On the Road
The sun was setting as three wardens left the Tower of Magi behind. Anrothan stared at the distance, his eyes set on the north, towards Highever.
"Are you ok, Anrothan?" Emilie asked. The former noble blinked in surprise, and noticed that he had been clenching his fists.
"I am fine." He answered, trying to calm himself. "I just noticed how red the sun is."
"Right." Emilie noted as she stared at the sunset as well, a somber expression on the young mage's face. "I've almost forgotten how it looks."
Duncan sighed. As Commander of the Grey in Ferelden, it was his duty to gather recruits for the upcoming Blight. Yet, he could see that both of the people that he recruited in that journey so far had fresh scars that would take time to heal, and he would lie to himself if he didn't admit that he was worried.
"Both of you must be tired." The Warden Commander said, gaining both of his recruits' attention. "I suggest that we stay at an inn for the night."
"I agree with Ser Duncan." Emilie added. "If I remember the map correctly, it'll take us about two or three days to get to Ostagar, so we should rest while we can."
"Plus, we will travel faster during the daylight. I understand." Anrothan noted. "Very well. Shall we head for the Spoiled Princess?"
Unsurprisingly, the inn was full when the three wardens entered. Duncan told his recruits to get a table and order something to eat, while he would go talk to the innkeeper for provisions and rooms. The two recruits managed to get a small table in the corner of the room and, after ordering, sat in silence, each to their own thoughts. Anrothan thought back to that day's morning, when he talked with the First Enchanter.
"Thank you. It is partly my fault that he saw so much." The former noble said with relief.
"No need to thank me, child." Irving said as he looked at Anrothan with a sad smile. "Your father was a good friend of mine. Helping his remaining family is the least I can do to repay him."
"Under normal circumstances, I would go to check on young Oren myself. Unfortunately, there's a situation in the Tower that's too delicate to let someone else handle." The First Enchanter added while looking at a pile of books. "Now, is there something else you wish to discuss?"
"As a matter of fact, there is." Anrothan said, causing Irving to look back at him. "That girl, Emilie… how long has she been in the Circle?"
Irving didn't respond right away. Instead, he stared at the former noble, as if scanning him, before he talked.
"It's been nine years since Emilie arrived here."
"And she never left the Tower during that time? Not even once?" Anrothan inquired. Irving cocked an eyebrow in response.
"Not since she came here. Why are you interested in my apprentice?" The First Enchanter asked while folding his arms.
"Master Duncan is considering recruiting her, as you are aware. I am merely asking about my possible companion." Anrothan admitted.
"Then why don't you go talk to Emilie?" Irving said with a mildly amused expression.
"You know, I might do just that." Anrothan said as he left the room with a slight bow.
"Look at all these people." Anrothan remarked after a moment. "To them, the Darkspawn threat is as much an opportunity to better their lives as a misfortune."
"What about you, Anrothan?" Emilie inquired with a curious look. "Is it about opportunity for you, or misfortune?"
Anrothan looked back at his fellow recruit. She looked slightly more comfortable now that they were talking.
"A bit of both, I guess." The former noble replied. "I have been meaning to prove my worth on the battlefield for quite some time, though I did not expect that I would do so as a Grey Warden."
"So you didn't seek the wardens on your own?" Emilie said.
"I was in an arduous situation, a couple of days ago. It was Master Duncan who helped me escape with my life, so I owe him that much." Anrothan said before he looked up. "But that is a story for another time."
Emilie stared at her fellow recruit with confusion before she turned to see that Duncan was approaching them.
"Ser Duncan! Have you found rooms?" She asked, earning a nod in response.
"The innkeeper was kind enough to let us two rooms. It seems that most of the folks here don't actually plan to stay for the night." The Warden Commander said.
"Which means that Emilie and I shall take one room and you'll get the second, yes?" Anrothan noted. Emilie just looked at her fellow recruit with surprise.
"Not that I mind sharing a room, but is there a reason why Ser Duncan gets his own room?" The young mage wondered.
"It's better that I have a room of my own." Duncan replied. "I have some… unique sleeping habits."
"Huh?" Was Emilie's reply.
"Let's just say that it can get messy if someone wakes me up in the middle of the night."
"Oh. I-I see." She awkwardly mumbled.
"I suggest you get back to eating before it gets cold." Anrothan suggested. "I hope I have ordered enough to sate your infamous appetite, Master Duncan."
"It's more than enough." Duncan said as he took a seat. "Although, it looks like you are rather hungry too."
"What about Ser Duncan's appetite?" Emilie asked with renewed curiosity. Anrothan only winked in response.
"You'll see."
The next morning, the three wardens resumed their trip to the south. Emilie was talking with Duncan about the Grey Wardens, while Anrothan walked in silence while examining the ring that his father gave him.
"You mean to tell me that unstoppable hunger is one of the things you get when you become a Warden?" Emilie asked with a mix of surprise and disbelief.
"Indeed." Duncan verified. "It's one of the side effects of the joining ritual that we must undergo to become Grey Wardens."
"And that happens with the women who join the order as well?" Emilie pondered.
"From my experience, the female Grey Wardens eat even more than the men." Duncan answered, looking slightly amused.
"Having second thoughts?" Anrothan called from behind.
"What? No, I was just curious." Emilie quickly said as she nervously laughed.
"I doubt you'll have to worry about that." Anrothan noted. "If this is truly a Blight, you will at least get a lot of exercise."
"Gee, that's reassuring." Emilie deadpanned, causing the former noble to laugh while she puffed her cheeks in mild annoyance.
"At any rate-" Anrothan said after a moment. "I have a request, Master Duncan."
The Warden Commander looked back, and noticed that his recruit was still holding the ring.
"Go on." He urged the former noble.
"Before we go to Ostagar, I need to get to Redcliffe." Anrothan said, his expression less carefree. "I did not get the chance to take any equipment when I… fled."
Just thinking about Howe's betrayal was enough for the former noble to lose his cool. He would get his revenge.
"I understand." Duncan acknowledged with a nod. "That's why I have arranged for a boat to get us to Redcliffe."
"You… know." Anrothan simply stated with a surprised tone.
"Know what? I already planned to go to Redcliffe so that I can discuss with Arl Eamon about the Blight." Duncan said.
"Eamon is still at odds with Cailan?" Anrothan wondered. "You think you can convince him to send a larger force?"
"That's my intent. We can't afford to let disputes between the various lords hinder our attempts to stop the Blight." Duncan stated.
"In that case, maybe I should talk to Eamon as well. He is not an unreasonable man and he is aware of my friendship with Cailan." Anrothan noted.
"That may be, but I would advise you to keep a low profile until you talk to the king. Howe probably thinks you are dead, and you can use that to your advantage." Duncan suggested as he patted the younger man on the shoulder. "I know that it's hard for you, but your parents stayed behind to buy you time, make Howe think he won. Right now, we have to deal with the Blight."
"I know that." Anrothan admitted, clenching his fists in anger as he looked at Duncan. He was aware that the older man was sad as well, but he had to keep his head straight. "In any case, we should get going." The noble said as he resumed his pace. Duncan sighed and decided to leave things as they were for the moment, as he continued his way beside the recruit, with the young mage walking behind them.
"So that's Redcliffe." Emilie said as the three wardens reached the village's docks. "It's more crowded than I thought."
"The Arl's army is getting ready for the war. It looks like the neighboring bannorns are also gathering their troops here." Duncan noted with an inspecting look before he turned to his recruits. "Anrothan, I trust that you'll keep a low profile while we're here?"
"I shall try to avoid people who might recognize me, but if I see Teagan, I will not avoid him." Anrothan said with a hint of exasperation.
"If you believe that you can trust him, then I won't stop you." The older man said.
"What about me?" Emilie asked. Duncan looked in thought before he responded.
"You don't have armor on you, right?"
"I never needed it on the Circle. Why?" Emilie inquired with a confused look.
"Then I suggest you go with Anrothan. You can provide Emilie with some equipment, right?" Duncan said as he turned to his other recruit.
"I guess so." Anrothan said, while thinking. 'So Master Duncan does know about the vault. I shouldn't be that surprised."
"Good. Once you're ready, head to the tavern at the top of that hill. The wardens from the Orzammar Expedition will be arriving soon." Duncan said, earning a nod from his recruits.
"Do you have a home here?" Emilie asked as the two recruits walked through the crowd.
"Not exactly." Anrothan simply responded.
"What kind of answer is that?" Emilie exclaimed as she puffed her cheeks in annoyance. "Where do you have the supplies that you mentioned then?"
"You will find out soon." Anrothan said before he stopped in front of a small house. "We are here."
Emilie look with a quizzical expression as the blond man took out a ring and inserted on the door while placing his other hand next to the ring, opening the door in the process.
'That ring must be enchanted' She thought.
"Ladies first." Anrothan said while winking at the female mage.
"You certainly are resourceful." She exclaimed as looked around the vault. Meanwhile, Anrothan placed the covered shield on the wall. He then took out a picture of his family.
"I will come back for it when the war is over." He whispered as he stared at the picture with a pained expression. Emilie glanced at her recruit, as if to say something, but chose to keep her curiosity in check for the time.
"Ser Duncan said that you can help gear me up." She said in an attempt to distract Anrothan from whatever pained him. "But I don't know much about that stuff. I can't wear that heavy plate thing though. I'm sure of that."
"Right." The former noble said, placing the picture back on his pocket as he got up. "Let's get you suited up."
"You look distressed. Is something bothering you?" Anrothan asked as the two recruits were making their way to the tavern. Emilie, who was fiddling with her chest piece, groaned in mild annoyance as she turned to her companion.
"It's too tight." She exclaimed while trying to fix the buckles.
"Maybe you should wear it under those robes of yours. I believe this is why you are feeling discomfort, yes?" Anrothan noted.
"You should have thought this earlier then. How are we going to fix this in the middle of the road?" Emilie said, causing her companion to laugh. "It's not funny!"
"Do not fret. We will work on the straps once we set up camp." Anrothan said with an amused expression.
"Fine. I'll try to wait until then." Emilie said before she took out a pouch. "Still, are you sure about this? I feel like I'm stealing. I don't even know what that vault is."
"It belongs to my family. My… father constructed it after the Fereldan Rebellion, in case of an emergency." Anrothan said as he took out the ring that he used earlier. "See this ring? It belongs to my family for generations. Father thought it would be fitting to use it as a key, to ensure that the vault's possessions would not fall in the wrong hands. So he had a mage friend of his enchant it."
'So it is enchanted after all.' Emilie thought. "What about your armor, then? Is it also a family item? And why is it so blue? I haven't seen blue colored leather before." She inquired after a moment while pointing at Anrothan's outfit.
"No, I bought it myself some time ago. The guy who provided me with the armor said that it is more flexible than regular leather armors, though I did not get the chance to test it." The former noble said.
"By the Maker! Anrothan, is that you?"
The two recruits turned to the direction of the voice as a man dressed in red steel walked towards them.
"Teagan, my friend! It has been a while!" Anrothan warmly greeted.
"We went hunting two weeks ago. I'm not sure that's a while." Teagan said with a chuckle.
"I guess so. You look well, my friend." Anrothan admitted.
"As do you. Your hair is great as usual. I'll never understand how you keep them in such a good shape." Teagan commented before he noticed Emilie. "But where are my manners? I haven't introduced myself to your lovely companion. Teagan Guerrin, at your service my lady."He added with a bow.
"Nice to meet you, Ser Teagan. My name is Emilie." The young mage politely responded while returning the bow.
"Care to join us for a drink at the tavern, Teagan?" Anrothan suggested.
"I'm afraid I'm quite busy right now. The bannorns' army will be heading to Ostagar soon." Teagan said.
"Another time, then. I should not keep you busy." Anrothan said as he placed his hand on the older man's shoulder. "Stay safe, my friend."
"You too, Anrothan. My lady." Teagan said, nodding at both recruits before he left for the castle.
"Wait-" Emilie started as Teagan was already in the distance. "did he say Guerrin?"
"Yes, he is Arl Eamon's younger brother. Why?" Anrothan said, eyebrow quirked in confusion.
'He owns a vault, and he is friends with the Bann of Rainesfere. He also called the King by his first name earlier. Just who am I travelling with?' Emilie thought, struggling with her curiosity to ask more about her companion.
"I think we should head to the tavern. The sun is already starting to set." Anrothan noted, snapping Emilie out of the stupor.
"Uh, right."
"Ah, there you are." Duncan said as the two recruits entered the tavern. Like the Spoiled Princess, it was crowded with different sorts of people, though his imposing figure stood out. "I see you found something for Emilie as well."
"We did, though we'll need to adjust the straps. It feels really tight." Emilie said with a frown.
"I told you I will help you later. Do you not trust me?" Anrothan said, clearly faking hurt.
"I-It's not that!" Emilie exclaimed.
"These are the recruits, Duncan?" A tall, stout man said, causing the two recruits to look at him with curiosity. "They don't look like much."
"Is that a challenge?" Anrothan said, his hand instantly at his sword.
"Stay your hand Anrothan." Duncan warned his recruit before addressing the older man. "You know I wouldn't offer them the option of becoming Grey Wardens if they didn't have the skill. But, if that doesn't satisfy you, you can see for yourself while you head to Ostagar. Sounds fair to you, Richu?"
"No need to, I've already seen what I wanted to." Richu said with a rough chuckle as he got up from his chair and offered a greeting to the recruits. "I am Richu, one of Ferelden's senior wardens. I look forward to fighting alongside you kids."
"Nice to meet you, Ser Richu." Emilie happily said, returning the greeting. "I'm Emilie." The look on her eyes told Duncan that she wanted to diffuse any remaining tension as she looked back at Anrothan, expecting him to be civil. Just then, an elf with an oversized sword approached the group, with mugs on his hands.
"You tell them that you're a warden, and suddenly they treat you like you're some sort of supersoldier." He muttered to himself before he noticed the recruits. "You must be…"
"The new recruits, yes." Anrothan said. "I am Anrothan, by the way."
"The boy has a temper, Tarimel." Richu said with a smirk. "You'll like him."
"I see. Duncan expects a lot from both of you, especially after old Kherek left for his Calling." Tarimel said as he placed the mugs on the table.
"His what?" Emilie curiously asked.
"Warden secret." Tarimel said. "I'm sorry, but you'll need to be fully fledged wardens first to know about that."
"Speaking of Kherek-" Richu started as he turned to Duncan. "I know you wanted us to get a recruit from Orzammar, but they are dealing with a succession crisis at the moment, so we were forced to leave empty handed."
"What happened to King Endrin?" Anrothan asked.
"He fell ill after his older child was found dead. I didn't get the chance to learn much, but Richu heard that he may have been murdered by one of his brothers." Tarimel said.
'Boldur killed Trian?' Anrothan thought, his shock blocking out the rest of the conversation. 'No, he is far too honorable for that. And even if he did, he is smart enough to cover his track. Bhelen, on the other hand, struck me the wrong way from the moment I saw him.'
"Hey, Anrothan." Emilie said while vividly waving her hand in front of the other recruit. The former noble blinked in confusion before he turned to the mage.
"We're leaving for Ostagar right away. Ser Duncan said that he needs to pay a visit to a friend in Denerim first, so we'll go with Ser Richu and Tarimel." She added. "So if you want to visit that vault of yours, you should go now."
"No need to, I got everything I need for now. Master Duncan!" Anrothan said as he turned to the Warden Commander. "I need to speak with you in private."
"Follow me, then." Duncan said, knowing already what his recruit wanted to talk about.
"Do you wish to recruit Tyler?" Anrothan asked once the two men were out of the tavern.
"I thought I told you, Anrothan. Our numbers in Ferelden are few. If this truly is a Blight, then we'll need every warden we can get." Duncan calmly responded. Whether he was surprised about Anrothan's intuition or not, he didn't show it.
"I know Tyler is a good warrior. I even helped him hone his natural talent. But he has a family in Denerim. He is getting married in a few days! No doubt you are aware that Master Valendrian asked for a bride for that specific reason." Anrothan exclaimed.
"I'm aware of Valedrian's plan." Duncan said. "And I wouldn't consider recruiting Adaia's son if I didn't have faith in his skills."
"I wanted to attend his wedding, but I know I can't enter Denerim without the risk of being spotted by one of Howe's men." Anrothan said. "Promise me this, Master Duncan. Do not recruit Tyler unless you have no other choice."
"That, I can promise." Duncan said. "You should be getting ready, though."
"I know. I will see you at Ostagar." Anrothan said before he returned to the tavern.
"Well, I suppose I should get ready too." Duncan said to himself as he looked at the moon. "Denerim is quite a trip from here."
Author's Note: Well, this is awkward. First, I started this chapter back in July, but work and lack of inspiration kept me from finishing it. Then, I tried to finish it during Inquisition's launch day, as a way to celebrate its release, but some issues with the pre-order prevented me from working on it. So, there it is, the day after the European release. Anyway, I was considering adding an introduction to my City Elf warden during the last part of the chapter, but it felt odd having that part after an entire intermissionish chapter where Anrothan and Emilie got the chance to have some early interactions. Richu and Tarimel are not OCs, they are mentioned by Alistair in-game (but not name dropped if I recall correctly) when you ask him about other Grey Wardens. And yes, the ring that Anro used to open the vault is the same ring the Teyrn gave to him back in the second chapter.
I'm not sure when the next chapter will come out since Inquisition is out, plus some projects I have to write for university, but I'll try to at least have it out on Christmas season. Until then!