A/N: Yeah, so a chapter a week might have been too high a goal. Between working full time and a distracting beta/boyfriend, I can only promise to get the chapters out as soon as I can. Please bare with me. Comments and suggestions are always welcome. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age Origins or any of its characters - They are the property of Bioware.
Chapter 4 – Battle at Ostagar
Ashlyn awoke to the sound of men talking quietly nearby. She was surprised to find herself back in her tent. Last thing I remember was the Joining at the temple. How long have I been out? She realized it must have been all night because the pale sunlight of dawn was filtering through the canvas opening. I survived, so I guess I'm officially a Grey Warden now.
As Ashlyn sat up, she was taken aback again. Arianna was sleeping restlessly next to her. She must be having the same dreams I had, dreams of fire and a creature that contained such terrible power and fierce yellow eyes – a dragon. Ashlyn shuddered as she recollected her own dreams, more like nightmares of that dragon flying over an army darkspawn.
"I am glad you survived," she whispered to the unconscious Arianna. I have always wanted a sister, and it will be nice not to see Alistair heartbroken. I have a good feeling about those two.
Ashlyn returned her attention to the voices that she had heard upon awakening. Now that the morning grogginess had cleared from her head, she recognized the soft murmurings of Duncan and Alistair.
"I know you care about them, Alistair, but I don't think you needed to sleep outside their tent," Duncan said.
"They were out cold Duncan. I just couldn't leave them unprotected in a camp full of men in that vulnerable state," Alistair said defending his actions. "Besides, it wasn't like I was alone. The wolf and the hound kept me company."
Alistair guarded us all night? This thought prompted Ashlyn to go outside and talk with the men.
"Ah, good morning Ashlyn. I had just come by to see if any of our new members were awake yet," Duncan said when he noticed Ashlyn leave the tent. "How are you feeling?"
Arrow rushed over to her and affectionately rubbed against her leg. "I am good, better than I have been in days," Ashlyn replied as she gently scratched the wolf's head. "It doesn't seem like I have to constantly fight the taint. I almost feel like my old self again."
"That is good news," Alistair said cheerily as he stood up from his bedroll. "And if you are up, that means Arianna and Jayden can't be far behind."
"Jayden survived as well," Ashlyn said with relief. "How did we end up back at camp?"
"You almost didn't," Alistair laughed. "I didn't think Arrow and Duke were going to let us move you. They eventually allowed you to be carried by Duncan and me."
"Yes. It took quite a bit to convince them that we were not going to hurt either of you. Smart animals those two," Duncan said.
"Hope you didn't mind sharing a tent with Arianna," Alistair added. "We didn't set up a place for her to stay before the Joining, and I figured it would be easier to watch over both of you if you were in the same place."
"Thank you for that," Arianna said as she came out of the tent to stand beside Ashlyn. "It was most thoughtful," she directed to Alistair.
A slight blush appeared on his cheeks before he replied, "You're… uh… welcome."
"I am glad to see you are both recovering well," Duncan said to the women, drawing the attention away from Alistair. "You will need to be in fighting condition by tonight. Scouts from the King's Army say the darkspawn horde is approaching from the south. They estimate the enemy will be at our gates by sundown."
"Just what a man wants to hear right after he wakes up," Jayden said emerging from his tent.
"Yeah, sorry Jayden," Alistair said as they grasped forearms in greeting. "Sounds like the 'Survived the Joining' celebration is off for tonight. I guess we forgot to clear it with the darkspawn."
"I don't know… killing a multitude of those evil creatures sounds like a good time to me," Jayden replied with a grin.
Duncan smiled as he watched the friendly greeting between the men. "Now there is something you don't see everyday… a mage and a templar actually getting along." He turned to Arianna and asked, "Would you like to attend the King's strategy meeting with me this morning? I thought you might appreciate the opportunity to find out if King Cailan has heard anything about your brother."
"Yes, I definitely would," Arianna responded with hope in her eyes.
"Very well, I will come get you before the meeting. Now, all of you should get ready for this evening. Weapons and armor can be traded and purchased from the quartermaster who is across from the kennel. I have allocated some money to Alistair. See him if you wish to purchase anything. I will let you know your battle assignments after the meeting," Duncan said before he turned and headed back towards his tent, leaving the newest Grey Wardens to get ready for the very important day ahead.
After a big breakfast together, Arianna left with Duncan to go meet with the King. Ashlyn decided it was a good time to check her supplies. I have plenty of health poultices, but it would be nice to have more arrows for the coming battle. I suppose I should go visit the quartermaster. After a quick stop at Alistair's tent, she was on her way with a small pouch of coins.
The experience of meeting the quartermaster was how she assumed all her interactions with the humans were going to be before she came to Ostagar… not pleasant.
"You there, where have you been?" the middle-aged, bald-headed man demanded. "You were supposed to deliver the weapons to Ser Cauthrien in the King's Army camp and return here immediately. You ought to be flogged for your disobedience. And why are you dressed so preposterously?"
Ashlyn glanced down at her mother's Dalish armor before angrily inquiring, "Just who do you think I am?"
He studied her for a moment before saying confusedly, "Wait, you're not my servant elf."
"No, I am a Dalish elf and as of just recently, a Grey Warden."
"Oh, my pardon my lady," the man replied sheepishly. "I hadn't heard there were any elves in the Warden ranks. Is there anything I can do for you, then?"
Ashlyn brought out a dagger to twirl in her hand before answering, "Yes, actually. You can start by treating those in your service with better manners."
The quartermaster audibly gulped before nervously replying, "Of… of course, my lady.
"Good," she said sternly as she quickly sheathed the dagger. "I came to you today to restock my arrow supply."
"I should be able to help you with that," he said regaining his composure. "I've got some enchanted arrows. Why don't you take a look at them?" He led her to a large brown chest to show her his selection.
After purchasing two bundles of fire arrows and ice arrows, Ashlyn returned to the Grey Warden camp. What an insolent shem. How any elf could serve under that despicable man is beyond me.
Her mood must have been transparent because Alistair called out upon her entering camp, "That has to be the angriest look I have seen from you. Who has got you so riled up, little sister?"
"Ugh, the quartermaster. He mistook me for one of his servants."
"Should I be sending the healers over to his wagon then?" he asked amused.
"No, I didn't touch him, but I did give him a 'friendly' suggestion that he treat his servants with more consideration," she said as she took a seat beside him.
Alistair laughed and said, "I would have liked to have seen that." He then turned serious and said, "You know, it is sad though, how elven servants are treated. In the Chantry, I was taught to treat all people equally and with respect."
"If only all men shared the same belief." she said wistfully. "Speaking of manners… that was a very kind thing you did last night, watching over us I mean. I think Arianna is most impressed with you."
"Really, you think so?" he asked eagerly causing Ashlyn to laugh.
"I knew you liked her!" she exclaimed.
"Am I that obvious?" he inquired.
"Oh yeah, buddy," Jayden said from behind where they were sitting. He must have come out of his tent and overheard their conversation. "You are an open book."
Ashlyn patted his arm gently and said, "He's right, but don't worry, it is completely adorable."
"Well, it isn't like I have had much practice," Alistair defended himself as Jayden sat on his other side.
"True, I doubt those Chantry folks allow much frolicking about in the monastery. Not that we were given free reign by any means at the Circle Tower, but I certainly didn't turn down any opportunity to 'get friendly' with a lady mage. We could always sneak into an empty classroom or join a partner in bed late at night in the apprentice quarters."
"Yes, I would say your education was more than just magically different from mine," Alistair said to the mage. He then cleared his throat and said, "Moving on, are you both ready for this evening? Duncan and Arianna should be back-"
"Right now," Ashlyn said pointing to the very people they were just discussing.
"Everything all set for this evening?" Alistair asked Duncan.
"Yes," Duncan replied. "The Wardens will meet the darkspawn horde head on, and the King's Army will flank them after being signaled that the enemy is in position. It is up to the four of you to provide this signal by lighting the beacon at the top of the Tower of Ishal."
"The four of us?" Alistair said surprised. "You mean we won't be fighting with the rest of the Grey Wardens?"
"I agree with you, Alistair," Arianna spoke up. "But good luck trying to convince King Cailan to change his mind. Teyrn Loghain tried and failed."
"Who is this Loghain?" Ashlyn asked.
"He is the Hero of Ferelden, the one who drove the Orlesians out more than thirty years ago," Duncan answered.
"He is also the leader of the King's Army, and he is not too pleased that the King has chosen to fight with the Grey Wardens," Arianna added.
"But do they really need all four of us to carry a single torch?" Alistair persisted, clearly not happy about being left out of the fight.
"King Cailan specifically asked for you and the new recruits to undertake this task," Duncan replied. "This is a most crucial assignment. The King's Army won't be able to see the battle from their location, and if they don't arrive at exactly the right time, the Wardens will be pinned down," he reasoned.
"Fine, fine," Alistair said. "But just so you know, if the King ever asks me to put on a dress and dance the Remigold, I'm drawing the line. Darkspawn or no."
"Way to stand your ground, Alistair," Jayden joked.
"I don't know," Arianna said mischievously. "It could be a good distraction."
"Me shimmying down the darkspawn line? Sure, you could kill them while they roll around laughing," Alistair chuckled.
Duncan shook his head at his new Grey Wardens. "This group is going to be interesting," he muttered to himself before addressing the group again. "Let me explain the details to you before I go spread the information through the rest of the Grey Warden ranks."
- - - - - Passage of Time - - - With Alistair - - - - -
The directions were actually very simple. The newest Grey Wardens were to view the battle from the highest point in the Tower of Ishal, and when the darkspawn horde was in the correct position, they were to light the beacon to signal the King's Army for the surprise flank attack. I would still rather be on the battlefield, fighting beside Duncan and my brothers, Alistair thought solemnly as he strapped his shield on. Time to round up the other junior members for our 'all important assignment'.
He was searching the camp for the rest of his group when his eyes landed on Arianna. She was standing at the edge of camp staring off into the sunset. Alistair wondered to himself, have I ever seen a more lovely sight? The way the fading days light reflected off her golden hair filled him with a warmth he had never known. There is something very special about her. If I could gaze at her for the rest of my days, I would die a happy man.
He spoke softly as he walked up behind her, "It is hard to believe something so beautiful can be seen before a night of carnage and death."
"Yes, it does seem unimaginable," she replied as she continued to watch the sunset, not realizing that he had been speaking about her. They remained quiet for a moment before Arianna spoke again. "I was thinking about my family. It has been so hard to accept that my mother and father are gone."
"Has the King heard any more about your brother?" he asked.
"No. There is no news yet," she answered sadly.
"Cheer up," Alistair said as he tilted her chin so he could look into her blue eyes. "He may still be out there. Besides, this battle should sufficiently weaken the darkspawn uprising. With any luck, we will be hunting down Howe in no time," he said with a smile.
"Thank you," she said as she returned his gaze. Without either of them realizing it, they slowly started to lean into one another. "Alistair…" she whispered.
"Hey, you guys ready to get going?" Jayden called interrupting their moment. Ashlyn, Arrow, and Duke were standing slightly behind him.
Blasted mage, I can't wait for our next 'training' session. Alistair stepped back as Arianna shook her head as if to clear her thoughts.
"Yes, we're ready. Let's go," Arianna said and started walking towards the rest of the group.
As they made their way to the bridge that connected the Ostagar main camp to the Tower of Ishal, Alistair couldn't stop from thinking about what had almost happened with Arianna. Would we have kissed if Jayden hadn't spoke up? I surely wouldn't have minded it, but I don't think Duncan would approve. He has always said that the Grey Wardens have to stay focused on their mission. I don't know that I can or if I even want to with Arianna around.
Night had fallen by the time they reached the bridge that crossed to the Tower of Ishal. To their surprise, Duncan was waiting for them. "There you are," he greeted. "I am glad I caught you before you left. Do you have any final questions about your mission?"
"Can we at least join the battle after the signal fire is lit?" Ashlyn asked.
"No. Stay and defend the Tower with the men Loghain has stationed there. We will send word if you are needed," Duncan replied. "Any other questions?"
He was answered by a couple of "No's" and some shaking heads.
"Very well. You are all Grey Wardens now. I expect you to be worthy of that title."
"Duncan," Alistair said before the commander could leave, "Maker watch over you."
"Maker watch over us all," Duncan replied before heading back to get ready to march with rest of the Grey Wardens and King Cailan.
As they headed toward the tower, Alistair observed the preparations for the coming battle. Several catapults had been set up along the bridge, and about thirty archers had taken up post in between them. Down below on the battlefield, the Wardens were lined up and awaiting the appearance of the darkspawn. The old fortress was illuminated by hundreds of burning torches and bonfires, which was a good thing because ominous storm clouds were moving in and would prevent the moon from providing any light for the coming confrontation.
Before they had reached the end of the bridge, the darkspawn announced their arrival with aggressive roars that reverberated off Ostagar's walls. Their battle cries were accented with lightning and thunder as rain came pouring down.
"The battle is about to begin. Let's get moving," Arianna instructed.
With that, the group took off at a quick clip for the Tower of Ishal. They were met at the Tower's gates by a guard from the King's Army.
"The Tower has been overrun!" the soldier said as he raced toward them.
"What? Where did they come from?" Alistair asked.
"From the tunnels below."
"But that doesn't make sense. Teyrn Loghain said at the strategy meeting that he had sent a patrol through, and the place was clear," Arianna stated.
"It doesn't matter," Ashlyn said. "We have to get up that Tower. The other Wardens are counting on us to signal the reinforcements."
"She's right," Jayden agreed.
"You guys are crazy if you think you can make it through all of those creatures!" the guard yelled while running back towards Ostagar's main camp.
Arianna took leadership of the group. "We are going to have to push it now to make it to the top in time. Alistair and I will lead. You two stay behind us and pick off as many as you can," she said to Ashlyn and Jayden.
"Sounds good," Jayden answered while Ashlyn and Alistair nodded in acceptance of the instructions.
There is something sexy about a woman who takes charge, Alistair thought to himself as he and the newest Grey Wardens raced to the doors of the Tower. They hadn't even reached the steps leading up to the entrance when they ambushed by Hurlocks and Genlocks.
What Alistair soon learned is that they worked very efficiently together. He also came to appreciate that having a mage on his side can be rather handy. While he and Arianna charged the darkspawn, Jayden conjured lightening and ice spells. Alistair's favorite thing that happened was when Jayden froze a Genlock right in front of him. Alistair powerfully swung his sword at the darkspawn, and it shattered before his eyes. Very nice.
Even Arrow and Duke were helping. The mabari rushed the darkspawn, bringing several to the ground before viciously ripping limbs off. The wolf stayed close to protect Ashlyn while she fired arrows with deadly and accurate precision.
They entered the Tower of Ishal leaving a string of bodies in their wake. Ashlyn hurried to stop Arianna from entering the main room before she tripped on a trap wire. "Watch out!" she warned and knelt down next to Arianna's feet. She disarmed the trap with deft hands.
"Thanks Ashlyn," she said before leading the group into the room.
The darkspawn had been expecting an easy assault with the trap not only injuring the Grey Wardens, but also alerting them of their presence. Thus, it was they who were taken by surprise when the Wardens bypassed their traps. The Genlock Emissary caused them the most trouble, but Jayden was able to block the fireball that was sent their way. Ashlyn's archery finished the Emissary off. They didn't stop for a rest but continued right up the stairs to the next floor.
At first, the second floor seemed abandoned, and Alistair thought that maybe they had gotten lucky that the darkspawn were only on the first floor. It just turned out that the darkspawn on this level were rogues and sneakier than the ones downstairs. Before the darkspawn attacked, Ashlyn had sensed their presence and called out, "We're surrounded by rogues. Watch your backs!"
"Circle up," Arianna commanded as darkspawn appeared out of nowhere. "Jayden, a shield would be nice right about now."
"You got it," the mage said before producing a magical barrier around them.
With their backs together, they battled against the onslaught of rogue daggers and swords. Their defensive position held, and they were soon able to go on the offensive. Even though Arianna had brought the Shield of Highever with her, she used her two blades to skillfully battle the darkspawn. Alistair had to force himself not to be distracted by watching her gracefully side-step incoming attacks and perform crippling strikes. What a combination… beautiful and deadly.
It wasn't long before they were making their way to the third floor. Alistair could not help but voice his concern about the length of time it was taking to reach the top floor. "Maker's breath! What are all these darkspawn doing ahead of the rest of the horde? There wasn't supposed to be any resistance here!" he exclaimed.
"Weren't you complaining about not getting to fight in the battle?" Arianna asked him as they stopped for a second to catch their breath.
"Hey, you're right," Alistair responded with a grin. "I guess there is a silver lining here if you think about it. At any rate, we need to get moving again. Teyrn Loghain's men will be waiting for the signal."
The Wardens stealthily snuck up to the next area and peered around the corner to see several Hurlocks, including an Alpha. Ashlyn's concentration though was on the mabari hounds locked in cages along the wall. She pointed to them and said, "If I can make it to the cages, I may be able to release those hounds."
"Sounds like a good idea," Arianna said. "We'll provide a distraction."
As Ashlyn raced to the cages, Arrow and Duke flanked her to give her the time to free the hounds. Arianna and Alistair drew the darkspawn attention as they rushed into the room. Jayden provided covering fire from the door. The diversion was successful, and Ashlyn pulled a lever that opened the cages. With the help of the liberated mabari hounds, the floor was cleared in less than five minutes.
"This is it. We made it!" Alistair said relieved when the final stairway came into sight.
They climbed up to the Tower of Ishal's final floor. When the door was pushed open, the sight that met their eyes was horrifying. A giant ogre stood in the middle of the room holding the body of a soldier that had been crushed to death. With massive strength, the ogre ripped the body apart at the waist. It suddenly looked at the Junior Wardens and let out an ear-shattering roar. The ogre's footsteps thundered as it made its way toward them.
"Team up and protect your partner," Arianna ordered. "Ashlyn, you're with me. Jayden, be ready with some healing spells. Let's go!"
Assaulting the ogre in pairs kept it off balance, and since each group contained a warrior, both groups could deal a good amount of damage. Alistair worried about the women as he fought the ogre from behind, but he soon realized his concern was unnecessary. Ashlyn's enchanted arrows were really slowing the beast down, and Arianna was quick on her feet and able to avoid the ogre's ramming blows. Even the wolf and the hound contributed with steady attacks.
"Jayden, I really hope you are cooking up something good because it's looking at us now," Alistair called over his shoulder to the mage who was conjuring what looked to be a powerful spell.
"Oh yeah," Jayden answered while building the spell. "Get ready to charge that monster when I let go of this."
With a grunt, Jayden released his magic on the ogre. The beast was stopped mid-step and did not move again.
"Paralysis spell," Jayden called out. "Attack it with everything you got!"
Alistair took the hint and jumped at the ogre. He sunk his blade into its chest while Arianna sliced at the back of its legs which caused it to fall backward and land roughly on the floor. Alistair then brought his sword down on the beast's neck, severing its head.
"I think we work well together," Alistair announced as he sheathed his sword.
They moved to the windows to observe the battle below. The Grey Wardens were pushed back, but they weren't defeated yet.
"Let's get this fire lit. I hope we are not too late," Arianna said. She raced to pull a burning torch from the wall and threw it on top of the beacon. Light burst from the Tower as the signal ignited.
"They will be okay if Loghain's men get there soon," Alistair said reassuringly.
They continued to watch and wait for any sign of the reinforcements. After a couple of minutes, Alistair grew anxious as the King's Army still hadn't appeared. "Where are they? They should be charging the field by now."
"You're right," Ashlyn said. "Something is wrong… I sense… enemies coming!"
Before she had finished the warning, the door to their floor had been kicked in and a volley of arrows came soaring into the room at them. Jayden managed to put a barrier up around himself in time to block the air attack. Alistair used his shield to cover both himself and Ashlyn since she was the closest to him, but Arianna was left out in the open. She went down as at least three arrows struck her body. A Hurlock Alpha then came bounding forward to attack the defenseless Warden.
"Arianna!" Alistair cried. He raced to her side and brought his shield up just in time to block the darkspawn's fatal strike, but a loud cracking sound could be heard as Alistair's shield was damaged from the attack.
Ashlyn had drawn her daggers and mercilessly stabbed the Hurlock from behind until it fell dead to the floor. Jayden had followed her, and now they all stood protectively around the injured Arianna. Jayden had pushed out his barrier to include his companions but voiced aloud that he wasn't sure how long he could hold it. They were all suffering from exhaustion in addition to minor wounds and were now faced with at least twenty darkspawn.
Just when Alistair thought all hope was lost, a portion of the roof disappeared above them, and he saw the last person he ever wanted to see again. It was Morrigan, and she was riding on the back of an enormous dragon. She jumped off the creature when it landed on the floor. The dragon then set to work attacking the darkspawn. It swung its thick tail and knocked several of them off their feet. It followed up with a long blast of fire which sent the enemy scurrying for cover.
As Morrigan surveyed the situation, she spoke, "Well, well. Looks like you've had better nights. No wonder Mother insisted we come here this eve." She then noticed Arianna's condition, and a look of concern passed briefly over her features. "Your companion is not well. 'Tis necessary to transport her immediately."
"Transport where?" Alistair demanded as every protective instinct in him screamed against the idea of trusting the witches.
"Back to our hut. We should go now. Mother can carry her as you will need both hands to hang on," she directed to Alistair.
"Mother?" Jayden asked.
Morrigan looked amused and said, "The dragon there, surely you didn't miss her."
"Your mother can transform into a dragon?" he asked in awe.
"Of course. Now, there is no time to waste," Morrigan said as the dragon made its way over to them.
Ashlyn called to Arrow and Duke, "Follow us." She then had to pull Alistair away from Arianna to climb onto the dragon's back. Once everyone was situated, Morrigan's Mother scooped Arianna up with a claw and took to the sky. As they gained altitude, Alistair looked back at the Tower to see dozens of darkspawn filling the room they had just evacuated.
Ashlyn brought his attention to the battlefield down below. "The Wardens… the battle is lost." The ground was strewn with the bodies of their brethren.
Alistair was struck with grief so profound that he nearly lost his grip on the dragon. Only the worry over Arianna kept him focused and in the moment. Please Maker, please let her be okay, he prayed over and over. The flight back to the hut was the longest fifteen minutes of his life.
The dragon landed and the passengers quickly dismounted. Morrigan's Mother then regained her natural form. It was obvious the change had exerted her from the way she panted, but that didn't stop her from barking orders.
"You," she pointed to Alistair, "carry her to the hut and place her on the bed. Morrigan, I am going to need hot water and healing herbs."
They moved quickly to follow the older woman's commands. Once Arianna was in the hut ready for treatment, Morrigan's Mother told Ashlyn that she may stay, but she needed to get her companions out.
"What? Why?" Alistair asked angrily, distressed at the thought of leaving Arianna's side.
Ashlyn was able to field the question. "We are going to have to remove her clothes to get the arrows out. She only wants to preserve Arianna's modesty." At Alistair's hesitation she added, "I will keep you updated and come get you the moment anything should happen."
"Come on Alistair," Jayden said softly and gently led him outside.
Alistair looked back one last time to see Morrigan and her mother removing Arianna's armor. She has to make it, he thought sadly. I can't lose her... I just found her.