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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
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Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
The Calm

The meeting was only located just down the ramp, in the larger area of the temple. As Zelda and Arawin descended, they saw several persons gathered around the long table at the end. They recognized Duncan standing near the back. He nodded towards them as they walked down the long temple. King Cailan was there, dressed in his golden armor, blonde hair braided and pulled back. Next to him was a man that Arawin didn’t recognize, but one Zelda knew very well.
He was slightly taller than Cailan, his hair the color of a raven, long and going to his shoulders. He wore heavy silverite plated armor, and his face showed his age, but also showed his authority. This was Loghain Mac Tir, the general of the Ferelden armies, and the Hero of River Dane. The man who, with the help of the late Queen Rowan, was able to hold off two full legions of chevaliers from entering Ferelden with just the help of a rebel army. It was that battle which turned the tide of the rebellion, and lead to the overthrow of the Orlesian rule. It was an honor for Zelda to even be standing next to him. Her father had fought with the rebellion, and he made sure all his children knew what had happened and who the heroes were.
As the two women rounded the table to join Duncan, they noticed other occupants of the meeting. The revered mother, in her red and orange robes, sat in a chair at the end of the table. The same mage Zelda and Arawin had witnessed talking with Alistair was also there. His bald head and crooked nose gleaming in the starlight. He stood as far away from the revered mother as he could. She as well, kept her gaze sternly on the two men discussing strategy at the table.
“Loghain, my decision is final,” said Cailan. “I will stand by the Grey Wardens in this assault.”
“You risk too much, Cailan,” Loghain nearly shouted. His voice was deep, and one could hear the experience behind it. “The darkspawn horde is too dangerous for you to be playing 'hero' on the front lines.”
“If that’s the case, perhaps we should wait for the Orlesian forces to join us, after all,” Cailan said lifting his eyebrows. He knew full well that Loghain hated the Orlesians, and for good reason.
“I must repeat my protest to your fool notion that we need the Orlesians to defend ourselves!”
“It’s not a ‘fool notion.’ Our arguments with the Orlesians are a thing of the past... and you will remember who is king.”
Loghain sighed deeply. “How fortunate Maric did not live to see his son ready to hand Ferelden over to those who enslaved us for a century.”
“Then our current forces will have to suffice, won’t they?” Cailan turned to Duncan. “Duncan, are your men ready for battle?”
“They are, your Majesty,” said Duncan.
The king then noticed the two women standing next to him and smiled. “And these must be the recruits I met earlier on the road. The lady from Highever and the elf from Denerim? I understand congratulations are in order.”
“Thank you, your Majesty,” Zelda said with a bow.
“Every Grey Warden is needed now,” said the king. “You should be honored to join their ranks.”
“It’s an honor just to live,” whispered Arawin. Zelda nudged her, but it appeared as though Cailan hadn’t noticed.
“Your fascination with glory and legends will be your undoing, Cailan,” Loghain said. He looked at the two women but said nothing to them. “We must attend to reality.”
“Fine,” Cailan said sounding annoyed. “Speak your strategy.” He and Loghain lend over the map spread out on the table. “The Grey Wardens and I draw the darkspawn into charging our lines and then?”
Loghain pointed on the map. “You will alert the tower to light the beacon, signaling my men to charge from cover.”
“To flank the darkspawn, I remember. This is the Tower of Ishal in the ruins, yes?” Cailan asked pointing to the spot Loghain had just pointed to. “Who shall light this beacon?”
“I have a few men stationed there. It’s not a dangerous task, but it is vital.”
“Then we should send our best.” Cailan looked up from the map and stared at Duncan. “Send Alistair and the new Grey Wardens to make sure it’s done.”
Zelda swallowed hard. Even though it hadn’t been directed towards her, she couldn’t believe she had just gotten an order from the king. “I’ll do my best, your Majesty,” she said bowing again, but more deeply.
Arawin, on the other hand, didn’t like the idea. “Wait! You mean I won’t be fighting in the battle? No, no... I refuse!”
“Hush, Arawin!” Zelda whispered, nudging her again harder.
“We need the beacon,” said Duncan. “Without it, Loghain’s men won’t know when to charge.”
“But...” Arawin pouted. “I want to take part in the battle...”
“And you will, eventually,” Duncan said reassuringly. “Just for this battle, please do as the king asked.”
Arawin sighed. “Fine.”
“You see? Glory for everyone!” Cailan said with a big smile.
“You rely on these Grey Wardens too much. Is that truly wise?” asked Loghain. He was not impressed with the two new additions. Especially not with Arawin’s outburst.
“Enough of your conspiracy theories, Loghain,” Cailan cried. “Grey Wardens battle the Blight, no matter where they’re from.”
“Your Majesty,” Duncan interrupted. “You should consider the possibility of the archdemon appearing.” It was something he was wanting to bring up for awhile, and there wouldn’t be another time. “Do you think you're prepared to fight it?”
“There have been no signs of any dragons in the Wilds,” said Loghain.
“Isn’t that what your men are here for, Duncan?” asked Cailan. “I think with the Grey Wardens here, I’m as prepared as ever to deal with the archdemon.”
“I... yes, your Majesty,” Duncan sighed.
“Your Majesty,” said the mage as he stepped up to the table. “The tower and its beacon are unnecessary. The Circle of Magi--”
The revered mother stood fast from her seat. “We will not trust any lives to your spells, mage!” she yelled. “Save them for the darkspawn!” She sat back in her seat and said no more. The mage looked at her with disgust on his face, and was unable to speak again.
“Enough!” cried Loghain. “This plan will suffice. The Grey Wardens will light the beacon.” Zelda could tell he wasn’t very fond with the idea, but he was not going to argue with Cailan any further.
“Thank you, Loghain,” said Cailan. “I cannot wait for that glorious moment!” Pride gleamed on his face. “The Grey Wardens battle beside the king of Ferelden to stem the tide of evil! Glorious!”
“Yes, Cailan,” whispered Loghain. “A glorious moment for us all.”
The king clapped his hands together. “Good, now that we have everything settled, I will allow for everyone to take their leave.”
The revered mother stood and bowed to the king before taking her leave first. The mage waited until the mother was out of sight before he did the same. Arawin and Zelda followed Duncan out of the temple as he headed back to the bonfire. When they arrived, they found Alistair there, with Rupee lying on her back, feet in the air. He was rubbing her belly, and Rupee’s tongue hung out, with one of her back legs shaking fiercely.
“I see you’ve made a new friend,” said Zelda as she stood over them. “Rupee doesn’t usually take too kindly to men, at least.”
Alistair patted the hound on the stomach before standing. “She growled at me at first, but once I gave her the rest of my scraps, she just started to love me.” Alistair beamed at Zelda with a huge smile.
“You gave her scraps?” Zelda asked with raised eyebrows. “I didn’t tell you to feed her.”
The smile on Alistair’s face fell, and he looked petrified. “Uh... Sorry? I didn’t think about it. I just thought--”
Zelda laughed at his nervousness, causing him to look at her strange. “Don’t worry about it,” she said. “I’m just playing with you. If you want to feed her scraps, then that’s fine. Just don’t let her use you. She’s real good at that.”
Alistair sighed in relief. He then cleared his throat. “So what happened at the meeting? Anything good?”
“No,” Arawin moaned. She made her way over to a pot that was filled with a dark stew. She looked in and smelled the contents. If made her stomach rumble. “Is this edible?”
“Yes,” said Alistair. “I made it for when everyone got back, so dig in.”
Arawin grabbed a wooden bowl and filled it with the stew. Zelda followed suit as her own stomach began to rumble with hunger. Neither of them could remember the last time they had eaten.
The stew was made of several different types of meat, along with vegetables and herbs. It wasn’t the best tasting, but the two women shoveled it down as if they were starving. Alistair snickered quietly to himself as he watched them eat. Duncan waited patiently for them to finish.
When Zelda and Arawin were done, Alistair took their bowls and dunked them in a bucket of water. “Now what did you mean by ‘no’, Arawin?” he asked.
“The king has sent the three of us on an errand,” Arawin grunted. “It’s so unfair.”
Alistair turned to Duncan. “What does she mean?”
“The king has asked that you, Zelda, and Arawin go to the Tower of Ishal and ensure the beacon is lit so that Teryn Loghain can charge the field,” Duncan explained.
“What?” Alistair’s face looked perplexed and hurt. “I won’t be in the battle? Again?”
“This is by the king’s personal request, Alistair,” said Duncan, his voice stern but compassionate. “If the beacon is not lit, Teyrn Loghain’s men won’t know when to charge.”
Alistair looked annoyed. “So he needs three Grey Wardens standing up there holding the torch. Just in case, right?”
“I agree with Alis,” said Arawin. “We should be in the battle.”
Alistair glared at Arawin but said nothing. Duncan only pressed on, looking at each of them in turn. “That is not your choice. If King Cailan wishes Grey Wardens to ensure the beacon is lit, then Grey Wardens will be there. We must do whatever it takes to destroy the darkspawn... exciting or no.”
“I get it. I get it,” Alistair said defeated. “Just so you know, if the king ever asks me to put on a dress and dance the Remigold, I’m drawing the line. Darkspawn or no.”
“Way to take a stand, Alis,” Arawin said jokingly.
“I have my dignity,” he said trying to ignore what she had just called him. “Well, some.”
Zelda giggled. “I think I’d like to see that.”
Alistair turned to her and smiled. “For you, maybe. But it has to be a pretty dress.”
This caused Zelda to explode with laughter as she pictured Alistair in her silk blue dress. “I don’t know,” she said in between fits. “That could be a great distraction!”
“Me shimmying down the darkspawn line? Sure, we could kill them while they roll around laughing.”
As Zelda laughed, Arawin began laughing as well. The two women and Alistair laughed hard before they noticed Duncan looking at them sternly. He sighed and shook his head, but they could tell he was trying to hold back a laugh himself.
Once they had calmed down, he began again, explaining about the tower and what to do. “The tower is on the other side of the gorge from the king’s camp, the way we came when we arrived. You’ll need to cross the gorge and head through the gate and up to the tower entrance. From the top, you’ll overlook the entire valley.”
“When do we light the beacon?” Zelda asked.
“We will signal you when the time is right. Alistair will know what to look for.”
“Can we join the battle afterwards?” Arawin’s face was desperate. She really wanted to fight. It was one of the reasons why she had come here. Zelda could sense it.
“Stay with the teyrn’s men and guard the tower,” said Duncan even though he seemed unsure of it. “If you are needed, we will send word.”
“What if the archdemon appears?” Zelda said timidly. It was something that had been plaguing her mind. Ever since the Joining, when she had seen the archdemon in her head, she was comparing it to the one she saw in her dream the night she lost her family. They were very similar.
“We soil our drawers, that’s what,” commented Alistair.
“If it does, leave it to us,” said Duncan. “I want no heroics from any of you.”
Arawin looked out past the fire. She was just now noticing how calm everything was. The camp was nearly empty. Where had everyone gone? “How much time do we have?” Arawin said turning her attention back to them. “I can see the battle is about to begin.”
“Yes, it is. Once I leave, move quickly. You’ll have less than an hour.”
“Are we in any danger?” Arawin hoped the answer was yes, at least. That might mean she could take part in some type of bloodshed.
“Of course. Even the best-laid plans go awry, so do what you must. I trust all of you.”
“Just not enough to actually fight with the rest of you,” said Alistair.
This made Duncan chuckle. “There will be plenty of battles, Alistair. Be patient.”
“Then we know what we have to do,” said Zelda.
Duncan nodded. “Then I must join the others. From here, you three are on your own. Remember, you are Grey Wardens. I expect you to be worthy of that title.” Duncan bowed to them, and they did the same. He then turned to make his leave.
“Duncan...” Alistair said stopping him. “May the Maker watch over you.”
“May He watch over us all,” he said before disappearing around the corner. The three Grey Wardens stood next to the fire, silent.
***
Zelda couldn’t help but to think of Fergus as she stared into the flames. She was worried about him. When would he be back? Did he know about what happened yet, or would he not know until he got back? And what if he did know? Would he have already gone to Highever to see what he could do? No, the king would not allow that, and even if he did, Zelda was sure Cailan would have told her he had let Fergus go. And Fergus would more than likely ask that Zelda come with him, or at least try and see her. Unless that happened while she was in the Wilds.
Zelda tried not to think about it. The thoughts brought up too many ‘what ifs.’ If she dwindled on it any longer, she would probably lose her mind. And then she wouldn’t be able to carry out the duty that was given to her.
Grey Wardens need to let go, she thought. I need to believe that Fergus is alive and well.
Arawin stood staring at the fire as well. Alistair was between the two, his face concentrated on the flames as they danced on his face. She wondered what he was thinking. She wondered what they both were thinking. She knew Zelda’s thoughts already. Arawin could see them on her face. Fergus was on her mind. Arawin could tell she was worried about him. But she wondered how she knew.
Of course she’s worried about her brother. Why else would she have such a face? But Arawin felt odd. She too was worried about Fergus. It made her question her own sanity. Why in the world am I worried about a shem I don’t even know? Arawin pushed the feeling aside and sighed heavily. “I hate this,” she said out loud.
Her voice brought the other two deep out of thought. “What do you hate?” Zelda asked.
“The calm before the storm.” Arawin crossed her arms and looked out past the fire to the empty camp. “I hate this waiting. I just want to dive right in. Go for the heart, and never stop.”
“Unfortunately, we won’t be going for any vital organs,” said Alistair.
“That’s not true,” Zelda chimed. “Lighting the beacon to summon Loghain’s troops is vital.”
“Just let me down there, I’ll take care of everything,” said Arawin.
Zelda gazed at the elf. She was so confidante in her ways. Much more than Zelda was in her own skills, at least. And who knew, maybe Arawin was better with a blade than she was. She had certainly proven her swordsmanship. But thinking that she was good enough to take on an entire horde of darkspawn was making her seem over confidante and maybe a little reckless. Still, Zelda couldn’t help but to admire her. She only wished she knew more about Arawin, and that the elf would let her in.
A horn sounded in the distant. It was low and long. It’s direction was coming from below the bridge that was just beyond the archway that Zelda and Arawin had entered from. All three of them stood silent. Rupee didn’t even make a sound.
“I guess it’s time,” said Alistair. “Should we get going?”
“I think we should,” said Arawin as she once more took the lead. “That beacon isn’t going to light itself.”
Zelda and Alistair followed her, with Rupee close behind. Their night was about to begin. Their orders set in their minds, and their destinies already rolling.

Paraphrasing from Dragon Age: Origins
- 12
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- 14
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Blood Bond