Chapter 33: The Defeat (Faren)
The battle proceeded exactly as Faren had envisioned. The horde was too huge, and the army could hardly cope with it. About twenty warriors from the king's elite were already dead. One of the female Grey Wardens was seized by the hurlocks by the arms and legs and dragged into the forest. It was a terrible sight to see. Their squad had to retreat to one of the gorges, but even there they were pursued by the darkspawn.
- How many more are there? - Aedan asked irritably, hacking his way through the hurlocks.
- Stone take them, I've never seen so many even in the Deep Roads! - said Sereda, finishing off another genlock alpha.
- Daylen, have you finished the spell? - Kallian shouted to the mage.
- I have! Step aside!
Everyone began to run away from the place of accumulation of the darkspawn, knowing what would happen now. Aedan picked up Faren, who had been lagging behind the rest, and threw him away from the enemies. Fen was the last to run out of the range of the upcoming spell.
- Hey, can't you be more careful? - the dwarf screamed.
Daylen summoned a storm over the heads of the darkspawn. They began to flee in panic, but each of them received a lightning strike. When the storm subsided, there were no more living hurlocks and genlocks.
- Got it, you stupid Blight bastards? - Faren shouted.
- Look, the tower is on fire! Theron said.
Everyone looked to the horizon. The signal has been given. Alistair and the others have done their job. But why doesn't anything change?
- I've noticed that, Alistair lit the beacon on the tower about ten minutes ago! - Callian said. - Why isn't Loghain here?
- We must find the king and Duncan! Follow me! - Sereda shouted.
Everyone ran after the dwarf to the center of the battle, killing all the hurlocks and genlocks that they met on the way. When they reached the center, they saw how a large darkspawn crushes Cailan with its hand and throws his bloodied body against the fortress wall. Even Aedan and Kallian, who despised the king, were upset and opened their mouths in shock.
- No! We are too late! - Theron said bitterly.
- It's not too late, we can still save Duncan, - Daylen replied.
- We will grieve for the king later! To arms! - Sereda commanded.
The Wardens saw how the heavily wounded Warden-Commander, with the last of his strength, jumped on the ogre and left his sword and dagger in its skull. The hurlock leader was already running up to Duncan, brandishing his axe, but Theron's well-aimed arrow stopped it. The dwarves, Aedan and Kallian surrounded their mentor and began to fight the darkspawn that ran at them. Theron and Daylen lifted Duncan, but he could not walk a single step on his own, he had to rely on the elf and the mage.
- The battle… the battle is lost, - said the elder Warden. - We need to retreat.
- But where? - Daylen asked. – They are everywhere!
- Kallian, grab Duncan! There is one cave in which we can hide. I'll show you the way! - Theron said.
The elf listened to him and stood at Duncan's side instead of the Dalish. Sereda issued orders.
- Theron, you and Fen lead! Daylen, Kallian, carry and protect Duncan. I will walk from the left flank, Aedan from the right. Faren, protect the rear.
The squad ran as fast as they could to the west, where this cave was located. They had to run fast, as the darkspawn could appear any minute. Faren was thinking. Apparently the surface isn't all that different from Orzammar. At home, Sereda was betrayed by his own brother, and here the father-in-law left the king to be torn to pieces by the darkspawn. Faren himself was disgusted even by the thought of betraying a family member, but he understood that not everyone thinks like him.
When they found the cave, Duncan fell down near it.
- I... can't walk anymore, - he said with all his strength. - Go without me.
The Warden-Commander coughed up blood.
- It's a pity that Neria is not with us, she would have saved you, - said Daylen.
- It doesn't matter... - Duncan replied. - Alistair has the treaties… Use them! Now run! Quickly!
Theron, Fen, Aedan, Daylen, Sereda, and Kallian took turns saying goodbye to their mentor and entered the dark cave.
- Faren, stop, - said the dying Duncan.
- What's the matter? - the dwarf asked.
- You must know. Only the Gray Wardens... can defeat the archdemon. Take care of the others... One of you will have to...
Suddenly, an arrow hit Duncan's shoulder. This meant that the darkspawn had found them.
- Run! - he shouted.
Faren was the last to enter the cave and found the others by the fire on Daylen's staff. Aedan, Kallian and Sereda found a large boulder and blocked the entrance to the cave with it.
- What will we do next? - Daylen asked. - We have no food, there is not enough air here.
- It's still better here than outside, - Theron remarked.
- Maybe there is a way out at the other end of the cave. Let's find him, - said Sereda.
The Wardens went down the narrow passage, hoping to find a way out. An hour later, they were unexpectedly lucky, and Fen was the first to run out of the cave into the dark forest, followed by the others.
- There you are! Your mother will be pleased that I found you, - Faren heard a female voice.
A dark-haired girl in black and red rags jumped out from one of the trees. Faren and Theron drew their weapons, mistaking her for an enemy.
- The sullen daughter of the elves is here, and the handsome mage, Daylen is his name, - she said. – And also four Wardens that are not familiar to me. Although you look like a girl who came to us at noon, - she pointed her finger at Aedan.
The elf and the dwarf calmed down and put away their weapons. Faren glanced at Daylen, who was clearly blushing.
- When did you manage to get a girlfriend here? - the dwarf asked.
- Girlfriend? That's loudly said, it's only our second meeting, - the mage answered.
- I see that you know two of us, witch, - Theron said. - Tell us who you are and what you want.
- My name is Morrigan, - the stranger replied. - Your friends have seen us. A little later, my mother told me to guard the exit from the cave. Said the Gray Wardens will be here. Said they will need help. And here I am.
- Do you offer help? It will be useful to us, - Sereda said.
- And we'll need food, too, - Faren added. - I haven't eaten anything in six hours!
- Follow me. Mother will tell you everything, - said Morrigan, turning around and walking into the depths of the forest.
- You can trust her, - Daylen said. - Let's go with her.
- Just because she's gorgeous doesn't mean we should trust her, - Faren answered.
- We have no choice, - Aedan said. - We'll follow her, but let's stay alert.
The surviving Wardens and Fen followed Morrigan, hoping for help and a place to stay at night.