Chapter Six,

I don't have a beta so this is bound to have several grammatical screw-ups, maybe Grammarly will hopefully rectify this.

Also, I like to do the swearing of words.

"You Found Alistair, did you?" Duncan asked as Alim and Alistair approached the roaring bonfire, "Good, I'll assume you're ready to begin preparations, assuming, of course, you're done aggravating mages Alistair."

Alistair gave a half-hearted shrug, "What can I say, the revered mother ambushed me." He gave a smirk, "The way she wields guilt, they should stick her in the army."

"She forced you to sass the mage did she?" Duncan more said than asked with a raised brow, tone like a disappointed parent. "We cannot afford to antagonize anyone Alistair, We don't need to give anyone more ammunition against us."

Alistair frowned and looked away from the man, "I apologize, Duncan, I'll go collect who were missing." He mumbled before turning away.

Alistair soon returned, two armored men in tow. One was clad in leather armor with a longsword and dagger on his back, the other wore chainmail and was equipped with a greatsword.

Alistair gestured towards the man in chain-mail. "This is Ser Jory, A knight from Redcliff."

Jory gave a tilt of his head. "How do you do?"

Alistair gestured towards Alim, "And of course this is the recruit that Duncan said he was bringing."

'Alright Alim, play it cool,' Alim said mentally pumping himself up. "Sup."

'Fucking nailed it.'

"Now then, since your all here we can begin," Duncan said, refocusing the group's attention. "You four will be heading into the Korcari wilds too perform two tasks, the first is to obtain three vials of darkspawn blood, one for each recruit. "

"Nice," Alim said, not caring to hear the reason why. "What be the second thing."

Duncan saw fit to ignore the intentionally incorrect invocation of the elf.

"There was once a Grey Warden archive in the wilds, abandoned long ago when we could no longer afford to maintain such a remote outpost." The man began to lecture, "It has recently come to our attention that some scrolls have been left behind, magically sealed to protect them."

Duncan turned to other Warden "Alistair, I want you to retrieve these scrolls if you can."

"Those must be pretty important scrolls." Alim said with raised brows, 'Yeah important enough to be left behind.' He snarked to himself, 'Not like they're promises to support the Grey Wardens in another blight.'

Duncan continued on, oblivious to Alims thoughts, "Their old treaties, promises of support made to the Grey Wardens long ago."

'It's not fun being right all the time.'

"They were once only considered formalities, with so many having forgotten their commitments to us, I suspect it would be a good idea to have something to remind them with." Duncan finished and looked to the gathered sausage fest before him.

Alim nodded, "Get blood, get scrolls. Understood."

"Watch over your charges Alistair, return quickly and safely," Duncan urged.

"We will." The beautiful blonde bastard said.

"Then may the maker watch over your path, I will see you when you return," Duncan said turning back to the roaring fire behind him. The three men and one elf made their way into the dark forest.

One wolf attack and Herbal flower plucking later Alim and the ragtag gang found themselves before a dying soldier, one that had not been caused by them thankfully.

"Who is that?" The soldier gasped as he looked up, "Grey Wardens?"

Alistair quirked a brow at the downed man, "Well, he's not half as dead as he looks, is he?"

Hope seemed to flare in the scout's eyes before being darkened as he recounted how he had found himself in such a predicament. "My scouting band was attacked by darkspawn, they came out of the ground, please help me." He begged, "I've got to return to camp."

Alim looked at the other three men. "Well, it'd be rude to leave him."

"Don't you have healing magic?" Daveth asked while staring incredulously at the elf mage.

Alim gave the rogue a deadpan stare, "I know how to shoot shit from my hands and staff," He shook the fancy stick to exemplify his point, "I kinda skipped the health classes."

Alistair chose that moment to interrupt the budding argument "I have bandages in my pack." He said reaching down to help the man.

"Thank you," The soldier coughed

"I… I've got to get out of here." The soldier stammered out before fleeing. 'Like a bitch.'

"Did you hear, an entire patrol of seasoned men killed by darkspawn!" Jory asked, not hiding the fear in his voice.

Alistair looked at the knight with a sympathetic look. "Calm down Ser Jory, we'll be fine if we're careful."

Jory looked rapidly at the corpses around their feet. "These soldiers were careful and they were still overwhelmed!" He almost shouted, "How many darkspawn can the four of us slay? A dozen? A hundred? There's an entire army in this forest!"

Alistair gave the man a patient look. "There are darkspawn about, but were in no danger of walking into the bulk of the horde." He continued to try and comfort the man.

Jory wasn't buying it. "How do you know? I'm not a coward, but this is foolish and reckless. We should go back."

"Ser Jory, part of our test is this danger, Jory. Besides, I've got magic." Alim reasoned, creating and sending a wisp to float around the man.

Jory watched it carefully before caving in. "That's… true."

Alistair gave a soft smile "All Grey Wardens can sense darkspawn, whatever their cunning I guarantee they won't take us by surprise. That's why I'm here" He encouraged.

"Ya see Ser knight," Daveth said in a snarky tone, "we might die, but at least we'll be warned about it first."

"That is reassuring," Jory said in response to the off colored joke.

"That doesn't mean I'm here to make this easier, however, let's get a move on," Alistair said, turning and leading the group further into the woods.

"Jory," Alim said as he slowed down to stand by the knight, "What is the most dangerous thing you've faced before now?"

"What?" The warrior stared at the elf.

"What is the most dangerous beast you've slain?" The elf reworded his question.

The other man looked confused for a moment before giving the question some thought, "I'd say a bear, why?"

"Was this in a group or by yourself?" Alim ignored the warrior's question with his own.

"It was supposed to be a group of three, but I ended up fighting it by myself," The warrior answered proudly. "Why?" he asked again.

"How long ago was this?"

"About two years ago, what are these questions for?" The warrior asked a third time.

"I'll get to that in a moment, two more questions." Alim had Jory's full attention, "Could you have seen yourself fighting a bear, say, five years ago? Ten?"

Jory again went silent in thought.

"No, I'd say not." He finally answered after some further travel through the woods.

"Why were you able to fight that bear?" Alim asked his final question.

"Well that's easy," the night was quick to jump on the knight was quick in response, "It had gone mad, terrorizing farmers out near the fields"

"So you did it to protect random strangers?"

Jory blushed and turned away, "I was more thinking, 'what if my wife was in that situation,' and before I knew it, I had a new rug."

"Then I say the same could be done with darkspawn. They may be daunting now, but you fight for another. You've chosen to lay your life down for the safety of others, you should act like it." Alim encouraged the man, returning to the front of the party and leaving Jory to dwell in his thoughts.

Several fights with various darkspawn types, two packs of wolves, a slight detour that involved following Chasind trail markings for an hour, several pounds of loot, and a dead Shade demon (See Jory, we just killed a demon, How many people do you know can say that!) The group found themselves several vials of blood heavier and before a crumbling tower.

'Okay good, they're gone.' Alim thought as he dug through the remains of a shattered chest. 'Never thought I'd say that about a quest item, but oh well.'

"Well, Well. What have we here?" A sultry voice echoed from the groups left, startling the whole party. The four men looked up at the source of the voice and spotted a hooded female atop a crumbling column. Her shirt seemed to hide more of her head than torso, which considering her face was plenty visible, left her torso mostly exposed.

The woman slowly meandered her way down the ramp next to the column, pulling her hood back to better see the group, revealing her raven black hair and fierce yellow eyes that stood out beneath purple eyeshadow. "Are you a vulture I wonder? A scavenger poking amidst a corpse whose bones were long since cleaned? Or merely an intruder coming to these darkspawn filled wilds of mine in search of easy prey?" She asked as she came to a stop a few feet away from the group.

"What say you," She hummed looking to Alim, "Scavenger, or intruder?"

'Glad she thinks I'm the top in this group,'

"The Grey Wardens once owned this tower, so I'd less say intruder and more courier," Alim answered, trying his damnedest to stare the woman in the eyes.

The witch smirked "Tis a tower no longer, the wilds have obviously claimed this desecrated corpse."

She started walking a half circle around the group, "I have watched your progress for some time, 'where do they go?' I wondered, 'Why are they here?' and now you disturb ashes none have touched for so long, why is that?" She asked as she came to a stop upon a ridge overlooking the group.

"Don't answer her," Alistair advised, "she looks Chasind, and that means others may be nearby." The warden had barely finished his sentence when the witch began speaking again.

"Ooh, you fear barbarians will swoop down upon you!" The witch mocked.

"Yes," Alistair said eyeing the odd witch, "Swooping is bad."

"She's a witch of the wilds she is, she'll turn us into toads." Daveth sputtered out fearfully, Earning a deadpan stare from Alim.

"Witch of the Wilds." The raven hair beauty said slowly, almost mockingly. "Such idle fancies those legends, have you now minds of your own."

She looked towards Alim. "You there, handsome lad," Alim would deny the fact that a faint blush flared on his cheeks at that, "Tell me your name and I shall tell you mine. Let us be civilized."

Alim gave a small bow "I'm Alim Surana, A pleasure to meet you."

Morrigan smiled, "Such manners, I am Morrigan. Shall I guess your purpose, you sought something in that chest, something that is here no longer?"

Frustration spread over Alistair's face "Here no longer? You stole them didn't you?" He accused with an angry finger. "You're some kind of sneaky… Witch thief!"

Morrigan looked at the man with a quirked brow "How very eloquent, how does one steal from dead men?"

"Quite easily it seems. Those documents are Grey Warden property and I suggest you return them." Alistair said regaining some of his confidence.

Morrigan crossed her arms, "I will not, for twas not I who removed them." she said with a scowl "Invoke a name that means nothing here any longer if you wish, I am not threatened."

Alim stepped between the two, and asked in a cordial tone, "Who removed them?"

"Twas my mother in fact." She said matter of factly.

"Mother?" Alim acted as if he had misheard her.

Morrigan looked offended regardless. "Yes, my Mother, did you assume I spawned from a log."

"A thieving weird talking log, perhaps." Alistair muttered under his breath.

Morrigan sighed. "Not all in the wilds are monsters, flowers grow as well as toads." She said as she leaned against a stone pillar. "If you wish I will take you to my mother, Tis not far from here and you may ask for your papers if you like."

"We should get those treaties," Alistair lowered his voice, "But I distrust this Morrigan's… sudden appearance. It's too convenient."

Alim helplessly shrugged. "Alright, take us to your mum."

"She'll put us all in a pot, she will!" Daveth objected.

"If the pots warmer than this forest it would be a nice change." Jory said in a frustrated tone.

Morrigan rolled her eyes at the two men, "Follow me then if it pleases you."

"Greetings Mother, I bring before you four Grey Wardens who-" Morrigan called out as the group approached the decrepit hut, quickly being cut off by the woman who seemed right at home in the rotten wilds.

"I see them girl." She interrupted, "Much as I expected," She hummed.

"Are we supposed to believe you were expecting us?" Alistair said incredulously.

"You are required to do nothing, least of all believe. Shut one's eyes tight or open one's arms wide, either way, ones a fool." Flemeth rabbled.

"She's a Witch I tell you, we shouldn't be talking to her!" Daveth said in a hushed tone.

"Quite Daveth," Jory reprimanded the thief. "If she really is a witch do you want to make her mad?"

Flemeth, chuckled, "There's a smart lad. Sadly irrelevant to the larger scheme of things, but it is not I who decides, believe what you will." She said before focusing on Alim, "And what of you, do you pose as a different viewpoint or believe as the others?"

"I believe you have something we need." Alim said simply. 'I ain't nearly mad enough to cross words with you.' He chose not to vocalize.

"They did not come to your wild tales mother." Morrigan chimed.

Flemeth nodded, "True, they came for their treaties yes, and before you begin barking," She said as she headed into the house, staying loud enough to be heard, "your precious seal wore off long ago, I have protected these."

"You- Oh, you protected them?" Alistair started to accuse the old lady, only to process her words and switch to a surprised tone.

"And why not?" Flemeth asked, handing the scrolls to Alim. "Take them to your Grey Wardens, and tell them this blights threat is greater than they realize."

"Will do." Alim nodded, 'Great, thats two women now that think I'm the top.' Alim thought, completely ignoring the fact that he had been the one closest to the witches.

"Time for you to go then." Morrigan said cheerily, eager to see the four off.

"Don't be ridiculous girl," Flemeth ridiculed, "These are your guests!"

"Oh, very well, I will show you out of the woods." Morrigan sighed, "Follow me."

Sorry for the shorter chapter after taking two months to put this out. Also, If I did to much skipping of what I deemed less important events (Mostly miscellaneous combat) let me know.

Have a good one now!