High Noon (Or not, but who's counting?)

Edana shoved the small bag of vials into Duncan's hand, her other arm around her friend. "We need to hurry," she said bluntly. "She's not doing so well."

Duncan pulled aside Shai's sleeve, seeing the black veining that radiated out from the small wound. "So I see," he observed. Edana's lips thinned. "I will begin the preparations," he said before she could speak. "The potion is almost ready. Do you have the treaties?" he turned to Alistair to ask.

"We do," Alistair said with a nod. "they were being guarded by a Chasind mother and daughter. They... were apostates."

"That is not our concern," Duncan chided gently. "You are no longer a Templar, and the Gray Wardens have other matters that require our attention."

"But I...! Yes, you're right," Alistair sighed.

"How long before your potion's ready?" Edana asked, getting Ser Jory to help her ease Shai to the ground.

"Not long," Duncan said, acknowledging her with a nod. "We can begin the Joining at sunset."

"Fair enough," Edana said, squinting at the lowering sun. "Hush," she said to her blonde friend. "You know as well as I do that making a fuss only spreads shit faster. Would a tourniquet help at all to slow the spread of the poison?" she asked. "It's on her arm, which makes things easier."

"It might, but at the risk of losing the arm."

"I know how to do one proper. Wasn't a Girl Scout for long, but Mama was a nurse for longer than I've been alive." Duncan noted that her accent thickened with stress.

"Very well, if you feel the time gained is worth the risk. I will begin preparations."

Edana's eyes watched him, dark with wariness and distrust.

"I am not your enemy," he said gently. "I can only hope that someday you understand."

I understand enough her eyes said, but she only looked away.

Shai did her best to ignore everything. If she concentrated hard enough, she could manage to lean less on Edana. "Let's just wait. No tourniquet," she said. "Really don't trust the medicine yet. Especially if they're too stubborn to use magic." She kept her voice low, steady.

She kept a grip on Edana while Duncan disappeared to mix his mysterious potion. "If there's chunks, I reserve veto rights," she muttered to her friend.

"If there's chunks, I will barf right on Duncan, swear to god," Edana muttered back. "Relax, hon. Lean on me a little harder, I'll let you know if you're too heavy."

There was a long moment of silence.

"Are you getting the feeling that there's still shit Duncan's not telling us?" she ventured at a near-silent whisper.

She chuckled. "If I was editing this novel, I'd kick it back for the all-too-obvious secret society shtick. Seriously, I'm expecting caged confessions of our deepest secrets any minute now."

She sighed, eyes watering as she tracked the sun's progress toward the horizon.

"I hope that's all it is," Edana said dubiously. "I can make up secrets for them to listen to for as long as they want to listen."

She pressed her wrist to Shai's forehead. "You're feverish," she observed. "Here, lay down. You can use my legs as a pillow for a bit and we'll give the boys something to look at while we wait."

The broken floor beneath them was blessedly cool. Shai pressed her hands against it, letting the stone leech away some of her body heat. The sounds of the camp faded away as her thoughts turned inward, seeking a calm place in her head, away from the pain and worry.

All too soon, the sound of metal footsteps broke her fugue. She blinked up at Alistair. There was an unreadable look on his face as he reached his hand down. "It's time," he said.

Shai placed her leather-gloved hand into his metal gauntlet. He was delicate, gentle as he helped her to her feet.

Edana hauled herself up with a grunt. Sitting for what felt like at least a hour had let her muscles stiffen up. She followed Alistair and Shai, looking behind her to see Daveth and Jory following.

"The more I hear about this Joining the less I like it," Jory grumbled as they filed in to the open-air enclosure.

"Are you blubbering again?" Daveth asked.

"Why all these damned tests?" Jory demanded. "Have I not earned my place?"

"Maybe it's tradition," Daveth offered. "Or maybe they're just trying to annoy you."

"Come on guys," Edana sighed. "Do we really want to have the thirty-second verse, same as the first? We all knew what we were getting into." She checked Shai's flushed face with concern, feeling the heat radiating off her skin.

"I only know that my wife is in Highever with a child on the way! If they had warned me, I..." He looked down and shook his head. "It just doesn't seem fair."

"Would you have come if they'd warned you?" Daveth asked. "Maybe that's why they don't. The Wardens do what they must, right? "

"Including sacrificing us?"

"I'd sacrifice a lot more if I knew that it would end the Blight," Daveth pointed out evenly.

"Some of us had less of a choice than you, Ser Jory," Edana added. "I'm not overcome with joy myself. Shai's infected and last week was the first time I ever killed anything." She smiled just a little. "I'm just resigned I guess. And keeping my bitching on the inside so I don't fuck with morale." She put a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be all right."

She stifled her snicker on Edana's shoulder. "Stuff a sock in it, would you?"

"Yeah, ser knight," Daveth sneered. "Try not to wet your trousers until the ritual starts."

Ser Jory sighed. "I've just never faced a foe I could not engage with my blade."

That struck entirely too close to home. Green lights flashed through Shai's brain, alongside the memory of sirens and the distant shout of "Lightning, lightning, lightning." She shuddered and leaned a little more heavily on her friend. She was broken from her memories by the metallic chime of Duncan's footsteps.

"At last, we come to the Joining. The Grey Wardens were founded during the first Blight, when humanity stood on the verge of annihilation." His figure blurred around the edges as he placed a large chalice on a table. "So it was, that the first Grey Wardens drank of darkspawn blood – and mastered their taint."

Shai just started laughing.

Edana looked at her in concern, squeezing her shoulder. She started to ask if Shai was all right, then the giggles started.

"Sock it yourself, hon," she hissed. "I think this is supposed to be some sort of solemn and terrifying occasion. Thing." She bit her lip hard to suppress her own snickers. "And see? Didn't I tell you? We're drinking that crap."

At Alistair's disgruntled look, she did her best to put on her serious face. Jory finally found his tongue again. "We... we're going to drink the blood of those... those creatures?"

Somehow, Duncan was able to maintain his air of gravity. "As the first Grey Wardens did before us, and as we did before you." He looked sternly at the two foreign women. "This – is the source of our power. And our victory."

Alistair suddenly remembered he had a part to play. "Those who survive the Joining become immune to the taint. We can sense it in the darkspawn, and use it to slay the archdemon."

Shai bit the inside of her cheek, hard. She was just waiting for Jory- "Those who survive?"

She kept her face in Edana's shoulder and spoke very, very quietly. "Copper says that's not the highest octave he reaches tonight."

"I don't take sucker bets," Edana answered just as quietly.

Duncan ignored the question, and the comments. "There are only a few words we say prior to the Joining, but those have been said since the first. Alistair, if you would?"

Unusually solemn, Alistair stepped forward. "Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be foresworn. Should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten, and that one day, we shall join you."

Edana stared at him, the mirth draining out of her. It sounded more like a funeral dirge than a prayer for survival. She was starting to understand how the Samurai felt when they went into battle already 'dead'.

The world around her seemed to be moving in water. She watched Duncan pick the chalice back up and turn to face the recruits again. "Daveth, step forward."

The thief reached out to take the chalice from Duncan's grasp. He spared one last glance at Edana and Shai before he took his drink. It was back in Duncan's hands before he finished swallowing.

Daveth started to sway, then stagger backward a few steps. He clutched his head. When he looked up, his eyes had gone pure white. He fell to his hands and knees, struggling against his own body. Shai could hear the creak of his leather armor over the sounds of his choking.

It was almost a relief when he collapsed to the ground, completely still.

Edana's breath came short and quick as she stared at Daveth's body on the ground. He's dead, she thought numbly. He was nice to me. We teased Ser Jory together. And now he's dead. Holy shit.

Shai wobbled against her, and she tightened her grip around her friend's shoulders reflexively.

Duncan bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Daveth."

Shai could only stare at Daveth's blank eyes and rapidly cooling body. Before she could properly adjust, Duncan spoke again.

"Step forward, Ser Jory."

Jory backed against one of the stone walls, drawing his sword. His break came shallow and quick. "But I have a wife! A child!"

"There is no turning back," Duncan said implacably, advancing with the chalice.

Jory stepped further away. "No, you ask too much. There is no glory in this!" His voice cracked.

Duncan's expression did not change as he set the chalice aside and drew his blade. Jory swung, Duncan parried, and then a blade was buried in Jory's chest before either of the girls could say a word.

"I am sorry," Duncan said quietly, and let Jory's body fall to the ground.

Shai and Edana clutched each other like frightened children, staring with wide incredulous eyes. He watched their gaze fix on the pool of blood spreading under Jory's body and knew, without a doubt, that even if both women survived... neither would ever count themselves as his sister in the Wardens.

"But the Joining is not yet complete." He stepped toward the women, offering the chalice. "You are called upon to submit yourselves to the Taint for the greater good."

Edana took a shuddering breath and reached out, taking the vessel in one trembling hand.

"Together?" she said with a quaver. "That way if. If one of us don't make it, the other doesn't have to watch."

Alistair helped her stay on her feet as she stood facing Edana. The chalice was between them, Shai's hands wrapped around Edana's because she couldn't really hold it herself anyway.

She held Edana's eyes when she brought the cup to her lips. Maybe if she thought hard enough about her friend, they'd both live. Maybe if the tricksters heard her thoughts, they'd at least let Edana live.

Just as Edana took her sip and Duncan took hold of the chalice again, every muscle in her body seized, and her world exploded in pain.