Chapter 7
Warden-Commander Matthew Cousland walked down the path that led to Vigil's Keep, were he would take up his duties in rebuilding the Grey Wardens in Fereldan, and ruling the Arling of Amaranthine. With him was a warden recruit, by the name of Mhairi, and Morrigan. When his wife had come up to him after their meeting with Alistair and said she was going to Amaranthine with him, he had not even bothered to argue, simply requesting that she start wearing armor, which she had. Gleadr, his mabari, was not with them; Matthew had ordered him to keep Fergus company at Highever while he was in Amaranthine.
Matthew was relieved that their trip was about to end. It had been a long walk, and it had started to rain. They were all looking forward to getting to the keep, and drying themselves off. Finally, rounding a bend in the road, they saw Vigil's Keep not far away. While Morrigan and Mhairi both looked relieved, Matthew was unsettled; he had expected that the dozen Wardens sent from Orlais would be waiting for him, but they were nowhere to be seen. As they got closer to the gates, he felt the mental itch that alerted him to any living thing that carried the taint, and it was far too strong to be a dozen wardens who had not fully succumbed to the taint. He motioned for Morrigan and Mhairi to stop; something was very wrong here.
"Commander," Mhairi shouted, drawing her sword and shield. Matthew had seen it too; a single soldier ran out of the gates, chased by four Genlocks. Matthew and Morrigan also drew their blades, and each of the trio engaged a Genlock. The soldier, seeing that he was no longer alone, turned and attacked the first darkspawn chasing him. Matthew swung the Summer Sword in a horizontal cut, and slashed a Genlock's throat, cutting the coradid artery, jugular vein, and trachea, and the enchanted flames cauterized the cut. The darkspawn fell clutching its bloodless wound. Tuning, he saw Mhairi spin around and decapitate her opponent, Morrigan conjuring a stream of flame from her hand that engulfed her darkspawn's head, and it fell, its brain cooked.
Hearing a series of sickening, wet thuds, Matthew looked over his shoulder and saw the soldier they had saved repeatedly smashing his mace into a fallen Genlock's head. Finally stopping, he turned, looked at Matthew, and promptly laughed with relief. "It's you! The Hero of Fereldan! Oh, thank the Maker!" "What happened here, soldier?" "I don't rightly know, sir. Everything was quite one moment, than there were darkspawn everywhere." "Where are the other warden's?" "I'm not sure, my lord. They were all in the keep." Matthew nodded, than ordered "Get on the road, and find some reinforcements. We are going to need them."
"We don't have a lot of time commander." Mhairi said, "We need to get to the keep." "Darkspawn launching a surprise attack. This is unheard of," Matthew muttered to himself. "It matters not, love," Morrigan replied, wiping the darkspawn blood from her sword. "If they stand against us, they will fall." Nodding at his love's usual appraisal of their foes, he hefted his flaming blade, and ran through the open gates, and found a melee within the first courtyard. After the last of the darkspawn were killed, Matthew rallied the surviving troops, than led them into the keep to reclaim it.
As they entered the keep's gates, a group of shrieks emerged from the shadows, and began slashing at them with the blades attached to their arms. Swinging his sword down, Matthew chopped a Shrieks arms off, rendering it unable to fight, then stabbed it through the heart. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Morrigan nimbly parrying another shriek's blades, than she kicked it in the gut, and impaled its head. Then, he saw Mhairi was in trouble; a Hurlock had struck her in the side, and though the armor held against the blade, it had knocked her to the ground, and she had lost her sword; the darkspawn raised its sword for a killing blow. Too far away to block the blow, Matthew drew a knife from his belt and launched it at the Hurlock; it struck the Hurlock in what passed for its ear, and it fell without a sound.
Mhairi stood up, shacking. "Thank…thank you Commander," she stuttered. "Are you alright Mhairi? Maybe you should stay back." "No!" Mhairi shouted; she looked slightly angry at Matthew's suggestion. "I can help you, I'll prove it!" And with that she ran up the stairs to their right. "She is a fine warrior, and is willing to speak her mind," Morrigan commented. "She will make a fine warden." Matthew pretended to act surprised. "Are you offering a compliment to someone, Morrigan! I'll have to mark this day on my callender." "Fool," Morrigan replied, than the two love birds followed Mhairi up the stairs. Stopping at the first door, the trio halted for a moment, than Matthew kicked the door in.
What was waiting for them on the other side, none of them were prepared for. Instead of a group of darkspawn, they saw a large, fair-haired man in mage ropes, currently scorching a darkspawn to a crisp. He was surrounded by a dozen more darkspawn, and, Matthew noted with grim satisfaction, two templers. Clearly, the man was a mage who had been captured by the templers, and had used the attack to break lose. Then, caution entered Matthew's thoughts; it was possible that this man was a blood mage, mages who used blood to power their spells. Such mages could summon demons, control minds, and could even use the blood of other people, so they did not have to tap their own life forces to work magic. While Matthew was adamant that the Chantry should not imprison mages for their gifts, he was also aware of just how powerful and evil blood mages could become. If this mage practiced these arts, he could not be allowed the escape he sought.
Having sufficiently roasted the Hurlock he was facing, the mage ended the spell, then began hopping up and down and shook his hands, as if he was trying to cool them off, though Matthew knew from having traveled with Morrigan for more than a year the conjured flames could not have harmed him. And he looked so ridiculous that Matthew started chuckling under his breath.
Hearing the laughter, the mage turned to his onlookers. He stared at them, than at the fallen Templers, then back at them, and said in an unconvincing voice, "Ah, I didn't do it." Suddenly, a humorous gleam came into his eyes, and he continued, "Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not particularly broken up about them dying, to be honest. Biff here made the funniest gurgle when he went down." In too serious a mindset to laugh at the mages sympathy, or lack thereof, Matthew inspected the bodies of the Templers. They all had numerous stab wounds and lacerations, consistent with a darkspawn attack; this mage had not killed them, and he didn't seem like the type of person who would use blood magic. Matthew relaxed a little.
"Not too fond of them, huh," Matthew said to the mage. "Who are you supposed to be?" "I am Anders, at your service. Mage, and wanted apostate." "Ah, we finally meet a mage who is determined to live free of the Chantry's slavery," Morrigan commented. "'Tis such a relief." Anders started smirking. "Well, if the male mages at the tower knew that a women as lovely as yourself existed out in the world, they would stop at nothing to get out." "And he is a fool," Morrigan sighed, obviously disappointed. "But he is a fool who is trying to be free, and that is more than I can say for most people."
Now smiling, Matthew asked Anders, "Where were these Templers taking you?" "They were just stopping here on our way back to the tower. 'Just a short rest,' they said. And now they're dead. It's a shame, really." Matthew was, at this point, completely certain Anders was not a blood mage. However, he needed all the help that they could get, so he asked, "Would you care to give us a hand with these darkspawn?" "Hmm, alright, I'll help. We can discuss what comes later…later. Once all these bastards are properly put down." Chuckling, Matthew again drew the Summer Sword, and headed down the next hallway, Morrigan, Mhairi, and Anders close behind.
After clearing two more rooms of darkspawn, saving several of the keep's staff, and nearly being blown up by an insane dwarfs explosives, the group passed through a hallway to a third room. Before they could open the door, however, they heard the sounds of fighting, and innumerable curses being shouted in a voice that Matthew knew only too well. No way, Matthew thought. There is no way HE can be HERE! But, sure enough, when he swung the door open, he was presented with a small group of darkspawn. And before the group, armed with a massive axe, and armored in a set of Legion of the Dead armor, stood Oghren the dwarf.
Hearing the newcomers, Oghren turned, saw Matthew and immediately waved hello to him. Then, quick as a flash, he cut down a Genlock that charged him. Quickly entering the fray, Matthew and his companions made quick work of the darkspawn. Once the monsters were vanquished, Oghren slung his axe across his back, and turned to his old leader and, laughing, said, "Ah ha! There you are! When these darkspawn showed up, I thought, 'Just wait until the new commander gets here, and you'll all be spitting teeth out of your arses!' I followed the screaming, and sure enough, here you are. Good on ya!" "No!" Morrigan moaned. "Not that drunken ass of dwarven warrior AGAIN!" Laughing, both at his love's comment and his old friend's reappearance, Matthew asked, "Oghren, is that really you?" "Doubting your eyes, huh? I get like that, after the fifth bottle or so."
"I came here thinking I might try my hand at becoming a bone fide Grey Warden." "He was here when I left," Mhairi commented, disgust evident on her face, as well as Morrigan's. "I can't believe the Warden's didn't kick him out." Noticing her, Oghren said, "Well, hey, if it isn't the recruit with the great rack!" "Yes, a prize for the Wardens to be sure," Mhairi continued, sarcasm filling every syllable. "I know, I know, too good to be true," Oghren continued. "Hey, who's the mage, your boyfriend? Should I leave you two alone?" Oghren raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Hey," Anders chimed in, "a dwarf that smells like a brewery! You don't see those anywhere!" "A mage comedian;" Oghren grumbled. " I thought those normally died young."
Matthew, meanwhile, had gone into panic mode. The Joining, the ceremony where recruits drank magically enhanced darspawn blood, in order to obtain the taint without killing themselves, was often fatal. Oghren had regularly made an ass of himself, but Matthew still considered him a friend, and would never wish death upon him. Not to mention that had a wife and son; what would happen to them if Oghren died? "Oghren," Matthew quickly said, trying to persuade Oghren away from this course of action, "there are risks to becoming a Grey Warden." "Bah, there are risks to getting out of bed in the morning. I piss on risk." "I'm sure 'risk' appreciates it," Anders muttered. "We can talk about this later," Oghren growled. "Right now, there are darkspawn about that are in sore need of a beheading!"
Matthew nodded, than they continued into the next hallway, where they found a badly injured human soldier leaning against the wall. "Rowland!" Mhairi shouted, running up to her fallen comrade. "Commander, Rowland was a knight in Denerim who had been recruited, like me; we must do something for him!" They all looked at Anders, who shook his head sadly. "He looks beyond magical healing." He paused, then added halfheartedly, "maybe a shot of whiskey for the pain?" "I like the way you think," Oghren commented. "Stop joking!" Mhairi shouted, clearly beside herself. "This isn't funny!" "Commander?" Rowland rasped. "I'm here, Rowland," Matthew replied to the dying man. "I wish I had gotten here sooner." "We… only had a moments warning, Commander. They came out of nowhere. Their leader…Commander, their leader is a darkspawn that TALKS!"
Matthew felt his heart skip a beat; a talking darkspawn! If the monsters were getting this intelligent, and were organizing attacks without an archdemon, it was very bad news for everyone. "Bah," Oghren scoffed, "a talking darkspawn. The lad must be delirious." Matthew wanted to believe him, but couldn't quite manage it. Suddently, Rowland gasped. "There's something in my blood! It hurts!" Knowing he had little time left, Matthew quickly asked "Where is the talking darkspawn?" "He went that way," Rowland wheezed, "after the….seneschal." And with a last gasp, Rowland died. Mhairi bowed her head, and whispered, "I will avenge you, Rowland; I swear it."
Matthew and his motley collection of followers charged into the next room, and began fighting the darkspawn that had heard their fellows engaging Oghren. There were many, but they seem to melt away; Oghren split a Genlock's head in half, Matthew slashed the Hurlock Alpha leading the charge from its left shoulder to its opposite hip, spilling the contents of its chest and abdominal cavities on the ground, Mhairi struck a Hurlock mage in its temple with the corner of her shield, crushing the right side of its skull, Anders healed any wounds the darkspawn inflicted on them, and Morrigan impaled a Hurlock through its heart, then sending bolts of lightning out of the lyrium-infused blade's tip, electrocuted three more darkspawn before they could reach them.
Finally, the five fighters managed to make it to the battlements. Running around a corner, they saw a group of seven darkspawn, one of which held a sword to a grey-haired man's throat. That must be seneschal Varel . "Others will come, creature. They will stop you." Hearing the group approaching, the darkspawn turned. The largest Hurlock, a heavily armored emissary, looked at Matthew, then said, "It seems your words be true. More than you are guessing."
Matthew had heard Rowland when he said there was a talking darkspawn, but that didn't prepare him for this! The monster could speak! Its grammar was atrocious, but it could speak.
"It IS talking!" Anders exclaimed; he sounded delighted. "Well," Oghren growled, "let's shut it up already!" The talking darkspawn turned to its comrades, and ordered, "Capture the Grey Warden. These others, they may be killed." And with that, the battle was joined once again.
Matthew impaled two Hurlocks on his blade, shoved them off, and charged the speaking Hurlock; he saw that it was beginning to conjure a spell. Forced to abandon its magical attack, the emissary drew its shield and dagger from its back. The blade was unlike anything Matthew had ever seen; it was shaped like a crescent moon. Matthew quickly began slashing at the Hurlock; it was quite a bit larger than him, and he needed to kill it quickly, before it wore him down. After dodging, blocking, and parrying several of Matthew's blows, the Warden-Commander managed to slash the darkspawn's shield arm, causing it to drop the crudely fashioned hunk of steel.
Hissing in pain and rage, the darkspawn caught Matthew's next blow in the curve of his dagger, and, twisting his wrist, ripped the Summer Sword from his grasp. Next, the emissary lifted the dagger above his head, intending to knock the defenseless Warden out. Suddenly, a slim, curved silverite blade that gave off discharges of electricity sprouted from the darkspawn's chest, and it fell to the ground. In its place stood Morrigan, her light chain main and her sword covered with black blood, looking for all the world like a goddess of war. And she was livid.
After dragging him to his feet, she slapped him, and yelled, "YOU FOOL! Why must you always run directly at the most dangerous enemy in sight, without any heed as to whether you need assistance or not!" "Because," Matthew calmly replied, taking her face in his hands and kissing both her checks, "I know that you will always be there to pull me back when I go too far, and that you will chew me out for it." Morrigan struggled not to smile, and quickly lost. "Fool," she said again, though with no real conviction.
Seneschal Varel stood, walked over to the couple, and said, "Commander, I owe you my life." He seemed ready to continue, but something on the road caught his eye, and he walked over to the battlements. Matthew and Morrigan followed. "Hm, soldiers are on the road. It seems we have more company. Hopefully they're more hospitable then our previous guests." "Knowing my luck, I wouldn't count on it, seneschal." Varel, and everyone else laughed at the comment, than they all turned around to greet whoever was coming to Vigil's Keep.