Diana wandered in the outskirts of the camp. She finally got her Warden's Commander Armor repaired. Well, it was actually Zevran and Leliana that fixed it. She hadn't been able to put it one since Fort Drakon, but thought that she had to get over it eventually. She can't fight the archdemon in silk clothes, or in the armor she got from Bodhan. Diana absolutely hated her Shadow of the Empire, it put more weight on her shoulders and made her more stiff in her movements, which was weird, considering the Warden armor weighs way more.
She reminisced about the early days, when they had made their first camp. It had grown from the early days when she'd been alone with Alistair, Morrigan and her dog Troy. Now it was filled with people and emissaries from her four allies.
She saw Leliana argue with Oghren.
"Get your bloody nug out of here, Leliana!"
"But he's so cute. Is he really bothering you, Oghren?"
"He stole my ale!"
"He's a nug, how could he steal your ale?"
"I don't know, but my ale is missing! Someone needs to pay!" Oghren sounded drunk like usual.
"I don't think Schmooples drinks ale."
"Al righty then. Give him to me, and I can make a fiiiiine steak. I bet that fat nug will taste good."
"Oh no, you don't!" Leliana wrinkled her nose, taking her nug in her arms.
"I promise it won't hurt."
"Oghren, back away, slowly, or you will regret it." Leliana voice just pitched a higher tone, when Oghren took out his axe, closing in on her.
"I think you should listen to her, Oghren. You don't want to get on Leliana's bad side" Diana sniggered, joining the conversation.
"Warden, I barely seen you since we left Orzammar!"
"Aw, Oghren, did you already miss me?" Diana said raising her eyebrow, she hadn't exactly been social to either Oghren or Morrigan. Of course, Morrigan had wanted to keep a distance since Diana killed Flemeth. Even if she did do her a favor, it must be hard to face your mother's killer. She always thought that the young apostate mage had a bigger, friendlier personality then she let them know.
"Aye, Warden! It brought a tear to my eye! Join me in my hole, with my ale."
"Oh, your beer taste delicious, not like the usual dwarven one you got in Orzammar!"
"Oh you bet your fine arse it isn't...Hey, so you're the ale thief!"
Diana laughed, crossing her arms.
"Yes, I admit. I'm guilty!"
"You sneaky..." He was about to continue but fell to the ground.
Leliana let her nug go and both she and Diana, helped him up.
"Ugh, Oghren, have you ever considering taking a bath?" Leliana said with a disgusting tone.
Diana agreed. Oghren smelled like old alcohol mixed with sweat.
"Bath? Dwarves don't bathe, women!" he growled, while they carried him to his tent and laid him to sleep.
"You know, it wouldn't hurt, if we strip of his armor and take buckets of water and just pour it over him." Diana said mischievously.
"Haha, maybe not for you. But I don't want the wrath of a dwarf. Not for my sake, but Schmooples will be then one to suffer."
"True, still wouldn't be bad."
Leliana giggled.
"Well I'm going to sleep. I will see you tomorrow." She said, hugging Diana.
"Good night, Leliana."
She watched as Leliana disappeared behind her small tent, carrying her pet with her inside.
Thank the Maker that she had good friends, she thought.
Diana watched her other companions, noticed that most of them were already asleep. She didn't even see Zevran anywhere, to her disappointment.
She saw Loghain sitting on a log, in the edges of the camp.
Diana felt remorse for him, she did kill his daughter right in front of his eyes. She had read all the tales as a child about King Maric and Loghain, how they saved Ferelden from the Orlesians.
The smell from their food was still in the air, stewed rabbit, that was the food they had been eating almost constantly since Ostagar, but it was better then nothing. Diana kneeled and filled a plate next to her. When they had been eating, Loghain hadn't wanted to come near them.
She approached him.
"Hi, I thought you might be hungry. You should eat something." She handed him the plate.
Loghain looked surprised.
"Erhm, yes, please. Thank you."
"So how does it feel?" She asked, sitting next to him.
"Does what feel?" He said gravely.
"Being a Warden. You're not a teyrn anymore. How is it?"
He sighed, looking up in the clear night sky.
"It was a surprise all this. But I am quite relieved not being one anymore. I know this is my death sentence, but my daughter is dead. I have no wish to pursuit life after this Blight business is done." He took a bite of the rabbit, he looked like he was going to throw up.
"Are you alright?"
He nodded and swallowed the bite with difficulty.
Diana had an amused look on her face.
"Well I hope you will enjoy it. Are you going to keep watch tonight?"
"Yes, I am surprised that you trust me with that after what I've done."
Diana wrinkled her nose. "Yes i know, right. I'm crazy."
Loghain frowned and rolled his eyes.
She chuckled, and went to her tent and took out her map. It looked pretty worn out by now, how many times she had been using it. She looked at it would take them half a day to reach Redcliffe castle, so according to her logic they should be there by dawn. She felt a sting in her stomach. Maker not this again, she had been feeling nauseous since a few days back. The nausea has been increasing the past day but she thought that had to do with the nervosity of meeting Alistair again, since they didn't really depart on the best terms. She should get it looked at, maybe it wouldn't be the best weapon to start vomiting on the darkspawn.
With a small sigh she scouted the camp for Wynne, if it was something wrong with her, she would be the one to see it. She didn't have to look long to see where she was.
"...oh Maker you smell awful. I really should get you clean!"
"At least he'll drive the darkspawn away with his stench." Diana said smiling
Troy barked happily.
Wynne jumped at the sight of her.
"Didn't expect to see you here, thought you wanted to be alone."
"I was looking for you actually. I'm happy you haven't gone to bed yet, do you have time?"
"Of course child...if you promise to let me clean that dog of yours!"
"Fine! you have my word."
Troy knew his defeat and whined.
"Don't worry boy, you can roll in dirt afterwards again."
He barked happily.
Wynne frowned and they walked to the edge of the camp and sat down on a tree stump.
"Tell me dear, whats troubling you?"
"I haven't been feeling well...I do not know if this is maybe an after effect from your healing, since according Leliana, you were locked up in my room for days. It can also be because of Alistair, he was a dear friend that I lost, can't say I'm surprised. I haven't exactly treated him well, and after I let Loghain live, he feels that I betrayed him with the rest of the Wardens..."
Wynne looked at her, a familiar mum look overcame her face.
"What?"
"young lady, that you are feeling like this is not unusual, especially not for someone that got into something bigger then herself. Your parents would be proud of you, just as we all are. Alistair is a confused lad that loves you, and he put his personal feelings before the issue of what had to be done. I must admit, I'm not loving the idea of having Loghain with us, but I understand why, and that's why I respect your decision. You led us here, created an army and made Ferelden united once more" She put a hand on Diana's shoulder.
"If you want to sleep easier, knowing nothing is wrong with you. I can gladly do a diagnostic."
"yes...please. It's probably nothing, but its better to be safe, I don't want to give a genlock the pleasure to chop me into pieces if I would faint on the battlefield."
Wynne said nothing, and placed her hand inches from her face, going down all the way to her feet. Diana felt the energy waves, it was soothing.
When she was done, she looked troubled.
"so, nothing right?"
"I don't think so, but there is something, but I can't place a finger on it."
"What do you mean?"
"I do not know. It has never happened before." The mage raised her eyebrows.
"Is it something to do with the taint?"
"Maybe, but still, I've done diagnostics on you before, then I didn't feel this"
"Maybe I'm getting a cold?" She winked.
"Perhaps...It's probably nothing." Wynne said.
"Oh, well thank you, I'm going to bed. I feel pretty worn out, and I'm still not used to my good old armor" She said while banking on her chest, which caused more pain.
"mrrmgh, I should not have done that." Diana continued, Wynne shook her head.
"Good night child."
"Night."
*^*
They were in the outskirts of Redcliffe, Diana had been seeing smokes rising from the village so she went on top of the hill near the bridge. Darkspawn, lots of them. Redcliffe village that she succeeded saving once, was almost annihilated. Most of the village was burnt down, only a few buildings were still standing. It was though only a matter of hours before this village would perish.
She gave the signale to Oghren, Sten, Loghain and Leliana to go to the village. She needed to get to the castle, to see if more disgusting monsters where there. Her heart pounded, what if everyone was dead? What if Alistair and the Redcliffe army is gone?
"Sten, Oghren! Keep those godless bastards from getting near the castle!" She yelled, the qunari nodded and they all hailed off. Diana, with Zevran, Troy and Wynne ran as fast as they could. She equipped her two daggers, they glistened in the red sunset. She killed any darkspawn she saw on the way to the castle. The bridge to the courtyard was crawling with them.
The arls army was already fighting the darkspawn that entered the castle gates. Diana had her eyes fixed upon the big ogre that was holding a man in the air ready to eat his flesh. Diana sprinted, her adrenaline pumping, and jumped on the back of the ogre, forced her sword deep in its back. The ogre screamed out of pain and let go of the man. It twisted around trying to get a hold of his annoying fly on the back but Diana had strong arms, she tried to hold on while twisting the sword as much as she could. When she noticed the ogre was gonna fall on his back, she pulled out her sword and jumped. She faced it again, the ogre had already gotten up. With their fronts against each other, she jumped towards it using all her force, bringing the beast on the ground with her sword deep in its throat. The ogre's eyes were wide open and then empty. Diana looked around and saw only two darkspawn still standing, which got taken care of by Zevran's fast blows. She smelled her armor, Maker, it had a nasty odor, and her hair was covered in blood.
I really can't be clean, can I?, she sighed.
They saw a man running towards them.
"I had word to await your arrival my lady!" He yelled
"The arl is inside with the king and Riordan." he continued
"Wait..."
"We scouted the village from the tower, your friends have killed all the darkspawn that roamed the village!"
"I'm waiting for them" She yelled, she didn't have to wait long, as she saw them running on the bridge.
Diana's fellowship ran up the stairs.
The arl, Alistair, Riordan and bann Teagan were standing in the main hall, talking to each other.
"It is good to see you safe, and you as well, Loghain" Riordan said bowing down to greet his fellow Wardens
"And you" She said bowing down. Loghain merely nodded.
"indeed it is, we noticed the darkspawn arriving just some hours ago, we couldn't afford risking sending more soldiers to the village, thank the Maker for your arrival, " arl Eamon said smiling.
Alistair stood with his back faced towards Diana.
She never felt so awkward with him, and felt her anger bubbling up, it took all her effort to keep it hidden under her mask.
"It is good to see you well and unharmed, my king," she said with a soft, icy cold voice.
He turned and looked at her. Filled with darkspawn blood, she doubted she looked like herself.
"We've gotten word that the darkspawn horde is marching towards Denerim, it will be there in two days notice." He said with a flat tone.
"Why did we think it would come here? Are you sure? Because we just slaughtered hundreds, well....at least a lot of them here."
"We are. I "listened in" close enough to know it is." Riordan said.
"Has word been sent?"
"it has but it won't arrive in time we fear" Eamon said gravely.
"Then we need to march, we need to inform our allies that they need to move."
"We have already done that, when we came here. Riordan told us of his concerned feelings, so the letter must have arrived, and if they intend to keep their end of the bargain, they should be in Denerim the same time as us, if not earlier."
"We have another matter that concerns us more, the arch demon has shown itself, and its in midst of the horde."
Diana's heart pounded so hard she was surprised it hadn't broken her chest yet.
She glanced at Alistair, who refused to look at her.
"The arch demon is the primary concern!" Diana said sternly.
"The Blight will end when the archdemon dies, so yes it is" Riordan agreed.
"We will march by daybreak i suggest you all get some sleep, your room is upstair Warden, next to Alistair's and Loghain's. If I'm not to rude, do take a bath before going to bed." Eamon smiled.
She crossed her arms, and with a sarcastic smile,
"No, my lord. I love to smell like poo, blood and sweat"
He laughed.
"How are we supposed to kill the archdemon?" She suddenly asked.
"Duncan hadn't told you? you were new recruits...he didn't expect" Riordan turned away.
"Perhaps you, Loghain and Alistair should join me in my room, its in the end of the hallway upstairs, we have some Grey Warden business to speak of" Riordan said and marched of with Alistair. He bumped into Diana's shoulder on his way, intentionally trying to hurt her. It didn't work out, thanks to her strong armor.
Thank the Maker, I have this on, you goofy bastard!
Diana looked at her friends
"try to get some food, grab a girl or a boy if you want to have fun, and yes, take a bath if you can or just go to sleep, i will see you tomorrow. This is it, we're marching for war my friends."
She headed towards the stairs with Loghain, feeling Zevran's eyes follow her all the way up. She slowly walked in the drafty corridor of the arl's castle, looking at the paintings hanging on the wall. She never noticed them before, she'd been busy killing undead the last time she was here. She saw Alistair outside Riordan's room, she felt nauseous. When she came closer he said "there you are. Let's see what Riordan has to say." It looked like he was struggling with not pulling out his sword, killing Loghain at the mere sight of him.