Dragon Age: Ascension

Chapter 5

The Ferelden Dales

As Denix and Leliena's parties departed their ways from Denerim, Alistair was on his stallion waiting on Morrigan and Zevran.

"You are planning to shift into a horse for me to ride on I would assume?" Zevran asked Morrigan puckishly.

"There will never come a day where I'd let you ride me elf," Morrigan responded sharply as she walked past him before shifting into a hawk and flying away with Dusk flying close behind her.

"I suppose, I should have seen that coming oh well," Zevran told himself with defeat in his voice.

"Get on!" Alistair demanded the elf with disdain. Zevran gladly accepted the King's offer and mounted up on the back of Alistair's horse. "It should be clear to say there is nothing wrong for two men to share a saddle," Zevran stated confidently. "Oh just shut up please just shut up," Alistair said desperately. "Should I at least hold on to you or…?" Zevran began. "No, no do not do that," Alistair said nervously. "Use..this" he continued awkwardly referring to his cape for Zevran to grasp hold too.

Alistair gripped the rings of his mount and commanded, "Giddy up Steed," Morrigan flew back down shifting back into human form with a fixated look on her face. "You named your horse 'Steed'? T'was a stupid name coming from a stupid man," she retorted at him. "It fits him just fine," Alistair exclaimed. "I think I like you better as a bird," he added spitefully. Morrigan shifted back into a bird only to fly past over his head, making Alistair to slightly duck. "Hey swooping is bad," Alistair barked. "You two should aout to get a room sometime," Zevran referred gleefully. Alistair shot him a glare before finally pressing onward with both Morrigan and Dusk flying overhead.

Seeing that the ruins of Ostagar was their designated place to go they all decided they would settle upon the village of Lothering for the night. Alistair and Zevran stayed in the local inn in separate rooms on Alistair's assertive request while Morrigan and Dusk camped just outside the village skirts. Morning dawned over the village with the sun shining bright with bliss in the air, well until the trio would have to meet up again that is.

"Great so yesterday wasn't a dream and I'm still stuck with you two," Alistair said disappointedly. "You say something little man," Morrigan retorted back. "I do think the rooms are still available if you know what I mean," Zevran added with a devilish smirk. "Shut up!" they both yelled at the elf in unison.

After a while the trio tasked themselves to push on for Ostagar which now was called the Ferelden Dales. After the fifth blight and darkspawn civil war had ended Denix and Alistair with others of the royal court made a treaty to give ownership land to the Dalish elves. This land ended up being the ruins of Osagar and a quarter of the Hinterlands for any Dalish that wish to live as they all so desire while under the protection of Ferelden. The trio found themselves at the entrance of the Ferelden Dales seeing five elven soldiers overseeing the entrance. The three approached firmly with Alistair taking the lead.

"I am King Alistair, I seek to speak with your leaders of great urgentes," he addressed the guards. One of the guards nodded then left inside to inform the elven people. Three individuals came to greet the king and the others. There was a male mage, an elder woman and the other was not of this plain.

"Welcome King Alistair, I am Evok, the high keeper here," the male mage greeted. "I am Tamir, the hahren of my people," the elder woman spoke. "And I am June the sole leader here," said the entity. June looked elven in humanoid shape, however, she was more spirit-like with a violet hue. "June? Has in June of the Craft?" Morrigan questioned suspiciously in which the spirit nodded in reply. "Why have you come here? I hope it's not about the land you gave onto us," Tamir exclaimed a bit harshly. "Now, hold there Tamir, let us hear what the king has to say," Evok countered. The trio then proceed to inform the elven leaders of the blackened incursion.

"Why should we have to risk our people for a war that may not even be true?" Tamir hasted sharply. "Even if this is true in time it will come for us too if it hasn't already," Evok countered back again. "What do you mean by that?" Alistair asked. "For weeks now we've lost members under very mysterious means gone without any trace," Evok stated. "They probably just left for the shemlen cities," Tamir spited. "Enough, Tamir, your views of humankind are well placed, but we too must progress forward," June insisted. "Forgive me high one," Tamir acknowledged. "So can we count on your support?" Alistair asked bluntly.

The three leaders all glanced at the king a bit bewildered. "Ah very human of you, Alistair," Zevran mocked the king. "Even, I have to agree with the elf there," Morrigan insulted. "We must first vote if we are to even take action," June declared. "I say no. It's not worth the risk to our people," Tamir voted. "My vote is yes," Evok stated. "The final vote comes down to me," June started. "I believe what you came here for and told us is to be true, King Alistair. This blackened incursion could also end all elvenkind if we stand idle by," June stated. "So..?" Alistair hesitated.

"King Alistair, you will be granted the full force the Dalish can offer. You will have the emerald knights, the keeper mages, our hunter archers, with our herd of halla and harts and of course our varterral when you call for us," June invoked. "Varterral? Here?" Zevran asked, surprised. "Yes we have five, however, we will only send three out when you call for us." June replied. "Thank you, your aid in this fight will be most beneficial to all of us," Alistair appreciated heavily.

The group was getting ready to depart when Zevran noticed a couple of elves were camped out from the main entrance. "Who are they?" Zevran asked June while pointing at them. "They are the exile ones," she stated. "But why are they?" he asked. "Perhaps you should ask them as they made themselves so," June proclaimed.

June departed from the trio along with Evok and Tamir all to prepare the Dalish for the coming war. Zevran, intrigued to learn more about the two elven outsiders, decided to approach them with Alistair and Morrigan in tow behind him. The two elves, one male and the other female were very much Dalish like the others, but they surely were different by means. The male was lying on the ground while the female was attending to something next to him. The female elf noticed the three approaching and stood her ground.

"Please don't come any further, it isn't safe," the female elf stated calmly. "She's right, the other elf is sick," Morrigan noticed upon inspection. "I feel it too actually," Alistair acknowledged. The male elf sighed in pain making the female elf turn to his aid. She opened his shirt revealing a black mass on his left side. The female elf took a blade and sliced her hand and in doing so used her blood against the black mass of the other elf controlling the blood in motion. The male elf stood up buttoning his shirt back together. "He's blighted," Morrigan stated. "And she is a blood mage. Explains why they both are exiled," Alistair added.

The two elves noticed back to the trio knowing they saw what was done, however, it didn't stop Zevran from approaching further. "Well that was quite something if I do say so," Zevran piped in. "Well this happens to be my everyday mind you," the male elf retorted lightly. "Zevran, get over here that's an order," Alistair demanded. "As you quite heard my name is Zevran and those two back there are Alistair and Morrigan tight ups if you get what I mean," Zevran laughed. "My name is Jaxx," the male elf introduced himself. Jaxx was a fairly attractive looking elf with short wavy brown hair and jade colored eyes. The other elf joined beside him. "I'm Merrill, nice to meet you all," she followed.

"So you have the blight then?" Zevran asked curiously. "I do, but if it weren't for Merrill, I wouldn't have lived this long. Her blood magic keeps the blight contained to one spot of my body where it can't spread more out onto me or to others. So for the time being you are all safe around me," Jaxx explained. "It seems to me that you've been blighted for a long time," Morrigan inquisitively spoke. "Indeed, nearly five years now," Jaxx stated. "How?" Alistair asked. "Many years ago me and another clan member found this ancient ruin and in it was a mirror ...my clan mate touched it and that's all I remember," Jaxx answered. "Merrill can tell you the rest," he added. "I found the mirror in the ruin and I took it with me even when I lived in Kirkwall, I studied it day and night hoping to find answers. Then we got the call that Ferelden opened its borders to all Dalish and I had to take it because I lost hope. The first day back in Ferelden the mirror lit up and Jaxx was back in front me, but now blighted," Merrill explained heavily. "Our other clan mate never came back. We don't know what ever became of him nor to this day what happened to me," Jaxx followed up.

"This mirror of your's is an eluvian is it not," Morrigan questioned. "It is how.." Merrill reacted. "Because I have one myself, but yours seems to be corrupted with the blight," Morrigan continued. "Is there anything that can cure the blight?" Zevran wondered. "If there is one I don't know of," Jaxx replied. "There is one way," Alistair mentioned. "I am willing to try anything," Jaxx assured. "That only way is becoming a Grey Warden like myself," Alistair stated. "I can't do it here myself, but I do know someone who can perform the means," he added.

Merrill and Jaxx nodded to each other for approval from one another. "Would you be willing to take us with you?" Jaxx asked hopefully. "I would like to say yes, but we don't have the transport to take you both," Alistair said disappointedly. "No problem, I have my own hart mount. King Alistair, if you can cure me of this blight, I will pledge myself to your cause through and through," Jaxx devoted himself, "And I as well," Merrill added. "Well then we best be going shall we," Alistair accepted them both. Jaxx and Merrill packed their essentials upon Jaxx's steed, which was named Roan. The party took their leave from the Ferelden Dales to make haste to reach Redcliffe giving Jaxx a high state of hope if he only knew the cost of becoming a grey warden.

(A/N: So I hope you all enjoyed this shall I say amusing chapter. I do want to point out that if it wasn't obvious Jaxx is my dalish warden in DA:O and now he is also in the story too. It's what I love about fanfiction. On a serious note, I'm terribly sorry for the long overdue update. I've had some medical issues since the start of the year and things have been getting back on track now. I've also started working on a new story called "Road To Ascension" which will be a series of one-shot stories and a companion to this story. It will help give more background to my original characters that I introduce into this story. My plan for my next update is not only to have chapter 6 out, but also three chapters to the new story as well so stay tuned and thank you all.)