Dragon Age: Sundering

[Eva]

-City of Denerim, Fereldan-

"One of our scouts has found anozzer trouble maker."

It was a nondescript building. The three Grey Wardens paced their room, which was located at the very front of the building. Two humans and a dwarf. The dwarf was older than the others, clearly by a lot. "They will bring her in. I hear that the Dalish know many secrets." the young, female human said. Her voice was thick with an Orlesian accent. "There's a Templar with her. She must be a mage. That alone makes me want her recruited." the human male added. The dwarf thought for a moment. "Yes. I will conscript this Dalish girl. Hopefully she will not be much trouble." she said. "Janne, fetch Kain. The two of you shall pick up the Dalish elf." the dwarf added. "Yes ma'm, Ser Selphina." Janne said, giving her superior a bow. She walked out of the room, to fetch the man. "My my. Only one day and already she's proving herself to be quite the loyal puppy." the male said. "Far more useful than you have proven to be, Kennith. I need you to meditate, in case the elf proves insubordinate." Selphina replied.

Janne walked up the stairs and into the room where three Templars were training. "Ser Kain? Selphina has asked that we go and fetch the Dalish elf our scout reported." As usual, Janne spoke with respect dripping from every syllable. "She was captured by a Templar, so hopefully our Right of Conscription will not be required."

OOC: To clarify: either you are currently in the building with Selphina, Kennith, Kain, and Janne, and thus have already been recruited by the Wardens, or you are wandering around Denerim.

[Rose]

In the half-light of the coming dawn the Brecillian forest looked like its own entity, some gnarled beast with twisted, reaching fingers and gaping maw of wooden teeth eagerly waiting to swallow the next ill-intentioned shem who dare approach, enticing them in with the dancing shapes that moved beyond the cover of low branches. Even now, seeing it as imposing as it was as the Templar dragged her further and further from its haven, Inali could not understand the fear and misguided loathing the shems felt toward her forest. It was true that dangers lurked within its depths, but there was such beauty, such a bounty of life as well. For Inali, it was like facing down a snarling wolf, its fangs glinting and fur prickled in warning, but its eyes filled with such intelligence, such spirit that one could feel nothing but respect and awe for the creature.

Inali swallowed hard past the lump in her throat as more and more distance was put between her and her forest, and with it her clan, her home, and the only life she knew. Thrown over the shoulder of her captor with little strength left and magic somehow muted, watching the trees fade slowly away was all she had left to do. She would find a way back here, she told herself. She would never submit to the prison the Templar carried her toward. But first she had to escape….somehow.


Inali groaned and blinked open her eyes. The light that met them was bright and hot, beaming down from the afternoon sun. Hair clung to her forehead and cheeks from where it escaped its bun, and when she tried to move a hand to wipe it away she remembered with disdain and a low grumble that her hands were bound behind her back.

“Oh thank the Maker, you’re finally awake,” the Templar muttered, glancing over at her. “I’ve been dragging you for hours.”

Inali didn’t bother glancing up at the man. She was rather tired of seeing his face, anyway. He had a way of turning up his nose and looking over her like she was something vile that had crawled up from the swamps and attached itself to him. Ignoring his snide little comments, she concentrated instead on the throbbing pain on the side of her head. At some point she had attempted escape for the third or fourth time, and after kicking the Templar swiftly in the shin and making a run for it, he must have decided she wasn’t worth the trouble and finally struck her over the head with the hilt of his sword. The details were sort of foggy after that, but she was on her feet and walking now, so at some point he must have let her down while her legs attempted to carry her in her half-conscious state.

“We’re stopping here for the night, and in the morning I’ll be rid of you. The Circle had better love me for this.”

Inali groaned, her head pounding in protest of everything, and finally glanced up to see just where they were. It probably wasn’t the best idea; the moment her eyes took in the high stone wall of Denerim and its gate made of heavy iron, a wave of nausea flooded through her so powerfully that she nearly threw up and fainted at the same time. The Templar pushed her forward, but Inali has never been inside of a city and she didn’t plan on it now.

“Let me go, flat-ear! LET ME GO!” Inali hissed at the Templar, kicking out at him, but the action nearly sent her to the ground. He caught her roughly with a grunt and started dragging her through the market, his eyes straight ahead and an angry set to his mouth. Inali barely took a breath between insults, spewing them out at the top of her lungs as she struggled against him.

Through all the fighting, she registered a disturbing detail: No one cared. It wasn’t that she expected any of the shems to leap up and help her fight off an imposing-looking Templar, but there wasn’t so much as a mournful glance in her direction. If anything, some of the men and women around the market looked angry at the sight of her, while others looked entertained.

If this is what it’s like to be at the mercy of the Templar, what must it be like to live within the high walls of the alienages? There are no trees here, no creatures. Even the dirt looks beat-down, like no seed could ever take root within it. I only see hate and amusement in the eyes of the shems. Who would ever chose this?

“I’ll kill you, Templar,” Inali cursed as she pulled herself from her thoughts, her amber eyes flicking up to him in hate before drifting to the sky.She muttered beneath her breath for vengeance, a single name she knew would help her. “Elgar'nan...”

[GnomesAteMyCake]

Looking over his shoulder at the woman, Kain straightened from the crouch he'd been in and rested his greatsword on his shoulder as he wiped a hand across his forhead.

"Very well, Janne. Tristan, Derek, continue your training. This afternoon, should I not return, please return to the streets in search of the Apostate, if you would," he said pleasantly to the two Templars who had also paused in their mock-fight.
"Aye, Kain, we'll see to it," Tristan said, grinning at his fellow Templar before attacking at his comrade without warning, causing Derek to shout out in shock.

Kain shook his head as the sound of laughter and steel on steel echoed behind him. Sliding his large sword onto his back, he beckoned to the knight beside him and they both left the room.

"Come then; let us find this Dalish. We know nothing about her aside from this, correct?" he asked, flicking his long black hair out of his face. "I can assume that she will not be happy to see us. Janne, we should watch her most carefully for the foreseeable future."

Pushing the door of their current headquarters open, Kain stode down the steps, his Templar magic spread out over the area, alerting him to any mages; as usual, there were none, as all of Ferelden's mages were safely in the Circle Tower. As he turned to ask Janne whereabouts they were to meet the Dalish, he felt a small twitch on the edge of his conscienceness; a mage.

"The apostate! Come, Janne, this will not take long," he ordered, running towards the disturbance, preparing his magic-disabling powers. As he rounded a corner, he saw a Templar...and the elf. He skidded to a stop, and watched the Templar as he walked closer. He was dragging a Dalish Elf behind him, in a not too gentle fashion. Kain didn't recognise him from the tower...curious.

When the Templar was less than ten paces away from him, Kain stepped out, a small smile on his face.
"Hail, brother! I am Kain, perhaps you are aware of my reason of being here?" he said, standing a distance from the Templar with his arms crossed behind his back.

[Eva]

"The Dalish will not like you, Ser Kain. Perhaps I should be the one to speak to her. But be ready to nullify her magic, should she turn hostile." Janne said. She felt at ease with the Templar; sure, sometimes she wondered if he would ever do something rash to her mage comrade, but overall she found him and the other two to be worthy.

Janne followed Kain, and saw the Dalish almost immediately. She drew her shield, but did not hold it threateningly. "Ser Templar, I am Janne, a Grey Warden recruit, and this is Ser Kain, a Templar much like yourself." she explained. Janne looked over at Kain. "We ask that you allow us to take the Dalish apostate with us." she asked.

The templar looked at the two and shook his head. "Sorry, I'm taking her to the Circle. She'll net me a nice reward, after all. No deal." he said. Janne shook her head. "I am invoking the Right of Conscription. You must hand her over." she said. "I'd like to see you try, little girl." the Templar spat.

Janne took in a deep breath and let out a loud cry, knocking the Templar off his feet. The Dalish girl was knocked down as well, and Kain moved to apprehend her. "Be at peace, Dalish." he said. His presence nullified her magic, rendering her unable to fight back at the moment. "We need to go, now, while he's still out." Kain told Janne. "Right. Let's go then." she replied.

The three managed to shake the Templar off, and arrived back at the Warden's Safehouse. "We have found the Dalish." Janne said, addressing Selphina. The dwarven Warden looked at her and smiled. "Excellent. Let her go, Kain, I'm sure she means us no harm." she ordered. Kain obliged and unhanded the girl. "What's your name?" Selphina asked her. "And why was that Templar after you?"

[Wendy Ann Beckett-Jolina]

A Dalish? Here? Aranel sighed to herself, running her hands through her long, chestnut hair. She'd overheard a few people in the building talking about it, about what trouble the elf would be and yet what help they'd bring, but the the Alienage elf was merely curious. She'd grown up in Denerim, at least somewhat safe in its walls, and never once had she ever encountered a Dalish elf up close before... Sure, she'd fought against a few of them, but that was far away, and it was quick. She wondered if they'd be all that different from her, like she'd assumed...

Of course, she wasn't really sure what would happen to them. Heck, she didn't even know if they were a he or a she. She'd actually just entered the building, a recruit for barely 20 minutes now. Honestly, she wasn't too sure that she'd even be hearing much about anything, being so low on the totem pole with her classification. At this point, Aranel wasn't even sure why they'd asked her in the first place...

Sighing, the elf put her bow back in its proper place on her back, smoothing out her skirt as she wandered down the halls. "We have found the Dalish." she heard a voice echo dully from a door to her right. She heard a woman's voice answer the other, and she guessed it was probably Selphina. Curiosity taking over her common sense, Aranel stepped over to the door, walking in.

She wasn't too sure whether or not Selphina and the human noticed her, but the other elf surely did, and she could tell just by the look in her eyes that she knew that Aranel was part of the Alienage. She couldn't really quite tell what her eyes were showing. Disgust? Shame? Pity, even? Whatever it was, it was far from positive.

Suddenly a bit uncomfortable, the elven woman sat herself down by the far wall, suddenly very interested with a lock of her hair. She didn't really pay attention to the conversation, feeling somewhat odd.

[Tusk]

In a small room of the Warden's building, a Large Qunrai laid bandaged in a bed. His eyes were closed and his breathing was steady. It had been the first time Kras had actually slept well. His Marubi, Ham laid at his side until Kras stirred. Ham barked loudly as Kras opened his eyes. His body felt like lead.

Kras finally sat up as his red eyes flashed with anger. How could he have been so weak that a dwarf had to heal him of his wounds? Kras looked at Ham, who was bandaged up as well, but looked happy to see his owner awake. Kras growled loudly at His War Hound, who did the same. Both looked ready to tear each other apart. If Kras loved anyone, it was His Marubi. They both stopped growling as Kras tried to run though everything in his head. He remembered his merc group trying to save some noble's daughter only for it to be a trap. The town guard, the entire town's worth were waiting for them. It was a blood bath. He remembered anyone who was not cut in two by his blade, Ham was tearing into their throats. Oh how the rage flowed through him. Each cut he got only fueled his anger and he made sure that person suffered for it. However, when the battle was over and the last guard screamed his last, did Kras realize that his entire group was dead. Even his leader, a man who showed no fear in combat, had fallen to the guard. Kras did not even realize just how badly he was hurt. Ham was hurt, but He was like his owner, ready to fight no matter how injured he was. The blood loss did take its toll on Kras through. After the massicure, He felt as if he was in a dream. He did not know how, but he left the town on his own two legs with Ham in his arms. He remembered the town's folk were too scared to leave their houses, the cowards! Then he remembered some she dwarf. She asked if he was the one who massicured the gaurd in the town, and he vaguely remembered simply saying yes. Instead of killing him, she helped heal him! After that, everything was a blur until now.

Due to one set up, he now owed his life to someone. His honor would not allow him to walk away. A life for a life. Until he could save this dwarf, He had no choice but to follow her. That ticked him off. If it was not for that noble, he would not be in this mess. The name echoed in his head. Daltres! The name sent a blazing anger though Kras. He stormed the small room until he finally had enough and took his great sword and swung it at his bed. The bed shattered as Ham barked loudly. Kras began to control his breathing and then began to take off his bandages. The dwarf did a good job, only the scars remained. He put on his clothes and armor as quickly as he could and then removed the bandages off Ham. They looked into eachother's eyes, both growling as if they were feeding off eachother's anger. Kras loved it. He then stood up and made sure his greatsword was on his back. He then pushed open the door to see several people. There were a few humans, a dalish elf, and the she dwarf. Just because he really did not care about their conversation, Kras simply went to the corner and leaned on the wall with his arms folded. Ham sat right next to him not letting out a single bark.

[TragicAce]

Denerim remained exactly as Merwyn had left it so many years ago. Big, loud, and scary. He stood but a foot inside past the city's gates, but the hustling and bustling of hundreds of strangers seemed to create a gust that pushed against his every step. Buffeted every which way the poor sap began to feel ill. It was not so unlike sea sickness, save this was a sea of unhappy faces instead of water. Neither appealed to Merwyn very much. "I'll just have to ride the current and see where it takes me, I 'spose."

The waves took him to the Gnawed Noble, which was as good as any place to start asking about the Grey Wardens. But first a cool ale to help calm and keep his nerve. Thoughts of rejection had long haunted him through his travels north-he was already strongly considering what he'd do if they wouldn't accept him. Merwyn gave a depressed sigh at his chances and hailed the barkeep. "Pint of the house's ale, good sir."

"You be'in a lad who looks more likah rabbit in ah den o' lions, son." The dwarven barkeep said as he handed a large foaming drink so brown it might have been black. Merwyn took a sip-and yep-far too bitter for his liking. 'A Southron man will never take to Hafter Brew', the saying went. The Lotheren nodded grimly as he stared into his brew.

"I'm just not cut out for the city life, I'm afraid." He took a swift chug and stated his business. "Rumor has it the Grey Wardens are recruitin', I came to see if that's true." The barkeep responded with a long belly-laugh that seemed to shake the dwarf from end-to-end. Just when he had finished, things only got worse. "Hey Rega! This'n boy wans ta be a Grey Warden, he does!" Rega was apparently the blond waitress working at the Noble, whose pretty features only made everything that much worse for poor Merwyn. "Come now Tharin, don't put such a cute lad down like that. It isn't right."

"I...thanks for the ale." Merwyn put a few coins down on the table and walked (quickstepped) back outside. He wanted to get lost in this sea of people and stay there. Keeping one hand on his pouch in fear of pickpockets (mum said Denerim was filled with them) he followed the crowd aimlessly. That whole tavern was probably laughing at him right now, jokes will be told for fortnights of the hapless greenhorn Grey Warden hopeful. The shame he already got himself in was-

"Excuse me! Sir! Sir!" Maybe it's because he wasn't used to crowds, but Merwyn turned on instinct when he heard the call directed at his vicinity. It was the pretty blonde waitress. A thousand bad scenarios ran through his head, and he even contemplated that he'd be able to outpace her since she was wearing that skirt. "Uh...yes? What is it?" The uncertain man spoke after the Denerim citizen directed him off the main street.

"I wanted to apologize for what happened back there, old Tharin was just tryin' to lighten your spirits in his own way. He's just too thick-headed to know not everyone appreciates his...humor." Merwyn had already set himself into apology mode long before she had finished her first sentence. Living with so many sisters teaches one the importance of the apology. It was its own artform, in a way. "You've nothing to apologize for kind miss, and I'm sorry I've made you come all this way. I'm sure you are very busy and all...last thing you need is to be chasing a southern country boy around, haha."

Merwyn scratched the back of his neck and smiled. It was a habit of his when he was uncomfortable. The blonde woman looked him in the eyes for a moment-as if to measure him for something-and finally nodded. "Tell you what, friend of mine said she saw the Grey Wardens holding up 'aside the blue-roofed building next to the Alienage gate. I think you'll do just fine." Merwyn was in shock: first because he now knew where to go, second because this pretty lady was going out of her way to help in. He was so embarrassed he forgot to say goodbye. Before he knew it he was by himself. By himself in a crowd of people.

[Rose]

Inali looked around the room with wide eyes and mouth slightly agape in confusion. So much had happened in what felt like only seconds, and now here she was in some…room. There were so many unfamiliar faces surrounding her, staring at her like some caged animal. Inali locked eyes with another elf and so many things ran through her mind. She could not have been Dalish, but was she being held captive as well? Did these people intend to hurt them?

Inali struggled against the binds holding her hands behind her back and stared down the templar man that had brought her here. He had saved her, but for what purpose?

“Who are you? Why am I here?” Her voice was demanding, betraying none of the fear she felt. She spat at the feet of the templar and looked up at him with hate. “You will not take me to this Circle of yours. I do not belong to your people or your gods. I will not be subject to their prisons.”

The dwarven woman’s other words slowly registered to her. Did she not know the Templar who had taken her from her home? Or was she merely playing with Inali, hoping to get more information out of her? Perhaps humans needed confessions before they could take them in, though she’d never seen such a thing before. Humans rarely spoke before an attack. Her gaze slowly drifted to the deceptively kind-sounding dwarf.

“I…do not know why he came for me, except that I am a Keeper’s apprentice, and the shems do not like our kind. The flat-ears raided my clan, and with them was one of his people.” She threw a baleful look in Kain’s direction. “He took me from my home... My lady, I have done nothing wrong! My clan has never disturbed your cities. We mind no other business but our own.”

At the mention of cities, Inali’s eyes slowly left the knights before her and focused instead on the walls of the room. Never before had she been in a place like it. Never before had she felt so…closed in, so vulnerable, and so distant. Even if she had her magic, she wondered how well she could use it here in the place with no grass beneath her feet, no trees above her head.

Inali took in a deep breath. She needed to be strong. Behind her, she twisted around her hands again. She could not escape, but she was reluctant to give up, to let these people do with her what they wanted.

“I am called Inali. Set me free. You have my oath under the watch of the gods that I will never use my magic against a human or dwarf, should you do so. The word of a shem means little, but the oath of the Dalish is true.”

[GnomesAteMyCake]

Kain stood a few paces behind the Dalish- who presented herself as Inali- his arms crossed and his Templar magic prepared, just in case he needed to use it.

"I am sorry, Inali," he said quietly, side-stepping slightly, as his observations of the young Elf revealed that she couldn't see him when he stood right behind her. "But Janne has Conscripted you. While her actions were slightly rash, they cannot be revoked. You will have to join our Order to protect this country, as well as your Clan. Surely you will find this agreeable, if not something that you wish for?"

Crossing his arms once more, Kain stepped back to where Inali couldn't look at him comfortabley and resumed watching her, taking in her body language and speech patterns; how her hands twitched in their bindings, her eyes roamed the room with fear, and how they sometimes flickered to the other Elf who had managed to sneak in without him noticing, as if pleading for her help. That was unlikely to happen; Alienage Elves were almost a completely different race to their forest-dwelling brothers. The years of serving humans was bound to have put up walls between the two women before they'd even spoken to one another.

The ropes binding Inali's wrists was rubbing red lines into her skin, Kain noticed. Pulling a small dagger from his belt, he gripped her wrists gently and pushed the blade between the rope.
"Let us see if your word is as true as you claim, Keeper Inali," he said in his slow voice, flaring his restraining powers slightly, just to inforce that there would be no escape. Slicing through the ropes neatly, Kain quickly withdrew, the dagger back in his belt and the now useless rope held in one hand.

[Wendy Ann Beckett-Jolina]

Aranel saw Inali's strange look turn to fear and anger as she spoke to the two Wardens, still glancing at her every once in awhile. Trying to calm her a little, the elf flashed her a kind, small smile, feeling a little sorry for the poor girl. It had been mostly Aranel's choice to be here; this girl was kidnapped and brought here...

She saw that one of the Wardens had noticed her in there, just as they were observing the Dalish Elf. She felt a little awkward being in the room, but felt that it might calm the girl a little. It must feel odd for her, she thought, that she was all alone, with all new people and a new environment. Even if she was hated and unappreciated in Denerim, at least she knew the people that she was around. It was unimaginable to put herself in the shoes of an elf new to the area that didn't want to be there in the first place...

The woman wanted to introduce herself so badly, so that maybe the elf could know someone that she could at least relate to a little, but she was afraid that she might get in trouble for speaking out of turn.... All she could do was send a sympathetic look in her direction and smile encouragingly... And she felt completely stupid.

[NicoJoe]

OOC: Forget the Halla

IC: Even though he had agreed to help them, the humans didn’t think he was safe to keep unchecked so he was confined to a cell, under the meeting place of the Wardens. A single guard, a tall man carrying a mace, paced outside as Orin watched him intently. Orin stood at the front of the cell, his hands sticking out through the bars, and his eyes were fixed on the key ring on the guard’s belt. The Dalish was more than peeved at the moment, being locked up in a shem prison like some damned flat ear. Orin changed his focus to the table where his weapons sat. If he could get out and get those, maybe he could a run for it. Best of both worlds, he thought.

First move was to get the key. From what he could tell, the man was a fairly new recruit. He looked nervous, green as the grass. The pacing seemed to be more to calm him than for any kind of patrol. His face was grave; he was concentrating intently on his path. All Orin had to do was distract him for a second and get him close enough.

“Excuse me,” the elf said, loud enough to interrupt the guard’s concentration and get his attention. “I am quite parched. I require water, if you wouldn’t mind.”

The man looked at Orin, surprise in his eyes. It was the first thing the elf had said to him and it sounded too cordial to be coming from a Dalish. He was wary as he poured water into a cup from a pitcher and walked toward the cell. He walked slowly, with deliberate steps and when he reached Orin he stuck his hand out, handing him the cup.

It was quick; the guard didn’t even have time to react. Orin grabbed the man’s arm and pulled him into the bars with all his force. His face crashed against the iron and it was a matter of seconds before he was out cold, his body strewn out on the floor. It was almost too easy and, if he wasn’t a shem, Orin might have felt sorry for him. But, as of now, he just laughed and knelt down next to him to retrieve the key ring. After unlocking the door and reclaiming his possessions, Orin booked it up the stairs. When he reached the top door, he slowly opened it and crept inside. He was greeted with the site of a door to the outside world, back to his forest. He was seconds from running for it when he noticed the people in the room. He hadn’t been seen yet, so he ducked behind a column and took in the surroundings. There were two humans, a dwarf, the one who had recruited him for this, a quanrai, a flat ear and… a Dalish? It couldn’t be. Did they really have another one, one of Orin’s people? It had to be. She wasn’t dressed in typical Alienage clothing but rather the garments of the forest. She was a keeper, or at least was associated with one. And she was a prisoner, her arms bond behind her and she was at the mercy of the others. All thoughts of escape left him; he couldn’t leave one of his countrywomen here by herself. Either they both escaped, or they stayed and fight together. There was no option three.

Orin stepped out of the shadows and drew one of his daggers. He ignored the eyes on him as he made his way to the young elf and stood a few paces from her. By now, one of the others had already cut her binds but she was far from safe among these people.

“I suggest you step away from her,” he said to the Templar who stood behind her. “Unless you want a fight on your hands,” he drew his other dagger and prepared himself to back up his words.

[Wendy Ann Beckett-Jolina]

Aranel's gasp was audible as she watched yet another Dalish elf storm into the room, threatening the Wardens with a dagger of his own. Another Dalish? Standing, she placed a hand on her bow, ready to attack if necessary. Though she really didn't want to hurt one of her own race, her loyalties were with the Grey Wardens....

"Look, they're not going to hurt her..." She spoke calmly, knowing that he hadn't noticed her but not caring in the least. Her fist clenched and unclenched, not wanting to fight, but it might be necessary in her case. She slowly removed her hand from her bow, smiling a little. "Just calm yourself."

[Rose]

The muscles in Inali’s back went rigid when she felt the hand on her wrist and the Templar’s voice just behind her. She was ready to pounce, to roll or dodge or kick, but she wasn’t ready for the tight bindings to fall away and for blood to start pumping into her numb hands again. She slowly brought her arms in front of her again, twisting them around and circling her shoulders to try and loosen up the muscles that had been held uncomfortably tight and still for days.

Inali turned a bit and looked over her shoulder at the man who had freed her. She could feel the sudden wave of nullifying power wash over her and it made her ill at ease, still being without her defenses even when she was unbound, but she took the freeing of her hands as a sign of good faith. She tried to relax a bit, taking in a deep breath as she rubbed her wrists.

“My word is always true, Templar.” She looked away from him, back to the woman who had Conscripted her. “I know of you Wardens. It is my job to know all that I can. But I was under the impression that the Darkspawn hoard was under control. I won’t ask you why you need me. All answers have their time to come, and I have seen too much already today to properly take in any more.”

When her sore arms finally felt up to it, Inali reached up and pulled the cloth tie from her hair, letting the dark, tousled waves fall around her shoulders. She felt like a mess and knew she looked the part. It would be dishonorable to let these people think the Dalish were some unkempt savages. The first opportunity she got, Inali would properly clean herself up. For now, she just held herself up strong and proud as she had been taught, her shoulders set firmly and her chin held high despite the smudges of dirt across her face and the bruises on her arms.

She looked to the dwarf, bowing her head to the obviously elder and superior woman.

“I will follow you, if partly in knowing I have no other choice. There are worse places I could be.” Inali struggled not to throw another bitter look in the Templar’s direction. Instead her eyes fell on the other elf woman and she caught her smile. Inali smiled weakly back, wondering if she was Conscripted against her will as well.

“I suggest you step away from her, unless you want a fight on your hands.”

A strong voice cut through her thoughts like a swift blade and Inali’s head turned sharply to the elf man standing by the doorway, a dagger in each of his hands. She didn’t have to look at him for more than a second to know that he was Dalish. Inali held up her hands quickly, hoping she could soothe this man. She knew what his markings meant and knew that his threats were not empty. She would be the calming Mythal to his vengeful Elgar'nan.

“Brother, I am alright. These Wardens have saved me from a worse fate. Calm your spirit.” She slowly lowered her hands, bowing her head to him slightly, those her eyes never left his. “Here I might do more good than in my other prison, and for that, at least, I find it in my heart to thank these people.”

Inali gave a small bow once more, this time to the dwarf, and fought the sinking, sick feeling crawling its way up her chest. She would never truly be a Keeper, never get the markings of her passage. Her clan would move on from her, hopefully finding a new apprentice to take her place in time.

Inali took in another deep breath, but the air didn’t taste as sweet as she was used to and it didn’t soothe her like she wished. She had to try to be strong here. This was her new task, perhaps a greater role than any Dalish had known for many years. She would embrace it, make it work to her advantage and the betterment of her people.

“It seems that the Gods have given me this new path. You have my word and my loyalty, Wardens.”

[GnomesAteMyCake]

Kain stood aside gracefully, his head bowed slightly to the Elven mage as he lent against on of the wooden columns that dotted the large room. He was glad that Inali accepted her new path with good faith; unlike her fellow Dalish who had stepped into the room. Kain hadn't been present for the man's arrival, nor did he know his story; if Selphina felt he needed to know, then she would tell him. Until then, he would not ask.

Watching Orin stand with his drawn daggers, Kain put a smaller amount of pressure on his left shoulder, should he need to pull his greatsword from his back and defend Selphina, as she was the only offical Warden present. Not that he doubted her ability to defend herself, but Orin was faster than most, and she wasn't getting any younger.

Do you not see that your fellow Elf has accepted the hand our Maker has given her? he thought as Orin stalked across the room, his eyes hard as he met Kain's equally cool gaze. We mean you no harm; the Warden's simply need the most able to fight the danger that approaches. The danger none of us even know. Why can you not see that?

As pleasant as it would be to say what he was thinking and see the look on Orin's sharp face change, he thought it better to keep his thoughts to himself and keep out of whatever punishment Selphina would bestow on him; to the best of Kain's knowledge, Orin had been kept under lock and key to insure he wouldn't just walk out and cause chaos in Denerim's streets. Besides, alienating a Mage by mistreating her brother will only cause trouble for us. Especially for me.

[Eva]

"Be at peace, Orin. You are worth more to us alive than dead, but not by so much that I will tolerate threats." Selphina said to the Dalish man. "Your fellow Dalish has accepted her duty with grace and dignity. You may attempt your escape now, if you wish, but you will not get far." With that, Selphina turned to Inali and motioned to her. "Walk with me, sister." she said. Selphina walked over to the girl, placed her hand on her back comfortingly, and guided her out of the room.

"What have I done?" Janne moaned. She covered her face and sat down, head on her knees. "I am a fool. I have ruined her life." she cried. "I am sure the Templar had a much worse plan for her. Now get up, we still have things to do." Kennith said. He extended his hand, and Janne accepted. "Right. At the moment, it seems we have all of the recruits we need to begin the Joining. The Circle has sent mages to a remote area nearby to prepare the ritual." Janne explained to the recruits gathered. "One of these mages is Cora, another potential recruit. She will be waiting near the gate to the Korcari Wilds." Kennith added. "I am sure that you are all eager to place your lives in utter peril. Which is good, since we're sending some of you ahead to scout!" he exclaimed, clearly ecstatic. "Lady Selphina will assign you to your group, once she gets back."

Selphina walked with Inali, showing her the building. "Had you returned to your clan, Keeper Inali, the templars would have followed- more than just one, certainly enough to overcome your clan's warriors. Dalish are honorable and care for one another. Your clan would have thrown themselves between you and the templars, and they would not win. I am saying this so that you know that what Janne did was not the punishment you may see it as. It is not a gift, nor the wisest choice of all, and she did rob you of your right to decide your own fate. But know that here, with the Wardens, you are safe. The templars will not pursue your people, as they know where you are." Selphina looked up at her Elven recruit. "I wish to learn about your magic, sister. I have never before met a Dalish Keeper." she said.