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Blood Bond	By : Hikari86 Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 4278 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Bioware owns everything Dragon Age. I claim no ownership and make no money/profit.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Into the Wilds

The ruined temple consisted of a long room with many pillars placed along the walls. At the end of the room was a long table. It appeared as if it was just put there by the army. The table did not look as if it had endured the elements for many years like the stone walls and pillars did. On the other end, where the ramp lead into, was another area, closed off by a circle of stone, with another ramp leading into it. This, Zelda assumed, must have been the magistrates office, or maybe even a private chamber. Which ever it was, Arawin and Zelda made their way to it. As they came to the opening, they could see two men standing in the middle of the circular ruins. One was obviously a mage, with his yellow and green robes. The other was a younger man dressed in splitmail with a large metal shield and a longsword at his back. He had short dirty blonde hair, which was high in the front. He and the mage appeared to be arguing.
“What is it now?” asked the mage with bitterness. “Haven’t the Grey Wardens asked more than enough of the Circle?”
“I simply came to deliver a message from the revered mother, ser mage,” said the young man. He appeared awful calm and polite despite the fire the mage spat at him. “She desires your presence.”
“What her Reverence ‘desires’ is of no concern to me! I am busy helping the Grey Wardens–by the king’s orders, I might add!”
“Should I have asked her to write a note?” The young man seemed to be having fun with the mage.
“Tell her I will not be harassed in this manner!” the mage barked.
“Yes, I was harassing you by delivering a message.” He had a smug look on his face, definitely having fun with the mage. Maybe a little too much fun.
“Your glibness does you no credit.”
“Here I thought we were getting along so well. I was even going to name one of my children after you... the grumpy one.”
“Enough!” cried the mage, obviously not being able to take much more. “I will speak to the woman if I must! Get out of my way, fool!” The mage stormed down the ramp, pushing his way past Zelda and Arawin. Arawin scolded at him as he disappeared around the pillars. She then felt a nudge from Zelda, which made her glower at her next, before she realized the young man was standing next to them.
“You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together,” he smiled.
“Sorry, what?” said Arawin staring at him with a peculiar interest. She found many humans to be strange, but this one seemed the definition.
“Oh, nothing. Just trying to find a bright side to all this,” he said.
“What was that all about?” Zelda asked him.
“That? It’s nothing. Just the old Chantry-Circle revelry. The revered mother just loves making the mages feel unwanted. They’re only here because of the king’s orders. So I hope neither of you are mages. I’m not really looking forward to being turned into a toad or anything.”
“Being a toad would probably be an improvement,” said Arawin with a wicked smile.
“What’s that suppose to mean?” he asked with a fallen face.
“Nothing,” Zelda interjected. “Ignore her, she’s just naturally evil. And we’re not mages.”
“No, I just like to have fun, unlike you,” said Arawin. “I’m kidding,” she said to the young man. “Zelda here just had to go and ruin my fun.”
The young man laughed. “There’s nothing wrong with having a bit of fun. Wait, did you say her name was Zelda? Then you must be Arawin. You’re Duncan’s new recruits from Highever and Denerim. I should have recognized you right away. I apologize.”
“That’s all right,” said Zelda. “No offense taken. We’ve never met, so how could you know?”
“Good. You didn’t exactly catch me at my finest with the mage there.”
“How could you recognize us?” asked Arawin. “How does any one in this camp recognize us! I’ve heard ‘You’re Duncan’s new recruit’ all day.”
“Don’t mind her. She’s a little moody right now.”
“Moody? Excuse me, Princess, but I do believe you are the one who’s been moody.”
Zelda and Arawin glared at each other before the young man spoke. “You two sound like an old married couple. How long have you known each other?”
“Only a few days,” said Zelda.
“The longest days of my life.”
“Anyway,” he continued, wanting to get away from where the conversation might be turning. “Duncan sent word before leaving Denerim. He spoke quite highly of both of you, giving descriptions and everything. Allow me to introduce myself: I’m Alistair, the new Grey Warden, though I guess you knew that. As the junior member of the order, I’ll be accompanying you when you prepare for the Joining.”
“Is there anything you can tell us about this Joining?” Arawin asked. “Duncan kind of left out a lot of details.”
“Honestly, nothing. Try not to worry about it,” said Alistair as he tried to deflect the question. “It will... just distract you. You know... it just occurred to me that there have never been many women in the Grey Wardens. I wonder why that is?”
“Trying to change the subject, are we?”
“You want more women in the Wardens, do you?” said Zelda, going along with Alistair. He was looking uncomfortable with Arawin prodding him.
“Would that be so terrible?” he chuckled. “Not that I’m some drooling lecher or anything. Please stop looking at me like that.” Arawin gave him a look that said I think you are a drooling lecher before she snickered at him. Alistair blushed and stared up at the sky. Zelda found it cute. “It’s just there are only men in the Grey Wardens right now. There are women, but not in Ferelden.”
“So I’ve heard,” said Zelda.
“And we don’t get many women anyway because, well... I don’t know. Maybe because no woman wants to deal with darspawn? I don’t mean to offend any of you, if I did. I tend to do that a lot.”
“If you offended me, you’d know it,” said Arawin. “I can handle myself better than most.”
“I’m getting that impression.” Alistair crossed his arms behind his back. “So, I’m curious: Have you ever actually encountered darkspawn before?”
“No, I haven’t,” Arawin answered, her face lowering.
“Have you?” Zelda asked Alistair.
“When I fought my first one,” he began sounding ominous. “I wasn’t prepared for how monstrous it was. I can’t say I’m looking forward to encountering another. Anyhow, whenever you’re ready let’s head back to Duncan. I imagine he’s eager to get things started.”
“I am too,” Arawin said sounding bored. “I can’t stand this waiting around crap. Can you tell us anything?”
“Just that I will be accompanying you as you prepare for the Joining,” said Alistair. “I’m not sure how you’re going to be doing that quite yet. Duncan didn’t tell me much either.”
“You don’t have to accompany us, do you?” Arawin was just getting used to the fact that she was going to be around Zelda for awhile. Now she had to be around Alistair as well? She wasn’t sure if either they or her would live long enough.
“Don’t worry; I’ll try not to embarrass you,” Alistair said snickering, seeing the disgust in her face. “Trust me, after a while you’ll get used to my so-called charms.”
“Either that or they’ll find me banging my head against the walls.”
“That’s happened before, actually. Though, I can’t say it was me who drove him to it.”
Zelda sighed, wondering when they would be done. “What about the other recruits?” she asked.
“Oh,” Alistair cleared his throat. “Daveth and Ser Jory are here in the camp. Have you met them?”
“I met Daveth. Not very charming.”
“And I met Ser Jory,” said Arawin. “He seemed rather surprised to see an elf joining the order.”
“I don’t see why,” said Alistair. “We have elven Grey Wardens, one of them is even in the camp. But, with at least both of you meeting them, that makes things easy, then. They’ll both be back with Duncan by now.”
“Then we should get moving,’ said Zelda. “I look forward to traveling with you, Alistair.” She bowed to him and surprise went across his face.
“You do? Huh. That’s a switch.”
“Oh! Let’s just go,” Arawin cried as she stomped her way down the ramp. Zelda only hung her head and sighed.
“I wonder if she will ever calm down.”
“Is she always like that?” Alistair asked.
“So far, that’s all I’ve seen of her.”
“Then this should be fun.” Alistair gestured for her to go ahead of him. “If you have any questions, let me know. Otherwise, lead on... or follow her.”
Zelda nodded, and made her way down the ramp. Arawin strode far in front of them. Zelda couldn’t help but to feel Alistair behind her. He was a very attractive young man and she had seen into his kind hazel eyes. But then a familiar pain racked through her heart. They reminded her of Rory. Tears began to well in her eyes, and she cursed herself for letting her guard down, for allowing a moment of weakness. Quickly she blinked them away, and pushed all thoughts of Rory and Alistair aside. She would need to keep her heart closed. There was no room right now for her to break down, and opening her heart would only rupture unhealed wounds.
***
Duncan’s camp was only a few feet away from the king’s tent. As the three of them made their way to him, they saw that the bonfire had gotten much bigger. Ser Jory and Daveth were there, chatting to each other before they noticed the two women and Alistair. Duncan hailed them as they strode to the fire. “You found Alistair, did you?” he said. “Good. I’ll assume you are ready to begin preparations. Assuming, of course, that you’re quite finished riling up mages, Alistair.”
Alistair shrugged his shoulders. “What can I say? The revered mother ambushed me. The way she wields guilt they should stick her in the army.”
“She forced you to sass the mage, did she?” Duncan acted amused at first, but then became serious. “We cannot afford to antagonize anyone, Alistair. We don’t need to give anyone more ammunition against us.” Zelda noticed that he sounded more like a concerned father than an angry commander.
“You’re right, Duncan. I apologize,” said Alistair. He looked on at the elder Grey Warden with admiration.
Zelda and Arawin made their way over to Ser Jory and Daveth, where they introduced themselves to the ones they had not met yet. Daveth acted just as interested in Arawin as he did with Zelda, only Arawin threatened to cut anything that touched her off, if he even tried. This only made Daveth more intrigued by her.
“Now then,” Duncan continued facing the four recruits as they stood next to one another. “Since you are all here, we can begin. You four will be heading into the Korcari Wilds to perform two tasks. The first is to obtain four vials of darkspawn blood, one for each recruit.”
“Finally! Some action,” cried Arawin as she rubbed her hands together. She was also excited that she didn’t have to sneak into the Korcari Wilds as she originally planned.
“Without a doubt,” Duncan chuckled. “Darkspawn aren’t renowned for their willingness to offer up their blood.”
“What do we need darkspawn blood for?” Zelda asked. Darkspawn blood was suppose to be poisonous and deadly. What did Duncan want them to get it for? Was this some kind of test?
“For the Joining itself. I’ll explain more once you’ve returned.”
“Surely you could’ve acquired some blood before now.” Zelda wasn’t too eager to enter the Wilds. She couldn’t believe that Daveth was right. But if she needed to enter them, then she wouldn’t hesitate.
“Of course,” said Duncan. “You must work together to collect the components, however. It’s as much a part of the Joining as what comes after.”
“Learning to work together... in the Korcari Wilds. This should be fun. And I suppose it’s also for us who haven’t faced darkspawn before to be introduced?” Arawin asked.
Duncan nodded, not really needing to verbalize the matter.
“And what’s the second task?”
Duncan shifted his feet and crossed him arms behind his back. “There was once a Grey Warden archive in the Wilds, abandoned long ago when we could no longer afford to maintain such remote outposts. It has recently come to our attention that some scrolls have been left behind, magically sealed to protect them. Alistair, I want you to retrieve these scrolls if you can.”
Curiosity piqued Zelda’s interest. She was aware of the outpost Duncan mentioned, but it had been lost for many years. No one knew how to find it or even where to look. The scrolls, however, she did not know anything about. “What kind of scrolls are these?”
“Old treaties, if you’re curious. Promises of support made to the Grey Wardens long ago. They were once considered only formalities. With so many having forgotten their commitments to us, I suspect it may be a good idea to have something to remind them with.”
“I never heard of Grey Warden treaties. Is this part of the Joining, too?”
“No, but the effort must be made,” said Duncan. “I have every confidence you are up to the task.”
“And what if they’re no longer there?” said Zelda. “I mean, they could have been taken or destroyed by the elements.”
“It’s possible the scrolls may have been destroyed or even stolen, though the seal’s magic should have protected them. Only a Grey Warden can break the seal.”
“I don’t understand...” said Alistair. “Why leave such things in a ruin if they’re so valuable?”
Duncan turned his head to look at him. Alistair stood next to Duncan, but a little off to the side, as if he were only there to observe. “It was assumed we would someday return. A great many things were assumed that have not held true.”
“Such as the darkspawn not truly being destroyed as was originally thought,” said Zelda.
“Aren’t you a useful source of information,” Arawin said sarcastically. She then turned to Duncan. “So, we're to acquire darkspawn blood, and find the archive. Now can we get going? I’m eager to meet my new nemesis.”
“Yes, I believe you are ready to head out. Watch over your charges, Alistair. Return quickly, and safely.”
“We will,” Alistair bowed.
“Then may the Maker watch over your path. I will see you when you return.”
Arawin took the lead quickly, the rest following her to the gates.
Blast her! thought Zelda. “Arawin, wait!” she cried. “You can’t storm the Wilds by yourself.”
“Watch me!” said the elf without turning her head.
“We’re suppose to be working together.”
“Then work on getting to my level, how about that?”
“Is she always like this?” asked Ser Jory. “She seems very... fiery.”
“From my short time spent with her, yes.”
Arawin did slow done, however, to allow the others to catch up with her. She couldn’t help herself. The thought of battle always made her excited. It was one of her true passions, and one of the things she craved.
As they reached the gate, the guard greeted them. “Hail! I’m told you have business in the Wilds. The gate’s open for you... just be careful out there. Even a Grey Warden won’t be safe in the forest tonight.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” said Ser Jory.
“Don’t worry,” Alistair chimed. “We'll be all right. Let’s just get in and get out as quickly as possible.”
“That sounds like a marvelous plan,” said Arawin. “Now let’s get moving before all the darkspawn decide it’s too much work to kill us and go home.”
The guard opened the gate, and they all hesitantly walked through. Even Arawin, who was still at the front. She may have been eager for a challenge, but she still had never fought darkspawn before, and wasn’t sure what to expect. Neither of them knew what to expect.
***
The Korcari Wilds were cold and dreary. They mostly consisted of swamps and bogs. The trees that grew were leafless, and their limbs twisted in abnormal and wicked ways. An eerie mist covered the ground, causing water droplets to form on their weapons and armor, and making the air more cold than it really was. A shiver ran through Arawin, but she didn’t let anyone see. She looked back and saw that the others were cold as well. Zelda and Daveth were rubbing their arms, as their leather armor was sleeveless, just like hers. Ser Jory and Alistair’s splitmail was able to cover all of their skin, but she could tell they were freezing from the coldness of the metal.
“Suck it up, boys,” Arawin said, walking backwards. “Once we start fighting then it’ll warm up in no time.”
“How are you not cold?” Zelda asked. “You have no leggings. Why is that?”
“Because I don’t need any. And besides, I’m not cold, or at least not as cold as you are. I’m sure you’re more used to just lighting a fire and covering yourself up in a wool blanket, right?”
Zelda made a sore face, wishing Arawin would stop with her banter. Arawin turned back around and stretched her arms in the air. “Yeah, you nobles sure had it nice, didn’t you? All I had in the winter time was a thin blanket and maybe a jacket. It all depended on if my cousins had taken it or not.”
“You two really don’t like each other, do you?” Alistair asked.
“It’s more she hates me, and I just tolerate her,” said Zelda. Alistair made his way next to her. He reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out a small piece of cloth and handed it to Zelda.
“Here, this should help to keep you warm.” He then went and gave Ser Jory and Daveth one as well. He offered one to Arawin, but she refused.
Zelda felt the cloth and noticed that it was very warm to the touch. The heat didn’t wan either, but kept at a steady temperature. She realized that it was fire cloth. A piece of cloth enchanted by mages to stay a specific temperature. “Thank you,” she said to Alistair. “I guess this is something I could have gotten at the Wonders of Thedas shop when we were in Denerim, but I didn’t think of it.”
“That’s why I’m here,” he joked. “There is something I would like to know, if you don’t mind,” he said coming next to her again.
“What is it?”
“Considering how you and Arawin are acting, I would like to know how you two met. Duncan mentioned very little in his letters about how he came about Arawin, and you as well.”
“Hmm, well I guess I can tell you now. It’s not like we’re getting anywhere fast at the moment.”
Zelda told Alistair about what had happened in Denerim. About how she had seen Arawin being pulled out of the alienage by several guards, and how she had fought them with all her might. As she told the story, Arawin would occasionally comment. The first time she did so, Zelda at first assumed the elf would yell at her for telling the story, or for telling it wrong. But instead, Arawin only added to the things Zelda did not know. Yet, it was still Zelda who talked the most. When asked what Arawin had done to be taken by the guards, she only commented that she had killed the arl’s son, but nothing more, and no one was able to get anything else out of her. Zelda realized she did know something. She had heard Arawin say it when she was telling it to the king. I killed an arl’s son for raping my cousin. That had been what she said, and Zelda seemed to understand Arawin a little better.
Ser Jory and Daveth listened in along with Alistair. Once Zelda was done, they then told their stories of how Duncan had recruited them.
Duncan had found Daveth in Denerim. The sneaky rogue had tried to pick-pocket the Grey Warden, only to be caught and chased down. When Duncan had captured Daveth, instead of reporting him to the authorities, Duncan offered him a place with the Grey Wardens. It was a shock to Daveth, as he was sure Duncan was going to kill him. He was more than happy to except the offer.
“And what’s your story?” Alistair asked Zelda. “I know that Duncan was going to Highever to look at a recruit, but I thought he was testing a man named Glemore... or was it Glenmore?”
“Gilmore,” said Zelda. “His name was Ser Rory Gilmore.” She turned away from him, not wanting him to see the hurt in her eyes.
“Yes, that was the name. So, what happened? Were you better than him or something?”
“I don’t wish to talk about it right now,” she said. “It’s... it’s not important.”
He looked at her curiously but decided that it was better not to pry. “Fair enough.”
Arawin continued her front lead. She didn’t know too much about what had happened to Zelda before they crossed paths, but she knew enough that what had happened was bad. Something so bad that Zelda wished an Arl Howe dead for the crime. Arawin did feel sorry for Zelda on that level, but that was it. She twisted the ring on her finger as they walked. She had been doing that ever since Zelda had started telling them about Denerim. It made her angry as the memories of that day came flooding back to her. She really needed to find some darkspawn. All the tension that was beginning to build inside of her was about ready to make her explode. It was then that a howl sounded through the swamp, making them all stop in their tracks.
“What was that?” Ser Jory jumped.
“Just wolves,” said Alistair. “Don’t worry, they aren’t anywhere near us. They may be following us, however. Waiting for us to get tired and lost before they attack.”
“Thank you, Captain Obvious, I didn’t realize that’s what wolves did,” said Arawin.
“Hey, sometimes they just attack. I could be wrong, you know. They may be organizing right now, and are getting ready to attack as we speak.”
“Let’s hope you were right the first time,” said Zelda.
As they made their way deeper into the Wilds, they could hear more wolves howling from a distance. They quickly put their guard up. No one talked as they traversed through the swamps. It was then they realized how quiet the Wilds were. Besides the wolves, the only other sounds they heard were crickets and frogs. There were no birds chirping, or even the wind blowing through the trees. But soon the silence was broken, as they came up to a bloody scene.
There was an overturned cart, and dead oxen decaying in the swamps. The body of several guards, all baring the crest of the king on their shields, laid in the mud, covered in it along with blood.
“What happened here?” cried Zelda. “Are these some of the kings scouts?”
A moan escaped from one of the bodies, almost making all five of them jump out of their skins. He was closest to Arawin and began shifting and turned his head so he could look up and see them. “Who... is that? Grey... Wardens...?” he struggled to say.
“Well, he’s not half as dead as he looks, is he?” said Alistair.
“Are you all right? What happened to you?” Zelda knelt beside the soldier. She took a good look at him to see how hurt he was.
“My scouting band was attacked by darkspawn.” The soldier coughed, bringing up bile. “They came out of the ground... Please, help me! I’ve got to... return to camp...”
“Let’s try and bandage him up, at least,” said Zelda as she tried searching her pack for supplies.
“I have bandages right here,” said Alistair as he handed them to her. Zelda took them and began treating the poor soldier as best she could. She wasn’t sure if what she was doing would help him, but it would hopefully keep him alive until he was back at camp to receive proper treatment.
“Thank you,” the soldier groaned. He then began trying to get on his feet.
“No, you’re too hurt. You can’t walk.”
“I... I’ve got to get out of here!” he said, pushing her aside. “I need to... get back to camp...” He stumbled away, Zelda getting up to go after him, but she was stopped by Arawin.
“You can’t save him, Princess. Just let him go and die where he wants.”
“Did you hear that?” said Ser Jory petrified. “An entire patrol of seasoned men killed by darkspawn!”
“Calm down, Ser Jory,” Alistair said putting his hands in front of him to keep the knight from bolting away if he needed to. Ser Jory was shifting back and forth on his feet, unsure of what to do. “We’ll be fine if we’re careful.”
“Those soldiers were careful, and they were still overwhelmed. How many darkspawn can the five of us slay? A dozen? A hundred? There’s an entire army in these forests!”
“There are darkspawn about,” said Alistair. “But we’re in no danger of walking into the bulk of the horde.”
“How do you know?” he cried. “I’m not a coward, but this is foolish and reckless. We should go back.”
“You sound like a coward to me,” said Arawin. She was having some fun watching Ser Jory squirm. To think that a knight was afraid of darkspawn when a small elven girl was not, made Arawin beam.
“I...” Ser Jory wasn’t sure what to say to her. He was afraid, yes, but he also knew that he would have to face darkspawn sooner or later. “I am simply trying to stay alive. You do not see me fleeing, do you?”
“Overcoming these dangers is part of our test,” said Zelda as she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Facing darkspawn is what Grey Wardens do.”
“That’s... true.”
“A bit of fear isn’t unnatural, you know,” Alistair chimed in. “Few relish meeting darkspawn up close. I know I don’t.”
“Huh,” Arawin pondered. “It appears that I'm the only man here.”
“I know I’m relying on you to protect me,” Alistair said sarcastically. He then turned back to Ser Jory. “Know this: All Grey Wardens can sense darkspawn. Whatever their cunning, I guarantee they won’t take us by surprise. That’s why I’m here.”
“You see, ser knight?” said Daveth. “We might die, but we’ll be warned about it first.”
“That is... reassuring?”
“That doesn’t mean I’m here to make this easy, however,” Alistair added. “So let’s get a move on.”
“Finally!” Arawin boosted. She made her way again, leaving the rest behind to watch her go. “Come on, ladies,” she called to them. “I can do this on my own, but I guess that’s not what Duncan wants.”
As Arawin made her way, she saw something in the corner of her eye. A log, half submerged in the swamp, and covered in think moss, also had something else growing from it’s bark. Arawin went to it and saw a flower sticking out. It was white with a blood-red center, just like the kennel master described.
“Excellent,” she said while picking the flower. Carefully she placed it in her pack, making sure it wouldn’t be destroyed even if she had to fight. The others eventually caught up to her.
“What was that you just picked up, Arawin?” Zelda asked.
Arawin groaned, hoping that no one would have asked what she was doing. “It’s a flower,” she said coldly.
“Why are you picking a flower?”
“That’s none of your business, now, please leave me be.” Arawin went to stand, but she noticed that Alistair had stiffened. He looked alert and stared past the group toward a group of trees. She followed his gaze, and what she saw made her stiffen just as much.
A darkspawn stood under the trees. It was tall, with gray sickly skin that clung to it’s bones. It’s teeth jagged and pointy, yellowish in color, and hot breath exhaled from it’s mouth in white plumes. In it’s hand was a longsword with a thick pommel and blood stained on the steel. It seemed to be smiling at them, but Arawin was unsure.
An eerie humming sound was coming from it. It grew louder as other darkspawn came out from behind the trees. Some looked the same as the first one. Others were shorter, and looked like the one Arawin had seen in the camp. They all stared intently at the group of Wardens, opening and closing their mouths, preparing to strike.
Arawin stood, and smiled broadly. The intent of battle building up in her. She loved this feeling, but the feeling she loved even more was that of death. The way she felt when plunging a blade into the body of another gave her an adrenaline rush like no other. She posed herself, pulling out Fang and her longsword. Behind her, she could hear the others readying their weapons in anticipation. She even thought she could feel their fear. Well, that wasn’t going to stop her, and neither was her own.
Arawin made the first move, driving forward with a cry. The darkspawn greeted her cry and charged. Ser Jory went next, holding his blade with two hands and charging forward. Daveth pulled off his bow and loaded it with an arrow, firing at the creatures with lightning speed. Zelda held onto Silverbrand, standing where she was when the darkspawn had shown themselves. She was afraid, but she was not going to aimlessly charge in. Instead, she gazed, analyzing before she finally ran into the fight and pummeled one of the shorter darkspawn with her shield.
Alistair stayed at the edge of the fight. He had his shield and sword ready, but was more keen on overlooking the recruits. His duty with them was just to make sure they didn’t die before the Joining. Fighting the darkspawn on their own and collecting the blood was their job. A way for them to know what they would be dealing with in the future and for them to be introduced. If they truly needed his help, Alistair wouldn’t hesitate to run in to save anyone who may be overwhelmed. As of now, he was just observing, watching intently at the different fighting styles that he saw from each recruit.
Arawin was the fastest, and perhaps the most cocky. She charged first at the largest darkspawn. It towered over her at least a foot, and wielded a massive sword. Alistair knew it to be an alpha hurlock, a tough and powerful darkspawn that usually only the most experienced Grey Wardens could handle. He watched as Arawin took down the great beast with quick jabs and a kick to the knees. He could see very clearly why Duncan had recruited her.
Daveth was an excellent shot with arrows. Hitting the creatures in the head and torsos. Some of them didn’t fall immediately, but he was able to bring them down before they got to him.
Ser Jory was impressive with the strength he showed swinging his great sword around, bringing down darkspawn in one swipe. Tarring through their numbers with ease. It was easy to see why he was recruited too, but Alistair wasn't so sure about his emotional state. It took more than physical prowess to be a Grey Warden.
Yet, when it came to it, the one Alistair couldn’t take his eyes off was Zelda. She had a similar fighting style to him. She used her shield more than just for blocking attacks, but also as a weapon in itself. It was a wonder to watch her smack her shield on a darkspawn then run her blade through the creature as it tried to correct itself from the blow.
Eventually, he joined in with them as he felt and saw more darkspawn coming towards the squabble. The battle didn’t last very long, but to the new recruits, it seemed to take an age. Once the fighting was over, and all the darkspawn defeated, everyone breathed heavily, all covered in blood and sweat. Steam rose from their bodies, as their heat and the cold air collided.
“That... was... awesome!” cried Arawin as she spun around. “Can we do it again? Come on, I want to find the whole horde now. I’ll rip out all their hearts!”
“Maker’s breath! You must be mad,” panted Ser Jory. “That was not pleasant at all. Those monsters were tougher than I thought.”
“Yeah, usually one arrow can take down a bear if shot in the right spot,” said Daveth. “But I needed to use at least three or four!”
“That is how they are,” Alistair explained. “You see why they need to be taken care of, and why the Grey Wardens look for skilled individuals to take care of them?”
“You all are a bunch of wimps, you know that?” said Arawin.
Alistair reached into his pack and pulled out four fairly large vials and handed one to each. “Here, go and fill these all the way up with the blood. Then give them back to me.”
“Why do we need darkspawn blood again?” Zelda asked as she took the vial from him.
“You’ll find out when we return,” said Alistair.
“Why can’t you tell us now? I mean,” she said getting a little closer to him. “It’s not like we’re going to tell Duncan or anyone that you told us. Why is it such a secret?”
“Well... uh,” Alistair was tongue tied as Zelda looked at him with her big blue eyes. “You see... I can’t...”
“Why not?”
“Oh, please,” Arawin said rolling her eyes. “Why don’t you just shove your boobs in his face while you’re at it. Or if you really want to get somewhere, stop licking boots, and aim higher.”
Zelda grunted and glared at Arawin. “That is not what I'm doing.”
“Are you sure? Because you look awful perky right now.”
Zelda narrowed her eyes at Arawin, but said nothing. She walked away and found a darkspawn body that was still gushing blood. Opening the vial, she filled it with the black blood and then placed the stopper back on. She handed it to Alistair and turned away.
“What just happened?” asked Daveth.
“Nothing,” said Arawin. “I just called the princess out. That’s all.”
The other three each found their own darkspawn and filled their vials with it’s blood. It wasn’t long before they were all finished and ready to continue on.
“So now what?” Arawin asked turning to Alistair.
“We try and find the treaties Duncan asked us to get.”
“And what if we can’t find them? How long do we plan on looking?”
“I don’t plan on having us out here too long. If we can’t find the treaties soon, then we’ll head back to camp. There’s no use having you four dying out here before you get a chance to do some good.”
“You do know the way back, right?” Ser Jory asked.
“Yes... I do.”
“You don’t seem too confidante on that,” said Arawin.
“I do,” Alistair said defensively. “I have been keeping a map in my head.”
Arawin laughed hard, having to hold her sides. “Boy, I feel so much better. Our fearless leader knows the way home. Yet you don’t know where the treaties are. Well leader, onward, right?”
“You’re the one who’s been leading, Arawin,” said Alistair. “Why don’t you go ahead.”
“Fine.” Arawin looked around, trying to determine which way to go. It was not going to be easy to find these treaties in a place like this.

Paraphasing from Dragon Age: Origins
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Blood Bond