Chapter 4
~Tower of Ishal~

Morriana

I woke feeling really, really cold. At some point during the night I must have turned over so I was now facing Alistair's sleeping form in his bed roll not too far from me. I pressed my chapped lips and hugged my covers tighter. I feel a bit better seeing how I've finally slept. I dreamt about when Soris, Shianni and I were young. I remembered the day clearly. A human had come along and started bullying us. I stepped up and yelled at him. I even swung at him. I got in trouble later on, but I was okay with it. I think I got let off easily because I was eight. I almost began crying again at the memory. Trying to get the thought out of my head I sat up and noticed the quarter master was opened. And he was selling food. I decided to take a few of my coins and go over to him. After a few minutes, I ended up buying some fruit and came back to my spot by the fire.

I winced at I felt pain on my thigh.

The cold is just making the cut hurt.

I closed my eyes, not even caring about the pain now. A moan made me jump and open my eyes. Only then did I realize that it was Alistair and he had shifted under his covers.

It was strange being close to a human. Even when Duncan and I traveled I stayed away from him when we made camp. He said nothing about this, but I wasn't really sure what he was thinking. He stayed away and gave me space so I guess that's all that matters. Alistair moaned and when I looked over to him he was sitting up stretching. I stared back at the fire while I ate my apple. This was probably one of the first times I have eaten since I left the Alienage.

"Morning." He says to me. I don't reply. There was a small silence, as if he were trying to think of something to say. "Sleep okay?" he asked after a while. Oh, yeah, I slept just fine. I just love sleeping on the cold, hard ground. Very soothing. I shrug my shoulders. My eyes stay at the fire, they are almost starting to burn.

Silence.

"I think you should probably dress in your armor, Duncan said that you were still free to roam the camp, but stay here. If you want I could give you a…" he trails off as he sees me pull out my armor and walked away, carrying the other apple, plum, and clementine with me. When I arrive at the small creak from yesterday I throw water on my face to wake myself up. Once I dried off the water on my face with a towel I looked at my reflection in the water.

There before me was a girl who seemed to be nothing than what she was before. Was this what I had become? Perhaps. Maybe I didn't want to marry and have my own place at the Alienage, but at least there I felt safe. Now here I am, exposed to this new world that I know nothing of and to die of a darkspawn attack on me or something else. But now, I can see clear as ever in my reflection what I am: Tainted. Shaking my head I throw my armor back on and eat the fruit, not wanting to go back to the fire. But when I finished them I somewhat had to. I threw out the cores and headed back where Duncan was now talking with Alistair.

Alistair looked shocked and mad at the same time. Though, anger was much over shock

"What? I won't be in the battle?" he exclaimed. I rushed over to see what they were talking about.

"What's going on?" I asked. Duncan looked at me while Alistair looked at the ground.

"As part of the king's plan you and Alistair must go up to the Tower of Ishal and light the beacon, signaling Loghain's men to charge into battle." I opened my mouth then closed it then opened it again.

"I agree with Alistair." Alistair's head shot up and he looked at me, now shock overcoming anger. Well, it is easier to die in battle than some Tower.

"That is not your choice," Duncan said to me calmly. "If the king wishes for the Gray Wardens to light the beacon, then Gray Wardens will be there.

"I get it, I get it." Alistair replied, his shoulders slumping. "But just so you know if the king ever asks me to put on a dress and dance the Remigold I'm drawing the line. Darkspawn or no." I thought about that and tried hard not to smile.

I think I'd like to see that. I just don't think he has the legs for it though…

"I don't know, I think that'd be a good distraction." I say in my normal, or what I now consider normal, voice without a smile. Both he and Duncan look at me, their eyes slightly widening.

"What? Me shimmying down the darkspawn line? I suppose. We could kill them while they roll around laughing." Alistair replied, chuckling. I saw Duncan huff a laugh, pretending to sigh.

"Now then. . ." Duncan began, getting us back on track the battle will begin in a few hours, so you both have time to prepare. We will send a single when it is time for you to light it. Alistair will know what to look for." We both nodded and Duncan walked away so he could prepare also. Alistair ran his hand through his hair and sighed. Before he could speak I quickly turned and headed towards the kennels to check on the hound. The kennel master wasn't there so I let myself in. The mabari laid on the ground but lifted its head and wagged its tail when I approached.

"Hey boy," I said sweetly. It licked my face and set its head down in my lap, urging my hand to pet it. I complied and scratched its head. Looking up at the sky I noticed it had to be about noon. The battle would be starting once night hit. I stayed for a few more moments then left the hound, telling it I would be back once the battle ended. I walked around the camp a while and watched some soldiers train. Many people gave me the "what in the void is a bloody elf doing here?" and scowled at me. I heard a couple talk about me behind my back; saying insults about me, even though they knew I was a Gray Warden. It was no different than when I was in the Alienage, but somehow I felt worse about myself. Alistair was off, training or talking with Duncan, so I simply went off to that water place where I had bathed before. No one was there, because they were preparing for the battle. I pulled out my blade and lifted my skirt just enough to show the cut from before. I slid the blade on my leg just below the other cut.

The pain now meant nothing to me. I felt like I wanted to feel it. I watched as the blood flowed down my leg. My blood was now a more darker kind of crimson. I shook my head, no longer wishing to see my tainted blood. I washed it away and waited for the bleeding to stop, before I stood up and looked at the sky; only a half hour until the sun would completely disappear, letting night to take its place.

"Morriana," Alistair called to me. I hurried over to him and folded my arms. "Duncan tells me that the battle is going to being soon." I nod and looked up and noticed some clouds forming together in the sky. I sighed at the knowledge that it was going to rain soon. "Come on." I nod and follow him to the bridge. We watched from there as the sun sank and disappeared, the glow showing brightly from bonfires and torches. I saw the hundreds of people from the armies, waiting for the darkspawn. The mabari hounds barked and growled at unseen enemies. Then, from the distance of nearby trees I could see a faint glow of red and orange. Another army broke through the tree line and I knew it was the darkspawn. Even from here I could hear the darkspawns growls and them clanging their weapons together to imitate the army. Then they charged.

The darkspawn flew through the field and I heard the shouting of the king as he gave his orders. But there was one call I hear clearly.

"For Ferelden!" And the army charged against the darkspawn. The two sides clashed. Shouts of the men, the cries of agony, and loud clings of weapons meeting each other rang in my ears. Fireballs flew through the air and crashed into the ruins. Rain began to fall. I looked at Alistair and he nodded. We both ran down the bridge as fast as we could, trying not to be hit by the balls of fire. All of the sudden arms caught their way around me and pulled me back. A fireball crashed right in front of me, the flames narrowly licked me. I looked up at Alistair but he gave me no time to say anything as he grabbed my wrist and pulled me the rest of the way.

We stopped as we got to the other side, panting.

"Hey!" We turned to see a mage and a soldier running towards us. "You two," the soldier said to us, "you're Gray Wardens, aren't you?" We nodded. "The tower," he pointed to the Tower of Ishal, "It's been taken!"

"What are you talking about, taken how?" Alistair shouted. I jumped as he did so.

"The darkspawn came in through the lower chambers. They're everywhere." I glance up at the tower then back at the two.

"Then we need to go up there and light it ourselves." I claim. Alistair nods and the four of us start up through the entrance that led to the Tower, only to be stopped by darkspawn. Three darkspawn ran to us so Alistair and I whipped out our weapons fought the three as the other two went off to fight some other darkspawn.

Alistair bashed his shield on one darkspawn and I slit its throat as it stumbled. Then Alistair stabbed another with his sword and pushed it off with his shield and I kicked the one I was fighting in the abdomen and decapitated it. We then went off to help the mage and soldier but they handled the rest well. However, that was not the only group of darkspawn. More were waiting further up and another closer to the Tower. By the time we killed them all we were panting and my arms ached.

"Come on!" Alistair shouted as he opened the door to the Tower. I huffed and ran in after the mage and soldier, and Alistair followed close behind.

Alistair

The tower was dim as we entered; our only light was from any lite torches. I tried not to think of how many soldiers died to get the amount of blood on the floor as we walked in. We entered in slowly, being cautious as to any foes that stood their ground here. As we walked through the door we saw barriers around the room and they suddenly went aflame. Growling from darkspawn caught our attention. We pulled out our weapons and as I tried to run to them I was pulled back by Morriana.

"Wait," she said, falling to her knees. She quickly disarmed a trap and stood up. I quickly looked up just in time to see a genlock emissary throw a fireball at us. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back as it crashed to the ground, sending a bit of chard floorings at us. We quickly stood and charged at the darkspawn. The mage sent a Hurlock on fire while the soldier bashed another with his shield. Morriana and I attacked the emissary. I was surprised at how well we fought together. Once they were killed we swept through the floor, killing all the rest. When we finally made it to the second floor I shook my head.

"Maker's breath," I swore. "What are all these darkspawn doing ahead of the rest of the horde? There wasn't supposed to be any resistance here." Morriana looks up at me, an eyebrow raised.

"Weren't you the one complaining you wouldn't get to fight?"

"Hey you're right; I guess there is a silver lining here after all." I reply with a smile. When she doesn't return it I lose it. "At any rate, we need to light the beacon. Loghain's men need the signal to know when to charge. She nods and we continue with the mage and soldier in tow.

The second floor was no different from the last. Many darkspawn lay in the rooms, but we seemed able to kill them. It was the same with the next floor, also. I was lucky I only received small cuts from their blades. The soldier had a large cut on his arm, but he seemed to pull through once we gave him a health potion. But as soon as we came to the fourth floor my heart went to my throat. A large monster looked up at us from its "meal" and snarled at us. It was no doubt ten feet, at least. Large horns curled from its head and what little armor it had clanked together as it stood. It roared at us. Well… we just get the best things, don't we?

The mage stayed at a range, healing any wounds we acquired, and shot spells at the ogre. The ogre hit the soldier away as he had tried to hack at its legs. Morriana rolled out of the way as it tried to hit her, too, but then she leapt to her feet, spun around, and drove her daggers into the back of the ogre's legs. It roared in anger and pain, and then kicked her away. She stumbled back, holding her ribs but stood tall and joined back into the fight. Maker's breath, she's tougher than she looks.

As the ogre tried hitting me I blocked it with my shield then slashed at its hand as it tried to grab me. It gave a great holler and jumped. When it landed the force threw me onto my back. I was dazed for a moment but when my vision cleared I saw that the ogre had Morriana in its grip and the soldier, now recovered, bashed its knee with his shield. The ogre kicked him away too, then picked him up and threw him at the mage. They collided with a thud and loud yelps, muffled by painful moans. As the ogre turned back to me, holding Morriana a little too tightly I knew it was the time to act.

I jumped to my feet, even though my now sore body protested as I did so, I charged at the monster and leaped into the air and drove my sword into the its chest. It released Morriana as it fell, causing her to hit the hard ground. I gave the blow, which, in other cases, would be mercy and my sword went through its neck. I pulled out my sword and rushed over to Morriana. She sat up while holding her ribs. When she saw me coming to her she shook her head.

"No, go to them first, I'm fine." She said to me. I stopped but then went over to our fallen fighters. I moved to soldier off the mage and saw neither had survived the blow nor battle. I sighed mournfully and closed their eyes. When I stood up I saw Morriana had lite the beacon. She lay back against the wall breathing heavily. I quickly walked to her and knelt beside her.

"You okay?" I ask and try to touch her shoulder. She hits my hand away with a flinch.

"Don't." She cried. "I'm fine." I know she's no okay, but I leave her alone anyway. I reach over and give her, her weapons.

"You may want to keep them out, we don't know what else could be in this tower." She simply nods and I hand her a potion. She drinks it then begins to stand. She waves me away as I move to help her and uses the wall for support.

"Do you think Loghain got the signal?"

"He has to. I think—" I am cut off as a loud crash catches my attention. When I turn a group of darkspawn has made their way up the stairs, drawing their weapons. Morriana groans in protest as she straitens up. But, just as we are about to fight, arrows from archers fly at us before we can even attack. One pierces into my leg, bringing me down to my knee in pain. About three arrows lodge in Morriana's chest, bringing her down beside me. I stand, despite my pain. I know I have to keep her safe while she's down. But then more arrows come my way and hit my chest, causing me to fall next to Morriana. Pain erects through my chest and my breathing is off. Morriana's face is the last thing I see before I completely black out.