5
Chapter Four
After five days on the road, Neria looked forward to a good night's sleep in Vigil's Keep before learning what her duties would be as Warden-Commander. She wanted to talk to the Grey Wardens in Amaranthine and learn more about the order she was a member of.
Things along the Pilgrim's Path, as the road between Denerim and Amaranthine was known, were not well. They saw evidence of destroyed caravans and dead men. No cause was apparent and Neria sensed no evidence of taint. Whatever it was, it hadn't been darkspawn attacking them.
As they approached the keep, it became evident that something was wrong. Smoke from numerous fires was visible even from a distance, and as they got closer, Neria sensed the darkspawn. Arriving at the keep, she and Mhairi dispatched them and managed to rescue some of the soldiers inside.
Among those they rescued was the seneschal, Varel, whom they saved from a talking darkspawn, who had led the surprise attack. Once the keep was cleared, they learned the entire contingent of some dozen Orlesian Wardens was dead or missing.
Now, of the Grey Wardens in Amaranthine, only Neria remained. Mhairi, the young knight who traveled with her, was only one of two recruits still left alive. Much to her surprise, the other recruit present was Oghren. Neria was so angry with him for having left Felsi, she sent him away once the keep was in Grey Warden control again.
She managed to add another recruit, a young mage named Anders. He was an apostate, wanted for his continual escape attempts. Neria was forced to conscript him out from under Ser Rylock's nose, much to the templar's fury.
Gathered in the keep now were Mhairi, Anders, Varel and Neria. It was Varel who held the chalice with the darkspawn blood that would transform the new recruits. That he was privy to Grey Warden secrets spoke to Neria of how much the Wardens had valued him and she looked forward to working with him.
"These words have been spoken since the first. Join us, brothers and sisters…" began Varel, intoning the ritual.
As if in a dream Neria watched Varel finish the ritual's oath and pass the cup to Anders.
"So we just drink darkspawn blood and that's it?" Anders asked, looking at the dark liquid, one brow raised in curiosity. "Well, just so you know if I end up on a ship bound for Rivain in my small clothes with a tattoo on my head, I'm blaming you."
Neria frowned, recognizing his humor as an attempt to deflect his nervousness, but still finding it inappropriate for the situation. He tipped the cup and quaffed the foul tasting mixture, passing it back to Varel. He gagged, coughed and choked, staggering as the effects of the tainted mixture seized his body. Remembering Daveth, Neria watched in horror, praying he wouldn't die. Moments later he was unconscious, but breathing on the floor.
"You chose well, Commander," said Varel. "He will live."
Then Varel passed the cup to Mhairi.
"At last, the moment I've been waiting for," she said.
Closing her eyes, she raised the cup to her lips and drank deeply. Varel took it from her, watching her carefully. Clutching a hand to her throat, she began to cough and gag, crying out in pain, looking one last time into Neria's stricken face as she collapsed to the floor, dead.
"Maker be with you Mhairi," said Varel, closing her eyes.
There was no time to grieve over the loss of the young woman. There was too much to do in getting acquainted with the situations Neria would have to deal with. Neria set aside her disappointment and sorrow for later in order to address matters.
There were accounts to go over with Mistress Woolsey, the treasurer sent from Weisshaupt, and security matters to discuss with Captain Garevel, the captain of the guard at Vigil's Keep.
"Before you go, Commander," said Captain Garevel, "I think you might be interested in a prisoner we captured a couple of nights ago. He's refused to give us his name and we decided to hold him for you to decide what to do with him. He gave us quite a fight when we caught him. It took several of my men to take him down."
"Maker's breath! Where is he?" she asked.
Garevel signaled one of his men to escort her out to a smaller building where a single prisoner sat in the cell. The soldier with her frowned and spoke.
"He hasn't given us a name yet. If it was up to me, I'd hang him." The soldier glared at the prisoner. The source of his ire was pretty evident as he had a huge bruise under his eye and Neria surmised it had been the prisoner who had given it to him. "Good men died while this one sat in here, safe."
"Leave me to speak with him," she said. The soldier looked at her worriedly. "All right, well, at least give me a little privacy."
The young man stood when Neria walked closer to him. She remained a good three feet from the bars, mindful of what the guard had told her.
"So, you're her, the Hero of Ferelden," he sneered. "Somehow I imagined my father's murderer as ten feet tall with lightning shooting out of her eyes."
"Perhaps that's how the darkspawn see me. I am no murderer." Her voice was barely above a whisper but dripping with anger. "Who was your father?"
"Arl Rendon Howe. I am Nathaniel Howe."
She remembered his father, a weasel-like, corrupt little man who wasn't remembered fondly by anyone. Except maybe this young man. She had killed him, but it had been no more than justice for his crimes. And it wasn't like he had given her a choice anyway.
"I remember him."
"So you know of whom I speak. My father served the Hero of River Dane and what did he get? Murdered in his home by you. I came home to Amaranthine when I found out you were coming and was planning on killing you."
"And this confession is supposed to induce me to want to let you go?"
"I don't care what you do to me. The Howes have lost everything." His angry expression melted and Neria could see the pain behind the fury. "I…I was going to kill you, but then I just wanted to get back some of my family's things."
"About that, I understand it took several men to bring you down."
"I didn't spend all my time in the Free Marches chasing skirts. I learned how to survive—tracking, poisons, archery and fighting."
"And if I were to let you go?"
He seemed taken aback by her question. "I…I guess…." Then the angry scowl returned. "I'd come back here and finish what I started. Maybe you won't catch me next time."
"You aren't making a good case for yourself," Neria said, amused.
A strange idea was starting to take hold of her now and she knew what she wanted to do with Nathaniel Howe.
"Would you rather I lied?" he asked.
"Somehow I doubt you would be capable of it. Instead of throwing your life away, Nathaniel Howe, wouldn't you rather redeem your family name?"
"Perhaps I should go offer myself to King Alistair's service? I'm sure he would love to have a Howe in his service." His voice dripped sarcasm, then changed to a slightly more conciliatory tone. It was obvious to Neria that Nathaniel was torn between what he learned and his own sense of honor. "Look, the war was bad, maybe my father wouldn't have done what he did if it had never happened. But I can't change that. There is only you and the Grey Wardens here in my family's home. And I have nothing, not even my family's honor."
Not taking her eyes off Nathaniel she called the guard.
"Go fetch the Seneschal for me please," she said.
A few minutes later, Varel stood beside Neria regarding the prisoner.
"Did you know this is Nathaniel Howe?" She inquired.
Varel looked almost embarrassed. "A Howe?" He sighed. "I'm sorry, Commander. The Howe's are implacable enemies. What would you like us to do with him?"
"I want to conscript him, actually."
She grinned at the twin expressions of shock both men shot her.
"No, I refuse," said Nathaniel. "I'd rather be hanged."
"Did I say I was giving you a choice?" she replied.
"And do you often have companions who want to kill you?" Nathaniel wasn't relenting.
"Some of my best friends have wanted to kill me," Neria said with a giggle. Ah, Zevran, how I miss you, she added in her head.
"Conscript the Howe?" Varel said, his tone wary. "Commander, are you sure about this?"
"I'm willing to give him a chance."
Nathaniel frowned at her in consternation. "You're a very strange woman. I wonder if this is a vote of confidence or a punishment."
"I suppose it depends on the outcome of your Joining as to what it is," Neria said. "Either way, both of us will get what we want."
Later that evening, she sat alone in her room, writing a letter to Teagan. She buried her face in her hands and sighed. Nathaniel had lived and she had insisted his possessions be returned to him. For now he seemed content to behave. Too bad Mhairi hadn't survived. She hadn't known Mhairi long enough to say she was a great friend, but she had been such a promising recruit, and her mental attitude toward the Wardens was so positive. Why her? Was this how Duncan had felt? She wished he were alive now so she could talk to him. How did he live with the guilt? How many good men and women had died before she became his last surviving recruit?
Tomorrow she would try to find Kristoff, the Warden who had gone into the field and wasn't present at the Vigil during the attack. Hopefully she would be able to get some more insight into the situation in Amaranthine, perhaps even some clue as to where the missing Wardens had been taken.
She finished the letter in which she told Teagan of her journey. A brief description of what she had found on her arrival along with assurances that she was all right was enclosed. She didn't want news of the attack on the keep to reach Denerim without telling Teagan she was unharmed. She wanted the letter to be more openly intimate, but she wasn't sure who would read it. So she kept the tone friendly, using words from their game they played in Rainesfere, saying one thing meaning another in front of the servants.
Touching the little pendant, she felt less lonely knowing she carried a piece of him with her always. Then she blew out the candle and went to sleep.