Chapter 3
Beth hurried up the stairs to the keep, dropping the weapons she had looted from the dead darkspawn at the top of the stairs. Vigil's Keep was extremely old, it had been built originally as a fort to guard the north shore. Most recently it had been the home of Arl Renden Howe, but when he was proven a traitor to Ferelden, the Queen gave the land of Amaranthine along with the Keep to the Grey Wardens as a home to rebuild their order. The large main building was built of stone and was magnificent in the daytime sun, but in the evening dark, with the rain, it looked ominous. Beth had been to Vigil's keep often in the past and knew her way around. She stopped when she sensed darkspawn ahead and looked back. Margaret and the soldier approached behind her and she put a finger to her lips pointing ahead of them.
Melting into the shadows, she crept up on the first creature, grabbed it from behind and slit its throat. Unable to use the shadows for cover any longer, Beth ran full speed toward the closest creature and slashed. The other darkspawn growled and roared as they charged. Bear jumped one and brought it down as the soldier rushed in and decapitated it. Margaret had blocked a spear with her shield, but was having trouble getting closer. Beth jumped the creature from behind slashing its legs bringing it down to its knees. Margaret thrust her sword into the beast's chest, killing it. "Good. The girl knows how to fight." Beth thought as she danced away from a sword strike. Pivoting, Beth thrust her blades into the back of the darkspawn, twisting them to ensure it was dead. Pulling them out, she stood and looked at the corpses. "They were closer than I sensed." Beth thought worriedly. "Maybe they did surprise the wardens after all."
Margaret was amazed. She had heard soldiers tell stories about the warden's prowess with dual blades, but she had thought the wild stories were just exaggeration. Now though, after having seen that prowess for herself, Margaret honestly believed the Warden could take down the ogres and dragons that were told of in those tales.
Beth looked at Fenton and asked, "Are there darkspawn inside the keep as well?"
"Yes," he said. "No one knows how they got in."
Beth hesitated, then said decisively, "Follow me." She slowly moved along the wall of the keep and approached a side door. Beth attempted to open it and found that it was locked, so she pulled a lock picking kit from a compartment on her belt. In a matter of seconds the door was open and they entered the kitchen. The fire in the large fireplace was smoldering, but there were pots hanging over it as if cooking had been interrupted. The long table the chef and servants used to prepare meals was lying on its side, several stools and chairs broken underneath. Food of all sorts was strewn about the floor and crushed or stepped on. There were several bodies lying about and the smell was a mixture of burnt food, smoke and decomposing flesh. Beth made her way through the mess to the opposite door, and opening it entered the dining room.
Margaret looked around the kitchen and gasped when she saw the bodies. She had never seen anything like this. She followed Beth into the dining room where the tapestries were torn, the large oak table lay askew and more bodies were sprawled on the floor. She watched as Beth went up to one and knelt, fingering an amulet at the man's neck. "Grey Warden," Beth stated, and stood, looking around.
Margaret was worried and she wanted this Warden to know it. "If Grey Wardens couldn't handle the darkspawn, how are we going to? Shouldn't we leave?" she asked, her voice strife with worry.
Beth looked at Margaret with disgust. "Go then. I will not abandon this Keep if there is any chance of survivors!" She turned on her heels and went through one of a pair of tall double doors. She entered the Great Hall. This room hadn't been damaged. Paintings were still intact on the walls and the narrow red carpet down the middle of the room was clean with rows of benches set on either side, untouched. She paused and vaguely picked up the sense of darkspawn in the room off the left front side of the dais. She headed that way, not looking behind to see if anyone was following her.
Margaret stood still, shocked at the obvious disgust in the Warden's voice. She had become a guard because she enjoyed the tournaments and wanted to do something substantial with those skills. She had been greatly honored when she was promoted to Royal Guard. "How dare she talk to me that way?'" she thought as she continued to follow with Fenton right behind.
The door Beth walked through led to the library. Books were scattered everywhere, some were in ashes as others still smoldered. In the middle of this mess stood a mage, bent over, trying to catch his breath. He was dressed in simple robes and carried an intricately carved staff. He straightened up at the sound of Margaret and Fenton, but jumped at how close Beth had gotten to him. "It's not my fault!" he exclaimed, looking guiltily at the two slain Templars at his feet. "Those darkspawn did it!" he pointed towards the other door, where there was a jumble of charred darkspawn.
"Anders!" Fenton exclaimed. "What did you do?"
"I only protected myself against those things. The Templars were no match for them," he whined.
Beth looked at Anders critically. "An apostate - with Templars on your trail?" she asked. Mages were not normally seen outside the Circle unless they were on approved leave. The Templar Knights were charged with ensuring the mages didn't perform illegal magic. If a mage was discovered that wasn't a part of the Circle, the Templars would track them down, arrest them and take them to the tower for judgment.
Fenton said, "The Templars had stopped here to rest. They were taking him back to the Circle Tower."
Beth looked at Anders a little more closely and said, "I can use a mage, especially one who can kill darkspawn. You will accompany me until we get this darkspawn mess cleaned up. Then I will decide what to do with you."
Anders was dumbfounded for a moment. "Alright. I want to stay alive and it seems that these creatures have taken over the Keep."
"Don't get any funny ideas either," Beth said threateningly. "I've had Templar training, so I can shut your magic off if you don't behave."
Anders looked at her hesitantly. She carried herself with such confidence that he knew following her would be the right thing. Meekly he said, "I'll be a good boy."
Margaret looked at the Warden in surprise. She hadn't known that the Warden possessed Templar abilities. She knew she couldn't ask about it, but Fenton didn't. "How did you get Templar training, Commander?"
Beth looked at Fenton sternly, but didn't answer. She carefully stepped over the charred remains, and opened the door to the ballroom. She looked back at the destroyed library, thinking sadly about happier times spent reading there. The library had been one of her favorite places at the keep. The ballroom, on the other hand, was her least favorite place. She was reminded of the last time she had been in the Keep. Arl Howe had thrown a party for his eldest son Nathaniel. Howe had often talked to her father about combining the two families through marriage.
The ballroom was a big empty room with two long staircases at the back. The staircases led to a small landing with doors to a hallway. The guest rooms were all arranged on the second floor of the adjoining building. Currently there was a multitude of darkspawn swarming the stairs. They were chasing a pair of dwarves. One of the dwarves turned and hurled something at the mass of creatures. It exploded, sending darkspawn parts all over the ballroom and leaving a nasty hole in one staircase. The other dwarf turned and started hacking his way through the remaining darkspawn with his axe.
Beth didn't even wait for the dust from the explosion to settle. She rushed to the nearest creature and began her deadly dance. Bear was right in the thick of things, alternating between barking, growling and ripping darkspawn limbs off.
Margaret and Fenton began hacking away with their swords and Anders alternated between sending fireballs at darkspawn and healing spells to the group. Finally the last one dropped dead and the two dwarves came down the one intact staircase to join the group. The dwarves took off their helmets. One had very red hair and beard, while the other's hair was a dirty blonde color. Bear ran up to the red-headed dwarf, bouncing and licking him.
"Bear, give it a rest! You big oaf," the red-headed dwarf laughed as he pushed the dog away. "By the stone am I glad to see you, Warden!"
"It's good to see you too, Ohgren." Beth said, smiling fondly.
Fenton looked at the Commander in shock. "You know this foul, lying dwarf?"
Beth ignored the question, "What are you doing here?" she asked Ohgren, curiously.
"I got tired of the quiet life in Orzammar and decided to join you as a Warden," he said, grinning.
Fenton shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe the Wardens would want you."
"I keep telling you, I was there in Denerim fighting the bloomin' archdemon!" Ohgren said, then he looked at Beth. "This here is Dworkin. He wants to work at the Keep."
"Yeah, I don't want to be no Warden. But I've got good crafting skills you can use." Dworkin said.
Beth was standing very still, listening or sensing, something, then she took off running, barely stopping as she yanked the door to the courtyard open. Beth raced to the northeast tower's door, flinging it open and running up the stairs, taking two at a time, Bear at her heels.
"There she goes again." Margaret said, running as fast as she could after her.
When Margaret and the others finally caught up to the Warden, it was on the battlements that surrounded the top of the keep. Dead darkspawn were strewn in a path leading to her. She was standing, her knives quivering in her hands, before a large human looking creature. This creature was holding a man by his hair. The man was on his knees, his armor broken. He had one hand on the creature's wrist and the other pressed against his side.
"That's Senaschal Varel!" Fenton exclaimed.
"Hold, Grey Warden." The creature said in a gravelly voice.
"You do speak." Beth said, allowing surprise to enter her voice. She regained control of her emotions and asked, "Why should I not kill you?"
"I come for Grey Warden. Architect sends Withered to Keep," the creature said slowly.
"You killed all the Grey Wardens. Who is the Architect? " Beth asked watching the creature uneasily.
"Mistake. Grey Wardens not understand. I am Withered. Architect helped me." Withered said. "You Grey Warden. You come with Withered. Take to Architect."
"I don't think so." Beth said and attacked.
Bear began growling fiercely and Margaret looked around the battlement as darkspawn attacked the group. She raised her shield and sword, and attacked the closest beasts. Ohgren and Dworkin raised their axes and began hacking at their attackers. Anders stepped back against the wall and sent spells flying.
Beth twirled her daggers and dodged a swing from the Withered's mace. Leaping and twisting, she got behind the beast and thrust her daggers into its back. As she pulled the daggers out, the creature turned and swung the mace, just missing her. The arc from the swing left the beast exposed. She stabbed and danced, bringing her daggers higher until finally she cut the beast's throat.
As the Withered fell dead, the other darkspawn that had engaged the group, turned and began fleeing.
"Don't let them get away!" Beth shouted. The group chased down and killed the remaining darkspawn.
Beth knelt down and looked over Varel's wounds. She said to him, "My name is Beth. I'm sorry I'm late. If only I had been here sooner..."
"You might be dead with the rest of the Grey Wardens." Varel said solemnly, "The Wardens were caught by surprise." He stood up slowly. "As Fenton said, I am Varel, the Keep Senaschal."
The rest of the group had gathered around and Beth surveyed them. "Margaret and Fenton, take the west side of the keep, search for survivors and kill any lingering darkspawn. Ohgren and Dworkin, take the east side and do the same. Anders, you and I will establish an infirmary in the ballroom. If anyone finds survivors, bring them there. Varel, you come with me, you need to be our first patient." The group separated, following Beth's orders.
Anders watched as Beth helped Varel down the stairs. This fierce warrior had a compassion that was surprising. When they entered the ballroom, he looked around at the debris and said, "It's going to take a lot of work to create an infirmary out of this mess."
Beth sighed and said, "You take care of the Senaschel, I'll see if I can find the cots." She walked out of the ballroom and began searching the adjacent building for the cots that used to be stored there. The Keep used to be supplied to handle the evacuation of Amaranthine, Beth hoped it still was. Finally she found a storage room that held the cots, blankets and tables she was looking for. She grabbed a cot and blanket to get Varel situated first.
Varel was exhausted from the day's events and gratefully laid on the cot that Beth set up for him. He had been amazed at her fighting skills and was surprised by her familiarity with the keep. He closed his eye and rested as Beth and Anders began cleaning the room and setting up the remaining cots.
Anders was putting a blanket on the last cot when the first of the survivors began to enter the ballroom. His hands glowed a faint blue as he healed their injuries. Anders wasn't quite sure how to react to this Warden-Commander. He had the impression when he met her that she was just like the Templars that had always guarded him, aloof and uncaring. He watched as she tenderly helped each survivor to a cot and took the time to speak with each one. He went up to her and said, "So...you must be the Warden-Commander everyone was talking about. The Hero of Ferelden."
"Don't call me that!" Beth angrily shouted at him. "I am not the Hero. I did NOT kill the archdemon."
Anders took a step back and said, "I'm sorry, I was only repeating what I heard. What should I call you then?"
Beth looked at him and sighed. "I apologize," she said, softly. "I am Beth. I have been assigned as the Warden-Commander until we have rebuilt the Grey Warden forces."
Anders smiled broadly at her, "I'm Anders. Beth, it is a pleasure to meet you," and he held out his hand to her.
She nodded and shook his hand. Anders saw the sadness in her eyes and vowed to get closer to this beautiful, mysterious woman when things calmed down.