Chapter Six: The Joining
"Thank the Maker we're back," sighed Ser Jory as they arrived back in camp. "I thought we were going to perish in that horrid place for sure."
Daveth snorted, obviously amused at the knight's relief, "I had no doubts, my good knight, especially after seeing the lady lop off the head of a darkspawn."
Fergus laughed as he watched his little sister lower her head and smile, even he had to admit that he felt safer traveling in the Wilds after seeing how she handled herself in battle. They had been training together since childhood but he had been the only one really allowed to engage in battle, Yvaine had been permitted to deal with bandits but nothing more. Their mother had always feared she would get killed or captured so to please her, their father had kept Yvaine closer to home.
"Any one of you would've done the same thing," said Yvaine, brushing off the compliment.
"Maybe, but we didn't, did we?" said Daveth, nudging her with his shoulder as they walked to the Grey Wardens' tent.
The gesture was playful but Alistair still felt a twinge of jealousy pierce his heart. 'Why am I so bloody jealous? This isn't like me at all.'
Yvaine laughed, bringing Alistair back from his thoughts, taking some comfort in the sound of her voice. "You would've if I had thought twice about leaping into action."
"I'm glad you didn't think twice, Vaine, otherwise I might not be standing here," said Fergus, he was trying to be playful but the look of fear and pain in her eyes told him he had crossed a line. "Vaine, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant—"
"I know what you meant, Fergus," said Yvaine quietly, taking her brother's hand, smiling up at him when she saw his shoulder's relax.
From behind them Alistair watched their interactions curiously, he had seen how siblings acted before but none of them behaved like Yvaine and Fergus. Sure they might have been competitive as children, at least that is what he took away from some of their stories, yet they still managed to be there for the other when it mattered most.
Yvaine let go of Fergus's hand and walked a little slower so she was standing with Alistair at the rear of the group, oblivious that his ears had turned a deep pink color. "I wanted to apologize for earlier, you know, that moment when I was about to run my sword right through you. It was really stupid of me to go wandering off, and I just wanted to say I was sorry, again."
Alistair was taken aback, this woman continued to amaze him, she had taken on darkspawn without hesitation then reasoned with an apostate as if it were nothing, yet here she was apologizing to him for what turned out to be a small mistake. 'She might be a warrior, but she still acts like a lady. Maker, why did you have to make her perfect?'
"Dear lady, I accept your apology as long as you promise not to run off again," said Alistair, trying to keep his voice serious but could feel the smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. He looked down at her and saw she too was struggling against the inevitable grin, he hoped it would win out, her smile would be most welcome right now.
"I promise not to run off again, if I can help it," said Yvaine seriously. "Oh, and please stop calling me lady, I'm just Yvaine nothing more."
Alistair reached out his hand and gently held hers, stopping them both in their tracks, the gesture surprised him a great deal as he had not ever been this bold with a woman before. "Yvaine, you are so much more than you give yourself credit." He forced himself to look her in the eye though he wanted to stare at the ground and he found to his pleasant surprise she was smiling, her eyes sparkling like jewels.
"Thank you, Alistair, your words bring me great comfort," said Yvaine kindly and she dropped her hand from his. "I think we should get this Joining over with, wouldn't you agree?"
He looked down at his hand, still able to see where hers had fit so perfectly in his, her words barely registering in his mind. "The Joining, right, about that you should know. . ."
Yvaine pressed a finger to his lips, silencing his words. "Alistair, there's no need to break Duncan's trust just to warn me, though I appreciate the thought." She started walking towards the tent, not even glancing back at him, she was forcing herself not to look at him as difficult as it was not to stare.
Alistair watched her leave, with each step that took her further away from him more of his heart went with her, even though he had known her less than a day she had already captured his fancy. Dutifully he followed the rest the group, taking his time, he wanted to savor these moments for as long as he could since he knew in a matter of minutes all of their lives were about the change. When he arrived at the tent he saw Fergus and Duncan standing toe-to-toe with each other, both men looking rather agitated.
"You can't expect me to just stand idly by while my little sister undergoes this ritual!" shouted Fergus. "You will either let me watch or she's no longer a recruit."
Duncan's face was calm though his eyes flashed dangerously. "Fergus, I cannot disregard centuries of tradition just for you. I know you're protective of your sister especially after all that has happened to the two of you, but you must understand my position."
Fergus appeared to want to argue further but Yvaine intervened, physically putting herself between the two men. "Fergus, you're the best older brother in the entire kingdom, but you can't protect me from every evil in this world," said Yvaine, looking straight into her brother's eyes. "These last few days should be proof enough to you that I can take care of myself, you're not Father nor am I a little girl anymore. I chose to do this, to become a Grey Warden, and I intend to see it through no matter the cost."
Alistair stood there in amazement, by the Maker she had the tongue of a diplomat too, if she tried she could probably talk the Archdemon back into the Void.
"Your sister's right Fergus," said Duncan calmly and the young lord looked at him with less malice in his eyes. "You have my word that no harm will come to her while she is in my care, and if it should I will accept full responsibility and spend the remainder of my life paying penance."
Yvaine looked up hopefully at her brother, her brown eyes imploring him to agree to Duncan's terms, even Alistair found himself hoping Fergus would agree though it had not been his place to disagree to begin with.
"Fine, I agree to your terms, Duncan," sighed Fergus, he knew he had been bested not by the Warden but by his sister. "I will stay far away from your ritual until you are finished, when this is done, you can find me with King Cailan." He looked down at his little sister and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Come back to me, Sister, I don't think I could stand to be alone in this world."
Yvaine felt tears sting her eyes but she fought against the building tide. "I will, Brother, don't worry about me."
Fergus pulled away and dropped his arms to his sides, he gave his sister a fleeting smile before leaving the Wardens's tent, his mind focused only on finding the King and Loghain.
She watched him walk away and felt her resolve crumbling, if they did not perform this Joining soon she would surely break down into a puddle of tears, she was suddenly very aware that Alistair was standing behind her now his presence surprisingly bringing her great comfort.
"Don't worry about him, Yvaine, this will all be over soon enough and you'll both realize how silly he was to be scared," said Alistair, attempting to comfort her but knew by the way her shoulders sagged he had not accomplished his goal.
Yvaine turned around and gave him the barest smile, "I know you're trying to make me feel better, Alistair, but after what's happened to our family can you really blame him for being scared?"
"I'm sorry, that was tactless of me," said Alistair humbly and he patted her shoulder.
"If you two are quite done, I believe it is time to proceed with the Joining," said Duncan, eyeing Alistair suspiciously.
"Yes, I believe you're right, Duncan," said Yvaine and she followed the rest of the group into the dark night, towards a large ruin.
Fergus approached Cailan's tent and was allowed immediate entry, when he stepped into the tent he saw the young king was bent over his strategy table a large pile of parchment to his left and a goblet of wine to his right, he did not even look up when Fergus entered.
"Your Majesty," said Fergus solemnly and he bowed.
Cailan looked up and beamed, glad to see his lifelong friend had returned safe and sound. "Fergus!" exclaimed Cailan and the two men embraced. "I heard a rumor that you were back in camp, what are you doing here?" He offered Fergus a seat beside the table which he took and was silent for a few minutes, watching Cailan move strategy pieces all over the board before he got up the nerve to speak.
"I'm here to keep out of Duncan's hair," sighed Fergus as he accepted a goblet of wine from the serving boy. "Yvaine's undergoing that Joining ritual tonight and I wasn't allowed to watch, which bodes ill with me. After all that's happened, I feel I should have been allowed to be with my sister while she was initiated into the Wardens, but no tradition is tradition."
Cailan looked over at his friend, this was not the lighthearted man he had known since childhood, this was a frightened man whom had lost everything he had ever cared about and stood to lose more. "Do you trust Yvaine's judgement?"
Fergus looked up, surprised by the question. "Of course I trust her judgement, she's never given me reason not to."
The young king smirked. "Then if you trust her judgement, take peace in her decision to go through with the Joining, and be proud of her for Maker's sake! Not many people have been known to impress Duncan and she certainly has."
"I suppose you have a point there, Cailan," sighed Fergus as he took a sip of wine. "I am proud of her, but at the same time I'm terrified. First I lose my parents, wife, and son in the same night and now I stand a chance of losing my little sister, how am I supposed to handle this situation?"
Cailan contemplated his friend's conundrum, thinking back to when he had been approached by Duncan about six months ago. "I've been in a similar situation, recently in fact, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I was also scared. You just have to grin and bear it, there's nothing more you can do."
Fergus ran his fingers through his dark brown locks, his eyes glued to the floor. "You might be right, after all, she certainly wasn't too thrilled with being told to stay behind in Highever yet I didn't hear her put up a huge fight. She certainly didn't go toe-to-toe with Mother and Father like I did with Duncan."
"I'm surprised you survived that confrontation, Fergus," laughed Cailan as he sat beside Fergus in the chair opposite his. "Just relax, old friend, Yvaine'll be running back here in no time, a triumphant Grey Warden."
Fergus took comfort in his friend's kind words, he knew he was trying his hardest to make the best of a difficult situation and appreciated his effort. "I guess it's time I trusted my little sister with her own well being, Maker help us all."
Cailan and Fergus shared a laugh and they were still laughing when Teyrn Loghain entered the tent, when they saw the confused and furious look on the teyrn's face they shared a look and doubled over in laughter again.
Yvaine watched as Duncan added the darkspawn blood they had collected earlier into a shimmering silver goblet along with what appeared to be refined lyrium and black tar, she heard him mutter an incantation over the mixture before turning to face the three recruits. She could sense the tension and mystery in the air blanketing them like a dense fog, even Duncan's calm demeanor had changed, he now wore an impassive mask. Yvaine kept her eyes trained on the silver goblet, she could hear Alistair shifting behind her and as much as she wanted to look to him for comfort she could not trust herself to not run into his arms and never leave.
"Now we come to the Joining," said Duncan as he picked up the goblet from the table behind him. "This ritual was created during the first Blight when Grey Wardens first drank the blood of the darkspawn and mastered their taint. We speak only a few words before beginning, Alistair, if you would."
Alistair nodded and bowed his head as if he were in prayer, his soft voice carrying through the ruin. "Join us brother and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn." When he got to the next part of the speech he stole a quick glance at Yvaine before continuing. "And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day we shall join you."
Yvaine heard Ser Jory gulp beside her, she resisted the desire to scold him for showing such fear when there was nothing to truly be afraid of, well as far as she could tell anyway.
"We're actually going to drink the blood of those monsters?" asked Ser Jory, his voice squeaking from fear as he looked at the silver goblet that rested in Duncan's hands. "That . . . that's not natural, is it?"
"No it isn't, but it is from the taint that Grey Wardens draw their power, it is what allows us to confront the Archdemon and end a Blight," replied Duncan gravely. "You will each drink from the goblet and if your body conquers the taint within, you will forever be known as a Grey Warden."
Ser Jory backed up nervously, his sword drawn, "What do you mean if our body conquers the taint? You mean to tell me there's a chance we might not survive this Joining? I have a wife and baby! If you had told me, I never would've agreed to this."
Duncan started walking towards Ser Jory, a dagger in one hand and the goblet in the other. "But you did agree so you are duty bound to participate in the Joining. Many Grey Wardens before you have sacrificed a great deal more than you have now to ensure that your family could thrive in Ferelden. Honor their sacrifice, Ser Jory, do this to protect your family."
"Jory, listen to him," pleaded Yvaine, trying to get through to the timid knight, "with or without you the Blight will happen and unless there are Grey Wardens, your wife and baby will just be two of thousands of deaths at the hands of the darkspawn. Do you really want to leave them to die without a glimmer of hope?"
Ser Jory dropped his sword and Duncan ceased his advance, "You're right, Lady Cousland, I don't want them to die without some kind of hope." He suddenly picked up his sword and pointed it at Duncan. "Which is why I would rather be at home defending them there than potentially dying from drinking darkspawn blood!"
Duncan dropped his head briefly before approaching Ser Jory, "I take it this is your final answer?"
"Yes, this is my final answer." said Ser Jory defiantly and Duncan quickly closed the distance between them. Alistair looked away from the scene, unable to watch the result of Duncan's actions, secretly relieved it had not been him in that position. Yvaine saw the hilt of the dagger sticking out of Ser Jory's chain mail and heard the distinct sound of blood drowning the poor knight, she forced herself not to cry out, he had chosen his path and was reaping his own rewards. When life left the body, Duncan laid the knight's lifeless husk to the ground, the Warden's face was drawn with sadness and Yvaine knew he had not wanted to kill Ser Jory but tradition and protocol had demanded he do so. Quietly Yvaine knelt to the ground and folded Ser Jory's hands across his chest, even though he had died defying the Grey Wardens, his body still deserved respect befitting a knight. When she stood and faced the others she bowed her head and walked back to her previous spot, unable to look any of them in the eye.
Duncan took her silence as cue to continue on with the Joining. "Daveth, step forward and drink from the goblet. Now, you are forever a Grey Warden."
Daveth bravely stepped forward and took the goblet from Duncan then drank deeply of its contents. The reaction was almost instantaneous. His eyes rolled in the back of his head until on the whites were visible as red froth seeped out of his mouth and down his neck, then several small streams of blood rushed out of his eyes.
"I am sorry, Daveth," said Duncan softly.
The poor man fell to the ground on his back, his breaths were raspy as he laid there choking on his own blood. Yvaine knelt down beside him and took his limp hand in hers, trying to bring him whatever small comfort she could as he expired before their eyes.
"Draw your last breath, Daveth, cross the Veil and the Fade and all the stars in the sky. Rest at the Maker's right hand and be forgiven," said Yvaine quietly and she felt Daveth squeeze her hand in response, she smiled kindly at him as she felt his body give a shudder and he was gone. She rose from the ground and turned to face Alistair and Duncan, her face a stony mask as she reached for the goblet, wanting to get her fate over and done with.
"Yvaine, step forward and drink from the goblet. Now, you are forever a Grey Warden," said Duncan grimly as he passed the goblet to her waiting hands.
Yvaine accepted the goblet and drank deeply of the dark red liquid contained within, the moment it touched her tongue she could taste the darkness contained in the taint, it was bitter like wormwood but bearable. The blood in her veins was replaced by fire as her body became hot with a fever, her eyes burned as a searing pain ripped through her skull, penetrating deep within her brain. She opened her eyes tentatively and was shocked to discover she was no longer standing in the ruins of Ostagar, instead she was standing on a black cliff surrounded by a green sky. Looking down she saw hundreds of thousands of torches lighting the chasm below, she saw they were being held up by darkspawn of every breed, marching towards eternity. Yvaine crouched down to get a better look when a huge, and mighty dragon flew out of the chasm from nowhere and landed on a rock formation close by, its thunderous roar shook her body to its core.
Yvaine's eyes fluttered open and she saw Duncan and Alistair hovering above her, she must have fallen to the ground at some point, that was the only explanation for why they were standing over her.
"It is finished," said Duncan, relief filling his body as he helped her sit up from the cold ground. "Welcome to the Grey Wardens, Yvaine Cousland."
"Maker be praised," whispered Alistair as he watched Yvaine stand up, he noticed her legs were as shaky as a newborn foal's but she was still able to stand. She started to fall to one side and he caught her before she fell, grateful that she did not push him away as he feared she might.
"How are you feeling?" asked Duncan as he picked up the long forgotten goblet from the ground.
Yvaine shook her head, trying to clear away the cloudy feeling that clung to her mind, "I feel like I just drank very potent wyvern poison but worse."
Alistair raised an eyebrow. "How do you know what wyvern poison tastes like?"
"Oh, you know, the normal way," said Yvaine lightly, realizing what she had just admitted to. Alistair and Duncan were quiet for a moment before they both roared with laughter, and Yvaine joined in with them, the weight of the world seemed to have lifted off of the three Wardens and all were enjoying the sense of freedom.
"Should we head back to camp?" asked Alistair hopefully, desperate for a hot meal and his bedroll. "I think there's someone there who's eagerly awaiting our arrival."
"Fergus," said Yvaine weakly and she smiled at the prospect of seeing her brother again. While she was sad for the deaths of Daveth and Ser Jory, she could not help but feel proud that she had survived the Joining and was now officially a Grey Warden.
Duncan smiled at the two young Wardens. "Before you head back to camp, I suggest you stop by Teryn Loghain's tent, Yvaine, he and the King are discussing battle strategies and Cailan has requested that you be present. I am headed that way myself. Alistair, I suggest you head back to camp and prepare a hearty meal, I suspect Yvaine will be in need of some nourishment before too long."
"Of course, Duncan," said Alistair seriously, he looked at the beautiful creature that was leaning against him. "Can your walk, Yvaine, or do you require assistance?"
Yvaine stood up straight, her legs were still a little weak but had greatly improved from before. "No, Alistair, I seem to have regained the use of my legs. If I do need some help while walking, I'm sure Duncan will be there to assist me."
"If nothing more, we should head towards the Teyrn's tent," said Duncan and Yvaine nodded. "Alistair, we take our leave now. We shall be back before too long."
Alistair nodded and turned away, heading back towards camp, he felt a spring in his step as he walked for the first time since this whole thing had started.
"Shall we, Yvaine?" asked Duncan and Yvaine nodded, following Duncan to the Teyrn's tent.