And here comes the fun part. Thanks to everyone who is following and reviewing. Reviews always brighten my day and encourage me to keep writing. Let me know what you guy's think of this next chapter. Big thank you to my beta and BlackBeltDancer for keeping me motivated. Enjoy!
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The fire crackled as the warden camp swelled with scents of cooking meat and the sound of men drinking merrily. Damien found it difficult to concentrate on anything as he turned the large rack of ribs over and used some ale to season the meat. The dream had come again as he slept in his tent after the joining. The dragon descended on him like a plague as its eyes had ripped into him. He could not quiet the feeling that something was wrong.
"You dream too?" Lyna asked sitting down next to him. Damien glanced over at the elf and nodded slowly.
"I haven't had nightmares like that in years," Damien said rubbing his forehead and sat forward resting his elbows on his knees.
"Duncan said that it was part of sensing the darkspawn. He was going tell us more after the battle," Lyna said examining the ribs over the fire. "Where is he anyway?"
"He's at some war meeting with the king and Teyrn Loghain right now. The darkspawn must be getting close. All the nobles are starting to get nervous," Damien said looking back toward the king's tent.
"What are you thinking?" Lyna asked, tossing a string of sausages onto the grill plate next to his ribs.
"I've never been in a real battle before. At least nothing as big as this one will be. I have to admit, I'm nervous," Damien said flipping Lyna's food and removing the ribs from the flame.
"Me too. I've never been in a battle that I couldn't hide in the trees from or end quickly," Lyna said, tapping on the grip of her bow.
"If we watch each other's backs, we'll be fine," Damien said cutting off a few ribs and handing them to her. The elf smiled and accepted the food.
"You know, I wondered why the warden camp smelled so good," a woman said coming up behind them. Damien turned and spotted the Hawke siblings suited in their armor and ready for battle.
"Lillian, Carver, what are you two doing here?" Damien asked wiping his mouth and motioning to a log next to him.
"We got our orders from the Bann. Seems we're going to be fighting with the Grey Wardens and the King's legion this evening," Carver said sitting down on the log. Lillian made a move for some of Damien's ribs but he moved it just out of reach showing her a big, toothy grin.
"You can loose a finger getting between a warden and his food," Damien remarked as he tore into another piece. Lyna laughed, stripping clean the bone she was holding. Damien collected a few of the bones and let out a loud whistle. The sound brought Brax bounding over to the fire where Damien dropped the bones, some with a little meat still on them, in front of the mabari.
"I've heard Wardens eat like bottomless pits. I didn't know you ate like hounds," Carver commented as Damien finished off the remaining meat in front of him before tossing Brax the rest.
"Careful who you say that around. My buddy here might take offense," Damien jested patting the dog on the back. Brax paid him little mind as he chomped down on the leftovers trying to get to the inside of the bone.
"Hope you don't mind us joining you for a bit. You came and told us about our sister and we wanted to say thank you," Lillian said looking over at the two wardens.
"Bethany was worried about you two. I just hope delivering the message helped her feel at peace," Damien responded.
"Peace…I hope so," Carver said lowering his gaze.
"If you two are fighting with us this evening, there must be other militias too right?" Damien asked checking the sausages still on the grill plate.
"Of course. The Crestwood, Marbane, and Calenhad militias will be there too. Not to mention the King's legion and his regulars," Lillian said looking out over the Wilds. "I've only fought in one other battle with Carver. Those monsters are like nothing I've ever faced before."
"We fought some in the Wilds yesterday. They are monsters but not unbeatable," Damien said pulling the sausages off the fire.
"You haven't seen the main horde. Facing them is like facing the gates of hell itself," Carver stated rubbing his hands together.
"Good thing Wardens fight like demons," Damien retorted. Lyna smiled at the comment as Lillian and Carver both nodded their agreement.
"That we do," Duncan said joining the group. Damien smiled and cut off a piece of the sausage for the commander. The man accepted gratefully and devoured the meat hungrily.
"What's the word commander?" Lyna asked.
"The wardens will be at the king's side for the battle except for Alistair and Alyssa. They will be taking command of the troops in the Tower of Ishaal to signal Loghain when to charge," Duncan explained wiping his mouth.
"Sounds like they got the short end of the stick," Damien said tossing a sausage each to Lillian and Carver.
"They would certainly agree with you," Duncan stated opening his canteen. "They complained for what seemed like an hour."
"Only an hour? I would have kept going til you changed your mind," Damien teased taking a bite of his food. He had to admit, he secretly wished he was going to the Tower instead. He would never admit it to anyone else but the prospect of fighting in such a massive battle frightened him more than anything.
000
Rain pelted the troops as they waited for the monstrous horde of evil advancing through the trees. Damien could feel the darkness seeping out of the Wilds like a black fog covering the land. The feeling weighed heavily on him like his soaked cloak and armor as the light of the darkspawn torches grew ever closer.
"Bet you wish you were still in your tent right now," a man a few rows up whispered to a companion.
"Are you kidding? Soaking wet and cold, waiting for the blighted darkspawn instead of in my warm, dry bed in my tent, no way. This is exactly where I want to be," the other jested bouncing in place trying to keep warm.
Damien sighed and flung off his cloak. The fight was coming and he needed to be able to move quickly and the cloak would only slow him down. He pulled his hood over his head to protect his ears from the freezing rain and gripped his blades tightly.
"Ready for this?" Lyna asked, notching an arrow.
"Let's send these bastards back to hell," Damien answered.
The first line of their enemy appeared out of the shadows of the trees. Somehow their number made them uglier in his mind. A massive horned Alpha hurlock led the first line raising a massive battle axe above it head and letting out a roar that shook the ground beneath them. Giant, horned ogres stomped the ground like war drums out for blood. Hurlocks roared and beat their weapons against their shields. Several ranks started to move backward ever so slightly but the wardens stood their ground encouraging the militias to hold. The Alpha out front roared once more and the darkspawn began their advance.
"Archers!" the king ordered. Damien took a slow breath trying to calm the adrenaline pounding in his chest. Flaming arrows filled the sky above him and rained down on the darkspawn, but it did nothing to deter the flood of tainted creatures.
"Hounds!" came the second order and hundreds of mabari charged forward. Damien kept a close eye on Brax as the dog ripped into a darkspawn's leg before clamping down on the beast's throat. He watched the hound for what seemed like an eternity before the final order came. Two simple words that echoed through the ranks and erupted like a battle cry from the soldiers around him.
"For Fereldan!"
Damien launched himself forward trying to close the distance between him and Brax. He knew Alyssa would never forgive him if the dog were to be injured in the battle. The mabari certainly could hold his own but Damien wanted to have the dog at his side if at all possible.
"Damien, on your right," Lyna called from behind him. He spotted the threat, a shriek coming straight for him. He dug his foot into the mud and used his magic to change his direction. He knew the turn could not have looked natural by any means, he might have even looked like he broke his leg, but he didn't care. He launched himself forward blocking the shriek's first attack with his left blade and slicing clean through the beast with his right. He landed and sprinted to Brax's side joined quickly by Lyna as she fired an arrow through a genlock's head. The three stood back to back with Brax taking down any darkspawn that got to close. Damien would defend his comrades and counter when needed while Lyna picked off distanced targets. The system was working.
"Mind if we join the party?" Lillian asked slicing through the back of a hurlock a few paces from them and jumping to Damien's side.
"The more the merrier," Damien shouted stabbing through a genlock's eyes and kicking it away.
"Don't sound too excited," Carver shouted joining the circle between Lyna and Brax.
The five sliced, stabbed, and cleaved their way through enemy after enemy, but the beasts just kept coming. No matter how many they killed, the darkspawn would not let up. Damien had to wonder how long they had been there. Minutes… hours… he didn't dare to look up to see if the stars were out yet, keeping his focus solely on the battle.
"Damien, take those three and the mabari to the right flank! The line is faltering!" Duncan shouted from the king's side. Damien looked back just long enough to confirm where the order came from before nodding. Duncan and the king were higher up the incline and could see the battle better. He had to trust their judgement.
"On me!" Damien roared to those around him.
"We're with you!" Lillian answered as the five ran through the bloody slush toward the right side of the battle.
When they arrived, Damien could see why the line needed help. There was a small path leading up to the camp where the chantry sisters were still tending to the wounded from the earlier battles. Mages were defending it to the best of their abilities but they would not hold for long.
"To the base of the cliff face. Hold that path, whatever it takes," Damien ordered. No one questioned it. They knew what needed to be done just as much as he did.
The militia men could not hold and the wardens were too few to turn the tide on the right. Damien could see plain as day that without reinforcements, the right flank would collapse. If that happened, the darkspawn would surge up the path, decimate the camp above, and flank the entire army from behind. They had to hold. There was no other option. The right had to hold.
"Carver, Lillian, rally what men you can and fortify the line. Keep the darkspawn from using that path. Lyna, take charge of the mages and archers on higher ground. Rain hell down on these blighters. I'll take any warden I can find and buy you time to prepare. Now move!" Damien ordered. He surprised himself at how calm he sounded giving out orders. It felt almost natural.
No, he didn't have time to think about that. He shook his head and spun his blades around him. "Wardens! On me!" Damien roared. He was not sure if the men would listen to him but he had to try. He charged forward, slicing straight through a hurlock's armor. Ripping the blades free, he ducked a blow meant for his head from a battle axe and drop the point of his right blade up under the chin and through the skull of his attacker. Drawing his blade from the creatures skull, Damien noticed a few wardens at his side with their blades drawn and ready helping him to hold the line.
"Hawke, push forward. Lyna, keep up the pressure. Wardens, let's make them regret coming to the surface!" Damien's order was answered by a roar of approval from the men on the right as they pushed the enemy back.
As they fought, Damien noticed the left flank was holding strong and the center was pushing with them. He glanced up only for a moment looking for the signal in the Tower of Ishaal. Nothing. What were they waiting on?
As he lobbed the head off of a genlock, his mind whispered a horrible thought in his ear. What if the darkspawn had taken the tower before they could get to the signal? Could the darkspawn have made it around their sentries somehow? How would they know to attack the tower if they did?
As if the Maker himself answered his questions, the signal flare erupted into the sky. Damien smirked as he slashed through another hurlock. Soon Teyrn Loghain would be joining the battle and they would end this battle with a decisive victory.
"Hold the line! Reinforcements will be here soon!" Damien roared. The entire right flank roared their approval as they dug their heels into the bloody mud and fought like wild men.
The handles of Damien's daggers dripped with the blood of the felled darkspawn as they rubbed blisters across his palms. He sent up a silent prayer to the Maker or Andraste, whomever's ear he happened to catch, begging them to aid them just long enough for Teyrn Loghain to charge. Damien started counting in his head. It should not take more than a few minutes for the teyrn's forces to enter the battle.
Damien brought both blades down on a genlock and kicked it back into one of its kin as a warden mage next to him spun his staff and froze a hurlock solid. The breast shattered to pieces the second Damien's blade tip cracked its surface. Damien took but a moment to look up the hill to where the teyrn's attack would be coming from, but he saw nothing. Not even the light of the torches against the sky.
"Hold the line!" Damien ordered once more before stepping back. He turned and waved for Lyna to come down. He needed to stay with the frontlines. The men fighting with him were rallying around him. If he left to see what was taking the reinforcements, the right flank might not hold.
Lyna slid down to the muddy embankment to the ground. Mere feet from the bottom, she launched an arrow into a hurlock's eye, before tucking her head and rolling gracefully into a jog, meeting Damien behind the front line. Damien had to admit, he had never seen anything like it. The skill was undeniable. "What's going on?" Lyna asked keeping her eyes on the relentless foes.
"I want you to see if you can get a view of Teyrn Loghain's position. He should have charged. If he's engaged, then we'll have to withdraw. If not, then I don't know what's keeping him," Damien said looking up at the Tower of Ishaal as the signal continued to burn brightly.
"Got it. Just don't win the battle until I get back," Lyna shouted sprinting for the path leading up to the camp.
"No promises!" Damien shouted back before returning to the line. As his blades danced in front of him, spilling the tainted black blood of his enemy, his mind only seemed to go back to counting. Four minutes… five… seven… He told himself that if he reached the double digits and Loghain had not come… no, he had to. Without the teyrn's force flanking the darkspawn. The wardens and the king's forces would be completely wiped out. He had to come. He just had to.
"Damien!" The panicked scream dropped his heart down into his stomach as he stepped back from the line once more. Lyna slid to a stop panting and looking up at him with terrified and confused eyes. She didn't have to say anything. Damien knew. He had not wanted to admit it, but he knew the moment after he sent Lyna.
"They're not coming. Were they attacked?" Damien asked looking over his shoulder at the line. It was holding but only for a moment longer.
"They left us, Damien. I saw them marching away," Lyna wheezed. The terror soaked her voice like the rain beating down on their heads. Damien couldn't help but feel the fear and panic twisting and slithering its way up into his mind.
He couldn't let this happen. Not again. First, Lockey, Griggs, and Heness, then Daveth and Jory. No… he was not losing any more friends. The Wardens had to survive and by Andraste's dimpled ass cheeks, he was going to save them.
"Pull everyone back to the path, then get up to the camp and tell all the non-combatants to run. No time to pack, just run. They have to try and make it to Lothering. I'll find Duncan. Go now," Damien said. He could hear the fear causing his voice to tremble. He had to be strong, but he had nothing left. All he could do was save as many Wardens as he could, and the king, if possible.
Damien sprinted through the battlefield leaping over corpses and wounded alike, using his magic to carry him over longer jumps and to dodge enemy attacks. He spotted the King and Duncan fighting side by side, but the moment he turned in their direction, an arrow grazed his cheek and sent him toppling into the puddles of rain and blood. He wiped his cheek trying to check the wound, but it didn't seem too bad, but as he tried to regain his feet he froze. On the ground in front of him, a Warden stared blankly at him as blood covered everything but the whites of his eyes leaving the man's hazel eyes in a sea of white staring at him.
"Damien!" he heard a voice like a distant memory ringing in his ear as a hand closed on his shoulder. He spun around drawing his blade, ready to defend himself, but he stopped seeing Duncan pulling him back to his feet.
"Duncan, I thought you were… I mean… I don't…" Damien stammered.
"Focus. Look at me, what's going on?" Duncan said. Damien wet his lips and took a quick breath.
"Loghain's not coming. Lyna saw him marching his men away from the battle. He left us to die," Damien reported looking around the field.
"Get everyone you can and guard that path on the right. Evacuate the camp and make a run for Lothering. I'll tell the king and we'll withdraw," Duncan ordered patting Damien on the shoulder. Damien nodded and sprinted back toward the right. He was glad he had made the same call.
000
The rain and thunder continued to pelt the battlefield and the darkspawn pushed through the lines of wardens and soldiers. Damien watched in horror from the path the darkspawn surged through like a flood through a broken dam.
He could see the king and Duncan still fighting in the center with a dwindling number of troops around them. The main force would not last much longer. He could see several soldiers fleeing for their lives through the back ranks already. Above him, crossing the bridge in panicked droves, the chantry sisters, carts of wounded soldiers, and many more terrified people hastened toward the Imperial Highway hoping to get to safety.
"Damien, we're running out of time," Lillian shouted as they backed their way up the path still trying to keep the darkspawn from breaking through.
"At the top, we hold for as long as we can. We have to give the camp time to be evacuated," Damien ordered. Brax barked at his side obviously wanting to get back in the fight. "Easy boy," Damien said patting the war dog. "Easy."
Damien watched the movements of those around him, but could not help looking back to the field below. But in that moment, he wished he hadn't. He could see King Cailan dead on the ground drenched in blood with Duncan on his knees next to him holding his side. Not but a second later, an alpha hurlock charged the commander and cut him down.
Damien couldn't believe his eyes. His voice caught in his throat denying him the exclamation he wanted. His feet moved on their own with the wall of men in front of him as they continued their slow retreat.
"Damien, what's wrong?" The question smacked him in the ear as he realized tears had begun to descend down his cheeks. How could he tell the people around him what he just saw? The King and the Commander of the Grey were dead. These men were barely hanging on as it was.
"Nothing, keep moving," Damien ordered.
The group finally made it to the top of the hill embankment. Damien grabbed a mage and pulled them forward.
"Freeze the ground, set it on fire, just slow them down," Damien demanded. The mage looked so scared, Damien actually felt sorry for the man. "Listen, we are all that is standing between the darkspawn and our wounded comrades. We have to give them time to evacuate."
He knew this decision would cost several of his companions their lives, but that couldn't be helped. All he could do was save everyone possible, then escape himself. He took a slow breath and looked back at the bridge.
"Lyna, find some of the catapult combustion rounds they were using at the start of the battle. Once the last non-combatant is across the bridge, we'll blow it up," Damien said.
"Wait, what about us?" a soldier asked. Damien could see the worry in the man's face.
"Once the bridge is destroyed, we'll head into the Wilds, head west, then turn north to avoid the horde," Damien answered.
"You think we can survive the Wilds?" Carver asked, keeping his eyes on the path as the mage covered the narrow path in thick, smooth ice.
"If we can survive this battle, we can do anything," Damien answered. The soldiers around him lifted their heads with renewed spirit. They may not have been completely inspired, but they understood what needed to be done and they had a glimmer of hope that they might make it home. All he could do was keep that hope alive and keep fighting.