Ostagar was . . . dazzling. Kaei had never seen so many people in one place, not to mention the fact that they were overwhelmingly human. She'd realized quickly that they were usually taller than she, but it was so odd, feeling like such a tiny little thing among all these people. Back in her clan, Kaei was considered tall. And not delicate in the least. She was nearly as tall as Tamlen and as strong as he was. One of the many reasons the others teased her about him.
But here . . . well, her normal ability to intimidate other people just wasn't going to work. She'd have to find some other way to keep herself safe, but just what that was going to be, she had no idea. It did seem rather safe already, despite the throng of bodies and the impending battle and the joining, whatever that was. All the humans here already saw her as a Gray Warden, and that made them act differently towards her, she supposed. With the exception of the rude quartermaster, who immediately apologized, not one had done anything other than simply mention she was an elf. And that seemed to have more to do with her tattoos, marking her as a Dalish than anything else.
Even the other Gray Warden recruits seemed more concerned about her gender, than her race. Ser Jory, a doughy faced man, who seemed to have pulp for brains, just thought it was odd that she could fight. And Daveth, well, he seemed more interested in her posterior than her ears.
The Keeper had told Kaei once that humans often found elves beautiful, even those we didn't see as such. She said it was just another way that they tried to subjugate us, but Kaei wasn't so sure. The glances she'd gotten since she'd started weaving her way through the camp, well, they didn't seem like those men were trying to hurt her. Only get her attention. And Daveth, he'd even bantered with her like Tamlen did sometimes. It certainly didn't feel menacing.
The attention was . . . strange. Kaei was used to being the plain one, the strange awkward one, not someone worth looking at. Except for Tamlen, no one had ever looked at her like she was anything but average. But it was nice to be noticed. Somehow, when they looked at her, she saw herself for the first time.
She saw how though although she wasn't tall, her legs and arms were long and well muscled. She saw her pale pink skin and coppery hair as a asset, not a affliction. She smiled to herself as she made her way north through the camp. The guard at the bridge said he thought the other Gray Warden Duncan sent her to find, Alistair, would be this way.
Kaei wasn't paying attention to where she was walking, and she managed to bump into a tall man with white streaks of paint across his face. She'd met one before in the camp, Ash warriors or something they called themselves.
"Watch where you're going wench," he spat at her. Then he paused and appraised her, his eyes roving. "Unless of course your one of those lovelies selling their . . services. Then perhaps I can bump into you a bit more."
"Excuse me?" Kaei said, puzzled. "I'm . . not a . . . ."
"Well then, I'm sure I can find . . . oi, you're the Gray Warden aren't you? Hah, they're scraping the bottom of a barrel these days, if they'll take in a knife-eared wench," he growled. He spat at her feet and walked away.
Kaei watched him go, feeling the blood drain from her face. She felt the sudden urge to pull her bow from her shoulder and feather him in the back. But then the faces of those dead men in the forest jumped into her mind again. She stumbled a bit over to the wall and leaned against it, hard.
Duncan had brought her here to give her a chance, and she hadn't even told him. If she had he'd probably have left her to die of the taint, or have her clan have to end it for her as a mercy. She couldn't even have thoughts like this, not if she was going to be a Gray Warden. No matter what she thought before, or what they did to her, she couldn't find justice for Tamlen without their help. And maybe . . . well, maybe this was a reminder that she had much to atone to, before that could happen.
She swallowed and stood up, straighter than was necessary. Taking a deep breath, she marched up toward the top of the ramp, the old temple they called it, trying to look the part of the Gray Warden she was to become. Best to make a good impression, if she was to be working with this man. Hopefully she'd manage better than she had with Duncan. No weeping or self pity, or even a hint of the guilt. As she approached the top, she heard voices, arguing. It didn't seem particularly violent, but certainly not friendly. She quickened her pace.
"What is it now? Haven't the Gray Wardens asked enough of us already? I will not be harassed in this manner!" the first voice said.
"I was just asked to deliver a message, Ser Mage, the Revered Mother desires your presence," the other replied. Kaei saw them as she came to the platform at the top of the ramp; a man in a robe -- the mage presumably -- and another man, very tall with golden blonde hair and a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
"What her Reverence desires is no concern of mine. I am here helping the Gray Wardens, at the King's request, I might add," the mage spat, his voice venomous.
"Should I have asked her to write a note?" the tall man replied, smirking.
"Your glibness does you no credit."
"And here I thought we were getting along so well. I was even going to name one of my children after you. The grumpy one."
"Fine, I will see the woman if I must. Out of my way fool," the mage sighed finally. With that, he stomped off, brushing past Kaei without a glance. Kaei turned and watched him go. Apparently, everyone was feeling the tension. It made Kaei feel less special, and certainly more reassured.
"You know," the blonde man said from behind her, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "One good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together."
"Sorry, what?" Kaei asked, turning to face him. He'd come close and could have seemed imposing, if it wasn't for his lax posture and the jocular look on his face.
"I was just trying to find the silver lining. In the dark cloud and all," he grinned. "We haven't met have we? You aren't another mage are you?"
"No, I'm not a mage," Kaei replied.
"Wait, you're the new recruit Duncan mentioned, the Dalish. I'm sorry, I should have recognized you right away, I apologize."
"How could you recognize me?" Kaei asked.
"Duncan sent word, after all. He spoke very highly of you," he continued. "Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Alistair, the new Gray Warden. Although I suppose you already knew that."
"You are a very strange human," she said, and suddenly regretted it.
"You are not the first person to tell me that," Alistair said, still grinning.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything," she stammered.
He chuckled, "Nothing to apologize for, I am, indeed, strange." He smiled again. He seemed genuine. Kaei wasn't quite sure what to make of it.
"So that argument I overheard, what was that about?" she asked.
"With the mage you mean? Well, the Circle of Magi are here at the King's request, but the Chantry doesn't like that, one bit. They love letting mages know how unwelcome they are. Which puts me in a bit of an awkward position you see. I used to be a Templar," he explained.
"What's a Templar?" Kaei asked.
"You really don't know?" Alistair looked puzzled. "Well, I supposed you wouldn't, since the Templars pretty well leave the Dalish alone. I do hear you have mages though, don't you?"
"Of a sort, I suppose. But I don't know what that has to do with what a Templar is."
"Well, the short version then. The Chantry tries to control the mages, because they think they are dangerous, so they train Templars to . . well, help control them. If a mage leaves the Circle, we call them apostates, and it's the Templar's job to stop them," he replied.
"Hm, that would be awkward," Kaei said.
"Eh," he said, still grinning. "I wouldn't even have agreed to bring the message, but Duncan says we're all to work together and get along. Apparently they didn't get the same speech."
"I think maybe most did," Kaei replied. "I expected . . . more, well . . . intolerance."
"What do you mean?" Alistair asked.
"I haven't really met any humans, before Duncan anyway. The Keeper told us they hated us."
"Well, some humans do, I guess. But I never really understood why. I don't know much about the Dalish though. If it makes you feel any better, I've never met a Dalish, before you. Never really known an elf either. There's one other elf in the Gray Warden camp, but he pretty much keeps to himself. He seems sort of sad," Alistair said. "But now I'm rambling."
Kaei smiled. "I don't mind. It's nice to actually talk to someone. Duncan is . . . quiet."
"Give him time, and some ale and he'll tell you stories until your head explodes," Alistair laughed. "But I guess he's got too much to think about right now. He's a good man and a good judge of character. Right now, he's just doing the best with what little he has, and that includes me I suppose."
"Can you tell me anything about him?" Kaei asked. She normally wasn't so inquisitive, not to someone she just met, but there was something about Alistair's manner that made it comfortable to do so. Something about him was almost familiar.
"Duncan is the leader of the Gray Wardens in Ferelden, which he would say doesn't mean much, since there aren't many of us. But I owe Duncan a lot. I spent years in the chantry, hopelessly resigned to my fate. You see, being a Templar was a decision made for me, a long time ago. Duncan was the first person to care what I wanted," Alistair said, a sad note creeping into the tone of his voice. "What about you? What do you think of Duncan?"
"I owe him too, he saved me," Kaei said. Kaei felt the urge to elaborate; it was her way. But she stopped herself. Those whole story certainly wasn't something this human wanted to hear. She looked at her feet.
"That sounds familiar," Alistair replied. "So, before we go meet, Duncan, do you have any questions?"
"Just one," she said, looking up. "What is this joining ritual about anyway?"
"I wish I could tell you more, " Alistair said, his smile dropping on one corner of his mouth. "It's best not to think about it too much, it'll just distract you."
"Oh," Kaei said, pursing her lips for a moment. "Then, I guess I don't have any questions. Or at least I don't know enough to know what they are."
Alistair grinned again. "Lead on then."
It was simple enough. Three vials of darkspawn blood and some old treaties. Kaei was mildly amused how the three men immediately deferred to her once they were in the wilds. She expected Alistair to hang back – he was supposed to let them do most of the work, but the others? Well, Daveth seemed gleefully horrified by the whole concept of the wilds. He kept mumbling about barbarians and witches. Kaei made it a point not to grin at him. Her own people were called barbarians and savages often enough that she imagined that these Chasind folk were like the Dalish of humans. And witches? Likely much like her Keeper was. Apostate mages, Alistair called them. The entire notion was silly.
Ser Jory on the other hand was very quiet and pale as a halla. He looked very out of place in the wilds. He seemed to be a man used to fighting for sport and retiring to a hot bath and a feast afterwards. Kaei and Daveth moved with near silence, and even Alistair made little sound beyond the clink of the plates on his scale mail. But Jory sounded like a bear crashing through even the short, open grass.
Perhaps it was natural then that they defer to her. She was at home in the forest, no matter what forest it was. The trees, the open spaces, they were more home to her than any stone monstrosity. And these Kokari Wilds didn't seem so different from the Brescilian Forest she'd spent most of her life wandering.
Fewer trees perhaps, and more marshland, but all in all, it was the same. They'd dispatched several wolves, not unlike those she regularly hunted. But the darkspawn were another matter. They were somehow less terrible and more terrible out amongst the trees. When they'd been near the ruins, and underground, they just seemed another part of a bad dream. But out in a setting so familiar. . . it was sad to think that their black blood would poison the earth here.
Kaei stopped, spotting a white flower with a red center growing at the end of a open pool of water. The kennel man had said something about a flower like this to heal that poor sick hound back in the camp. War dog or not, no creature deserved to suffer like that. Kaei crept to the water's edge to gather the blossom. She tucked it into one of the pouches at her waist, next to the vials of blood they'd already collected and stood up to look around.
Now that they'd moved far enough away from Ostagar, there were no more bodies littering the ground and the scent of human settlement was faint. Up ahead, the remnants of a stone tower peeked through centuries of moss and vines. She assumed that it was the outpost they were looking for. Jory and Daveth had fair well collapsed under a tree to catch their breath and she let them be. It would still be an hour or two until nightfall. Plenty of time to get to the tower and retreat back behind the stone walls. Not that she particularly relished the though of sleeping on stone when there was all this soft, delicate forest to rest in. But it wasn't her forest, no matter how familiar. And maybe there was some truth to Daveth's fears.
"Thinking deep thoughts?" a voice interrupted her pondering. Kaei turned to find Alistair casually leaning against a nearby tree.
"As rarely as I can get away with," she replied.
He grinned. "That's a smart girl."
"What can I say?" Kaei said. "I do my best."
"I will say," Alistair said, laughing. "I didn't expect this level of sarcasm from a Dalish."
"Why's that?" Kaei asked. "Did you think we were all stoic wanderers, all full of angst and madness?" Kaei did her best to sound stern, but she could tell from the look on his face that he wasn't buying it.
"What, you mean you aren't? Don't tell me you don't eat babies too? All my hopes will be dashed," he said with mock sincerity.
"I hate to destroy all your best held misconceptions. But alas, we are just as boring as humans, I'm coming to discover. Although we do have the good sense to not sleep where we keep our garbage," Kaei grinned.
"Oi," Alistair said, pressing his hand to his chest. "You wound me. You've taken away all my favorite horrors, and managed to degrade my favorite scent."
"I'm sure I'm sorry," Kaei replied. Alistair chuckled.
"So, how long do you intend to let Jory and Daveth lay over there?" he asked.
"At least until Jory's face returns to a color normally found in nature," Kaei said.
Alistair snorted. "Purple is not a particular good color on him. I did expect he'd be a bit more hearty, being a knight. But I guess my face would be purple too if I insisted on wielding a sword that weighed as much as I do."
"It isn't exactly suited to hiking on rough terrain, that's for certain," Kaei commented.
"Well, knights aren't chosen for their brains, usually," Alistair said. He fell silent then, glancing out over the water. Kaei turned to follow his gaze. Three vultures swept in a silent spiral in the distance, no doubt assessing the wolf carcasses and darkspawn corpses they'd left in their wake. Kaei felt sad for the poor beasts. If they feasted on the darkspawn, likely they'd all die. It was a gruesome day indeed, when she started to pity carrion birds.
Kaei looked back at Alistair, his eyes still focused on the circling birds. His lips were tensed in a grim line. He met her eyes, and she saw her thoughts reflected in them.
"Come on," she said, all the mirth replaced with cold determination. "Let's get these treaties and get out of here before I lose my nerve."
"Sound plan," Alistair said softly. Without another word, he marched over and nudged Jory with his foot. "On your feet soldier," he said with an unexpected tone of command. Jory and Daveth both stood without complaint. Nodding to Alistair, Kaei moved out down the nearly invisible path, leaving not even footprints behind.
