I'm soooo sorry that this is so late! Been really busy and I've fallen behind on my writing, I'm hopefully gonna catch up and post another chapter before the week is up. Enjoy!
He awoke to a harsh throbbing in his head that clouded his mind like a thick fog; his eye lids were heavy, his throat dry, every inch of him hurt and he couldn't remember why.
Had he been drinking with that crazed soldier Hawke again? He thought he would have learnt his lesson after waking up at the quartermasters with no britches on.
He groaned as he lifted his leaden arms to try to scrub the pain behind his eyes away. He opened his eye to the cutting light of the sun forcing him to close them again. He cursed quietly as it sent a stab of pain through his skull.
"Ah, awake I see." He flinched when he heard the voice, sitting upright in the bad willing his eye to focus on the other person in the room he had just became aware of.
"W-what? W-who are you? Where am I?" the thick fog began to clear as his mind begun to recall what had lead him here. "The battle, what happened?"
His vision had focused enough for him to recognise the woman that had given him the grey warden treaties. Her eyes where yellow, her cheeks sullen and hair grey and limp.
"Your battle, I'm afraid, was lost young man, as was your King and fellow grey wardens." Her face was serious and stony showing no emotions as she gave the news.
"What? How is that possible? Loghain the charge? His voice was quiet as he felt his stomach sink and his heart swell in his chest from the shock and pain of the words. His eyes widened as he remember, the tower, the ogre, and being overwhelmed by darkspawn. "The tower, how did I get out? Lyna and Neria are..?"
"The man who was to lead the second charge on the darkspawn abandoned the field. Thankfully I was able to save you and your friends from the tower, though you were all injured but that was nothing I couldn't take care of."
He was relieved they were still alive, but the feeling was quickly smothered by a gut retching sense of loss. They were dead, all of his friends, Duncan, all gone. Still in shock he did not hear the last thing the woman said before she left him alone in the small room. He did not know how long he sat in the tiny bed lost in grief too strong for tears, until he stumbled to where his armour and sword sat.
Now was not the time for tears, he told himself, he had to talk to Lyna and Neria, they were the last grey warden left in all of Ferelden, three of them against an army.
He stepped outside the small hut to feel the chill of the wilds seep through even his splinter mail, shielding his eye from the sun he looked to see the two elven women talking at the edge of the swamp, a large wolf lying next to Lyna's feet stood up quickly announcing his presence. The both turned to look at him, Lyna placing a hand on top of the wolves head as it sat down passively again.
"Alistair! Thank the Maker your alright! You've been out for over two days, we were beginning to worry you wouldn't wake up." the relief was visible as her shoulders relaxed and a sad smile spread across her face, before it was replaced with worry and fear "Maker Alistair, the King, the wardens, Duncan their all dead, what are we going to do?"
"I don't know, if it wasn't for Morrigan's mother we'd all be dead."
"I have a name young man." The old women suddenly appeared by their side as Lyna walked over to meet them.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... but you never told us your name, what do we call you?"
"Asha'bellanar" the turned as Lyna spoke, nodding her heard as a sign of respect to the old woman.
She threw her head back as she laugh, "Ah yes, the Dalish have such a way with words, calling me an old woman, the Chasined folk call me Flemeth however."
"The Flemeth?" Alistair's eyes widened in disbelief, "Then Daveth was right you are the witch of the wilds, aren't you?"
"And what does that mean? I know a bit of magic and it has served you all well, has it not?"
"She is Asha'bellanar; she is very powerful and respected among the Dales." Lyna said as she was trying to reassure them
"Then why didn't you save Duncan? He is… was our leader."
"I am sorry for your Duncan, but your grief must come later... in the dark shadows before you take vengeance, as my mother once said, duty must come now." She looked over them all before she spoke again. "It has always been the grey warden's duty to unite the lands against the Blight. Or did that change when I wasn't looking?"
"This land is hardly united thanks to Loghain." Neria scowled at the thought of the man who had abandoned them all to die.
"This all doesn't make any sense why would he do it?" Alistair shook his head in disbelief.
"Now that's a good question. Men heart hold shadows darker than any tainted creature. Perhaps he believes the darkspawn are an army he can outmanoeuvre. Perhaps he does not see that the evil behind it is the true threat."
"The Archdemon." Alistair said somberly.
"Great, there are three of us against an army of darkspawn and an old god that's now a dragon, this will be easy." Neria sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Surely the grey wardens have allies they can call upon in times of a Blight?" Flemeth asked.
"The treaties, the grey wardens can demand aid from the dwarves, elves and the mages." Alistair seemed to pick up at the thought that not all was lost. "And then there's Arl Eamon he was the Kings uncle, he won't stand for what Loghain has done, the Landsmeet won't stand for it."
"He'll believe us over the Teyrn?" Neria asked.
"I know him he's a good man respected in the Landsmeet. He wasn't at Ostagar; he still has all of his men; we could go to Redcliffe and appeal for his help."
"Sounds like an army to me." Flemeth said with a smirk.
"So can we do this, go to these places and build an army?" Alistair looked at the two elven women hoping they would agree.
"I have a debt to settle, and this seems the path to take to see it paid." Lyna felt Neria take a sideways glance at her, knowing what debt she was referring to.
"So you are set then? Ready to be grey wardens?"
"It seems so." Neria said with a small smirk and a shrug of her shoulders.
"Allow me to offer you one last bit of help," Flemeth smiled "Morrigan." Alistair watched as the young woman they had met in the wilds was told she would be coming with them, though she did not seem pleased about being sent away.
"Lyna, you do know there is a wolf behind you, right?" he had seen the wolf when he had left the hut earlier though his mind had been too clouded to actually take much notice of it.
"It is the wolf we helped in the wilds before the joining; he found me here, like me he has a debt, he wishes to follow me in order to pay it."
"Riiight, as long as he doesn't try to eat me in my sleep, or anything." They quickly readied themselves and begun the walk to the village of Lothering outside of the wilds.
They had been walking for only a few hours when Alistair could feel the slight scratching at the back of his mind that had become all too familiar as of late, "I can sense darkspawn ahead."
"Ugh is that what that feeling is?" Neria asked as she ran her finger through her short white hair before pulling her staff from its strap, twisting it in her hand before holding it ready to cast. The other follow suit readying their weapons, Lyna notched an arrow as the wolf crouched down low next to her growling softly.
Nine darkspawn ran towards them from the surround trees and bushes. Morrigan and Neria threw balls of fire, lighting and ice at the creatures; Lyna shot arrows in quick succession, while Alistair ran ahead ramming his shield in to the Hurlock Alpha. When they had finally killed the last of them he noticed a large Mabari hound stood in front of Neria.
"I think this is the Mabari I help in Ostagar." She knelt down and scrubbed the hound's fur.
"I think he's been looking for you, he's chosen you. Mabari are like that. They call it imprinting." Alistair said putting his sword and shield away as he walked t meet them.
"Are there any more, mangy beast you have help that will be following us?" Morrigan scoffed. Lyna's wolf grunted at Morrigan in response.
"I've always wanted a dog; we weren't allowed to have pets in the tower." Neria smiled before ruffling the dog fur again. The dog barked happily as it waged its tail.
"Well, what will you call him?" he asked.
"Her." Lyna said.
"What?"Alistair turned to her, slightly confused.
"The Mabari is female." She stated.
"And how do you know that?" he crossed his arms as he looked at the elf.
She raised an eye brow at him as she smirked, "That is a talk your elders should have had with you long ago."
Neria giggled as the young wardens face pinked slightly, "Never mind forget I asked." Looking to Neria again he repeated, "Well what are you going to call her then?"
"I don't know; any ideas?" she looked towards the both of them.
"What about Barkspawn?" He said laughing slightly.
She smirked "Clever, but I think I've thought of one, Hati. It's from an old Chasined myth I read once in the circle, the wolf that chased the moon." The dog barked happily at the name.
"Come on we do not have all day, 'tis far to Lothering and we have a Blight to deal with. Least you have forgotten." Morrigan said as she begun to walk ahead of them.
Alistair sighed before he began to follow; he was beginning to not like this Morrigan.
Little mention of Hawke there ;) and we've returned to our Grey Wardens. I decided to change it up a bit in this chapter as everyone has probably read the same scene in a couple different fics and I wanted to write it from a different view point, let me kno what you think. Also new pairing info is up! some people guessed but it's a pairing that I find there is a complete lack of but that I find really interesting.