Running On Empty: Just A Little Unsteady


We left through the rear gate of the ruined fort, Lady Vivienne and myself leading our small pack. It was a short distance to another flight of stone stairs. There was a glow of a fire and I wasted no time. These Avvar were not going to play nice with us. I waved a hand and Bull rushed up the stairs like a battering ram with Blackwall close at his heels. Vivienne dropped a barrier over them as strong as she could and I brought up the left flank with a swing of my maul as one of the archers attempted to dodge away.

There was only three of them in the camp. They put up a hard fight, scrappy fuckers, but they soon fell to the sheer ferocity that was Vivienne and Bull. Blackwall, despite the potions we took, was starting to seem a bit winded. We would need to end the fight with the chieftain's son quickly before any of us lost our nerve. We left the bodies where they died and I cast one last nervous look over them before making my way up the longer stretch of stairs. Death shouldn't be an easy thing to face and I was starting to realize that perhaps my numbness was more than just my arm.

The stairs we traveled were mostly whole. The stone fort around them had been massive in its hay-day, but now it crumbled around us, parts of it eroded by rain and weather. At the landing, the archway was half destroyed and the ceiling of the fortress was completely missing. Way out to the far end of the center hall I could see the enormous figure of another Avvar, and his maul sparked as he slammed the head of it against the rocks.

"Show off." Bull growled from behind me. He shook out his horns and stepped closer to my side. "Doesn't look like he's one for formalities."

"He's a southern barbarian." Lady Vivienne sniffed. "I hardly think he knows how to use a plate, lest of all have a sense of decorum." I stepped forward with my gaze glued to the rampaging Avvar. There was another, smaller one at the base of the throne's steps, a tower shield at the ready.

"Bring him down." I murmured to my men, pointing to the tower shield. "Don't let the shield get near me. Vivienne, please take out the archers at the top."

"You do realize that leaves you with the chieftain's son, don't you?" Blackwall hissed at me, his gaze narrowed and brow furrowed angrily. I pulled my maul from its holster along my back and dropped it on my shoulder, my grip holding it in place as I walked. I spared no glance or look to my companions, because the shaman had been right, this was a brat looking for a trophy.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall." I answered Blackwall. "Keep the others off of me."

"Herald -" Blackwall tried to step up next to me, but the massive Qunari at my back blocked the passage. Rubble littered the ground around us and made maneuvering easily a bit impossible. I would have to watch my footing. The Avvar at the top of the throne steps laughed and bellowed down at us once we were within reach of his guards.

"Herald of Andraste!" He spat. Another blow of his maul crashed against the rocks. "I am the Hand of Korth and your demise!" Putting the large Avvar in the perspective of snot-nosed brat as Scout Harding had titled him certainly took away much of his presence. He was twice, thrice my size to be sure, but I had soldiers he had taken as toys.

My brow locked over my glare and with a nod from me, The Iron Bull rocketed forward.

The Avvar with the shield thought he was prepared for the blow and he was fucking wrong. The Qunari slammed into him with all the force of nature, his maul colliding with the shield and a snarl. The metal bent inward. With a harsh shuck, Bull kicked the shield off his maul and swung it over his shoulder and neck to bring it down again. The shield was nearly snapped in half by the second blow. The Avvar warrior behind it stumbled and attempted to right himself with his sword.

Blackwall shot past Bull up toward the chieftain's son and I growled at his insubordination, running after him. Lady Vivienne sighed roughly behind me and from the tip of her staff came lightning strikes that peppered the ground leading up the stairs, bouncing off metal studs and railings that had crumbled off the fortress' holdings. One archer was struck violently, but another one was smarter and drew his arrow up and fired it away from him into the ground, the lightning diverted. Clever thing.

Blackwall and I arrived at the Hand of Korth about the same time. Blackwall drew his shield up and his sword swung low to catch the man's knees. My maul came high and I attempted to dislocate his shoulder. The Avvar laughed from over my head and his maul came down toward me. He ignored Blackwall, much to the Warden's dismay, and then followed me down the steps as I dodged the blow. The roll down the steps left a few sore spots for bruises later, my shoulder and back to be riddled with them.

Bull was still contending with the tower shield Avvar. The man hadn't yet abandoned the defense, but was using its bent shape to unbalance Bull and leave him open to strike with his sword. Vivienne had gotten rid of the archers from what I could see and was hastily dropping fireballs were she could to give Bull an advantage. The Hand of Korth took a few mighty steps and had another blow come down near my ankles. I was at the bottom of the stairs and on my ass. I swung my maul around and caught him in the ankle, but he buckled only slightly and was back on the same foot with a heavy stomp.

"Fuck!" I hissed as his maul came over my head and ducked. The handle of my maul hit the ground and I used it as a lever to hook onto rubble and haul my ass away from another blow. Sweat was already pouring down my neck from fear and exhaustion. My heart slammed into my throat and choked me. I couldn't see beyond Korth and desperation was starting to take hold. Not today, motherfucker. I survived bullies in high school, you don't get to drag me back! I stood behind the rubble in time to find the head of the maul back in my face. Growling, I jumped off to the right and rolled again.

"Vivienne!" I hollered. I couldn't see her in my line of sight. "Fire mine at his feet!"

Instantly a glyph the size of a living room rug appeared under his feet. Blackwall dashed out of reach just as the mine triggered with the Avvar's movement and ignited. It was enough, because he landed back on his ass and I sailed forward over the rubble to bring my maul up over my head and down. The aim was for his knee, but Korth was just a second faster and tugged his leg away. I managed to catch his ankle and though I didn't shatter it through the armor, I still managed to mangle it.

Blackwall was behind him as the large man stood and took a heavy thrust with his sword into Korth's waist. The tip of the Warden's blade was clear through the leather that Korth wore, dripping with blood. The Avvar howled with laughter and spun on a heavy heel and backhanded my Warden. Red flared through my vision and I took a few hasty steps to be right in Korth's center of gravity. The Avvar's four-horned helmet swiveled around to see me, his eyes lit with amusement, and the pommel of his maul came down to my shoulder.

I took the blow, gritting my teeth as the pommel's rounded end dug into my cauterized wound. Pain shot through my limb and white static flooded my fingers with numbness. I fought through it, the gauzy feeling of my muscles making my movements heavy. A shout from Blackwall echoed in my ears, but I ignored it in favor of shoving my maul's head right into Korth's crotch. He was surprised that his hit had connected and doubled over my maul and half my torso. Pain fluttered over his face and he muscled through it, but it gave me precious seconds.

His face closer to me now, I reached up, my Mark flaring with a roar. Korth shut his eyes to avoid being blinded and my free hand released my maul and snagged my knife from my belt. My fingers managed to grab the bottom edge of Korth's helmet and I took a leaf right out of the movie Troy. With the hilt in an underhanded grip, I stepped forward without letting go of his helmet and unbalanced him.

My body trembled with the effort. His muscles were no illusion, but as I had told Blackwall; the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Visions of my soldiers exhausted in the late morning light, the Commander smirking at us for a Job Well Done, the power that had grown from within because of these men and women - my face bore no expression aside from my glare. I could only hold him at my level steadily for another second or two.

His eyes finally opened and found my hardened gaze.

"People aren't pawns." I growled into his face. The blade glinted with the moonlight as I brought it up and slammed it through the side of his neck, past his collar and pulse. He howled in my grip and the muscles in his shoulder and neck bulged with his attempt to dislodge me. I wasn't about to be bucked off a wild animal, so I immediately released his helmet and pushed him away as I stumbled back. Blackwall kneeled with a determined scowl and set the blade of his sword to catch Korth's soft skin behind his knees. The slice was quick and Korth hit the stone ground with an unnatural growl.

Blackwall's sword rose up and struck through Korth's sternum.

Bull's chest appeared at my back as I fumbled. His arm came around my waist and we turned slightly with my added weight. Vivienne was beside us and lightning gathered at the top of her staff. It struck down with a keen wail, smothering Korth's bleeding body. Blackwall pulled his shield up to protect himself, the light scattering around him. I swallowed hard, my heart hammered deep in my stomach, the only support I had was Bull's arm around my waist. I couldn't breathe. Are my feet touching the ground? I glanced down. They are not. Damnit, Bull.

A massive hand appeared between my shoulder blades and Bull held me firm between his hand and arm.

"Breathe, boss." He soothed. Reflexively, I inhaled. With a few blinks my vision cleared, the tunnel that blinded my peripherals faded and my Mark stopped sputtering under my palm against Bull's arm. I looked around and my other two companions were breathing as hard as I was; Vivienne's shoulders were shaking and Blackwall couldn't hold up his shield.

"We d-did it?" I asked, craning my neck to look back at Bull. His only eye closed for a moment, a tremor ran through his chest and arm, one I could feel through my stomach. What did I miss?

The Qunari sighed and slowly settled me on my feet. "More like you did, boss. Scared the shit outta us, what was that?"

"What w-was what?" I asked, mightily confused. My gaze flickered over to the fallen Avvar. From what I could see next to Bull (because he had softened his hold, but not released me completely, the worrywart), Korth had a pool of blood around his neck and shoulders, his knees hyperextended since his ligaments had been cut. His leathers and furs were charred crispy and one of his horns from his headdress had snapped

"You were within strangling range." Blackwall growled weakly. "What were you thinking?"

Oh. Oh, okay. Sense made.

"He couldn't," I answered softly. My throat cleared with a cough and I patted Bull's arm to be released. He ignored it. "Korth had one hand behind him that had lost momentum with backhanding you, and his other hand had his maul. I know the weapon well enough, he couldn't -"

"You were still too close!" Blackwall snapped. My body shivered in brief surprise, my wide eyes focused on the Warden. His mustache flared under his nose and his eyes were dark as he stared me down. Bull's arm tightened around my stomach and at the moment, I was extremely glad he hadn't released me.

"But he couldn't do anything," my answer was meeker this time, "he was too big. He was stronger, yeah, but strength is only one part of the equation."

"Could we not put this in mathematical logic for just one moment?" Blackwall took a step toward me and I'm ashamed to say that I attempted a backwards step to retreat, but it only put me further pressed up against Bull's chest. Why the Qunari hadn't moved yet was beyond me, but I was not about to be ungrateful for the silent support.

"You were planning to face an enemy twice your size and left us to his whelps." Blackwall continued, his cheeks red over his beard and brow heavy over his eyes. "I don't know what you were planning to do or if you thought you can do anything, but leaping into danger was not the intelligent thing to do!"

"I wasn't in danger." I replied softly. Blackwall's face dropped like bricks and I steady my voice, my volume forced to the norm. "I had you guys. I was trusting that as long as I didn't have anyone coming behind my ass, I would be fine."

Vivienne chuckled. "That is quite the play, Herald. To place it in our hands; you would fail only if we failed."

"I didn't mean it like that." I sputtered, wiggling a bit in Bull's hold like an indignant puppy. His arm loosened again and his hand brushed past my stomach and waist as he stood back with a sigh. Anger was starting to boil in my stomach and I leveled my gaze on the Warden. "How the fuck are we gonna let me fling myself at rifts and demons but we fucking hesitate at a man who ate too many Wheaties?"

"What?" Blackwall growled, confused.

I raised a hand, annoyed at him and my slip. "Nothing, forget it. Where the fuck are my people?" I rounded on the dead and soulless body of Korth with a shove past Blackwall. The Warden resisted only a moment before Bull's shadow followed me. Kneeling into the pool of blood that surrounded the Avvar, I rummaged through his leathers until I found his belt and a set of keys.

Triumphant at my find, I stood and searched for a door to match the set. It took only a couple of seconds to spot the door off to my left and I leapt toward it. My hands were trembling as I fitted the key through the slot and pushed the door open. Sour and stale air hit my face and lungs. There were gasps around the room and my eyes found a solitary woman who stood at the sound of the door.

"Herald of Andraste," she said reverently and bowed her head with her arm across her chest. There were a good ten or eleven soldiers in the room altogether. Some were in a corner, I could see supplies and medical aid strewn about the windowless room. No dead bodies. That didn't mean we hadn't lost some, but is seemed most of the patrol was still here.

"We've dealt with the Avvar." I greeted her. Relief made my tongue heavy and my eyes pooled with a few tears. "Is everyone all right?"

"Yes." She answered readily and spared a glance at a few soldiers huddled in a corner. "We've tended to our wounded, but we can walk."

"Good. We'll lead you back." I commanded. A hard swallow drew back the tears that threatened to spill from relief. Blackwall and Bull moved into the room and started to gather people together, standing them up to their feet. My shoulders shook and a second after, Vivienne's hand came to rest over my shoulder.

She drew me away, her voice quiet and gaze gentle. "Go, step outside and have a moment, my dear. We'll see to them. Do not let them see you break." The muscles along my jaw clenched and I gave her a swift nod and beat a hasty retreat from the room. I returned to Korth's body and took up my maul. The Avvar's beastly weapon was beside him and I hesitated before reaching for it as well. Bull needs a new weapon.

And perhaps it could be a peace offering?

The shuffling of my soldiers sounded behind me and straightened to prepare the march back toward the main camp. My blood froze in my body as I spied a lone figure at the entrance of the ruined fort. The shaman. Fuck me. Hurriedly, I placed the second maul in the hands of Bull and jogged toward the Watcher before my soldiers came to be fully in his line of sight. Worry laced through my teeth as I clenched them and made them pulse with pain.

"Watcher." I greeted him lowly and braced for his reaction.

He smirked at me. "Your God looks after you, Herald." I winced, but offered him a nod in agreement. Now was most definitely not the time or the place to bring up religious loyalties.

"The... chieftain's son is dead." I confirmed, holding my chin straight and my gaze up on his face. The shaman shifted on his feet, the maul over his shoulder swinging slightly and I nearly flinched, thinking he was going to strike me. Instead, he peered over my shoulder and seemed to look for the body to assess the statement himself.

"There lies the brat," he snorted. "His father, chief of our holding, would duel me for the loss, if he cared enough." My soldiers were coming up behind us. An idea struck through me, stuttering my heart. My companions, for as amazing as they are, would struggle on the return. We were low on potions, willpower, and energy. If the undead remained, or the mage that was hidden in the marsh appeared, we'd be fucked from here to the ninth level of hell.

"Come with us." I blurted, pinning him with a innocent look. "The Inquisition has a purpose your chief lacks." Bullshitting was a skill. I didn't know their customs, culture, or rites, but he was a shield that was in better shape than the rest of us. If I could get him to sway his loyalties and walk with us, we had a better chance of making it back to Harding.

"Huh." His deep gaze considered me under the metal brow of his helmet. "Is this why The Lady of the Skies led me here? To help heal the wounds in her skin?" My heart shuddered under my ribs and lungs. I hadn't thought of the religious angle for the argument and so I kept my mouth shut so as not to dissuade him from the train of thought.

He nodded after a moment or two, "Aye. I'll join you. Let me make peace with my kin, and I'll find where you set your flag." Fuck, that's not what I need. My lost patrol was keeping a healthy distance, with Vivienne and Blackwall holding the front as barriers of protection. Bull parted from them and lumbered up toward the Avvar and me. He stopped a pace behind my shoulder; a show of obedience to help solidify my claim as Herald, perhaps.

My thoughts sped into overdrive, "Come with us at least to the camp. There is a mage that's wandering the marsh that's helping create these rips in the air." Bull shot me a curious look. We knew the mage couldn't be responsible for the rifts, I knew the science behind it and that no mage was powerful enough alone to do it. Here and now, it would not stop me from playing on the religious beliefs of a powerful ally.

There was a horrendously sour taste in my mouth because of it.

"Aye, all right." He nodded firmly. "Best to get that out of the way now, while you're here. Lead on, Herald." He shift on his feet and saluted me with a hard thump of his fist against his chest. I returned the gesture as solidly as I could, but my muscles were shaking under my skin from amazement that I had managed to convince him to follow us. I glanced at Bull and then back to my soldiers and party. A deep inhale to steady my bones and I waved over my shoulder to have them start the march.

Bull stayed at my left side as we made our way down the stairs toward the first fort. We kept a slow pace as some of our soldiers were suffering from broken bones and weak constitutions. I'll have to have them checked for signs of plague or the disease. The shaman wasn't too far from my right side and he was given a wide berth by my party at the rear.

"Watcher," I tossed the call over my shoulder, "do you know what happened to this place?"

"Death." He answered readily. "Plague. Last of the villagers fell to it. Cough first, then a fever the next day or so. After, snot from the nose and dry mouth. Vomiting, head pains, the cough has blood, then the chest pains appear, they can't breathe. The onset is quick, ten days or some such before death takes them."

I stopped dead in my tracks and Bull paused next to me, his eye narrowed down on my face. Terrified, I shared a quick look with him and then swiveled on a heel to shoehorn my body in the path of the Watcher. He paused, his head tilted at me curiously, and waited. All those symptoms... the timeline - why there's no animals aside from those bloated bog-pigs...

"Watcher." My voice was careful. "Did any of the victims display signs of boils or swollen masses along here or here?" I raised my arm and tapped my armpit and then along my sternum and the inner portion of my waist and thighs. The Avvar's eyes narrowed on me and he lowered his maul, his head ducking down slightly to cut the distance between us.

"Yes." He answered, wary this time. "How did you know that? Those symptoms only appeared in the first few of my men, but the rest didn't have them."

"Shit fucking bitch," I swore suddenly, shoving past him toward Vivienne and Blackwall. My party straightened in alarm and I reached for the first woman who greeted me when we opened the door. Her pale face went white with alarm and she didn't struggle as I gripped her forearm and dragged her away from the rest of the party.

"What's your name?" I asked hastily. The woman shook a bit in my grip. Panic struck her from my reaction and she swallowed to regain some of her nerve. It must have been a sight to have the Herald come at you with a stony expression and a Mark brighter than the sun through the fog and muck of this marsh.

"Geraldine, Your Worship." She fought to keep her stutter clear from her words. I loosened my hold. My three companions were watching and I could see them strain to resist the urge to follow me and inquire as to my sudden change in demeanor.

"Geraldine, answer me honestly, okay? It's extremely important that you do not lie or omit anything. Any detail is important. Clear?" I stressed. She nodded quickly and I released her arm. Her hands came together in front of her, a nervous twitch to fidget with her fingers before she forced them apart and smacked them to her sides.

"Yes, Your Worship." She agreed. There was still a sliver of worry in her eyes. It was beginning to fade as she assessed my expression and my tone of voice offered no room for meekness.

"How long have you and your men been in this marsh? Like, actually in it, not just on the border or the edges?" I asked and prayed she had been in the marsh as long as it had taken me to get here. Scout Harding hadn't stepped beyond the first cabins due to the undead and the Avvar and it was a small blessing to know the likelihood of her being infected was slim.

"U-um, about a month, Your Worship." She bobbed her head thoughtfully. "We s-spent two or three weeks at the main camp, S-scout Harding sent word that you were to be a-arriving soon, so we decided to patrol the marsh." Fuck, that left open the possibility of infection and incubation, but I couldn't blame her. I terrified her with my reaction, so I would need to help her think.

"Alright. So from the time you started patrol, to the time of capture, how long where you physically in the marsh?" I clarified, ducking my head to lessen my presence and calm her, if I could. My party was fidgeting behind me and Blackwall made a step to come toward us, but I raised my hand, palm out.

Bull caught the Warden's shoulder and held him in place. Geraldine's eyes shot between them and me. Forcibly, I exhaled and tried to soften my tone for her.

"Think, Geraldine." I soothed her as best I could despite my own panic swollen in my chest. "How long was it?"

"It was a-about three to four days, Your W-worship. We were attempting to map the marsh." She stuttered, her eyes trembling with her shoulders. "I cannot say for sure wh-when we were captured, as we were taken to our prison back there and there are no windows. We could not tell from then on."

A strained inhale and I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Did anyone show signs of a fever, cough, or complained of chest pains? Did you see anyone with blue or pale lips, blood in their nose or mouth? Swollen skin or bruises that weren't fading?"

Geraldine's eyes widened and she shook her head. "N-no, Your Worship. There were only broken ribs and legs. Puncture wounds. No fevers or cough. Everyone could eat the rations we had and no one was without water. Our supplies maintained us." Physical pains, but no plague. Thank God. I sighed and reached up with both hands and held her shoulders. She held in a squeak as I looked up at her.

"Watch your men, from here until Haven. Do not let them file in the ranks until the Chantry sisters and Adan take a look at them, do you understand?" They may not have shown signs and it was well past the marked days that it would manifest, but it was a risk I could not take. There was no absolute cure for the bubonic plague in my world, I highly doubted they had one here.

"Y-yes, Your Worship, I understand." She saluted me as best she could with my hands on her shoulders. I gave her a weak smile and clapped her on the back before leading us back to the party. Tension gripped all of us after that little scene and there was nothing to do for it now. With a nod to Vivienne and a sour-faced Blackwall, we continued our march.

It was silent as we went through the first fort. I sent Blackwall up to handle the release of the lever to open the front gate. From what we could see, the undead had dispersed. Made sense, otherwise I doubted the shaman would have arrived in the mint condition he was currently sporting. As we waited, Bull leaned his head slightly toward me, his voice low.

"Boss?" He prodded gently. I glanced back, but Vivienne was busy helping a kneeling soldier and they were out of earshot. Blackwall was just barely leaving the lever as the gate opened up and the shaman was at the mouth of the gate. My nose flared with a sigh.

"This plague is familiar to one I know, from... my other place." I whispered to the Qunari. His ears perked and his eye focused wholly on me. "We called it the bubonic plague. Same symptoms, same time of death..."

"You and Vivienne speculated this was a water-borne illness. Does that correlate?" He questioned, his only eye flickering up to mark Blackwall's pace as he returned from the second landing.

I shook my head, "Not quite. The bubonic plague was spread by ticks and mites. It could explain why there aren't other animals, as they usually get taken out first. This must have mutated, become a pneumonic plague instead, but... I dunno."

"All right. Are we in danger right now?" He didn't question my hesitation. I could barely remember the specifics of the plague from my college biology class, but it was a struggle. So many factors that I couldn't test, so many questions I didn't know how to ask. Another sigh and I shook my head, noting that Blackwall had fully returned.

"Not... likely." I started walking to keep the distance between us and the others. "But you and me? Maybe."

"Shit." He growled, straightening his back. He made no other movement and continued a casual pace at my side. I attempted to mimic him as best I could, because body language was just as telling as the spoken word. For added effect and to make sure the group behind us didn't speculate on the terror we were discussing, I reached out and patted his arm.

"We have a few days." I murmured to him. "If we get fevers by tomorrow, then we'll worry."

"Noted." Bull replied hollowly. I winced. This just had not been our day. Had it been a day? More than a day? I couldn't tell since the clouds from overhead hadn't shifted or changed colors. We were all exhausted and each step just made us weaker by the minute. I glanced over at the Watcher as he led us slightly from my far right in front. He had spent more time in this marsh than the rest of us, I was more than happy to allow him the reins.

The pillars served their purpose. It was leaps and bounds easier to follow the path with the veilfire leading the way back. We were at the second pillar when I stopped to spy the archway that lead into the alcove, the likely hiding place of the mage who had set up the traps of the undead.

Bull put a gentle hand at the small of my back and pushed me away, to follow the marching soldiers. Surprised, I looked up at him and he shook his head at me, great horns leaving deep shadows against his face and shoulders.

"We have other things to worry about." He murmured. "I'm not telling you no, don't give me that look, I'm just saying not now."

"But what if they set up the pillars like traps again?" I asked but obediently followed his pushing hand. In all honesty, I wanted the excuse to ignore the threat of the mage. I was exhausted, my body hurt from my hair to my toenails, and I could feel bruises blooming under my skin from all the tumbles I had taken.

"It probably took them a lot of time and effort to do that." He reasoned with me, his head bobbing. "All I'm saying, boss, is that there's a time and a place. When we come back, we'll march right back here and get 'em, alright?" I spared another glance at the disappearing archway and then turned to look forward. Guilt gnawed at my lungs and pulled at my ribs as I hoped my desperation wouldn't harm more people.

"Okay," I exhaled, nervous. "Just... just this once."

He nodded, patting my back. "Just once, boss. Promise."