The New Neighbours
You very much do not want to neglect the Chasind - they will need a great deal of help to ensure they settle into their new environment. There is also Velkind's problematic desire for raiding and battle; even if it has settled for now, you do not want to leave the resentment from your banning of such practices to fester.
That is why Orundómë is carrying you towards the clearing with Velkind's village. You want to speak to him first, hopefully you can sway him in one or two short conversations. If not, you may have to spend what little time you have scheduled to settle the Chasind convincing him.
The village has begun to take shape in the time you have been gone. There is a rough fence around the outskirts and a few of the tents are being replaced with huts. Faster than Gladesville in some ways, but they do have more hands to work with.
As you ride through the village, you notice their reception of you lacks some warmth. Understandable though it is, you still find yourself annoyed. Were you the only person who could see that infighting amongst the forces of light only ever benefited the darkness? The Chasind are not even aware of your hypocrisy in forbidding them from attacking their fellow men.
Shaking off such thoughts like the useless chaff they are, you set about finding Velkind. The human is overseeing the construction of one of the huts. Given its central position and size, you suspect it is his own.
You shove down any criticisms or disapproval of his methods. Letting people rule themselves means not hovering over their shoulder and criticizing their decisions. If Velkind becomes a problem, you will deal with him, until then it is simply a stylistic difference.
"Velkind," You greet the human with false cheer, "May I speak to you alone?"
The Chasind looks at you cautiously, "I busy very, Brightstar. Is to take long time?"
After a pause to consider the matter, you decide there is no point in putting this off, "That depends on you. It should not take very long, but I cannot say for certain."
"I come, Brightstar," The chief says, grimacing slightly.
You lead the human away from the others. You suspect no small part of your problem was previously confronting him before his people. Humans are very strange about being perceived as not being in control of a situation.
"I want to talk about the raiding situation," You begin.
"We no raid! Whatever other clan say be lie!" Velkind protests, "Not dummy, we not fight you."
"I have received no claims that you have done so, nor do I doubt your honour," You soothe the man before he grows too angry.
You have to repeat yourself in simpler words, but once he understands Velkind seems happier.
While he is in a good mood, you explain, "I want to tell you why I told you not to raid. I do not want us to become enemies over this."
Velkind nods slowly, and you continue, "You must understand, what I desire is that all who dwell within this forest are as friends to one another. To aid each other in the face of our foes. We cannot do that if the Dalish are fighting the humans, who are in turn fighting each other. Do you understand?"
Velkind looks at you for a moment, "All no fight? All friend?"
You nod, "We are all foes of the darkspawn. I want us to unite in common cause, but I will not demand people to give up their independence for this. Thus, everyone must agree not to fight each other."
Velkind considers for a while then he nods, "I understand Brightstar. You not to worry, this clan keep word."
You cannot be certain how much your words have swayed him, but it seems that he no longer nurses resentment towards you for perceived favouritism.
There are many things the Chasind need. Better housing for one, which you could help with, but that would hardly be the best use of your talents. You could also link them up with the rest of the currently-a-hexagon-soon-to-be-an-octagon of trade; but that has a glaring problem in the way the Chasind and the Dalish would compete for business.
You decide that the best option is to introduce them to agriculture. You do not think they are as culturally tied to nomadic life as the Dalish, the permanent structures of their houses suggesting a degree of sedentary life. Even better, Endataurëo is already largely selling wine and mainly growing food to sustain itself, so there will be little competition.
Swiftly, you set about planning the most efficient use of your time; you need to find farmers, show them what kind of land works best, and they need tools and seeds to farm with.
Perhaps it might be best to begin with livestock production? You have not seen any hunting hounds, but you do have those Mabari sitting unused. No, you are getting too far ahead of what needs to be done. The first thing to do is to gather up willing volunteers.
Trying to be efficient can, ironically, cause inefficiency. There is a strong temptation to stay here and teach Velkind's tribe all they need to know, then move to Thea's tribe and start from the beginning, which would be a great waste of time but a functional path to starting both clans' agricultural endeavours.
You do not succumb to that temptation. Instead, you will have both groups assemble people they are willing to assign to the task. There is a reasonably distinct rock formation halfway between the villages, which will let you search for land to practice agriculture while both groups make their way to you.
"I have one more request," You inform Velkind, who responds with a wary look, "I have an idea that will make a lot of food, but it will need people who do not have another job."
"More food?" Velkind asks, "You take idlers and make big food?"
"Yes, but it will take time," You answer.
Velkind purses his lips. "I must need find people."
You point in the direction of the meeting place. "Send them in that direction until they find a large rock that looks like a shard of ice. I should be waiting there, but if not, I will meet them by noon."
Velkind looks in the direction you are pointing, then at the sun. After several minutes of thought, he nods and calls to one of his helpers.
"I have at rock by high sun," He tells you, "Hope to work."
"I would rather have those who are willing to learn," You reply, hoping you understood him correctly.
The same process plays out with Thea, but frustratingly slower due to the greater language barrier. Fortunately, Thea is usually more cooperative than Velkind, so you do not spend too much time beyond what it takes for her to understand.
When noon comes, you lean against the rock, patiently awaiting the Chasind's arrival as they near the meeting place. They seem to be coming from both directions, so hopefully the two clans will arrive together.
When you catch sight of the approaching humans, you nearly curse. In hindsight, it is obvious who would be sent. Those among the clansmen in a new environment who have nothing to do, would obviously be children.
Yet on second thought, you realise that this is actually better than you had feared. Though the humans are young, they are not so young as to be incapable of work, more within the period of rapid growth that Humans reach at some point in their second decade. The only question is what to teach them.
You survey the small horde of human children. There are a number of options available to you as far as teaching goes. You could give concrete examples, either to get them ready to farm or for demonstrative purposes. In the end you decide the best thing you can do is make sure they understand the principles.
The problem you face is how to explain said principles too them. Demonstration can take you through most practical skills, but words are needed to explain abstract concepts. The advantage of doing so will of course be that you will then not need to explain the concepts to the adults, so you need to figure out how to do so.
After a few moments of thought, you feel like hitting yourself in the head. There is an obvious first step to all of this.
"Does anyone here understand me?" You ask the assembled group.
There are a few awkward looks among the group, but a few hands are raised, and a few others nod. Unfortunately, a number of people seem to follow their fellows in raising their hands or nodding without understanding what is happening.
After pausing a few seconds to concoct a plan, you try a new strategy. "I want everyone who understands me to say 'hello'."
The cacophony of sound is the kind of thing that would be overwhelm most people, but you are not listening to the words. You watch whose mouths are moving and noting them.
"When I tap your shoulder, say your name." You instruct the group. "Those who understand the instruction, please tell those who do not."
You wait for the mutters to cease, then you walk to one of those who did not understand you. You place your hand on his shoulder and he says 'Garat'. You assume that is his name and move on to one of those who do understand you.
Once you know everyone's name, you gather the ones who speak your language together. You test each of them in turn until you find the one who speaks the language best. The girl in question is one of the younger members, named Hama. The dark skinned girl has hair that might be black, or a very deep brown and her large brown eyes are surprisingly kind.
Once you have sent everyone else back to the main group, you address her. "I am going to teach a lesson. I want you to translate what I say into your own language. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Brightstar." The girl replies seriously.
What follows is equal parts agriculture and language lesson. Teaching the students the vocabulary they need to understand your lesson side by side with explaining the principles of agriculture. It is to your advantage that farming is very simple in principle.
Once the lesson has ended, you have just enough daylight to arrange a quick test. You get each of the young humans alone and have them demonstrate how they would begin a farm. Since you have not demonstrated this, they must apply the principles you have taught them.
You would like to say that every single one of them entirely understood what you were asking of them and that the tests revealed that you had taught them perfectly. You cannot do so because that is not what happened. Some understood most of what you taught, others less and still others none.
As the students depart back to their tribes, you sigh. While you are confident you have sown the seeds of agriculture among the Chasind, you had hope you would be able to achieve more. Perhaps that is simply arrogance talking though, few would have been able to do what you have done. You should be content.
That does not stop you reviewing your lesson furiously for things you might improve.
The Soldier and the Prince
You have, almost in spite of yourself, found yourself with a free day. Tomorrow you will have to help with Martin's purchases and debrief Anneth, but today you have nothing to do. The morning passes uneventfully, and you are appreciating the relaxation.
In the afternoon, you are reviewing this week's expenses in your study when your door slams open. One of your scouts stands in the doorway, chest heaving.
"Sir!" He gasps out, "We've got incoming!"
Idly, you wonder if the One is subtly punishing you for your misdeeds by interrupting every moment of peace you find. Such idle musings are swiftly swept away beneath the focus of a Noldorin Prince.
"What did you see? How long do we have?" You ask crisply.
The man trips over his words in his haste to reply, "A column of men, about twenty, I think. Maybe half of them were in armour and the rest looked pretty well-to-do. There were a lot of banners but most of the guards' shields had a gold dragon on black, that was the biggest banner too."
That is comforting, if they are flying the Teyrn's banner you are likely not about to be attacked. You are also confident that you and your warriors can repel twenty men from the walls.
"You neglected to mention how long until they arrived," You remind the scout.
The soldier winces, but hurries to answer, "Sorry sir, they'll be here in a few hours, by evening at the latest."
Most people would spring out of their chairs and race to begin preparations at this point. You are experienced enough to know this is a mistake; 'you run and you will fall'1 as they say.
"I do not believe we are under attack, has Anneth begun any preparations?" You ask.
The scout shakes his head, "She and the others are elsewhere right now. We've only got the pickets. They're all here though."
"Excellent. Take the time to inspect and polish your amour. Be ready to receive guests, but if it comes to a fight stay close to the walls," You order.
When the man nods and departs, you turn your mind to the task of planning the reception of the lord of this land.
Your first task is to find your head of staff, who is Karla, though that is more through dint of experience than any official appointment.
"Karla, we are expecting Teyrn Loghaine to arrive in the next..." You pause to look at the sun, "Let us say two hours for safety."
The stout woman's eyes widen in shock, "The Teyrn? He's coming here? What have we done? Oh Andraste, we're not ready for something like that. What are we going to do?"
"Peace," You command, stilling her growing panic, "We focus on what we can do now; break out extra ingredients for tonight's meal, and have the spare rooms cleaned. The warriors can sleep in the barracks, but the nobles will expect rooms of their own. I will pull in the farmers to help with preparation, you focus on the rooms and leave one head cook to make sure everything gets done."
You end up having around three hours to prepare. The sun is just sinking beneath the treetops, but you managed. You did not have the staff or the time for anything truly special, but you would not be ashamed of what you had managed. It may only be what is expected of you, but it is no less than that.
As the Teyrn's party makes the last leg, you finish briefing your staff on protocol.
"…When in doubt just call them 'My lord'. Finally, remember that you work for me and not them, so be deferential but if they ask for something beyond the scope of your duties, report to me," You state.
The gates open and you bow shallowly to the Teyrn. He swings off his horse and looks about the welcome you have prepared in the short time you had to do so.
Given the time constraints, you had decided that the best kind of welcome was what you knew best. If it was good enough for the high kings of the Noldor, it was good enough for this human noble.
Thus you have only your guards in their freshly polished armour and a single housekeeper, Karla, with you. There are no trumpets or celebrations, merely some salutes from the warriors.
The Teyrn is dressed much as he was last when you saw him: Heavy plate armour, joined by an arming sword and a heater shield. He would not look out of place among your heavy infantry, save for the quality of the armour in question. He glances over your dismounted horsemen, eyes lingering on weapons and armour approvingly.
"Welcome to Endataurëo, Teyrn Loghaine. I was not expecting your arrival," You greet the lord of the land.
"Nelyafinway," The Teyrn nods at you, "This is a surprise inspection. Given the unusual circumstances of your elevation, I'm sure you understand."
"I suppose there has also been concern raised from the Chantry?" You speculate.
Given the way Loghaine's face tightens in anger, your speculation is completely accurate.
"We're wasting time," The human growls, "Show me around, then we ride for this Glensdale, or whatever it was called."
You quickly plan an itinerary for this inspection. "Of course. Please follow me; I will show you our fields and wine press, then we will briefly cover the mystical defences. Do you wish to meet my Dalish contact and resident mage?"
"Yes," Loghaine commands.
"Very well. Karla, please take anyone who does not wish to join the tour to their rooms, then tell Merrill to meet us at the wine press," You order, "Would you like to ride to Gladesville immediately afterwards, or would you prefer to rest from your journey?"
Loghaine looks at you for a moment, then nods to himself. "Inspection first, then I'll meet this elf, dinner, sleep and we ride for your village in the morning."
To your immense relief, most of the human nobles are far too tired from the journey to join the inspection. You expect they will spend the entire time here attempting to make a good impression on Loghaine – which means more power jockeying than you would consider strictly polite, or necessary.
The inspection of your home and meeting with Merrill go smoothly. Loghaine is interested in your fields' unusual production, but shortly after your explanation begins, he stops you.
"Write it down and send it to me. I'll have someone look into it," He says gruffly.
"I can explain it more simply if you wish," You offer, as you would to any of your cousins.
Loghaine looks at you with anger flashing in his eyes, but you are ready to soothe the human's pride. "When teaching a subject for the first time, it is easy to assume base knowledge that is rarer than the teacher thinks."
Your words mollify the Teyrn, but he remains uninterested in the mechanisms, only caring for the results.
Merrill's meeting is similarly easy to manage, the young elf clearly nervous and trying to hide it, which ironically puts the Teyrn at ease.
"What made you decide to stay with a human?" Loghaine interrogates without tact.
"Um, Well, while he was staying with us, my clan, that is, he started teaching me. Uh, actually I asked him to teach me, and well I wasn't going to waste effort…" Merrill trails off as Loghaine turns away, clearly dismissing her.
"You lived with the Dalish? How?" He glares suspiciously at you.
"I arrived here through magical means, Merrill took an interest in the travel method and given her high position in the clan, she was able to keep me safe," You explain.
"Magical travel?" Loghaine asks.
Anticipating his thoughts you inform him, "It sends you to a random location, and thus has no military applications."
Technically not a lie, as you had no intent of coming here nor knowledge it was possible, it might be more accurate to say that you did not control the destination. The manner you phrased it seems to have been successful though as the Teyrn promptly loses interest.
Dinner goes quite well. The wine is excellent, the food is good. You spend the evening speaking to the Teyrn, subtly ignoring the attention-seeking nobles. Loghaine proves to be the kind of old soldier that never truly left his youth behind him, quick to relay tales of valour and courage long past.
"Then the bloody madman leapt onto my shield!" Loghaine chuckles, not drunk but much cheerier from the wine, "Had to pull my knife and stick him that way. Nearly lost the damn shield."
"Truly?" You ask, unimpressed but acting the opposite out of courtesy, "Whatever could have possessed him to do that?"
"You'd be surprised what people will do when they're about to die," Loghaine remarks.
"Well do I know the strength of desperation; I simply wonder at the thought process that made him decide to grab the only arm unable to stab him," You reply.
Loghaine lets out a loud guffaw, the nobles around you joining him sycophantically.
The inspection of Gladesville is something you have no desire to recollect in detail. The nobles are constantly angling for Loghaine's attention, and you spend most of your day fending off poorly crafted barbs about your competence and your race. The fact that you are not an elf, and that you hail from far away does not stop the humans from comparing you to the local oppressed population.
Fortunately, Loghaine seems to be as uninterested in their political opinions as he is in your technical explanations. He inspects Gladesville, mutters supply figures under his breath and walks away content.
"That's exactly what I was expecting. Better be careful, they're pretty close to the edge of starvation," He cautions.
"The Dalish exchange meat for raw leather, it covers any deficits for now," You explain, though Loghaine waves your explanation away.
"Anything else I need to see?" He asks.
You consider not mentioning the Chasind, given their tense relationship with Ferelden, but you dare not leave them entirely unmentioned in case they are discovered later.
"I have a few other villages I am establishing from similar persons. They are still in their early stages though," You say carefully.
"More bandits?" Loghaine asks, having heard the story from one of the original inhabitants.
"Some would describe them as such," You reply diplomatically.
"Make sure they're not a problem outside the forest, and it's fine," Loghaine decides, "Now, you and I are going to ride that way for a bit, and then we're going to have a talk."
You turn to the warriors who accompanied you. "Watch our esteemed guests. I would not want them wandering into the forest and being accidentally harmed."
That you do not want them setting fire to Gladesville to make you look bad goes unstated, but well understood by all who have ever stood guard in the village.
You follow Loghaine away from the group, off the road and into the trees, keeping an eye out for webs or trees that are a little too humanoid but spotting none. By the time you have come to a stop, you can see Loghaine giving you a measuring look.
"Cailan says you're some kind of foreign Grey Warden. I'd say you're a conman, but I know a soldier when I see one. So, tell me. What are you? What's your experience with darkspawn?"
In hindsight, you should have expected this moment. It would have been wildly inappropriate for none of the king's men to doubt your story. Loghaine demanding proof is an entirely sensible decision. In truth, you respect that he has chosen to confront you on the matter, it speaks to a level of diligence that you believe appropriate for a noble.
Your first instinct is to detail the discoveries you have made about the darkspawn. It has the advantage of being directly relevant, and provable. There are two reasons you reject that approach.
Firstly, you have little to share given that you have only studied the darkspawn for a few weeks. You do not want to be accused of lying because you only know things that are common knowledge.
Secondly, it does not answer the first question he asked. He asked you about your experience, and that means talking about Beleriand. If you do not establish yourself as an experienced commander you will likely be forced to watch as the humans make mistakes you could have avoided with more involvement.
The more you think on the matter, the more convinced you are of the need to explain Beleriand. Given that the Teyrn seems a sceptical man by nature, you will have to be very careful with what you include, as he will likely dismiss any claims of other worlds, but it is nothing beyond your abilities.
"I confess that I am uncertain how much of my knowledge will transfer over to ordinary humans." You begin cautiously. "Nobody I fought beside had to worry about the corruption of darkspawn blood for example."
Loghaine rolls his eyes. "Yes, I've heard it all before. Grey Wardens are immune to the taint, they're the heroes and the only ones to end the blight."
"I was never part of an organisation called the Grey Wardens, though the comparison is apt in some ways." You continue, acting as though you had not noticed Loghaine's disdain. "I would not take my experience as representative of a Grey Warden."
"Stop avoiding the question before I lose my temper." Loghaine states flatly.
You had not been avoiding the question, but you choose not to mention that. "I began my service against the darkspawn fighting in my father's army. We swiftly found that the creatures preferred to avoid the light of the sun if possible."
Loghaine raises an eyebrow. "Is that why they prefer to remain in the deep roads unless there's a blight?"
The question does not sound like it is one he wants answered, so you continue your tale. "After the initial battles drove them into a stronghold we could not penetrate, I held the fortress of Himring. We fought regular skirmishes until reinforcements allowed us to tear their stronghold down. Shortly thereafter I arrived in this land."
"A convenient story, and one that cannot be verified." Loghaine observes neutrally. "One might wonder if you're wasting my time."
"You asked after my experience, and I have provided it. I could detail the battles I fought. Would you care to hear of the time my plans went wrong, and my best friend died attempting to see it through?" You ask, letting the weight of a century's grief colour your words.
Loghaine looks at you for a long time. You can see the wheels turning in his head, trying to discern how he can prove or disprove the things you are telling him.
Eventually he scoffs and turns away. "This is a waste of time. Tell me what you know of the darkspawn."
"Mostly things you have likely already heard. Their blood has corruptive properties and should not be ingested." You begin. "They a numberless and fear the light."
Loghaine is clearly irritated, but you feel it is important to stress this point. "There is no end to an orc horde. You will begin killing at dawn and by sunset you will have barely made a dent in their numbers. When they are musted beneath something that can rally their fractious nature and overcome their natural cowardice, they are fearsome foes."
"Orcs?" Loghaine asks. "Haven't heard that one before."
"I have noticed differences in the strains between here and my homeland." You explain. "Orcs are somewhere between the tall and the short humanoids in terms of power and stature. The trolls of my home also lack the characteristic horns of the ones in this land. I suspect it has to do with a difference in base materials."
"Are you suggesting that darkspawn are ordinary people corrupted by blood?" Loghaine asks sceptically.
"I am not suggesting it, it is simply the truth." You reply seriously. "I have seen people recognise friends in the horde. If you want my advice, do not be captured death is far more preferable."
Something in your tone unnerves Loghaine, though he does an admirable job of hiding it. "If I were to ask how to fight them, what would you suggest?"
"I would immediately ask a great number of follow up questions." You answer without hesitation. "Army composition, terrain in question, enemy objectives, your objectives and more still. I cannot advise if I do not know all the variables."
Loghaine gives you a pleased look. "Just give me your general advice for what works against them."
Having passed whatever test the Teyrn had in his head, you give a completely honest answer. "Our solutions were twofold. First, you will never match the hordes in numbers, so you must have troops without compare. Discipline and cooperation are key, as the forces of darkness fight as many individuals and can be overcome by a stout battleline. Second, if you can fight in advantageous terrain, you must do so. If you cannot, you must make some."
"That sounds very simple." Loghaine notes. "Almost elementary."
"You are assuming this is best practice." You rebut. "It is necessity. The horde will win any war of attrition. They will wear down any battle line or drag down any collection of individuals. Your shield wall MUST be immovable, you MUST have every possible terrain advantage, or defeat is certain."
The Teyrn says nothing, merely turning his horse back to the others and riding in silence. The entire time he remains within your lands he is contemplative. Your words have clearly given him much to think on, and he decides to ride on rather than stay for another meal.
1 Noralyë ar taltuvalyë – Noldorin saying, roughly equivalent to 'haste makes waste'