Part 01: Tainted Hero

Chapter 6: Tainted Wilds

"Brina?"

She opened her eyes. Alistair stood in the tent opening. "Aye?"

"How are you feeling today?"

Like wyvern shit. "Better. Wynne has been helping the wounds heal faster. This morning I was told I'm healed enough to do the Joining and any other tasks assigned of me."

Alistair grinned. "Perfect. Duncan was hoping that would be the case. Are you ready?"

"Aye. I was just enjoying the quiet while I still could."

"Good, let's go." Alistair gestured for her to lead the way.

Brina glanced around in an exaggerated manner, holding out her hands.

Alistair raised an eyebrow, shrugged, and walked away. She followed him toward a massive fire centered in a circle of pillars just past the kennels. She stared in awe at the only one left unbroken, covered in intricate runes. I've never seen carvings like that before. She'd seen the pyre the previous day while out walking but had not observed the area in great detail.

Duncan stood by the fire with Ser Jory and Daveth, waiting for them. "Alistair. Brina. Good. How are you feeling?"

"Well enough."

Jory rocked back on his heels but attempted to maintain a neutral facade. "I'm glad you are back on your feet. Have you been told anything of the Joining?"

"No, I have not."

Daveth screwed up his face. "I haven't either."

"Is- is that a . . . Skull? On your . . . staff?" Jory's surprise betrayed him.

These lowlanders are cowardly. "It's just the skull of a red wolf."

Daveth took a step back. "You-you're a mage!"

"I prefer 'shaman.'" She twirled her staff, amused that it caused the recruits to duck.

"You aren't part of the Circle, or you'd be wearing Circle robes," Daveth squeaked. "That means you're an apostate!"

Brina sighed.

"She's not an apostate. It's true she did not study with the Circle, but she has received proper instruction among the Avvar," Duncan interjected.

"You're not going to make no deals?" Daveth edged further away from her.

"Deals? What, with demons? I think you've smoked too much Nugsear." These lowlanders would kill Sigfrost Wisebear with such little intelligence. "Why would I do such a thing?"

This time it was Alistair who screwed up his face. "Nugsear?"

"You know. Nugsear. It's the plant that's about this tall. It's pale green with triangle leaves. Looks like the ears of nugs."

Daveth's face slowly lit up with realization. "Oh . . . Oh! Oh, we call that Elfroot."

"Elf . . . Root? What does it have to do with elves?" Maybe they just smoke it too much . . .

Daveth rubbed the back of his head. "Uh . . . Well . . . I'm not- I'm not actually sure."

"Right then. Nugsear. Don't smoke it unless you've got nothing else to do." Brina pounded the butt of her staff into the ground.

Duncan crossed his arms. "That's quite enough. We have two tasks ahead of us. You four are to go into the Wilds and collect three vials of darkspawn blood."

"We could have done that on the way here. I think there's still some on my clothes from our journey here." I'm uncertain how I remain untainted.

"It's part of your trial. And we need it fresh."

"Aye, of course. Well, if we're going to do blood magic or anything like that, it's best to use an enemy."

"Blood magic?" Alistair took a step away from her. "Blood magic is expressly forbidden. The Grey Wardens do not use blood magic!"

Brina held up her hands. "That's what it sounds like to me."

"You want us to get blood from the darkspawn? That sounds . . . Foolish. As does blood magic." Jory shifted again.

Daveth chuckled, "Scared Ser Knight?"

"No! It's just . . . Certainly, there's a safer way to get it. But . . . blood magic?"

"He said it was part of our trial." At this rate, we'll never leave.

"Right . . ." Jory tightened his sword belt.

Duncan sighed, "It's not blood magic. Not in the way you are thinking. The second task is to collect some documents from the old Warden base. Alistair knows where to look."

If these were so important, why leave them abandoned in the forest?

"They are very old. A protective ward was put on them. They were then lost to us for several centuries. I don't know if they are actually there, but I ask that you look." Duncan looked at each of them in turn. They all nodded in agreement.

"What are the documents of?" Jory inquired.

"Treaties. It'll help unite Ferelden together into an army to combat this Blight. The groups mentioned in the treaties are obligated to commit."

"Well, let's do this." Brina adjusted her grip on her staff.

Duncan gave a pointed look to Alistair. "Alistair, these are your charges. Come back safely."

"Understood."

Past the guarded gate was a broad open path. The hills on either side were steep, and the trees were old. Their thick trunks were twisted and gnarled. The companions walked in silence for a time.

Just as they lost sight of Ostagar, Brina stopped.

"What's wrong?" Ser Jory glanced around nervously.

"I thought I heard something."

"Darkspawn?"

"No, not darkspawn." Alistair stopped next to Brina.

"How do you know? How do you know we're not walking into an ambush?" Ser Jory kept his voice hushed.

"Don't worry, Grey Wardens can sense darkspawn. That's why I'm here. We're not at risk of walking into the bulk of the horde." Alistair continued scanning the trees. "There is something out there, though. Probably a bear."

"You see, Ser Knight? We might die, but we'll be warned about it first." Daveth grinned, chuckled, and slapped Ser Jory's back.

"That is . . . Reassuring?"

"Shh!" Brina held up her hand. I know I heard it. Howling.

A twig snapped. On instinct, Brina held her arm up and pulled back, forgetting she was carrying a staff and not a bow. Halfway through the drawback she realized her error and wished for her bow. A beam of light appeared between her hands. An arrow of light?

The men stepped back, shocked.

"Whoa! I didn't know magic could do that!" Ser Jory was both amazed and afraid.

"I didn't know either! It was an accident." Brina aimed where she had heard the snap. Two glowing eyes appeared in the brush followed by a low growl.

"A wolf." Alistair drew his sword. "It may not bother us, just letting us know we're trespassing."

Another twig snapped and leaves rustled. More sets of eyes appeared.

One, two, three, four, five, six . . . "Seven wolves . . ."

Daveth let out a squeak. "I don't think they're gonna let us pass." He drew his two short swords from his sides. Ser Jory also drew his great sword.

The leader of the pack stepped out. Jory and Daveth exclaimed in horror.

Daveth squeaked even higher. "What is that?"

Ser Jory's great sword visibly shook. "Alistair, what's wrong with it?"

Brina answered, "It's a blight wolf."

"Try not to let them bite you. You may be Grey Wardens soon, but a bite like that is nasty. It'll slow you down. Be ready." Alistair stood his ground and raised his shield up.

Brina aimed at the one pair of eyes in the bush. Ser Jory and Daveth moved to cover her back. The Alpha wolf charged at Alistair. The other wolves followed suit, dashing at Brina, Jory, and Daveth.

Alistair bashed the wolf with his shield. The wolf barked in surprised as the force of the blow threw it back. It snarled when it regained its feet.

Brina fired her arrow. It grazed the wolf's haunches. Shit, now it's angry. The wolf howled and stampeded toward her. Brina circled the staff around and brought the end down to the ground. Ice formed where the stave hit and slithered its way to the wolf, encasing it in ice from the paws up.

Ser Jory dodged one wolf's lunge before bringing his sword down on the wolf's back. The wolf yelped. Jory brought his sword down a second time, killing the wolf.

Daveth pulled a handful of crystallized sand out of a pouch at his hip. When a wolf got close, he threw the sand into its eyes. The wolf yipped and shook his head, pawing at its eyes. He slashed the wolf across the throat with one sword and brought the other down through the wolf's head.

Brina glanced around at the remaining wolves. There's too many. I know, I'll take them out like I did the darkspawn! How did I do that, again? She slapped her hands together and threw her arms out. She released her anger and frustration out at fire blasts that burst from her chest. She directed them to the remaining wolves. Each found their mark, burning the wolves.

They went into a panic, but the fire only burned hotter. The men dropped their defenses as the wolves fell one by one.

"Now that is . . . Terrifying. Remind me to never get on your bad side." Alistair sheathed his sword. "Let's keep moving. We still have darkspawn to find." The path split off two directions. Alistair glanced down both ways, concentrating. A smile spread across his face. "To the right, there are a few. Shouldn't be too hard for the likes of us."