Rand returned with the Joining materials in tow, along with several crates of arms and four Wardens that he'd picked up on the road.
"Commander!" Oghren declared, jumping happily from the cart he'd been riding on. He carried his axe, Darkspawn Ravager, over his shoulder. "Ol' Oghren's come to save the day!"
Lance stood there, grinning wide as the Dwarf and the three Wardens from Amaranthine came forward. Anders looked sour, quite a bit afraid of being there. Nathaniel looked as dour as ever, but nodded to Lance just the same. Sigrun was her usual cheery self.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in," said Lance, clapping a bewildered Oghren on the shoulder.
"Oh-ho!" he declared, hearing Lance's old voice. He craned his neck to look behind Lance, seeing Morrigan standing near him, arms crossed. He waggled his eyebrows. "Looks like you found your wild thing. Good on you."
"Ah, the Dwarf," said Morrigan. "I had almost forgotten you. Such is my luck."
"I missed you too," Oghren said and shuffled past into the castle, shouting his need of drink. Nathaniel sighed as he approached.
"Commander," he said simply. Lance nodded back to him.
"Good to see you," he said. And Nathaniel extended his hand to shake.
Lance accepted it and walked with the man into the castle. He looked at Morrigan nervously as he did. He half wanted to put an arm around her. It was probably a bad idea.
They helped Rand to bring in the chests, set them on a large table in the castle's dining hall.
"There are only a few of us. I figured we should at least be well armed."
Lance nodded. The man had calmed quite a bit since the last met. He was now in that "Warden Mode". They had a job to do, and they would do it. He hadn't alerted the other Wardens to the Archdemon's resurgence, but given a few days and they wouldn't have to.
"I brought something special," said Oghren, patting one of the chests. "Figured you'd want it."
Lance stepped forward, opened the chest. And he grinned when saw the contents, the slight glow it emitted.
"It's been a long time," he said. And he reached in. And he withdrew Starfang. Velanna stepped close to him, causing Morrigan to fake-cough.
"Hey," Velanna whispered. And she reached in to touch the armor that lay there, wipe away the dust.
Lance couldn't help but grin at it.
He set Starfang aside, reached in to grab the dragonskin armor, blew away the dust.
"Wear it," Velanna whispered. "I would like to see you wear it."
Morrigan was suddenly beside him, a hand playing gently on his arm. She smiled.
"As would I."
"I guess it's time, huh?"
He set it back in the chest, along with the sword. Later. He wasn't in the mood to get all armored up right now.
No, there were more important things to be done. He looked up at Rand.
"Shall we?"
Rand nodded. He reached into one of the crates, removed the Joining Chalice. Lance looked at Leliana, Neria, Cauthrien and Morrigan seriously.
"It's time," he said. They nodded to him, in varying states of confidence. Lance wondered briefly how many of them would survive. If any of them would survive. He felt good about their odds; only ten recruits had failed out of fifty in Amaranthine. And these were the finest recruits he had.
Rand poured a dark mixture into the Chalice, looking over the rim in as foreboding a manner as possible. He set it on the table; close enough for Lance to pick it up.
He gathered the recruits into a line, standing shoulder to shoulder. He took a breath.
"There are a few words said before each Joining," he told them. "We've said them since the first."
He looked at Morrigan, smiled glumly. She returned it. This was the moment of truth. He wasn't sure what he'd do if she failed. There was an Archdemon that needed killing, but would the point be? He had pulled her into this, though, and he would see it done.
He raised the Chalice to them.
"Join us… sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day we shall join you."
He hesitated, scanned the group for who he thought should go first. He had always been present at the Joining, but always deferred to Varel for this part. He hated it.
"Cauthrien," he said, and handed her the Chalice. "From this point forward, you are now a Grey Warden."
She took it, looked at him with determination. And she put the Chalice to her lips, tilted it back and swallowed a sip. He took the Chalice, waited.
"Oh, my," she whispered, and fell back, hitting the floor with a loud thump. He supposed he should have caught her. Oghren kneeled over her, put his fingers to her neck to find a pulse. He was wearing full plate armor and Lance wondered how the hell he would find the pulse.
But he gave the thumbs up.
Lance let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Neria," he said. "From this point forward, you are a Grey Warden."
She took it, and her hands shook. She sipped, and handed it back. She was shaking.
And she fell, Oghren near enough to catch her and ease her down. He looked up and nodded. Two Wardens. That was good.
"Leliana."
She stepped towards him, reaching out shakily.
"From this point forward, you are a Grey Warden. Good luck."
She took it. And he wasn't scared. He knew how this would end. She was as much a Warden as he. They had both fought Darkspawn, had stemmed the tide of the horde. There was no way she could fail.
And she didn't. Lance was proud.
He looked finally at Morrigan, now nervous. He didn't think she would fail, but the worst possible thoughts buzzed through his head. He couldn't lose her. So he lightly tapped his pocket, made sure the poison was still there.
"Morrigan," he said with composure he didn't know he had. "From this point forward, you are a Grey Warden."
She took the Chalice, and gave him a thin smile. And she sipped.
Lance held his breath. But he didn't need to.
"She's okay, Commander," said Oghren. Four new Wardens. But would it make a difference? Twelve Wardens against a tide of Darkspawn?
Well, three had done the job last time, so this dozen was all that was necessary.
And he reached down to lift Morrigan up, instructed the other Wardens to do the same for their newest members, and took her to her room.