by Milton Garby
"What's going on now?" Asked Alistair.
"The Shaman is coming out to tell a story, a piece of their history." Aedan answered.
Aedan got up and they all joined the gathering of people around the courtyard who were circled around a great fire waiting for the shaman to come. Soon Siobahn came walking towards the gathering leading a hunched, hooded figure to them by the hand. He wore a long robe made of hide and feathers, his hood, which covered his eyes, was a deer head with the antlers perched on his head and various charms dangling from the antlers.
The crowd gathered around the shaman and were awed as the watched Siobahn change from woman to eagle, and eagle to wolf and then in to bear and into a woman again. Then about ten men hauled in a massive slab of quarried stone and they dropped it to the ground with a loud thud. Maferath picked up a hammers, stood in front of it and just stared at it. Then he went completely berserk and attacked the giant rock as if it were a threat to him. Within a moment the once large piece of rock that ten men had to carry was reduced to nothing but pebbles. If Shale could make any facial expressions she'd probably look worried.
"You all know of the gifts that this clan posses." The shaman spoke with a voice that was deep and echoed through the keep. "The greatest gift one can be bestowed is knowledge and knowledge from the gods is the most prized of all. Long ago when our ancestors first migrated to these mountains from the valley, two brothers, their clans greatest warrior and their shaman sought out the the great bear spirit, Sigfrost the guardian of knowledge and asked him for knowledge that would help them protect their people. The great bear challenged the brothers to a game of wits and if they won he would teach them, but if they lost he would devour them. With their combined knowledge and wisdom the brothers beat Sigfrost at his own game, and true to his word he gave brothers knowledge to bring back to their people. He taught the shaman the ways and wisdom of all the animals in the Frostbacks and he taught the warrior how harness his rage like a provoked bear and become a berserker. The brothers took this knowledge back to their people and renamed their keep Bear-Hold to honor the guardian of knowledge."
Everyone applauded the shaman's tale and the demonstrations made by his apprentice and their Jarl.
"That was a wonderful story." Leliana applauded.
"And a most enthralling demonstration." Wynne commented.
Next Maferath revealed a giant and ancient looking battle axe made completely of dragonbone. It was a two-headed axe with the Avvar inscription of Korth the Mountain Father on both of them. Along the shaft was written various runes in the Avvarian language and the butt of the axe was a heavy, rough stone bound to the shaft with metal bindings.
"When I was a boy, many, many seasons ago…" The shaman continued. "My grandfather's father told us of a time long forgotten by modern men. When the fortress of Kinloch Hold was still in the grasp of our kin and before the rise of Dane Wolfsbane, when the sons of the dragons first invaded our lands. And they brought with them fire, slaves and bloodmagic. Why did they come for our lands? What could our cold lands so far from their empire have that they could possibly want? It was this."
Maferath brandished the axe for all to see.
"My forefathers told me that in the land that was beholden to a thousand vigils there existed a place, hidden from the eyes of mortals, where the dragons came to die. A dragon graveyard. Our ancestors were the first to lay eyes upon this terrible, wonderous place where a dragon would go when she reached the end of her life and would let the frozen touch of Haakon overtake her. And when the sons of dragons heard of this place they wrested it from our people and gave it them name Drake's Fall. This axe is the last remnant of our days when we still held our land against the dragon sons. Carved from the bone, marrow and flesh of a terrible High Dragon, it felled legionairre, juggernaut and magister, even when our people were forced to flee it struck fear into the hearts of the dragon sons. And thus it has remained with us ever since, a permanent reminder of what we must do to protect our lands from invaders."
When the shaman was done with his stories night had fallen and all the denizens of Bear-Hold retreated to their huts for the night. As Aedan and the others were about to retire for the evening, Maferath approached him.
"The Shaman will see you now, Mo Dearthaire. You and your entourage should they wish."
"Is something wrong, Aedan?" asked Wynne.
"When the clan Shaman asks to see you, you don't turn him down, it's a huge insult."
They all went to the shaman's hut and were greeted once more by Siobahn who solemnly welcomed them inside. The hut was one of the biggest in the village, inside were various dreamcatchers, charms and bones hanging from the canopy. The floor was covered in various animal skins and in the middle of the hut was a large, burning hearth with runes inscribed around it. On the other side of the fire stood the shaman.
"Welcome once more, Aedan Cousland Ar Bryce O Highever." He greeted as he romved his antlered hood, revealing his head beneath it. His face was ancient, wrinkles upon wrinkles and scant strands of hair clinging to his head. His eyes revealed that he was blind, but it was like there were two bright, milky voids buried in his sockets. He pointed out to Aedan's companion….
Author's Note:
In this part I decided to have a different reaction to each companion kind of like in the game.
Alistair:
"And welcome you as well, Lowland lordling."
"You…know of me?"
"The gods saw fit to take my eyes, but they were kind enough to leave my ears and so I listen. Grey Warden says the trees. Templar says the snow. King says the wind. You are all of these, and yet you have the potential to be more, but it's potential that you fear."
Zevran:
"You may come in if you like, assassin." The shaman said discourteously.
"And how do you know I'm an assassin, old man?"
"I smell the blood on you. I can hear the cries of your victims as you walk. You hide your guilt and your emptiness by hiding behind your deviancy and your indulgence, trying to hide from it like a coward."
Sten:
"Come or go, it matters not to me, foreigner." He said almost angrily to Sten.
"Cast your gaze elsewhere, mage." Sten replied with hostility.
"Hurmph! Even in exile and when you're a guest under another's roof you still act like a savage. Your victims saved you only to be slain by you; they curse you from the beyond."
Shale:
"Come in, dwarf. My roof is tall enough to have you."
"I am not a dwarf, I am a golem."
"Are you? I wondered why your footsteps seemed so heavy. But I can sense the faintest glimmer of a soul that could only belong to a dwarf and a warrior."
Leliana:
"Don't be afraid, faithful of Andraste. I mean you no harm."
"How do you know I….?"
"Your faith gives protection. Hold on to it. Your path will become darker before you find the light."
Wynne:
"I smell the sweet stones of Kinloch Hold upon you. Enter and be welcome, Mage of the Circle."
"Thank you. I am truly honored to be here, shaman."
"Hmmm. There is a light radiating from you. You've been touched by the otherside and bring healing with you."
Oghren:
"Hmmm. I smell misery, disgrace, too much alcohol and a lot family issues. You must be a warrior of Orzammar."
"Yeah, yeah. Anything else you wanna add to that, gramps?"
"You bare the burden of the loss of an entire House. It weighs you down and consumes you like the drinks you imbibe. Before you can truly move on, you must let it all go to find the warrior you once were."
Morrigan:
"Enter, Chasind daughter of the Wilds. And don't worry I care not for what secrets you may keep."
"And how do you know I'm keeping anything, Shaman?"
"That is unimportant. But know this: you will never truly be free from her shadow until you truly free yourself from the cage of doubt
and deception you've built around yourself."
"….T-turn you gaze else, Shaman. I have no need for your words."
"I doubt you called me here to exchange pleasantries with my companions, Shaman." Said Aedan.
"No. That I didn not. There is a great change in you, son of Highever, I sensed it the instant you arrived. You've undergone the ritual I revealed to you before you left? The one our people created when we fought the Imperium?"
"I did. Good fortune and a mother's kindness brought dragon blood into my possession and I consumed it to make my pain my strength and to feed on the deaths of my enemies."
"But that isn't all, is it? I smell something else. Something in your blood. You bare…the taint."
Siobahn looked at Aedan in shock, he mouth open in horror.
"Yes." Aedan confirmed grimly. "Like Alistair I am a Grey Warden now."
"Hmm. Then it is as I feared, the Bligh has begun anew. And it is in the Valley. How large a force does your Order bring with it?"
"Just the two of us." Aedan explained to the old wiseman about the betrayal at Ostagar, the actions of Teryn Loghain and the civil war he started.
"Hmm. You Lowlander are always fighting over something, and always at the most inconvenient time. Jarl, we cannot alow the Blight to spread outside the valley, we must rescue the Lowlanders from destruction or be destroyed ourselves."
"I will gather every ablebodied warrior in this keep and call upon all the Avvar of the Frostbacks to combat the Blight. It is time the Lowlanders are reminded what Avvar warrior are capable of." The Jarl announced zealously.
"You will give us aid against the Blight?"
"But of course, Mo Dearthaire!" Siobahn chimed. "It's obvious you Lowlanders can't solve your own problems, so you need outside help."
"When the storm passes I will send ravens and messenger to all the keeps and clans and bring them to you. We will fight under your command."
"Bring them to Soldier's Peak. You will find the rest of our gathered forces and supplies there."
XoXoXo
The next morning the storm had passed and the adventurerers prepared once more to depart once more through the massice bear-guarded gates. All the inhabitants of the keep came out to give supplies and bid farewell to their strange guests. As promised Jarl Maferath sent out ravens and messengers to alert and gather the other Avvar clans for war. Before they left through the gates Siobahn once again approached Aedan with a gift...of sorts. It was large lump of unrefined metal.
"What is this, Siobahn?"
"Last winter in a storm, not unlike last night's, a great ball of fire fell from the sky and when it landed we all felt the mountains shake. This is starmetal and it landed in the same spot I first found ye in. And now ye return to us yet again in the same fashion. I know ye do not believe in such things, but I know the gods favor ye and they sent this here for ye to show their favor. Take it and may it help ye in yer quest."
The masive lump shined almost as if it were white hot but it gave off no heat and it seemed to hum ever so gently in Aedan's hands. Starmetal was one of the rarest and most prized ores in existence, even the dwarves barely heard of it and only a rare few smiths even new how to forge this material. Perhaps he could find a smith with the skill and knowledge to refine this prized ore into a weapon legendary enough to match its rarity.
"I will pray to the Lady-of-The-Skies to give ye protection in the coming days, Mo Dearthaire." And with that Siobahn morphed into her elegant eagle form and flew off into the distance.
The travelers made their way back down Gherlen's Pass, their pace quicker now that the storm had died. Aedan had never expected to gain the aid of the Avvar in such a manner. The Avvar were legendary for the animosity for the inhabitant of the Ferelden Valley for being driven out by their ancestors so long ago. But Aedans sole connection and friendship with these people cemented an alliance never thought possible. Perhaps they had a chance to once more push the darkspawn out of the valley as Hafter did centuries ago, perhaps they had a chance after all, prehaps they could win. But first they still had to bring down the Hero of River Dane and bring him to justice.
Preparations of War & More
Loghain sat in his solar feeling older each second that passed by as his best lieutenant and his top advisor were both speaking to him about the situations going on with the civil war.
"The situation in Highever has just gotten worse, your lordship." Ser Cautherine explained. Cautherine had just returned from her assignment in Highever punishing those miserable poachers that dared defy Teryn Loghain.
"What do you mean it's gotten worse?" Loghain asked obiously aggravated.
"There's now rioting going on all over the north, many of the freeholders are demanding you step down from the regency, and they're crying out to have justice for the Couslands." Cautherine explained.
"Justice for the Couslands?" Arl Howe repeated both offended and annoyed. "If these filthy peasants feel loyalty to those traitors rather than they're rightful lord then we should have done worse to those dirty upstarts." Howe continued obviously talking about himself.
"If we had given those men a fair trial this more than likely would never have happened." Ser Cauthrien explained, she still felt guilty about what she had been commanded to do.
"If we're to have full unity to halt the darkspawn horde, we cannot allow dissention for any reason. All those who defy the crown will suffer terribly for their treason." Loghain explained. In the back of his mind he couldn't help but think of those men he ordered to be strung up on poles and left to starve in the heat of the sun but he pushed from his mind, he had bigger things to worry about.
"Well said, your grace." Howe said sucking up to him. Cauthrien, however, looked abashed by what they both said but said nothing.
Loghain couldn't blame how she probably felt but it was all nessecary, and he knew that no matter what, Cauthrien would still follow him. Ever since he knighted her she had been his most stalwart soldier that always readily followed and carried out his commands.
"While we're on the subject of the darkspawn we've received word from Arl Wulf of the Western Hills. He has lost his Arling to the darkspawn and his two oldest sons, much to his grief. He and what's left of his forces have taken up residence at South Reach with Arl Bryland. Both of them have sent a letter for your eyes alone." Loghain took the letters and observed the seals of both South Reach and The Western Hills. "And there's more news, my lord. There is word of an army coming down from Orzammar."
"Did Imrek succeed?"
"No, my lord, he's dead." Cauthrien answered flatly. "I had soldiers hail the dwarven generals and ask if they have come to the surface to support you, but they acted with great hostility and said that Orzammar is fighting for the Grey Wardens, and will not lend us any assistance at all."
"Dammit!" Loghain slammed his fist into the arm of his chair.
"I'm afraid it gets worse. There's also a very large force of Avvar marching down Gherlen's Pass and making their way to Soldier's Peak."
"Soldier's Peak is abandoned." Howe stated skeptically. "And what are those savages marching for anyway? Do they seek to take advantage of the civil war?"
"No, they too have declared for the Wardens; it would appear that the Wardens have reclaimed the old fortress to house this new army. And that's not the end of our troubles. We've received a letter from the First enchanter of Kinloch Hold."
"Uldred?" Loghain asked hopefully.
"No, First Enchanter Irving. He has said that the mages are upholding their treaty to lend the Grey Wardens assistance against the Blight and are currently waiting for him at Redcliffe."
"Can they do that? Won't the Chantry put that down?" Howe asked.
"The Grand Cleric says her hand are tied in this matter, and the Knight Commander of Kinloch Hold has already agreed to give the mages leave."
"Is Eamon still alive?" the Teyrn asked almost venomously.
"As far as we know he is still alive but is in a deep coma. His broth
er Teagan is ruling the arling in his stead." His lieutenant finished.
Teagan. Loghain remembered how that miserable third son dared to incite rebellion against him when he tried to rally the lords to secure Ferelden's freedom. None of this can be a coincidence. The mages waiting in Redcliffe must have found some way to keep Eamon alive, meaning his assassin, Jowan, had failed. He was now wishing he had sent a real assassin to cut Eamon's throat, or at least made it look like an accident. That's who they should have sent the Antivan Crows after.
The Crows? His mind went to that Antivan elf he met. How could the Crows of all people fail to terminate the Wardens? They must have paid the Crows off, how else can people as infamous and expensive as the Antivan Crows fail? Loghain had no doubt that the Wardens didn't want for resources with the Orlesian Empire backing them. Yes, he could see it now. Aedan Cousland was bringing in a new army to take advantage of the war to usurp the Fereldan people. He'll pretend that the army is just to combat the Blight, but he'll use it as opprutunity to wipe out all the true and loyal lords and replace them with Orlesians lickspittles, and they in turn will summon their chevaliers. Loghain had to think of a way to stop them, but the only way to do it was with a united Ferelden which meant combating the darkspawn themselves and prove that the Warden were unnecessary. Loghain could feel his temples bulging and his heart thumping. He looked at his two confederates and they looked worried that he was about to have a heart attack. Loghain breathed deeply, leaned back into his chair and regained his composure. There would be time to think about what to do next, but first he needed to know the full situation of the state.
Loghain exhaled slowly, "Is there anything else to add?"
"I'm afraid so, sire." Howe answered. "It would appear that the crown is in dire financial straits."
"You had better be able to explain this to me, Howe." Loghain warned.
"The treasury is completely…empty, your grace." Howe finally let out.
Cauthrien looked both shocked and angry, Loghain however, shouldn't have been surprised, but his brow furrowed nonetheless. "How can the crown be broke!?" the knight demanded angrily.