Chapter 41: Reinforcements from Orlais (Faren)
It's already dark. The group slowly walked through the dark forest, looking for a suitable place to spend the night. Sereda suddenly stopped everyone.
- I hear something! - she said. - Something like…
Genlock assassins appeared in front of the group, shooting everyone with their bows. Sereda took out her shield and began to cover the merchants and mabari. Neria ran forward and cast some kind of spell on Theron and Alistair, speeding up their movements. The former templar immediately began to cover the elves with his shield. Daveth tried to shoot at one of the genlocks, but missed, and Elissa saved him from a return shot, pushing the unlucky thief away. Leliana managed to shoot two of the attackers, while Sten and Aedan fearlessly rushed after the enemy archers. Several Blight wolves attacked from behind, Kallian tried to protect the mages, but she was knocked down by one of the animals. Roderick and Faren rushed to their aid, but there were more and more.
- I need time! Delay them! - Morrigan shouted.
She began to cast a spell while Daylen, Faren and Roderick covered her. The swordsmen managed to cut through a couple of wolves that were preparing to jump on Morrigan. Daylen saved Kallian by striking the wolf that attacked her with lightning. Suddenly Morrigan evaporated, leaving her clothes and staff on the ground. A large gray wolf jumped out of her clothes and began to gnaw the throats of all the enemies.
- Don't shoot! I think I know what's happening, - said Daylen, stopping Leliana and Daveth who were aiming at the wolf.
After the wolf defeated all the attackers, it became the familiar witch of the Wilds. But since her clothes were left on the ground after turning into a wolf, Morrigan was naked. Not afraid of the looks of everyone who had fought off the wolves from the back of the wagon train, the witch began to pick up her things from the ground and dress up.
- I'm not ashamed of your attention, - Morrigan said. - I am what I am. I have nothing to be embarrassed by.
Although Faren preferred the curvier dwarven girls, he could understand why Kallian, Roderick, and especially Daylen looked at the dressing witch in such fascination.
Soon Aedan and Sten returned.
- The archers are dead, - said the young Cousland. - But we heard someone screaming in that direction. We'd like to see what's going on.
- It's dangerous to go alone, - Sereda replied. - Aedan, take Kallian, Theron, and Faren with you. See what's happening there. We will stay here and wait for you.
Aedan nodded his head and went with three other Wardens to investigate. They came to the edge of the forest, where a female dwarf in a frilly blue-and-red suit fought off the darkspawn with her greatsword. After splitting two hurlocks in half, the dwarf jumped on the ogre, killing it with a couple of blows to the head. As eight more hurlocks were surrounding her, the Wardens charged in, killing them all. After defeating the creatures, the dwarf approached the bodies of a human and an elf lying nearby and took a couple of things from them. Faren said to her:
- Hey, we've just saved your life!
The dwarf rose to her feet and turned to her rescuers. Faren could not believe such a coincidence. The dwarf had short hair, like Leliana's, but dark, and her face had the brand of the casteless.
- You've masterfully dealt with them, - said the dwarf. - Grey Wardens, I presume?
- And who's asking? - Callian asked warily.
- Adela Tolmi, - the stranger introduced herself. - The Orlesian Grey Warden, from Jader.
- My name is Aedan and these are Faren, Kallian and Theron, we are some of the last Grey Wardens of Ferelden. Why haven't you come to Ostagar and helped the king?
- We were detained at the border by the order of Teyrn Loghain. I had to cross the Frostback Mountains through one secret passage. As you can see, only I survived.
- You're branded, but I didn't see you in Dust City, - Faren said. - Where are you from?
- Orzammar is not the only dwarven thaig, - Adela replied. - I am from Kal-Sharok. But if you think that right now I will tell a total stranger the story of my life just because he is also branded, then you are greatly mistaken.
- You are so charming...
- I saw that there was a ghoul with these darkspawn. Let's find and kill it. It must not be allowed to escape and infect someone with Blight.
The four Wardens nodded their heads and followed Adela. They surrounded a bald ghoul in dark brown tattered clothes who didn't even try to attack them. Adela drew her sword and was about to strike, but Theron stood between her and the ghoul.
- Don't you even dare, - he said. - I know him.
- You better listen to him, - Kallian added. - Or else.
Adela obeyed and removed her weapon.
- Lethallin... Have you come for me, lethallin? - the ghoul asked uncertainly.
Theron turned around and immediately hugged him.
- Yes, Tamlen. I'm here with you, - he said, barely holding back tears. - And so it will always be, my lethallin. Whatever happens to you, I will heal you. I promise.
- Yes… - Tamlen replied. - Stop the singing… in my head…
- Theron, you're only postponing the inevitable, - Adela said.
- She's right, - Aedan supported her. – Theron, if you want, I will do it quickly.
- It's not for you two to decide! - Kallian was outraged.
- I said I will heal Tamlen, and I will heal him, - Theron said.
- Well, whatever you say, - said Adela. - But if he starts attacking any of us, I will kill him myself. If there are non-Wardens in your squad, then Tamlen must not contact them under any circumstances.
- The two of us will walk at a distance from the group, behind everyone.
- Well, then let's go? I can't wait to meet the rest of the Fereldan Grey Wardens.
Faren led the group forward, but the two elves were delayed and began to walk away from the rest. The casteless really wanted to get to know the Orlesian Warden better and believed that he would soon have such an opportunity.