a similar shade of red to take over her purple eyes. Ysil halted before tearing her gaze from Shadow's, looking down at the ground as she followed Aedan and took her seat beside him.

Shadow was put off. He knew exactly what that reaction meant, and it worried him above all else. Where was Duncan when he needed the man? Duncan was the only one he confided in, as they were friends before Shadow even had become a Warden. Whatever that woman was, she had contact with Vanessa. The demon Ysizx. In what way he did not know, but whenever the demon was involved he knew something was wrong.

"Welcome to my Castle, Wardens. I am honored that you took me up on my offer as you have all been officially labeled as traitors to Ferelden. Of course, I know better than that. Grey Wardens have never went for political gain in the past, and those that have were never true Wardens like you lot. Whether Anora's newly appointed Regent likes to admit it or not, your order is now more necessary than ever before." Aedan said with a smile, "I seek to restore peace to Ferelden and help you in any way I can, Wardens. I am also sorry about the loss your order has sustained at Ostagar. It can't be easy losing that many friends."

"It is not, my Lord. I'm honored as well that you have welcomed us into your home, as not many would allow such a thing now. I am afraid, though, that our stay will be brief as we've a lot of work to get done." Shadow responded with a smile of his own, despite being disappointed by having his thoughts torn from him.

Ysil was fixated on Shadow. She felt funny when her gaze met that man's. It was almost like his presence overwhelmed her mother's and began to fill her with doubt. He was a Grey Warden, and surely he meant to do good for the world. Much like Ysil herself had wanted, but being a Warden meant he couldn't allow the Logosha to live. There were so many 'what ifs' in her mind that it was driving her mad. She had so much to ask him, his mother feared him after all! Perhaps her mother was wrong, and she only created the Darkspawn for some bad deed and told Ysil it was for the best. Demon or no, Vanessa was her mother! The situation was complicated and for once in her life she felt like she didn't know what to do. She didn't know it, but this and more was what her mother is afraid of. Shadow could very easily turn Ysil against her.

Shadow acknowledged Ysil's gaze and knew that he would have to talk with her later. Contrary to what he originally thought, perhaps she could be useful. Intelligence on Vanessa, as well as the Logosha. Perhaps if he played his cards right, the Logosha could be useful against the Blight? Hah! That was an idea, pitting the Darkspawn against their relatively new cousins. Of course, all of this was still assumption. He wouldn't know until he captured one of the Vanguard, or spoke with this 'Ysil.' Something about her made him feel as if she had his blood coursing through her veins. A possibility, especially considering her age and likeness.

"Ah, of course! I had almost forgotten. Let us eat then, and enjoy our night before our busy days take over!" Aedan said.

Literally everyone let out a sigh of relief as they began to fill their plates of food. Even Morrigan and Sten let out sounds of happiness when they heard they could fill their stomachs. Such a thing would normally have scared the people that knew them... but those three were busy filling their plates as well. Tonight was going to be a night of relaxation as well as knowledge gathering for Shadow. He would ask to speak with Ysil alone after they ate. He wanted to know more about her, and the suddenly appearing Vanguard. He noticed one of the Vanguard eyeing him with interest, despite the 'man' being behind a full set of armor.

An hour and a half had passed before everyone had finished their meals. The table was a mess, but rather than leave like most of the others did, Shadow and Lyna stayed behind to assist the servants in their work. Of course they tried to decline the help, after all they didn't need help doing their work. Regardless of whether they liked it or not, the two had helped clean up. Ysil had watched them from another table in the main hall, this one looking like it was more for business than food. She was sat upon a wooden chair with proper cushions, writing away whilst stealing glances at the Black Warden. Curiosity filled her as she pondered why the Shadow her mother feared was doing something so... innocently helpful.

Furthermore, she was curious about what humans saw in the elves. She could sense the Wardens' attractions to one another as if she were a part of Shadow himself. It was an odd feeling and thought. She never had felt that close to anyone, not even the Logosha. Not even Gruk. First she had to deal with Aedan and his foolish lusting self, and now she saw yet another couple on a collision course. They seemed much more tame than the young Lord, however, and they were definitely much more acceptable. They didn't hold any nobility in their blood, and so they could go unnoticed by the nobility of Thedas. Then again, the Empress of Orlais herself... Such scandalous thoughts had been duly noted and written off for later blackmail by the Dark Mother.

"You watch us as if you haven't seen a man, or just fighters in general, assist the lowly commons Lady Ysil." Shadow remarked, not even looking in the Dark Mother's direction as he finished up wiping the table off. "Is it truly that fascinating or do you have other topics on your mind, I wonder?"

Ysil chuckled lightly, "I'll have you know all of my men have faced the dangerous duties of housekeeping at least once in their lifetimes."

"Indeed? Then they must be true men, if they surpass the average soldier's belief that they can just go and slop a place up and leave it." Shadow said in compliment as he and Lyna finished cleaning up. "Well, we're done here. We shall head to our quarters and leave you in peace if that is alright with you, my Lady."

"Of course. Good night, Grey Wardens. I do hope to speak with you more tomorrow." She replied with a smile, watching as the two bowed and left the Main

Oaths:

Shadow slowly opened his eyes and saw the roof of the house they were staying in. Admittedly, he hadn't slept inside of a castle of such standards. The place had been ransacked not too long ago, yet it still looked very fancy. Well, at least the interiors did. Everything else was a bit... crumbly still. It was then when he started to realize his surroundings and felt something warm clutching onto his right arm. When he looked over to discover the source... he found an elf at his side. Not just any normal elf, but one he knew well. One he told to stay on her own damned bed. Ah well, he couldn't find it in his heart to deny her such a simple luxury. It unnerved him though. He felt as if they were being watched and the scandalous nature of what they were doing could land them into quite a bit of trouble with the Wardens. He wasn't referring to the relationship of a man and elf, no, he was referring to the utter disregard to Grey Warden code. If Duncan were there... hell, he wasn't even remotely close to being there. What he would have done didn't matter.

It was then the man felt compelled to kiss the top of Lyna's head, which he did softly and quite hesitantly. She smelled... of sweat, smoke, and blood. Her entire body was warm to the touch and he couldn't help but notice his thoughts were all involving her. Whilst it pained him to have to admit all of that, he also liked the feeling. That alone told him that he had to devise a plan to get her as far away from him as possible. The question was; what action could he take to possibly make that happen? Orders were all he could give to his new Wardens. Whether they chose to follow them was entirely up to them. Damn. He then removed his lips from her head and closed his eyes, concentrating on her breathing and heartbeat.

His fear of them being watched was true. Ysil stood in the doorway to the room they were in, leaning against the wooden frame as she examined the man's features. Shadow couldn't see her with his back facing her, but she could see him and Lyna. The man had power that began to influence her back at dinner. Such a thing was far from common. Her mother had gone strangely absent as well, which only worried the Mother of the Logosha. Rare was such an occurence. Danger usually followed. She caught on to Shadow's movement and quickly vanished away from the door as he turned to look. He saw nothing but a door leading to a dark hallway. He snuggled back up to Lyna and began plotting for the morning.

Three hours had passed and the sun had just began to rise. He had woken up all of his Wardens and gathered them in the house he and Lyna were designated. They were gathered in the living room of the house, with a crackling fire in the fireplace, food and drink on a table, and them all gathered around on the floor. Some were at the table, others were sitting near it but not close enough to set their plates upon it. Shadow examined them all before speaking.

"We're going to need to arrange ourselves into squads if we're to get anything done. I've decided what I wanted." Shadow said, "If you all would hear me it'd be much appreciated."

They all looked at him as if he said something shocking. "We all trust your judgement, Shadow. You've been in this business far longer than any of us have." Darrian said, "And I don't usually speak for others."

They all nodded and Shadow spoke up, "Very well. Our roster is this; Lyna, Darrian, Duran, Natia, Neria, Daylen, Elissa, Alistair, Daveth, Morrigan, Leliana, Sten, and the hound a few of you found on your way to Lothering. Taking this into consideration I've decided what groups are going to form. The two dwarves are to be together. I'm sticking Sten with you two as well. Neria, Daylen, and Darrian are another group. Daveth, Elissa, and Alistair are another. Lyna is to go with Morrigan and Leliana whilst the dog and I maintain relations with Lord Cousland and the rest of Ferelden."

Lyna bit her lip, she didn't like the idea of not being at Shadow's side. Alas, his orders at this point weren't to be denied. Such a thing could prove fatal to her if she wasn't careful.

"The dwarves are to take their group to Orzammar, despite them both having a rough time it is necessary to use the dwarvish treaties to our advantage. The mages are to head to the Circle Tower and recruit mages for our fight. Elissa is to head to Redcliffe with her team. Lyna, I want you to head to the Brecillian Forest in search of the Dalish clan there. They haven't moved so finding them should be easy enough." Shadow ordered, finally finishing and being able to take a bite from his food.

Grumbles and groans were heard amongst the group, but they all understood their assigned roles. Shadow was smart, and placed them in situations he knew they had expert knowledge in. After all, they had come from relatively similar, if not the same place.

"Remember, you are Grey Wardens now. Everything in your past is history best forgotten. You represent us as a whole, and I expect you all to uphold that responsibility. Now, finish eating and conversing. You leave by high noon." Shadow said with a smile, finishing his food hastily so he could get up and head to his room.

It wasn't long after he had entered his room that he felt Ysil's presence within it. His jaw stiffened as he turned his gaze towards the balcony, the frail wood-lined glass doors having been opened to permit access to the relatively decent sized balcony. The cloth curtains blowing in the wind, it was a cold wind, it felt like the chill of winter despite winter being far away.

"I know what you are." He called out to her as he straightened the arms of his rather noble-like suit. "The child of a man and demon. No other mage has power over Darkspawn like you, aside from me. Did you think I wouldn't feel your mother's influence being so strong on this place? The bitch imprisoned me for years, created an utter abomination out of me."

Ysil didn't turn around to look at the man, and simply kept her cold glare on the patrols outside. "We both know that isn't true. Mother cares about The-"

"Your mother possessed the body of an innocent girl, corrupted me, had me slaughter my best friend since birth for no reason, and had me use the Grey Wardens to find an isolated group of Darkspawn in the Deep Roads. Your mother wants destruction, girl. At the height of it all she tried imprisoning me. Did she tell you she tried letting more demons into this world by using me? Now one could argue that I'm half-possessed. As a mage I'd expect you would know of what a demon's sole purpose is." Shadow interrupted as he walked onto the balcony with her.

"She isn't like the other demons... she's trying to-"

"...Change the world for the better. Yes. Ysizx spun me that web before, and you are more of a fool than I thought for actually believing her. She's grooming you. Making her next vessel strong and pretty for all to behold. She's a demon of Desire, one of the most powerful types of demon. Not to mention she's your mother, one of the most powerful of them." Shadow said as he leaned on the balcony.

Ysil looked over at him, "So what are you to do? Are you to report me to the entirety of Ferelden? Kill me and destroy the Logosha?"

Shadow shook his head, "No. At least, not if you forget about your mother and abandon her. I knew your father, he was a good man and wouldn't want you to be corrupted by your mother like he was."

The woman beside him let out a soft sigh and buried her face into her hands. The man beside her did hold a lot of power, that much was known to her when his influence attempted to take over her thoughts. She knew it wasn't his fault. How could it have been? No one would do that to anyone they just met, not even her. If that was the case then she wouldn't have bothered heading to that dreaded village and making an elaborate plan to play with the Lord.

"I can't do that. She's... She's all I have left." Ysil said sadly.

Shadow shook his head again, "Your father is still out there, watching over you. You are not alone in the slightest, such a thing is merely something your mother wishes you to believe. She is controlling, and with you believing that she knows you will not try to do what is right in your own eyes."

The woman let out a soft chuckle, "You're the dreaded Shadow my mother was worried about?"

The man nodded, standing straight up and looking up at the beautiful blue sky. His height was definitely worth noticing as he towered above most humans and was almost as tall as Sten. Ysil looked up at him and gave a smirk, she didn't know what to think of the man that made her mother terrified.

"She has every reason to be afraid of me, Ysil. She knows that if you stick with her on this day and do not make an oath to stay away from her to me, I will tear everything she has fought for down to the ground. The Logosha, her influence, her contacts... you. Your father told me to protect you and I intend to do so, but I will not stand by and let you tear the world a part slowly for your mother's gain. He understood that and knew that you might not survive." Shadow said and his voice grew grim and dark.

Ysil sighed once more, "I hardly even know you, but I will think about it."

"Would you like to know more?" He asked with his eyebrow raised.

"Very much so, Lord Shadow." Ysil replied with her tone betraying her curiosity.

The man let out a single chuckle, "Then go, meet me here tonight when your duties being advisor to Lord Cousland come to a close. I will show you all you need to know about me."

With that, Ysil snapped her fingers and she disappeared in a flash. At that very moment Lyna walked into the room with a worried look on her face. It wasn't a bad look on her, but rather a playful worry. When Shadow turned around he caught onto that immediately and tilted his head.

"What?" He asked.

Lyna let out a sigh as she approached him, "You may want to switch the mage party with the dwarves. Duran is threatening to 'shove his axe right up Bhelen's kinslaying jacksie' and Natia is growling like a Mabari at the thought of returning to the city."

Shadow groaned and shook his head, "Those two are a handful."

The elf laughed and shrugged, "You said it, not me."

"Let it be known." The man replied, "Lyna... I have a question." He stated as he looked down into her eyes.

"Hm?"

"What do you find so intriguing about me? I'm thirty-six years old and have seen countless battles. I'm the least attractive man in the bunch, at least personality wise." He asked.

"What I find intriguing about you? Ah, you mean what I like about you!" She said with an upbeat tone, "Well, isn't it obvious? You're the one human who is more elf than human. Not to mention you don't take grief from anyone. And you're mysterious. And you're caring. And you're... you."

He chuckled again, "Good to know I am me. I'd better knock those dwarves in line and follow your advice."

As he went to walk away, she grabbed his arm and turned him around. "Make a girl a promise?" She asked.

"Hm?"

"Don't get into too much trouble without me, stay alive and stay where I know you are until I get back, and seal the deal with a kiss?" She asked with her eyes getting that innocent shine to them.

Shadow nodded and leaned down, hesitantly placing his lips against her own which were much softer than his. In his defense, he was a front line warrior; an Arcane Warriors, whilst she was just sitting there shooting enemies with arrows all the time. Thankfully she wasn't some sort of mind reader, otherwise he'd probably be on the ground right about then. When the kiss ended they looked into each other's eyes.

"I swear to you I will stay in or near the castle, and I won't burn anything down until you get back." He said with a smile.

"Good." She smiled back.

Departure:

"And then what happened?" A woman asked, "Just skip to the important parts of the story, I am getting impatient with all the waiting! I wish to know more about the Dark Mother, her motives, and Shadow!"

"If you want the important parts of the story, you will have to be patient. It's best not to rush through these important times for the Wardens, especially when you are looking to befriend the sleepyhead in chains over there." A man replied, having that dwarvish tone to his voice.

"Ugh. Just hurry on then. Skip their travels if nothing important happens." She growled.

"It all truly began-"

"...With the departure of those I began to love." A strained voice spoke with red eyes peering through the darkness of the interrogation room.

Shadow watched as his friends geared up and prepared to leave the castle. They all had missions that would take them through hell, and he believed strongly in each and every one of them. Lyna had already been prepared. She was never one to take her time when gearing up, but then again she didn't have nearly as bulky of armor as the others.

"Shadow." Alistair said as he approached the unarmored Warden, stopping when they were side by side.

"I hope you are ready to confront Eamon, Alistair. I know your thoughts on your... condition, but it cannot be helped. If you and Eamon don't step in it is likely Loghain gets what he wants. With Ferelden in his grasp, he will banish us once more and spit on those we lost at Ostagar." Shadow said with a frown.

Alistair nodded, "I do not like it... but, if I absolutely need to then I shall try and get through it. I wish you could come with us, though."

"We all have our duties we need to accomplish. That includes me. We will see each other when we take on the Archdemon, my friend." The Warden said as Lyna approached him, and gave him a hug which he reciprocated.

Alistair's eyes widened, but he cleared his throat. "Farewell, Shadow and Lyna. I hope to see you two later."

The two nodded as the ex-Templar walked to meet with Daveth and Elissa. Shadow looked down at Lyna and she gave a smile that betrayed her fear. He gently stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Stop worrying. What's the worst that could happen?" He asked with a grin.

"I love you... Logan." Lyna whispered before placing her head against his chest.

Shadow didn't respond for a moment, thinking about his next words carefully. "I love you too... da'len."

Lyna's face scrunched up before she punched him in the chest, "Why did you just call me that?!"

Shadow laughed loudly, rubbing his chest as he took a step back. "I saw you get frustrated with your straps. Only children take their boots and throw them at a wall when they can't get them on properly. In all seriousness... I love you too, Lyna. Be safe."

"Stupid Shem." She grumbled before turning around and finding her group of strangers. It was at that moment he watched them depart, and he felt a bit cold. Alone. He shook his head and turned around. He and Lord Cousland had much planning and discussing to do together.

AN: Sorry for the long wait and not-so-edited post guys. Life has been...

Crrazy.