If anyone had told her a year ago she'd be fighting to save Fereldan. Elissa would have laughed at them. She wasn't laughing now. Each step she took with Alistair the more it felt like her life was coming to an end. She had this feeling in her gut to turn and run. No matter how much she tried to prolong the Joining she knew she couldn't. Her father's words echoed in her head. Duty. Well she'd do her duty but she could put it off as long as possible. When they had left the infirmary area they had seen some Ash Warriors at the entrance to the camp. Elissa headed towards them even when Alistair called to her she didn't stop.
She had been curious about Ash Warriors. When they were younger Fergus used to say he wanted to be one. She never knew what one was but now seeing them she knew. They had Mabari's of their own and had painted them for some reason that was beyond Elissa. She hadn't heard of such a thing. So she intended to ask them why much Alistair's dismay. Alistair let out a loud sigh when Elissa didn't listen to him. He looked around to make sure Duncan wasn't looking for them. He didn't want either of them to get in trouble.
"You haven't brought anymore instructions have you?" the Ash Warrior who seemed to be in charge asked Elissa. She studied him his long dark hair was pulled back and he seemed to have a permanent glare on his face. She saw he had a scar that ran down his right cheek of his battle hardened face.
"No, what do you mean instructions?" Elissa shook her head.
"Teryn Loghain has been changing our scouting route all day," the man said with a growl. "If you're not from him what do you want?"
"You're Ash Warrior's right?" Elissa smiled the man didn't seem to want to talk much.
"Yes," the man said.
"What exactly does an Ash Warrior do?" Elissa asked.
Alistair shifted back and forth. He wanted to tell Elissa they needed to go but he felt it was rude. He also felt she needed to get her nerves together. He knew she had been scared earlier, he had seen it in her eyes and heard it in her voice. But that was normal for all new recruits. She would get used to her new life, he hoped.
"We harness the rage inside us, nurture it, and draw it out so we cannot fall in battle until our last foe is slain. It is a dwarven discipline, but we have adapted it to let us fight alongside our hounds," the man seemed proud of his abilities and Elissa didn't blame him. "Our abilities have been passed down since Luthias the Dwarfson first harnessed the battle-rage of the dwarves. It's an old tale."
Elissa smiled perfect a tale that would take some time, "Can I hear this old tale?"
"Luthias was a Clayne tribesman. He was known for being charismatic and brave. And although shorter than his fellow warriors he was the strongest out of any in his tribe. Luthias was sent to Orzammar to negotiate an alliance with their king. There was great conflict at that time and they would need outside help to fight against the other Alamarri tribes they were at war with," the Ash Warrior said. "He was unable to convince the dwarven king of an alliance, but Luthias fell in love with the king's daughter, Scaea. Scaea and Luthias left Orzammar together and went back to his tribe. Scaea taught Luthias the art of fighting without pain, to harness the battle wrath. With this Luthias became a renowned warrior."
Alistair forgot all about Duncan and was interested in hearing about Luthias as well. He hadn't heard or read the story before which was odd because he had spent hours in the Chantry's library.
"What happened then?" Elissa asked.
"Luthias went on to lead his tribes to many victories. He soon became chieftain of the Clayne. When peace came to the tribes many of the leaders from both Alamarri and the Avvar tribes gathered for a feast. At the feast Morrighan'nan, an Avvar tribal leader became enamored with Luthias and seduced him. Scaea learned of the betrayal and returned to Orzammar. He was distraught over Scaea leaving. When he turned Morrighan'nan away she left in anger and declared war," the warrior continued. "They battled for fifteen years and during the Battle of Red Falls a young Avvar warrior challenged Luthias. He killed the young man. Morrighan'nan revealed the boy he killed was his son. She cursed him as a kinslayer and the Battle of Red Falls would not favor him.
"What happened to Scaea?" Elissa asked. "His wife?"
"It is said she returned to him the night before his final battle. She offered him a dwarven suit of chain in exchange for a final night together," the Ash Warrior smiled sadly. "He wore the chain in battle and met Morrighan'nan in personal combat. The battle was fierce and bloody and in the end Luthias killed the woman, but not before he received a fatal blow to the heart. After the battle dwarven warriors came from Orzammar and took the body back to their mountain."
"Thank you for telling us," Alistair said.
"It was my pleasure," the Ash Warrior smiled.
"Why have you painted your dogs?" Elissa asked. "I've never seen that."
"We paint them with Kaddis so they recognize us in battle as one of their own," the warrior looked down at Lucky. He bent down to examine the dog. "You have a fine hound."
"Yes, he's saved me a few times," Elissa smiled down at Lucky.
"He'll be fighting along side the Grey Wardens now, which means he'll be in more danger than any of our dogs," the Ash Warrior looked up at Elissa.
"What do you mean?" Elissa's face turned white. She looked at Alistair who looked confused.
Alistair looked at Elissa and shrugged. Elissa looked back at the Ash Warrior.
"The blood of darkpawn is poisonous. If your hound swallows some he could die," the Ash Warrior sounded sad. "Wardens say that a person can become immune to the blood but after a while it drives them insane."
Elissa felt like the world had dropped out from under her feet. She would have looked at Alistair again but she knew he'd shrug again. She had already lost her family she couldn't lose Lucky too. "Well then I guess he'll be staying at camp a lot."
Lucky whined up at her.
"A trained Mabari is as lethal as any sword," the Ash Warrior said. "But here take some Kaddis to put on your hound. Keep him with you, your hound is a trained Mabari."
Elissa took the jar that the warrior had handed her. She knew that the Warrior was telling her not having him with her would be like not using a favored weapon. She looked up at Alistair who was looking at the ground and kicking the dirt. Something was bothering him.
"Thank you," Elissa smiled looking back at the Ash Warrior. "We should go, good luck on your mission."
"Thank you," the warrior smiled at her.
Elissa and Alistair walked away with Lucky leading the way. "Was what he said true about darkspawn blood?"
"I…um…," Alistair said.
Elissa stopped and raised an eyebrow looking at Alistair. "What aren't you telling me?"
"We…I can't say, let's go I can see Duncan pacing from here," Alistair continued walking.
Elissa would have screamed at him had she been anywhere else. The man may have been able to make her laugh but there was something he wasn't saying. She hated secret orders. She didn't want to be a member of anything secret. She hated secrets.
She walked up behind Alistair to the fire that Duncan, Jory and Daveth were all standing around. Alistair wouldn't look at her. She crossed her arms and glared into the fire.
"Good, you found each other. We can begin, assuming Alistair you are done upsetting the mages?" Duncan asked.
Elissa snorted, Alistair had a new target to upset. Her.
"What can I say Duncan," Alistair began explaining ignoring Elissa. "The Revered Mother ambushed me. The way she wields guilt she should be serving the army."
"Oh so the Revered Mother made you deliver the message did she?" Duncan said. "May I remind you we cannot afford to antagonize anyone. Last thing the Wardens need is for anyone to have ammunition to use against us."
"You're right, I apologize," Alistair said.
Elissa smirked and looked at Alistair who had his eyes downcast and his tanned cheeks were a little red.
"You four will be going into the Kokari Wilds to perform two tasks," Duncan began obviously done scolding Alistair. "The first is to obtain three vials of darkspawn blood."
Elissa noticed Alistair tense. She looked at him and the color in his face turned a deeper shade of red. "What do we need the blood for?"
"For the Joining itself. I'll explain more once you have recovered the items and have returned," Duncan said. His eyes narrowed on Elissa. She had obviously overheard or heard something in the camp.
Elissa looked at Jory and Daveth. Jory looked like if you snuck up on him he'd scream and make a run for it. Daveth looked bored. She decided to keep her little tidbit about the blood being poisonous to herself.
"What is the second task?" Elissa asked. She wondered if these men he recruited ever asked questions of if they just followed orders. She was betting they would just follow orders.
"There was once a Grey Warden's base in the Wilds. It has come to our attention we left behind some scrolls that we may need in days to come. They have been magically sealed to protect them. Alistair I want you to retrieve these scrolls," Duncan looked at Alistair.
Alistair looked up and nodded.
"And what if these scrolls aren't there anymore?" Elissa asked.
"It's possible they could have been stolen or damaged, but the magic protecting them should guard them from that. Only a Grey Warden can open them," Duncan explained.
"If they are protected by magic they must be important," Alistair said. "Why would they leave them behind?"
"It was always assumed we'd be back," Duncan said.
Elissa didn't buy that but she knew from listening to Fereldan history they had been exiled so it must have been a pretty quick evacuation.
"So get vials of blood and some dusty scrolls," Elissa crossed her arms.
"The scrolls are Grey Warden treaties if you are curious," Duncan said. He didn't like Elissa calling them dusty scrolls. He had a feeling he'd be dealing with her attitude now. He didn't blame her but now was not the time for her to be angry. "Watch over your charges, Alistair. Return quickly and safely"
Alistair nodded, "We will."
"Then may the Maker watch over your path and I shall see you when you return," Duncan said.
Elissa followed Alistair to the gate where they had to wait for the soldier guarding it to open it for them. Alistair broke the silence between them. "You sure you want Lucky out here?"
"Why not? I'm going to be purposely picking up poison why not bring my dog along to join in on the festivities," Elissa said dryly.
"Poison?" Jory sounded panicked and looked from Elissa to Alistair.
"Great, thank you Elissa. Let's just go shall we?" Alistair asked leading the way out of the camp.
Elissa knew Alistair was upset with her, which was fine with her because he wasn't exactly her top person at the moment either. She hung back from the others and followed them. She kept her eyes constantly moving watching the trees. She had heard the stories about the Wilds even up in Highever. Chasind folk, wild people called this place home. There were stories they were cannibals. There were also different kinds of creatures that were rumored to be as big as a horse and deadly.
Lucky stayed by Elissa's side, she was glad to have him along even if it was putting him in danger. Elissa kept her eyes out for scouting patrols with any lucky Fergus and his men will return early. She didn't like the thought that he was in the Wilds. She didn't even like the thought of her out in the wilds but there she was. A huge bug landed on her arm and she let out a squeal and slapped at it.
The three men stopped and turned to look at Elissa. Alistair raised an eyebrow. Jory looked annoyed at the interruption from their task. Daveth was the least sensitive out of all three of them. He started laughing.
"Did the Princess have a bug on her?" Daveth asked.
Elissa brushed the hair back that had fallen out of her braid and fell in front of her eyes and glared at him. "Oh you think this is funny do you?"
"That you scream at the site of bugs? Yes. Come up here beside me dove, I'll protect you," Daveth smiled.
Elissa felt the urge to nock an arrow in her bow and shoot his foot but she resisted. Instead she pushed in front of the men and decided to lead the way. When Lucky passed Daveth he let out a snarl that caused Daveth to move behind Alistair. "I'm not protecting you from the beast if you keep antagonizing his mistress," Alistair sounded bored.
He looked towards Elissa and found she was a good distance away from them. He followed behind her to catch up. They walked quietly until Elissa stopped holding up her hand. Lucky had his back hunched and was growling at the path ahead of them. Elissa slowly withdrew an arrow from her quiver on her back. She had been carrying her bow since they left the camp. She liked having her weapon at the ready when she didn't know what to expect.
"What is it?" Alistair whispered drawing his weapons.
"I don't know," Elissa whispered. "It's over the ridge."
She snuck up slowly and looked down. Below them was a pack of wolves that were feeding on a dead man's body. Alistair wasn't so quiet when he came up to look and the wolves heard him. When they looked up at the intruders the wolves bared their teeth and let out some deadly growls.
"This is not good," Alistair whispered.
Elissa counted the number of wolves, ten. All of them looked starved. "Shit," Elissa whispered.
Alistair nodded at her sentiment but didn't have time to speak more because the wolves decided to end the stand off and charged. Elissa took aim pulling the string back and let out a slow breath releasing the arrow. Her arrow flew into one of the charging wolves and he fell. She looked around trying to find higher ground to get advantage.
She saw a tree that she could easily climb and stand on the branch to shoot arrows. Alistair, Jory and Daveth were all at ground level fighting off the wolves. Lucky had charged in and was holding his own. Elissa ran and climbed the tree standing on the branch that hung low she took aim and shot the wolves that were still coming at them.
Alistair blocked blows from the wolves and took them down. When the wolves lay dead he looked down at the bodies. "That was one way to start this adventure," Alistair remarked.
Elissa climbed out of the tree she had only counted nine dead so she had an arrow still ready. She eyed the trees around them. She saw the wolf as he leapt towards Daveth who was busy drying off his bloody daggers. She brought her bow up took aim and shot the wolf. The wolf yelped mid air and landed short of Daveth. Daveth scrambled up and looked down at the dead wolf in shock. "What the…"
Alistair looked over at Elissa, she placed the bow over her head and shoulders looping it around her, letting it sit against her back. If he had any doubt why Duncan had recruited her it went away with seeing her skill with the bow. Only the Dalish Elves had been known for being quick with a bow but here she was a girl from Highever who could fell an enemy with one arrow. He looked down at the wolf and if he were a betting man he'd bet that arrow hit the wolf's heart.
Elissa looked up at the men who were staring at her. Daveth looked like he had just lost ten years of his life. She went around collecting her arrows not saying a word to anyone. She had waited for a comment from Daveth about her running up a tree but he didn't say a word.
Elissa went up to Lucky who was licking his leg. She bent down and examined his leg and saw two puncture wounds. "Well boy the only thing so far we have to worry about is you becoming a rabid dog."
Lucky whined and tilted his head at her. She smiled down at him running a hand over his ear.
Elissa dug into her pack and grabbed a salve that had been made to increase healing. She rubbed it on his leg. "Anyone else hurt?" Elissa asked to no on in particular.
"A wolf bit Jory," Alistair said.
Elissa looked up and saw Jory holding his arm. Alistair was hovering above him looking at the wound. "Wash it, then put this on," Elissa stood up and handed Alistair the jar of salve.
Alistair took the jar from her, Elissa looked up at him for the first time since they had left the camp. Alistair wasn't sure the emotions that were running through her but she had handled herself better than what he thought she would. The real test was yet to come. She still hadn't faced darkspawn.