Alanna was given little training for the position she gained as Inquisitor. Her history as First to the Keeper of the Lavellan clan taught her nothing on how to organize this movement that had been placed in her hand. A devout believer in the Elven gods, with little knowledge of Andrastian faith, the title of Herald of Andraste had been uncomfortable, to say the least. And the elevation to Inquisitor was met with even more expectations and pressure. Her council, thank Mythal, was gods sent. The council members had aided her in this movement, every step of the way and together, they made an exceptional team. Alanna's own resourcefulness and ability to remain calm had been effective. It allowed her to adapt to the demands of the role. She was often in awe at her ability to remain calm, despite the loss of memory as to how she got there. Fortunately, missing pieces of the events that preceded her initial arrival at the Breach had recently been revealed. This proved to be advantageous to her ability to lead.
She shared this gratitude with the council members, offering a lingering glance to her Commander. Reportedly, there was something among the elven ruins of the Wilds and the Inquisition determined it necessary to reach it before the enemy, Corypheus. After giving an order to Josephine to summon the eleven Grey Wardens who would precede the Inquisition scouts' quest to the Arbor Wilds, she waited in the War Room with her council.
Alanna had concerns about the Warden Commander, Caoilainn. It was becoming more clear that there was a miscommunication between her and her husband, the King. And insightful as Alanna was, there was something she strongly disliked about the woman, though she could not identify the cause. Although she did not completely trust the Warden Commander, Alanna and her council concluded that the assistance of soldiers was too valuable to disregard. The possibility of Caoilainn's ulterior motives, were there any, would be addressed when the time came. Until then, the Inquisition had to adhere to its responsibilities of weakening their enemy and now, preventing his advancement to the ruins.
The Inquisition's last contact with Corypheus was met with destruction. It was a bleak scene at their previous stronghold in Haven and the tragedy of its fall still scarred the minds of those who survived. Alanna agreed that any steps that could prevent any loss of life must be taken and so the offer of the Warden scouting team was welcome.
That afternoon, the door to the War Room swung open and a line of Grey Wardens filed in, led by Josephine, followed by Nathaniel. She bowed to the Inquisitor and joined the rest of the council behind the table. Warden scouts formed a row behind Nathaniel as Nathaniel stepped forward to greet the Inquisitor.
Tall and lean, and utterly cocky, Nathaniel looked to the small elven woman standing before him. She was fierce in her own right; strong willed, but calm. The other Wardens behind him remaining silent while the Warden Lieutenant approached the Inquisitor. Nathaniel's fist rose to his chest, and he bowed with a smile. "Inquisitor."
"Warden," Alanna returned the greeting with a nod. Her eyes studied the rest of the Wardens, scanning each one down the line, until she reached someone near the end. Alanna's frown deepened, and her eyes squinted.
Nathaniel's eyebrows raised, unsure what provoked the displeasure. His eyes followed the path of hers to find them locked on Hale. The woman smirked back at the Inquisitor.
The heavy silence in the roomed loomed as the two women stared at each other.
"I take it you two have met?" Nathaniel asked awkwardly, the only one willing to break the silence. It was clear the two women had some history together.
"You could say that," Alanna stated coolly to Nathaniel without breaking eye contact with Hale. "Come forward, Warden."
Though confused and uncomfortable with the woman giving orders to Wardens in his charge, he saw no way to argue. It didn't matter; Hale followed Alanna's demand without seeking Nathaniel's permission. The young Warden stepped forward and stood across the table from the Inquisitor. Nathaniel followed to stand at her side.
Ignoring the addition of the lieutenant, eyes still fixed on Hale, Alanna lowered her voice and leaned closer. "We've wondered where you've been, cousin."
Eyebrows raising again in surprise, Nathaniel studied the energy between the women with a new understanding but did not interrupt. Now that this piece had been added, he could see the relation in their faces, despite the drastic differences in their appearance. Alanna had golden blonde hair that was cropped short; her skin was fair and her body petite, a narrow waist cascaded exquisitely curvy hips. Standing opposite, Hale towered over Alanna; tall and tan, especially for an Elf, she had long dark red hair that was shaved on the side. Her intense green eyes challenged the light blue pools of Alanna's gaze.
It seemed none of the Wardens standing at attention in the back of the room overheard.
Hale shrugged casually. It appeared as though she was entertained by this reunion. Alanna clearly was not. "I've been… adventuring. You know I always come back."
"And this time as a Grey Warden, no less. How in the name of Mythal did that happen?" Her hands moved to her hips, Alanna pried with her question.
"Right of Conscription. It was this or jail." Hale replied with another shrug as if the answer were irrelevant. Glancing beside her to Nathaniel, Hale winked. "Stealing."
Nathaniel smirked. Apparently, the young woman was proud of her illegal activity and potential jail time. In acceptance of the handful she would undoubtedly be on this quest, he snorted. What am I getting myself into?
Alanna shook her head and slumped her shoulders in disappointment. "Hale'Harel… when will you learn? Ma'elithast'eth sal'shiral ha'lam." [You must be safe or your journey will come to an end.]
The motherly energy that sprang forth from Alanna was undeniable as she spoke to her younger cousin with love and care. He did not need to understand a word of what she was saying to hear it. Though he had heard elven before, he was fascinated with Alanna's use of the language, reminiscent of singing, melodious and smooth like honey.
Until Hale made a loud groan and muttered audibly under her breath, "Pox on it. Just use the common tongue." She stared at the ground, avoiding eye contact with Alanna. Though his reverie was disrupted, he couldn't help but chuckle at Hale's response. This mumbling and resentful looking elf did not match the violent woman he had been given reports of from Vigil's Keep.
With a measured breath, Alanna nodded dismissively to Hale.
Nathaniel recognizing the acceptance of defeat on the Inquisitors part. Hale will do what she wants. In the short time he had known her, he understood the independent trait in the young woman. He quickly attributed it to her estrangement from her cousin.
Alanna glared hard at Hale for a moment longer before shifting her stern gaze to Nathaniel. The last remnants of his smirk vanished. He felt her critical stare. "Warden Lieutenant Nathaniel Howe," she began and Nathaniel stood up straighter. "You will lead your small group of Wardens to search the area before our scouts."
"So I've been told." Nathaniel responded, in as professional a tone he could manage.
Alanna's eyes squinted at Nathaniel before she turned to nod at Commander Rutherford. Cullen stepped forward and gestured to markers on the map. "You will travel directly here, hitch your horses, and travel by foot to the temple. You are to give us a report on the enemy activity. We want to know numbers, approximations, any word on our enemy at large. We will reconvene with you here," Cullen pointed to a marker at the Emerald graves, "before our troops advance. Is this clear?"
Nathaniel nodded, and the group continued discussing the details of this expedition. Cullen explained the route the Wardens would take and the location of the Inquisition scouts current station. Their entire mission was to be accomplished, with the Wardens back at the scouting camp at the Emerald Graves in two weeks, including travel time. It was an ambitious goal.
Nathaniel nodded. "We're ready to go when you give us the order."
"We've packed horses for you. You will depart within the hour," Alanna added to conclude the meeting.
Respectfully, Nathaniel put his fist to his chest and bowed to the Inquisitor and her council members. The group was silent as he spun on heels and ushered the rest of the Grey Warden team to leave the room with a wave of his hand. They marched out with Nate at the end of the line.
"Lieutenant," Alanna's voice rang through the room as he neared the door. He froze mid-step and turned back around to Alanna. The other Grey Wardens had already left the room.
"Yes, Inquisitor?" He replied, offering a cautious yet kind smile.
"I trust that my dear, sweet cousin will be cared for under your supervision as lieutenant." The statement clearly had numerous layers, all of which communicated Alanna's displeasure with the circumstances of her cousin as a Grey Warden in Nathaniel's charge.
Nathaniel had only met Hale earlier that day when they were training in the yard. He liked that she had spunk, and a mouth like a sailor. The news of her violence at the Keep prior to her Joining, in addition to Caoilainn's warnings had at first been amusing. But now discovering that she was the Inquisitor's cousin, made the task of training her on this mission somewhat daunting. The likelihood she would be more rebellious than he bargained for was apparent. And if he was honest with himself that was moderately intriguing. Regardless of these mixed emotions, he was resistant to the Inquisitors subtle threat. "Respectfully, Inquisitor, the young lady is a Warden now. She'll be treated with the same care I treat all Wardens in my charge. If harm comes to her, it won't be from my hand, but from serving the oath she made when she became a Grey Warden." Really, Nate. What the fuck are you getting yourself into? He scolded himself, not seeing that Hale was beaming from the doorway.
The Inquisitor was momentarily stunned by the lieutenant's assertiveness but she took a deep breath, maintaining her calm demeanor. Emotions stirred within her, fear for her cousin, more distrust of the Grey Wardens and now Nathaniel added to that list. Her eyes narrowed and she nodded again, permitting Nathaniel to leave the room.
The Grey Wardens, led by Nathaniel, mounted their horses and began their journey from Skyhold to the Arbor Wilds. The crags and ledges of the mountains required special maneuvering on horseback for the safety of the riders and the horses. All members of the party were preoccupied with the attention required to navigate. Nathaniel noticed that as the distance between them and Skyhold grew, their small party felt especially unprepared. They had no inkling what they would find in the Arbor Wilds, save for some of Corypheus' soldiers and an old Elven temple.
Periodically, Nathaniel scanned the group to see if anyone was falling behind, losing focus or challenged by the terrain. The time they spent through the mountains was laboring on their bodies and the horses. But all seemed to be diligently patient, soothing their horses, and occasionally jesting or conversing with each other when they came to places that required slow movement. Silence fell upon the group each time they came upon areas that required precision handling. Keeping to herself at the back of the group, Hale's excitement overrode any fear that might have been buzzing at the back of her mind. Something was odd about this young woman, Nathaniel sensed as he scanned her. Despite her young age, she was skilled with reigns and needed no support from Senior Wardens in navigating the rocky slopes. It was as though once she was out of the fortress of Skyhold, her demeanor had changed, but he could not pinpoint what was different.
The group was composed of two mages, both human. The other eight members of the Wardens, not including Nathaniel, consisted of human and Elven archers and blade-wielders. There was one Dwarven man with a large axe. As a fellow scout, he had worked with them all aside from Hale before. There was an even divide of men and women, Nathaniel splitting the difference, and Hale was the youngest one there by a significant age gap.
They navigated the mountainous terrain of the Frostbacks, slowly guiding their horses through the mountain pass until they reached the tree line. The trip through the mountains took most of the night and well into the next morning. When they made it to smoother land, the group sped up. The group rode silently through the foothills of the Frostback Mountains, moving too quickly and with too much focus for conversation. And as night fell, the temperature dropped drastically. A cold breeze traveling from the west met them. Nathaniel raised his arm signalling to stop and halted his horse. As they slowed behind him, he dismounted.
"We've made good time. Let's set up camp," he directed.
The small pack of Grey Wardens set up camp in the lightly forested land, far from any city. Fortunately, food and provisions had been packed with the horses by the Inquisition. Each person was equipped with their own weapons and packs.
As they settled around the campfire, Nathaniel decided who would take watch in which shifts and what time the next morning they would depart. He placed himself on first watch.
The Wardens divided to eat their meals. The Dwarven man was talking jovially to one of the other elven archers. Sitting on a log near the campfire, the mages stayed near each other and silently ate their meals. Other Wardens played dice, betting on who would lose and who would play winner.
Except for Hale. She kept her bow and quiver on hand, watching the gambling with detached intrigue, removed from the social circles that had comfortably formed. Tempted to join the game, she observed as the stakes rose. Hale was adept at betting, determining her odds quickly and knowing when to fold. She was also not unfamiliar with being the odd one out and knowing when she wasn't welcome. Her behavior at Vigil's Keep had not won her many allies, save for a few of the other new recruits who had also wound up there by the Right of Conscription.
Nathaniel monitored the Wardens objectively as they wound down before splitting off for shifts on watch. As he scanned the group, his gaze lingered on Hale. She observed the encampment with a similar ambivalence. Hale must have felt the curious weight of his eyes upon her because her piercing gaze moved to meet his. With a quick grin, she raised her eyebrow and nodded to Nathaniel, then disappeared into her tent.