Going to write this story fast and loose. Hit the emotional moments and not worry TOO much about all that annoying political stuff, not to mention the dialogue. I might go through later after replaying the game in order to put in some of the extra good dialogue (Anders and Oghren in particular are suffering) but right now I’m just going to WRITE a STORY.
I also managed over 9000 words today, so that’s an achievement worthy of my past NaNo records. I was beginning to worry I’d lost that ability completely.
…I should probably clean the apartment, it’s been pretty neglected…
…but Guild Wars…
Chapter 1
A week and a half later, and Elizabeth and Mhairi were walking steadily up a surprisingly small road in the middle of the Arling of Amaranthine, heading to the castle of Vigil’s Keep, where a small force of a dozen Grey Wardens from Orlais waited for her to assume her position as their leader. Zevran had left them in Denerim, taking ship to Antiva. Elizabeth had also taken some time to visit Fort Drakon, where Huan was proudly siring many puppies to try to rebuild the mabari population in Ferelden after so many of the noble beasts had sacrificed themselves in the Blight.
Evening was falling. “Tell me more,” Elizabeth said to Mhairi.
“The Grey Wardens have been here about six months,” Mhairi told her. “They’re… decent people, for Orlesians. I would be proud to work beside them.”
“You want to be a Grey Warden too, don’t you?” Elizabeth said. Mhairi’s eyes were full of admiration every time she said ‘Grey Warden’, and her voice hushed a little. She must be young, as young as Elizabeth, perhaps.
Mhairi smiled broadly. “I know it’s very obvious, ser. But I’ve heard so many tales of their bravery, their brotherhood, how they defend the weak, how they fight monsters… I’ve trained hard so that they might think me a worthy recruit.”
“I think they will,” Elizabeth said. “Have you been in Amaranthine long?”
“Almost since it was handed over to the Wardens a year ago, on Queen Anora’s orders.”
“Is Alistair still in Amaranthine?” It would be nice to see her good friend again.
“I-I’m afraid not. Ser Alistair visits sometimes, but he also goes about the country a lot. He laughs and calls it propaganda, but I think it’s a very serious job.”
“Of course,” Elizabeth said. Make that it would have been nice to see her good friend again… but he would be back sooner or later. “Did he show you his tattoo?” Zevran had finally talked Alistair into getting a Grey Warden griffon tattooed on his right shoulder, and he showed it off at every opportunity.
Mhairi blushed. “No, ser. I’m not sure he knew who I was or that I was there.”
“Ah, I suppose that’s… for the best?” Or a pity, depending on how much you appreciated Zevran’s skill. It was a nice griffon.
“Ser… if you don’t mind me asking…”
“What is it, Mhairi?”
“Why did you disappear for a year?”
“I didn’t disappear at first,” Elizabeth protested, laughing a little. “I went to Highever to help my brother rebuild there.” And very touchy he’d been about Zevran’s presence, too. But Elizabeth had been glad to see her home finally being restored. Of the people she had saved from Arl Howe’s attack, however, only John returned to Highever. Elra and Gemmet, and Gemmet’s now-wife Firiel, did not wish to go back to that place and stayed in Denerim; Elra told Elizabeth she would wait for her to arrive in Amaranthine and then come to serve her. “My loyalty is to you, my lady, not to Highever.” Which was very flattering, even if she didn’t understand it.
The others in her former group had all gone their separate ways, no longer joined by the quest of defeating the Blight: Sten to his own people, Leliana to Orlais, Oghren to his new girlfriend Felsi. No one had seen Morrigan since the final battle, and Elizabeth did not expect anyone to see her anytime soon. She missed them, sometimes, but her new companions had made up for their absence.
“Is it doing well?” Mhairi asked, bringing her back to the present.
“Yes, very well. My brother will be a good Teyrn. I’m sure he has behaved well over the last year. Do you know if he has married again?”
“I do not think so, ser. At least, I did not hear so.”
“Well, Amaranthine is next door, so we will be able to bother each other by letter frequently…”
“What did you do after that, ser?”
“I went south to the Brecilian Forest to live with Keeper Lanaya and her clan for a while, to hone my skills there. The elves of the forest have much to teach if we can only prove ourselves humble enough to respect them.”
“I see,” Mhairi said, eyes wide. “Your lover is an elf…”
“But not a Dalish elf,” Elizabeth pointed out. “He had to learn these things too. Of course, he picked it up much faster than I did… Anyway, then I went west because I wished to visit Orzammar. On my way, I acquired two new companions. I met Rain Tabris, an elf from Denerim, with the Dalish, and she asked to come with me as she wasn’t taking to the Dalish life as well as she had thought. Then when I came to the Circle Tower, First Enchanter Irving asked if I would take Sarah Amell along with me to see the world. He had to give me many warnings, of course, but seeing as I took good care of Wynne during the Blight…”
“So it’s true, the Templars will trust Wardens with mages,” Mhairi said.
“Many Wardens themselves have been mages, and they travel without Templars,” Elizabeth told her, and watched her eyes widen. “It… does not always end well, I am told, but I prefer to trust my companions. If they have been trained by the Circle, they know well enough how to guard against demons. And if it came to the worst, I have fought against many abominations on my travels. But I would be very upset if I had to kill one of my companions…”
“I understand,” Mhairi said.
“So I came to Orzammar,” Elizabeth said. “They remembered me, and let me in without much fuss, and I learned much from their military, both the generals and the soldiers. I think I won their respect in the Deep Roads, too. And Hanna Brosca joined me there.”
“So that’s why no one could find any trace of you,” Mhairi said to herself. “And what were you doing when I found you?”
“I was going about the Bannorn, learning from our own people as much as I could, helping them rebuild a little. The destruction caused by the Blight was truly horrifying… It is all very well and good to know as much about other races and other ways of doing things as possible, but I will be dealing with humans in Amaranthine and there were some things that were dull in my memory. And then I was coming here to see if you had need of me.”
“It’s quite the tale,” Mhairi said.
“Not quite as interesting as the year before,” Elizabeth said, smiling. “Thank the Maker for that, eh?”
Mhairi managed a smile. “Yes, ser. If you don’t mind one more question-”
“Hold a moment,” Elizabeth said, squinting forward into the darkness. Too much in the last year she had had to rely on Zevran’s keener eyes and ears to detect danger. “I think… yes, there are darkspawn up ahead.”
“Darkspawn!” cried Mhairi, startled and frightened and trying to keep her voice down so as not to alarm their enemies. “I mean, that was what my question was about, they’ve been spotted in this area befo- Ser, they’re blocking our path to the castle!”
“I think they might have come from the castle, the direction they are going,” Elizabeth said grimly. “How strong was the non-Warden garrison there?”
“It was… passable…”
“There aren’t many out here. Let’s take out this small group and see what things look like as we approach the castle.” Time to worry about what the darkspawn were doing here later. Time to worry about what she was going to do if the castle had fallen now.
“Just the two of us?” Mhairi asked nervously.
“I’ve seen you fight,” Elizabeth said. “You’re very good. We can take them.”
With that, Mhairi straightened, suddenly full of confidence. “Yes, ser!”
“Just follow my lead.”
She couldn’t roar out a warcry, not yet. Instead she charged at them in silence. They saw her and made their own garbled shrieking noises in challenge, but she kept her silence this time.
They were less fierce than she remembered; no less hideous, but ugly never made for better fighting ability. She, on the other hand, was even better than when she had fought during the Blight, and blood flew from her sword as she slashed into them.
I ran to the window of my ‘cell’ in the back of the storage hut as I heard the sudden swell of fighting from the courtyard of the castle. The darkspawn were milling around; on the southwest corner of the courtyard, a few guards still held out in a tower, but the fighting I heard came from the gate. It was dark in my cell, and my eyes were pretty good for a human, but it still took me a few moments to figure out what I was looking at.
Two warriors were assaulting the darkspawn. All alone? That was gutsy. After all, from what I could tell, the rest of the keep had fallen with little resistance to the monsters. How, I couldn’t tell.
The warriors shouted to each other, and I realized that they were both women. Interesting. One of them, the taller one, was particularly impressive, wielding a long sword that crackled with purple-blue lightning; darkspawn fell before her like grain before a scythe.
And then the light from her sword illuminated her shield. Those were the Cousland laurels. I gritted my teeth. Just my luck; the ‘Hero of Ferelden’ had shown up to claim what had once been my father’s property. What had once been my home.
I could probably take her on, but I was stuck in this prison with no weapons or armour or freedom. If she survived – and she probably would, from what I observed – the best I would probably get from her was a quick execution.
Disinterested in watching more, I dropped from the window and sullenly tried to get what sleep I could.
“There aren’t many guards here,” Elizabeth said to Mhairi. “The ones in the tower are injured, but I expected there to be more…”
“They-” Mhairi began.
“Yarrrrrr!” roared another voice, a dwarf voice, and with a cackle, a dwarf ran by, throwing something at a new cluster of darkspawn by the south wall. A colossal explosion went off, throwing darkspawn guts and chips of rock flying. Elizabeth ducked – it wouldn’t do to get one of those in her eye. The ground quaked under her feet, and she heard the castle walls groan. …At least the darkspawn appeared to be dead.
“Who was that?” she asked Mhairi.
“I don’t know. I didn’t know there were dwarves here. We must get inside, Captain Garevel will know what to do if we can find him.”
“Lead on, then,” Elizabeth said.
Mhairi led her to a side door and through several passages; they saw few darkspawn, but they began to see dead bodies of both humans and darkspawn, which was better than what they had seen outside. Elizabeth heard the sound of fighting to the right and headed in that direction – anyone they could save would help.
She burst into a room and stopped. A mage was channeling fire into a staggering body; around the room lay many corpses, human, darkspawn, and charred-beyond-recognition could-be-either.
The mage stopped, his hands still glowing with power, and looked at her innocently as the burning body toppled to the floor. “I didn’t do it!”
Elizabeth snorted, half-amused, half-suspicious. “These are Templars. You didn’t kill your escort, did you?”
“Absolutely not!” The mage used his staff to roll over the newest body with a look of distaste, then pried open its mouth. The sharp-toothed grin of a hurlock met her gaze. “At least, I hope Templars would have better dental hygiene than this!”
“Point taken,” Elizabeth said, amused. “Care to come with us and fight more darkspawn?”
The man sighed. “If I must. I don’t much care for fighting, but I certainly can’t leave two…” he peered at them, “lovely ladies to do all of it!” Oh no, Elizabeth thought, another Zevran.
“My name is Elizabeth,” Elizabeth said quickly. “This is Mhairi. Who are you?”
“My name is Anders; pleased to make your acquaintance,” Anders said, with a bow and a flourish.
“Let’s hurry, then,” Elizabeth said. “We’re looking for a Captain Garevel.”
“No idea where to find him,” Anders said cheerfully, taking up a position behind her. “I hope he’s still alive. I’m given to understand that the defences here were taken by surprise about an hour ago.”
“How?” Elizabeth interrupted his chatter.
“Not sure; I’m not a soldier or anything. I’m just a happy-go-lucky mage, that’s me…”
Elizabeth shushed him as she heard more fighting. And… a familiar voice, roaring with laughter?
“Oghren!” she cried, as she entered the next room.
“Ho there, Eliza! Watch this!” Oghren heaved his axe, even bigger than the last one she had seen him using, and smashed through the last hurlock’s defence and into its face. Anders winced.
Elizabeth stared. “What are you doing here?”
Oghren checked the rest of the room, then, satisfied there were no more monsters, holstered his axe and came to lean casually against a railing, grinning. “Oh, this n’ that. Thought maybe I’d like to be a Grey Warden, like you!”
“What about Felsi?” Elizabeth asked, brutally direct. “What happened with her?”
Oghren shrugged and grimaced expressively. “Stuff. Things. I’ll tell you later. What’s with the skirt and the warrior girl? What happened to your man, eh?”
“He’s gone to kill all the Crows, which is a noble cause, at least,” Elizabeth said with a little bit of exasperation. “Tell me, do you know a Captain Garevel?”
“Yes, he’s a bit of a pompous ass. Don’t know where he is. You need to find him?”
“I’d like to turn this into an organized defence, and possibly strike back against the darkspawn. I’m concerned that we haven’t seen very many so far. Has the attack already ended? Where are they all?”
“Dunno, I was sleeping when it started,” Oghren said, and grunted. “Good to have you back, though, Eliza. Let’s kick their asses!”
“You know this person?” Mhairi asked doubtfully.
Oghren laughed. “I was with Eliza since she came to Orzammar in the middle of the Blight. I’d say we know each other.”
Elizabeth could read Mhairi quite easily; she wondered how the Hero of Ferelden could be good friends with such an uncouth person. “Yes, we are friends, Mhairi. He is brave and loyal, although you will have to put up with some teasing and some… unsavory habits.”
“’Course, if you can get past those, I’ve got a lot to offer,” Oghren said suggestively. “A loooot.”
“Shush,” Elizabeth said, leading them to the far side of the room. Mhairi made an indignant noise and followed her. Anders sighed, and Oghren chuckled.
They hadn’t gone far before they saw more bodies, and in the middle of them, a man who still lived, though his breathing was rough and uneven. “Rowland!” Mhairi cried, rushing to his side. “Oh no, this is bad…”
“Hello, Mhairi,” breathed the warrior, wincing in pain. Elizabeth saw his stomach was covered in blood, most of it his own. “You were… successful?” His accent was Orlesian.
“Yes, I was,” Mhairi said. “What happened? Ser Anders, can you do anything for him?”
“It’s too late,” Rowland said, reaching to stop Mhairi with great effort. “Lady Elizabeth… Commander… This attack was led by a talking darkspawn.”
Elizabeth started with surprise. “Surely… that can’t…”
“He’s chased Varel and Garevel up to the roof. Please… save them.”
“I give you my word,” Elizabeth said. “But first-”
“I’m past the aid of magic,” said the man, his breath beginning to rattle. He coughed a little, and blood came out. “Just… save… Vigil’s Keep.” His head fell forward, and his breath stopped.
Elizabeth set her face determinedly. “We won’t let his death be in vain. Mhairi, get us to the roof!”
They burst out onto the roof – none of them were any good at surprise attacks – and saw a strange sight. On one side of the roof was a little huddle of guards, led by two men who looked like they knew what they were doing. On the other… a cluster of hurlocks that outnumbered the survivors two to one.
“Where is the Warden-Commander?” rasped the hurlock in the lead, an unusually large one, even for hurlocks, and Elizabeth’s eyes widened.
“I told you, she’s not here!” answered the older man in the group of survivors. “But we’ll fight you to the last, monster!”
“You think you know my kind, do you?” the hurlock said. “It is understandable. But things have changed. We do not seek your death, only the Warden-Commander.”
“Fine, then!” Elizabeth cried. “Here I am, and I saw plenty of death in the halls below us! If your kind have learned to talk it is only to be greater liars than you already were!”
“The Warden-Commander,” said the hurlock with satisfaction, turning to her. “You will come with us. I will take you to my master.”
“Commander! Flee!” cried the old man. “We’ll hold them off!”
“I only flee from battles I don’t have to win,” Elizabeth said, lightning blazing from her sword. “You’ll regret attacking my keep!”
She charged forward, and her sword met the hurlock’s shield. Darkspawn tried to surround her, but Oghren was at her side, roaring a challenge to them, and Anders flung a fireball into the back of their group.
The survivors were not doing so well. The older man in the group was knocked down, and while the other man struggled to remain at his side, they were getting pressed back into their corner, prompting a cry of “Captain! Seneschal!” from Mhairi.
“Go to them, Mhairi!” Elizabeth told her. “I’ll deal with this one!”
“Aye, ser!”
The one she was fighting was difficult indeed. Not only was it apparently intelligent enough to speak, and taller than most other hurlocks, but it was also stronger and faster than many of them as well, and she was hard pressed. Oghren was distracted keeping the other darkspawn away from her, as was Anders – not that the mage would cast a spell at her opponent for fear it would hit her instead.
Even as she fought the monster, she noticed that it had better armour than most darkspawn she had ever faced – and that it didn’t look stolen, as if it had been made for the creature itself. Very strange. She ducked a blow that would have connected hard with her head and lashed out with her shield, but it blocked with its own shield. She kicked, a move she had learned from Zevran, and connected with its knee, hearing a satisfying hiss of pain from it.
“You don’t have to kill me,” it said to her. “I don’t wish to kill you.”
“You seem to misunderstand me,” Elizabeth said. “I don’t care.”
“My master will be disappointed, but he will send others. Perhaps someday you will understand. In the meantime, my death will not be wasted, since you have heard my words.”
“I don’t care!” Elizabeth cried. “You killed many here, you threaten my allies, and you talk about understanding!? After darkspawn slaughtered King Cailan and his army at Ostagar, raped and pillaged their way through the Bannorn, and almost burned Denerim itself!? Understanding!? Understand me, I will not rest while you poison the lands given to me!”
“Ah… That is a pity.”
That was all the hurlock had time to say before Elizabeth cut off its sword arm at the wrist… and its head at the neck.
When she looked around, the other darkspawn also lay dead. Some of them were still smouldering or locked in ice. The humans gathered themselves, panting. Elizabeth herself went to the older man who had been knocked down, and offered him a hand up. “Seneschal Varel, I understand.”
He took her hand and let her pull him to his feet. “Indeed, I am Gideon Varel, Seneschal of Amaranthine. And you are Warden-Commander Elizabeth Cousland. It is good to meet you, and you got here not a moment too soon. Welcome to Vigil’s Keep… such as it is, at the moment.” Varel snorted, clearly disappointed that their new commander had had to rescue them instead of being welcomed properly.
“It’s fine,” Elizabeth told him. She liked him already. “Let’s secure the castle and make sure not one darkspawn remains. Do you know how they got in?”
“I believe… something about the tunnels under the castle. This way. Vigil’s Keep is built on the remains of much older fortifications, and they include such things as an Avvar burial crypt. I would not be surprised if the darkspawn found a way in from their deep nests.”
“We must block and guard that entrance into the castle then, even if we can’t stop up whatever hole they’ve found immediately,” Elizabeth said. “Oh, and I saw some dwarves. Who are they? I was only expecting Wardens.”
“You didn’t know? King Harrowmont sent them as a personal expression of gratitude and congratulations to aid you and the Wardens. I think we will need their help.”
“Ser!” called a female voice from above, and Varel and Elizabeth looked up to see a soldier leaning out of one of the higher towers. “A medium-sized group is approaching the castle! There are many soldiers, but also… I think it’s Queen Anora!”
“Thank you, Maverlies!” Varel called up to the tower. “We’re not set up to welcome the Queen. What should we do?” he asked Elizabeth, looking worried.
“We’ll greet her at the gate, explain the situation, and ask what she wishes,” Elizabeth said. “She’s a general’s daughter. She’ll understand.”
Varel nodded and turned to the other man. “Garevel, what’s the situation?”
Garevel and Elizabeth nodded to each other, and then Garevel said to them: “Rowland is dead. Of the other ten Wardens, nothing can be found. However, there appear to be no living darkspawn left within the castle. Did you tell her about the prisoner, Seneschal?”
“He slipped my mind, to be honest,” Varel said, and turned to Elizabeth. “Some… odd news for you, perhaps. Nathaniel Howe broke in a few days ago; we don’t know why. He didn’t kill anyone, though it took four Wardens to capture him. He’s locked up in a storage shed in the courtyard.”
Elizabeth considered, although she had frowned fiercely at the name of Howe. “I will deal with him later. For now, we must greet Anora.”
“Understood, my lady.”
Something else caught up to her mind. The situation was very, very different from what she had expected. “There were only ten- eleven Wardens here?”
“Twelve, with Kristoff, but he’s gone off on some assignment and hasn’t returned in two weeks. We were going to go looking for him tomorrow.”
“Strange,” she said to herself. “So many, and they were taken by surprise by darkspawn… But fewer than I was expecting, really.”
Varel chuckled. “Oh, it only took three Wardens to end a civil war and kill an archdemon. A dozen is extravagant.”
She had to smile at that. “Perhaps, but more back-up is better. That hurlock talked of prisoners. Perhaps they can yet be rescued. And I’ve spent the last year educating myself in matters of command, but I still know little of who the Grey Wardens actually are. Some more knowledge in that area would be nice, since I am supposed to be the Commander of the Grey…”
“They trusted me, and I know a few things; if you have any immediate questions, I can attempt to answer them,” Varel assured her. “Else we’ll wait for that rescue… or reinforcements.”
She answered with an affirmative hum as they arrived at the gate to welcome Anora.
Anora was in front, with quite a substantial guard around her, including a couple Templars. “Elizabeth! It is good to see you. Did something happen here?” She ignored Varel, Garevel, and Mhairi, who were all kneeling to her. Elizabeth did not kneel; this was no time for formalities, and Anora’s demeanour said as much to her.
“When I arrived an hour ago, the Keep was under assault from darkspawn,” Elizabeth said with a brief bow. “I’m afraid we cannot treat you with royal elegance right now. But as far as I know, you are welcome to stay with your retinue.”
“I see,” Anora said. “That is troubling, indeed. But that was one reason I told them to send Mhairi for you – the darkspawn have not yet gone from this part of Ferelden. Odd, when it is the part I gave to the Grey Wardens.”
“Strange indeed,” Elizabeth agreed. “What brings you here, Your Majesty?”
“I came to welcome you to your new home, and to make sure you were settling in well,” Anora said. “Mhairi sent me word while you were in Denerim. I was going to apologize for being late. I suppose I must still apologize for being late, since my soldiers might have been able to make a difference…”
“Do not trouble yourself, Your Majesty,” Varel said. “We have survived… although it seems the other Wardens were captured and abducted.”
Anora frowned. “I sense this is a larger mystery than I had previously thought. But… on a lighter note… I brought some people you might be glad to see.” She stepped aside with a wave of her hand, and with deep bowing, five people appeared behind her.
Elizabeth gasped. “Elra! Gemmet! …Firiel, yes?” She stepped forward and clasped Elra’s hands. “I am glad to see you. It will be a little more like home with you around.”
Elra blushed and bowed her head deeply. “Yes, my lady.”
“And… Herren, and Master Wade, correct?”
“Indeed,” said Herren, Wade’s business partner. “Queen Anora has graciously suggested that working directly for you could be beneficial to all parties. We should like to live and work in Vigil’s Keep, if your ladyship would grant it.”
“If I recall Master Wade’s work well, it shall,” Elizabeth said. “You are welcome to work here as long as you choose.”
“Yes, you give me proper projects!” Wade gushed. “Give me something worthy of the name of art to create, and it shall be yours!”
“Indeed,” Elizabeth said, a little awkwardly. “Well, then… Anor- Queen Anora-”
“I did have one other matter,” Anora said, with a wave that told Elizabeth that her little slip was not a problem. “Templar Rylock…”
“Is there a mage by the name of Anders in the Keep?” said the Templar who stood at Anora’s left hand. “We’re here to collect him and return him to the Circle Tower.”
“No!” Anders burst out, from somewhere behind Mhairi. “You can’t make me go back! I refuse!”
“You cannot refuse,” Rylock said sternly. “That is where all mages belong, especially apostates like you.”
“Commander Elizabeth,” Anders said earnestly, coming up to her and clutching his staff defensively, “I swear I mean no harm. I just want to be free. Please don’t let them take me back.”
Elizabeth thought of Wynne, of Sarah, of how Anders had helped them with the darkspawn.
“He’s escaped the Circle Tower seven times,” Rylock said angrily. “He’s a menace to everyone.”
“But not to me,” Elizabeth said calmly, and straightened. “Anders, I’m afraid that I do not have the authority to deny the Templars from doing their duty.”
“I am pleased that-” Rylock began, as Anders’ face crumpled.
“However,” Elizabeth went on more loudly, “the Templars have no authority to force a Grey Warden to abandon his or her duties.” Anders looked at her blankly, then hope began to blossom on his face as Rylock scowled. “Anora, I invoke the Right of Conscription on this mage, Anders. He assisted us in the retaking of Vigil’s Keep.”
“You can’t do this!” Rylock exclaimed, outraged. “You Grey Wardens think you can just do whatever you want-!”
“The Right of Conscription has been invoked,” Anora said to the Templar, with an approving smile at Elizabeth. “I’m afraid we shall have to return empty-handed this time.”
“So, I’ll have to be a Grey Warden… but I don’t have to go back to the Tower,” Anders said. “Sounds good! Thanks!”
“Don’t thank me yet,” Elizabeth said, remembering that he would have to go through the Joining ritual – and that he might not survive. Dying a free man might be poor comfort to him.
“In any case, I would indeed like to remain here for the night,” Anora said. “It is a bit far to go to Amaranthine from here. I understand that you have just been through an attack, and you do not have to go out of your way for me. I will make do.”
“Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty,” Elizabeth said, bowing finally. “We are all very grateful for your consideration.”
“It is the least I could do,” Anora said, smiling. “Good luck, Elizabeth.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
As Anora and her retinue were directed to the master bedroom and its surrounding chambers, Elizabeth gestured to Elra, Gemmet, and Firiel. “Let’s get you installed here. Varel, Elra and Gemmet have served me since Highever, and Firiel is Gemmet’s wife.”
“I understand,” Varel said, with an almost-smile. “I will send Mistress Woolsey to you for assistance. Afterwards, please join us in the main hall. We have a few things to discuss before we retire to rest, and there is the matter of the Joining.”
“Understood,” Elizabeth said. “I will be there shortly.”
She led the three elves inside and up towards the living quarters, where she was met by an elderly lady who curtseyed to her. “Lady Elizabeth? I am Caroline Woolsey. Normally I am the treasurer for the arling by the order of the First Warden in Weisshaupt, but on this evening of disruption and confusion Varel has asked that I help you.”
“These elves are my…” Elizabeth stopped and looked at them. “Do you still wish to be my servants?”
“What else would we be, my lady?” Elra asked. “That is what we do, and we wish to do it for you.”
“I see.” Elizabeth turned back to Woolsey. “My servants, and my personal friends. Elra will be my attendant and maid.”
“Very well,” Woolsey said, and took them to the servants’ quarters. Elra couldn’t take up residence in the servant’s room off the master bedroom while Anora was in residence, but there was plenty of space in the rest of the rooms. A lot of servants had run away during the attack, and Woolsey feared many of them were dead. Which meant that Gemmet would probably be one of the chief servants, which pleased all of them.
Woolsey left them as soon as they had found a space for themselves, but Elizabeth lingered. “It’s been quite a night. I am glad to see all of you. Including you, although I don’t know you very well, yet,” she said to Firiel.
“My lady is very kind,” Firiel said blandly, and although Elizabeth was a little disappointed, she reminded herself that Firiel didn’t know her well either, yet, and was probably expecting her to be like other human nobles.
“My lady, you look rather… disheveled,” Elra said. “Shall I help you clean up before you go to your meeting?”
“That would be nice,” Elizabeth said. “But only quickly. We shall catch up another time. Soon. For now, I just want to make sure you’re all right. And to catch my breath a little. Since I got here it’s been one thing after another.”
“Indeed, my lady,” Elra said, dabbing at her face with a damp cloth. “How is your lover?”
“He’s fine,” Elizabeth said. “He’s gone to Antiva to fight his own battle.”
“You must miss him.”
“I do. But it’s for the best for both of us, apparently. Otherwise we would have Crow assassins showing up on a regular basis and no one wants that.”
“Surely not,” Elra said, and shuddered. “If you leave your armour here, and your dirty clothes when you retire, I’ll get them cleaned for you for tomorrow morning.”
“All right,” Elizabeth said, shedding her ironbark plates, her drakeskin boots and gloves, and most of the rest of her gear. She felt much lighter without it. “Careful of the sword – it’s still enchanted.”
“I won’t touch your sword,” Elra said. “You weren’t hurt in the attack, my lady?”
“No, I’m fine.” Elizabeth stood again, Elra still patting some stray hairs back into place. “Thank you, Elra. I’ll come see you all soon. For now… If you have any trouble with anyone, come see me. Even if you don’t think it’s important.” She hesitated, then nodded. “Just come talk to me.”
“We will,” Elra assured her. “Will you need me when your meeting is over?”
“No, go ahead and sleep,” Elizabeth said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
In the main hall of the Keep, Elizabeth met with Varel, Garevel, Woolsey, a dwarf, and her three companions – Mhairi, Anders, and Oghren.
“Ah, here you are, Lady Elizabeth,” Varel said to her. “Your friends are settled?”
“Yes, quite comfortably,” Elizabeth said. “Varel… I know I am the Commander of the Grey, and the… administrator of Amaranthine, from this time forward. However, I do not require you to call me ‘lady’. That goes for all of you.”
“How unconventional,” Garevel muttered, and Oghren laughed.
“You don’t know the half of it, lad,” he said to the Captain, who frowned.
“I will not be bothered if you choose to call me ‘lady’, but I will also not be bothered if you do not,” Elizabeth clarified. “I would wish you to be comfortable in talking to me. I don’t believe we’ve been introduced?” she said to the dwarf.
The dwarf bowed. “My name is Voldrik Glavonak, and I am an emissary from King Harrowmont to serve you as long as you require my services. I have a few companions with me, including engineers. Who we will need immediately, since my crazy brother Dworkin set off his explosives in the courtyard. I’m afraid the foundations of the walls have been cracked.”
“That sounds serious,” Elizabeth said. “Let me see… Let’s start with our immediate situation. How defensible is the Keep at this moment?”
“We’re low on soldiers,” Garevel said. “The walls stand, but if they’re cracked… a determined assault could bring down the gates easily, and we don’t have the manpower to defend against more than fifty men right now.”
“That’s pretty bad,” Elizabeth said.
“You did fight through fifty monsters with only Mhairi, and then the mage and the dwarf, to rescue us, my lady,” Varel said drily. “But we shouldn’t rely on you, I know.”
“We will need to recruit a bigger, better army,” Garevel said. “And rebuild the castle, if Master Glavonak is willing.”
“Willing and able,” Voldrik said. “I’ll need lots of workers, and better stone – the local stone here is all right for houses, but terrible for anything remotely resembling sturdy. It’s no wonder Dworkin’s bombs shook the castle. For a proper fortress you want granite.”
“Will the entire castle need to be rebuilt, or just the outer walls?” Elizabeth asked.
“We’ll start with the outer walls and make a better assessment of the rest of the castle later,” Voldrik said. “Don’t worry – if it needs doing, we’ll do it.”
“Thank you for your assistance,” Elizabeth said.
“And for this army, you’re going to need supplies,” Mistress Woolsey said. “There has not been much trade coming in from Denerim or Highever in the last few months. I had thought the politics had been stabilized with Highever since Teyrn Fergus ascended, but perhaps not. But the situation with Denerim is less clear and more worrying.”
“I’m sure my brother does not feel any animosity towards Amaranthine itself, certainly not while I’m here,” Elizabeth said. “I will send him a letter to make certain of it.”
“I suspect bandits, rather,” Garevel said. “I’ve received reports of bandits in the Wending Wood along the road to Denerim, although I have not seen too much evidence that they are the cause of the lack of trade. But Mistress Woolsey is right. We’ll need much more in the way of trade and supplies if we are to be properly self-sufficient.”
“Which sounds backwards to me, but what do I know?” Anders mumbled to himself.
“And then there are the hard questions,” Varel said. “Why has Kristoff not yet returned? Why are there talking darkspawn? How were the Wardens taken by surprise, and where are they now?”
“You said you were going to search for Kristoff tomorrow,” Elizabeth said.
“I did, but I fear we are too low on manpower to conduct any meaningful search,” Varel said.
“I could take a small group,” Elizabeth said. “I know there is much work to be done here as well, but perhaps if we find Kristoff, we’ll find the other Wardens. I am… capable of administrating, but at the moment it seems to me I am also one of your best fighters.”
“That does not sound like a bad plan,” Varel said. “We’ll start with that, then. Is there anything in particular you will need?”
“Companions,” Elizabeth said. “I imagine you and Captain Garevel will wish to remain here, at least for now, although you both seem like excellent fighters and you are welcome to join me whenever you wish. But I will take Mhairi, and Oghren, and Anders. It will have to be enough.”
“I can recommend a few of our better surviving soldiers, if you like,” Garevel said.
“I would appreciate it. But now I think, if there is nothing further to discuss right now, it is time for the Joining.”
“I’m off, then,” Garevel said. “It’s not my place to witness such things.”
“For me as well,” Woolsey said. “Good night, my lady.” Voldrik followed her after bowing to Elizabeth.
“I, however, may be of assistance,” Varel said. “The Wardens who came from Orlais came to trust me quite a bit, and I know the procedure of the Joining Ritual.”
“Oh, I’m glad,” Elizabeth cried, relieved. “I only have hazy memories of my own Joining, and I… was a bit nervous about conducting it.”
Varel smiled in a way that reminded her of her father. “Then I will prepare the necessary things.”
Mhairi’s face was glowing in anticipation. Oghren looked confident, although a little bored with all the talking that had just happened. Anders looked a little anxious. She gathered them by the hearth on one side of the hall.
“There are some things I must warn you of before you begin,” Elizabeth said. “This is all highly irregular by Warden tradition anyway, I’m given to understand; telling you more I don’t believe will hurt. I know the Grey Wardens need all the help they can get, and I don’t wish to discourage you, but there are many things that I was not told before my Joining that would have been nice to know. Like the fact that once the ritual has begun, you go through with it, or you must die.”
“Die?” Anders said in a small voice.
Elizabeth nodded regretfully. “And I’m most afraid for you, since you have little choice if you wish to be free of the Circle. But I think you have the strength to see it through. And Oghren…”
“Nah, I’m good,” Oghren said. “I’ve faced death a thousand other ways, you don’t have to talk me out of a little ritual just because we’re friends, Eliza.”
“Very well,” she said, although she was still worried for him. She’d known him for so long… if he died here, it would grieve her so deeply…
“What other things should we know?” Mhairi asked.
Elizabeth thought. “There will be nightmares. Your lifespan will be shorter than other humans. You will be infertile. You will not be able to tell anyone of your tribulations except your fellow Wardens – and apparently Varel.”
“So I can get with all the chicks I want?” Oghren leered. “Wait, no wonder you were going at it so hard with the elf!”
“Oghren, leave my private life out of your public conversation or I will thrash you to Orzammar and back,” Elizabeth said calmly as Anders and Mhairi stared. “Also, just as a general non-Warden related warning, if Oghren offers you anything to drink, don’t take it.”
“As if I would,” Anders muttered, and Mhairi nodded with a grimace. “So what’s the upside of being a Warden? I could use a word of encouragement right about now.”
Elizabeth had to pause for a moment. “The pride of being part of an ancient brotherhood dedicated solely to defending the weak and destroying monsters. My friend Alistair embraces it fully, more fully than I do. To him, the Wardens are family. Better family than blood family, even. You will also have the power to sense darkspawn.”
“Not that it helped the poor sods here tonight, but I’m sure ‘sometimes’ is better than ‘no times’,” Oghren said.
“I would agree,” Elizabeth said. “Although it takes some time to develop, after the nightmares start to fade. Also, you will have some respect from fellow citizens, although I understand the Wardens were not popular in Ferelden for many years after Warden-Commander Dryden… but I digress. The situation is getting better, and people will generally look up to you. After all, we are called to serve our fellow citizens, no matter our past, with our very lives if necessary. It’s not a bad life, truly. Ah, Varel, you are ready?”
“All is ready,” Varel said. “Would you like to say the words of Joining, or shall I?”
“I think I remember,” Elizabeth said. “One final word… Some of us are called to give our sacrifice sooner than others. That is why the Joining is so secret and must remain so. But even if it happens, remember that you are a Grey Warden.”
“I don’t like this,” Anders muttered.
“I will go first,” Mhairi said, stepping forward. “I am not afraid.”
Elizabeth smiled at her. “Then I will begin.”
She closed her eyes a moment to remember the words Duncan had said so long ago at her Joining, when Daveth and Jory had died – Daveth to the poison in the cup, and Jory to Duncan’s blade because he would not face the poison. “The Grey Wardens were founded during the first Blight, when humanity stood on the verge of annihilation. So it was that the first Grey Wardens drank of darkspawn blood and mastered its taint. As the first Grey Wardens did before us, and as we did before you. This is the source of our power and victory. Those who survive the Joining become immune to the taint. We use it to sense darkspawn and slay the Archdemon who leads them.” She lifted her head and looked them each in the eyes. “Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand, vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten and we shall join you one day.”
She took the Joining chalice from Varel, with the dose of black darkspawn blood swirling at the bottom, and turned to Mhairi. “Mhairi, step forward.”
Mhairi smiled in eager anticipation and took the chalice.
“From this moment forth, you are a Grey Warden,” Elizabeth told her, and Mhairi drank.
Elizabeth knew she would have to catch the cup quickly, no matter whether the outcome was good or ill, and she was ready when it fell from Mhairi’s hands. But Mhairi was coughing, retching, in a horribly familiar way. “Mhairi!” She thrust the chalice at Varel and knelt beside her as the woman collapsed into her arms. “Mhairi, I’m so sorry…”
Mhairi’s eyes rolled back in her head and she fell motionless, her breath still, her pulse gone.
Gently Elizabeth laid her down. “And she was so excited to be a Warden…” She swallowed her sadness and disappointment. “I’m so sorry.”
Anders was shuffling, looking terrified, huddled a little into himself. “…didn’t ask for this,” she heard him mutter.
“Anders,” she said gently. “I’m sorry. There’s no way out now. I felt as you do, once. Please…” Don’t make me kill you, she wanted to say, and didn’t want to say.
“Well, I’ll go next, then,” Oghren said. “Where’s that cup? What is this, the sampler size?”
“Well then, Oghren, from this moment forth, you are a Grey Warden,” Elizabeth said, and Varel handed him the refilled chalice.
Oghren tipped it back, gulped the whole thing down, wiped his lips with the back of his glove, and belched without batting an eyelash. She had been ready to catch the chalice, possibly even Oghren, and was taken off guard when he handed it casually back to her. “That’s it? Pretty bitter, got an interesting nose to it, but… I was expecting something with a little more kick to it. Particularly since…” he shot a regretful glance at Mhairi’s body.
Elizabeth shook her head at him. “You drink too much.”
Oghren giggled. “And look how handy it’s come.”
Well. One new Warden was better than none, even if it was Oghren. She turned to Anders. “Deep breath. I can’t promise you’ll be fine, but there’s nothing to do but hope.”
Anders made a face at her. “Easy for you to say.” But when she approached him with the chalice, he took it, with one last grimace.
“From this moment forth, you are a Grey Warden,” she said to him, and with a nervous swallow beforehand, he raised the cup to his lips.
She caught the chalice, and Varel caught the convulsing Anders. But he was breathing, even as he collapsed onto the rug by the hearth, his eyes rolling wildly.
Varel looked up at her. “He’ll live.”
“Thank goodness,” Elizabeth said. “I would have felt awful if I saved him only to kill him. But poor Mhairi…”
“She will be buried with honour,” Varel said. “I will take care of her, and we will do it tomorrow. For now, my lady, you should rest.”
“I think I will do that,” she said. “Good night, Oghren. Good night, Varel.”