He had no idea how Katherine coped with being the Warden-Commander to the Grey Wardens in Ferelden. He never in his wildest dreams expect that he would need to take over her position due to these circumstances.
Nathaniel sighed as he wandered through the training yard, keeping an eye on the progress of their latest recruits. There may not be a Blight anymore, but these wardens were still needed to protect the citizens of Amaranthine, and to be on standby in case another Blight comes along.
His mind wandered to Katherine: was she alright? Why didn't she tell him where she was going? Why didn't she bring him along with her? Why did she have to express her feelings for him just before leaving entirely?
It frustrated the archer to no end, and her other companions. Trying to explain to Seneschal Bran, Oghren, Carver and Merrill where their Warden-Commander had gone without the majority of the letter was a task in itself. Nathaniel had carefully removed the last section of the letter to ensure that Katherine's reputation remained intact. The last thing either of them wanted was a scandal that could shake Ferelden to its core.
But that night…
Nathaniel knew there wouldn't be a repeat of it ever again. Katherine made sure of that by leaving Vigil's Keep as soon as she woke up. He was furious for the first few days and took it out on his fellow Wardens when they persisted with questions about their commander, but that rage soon turned into acceptance. He knew Katherine wouldn't abandon everything on a whim without solid evidence, but she took the important notes with her.
"Howe, we have a message for the Warden-Commander," Varel broke Nathaniel from his train of thought. Howe turned to see Varel with another Warden beside him that he didn't recognise.
From the way the Warden messenger held herself, it was clear she wasn't used to being in Ferelden. She turned up her nose and kept grimacing at the mud on her boots, and the way her hair was plaited to one side in an obscure but practical fashion. Clearly Orlesian.
Before the messenger spoke, Nathaniel snatched the letter from her outstretched hand, causing the young woman to gasp slightly.
"Th-That's a private message for Warden-Commander Katherine! You have no-"
"Katherine is currently on a top priority mission. I'm the acting Warden-Commander for now," Nathaniel glared at the woman before checking the wax seal at the back of the letter; a message from Weisshaupt?
Howe hastily opened the letter, ignoring the protests from the young woman and Varel trying to calm the messenger down. He began to read;
Warden-Commander Katherine of Ferelden,
I hope this message finds you in good health, and that both you and King Alistair are still managing Grey Warden and royal duties, but that is not why I urgently contacted you.
We have received reports from Orlais that Grey Wardens have begun to go AWOL for no reason. Some men and women who were once loyal and dedicated soldiers have simply vanished into thin air, and we have been unable to make contact with Warden-Commander Clarel.
I urgently require you to investigate this matter and resolve it. I would usually try and resolve these reports myself, but other matters require my attention and I know how good you are with these investigations.
Make haste to Weisshaupt as soon as you can so we can further discuss this in person, then you will be sent to Orlais to continue our investigation.
Sincerely,
The First Warden
Nathaniel sighed as he re-read the letter; everyone always wanted a piece of Katherine and it frustrated him to no end that everyone demanded her presence even with minor investigations like this.
"What could be so urgent as a few missing Wardens?" Nathaniel spat before handing the letter to Varel for his opinion as they meandered over towards the Warden-Commander's office.
"I have a feeling the First Warden isn't telling us everything, otherwise they would not have requested for Katherine's presence so openly."
"But she's-"
Nathaniel prevented himself from speaking further before entering the office; the majority of it still contained Katherine's possessions and he daren't move anything in case she ever came back. He could already picture the look of horror on her face if her things were moved out.
"What are you smirking for Howe? This is not a laughing matter," Varel's authoritative voice broke through the archer's daydream and it caused the mirth in Howe's eyes to instantly vanish, knowing he was caught in what he believed to be a vulnerable moment.
"It's nothing. So what do you think we should do?" Nathaniel braced himself on the map table, eyes scanning the possible routes from Amaranthine to the Anderfels.
"I think we should send along a group of our best Wardens to Weisshaupt. They could investigate for us, and you could still remain here for when Katherine decides to return. A group of four should be enough."
Nathaniel nodded and searched through his mind for the best Wardens he knew from their forces. His mind went to Oghren first but quickly decided against it; the dwarf wasn't really subtle with his actions and would probably insult the First Warden. He thought about a few other wardens they had but decided against it after out-weighing the options.
"What about Carver and his little group?"
Nathaniel stared at the seneschal in pure horror, "Carver Hawke? You believe he should be involved in this?"
Varel chuckled, "Carver has more than proved himself a capable leader of a small group over the years. His missions have always been successful and none of the men under his command have ever been injured. He may not be the most level-headed Warden we have, but I believe Merrill could be the diplomat of the group. Agna and Feynrith should also join them; Agna being the brawn and Feynrith as the scout."
Nathaniel mulled it over in his mind and could not see a flaw in Varel's suggestion. The archer simply nodded and waited for Varel to gather the small group for a de-briefing.
But seriously, what could be so bad about a few missing Wardens?