Ever have one of those days that you wished you had a bomb shelter under your house just so you could hide from your insane family? Yeah, that's me today lol
As always, no ownage by me.
"Nate-Nathaniel?" A flash of half buried pain rushes to the surface as I slowly pad my way over to the man, "Is that really you?"
"And who else should it be, little Lexie?" he sneers, his expression predatory despite the bars his hands are presently curled around, "You are in what used to by my home after all."
"You know this wretch?" Garavel asks, looking more confused than Alistair after we'd gotten him drunk for the first time.
"Nathaniel was my brother's best friend before he left for the Free Marches six years ago," I inform the guardsman with a sigh, the peer back into those hateful brown eyes, "Your father told everyone that you were dead six months after you were squired to that knight. He had even shown Thomas a lette-"
"You lie! Every damn words that spews from your mouth is a damned lie!" Nathaniel roars, his head shaking back and forth defiantly.
"Thomas is living in Denerim Nate, I could have him come, it would only take a week..." I try to persuade him, but between his grief and the blow to the head he'd taken during his capture, he is beyond reason for the time being.
"Let him stay in here for the night. It looks like it's been a while since his last meal, so have one of the servants bring him something to eat," I instruct after turning away from the grieving former nobleman, "When Mischa comes in to look him over, make sure there is enough warm water and such for him to clean up. Perhaps a change of clothes as well, if we can spare it. And for Maker's sake, bring the man a chamber pot, one of the cots Varel had brought out, and a clean blanket to sleep with. We're Grey Wardens, not animals."
Gavin meets me in the courtyard after I exit the building, grinning like a madman, "You should have seen it, I got him lassoed around the ankles and yanked him clean off his feet! You'd have laughed your arse off, the way he kicked and yelled when I dragged him out of the castle and into the jail like that."
I focus on the intricate blue knot work etched on his face, running temple to temple, in order to calm myself before speaking, "Gavin, as ridiculously awesome as that sounds, no more rope tricks that treat prisoners like steer."
"Why not? That's how we did it where I came from," he pouts while we slip back into the main hall, "Except we usually hung them upside down from a tree afterwards, then cut their bellies open so that the blood would draw scavengers."
I freeze mid-step and gape at the ranger, "Gavin, that's horrible!"
He gives me an odd look in return. "How is that any different than your supposed civilized ways of hanging one by the neck in public so people can throw rotten food at them or chopping someone's head off while a crowd cheers? At least our ways make one useful even in death. I swear, for all that you've been through ardmheas deirfiúr, you can be quite naïve about the ways of the world."
"I...you're right," I concede to the man's strange logic, then continue walking "All I really know how to do anymore is fight, so I am naïve about some things...but I don't make someone needlessly suffer, and refuse to let other people do it either. Now I'm heading to bed, please have someone wake me in a few hours."
Only his eyes betray his annoyance at my words as he bobs his head, "Can do. When did you want to proceed with the Joining?"
"In the morning," I reply before shambling over to one of the unused cots and falling into it face first, armor and all.
"In War, victory. In Peace, vigilance. In Death, sacrifice. These words you already know, but what I say next has been spoken since the first Joining," I declare, lifting the ancient silver chalice and closing my eyes, "Oh Brothers and Sisters, join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant."
"Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn," Mischa adds her melodic alto.
"And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten," Gavin's light accent chimes in now, "And that one day..."
"We shall join you," I conclude alone, then open my eyes and turn to my dwarven friend, "Oghren, step forward. Drink and know that from this day forward, you are a Grey Warden."
The flame haired berserker grasps the cup reverently, then takes a large drink. "Not bad," he belches, then falls back, his eyes white as snow.
Mischa immediately scurries over and checks his pulse as I hold my breath. "He'll live to badger us another day Commander," she finally proclaims with a tiny smile playing at her lips.
Keeping my face a blank mask, I nod in acknowledgment before looking to Becca, "Come forward and drink Warden Becca, join the ranks of your Brothers and Sisters."
The young woman hesitantly follows my command and she too is left unconscious but breathing on the stone floor. My hopes soar when Jayden is similarly lucky.
Just one more. Four new Wardens would be such a boon. "Mhairi, drink and know that you are a Grey Warden from this day forth."
"I've waited my entire life for this moment," she murmurs before imbibing the foul ichor.
A single heartbeat passes, then the young knight screams and begins clawing at her throat. Her unseeing ghost white eyes dart around wildly as she chokes, but I know she has failed the test when she coughs a bloody spray across the stone floor and falls over.
Gavin bends down and checks to be sure, then closes her eyes as I am reminded of Daveth's painful death. I take in a shuddering breath and retrieve what was to be Mhairi's Warden cloak, then take care not to disturb the body when I cover it with the mantle.
"Three out of four, a new record," Mischa lets out a dark chuckle while moving onto the task of filling the trio of pendants for the new Wardens.
"Three is better than zero," I grudgingly admit, watching Gavin heft the knight's body into his arms, then carry her outside to the pyre we'd built beforehand, "But four would have been ideal. Would you mind watching them for a bit? I have to send a message to Zev and Ali, telling them how things went."
The plump mage waves me off, already scratching down the names of both the survivors and the fallen before distributing the jewelry, "Yeah, yeah, just get out of my hair."
I've just released the second falcon when I hear the tapping of Havoc's nails on the floor. I crouch down as he comes into range and scratch his broad chest before plucking the note from his collar and reading it. "So Oghren and Jayden are already awake. Damn that was fast," I comment to the canine, who answers by slathering his tongue up the side of my face.
Eventually we navigate our way back through the fortress, pausing to be harangued by the stonemason until I march to my office and empty my safe-an entire eighty sovereigns mind you-into his hands, before making it down to the newest members of the order.
"-have dreams?" Becca is quizzing Mischa as I enter.
"Good, everyone is awake," I fold myself down onto the floor in front of their cots, "There are some very important things that you need to know now..."
It takes nearly an hour after explaining everything to answer their barrage of questions. Becca sheds a few tears when she learns that she may never be a mother, but seems strangely unruffled by our shortened lifespans. Jayden also cares little about that subject, but worries about any side effects of the taint they may have to endure. Oghren simply farts loudly and asks when will they get to start killing things.
"What will happen to Mhairi's remains?" Jayden queries after I tell them of the woman's death.
"All Grey Wardens who die on the surface are cremated," I carefully elaborate, not wanting to upset them again, "We discovered a mausoleum at Warden's Keep during the reconstruction. Her ashes will be interred there, and her name will be added to the others on it."
"What about her family?" Becca prods, her coffee black eyes mournful.
"Her family will be told that she fell honorably in service to the Grey Wardens, as will yours, should you not live to see your Callling."
Suddenly the main doors are thrown wide and Varel comes running in, "Sorry Commander, but the king is here, with an entire battalion under his banner!"
Alistair is the only thing I can think of as I leap to my feet and race outside.
Fergus is dressed in his dragonbone plate, the emblem of Ferelden emblazoned on his deep red mantle, and he looks almost frightened when he spots me running towards him. "Commander, what in Andraste's shield happened here? Your parties usually don't end in this much...destruction."
"The darkspawn somehow found a weak spot in the dungeons and attacked the keep just before we arrived," I quickly explain, scanning the soldiers behind him for a swath of long golden hair, "What brings you to the Vigil so soon? Have you decided that fighting the horde was more fun than holding court?"
"You and I both know that killing darkspawn really is easier," he gives me lopsided smirk before blowing out a heavy sigh, "There's been a bit of trouble out on the bannorn that I need to go sort out before it gets out of hand. I got word of it the day you left. Oh, and I also had something of yours that I needed to return..."
I give him a perplexed look, waiting for the punchline, only to be snatched up by a pair of massive arms and swung about like a rag doll. Reason soon escapes me though as a set of warm, plump lips meet mine and I allow my husband to kiss me senseless in front of who knows how many onlookers.
"'Bout time you showed yerself around here, the Commander was startin' to git all moody," Oghren banters, killing our euphoric bubble as he stomps up to shake hands with my beloved.
"Yeah yeah, just wait until she decides to have Mischa launch your drunken arse out of one of those catapults I saw up on the wall," Alistair fires back with a chuckle, "You know how she loves her-"
"Your highness, that man is a dangerous maleficar!" a woman with a face only a mabari could love, shrieks, "He killed half a dozen Templars in his last attempt to escape!"
"I wouldn't go that far," my overprotective spouse instantly defends our friend, though his hand never leaves mine as he shifts around to peer at her, "I mean, the dwarf's a bit of an ass and all but-"
"She means me," Anders groans, no doubt having come to see what all the fuss was about, "But I didn't kill those Templ...oh, what's the use, a damned fanatic like you would never believe me anyways."
"You'll hang for this..." the woman begins but Fergus reaches out a hand to still her, "Commander, the accused is in your custody, so you have the right to deal with this any way you see fit. What say you?"
"There isn't much to be said honestly," I state, then resist the urge to cut the Templar's lips off when I see the smug look taking over her features, "Nothing actually, except that I invoke the Right of Conscription on the man known as Anders."
"What? You can't do that!" the woman explodes and begins reaching for her sword until she has seven Grey Wardens pointing their own weapons at her.
"We are in the home of the Grey Wardens Rylock," Fergus warns her in his most neutral tone, "It was the Commander's place to pass the judgment, which I accepted. Tell your men to stay their weapons."
She orders the handful of Templars to stand down, then gives me a venomous glare, "The Revered Mother will hear of this."
"Tell her the Grey Wardens send their warmest regards," I salute her with Starfang before sheathing it and returning my attention to my brother, "Will you be staying the night highness?"
He sighs and aims a dark look towards the religious nut before shaking his head, "I can't, not after the stunt you just pulled. If I appear to show you any favoritism while I'm here, the Chantry would have the country caught up in another civil war before I made it back to the capitol."
"I understand. My apologies then your Majesty," I give him my best smile to compensate for the twinge of pain the little girl inside of me feels at being chided by her big brother, "But I must speak with you in private before you go."
"Of course," he responds, then chuckles as he spins on his heel to face the lone guard who was brave enough to follow us, "In case you don't know who this woman is, she is the Commander of the Grey Wardens, Hero of Ferelden, and my baby sister. If she truly wanted to kill me, I highly doubt there is a damn thing you could do about it, so although I appreciate the gesture, it is not needed presently. You are dismissed Ser."
The guard opens and shuts his mouth a few times, then bows and stomps off, grumbling under his breath. Fergus waits for the man to be out of sight before bringing his head close to mine, "What do you need pup?"
"Nathaniel Howe is currently sitting in my jail, insane with grief," I blurt out, unable to sugarcoat things when the person in question once meant so much to him, "I don't want to take his life Ferg, but I can't let him loose like this. He's a danger to himself end everyone around him."
"Are you sure it's Nate Lex?" my brother's features twist into a mask of confusion and loss, "His own family said that he fell in the Free Marches."
"Obviously it's not true," I shrug, not knowing what else to say, "But he's a little stabbity, kill kill right now and refuses to hear the whole story about what happened. Also, Varel said that I may have to execute him for the assassination attempt."
"Couldn't you make him a Grey Warden like you just did for that mage?" he unexpectedly inquires, his tone growing hopeful as he looks at me, "That would prevent his death and give Thomas enough time to be ready to take over the Arling before winter sets in. When Thomas comes up, he can explain everything to Nathaniel."
"You chose Thomas to be Arl? Will the people even accept another Howe in charge after what his father did?" I challenge, more than a little shocked at the news, "This could blow up in all our faces if we're wrong."
"Thomas fought openly against his father's twisted plans, even ended up disowned for his efforts," Fergus cajoles, trying to win me over, "He wants to correct the wrongs that Rendon made and Nate can help do that if he is a Grey Warden."
"And what if Nathaniel chooses death? Have you considered that? Would you really have me force your former best friend into the order?"
He takes my hands in his, his eyes imploring, "I cannot order you to do this Lex, but I am begging you-as your brother-don't kill him because he was misinformed and wants to avenge his family. I don't want someone else to die because of Rendon Howe's treachery."
"I will talk to him about it," I give in and pointedly ignore my sibling's triumphant smirk, "but not for a few days at least. Nate sustained a nasty concussion when Gavin captured him and I want to give him time to fully recover."
"Great! Now let's get you back to your other half," the king chuckles in a brighter tone, then grabs my arm and pulls me after him, "Because if I have to hear one more thing about you, cheese, or those little runestones you collected for him, I swear that I'm going to strangle him and I'd hate for him to make Anora a widow for a second time."
Translation Time!
ardmheas deirfiúr -means revered sister in Irish Gaelic. I thought it would be a great language to use for the Chaisnd's native tongue.
Come on, I brought Ali back asap, I think I deserve a cookie and/or a review :-)