Chapter 44: The Lone Scout (Kallian)

For the second day, the Redcliffe group was wanding the Hinterlands, heading north. Kallian was bored. There were no darkspawn, no bandits, no pleasant company. Even sleeping with Faren on the first night after Lothering was a decision made only because of boredom. She has always had relationships only with elves before. But alas, in their large group, all of the other fellow elves preferred men: Theron and Tamlen have been together for a long time, and Neria is clearly attracted to Alistair. Even now, she had no one to just talk to: in front, Alistair was clumsily flirting with Neria, at the end of the line Daylen was chatting about something with Morrigan, in the middle the dwarves were talking quietly, and only Sten kept his distance from the interlocutors. Kallian tried to start a conversation with him.

- Listen, Sten, when our people found you, you were in a cage. What were you doing there?

- Sitting, as you might have observed, - muttered the Qunari.

- It's funny, but I'm talking about something else. Theron has managed to say that you were accused of killing eight people on the farm. Why did you do that?

- I can't tell. I was scared. I'm ashamed of it.

- Quiet, it seems we are not alone here! - Alistair said, stopping the movement of the group.

Near a distant farm they saw about a dozen of warriors in veridium armor. Their leader, with a winged helmet on his head, persistently knocked on the door.

- In the name of the regent, open the door! I know you are there! The locals betrayed you! - he shouted.

- Yes? And what did they tell you? - a male voice asked from behind the door.

- You openly slandered Teyrn Loghain and defended the Grey Wardens! It is a crime! The Bann will skin you!

- The Bann is not among you. And who will punish me? You and your iron brothers? Come on in.

The door opened and the leader of the squad stepped inside. Literally a second later, his severed head flew out of the doorway, and the door immediately closed again. One of the other warriors took command and pointed at the wagon that was nearby. The warriors approached it, took out torches and began to set them on fire.

- Let's go. We have nothing to do here, - said Morrigan. - Let them fight each other.

- Didn't you hear what they were talking about? - Alistair asked. - There is a Grey Warden supporter in the house and they are going to burn him alive. We should save him, but there are too many of them.

Daylen stepped forward.

- I have a plan, - the mage said. - Morrigan, Stan, Alistair, stay here and guard the merchants. Kallian, you know how to talk, go up to them and try to distract them. Warn the resident of the house to run away from the door and grab the wall. As soon as you hear the whistle, run as fast as you can. Neria, let's do that trick that I once taught you, shall we?

- Certainly. Storm of the Century, are you talking about it? - the elf asked.

Daylen nodded approvingly. Kallian put on a cloak to cover the provocative outfit and daggers, and after that she approached the house, one of the warriors noticed her and immediately took out a sword.

- Sorry, dear knights, I got lost, - Kallian said. - Where is Redcliffe?

The warrior with the sword silently pointed to the north. Kallian glanced at the severed head of their leader.

- What a beautiful helmet! And can I pick it up? Looks like this one doesn't need it anymore.

- Get out of here, you knife-ear beggar! - one of the soldiers shouted.

Kallian ducked and reached for the head. The warrior ran up to her, ready to attack. But the elf immediately threw off her cloak and pierced his stomach with both daggers. Having dealt with the first warrior, Kallian took a defensive stance against ten others who drew swords and axes and slowly walked towards her.

- Hey, you, what's your name? - she called to the resident of the house.

- Call me Liam! - she heard the answer from the other side of the door.

- So, Liam, run as fast as you can from the door. And grab onto the wall!

Kallian, hearing the whistle, rushed towards the mages and jumped to the ground. Daylen and Neria completed the spell. A huge dark cloud appeared above the convoy and a strong wind blew. Warriors lost their balance and flew up, receiving deadly lightning strikes or frostbite in a storm. The wagon and part of the house, along with the front door, were destroyed, hitting the very center of the storm. Kallian grabbed the ground and almost flew away herself, but fortunately, the spell ended in time.

Neria and Daylen ran up to the elf and helped her to her feet.

- You should have warned me! I could have died! - she shouted.

- Actually, we warned you, - Daylen said. - But I'm sorry, Neria and I miscalculated a little.

A fair-haired young man in the fur armor of a scout stepped out of the house. He had two axes.

- Well, you've just ruined everything here, - he said. - It's a good thing my brother Brhadan didn't see it.

- If we hadn't intervened, the house would have burned down, - Neria said. - They were going to set it on fire. What is your name?

- Liam Ainsley. As you can see, I live here.

- How do you feel about Loghain? - Daylen asked.

- After what has just happened, can't stand him.

- And what do you think of the Grey Wardens?

- You know, they are good guys. Last year, one of them saved us from the Blight wolves. His name was Duncan. I will never forget him. He found out where strange attacks on caravans were coming from. As it turned out, the darkspawn made a nest not far from here. Duncan destroyed it, and the attacks stopped. He invited me to his order, but I refused, because my father died of wounds, and I did not want to leave Brhadan alone.

- Wow. Duncan invited someone, not forcibly conscripted, threatening with prison, - said Kallian.

- Well, the Blight wasn't around then, so Duncan didn't use the Right of Conscription, - Neria pointed out.

- Wait. Do you know Duncan? Are you the Grey Wardens? - Liam asked.

- Yes, that is right. Unfortunately, Duncan died at the battle of Ostagar. My name is Neria, and these are Kallian and Daylen. Also with us at the wagon is Alistair and our non-Warden friends: Morrigan, Sten, Bodahn, and Sandal.

- I knew it! I believed that at least one of you would survive! When the people of the Bann began to say that it was you who killed the king, I spoke out against them. Tried to remind everyone how Duncan had stopped the darkspawn attacks last year. Apparently, the bann sold me out to the Teyrn's men.

- Listen, you know the area, - Daylen said. - Can you take us to Redcliffe?

- Yes, sure. I wanted to go there myself, I have a brother out there, but I haven't seen him for two months. But I have a condition.

- Speak.

- I want to join you and become a Grey Warden. Last time I didn't agree because of Brhadan, but now he's doing well, he has someone who can look after him, so I'm ready.

- Well, we can accept you. But there is a catch with the Joining ritual. We do not know how to conduct it, since we have not been in the order for long. But once we learn it, you'll be one of us, I promise you.

- Cool! Thank you! Give me five minutes and we'll go.

Liam ran into the house to collect everything he needed.

- Are you sure it's a good idea? - Kallian asked the mage. - It's one thing to just have him join our squad, but make him a Grey Warden? He may not survive the Joining.

- I would have turned him down if he hadn't mentioned Duncan, - Daylen replied. - You see, Duncan had a trained eye. Nine recruits have taken the Joining, Rahta, Jory and Graham don't count, and eight of those who took it are alive and well.

- All right, you're very reasonable.

Daylen and Neria went to the others to tell them about the newcomer who would show them the way. Kallian thought of Duncan. Maybe his actions were cruel, but he gathered their squad for a reason.