"Hold on. It will be a while before we have enough supplies before we set off."
Along the Cannock's Coast of the Amaranthine Arling. Month 6 - Justinian 9:32 Dragon.
On the other side of the Waking Sea, Lady Deedolit Swiftleaf rode towards the city of Amaranthine with the King of Ferelden.
The path they took was relatively free from troubles. A bandit or two lay in wait. Nothing the King's guard couldn't handle. Though this time it littered with several contingent groups of Darkspawn that, in hindsight, should have slipped off into the Deep Roads after the fall of the Archdemon.
When the Orlesian Wardens turned away at the border after Ostagar, there were none to save the land. Save two surviving Ferelden Wardens, they knew they needed to rebuild quickly.
The newly crowned King opened the borders once again, just after the defeat of the Old God. As his father had done thirty years prior, with two centuries of banishment before Maric's rule. Letters sent with letters returned explaining what took place.
Leaderless Ferelden held three Wardens. One fell into a coma, one a King, and the other sent to Orlais for training and notice to send recruits. Now it stands that a new Warden-Commander will help rebuild. That honor would have fallen to Lady Deedolit's daughter, Warden Deedolett Swiftleaf - Surana, as the Circle surnamed her. Who was not of Ferelden, or anywhere on Thedas.
Unheard of a non-Warden to lead them. Though when it was suggested for one of the Orlesian Commanders to come forth, Alistair brought up the soon to be Acting Warden-Commander of Ferelden, was better suited, explaining the lingering tensions of Orlesian leaders he will try to make peace with.
The First Warden and his next ranking official had no time for the petty squabbles. It was allowed, and so she is to meet with recruits as well as the Wardens from Orlais on the seventeenth of Justinian for the official ceremony.
As they raced through the farmlands along the northern coast, the large stone marker engraved with arrows pointed towards the direction of Vigil's Keep, and the opposite towards the City of Amaranthine.
"Alistair, pardon my informality," Deedo smirked. "Please head to the city to gather any information and see what we can do to help the people?"
Alistair surprised many by throwing himself into his studies at the insistence of Lady Swiftleaf. Alistair was shadowing his adoptive mother, her mannerisms. In the short time, he was gaining popularity. Though there were several who doubted the unknown Theirin was worthy of the crown, he proved he was much more capable than they credited him.
The young king nodded, smiling. "There have been many reports of refugees from the south unable to return home."
Deedo nodded. It was what she read. "The faster we can rid the land of the taint, the better." With the supplies that have shipped out already for rebuilding, they would send word if need be to Xellexes so he would gather more to wherever Deedolit was needing it most.
Soldier's Peak was being cleaned for more Wardens to take watch as they were going to be housed there. Now Vigil needed its commander. "See you in a bit, my son. Bring me good news! Yah!" She turned her horse towards the Keep.
In the past several months, doing his best to rule the kingdom with a fair and even hand. He proved quite popular with his people, his humor, effortless grace winning them over as much as his willingness to sneak out of the castle and mingle in the lower-class taverns occasionally. With his mother abetting his sneaking off.
Today was not so different. Plainclothes, he rode to the wall of Amaranthine, his guard at a respectable distance. He would go alone into the city to gather information. Dismounting his horse, walked to the city gates. It looked as if the Darkspawn attacked. Ramshackle buildings could not even be called such. It was with its stone and mortar, yet all the homes seemed run down. They littered the path leading to the city itself. Beggars mingled with the refugees, all seeking coin for their next meal or drink. Children giggling, running about in tattered, filthy clothing. This was the jewel of Amaranthine? What Arl Howe held?
"These poor people." Alistair thought to himself.
"Hold, let me check your bags for any smuggled goods."
Alistair smiled. "I assure you I have none."
Imperial Highway road to The Vigil.
No titles, no guardsmen, as Deedolit traveled along the road to her destination. She wanted to see how they went about their day. Will they be as what Alistair and Olett said? For Fereldens, she is sure. The times she's broken bread with them, they would find amusement to break the bleak world of sadness. These people were from Orlais. What Maric wrote of those Wardens, they were not all like Meghren's men.
In her musings, she caught sight of an armored person with a rucksack slung over their shoulder, humming a tune as she walked. In their own world, Deedolit watches, dismounting as she walks next to the female.
The young woman paced. Heading back towards the Keep to turn around to walk the path away. The faint smell of sweets carried around the armored woman. Her stomach grumbled. "I should have eaten before heading here." She rubbed her stomach.
"I have some sweet baked goods if you wish?"
The girl nearly fell out of her armor from the fright. Deedo reached for her hand. "My apologies! I meant not to frighten you. You did not hear my approach?"
"Maker, I did not!" The girl chuckled.
Deedo pulled from her pocket wrapped sweet bread. Handing it to the girl.
Taking it, she smiled her thanks. Her eyes went wide as she tasted the flaky pastry filled with a berry jam.
She could only express her gratitude with the soft hums of delight. Deedo smiled as they continued.
"I mean not to interrupt your treat, perhaps you are heading to Vigil's Keep?"
The young woman nodded, then swallowed. "Yes, I am a recruit, yet to take my Joining." She nibbled a bit more on the delicious bread. "I thank you for this."
Deedo listened. She heard what the girl said. "You are welcome." As she listened, the area felt different. "It is awfully quiet, yes?"
There should have been more people on the road. It seemed as if the entire way held its breath. A dark cloud settled over the Keep as it came into view. Not a sound, no birds, no creatures that inhabited going about.
For the past few months, the Keep has been under the watch of the Grey Wardens of Orlais, bringing in new recruits for the ones that fell at the ill-fated battle of Ostagar.
Coming closer, still nothing stirred in the surrounding wood. The feeling bodes ill.
"What is your name, recruit?"
"Mhairi ma'am"
"D'edolit, Acting Warden-Commander."
Mhairi gasped. "Ma'am!"
As the blighted lands healed and the Grey Wardens slowly rebuilt the order in Amaranthine, they discovered that the fight against the darkspawn was not yet complete.
Although the horde routed and should have dissolved upon the archdemon's death, many of the more powerful darkspawn survived to organize roving war bands that preyed both upon the land and upon each other.
For centuries, the Grey Wardens, sworn to unite and defend the lands—have been battling the darkspawn forces.
The history states that slaying the Archdemon would have put an end to the darkspawn threat for centuries to come, but somehow they remain.
The culling began.
The City of Amaranthine gates.
The Constable let Alistair through. Aidon had apologized for the forceful way the guard spoke to him. The crime in the city was worse than it had been in previous years. There was a den of smugglers, he was certain, and it was hard to catch even one of them. They had not enough men to look further than they already did.
"With the refugees from the Southern Bannorn, it is hard to keep eyes on everyone." Constable Aidon said.
Alistair felt agitated. He was hearing what Constable Aidon was saying, though he heard nothing at all. Alistair felt uncomfortable. Visibly, it showed.
"Ser." Aidon interrupted the young man's daydreaming.
Absently answering turned to leave. "Yes, crime an issue. I will send guards to aid."
Aidon was confused. "Ser?" What would a commoner do with guardsmen?
Alistair closed his eyes. "I will let the Warden-Commander know. Excuse me." First time alone, he slips. He could no longer rid himself of the feeling that there was something dreadfully wrong.
Mounting his horse, he breezed past the Royal guard on the city outskirts.
His guard captain mounted his steed after the king. Alistair rode fast, he in a panic, his stomach twisting in knots. A few men running the same path were heading for him, bloodied with torn clothing. From what he could see.
"Woah - ah!" the horse reared, throwing Alistair hard to the ground. Getting to his feet quickly, he hurried to check the small group who he nearly trampled. "Ser, are you well?"
One man in his arms opened his eyes. Horror took place. "They overran the Keep. Hundreds of them!"
Alistair paled. The Darkspawn attacked. His blood ran cold. He lay the man down, gathering his horse, shouted after the approaching guardsmen. "Look after them, catch up!" The king shouted behind him.
"Yes, your Majesty!" The captain waved several to follow as others tended to the bloodied fighters.
The roof of Vigil's Keep.
They had cleared the lower levels of the keep from awaiting darkspawn, Mhairi, Oghren, Anders, and Deedo. There were many survivors hidden in smaller and side rooms. When they cleared, they sent them out to the courtyard.
"The King will be on his way." The Lady reassures them.
The roof, where they were directed from a man Mhairi knew. Now they sat as they listened in on the conversation around the wall. As the others looked amongst themselves in disbelief. Deedo remembered there was such a thing. She hoped to not take the dying man's words. "A Darkspawn that talks."
Holding her side, she winced. Anders was busy healing the wound. When she heard a scream, she looked to see the Monster kick the boy he backed to the edge of the high wall. Her hand whipped out, but it was too late. Brushing the healer away, she approached.
"Enough! How dare you." The Beguiler growled out. "He pleaded for his life and you dare to extinguish it!" She felt the fury rising in her.
Its death-coated eyes stared as if she were not there. Face wrinkled with decay, twisted once a man. Showed decayed teeth that were rotten and sharp. "Capture Grey Wardens, kill these inferior beings."
The three that held the man bound, she noticed, had been shoved aside at the command of the leader. 'When did they not need a dragon to lead them? When did they capture?'
"You knew, and know, they would slaughter your kind in sight for showing yourselves on the surface!" A glowing shield blocked an incoming attack on her left. 'Heartless creatures compare to the Orcs.'
Doubling, her skin took a diseased color, her hair once the color of the moon tinted pitch. A guttural roar came from her. She was massive, kicking the one who lunged in the chest. The imprint of her enormous foot was in its caved chest as it flew over the wall like the boy did.
"Capture!" she screamed.
Another roar she charged after the remaining two. Summoning a hammer, she swung in a mighty arch, hitting the creature in the head shattering its skull.
The last head was in her hand. Her orange-yellow eyes glared as she crushed the writhing monster. When it stopped its struggle, she discarded it over the side with its ilk.
Her wounds closed the moment in the form she took. "Kill the inferior." Shaking her hand free of the dark blood.
The abomination looked on. They could not tell if the thing was intimidated or not. It continued its speech as if it did not witness the mauling before it.
"We needed to destroy the Keep. We not allowed to speak were defending ourselves." It looked at her, shifting back to natural form.
"You have no reason to be here to taint anything, you filthy, gods-less bastard."
"Wardens were needed, took what we needed." It continued. "My Father's memories know of your kin."
'Father?' Disdainfully she answered. "Impossible. I nor any of my kin have been in Ferelden for many years."
Her hand whipped out the intended purpose. A spell snaked and coiled tightly around the creature's neck like slender fingers. Slowly, her spell made its way into its rotted mouth. "This will teach you. As well as others like you to stay in the hell where you belong." She seethed.
The others were in awe, glad to have her on their side, as they came to the man the Darkspawn bound. "Are you well Seneschal?" Mhairi worried.
"Yes. I fear the others were not so fortunate."
Deedo cast the speaker away. He landed heavily on the spiked barricades below. She turned to speak with the Seneschal.
"I thank you, my lady."
"Ease. I am sorry I could be of no more help." She bowed her head.
"It was a surprise attack. They captured most of the Wardens before you all arrived."
Confused, Deedo only knew them to attack. Speaking was even more far-fetched when she learned from the notes.
Anders agreed, seeing first hand. "I was here. They killed the Templars who guarded me, not that I minded. I had to defend myself against one." Anders checked over the older man. Then the woman who slew the creatures.
Oghren had agreed. "I was in the thick of it when the Warden's mother joined it."
"Warden's mother? You are the Acting Commander?"
"Aye, Deedolit Swiftleaf. Under the King's order."
"I see." With a nod, he looked over the edge. The smell of their taint wafted to his nose. Alive they reeked, dead, they smelled far worse. Seeing a galloping horse and rider, seeing the king's flag fly. "We have guests."
Deedo looked out. Seeing Alistair, he did not look well. The Elf sent the others ahead of her as she followed behind. The survivors thanked her again as they were busy cleaning up the bodies.
The elder was giving orders as they passed. "Take them out. We have to burn them." They did as told. The group headed out of the front doors.
The Seneschal knelt, and Mhairi stood in awe before kneeling herself. The Lady nodded to the king before her.
Alistair was sweating. He still felt them. In his ire to reject the Wardens, he would still be, as Zevran says. A Warden King. "Are you well? What happened exactly?" Seeing her torn top with dried blood.
"Ogre." she stated calmly.
His eyebrows rose to see, as he looked around, it was more than one that lay dead. "Ogre? I miss the whole darkspawn killing." Alistair's eyes still held worry.
Seeing the Elven elder mouthed, 'I am well.'
His tension lessened. "I came to greet our fellow Wardens, to give them a formal welcome. I certainly was not expecting this devastation, the situation?"
The Seneschal spoke, "What darkspawn here died, the rest fled. Wardens from Orlais appear either to be missing or... dead, your Majesty." The older Warden nodded solemnly.
Alistair shook his thoughts when he heard that the darkspawn might have taken captives. "Missing? Do the darkspawn even do that?" He looked between his mother and the older man. Anders panicked. Several more of the King's guard arrived with several Templars amongst them.
Deedo shrugged as the blond man pulled aside her standing behind her.
"My Lady, I need a word with you."
Deedo held her hand up for them to continue speaking about the situation. She could hear them well enough.
"Yes, what do you need?"
"How did you close your wounds?" Shaking his head, this was not the time. "The Templar there is Rylock. She hates me with a passion. The reason we stopped here is that she was to meet us so they could drag me to Aeonar."
Deedo looked at the healer with a question. "Aeonar? My apologies for my studies. I do not recall Aeonar."
"She will say nothing but horrible things about me, but there is one thing for certain... I love my life. Can you please help me?" He pleaded.
There was no question of helping. Of Aeonar, she needed a clue. "Of course. Your Majesty, Aeonar?"
The Templar woman who the healer spoke of spoke up, interrupting the king. "A mage's prison. Where murderers like him are placed."
"Mages prison, am I just now hearing of this?" Deedo looked to Alistair for an answer. "Was it not enough to hold the elves? I thought the Circles you place mages were prison enough. Now for there to be an actual prison?"
Deedo held her tongue. Prisons were fine. Those who needed to be held, like Vaughn. Now she felt she needed to study not just what the mages do in the Circle. She would need to know how mages were further charged.
Alistair turned to Ser Rylock. "Just what are the crimes against the mage?"
The Templar cleared her throat, "Your Majesty, I need to warn you that this man is dangerous. He is a murderer! I need to bring him into the Circle to face justice."
"Bah! What you consider justice one could fit in a thimble!" Anders shouted back.
Deedo interrupted. "Oh, I will take this man right here, Anders." She tilted her head in the mage's direction.
Rylock had enough drawing her sword. Her fellow Templars followed suit.
The Beguiler stepped between the two with a grin on her lips. "I hope they prepared you for the consequences of drawing your blade at me?" Her eyes flashing, the air slowly becoming hot. Her gaze toward the female Templar, ready to control her if need be. "I am invoking the right of conscription!"
Alistair knew the look in her eyes. The waves of heat that floated off warmed the air. He needed this settled. There were people missing. "I will allow it." The temperature decreased.
"King Alistair, you cannot possibly allow this? We must take this murderer to answer for his crimes!" The woman pointed her sword boldly at the mage and his protector.
A sharp look at the woman trying her damndest to undermine him held tight to her conviction of this mage. She seemed to want him desperately. As if she were one of those Templars who enjoys abusing the mages; Mage Killers.
He had heard about them when he underwent his training.
"Are you questioning me? Last I checked, I was King and the Grey Wardens still had the ability to Conscript. I shall allow it." He stood between the blade and his mother. "You are dismissed." Turned his attention from Rylock–who stormed off muttering under her breath with her brethren.
Seeing Deedo smile broadly, showing her small fangs. She was proud of him. He took her by the elbow, leading them to the Keep. "You know, I would have liked the fight." She pouted.
Alistair chuckled. "My reason to stop you. You cannot…"
"Hey what am I chopped Nug livers?" Oghren punched Alistair in the back. Mhairi gasped in shock and a few of the guards went to cease the dwarf, but Alistair raised his hand. Deedo burst out in laughter that Anders tried his hardest to contain.
"Well, from the smell… that's not a bad guess." Unable to hold it in, he burst out laughing.
Mhairi even chuckled a little. Oghren made a rude gesture to the mage and followed behind the couple.
"Pike twirler, I came to join the Wardens, and from the looks of it, you need all the help you can get." Alistair cringed at the nickname, he let go from his assistant turning to face Oghren ready to banish his use of that dreadful nickname when Oghren continued. "Where's the giant cup? I'll gargle and spit!" Spitting on the ground for effect.
Deedo stepped back. She enjoyed this, seeing firsthand the interactions of her daughter's friends. "Oghren, my dear, there shall be no gargling or spitting. You are more than welcome to join." The elf said with all amusement aside.
"Well, smack my arse and call me Sally!" He puffed out his chest and hit his armor.
Mhairi looked at Deedo, with Deedo nodding her head in return. "Well... in dire need, stranger things have happened. Welcome." She nodded slightly to the red-headed dwarf.
Once inside, Alistair offered his guard to help for the moment. As he walked beside her, surveying the damages done.
Placing a hand on his shoulder politely rejected him. "There should be no need. I will handle this. I need to speak with you in private." Deedo asked as they walked to the throne room.
"Seneschal, could we use your office?" The Elder asked as she continued to make mental checks.
"Just Varel, my lady, though it is your office, right this way if you please." He led them to the opposite side of the Keep and opened the door for both of them.
Deedo checked herself over, just torn cloth. The gash was healing slowly. She would need rest. Alistair waited patiently. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face the young king. "There was a talking Darkspawn."
Alistair looked at her as if she grew three extra heads on her shoulders. Deedo slowly nodded and explained what happened from the time she arrived till he came riding up. She even summoned Varel to account for her claim.
"He mentioned a Father. As well as memories of my Kin. We had not been here to know of a talking Darkspawn."
"I will send a letter to Weisshaupt. They may know something. I will arrange it so it is sent to you immediately."
An idea struck in the moment. "Possibly known or met Olett? Were the two of you always together?" Speaking aloud with nothing more to go on with the mystery.
Alistair thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes, I was the senior at the moment. We never came across any Darkspawn that spoke."
With a sigh, Deedo banished the thought. Leading the men out of the office, she sent Alistair on his way. "You have things to do. I will handle the Keep. I shall send reports soon."
"Yes. If you find anything, please let me know. I feel useless. Be safe." He kissed her cheek. Ordered several of his guards to stay with her. Leaving with the rest for Denerim.
It weighed on her mind what the Darkspawn meant. "I assume I should have let him live longer. Next time."
With the slavers shut down in the Alienage of Denerim, the lot of the city-born elves had improved considerably. The new king even appointed the local elder to his personal court; a scandal amongst the humans, but a sign of new hope to the elves.
As word spread, there were those who knew the current Arlessa was an elf appointed to Amaranthine Arling.
Several nobles who were under Rendon Howe refused to bow to some mere elf.
They held a lunch for some of Rendon's loyal. The noble born needed to see firsthand the brazen whore's daughter that sat on the Arling throne. They planned to seize control as they have so far with the city.