Veni, Vidi, Vici: Chapter III
Title: Veni, Vidi, Vici
Summary: A runaway child, who only sought to be loved and accepted, ended in a world she was unfamiliar with and before she knew it, was risking her life to save this very world from its oncoming doom.
Genres: Adventure, Romance, Tragedy
Rating: T
Pairing: F!Warden x Alistair Theirin
Fandom: Dragon Age: Origins
Warning: (Somewhat) AU, Gore, Spoilers
Status: In-Progress
Chapter Three
“Did you hear about the new recruit?”
Alistair turned his head towards his senior Wardens who were conversing with each other. He found it to be Denis, Trystan, Zephyros, and Bernardo. They were gathered around their own fire, Zephyros and Bernardo sat across Denis and Trystan. Zephyros, a man from the Free Marches, appeared to be more focused on carving arrows with a red steel dagger than the conversation itself. Denis was holding a bottle of ale one of the servants had fetched for him while Trystan happily indulged himself with a plateful of food.
“Apparently it was that girl we found from the wilds,” Trystan commented as he took a huge bite of a turkey leg. He chewed on it rather noisily without shame. For someone who complained constantly about Ferelden food, he was stuffing his mouth with the so-called bland food rather enthusiastically.
Zephyros lifted his head at Trystan’s comment, momentarily stopping his current task of carving more arrows.
“A girl?” He asked with such incredulity.
Trystan nodded his head in confirmation, stroking his Orlesian-styled beard like an old sage would. “Yes, a girl. Though I’m more curious as to why Duncan would recruit her.”
“This should be interesting,” Bernardo, the Antivan man, remarked with a perverted leer that he didn't bother concealing.
“I already fear for her safety,” Zephyros commented, an obvious jab at Bernardo.
“Now, now, my friend. There hasn’t been a woman in our Order for a while. Do forgive me for showing an interest in our latest recruit.”
“Of course, that would also mean an interest in the insides of her smallclothes, yes?” He remarked back with sarcasm.
“You’re too old for her, my friend,” Trystan summated.
“Women tend to prefer mature men, you know?”
“Not when they’re wrinkled like yourself, Bernardo.”
Trystan and Zephyros laughed boisterously while Bernardo glared at them both, clearly not as amused as the other two.
“Perhaps she is a mage then? A powerful one, at that?” Denis piped up with mild uneasiness.
Alistair could see the other Orlesian man roll his eyes at Denis’ comment and took another huge bite of the large turkey leg he held with his right hand.
“You ought to stop with this speculation of yours that everyone is a mage,” he intoned dryly to his fellow Warden.
“What? I was just asking!”
Zephyros merely let out a long-suffering sigh and turned back to his arrow and dagger, gingerly scrapping on the thin stick of wood. It was then that the blonde junior Warden approached the group and the three looked at him, sensing his approach.
“Oh, Alistair, boy!” Trystan greeted cheerfully. “What’s it, boy?”
“I heard about a new recruit,” he said. “I thought Duncan was going to recruit someone from Highever?”
“Well, since the girl’s appearance, the commander didn’t have time to leave for Highever. And with the recent attacks from groups of darkspawns, he never simply had the time,” Zephyros supplied immediately.
“Oh,” was all the young man could say to that. “Do you know anything about this new recruit then?”
“Aside from literally falling from the sky and landing in the Korcari Wilds? No, we know not much of the girl,” Denis told him frankly after he took a long swig of his drink.
The young Grey Warden gave him a puzzled look, his eyebrows crinkling. “Falling from the sky?”
“Remember that light a few days ago? We were in the area when it happened. Apparently it was her falling down the sky,” Trystan said. “Though how and why, we don’t know. The girl doesn’t know much either, from what Duncan told us.”
That was…interesting, to put it lightly.
“Well, I suppose we can’t question Duncan on this matter. He is the commander and one would only assume he knows what he’s doing. The bigger question is if she is going to survive the Joining.”
There was a subdued silence after what Trystan had said. It was true, the Joining itself was potentially fatal. Even the strongest warrior could fall upon consuming the tainted blood of the darkspawn and the archdemon. In every Joining, only a few would have the chance to survive or worse, none at all. It was a grim thought that Alistair would most definitely prefer not to think of. He was about to ask more of this so-called new recruit when Duncan came walking to their direction.
“Commander.”
The other Wardens were immediately on their feet once they saw the Rivainni commander approaching. They saluted at him.
“I’ve heard of the girl you recruited, Duncan. We’re curious to meet her,” Zephyros said with mild curiosity.
Duncan let out a sigh at the mention of the girl, appearing weary and tired. That got everyone’s curiosity and they looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something.
“Not going well with the women already, I see,” Bernardo commented calmly though with a hint of playful jab in his tone of voice. "Perhaps you need assistance, my friend? No need to fret, such affairs are one of my many assets that I am willing to share with you." Duncan sent him a firm glare though said nothing as he joined them by the fire, clearly ignoring the Antivan's offer.
“I had to invoke the Right of Conscription on her since she was not willing to join us Grey Wardens,” he explained with a grave tone.
"I assumed as much," Trystan commented as he sat back on his spot along with the others. Alistair took a seat beside Trystan who went back to eating his meal with as much enthusiasm as before though that did not stop the older man from posing a question. "What possessed you to conscript her anyway, if you don't mind me asking?" Everyone gave the Warden Commander curious looks as they waited for his answer. Though it seemed the Rivianni man was not willing to share his thoughts.
"The girl has potential. I believe that she will be a good addition to our Order," was all Duncan said before he focused his attention on Alistair. "Alistair, I would like you to fetch her for me. I already sent a message to the other two recruits to gather by the pyre set up near the mabari kennel."
"Me?" He asked dubiously at the rather abrupt change of topic.
"She is not that hard to spot. Dark hair of petite stature and exotic-looking," the Rivianni man described. "You will find her easily amongst the crowd."
"Dark hair and exotic-looking..." Alistair whispered to himself as he looked around him. Duncan had tasked him to look for the newest recruit. Apparently, she was rather upset with the Warden-Commander for his enforcement on the Right of Conscription on her and had stormed off without another word. Why she was against the recruitment, he had no clue. It would seem that Duncan wasn't willing to share the details about the matter and simply sent him off to look for her without another word.
'I would've helped if I knew how she looks like. How am I supposed to find one bloody woman amongst this crowd?' He thought to himself with a slight frown. He came to a pause as he took in his surroundings. He had already went around the ruined fortress at least two times and no sign of the woman at all. Already he knew that she was not at the royal camp for that was where Duncan and the other Wardens were. He had checked on the quartermaster and asked about the woman with the description Duncan had provided him, only to be told that no woman of such had been around. Perhaps she had wandered off to the other side where the Tower of Ishal was?
Deciding that he should check the perimeter in case she had indeed wandered far off there, he started on his way.
"Damn woman! Why do you care so much about a damn deserter?!"
The blonde-haired man paused on his way when he heard a frustrated exclamation from someone nearby. Feeling curious, he turned his head slightly to see what was the commotion about. Not too far from where he was standing, a disgruntled guard was conversing angrily with someone. Although that person's back was facing him, the young man could tell that it was a woman judging from her long dark hair and slender form.
"Look," he heard the woman say with such exasperation. "The man is going to be hanged soon anyway so the least you can do is let him eat one last meal."
Her accent didn't seem to sound Fereldan, if ever, it sounded more like those few surface dwarves he came across with during his travels with his fellow Wardens. However, there was something slightly different about her accent though he couldn't quite place just what accent it was.
The guard regarded her with an unconvinced look, his brows furrowed. After an aggravating few seconds of the two looking at each other, the guard finally let out a relenting sigh that was accompanied with a frown.
"All right. All right. I guess the poor fella could stand to have one meal in his belly before he hangs. Don't know why you care."
The guard walked to a corner and stooped down to pick up what seemed to be a makeshift tray that contained what he assumed was food. He stood up straight and walked back to the woman and shoved it in her hands, which she readily took from him.
"I had nothing to do with it, though," the guard said quickly in defense, as if he knew what trouble it would cause him if any of his superiors knew of what had happened. "I'm gonna say it was you, just so you know."
"Right."
The guard walked off with a grumble though he didn't stray far enough since it looked like he was supposed to keep an eye on the only prisoner locked on one of the cages nearby. The woman approached the mentioned prisoner, gingerly handing him the food one by one as it was impossible to give the tray in the holes of the cage. Though the youngest Grey Warden could not hear their conversation, he could assume that the caged man was thanking the woman profusely and happily. It was at this point that Alistair took a closer look at the situation, his curiosity getting the better of him. He wanted to take a glimpse at this generous woman who had helped a prisoner who was soon to be hanged.
"Here's the key," he heard the prisoner say as the man pulled out the mentioned item from the pocket of his pants.
"Er," the young woman said, sounding uncertain and hesitant. "There's no need for that. You can keep it."
"No, no! I insist! Here, think of it as my token of appreciation for giving me food."
The prisoner grabbed her hands and forcefully placed the key in her hands. As if satisfied with his work, he simply nodded at her before he went to stuff his mouth with the food given to him. The woman suddenly turned around, finally revealing her features to the young Grey Warden. She was holding the key with two fingers away from her body, as if the item itself was contaminated with some kind of disease. Her face was scrunched in disgust though.
"Ugh, I need to wash this and my hands," she murmured to herself, as she eyed the item with such disgust. "How the hell was he able to poop it out without breaking his a─? Oh no, don't even think about it..."
Alistair took the time to observe her who appeared to be a girl more so than a woman. She was of average height and had pale skin; it was obvious that she was a sheltered one and didn’t seem like a warrior. Perhaps a rogue like Ser Daveth or a mage like Denis had claimed? Though she was wearing light armour, not robes like mages do so he was inclined to believe that it was the former then. Her black hair was let loose and she had dark brown eyes that almost appeared black. She was a pretty one, especially with that look of exoticness. Definitely not Fereldan, that he could tell. And then a thought had struck him almost immediately.
Was this the newest Grey Warden recruit whom Duncan had sent him to look for?
She suddenly met his eyes, cutting his thoughts in half. She eyed him with indifference at first and then surprise, as if she had recognized him. He furrowed his brows with confusion at this.
"You're Alistair, aren't you?" She asked, her tone of obvious astonishment.
"Um," he almost hit himself for his rather unintelligent reply. He cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment. "I mean, yes, that's my name. I'm assuming you're the newest Grey Warden recruit spoke of?"
At the mention of her recruitment, her eyes visibly narrowed though it immediately turned to indifference.
"Yeah, that's me," she said offhandedly.
"You're not a mage...are you?"
She lifted a thin perfectly-shaped eyebrow at his question, as if finding him ridiculous for even asking it. Thankfully, she didn't comment about it.
"Not that I know of, no," she responded easily. "Don't worry, I won't turn you into a toad or anything."
He felt himself turning red in embarrassment, especially since her glossed lips quirked up in amusement.
"Anyway, as you know already, my name is Alistair. Glad to meet you...?"
"Jaclyn," she provided with a tiny smile. "My name's Jaclyn."
She was about to shake his outstretched hand when she stopped and quickly pulled away, as if she had remembered something. He gave her a questioning look that she met with a sheepish look of her own, averting her eyes away from him.
"Um, I need to wash my hands first," she said awkwardly, confusing him even more. Reluctantly, she provided him an explanation even though she still refused to look at him in the eye. "Well, that prisoner gave me this key that he ate and, er, you know."
There was a moment where he could only blink at her, wondering what she meant by- oh. It had finally dawned onto him and when he did, he almost burst out laughing on the spot if it hadn’t been for her rather sharp glare. He kept his bubbling laughter inside and managed to give her a sympathizing look.
"Got it. Come, let's go to the infirmary and have your hands cleaned and sanitized."
He led the girl to the infirmary with a wave of his hand and she easily followed. They asked one of the passing nurses for some clean water, soap, and alcohol. Thankfully, the nurse didn't ask them why they needed it and simply provided them with their needed supplies before she was off and tended to the wounded.
"Why did he even give you a key, anyway?" He asked as he watched her wash her hands thoroughly. He had taken the initiative to clean the key himself, which he could tell she was grateful for. She didn't look up at him as she responded, so focused on cleaning her hands from ridding the filth off of it.
"He was pretty desperate for someone to give him food so he tried bribing me with that. It apparently opens that chest where that Tranquil is standing," she explained. "I told him that I don't need it since...well, he literally pooped it out and I didn't want to hold it...and the rest you know."
"Interesting," he commented, shaking the key to dry it off. "That was nice of you, however, to give him food."
"It's nothing," she said, drying her hands with a towel he had handed her. "It won't be long since this whole place is ransacked with darkspawns anyway..."
"Hm? What was that? I'm afraid I didn't catch that last phrase of yours," he said as he looked at her. There was a frown on her face as she seemed to contemplate something. However, she only gave him a smile and stood up once her hands were dry, returning the towel back to him. He took it and dried his own hands with it, along with the key, before they gave it to a group of servants doing laundry.
"You know...it just occurred to me that there have never been many women in the Grey Wardens. I wonder why that is?" He commented out of the blue, catching her attention. She had to crane her neck up to look at him, seeing as he was a foot taller than her.
"Why? You want more women in the Wardens?" She asked with a raised brow.
"Would that be so terrible?" When she cast him a wary and suspicious look, he realized what he might have sounded like and sputtered. "I mean, not that I'm some drooling lecher or anything! Please stop looking at me like that."
She let out an amused snort at his defensive tone, her lips curling into a grin. Thankfully, it didn't seem like she believed he was some kind of lecher.
"So...I'm curious. Have you ever actually encountered darkspawn before?"
His question had her stop on her tracks, without him realizing so he continued on. Her face had visibly gone pale all of a sudden, her eyes diluted as if she was reminded of a very awful memory while her hands covered her mouth. His eyebrows furrowed with concern.
"When I fought my first one, I wasn't prepared for how monstrous it was," he told her conversely, shivering at the memory of that horrendous creature. "I can't say I'm looking forward to encountering another."
He turned his head to face the shorter girl but stopped when he realized that she was no longer walking alongside him.
"Three of them," she said from somewhere behind him. He quickly shifted his whole body to see where she was and saw her frightened stance. She had a faraway look on her face as she told him of her experience. "There were three of them chasing me before I ended up here."
She took a deep breath, gathering her wits about her and attempting to recover her cool.
"Sorry. I just...sorry," she murmured an audible apology, shaking her head. "Anyway, I'm assuming you came to fetch me since Duncan wanted to see me, right?"
"Uh, yes. He'll be waiting by the pyre near the mabari kennels," he told her.
She nodded her head and immediately started heading to the direction they were supposed to head to. Alistair silently watched her back for a few seconds, wondering what exactly happened to her, but deciding not to prod into her past, he finally followed her.
Already, he could tell that this recruit was someone of interest. Whether she was worthy of joining the Grey Wardens, he still had yet to know.
Everyone was already gathered around the pyre by the time Alistair and Jaclyn had arrived. Duncan was standing in between two men whom she recognized as Ser Daveth, a thief, and the other a two-handed sword wielder by the name of Ser Jory. As if sensing their approach, Duncan gave them a cursory glance and appeared to announce their arrival to the other recruits with him.
“Here you are,” he said as she and Alistair stood beside them. Already she could feel the curious looks from the other recruits. She tried not to frown at their scrutinizing gazes, as if they couldn't believe that a woman was recruited to join the Grey Wardens.
'Tsk. If only they knew of Duncan's former commander and Fiona,' she bitterly thought to herself.
"Now that we are all gathered here," Duncan said to have their attentions focused on him. Everyone's not-so-subtle looks on her were instantly gone once the older man started to speak, somewhat grateful that the attention was no longer on her. "I know that you all are eager for the Joining but before we undergo through the procedures, I will have you all perform two tasks."
Everyone, save for Jaclyn, was immediately puzzled at this new piece of information, wondering why they still needed to perform tasks after they were already recruited. Though no one voiced a question as Duncan simply continued with his explanation, as if sensing their questioning minds.
“Alistair will be the one to accompany you all to the wilds,” Duncan announced. The mentioned man perked up at that, trying his best not to show his excitement at the opportunity to fight. “The first task is to obtain three vials of darkspawn blood, one for each recruit.”
The two other recruits were confused as to why they would need darkspawn blood while the girl simply said nothing, if ever she looked upset about the whole ordeal.
“What are they for?” Daveth asked.
“For the Joining itself. I’ll explain more once you’ve returned,” Duncan easily answered. Alistair supposed that was enough for an answer as no one asked anymore questions.
“The other task is to retrieve some scrolls that are magically sealed to protect them. Old treaties, if you’re curious. Promises of support made to the Grey Wardens long ago. They were once considered only formalities. With so many having forgotten their commitments to us, I suspect it may be a good idea to have something to remind them with.” He looked at Alistair. “Alistair will lead you to the perimeter. It will be an overgrown ruined by now but the sealed chest should still be there should remain intact. It’s possible the scrolls may have been destroyed or even stolen. Though the seal’s magic should’ve protected them. Only a Grey Warden can break such a seal.”
“I don’t understand. Why leave such things in a ruin if they’re so valuable?” He asked, genuinely befuddled at the thought. To be honest, however, he was more worried to face darkspawns once again. They weren’t exactly the nicest foes to face. But…
Alistair stole a quick glance at Jaclyn. She didn't really say much about her combatant skills and just by looking at her, he wasn't able to figure it out. One advantage she had over the other two recruits was that she had already encountered darkspawns before. Though she genuinely looked afraid when she mentioned her unfortunate encounter with the tainted creatures. It was obvious that the other two were experienced in fighting yet he knew that skill alone would not save them from succumbing to the Taint and die even before they took the Joining. He had hoped this might not be the case.
“It was assumed that we would someday return. A great many things were assumed but have not held true,” Duncan said, implying that time when Grey Wardens were banished from Ferelden. “Watch over your charges, Alistair. Return quickly and safely.”
“We will,” the young man said with a firm nod.
“Then may the Maker watch over your path. I will see you when you all return.”
Korcari Wilds was absolutely cold and muddy at this time of the year. Though there was nothing around the area, it was still haunting and foggy, a rather unsettling thing. The group ventured through quietly, with Alistair on the lead. The man was the one with the map and Jaclyn almost wondered if the man really was incapable of leading like he was revealed so in the game. She watched his back silently and examined him, unbeknownst to him.
He was truly a handsome fellow and rather tall and athletic. She could barely repress her obvious attraction to him though, thankfully, no one had noticed so far. But what she was more concerned with was her lack of experience with combat. Sure she was a rather skilled wushu fighter but she really didn’t have any battle experience. And what they were about to face…she didn’t think she was ready or survive in that matter. There was always the possibility that she might survive this but the Joining might prove to be her demise. She found herself cursing Duncan, a frown making its way to her face.
How dare that Rivainni man conscript her in this damn order! Well, at least he had the decency to provide her armour and weapons. Still, it didn’t make her feel any damn better. She was thrown in a world she was not familiar with and she definitely did not belong here. These people were born in a world used to constant battles and wars while she was born in a world where the last war ended when her grandparents were still in their teens.
“The ruin should be further up in southern west,” the blonde man declared, looking at the map in his hands. He folded it once he was done looking through it and pocketed it. “We keep going forward then.”
The recruits he led merely nodded in silence, rigid at the possibility of danger hanging by their heads. They treaded through the muddy ground as they kept their eyes forward though vigilant in case they were attacked by whatever hovered in these bizarre wilds.
“So,” Daveth spoke, breaking the silence. “If I may be bold to ask, where are you from, m’lady?”
It was directed at Jaclyn who broke out from her soundless stupor. She started at the sudden question and looked at the rogue who walked along pace with her. She blinked her dark eyes and focused back at the muddy trek when she almost slipped on a most slippery part of the ground.
“Somewhere,” she supplied quietly. She cursed silently to herself. When had her lying skills become so terrible?
Daveth raised an eyebrow at her, having caught on her rather vague answer. Thankfully, he didn’t pry and humored her.
“I’m just curious as to why Duncan had recruited you. You never spoke of yourself.”
She kept quiet and refused to answer him though there was a sliver of anger that glistened in her eyes, Alistair noticed, though it was gone as soon as it appeared. That had him curious even more. Duncan did mention that he had to conscript her since she was against it. The reason, he still did not know.
Their conversation, however, was short-lived when the sound of rustling leaves and low menacing growls reached their ears. Almost immediately, everyone took out their weapons, ready to attack at any given second. Jaclyn took out the bow Duncan had given her and drew an arrow out. She wasn’t exactly an archer but it was better than nothing at all. She was given daggers before they went out for the wilds, in case that the bow and arrow did not work out for her. She hoped she didn’t have to use them, however.
A large grey wolf came trotting towards them, baring its fangs as it let out an angry growl. It glared at them before letting out a loud, taunting howl. It didn’t take long before more had come. Everyone immediately shifted into a position and she resisted the urge to shrink back. Her hands shook and she prayed to god that it did not show. Alistair took out his sword and shield, Jory with his greatsword, and Daveth with his bow and arrow. The two warriors stood in front of them, taking the initiation to cover them.
“We’ll attack front, take the rear!” Alistair ordered as he made to swing his sword to a wolf that jumped to him. He used his shield to cover his side when one made to bite him on the arm. Jory attacked the wolf that came onto him, three already surrounding him. One wolf made a jump towards him when he was open, having just swung his greatsword, but fell to the ground with a pained whine and an arrow hit it straight in the head, courtesy of Daveth. Blood had instantly tainted the ground with its red copper hue.
Jaclyn tried her best to calm herself as she aimed at one particular wolf attacking Alistair. She took staggering breaths as she readied herself to let go of the arrow. However, once she did, she missed by a huge metre and she let out a low curse. She hurriedly reached out for another arrow and tried once again. Her eyes shone in silent pride when she finally hit a wolf, though only by its side. It let out an angry growl before its eyes met hers and she felt herself petrified when she saw its eyes.
Gold.
She was reminded of the eyes of the cat that were staring at her as she fell into a hole of darkness. The frightening image of those monsters came flooding her senses and she felt herself grow cold.
Someone yelled out her name yet she took no notice.
Why?
Why was she here?
She just wanted to go back.
She let out a cry when she felt pain bolt through her left leg, tearing her back to reality. She found the huge wolf hovering before her, its fangs bloody and she almost fainted when she found out it might be hers. Instincts came into her and she pulled out her dagger and stabbed the animal in the face. Blood gushed out of it and fell onto her own face. She felt it against her skin and even tasted it when some had stained her lips. The body twitched abnormally before landing on top of her.
The sounds of battle ceased soon enough and then the sounds of footsteps instantly bolted towards her. The body of the dead wolf was lifted off from her and the worried face of Alistair came into view. The relief on his face showed when he saw her alive and he carefully heaved her up.
“Ser Jory, pass me my pack. She’s been wounded,” Alistair ordered agitatedly. He pulled her to sit up and inspected her leg that was bitten. She looked at her own wound and felt her own breath hitching once she saw the state of her leg. There was blood all over her leg and the skin looked like it was peeled off. It was a disgusting and revolting sight. She felt herself gagging at the sight and the man holding her gripped her tightly.
“It’s all right, you’ll be fine,” he said encouragingly. Jory passed Alistair’s pack to him and he was instantly rummaging through it, no doubt looking for some bandages or herbs to treat her wounds.
“Ser Daveth, hold her down. I will need to treat her wound.”
Daveth did what he was told to do so and held her legs down in case she thrashed about. She felt something cool being poured onto her wound and she found it to be water.
“Please bear with the pain,” he whispered to her with a pressed smile. “It will hurt a bit.”
She said nothing and stood still, readying herself for the pain. However, no matter how prepared she was for it, nothing would have warned her of how painful it truly was when he poured something else onto her wound. She went to thrash around though she was held down and she tried her best to not let out a pained sound but she soon found herself howling in pain, sweat covering her. Alistair didn’t seem deterred by her state and continued with treating her wound. He tried his best to be gentle though it was of no use as the wound itself looked painful enough. He finally rubbed a health poultice on the wound, eliciting a pained hiss from her.
It took a few minutes until the wound had closed, promising of a scar. It still needed to be treated properly later on when they come back to camp.
“Pass me the bandages,” he said. The two-handed wielder passed him the bandages and he was quickly wrapping the wound on her leg with it.
She felt him panting breathlessly and he looked at her in concern.
“It’s done.”
Daveth pulled away and stood up, so did Jory.
“Do you think you can stand?” He asked the girl in his arms. She didn’t answer for a moment, seemingly trying to catch her breath. She offered a quiet yes then and he stood up, careful not to move her too carelessly. She winced when she placed her weight on her leg and he waited patiently until she was able to stand by herself.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Thank you.”
“Are you sure you can walk?”
A silent nod from her and she pulled away from the man. Slowly, she tried to balance her weight on her injured leg and felt that the pain was slowly numbing.
"I applied a health poultice on your wound so it should close up in the next few minutes. We'll need to have it checked later by a healer once we're done with our tasks, however," he explained, watching her carefully in case she lost her footing and she needed a support to lean on.
"I'm fine," she told him once again. Already she could feel the wound closing but she knew that they will need to disinfect it in case the wolf had rabies or something along those lines. "Anyway, we should hurry. There's a soldier that survived a darkspawn attack. It shouldn't be too far away from here."
"How do you know?" Ser Jory piped up.
"I just know," she said offhandedly, eyes stubbornly hard as if she dared him to speak back to her. When the man did no such thing, she turned away and took the initiative to lead the way. For a moment, the two male recruits looked at each other then at Alistair who simply shrugged his shoulders in return before they chose to follow the only female in their group.
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Summary: A runaway child, who only sought to be loved and accepted, ended in a world she was unfamiliar with and before she knew it, was risking her life to save this very world from its oncoming doom.
Genres: Adventure, Romance, Tragedy
Rating: T
Pairing: F!Warden x Alistair Theirin
Fandom: Dragon Age: Origins
Warning: (Somewhat) AU, Gore, Spoilers
Status: In-Progress
Chapter Three
“Did you hear about the new recruit?”
Alistair turned his head towards his senior Wardens who were conversing with each other. He found it to be Denis, Trystan, Zephyros, and Bernardo. They were gathered around their own fire, Zephyros and Bernardo sat across Denis and Trystan. Zephyros, a man from the Free Marches, appeared to be more focused on carving arrows with a red steel dagger than the conversation itself. Denis was holding a bottle of ale one of the servants had fetched for him while Trystan happily indulged himself with a plateful of food.
“Apparently it was that girl we found from the wilds,” Trystan commented as he took a huge bite of a turkey leg. He chewed on it rather noisily without shame. For someone who complained constantly about Ferelden food, he was stuffing his mouth with the so-called bland food rather enthusiastically.
Zephyros lifted his head at Trystan’s comment, momentarily stopping his current task of carving more arrows.
“A girl?” He asked with such incredulity.
Trystan nodded his head in confirmation, stroking his Orlesian-styled beard like an old sage would. “Yes, a girl. Though I’m more curious as to why Duncan would recruit her.”
“This should be interesting,” Bernardo, the Antivan man, remarked with a perverted leer that he didn't bother concealing.
“I already fear for her safety,” Zephyros commented, an obvious jab at Bernardo.
“Now, now, my friend. There hasn’t been a woman in our Order for a while. Do forgive me for showing an interest in our latest recruit.”
“Of course, that would also mean an interest in the insides of her smallclothes, yes?” He remarked back with sarcasm.
“You’re too old for her, my friend,” Trystan summated.
“Women tend to prefer mature men, you know?”
“Not when they’re wrinkled like yourself, Bernardo.”
Trystan and Zephyros laughed boisterously while Bernardo glared at them both, clearly not as amused as the other two.
“Perhaps she is a mage then? A powerful one, at that?” Denis piped up with mild uneasiness.
Alistair could see the other Orlesian man roll his eyes at Denis’ comment and took another huge bite of the large turkey leg he held with his right hand.
“You ought to stop with this speculation of yours that everyone is a mage,” he intoned dryly to his fellow Warden.
“What? I was just asking!”
Zephyros merely let out a long-suffering sigh and turned back to his arrow and dagger, gingerly scrapping on the thin stick of wood. It was then that the blonde junior Warden approached the group and the three looked at him, sensing his approach.
“Oh, Alistair, boy!” Trystan greeted cheerfully. “What’s it, boy?”
“I heard about a new recruit,” he said. “I thought Duncan was going to recruit someone from Highever?”
“Well, since the girl’s appearance, the commander didn’t have time to leave for Highever. And with the recent attacks from groups of darkspawns, he never simply had the time,” Zephyros supplied immediately.
“Oh,” was all the young man could say to that. “Do you know anything about this new recruit then?”
“Aside from literally falling from the sky and landing in the Korcari Wilds? No, we know not much of the girl,” Denis told him frankly after he took a long swig of his drink.
The young Grey Warden gave him a puzzled look, his eyebrows crinkling. “Falling from the sky?”
“Remember that light a few days ago? We were in the area when it happened. Apparently it was her falling down the sky,” Trystan said. “Though how and why, we don’t know. The girl doesn’t know much either, from what Duncan told us.”
That was…interesting, to put it lightly.
“Well, I suppose we can’t question Duncan on this matter. He is the commander and one would only assume he knows what he’s doing. The bigger question is if she is going to survive the Joining.”
There was a subdued silence after what Trystan had said. It was true, the Joining itself was potentially fatal. Even the strongest warrior could fall upon consuming the tainted blood of the darkspawn and the archdemon. In every Joining, only a few would have the chance to survive or worse, none at all. It was a grim thought that Alistair would most definitely prefer not to think of. He was about to ask more of this so-called new recruit when Duncan came walking to their direction.
“Commander.”
The other Wardens were immediately on their feet once they saw the Rivainni commander approaching. They saluted at him.
“I’ve heard of the girl you recruited, Duncan. We’re curious to meet her,” Zephyros said with mild curiosity.
Duncan let out a sigh at the mention of the girl, appearing weary and tired. That got everyone’s curiosity and they looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something.
“Not going well with the women already, I see,” Bernardo commented calmly though with a hint of playful jab in his tone of voice. "Perhaps you need assistance, my friend? No need to fret, such affairs are one of my many assets that I am willing to share with you." Duncan sent him a firm glare though said nothing as he joined them by the fire, clearly ignoring the Antivan's offer.
“I had to invoke the Right of Conscription on her since she was not willing to join us Grey Wardens,” he explained with a grave tone.
"I assumed as much," Trystan commented as he sat back on his spot along with the others. Alistair took a seat beside Trystan who went back to eating his meal with as much enthusiasm as before though that did not stop the older man from posing a question. "What possessed you to conscript her anyway, if you don't mind me asking?" Everyone gave the Warden Commander curious looks as they waited for his answer. Though it seemed the Rivianni man was not willing to share his thoughts.
"The girl has potential. I believe that she will be a good addition to our Order," was all Duncan said before he focused his attention on Alistair. "Alistair, I would like you to fetch her for me. I already sent a message to the other two recruits to gather by the pyre set up near the mabari kennel."
"Me?" He asked dubiously at the rather abrupt change of topic.
"She is not that hard to spot. Dark hair of petite stature and exotic-looking," the Rivianni man described. "You will find her easily amongst the crowd."
"Dark hair and exotic-looking..." Alistair whispered to himself as he looked around him. Duncan had tasked him to look for the newest recruit. Apparently, she was rather upset with the Warden-Commander for his enforcement on the Right of Conscription on her and had stormed off without another word. Why she was against the recruitment, he had no clue. It would seem that Duncan wasn't willing to share the details about the matter and simply sent him off to look for her without another word.
'I would've helped if I knew how she looks like. How am I supposed to find one bloody woman amongst this crowd?' He thought to himself with a slight frown. He came to a pause as he took in his surroundings. He had already went around the ruined fortress at least two times and no sign of the woman at all. Already he knew that she was not at the royal camp for that was where Duncan and the other Wardens were. He had checked on the quartermaster and asked about the woman with the description Duncan had provided him, only to be told that no woman of such had been around. Perhaps she had wandered off to the other side where the Tower of Ishal was?
Deciding that he should check the perimeter in case she had indeed wandered far off there, he started on his way.
"Damn woman! Why do you care so much about a damn deserter?!"
The blonde-haired man paused on his way when he heard a frustrated exclamation from someone nearby. Feeling curious, he turned his head slightly to see what was the commotion about. Not too far from where he was standing, a disgruntled guard was conversing angrily with someone. Although that person's back was facing him, the young man could tell that it was a woman judging from her long dark hair and slender form.
"Look," he heard the woman say with such exasperation. "The man is going to be hanged soon anyway so the least you can do is let him eat one last meal."
Her accent didn't seem to sound Fereldan, if ever, it sounded more like those few surface dwarves he came across with during his travels with his fellow Wardens. However, there was something slightly different about her accent though he couldn't quite place just what accent it was.
The guard regarded her with an unconvinced look, his brows furrowed. After an aggravating few seconds of the two looking at each other, the guard finally let out a relenting sigh that was accompanied with a frown.
"All right. All right. I guess the poor fella could stand to have one meal in his belly before he hangs. Don't know why you care."
The guard walked to a corner and stooped down to pick up what seemed to be a makeshift tray that contained what he assumed was food. He stood up straight and walked back to the woman and shoved it in her hands, which she readily took from him.
"I had nothing to do with it, though," the guard said quickly in defense, as if he knew what trouble it would cause him if any of his superiors knew of what had happened. "I'm gonna say it was you, just so you know."
"Right."
The guard walked off with a grumble though he didn't stray far enough since it looked like he was supposed to keep an eye on the only prisoner locked on one of the cages nearby. The woman approached the mentioned prisoner, gingerly handing him the food one by one as it was impossible to give the tray in the holes of the cage. Though the youngest Grey Warden could not hear their conversation, he could assume that the caged man was thanking the woman profusely and happily. It was at this point that Alistair took a closer look at the situation, his curiosity getting the better of him. He wanted to take a glimpse at this generous woman who had helped a prisoner who was soon to be hanged.
"Here's the key," he heard the prisoner say as the man pulled out the mentioned item from the pocket of his pants.
"Er," the young woman said, sounding uncertain and hesitant. "There's no need for that. You can keep it."
"No, no! I insist! Here, think of it as my token of appreciation for giving me food."
The prisoner grabbed her hands and forcefully placed the key in her hands. As if satisfied with his work, he simply nodded at her before he went to stuff his mouth with the food given to him. The woman suddenly turned around, finally revealing her features to the young Grey Warden. She was holding the key with two fingers away from her body, as if the item itself was contaminated with some kind of disease. Her face was scrunched in disgust though.
"Ugh, I need to wash this and my hands," she murmured to herself, as she eyed the item with such disgust. "How the hell was he able to poop it out without breaking his a─? Oh no, don't even think about it..."
Alistair took the time to observe her who appeared to be a girl more so than a woman. She was of average height and had pale skin; it was obvious that she was a sheltered one and didn’t seem like a warrior. Perhaps a rogue like Ser Daveth or a mage like Denis had claimed? Though she was wearing light armour, not robes like mages do so he was inclined to believe that it was the former then. Her black hair was let loose and she had dark brown eyes that almost appeared black. She was a pretty one, especially with that look of exoticness. Definitely not Fereldan, that he could tell. And then a thought had struck him almost immediately.
Was this the newest Grey Warden recruit whom Duncan had sent him to look for?
She suddenly met his eyes, cutting his thoughts in half. She eyed him with indifference at first and then surprise, as if she had recognized him. He furrowed his brows with confusion at this.
"You're Alistair, aren't you?" She asked, her tone of obvious astonishment.
"Um," he almost hit himself for his rather unintelligent reply. He cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment. "I mean, yes, that's my name. I'm assuming you're the newest Grey Warden recruit spoke of?"
At the mention of her recruitment, her eyes visibly narrowed though it immediately turned to indifference.
"Yeah, that's me," she said offhandedly.
"You're not a mage...are you?"
She lifted a thin perfectly-shaped eyebrow at his question, as if finding him ridiculous for even asking it. Thankfully, she didn't comment about it.
"Not that I know of, no," she responded easily. "Don't worry, I won't turn you into a toad or anything."
He felt himself turning red in embarrassment, especially since her glossed lips quirked up in amusement.
"Anyway, as you know already, my name is Alistair. Glad to meet you...?"
"Jaclyn," she provided with a tiny smile. "My name's Jaclyn."
She was about to shake his outstretched hand when she stopped and quickly pulled away, as if she had remembered something. He gave her a questioning look that she met with a sheepish look of her own, averting her eyes away from him.
"Um, I need to wash my hands first," she said awkwardly, confusing him even more. Reluctantly, she provided him an explanation even though she still refused to look at him in the eye. "Well, that prisoner gave me this key that he ate and, er, you know."
There was a moment where he could only blink at her, wondering what she meant by- oh. It had finally dawned onto him and when he did, he almost burst out laughing on the spot if it hadn’t been for her rather sharp glare. He kept his bubbling laughter inside and managed to give her a sympathizing look.
"Got it. Come, let's go to the infirmary and have your hands cleaned and sanitized."
He led the girl to the infirmary with a wave of his hand and she easily followed. They asked one of the passing nurses for some clean water, soap, and alcohol. Thankfully, the nurse didn't ask them why they needed it and simply provided them with their needed supplies before she was off and tended to the wounded.
"Why did he even give you a key, anyway?" He asked as he watched her wash her hands thoroughly. He had taken the initiative to clean the key himself, which he could tell she was grateful for. She didn't look up at him as she responded, so focused on cleaning her hands from ridding the filth off of it.
"He was pretty desperate for someone to give him food so he tried bribing me with that. It apparently opens that chest where that Tranquil is standing," she explained. "I told him that I don't need it since...well, he literally pooped it out and I didn't want to hold it...and the rest you know."
"Interesting," he commented, shaking the key to dry it off. "That was nice of you, however, to give him food."
"It's nothing," she said, drying her hands with a towel he had handed her. "It won't be long since this whole place is ransacked with darkspawns anyway..."
"Hm? What was that? I'm afraid I didn't catch that last phrase of yours," he said as he looked at her. There was a frown on her face as she seemed to contemplate something. However, she only gave him a smile and stood up once her hands were dry, returning the towel back to him. He took it and dried his own hands with it, along with the key, before they gave it to a group of servants doing laundry.
"You know...it just occurred to me that there have never been many women in the Grey Wardens. I wonder why that is?" He commented out of the blue, catching her attention. She had to crane her neck up to look at him, seeing as he was a foot taller than her.
"Why? You want more women in the Wardens?" She asked with a raised brow.
"Would that be so terrible?" When she cast him a wary and suspicious look, he realized what he might have sounded like and sputtered. "I mean, not that I'm some drooling lecher or anything! Please stop looking at me like that."
She let out an amused snort at his defensive tone, her lips curling into a grin. Thankfully, it didn't seem like she believed he was some kind of lecher.
"So...I'm curious. Have you ever actually encountered darkspawn before?"
His question had her stop on her tracks, without him realizing so he continued on. Her face had visibly gone pale all of a sudden, her eyes diluted as if she was reminded of a very awful memory while her hands covered her mouth. His eyebrows furrowed with concern.
"When I fought my first one, I wasn't prepared for how monstrous it was," he told her conversely, shivering at the memory of that horrendous creature. "I can't say I'm looking forward to encountering another."
He turned his head to face the shorter girl but stopped when he realized that she was no longer walking alongside him.
"Three of them," she said from somewhere behind him. He quickly shifted his whole body to see where she was and saw her frightened stance. She had a faraway look on her face as she told him of her experience. "There were three of them chasing me before I ended up here."
She took a deep breath, gathering her wits about her and attempting to recover her cool.
"Sorry. I just...sorry," she murmured an audible apology, shaking her head. "Anyway, I'm assuming you came to fetch me since Duncan wanted to see me, right?"
"Uh, yes. He'll be waiting by the pyre near the mabari kennels," he told her.
She nodded her head and immediately started heading to the direction they were supposed to head to. Alistair silently watched her back for a few seconds, wondering what exactly happened to her, but deciding not to prod into her past, he finally followed her.
Already, he could tell that this recruit was someone of interest. Whether she was worthy of joining the Grey Wardens, he still had yet to know.
Everyone was already gathered around the pyre by the time Alistair and Jaclyn had arrived. Duncan was standing in between two men whom she recognized as Ser Daveth, a thief, and the other a two-handed sword wielder by the name of Ser Jory. As if sensing their approach, Duncan gave them a cursory glance and appeared to announce their arrival to the other recruits with him.
“Here you are,” he said as she and Alistair stood beside them. Already she could feel the curious looks from the other recruits. She tried not to frown at their scrutinizing gazes, as if they couldn't believe that a woman was recruited to join the Grey Wardens.
'Tsk. If only they knew of Duncan's former commander and Fiona,' she bitterly thought to herself.
"Now that we are all gathered here," Duncan said to have their attentions focused on him. Everyone's not-so-subtle looks on her were instantly gone once the older man started to speak, somewhat grateful that the attention was no longer on her. "I know that you all are eager for the Joining but before we undergo through the procedures, I will have you all perform two tasks."
Everyone, save for Jaclyn, was immediately puzzled at this new piece of information, wondering why they still needed to perform tasks after they were already recruited. Though no one voiced a question as Duncan simply continued with his explanation, as if sensing their questioning minds.
“Alistair will be the one to accompany you all to the wilds,” Duncan announced. The mentioned man perked up at that, trying his best not to show his excitement at the opportunity to fight. “The first task is to obtain three vials of darkspawn blood, one for each recruit.”
The two other recruits were confused as to why they would need darkspawn blood while the girl simply said nothing, if ever she looked upset about the whole ordeal.
“What are they for?” Daveth asked.
“For the Joining itself. I’ll explain more once you’ve returned,” Duncan easily answered. Alistair supposed that was enough for an answer as no one asked anymore questions.
“The other task is to retrieve some scrolls that are magically sealed to protect them. Old treaties, if you’re curious. Promises of support made to the Grey Wardens long ago. They were once considered only formalities. With so many having forgotten their commitments to us, I suspect it may be a good idea to have something to remind them with.” He looked at Alistair. “Alistair will lead you to the perimeter. It will be an overgrown ruined by now but the sealed chest should still be there should remain intact. It’s possible the scrolls may have been destroyed or even stolen. Though the seal’s magic should’ve protected them. Only a Grey Warden can break such a seal.”
“I don’t understand. Why leave such things in a ruin if they’re so valuable?” He asked, genuinely befuddled at the thought. To be honest, however, he was more worried to face darkspawns once again. They weren’t exactly the nicest foes to face. But…
Alistair stole a quick glance at Jaclyn. She didn't really say much about her combatant skills and just by looking at her, he wasn't able to figure it out. One advantage she had over the other two recruits was that she had already encountered darkspawns before. Though she genuinely looked afraid when she mentioned her unfortunate encounter with the tainted creatures. It was obvious that the other two were experienced in fighting yet he knew that skill alone would not save them from succumbing to the Taint and die even before they took the Joining. He had hoped this might not be the case.
“It was assumed that we would someday return. A great many things were assumed but have not held true,” Duncan said, implying that time when Grey Wardens were banished from Ferelden. “Watch over your charges, Alistair. Return quickly and safely.”
“We will,” the young man said with a firm nod.
“Then may the Maker watch over your path. I will see you when you all return.”
Korcari Wilds was absolutely cold and muddy at this time of the year. Though there was nothing around the area, it was still haunting and foggy, a rather unsettling thing. The group ventured through quietly, with Alistair on the lead. The man was the one with the map and Jaclyn almost wondered if the man really was incapable of leading like he was revealed so in the game. She watched his back silently and examined him, unbeknownst to him.
He was truly a handsome fellow and rather tall and athletic. She could barely repress her obvious attraction to him though, thankfully, no one had noticed so far. But what she was more concerned with was her lack of experience with combat. Sure she was a rather skilled wushu fighter but she really didn’t have any battle experience. And what they were about to face…she didn’t think she was ready or survive in that matter. There was always the possibility that she might survive this but the Joining might prove to be her demise. She found herself cursing Duncan, a frown making its way to her face.
How dare that Rivainni man conscript her in this damn order! Well, at least he had the decency to provide her armour and weapons. Still, it didn’t make her feel any damn better. She was thrown in a world she was not familiar with and she definitely did not belong here. These people were born in a world used to constant battles and wars while she was born in a world where the last war ended when her grandparents were still in their teens.
“The ruin should be further up in southern west,” the blonde man declared, looking at the map in his hands. He folded it once he was done looking through it and pocketed it. “We keep going forward then.”
The recruits he led merely nodded in silence, rigid at the possibility of danger hanging by their heads. They treaded through the muddy ground as they kept their eyes forward though vigilant in case they were attacked by whatever hovered in these bizarre wilds.
“So,” Daveth spoke, breaking the silence. “If I may be bold to ask, where are you from, m’lady?”
It was directed at Jaclyn who broke out from her soundless stupor. She started at the sudden question and looked at the rogue who walked along pace with her. She blinked her dark eyes and focused back at the muddy trek when she almost slipped on a most slippery part of the ground.
“Somewhere,” she supplied quietly. She cursed silently to herself. When had her lying skills become so terrible?
Daveth raised an eyebrow at her, having caught on her rather vague answer. Thankfully, he didn’t pry and humored her.
“I’m just curious as to why Duncan had recruited you. You never spoke of yourself.”
She kept quiet and refused to answer him though there was a sliver of anger that glistened in her eyes, Alistair noticed, though it was gone as soon as it appeared. That had him curious even more. Duncan did mention that he had to conscript her since she was against it. The reason, he still did not know.
Their conversation, however, was short-lived when the sound of rustling leaves and low menacing growls reached their ears. Almost immediately, everyone took out their weapons, ready to attack at any given second. Jaclyn took out the bow Duncan had given her and drew an arrow out. She wasn’t exactly an archer but it was better than nothing at all. She was given daggers before they went out for the wilds, in case that the bow and arrow did not work out for her. She hoped she didn’t have to use them, however.
A large grey wolf came trotting towards them, baring its fangs as it let out an angry growl. It glared at them before letting out a loud, taunting howl. It didn’t take long before more had come. Everyone immediately shifted into a position and she resisted the urge to shrink back. Her hands shook and she prayed to god that it did not show. Alistair took out his sword and shield, Jory with his greatsword, and Daveth with his bow and arrow. The two warriors stood in front of them, taking the initiation to cover them.
“We’ll attack front, take the rear!” Alistair ordered as he made to swing his sword to a wolf that jumped to him. He used his shield to cover his side when one made to bite him on the arm. Jory attacked the wolf that came onto him, three already surrounding him. One wolf made a jump towards him when he was open, having just swung his greatsword, but fell to the ground with a pained whine and an arrow hit it straight in the head, courtesy of Daveth. Blood had instantly tainted the ground with its red copper hue.
Jaclyn tried her best to calm herself as she aimed at one particular wolf attacking Alistair. She took staggering breaths as she readied herself to let go of the arrow. However, once she did, she missed by a huge metre and she let out a low curse. She hurriedly reached out for another arrow and tried once again. Her eyes shone in silent pride when she finally hit a wolf, though only by its side. It let out an angry growl before its eyes met hers and she felt herself petrified when she saw its eyes.
Gold.
She was reminded of the eyes of the cat that were staring at her as she fell into a hole of darkness. The frightening image of those monsters came flooding her senses and she felt herself grow cold.
Someone yelled out her name yet she took no notice.
Why?
Why was she here?
She just wanted to go back.
She let out a cry when she felt pain bolt through her left leg, tearing her back to reality. She found the huge wolf hovering before her, its fangs bloody and she almost fainted when she found out it might be hers. Instincts came into her and she pulled out her dagger and stabbed the animal in the face. Blood gushed out of it and fell onto her own face. She felt it against her skin and even tasted it when some had stained her lips. The body twitched abnormally before landing on top of her.
The sounds of battle ceased soon enough and then the sounds of footsteps instantly bolted towards her. The body of the dead wolf was lifted off from her and the worried face of Alistair came into view. The relief on his face showed when he saw her alive and he carefully heaved her up.
“Ser Jory, pass me my pack. She’s been wounded,” Alistair ordered agitatedly. He pulled her to sit up and inspected her leg that was bitten. She looked at her own wound and felt her own breath hitching once she saw the state of her leg. There was blood all over her leg and the skin looked like it was peeled off. It was a disgusting and revolting sight. She felt herself gagging at the sight and the man holding her gripped her tightly.
“It’s all right, you’ll be fine,” he said encouragingly. Jory passed Alistair’s pack to him and he was instantly rummaging through it, no doubt looking for some bandages or herbs to treat her wounds.
“Ser Daveth, hold her down. I will need to treat her wound.”
Daveth did what he was told to do so and held her legs down in case she thrashed about. She felt something cool being poured onto her wound and she found it to be water.
“Please bear with the pain,” he whispered to her with a pressed smile. “It will hurt a bit.”
She said nothing and stood still, readying herself for the pain. However, no matter how prepared she was for it, nothing would have warned her of how painful it truly was when he poured something else onto her wound. She went to thrash around though she was held down and she tried her best to not let out a pained sound but she soon found herself howling in pain, sweat covering her. Alistair didn’t seem deterred by her state and continued with treating her wound. He tried his best to be gentle though it was of no use as the wound itself looked painful enough. He finally rubbed a health poultice on the wound, eliciting a pained hiss from her.
It took a few minutes until the wound had closed, promising of a scar. It still needed to be treated properly later on when they come back to camp.
“Pass me the bandages,” he said. The two-handed wielder passed him the bandages and he was quickly wrapping the wound on her leg with it.
She felt him panting breathlessly and he looked at her in concern.
“It’s done.”
Daveth pulled away and stood up, so did Jory.
“Do you think you can stand?” He asked the girl in his arms. She didn’t answer for a moment, seemingly trying to catch her breath. She offered a quiet yes then and he stood up, careful not to move her too carelessly. She winced when she placed her weight on her leg and he waited patiently until she was able to stand by herself.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Thank you.”
“Are you sure you can walk?”
A silent nod from her and she pulled away from the man. Slowly, she tried to balance her weight on her injured leg and felt that the pain was slowly numbing.
"I applied a health poultice on your wound so it should close up in the next few minutes. We'll need to have it checked later by a healer once we're done with our tasks, however," he explained, watching her carefully in case she lost her footing and she needed a support to lean on.
"I'm fine," she told him once again. Already she could feel the wound closing but she knew that they will need to disinfect it in case the wolf had rabies or something along those lines. "Anyway, we should hurry. There's a soldier that survived a darkspawn attack. It shouldn't be too far away from here."
"How do you know?" Ser Jory piped up.
"I just know," she said offhandedly, eyes stubbornly hard as if she dared him to speak back to her. When the man did no such thing, she turned away and took the initiative to lead the way. For a moment, the two male recruits looked at each other then at Alistair who simply shrugged his shoulders in return before they chose to follow the only female in their group.
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