Faren saw the keep site and saw the darkspawn had beaten them, though they haven't breached the walls. Without a second thought, they rushed into the keep and into the hall.
Varel was talking to the few nobles that had remained. They'd already sent many of the available men on to help the city. What remained was a token force, and the barely trained recruits. Apparently they knew that the darkspawn army was approaching them.
Varel looked up and was stunned to discover Faren entering into the hall with the others.
"C-commander?" he gaped.
Oghren too was stunned. "You came back for us?" He then smiled. "Bet you didn't want Oghren to have all the deafening glory to himself."
Velanna was stunned. "You're here? You… you didn't abandon me after all."
Varel just stared at him. "I don't know how you got here in time, but Andraste's blood, we could use your help. A few days after you left for Amaranthine, we spotted the darkspawn. A whole army. The walls have been bloodied, but the worst isn't over yet.
"We were strangely fortunate," said Faren. "The Architect sent a messenger to warn us of the attack and we rushed over as fast as we could." Varel just stared at him and Faren you what must be on his mind. "Fortunately, a few old Warden friends of mine appeared with a small army. They will defend the city while we returned to the keep."
"Thank the Maker," Varel breathed with relief.
Faren then turned to Voldrik. "Are the preparations and repairs complete?"
"Aye, Commander," the dwarf said. "There will be no ogres bursting through the walls any time soon."
Herren spoke up. "Master Wade has been working day and night. The remaining men are properly geared."
"What men do I have in reserve?"
It was Lord Eddelbrek that spoke. "The men I brought for the war council are still assembled here." He gave a small nod. "We've not forgotten what you have done for us and our people."
"I'm not a half-bad shot with a bow," Sergeant Maverlies added. "I'll be on the tower. If you want me to fire at any particular darkspawn, just point them out."
Dworkin was wearing our man approached Faren. "Darkspawn by the scores, and a handful of stone is all that separates us. Feels like home. I've got a catapult rigged with the explosives I have left. Just holler if you want a mess of beasties to meet their maker."
Faren nodded. "We're ready. Take your positions."
"As you command," said Varel. "Scouts report the darkspawn are advancing on the walls."
"I will fight with you, Commander," said Garevel. "My scouts will let us know where the fight is fiercest."
That gave him another fifty, in addition to the remaining Vigil guards and the trainees. He looked around the rest of the people in the room.
He then looked at his Wardens. "Nathaniel, you'll join Sergeant Maverlies and the other archers on the tower, that should give you a good wide view of the area. Anders and Velanna, the two of you will be in reserve and support the rest of us with some magic."
"As you command, Commander," said Nathaniel.
"I hope it's enough," said Faren.
"And if it isn't, I just want to let you know you're the finest Commander I've ever served under," said Oghren.
"Thanks," Faren smiled.
The approach outside and just saw flaming boulders soaring over the keep. This indicated that the full force of the darkspawn army had arrived and were now attacking the keep.
Outside, the darkspawn were led by a hurlock calling himself the Herald.
"The Warden-Commander has arrived. The Mother will be most pleased with her Herald," he said menacingly. He then turned and looked at his darkspawn army. "We break this keep. We break the Wardens. We leave only ash!"
Faren looked at his Wardens and his men in the rush straight towards the courtyard.
"They broke in through the front gates!" cried Sergeant Maverlies from the tower.
"This way Commander!" yelled Garevel.
They quickly rushed towards the front gates and will in time to see the darkspawn breaking through.
"Charge!" Faren commanded pulling out his hammer.
He charged headlong into battle swinging his hammer knocking away any darkspawn that came an inch before him. He smashed a hurlock to the ground and swung the hammer crushing the skull of a genlock.
Oghren went into a blood rate swinging his axe anything that moved and everyone darkspawn and ally alike gave him a wide berth. Sigrun charge to where the battle was thickest not afraid of dying she swung her blades slicing any darkspawn that came nearby.
Justice helped anyone that needed it determines to bring justice down upon the darkspawn by smashing their skulls with his mace.
Anders and Velanna stood at the gate that led to the courtyard providing support with their magics. Any darkspawn that came ten feet towards them were either burnt alive or frozen in place.
Faren pointed out targets that he wanted Nathaniel and Sergeant Maverlies to be taken out, mostly any Alphas and Emissaries.
They went to secure the gate but heard cries from within the courtyard and rushed up the stairs to find the keeps men and the militia were engaging the children, which had to be the most disgusting of the darkspawn. The keeps men were wearing silver armour that withstood any attack that the children threw at them and he can help but marvel at Wade's work.
He was glad that they had blocked off the entrance underground all they need now was to face even more darkspawn. It didn't take them long to annihilate the children.
Hearing the boulders slamming into the keeps walls was slightly unnerving, but the wall stood firm. It was immensely glad that he paid Voldrik to reinforce the walls.
It took some time but they finally managed to secure the courtyard and after Anders and Velanna drank up the last supply of lyrium potion they headed back towards the main gate where Varel was holding the line.
He bought the attack from a hurlock and swung his blade of a second one will continue to defend himself with the one he was fighting with moments ago and pushed it back.
"Hold together, men Andrate's blood, hold!" Varel cried. He then turned and looked at his men. "On me! For the Wardens! For Amaranthine!"
"Varel behind you!" Faren cried.
It was too late an ogre appeared out of nowhere from the gate and rammed into him. Varel knocking him to the ground, wounded, but alive.
Faren charge straight towards the ogre, but soon found a more emerging from the gate along with hurlocks.
"Dworkin now!" Faren cried.
At once Dworkin used the trebuchet is to launch some explosives right on top of the darkspawn. He was glad that he convinced Dworkin to be careful, because the explosion was powerful enough to shatter the keeps walls alone.
The explosive destroyed a great number of darkspawn, but more kept on coming. Faren charge towards an ogre and slammed his hammer right into its face with such force that it stumbled and Sigrun took the opportunity to drive her daggers right into its chest.
Oghren slammed his act in the face of another ogre, trapping it in place. Then with all his might he began to push the ogre's body backwards and it toppled over crushing a number of hurlocks.
Justice just charged right through the darkspawn knocking them back with his mace and was assisted by Nathaniel, who kept on firing whenever he got a clear shot of any darkspawn that outflanked him.
Anders and Velanna helped immensely by casting their spells on any powerful darkspawn pushing them back.
Once they secured the gates once more Faren rushed over to a bleeding Varel, who is grieving quite deeply.
"C-Commander," he wheezed. "Did we win?"
Faren looked at him fearfully. "Hold on, Varel. Healer! Healer!" he cried desperately.
Varel chuckled and spat out some blood. "I've seen enough of battle to know… I'm a dead man." He looked at him smiling gratefully. "It has… It has been an honour, sir." He then looked at him straight in the eye. "Fight them… with everything you have…"
Faren lowered his head. "Rest easy, old soldier. You will not be forgotten."
Varel then collapsed and remained motionless on the ground.
The healer arrived, but one she examined the body she shook her head at Faren. "He's dead, Commander. There's nothing I can do."
Outside the keep, the Herald was now furious, the keep's walls refuse to fall no matter how many boulders they fired or how many ogres pounded against its walls.
"Can you fools do nothing right? The walls still stand!" he roared. Furiously he grabbed his two hatchets and marched towards the Keep. "Send in the ogre. But the Warden-Commander. Leave for me."
An armoured ogre emerged from the darkspawn horde and ran straight towards the keep.
"Incoming!" Faren yelled with his hammer at the ready.
Darkspawn poured out of the main gate and descended upon them like a swarm of locusts. He commanded every single man under his command and they engage the horde that emerge out of the gate.
When they finally managed to regain control of the main gate, Garevel approached him hurriedly. "The courtyard is overrun! We must fall back to hold the keep's gates!"
Faren looked up and saw even more darkspawn heading straight down towards them and he heard cries behind him and realise even more were emerging from the main gate. It was like being in Denerim all over again.
Then it got worse when an armoured ogre smashed its way through the blockade.
"Captain, me and the Wardens would deal with the ogre, you deal with the rest of the darkspawn," he yelled.
Garevel nodded and rallied the men to his side and engaged the darkspawn.
Faren, Oghren, Sigrun and Justice charged at the ogre. Faren and Oghren distracted it by slamming the heavy weapons into its armour, but they hardly did a dent and it's simply not them aside.
Event slammed its claw like gauntlets down upon them, but Justice appeared and uses shield to block them. Just as it was about a slam him with it free arm Sigrun jumped onto it and dug her daggers into it cause it to for in pain.
Anders and Velanna then combined them magic to form one powerful electrical blast that slammed into it. As it roared in pains, Faren took this is opportunity and jumped into the air and slammed with all his might his hammer right on top of its skull shattering it.
"Commander!" Nathaniel cried from the tower. "The darkspawn general has just taken the field!"
Faren looked at Garevel. "We'll secure the courtyard, you take on the leadership!"
Faren nodded. "Wardens to me!"
He and the Wardens rushed down towards the main gate, where they found the Herald, with a hatched in each hand, looking at the menacingly.
"You are mine!" he roared.
"Not today," said Faren.
They charged at one another and he rolled to avoid one of Herald's swings and then swung his hammer at him. The Herald sidestepped and punched him in the face and while he was off balance he then slammed his two hatchets down on top of him.
Fortunately, Faren wasn't quite as dazed and used the handle of his hammer to block the attack and use the force to flip the Herald over his head. The Herald slammed face first on the ground and lost one of his hatchets, but this did not stop them from getting up.
He roared as he charged swinging the hatchet madly, but Faren grabbed a piece of dirt and tossed it right into the Herald eyes blinding him. Then before he could recover he then used the hammer to knock him off his feet and then slammed it right on top of him.
And with that the battle was done. The darkspawn outside the keep, knowing their general had fallen retreated as fast as they could and the remainder of the darkspawn inside the keep were quickly slain.
Exhausted, he and the other Wardens toppled over and was soon joined by Garevel, Voldrik and Dworkin.
"We've… we've won," said Garevel breathlessly. He then looked sadly at Varel's body. "The price was dear, but the Vigil holds. Varel… Varel would be proud."
"The battle is won. But the Mother is still out there," said Faren grimly.
Sergeant Maverlies then came rushing towards them. "Captain! Commander! I've news," she said as she then handed a scroll of papers to Faren. "This has just been sent by a hawk, I believe it's from the Hero of Ferelden and a letter saying that they've secured the city, but they expecting more darkspawn soon."
Faren looked at the papers with great interest. "Anything else?"
"Yes, we know where the darkspawn came from! Their retreat left a trail even the greenest of recruits could follow.
"What are our options?"
"The army has taken heavy losses. Dead, wounded," said Voldrik. "It will be sometime before they can mobilise again."
"The commander has the right of it," said Dworkin. "Every day you wait is another day of broodmothers spawning new evil."
Faren closes eyes and you what he had to do. "If the army can't do it, the Wardens will have to."
Dworkin nodded. "We've seen you in action, Commander. You and your companions are an army on your own."
"I can't take everyone, I have every confidence that Sereda and the others to secure the city and no doubt they'll come here and in case I don't come back I'm going to need Wardens to pick up where we left off."
"So who you take?" Garevel asked.
He looked at his Wardens. "Justice, Sigrun, Anders, Nathaniel, we're doing some darkspawn hunting."
His Wardens nodded and together they exited from the keep ready to end this new darkspawn threat.