Quest Four (Continuation)
Wow, I am really sorry that I abandoned this for so long. I got confused about the timeline, lost my muse, and got horribly distracted by other projects. I hope that some of you are still around. I'll keep writing as long as there's an audience, so please comment and let me know that you're reading. Now, without further ado, here is part two of Many Meetings.
PLOT DECISION
-->Talk to Warden-Commander Sirius (Be a Grey Warden)
“Excuse me,” Harry said. “Are you a Grey Warden by the name of Sirius?”
“That I am,” the man replied. He stood and turned to face Harry. “What can I do-”
The Warden-Commander suddenly stared at Harry in wide-eyed shock.
“Er…” Harry took a step back. “Is something wrong?”
“Your father’s name,” Sirius said. “James Potter? And your mother, Lily?”
“Yes, why?”
Sirius’s handsome face broke into a huge grin. “It’s you! I can’t believe it! You must have been only a few months old the last time I saw you.”
“You knew my parents?”
“Knew them? Your dad and I were best mates!” Sirius said. He looked Harry over again, as if his eyes couldn’t get their fill of him. “By the Maker, you look just like him… Except your eyes. That’s your mum. Did you get her magic, too?”
“No, I didn’t,” Harry said.
“Oh, well then I’m sure you’ll take after your dad,” Sirius said fondly, lost in memories. “He was a terror on the battlefield, and that was even when he let the poor blighters see him coming. The sly bastard was a master of stealth; he could sneak up on anyone. Except your mum, she always knew when he was trying to surprise her. But I suppose that’s love for you.”
“How did you know my parents?”
“We were all Wardens together,” Sirius said. He paused, taking in Harry’s stunned reaction. “But I suppose your aunt and uncle wouldn’t have told you that, would they?”
Harry stared at him in shocked silence for several seconds. His mother had left to become a hero, alright. But he had never imagined this. His parents were Grey Wardens…
Scarcely able to think around this revelation, Harry seized upon the first relevant question he could come up with that didn’t sound completely stupid: “But I thought Grey Wardens weren’t allowed to have children?”
“That’s not entirely true,” Sirius hedged. “It’s hard to explain to someone who isn’t a Grey Warden themselves, but it would be more accurate to say that most of us can’t have children. Especially with each other. But James always was beating the odds, and here you are.” He chuckled softly. “Your mum called you her little miracle.”
Harry felt an odd cinching in his chest and his eyes started to itch.
“Ah, but that’s enough mushy sentimentality for now,” Sirius said, sniffing. “We’ve got manly stuff to do, like kill things, and belch, and… I don’t know, not wash properly if our soldier friends are any indication.”
“Hey!” Ron said.
“No offense,” Sirius said with a grin. “I thought you all knew you smelled bad and did it to scare the Darkspawn.”
“From what I’ve smelled of Darkspawn, I don’t think any stink would be strong enough to turn them off,” Harry said.
One of Sirius’s brows jumped up. “You’ve fought Darkspawn before?”
Harry quickly told him about the attack on Redcliffe. Sirius’s eyes were bright with curiosity and excitement.
“You took on an ogre by yourself? You’re James’s son alright,” Sirius said. He gave Harry a searching look, and his brows furrowed when he noticed the lightning-bolt shaped birthmark on Harry’s forehead. “You said that you knew the Darkspawn were going to attack? Do you mean that you heard them through the ground?”
Harry hesitated, uncertain of how to respond. His oddly prophetic dream had saved Redcliffe, but it certainly wouldn’t paint his sanity in a flattering light. Or worse. As far as Harry knew, only ghouls, those who had been tainted by the Darkspawn, dreamt of the hoard as he had.
“It’s very important,” Sirius added, “that you tell me exactly what happened.”
“I didn’t hear them, exactly. At least not at first,” Harry said. “I… had a nightmare. About the Darkspawn. I saw them in tunnels underground.”
Ron was clearly confused and slightly alarmed. Sirius stared at Harry, gaze flickering up towards his birthmark once again. But he seemed to realize what he was doing and attempted to laugh it off. “Don’t mind me. When you’ve been a Grey Warden as long as I have, you start to get a little…”
The Mabari hound at his feet let out a bark.
“Barking, exactly,” Sirius said. “Thanks, mate.”
The dog grinned happily and wagged its stubby tail.
“What do you think caused my nightmare?” Harry asked anxiously.
“I’m not sure,” said Sirius. “But I think I know someone who might be able to figure it out: First Enchanter Albus, from the Circle of Magi from Lake Calenhad. He’s been a good ally to the Grey Wardens for many years.”
“Is he here?” Harry asked.
Sirius nodded. “He’s probably in the ruins discussing strategy with Remus and the generals. Are you busy here in the village? We should talk to him as soon as possible. I’ll take you to him.”
“Let’s go,” Harry agreed.
Sirius led them up the sheer face of the mountainside. Buried under snow marred by the muddy boot-prints of hundreds of soldiers were steep, ancient steps carved directly into the rock by the builders of the great temple in the mountains. They entered a cave at the top of the steps and passed through a huge, carved door into a massive, cavernous hall. Harry gaped in shock. It seemed to his eyes that the entire village of Redcliff could have fit inside the entrance hall alone. Though time and, apparently, the loss of the Sacred Ashes had left the temple in ruins, it was still magnificent in its scale and the heavy weight of the significance of what had once been preserved within. Harry could only imagine what the place had looked like when it was first completed and the ashes still safe.
There were many more soldiers here, and they continued about their business without much regard for their presence, though a few people nodded at Sirius as they passed. Clusters of people lined the walls, studying the carvings on their stone facades. Sirius led Harry and Ron up stairs, through corridors, and on and on until Harry found himself hopelessly lost.
They approached a stocky, red-headed, freckled man who was unmistakably Ron’s brother. He wore armor with the crest of Gwaren, a greenish-yellow wyvern, emblazoned on his chest. Dismissing the group of soldiers he’d been giving orders to, Captain Weasley bowed his head respectfully towards Sirius. “Greetings, Warden-Commander. Ron, what are you doing here? Your division is supposed to be running drills with Lieutenant Wood on the east side of the ruin.”
“But-”
“No buts,” said Captain Weasley. “Get going.”
Ron sighed. “Fine, Captain.” He glanced at Harry. “See you later.”
The Weasley brothers walked away, while Sirius and Harry continued ahead.
They entered a room where several men and women were grouped around a makeshift table lined with maps. Remus Wolf was there, so Harry guessed that this was their destination. One of the men was talking. He was a tall, handsome, proud man with a long, flowing mane of white-blond hair. He wore fur-lined black robes and carried a staff topped with a jewel-eyed snake’s head.
“Archon Cornelius offers his aid,” the man was saying. “Regardless of political or… ideological differences, surely we all acknowledge the danger that another Blight would pose to the world? We must all band together to defend against the Darkspawn.”
“It’s the fault of the Tevinter magisters that these Blights even began!” an Orlesian general snapped, outraged. “Your bastardized Chantry can claim otherwise all they wish, but the evils of the Imperium have not been forgotten.”
“Keep your Chantry nonsense to yourselves,” grumbled a haughty-looking dwarf with a long, ornately braided golden beard. “Orzammar and the Tevinters have been allies for centuries, and you can point blame if you wish, but they’re the best spell-flingers in Thedas and it’d be stupid to turn them away. As long as they’re willing to use magic against the Darkspawn, the dwarves say they can stay and fight.”
“Don’t we have enough problems without blood magic on the field?” asked a general from Ferelden. “It’s bad enough letting the mages we already have wandering around, let alone malificarum.”
“I for one am shocked to hear of such ignorance,” protested the Tevinter man. “Surely you are aware that blood magic is forbidden in the Imperium? We are not the monsters you imagine us to be. But as our friend has stated, even without blood magic, we are more powerful than your Circle mages. Imagine that power turned against the Darkspawn.”
“Imagine that power turned against our people,” another Ferelden general warned. She turned towards an impressive, square-jawed young woman with short cropped hair. The woman’s armor was of much better quality than anything worn by the generals or soldiers. “Please, my queen, listen to reason and have these men thrown out of Ferelden-or even better, send them to the Templars.”
Harry gaped. He had never seen Queen Amelia before, but he’d certainly heard of her. The queen stared down pensively at the maps and charts before glancing up at an old, robed man with long white hair and beard.
“What say you, Albus? You’ve been quiet,” she observed. “I dare say that you know more about this subject than any of us.”
The First Enchanter smiled, looking like nothing more than a slightly batty old man. “Oh, I’m sure I’m no wiser than anyone else here. However,” he said, more firmly, “I do think this offer of aid and friendship from Archon Cornelius has come at an interesting time. I believe the Qunari have recently won an important battle against the Tevinter Imperium. Am I correct, Lucius?”
“Yes, but I see no reason why that should make a difference,” said the blond Tevinter man. “The Qunari are a threat to all of the nations of Thedas.”
“Nonsense. The Qunari have always upheld their end of the Llomerryn Accords,” said Queen Amelia. “The only reason they continue to war with the Imperium is because you refused to sign the treaty.”
Lucius sneered. “We refused to sign because we knew better. The giants will stop at nothing to convert all of Thedas to their insane cult, and you people remain blind to it.”
“Regardless,” interrupted another man. He had long curtains of black hair, eerie black eyes, sallow skin, and a large, hawkish nose. He wore the blue, black and silver robes of a Grey Warden mage. “We understand that the Qunari are not our concern here today. The Darkspawn must be stopped, and if by working together we can prevent a Blight, then we can go back to hating each other when we’re done.”
“Remus?” asked the queen.
The ex-werewolf frowned pensively. “I am no politician. As a Grey Warden, my duty is clear. Our philosophy has always been to do whatever it takes to stop the Darkspawn, within reason. Therefore I believe we should accept their offer.”
“How in Andraste’s name is this within reason?” demanded the Orlesian general. “You’ll slay the Darkspawn only to have the Tevinter Imperium claim a hold over us once more!”
“It wasn’t so long ago that the Fereldens would refuse to work with you for much the same reason,” said Lucius. “It’s fascinating how very long your memory is-and how short it becomes concerning the deeds of your own Empire.”
“The Orlesian occupation of Ferelden was nothing compared to the atrocities of the Old Tevinter Imperium!” said the Orlesian.
“Those ‘atrocities’ were committed several centuries in the past, and your occupation only two generations ago,” said Lucius. “Our civilization has evolved since then. Can you say the same?”
The Orlesian drew his sword. “Tevinter bastard!”
“Enough!” Queen Amelia bellowed. The Orlesian seemed cowed, despite himself. He put his sword away. The queen turned her disapproving glare on Lucius. “You and your soldiers may stay and help, but cause any more trouble and the Templars will deal with you? Understand?”
The Orlesian gaped at her. “You can’t be serious!”
“I can. My father, King Alistair, was a Grey Warden once, as was the Hero of Ferelden. I trust their judgment,” said the queen. “If you don’t like it, then the Tevinters will fight on the Ferelden side and the Orlesian army can fight alone.”
“Very well,” said the Orlesian. “You can have your maleficarum. Mark my words, the Darkspawn will seem like nothing compared to the might of a hundred abominations.”
“Your concern is noted,” Queen Amelia said dryly. “We’ll reconvene in an hour to discuss the battle.”
The meeting split up. The Orlesian general was clearly furious and stormed out. While the Fereldens looked uncomfortable, they obeyed their queen and kept their misgivings to themselves. Remus and Albus, the old mage, remained at the table and continued to look over the maps.
Lucius and the Grey Warden mage turned to leave, but found their way blocked by Sirius and Harry. The Tevinter Magister gave Sirius an oily smile.
“Oh, hello Sirius,” he said. “It’s always a pleasure.”
“Is that so?” asked Sirius. He turned to the other Grey Warden. “Severus. I see Lucius is still holding your leash.”
Severus sneered at him.
“He is here to prevent a Blight, Commander,” said Lucius. “That is his duty as a Grey Warden. Surely you agree, as does your lupine second-in-command, that every resource is needed to stop the Darkspawn?”
“Certainly,” said Sirius, “if that’s even why you’re really here.”
“Sirius, I’m hurt,” said Lucius. “If not even family can trust each other, who can?”
Sirius seemed to barely be holding himself back from attacking the man. Sensing its master’s hostility, Sirius’s hound started to growl, cropped ears pulled back tight against its head.
“Speaking of leashes,” muttered Lucius. “Perhaps you should better control that mutt of yours.”
The hound barked loudly and snapped in warning. Harry was pleased to see the arrogant mage flinch back. Sirius seemed pleased as well, if the small smile and approving pat he gave the dog was any indication.
“Sirius,” Remus called before things could get out of hand, “could you have a look at these maps? The queen will want to know what you’d like the Grey Wardens to do during the battle.”
“Not that this hasn’t been fun,” Sirius told the Tevinters with a smirk, “but if you’ll excuse me…”
He passed the mages and strode proudly towards Remus. Harry tried to follow, but Severus, the Grey Warden mage, suddenly grabbed his arm. “Hey!”
The man was staring at his eyes. For a moment, Harry felt strangely like a mouse pinned under the hypnotic gaze of a serpent. He finally managed to jerk his arm free of the man’s grip.
Looking shaken, Severus rejoined his companion and left the room while Sirius glared murderously at their backs.
“Who were those men?” Harry asked Sirius.
“The blond one is Lucius Malfoy, a prominent magister of the Tevinter Imperium. What he said about Tevinter forbidding blood magic is true. But he’s definitely a blood mage, make no mistake, it’s just that no one has managed to find any proof. He’s a slippery bastard. The queen will have to watch out for him,” said Sirius. “As for the other one… Severus has been a Grey Warden for about as long as I have. He used to be part of the Ferelden order, if you can believe it, but he turned tail and ran to the Imperium not long after your parents died. Good riddance, I say. His loyalty was always to the Tevinter magisters, anyway.”
“Sirius,” Remus chided. “The Tevinter Grey Wardens needed experienced help, and were more likely to trust someone with Tevinter ancestry. That’s all.”
“Don’t try to distract me with facts,” Sirius said, dismissively waving his hand.
“He seemed to know who I was,” Harry observed. “Did he know my parents?”
“He hated your father back when we were all in the Wardens together,” Sirius said. “Jealousy, I suppose. Your father was always the golden boy, while Severus hid away in the laboratories with his potions and spell-books.”
“Wait, are you talking about James?” Remus asked. He stared at Harry for a moment, brows furrowed, until suddenly his eyes widened with realization. “You’re his son. How did I not see it before?”
“You didn’t know James when he was that age,” Sirius said.
The old, bearded mage gave Harry an oddly piercing look, but said nothing.
“So, have you considered my invitation to join the Grey Wardens?” Remus asked. “Don’t feel that you have to just because your parents were Wardens. They’d be proud of you no matter what you decide.”
Harry nodded. “I want to be a Grey Warden.”
Sirius grinned broadly, as if nothing could have pleased him more. He clapped his hands on Harry’s shoulders. “Well done, pup!”
His dog let out a happy bark and started hopping around in excited circles.
Sirius turned towards the First Enchanter. “Albus, do you have a moment? I have something I need to discuss with you.”
“Of course,” Albus said with a nod. “It seems the queen needs a break from her generals, and I find myself sharing the same sentiment.”
Sirius nodded. “Let’s go someplace a little bit more private.”
Harry, the First Enchanter, and the two Grey Wardens left the room and entered a smaller chamber down the hall, Sirius’s hound following at its master’s heel.
“Now, what is this about?” asked Albus.
“Go ahead, Harry,” Sirius said. “Tell them as much as you can remember.”
Harry proceeded to recall the events of the attack on Redcliffe to the best of his ability, leaving out the more personal aspects like Dudley’s death. Remus and Albus both looked thoughtful as they considered his words, and they exchanged glances with each other and Sirius when Harry described his dream and the way he had predicted the attack.
“Interesting,” Albus mused, stroking his long white beard. “It sounds as though you have Grey Warden abilities already.”
“But that’s impossible,” Sirius protested. “Isn’t it? I mean, both of his parents were Wardens, but it doesn’t work that way.”
“In what few cases I’ve heard of, the Taint cannot pass from parent to child,” Remus agreed. “However, those cases all involved only one Grey Warden parent. It was believed that two Wardens couldn’t even have children together. But it seems James and Lily proved that wrong. It could be that, under these circumstances, they may have passed on the Taint to their son.”
“I’m sorry, but what do you mean?” Harry asked. “What is the Taint?”
“It’s not something that we usually discuss with recruits until their Joining,” Remus hedged.
“He has a right to know,” Sirius said firmly. He turned towards Harry, his expression turning more gentle. “We Grey Wardens drink Darkspawn blood in order to become what we are. That way, we gain some of their power-including the ability to sense their location… which you seem to already have.”
“It stands to reason that you have this power for the same reason that we do,” Remus said, looking worried. “You may already carry the Darkspawn Taint.”
Harry gaped at them in horrified shock. “What? Am I going to get sick? Am I going to… what, turn into a ghoul?”
“Oh, no, I wouldn’t think so,” Albus said, sounding oddly cheerful. “You’ve been just fine for all these years. If our theory is correct, then you clearly inherited your parents’ mastery of the Taint as well. Otherwise you would not be alive today.”
“What do you suggest we do?” Remus asked.
“I’ll need to study this further,” said Albus. “In the meantime, until I determine whether or not our theory is true, you should hold off on the Joining. No sense in giving the boy a double-dose, after all. Come find me tonight, I’ll be in the library with the other mages. I’d like to do some tests. But for now, I’d like to get a bit of fresh air and perhaps a nice sherry before I throw myself back into the snake pit. Toodle-pip!”
The old mage wandered off, humming distractedly to himself as he went.
“Don’t mind him,” Sirius said with a laugh when he saw Harry’s baffled expression. “He likes to confuse people.”
“What happens now?” Harry asked. “He said I can’t have a Joining. Does that mean I can’t be a Grey Warden?”
“Of course you can,” said Sirius. “Really, considering you might already have the Taint, you’re probably a Grey Warden already.”
“We’ll have everything sorted out soon enough,” Remus said. He turned to Sirius. “So, will you attend the next meeting, or are you leaving it to me once more?
“Has anything happened yet besides political squabbling?”
“It was mostly just the Fereldens and the Orlesians arguing, until the Tevinters came along and gave them something to unite against,” Remus said with a sigh and a weary shake of his head.
“As much fun as that sounds, I think I’ll take our new recruit into the tunnels and see his skills first hand,” Sirius said, grinning. He glanced at Harry. “Even if it turns out that you can’t have a proper Joining, we’ll still have some kind of ceremony to initiate you.”
“Tonks and Moody are down there on patrol. To be safe, you should take them with you,” Remus advised. “We still haven’t explored all of the tunnels. You don’t know what you might run into.”
“You worry like an old maid,” Sirius said.
“I’m serious,” Remus protested.
“Hey, so am I!” Sirius nudged Harry in the ribs. “Get it? I’m Sirius? Everyone else gets to use that joke, why can’t I? Come on, pup. See you tonight, Remus.”
Remus shook his head with a fondly exasperated smile as Sirius and Harry left.
Potter and the Grey Warden-Commander ventured down into the deepest catacombs of the old ruin, the old tunnels once inhabited by the mad cult of Haven and the dragonkin they bred there. In the years after the cult’s eradication by the Hero of Ferelden, the tunnels had been home to little more than spiders and rats. But a far more dangerous enemy now waited, lurking in the shadows, preparing to strike against the surface through the might of the Darkspawn hoard…
-QUEST COMPLETE-
CODEX ENTRIES ADDED: Warden-Commander Sirius, First Enchanter Albus
PLOT DECISION
-->Talk to Warden-Commander Sirius (Be a Grey Warden)
“Excuse me,” Harry said. “Are you a Grey Warden by the name of Sirius?”
“That I am,” the man replied. He stood and turned to face Harry. “What can I do-”
The Warden-Commander suddenly stared at Harry in wide-eyed shock.
“Er…” Harry took a step back. “Is something wrong?”
“Your father’s name,” Sirius said. “James Potter? And your mother, Lily?”
“Yes, why?”
Sirius’s handsome face broke into a huge grin. “It’s you! I can’t believe it! You must have been only a few months old the last time I saw you.”
“You knew my parents?”
“Knew them? Your dad and I were best mates!” Sirius said. He looked Harry over again, as if his eyes couldn’t get their fill of him. “By the Maker, you look just like him… Except your eyes. That’s your mum. Did you get her magic, too?”
“No, I didn’t,” Harry said.
“Oh, well then I’m sure you’ll take after your dad,” Sirius said fondly, lost in memories. “He was a terror on the battlefield, and that was even when he let the poor blighters see him coming. The sly bastard was a master of stealth; he could sneak up on anyone. Except your mum, she always knew when he was trying to surprise her. But I suppose that’s love for you.”
“How did you know my parents?”
“We were all Wardens together,” Sirius said. He paused, taking in Harry’s stunned reaction. “But I suppose your aunt and uncle wouldn’t have told you that, would they?”
Harry stared at him in shocked silence for several seconds. His mother had left to become a hero, alright. But he had never imagined this. His parents were Grey Wardens…
Scarcely able to think around this revelation, Harry seized upon the first relevant question he could come up with that didn’t sound completely stupid: “But I thought Grey Wardens weren’t allowed to have children?”
“That’s not entirely true,” Sirius hedged. “It’s hard to explain to someone who isn’t a Grey Warden themselves, but it would be more accurate to say that most of us can’t have children. Especially with each other. But James always was beating the odds, and here you are.” He chuckled softly. “Your mum called you her little miracle.”
Harry felt an odd cinching in his chest and his eyes started to itch.
“Ah, but that’s enough mushy sentimentality for now,” Sirius said, sniffing. “We’ve got manly stuff to do, like kill things, and belch, and… I don’t know, not wash properly if our soldier friends are any indication.”
“Hey!” Ron said.
“No offense,” Sirius said with a grin. “I thought you all knew you smelled bad and did it to scare the Darkspawn.”
“From what I’ve smelled of Darkspawn, I don’t think any stink would be strong enough to turn them off,” Harry said.
One of Sirius’s brows jumped up. “You’ve fought Darkspawn before?”
Harry quickly told him about the attack on Redcliffe. Sirius’s eyes were bright with curiosity and excitement.
“You took on an ogre by yourself? You’re James’s son alright,” Sirius said. He gave Harry a searching look, and his brows furrowed when he noticed the lightning-bolt shaped birthmark on Harry’s forehead. “You said that you knew the Darkspawn were going to attack? Do you mean that you heard them through the ground?”
Harry hesitated, uncertain of how to respond. His oddly prophetic dream had saved Redcliffe, but it certainly wouldn’t paint his sanity in a flattering light. Or worse. As far as Harry knew, only ghouls, those who had been tainted by the Darkspawn, dreamt of the hoard as he had.
“It’s very important,” Sirius added, “that you tell me exactly what happened.”
“I didn’t hear them, exactly. At least not at first,” Harry said. “I… had a nightmare. About the Darkspawn. I saw them in tunnels underground.”
Ron was clearly confused and slightly alarmed. Sirius stared at Harry, gaze flickering up towards his birthmark once again. But he seemed to realize what he was doing and attempted to laugh it off. “Don’t mind me. When you’ve been a Grey Warden as long as I have, you start to get a little…”
The Mabari hound at his feet let out a bark.
“Barking, exactly,” Sirius said. “Thanks, mate.”
The dog grinned happily and wagged its stubby tail.
“What do you think caused my nightmare?” Harry asked anxiously.
“I’m not sure,” said Sirius. “But I think I know someone who might be able to figure it out: First Enchanter Albus, from the Circle of Magi from Lake Calenhad. He’s been a good ally to the Grey Wardens for many years.”
“Is he here?” Harry asked.
Sirius nodded. “He’s probably in the ruins discussing strategy with Remus and the generals. Are you busy here in the village? We should talk to him as soon as possible. I’ll take you to him.”
“Let’s go,” Harry agreed.
Sirius led them up the sheer face of the mountainside. Buried under snow marred by the muddy boot-prints of hundreds of soldiers were steep, ancient steps carved directly into the rock by the builders of the great temple in the mountains. They entered a cave at the top of the steps and passed through a huge, carved door into a massive, cavernous hall. Harry gaped in shock. It seemed to his eyes that the entire village of Redcliff could have fit inside the entrance hall alone. Though time and, apparently, the loss of the Sacred Ashes had left the temple in ruins, it was still magnificent in its scale and the heavy weight of the significance of what had once been preserved within. Harry could only imagine what the place had looked like when it was first completed and the ashes still safe.
There were many more soldiers here, and they continued about their business without much regard for their presence, though a few people nodded at Sirius as they passed. Clusters of people lined the walls, studying the carvings on their stone facades. Sirius led Harry and Ron up stairs, through corridors, and on and on until Harry found himself hopelessly lost.
They approached a stocky, red-headed, freckled man who was unmistakably Ron’s brother. He wore armor with the crest of Gwaren, a greenish-yellow wyvern, emblazoned on his chest. Dismissing the group of soldiers he’d been giving orders to, Captain Weasley bowed his head respectfully towards Sirius. “Greetings, Warden-Commander. Ron, what are you doing here? Your division is supposed to be running drills with Lieutenant Wood on the east side of the ruin.”
“But-”
“No buts,” said Captain Weasley. “Get going.”
Ron sighed. “Fine, Captain.” He glanced at Harry. “See you later.”
The Weasley brothers walked away, while Sirius and Harry continued ahead.
They entered a room where several men and women were grouped around a makeshift table lined with maps. Remus Wolf was there, so Harry guessed that this was their destination. One of the men was talking. He was a tall, handsome, proud man with a long, flowing mane of white-blond hair. He wore fur-lined black robes and carried a staff topped with a jewel-eyed snake’s head.
“Archon Cornelius offers his aid,” the man was saying. “Regardless of political or… ideological differences, surely we all acknowledge the danger that another Blight would pose to the world? We must all band together to defend against the Darkspawn.”
“It’s the fault of the Tevinter magisters that these Blights even began!” an Orlesian general snapped, outraged. “Your bastardized Chantry can claim otherwise all they wish, but the evils of the Imperium have not been forgotten.”
“Keep your Chantry nonsense to yourselves,” grumbled a haughty-looking dwarf with a long, ornately braided golden beard. “Orzammar and the Tevinters have been allies for centuries, and you can point blame if you wish, but they’re the best spell-flingers in Thedas and it’d be stupid to turn them away. As long as they’re willing to use magic against the Darkspawn, the dwarves say they can stay and fight.”
“Don’t we have enough problems without blood magic on the field?” asked a general from Ferelden. “It’s bad enough letting the mages we already have wandering around, let alone malificarum.”
“I for one am shocked to hear of such ignorance,” protested the Tevinter man. “Surely you are aware that blood magic is forbidden in the Imperium? We are not the monsters you imagine us to be. But as our friend has stated, even without blood magic, we are more powerful than your Circle mages. Imagine that power turned against the Darkspawn.”
“Imagine that power turned against our people,” another Ferelden general warned. She turned towards an impressive, square-jawed young woman with short cropped hair. The woman’s armor was of much better quality than anything worn by the generals or soldiers. “Please, my queen, listen to reason and have these men thrown out of Ferelden-or even better, send them to the Templars.”
Harry gaped. He had never seen Queen Amelia before, but he’d certainly heard of her. The queen stared down pensively at the maps and charts before glancing up at an old, robed man with long white hair and beard.
“What say you, Albus? You’ve been quiet,” she observed. “I dare say that you know more about this subject than any of us.”
The First Enchanter smiled, looking like nothing more than a slightly batty old man. “Oh, I’m sure I’m no wiser than anyone else here. However,” he said, more firmly, “I do think this offer of aid and friendship from Archon Cornelius has come at an interesting time. I believe the Qunari have recently won an important battle against the Tevinter Imperium. Am I correct, Lucius?”
“Yes, but I see no reason why that should make a difference,” said the blond Tevinter man. “The Qunari are a threat to all of the nations of Thedas.”
“Nonsense. The Qunari have always upheld their end of the Llomerryn Accords,” said Queen Amelia. “The only reason they continue to war with the Imperium is because you refused to sign the treaty.”
Lucius sneered. “We refused to sign because we knew better. The giants will stop at nothing to convert all of Thedas to their insane cult, and you people remain blind to it.”
“Regardless,” interrupted another man. He had long curtains of black hair, eerie black eyes, sallow skin, and a large, hawkish nose. He wore the blue, black and silver robes of a Grey Warden mage. “We understand that the Qunari are not our concern here today. The Darkspawn must be stopped, and if by working together we can prevent a Blight, then we can go back to hating each other when we’re done.”
“Remus?” asked the queen.
The ex-werewolf frowned pensively. “I am no politician. As a Grey Warden, my duty is clear. Our philosophy has always been to do whatever it takes to stop the Darkspawn, within reason. Therefore I believe we should accept their offer.”
“How in Andraste’s name is this within reason?” demanded the Orlesian general. “You’ll slay the Darkspawn only to have the Tevinter Imperium claim a hold over us once more!”
“It wasn’t so long ago that the Fereldens would refuse to work with you for much the same reason,” said Lucius. “It’s fascinating how very long your memory is-and how short it becomes concerning the deeds of your own Empire.”
“The Orlesian occupation of Ferelden was nothing compared to the atrocities of the Old Tevinter Imperium!” said the Orlesian.
“Those ‘atrocities’ were committed several centuries in the past, and your occupation only two generations ago,” said Lucius. “Our civilization has evolved since then. Can you say the same?”
The Orlesian drew his sword. “Tevinter bastard!”
“Enough!” Queen Amelia bellowed. The Orlesian seemed cowed, despite himself. He put his sword away. The queen turned her disapproving glare on Lucius. “You and your soldiers may stay and help, but cause any more trouble and the Templars will deal with you? Understand?”
The Orlesian gaped at her. “You can’t be serious!”
“I can. My father, King Alistair, was a Grey Warden once, as was the Hero of Ferelden. I trust their judgment,” said the queen. “If you don’t like it, then the Tevinters will fight on the Ferelden side and the Orlesian army can fight alone.”
“Very well,” said the Orlesian. “You can have your maleficarum. Mark my words, the Darkspawn will seem like nothing compared to the might of a hundred abominations.”
“Your concern is noted,” Queen Amelia said dryly. “We’ll reconvene in an hour to discuss the battle.”
The meeting split up. The Orlesian general was clearly furious and stormed out. While the Fereldens looked uncomfortable, they obeyed their queen and kept their misgivings to themselves. Remus and Albus, the old mage, remained at the table and continued to look over the maps.
Lucius and the Grey Warden mage turned to leave, but found their way blocked by Sirius and Harry. The Tevinter Magister gave Sirius an oily smile.
“Oh, hello Sirius,” he said. “It’s always a pleasure.”
“Is that so?” asked Sirius. He turned to the other Grey Warden. “Severus. I see Lucius is still holding your leash.”
Severus sneered at him.
“He is here to prevent a Blight, Commander,” said Lucius. “That is his duty as a Grey Warden. Surely you agree, as does your lupine second-in-command, that every resource is needed to stop the Darkspawn?”
“Certainly,” said Sirius, “if that’s even why you’re really here.”
“Sirius, I’m hurt,” said Lucius. “If not even family can trust each other, who can?”
Sirius seemed to barely be holding himself back from attacking the man. Sensing its master’s hostility, Sirius’s hound started to growl, cropped ears pulled back tight against its head.
“Speaking of leashes,” muttered Lucius. “Perhaps you should better control that mutt of yours.”
The hound barked loudly and snapped in warning. Harry was pleased to see the arrogant mage flinch back. Sirius seemed pleased as well, if the small smile and approving pat he gave the dog was any indication.
“Sirius,” Remus called before things could get out of hand, “could you have a look at these maps? The queen will want to know what you’d like the Grey Wardens to do during the battle.”
“Not that this hasn’t been fun,” Sirius told the Tevinters with a smirk, “but if you’ll excuse me…”
He passed the mages and strode proudly towards Remus. Harry tried to follow, but Severus, the Grey Warden mage, suddenly grabbed his arm. “Hey!”
The man was staring at his eyes. For a moment, Harry felt strangely like a mouse pinned under the hypnotic gaze of a serpent. He finally managed to jerk his arm free of the man’s grip.
Looking shaken, Severus rejoined his companion and left the room while Sirius glared murderously at their backs.
“Who were those men?” Harry asked Sirius.
“The blond one is Lucius Malfoy, a prominent magister of the Tevinter Imperium. What he said about Tevinter forbidding blood magic is true. But he’s definitely a blood mage, make no mistake, it’s just that no one has managed to find any proof. He’s a slippery bastard. The queen will have to watch out for him,” said Sirius. “As for the other one… Severus has been a Grey Warden for about as long as I have. He used to be part of the Ferelden order, if you can believe it, but he turned tail and ran to the Imperium not long after your parents died. Good riddance, I say. His loyalty was always to the Tevinter magisters, anyway.”
“Sirius,” Remus chided. “The Tevinter Grey Wardens needed experienced help, and were more likely to trust someone with Tevinter ancestry. That’s all.”
“Don’t try to distract me with facts,” Sirius said, dismissively waving his hand.
“He seemed to know who I was,” Harry observed. “Did he know my parents?”
“He hated your father back when we were all in the Wardens together,” Sirius said. “Jealousy, I suppose. Your father was always the golden boy, while Severus hid away in the laboratories with his potions and spell-books.”
“Wait, are you talking about James?” Remus asked. He stared at Harry for a moment, brows furrowed, until suddenly his eyes widened with realization. “You’re his son. How did I not see it before?”
“You didn’t know James when he was that age,” Sirius said.
The old, bearded mage gave Harry an oddly piercing look, but said nothing.
“So, have you considered my invitation to join the Grey Wardens?” Remus asked. “Don’t feel that you have to just because your parents were Wardens. They’d be proud of you no matter what you decide.”
Harry nodded. “I want to be a Grey Warden.”
Sirius grinned broadly, as if nothing could have pleased him more. He clapped his hands on Harry’s shoulders. “Well done, pup!”
His dog let out a happy bark and started hopping around in excited circles.
Sirius turned towards the First Enchanter. “Albus, do you have a moment? I have something I need to discuss with you.”
“Of course,” Albus said with a nod. “It seems the queen needs a break from her generals, and I find myself sharing the same sentiment.”
Sirius nodded. “Let’s go someplace a little bit more private.”
Harry, the First Enchanter, and the two Grey Wardens left the room and entered a smaller chamber down the hall, Sirius’s hound following at its master’s heel.
“Now, what is this about?” asked Albus.
“Go ahead, Harry,” Sirius said. “Tell them as much as you can remember.”
Harry proceeded to recall the events of the attack on Redcliffe to the best of his ability, leaving out the more personal aspects like Dudley’s death. Remus and Albus both looked thoughtful as they considered his words, and they exchanged glances with each other and Sirius when Harry described his dream and the way he had predicted the attack.
“Interesting,” Albus mused, stroking his long white beard. “It sounds as though you have Grey Warden abilities already.”
“But that’s impossible,” Sirius protested. “Isn’t it? I mean, both of his parents were Wardens, but it doesn’t work that way.”
“In what few cases I’ve heard of, the Taint cannot pass from parent to child,” Remus agreed. “However, those cases all involved only one Grey Warden parent. It was believed that two Wardens couldn’t even have children together. But it seems James and Lily proved that wrong. It could be that, under these circumstances, they may have passed on the Taint to their son.”
“I’m sorry, but what do you mean?” Harry asked. “What is the Taint?”
“It’s not something that we usually discuss with recruits until their Joining,” Remus hedged.
“He has a right to know,” Sirius said firmly. He turned towards Harry, his expression turning more gentle. “We Grey Wardens drink Darkspawn blood in order to become what we are. That way, we gain some of their power-including the ability to sense their location… which you seem to already have.”
“It stands to reason that you have this power for the same reason that we do,” Remus said, looking worried. “You may already carry the Darkspawn Taint.”
Harry gaped at them in horrified shock. “What? Am I going to get sick? Am I going to… what, turn into a ghoul?”
“Oh, no, I wouldn’t think so,” Albus said, sounding oddly cheerful. “You’ve been just fine for all these years. If our theory is correct, then you clearly inherited your parents’ mastery of the Taint as well. Otherwise you would not be alive today.”
“What do you suggest we do?” Remus asked.
“I’ll need to study this further,” said Albus. “In the meantime, until I determine whether or not our theory is true, you should hold off on the Joining. No sense in giving the boy a double-dose, after all. Come find me tonight, I’ll be in the library with the other mages. I’d like to do some tests. But for now, I’d like to get a bit of fresh air and perhaps a nice sherry before I throw myself back into the snake pit. Toodle-pip!”
The old mage wandered off, humming distractedly to himself as he went.
“Don’t mind him,” Sirius said with a laugh when he saw Harry’s baffled expression. “He likes to confuse people.”
“What happens now?” Harry asked. “He said I can’t have a Joining. Does that mean I can’t be a Grey Warden?”
“Of course you can,” said Sirius. “Really, considering you might already have the Taint, you’re probably a Grey Warden already.”
“We’ll have everything sorted out soon enough,” Remus said. He turned to Sirius. “So, will you attend the next meeting, or are you leaving it to me once more?
“Has anything happened yet besides political squabbling?”
“It was mostly just the Fereldens and the Orlesians arguing, until the Tevinters came along and gave them something to unite against,” Remus said with a sigh and a weary shake of his head.
“As much fun as that sounds, I think I’ll take our new recruit into the tunnels and see his skills first hand,” Sirius said, grinning. He glanced at Harry. “Even if it turns out that you can’t have a proper Joining, we’ll still have some kind of ceremony to initiate you.”
“Tonks and Moody are down there on patrol. To be safe, you should take them with you,” Remus advised. “We still haven’t explored all of the tunnels. You don’t know what you might run into.”
“You worry like an old maid,” Sirius said.
“I’m serious,” Remus protested.
“Hey, so am I!” Sirius nudged Harry in the ribs. “Get it? I’m Sirius? Everyone else gets to use that joke, why can’t I? Come on, pup. See you tonight, Remus.”
Remus shook his head with a fondly exasperated smile as Sirius and Harry left.
Potter and the Grey Warden-Commander ventured down into the deepest catacombs of the old ruin, the old tunnels once inhabited by the mad cult of Haven and the dragonkin they bred there. In the years after the cult’s eradication by the Hero of Ferelden, the tunnels had been home to little more than spiders and rats. But a far more dangerous enemy now waited, lurking in the shadows, preparing to strike against the surface through the might of the Darkspawn hoard…
-QUEST COMPLETE-
CODEX ENTRIES ADDED: Warden-Commander Sirius, First Enchanter Albus