A/N: I don't own Dragon age.
3.
Elissa's POV:
It was as if the elf had morphed into a completely different person. She was all charm and sultry smiles. I found myself giving her answers before I realized she'd even poised a question. I couldn't help but watch with admiration as Aedan and I emptied our coin pouches so she could buy herself a set of leather studded amour and a new dagger to pair with her sword.
We introduced ourselves to Daveth with her aid, he seemed very pleased to see both Kallian and I, who had concerns about the coming ritual. The others weren't even aware there was a ritual. The thought of travelling with a known thief though didn't sit brilliantly with me and as a result I ensured that I kept a distance from Daveth and his wandering hands.
It was then decided, without much of an argument due to Kallian's careful steering, that it was best that we introduced ourselves to the Warden rather than waste any more time.
"And how are you Lady Elissa?" Darrian asked me with a polite and slightly nervous smile.
"I'm quite fine. Thank you for asking," I replied courteously.
Darrian nodded once then seemed to struggle for something to say as the others tried to navigate around the ruins of Ostagar using Aedan's faulty directions.
"So are you excited about becoming a Grey Warden?" he asked.
"I want to stop the Blight."
"That's quite noble of you. I wish I could say the same," Darrian laughed timidly as he began to fiddle with the arrows in his quiver.
"And what of you?"
"I...I didn't really have much choice in the matter."
Darrian's eyes fell on his sister who was slipping in a suggestion or sweet remark as Daylen berated a completely disorientated Aedan. Daylen snatched the map from Aedan's hands and began striding off in what was undoubtedly the right direction. Kallian noticed Darrian's eyes on her and gave him an impish wink before following the others. It was moments after that Darrian noticed that I was still watching him. He shook free of whatever thoughts were holding him and smiled sheepishly.
"Siblings eh?" he said then followed in the direction of the others with his head bent inconspicuously.
Just what were the circumstances behind their recruitment? It seemed odd to imagine a story in which both the nervous, maternal character of Darrian and his assured, influential sister both played lead.
I followed nonetheless, dropping into place next to Daylen as we strode up a ramp with ceilings so high you had to crane your neck to see their cleanly carved tops.
The new Warden was not what I expected. The first time any of us laid eyes on the other Warden he was too busy bickering with a Circle mage to notice our presence. He was built solidly with the face you expect to find on a boy prince; strong jaw and nose, a generous mouth that was ripe with easy speeches of love and courage, blue, green eyes that were not hard and unforgiving like Daylen's but were soft enough to seem merciful and kind-hearted yet hard enough to not appear childish, his blonde hair was clipped short and there was stubble on his square jaw. I had to admit I was momentarily struck. There had been boys in the Circle but I'd grown with them and if there ever were feelings...which there never were... but if there were the Templars were quick to notice and maintain a watchful eye. Others I'd seen falling into hurried embraces and delicate, hushed kisses when Templar backs were turned but I... had never so much as held a boys hand. They were an alien species to me, a species that I was particularly naive about. It helped that most just registered as boys in the same way as Daylen and Aedan. It helped me ignore that bumbling discomfiture with the body that I inhabited that had ceased to be the child one I'd once been in possession of yet it wasn't quite right either, too big, too awkward and uncomfortable. I envied Kallian's femininity despite her boyish hair and tiny form, the easy way she seemed to embrace not only herself but the sexuality I had to admit managed to confuse and terrify me.
But despite the face that I had to admit was handsome and disarming it was obvious that the Grey Warden was a fool as soon as he opened his mouth.
"..The grumpy one," the Warden folded his arms over a broad chest.
The mage whom I recognized as a superior of mine in the Circle was clearly exasperated. He snapped a final comment and stormed away to fume by himself.
"Hello there," the Warden flashed a smile, "you must be the recruits Duncan told me about. Maker five seems like a bigger number in real life."
He directed the comment particularly at Daylen who stood at about a hands height above the Warden's head.
"Yes, it seems like he's building a small army," Aedan smiled and offered his hand, "Aedan Cousland it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Alistair and same to you I suppose," Alistair seemed quite taken back by Aedan's greeting, "Not that it's nice to meet you, the 'I suppose' wasn't about that. It's lovely to meet you but not in the creepy nice to meet you I may kidnap you at a later date way but the usual nice to meet you kinda way...Oh Maker, I'm so bad at this."
Agreed. It was confirmed the Warden was a simpleton.
"My name is Daylen Cousland, a pleasure to meet you," Daylen continued in the polite, correct salutation that had been taught to us as children and now seemed almost automatic.
"My name is Elissa Cousland, a pleasure to meet you," I offered a hand, shook his and retracted my own quickly afterwards; deciding to keep both firmly behind my back in future.
"Hello, I'm Darrian Tabris," Darrian came forward with his signature timid smile and offered a small, slender hand which was completely eclipsed by Alistair's giant, warrior's paw of a hand.
"And that is my sister, Kallian," Darrian pointed behind him at the elven woman who was busy inspecting her new dagger with a professional eye. She glanced upwards but quickly decided that the entire conversation was of little interest to her and managed to detach herself with a sultry smile and nod.
"Have you met the others?" Alistair asked Darrian, who I supposed seemed the easiest option to socialize with.
"We've spoken to Daveth. He was quite...charming."
"I'm not sure why Duncan recruited that pick pocket but then again Duncan usually knows what he's doing."
"Are there others then?"
"There's Ser Jory but I'm sure you'll meet him later. Well we best go find Duncan."
"You won't be joining us will you?" I asked.
"Don't worry I won't embarrass you," he replied with a smile that seemed to disappear when I sighed with irritation. I highly doubted that. The last thing I needed was for this common oaf to lumber around behind us. How could we ever hope to defeat the Blight when even the ordinary troops couldn't take us seriously?
Kallian chuckled as I sauntered past Alistair a look of pure annoyance on my face and head tilted upwards. She swung down from her seat on a crumpled wall and fell into step with her brother with feline grace.
"Hey there," a solider began to pull at our attention, "could you help me out?"
Daylen continued to stroll past but magpie like Aedan was already making his way over; especially because a grubby kennel was leaning sluggishly behind the man. Mabari had always loved Aedan and the feelings were reciprocated. He'd even bred them with father back in... As I was saying the once vicious war hound that snarled and ground great canines at any trespasser were transformed into cuddly bundles of fluff by Aedan. And they literally leaped to his command.
"What's wrong?" Aedan asked peering past the Kennel master into the empty pens.
"It's this Mabari. She's been sick for a while and we need to get this muzzle on her but she won't let anyone near."
Aedan stretched out a hand for the muzzle which the Kennel master gave him.
"Watch the master at work and be awed," Aedan smirked as he slipped into the pen.
We all gathered at the gate as Aedan slowly and carefully made his way towards the dog. The Mabari whined pitifully as Aedan ushered soothing tones but slid the muzzle over the dog's bear like head. The Mabari seemed clearly mollified; it even lifted its head weakly towards Aedan's hand as if my brother's mere presence acted as a comfort.
"Impressed?" he asked with a cocky grin. The expressions of Darrian and Alistair told us they were.
"How did you do that?" Darrian asked eyes shifting from a triumphant Aedan to the now subdued Mabari bitch.
"It's a gift I was given by the Maker himself..."
"Along with divine levels of cockiness, eh Shem?" Kallian added with an entertained smirk. Aedan laughed nonetheless (usually he would have retorted) and rejoined an impatient Daylen, after chatting with the Kennel Master first of course, who lead us towards the area where Duncan awaited us.
"You must journey into the Kocari wilds and collected three vials of Darkspawn blood."
"Surely you must have acquired some Darkspawn blood by now?" Aedan asked.
"Yes but this as much a test of ability," Duncan answered.
"Ah I see so no chance of waiting here then?" Aedan continued but it was in vain as Duncan smiled and shook his head in response.
"And the second part?" I asked.
"To collect a casket of Grey Warden documents," Duncan said.
"What's in the documents?" Kallian asked.
"Well if you're interested. They're peace treaties. Now anymore questions."
No one said a thing everyone seemed eager to be off; Kallian's hands itched for the dual weapons (a sword and a dagger) at her back, both Aedan and Darrian's hands were at the strings of their bows, Daylen tested the sharp edge of his long sword while I began to twist and scrape at the Rowan wood laced with Lyrium and various other ingredients. It used to be comforting to feel that worn wood run smooth under my fingertips but ever since my Harrowing it felt scalding to the touch. It even went so far as to tinge my fingers a blackish red after days of gripping it.
Nothing, it seemed remained the same.
The Kocari Wilds were aptly named. A vast landscape of ragged areas of sparse, tangled bushes clung to one another in small armoured groups, menacing branches of blackened, withered trees snagged and caught at a cold wind that seeped through every layer of clothing and wrapped itself around your bones. The ground underfoot was springy in places and sucked at your feet in others; a thin veil of mist that rose up from the murky waters of the swamp and carpeted the wiry grass. I jumped as a strange hooting noise joined the symphony of other foreign calls and shrieks from between the thick brambles.
"Maker have you ever seen anything anymore depressing?" Darrian sighed as he lifted two bright green eyes to a greying sky blemished here and there with tinges of pink red.
"It's not so bad," Kallian reviewed the landscape with sharp eyes, "I quite like it."
"There could be so many nasty surprises out there," Darrian frowned.
"You could say that about anywhere," Daylen cut in. I think it was one of the first times he'd actually directly addressed the timid elf.
"Ah, there's one of those surprises you were so eager about," Kallian added cheerfully, "a troop of dead soldiers."
One slender finger pointed accusingly at a huddle of bloodied bodies that were tossed lazily around a broken cart. I was running towards them before I even managed to register the action. Maybe one was alive. Please Maker let at least one be alive.
I stood in the centre of the heap, eyes searching for the slightest movement or twitch.
"Help," a voice croaked.
Daylen's POV:
Elissa went running to the injured man's side. As predicted. She scanned his injured body for a moment with a stern, resolute expression, two dark eyebrows furrowed and plump lips moving silently to herself.
"I've got bandages in my pack," the Warden offered. He came jogging over in his armour and paused at some distance with evident concern for the wounded solider. But he was ignored. The Warden seemed to hesitate, reluctant to invade Elissa's bubble of personal space.
"Do you need them? I have plenty spare..."
"Quiet," she snapped, "you'll break my concentration."
Satisfied Elissa stood and surveyed the now mended body with the pride of a skilled craftsman. She helped the solider to his feet; she smiled nodded away his thanks before he limped off. Elissa's healing magic skills however were not celebrated as I lead the group past her and onwards. There wasn't time and that boy, he lacked the authority deserved to be referred to as a man, was of no use as a leader. I instead stood at the head of the group as it seemed everyone else was eager for someone other than themselves to take that position. Surprisingly even Elissa followed behind me without her usual challenge; she was content enough for now to allow abide by my silent lead as it guides them further into the tangled wilds. Ser Jory seemed hesitant at first but when his mouth moved to flap open with protest his eyes meet the steady impatience of my own and the words curled and died in his throat.
It wasn't long until we came across organized groups of Darkspawn. I don't think I'd ever seen anything so grotesque. The skin, mottled and burnt like decaying crops, was stretched twisted across its canvas which called almost be considered a flawed copy of a humans. As if the mould that had created us had somehow became infected and distorted. They died easily enough. The great blade strapped to my back, almost my height and weight, cut through misshapen limbs like butter. It seemed like butchery from a distance; my actions savage hacks and lunges but there was a precise art to the carnage that could only be appreciated by someone who understood it. And there were rare few who did.
I wasn't overly aware of the others around me. I funnelled my concentration into taking care of myself; if they needed me to protect them then it was there fate to die. If I was to leap to their aid in this battle I was only prolonging their death. No matter how much the King and his people liked to dress up the world in these imaginary morals and social fineries it was still truly belonged to the true feral law. And a code of which was survival of the fittest.
It was Kallian who finished by decapitating the last Hurlock with an elegant sweep of her dual blades and looked across at me with a self satisfied grin. We trudged upwards over the coarse grass towards the crumbled remains of an outpost. The documents were kept in there somewhere. This had been the test? I found it difficult to imagine any of us failing. Even Darrian, who seemed to be someone who'd roll over for anyone in favour of a quiet life, was an adept archer.
My fingers pulled back the rough stone of the container. Nothing. It was frustratingly bare.
"Someone stole the documents?" Elissa asked, moving forward to inspect the container herself.
I nodded once.
"Who would steal them and why?"
Our eyes cut across to the Warden in search of an answer but he only shrugged in reply. Elissa tsked and I quickly drew my attention away from him. He was next to useless.
"So what do we do now?" Aedan asked me.
I drew myself up to reply when a voice curled from the ruins.
"I have been watching your progress for some time now. Where do they go? I wonder. So tell me are you a scavenger or a trespasser?"
It was then that she came to halt before us, a perceptive smirk curled in the corner of two lips bruised like the colour of dark purple.
She had to be by far the most interesting person I'd have seen for years.
A/N:
Okay it's the joining next chapter. I hope your joining it so far =3 I'm quite excited about this actually. I'd really love to hear from anyone who's reading because reviews keep me going; hint, hint ;) And it seems that Alistair is bullied at the moment but I'm sure he can make friends with the Tabris...maybe. Poor Alistair :(
THANKS :D