Thank you for reading Dalira-san. I am pleased to keep your afternoons bright. Next chapter should be soon, I had to play to get some dialogue. OH the humanity! LOL! Thanks again! HUGS!
The First Cut is Always the Deepest... Chapter 32-Low Flying Nugs, Is up!
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Gilgamesh1138
, mai 08 2010 08:27
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Posté 18 août 2010 - 12:28
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Chapter 15
~Crow's Cages and Bouncing Bears~
Kai made her way to the crow’s cage and the pale hand motioning her forward belonging to a scrawny half starved man. His gaunt face bore the
shadow of whiskers from a lack of shaving. He had been in his prison for a while.
“Heh...someone finally comes and talks to the lone prisoner. I don’t suppose you can sentence me or know someone who can?”
“You haven’t been sentenced?” Kai shot a look at Alistair who shrugged.
“No, they put someone like me in a cage until someone of importance has time to decide what to do with me. From the quality of your arms and
armor, I had hoped you would be one such person. You are obviously a noble.”
Kai stepped closer to the cage, it made her heart hurt to think the man had been locked up and forgotten. What he said next made her angry. “I
don’t suppose you have a bit of kindness in you? All I want is food and water. They haven’t fed me since I was locked up, and I’m starving.”
“That’s horrible! Why haven’t they fed you?” Kai clenched her fists.
“I expect nobody thought of it with all the battles and such.” The man’s stomach took that moment to grumble loudly.
“So tell me why you’re in there.” Kai winked at him, “Was the cause just?”
“Aww, that’s sweet of you dearest. How about you marry me instead? At least I could get a kiss before they hang me.” He chuckled at her.
“Who says you need to be married to kiss someone?” Kai grinned cheekily back, “Though I do like to know who I am kissing let alone speaking to.
My name is Kai.”
“Norval. I’m a deserter. Or so they think. I bet there’s no arguing them out of it, though--armies are funny that way.” He grimaced at her.
“Uh huh, and I bet you’re as innocent as sunrise.” Kai laughed.
Norval rolled his eyes but smiled back, “I wasn’t deserting, but when you catch someone sneakin’ around camp in the middle of the night, what
else are you gonna think?”
“So-o, if you weren’t deserting, what were you doing? Why sneak around camp?” Kai cocked an eyebrow at him.
He smirked at her, “Oh, I would have deserted eventually, just not then.” He shrugged, “I was stealing, not sneaking out of camp.” Kai watched
as a blush crept up his neck under the filth, “I got one of those wizards drunk and took his key. It belongs to a chest they got here, full of
magical treasures. In fact, I still have it.” He looked back the way she and Alistair had come, nodding his head in the direction of the mage
section of camp. “I can’t use it from here, but I’d trade you for some food and water.”
“You don’t have to trade me, I will gladly get you food and water.” Kai tilted her head, “They didn’t find the key when you were arrested? How
is that possible considering your state of...undress.”
“I swallowed it. But it’s...uhhh...come back into my possession since then, so to speak.” The blush darkened his dirt encrusted skin further.
“That’s disgusting, you know that?” Kai made a face.
It was Alistair’s statement that had her burst out laughing, “And an excellent party trick, I’ll bet.”
“Yeah, well, do you want the key or not?” Norval threw up his hands. “The guard has some food, I saw him set it aside earlier.”
Kai put her hand up to the cage, “I’ll see what I can do.” Norval nodded at her. Kai gave Alistair a pointed look and tilted her head to the
side to ask him to step away with her. They moved off and stood looking at the guard. “Are you sure we can’t recruit him?”
Alistair shook his head, “I told you, we have to be careful with it. We can’t just use it on every convict. No matter that Duncan used it for
that cutpurse.”
“We can’t just leave him to die in that cage! He wasn’t deserting!” Kai glared at Alistair.
“At least not at that moment, anyway. Look, Kai, we can’t conscript him, but we can get him food and water, and tell someone about him to get
him sentenced. Maybe we can keep them from hanging him.” Alistair flushed and looked down, “It really is the best we can do.”
“Fine! But just for the record, I hate the leaving the man hanging in that cage.”
Alistair put a gentle hand on her shoulder, “Understood. I hate it too.”
Kai nodded and walked towards the guard, a stout fellow in full armor with what looked like a few days’ worth of beard. With the way his armor
fit, it was apparent missing a meal would do the man no harm. If anything, Kai figured it might do the guard some good, if she could convince
him to part with his beloved food.
The man startled her when he addressed her first, “Lucky dog. You Grey Wardens get to ride with the king while I’m left with the drudgery of
guarding this deserter.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of Norval. “They should’ve just hanged him. Put his head on a
pike as an example.”
Kai’s eyes narrowed in anger, her hands automatically curling into fists, before she realized what she was doing. Breathing deeply and telling
herself to calm down, she addressed the guard in a sticky sweet voice, “What makes you think he was deserting?”
The guard’s eyebrows shot up before he scowled at her. “Why does anyone want to desert? ‘Cause he thinks he’s going to die and he’s a bleedin’
coward, that’s why.” He crossed his arms and rocked on his heels, “Either that or he’s been listening to a bunch of hogwash about how the
darkspawn’ll drag you off and eat you.”
Kai tried to set her face in what she hoped was a neutral expression, “I had a chat with him, actually.”
“Don’t expect it was an enlightening conversation.” The guard chuckled at his own joke.
She cocked an eyebrow at him, “He claims he wasn’t deserting.”
The guard huffed and crossed his arms across his chest, “What a surprise. Another innocent prisoner.” He is voice dripped with sarcasm. “At
any rate, it’s not for me to say. He’ll get his day to plead his case or he won’t. It’s all the same to me.”
“I believe him, and as for his day to plead, I am going to do what I can to see that happens sooner rather than later or not at all.” Kai took
another deep breath, giving herself a mental head slap to remind her not to throttle the man. “He asked for some food and water.”
“Did he now? Since nobody sends me nothing to feed him with, the only way he’ll get that is if I give him mine.” Kai watched the man’s face pull
down in a frown.
It took everything she had not to smack the man upside the head. Her thoughts must have shown in her posture as one of Alistair’s big hands
clasped her shoulder gently giving it a squeeze. “So, you miss one meal--this man could be hanged soon!”
The guard rolled his eyes and blushed, “All right, all right. I guess the fella could stand one meal in his belly before he hangs. Don’t know
why you care.” She watched him go to a satchel sitting next to a stump the guard had been using for a chair. He removed a parcel wrapped in
cloth and tied with twine. He handed it to her and pointed a finger towards her chest, “I had nothin’ to do with it, though. If anyone asks why
he’s burpin’, I’m gonna say it was you, just so you know.”
The guard walked to the stump and picked up a cloth wrapped bundle placing it in Kai’s hands, “There, pray he chokes on it, it would probably be
quicker for him.” Kai raised an eyebrow and pointed to the water skin sitting on the stump. “Oh, right.” The solider walked over grabbed the
skin and handed it over as well.
“Here, take a few coins and buy yourself some ale when you are off duty.” Alistair slipped the man a few coppers. Kai rolled her eyes at him,
but couldn’t help smiling as Alistair’s skin flushed delightfully.
Kai stepped around the guard and went to Norval. “So...? Brought me some food and water, have you?” He reached through the cage taking the
water skin tipping it to his lips and taking large gulping swallows, some of the water dripping down his skinny chest leaving lighter tracks in
his dirt encrusted skin. Once his thirst had been slaked, he reached out again through the bars, “I’m so hungry I could faint dead away.”
“Here’s some food, Norval.” Kai handed him the bundle, which from the smell had bread, cheese, and bacon in it. “Just eat it slowly, or it will
all come back up. You want it to stay down, or you will just be hungry again.”
Norval grinned at her and bobbed his head and he opened the cloth and tearing off a bite of bread and a bit of the cheese with a bite of bacon,
the grease slicking his chin. After downing his first morsel, he winked at her, “Much obliged. May Andraste herself rain blessings upon you!”
Kai watched as Norval looked around before scrabbling in the straw of his cage before holding up a key. He looked at it and took the cloth from
around the food, placing it in his lap, and wrapping the key in the napkin before handing it to her. “And...as I mentioned here’s the key. Use
it in good health.”
Kai took the cloth wrapped key trying not to wince. It was Alistair’s comment that had her gasping for breath through the laughter. “Huh,
considering where that came from, let’s hope we’re not the only ones in good health.” He grinned at her and waved his goodbyes to Norval.
“We’ll tell someone you weren’t deserting and try and get you released.” Norval grinned and took more bites of food.
Kai and Alistair turned back to walk past the priest and it struck Kai who the female soldier standing there was, Ser Cauthrien, Loghain’s
lieutenant. Kai had heard of her from her father. A woman who had, like the hero of River Dane himself, come from a simple farming upbringing.
The story went, that Cauthrien had seen Loghain being attacked near her father’s farm, and had come to the man’s rescue. She pledged her service
to him and worked her way up the ranks with sweat and skill. Kai could appreciate that. Her father had spoken of the woman with respect. Ser
Cauthrien nodded her head when she noticed Kai looking her way.
It was the screaming that came from what looked to be the infirmary area, that drew her attention. Kai walked over to a man sitting prone on a
cot yelling, while a women tried to quiet him. Kai didn’t recognize him as a soldier from Highever. He couldn’t have been one from Fergus’s
group. At least she was praying he wasn’t part of Fergus’s group. As she drew close his eyes fixed on her. They are large, glassy, and wild.
“You! You need to convince them! We’ve got to run! The darkspawn are coming!”
Kai locked her knees, the man’s demeanor made her want to step back. “What makes you say that?”
“I saw them! We’re gonna die!” He sat up grasping his side, lunging forward a bit.
The woman tending the wounded put a hand on his shoulder trying to push the man back onto the cot, “I apologize, Warden. He’s been like this
ever since they found him in the Wilds.”
Kai watched as her hand snaked out and grabbed the woman’s arm, almost as if it belonged to someone else. “Was this man sent out with men from
Highever?”
The woman looked at Kai’s hand in surprise, but patted it gently after looking at her expression of fear. “No, my lady. This gentleman returned
with the patrol sent out made of Bann Loren’s men. We have not heard back from the Highever patrol. I am sorry, my lady, was there someone...”
Kai shook her head and gave a small smile as she removed her hand, “What’s wrong with him? She motioned towards the man who still mumbled under
his breath while rocking in place.
“Aside from his wounds, we’re not sure. His blood is untainted. He’s just terrified.”
Kai was sensing a pattern here, “Untainted?” Alistair coughed behind her and blushed profusely looking away when Kai turned her eyes towards
him.
Before the nurse could elaborate, the wounded man interrupted, “You...you can feel it can’t you?” Kai followed his gaze back to Alistair once
again. She watched his blush deepen and he shuffled his feet as she cocked an eyebrow at him. She tore her gaze back again as the man’s hand
grasped her arm hard enough to leave a bruise. His wild glassy eyes bore into her own, “They taint the land, turn it black and sick. You can
feel it...on the inside! He can feel it.” The man nodded towards Alistair, dropping his voice to a whisper, “He has it crawling around inside
of him, he knows. He knows!” His hand loosed its grip and he leaned back once more, his voice sounding in despair, “They’ll come out of that
forest and spread. Like caterpillars covering a tree, they’ll swallow us whole!”
Kai watched the nurse shoot Alistair a look before turning back to the wounded man, gently laying him back on the cot. “That’s quite enough out
of you. You need to calm yourself, my good man.”
The soldier writhed on the cot his voice raising in decibel, “They were everywhere! Everywhere do you not understand? I saw them!” His voice
trailed off and could be heard muttering, only snatches discernible, “they’re coming” being taken by the wind as it blew across the courtyard.
The nurse patted the man’s arm and nodded her head at Kai indicating she should follow.
“I’m sorry if that soldier frightened you.” She bent down over the soldier lying on the cot before her. Kai noticed the strange pallor of the
prone soldier. His eyes were silvery white and his skin had black and purplish splotches along with black circles under his eyes. His lips were
cracked and there was a fetid smell lingering over the cot.
This man was was also muttering and rocking. What he said caused fear to snake along Kai’s skin like newly hatched baby spiders, “It burns on the
inside! It hurts so much! I can feel it inside me. It’s crawling inside me!” The man’s hand reached out and grabbed her arm in a vise like
grip. “He calls! Can’t you hear him? The song it’s so beautiful! He calls!” The mans’ oddly milky eyes got wide and he released Kai to point
at Alistair behind her. “He can hear him! It crawls inside him too! He hears, he hears!” The solider broke off into high pitched maniacal
laughter.
The nurse shot Kai an apologetic look. Kai looked at the laughing soldier, and back to his ward, “You mentioned tainted blood. I take it this
man has been tainted?”
The nurse shot Alistair a look which Kai couldn’t read, before she nodded. “Yes, the darkspawn can taint people as well as the land.” Again a
look passed between the woman and Alistair, “Most don’t survive it, if they do they become...ghouls.” Kai watched the nurse flush and look away,
“Excuse me, I need to tend to my patients.”
Kai nodded and she and Ali turned to walk down the ramp to the south side of the camp. Kai stopped halfway down the ramp turning to Alistair who
had to take a step back from her abrupt lack of movement. “So, care to tell me about this Joining ritual?” She smiled sweetly at him, “I am
sensing a pattern in darkspawn, and their blood, and the Wardens.”
He flushed looking guilty, even shuffling his feet like small boy caught stealing a cookie from the kitchens. “I wish I could tell you more.”
He reached out his hand grasping her arm, his eyes pleading. “I really do wish I could tell you more. Ask me again, after Duncan speaks to you
about it. I promise I will tell you more.”
Kai nodded and gripped his hand with her own, smiling. “Ah a puzzle wrapped inside a conundrum, stuffed inside an enigma all coated in Grey
Warden secrecy.”
He grinned that lopsided smile, “Riiight, something like that.”
Kai laughed and continued to make her way down the ramp. To her right a guard with a mabari stood in front of a large gate leading to a forest
covered pathway. Kai took a moment to look at the gate, wondering if that was the way Fergus and his men from Highever had gone. She was broken
from her musing when the guard spoke to her. “Hail! You’re one of Duncan’s new recruits, aren’t you?”
“Hail and well met, I’m Kai.” She bobbed her head at the man.
“I can’t let you through to the Korcari Wilds, if that’s what you were thinkin’, not until Duncan gives the word.”
Kai almost laughed, she hadn’t been thinking that, but true to her nature, being told she couldn’t made her want to. “Why not?”
“The Korcari Wilds is a dangerous place, more so now that it crawls with darkspawn. They say the Great Blight began deep within its forests.”
He shrugged, “One of our scouting patrols has been gone for three days. We’re taking bets on who got them first: the darkspawn, or the Witches
of the Wilds.”
Kai felt her heart beating so hard she thought it could surely be heard by everyone in camp. Fergus, they were taking bets on her brother’s
life! Kai saw red, and she only realized that
she had grabbed the man by the front of his armor when she was forcefully knocked back by a large muscled marbari, baring its teeth at her.
“Bets?! You are sodding taking bets on men’s lives? My brother is in that patrol you bloody bastard!” Kai felt Alistair’s hand on her shoulder,
giving it a sympathetic squeeze.
She watched as the man’s face first paled then turned scarlet. “Cradoe! Down!” The soldier motioned to the dog, who turned with a look over
its shoulder towards its master before wagging a stump of a tail and going to the man’s side. “I’m sorry, my lady, I...I didn’t know.”
Kai closed her eyes and took a deep breath, nodding. “So you were saying there are other things than darkspawn for my brother and his men to
worry about?”
“Well...there’s an old legend in these parts about Flemeth, the apostate sorceress who conquered the area centuries ago. She united the Chasind
barbarians and invaded the farmlands.” He shrugged, “That’s when the great hero, Cormac, destroyed her army with his. Took her head right off,
so they say.
“Her daughters survived and became the Witches of the Wilds. Tales tell of them plaguing this area since. Mostly superstitions---stealing
babies and spoiling the milk.”
“And you think the witches exist?” Kai cocked an eyebrow at him.
The man looked sheepish and shrugged, “Only when it’s dark and the wind is bad. No doubt those patrols met some darkspawn...” He blushed harder
and looked away before turning his gaze to her again. “Sorry, my lady. That’s enough for anyone to worry about.”
At any rate, that’s why Duncan doesn’t want you wandering out without his say-so.” Kai walked to the gate gazing through the large, sharpened
logs that made up the barrier between her and her brother. She put her forehead to it, Fergus! She pounded her fist on the rough bark of the
post.
She felt a strong, gentle hand grasp her upper arm, and she turned as Alistair pulled her away from the gate with a nod at the guard. He lead
her past the portal under the trees into the high grasses growing next to a stone wall. “Kai, what’s wrong?”
Kai felt her face getting hot and tears were threatening at the corners of her eyes so she looked down, “My brother, Fergus, was sent out on
patrol. If that group hasn’t come back yet...” Kai found herself caught up in strong armor covered arms, Alistair’s chin resting on the top of
her hair.
She should have felt shocked she supposed, but it felt comforting and...natural. That surprised her, but before she could puzzle on it more she
heard a familiar voice behind them, “Well, well, you must tell me what line you used, mate. I wasn’t successful with this spicy miss. What is
your secret?”
Alistair’s arms dropped away and he stepped back as if he had been burned. When Kai looked his way, the horrified look on his blushing face had
her smiling. Alistair’s sputtering had both her and Daveth laughing until tears ran from their eyes, “I didn’t...I wasn’t...! Really, you two
are just...” He sighed heavily and threw up his hands in exasperation, “I give up! What did you want, Daveth?”
“Our fearless leader, Duncan, isn’t at the camp near the fire. I was wondering if you might know where the old bugger was.” Daveth shot Kai a
cocky grin.
“The old bugger, as you call him, is your commander Daveth, and he saved you from the hangman’s noose. Grey Warden Commander, commander, and if
absolutely necessary, Duncan; but never call him old bugger again.” Alistair glared at the cutpurse.
“All right, all right, no need to get your knickers in a twist.” Daveth grinned harder putting his hands up in supplication.
“Why do you need to know where Duncan is? Why do you care? He will be there when he’s there. But if you must know, he is down in the valley
talking to Bernardo, his second in command.”
“Just curious, my friend, just curious. No need to get your hackles raised. I just had some questions for the old...for the Commander.” Daveth
winked cheekily, “You know, you are entirely too tense, Alistair. Maybe our newest member can, scratch your itch? It might alleviate
your...stress?” He shot Kai a cocky grin that had Alistair blushing and Kai biting her lip to keep from laughing. Daveth gave a mock salute and
turned to walk back the way he had come.
“And Duncan recruited him, why?” Kai turned to back to Alistair to find him pinching the bridge of his nose.
Kai took pity on him, giving his arm a shake, “Cheer up, at least you aren’t in charge of him.” She grinned at him.
He smiled back and nodded his head, “You make a very good point.”
Kai heard mabari barking and looked behind Alistair to see what must be the kennels. There were tents and soldiers with more mabari standing
outside. They wore different armor than Kai had ever seen before. Curiosity got the better of her, and she walked past Alistair towards one of
the soldiers standing with his roan colored war hound. She noticed as she drew closer that the dog wore paint in a pattern swirled on the dog’s
coat.
One man, with dark hair pulled back into a long braid, stood talking to an elven servant, who looked terrified. She didn’t know whether that was
the normal state of the servant or due to the scowling face of the soldier, who was obviously the leader, and a man used to having others do as
he said. Mabari had alphas in their packs, as did wolves from which mabari were bred. This man standing before her was obviously the alpha of
his own little pack of warriors.
The elf scampered off, his shoulders hunched as Kai strode up to stand next to the soldier. He turned to her, his face a scowl, “What do you
need? You haven’t brought more instructions from the teryn, I hope.”
Kai watched him cross his muscled arms across his armor covered chest, “More instructions?”
“Teyrn Loghain has changed our scouting route a dozen times. If you’re not from the teyrn, what do you want? We’re busy.” He narrowed his eyes
at the both of them.
Kai, never one to be put off by a less then warm welcome, grinned at him, “You don’t look like the other soldiers in the army.”
He grinned back, “We aren’t. We’re the Ash Warriors.”
“So, is it a big secret? What’s an Ash Warrior?” Kai chuckled and cocked an eyebrow.
He shook his head, “No it is not a secret. Our training has been passed down since Luthias the Dwarfson first harnessed the battle-rage of the
dwarves. It is an old tale.”
Kai leaned forward, “May I hear this old tale?”
“I am no bard, but I will do my best.” His smile got wider and he rocked back on his heels. His tale wove the story of Clayne tribesman who
while negotiating a truce with the dwarves, fell in love with , and married the king of Orzammar’s daughter. She taught him how to utilize inner
rage to fight even when wounded.
“So, they feasted on blood and lived happily ever after?” Kai gave him a cheeky smile.
“Not in this tale, friend.” He shook his head, “Luthias’ prowess earned him the love of Morighan’an, a beautiful chieftan of another tribe.”
“I sense trouble in paradise.” Kai bit her cheek to keep from laughing. Her chuckle was returned and he continued with Luthias’ wife Scaea
leaving him to go back to Orzammar, and an all out war between clans as Luthias had sent Morighan’an away vexing her enough to get people killed.
The story ended as most such tales seemed want to do, with Morighan’an and Luthias killing each other in a final single combat. The dwarves
even came from Orzammar to take his body and give it a hero’s burial in the mountains, dwarf style.
“What happened to his wife Scaea?”
He tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow while shrugging, “It is said that before the final battle, she returned to Luthias and gave him a shirt
of dwarven chain along with a final night of passion. Then she was gone forever.
If she lived on in Orzammar, only the dwarven folk could say for certain.”
Kai reached out her arm offering her hand in a warrior’s shake, “An interesting legend, friend. Thank you for telling it to me.”
She could feel his firm grip through the leather of her vambrace, “It was an honor.”
Kai bobbed her head at him as he let go of her arm, “So, you channel that inner rage?”
He nodded and grinned, “We have adapted it to let us fight alongside our hounds.” He swept his hand towards a dark brown mabari with a red paint
swirled in a pattern on it’s coat. “That is our way, and I trust my hound with my life, as he trusts me with his.”
“As do I. I have a mabari hound of my own.” Kai bent down to scratch the dog under the chin.
“Then you are most fortunate.” He bent down and scratched his hound’s ears. “A trained mabari hound is as dangerous as any sword. We do not
speak of a city pet or those things that sit in an old woman’s lap, do we?” His hound’s grin matched his own.
Kai shook her head and laughed, “So, what are you preparing for?”
He rose back on his feet and Kai followed suit rather than craning her neck. “We are preparing to scout the Wilds and watch the progression of
the darkspawn horde. With luck, we’ll find and slaughter many stragglers.” He nodded towards his mabari, his face darkening, “The hunt will
be good if my hound survives the blood of his prey. If he dies, I shall mourn tonight.”
Kai felt fear chilling her skin, Argus could die from darkspawn blood? Maker! Kai closed her eyes, taking deep breaths while clenching and
unclenching her fists. “Survives the blood? What do you mean?” Kai wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.
“Darkspawn blood is poisonous, but not always fatal. Those who survive grow immune to its effects.” He nodded to Alistair standing behind her.
She didn’t need to look to know that he was shuffling his feet again. “The Wardens say the tainted blood drives even the survivors mad
eventually...but not today. Today we hunt, today we kill.”
Kai looked at the mabari laying at her master’s feet. The hound’s chocolate brown coat was painted in a red ochre paint with a swirled pattern.
“Why have you painted your dogs?”
He followed her gaze and smiled as his mabari turned her muzzle up to him with a lolling doggy grin. “They use scent to distinguish us from our
enemies. But the blood of battle can confuse them.
So we paint ourselves with kaddis, which overpowers the blood, and also paint our hounds, so they know we are the same.”
“And if the enemy painted themselves with kaddis?” She grinned at him.
He chuckled and raised an eyebrow at her, “Why? Would you steal our kaddis and give it to the darkspawn hordes?”
Kai had to laugh this time, “Absolutely not! I hope you’re joking.”
“Good, if you tried, we would kill you.” He grinned wider and clasped a hand to her shoulder, “And that is no joke.”
Kai winked at him, “You could try.”
He snickered and dropped his hand from her shoulder, taking a pouch from his belt. “Here, take this kaddis, paint your own hound, and some part
of yourself. With this, he will find you even in the most crowded and chaotic battle. You will be fighting the darkspawn yourself. Use it in
good health, my friend.”
Kai stuck out her arm to have him grasp it in a warrior’s clasp. “Thank you, my friend. Good hunting. I will leave you too it.”
He nodded giving her arm a tighter grasp, “My thanks. There is hunting to be done, and I’ll not be kept from it.”
Kai stepped back and turned to Alistair, nodding with her head towards the direction of the campfire. “So, the blood of darkspawn kills or
drives one mad. I can’t wait for Duncan to explain the Joining ritual.” She watched Alistair’s face turn the shade of a ripe tomato. He opened
his mouth but she cut him off, “No, don’t say it. I know you can’t tell me. And I won’t get you in trouble with your fellow Grey, especially
not with Duncan.”
As the passed by a guard he nodded and greeted them, “Welcome to the King’s camp, my lady.”
Kai raised an eyebrow at Alistair, “Oh, ho, we get to stay in the King’s camp do we? Cailan really has a thing for Wardens.” Alistair’s laugh
made her heart beat faster. Their campfire had only Ser Jory sitting before it, his back against a pillar. He appeared to be writing a letter.
Jory looked up and gave them a slight nod before turning back to the parchment before him.
Kai shrugged, “Well, Duncan and Daveth aren’t here, shall we continue on with the tour?”
Alistair grinned at her, “Why not? Though I do worry to think what Daveth is up to.”
They continued on past the fire. As they drew close to a large green tent with red, orange, and yellow knotwork designs, Kai saw a man duck out
of the doorway of the tent. He didn’t see them, but walked brusquely past. He looked familiar and the shield on his back only confirmed it, it
bore the rampant bear on a white and yellow checkerboard. Howe’s man!
Kai gripped Alistair’s arm briefly before she started off trying to follow the shield through the crowd. She followed the bouncing bear as it
lead her back up the ramp, past the infirmary. She watched as the man slipped through large gateway leading to another area of the camp. Kai
made to follow him but a blond soldier stuck out an arm, placing a hand on Kai’s chest barring her way. “I’m sorry, my lady, but the army camp
is off limits to you for now.”
“But he is getting away! I need to talk to that man!” Kai pointed at the rapidly diminishing sight of the shield before it completely left her
view.
“I am sorry, miss, but you aren’t allowed in there.” He shrugged and dropped his arm, giving a hand signal to his mabari who rose to attention.
Kai huffed angrily and spun back on her heel striding back the way they had come. Alistair grasped her arm and spun her around. “I know I keep
asking this with you, it’s becoming a habit, but what was that all about?”
“That was Howe’s man. One of the soldiers who helped attack Highever and kill my family. He followed Duncan and I, looking for us on our way to
Ostagar. Apparently, my foundering his horse didn’t delay him as much as I thought. The blacksmith in Watersedge must have the fastest hands in
Fereleden. I was hoping to have a little chat with him.”
“Well, we can’t go in there. All we can do is tell Duncan when we see him. I’m sorry Kai.” His hand grasped her own, giving it a squeeze.
Kai nodded. “Just whose tent was he leaving anyway?”
“That was Teyrn Loghain’s tent, actually. Hey-y! Where are you going?” Kai had turned on her heel once more and started back down the ramp.
“I think I need to speak to the Teyrn.” Kai shot over her shoulder as the green tent of the teyrn came back into view.
~Crow's Cages and Bouncing Bears~
Kai made her way to the crow’s cage and the pale hand motioning her forward belonging to a scrawny half starved man. His gaunt face bore the
shadow of whiskers from a lack of shaving. He had been in his prison for a while.
“Heh...someone finally comes and talks to the lone prisoner. I don’t suppose you can sentence me or know someone who can?”
“You haven’t been sentenced?” Kai shot a look at Alistair who shrugged.
“No, they put someone like me in a cage until someone of importance has time to decide what to do with me. From the quality of your arms and
armor, I had hoped you would be one such person. You are obviously a noble.”
Kai stepped closer to the cage, it made her heart hurt to think the man had been locked up and forgotten. What he said next made her angry. “I
don’t suppose you have a bit of kindness in you? All I want is food and water. They haven’t fed me since I was locked up, and I’m starving.”
“That’s horrible! Why haven’t they fed you?” Kai clenched her fists.
“I expect nobody thought of it with all the battles and such.” The man’s stomach took that moment to grumble loudly.
“So tell me why you’re in there.” Kai winked at him, “Was the cause just?”
“Aww, that’s sweet of you dearest. How about you marry me instead? At least I could get a kiss before they hang me.” He chuckled at her.
“Who says you need to be married to kiss someone?” Kai grinned cheekily back, “Though I do like to know who I am kissing let alone speaking to.
My name is Kai.”
“Norval. I’m a deserter. Or so they think. I bet there’s no arguing them out of it, though--armies are funny that way.” He grimaced at her.
“Uh huh, and I bet you’re as innocent as sunrise.” Kai laughed.
Norval rolled his eyes but smiled back, “I wasn’t deserting, but when you catch someone sneakin’ around camp in the middle of the night, what
else are you gonna think?”
“So-o, if you weren’t deserting, what were you doing? Why sneak around camp?” Kai cocked an eyebrow at him.
He smirked at her, “Oh, I would have deserted eventually, just not then.” He shrugged, “I was stealing, not sneaking out of camp.” Kai watched
as a blush crept up his neck under the filth, “I got one of those wizards drunk and took his key. It belongs to a chest they got here, full of
magical treasures. In fact, I still have it.” He looked back the way she and Alistair had come, nodding his head in the direction of the mage
section of camp. “I can’t use it from here, but I’d trade you for some food and water.”
“You don’t have to trade me, I will gladly get you food and water.” Kai tilted her head, “They didn’t find the key when you were arrested? How
is that possible considering your state of...undress.”
“I swallowed it. But it’s...uhhh...come back into my possession since then, so to speak.” The blush darkened his dirt encrusted skin further.
“That’s disgusting, you know that?” Kai made a face.
It was Alistair’s statement that had her burst out laughing, “And an excellent party trick, I’ll bet.”
“Yeah, well, do you want the key or not?” Norval threw up his hands. “The guard has some food, I saw him set it aside earlier.”
Kai put her hand up to the cage, “I’ll see what I can do.” Norval nodded at her. Kai gave Alistair a pointed look and tilted her head to the
side to ask him to step away with her. They moved off and stood looking at the guard. “Are you sure we can’t recruit him?”
Alistair shook his head, “I told you, we have to be careful with it. We can’t just use it on every convict. No matter that Duncan used it for
that cutpurse.”
“We can’t just leave him to die in that cage! He wasn’t deserting!” Kai glared at Alistair.
“At least not at that moment, anyway. Look, Kai, we can’t conscript him, but we can get him food and water, and tell someone about him to get
him sentenced. Maybe we can keep them from hanging him.” Alistair flushed and looked down, “It really is the best we can do.”
“Fine! But just for the record, I hate the leaving the man hanging in that cage.”
Alistair put a gentle hand on her shoulder, “Understood. I hate it too.”
Kai nodded and walked towards the guard, a stout fellow in full armor with what looked like a few days’ worth of beard. With the way his armor
fit, it was apparent missing a meal would do the man no harm. If anything, Kai figured it might do the guard some good, if she could convince
him to part with his beloved food.
The man startled her when he addressed her first, “Lucky dog. You Grey Wardens get to ride with the king while I’m left with the drudgery of
guarding this deserter.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of Norval. “They should’ve just hanged him. Put his head on a
pike as an example.”
Kai’s eyes narrowed in anger, her hands automatically curling into fists, before she realized what she was doing. Breathing deeply and telling
herself to calm down, she addressed the guard in a sticky sweet voice, “What makes you think he was deserting?”
The guard’s eyebrows shot up before he scowled at her. “Why does anyone want to desert? ‘Cause he thinks he’s going to die and he’s a bleedin’
coward, that’s why.” He crossed his arms and rocked on his heels, “Either that or he’s been listening to a bunch of hogwash about how the
darkspawn’ll drag you off and eat you.”
Kai tried to set her face in what she hoped was a neutral expression, “I had a chat with him, actually.”
“Don’t expect it was an enlightening conversation.” The guard chuckled at his own joke.
She cocked an eyebrow at him, “He claims he wasn’t deserting.”
The guard huffed and crossed his arms across his chest, “What a surprise. Another innocent prisoner.” He is voice dripped with sarcasm. “At
any rate, it’s not for me to say. He’ll get his day to plead his case or he won’t. It’s all the same to me.”
“I believe him, and as for his day to plead, I am going to do what I can to see that happens sooner rather than later or not at all.” Kai took
another deep breath, giving herself a mental head slap to remind her not to throttle the man. “He asked for some food and water.”
“Did he now? Since nobody sends me nothing to feed him with, the only way he’ll get that is if I give him mine.” Kai watched the man’s face pull
down in a frown.
It took everything she had not to smack the man upside the head. Her thoughts must have shown in her posture as one of Alistair’s big hands
clasped her shoulder gently giving it a squeeze. “So, you miss one meal--this man could be hanged soon!”
The guard rolled his eyes and blushed, “All right, all right. I guess the fella could stand one meal in his belly before he hangs. Don’t know
why you care.” She watched him go to a satchel sitting next to a stump the guard had been using for a chair. He removed a parcel wrapped in
cloth and tied with twine. He handed it to her and pointed a finger towards her chest, “I had nothin’ to do with it, though. If anyone asks why
he’s burpin’, I’m gonna say it was you, just so you know.”
The guard walked to the stump and picked up a cloth wrapped bundle placing it in Kai’s hands, “There, pray he chokes on it, it would probably be
quicker for him.” Kai raised an eyebrow and pointed to the water skin sitting on the stump. “Oh, right.” The solider walked over grabbed the
skin and handed it over as well.
“Here, take a few coins and buy yourself some ale when you are off duty.” Alistair slipped the man a few coppers. Kai rolled her eyes at him,
but couldn’t help smiling as Alistair’s skin flushed delightfully.
Kai stepped around the guard and went to Norval. “So...? Brought me some food and water, have you?” He reached through the cage taking the
water skin tipping it to his lips and taking large gulping swallows, some of the water dripping down his skinny chest leaving lighter tracks in
his dirt encrusted skin. Once his thirst had been slaked, he reached out again through the bars, “I’m so hungry I could faint dead away.”
“Here’s some food, Norval.” Kai handed him the bundle, which from the smell had bread, cheese, and bacon in it. “Just eat it slowly, or it will
all come back up. You want it to stay down, or you will just be hungry again.”
Norval grinned at her and bobbed his head and he opened the cloth and tearing off a bite of bread and a bit of the cheese with a bite of bacon,
the grease slicking his chin. After downing his first morsel, he winked at her, “Much obliged. May Andraste herself rain blessings upon you!”
Kai watched as Norval looked around before scrabbling in the straw of his cage before holding up a key. He looked at it and took the cloth from
around the food, placing it in his lap, and wrapping the key in the napkin before handing it to her. “And...as I mentioned here’s the key. Use
it in good health.”
Kai took the cloth wrapped key trying not to wince. It was Alistair’s comment that had her gasping for breath through the laughter. “Huh,
considering where that came from, let’s hope we’re not the only ones in good health.” He grinned at her and waved his goodbyes to Norval.
“We’ll tell someone you weren’t deserting and try and get you released.” Norval grinned and took more bites of food.
Kai and Alistair turned back to walk past the priest and it struck Kai who the female soldier standing there was, Ser Cauthrien, Loghain’s
lieutenant. Kai had heard of her from her father. A woman who had, like the hero of River Dane himself, come from a simple farming upbringing.
The story went, that Cauthrien had seen Loghain being attacked near her father’s farm, and had come to the man’s rescue. She pledged her service
to him and worked her way up the ranks with sweat and skill. Kai could appreciate that. Her father had spoken of the woman with respect. Ser
Cauthrien nodded her head when she noticed Kai looking her way.
It was the screaming that came from what looked to be the infirmary area, that drew her attention. Kai walked over to a man sitting prone on a
cot yelling, while a women tried to quiet him. Kai didn’t recognize him as a soldier from Highever. He couldn’t have been one from Fergus’s
group. At least she was praying he wasn’t part of Fergus’s group. As she drew close his eyes fixed on her. They are large, glassy, and wild.
“You! You need to convince them! We’ve got to run! The darkspawn are coming!”
Kai locked her knees, the man’s demeanor made her want to step back. “What makes you say that?”
“I saw them! We’re gonna die!” He sat up grasping his side, lunging forward a bit.
The woman tending the wounded put a hand on his shoulder trying to push the man back onto the cot, “I apologize, Warden. He’s been like this
ever since they found him in the Wilds.”
Kai watched as her hand snaked out and grabbed the woman’s arm, almost as if it belonged to someone else. “Was this man sent out with men from
Highever?”
The woman looked at Kai’s hand in surprise, but patted it gently after looking at her expression of fear. “No, my lady. This gentleman returned
with the patrol sent out made of Bann Loren’s men. We have not heard back from the Highever patrol. I am sorry, my lady, was there someone...”
Kai shook her head and gave a small smile as she removed her hand, “What’s wrong with him? She motioned towards the man who still mumbled under
his breath while rocking in place.
“Aside from his wounds, we’re not sure. His blood is untainted. He’s just terrified.”
Kai was sensing a pattern here, “Untainted?” Alistair coughed behind her and blushed profusely looking away when Kai turned her eyes towards
him.
Before the nurse could elaborate, the wounded man interrupted, “You...you can feel it can’t you?” Kai followed his gaze back to Alistair once
again. She watched his blush deepen and he shuffled his feet as she cocked an eyebrow at him. She tore her gaze back again as the man’s hand
grasped her arm hard enough to leave a bruise. His wild glassy eyes bore into her own, “They taint the land, turn it black and sick. You can
feel it...on the inside! He can feel it.” The man nodded towards Alistair, dropping his voice to a whisper, “He has it crawling around inside
of him, he knows. He knows!” His hand loosed its grip and he leaned back once more, his voice sounding in despair, “They’ll come out of that
forest and spread. Like caterpillars covering a tree, they’ll swallow us whole!”
Kai watched the nurse shoot Alistair a look before turning back to the wounded man, gently laying him back on the cot. “That’s quite enough out
of you. You need to calm yourself, my good man.”
The soldier writhed on the cot his voice raising in decibel, “They were everywhere! Everywhere do you not understand? I saw them!” His voice
trailed off and could be heard muttering, only snatches discernible, “they’re coming” being taken by the wind as it blew across the courtyard.
The nurse patted the man’s arm and nodded her head at Kai indicating she should follow.
“I’m sorry if that soldier frightened you.” She bent down over the soldier lying on the cot before her. Kai noticed the strange pallor of the
prone soldier. His eyes were silvery white and his skin had black and purplish splotches along with black circles under his eyes. His lips were
cracked and there was a fetid smell lingering over the cot.
This man was was also muttering and rocking. What he said caused fear to snake along Kai’s skin like newly hatched baby spiders, “It burns on the
inside! It hurts so much! I can feel it inside me. It’s crawling inside me!” The man’s hand reached out and grabbed her arm in a vise like
grip. “He calls! Can’t you hear him? The song it’s so beautiful! He calls!” The mans’ oddly milky eyes got wide and he released Kai to point
at Alistair behind her. “He can hear him! It crawls inside him too! He hears, he hears!” The solider broke off into high pitched maniacal
laughter.
The nurse shot Kai an apologetic look. Kai looked at the laughing soldier, and back to his ward, “You mentioned tainted blood. I take it this
man has been tainted?”
The nurse shot Alistair a look which Kai couldn’t read, before she nodded. “Yes, the darkspawn can taint people as well as the land.” Again a
look passed between the woman and Alistair, “Most don’t survive it, if they do they become...ghouls.” Kai watched the nurse flush and look away,
“Excuse me, I need to tend to my patients.”
Kai nodded and she and Ali turned to walk down the ramp to the south side of the camp. Kai stopped halfway down the ramp turning to Alistair who
had to take a step back from her abrupt lack of movement. “So, care to tell me about this Joining ritual?” She smiled sweetly at him, “I am
sensing a pattern in darkspawn, and their blood, and the Wardens.”
He flushed looking guilty, even shuffling his feet like small boy caught stealing a cookie from the kitchens. “I wish I could tell you more.”
He reached out his hand grasping her arm, his eyes pleading. “I really do wish I could tell you more. Ask me again, after Duncan speaks to you
about it. I promise I will tell you more.”
Kai nodded and gripped his hand with her own, smiling. “Ah a puzzle wrapped inside a conundrum, stuffed inside an enigma all coated in Grey
Warden secrecy.”
He grinned that lopsided smile, “Riiight, something like that.”
Kai laughed and continued to make her way down the ramp. To her right a guard with a mabari stood in front of a large gate leading to a forest
covered pathway. Kai took a moment to look at the gate, wondering if that was the way Fergus and his men from Highever had gone. She was broken
from her musing when the guard spoke to her. “Hail! You’re one of Duncan’s new recruits, aren’t you?”
“Hail and well met, I’m Kai.” She bobbed her head at the man.
“I can’t let you through to the Korcari Wilds, if that’s what you were thinkin’, not until Duncan gives the word.”
Kai almost laughed, she hadn’t been thinking that, but true to her nature, being told she couldn’t made her want to. “Why not?”
“The Korcari Wilds is a dangerous place, more so now that it crawls with darkspawn. They say the Great Blight began deep within its forests.”
He shrugged, “One of our scouting patrols has been gone for three days. We’re taking bets on who got them first: the darkspawn, or the Witches
of the Wilds.”
Kai felt her heart beating so hard she thought it could surely be heard by everyone in camp. Fergus, they were taking bets on her brother’s
life! Kai saw red, and she only realized that
she had grabbed the man by the front of his armor when she was forcefully knocked back by a large muscled marbari, baring its teeth at her.
“Bets?! You are sodding taking bets on men’s lives? My brother is in that patrol you bloody bastard!” Kai felt Alistair’s hand on her shoulder,
giving it a sympathetic squeeze.
She watched as the man’s face first paled then turned scarlet. “Cradoe! Down!” The soldier motioned to the dog, who turned with a look over
its shoulder towards its master before wagging a stump of a tail and going to the man’s side. “I’m sorry, my lady, I...I didn’t know.”
Kai closed her eyes and took a deep breath, nodding. “So you were saying there are other things than darkspawn for my brother and his men to
worry about?”
“Well...there’s an old legend in these parts about Flemeth, the apostate sorceress who conquered the area centuries ago. She united the Chasind
barbarians and invaded the farmlands.” He shrugged, “That’s when the great hero, Cormac, destroyed her army with his. Took her head right off,
so they say.
“Her daughters survived and became the Witches of the Wilds. Tales tell of them plaguing this area since. Mostly superstitions---stealing
babies and spoiling the milk.”
“And you think the witches exist?” Kai cocked an eyebrow at him.
The man looked sheepish and shrugged, “Only when it’s dark and the wind is bad. No doubt those patrols met some darkspawn...” He blushed harder
and looked away before turning his gaze to her again. “Sorry, my lady. That’s enough for anyone to worry about.”
At any rate, that’s why Duncan doesn’t want you wandering out without his say-so.” Kai walked to the gate gazing through the large, sharpened
logs that made up the barrier between her and her brother. She put her forehead to it, Fergus! She pounded her fist on the rough bark of the
post.
She felt a strong, gentle hand grasp her upper arm, and she turned as Alistair pulled her away from the gate with a nod at the guard. He lead
her past the portal under the trees into the high grasses growing next to a stone wall. “Kai, what’s wrong?”
Kai felt her face getting hot and tears were threatening at the corners of her eyes so she looked down, “My brother, Fergus, was sent out on
patrol. If that group hasn’t come back yet...” Kai found herself caught up in strong armor covered arms, Alistair’s chin resting on the top of
her hair.
She should have felt shocked she supposed, but it felt comforting and...natural. That surprised her, but before she could puzzle on it more she
heard a familiar voice behind them, “Well, well, you must tell me what line you used, mate. I wasn’t successful with this spicy miss. What is
your secret?”
Alistair’s arms dropped away and he stepped back as if he had been burned. When Kai looked his way, the horrified look on his blushing face had
her smiling. Alistair’s sputtering had both her and Daveth laughing until tears ran from their eyes, “I didn’t...I wasn’t...! Really, you two
are just...” He sighed heavily and threw up his hands in exasperation, “I give up! What did you want, Daveth?”
“Our fearless leader, Duncan, isn’t at the camp near the fire. I was wondering if you might know where the old bugger was.” Daveth shot Kai a
cocky grin.
“The old bugger, as you call him, is your commander Daveth, and he saved you from the hangman’s noose. Grey Warden Commander, commander, and if
absolutely necessary, Duncan; but never call him old bugger again.” Alistair glared at the cutpurse.
“All right, all right, no need to get your knickers in a twist.” Daveth grinned harder putting his hands up in supplication.
“Why do you need to know where Duncan is? Why do you care? He will be there when he’s there. But if you must know, he is down in the valley
talking to Bernardo, his second in command.”
“Just curious, my friend, just curious. No need to get your hackles raised. I just had some questions for the old...for the Commander.” Daveth
winked cheekily, “You know, you are entirely too tense, Alistair. Maybe our newest member can, scratch your itch? It might alleviate
your...stress?” He shot Kai a cocky grin that had Alistair blushing and Kai biting her lip to keep from laughing. Daveth gave a mock salute and
turned to walk back the way he had come.
“And Duncan recruited him, why?” Kai turned to back to Alistair to find him pinching the bridge of his nose.
Kai took pity on him, giving his arm a shake, “Cheer up, at least you aren’t in charge of him.” She grinned at him.
He smiled back and nodded his head, “You make a very good point.”
Kai heard mabari barking and looked behind Alistair to see what must be the kennels. There were tents and soldiers with more mabari standing
outside. They wore different armor than Kai had ever seen before. Curiosity got the better of her, and she walked past Alistair towards one of
the soldiers standing with his roan colored war hound. She noticed as she drew closer that the dog wore paint in a pattern swirled on the dog’s
coat.
One man, with dark hair pulled back into a long braid, stood talking to an elven servant, who looked terrified. She didn’t know whether that was
the normal state of the servant or due to the scowling face of the soldier, who was obviously the leader, and a man used to having others do as
he said. Mabari had alphas in their packs, as did wolves from which mabari were bred. This man standing before her was obviously the alpha of
his own little pack of warriors.
The elf scampered off, his shoulders hunched as Kai strode up to stand next to the soldier. He turned to her, his face a scowl, “What do you
need? You haven’t brought more instructions from the teryn, I hope.”
Kai watched him cross his muscled arms across his armor covered chest, “More instructions?”
“Teyrn Loghain has changed our scouting route a dozen times. If you’re not from the teyrn, what do you want? We’re busy.” He narrowed his eyes
at the both of them.
Kai, never one to be put off by a less then warm welcome, grinned at him, “You don’t look like the other soldiers in the army.”
He grinned back, “We aren’t. We’re the Ash Warriors.”
“So, is it a big secret? What’s an Ash Warrior?” Kai chuckled and cocked an eyebrow.
He shook his head, “No it is not a secret. Our training has been passed down since Luthias the Dwarfson first harnessed the battle-rage of the
dwarves. It is an old tale.”
Kai leaned forward, “May I hear this old tale?”
“I am no bard, but I will do my best.” His smile got wider and he rocked back on his heels. His tale wove the story of Clayne tribesman who
while negotiating a truce with the dwarves, fell in love with , and married the king of Orzammar’s daughter. She taught him how to utilize inner
rage to fight even when wounded.
“So, they feasted on blood and lived happily ever after?” Kai gave him a cheeky smile.
“Not in this tale, friend.” He shook his head, “Luthias’ prowess earned him the love of Morighan’an, a beautiful chieftan of another tribe.”
“I sense trouble in paradise.” Kai bit her cheek to keep from laughing. Her chuckle was returned and he continued with Luthias’ wife Scaea
leaving him to go back to Orzammar, and an all out war between clans as Luthias had sent Morighan’an away vexing her enough to get people killed.
The story ended as most such tales seemed want to do, with Morighan’an and Luthias killing each other in a final single combat. The dwarves
even came from Orzammar to take his body and give it a hero’s burial in the mountains, dwarf style.
“What happened to his wife Scaea?”
He tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow while shrugging, “It is said that before the final battle, she returned to Luthias and gave him a shirt
of dwarven chain along with a final night of passion. Then she was gone forever.
If she lived on in Orzammar, only the dwarven folk could say for certain.”
Kai reached out her arm offering her hand in a warrior’s shake, “An interesting legend, friend. Thank you for telling it to me.”
She could feel his firm grip through the leather of her vambrace, “It was an honor.”
Kai bobbed her head at him as he let go of her arm, “So, you channel that inner rage?”
He nodded and grinned, “We have adapted it to let us fight alongside our hounds.” He swept his hand towards a dark brown mabari with a red paint
swirled in a pattern on it’s coat. “That is our way, and I trust my hound with my life, as he trusts me with his.”
“As do I. I have a mabari hound of my own.” Kai bent down to scratch the dog under the chin.
“Then you are most fortunate.” He bent down and scratched his hound’s ears. “A trained mabari hound is as dangerous as any sword. We do not
speak of a city pet or those things that sit in an old woman’s lap, do we?” His hound’s grin matched his own.
Kai shook her head and laughed, “So, what are you preparing for?”
He rose back on his feet and Kai followed suit rather than craning her neck. “We are preparing to scout the Wilds and watch the progression of
the darkspawn horde. With luck, we’ll find and slaughter many stragglers.” He nodded towards his mabari, his face darkening, “The hunt will
be good if my hound survives the blood of his prey. If he dies, I shall mourn tonight.”
Kai felt fear chilling her skin, Argus could die from darkspawn blood? Maker! Kai closed her eyes, taking deep breaths while clenching and
unclenching her fists. “Survives the blood? What do you mean?” Kai wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.
“Darkspawn blood is poisonous, but not always fatal. Those who survive grow immune to its effects.” He nodded to Alistair standing behind her.
She didn’t need to look to know that he was shuffling his feet again. “The Wardens say the tainted blood drives even the survivors mad
eventually...but not today. Today we hunt, today we kill.”
Kai looked at the mabari laying at her master’s feet. The hound’s chocolate brown coat was painted in a red ochre paint with a swirled pattern.
“Why have you painted your dogs?”
He followed her gaze and smiled as his mabari turned her muzzle up to him with a lolling doggy grin. “They use scent to distinguish us from our
enemies. But the blood of battle can confuse them.
So we paint ourselves with kaddis, which overpowers the blood, and also paint our hounds, so they know we are the same.”
“And if the enemy painted themselves with kaddis?” She grinned at him.
He chuckled and raised an eyebrow at her, “Why? Would you steal our kaddis and give it to the darkspawn hordes?”
Kai had to laugh this time, “Absolutely not! I hope you’re joking.”
“Good, if you tried, we would kill you.” He grinned wider and clasped a hand to her shoulder, “And that is no joke.”
Kai winked at him, “You could try.”
He snickered and dropped his hand from her shoulder, taking a pouch from his belt. “Here, take this kaddis, paint your own hound, and some part
of yourself. With this, he will find you even in the most crowded and chaotic battle. You will be fighting the darkspawn yourself. Use it in
good health, my friend.”
Kai stuck out her arm to have him grasp it in a warrior’s clasp. “Thank you, my friend. Good hunting. I will leave you too it.”
He nodded giving her arm a tighter grasp, “My thanks. There is hunting to be done, and I’ll not be kept from it.”
Kai stepped back and turned to Alistair, nodding with her head towards the direction of the campfire. “So, the blood of darkspawn kills or
drives one mad. I can’t wait for Duncan to explain the Joining ritual.” She watched Alistair’s face turn the shade of a ripe tomato. He opened
his mouth but she cut him off, “No, don’t say it. I know you can’t tell me. And I won’t get you in trouble with your fellow Grey, especially
not with Duncan.”
As the passed by a guard he nodded and greeted them, “Welcome to the King’s camp, my lady.”
Kai raised an eyebrow at Alistair, “Oh, ho, we get to stay in the King’s camp do we? Cailan really has a thing for Wardens.” Alistair’s laugh
made her heart beat faster. Their campfire had only Ser Jory sitting before it, his back against a pillar. He appeared to be writing a letter.
Jory looked up and gave them a slight nod before turning back to the parchment before him.
Kai shrugged, “Well, Duncan and Daveth aren’t here, shall we continue on with the tour?”
Alistair grinned at her, “Why not? Though I do worry to think what Daveth is up to.”
They continued on past the fire. As they drew close to a large green tent with red, orange, and yellow knotwork designs, Kai saw a man duck out
of the doorway of the tent. He didn’t see them, but walked brusquely past. He looked familiar and the shield on his back only confirmed it, it
bore the rampant bear on a white and yellow checkerboard. Howe’s man!
Kai gripped Alistair’s arm briefly before she started off trying to follow the shield through the crowd. She followed the bouncing bear as it
lead her back up the ramp, past the infirmary. She watched as the man slipped through large gateway leading to another area of the camp. Kai
made to follow him but a blond soldier stuck out an arm, placing a hand on Kai’s chest barring her way. “I’m sorry, my lady, but the army camp
is off limits to you for now.”
“But he is getting away! I need to talk to that man!” Kai pointed at the rapidly diminishing sight of the shield before it completely left her
view.
“I am sorry, miss, but you aren’t allowed in there.” He shrugged and dropped his arm, giving a hand signal to his mabari who rose to attention.
Kai huffed angrily and spun back on her heel striding back the way they had come. Alistair grasped her arm and spun her around. “I know I keep
asking this with you, it’s becoming a habit, but what was that all about?”
“That was Howe’s man. One of the soldiers who helped attack Highever and kill my family. He followed Duncan and I, looking for us on our way to
Ostagar. Apparently, my foundering his horse didn’t delay him as much as I thought. The blacksmith in Watersedge must have the fastest hands in
Fereleden. I was hoping to have a little chat with him.”
“Well, we can’t go in there. All we can do is tell Duncan when we see him. I’m sorry Kai.” His hand grasped her own, giving it a squeeze.
Kai nodded. “Just whose tent was he leaving anyway?”
“That was Teyrn Loghain’s tent, actually. Hey-y! Where are you going?” Kai had turned on her heel once more and started back down the ramp.
“I think I need to speak to the Teyrn.” Kai shot over her shoulder as the green tent of the teyrn came back into view.
#103
Posté 18 août 2010 - 08:18
Lynn01
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Uh Oh Kai confronting Loghain why the Howe person came out of his tent uh? And very nice again Gil! I am always thrilled to find a story of yours updated! 
#104
Posté 18 août 2010 - 11:43
LadyAly
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Love it Gil !! Glad to see you still writing - I missed you 
#105
Posté 18 août 2010 - 06:11
Gilgamesh1138
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Aw thanks guys! Glad to have finally posted! Sorry it took so long.
#106
Posté 21 août 2010 - 02:59
westiex9
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I love the fact you gave the prisoner a name, i say this all the time Gil but you add new layers to already an deep storyline!
#107
Posté 21 août 2010 - 05:40
Gilgamesh1138
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Aw thanks westie! And you are one of the most creative and talented writers. So any praise from you, is high praise indeed.
#108
Guest_Dalira Montanti_*
Posté 22 août 2010 - 04:56
Guest_Dalira Montanti_*
Guest_Dalira Montanti_*
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*gives Gil-chan a cookie* I looooooooooooooooooooooooove your work
keep it up it makes me want to play dragon age all over again woot
keep it up
it makes me want to play dragon age all over again woot
#109
Posté 22 août 2010 - 10:45
Gilgamesh1138
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*does happy dance for cookie and wonderful support* Thanks Dalira-san! you made my day! HUGS!
#110
Guest_Dalira Montanti_*
Posté 28 août 2010 - 08:37
Guest_Dalira Montanti_*
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the suspence is killing me think i will re read it from the start
#111
Posté 29 août 2010 - 06:23
Gilgamesh1138
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ROFL! I am working on 16 right now.
#112
Posté 29 août 2010 - 11:00
Gilgamesh1138
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Chapter 16
~A Teyrn's Troubles~
“Kai!” Kai felt herself being spun around again by a large, strong, hand. “Kai!”
“What?!” She glared at Alistair.
“You can’t just go...confront the man.” Alistair’s face almost looked panicked.
“And just why can’t I?” Kai pitched her voice in a sticky sweet tone that made Alistair wince.
“Because you don’t know what they talked about, or that Loghain was involved with what happened to your family, Kai.”
“Howe’s little henchman just left his tent, how can you say that?!” Kai could feel the heat rising in her face, and her heart was pounding.
Images of Oren and Oriana, Nan, and her parents were trying to float into her mental vision. She squeezed her eyes shut hard enough she saw
stars.
“Kai.” She felt Alistair’s muscled hands on each shoulder. When she opened her eyes it was to see his grey ones filled with concern. He spoke
her name softly again, “Kai. Did it occur to you that Howe’s man was giving the excuse Howe cooked up as the reason why Howe’s army isn’t here
when it was ordered to do so by the King? And that the man responsible for coordinating the battle is the one he would need to report to?” Kai
sighed and shook her head, looking away. Alistair’s hand left her shoulder to tilt her chin up to look at him again. “Or that confronting
Loghain without proof might hurt Duncan and the Wardens?” His gaze was intense, “Kai, do you see?”
She nodded, “May I at least seek an audience with the man and gauge his reaction to me?”
Alistair gave her his lopsided smile and nodded, “Only if you promise not to try and run the man through, and that no matter how he acts we tell
Duncan and the King, deal?”
Kai had to laugh. Maker! What was it about this man that always managed to make her feel better? So much like her brother and her father. The
only people who managed to soothe her without being patronizing. “Fine, no running the Hero of River Dane through, got it.”
Alistair chuckled and released her shoulder, waving his hand in a gesture indicating she should lead the way. They made their way back down the
ramp and back the way they had come. As they approached the teyrn’s verdant colored tent Loghain’s guard called out to them, “You approach the
tent of Teyrn Loghain. State your business.”
Kai took a moment to observe the man. He was mostly clean shaven, with a strip of beard like a strap along his chin. His armor was good quality
though he was no noble, and he was young. Kai figured that might work to her advantage. She might be able to get information and an audience
with Loghain, based on her station. “Is the teyrn inside? What is he doing?”
She watched him shuffle his feet, obviously conflicted, “He’s inside, but...I don’t think it’s my place to discuss his activities.”
Kai leaned forward giving him a conspiratorial smile, “Surely you can tell me a little bit about him. What was Arl Howe’s man doing here?”
She watched him look from side to side as if to see who might be nearby to overhear, and casting a glance at the tent behind him, before leaning
in himself, “I suppose...as long as we talk quickly. He did meet with the Arl’s man, but I don’t know what about. The teryn sent everyone out
of the tent, including his second Ser Cauthrian. I can tell you that he and the king have been arguing for days now.”
He flushed a little before continuing, “The teyrn’s known the king since he was swaddled, so they don’t stand on ceremony. The teryn speaks his
mind, and the king yells right back. They were going at it a moment ago. And a few minutes after the king left, Arl’s Howe man requested an
audience and the teyrn sent everyone out. He said it had something to do with Amaranthine’s armies and why they aren’t here.”
“Personally, I think the king should do what Teyrn Loghain tells him. Without the teyrn, we wouldn’t be doing as well here as we are.”
“What do you really think Arl Howe’s man came here for?” Kai cocked an eyebrow at him.
“I can’t really say, my lady.” His skin went a shade darker.
“If you had to guess?” Kai brushed a hand along his arm.
He cast a look behind him at the tent once again before turning back to her and pitching his voice lower, “I did hear the teyrn raise his voice,
but he lowered it again right away. Whatever was said upset him, and I thought I heard a name, Kay something or Kadayna? Or something like
that.” He shrugged, “But I couldn’t hear much after that.”
Kai shot a look at Alistair, “I would like to speak to the teyrn please.” She smiled sweetly, brushing her hand down the man’s arm again.
He blushed, “Hmmm. I suppose you have a message for him. Hold on then...” She watched him walk to the tent, announce himself before stepping
inside.
After a very brief moment the tent flap moved and he stepped out with the teyrn right behind him. Kai watched the sunlight shining off the
silver armor that Loghain had taken off of an Orlesian knight during the occupation. He strode forward with the gait of a man used to being
obeyed. He stopped to stand before her, but his attention seemed elsewhere. Finally his ice blue eyes focused on her. Their widening was
almost imperceptible, but Kai caught the motion, subtle as it was.
“Yes, what is it?” His voice was smooth and calm with a slight hint of annoyance. It left Kai to wonder did he feign the irritation to cover
for something else? Shock? Disquiet? The Hero of River Dane, disturbed by her presence, how...interesting. “Ah, you are Duncan’s new Grey
Warden, I assume.”
Kai had to give the man credit, he recovered fast. It only meant she would have to work harder to trip up the man. “And how would you know
that?” She cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms across her chest.
His voice held a tone of sarcastic disdain, which Kai remembered from meeting him at Maric’s funeral, as his normal speaking voice. “His majesty
could not contain his excitement after your meeting. How could I not hear about you?”
His mouth drew down further at the corners, the acerbic note to his voice deepening his it, “Cailan’s fascination with the Wardens goes beyond
the ordinary, his fascination with you beyond propriety.” Loghain’s rolled his eyes as he mirrored Kai’s pose, crossing his arms across his
armored clad chest. “Are you aware his father brought your order back to Ferelden?”
Kai nodded, her heart still squeezed painfully at thinking of Maric, her old childhood friend. She swallowed hard before answering, “Yes, I’ve
heard that.”
Loghain snorted, “Maric respected the Grey Wardens. They have an honored place in the hearts of our people.”
He tilted his head, “You look familiar. Have I seen you at the Landsmeet?”
Kai resisted the urge to laugh, the man was good, he actually said it with a straight face. She knew full well he knew who she was, that little
flicker in his cold cerulean gaze earlier told her said so. She decided to push him once more to see if she could get a reaction, “My father was
the Teyrn of Highever.” She saw his eyes crimp ever so slightly at the corners.
“The king told me of his...promise. I am certain he has every intention of following it through.” Kai heard a note in his voice that she didn’t
couldn’t quite grasp but that sent shivers down her spine.
Loghain dropped his arms to his sides, “I don’t suppose you’ll be riding into the thick of battle with the rest of your fellows, will you?”
It took a second for her to recover from his complete change in topic, “I don’t know.”
“If Cailan has his way you will.” His gaze became more intense. “Now I must return to my task. Pray that the king proves amenable to wisdom,
if you’re the praying sort.”
He turned as to take his leave, and Kai couldn’t resist pushing him just a little more, “And if he doesn’t?” She smiled sweetly, “Prove amenable
that is.”
Loghain turned back to her with a grimace on his lips, “Then simply pray.”
Kai’s smile broadened and she tilted her head at him, “You don’t seem very fond of him.”
That statement alone seemed to garner the most reaction from Loghain. He stepped closer leaning towards her, putting his face in hers. “He is
Maric’s son and the leader of my beloved Ferelden, and a very young man. I try to keep that in mind, as should you.”
Kai put her face closer to his, “Oh, I didn’t say I wasn’t fond of him; I just said you weren’t.” She smiled sweetly.
He cocked an eyebrow, “Hmmpf.” He pulled away, but not before Kai saw something swimming behind that frost-blue gaze. She had landed a hit, but
in what way?
She let him turn away and walk a few steps before trying again. “Not like, say, your fondness for Arl Howe’s man? I heard it was
quite...intimate.”
Kai watched Loghain spin on his heel abruptly. His hands were in fists at his side, one eyebrow was raised and he had a glare that could have
frosted metal. “My ‘fondness’ for Howe’s man, is...none of your business, young woman.” And with that he stalked away to his tent disappearing
with an irritated snap of the tent flap as he left her view.
Behind her Alistair blew out a steady stream of air. “Well, that went both better and worse than I imagined it would.”
“Hey, you said I wasn’t to use a dagger or a sword. You never said I couldn’t harangue the man verbally.” Kai turned towards her companion.
“He is hiding something. Several things, if I had to guess. I was hoping to unsettle him, make him slip. You heard his guard. They were
speaking about me, even if he didn’t hear the name quite right. I know they were!”
“Yes, they may well have been, and I don’t doubt that they were. But we have no proof. And it was a nice try, but you couldn’t crack that man
with a dwarven mace.” Alistair placed his hand on her shoulder in what was becoming a familiar gesture. “Kai...”
She cast a look over her shoulder at the emerald colored cloth that wrinkled, its pennants snapped in the breeze. “I would give my right hand
to know what he and Howe’s man spoke of. And did you see his reaction about Cailan? Something is going on there. And what are they fighting
about?”
“I wonder what it all means?” Kai turned back to see Alistair’s gaze following her own.
“For one thing, it means that Loghain is up to his icy blue eyeballs in the death of my family and the destruction of my home.” Kai glared at
Alistair.
“Kai, you can’t know that, not for certain.” She continued to glare at him and he sighed letting go of her shoulder. “I just know what you are
going to say next,” he muttered.
“We need to tell Cailan and Duncan.” Kai grinned at him and turned to saunter over towards the King’s tent.
~A Teyrn's Troubles~
“Kai!” Kai felt herself being spun around again by a large, strong, hand. “Kai!”
“What?!” She glared at Alistair.
“You can’t just go...confront the man.” Alistair’s face almost looked panicked.
“And just why can’t I?” Kai pitched her voice in a sticky sweet tone that made Alistair wince.
“Because you don’t know what they talked about, or that Loghain was involved with what happened to your family, Kai.”
“Howe’s little henchman just left his tent, how can you say that?!” Kai could feel the heat rising in her face, and her heart was pounding.
Images of Oren and Oriana, Nan, and her parents were trying to float into her mental vision. She squeezed her eyes shut hard enough she saw
stars.
“Kai.” She felt Alistair’s muscled hands on each shoulder. When she opened her eyes it was to see his grey ones filled with concern. He spoke
her name softly again, “Kai. Did it occur to you that Howe’s man was giving the excuse Howe cooked up as the reason why Howe’s army isn’t here
when it was ordered to do so by the King? And that the man responsible for coordinating the battle is the one he would need to report to?” Kai
sighed and shook her head, looking away. Alistair’s hand left her shoulder to tilt her chin up to look at him again. “Or that confronting
Loghain without proof might hurt Duncan and the Wardens?” His gaze was intense, “Kai, do you see?”
She nodded, “May I at least seek an audience with the man and gauge his reaction to me?”
Alistair gave her his lopsided smile and nodded, “Only if you promise not to try and run the man through, and that no matter how he acts we tell
Duncan and the King, deal?”
Kai had to laugh. Maker! What was it about this man that always managed to make her feel better? So much like her brother and her father. The
only people who managed to soothe her without being patronizing. “Fine, no running the Hero of River Dane through, got it.”
Alistair chuckled and released her shoulder, waving his hand in a gesture indicating she should lead the way. They made their way back down the
ramp and back the way they had come. As they approached the teyrn’s verdant colored tent Loghain’s guard called out to them, “You approach the
tent of Teyrn Loghain. State your business.”
Kai took a moment to observe the man. He was mostly clean shaven, with a strip of beard like a strap along his chin. His armor was good quality
though he was no noble, and he was young. Kai figured that might work to her advantage. She might be able to get information and an audience
with Loghain, based on her station. “Is the teyrn inside? What is he doing?”
She watched him shuffle his feet, obviously conflicted, “He’s inside, but...I don’t think it’s my place to discuss his activities.”
Kai leaned forward giving him a conspiratorial smile, “Surely you can tell me a little bit about him. What was Arl Howe’s man doing here?”
She watched him look from side to side as if to see who might be nearby to overhear, and casting a glance at the tent behind him, before leaning
in himself, “I suppose...as long as we talk quickly. He did meet with the Arl’s man, but I don’t know what about. The teryn sent everyone out
of the tent, including his second Ser Cauthrian. I can tell you that he and the king have been arguing for days now.”
He flushed a little before continuing, “The teyrn’s known the king since he was swaddled, so they don’t stand on ceremony. The teryn speaks his
mind, and the king yells right back. They were going at it a moment ago. And a few minutes after the king left, Arl’s Howe man requested an
audience and the teyrn sent everyone out. He said it had something to do with Amaranthine’s armies and why they aren’t here.”
“Personally, I think the king should do what Teyrn Loghain tells him. Without the teyrn, we wouldn’t be doing as well here as we are.”
“What do you really think Arl Howe’s man came here for?” Kai cocked an eyebrow at him.
“I can’t really say, my lady.” His skin went a shade darker.
“If you had to guess?” Kai brushed a hand along his arm.
He cast a look behind him at the tent once again before turning back to her and pitching his voice lower, “I did hear the teyrn raise his voice,
but he lowered it again right away. Whatever was said upset him, and I thought I heard a name, Kay something or Kadayna? Or something like
that.” He shrugged, “But I couldn’t hear much after that.”
Kai shot a look at Alistair, “I would like to speak to the teyrn please.” She smiled sweetly, brushing her hand down the man’s arm again.
He blushed, “Hmmm. I suppose you have a message for him. Hold on then...” She watched him walk to the tent, announce himself before stepping
inside.
After a very brief moment the tent flap moved and he stepped out with the teyrn right behind him. Kai watched the sunlight shining off the
silver armor that Loghain had taken off of an Orlesian knight during the occupation. He strode forward with the gait of a man used to being
obeyed. He stopped to stand before her, but his attention seemed elsewhere. Finally his ice blue eyes focused on her. Their widening was
almost imperceptible, but Kai caught the motion, subtle as it was.
“Yes, what is it?” His voice was smooth and calm with a slight hint of annoyance. It left Kai to wonder did he feign the irritation to cover
for something else? Shock? Disquiet? The Hero of River Dane, disturbed by her presence, how...interesting. “Ah, you are Duncan’s new Grey
Warden, I assume.”
Kai had to give the man credit, he recovered fast. It only meant she would have to work harder to trip up the man. “And how would you know
that?” She cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms across her chest.
His voice held a tone of sarcastic disdain, which Kai remembered from meeting him at Maric’s funeral, as his normal speaking voice. “His majesty
could not contain his excitement after your meeting. How could I not hear about you?”
His mouth drew down further at the corners, the acerbic note to his voice deepening his it, “Cailan’s fascination with the Wardens goes beyond
the ordinary, his fascination with you beyond propriety.” Loghain’s rolled his eyes as he mirrored Kai’s pose, crossing his arms across his
armored clad chest. “Are you aware his father brought your order back to Ferelden?”
Kai nodded, her heart still squeezed painfully at thinking of Maric, her old childhood friend. She swallowed hard before answering, “Yes, I’ve
heard that.”
Loghain snorted, “Maric respected the Grey Wardens. They have an honored place in the hearts of our people.”
He tilted his head, “You look familiar. Have I seen you at the Landsmeet?”
Kai resisted the urge to laugh, the man was good, he actually said it with a straight face. She knew full well he knew who she was, that little
flicker in his cold cerulean gaze earlier told her said so. She decided to push him once more to see if she could get a reaction, “My father was
the Teyrn of Highever.” She saw his eyes crimp ever so slightly at the corners.
“The king told me of his...promise. I am certain he has every intention of following it through.” Kai heard a note in his voice that she didn’t
couldn’t quite grasp but that sent shivers down her spine.
Loghain dropped his arms to his sides, “I don’t suppose you’ll be riding into the thick of battle with the rest of your fellows, will you?”
It took a second for her to recover from his complete change in topic, “I don’t know.”
“If Cailan has his way you will.” His gaze became more intense. “Now I must return to my task. Pray that the king proves amenable to wisdom,
if you’re the praying sort.”
He turned as to take his leave, and Kai couldn’t resist pushing him just a little more, “And if he doesn’t?” She smiled sweetly, “Prove amenable
that is.”
Loghain turned back to her with a grimace on his lips, “Then simply pray.”
Kai’s smile broadened and she tilted her head at him, “You don’t seem very fond of him.”
That statement alone seemed to garner the most reaction from Loghain. He stepped closer leaning towards her, putting his face in hers. “He is
Maric’s son and the leader of my beloved Ferelden, and a very young man. I try to keep that in mind, as should you.”
Kai put her face closer to his, “Oh, I didn’t say I wasn’t fond of him; I just said you weren’t.” She smiled sweetly.
He cocked an eyebrow, “Hmmpf.” He pulled away, but not before Kai saw something swimming behind that frost-blue gaze. She had landed a hit, but
in what way?
She let him turn away and walk a few steps before trying again. “Not like, say, your fondness for Arl Howe’s man? I heard it was
quite...intimate.”
Kai watched Loghain spin on his heel abruptly. His hands were in fists at his side, one eyebrow was raised and he had a glare that could have
frosted metal. “My ‘fondness’ for Howe’s man, is...none of your business, young woman.” And with that he stalked away to his tent disappearing
with an irritated snap of the tent flap as he left her view.
Behind her Alistair blew out a steady stream of air. “Well, that went both better and worse than I imagined it would.”
“Hey, you said I wasn’t to use a dagger or a sword. You never said I couldn’t harangue the man verbally.” Kai turned towards her companion.
“He is hiding something. Several things, if I had to guess. I was hoping to unsettle him, make him slip. You heard his guard. They were
speaking about me, even if he didn’t hear the name quite right. I know they were!”
“Yes, they may well have been, and I don’t doubt that they were. But we have no proof. And it was a nice try, but you couldn’t crack that man
with a dwarven mace.” Alistair placed his hand on her shoulder in what was becoming a familiar gesture. “Kai...”
She cast a look over her shoulder at the emerald colored cloth that wrinkled, its pennants snapped in the breeze. “I would give my right hand
to know what he and Howe’s man spoke of. And did you see his reaction about Cailan? Something is going on there. And what are they fighting
about?”
“I wonder what it all means?” Kai turned back to see Alistair’s gaze following her own.
“For one thing, it means that Loghain is up to his icy blue eyeballs in the death of my family and the destruction of my home.” Kai glared at
Alistair.
“Kai, you can’t know that, not for certain.” She continued to glare at him and he sighed letting go of her shoulder. “I just know what you are
going to say next,” he muttered.
“We need to tell Cailan and Duncan.” Kai grinned at him and turned to saunter over towards the King’s tent.
#114
Posté 30 août 2010 - 12:02
LadyAly
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yes - made my grey, wet and cold day much better to read your writings Gil 
#115
Posté 30 août 2010 - 06:27
Gilgamesh1138
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Aw, glad to help schatze! Glad you liked it!
#116
Guest_Dalira Montanti_*
Posté 31 août 2010 - 09:00
Guest_Dalira Montanti_*
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omg omg omg super hugs for you gil-chan wow loved this chappy chap chap 
#117
Posté 06 septembre 2010 - 10:23
Gilgamesh1138
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I am so glad to make your day sweetie! *HUGS*
#118
Guest_Dalira Montanti_*
Posté 07 septembre 2010 - 03:46
Guest_Dalira Montanti_*
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need to put up a gil shrine
#119
Posté 07 septembre 2010 - 10:15
Gilgamesh1138
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Aw! *blushes* About half way through with 17.
#120
Guest_Dalira Montanti_*
Posté 09 septembre 2010 - 08:13
Guest_Dalira Montanti_*
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well that saves me from kidnapping that chapter from your comp eh lol
#121
Posté 09 septembre 2010 - 08:58
Gilgamesh1138
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Chapter 17
~A Pick of Trouble~
Kai stopped in front of Cailan’s sunny yellow tent, sunny like the man himself. Kai did a mental head shake. Maric was good humored but with a
constant underlying sadness about him. Cailan was the opposite, always blithe and bright. Kai sighed to herself. Cailan looked so much like
his father, that she was reminded of Maric, and that she admitted to herself, hurt still.
Shaking off her melancholy, which would only lead to thinking of all her beloveds, dead now; and that would lead her to worry over Fergus, she
stepped forward to stand in front of his guard. The man smiled at her, “Greetings, King Cailan is not in his tent right now.”
Kai returned the smile, even though she was disappointed Cailan wasn’t there. She hadn’t seen Cailan since they had met in the garden when she
was ten and spent the day pilfering strawberries, and blackberries, and getting into mischief. Their meeting at the gate had been brief and not
at all private. At Maric’s funeral, they had spoken only briefly before Anora had interrupted and interspersed herself between them on the guise
of being introduced. At the royal wedding, she had not spoken to him at all, Anora’s doing no doubt. Kai hoped that he would be in his tent so
she might actually have a deeper conversation than they had managed so far.
She desperately wanted to let him know of Howe’s man visiting with Loghain in private with no other witnesses. And she realized that she really
had not been able to keep up with her king, and the son of her childhood friend. She needed more information. Something was not right if Loghain
and Cailan were yelling at one another.
Kai smiled and stuck out her arm for a warrior’s shake and he obliged. “Do you know where he is? Tell me what is going on with him, you must see
him a lot.” He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “I have known him since I was ten, and King Maric and I were...we were friends. I’m
concerned with what I heard from Loghain’s guard.” She shrugged at him.
He reached up and removed his silver helmet to run fingers through equally silver hair. “I suppose I do, though he’s spending most of his time
with the Grey Wardens. That is probably where he is now, in their camp, drinking. He holds them in high regard, you know, like his father did.
He rides with them wherever they go, in fact.”
The King’s guard sighed as he placed his helmet back on, “Teyrn Loghain sees the king whenever he can and argues with him over coming battles,
but the king just waves him off.”
He shrugged, ”The king wants to end the Blight with a single huge battle the bards will sing of for centuries. Do you think that’s possible?”
Kai shook her head, “I can’t say, we’ll see in the coming battle.”
He chuckled, “That’s what the Teyrn feels. He’ll do what the king wants in the end, though.”
He sobered almost immediately, “The king thought it was funny the teyrn called him reckless. And they fought about the queen.”
Kai cocked an eyebrow, “Do they fight often? Do they fight about Anora often?”
His shoulders rose again, “More than usual, lately. Good thing the teyrn’s the only one who can speak to the King like that.”
“What were they fighting over, about the Queen, I mean?” Kai tilted her head.
“She’s the teyrn’s daughter, as you know.” He waved his hands.
“He wasn’t happy about something she did or the king did...I’m not sure. I probably shouldn’t discuss it.” He gave her a rueful half smile.
Kai nodded, and patted his arm, returning his smile, “I need to see the king as soon as he returns. Would you please tell him that when you see
him? Tell him, Kaidana Cousland has more information that may influence his promise.”
The guard’s eyebrows raised, “His...promise?” He grinned harder when she nodded, “Very well, my lady, I will tell him at the first opportunity.”
He stuck out his arm and Kai taking his arm in a warrior’s grasp.
“Thank you, I will take my leave.” She released his arm, and nodded to Alistair that he should walk way with her.
They moved off, and stood on the ramp behind the tents of Cailan and Loghain looking at the backs of the tents. Alistair shook his head, “Well
that was certainly interesting. What is going on I wonder? Did I say Loghain is keeping the lid on the pot? Well that pot seems to be boiling
over.”
Kai grinned, “Ah, you haven’t had much dealing with nobles and Ferelden politics have you?”
Alistair blushed and looked away before he gave her a lopsided grin. “Nope, can’t say that I have much experience with that sort of thing.”
“Yes, well all joking aside, I have and I am still concerned. I think Duncan may need to hear about it as well.” Kai shrugged, “I don’t know if
it will make a difference in the battle, but still.”
Alistair waved his arm up the ramp, “Shall we continue on with a tour of the camp then? Further up is an archery practice range, if you care to
use it.”
They turned and walked side by side up the ramp to find a small crowd of soldiers looking with rapt attention at a small dark mass of something
on the ground before them. The smell hit Kai’s nose before she was actually able to see a discernible humanoid shape; it smelled liked carrion,
and vomit and excrement overlapped by the smell of musty stone.
Kai walked up closer to look at a olive greenish skinned creature with a bald head and a malicious grin (even in death) filled with sharp needle
teeth. The smell up close made her eyes water and the bile to climb up her throat. The creature wore a patchwork of armor some obviously human
made and stolen, the rest was rudimentary and primitive at best.
One of the soldiers was speaking to the group assembled before him, “I don’t want you all listening to the nattering fishwives’s rumors you have
all been hearing. They don’t drag people underground and eat them. And stop any talk of them enslaving the survivors.” Kai watched him turn
his glare on each one of them in turn while Alistair shuffled uncomfortably from foot to foot behind her. Interesting.
The soldier continued, “You all fight for Ferelden and your king, remember that. Yes, they are tough, but stick them with a sword enough and
they die just the same. Mark my words carefully, their blood is black, dangerous as any poison. Dogs who have bitten them and been tainted have
to be muzzled to keep them from biting from madness. It is a slow and painful way to go.”
Again Alistair’s armor creaked as he fidgeted, but ceased as the man’s look turned their way, “We’ve had reports from the Wilds of larger ones
being seen. This one is called a Genlock. We don’t know where they’re coming from, so use caution. Large or small, haven’t seen one that won’t
die if they bleed enough.” He waved his arm at them all, “That about covers it. See to your weapons practice.” He nodded his head toward the
archery range before turning on his heel and walking to the target area himself.
Kai turned and faced Alistair as the soldiers who had been gathered walked around them like water around rocks in a stream. “Well that was
certainly informative and interesting. If not a bit on the smelly side.”
Kai laughed as Alistair blushed and shuffled his feet again. “Kai, I can’t...”
She waved him off, “Yes, I know you can’t really talk about it, but at this rate, neither you, nor Duncan, will have anything left to tell me.”
She chuckled again when he let out an exasperated sigh. “Come on, finish showing me around.” She smiled wide and looped her arm around his as
if they were at a ball, which only served to make him blush harder.
“Over this way is a fantastic view of the valley and the mountains.” He walked towards the ruins cutting slightly left. They walked past a
couple of soldiers talking in low tones. The woman had dark hair worn the same way her mother wore hers and the man had copper hair like
Dairren. The vision of her mother, Lady Landra, Iona, and Dairren standing in the sunlight of the atrium at Highever swam before her vision
causing her breath to catch in her throat and her vision to get blurry.
Alistair must have felt her hesitation as he stopped and turned to face her with a quizzical look. She swallowed hard and shook her head giving
him a small smile. He gave her hand a squeeze before continuing on towards the ruins of the edge of the cliff that looked down into the valley.
As they neared a rotunda now exposed to the open air, they heard a female voice reciting the Chant of Light. The source of the chant became
apparent when they crested a slight hill and found a young priestess knelt, head down, hands in supplication praying to the wanton wind that blew
around them. Alistair nodded to their left indicating that they should go to the other side, leaving the priestess alone to her entreaties.
They followed the rounded outer wall of a room the looked as if it was a place of worship, the female statue inside headless and holding a sword;
only to find yet another person standing with hunched shoulders, his back to them.
Kai recognized him as the elven messenger who had introduced himself as Pick to the Ash Warrior. The poor fellow looked even more harried than
was usual for his kind. As he turned Kai saw the sunlight highlight the dark circles under his eyes and the fine lines on his skin. He had a
pinched look about him. Kai had felt sorry for him, he had been positively frightened of the Ash Warrior, and he had taken off at a run, and
fled once again as they had approached Cailan’s man outside his tent.
“Hello? I’m sorry, is there something you need?” He ran a nervous hand through his auburn hair, ruffling it behind softly tapered ears.
Kai was taken back for a moment, “What do you mean?”
He smiled nervously, “I’m Pick, and I deliver messages around the camp. Do you have a message for me?” If you don’t I would appreciate it if
you don’t mention that you found me here. I will get the whip for sure if you do.” He shuffled his feet, looking down at them as he did so.
“Oh, it is so much easier to hide back at home.”
Kai felt a surge of anger that this poor man had been so abused, as most of his kind were. She swallowed down the urge to find Pick’s so called
master beat them within an inch of their lives. And then it struck her, she could indeed uses his services by having him send a message to both
Cailan and Duncan. “Yes, I do.”
She watched as Pick’s face lit up, “Then what is...?” And before she could answer he sputtered on, “Are you the one I’m supposed to give this
sword too? Because the smith gave it to me, he is done with it. You an can give it to your fellow knight.”
Kai grunted as Pick thrust a cloth wrapped sword into her arms. Kai tried to stop him, “But...”
“This will speed things up considerably, thank you! Now I can deliver my other messages. You have saved me from the switch for sure!” And with
that Pick rushed past her and Alistair and disappeared around the curve of the building back the way they had come.
Kai yelled at his retreating back to no avail, “Wait, I...!” Kai sighed and looked at the bundle laying in her arms.
“He must be the worst messenger ever.” Alistair shook his head and grinned at her.
Kai chuckled, “Isn’t that the truth. Not only did he give me someone else’s sword, and I have no idea whose it is, but he didn’t even take the
messages I do have for Duncan and Cailan.”
Alistair gave her his lopsided grin, “Well, we can ask around, keep our ears on the alert, and figure out whose sword it is.” He held out his
hands, “Here, give it to me, I can strap it on with my sword.”
Kai unwrapped it and handed it over to him, her fingers brushing his, the contact made her skin tingle and she flushed and looked down. When she
looked up it was to find him frozen in place holding the sword in its leather sheath, his own skin turning pink. He coughed and fumbled to strap
on the sword. “Well, shall we head back to the fire and our camp and see if Duncan is back yet?” Alistair flushed a darker shade of pink and
grinned at her.
She laughed and nodded, “He is probably wondering if I got lost.”
They made their way in companionable silence around the other side of the building so as not to disturb the priestess praying, and back down the
ramp past Loghain and Cailan’s tents. Duncan was indeed before the fire along with Argus.
“Well, let’s go see what Duncan wants me, or us rather, to do for this Joining ritual.” Kai grinned and strode toward the fire and the bearded
figure that stood beyond it.
~A Pick of Trouble~
Kai stopped in front of Cailan’s sunny yellow tent, sunny like the man himself. Kai did a mental head shake. Maric was good humored but with a
constant underlying sadness about him. Cailan was the opposite, always blithe and bright. Kai sighed to herself. Cailan looked so much like
his father, that she was reminded of Maric, and that she admitted to herself, hurt still.
Shaking off her melancholy, which would only lead to thinking of all her beloveds, dead now; and that would lead her to worry over Fergus, she
stepped forward to stand in front of his guard. The man smiled at her, “Greetings, King Cailan is not in his tent right now.”
Kai returned the smile, even though she was disappointed Cailan wasn’t there. She hadn’t seen Cailan since they had met in the garden when she
was ten and spent the day pilfering strawberries, and blackberries, and getting into mischief. Their meeting at the gate had been brief and not
at all private. At Maric’s funeral, they had spoken only briefly before Anora had interrupted and interspersed herself between them on the guise
of being introduced. At the royal wedding, she had not spoken to him at all, Anora’s doing no doubt. Kai hoped that he would be in his tent so
she might actually have a deeper conversation than they had managed so far.
She desperately wanted to let him know of Howe’s man visiting with Loghain in private with no other witnesses. And she realized that she really
had not been able to keep up with her king, and the son of her childhood friend. She needed more information. Something was not right if Loghain
and Cailan were yelling at one another.
Kai smiled and stuck out her arm for a warrior’s shake and he obliged. “Do you know where he is? Tell me what is going on with him, you must see
him a lot.” He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “I have known him since I was ten, and King Maric and I were...we were friends. I’m
concerned with what I heard from Loghain’s guard.” She shrugged at him.
He reached up and removed his silver helmet to run fingers through equally silver hair. “I suppose I do, though he’s spending most of his time
with the Grey Wardens. That is probably where he is now, in their camp, drinking. He holds them in high regard, you know, like his father did.
He rides with them wherever they go, in fact.”
The King’s guard sighed as he placed his helmet back on, “Teyrn Loghain sees the king whenever he can and argues with him over coming battles,
but the king just waves him off.”
He shrugged, ”The king wants to end the Blight with a single huge battle the bards will sing of for centuries. Do you think that’s possible?”
Kai shook her head, “I can’t say, we’ll see in the coming battle.”
He chuckled, “That’s what the Teyrn feels. He’ll do what the king wants in the end, though.”
He sobered almost immediately, “The king thought it was funny the teyrn called him reckless. And they fought about the queen.”
Kai cocked an eyebrow, “Do they fight often? Do they fight about Anora often?”
His shoulders rose again, “More than usual, lately. Good thing the teyrn’s the only one who can speak to the King like that.”
“What were they fighting over, about the Queen, I mean?” Kai tilted her head.
“She’s the teyrn’s daughter, as you know.” He waved his hands.
“He wasn’t happy about something she did or the king did...I’m not sure. I probably shouldn’t discuss it.” He gave her a rueful half smile.
Kai nodded, and patted his arm, returning his smile, “I need to see the king as soon as he returns. Would you please tell him that when you see
him? Tell him, Kaidana Cousland has more information that may influence his promise.”
The guard’s eyebrows raised, “His...promise?” He grinned harder when she nodded, “Very well, my lady, I will tell him at the first opportunity.”
He stuck out his arm and Kai taking his arm in a warrior’s grasp.
“Thank you, I will take my leave.” She released his arm, and nodded to Alistair that he should walk way with her.
They moved off, and stood on the ramp behind the tents of Cailan and Loghain looking at the backs of the tents. Alistair shook his head, “Well
that was certainly interesting. What is going on I wonder? Did I say Loghain is keeping the lid on the pot? Well that pot seems to be boiling
over.”
Kai grinned, “Ah, you haven’t had much dealing with nobles and Ferelden politics have you?”
Alistair blushed and looked away before he gave her a lopsided grin. “Nope, can’t say that I have much experience with that sort of thing.”
“Yes, well all joking aside, I have and I am still concerned. I think Duncan may need to hear about it as well.” Kai shrugged, “I don’t know if
it will make a difference in the battle, but still.”
Alistair waved his arm up the ramp, “Shall we continue on with a tour of the camp then? Further up is an archery practice range, if you care to
use it.”
They turned and walked side by side up the ramp to find a small crowd of soldiers looking with rapt attention at a small dark mass of something
on the ground before them. The smell hit Kai’s nose before she was actually able to see a discernible humanoid shape; it smelled liked carrion,
and vomit and excrement overlapped by the smell of musty stone.
Kai walked up closer to look at a olive greenish skinned creature with a bald head and a malicious grin (even in death) filled with sharp needle
teeth. The smell up close made her eyes water and the bile to climb up her throat. The creature wore a patchwork of armor some obviously human
made and stolen, the rest was rudimentary and primitive at best.
One of the soldiers was speaking to the group assembled before him, “I don’t want you all listening to the nattering fishwives’s rumors you have
all been hearing. They don’t drag people underground and eat them. And stop any talk of them enslaving the survivors.” Kai watched him turn
his glare on each one of them in turn while Alistair shuffled uncomfortably from foot to foot behind her. Interesting.
The soldier continued, “You all fight for Ferelden and your king, remember that. Yes, they are tough, but stick them with a sword enough and
they die just the same. Mark my words carefully, their blood is black, dangerous as any poison. Dogs who have bitten them and been tainted have
to be muzzled to keep them from biting from madness. It is a slow and painful way to go.”
Again Alistair’s armor creaked as he fidgeted, but ceased as the man’s look turned their way, “We’ve had reports from the Wilds of larger ones
being seen. This one is called a Genlock. We don’t know where they’re coming from, so use caution. Large or small, haven’t seen one that won’t
die if they bleed enough.” He waved his arm at them all, “That about covers it. See to your weapons practice.” He nodded his head toward the
archery range before turning on his heel and walking to the target area himself.
Kai turned and faced Alistair as the soldiers who had been gathered walked around them like water around rocks in a stream. “Well that was
certainly informative and interesting. If not a bit on the smelly side.”
Kai laughed as Alistair blushed and shuffled his feet again. “Kai, I can’t...”
She waved him off, “Yes, I know you can’t really talk about it, but at this rate, neither you, nor Duncan, will have anything left to tell me.”
She chuckled again when he let out an exasperated sigh. “Come on, finish showing me around.” She smiled wide and looped her arm around his as
if they were at a ball, which only served to make him blush harder.
“Over this way is a fantastic view of the valley and the mountains.” He walked towards the ruins cutting slightly left. They walked past a
couple of soldiers talking in low tones. The woman had dark hair worn the same way her mother wore hers and the man had copper hair like
Dairren. The vision of her mother, Lady Landra, Iona, and Dairren standing in the sunlight of the atrium at Highever swam before her vision
causing her breath to catch in her throat and her vision to get blurry.
Alistair must have felt her hesitation as he stopped and turned to face her with a quizzical look. She swallowed hard and shook her head giving
him a small smile. He gave her hand a squeeze before continuing on towards the ruins of the edge of the cliff that looked down into the valley.
As they neared a rotunda now exposed to the open air, they heard a female voice reciting the Chant of Light. The source of the chant became
apparent when they crested a slight hill and found a young priestess knelt, head down, hands in supplication praying to the wanton wind that blew
around them. Alistair nodded to their left indicating that they should go to the other side, leaving the priestess alone to her entreaties.
They followed the rounded outer wall of a room the looked as if it was a place of worship, the female statue inside headless and holding a sword;
only to find yet another person standing with hunched shoulders, his back to them.
Kai recognized him as the elven messenger who had introduced himself as Pick to the Ash Warrior. The poor fellow looked even more harried than
was usual for his kind. As he turned Kai saw the sunlight highlight the dark circles under his eyes and the fine lines on his skin. He had a
pinched look about him. Kai had felt sorry for him, he had been positively frightened of the Ash Warrior, and he had taken off at a run, and
fled once again as they had approached Cailan’s man outside his tent.
“Hello? I’m sorry, is there something you need?” He ran a nervous hand through his auburn hair, ruffling it behind softly tapered ears.
Kai was taken back for a moment, “What do you mean?”
He smiled nervously, “I’m Pick, and I deliver messages around the camp. Do you have a message for me?” If you don’t I would appreciate it if
you don’t mention that you found me here. I will get the whip for sure if you do.” He shuffled his feet, looking down at them as he did so.
“Oh, it is so much easier to hide back at home.”
Kai felt a surge of anger that this poor man had been so abused, as most of his kind were. She swallowed down the urge to find Pick’s so called
master beat them within an inch of their lives. And then it struck her, she could indeed uses his services by having him send a message to both
Cailan and Duncan. “Yes, I do.”
She watched as Pick’s face lit up, “Then what is...?” And before she could answer he sputtered on, “Are you the one I’m supposed to give this
sword too? Because the smith gave it to me, he is done with it. You an can give it to your fellow knight.”
Kai grunted as Pick thrust a cloth wrapped sword into her arms. Kai tried to stop him, “But...”
“This will speed things up considerably, thank you! Now I can deliver my other messages. You have saved me from the switch for sure!” And with
that Pick rushed past her and Alistair and disappeared around the curve of the building back the way they had come.
Kai yelled at his retreating back to no avail, “Wait, I...!” Kai sighed and looked at the bundle laying in her arms.
“He must be the worst messenger ever.” Alistair shook his head and grinned at her.
Kai chuckled, “Isn’t that the truth. Not only did he give me someone else’s sword, and I have no idea whose it is, but he didn’t even take the
messages I do have for Duncan and Cailan.”
Alistair gave her his lopsided grin, “Well, we can ask around, keep our ears on the alert, and figure out whose sword it is.” He held out his
hands, “Here, give it to me, I can strap it on with my sword.”
Kai unwrapped it and handed it over to him, her fingers brushing his, the contact made her skin tingle and she flushed and looked down. When she
looked up it was to find him frozen in place holding the sword in its leather sheath, his own skin turning pink. He coughed and fumbled to strap
on the sword. “Well, shall we head back to the fire and our camp and see if Duncan is back yet?” Alistair flushed a darker shade of pink and
grinned at her.
She laughed and nodded, “He is probably wondering if I got lost.”
They made their way in companionable silence around the other side of the building so as not to disturb the priestess praying, and back down the
ramp past Loghain and Cailan’s tents. Duncan was indeed before the fire along with Argus.
“Well, let’s go see what Duncan wants me, or us rather, to do for this Joining ritual.” Kai grinned and strode toward the fire and the bearded
figure that stood beyond it.
#122
Posté 09 septembre 2010 - 09:00
Gilgamesh1138
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- Members
- 1 915 messages
No kidnapping needed... : D
#123
Guest_Dalira Montanti_*
Posté 09 septembre 2010 - 09:15
Guest_Dalira Montanti_*
Guest_Dalira Montanti_*
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- Guests
drats and i had my kidnapping tools and everything *sobs*
I think Alistair so cute i bet hes sweet when he blushes
I think Alistair so cute i bet hes sweet when he blushes
<3
#125
Posté 11 septembre 2010 - 09:48
LadyAly
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- Members
- 2 151 messages
Loved to read this again - Kai is adorable
