Welcome back everyone! I am trying to keep these chapters coming every week, but work has picked up a bit more thanks to the new year and several people leaving. (84 hour work weeks suck... but pay is nice so can't complain too much) Anyway, I am still going to try and post every week, but sorry if I miss one every now and then. Big thanks to my beta for keeping pace with me and helping to push the story forward. Also, huge thanks to my wife for threatening to kick my butt if I didn't meet my deadline. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter!
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Damien watched the girl tell her friends and family good-bye as he sat on a root of the tree in the central square. He could hear several of the residents trying to convince Kallian to not go with them. She had nearly fallen over herself to agree to come with them. Damien could only assume she was running away from something.
Lyna had perched herself behind him on the next root over as she rubbed down her bow with some fresh oil to keep the bow in good shape.
Damien turned his back to the constant glances from the elves and faced Lyna. "I feel like I'm back in the woods with wolves all around," Damien said lifting his scarf up over his nose and mouth again.
"I know what you mean. I'm an elf and I don't feel comfortable here either," Lyna stated as she finished wiping down her bow.
"Actually, they all respect you. As a Dalish elf, you are part of their culture and one of them. Me, I'm just an interloping human that's taking one of their kin away," Damien responded.
"You're more than that. You're the Commander of the Grey," Lyna snapped.
"Don't remind me," Damien responded pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Still denying what everyone knows is the best fit for you," Lyna teased tossing her polishing rag at him. Damien caught the cloth and smiled.
"I don't think so. I can't make decisions that will affect the world. What if I screw up?" Damien asked.
"We trust you, so trust yourself," Lyna replied. Damien shook his head and pulled the hood a little lower over his face. How could he trust himself? The two groups of people he had led in the past both ended up dead. First his friends in Highever, then the Wardens at Ostagar. He would lead his team because there was no one else, but as soon as there was…
"Ready?" Kallian asked coming up behind them.
"Do you think you can keep up with us?" Lyna asked. Damien raised an eyebrow as he turned to face their new recruit. His eyes widened as saw the large bag across her back. If that wasn't enough to slow her down, there was still the bandages she bore.
"Won't know until I try," Kallian responded.
"Look Tabris, we're going to get out of the Alienage by going over rooftops. Can you make jumps like that?" Damien asked motioning to her bandaged calf.
"Yeah, I can make it," Kallian stated. Damien smirked. She had a defiant spirit about her. He liked that and she would definitely fit in with the rest of the group.
"I like the attitude, but if you can't keep up, you'll get yourself killed, so I'll ask again. Can you keep up?" Damien asked leaning closer to her.
"Um… well… I don't know," Kallian replied.
"Better. Don't get overconfident in your abilities," Damien said taking her bag from her and looping over his shoulder. "Lyna, lead the way. Kallian, stay right behind her and I'll be right behind you." Lyna nodded and started toward a ladder leading up to the roofs.
Kallian followed with a slight limp as Damien stayed close behind. He was worried their new recruit might not be able to make it across the rooftops with them. There were several jumps that could take a harsh toll on her injuries. He would have to keep a close eye her and make sure he was ready to catch her if she fell short or lost her footing.
The trio dashed from roof to roof like a group of squirrels as they approached the market square. Damien could see the running and jumping was draining Kallian of all her stamina as she panted and slowly lost speed and strength. Damien shook his head and whistled loudly causing Lyna to stop up ahead.
"Why are we stopping?" Kallian asked panting.
"Because you are completely out of strength," Damien said flipping Kallian's heavy bag around to his chest and kneeling down in front of her.
"What are you doing?" Kallian protested stepping back.
"Carrying you on my back. I don't want you making your wounds any worse from more running. The worse they are the longer you will be healing and unable to help us fight," Damien said waiting for the elf to climb onto his back.
"But I-" the girl started.
"Stop stalling. If the commander says get on his back, get on his back," Lyna scolded crossing her arms. Damien had not heard her take that tone with anyone since before the Joining at Ostagar.
"It's not much further. Come on," Damien ordered more forcefully this time.
"Fine." The girl conceded and climbed onto Damien's back. Damien stood once more carrying the girl piggy-back. He was surprised how light she was but released some of the magic in his muscles to help him run, but only enough to offset the small elf's weight on his back.
"I'll take point the rest of the way," Damien said moving in front of Lyna. He caught the smallest hint of a smile out of the corner of his eyes as he passed. For someone who was so irritated a moment ago, he wondered what had made her smile like that.
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Landing softly in a back alley just off the market main square, Damien let Kallian down off his back and handed her back her bag. As much as he would rather carry it for her and be a gentleman, she needed to believe that little or no help would be coming from the rest of the group. If she saw true compassion in him, he might not earn her respect. Everyone needed him to be the commander and a commander could not hold any member of his team higher than anyone else. At least, he didn't think so.
"Wade's Smithy, right?" Lyna said dropping down next to him and adjusting her cloak.
"Yeah, the others should be there by now," Damien said taking the lead.
"Others?" Kallian asked.
"The rest of our group, dalen," Lyna replied looking back at the girl.
"Dalen? What's that?" Kallian snapped clenching her fist.
"Dalen means child in the elven language," Damien replied. He had not studied the elven language but he had picked up a few things from passing clans during his travels. As long as the dalish used common tongue for most of the conversation, Damien could usually figure out the translation of the rest.
"Where did you learn Elven?" Lyna asked looking over at him in shock.
"On the road. You can learn a lot if no one cares who you are," Damien replied waving for them to follow him as he made his way toward the smithy on the other side of the square. He could see the group outside the building with the wagon, doing their best not to arouse suspicion and failing spectacularly. He did have to give them credit; for an apostate, Qunari, and two Wardens who were supposed to be dead, they were blending pretty well.
"Hey, Damien. So, where's this old friend of yours?" Alsitair said waving.
"In prison. This is Kallian Tabris. My friend, Soris, was her sparring partner and her mom was his teacher. All in all, she's got the skills we need. Now let's get out of here before someone recognizes one of us," Damien said opening the back end of the wagon.
"Are you serious? This girl is to injured to do anything. Tis a mistake to bring her with us," Morrigan protested.
"I am serious, and her skills will come in handy. Now, let's get word to Bodahn that we're leaving. I don't want to stay in the city overnight if I can help it," Damien said taking Kallian's bag from her and tossing it into the wagon. "Oh, by the way, Morrigan, I need you to try and heal some of her wounds before we get to Lake Calenhad."
Morrigan let out a disgusted sound and looked the elf girl up and down. "Very well. I shall see to the child."
"What is with everyone calling me a child?" Kallian snapped. "I'm a grown woman!"
"Fully grown…really?" Morrigan asked as she motioned for Kallian to climb into the back of the wagon.
"She's grown enough to have already been married," Damien said patting the horse on the neck.
"Married? Really?" Alyssa asked as Kallian climbed up.
"Yeah… and widowed," Kallian responded. The group fell completely silent.
"Her groom was killed while trying to rescue her after the Arl's son kidnapped her and most of the wedding party. Long story," Damien stated coldly. He could see pity starting to form in the team's eyes as he waited for the response from Kallian. If she stuck to the way she had been behaving, Damien figured she would shoot a response back that would smash any pity anyone felt for her.
"It doesn't matter. It was an arranged marriage anyway," Kallian said snorting and throwing her head back. He could see how fake her indifference was. As much as she put up a strong front, he could tell that she had truly cared for her dearly departed fiancé. Although, her eagerness to leave the Alienage made him curious. Perhaps it was to get away from any lingering memories of her dead groom, or maybe it was the city that was the problem. Until he got to know her better, there really was no way of knowing.
Damien closed the flap on the wagon hiding the witch and elf from view as Alistair and Alyssa climbed up into the driver's seat. Lyna and Leliana stood just behind Damien as he looked around the busy market. There were more guards around than he remembered, but that was to be expected with the war and Loghain's betrayal. Loghain might be having trouble securing power and the guards were to quiet the masses… or the people might be nervous about the darkspawn and the death of the king.
"Hey, there's someone watching us from over there," Lyna said tugging on Damien's cloak and nodding her head toward a small house on the corner.
Damien could see their observer and signaled for the wagon to stay put while Lyna and Leliana slipped down an alley to come up behind the watcher. Damein approached the person slowly pretending to be interested in a merchant's goods, using a mirror to keep an eye on his prey.
Once he had closed the distance and turned and charged the observer as fast as he could without using his magic. The person turned to try and get away from him but Lyna and Leliana were there to stop him and knocked him to the ground.
"Well done," Damien said adjusting the scarf around his nose and mouth before kneeling down in front of the person.
"Dirthara-ma," Lyna cursed stepping threateningly toward the man, but Damien held up a hand. He pulled the hood off the man's head before sitting back on his heel. He knew the man, and what he most likely wanted.
"So, Slim Cauldry, still trying to gather information huh?" Damien said standing and helping the man to his feet.
"I knew it was you. No one else would have the guts to claim to be the Dark Wolf," Slim said wiping off his cloak with a smile Damien remembered all too well.
"Name's taboo huh?" Damien asked.
"No, notorious. No one has ever wanted to claim the name because right after you left, this guy tried and was shot in his first job as the Dark Wolf. I made sure everyone knew he wasn't the real one," Slim stated.
"Whatever. What's on your mind?" Damien asked crossing his arms.
"I've got some good info for you. I figured you're probably still in the business," Slim said smiling and rubbing his hands together.
"I'll take information, but not on scores. I need to know Loghain's movements and troop deployments. I want to know what he's doing, who his allies are, and anything else you can tell me," Damien stated. Slim wouldn't part with any information unless paid. He called himself an information broker, but he was really more of a criminal hiring agency. Thieves, fugitives, and assassins used the man for information of their pursuers and targets, as well as finding jobs within the city.
"That's a lot of information. You know it's gonna cost you," Slim responded. Of course it would, information never came cheap.
"Put it on my tab. I'm good for it," Damien said crossing his arms.
"Come on, Wolf. I got to make a living and bribing guards has gotten a lot more expensive," Slim complained.
"Slim, Loghain murdered the king at Ostagar and now he is after anyone who might know the truth and can prove it. I need that information on him and his troops to make sure he doesn't doom Fereldan against the darkspawn," Damien retorted.
"I've heard something about that. But I also heard that the Grey Wardens talked the king into a no-win battle to kill him and pave the way for an Orleasian invasion," Slim responded.
"That's a load of horse shit," Damien snapped slamming his fist into the wall.
"Wait, don't tell me you were there?" Slim said taking a step back.
"The Dark Wolf is the new Warden Commander of Fereldan," Lyna said from behind Damien.
"Seriously, a thief is now the Commander of the Grey," Slim said looking Damien up and down. Damien knew he didn't look like much, certainly not the Warden Commander.
"I know it's weird but it wasn't my choice. I'm the only one left," Damien said stepping in front of Lyna and signaling for her to remain quiet. Slim may have been an old acquaintance, but he was not loyal enough to keep information about Damien and his comrades to himself.
"Alright, alright, I'll see what I can find out for you. How do I get the information to you?" Slim asked. Damien pondered that for a moment. Their next destination was the Circle Tower on Lake Calenhad. If he remembered right, there was an old tavern there at the crossing.
"If you find anything in the next three days, send it to the Spoiled Princess. I'll send you a letter for where to send the next set of intel," Damien instructed extending his hand. With Slim, his word was bond and a handshake was as good as a signature on paper.
"I can do that," Slim agreed shaking his hand. Damien smiled. As small a group as they were, good intelligence would make them much more formidable.
"Okay then, I'll see you later Slim. Fortune keep you out of the dungeons," Damien said smiling.
"And knee deep in gold," Slim answered. The two phrases were more of a creed among Denerim thieves. Slim had taught Damien all about it when he had first become the Dark Wolf.
Damien, Lyna, and Leliana smiled as Slim left. Damien quickly led his companions back to the wagon. As the troop made their way toward the main gate, Damien found himself looking over his shoulder and searching the side alleys. He could feel eyes on him as they pushed forward. He pulled his hood lower and tightened the scarf over his nose and mouth. Down one of the alleys on his right, he spotted a cloaked and hooded figure keeping pace with them. Damien slowed up so that he was walking side by side with Leliana.
"Keep everyone moving. I need to check something out. I'll catch up in a bit," Damien stated stepping up and making sure the wagon was between their pursuer and himself. As they passed the next building, he slipped down the alley to head off the figure.
He drew one of his daggers and waited hiding right at the corner of the building. He could hear the figure approaching. The clank of armor with every step told Damien that they wore armor. He was most likely a soldier or a guard. If he was working for Loghain or Arl Howe, Damien might have to kill him to keep everyone safe.
Rounding the corner just as the footsteps were within ear shot, Damien raised his blade and caught hold of the man's cloak shoving him against the wall.
"Who are you?" Damien demanded pressing the blade against the man's throat.
"Get your hands off me," the man roared trying to push Damien away, but a little more pressure stopped the struggle.
"I'll open your throat if you don't answer me in three seconds," Damien snarled drawing a small amount of blood from the guard's neck.
"I'm not telling you a damned thing," the guard retorted.
"Too bad. I really don't like killing humans. Darkspawn don't bother me, but there is something about spilling human blood that just seems wasteful," Damien said pulling his smaller knife and digging the point into the underside of the man's chin. "Although, I'm sure I could get used to it."
Fear filled the man's eyes as Damien pressed his knife a little harder forcing a small amount of blood to roll down his blade.
"I was just told to find the last Warden and track him. I swear it in Andraste's name," the guard pleaded.
"Who gave the order?" Damien snapped.
"Arl Howe."
That didn't surprise him in the least. Howe was after all a slippery, snake and a bastard to boot. Damien wouldn't be surprised if that monster sent assassins after them. At least they had a slight advantage. Howe didn't know that more than one Warden survived.
"Go back to your master and tell him the Warden is going to make sure that he pays with Loghain for their betrayal of Fereldan, even if I have to slit their throats myself," Damien snarled sheathing both his blades and throwing the man to the ground. Although it was true that spilling human blood made him squeamish, the blood of several people was already on his hands and avenging his friends and the other Wardens was certainly a good enough reason to kill Loghain and Howe. At least in his book, it was.