Author's Note: A super-sized chapter update! Also, thanks to my reviewers and followers, you guys truly are the best!

Chapter 14 - Daughter of a Witch

The next morning arrived bright and sunny. Serena felt warmer than she had in days, it appeared today would be a welcome break from the normally gloomy southern weather. She rolled over, soaking up the warmth of the bedroll wrapped around her, a hint of pine invading her nose.

Wait. Pine? She straightened up and her head brushed the top of the tent.

Tent? How did she end up in a tent? The last thing she remembered was talking to Alistair by the fire, and he had told her to just rest for a moment... Alistair! He must have awoken one of the others to take watch later, and carried her in here.

Serena felt her face flush with embarrassment. She really hoped she was mistaken... but how else had she ended up in here? And in his bedroll, too! She recognized that piney smell immediately… this was definitely his bedroll.

"Oh, Maker," she whispered. "The others are going to think I'm such a... a tart." She quickly ran her hands through her hair, gathering it up in a tight bun. She put her palms to her cheeks, testing them. They still felt warm to her touch. Oh, bother. She flapped her hands quickly in an effort to cool her face. It would be of no use to her to wander out there with her face flaming red.

Satisfied that she didn't look like a cat that'd just got caught eating a delicious mouse, she pulled one of the tent flaps back and peeked out. The large knight was a few feet away, tending the newly blazing fire.

"Good morning," she said, ducking her head as she exited the tent. "Did you sleep well?"

"Ah, like the dead," Ser Jory answered. "The Grey Warden woke me around 3 or so. Told me not to mind the wolf, that you'd found it injured or some such thing and were allowing it to stay at the camp for the night." He frowned, shrugging his massive shoulders, as if it found a very odd request to be given in the middle of the night. "The wolf just slept, though."

"Oh, uh, yes," Serena mumbled. So Alistair had covered for her about the wolf, too. She supposed the truth was even more bizarre- that a wolf had just decided to befriend her- so he had concocted this injury story for the knight. "We- I fed him a bit of rabbit." She looked around for the wolf. "Has he left?"

"I don't think so," Ser Jory responded, turning back to the fire. "Last I saw, he was sleeping behind the tent you were in."

"And Alistair and Daveth? Where did they go?"

"Hunting, I think." Another disinterested shrug from the knight. Apparently he was still in a mood from the day before. "They'll be back soon, I'm sure." He stood up suddenly, turning to Serena. "Now that you're up, we should probably break down the tents and things. The Warden will probably want to get a move on soon."

They packed in silence, the two of them splitting the work between them. Serena took down the tent she had been in, giving the wolf a good scratch on the head as well. He opened one yellow eye at her touch, and Serena could have sworn she saw him smile, if it was possible for a wolf to do so.

"Good morning, good morning," Alistair called happily as he led Daveth back into their makeshift camp. "Glad to see you're all up." He deposited three rabbits and a large bird of some kind on a small blanket near the fire. Daveth dropped down to a knee, adding a bunch of roots and plants to the mix.

Serena kneeled by the pile, pulling a rabbit and setting about preparing it for breakfast. She skinned it carefully as Duncan had shown her, placing the fur coat near her knapsack. Alistair sat down beside her, plucking feathers from the bird. It was a hawk, Serena realized, as long red feathers started to gather in a pile at his feet.

They worked together to prepare all the food, and Daveth even created some sort of jelly glaze out of the berries and roots he had picked. By mid-morning, they were all packed up and well fed, including Serena's wolf.

She kneeled by the animal and scratched his head. "We're leaving," she said quietly, afraid the others would look at her funny if they knew she was talking to an animal. "You're welcome to come with us, but I can't guarantee your safety. And I can't bring you back into the main camp."

The wolf looked at her, its warm yellow eyes glowing gently even in the bright sunshine. The wolf pressed its nose to her hand once, and with one last look, slunk into the bushes nearby. She listened hard for a moment, but the wolf's crunching footsteps rapidly disappeared.

"So... that was bizarre." Alistair's teasing voice was soft behind her.

"Tell me about it," Serena agreed. She turned to the Grey Warden and winked. "I'll try to keep my animal magnetism to a minimum from now on."

"Ah, good. That's... yes, you do that." Alistair flushed, clearing his throat. "Shall we get a move on then?"

"In a moment," Serena said, moving closer to him. She looked over his shoulder; Jory and Daveth were beyond the ruin, arguing over something. She dropped her voice to a whisper. "You carried me to the tent last night, didn't you?"

"Maaaaybe," Alistair said, echoing her tone from the day before when questioned about the mage. He shrugged. "Maybe I thought you needed a proper nights sleep."

"Well, maaaaybe I did," she replied, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I promise you won't always have to look out for me. I won't... let myself get run down like that again."

"Maybe I like looking out for you," Alistair said, his cheeks slightly pink. His hazel eyes searched her face, and Serena was struck again by how... complicated... he could be. Joking one minute and completely intense the next. She'd never met anyone like him. He was... an enigma to her, but a delightful one, if such a thing were possible.

"Well, I... appreciate it," Serena said finally, her eyes locked on his so he could see how sincere she was. "Last night was... rough, for me."

"And today will be better," said Alistair, his voice earnest. He squeezed her hand briefly, then dropped it. "The others will be waiting for us."

"Or arguing over which one has the bigger sword," Serena countered, following Alistair to where Daveth and Ser Jory stood.

They searched for the elusive Grey Warden archive in relative quiet for the rest of the morning until around lunch they came upon two trios of darkspawn, one after the other. Dispatching them quickly, Serena realized they were in the remnants of an old tower that still bore the symbol of the griffon.

"This must be it," Alistair said excitedly. He kneeled by an broken chest and Serena saw his hands disappear, rummaging around. "It's empty." He stood and cast a look around for another chest. "This has to be it, and it's empty!"

"Well, well... what have we here?"

Serena looked up from the chest to see a dark haired young woman staring at them from a stone ramp only a few yards away. How had she gotten so close without any of them noticing her? And better yet, who in the Maker's name was she?

"Are you a vulture, I wonder?" The woman slowly walked, no, sauntered, down the ramp. "A scavenger poking amidst a corpse whose bones were long since cleaned?" She moved closer, her pace almost matching that of a stalking wolf. Serena noticed her eyes, two bright amber orbs, and her mind flashed back to the wolf earlier.

"Or merely an intruder, come into these darkspawn-filled Wilds of mine in search of easy prey?" She stood only feet from Serena now, her slender arms crossed over her rather ample chest. "What say you, hmm? Scavenger or intruder?"

"I... I am neither," said Serena. She wished her voice sounded stronger than it did. "Who are you?"

The woman's eyebrows shot up, as if she wasn't used to being challenged. Indeed, if she lived in these Wilds, perhaps she wasn't. "You are the intruder, here. I believe the first question is rightfully mine." She smiled, an extremely predatory flash of teeth. "I have watched your progress for some time," she said, and her tone was surprisingly thoughtful. "Where do they go,' I wondered, "why are they here?"

She turned and stalked around their group, standing on a rocky outcropping at the edge of the ruined tower. The woman wore strange robes that dipped very low across her chest, leaving little to the imagination. She certainly didn't look like any of the mages Serena had ever seen, but her large staff was unmistakably marking her as one.

"And now you disturb ashes none have touched for so long. Why is that?"

"Don't answer that," Alistair whispered to Serena from behind. "She looks like one of the Chasind, and that means others may be nearby. This could be another ambush."

The dark-haired woman laughed merrily, as if this was a hilarious notion. "You fear barbarians will swoop down upon you?"

"Yes..." Alistair exchanged an uneasy look with Serena. "Swooping... is bad."

"S-she's a Witch of the Wilds, she is!" Daveth yelped. "I used to live near these Wilds, and my ma told me all about 'em! She'lll... turn us into toads, she will!"

"Witch of the Wilds? Such idle fancies, those legends." The woman peered at them, her cold amber eyes intense. "Have you no minds of your own?" Her gaze fell on Serena, and she stiffened. The woman hadn't harmed them, certainly, but there was definitely something eerie about her. And those eyes...

"You there," she said, pointing at Serena. "Women do not frighten like little boys. Tell me your name and I shall tell you mine."

"My name is Serena," she answered. "A... pleasure to meet you, miss."

The woman jumped from her high perch, now directly in front of Serena. "Now, that is a proper civil greeting, even here in the Wilds." She smiled again, her eyes flashing. "You may call me Morrigan."

"Shall I guess your purpose?" Morrigan continued. "You sought something in that chest, something that is here no longer...?"

"Here no longer?" Alistair crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowed accusingly at the dark haired woman. "You took them, didn't you? You're... some kind of... sneaky... witch-thief!"

"Alistair..." Serena murmured. "Shhh."

"How very eloquent," Morrigan taunted. "Enlighten me, how does one steal from dead men?"

"Quite easily, it seems!" Alistair shot back. "Those documents are Grey Warden property, and I suggest you return them." He straightened his shoulders so he was standing at his full height, making him easily a half a head taller than Morrigan. "Immediately."

"I will not, for 'twas not I who removed them. Invoke a name that means nothing here any longer if you wish..." Morrigan leaned on her staff lazily. "I am not threatened."

"You're going to be threatened in a minute if you keep this up," Alistair mumbled.

"Could you tell us who removed them, then?" Serena asked, hoping the witch hadn't heard Alistair. "If you know. Please."

Morrigan shrugged, as if this knowledge was widely known by everyone in the Wilds. "'Twas my mother, in fact."

"And could you... take us to her, perhaps?" Serena hoped she wasn't pushing their luck.

"Ah, now there is a sensible request." Morrigan eyed her curiously, and that predatory grin returned. "I like you."

"Oh, joy." Alistair said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'd be careful, Serena. First it's 'I like you...' but then 'Zap!' Frog time."

Daveth turned to her, his eyes nervous. "You sure you know what you're doing? She's a witch. She'll put us all in the pot, just you watch!"

"If the pot's warmer than this forest, it'd be a nice change," Ser Jory said, rolling his eyes. Serena grinned at the knight. Apparently his cowardice didn't extend to supposed witches, only darkspawn, for which she was glad.

Morrigan cleared her throat. "Follow me, then, if it pleases you." She beckoned to Serena and the others.

"If it pleases you..." Alistair whispered mockingly beside Serena as they followed the dark haired woman through the trees. "And did you see what she was wearing? Yeesh."

Serena giggled. "Alistair..."

"What?" he asked innocently.

"I know you were a templar, but try not to antagonize the apostate, please," Serena said. She tried to keep a disapproving look on her face but couldn't hold it. His smile was infectious. "You don't want to get turned into a toad, do you?"

They walked through the forest for a few minutes before Morrigan led them to meadow that bordered a large pond. The trees here were few, but the ones that grew, grew enormous and thick. Serena saw what looked like skulls dangling from one of the branches ahead. She elbowed Alistair and discreetly pointed. His eyes grew wide but he had the sense to stay quiet.

They continued for few minutes around the edge of the pond before the meadow started to turn back into foresty swamp. A few torches burned nearby, and Serena could see a huge granite statue marking the beginning of a set of stepping stones that led to a small wooden cottage. Serena crossed herself and sent up a silent prayer to the Maker as she noticed that the statue was of the prophet Andraste... and it was headless.

They approached the cottage and Serena noticed an old woman sitting in a rocker near the door. Wrinkles crisscrossed the woman's features as her piercing eyes locked onto Serena's for a moment.

"Greetings, Mother. I bring before you four Grey Wardens who-"

"I see them, girl." The old woman rose from the chair, and Serena was shocked to see her eyes were the same golden color as her daughters'. And as the wolfs'. The yellow eyes glanced over her and the old woman nodded. "Mmm... much as I expected."

"Are we supposed to believe you were expecting us?" Alistair stated, his tone skeptical.

"You are required to do nothing, least of all believe," the woman replied cooly. Beside her Morrigan grinned. "Shut one's eyes tight or open one's arms wide... either way, one's a fool!"

"She's a witch, I'm telling you! We shouldn't be talking to her," Daveth said in a harsh whisper.

"Quiet, Daveth!" Ser Jory said, smacking the rogue in the shoulder. "If she's really a witch, do you want to make her mad?"

"There's a smart lad," said Morrigan's mother. "Sadly irrelevant to the larger scheme of things, but it is not I who decides. Believe what you will." She turned her amber eyes on Serena once again, one of her eyebrows arching in question. "And what of you? Does your woman's mind give you a different viewpoint? Or do you believe as these boys do?"

"I'm... not sure what to believe," Serena admitted, afraid her honesty would betray her inexperience.

"A statement that possesses more wisdom than it implies," the woman replied, nodding. "Be always aware... or is it oblivious? I can never remember. So much about you is uncertain... and yet I believe." She turned, nodding again. It appeared as if she was talking to herself as much as to Serena. "Do I? Why, it seems I do!"

"So this is a dreaded Witch of the Wilds?" Alistair said out of the corner of his mouth. She could almost hear him roll his eyes.

"Witch of the Wilds, eh? Morrigan must have told you that." The crone cackled with delight. "She fancies such tales, thought she would never admit it! Oh, how she dances under the moon."

Serena smiled, unsure of whether to laugh with the woman or not. She certainly seemed mad, but also... powerful.

"They did not come to listen to your wild tales, Mother," Morrigan replied, her eyes rolling.

"True," the woman agreed. "They came for their little treaties, yes?" She pointed a long gnarled finger at Alistair. "And before you begin barking, your precious seal wore off long ago. I have protected these."

"You... oh." Alistair fumbled, his smirk disappearing momentarily. "You protected them?"

"See?" Serena hissed, elbowing him again.

"And why wouldn't I?" She handed the package to Alistair. "Take them to your Grey Wardens and tell them this Blight's threat is greater than even they realize!" Beside her, Morrigan glanced at her mother sharply. Had she not known this piece of information? Surely living out in the Wilds, they were privy to the movements of the darkspawn horde.

"We thank you very much for returning them," Serena said, curtsying politely to the pair.

The old woman turned to her daughter, her face cracking into a huge grin. "Such manners! And always in the last place you look... like stockings!" She laughed at her own joke, flapping a hand at the four of them. "Oh, do not mind me. You have what you came for."

"Ah, time for you to go, then," Morrigan said, wiggling her fingers at them. Out of the corner of her eye, Serena saw Daveth flinch at the girl's movement and grinned.

"Oh, do not be ridiculous, girl. These are your guests!" the old woman admonished her daughter.

Morrigan frowned, then rolled her eyes again. It seemed to be one of her favorite expressions. "Oh, very well," she huffed. "I will show you out of the woods then. Follow me." She marched off, not waiting to see if they followed.

Serena exchanged a nervous glance with Alistair, who shrugged, tucking the treaties into his pack. "Best follow her, I guess," he said quietly.

Morrigan wove through the trees like a mistress of the forest, avoiding all the marshy bits of ground. Serena found she had to walk nearly twice as fast as usual to keep up with her.

"Mis- Morrigan..." she said softly, catching up to the dark haired woman. "I wondered if I could ask you a question?"

"I think I know what you will ask, but go ahead."

"You... said you had been watching us for awhile, and I wondered if..."

Morrigan smiled at Serena, her teeth perfect and white. "Yes..?"

"If you were the wolf," Serena said simply.

"No," she answered. "But I know him. We have... run together before." Morrigan paused, and Serena thought maybe she was deciding how much to tell her. "I was curious about you, and so I sent him as an... emissary of sorts. He told me of your kindness towards him."

"H-he did?"

"Indeed. It was one of the reasons I chose to make myself known to you at the tower." She stopped walking and pointed. "Your camp is just beyond this ridge. I will not go any further than these trees."

"I- um, thank you, again," Serena said softly. "For everything."

"'Tis nothing," the dark haired mage replied, waving a hand. She turned and Serena watched as she melted into the forest once again. Alistair shot her a curious look as Morrigan disappeared, but said nothing.

"I'll... tell you later," Serena whispered, moving to walk at his side.

The four trudged back into the camp just as night was falling. Moving into the Grey Warden camp, Serena saw Peanut and Duncan ahead, the hound lounging lazily by an enormous fire.

"So you return from the Wilds," Duncan called, waving them over. "Have you been successful?"

"Yes, we have our... blood, and the treaties." Serena pulled out her vial of blood and motioned for Alistair to hand Duncan the package from his knapsack.

"Good," Duncan said, nodding. "I've had the Circle mages preparing- I'd hoped you'd all be back by tonight." Duncan took the vials from each of them. "With the blood you've retrieved, we can begin the Joining immediately."

"Oh, maybe we should tell you about..." Serena began, turning to Alistair.

"Right, right," he said, catching on. "There was a woman at the tower, and her mother had the scrolls. They were both... very odd."

"Were they wilder folk?" Duncan asked.

"I... don't think so. They might be apostates... hiding from the Chantry."

"Ah, I know you were once a templar, Alistair, but Chantry business is not ours. We have the scrolls, let us focus on the Joining." He led them up a cracking staircase to where a small altar sat.

"We Grey Wardens pay a heavy price to become what we are. Fate may decree that you pay your price now, rather than later," Duncan said.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Ser Jory asked.

"Is that why the Joining is so secret?" asked Serena.

"If only such secrecy were unnecessary," Duncan replied, sighing heavily. "If all understood the necessity of such sacrifice... Sadly, that will never be so. I must prepare the chalice. Alistair, if you would please watch our charges here..."

"The more I heard about this Joining, the less I like it," Ser Jory muttered darkly, leaning against a nearby pillar.

Daveth snorted. "Are you blubbering again?"

"Why all these damned tests?" the knight replied hotly. "Have I not earned my place?"

"Maybe it's tradition," Daveth said, rolling his eyes. "Maybe they're just trying to annoy you. Not that it would be very hard."

"Calm down, both of you. You chose this," Serena said, frowning at the stocky knight. "Stop acting like they plucked you out of your bed at night and stole you away." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I won the grand melee," she taunted. "Pfft."

"I only know that my wife is in Highever with a child on the way," Ser Jory grumbled, his eyes narrowing angrily. "If they had warned me... it just... doesn't seem fair."

"And would you have come if they'd warned you?" Daveth retorted. "Maybe that's why they don't. The Wardens do what they must, right?"

"Exactly," Serena agreed.

"Including sacrificing us?" Ser Jory's eyes were wide with fear and Serena couldn't help but pity the man. Perhaps it was different for him, being married and having a child on the way... but if he had really been worried about that, he shouldn't have allowed himself to be recruited so easily. She was sure Duncan wouldn't have forced anyone to become a Warden against their will.

"I'd sacrifice a lot more if I knew it would end the Blight," Daveth was saying earnestly. "You saw those darkspawn out there, ser knight. Wouldn't you die to protect your pretty wife from them?"

The knight fumbled for an answer. "I... well..."

"Maybe you'll die. Maybe we'll all die." Daveth clenched his fists, his face flushing. "If nobody stops the darkspawn, we'll all die for sure!"

Ser Jory dropped his eyes, and Serena thought he looked like he might start crying. "I've just never faced a foe I could not engage with my blade," he mumbled.

Serena glanced at Alistair as he had been strangely quiet throughout the entire exchange, but he appeared to be off in his own world. Moonlight glinted off his blondish hair and Serena found herself staring at him. She shook her head to clear it just as Duncan returned.

"The Grey Wardens were founded during the first Blight," he began. "When humanity stood on the verge of annihilation. So it was that the first Grey Wardens drank of darkspawn blood and mastered their taint."

"We're... going to drink the blood of those... those creatures?" If he hadn't before, the knight sounded downright terrified now. Duncan nodded, either not noticing or ignoring Ser Jory's obvious discomfort at the idea.

"As the first Grey Wardens did before us, as we did before you," he continued, coming to stand next to Alistair. "This is the source of our power and our victory."

"Those who survive the Joining become immune to the taint," Alistair added, snapping out of his silent reverie. "We can sense it in the darkspawn, and use it to slay the archdemon."

"Those who survive?" Daveth said quietly.

"Not all who drink the will survive, and those who do are forever changed," Duncan replied, his tone even more serious and grave than usual. Serena could feel a small knot of excitement and fear intermingle in her stomach. "This is why the Joining is a secret. It is the price we pay. We speak only a few words prior to the Joining, but these words have been said since the first. Alistair, if you would?"

Alistair cleared his throat and began slowly, his voice steady and head bowed solemnly. "Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand, vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn." He paused, his deep voice lowering just a little. "And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten, and that one day... we shall join you."

Duncan called Daveth forward with a wave of his hand and passed him a large ivory chalice. The rogue wasted no time and with a quick look at the knight tipped it to his lips. He gulped it back quickly, as if hasty to get the blood out of his mouth. Handing the cup to Duncan, he stepped back and shuddered, his body quaking slightly.

Suddenly he clutched at his head and bellowed, his body doubling over in pain. Serena leaned forward to help him but he waved her away with a clawed hand, his knees buckling under his weight. Serena gasped as he choked and writhed, grasping at his throat uselessly, his eyes turning a milky white as if he were blinded.

Finally, his energy spent, he fell forward and lay still. Duncan stepped forward and put two fingers to his neck, shaking his head at Alistair. "I am sorry, Daveth," he intoned. He turned to the knight who was visibly shaking now.

"Step forward, Jory."

The knight threw out his hands, as if trying to create space between him and Daveth's body, or perhaps him and Duncan. "But... I have a wife! A child!" He shook his head and Serena saw the whites of his eyes shine in the moonlight. "Had I known..." he moaned.

Duncan ignored this, refilling the cup with Jory's vial. "There is no turning back."

"N-n-no! You... ask too much!" He turned to Serena and Alistair, his eyes pleading with them to understand. "There is no glory in this!"

"This isn't about glory, Jory," Serena said softly. "We have a... a duty." Beside her, Alistair nodded his silent agreement.

The stocky knight turned back to Duncan and shook his head again, pulling his sword. "I.. I will not die like this! Not for those things!" Duncan pulled his own sword and advanced on the knight, his face grim.

"Don't do this, Jory," Duncan murmured.

"No! I-" He moved quickly, rushing at Duncan. Duncan parried the blow deftly and Serena saw him pull a dagger in one smooth motion and run it into the knight's gut. Blood splattered the stones of the temple and Serena had to look away. The sick sucking sound Duncan's dagger made as it pulled out made her stomach turn.

"I am sorry," Duncan whispered as he pulled his dagger from the man's gut. The knight grabbed at his stomach, but it was too late, his insides were spilling out under him as he fell to the ground. Serena shut her eyes tight- she couldn't watch this.

"The Joining is not complete," Duncan said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Serena opened her eyes and glanced down at the cup. Duncan had refilled it once again with her vial of darkspawn blood. "You are called upon to submit yourself to the taint for the greater good."

Serena took the chalice from Duncan, nodding slowly. "I know what is expected of me," she said quietly. "I accept my fate without reservation." She closed her eyes and tipped the cup to her lips, the black ichor sliding down her throat.

She handed the cup back to Duncan, her eyes starting to tear up. The intense feeling of burning seemed to stem from her throat to her stomach to the rest of her body, as if the blood was raging through her every nerve ending.

"From this moment forth, you are a Grey Warden," Duncan intoned, stepping back from her. Serena could see Alistair's concern written all over his face and he moved forward to grab her shoulder.

Serena shook her head slowly; she could hear a roaring in her ears that seemed to come from somewhere far away and swayed on her feet, the burning pain becoming too intense for her to stand. She felt her body tip forward and then there was nothing but darkness.