I'm back, and so is the rest of the gang. Sorry for the little holiday break, but family is important, just ask a Cousland (too soon?). Anyway, big thanks to everyone for your reviews and pms. It is awesome getting to hear from everyone. Big thanks to my wife for keeping me writing to meet my deadline and my beta for working fast to help out. Enjoy!
00000000000
The wagon rumbled into Lothering. Damien relaxed in the back using the tent rolls for a mattress. Lyna sat on the back gate letting her feet dangle and keeping an eye on the road. Alistair drove the wagon with Leliana next to him in the seat while Sten walked next to the cart. Alyssa and Morrigan both sat further in the wagon on some of their boxes of supplies.
"Those weapons… you said they were not just weapons," Morrigan said pointing to the long sword and dagger laying next to Damien.
Damien's hand fell to them as he picked up the dagger and raised it up over his head. "These were Duncan's. The late Commander of the Grey. The man that brought us all together," Damien answered pressing his forehead to the flat of the blade.
"I see. I can understand that I suppose," Morrigan replied. She seemed more irritated by the answer then placated but maybe that was just the way she was.
Damien sighed and lay back, closing his eyes and trying to rest. With the dragon constantly haunting his dreams, Damien found that short snoozing actually made him feel slightly more rested.
"So, what's the plan?" Lyna asked.
"I know you can feel it. The plan is to evacuate Lothering as fast as possible. Then we are headed for Denerim. I've got a friend there that can help us. If his life is still the same as it was a while ago, he'll jump at the chance to come with us," Damien answered without opening his eyes.
"Why's that?" Alyssa asked.
"Because he's a thief like me and a damned good fighter. He could probably kick my arse," Damien admitted.
"Are you kidding? You could take everyone of us," Alyssa said crossing her arms.
"Maybe one at a time with time to rest in between, but I need to be a lot better if I'm going to measure up. Duncan took down an ogre alone. I tried and nearly got killed and the damn thing survived. We need all the help we can get as well as time and a place to train," Damien said.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Alistair said from the driver seat.
"Leliana, the revered mother trusts you, so if you will go to her and tell her what's going on, that should get the evacuation started. Sten, Alistair and I will help build barricades on the road to slow the darkspawn down. Lyna, Alyssa, and Morrigan help direct refugees onto the highway and keep them moving," Damien said hoping out of the wagon as they pulled up in front of the Chantry.
"I'll join you on the highway soon," Leliana said jumping down and jogging toward the chantry.
Damien nodded and waved for Sten and Alistair to follow him. As long as the overturned wagons and carts that the bandits had used were still there, they could build traps to slow the darkspawn down. Although, no matter how much they managed to slow the horde down, there would be people left behind. He had a hard time justifying his actions of try to save the villagers. Many of them would die no matter what he did and many had already evacuated. But still, he had to do something.
The trio started moving the debris of the bandits' crimes and building the best barricade they could. They positioned pointed staves along the edge of the highway and erected palisades as a first line of defense.
"Are you the Warden?" a templar asked approaching with a small squad of men. Damien turned to face them and put a hand on Alistair to keep him from stepping forward. Only the Hawkes and members of his party knew that more than one Warden survived and he wanted to keep it that way for now.
"That's right, Warden Damien," the youth answered offering a salute with his fist over his heart.
"We're here to help defend the village. What do you need from us?" the templar responded. Damien smiled. Even though he was branded a traitor, these men knew he was in the right at least in this situation, either that or they were looking out for themselves and they didn't give a damn who lead them. But, he liked the first thought better.
"Any traps you can put together. We need to cover the highway in them," Damien said breaking a few bottles and placing the glass with the shards pointed up. It wasn't much but it was something.
As they worked, more and more people joined them until they had nearly a mile of traps and a sturdy barricade against the darkspawn. Damien and Alistair looked at each other as their blood told them both the same thing. The darkspawn were coming and they weren't too far away.
"Are the civilians evacuated?" Damien asked one of the Templars.
"Not all of them. There are some that are refusing to leave," the man responded.
"Idiot Blighters!" Damien cursed slamming his fist into a column of the highway archway. "What are they thinking? This barricade won't hold for long and we are leaving too. Go tell them that and get them moving."
Damien signaled for everyone to fall back and made their way down to ramp and back through the village. Alyssa, Lyna, and Morrigan met them with the wagon on the far of the village and immediately headed out. The sun had nearly set below the western hills as Damien looked back as the dust and smoke of the approaching horde could be seen in the dimming light.
000
The night sky shimmered with stars as Damien kept watch over the path. Their party had made camp at the base of a cliff a little way off the road. It was not a well-hidden camp site but it was secure; only one way in or out making it easier to defend.
"I brought you some food," Leliana said coming and sitting down next to him.
"I appreciate it." Damien accepted the food, leaning back against a tree. He could hear everyone talking back in camp, but he tried to tune them out and keep his mind on the road and the taint in his blood.
"You are different from everyone else here, aren't you?" Leliana said as Damien ate.
"What do you mean?"
"You are comfortable on the road. You must have traveled a great deal in your life," Leliana explained. Damien sighed and took another bite of his food.
"Yes, I did. I'm sure you've seen a lot too," Damien said still keeping his eyes on the road.
"I have. I traveled as a minstrel in Orlais," Leliana replied.
Damien turned to her raising an eyebrow. He had heard stories about minstrels in Orlais being spies and assassins and that would certainly explain the Chantry sister's skill with a blade, but then what was she doing in Fereldan?
"So, how did someone like you end up here?" Damien asked.
"What do you mean someone like me?" she responded. Damien smirked and leaned his head back against his tree. How was he going to put this? He needed more information about this young woman if he was going to trust her to have his back in combat. Maybe flattery would help get her to talk.
"You know, beautiful girl with the ability to fight. Never thought we'd find someone like you in a chantry," Damien replied. His cheeks started to turn a little red. He had not spoken like that to a girl in a long time. It felt weird.
"And there are never any beautiful women in the cloister? Many of my fellow sisters were quite beautiful. Forbidden fruit is all the sweeter, no?" Leliana responded. Damien bit the inside of his cheek. She avoided the question so well, he almost didn't catch the redirect. She was very good.
"We all have secrets, Leliana. Don't be so guarded with yours. It hard to trust you," Damien stated frankly. The statement appeared to stun Leliana as Damien finished his food and handed her the bowl back.
"How does someone earn your trust?" Leliana asked, accepting the bowl.
"That's up to you, but I know you have a dangerous secret," Damien answered.
"What makes you think that?" Leliana asked. Damien could hear the nervousness in her voice. Her fear had cracked the hard, cheerful shell she kept around her.
"Someone with your fighting skill doesn't hide in a chantry on a whim. That's a sanctuary from whatever storm is chasing you. I know because I've been there too," Damien responded standing slowly. He could see a wagon pulling on to the trail. He could not make out who it was but they did not look like much of a threat.
"What is it?" Leliana asked.
"Stay here and keep watch until I get back," Damien said before slipping into the trees. He moved with hardly any sound as he used fallen trees and boulders to run on, keeping away from the leaves and limbs on the ground that would have announced his presence.
When he reached the path, Damien could see the wagon and the two people in the seat. He smiled and stepped out with his hand raised. The horse and wagon stopped quickly allowing Damien to catch the horse's reins.
"Don't you know not to approach a camp in the dark of night?" Damien said stroking the horse's nose. "What are you doing here Bodahn?" Damien asked.
The dwarf let out a hardy laugh. "I just happened to pass by and saw your fire, figured we could join up with you. Safety in numbers, right?"
Damien smiled. He liked the man. He might be a merchant, but the dwarf had character. "Alright, I don't see a problem with that," Damien said smiling.
"Excellent, and as a thank you, I'll give you a discount on my wears," Bodahn said smiling broadly.
"Works for me," Damien replied waving for the wagon to follow him into the camp.
000
Damien started awake. The dragon had not been the cause this time, but an old memory that had surfaced. The dungeon with the chains and the chilling cold bite of the winter air had slinked back into his thoughts. His wrists still bore the scars from the cold irons around them. He rubbed them absent mindedly in his sleeping roll.
"Nightmares again?" Alistair asked from outside. Damien didn't know how to answer. Could they still have regular nightmares even with the taint in their blood? Surely, they could. Maybe they could even have normal dreams too.
"Yeah, I guess," Damien groaned as he sat up in bed. He adjusted his scarf up over his nose and pulled his hood up over his head. He slowly stood, slipped on his armor, and stepped out of his tent trying his best to not fall over or show the fear from his dream that held his spine in an icy grip.
Everyone looked to be awake already and gathered around the fire for some breakfast. The sun had not breached the horizon yet, but the brilliant orange light had already started to paint over the night sky. Lyna looked like she had just come off of her turn on watch since she could barely keep her eyes open and Sten was absent from the group completely. He must have been on watch.
"That's strange because for the first time since the joining, I didn't dream about that," Alyssa said as she tied her hair up in a ponytail.
The group turned to look at Damien as he rubbed the back of his neck, instinctively pulling the scarf a little higher. He didn't like being the center of attention. It made him nervous, like everyone was waiting to catch him doing something he was not supposed to do, then back to those chilling chains and dank dungeons.
"Must have been in a deeper sleep," Damien replied. It was the only believable thing he could think of. He just couldn't tell them about that experience. They would never look at him like an equal again. All they would see was a damaged and scared little boy with scars rather than a Warden. Of course, he was not quite sure if he saw himself as a Warden yet. He still felt like the thief that broke into the kitchen rather than the new Warden Commander.
"Must have been," Alistair responded handing Damien some bread and apple butter.
"Thanks," Damien replied accepting the food and heading up toward the lookout post. He simply couldn't be around the group while he was feeling like this with those cold irons still jingling in his ears like the bells of the Fade.
As he reached the top of the small hill, he found Sten standing with his sword on his shoulder. His armor did not fit him quite right, but the qunari looked to be very relieved to be wearing something other than cloth. The sword showed obvious signs of battle. Knicks and scratches marred the blade and hilt from tip to grip. Damien wanted to replace it with a better weapon as soon as possible.
"Go get some breakfast, big guy. I'll take over for now. Let the others know when you get back to break camp and be ready to move out as quickly as possible," Damien said patting the warrior on the shoulder and leaning back against the tree.
"That is unnecessary. I am able to continue my watch," Sten responded.
"Consider it an order then. Get something to eat and inform the others that we are to break camp immediately. The sun will be up soon and I want to move out before it's too high," Damien said planting himself on the hill and gluing his eyes to the road.
"Of course," Sten responded.
The tone made Damien sigh. Sten could not have been more irritated if he tried. He must not have had very much confidence in Damien's abilities as a Warden. But, come to think of it, neither did Damien.
Damien started thinking about everything that had happened to him in the past couple weeks as he munched on his breakfast. How did he go from being a stealthy thief to the Warden Commander of the Grey? He used to hide his face and work in the shadows to get what he needed, but now he had revealed not only what he looked like to Loghain's troops and threatened the Teryn, but had assumed the leadership role in a band of misfits and fugitives.
Finishing off his breakfast, Damien touched the pendant under his tunic. If I have to be out in front to keep everyone else safe, then so be it. I won't let anyone else I care about die. Heness, Lockey, Griggs, Daveth, Duncan, I promise you all; I won't repeat the same mistakes I made with you. If he had to, he would remain in full view for the enemy to see and know. It would keep the other Wardens safe even if it painted a target on his back. He had confidence in his own abilities to evade pursuers but he knew most of his new comrades did not.
Of course, promising not to let anyone else die was an empty promise since he had not done much to prove himself to the group. The fact that they were willing to follow him right now had nothing to do with his ability as a leader and everything to do with his ability as a fighter. True, he could think rationally in combat but was that enough? Could he really be in command? He had always done what needed to be done on his own or with very little help. He never had to rely on anyone before joining the Wardens. Now, without help, Fereldan was doomed under the shadow of the Blight, held down by the idiotic decisions of a once great hero.
Damien sighed. Front and center it is then. If it keeps everyone else safe, then I'll be the diversion. But once this mess is done, I'll turn everything over and be on my merry way, Damien told himself. He stood and wiped the crumbs off his armor and looked back at the camp. Steam rose from the fire pit as Alistair doused the flames. Everyone else broke down their tents and loaded them into the wagon quickly.
Looking back to the road, Damien adjusted his daggers on his back and the pack of throwing knives below them. He pulled the scarf up over his nose and slid down the slope to the path below.
"Everyone loaded up?" Damien shouted.
"All set!" Alyssa shouted back. Damien looked around the group as Alistair and Lyna climbed up into the driver's seat of the wagon. Morrigan was sitting on the back step of Bodahn's cart while Leliana, Sten, and Alyssa had apparently decided to walk, at least for now. Unexpected from the two girls to say the least, but completely expected form the stoic Sten.
"Move out!" Damien ordered. He would protect them, even if he had to die to do it. As long as he lived, no more of his friends would die.