Author's Note:Thank you all for following the story and writing reviews! I enjoy reading them very much, and hope you all are enjoying the story!
Chapter 16 - Battle Strategies
Alistair awoke later that morning to the murmured words of prayer. He cracked open an eye slowly, careful to be absolutely quiet so as not to disturb her. Serena was sitting on her knees, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes closed. He noticed, a tad regretfully, that she had pulled on a shirt. Perhaps she found it indecent to pray while naked? His eyes dropped lower and Alistair grinned, realizing she still hadn't located her leggings yet.
"...Sweet Maker, I understand there is a price to pay for all things. I pray they stand by Your side, in the great Beyond, in a place where only Your light and Your love will touch them now."
Serena's voice was calm, the words coming easily from her lips. Although he had seen so many pray over the years, Alistair watched her, completely transfixed. Was she saying a prayer for Daveth and Jory?
"I pray that You give Alistair and my new brothers great prowess in this day and all days, for we shall need You always. It is we who stand before the darkness and corruption now; it is we who will not falter on Your path, for blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just. By Your love and our faith, may we be unshakable in our conviction on this day." Serena paused, her face rising to look at a sky she could not see. "Amen."
"That was beautiful," Alistair said softly.
Serena started at the sound of his voice, falling back onto her bottom. Her hair felt about her face and she smiled uncertainly. "I- I didn't know you were up. I apologize if I woke you."
"You didn't," Alistair replied, smiling. "Do you... pray every morning?"
Serena blushed, tucking her auburn hair behind one ear. It was in loose curls from her braid, and Alistair had the inexplicable urge to run his fingers through it. "I try to," she said. "I always enjoyed chapel at the castle as a child, and I suppose... the habit just stuck."
Alistair sat up, his great arms stretching wide. "Certainly there are worse habits to pick up."
"Do you pray?" Serena asked. He caught her eyes, and they were like deep sapphire pools staring into his own hazel ones. He found he could have stared at her all day if given half the chance.
"I... used to, in the Chantry," he said, shrugging gently. "Maybe I should again."
"If Morrigan's mother was right, we could certainly use the help." Serena sighed, unfolding her bare legs out from under her. Alistair couldn't help watching her every movement. She was like some delicate flower he wanted to wrap up and protect.
"Serena? Are you awake?"
Alistair froze, his eyes flipping to the front of the tent and then to Serena, whose face looked beyond guilty. That was definitely Duncan's voice. Did he know Alistair was in here? Or did he assume he slept elsewhere?
"Yes, I'm just..." Serena shot him a look, a finger to her lips signaling him to be quiet. "I'm just getting ready."
"Well, when you are, can you find Alistair? I want both of you to accompany me to a meeting with the king."
Serena quickly popped back onto her knees and poked her head out of the tent to address Duncan. She still hadn't put on any pants and her tunic rode up her back as she stretched forward. Her skin looked so soft and pale, and he found it was leaving little to his imagination. Not that he didn't have a great imagination... but if he didn't get out of this tent soon, he was going to need a cold dunk in the river. For about an hour.
"With King Cailan?" Serena's voice was overly light. She, at least, sounded somewhat normal. Alistair shuddered to think what his voice would sound like right now. "What kind of meeting is it?"
Alistair picked up her discarded blanket and put it over his head, hopeful it would lower his rising blood pressure.
"We will be discussing strategy for the upcoming battle," Duncan was saying. "I am not sure why he has requested your presence, however. As soon as you are able, meet us in the clearing to the west of here, down the stairs." Duncan paused, and Alistair could hear him hand something to Serena. "I nearly forgot, this is for you. I shall see you both soon."
Serena scooted back into the tent and pulled the blanket off Alistair's head. "What did you have that on for?" she whispered.
Alistair shook his head, he could tell his face was still flushed. He shifted uncomfortably. "No pants," he said quietly, closing his eyes. "Do you hate pants or something? Do you hate me?"
"What?" Serena looked down, realizing she was sitting in her underwear still. "Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry!" She fumbled around the tent, searching for her leggings. "I... they have to be here somewhere, right? I'm so sorry, Alistair, I really didn't mean to-" She pulled her leggings from under the bedroll and quickly tugged them on, her slim body sliding into the thin fabric easily. Alistair shook his head, trying to get ahold of himself. Her cheeks were flushed pink as she smiled nervously at him. "Better?"
"No, not really," Alistair murmured, his head bowed and hands over his face. "I should go." He straightened his shirt, buttoning it back up. Oh, Maker, they both looked completely disheveled. It looked like they had spent the whole night... He sighed. "I'll meet you outside the tent in a bit, I just need a moment to myself."
"Then I'll go," she said, getting up. "This is your tent. I'll... I need to go clean up anyway." She blushed again and turned, crawling out of the tent. Alistair heard her footsteps disappear rapidly, it sounded like she was running.
Alistair sighed heavily, his eyes rolling. He fell back onto the bedroll in a heap. Two days with this girl and he was already knee deep into it. His fingers went to his temples and he massaged them gently. He needed to focus. He joined the Grey Wardens to fight darkspawn, not to fall in love with pretty girls who spent an inordinate amount of time in their underwear.
The thought of Serena in her underwear sent him into another wave of giddiness and he rolled over, putting his face into the pillow. He breathed deep, even the pillow still smelled like her... like elfroot and some kind of flower he had long forgotten the name of. There was no way he was going to get around thinking about her in here.
He pulled a comb through his hair, running his hands over it. Checking a small mirror, he noticed he would need a shave soon, but that could wait. His splint mail armor was still in one of the crates, so he grabbed it and took his time strapping it on. The routine helped rescue him from his infatuation, banishing the tawdry thoughts from his mind. As an afterthought, he picked up Serena's boots and left the tent, heading to the river.
The river was cold, but after the morning she'd had, it was a welcome relief to Serena. She scrubbed at her face, surprised at the amount of dirt that could accumulate on her in such a short period. She loosened out her long hair, leaning back and dunking it in the cool water. If the battle was soon, who knew when the next time she would get a chance to bathe would be? It whipped back as she straightened, and she wrung the thick mass out beside her back into the river.
Serena pushed herself back up off the bank, running her fingers through her hair in order to tame it. Her skin still burned from her earlier encounter with Alistair. Serena didn't know how she managed to embarrass herself at every turn around that man, but there it was, all the same. She twisted her hair into a chignon knot, like her mother had shown her, and tied it up. If she couldn't seem to act respectable, at least she could try her best to look the part.
"Why couldn't he be ugly... or stupid or something?" Serena sat by the river pouting, her feet dangling in the water as it rushed by. "No more silliness," she told herself softly. "Or else you're going to end up on the wrong side of one of those monsters swords for sure."
"Not if I can help it." Alistair stepped out from between two trees and set her boots at her feet. "I thought you might want these." Serena remained silent, watching him out of the corner of her eye, reluctant to look him in the face for fear she would humiliate herself again.
He stepped forward and leaned down, putting his hands in the cool water and cupping it to his face. His cheeks had returned to their normal color and he appeared to want to pretend as if the awkwardness of the morning hadn't happened. They sat for awhile in peaceful tranquility, both just staring out onto the river.
"Duncan gave me this," she said, breaking the silence. "He didn't explain what it was, though." She pulled out the small pendent on a thin silver chain and handed it to him. It bore the symbol of the Grey Wardens on the front. Alistair took the pendent and held it up.
"We take some of the blood left from the Joining," he said. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "We usually put it in a pendant. It's something to remind us... of those who didn't make it this far." He paused, looking over and catching her eye for the first time since... earlier. "Would you like me to..?"
She turned her back to him and he clasped it around her neck carefully. She felt his fingertips on her skin for just a moment and then they were gone.
"You wear another necklace I noticed," Alistair said softly.
"Oh, it's my mother's. It was, anyway." Serena pulled the locket out from the front of her tunic, leaning in to show Alistair. "Inside is dried honeysuckle... my father picked it for her on the day I was born." She flipped the locket over, running her thumb over the crest on the front. "The two laurels..."
"...Are the symbol of House Cousland," Alistair finished for her. "I used to have an amulet of my mother's, too." He sighed wistfully. "I... it broke, unfortunately." He put his hands to his neck and pulled out a matching Grey Warden pendent. "I still have this one, though."
"Is your mother still...?"
Alistair shook his head. "No, she died when I was born. I'm told she was very beautiful, though. She was a maid, in Redcliffe castle." He trailed his fingers in the water.
"And your father?"
"He's gone now, too. I... never really knew my parents. Duncan's really all I have now, as far as psuedo-family goes... and the Grey Wardens." He looked into her eyes and she saw the melancholy cloud over his normally cheery face. "Maybe we ought to get going. Don't want to keep a king waiting, now do we?"
Serena nodded, unsure if she should say anything. Even though her parents were now gone, at least she had memories of them she could call upon anytime she wanted. Alistair didn't even seem to have that. She pulled on her boots and followed him into the woods.
"Loghain, my decision is final." The king stood tall, his golden armor shining bright in the midday sun. He was glaring at another man that Serena vaguely recognized as the only other teyrn, now the only teyrn in Ferelden, General Loghain Mac Tir. "I will stand by the Grey Wardens in this assault."
They were leaning against a pillar next to the Revered Mother and another Circle mage, listening to the King and Teyrn Loghain rage at each other over tactics to use against the darkspawn in the night's battle. Duncan stood nearby, his face solemn as ever. Apparently this type of meeting was nothing new to him.
"You risk too much, Cailan!" Loghain's fierce eyes attempted to bore into the King's, and Serena exchanged an uneasy look with Alistair. "The darkspawn horde is too dangerous for you to be playing hero on the front lines."
"If that's the case, perhaps we should wait for the Orlesian forces to join us, after all," Cailan reasoned, turning on the furious general to glance down at the map they had stretched out on a table before them.
"I must repeat my protest to your fool notion that we need the Orlesians to defend ourselves!" Loghain pounded an armored fist on the table and Serena could see Cailan's eyes narrow disapprovingly.
"It's not a fool notion," the king spat back. "Our arguments with the Orlesians are a thing of the past..." He turned on the dark haired man, his mouth set in a grim line. "And you will remember who is king here."
Loghain put a hand to his head, as if speaking with this seemingly foolish man was a tiring thing for him. "How fortunate Maric did not live to see his son ready to hand Ferelden over to those who enslaved us for a century!"
Beside her, Alistair stiffened at this, his eyes transfixed on the two angry men. "You know, they both have a point," he murmured to Serena. "Our quarrel with Orlais should end at the crown, and not extend to the Wardens... we barely have any in Ferelden now..."
"Then our current forces will have to suffice, won't they?" Cailan sneered at his father-in-law's back and turned to face Duncan. "Duncan, are your men ready for battle?"
"They are, your Majesty," Duncan said, his eyes flicking over to Serena and Alistair.
"And there you are, Lady Cousland," the king said, smiling delightedly at Serena. His eyes flicked to Alistair briefly but otherwise, he did not seem to notice him. "I understand congratulations are in order."
"Thank you, your Majesty," Serena intoned, curtsying swiftly.
"Every Grey Warden is needed now. You should be honored to join their ranks." Cailan smiled at her again, and turned back to Duncan.
"Your fascination with glory and legends will be your undoing, Cailan," Loghain said from behind him. His mouth was set in a stern look as he regarded Serena and Alistair. "We must attend to reality."
"Fine," Cailan muttered, his good mood evaporated. He leaned over the map, Loghain coming to stand at his side. "Speak your strategy. The Grey Wardens and I draw the darkspawn into charging our lines and then...?"
"You will alert the tower to light the beacon, signaling my men to charge from cover," Loghain said, running his finger along the map while Cailan nodded.
"To flank the darkspawn, yes, yes, I remember. This is the Tower of Ishal in the ruins, yes?" The king paused, his brow furrowed. "Who shall light this beacon?"
"I have a few men stationed there," Loghain replied. "It's not a dangerous task, but it is extremely vital."
"Then we should send our best," Cailan responded, turning to Duncan. "Send Alistair and Serena, if you would, to make sure it is done."
"And here I thought he'd forgotten my name entirely," Alistair muttered darkly.
"So we won't be fighting in the battle?" Serena whispered to him. Beside her, Alistair simply shrugged, his eyes narrowed at the king.
"You rely on these Grey Wardens too much, Cailan!" Loghain sized up Duncan with his eyes, his mouth very near what could be called a sneer. "Is that truly wise?"
"Argh, enough of your endless conspiracy theories, Loghain!" Cailan declared. "The Grey Wardens battle the Blight. They fight darkspawn. It's what they do. No matter where they're from!"
"Your Majesty," Duncan began. His voice was quiet and calm compared to the other men. "You should consider the possibility of the archdemon appearing."
"There have been no signs of any dragons in the Wilds," Loghain scoffed, turning his back on the exchange.
"Yeesh, he sure is friendly, isn't he?" Alistair whispered to Serena. "Downright helpful."
"Isn't that what your men are here for, Duncan?" Cailan asked.
"I... yes, your Majesty." Duncan frowned, exchanging a dark look with Alistair.
Beside them, the Circle mage spoke up, his voice was high and snivelly. "Your Majesty, the tower and its beacon are unnecessary. The Circle of Magi-"
"We will not trust any lives to your spells, mage!" The Chantry mother called, her voice carrying a surprising amount of venom. "Save them for the darkspawn!"
"Enough!" roared Loghain, his temper finally loosening on them all. "This plan will suffice. The... Grey Wardens will light the damned beacon."
"Thank you, Loghain," the king said, a smile once again lighting up his face. "I cannot wait for that glorious moment! The Grey Wardens battle beside the king of Ferelden to stem the tide of evil!"
"Yes, Cailan," Loghain said blandly. "A glorious moment for us all."
Duncan signaled to Alistair and Serena to follow him and they left the meeting while the king and General Loghain continued finalizing plans with the Circle and Chantry.
"You heard the plan," he said quietly as they headed back to the Grey Warden camp. "You and Alistair will go to the Tower of Ishal and ensure the beacon is lit." He sighed heavily, as if dealing with the whims of the king was an obnoxious process, but a necessary one.
"Wait, so we really won't be in the battle?" Alistair exchanged glances with Serena who nodded at him encouragingly. "I thought we'd all be fighting on the front lines. Why can't one of Loghain's men do it? They're already there."
"This is by the king's personal request, Alistair. If the beacon is not lit, Teyrn Loghain's men won't know when to charge-"
"So he needs two Grey Wardens, and not just any two Grey Wardens, but us, specifically, up there holding the torch." Alistair snorted. "Just in case, right?"
"Well, it is out of our hands now, I'm afraid. If King Cailan wishes you two to ensure the beacon is lit, then Grey Wardens will be there." Duncan gave them both a significant look. "We must do whatever it takes to destroy the darkspawn... exciting or no."
"Pfft, I know what this is really about," Alistair said, his voice despondent. He held up a hand, motioning between himself and Serena. "We're being kept out of the front lines."
"Alistair, this is not the time..." Duncan began. It sounded like the beginnings of an old argument between the two of them.
"I get it, I get it." He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "Just so you know, if the king ever asks me to put on a dress and dance the Remigold, I'm drawing the line. Darkspawn or no."
"I rather think I'd like to see that," Serena teased him.
"For you, maybe," Alistair said, winking at her. "But it has to be a pretty dress. Maybe something cut above the knee..."
"It would be a shame to not show off those legs," Serena reasoned. They exchanged quick glances before both doubled over laughing.
"The Tower is on the other side of the gorge like you saw," Duncan said loudly, rolling his eyes. Serena could tell he wanted to smile but was holding himself back. "The way we came when we arrived, Serena."
She nodded, her face still broken into a huge grin.
"You'll need to cross the bridge, and head through the gate and up to the tower entrance." He pointed to the far end of the camp where Serena knew the bridge lead up the great tower. "From the top, you'll overlook the entire valley."
"When do we light the beacon?"
"We will signal you when the time is right. Alistair will know what to look for." Duncan waved to a tall Grey Warden as he passed. "You both should pack up your things, gather your hound from the kennel... the battle will begin soon. Once we leave, you will need to move quickly to the tower, you won't have much time."
"Could we join the battle afterwards?" Serena asked hopefully.
"I think it would be best if you stayed with the teyrn's men, and guard the tower. It would be diasterous for us all if the tower fell." Duncan paused. "If you are needed, we will send word. I want no heroics from either of you, though."
"With Loghain's men guarding the tower, we won't really be in any danger though, right?"
"Well, even the best-laid plans go awry, so do what you must. I trust you both."
"Just not enough to actually fight with the rest of you," Alistair added, rolling his eyes.
"There will be plenty of battles, Alistair," Duncan said with a smile, patting the young man on the shoulder. "Be patient. I must go join the others. From here, you two are on your own. But remember, you are both Grey Wardens, and I expect you to be worthy of that title."
Serena and Alistair both nodded. Serena curtsied, bowing her head to the Warden Commander. "May the Maker Himself guide your blades tonight, Duncan."
Alistair smiled at her quickly before turning to regard Duncan himself. "May He watch over you in your time of need."
Duncan smiled at them both, his eyes shining slightly. "May He watch over us all."