I've took a bit of liberty with the Elven in this chapter so hopefully isn't too bad. I still haven't finished chapter 13, so I'm breaking my buffer to get this chapter up tonight! I better get some reviews for this! :P lol Special thanks to Snowhelm again for helping with the last chapter.
Chapter Four
It took them a little over six days for them to reach Ostagar by horse, Neria could tell that the Dalish woman's sickness was slowly worsening, though she would not let it show, she kept up the insanely quick pace that Duncan set them on. She hardly spoke since the funeral that was held before they left; speaking no more than one or two words if prompted.
As they left the horse with a stable mater and crossed the bridge Neria let her eyes wonder over the stone ruins of Ostagar, stone towers and cracked walls stood across and large stone bridge, soldiers and messengers swarmed around the tents as smoke rose from the fires of the smiths.
She glance across to Lyna, Neria guessed she was no more than eighteen, her scarlet hair was pulled up in to a braided bun, though several strains hung loose from the stress of travelling. Her silver eyes looked around the camp taking in every detail. A large silver tattoo marker her as Dalish decorated her forehead and swirled down to end at the corners of her eyes, the silver stood out against her slightly sun kissed skin. she stiffen at the sight of so many human though despite her illness she stood straight, making her small 5'5 frame seem taller, looking ahead ignoring the eyes that wondered to her tattooed forehead.
Neria was surprised to have the King meet them as the crossed the bridge, she stood in shock as he address them not sure what to say, stumbling over what she hoped was an acceptable greeting for a royal welcome. Lyna was less than courteous, Duncan was happy when the King left to find Loghain and sent them off to find the other warden, Alistair.
As they walked through the camp they passed the mages Neria stopping every once and a while to speak to someone she knew from the tower, while Lyna shot glares to the Templars that watched the mages.
"I need more assan I am running low" Neria jumped at the sound of the other elf's voice, having hardly spoke since the day before her voice was horse from lack of use.
"Sorry?" was the only response Neria's brain could manage to come up with.
"Abelas, I am not good with the common tongue, I need more arrows."
"O, don't worry about it, there's a quartermaster a head, Duncan gave me some money earlier to get some supplies." She handed over a few silvers as they walked over towards the quartermaster.
"You don't seem to like the Templars too much." She stated as they fell in to step together, she had noticed the scowling looks she had thrown a few, as they made their way past the mage tents.
Lyna's face darkened as she scowled and looked back to the ground. "Those shem'alas Templars, they seek to take away our enansal'len because of their fear of magic."
"What does that mean? The elvish, we don't get to learn much about the Dalish in the tower"
"I'm not surprised," she said with a stern expression "I doubt your Chantry would like you learning about those they call heathens. Shem'alas is an insult to humans; enansal'len means blessed child, what we call those born with magic."
"The Dalish consider magic a blessing then?" Neria was slightly confused by this view, she had been told since she was taken to the tower at the age of six that her magic was a curse from the Maker, something evil.
"Of course," The Dalish looked at her slightly taken aback that she was questioning this view. "The Keeper and enansal'len use magic to protect and heal the clan, myself and many of my clan mates would have died…" she left the sentence unfinished as she shook her head, increasing her pace to get away from the topic. Neria slowed, understanding that she needed some distance; she watched the elf approach the quartermaster.
She stopped nearby to listen to a man's failing attempts to woo a female soldier, being unable to hide a small laugh when the woman had threatened to "emasculate him in the most unpleasant way".
"Well you don't look like a soldier" the man turned his attention to Neria with a charming smile.
"No not a soldier, I'm one of the new Grey Warden recruits." She replied smiling back.
"Well, you're not what I expected you to be."
"And what did you expect me to be?" she ask allowing her smile to fall in to a smirk.
"Not and elf anyway, my name is Daveth my fair lady" he extended her hand towards her and bowed slightly make her giggly again.
"Well Sir Daveth my name is Neria," she mocked curtsied before continuing "and I'm afraid I'm not the only elven recruit, Duncan and I came across a Dalish camp on our trip here.."
Neria next words were cut short by the sound of the quartermaster shouting, "OI! You there you stupid elf! Where's my armour! And what in the name of the Maker are you wearing!"
"Uh oh…" Daveth had turned with Neria to watch the scene, Lyna's body had tensed at the human's words and the idiot, not realising his mistake, continued.
"Are you deaf as well as dumb? I'm taking to you knife ears!" In a flash Lyna had grabbed the human by his collar and pinned him down on the work table with her dagger pressed firmly to his throat.
"Shem'alas!Emma ir nea seth'lin!" she spoke the words through gritted teeth.
"I'm s-s-sorry! I'm s-sorry! I didn't-I didn't mean it, I though you where one of the servants!"
"Do I look like a servant to you filthy human, speak to me like that again and I will kill you!" she removed her dagger from his throat and threw him away from her. "And this wouldn't have happened if you learned to treat your servants better." She growled.
"O-of course, I'll remember that," the man straightened himself still looking fearfully at the Dalish women.
"If you're really sorry, I'll be expecting a discount on anything I buy here" she said keeping her voice low and threatening, "The Grey Wardens need all the assistance they can get."
"Is she the other recruit?" Daveth's voice brought her attention away from the amusing sight of the fumbling quartermaster.
"Yes," she laughed "That's Lyna."
"Remind me not to annoy her. Well I better get back to Duncan find out what this whole joining ritual is about." He winked at her before walking away.
Neria joined the Dalish woman as she finished fleecing the quartermaster for as much as she could get, before they made their way up the stairs to the ruins of the old temple where they were to meet the Grey Warden Alistair.
"your glibness does you no credit" the irritated man stood arms crossed looking towards a tall, handsome blonde haired man, amber eyes fighting the urge to roll in to the back of his skull.
"Here I thought we were getting along so well, I was even going to name one of my children after you, the grumpy one."
Neria could barely hide her laughter as the mage scoffed before storming off.
"Don't you love how the blight brings us all together?"
"Yes all the hand holding and singing is just wonderful!" Neria quibbled back.
Lyna stared at the two of them "you are both very strange."
"I can't speak for your friend here, but you wouldn't be the first to say so." He smiled at them before asking "I haven't seen either of you in the camp before; don't suppose you happen be more mages?"
"What the robes and staff not enough of a dead give away?" Neria asked smirking with a raised eye brow.
"Nope never would have guessed it. Wait your Duncan new recruit from the circle, sorry I should have guessed from Duncan's letters."
"Yes I'm Neria and this is another recruit, Lyna, don't worry she's Dalish not a mage, Duncan and I meet her clan on the way here." Lyna nodded her head in greeting watching the human warily.
"What had the mages robes in a twist?" Neria asked.
"Well the Circle is here at the kings request, and of course the Chantry doesn't like it one bit and they just love letting the mages know how unwelcome they are." He twitched nervously scratching the back of his neck looking sheepishly, "Which puts me in a bit of an awkward position. I was training as a Templar before I was recruited."
Lyna stiffened, "Elgar'nan" she glanced sideways to Neria before staring back at the blonde.
"I'm guessing since you're not wearing the skirt, you've giving up the mage friendly activity?" Neria asked give Lyna a quick reassuring smile.
"Yes, was quite happy to leave that behind, almost impossible to run in and the colouring was all wrong." He joked, "Have you meet any of the other recruits yet?"
"I meet Daveth just before we came up, how many are their?"
"Well with you two, that makes four, the others a knight from Redcliff. Come on, it's about time to meet Duncan." The young warden smile as waved her hand asking them to follow. Neria returned the smile as Lyna simple nodded before following.
They meet Duncan at the fire near the Warden Recruits tents. It didn't take long for Duncan to explain what would be involved the next day for the joining preparation, going in to the wilds and collecting darkspawn blood, while trying to find old Grey Warden treaties left behind in the ruins old of a long abandoned Warden outpost.
"For now I want you all to rest, the journey here was rushed and I'm sure you would appreciate a hot meal and a chance to sleep for more than four hours." Duncan gave Lyna a pointed look as he said this.
Lyna stood and watched each one walk away; she shrugged off the crawling sensation that had begun to creep along her skin, and the faint scratching that seemed to claw at the back of her mind. She scowled and shook her head before she began to walk towards the tent food had begun to be served from. Though as she stared down on the slop that the Shem'lens called food she felt her stomach lurch, she swallowed down the bile that rose up in her throat.
It was then she noticed a man being kept in a cage at the far side of the camp, he didn't notice her approach until she was standing in front of him.
"Someone finally comes to talk to the lowly prisoner," he stood as close to his full height in the small metal frame, "Don't suppose you've come to sentence me?"
"I do not know what you mean, but I doubt the shem'len would have one of the Elvhen complete this task."
"I don't suppose you have any kindness in you? All I want is some food and water; they haven't feed me since I was locked up and I'm starving."
"Why where you locked up?"
"I'm a deserter, or so they think, there's no arguing them out of it though armies are funny that way. But when you find someone sneaking around camp at night what else are they supposed to think."
"I'll never understand why shem'len feel the need to imprison everyone," she looked down at her food feeling her stomach heave again, "here take this." She passed the small bowl of strew threw the bars of the cage.
"Thanks" his face light up at the sight of the food, "here take this, it's a key to that chest the tranquil is standing by, that's why I was sneaking around last night. Got one of the mages drunk and stole his key, you might as well have it since I doubt I'll be using it now."
"Ma serannas." Lyna placed the key in the small pouch in her armour.
"Lyna there you are, how are you feeling?" Neria came towards here as she reached the bottom of the steps; she looked concerned when Lyna turned to meet her gaze. "You're very pale.
"Emma Souveri, Ar isala hamin…" her head swam and vision blurred, she was only vaguely aware of the ground colliding with her knees as she fell to the ground.
"Lyna!" Neria rushed and dropped down beside the fallen recruit, her eyes where glossed over and a keen coat of sweat covered her forehead, she was mumbling in elvish, Neria felt herself panic at the sight of the incoherent Dalish. She placed her hand on her forehead and allowed a soft purple glow of healing magic to run through her.
"What happened?" Neria looked up to see Alistair rush down towards them.
"She's sick, that's why she here, Duncan said she had the taint and the joining was the only way to save her, and now her fevers got worse and she just collapsed!" she could feel the hysteria rising in her chest and filling her lungs but she was powerless to stop it.
"It's alright! Calm down, I'll take her to a tent, go tell Duncan what happened and grab another healer." She nodded quickly before rushing to where Duncan would be.
Alistair looked down at the small frame of the Dalish elf, nervously he wrapped his arms under her shoulders and legs, scooping her up quickly making his way to nearby tent, feeling his face burn as the others in the camp turned to watch him carrying the elven woman. He sighed and did his best to ignore the sniggers and cat calls as he entered the tent.
So we've finally reach Osatgar and we've meet Alistair! Hopefully by next week I will have chapter 13 and 14 done and if I get on a roll you might get another chapter before Wednesday. Please rate and review.