Duncan sighed as Jerath casually gathered Brehan's dishes in addition to his own. Once again the young Dalish had left the 'flat-ear' to do the cleaning. Jerath and Brosca engaged briefly in some kind of gesture competition, which Brosca apparently lost, as the dwarf started in on the dishes.

"I suppose it would be unseemly to set his hair on fire." Lenore groused from where she was mixing the potion recipe the keeper had given him.

"It would".

"You think he could at least say 'thank you' or something, being that I'm expending my energy keeping him alive instead of, you know, setting him on fire."

Duncan patted the young mage on the shoulder and went to assist Brosca. "Thank you."

"Dishes won't wash themselves."

"For not stabbing Brehan."

"Oh. That. He's not even on the top ten list of biggest arses I've met in the last month."

Duncan smiled, "yes, but as I recall, you did kill several people on that list."

Brosca thought for a moment. "Yeah, I took that into account. But there are a lot of deshyrs back in Orzammar that are still hale and hearty." He glanced back in the direction Brehan had gone. "I'd thump him with the flat of my blade, but I think if that would help you'd already have done it." He collected the dishes Duncan had dried. "I'd be more worried Cathiel, she was talking about pinning ears back and I don't think she was talking about the donkey. Why'd you go and recruit that guy, anyway?"

"Most who contract the darkspawn sickness are dead within a day. Brehan is still walking about and lucid enough to get under everyone's skin. We need that kind of willpower. He has the makings of a Grey Warden."

"Yeah, willpower. That's why half the folks at camp want to turn him into Dalish leather. Willpower. Sure you didn't hit your head during that fight in the roads?"

Duncan hid a smile. "What about Jerath and Saitada?"

"What? Jerath? Bah, Jerath's half made of stone, it would take more than Brehan to get a rise out of that kid. As for Saitada...um... well, I don't see her around camp right now... actually. But she's a commander, she can knock heads around without spilling too many brains."

"Still..."

"Bah, go save the little blighter's life again if you want, I'll finish up here."

Duncan rolled his eyes and headed in the direction he'd seen Brehan go.

#

He saw them ahead, in a clearing. Brehan was on the ground, but Saitada's sword was sheathed. She was using gentle pressure from the point of her shield on Brehan's stomach, keeping the elf on the ground. He could barely make out the words 'in the wilderness if you like, and let your friend go unavenged. Or grow up, and make those bastards pay." He stopped moving, watching the situation play itself out.

Brehan tried to sit up and was casually pushed back to the ground. "You're no better than the shem and the flat ear! You had a choice!"

"No wonder Cathiel wants to pin your ears back. It's not like you bother to use these things. None of us had any more choice than you did. You aren't the only one here leaving people behind, you aren't the only one here that will never know. You aren't the only one here that has faced death. What would your friend say, if he could see you now?"

Brehan choked down whatever his inital response was going to be. After a moment, he answered, "he'd be laughing at me for getting pinned to the ground by a girl half my size."

"And what would he be doing now, if your situations were reversed?"

Brehan's voice wavered slightly, "everything he could."

Saitada pulled the shield off Brehan, shifting it to her back. "And what would he think, if he saw you doing less?"

Brehan starred at the ground. "He'd think he died for nothing."

"Did he?"

"No."

Saitada offered Brehan a hand. After a moment, he took it, and she pulled him to his feet. "Going to walk away?"

"No."

"Good. Tomorrow is your turn for the dishes. No more shirking."

Brehan gave a jerky nod, then followed Saitada back to camp. Duncan stepped into the shadows so neither would see him as they passed. He said a silent prayer to the Maker that Saitada would survive the joining.

#

Saitada examined the slate Brosca had handed her. "Excellent work. I think you've got the hang of it."

"Seems like a waste of time though, if you ask me. We are supposed to be warriors, not scholars." His proud smile belied his words.

Saitada laughed warmly. "Much is expected of Grey Wardens. Keeping darkspawn lore is also one of our responsibilities."

Brehan chimed in from where he was adding herbs to the stew over the fire. "Have to leave something for the Grey Wardens that come after us. Not like this will be the last blight."

"Don't be so pessimistic," Lenore said. She selected a few of the herbs he'd retrieved and added them to the potion she was brewing.

"Mage, look around." Brehan gestured at the others sitting around the camp. "Any of us look like the lucky types?"

"You..." Lenore looked around the camp. Brosca gave her a cheeky grin. "...have a fair point. But so does Brosca. Shouldn't we be practicing our darkspawn hunting skills, Duncan?"

"I thought perhaps you might like a meal first," Duncan said. He walked to the donkey and removed a bundle. He laid it out, revealing several practice blades. "I'd like to get a full measure of each of you to determine what additional training will be needed. Saitada will be assisting me in this."

"Why her?" Cathiel asked.

Brosca replied before Duncan could. "Because she was a military commander back in Orzammar, trained by the best. She's won four Provings." He thought for a moment, and then amended. "Five Provings."

"Saitada knows what she is doing, and has faced darkspawn before," Duncan said. "The rest of you will need at least some training, both in darkspawn tactics and in fighting as a military unit."

Lenore clapped her hands. "So will I. I'd be able to help you more with spells if I could anticipate your actions a little better."

"My thoughts exactly," Duncan said. He chose a practice blade. "We will start with some basic footwork drills."

#

Duncan sat at the fire, smiling slightly as Brehan wove a story about Andruil and the way of the hunt. Evenings had become more pleasant of late, since Brehan had begun taking charge of making camp. The elf had a knack for finding foodstuffs even at the pace Duncan set, and between the change from the dried rations and the addition of the storytelling, the others had begun to warm to the Dalish elf. The Dalish, for his part, also seemed happier now that he had found a role within the group.

Saitada sat down next to him and offered him a fresh cup of the tea. He accepted gratefully. "We should be at Ostagar in a week."

"You went out for one recruit and return with six. Not sure if you are lucky or biting off more than you can chew"

"Lucky, I think. Two Proving winners, one of the best archers in Ferelden, a Dalish hunter, and a mage'."

"You didn't mention Jerath in that." Saitada glanced over to where Jerath was engrossed in a tome. "Isn't he a little... well, young?"

Duncan smiled. "Upon meeting me, the rest of you were suitably impressed by my regal bearing and knightly manner." He pretended not to notice Saitada's snort of laughter. "Jerath threatened me."

Around them, the others begin to find their way to tents. Saitada remained sitting next to Duncan. "The others should all be to Ostagar by now as well, yes?"

Duncan nodded. "Twenty three wardens. And two other recruits I found, just before coming to Orzammar."

"Thirty one of us then, against a Blight. Those are some long odds."

"Orlais is sending a couple hundred wardens to join us, though they won't arrive for some time yet."

"With luck, they will be here before the Blight truly gets underway."

"From what we found in the deep roads, the Darkspawn are massing beneath the Korcari wilds. When the horde comes, it will be there."

Saitada sat back against a stump, starring up at the night sky. "If you don't mind my asking, how did you become a Grey Warden?"

"I was a pickpocket and thief, back in Orlais. I killed a man while trying to rob him. A Grey Warden, as it turned out. The Commander at that time offered me a place, but I refused. The next day, right before my execution, she conscripted me." He followed her gaze up to the stars. "I ran away many times in the first few months, but eventually I learned what it means to be a Warden."

"Quite the journey, to Commander of the Grey for all Ferelden," she smiled. "It's poetic, in its way, all of us with little left to lose being what stands between the world and darkness."

Duncan was almost surprised to find his fingers running through her hair. She turned to face him, and he kissed her gently. She returned the kiss, raising a hand to caress his face.

They lay entwined beneath the stars for some time before Duncan let out a regretful sigh. Saitada smiled invitingly. "Shall we turn in?" Duncan nodded, and gave her another kiss before rising. He stopped, abruptly. Saitada stood and followed his gaze.

Jerath still sat by the fire, looking at his book. In spite of them both looking at him, he kept staring at the book, though the tips of his ears were turning a bit pink. Saitada rolled her eyes fondly before heading into the tent. Duncan followed, then glanced back to see that Jerath waited until they were inside before heading to his own bedroll.

#

There were a couple looks the next morning, most of them from Brosca. The rest just seemed to take him and Saitada sharing a tent in stride. Cathiel even looked slightly embarrassed. They packed up the camp quickly.

Brehan ranged a bit from the rest of the group as they headed south. As the sun grew higher, he emerged from the woods carrying a large fowl by the legs. "Found lunch," he said, holding it up.

"Not bad, Songbird," Brosca said.

The Dalish man laughed, and made quick work of gutting and quartering the bird while Brosca built up a fire. Duncan and Saitada took turns instructing the rest on various types of darkspawn as they ate.