Chapter 75

"Were you a soldier?"

Aedan looked back over his shoulder while taking the stick from Mi's mouth at the man who'd spoken. He was wearing a gambeson over his clothes and no other armour, though his longsword hung at his side. He had the Marcher accent, though it wasn't pure. The way he pronounced 'soldier' had an Orlesian lilt to it.

"Sort of," he replied as he rubbed the hound's head and cheeks. "What gave me away?"

"You're built like one. You carry yourself like one."

"Watching me, were you?"

"I'm a recruiter. It's my job."

"Well, you'll find that I don't volunteer for things anymore."

The man chuckled. "Definitely a soldier, then."

Aedan got up and threw the stick as far as he could. As Mi chased after it, barking enthusiastically, Aedan walked over to the fence to shake hands with the stranger.

"Aedan."

"People call me Blackwall."

That's interesting. "You a soldier, too?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm a Grey Warden." Even more interesting. "Ever wanted to join?"

Aedan didn't even know how to respond to that. "Not really."

"I don't blame you." The man nodded. "I just wander around by myself and recruit people. The Inquisition ended up recruiting me, though."

He laughed. He had an honest laugh, right from the belly. Aedan's suspicions grew.

"You a Fereldan Warden?"

"No, Orlesian."

Mate, I knew only one Orlesian Warden by the name of Blackwall and you aren't him.

He said, "Why'd the Inquisition need you?"

"They thought the disappearance of the Wardens had something to do with the Conclave." He shook his head. "I told 'emit wasn't so. The Wardens would never do something like that."

You don't say. "You think so?"

"I'm positive," the man said adamantly. "Grey Wardens inspire people. They make you better than who you are. They stand to gain nothing by taking away hope from so many people."

The man spoke with conviction. He wasn't lying about that, at least. Maybe he was a Warden. Without the taint, Aedan couldn't be sure. Maybe he was Gordon's cousin or something.

"Hmm. So you joined the Inquisition to prove them wrong?"

"The Divine is dead. The sky is torn. In times like these, thinking we're absent is just as bad as thinking we're involved. A single Warden can save the fucking world if pressed, as the Hero of Ferelden showed."

Aedan was saved from responding by Mi, who ran up and bumped his leg with her head. Blackwall smiled at the dog.

"Is that a pure-bred mabari?"

"Yes. The Inquisition has seven. Doo, Re,Mi, Fa, So, La and Ti. This is Mi."

He squatted down and gently patted the hound on her head, laughing. "Well, hello, Mi. Nice to meet you."

As Blackwall shook Mi's paw, Aedan thought about what he'd said. His admiration for the Wardens was genuine, and that only came when one was in touch with the Order in some slight way. This was a decent man, but Aedan wanted to know whether he'd been lying about his identity.

"I'm glad there are people like you who think that way. Too many people hate the Wardens." He smiled at Blackwall. "You should go meet the Fereldan Warden-Commander. Decent bloke. He'd like you."

Blackwall looked surprised. "You know him?"

"'Course I know him. Him and the Spymaster are together. He's here at Haven right now."

Aedan kept his smile up, but Blackwall's smile disintegrated. He rose to his feet, looking slightly agitated.

"Oh," he said. "I didn't, uh, I didn't know that. I should, um, good and introduce myself, then. Nice meeting you, Aedan. Take good care of the dogs."

With that, the man sped away towards the stables. Aedan detected mild panic in his gait.

"What an interesting fellow," he said to himself, chuckling as he took the stick from Mi. "I'll have to keep an eye on him."