Part 01: Tainted Hero
Chapter 7: Blood on the Trail

"Oh, now that is just unnecessary." Alistair gazed at a large fallen tree. The suspended tree acted as a natural bridge between two large rocky hills. Fallen soldiers swung down from the trunk and branches. The trail the company had been following passed underneath. Alistair shook his head. "Poor sods."

"We should cut them down," Ser Jory suggested.

"Aye." Brina felt uneasy. "We should be quick. This is the first real sign of nightgangers we've encountered all day."

"Nightgangers?" Alistair raised an eyebrow.

Brina sighed. "Darkspawn."

"Ah, True. There are some darkspawn close by." Alistair led the way around the back of one hill, searching for a more accessible path. He stopped suddenly, looked back at the group and put a finger to his lips.

The others nodded, and they all quietly drew their weapons. They picked their way carefully to the top.

Alistair held up a hand, and they stopped. "Where are they?" He said to himself. "Cover me." He pulled out a dagger and carefully made his way across the tree trunk. He sat, straddling the tree, and began cutting through the ropes. Brina, Daveth, and Jory glanced around them watching for signs of movement.

After the last body dropped, Alistair slowly made his way back. He stood quietly with his hand up, listening. He scanned the ground before glancing up at them, mouthing, "Get ready."

For a moment, wind through the trees was the only sound Brina could hear. What is that sound? A strange . . . Rumbling?

Behind them, three darkspawn broke free from the ground. They were the size of dwarves. Two carried dual daggers, and the third had a bow.

"Genlocks! Watch your backs!" Alistair spun to keep his back to his companions.

All three Genlocks disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

Where'd they go? Wait . . . What is that? She caught a glimpse of something shimmering near Ser Jory. There you are.

She threw a light shard. It flew inches from Ser Jory's chest. He jumped back in surprise. The shard pierced the darkspawn square between the eyes, and the darkspawn dropped to the ground.

Jory whipped his head back and forth between Brina and the dead darkspawn. "How did you see that?"

"They aren't completely invisible."

"Look out!" Daveth threw a dagger, hitting another behind Alistair.

Alistair nodded in thanks. "The third Genlock is still around with a bow."

"Watch this and cover me." Brina circled her staff above her head. Within seconds, clouds full of snow appeared. The snowflakes blew around, sticking to everything in the vicinity.

"Wait, look, the snow is sticking to something there," Jory said, pointing.

With some effort, Brina closed her other hand into a fist. Ice formed, encasing the Genlock. She wasn't fast enough. The Genlock released an arrow before being completely frozen. The bolt struck Brina's shoulder.

She cried out, dropping her staff.

"Brina! Are you all right?" Alistair sheathed his sword and dropped his shield.

Jory went to Brina, examining the entry and exit of the arrow. "It's deep."

Brina gasped. "Did it go all the way through? I can't tell."

"Not quite . . ." Daveth made a face.

"I can feel the tip of the point, right here." Jory helped shift some of Brina's outer layers.

"Then we'll have to push it through." Alistair knelt down in front of her, his eyes locked reassuringly with hers. "Are you ready?"

Brina took a deep breath and nodded.

Alistair gripped the arrow. "Hold her steady."

Daveth held her uninjured arm and shoulder. Jory took her other arm and braced her back.

"Ready? One-" Alistair pushed the arrow a few inches.

Brina yelled out and grunted. "Bronto's ass . . ."

Alistair smirked. "You know it's easier that way."

"Still . . . shit."

"All right, let's break the head off, and we can pull it back through."

Brina leaned forward. Jory supported her weight and held the arrow at the base where it protruded from her shoulder. She took a sharp breath when Alistair broke the head off. "Son of a nug."

"Okay . . . Jory, Daveth, brace her again." In one swift pull, the shaft was out. Brina let out a long groan. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Alistair put a hand on her other shoulder. "Can you move your arm, Brina?"

She wiggled and bent her fingers, turned her wrist and forearm. Her elbow took more effort to bend. "I can't move my shoulder . . . but I can move my elbow."

"Should we go back?" Jory's face held concern. "We just have to get the blood from the darkspawn. Can't we come back for the treaties another day?"

"No. Just give me the tonic from my pack. And one of those bandages. No, not that. Aye, that."

Jory handed her a small glass bottle. With her uninjured arm, she held the bottle and opened the stopper with her teeth. Brina downed its contents and shuddered. I need to work on the taste.

She waved Jory back over. "Bandage. Hold that side. Cross it over. Aye." They tied it tight around her shoulder under her armpit. "There's some extra for padding. Get as much in there as possible in the front and the back."

With difficulty, she moved her injured arm and secured her elbow and tucked her forearm into her wide belt. "There's a larger cloth in there. Aye, that one. Help me tie it around." Daveth and Jory worked to secure her arm. With her arm bandaged to her torso, she used her staff to stand back up. "My thanks. Don't worry; I still have my other arm and my staff. I can cast magic."

Alistair eyed her for a moment before nodding his head. "All right. Now that we have dead darkspawn, we need to get blood. Do you all have your vials? Good. Well, go on!"

Daveth covered his mouth and nose. "Eugh! Smells awful! Like . . . rotting meat."

Alistair put his hands on his hips. "Well, what did you expect? Flowers?"

"I dunno . . . I've just never been this close to one. Hideous things . . ."

Jory managed to get his vial half full before dropping it and running a few feet away. He fell to his knees and retched.

Brina felt sick as well. It's so much worse this close. Once her vial was full, she backed away quickly, relieved. Jory and Daveth took a little longer but managed to fill theirs as well.

"Next, we need to find the treaties. They are located at on old Grey Warden base about three miles south of Wildling Lake. The lake is about half a mile off that way. We just follow this trail, and we'll get there in no time." Alistair led the way down the hill and back to the trail.

"What about our fallen comrades?" Jory pointed.

They all glanced back at the bodies on the ground.

"We'll send someone back for them when we get back. It's a hazard of the job, and it's too dangerous for us to stick around." Alistair turned on his heel and marched down the trail. Reluctantly, the others followed.

The journey to the lake was quiet until Jory spoke up. "Alistair, what can you tell us about the Joining?" He sallied up next to Alistair.

"I can't tell you anything."

"Can't? Or won't?" Brina cocked an eyebrow.

"Can't. Can. Not. It was a secret to me as well."

Jory tossed up his hands. "Why is it a secret?"

"Let's just say that all will be made clear later tonight as long as we can get the treaties and get back to the compound. Oh, look, the lake. We're here. Be on the lookout for a marked tree."

"This is a lake?" Brina scoffed. Wildling Lake was little more than a mud puddle that took up less space than the infirmary did at Ostagar. "I'm surprised the sun hasn't dried it up. It hasn't rained or snowed in days."

"You've been up in the mountains. It doesn't rain or snow down here very much. A little further west and you'll see six different rivers, all mountain run-off. This just happens to be a flooded area."

"Flooded . . . if you can call it that."

"Oh! There's the tree." Daveth gestured toward a scraggly tree. Purple paint was smeared across the trunk.

"Great. Three miles south. You'll know it when you see it." Alistair began down a path that broke off from the main trail. It was thinner and somewhat overgrown.

Brina happened to glance down and noticed a patch of white flowers with red centers. Sigfrost's Eye! She bent to pick a few.

"What are you doing, Brina?" Jory stopped to watch her.

"The kennel master, Jove, wanted these."

"Andraste's Grace?"

"Aye, that's what he called it. I know it as Sigfrost's Eye."

"I heard the Mabari were sick, and he was looking for that as a cure," Daveth piped in. "Maybe grab some extra. He told me he'd pay for it."

Brina shrugged. "If it helps, it helps."

"Come, let's get those treaties." Alistair helped Brina up.

They walked in silence. The trees pressed around them. The branches became thick and twisted, and the air grew colder as they went deeper into the forest.

Brina looked around uneasily. "The forest is sick here."

"Yes. We're entering the heart of the Korcari Wilds. We must tread lightly. There are darkspawn afoot." Alistair drew his sword and led them deeper into the darkness. Brina glanced at Jory, whose brow was deeply furrowed, and shrugged before following Alistair. Jory sighed deeply as he and Daveth stayed close behind her.