This will be the last post for this year. Sorry, but time with the family has to take priority. Don't worry. First Friday of the new year I'll post the next chapter. Hope everyone is enjoying the story. Big thanks to everyone for your reviews and comments. Hearing from you guys always brightens my day. Again, big thanks to my wife for all her help and another thanks to my beta for putting up with all my errors. Enjoy!
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Damien watched as the Hawkes headed toward the highway with their small cart and mule. He had offered to buy them a larger wagon with an ox or a horse, but Leandra had told him to save their money since they would not be taking the mule and cart with them to Kirkwall.
As the Wardens watched their hosts leave, Damien could hear Bethany's words still echoing in his ear, soft and kind. I'm looking forward to your letters. Be sure to tell me how to get in touch with you too. He smiled as he saw her turn to look back at him and wave. Damien waved back before turning to their cart.
"So, Ostagar?" Lyna asked as Damien checked the wheels on the wagon for any weaknesses.
"I think so. We'll be moving out within the hour," Damien said pulling his hood up over his head and tying a cloak around his neck.
Lyna stepped up to the horse and stroked its nose gently. Damien could see a longing for her home in her eyes. Unlike him, she came from a place that was close knit and supported each other. He could not even imagine the feelings of loss and loneliness that the young elf was feeling. After all, she could not have been older than 19 years at the most.
"Can you tell me about you home? Your clan?" Damien asked. He hoped that getting her talking about her family would help her and settle her heart.
"Was it that obvious that I was thinking of my clan?" Lyna asked continuing to stroke the horse's soft face.
"It just looked like you were missing home," Damien responded leaning against the wagon.
"I'm just worried about them. They told me they were headed north right after I left so I'm sure they are safe, but I would love to hear from them, or see them again," Lyna said touching her forehead to the horse's. The horse nickered rubbed his face on hers coercing a smile from her.
"Once the Blight is beaten, and Fereldan is safe from the darkspawn, we'll go find them. I promise," Damien said. Lyna looked up at him.
"Are you sure? I mean, you shouldn't promise something like that," Lyna protested taking a step toward him.
"Why not? I don't plan on staying in Fereldan after the Darkspawn threat is over. I'll leave that to the Warden reinforcements when they arrive. I want to see the rest of Thedas. Finding your clan and meeting them I think would be a great adventure. Or at least less life threatening than our current predicament," Damien explained laughing to himself.
"But aren't you going to be the new Warden Commander?" Lyna asked.
Damien took a step back. "What are you talking about? Just because I took command of the flank in the battle doesn't mean I'm a leader," Damien protested raising his hands.
"I don't know. I'd follow you," Alyssa stated stepping out from the other side of the wagon. She had apparently been listening to the whole conversation. Alistair stepped out as well with his arms crossed. He had a rather sheepish look on his face.
"To be perfectly honest, I'd rather you took charge too. I might be the senior Warden of our group, but I don't have any idea of what to do," Alistair confessed.
"And you think I do?" Damien exclaimed. "I've been a Warden for less than two weeks. I don't even understand why we are needed other than being able to survive the taint."
"We trust you with our lives. You protected everyone in the Wilds before the Joining, took command in the battle, and added more allies to our cause since we arrived here. Whether you want to be or not, we all see you as our leader," Alyssa snapped.
"It's true. We trust you and so did Lillian and Carver. As of right now, I say we vote on who the new Commander of the Grey is," Lyna said leaning against the wagon.
"I don't think we really have to vote," Alyssa stated looking over at Alistair.
"It's obviously going to be Damien. So, what are your orders, Commander?" Alistair asked saluting with his fist over his heart.
Damien pinched the bridge of his nose before sighing and looking around at his companions. "If this is what all of you think is best, then fine," He said turning back to Lyna. "But when the threat is over, I'm still keeping my promise. I don't want to stay in Fereldan forever. There are so many adventures to have that won't end in death and I want to have a few under my belt when the Calling comes," Damien said.
"The Calling?" Alyssa asked. Damien looked over at the girl. True, Duncan had not mentioned anything to them as a group but he had heard some of the Wardens in cam p talking about it.
"The Calling is the sign that a Warden's life is coming to an end," Damien said scratching his head through his hood.
"What?" Alyssa exclaimed taking a step forward.
"Where'd you hear about that?" Lyna asked.
"I heard a few older Wardens talking about it in camp. Apparently once the Joining is complete, a warden only has maybe thirty years left to live. We've mastered the taint but it is still poisoning us. Once a Warden hears their Calling, they can either go to the Deep Roads to die in battle or they turn into a ghoul," Damien explained.
"He's right," Alistair added. Everyone turned to face him. Damien was actually happy to have the attention off of him again.
"You knew about all this and didn't tell any of us?" Lyna exclaimed.
"I assumed Duncan would tell you," Alistair responded.
"Enough!" Damien snapped. "I'm sure Duncan planned to tell us everything after the battle, but he didn't. Deal with it! All three of you decided that I was the next Commander so here are my orders. This matter is closed. Gather everyone up and let's move out," Damien ordered, turning and climbing up into the driver's seat. He just wanted this useless argument to end. They needed to move or they would not reach Ostagar before dark.
"Yes Commander," Lyna responded. Damien was slightly surprised by the genuine respect he heard in her voice.
"Go round up everyone else. I want Lyna and Morrigan on point. Morrigan to lead us and Lyna to cover her. Sten and Alistair are rear guard with Alyssa and Brax on the right flank, Leliana on the left. I'll drive the wagon for now," Damien said taking hold of the horse's reins. They needed to get moving. His blood warned him of the darkness constantly growing stronger in the south.
000
Damien stopped the wagon in a small clearing a few miles from Ostagar. The horse needed the rest and if they came any closer, the darkspawn might notice them. He certainly was feeling the taint of the massive horde and he knew the others were too.
"Sten, Leliana, and Brax will stay and guard the wagon. Morrigan, myself and the others will continue on to the ruins," Damien said climbing down from the driver's seat.
"Why can't we come with you?" Leliana asked.
"We need people who don't have the taint to stay with the wagon. Hopefully, any war bands near here will sense me and follow instead of coming after you and the wagon," Damien explained. "Sten, you're a soldier. You know the value of defending your supply lines."
Damien knew he was assuming but he could see the war hardened spirit of a soldier in the qunari's eyes. He had seen that look in the eyes of many soldiers and Wardens at Ostagar.
Sten nodded, his face still emotionless and cold as stone. Damien was right. The qunari was a soldier… but then why would he have killed that family? He'd have to ask about that later.
"I suppose that makes sense, but you did bring us with you to help, right?" Leliana asked.
"Of course, and that's what you're doing by taking care of our supplies and making sure we have a camp to return to," Damien responded.
"We're ready when you are commander," Lyna said removing her cloak. Damien nodded. Lyna was use to hunting and moving without sound through the woods. That would certainly help them get to Ostagar undetected.
"Here, these might help," Leliana said handing Damien a small flat pouch. Opening the flap on the front, he found ten well-crafted and sharp throwing knives. A truly valuable set, but how did she know if he could throw them? Most of his practice with throwing blades was with a heavy knife at prey in the woods; hardly good enough training to be able to effectively use the throwing knives. Although… he could use his magic to guide and boost the knives speed. Maybe they would come in handy.
"Thanks. Keep an eye out. Brax will be able to smell any Darkspawn approaching before they get here. We should be back in a few hours," Damien said strapping the throwing knives to his lower back. Leliana tightened the straps for him and gave him an encouraging pat on the back.
Damien nodded and lifted his scarf up over his nose and mouth and pulled his hood a little lower. "Alright, let's get moving," Damien said waving everyone on. "Morrigan, take point. You know these woods. Lyna, keep to the left flank. Alyssa and Alistair will defend Morrigan if we are engaged. I'll take the right flank. Stay within shouting distance."
As the group moved through the trees and brush, Damien kept a close eye on his comrades. It was difficult moving through the trees with little or no sound, but keeping an eye on the others was more important. He made sure to keep his ears open and a close monitor on the taint in his blood. He knew if he got too distracted by what he could see and hear, he might miss something and that could be fatal.
After an hour, they arrived at the outskirts of the ruined camp. Damien and Lyna rejoined the group as they hid in the brush. Damien could see several small groups of darkspawn moving through what remained of the destroyed tents and shelters.
"This seems to be a delicate situation," Morrigan whispered pointing to several other darkspawn that looked to be fighting among each other.
"I'm okay with them fighting each other. As long as they don't notice us, we'll be good," Damien responded drawing one of his daggers.
"What's the plan?" Lyna asked.
"I think our best chance is to sneak in, grab the treaties, and sneak out before the Blighters even know we're here. So, you and me Lyna. Up for it?" Damien asked. The elf smiled deviously and drew an arrow from her quiver.
"Absolutely," she responded.
"So what are we supposed to do? Knit a lovely hat for when you return?" Alistair asked.
"Stay hidden. I doubt getting out will be as easy as getting in. We'll need you three to cover us when we come back," Damien said keeping his eyes on the scene of devastation before him.
"Are you two sure you'll make it to the treaties without being seen?" Alyssa asked.
"If anything does see us, Lyna will put an arrow in its eye," Damien said smirking back at the girl. Lyna smiled and pat Alyssa on the shoulder.
"Don't worry Alyssa, we'll be back before you know it," Lyna said smiling.
Damien nodded and slipped into the camp with Lyna right behind him. He made sure to run only on the balls of his feet. His eyes kept a close watch on the area in front of him to ensure he did not step on anything that would give him away. With the dagger in his right hand, he pulled a throwing blade from the pack.
"See something?" Lyna asked keeping pace with him just as silently. She was certainly a deadly hunter. Damien felt more comfortable having her with him than trying to do this mission alone. As vigilant as he was, it was possible for him to miss something.
"Small group up ahead. I'll charge. You take the two on the right. I'll take the three on the left," Damien said taking a slow breath.
"Got it," Lyna answered.
Damien nodded and used his magic to charge forward and hurled his throwing knife at the genlock on the far left. He used his magic to keep the blade flying straight until if buried itself deep in the genlock's head. As he moved, an arrow whizzed past his head and ripped into the hurlock on the far right. When he was only two steps short of the group, a second arrow put a third darkspawn down silently. Drawing his second blade, he spun and separated the last two darkspawns' heads from their shoulder. The whole attack was over with hardly any sound in less than three seconds.
"Well, that was fun," Damien said pulling his throwing knife from his first victim's head. Wiping his blades off quickly, he waved for Lyna to follow him again.
They made it to what remained of the King's tent where a large chest sat in the middle partially covered by the charred tarp that once stood tall. Damien sighed and knelt in front of the chest to examine the lock. He had picked his fair share of bolt locks, pad locks, and puzzle locks before but this one was a piece of work. It would take him at least thirty minutes to do it right. Although, it appeared that the hinges had been damaged. It would be loud, but he could break them and take everything. He could sort everything out later.
"Cover me, this is going to be a little noisy," Damien said drawing one of his daggers. Lyna notched an arrow and stood at Damien's back. He knew she would not let anything sneak up on them and if they got into trouble, he would shout for Morrigan, Alistair, and Alyssa. They could be at his side in less than a minute.
Damien dug the tip of his dagger into the wood around the hinges and dug down before prying the metal pieces up. From his experience as a thief, he always wanted to leave the least amount of proof that he had been there, but this was different. It didn't matter if the darkspawn found out later that he had been there. All that mattered was recovering the treaties. With a loud snap and a groan, the first hinge gave and broke away from the chest. Without any delay, Damien set to work on the next one. He could feel the darkspawn coming closer. The sound must have alerted them.
"Can you feel that?" Lyna asked from behind him.
"Yes, we've got a lot of darkspawn closing in," Damien said continuing with his work on the hinge. "A couple more seconds and I'll be done." The second hinge breaking was much louder than the first and his blood screamed in his veins, sending cold shivers through his whole body. The darkspawn were on the attack and headed for them.
He threw open the lid and picked up everything in the chest. Papers, two boxes, and to Damien's surprise, a beautiful long sword with runes engraved in the blade and hilt. He could feel the power coming from the blade. It was strong and pure magic, a major difference from the darkspawn. He wondered if it would have a larger affect against the darkspawn than against other beings. But he was not sure. He'd ask Morrigan about it when he could.
"We have to go, Damien," Lyna said as Damien tucked the chest's contents under each arm and stood.
"Let's move," he ordered taking off. He knew he could run with the objects under his arms, but he had to be careful not to leave Lyna in the dust. But as they approached where the others were, Damien could see them fighting a group of darkspawn.
"Damned blighters found them," Damien cursed. He leapt up and used his magic to throw his feet into the back of one of the darkspawn before flipping back and landing gently. With his arms occupied, he would have to rely on his team to do the fighting.
"So, how was your day?" Alistair joked as he killed the spawn Damien had knocked down.
"Oh, you know, breaking in to things, recovering papers, running from darkspawn, the usual," Damien responded kicking a genlock back allowing Alistair to finish it off.
"Our way back is cut off," Morrigan reported pointing to the woods where three hurlocks were approaching. Damien could sense several more in the trees beside those appearing before them.
"The path down to the battle field. We'll head down there and escape into the trees," Damien said glancing over at the embankment where they had made their last stand only a few days earlier.
"And if they have archers on the bridge?" Lyna asked using her bow like a club and smashing a hurlock's face in.
"Morrigan and you can cover us while Alyssa and Alistair use their shields to defend you two," Damien responded knocking a genlock to the ground before crushing the beast's throat with his knee. "Move!"
The group sprinted for the embankment with Alistair using his shield to clear them a path. Damien was starting to feel heavier as he kept moving. His magic must not have completely recovered yet. If he kept using it, it might cause him to collapse.
"Use the slope and slide down. It's faster!" Damien shouted as he slid down the embankment feet first. He'd figure out what to do once they were on the field below if there was anything that needed to change.
"No, my sword!" Alistair shouted. Damien turned just in time to see the blade tumbling over the side of the path as Alistair tried to catch it. Damien looked down at the rune engraved blade under his arm. Something about the weapon told him it was meant for Alistair, but could that really be true? If so, then why?
Damien stopped himself at the bottom of the path and leapt out of the way allowing the others to arrive without a pile up. Damien immediately jumped to Alistair's.
"Take the sword. It's powerful and really strong," Damien said turning so Alistair could see the hilt. For a moment, it looked like Alistair was hesitant to even look at the blade, let alone take it up. "Take it!" Damien ordered.
"Right!" Alistair said grasping the grip and pulling out from under Damien's arm. Damien smiled and nodded. Maybe now he could see just what the blade was capable of.
Yet, as he turned to head toward the woods, he spotted an ogre dead in the field with two blades sticking out of its chest. The color of the blades and the pattern on the hilts screamed one thing from his memory, one name; Duncan. Those were Duncan's blades. He must have killed the ogre before dying.
"Alyssa, Morrigan, take these and head for the tree now. Lyna, cover me, Alistair, protect Lyna," Damien barked as he handed the papers and boxes to the girls and sprinted for the ogre's corpse. He knew he was being stupidly sentimental but he knew that the others would understand his desire to have their old commander's blades with them. It would be like having a piece of him with them. He used what little magic he had left to help him rip the blades out of the corpse quickly before heading toward the trees as well.
"Fall back! Morrigan, set as much of that field on fire as you can. Block them from coming after us," Damien shouted again.
"Tis easy enough," Morrigan answered waving her hand causing a wall of fire to erupt from the ground separating the group from their pursuers. "Why risk your life for such trinkets? They are merely weapons."
"No, they're not," Damien answered briefly. He doubted Morrigan would ever understand what it meant to truly respect someone and miss them with every fiber of her being. He hoped that someday she might.
Damien kept them moving toward their temporary camp. They would make it back before sunset and could be back in Lothering by midnight, and they could finally leave the nightmare of Ostagar behind them. They needed to look to the future and the challenges that awaited them.