Warden Gothic – The Korcari Wilds
"Feels as if I'd never left".
The words were too softly spoke for anyone to hear and this was good because I didn't want to explain to my fellow Warden recruits why I had been here before. They wouldn't likely believe the bit about the ogre but there were enough stories about the Witch of the Wilds to convince me that it wasn't a good idea to tell people that I'd met her. At best I'd be overwhelmed with the questions about Flemeth and Templars would want to interrogate, and the last thing I wanted to do was to spend time with heavily armed religious fanatics.
That said my time in the wilds hadn't been too bad. The Darkspawn hadn't been much fun but Flemath was actually quite funny as long as she took nothing said seriously and as for Morrigan well she was hot.
Bugger.
I just remembered that this when the main character and Alistair met Morrigan for the first time. However the witch and I had met before and if she said anything to suggest that or outright said that we had met then that could cause problems. Alistair might not come to trust me if he thought I was allied with Flemeth. Granted we both would be soon enough but the old witch hadn't saved his life yet.
Then again maybe there was nothing to worry about. Morrigan was no fool. She wouldn't say anything that would led anyone to suspect me of being a witch or at least that I was allied with witches because that could jeopardise my mission.
Soon those thoughts were pushed aside as it was time once more to fight. Thankfully it was only a few wolves, and they were not much of a foe. My spiky mace crushed the skull of the alpha and that sent the pack running.
"Careful they might come back " warned Daveth.
That would depend on how hungry they were but even if they were starving I wasn't too worried. A small pack of wolves weren't much of a threat when compared to the armies of the Darkspawn.
"Is that... are you... Grey Wardens".
Already the group had come across the ambushed soldiers. No doubt their deaths were what had drawn the wolf pack in but that at least meant that their weren't any 'Spawn nearby. They never leave survivors they either killed the wounded or drag them away.
"Well he's not half as dead as he looks" remarked Alistair with a worrying lack of concern.
For a second I considered the idea that the warrior might of faked his wounds because he'd run from the battle or hid like a coward, but the guy was leaking so more likely he'd been knocked out during the fighting.
"That's one hell of a bed side manner you have there" I said to the royal bastard.
"My scouting band was attacked by Darkspawn" explained the wounded solider "They came out of the ground. Please help me. I've got... return to camp".
"Let's take him back" I said.
For some reason the guard didn't agree to that very smart idea. Which left me wondering if my earlier thought about him running or hiding might have been right. But even if my suspicions were correct that was no reason to deny him medical aid.
"I have bandages in my pack" said Alistair as a way to offer his aid.
The possible future king got to work and proved to in fact to have a bedside manner.
"Thank you" said the solider as he started to limp away "I've... got to get out of here".
While the only actual Grey Warden in the group was fixing up the warrior the rogue started to take a look around.
Like him I couldn't fail to notice the Darkspawn bodies. The soldiers had been ambushed but they had put up own hell of fight. Maybe these monsters weren't as tough as they seemed to be, that or the humans here were warriors of great skill.
"An entire patrol killed by Darkspawn" moaned the knight.
Actually I didn't think it was quite that bad. The wagon was still mostly full so this was likely a supply caravan. The scouts must of linked up with the wagons as they were returning to the camp. A smart move normally as their was safety in numbers but sadly in this case it had only made them a bigger target.
"Calm down, Ser Jory" urged the Warden ""We'll be fine as long as we are careful".
Also it would be better to keep moving and to spread out a little so that we keep an eye out for danger but it was perhaps also as wise to ensure that everyone on the team was reassured before we went into battle.
"Those soldiers were careful" argued the knight "and they were still overwhelmed. How many Darkspawn can the four of us slay? A dozen? A Hundred? There's an entire army in these forests".
"Yes there are Darkspawn about" agreed Alistair "but we are in no danger of walking into the bulk of the horde".
That was true given the real enemy army was actually still in the Deep Roads but that aside there were still thousands of the monsters in these Wilds so it was smart to be concerned.
"How do you know?" asked the not so brave sir knight "I'm not a coward but this is foolish and reckless. We should go back".
"We're hardly helpless Jory" I pointed out "and look around you. There are more dead Darkspawn here than there are men and if there was an army nearby they would of raided that wagon for supplies".
Still the noble didn't seem convinced.
"Know this all of you. Grey Wardens can sense the Darkspawn. Whatever their cunning I promise you they won't take us by surprise".
"You see ser knight. We might die, but at least we'll be warned about it" said the groups rogue.
Oh sure that would help.
"That is... reassuring" lied the noble.
"But that doesn't mean I'm here to make it easy" reminded Alistair "So let's move on".
As a group we then headed down the path and found more dead bodies. No doubt these were the caravan guards. Worryingly there were no bodies of Darkspawn nearby and I found out why when an arrow landed at my feet.
Quickly I pulled out my mace while Daveth used his bow send a few arrows at the Spawn. From what I saw he was a good shot but I didn't get much time to admire his technique as the rest of use had to charge.
Alistair led the way, using his shield to protect us from arrows. The Darkspawn weren't very good shot and they were focused on the possible future king, so as long as Jory and I stayed behind the Warden we would be fine.
The Darkspawn were not a very well equipped army, at least not when compared to the forces that were at Ostagar. The archers had no close combat weapons so when we got within arms reach they were pretty much helpless since they facing skilled warriors.
I bashed another skull in and the got hit by some sort of green energy that sent me flying into a tree. The chain mail armour I'd brought back at camp saved me but by the time I had gotten up again the fight was over.
Still I'd killed a Darkspawn as had the others which meant that the we had needed blood. One of our two objectives was already complete and as a bonus I found the special flower that the Kennel Master wanted.
Now came the hard part. We had to find the ruins and the chest the scrolls were meant to be kept in.
Thankfully there seemed to be a sort of path going from Ostargar and past a load of ruins a road which I guessed led to the outpost. Alistair seemed to smirk when I led the group down this half overgrown path so I assumed I'd made the right choice.
Of course just because it was the right way to go that didn't mean it was the easiest one. We got ambushed a few times but the possible future king could indeed sense the monsters and always gave us ample warnings. Still it might have been smarter to get off the beaten path. Then again wading through a swap wasn't really a good idea.
There were other battles and I got somewhat used to letting my spirit take over during the fights. It was odd to feel someone else controlling my body but it also didn't feel like somebody else was doing. It was like I was in the control but that I didn't think about what I was doing. A kind of autopilot. Freaky, yet it served me well and until I was feeling more confident with my own fighting style I wasn't going to start trying to do everything myself.
"More Darkspawn ahead" a voice called out.
There were indeed more of the creatures ahead and there were quite angry looking. I had no why as it wasn't as if we could of offended them. Maybe the spawn were just always mad. It would explain a lot.
I felt my arm move and the axe in my right hand. When or even where I'd gotten the weapon was a complete mystery to me but I wasn't going to question it as I really needed the extra killing power. My sword and axe wove a pattern of death as the Darkspawn fell before me, and if it weren't for the fact that there were more than enough monsters to go around somebody was of certainly noticed that I was fighting in an almost super human way.
The moments started to blur together. My axe broke after cracking skull wide open and my sword was soon swapped for a spiked mace after I got the blade stuck inside a Hurlock. By the end of the fight I was using a two handed sword that I'd found by the body of a dead barbarian.
Now I had known that I was getting stronger by the day as well as more deadly in a fight, but the fact that I could even lift the sword never mind use it with any skill shocked me deeply.
What the hell was this spirit with in me?
"Look" called the rogue "more ruins ahead".
I pushed my worries aside and focused on the path ahead. My fellow Warden recruit was right there were more ruins ahead but these ones looked newer or at least at lot less damaged when compared with the other examples of ancient architecture.
There were also more Darkspawn ahead. They had the high ground and a couple of archers, also it was bright out so I didn't see anyway we could sneak around the monsters. That meant that there was only one thing we could do.
"Charge!" I called out.
Keeping my two handed sword attached the special sheath on my back I pulled out my broken axe and without thinking about it I threw it. The weapon didn't fall apart until after it had taken out another of the demons.
The only one to keep up with my mad dash was Alistair, he was almost as fast and as strong I was. His shield met every enemy blow and his sword ended every enemy life it could.
Jorey struggled to keep but still managed another kill while our own archer at least managed to distract a few of the bad guys with well aimed shots. That was good because it stopped the Darkspawn from simply overwhelming us with their numbers.
"Maker's breathe" swore Alistair "I haven't seen anyone other than Duncan fight like that. Where did you learn those moves".
I lied fast.
"From people in my world".
Actually I think a few of those moves were stuff I'd seen on TV. In fact I was pretty sure that the thing with the spear was from 300. The only question now was: Where the hell did I get a spear from?
"Come on lets find that chest" I urged.
It was best to change the subject as I really didn't have any answers for the illegitimate heir to the throne.
As a group we raced into the most intact of the ruins as expected found an empty chest. It suddenly struck me that I could of saved us all a lot of time and effort if I'd remembered to ask Flemeth for the scrolls before she'd dumped me on Duncan.
"Its empty" needlessly remarked the knight "we came all this way for nothing".
Actually it wasn't just empty the cache had been cracked open.
"Well, well, what have we here".
Ah Morrigan right on cue.
"Are you a vulture, I wonder. A scavenger poking among the corpses whose bones were long since picked clean".
"Lovely mental image there" I muttered to myself.
"Or merely an intruder, come into these Darkspawn-filled wilds of mine in search of easy prey".
The rest of the team drew their weapons but I stayed perfectly relaxed.
"What say you hmm. Scavenger or intruder?".
I had to resist the urge to smirk. Morrigan was putting on quite an act.
"Well I can't be an intruder" I pointed out "Not unless these are your wilds".
The witch laughed and said.
"Because I know them as only someone who owns them could. Can you claim the same".
I would of argued that she had given me the chance but Morrigan didn't.
"I have watched you all for some time. 'Where do they go' I wondered 'Why are they here' and now you disturb ashes that none have touched for so long. Why is that?".
"Don't answer her" instructed Alistair "She looks Chaisend and that means others could be nearby".
What was a Chisend exactly. Did they all have pale skin and yellow. If so it would explain why no one ever commented on the fact that Morrigan eyes screamed the words 'I am evil!'".
"You fear barbarians will swoop down upon you".
Personally I was more worried about the Darkspawn being drawn in by the argument. Judging by the amount of skulls and spiky things they had around here then this was one of their camps so more of them could be on their way here.
"Yes, swooping is bad" replied Alistair.
"She's a witch of the wilds she is" said the rogue "She'll turn us into toads".
I doubted Morrigan could do that as her sort of magic required a lot of study and power just to turn yourself into an animal turning somebody else into creature would be a very different thing.
"Witch of the Wilds. Such idle fantasies, those legends".
But also all true, err well mostly
"Have you no minds of your own?" Morrigan questioned while looking solely at myself.
"You there, handsome lad. Tell me your name and I will tell you mine. Let us be civil".
Admittedly I had been a bit more flabby when she and I had last met and indeed I had gained muscles but for some reason being called handsome by Morrigan was now as pleasing as I'd thought it might be. I felt as if she was sizing up a piece of meat or something.
"I am Gothic" I told the witch. "A potential Grey Warden. It is a pleasure to met you Miss".
"Now that is a proper civil greeting" said the witch in a way that made me feel as if she was teacher trying to educate the class and I was the teacher's pet. "You may call me Morrigan".
Sometimes I wondered if she ever stopped acting. She seemed to be a different person when ever she needed to be. She certainly had been this serious when we'd been fooling around near her mother's house.
"Now shall I guess your purpose" she said as she leaned on a bit of still standing wall "You sought something. Something that was in that chest. Something that is there no longer".
Not exactly a deduction worthy of Sherlock Homes but at least we were now getting to the point of things.
"'Here no longer'" mocked Alistair "You stole them didn't you. You're.. some kind of... sneaky... witch... thief".
"How very eloquent" replied Morrigan "but how does one steal from dead men".
"Quite easily it seems" said the bastard royal "Those documents are Grey Warden property, and I suggested that you return them".
"I will not, for twas not I who removed them. Invoke a name that means nothing here if you wish; I am not threatened".
"Then who removed them?" I asked despite the fact that I knew exactly who had.
"Twas my mother, in fact".
"Then can you please take us to her" I asked nicely.
"Now there is a sensible request" replied the witch "I like you".
Well I should hope so otherwise what we were doing shortly before I met Duncan was a very inappropriate thing to do.
"Id be careful" cautioned the possible future king "First its 'I like you..' and then its zap. Frog time".
"She'll put us all in the pot she will" warned the rogue.
Oh Gordon Bennett they really do think that she can do that.
"If pots warmer than this forest then it would be a nice changed" added the knight.
Now that he mentioned it I did notice that it had gotten cold. The sun was starting to set and the battle would be this very night. We had no more time to waste.
"Follow me then. If it pleases you".
Before any one could protest I started moving.
I was glad that Morrigan guided us because to me all this swap looked alike. I'd been so lost without her.
"Greeting, Mother. I bring before you Grey Wardens...
"I see them girl" interrupted the older witch "Hmm much as I expected".
My suspicion was that Flemeth had visions of the future or at least she had access to information form outside this world as she knew far to much about was going on for anyone who wasn't me.
"Are we suppose to believe that you were expecting us?" asked Alistair in a tone of voice that made it clear that he would not believe it.
"You are required to do nothing" replied the old hag "least of all believe. Shut one's eyes tight or one's arms.. either way one is a fool".
I so I hadn't missed that. The old witch could ramble on for hours about nothing while still somehow make you feel stupid for not understanding her nonsense.
"She's a witch I tell you. We shouldn't be talking to her".
"Quiet Daveth" warned Jory "if she is a witch then you don't want to make her mad".
Now was a good a piece of advice.
"There's a smart lad" remarked the old bat "Sadly irrelevant in the larger scheme of things, but it is not I who decide. Believe what you want".
Well he'd be dead in a few hours so she had that right. Although how she knew that was the real mystery.
"And what of you?" Flemeth asked after taking a step towards me "Do you posses a different view point or do you believe as the others do?"
"I believe you have something that we need".
"They did not come to listen to your wild tales, Mother" said Morrigan who had now decided to enter the conversation.
"True" replied her mother "They came for their treaties, yes. And before you begin barking, your precious seals wore off long ago. I have protected these".
I assumed that meant that the chest had in past been protected by some sort of magic. Not that it really mattered right now.
"Oh" said Alistair "you've been protecting them".
The guy had a real talent for winding up magic users. One of these days he might actually get turned into something.
"And why not" answered the senior witch "Take them to your Grey Wardens and tell them that this Blight's threat is greater than they realise".
"Thank you for returning these" I said knowing that it was a good idea to polite to the scary dragon lady.
"Such manners, always in the last place you look. Like stockings".
The less spoken about Flemeth's stockings the better. I still hadn't fully recovered from the less time I'd saw them.
"Yes well we better be going now" I said louder than I normally talked "we have a Blight to deal with. Those pesky Darkspawn don't kill themselves... mores the pity".
"Time for you to go then" said Morrigan
"Don't be ridiculous girl. These are your guests".
"Oh very well. I shall show you the way out of the woods. Follow me".
And with that we left, but sadly two of the four of us would be back. Honestly the dead ones were luckier.