[IC] A Dragon's Roar: Beyond the Blood, Beyond the Blight

[Drunken Conquistador]

Kingdom of Ferelden.Ostagar.Somewhere in the left flank of the army

Julien parried another slash from the Hurlock's blade with his shortsword before driving his longsword into the neck of his foe. The Darkspawn fell to the ground with a thud as the Grey Warden had to sidestep to avoid getting in the way of a Ferelden soldier being driven back by another Darkspawn. Julien deftly circled the distracted enemy and buried his shortsword in the base of its neck.

The Ferelden had opened her mouth to thank Julien when an arrow stuck her in the throat. Not that the Warden had noticed, already busy with another foe. This time a Genlock waving around a rusty mace and a scavenged shield advanced against the Warden. Julien took the offensive and lashed against his smaller foe. Forcing the Darkspawn to keep his shield raised and his legs exposed to a swift kick. The Genlock hit the ground with a sword already in its stomach. Still the victory was shortlived, there seemed to be no end to the horde and the Ferelden troops were hard pressed to hold their ground in the chaos. Specially now that they had been cut from the main part of the army and forced out of the ancient fortress.

"RALLY TO ME!" The scream managed to be heard over the noise of the battle and with a quick glance in its direction Julien saw a mounted knight waving his sword around. "TO ME YOU POX RIDDEN SONS OF WHORES!" The knight continued as Julien fended off a couple of Darkspawn. Around him the remnants of the Ferelden force were withdrawing and gathering around the knight. Not wishing to be surrounded, Julien started doing the same

"RANKS! FORM RANKS YOU PACK OF FILTHY RATS!" The knight barked, the surviving officers in the area had also started doing the same.

Julien parried another clumsy blow from one of the Darkspawn and quickly followed with a counter-attacked that killed the beast. Unfortunately that left him open for the other Darkspawn to bring its blade on the Warden's extended left arm. If it wasn't for the mail armor the limb would've been seared off. Yet it was still enough to make Julien drop his shortsword and probably render the arm unusable for the rest of the battle.

Still reeling from the painfuol blow and cursing loudly, Julien staggered back and raised his longsword to defend himself when an arrow killed the Darkspawn. Giving the Warden just enough time to reach the little island of soldiers that had formed around the knight.

Once there he was shoved to the back of the formation, that rested atop a small ridge that ended in a steep fall into a chasm, where a panicked Chantry sister did her best to fix his arm (which wasn't much but at least she stopped the bleeding).

"Cheer up lads!" The knight shouted from atop his mount. "The beacon is lit!"

After hearing that Julien could not stop himself from looking towards the high tower and smiling. Soon Loghain's troops would sweep the rear of the horde and save the day.

As soon as the sister had finished with him the Warden stood up and returned to the fray. Noticing with satisfaction that the men and women around him were fighting harder now that salvation was in sight.

But salvation never came. Loghain was nowhere to be seem and the number of Darkspawn only increased. At first the knight tried to reassure the group that the delay was understandable since they were cut off. But when a hour had passed and another group of soldiers reached them, they were trying to fight their way out, and told the news that the King was dead and Loghain nowhere to be seem morale finally started to crack. And before any decision could be taken the surge of Darkspawn doubled and there was no way they could fight their way out of so many foes with so few remaining soldiers.

After that things got muddled in Julien's mind. The wounds and exhaustion finally taking their toll. He recalled the knight going down after killing two Ogres and what few Ferelden remained by this point routed. Julien ran too, bloodied sword glued in his hand and feeling like his body would just die at any moment. He did recall following a few other survivors and trying his luck jumping into the chasm. He also recalled the painful fall and landing atop the Chantry Sister. Though he couldn't remember if she was already dead or if he killed her with his fall. Nor he could recall just how he managed to escape the chasm and avoid the arrows. Or maybe he didn't, by the time he collapsed on the florest ground Julien doubted he would be able to feel if he had been hit by the horde's entire stock of missiles.

The former Duelist was ready to accept his fate and let himself die when he suddenly felt himself being dragged by something. Julien also felt the need to at least offer some kind of struggle before the Darkspawn dragged him to the Deep Roads. Though the pain soon made him give up the attempt. That was when he passed out, hallucinating voices talking to him. Because Darkspawn do not speak. And even if they did they wouldn't try to confort him.

[Genkai]

Kingdom of Ferelden: Ostagar, somewhere in the right rear...

Thunder cracked above her head as the daylight was steadily sapped from the sky, leaving little trace of daylight's hope.

Around her, there was darkness and fire, with no hope to be found. As the army of Darkspawn clashed with the army King Cailan had gathered, Wystellia tightened her grip on her wooden staff, one which she had procured when she finally gathered the nerve to go back to Denerim four years ago. The Wonders of Thedas shoppe was also where she bought her yellow attire which had been well worth the gold. Around her neck, she wore the personalized amulet she was given so many years ago upon her Joining, something she found strength in by touching during the difficult battles and long nights filled with the vivid nightmares of torn flesh and spilled blood. Wystellia was a mage and had spent more time training at The Circle and being a Grey Warden than she had living in the Alienage back home. It wasn't so sad when she considered her goal in life was to see the world and those who she shared it with.

Of course, her dreamy vision of travel and doing good deeds hadn't been riddled with such death and destruction. As a Grey Warden, the woman was at least able to slow the progression of despair that plagued Ferelden.

The cries of the wounded and fearful filled her ears as her eyes were left to feast upon the devastation laid out before her. There were other mages by her side, one notably was rather old but unlike the younger fighters, her eyes carried no trace of animosity, only pride. Back in camp, Wystellia thought she heard someone call her Wynne but that was left uncertain and also unimportant. With their staffs raised, many of them unleashed fire and ice spells while a select few used lightening but it was difficult to tell the conjured lightening apart from the natural flashes around the battlefield. Hundreds of bodies were falling to the ground, bones were breaking and limbs were being torn from bodies as the evil army of Darkspwan advanced even further through the bloodied field.

She kept telling herself the beacon would be lit and help would arrive, a plan had been made, all would turn around.

Her specialty was healing but because numbers were few, she had been ordered to stay in back with the other mages and to serve as any other Grey Warden fighting for their land would. Wystellia launched a Winter's Grasp at a Hurlock who was nearing a group of cowering soldiers. "Come on and fight!" She urged them. In another situation, she would have been healing people but with such a large scale of chaos unleashed, it was impossible to risk healing the enemy when they were so pressed together. So instead, the woman fired off minimal spells that wouldn't hit allies in the process. One of the mages who was about eight or nine years her junior, for whatever reason, cast a large spell known as Fireball which wound up hitting more allies than enemies. Crouching, Wystellia waited until the worst had passed and when she got back to her feet, she saw a large horde coming right for them.

A small thing lunged at her and she used both hands to hold her staff outwards which prevented it from clawing at her. She twisted her staff and hit it in the head until it popped like a melon. Wystellia let out a cry as two stray Genlocks came at her from behind and sank their teeth and claws into her arms, forcing her to her knees. She cried out and one of her fellow mages got them off with a quick Arcane Bolt. A hiss escaped her lips as she felt the sting of the attack. Time was slow in creeping by as she continued to fight and defend, her movements relying on her mind to keep calm and block out the horror of seeing her friends overwhelmed and slaughtered. The Spirit Healer felt helpless as someone in higher command ordered her back because her skills would be needed after. "If I don't fight now, none of us will survive the end." She said but did as instructed, knowing commands were given for a reason, just like back in the Circle.

As she looked up and saw smoke, she knew the beacon had been lit.

Maker's breath, there was renewed hope!

Nothing came from Loghain though. As everyone scrambled to fight or flee, Wystellia found herself being pushed in many directions. Her head began to spin as more Darkspwan charged forth. As a knight dueled with four Hurlocks, she hurried over and helped kill them before the knight turned to her and directed her to leave the battlefield, that her death would be meaningless now that they had been abandoned. Helplessness, she was drowning in helplessness and couldn't breathe. Wystellia ran back up toward sturdy ground and stumbled. As soon as she was down, she was attacked and felt her grip on her trusty staff loosening as the energy was drained from her body. The thick smell of bloody grass filled her nose as her arms trembled, unable to support the weight of herself and the enemies atop her. No words could escape, could beg for help as she rolled over and looked at the dark smoke filled sky.

Using the last bit of energy she had, she stabbed the beasts off of her and pushed herself up. To her right she looked and saw two bodies slain. With disgust she soon realized who she was looking at: King Cailan and Duncan, the man who recruited her so long ago. She swallowed and knew without any Lyrium, she was useless unless rested. She used her weapon to get to back to her feet and from there, she staggered away from the battle, still hearing the roars from humans and beasts. It took her hours to make her way away from the war. The first place she arrived at was a small village with only a handful of cabins and shops. It was clearly only meant to be an outpost but when she arrived and saw safety, she fell to her knees and was quickly carried into one of the homes to be treated while she finally got the rest she had been craving, after living through such a real nightmare.

[Drunken Conquistador]

Somewhere

Julien couldn't recognize where he was, nor he could recall how he got there. And to be honest he felt as if something very important was missing. But he couldn't worry about that right now, there were more pressing concerns. Like figuring out where he was and then finding a way back to a safe place. Wharever in Andraste's name that would be.

Just with a cursory glance Julien could see that he was somewhere underground. Or that was what it looked like, with the cavernous roof and almost complete lack of light. Without any other options he took the only path available, following the stony dark corridor. Soon he was able to hear some noises somewhere further down the path, distant chants, shouts and the beating of drums. For some reason he felt himself panicking at the sound, as if something within himself was screaming at him to get away. But he couldn't do that could he? He had only found one tunnel and it lead straight to the sounds.

A few minutes of walking took him to the mouth of the tunnel. By now the sound was overwhelming, as if dozens of thousands of voices chanted, screamed and growled together. Julien ignored the extreme discomfort and soldiered on the last few steps, reaching the mouth of the tunnel and suddenly finding that he was inches close to a enormous drop into the deep valley below.

A valley filled with a moving mass of Darkspawn, slowly advancing like a wave of death and terror, the lack of good illumination down there almost made them look like an single mass, a black writhing thing with a thousand tiny spots of light upon its flesh. Slowly they marched, banging drums, shouting war cries and chanting. Which doesn't makes any sense, Darkspawn can't speak, they don't even have a language for the Maker's sake!

Then he remembered everything: King Cailan's call to arms, the march to Ostagar and the subsequent slaughter. By the Maker, he must have been captured by the Darkspawn and dragged to the Deep Roads. No, that made no sense, if he had been captured he wouldn't be left to his own devices, and do Darkspawn even bother taking male prisoners? He knew that they needed females for the broodmothers, of that he was sure, but what use would they have him hanging around?

Julien's line of thought was suddenly interrupted by an absurdly loud roar followed by a screech. The Warden fell to his knees and looked up. And it was then that he saw it. The Arch Demon, ancient dragon god of Tervinter hovering high up in the air near the roof in all its unholy glory. The loathsome beast was far larger than he could imagine, its body twisted and menacing. Julien was sure that he could the sheer wrong emanating from the abomination even from this distance.

The Arch Demon roared triumphantly and the horde below gave a loud cheer. Julien had to escape, find a way out of this place and return to Vigil's Keep. The Wardens had to be warned. But the Wardens were dead weren't they? Dead like the rest of Ferelden's army at Ostagar. The nation was defenseless and there was nothing that could be done. The Blight-it was truly a Blight this time, Maker have mercy on His children- would sweep over Thedas starting with Ferelden. All was lost.

The Arch Demon gave yet another roar and when Julien looked up he saw the winged abomination swooping down on him. The Warden found himself unable to move or even scream as the monster descended upon him. The last thing he saw was the titanic mouth snapping open to swallow him whole.

The Warden woke up with a startled scream, tossing and turning in his bed. The fact that he was in a bed and bandaged up did little to stifle his panic and confusion. Then the pain hit, sharp, stabbing pain all over his arms and chest mixed with the blunt pulsating feeling of bruises on his torso and legs. And it was the pain that caused him to drop back into bed, gasping for air, wide eyed and struggling to form a coherent sentence.

OOC: How about this? Your next post could be your char being informed that the other Warden woke up. We then have a conversation and a small skip until my char is ready to travel again. How does that sounds?

[Genkai]

Kingdom of Ferelden: Woodsmen Outpost

For Wystellia, the span of time she spent awake, while outweighing her times spent dreaming, was astonishingly unknown. For someone connected to the Fade and its endless pathways and crevices, the mage wasn't sure how long she had been in recovery mode. Her body had been struggling to not only heal the physical but also the emotional wounds she endured while in the hopeless battle at Ostagar. When she finally felt well enough to stand and survey her own body, she found herself relieved to see no injuries. The bruising, cuts, gashes and broken limbs had been repaired, mostly by her own skills. When she was conscious, she recalled herself healing as much as she could before she grew tired and fell back into a state of abyss where suffering was only known to the unfortunate souls.

Upon stepping outside, she was greeted by timid daylight and deduced that it was early morning.

Even with the sun back by her side, Wystellia wasn't sure if she felt hope within it. Shaking her head, someone quickly approached her and saw how miracles it was that she was alive and walking after just two days of finding her way to their little village. Wystellia confessed that she owed her survival to her magical blood and said that she hoped no trouble had followed her to the outpost. The woman with thin jaw bones and grey hair shook her head and said the Maker willed not just one, but two Grey Wardens to survive and do their duty. Much to Wystellia's surprise, the woman wasn't mad, and was actually telling the truth of how another, older, man had also came from the very same bloody display of disloyalty and shock.

"I'd like to see him as soon as he's well enough to speak." Wystellia asked the old woman. To the mage, she knew an ally was better than going it alone. But he would be of no use until he could speak and then walk. The dark haired woman turned and returned to the cabin from where she had originated from, with the old woman following behind her. Once back inside, Wystellia sat down on the bed and rubbed her face, trying to piece back together more of the night that remained in fragments. She remembered how she felt and she also remembered the things she saw but it was still a very muddled picture running through her head.

Had Loghain truly betrayed the King and Duncan?

Her dry lips pressed together and she looked to the fire in the brick fireplace and got up to get her staff which rested against the wall. Once it was back in her hand, she flicked it to the fireplace and the embers came to life again, giving the room a much warm feeling. Was it hope? There was another one of her kind and she was sure that hope could be found if she looked hard enough. Still, the facts themselves couldn't be ignored and she hoped that with his account, things would become clear, regardless of the unwanted truth. Wystellia was then given a clay pot and inside was a bed of rice and atop that, some bits of meat and root vegetables. "Thank you." She smiled to the woman who then left her alone to eat. She sat back down and placed her weapon behind her on the bed, the light from the fire almost making it glow like a holy artifact blessed by the Maker.

Once she finished eating, she felt more strength returning to her bones and she got up, and went back outside. A few burly men were walking through the village, carrying equipment on their backs and shoulders. "Would you like any help?" She asked, wanting to repay them for the meal and safety they selflessly provided for her and her unknown companion. They gruffly declined and said her help was worth more elsewhere. Then one of the men pointed to another small cabin and said to go talk to her friend. Wystellia gave an understanding nod and walked over, staff in hand. Giving a double knock, she stepped back and found herself filled with anxiety.

A survivor. Like herself. Who could it be?

When she was told to come in, she did just that and turned to close the door behind her. When she turned around, she needed a few moments before she put a name to his face. "...Julien..." She internally gave her brain a thankful stroke and stepped forward and gave his own dwindling fireplace a burst so more light could fill the room. With the day ahead of them, she knew the fire wouldn't be needed soon. "I'm so glad I'm not alone." She found herself saying first. Neither of them knew of the lies Loghain was already spreading, as well as troops being sent out to deal with any survivors such as themselves. "Do you need any further healing?" She then asked, a question her lips were very used to presenting to people she met on her travels. Even so, it sounded different...for some reason.

She approached his bedside and crouched by his side, looking at him carefully, her pointed ears twitching slightly under her sleek hair. "I can't erase what either of us saw..." She swallowed. "But something has to be done about what Loghain did to us, did to King Cailan...and Duncan." But they were Grey Warden, not people who got hung up in revenge. "I know it isn't our place but with the Blight upon us, our nation cannot unravel and remain divided." She quickly said to him. "As much as we want to think the betrayal has nothing to with us as Grey Wardens, it does." Wystellia said firmly. "With more Darkspawns being sighted all over the place, we need to unite if we're going to survive it, we can't waste time fighting one another."

[Drunken Conquistador]

Ferelden. Woodesmen outpost

"Wystellia..." Julien said as his face screwed into a confused frown. "What are you talking about?" He asked as he raised himself to a sitting position up on the bed, groaning slightly as he did so. "I've been out of action since the battle. What's all this talk about Loghain, Duncan and the king?" The duelist paused and sighed. Loghain wouldn't have betrayed them. Even in the Free Marches the reputation of the Hero of River Dane was well known. And from what little Julien saw of him at the camp, the teyrn presented an image of stern competence. Not exatly the type of man to let half his army die for no apparent reason. But then again, Loghain's forces never showed up. Though this could also mean that they were also overwhelmed by the Darkspawn. Maker knows they had the numbers for it.

Running a hand through his hair he surveyed his surroundings. He had no recollection of how he ended up here, wherever here was. And if it wasn't for the dull pain all over his body Julien would've thought that the massacre at Ostagar was merely another nightmare. Even now his mind refused to completely accept that it had truly happened.

"Why don't you start by telling me where we are and how we got here and then go from there?" He asked as he passed a hand through his wounded arm, that was somewhat healed. "And for the record, a little magic would do wonders to put me back on the field. I feel like a Qunari danced over my body." He added with a smile as he searched his body for wounds and bruises

[Genkai]

Kingdom of Ferelden: Woodsmen Outpost

Perhaps it had been overly optimistic for her to think he had seen what she had. She had hoped he could have provided more insight into the events that occurred but she also knew he may have been in an area where he had only fought, having not noticed much else around him. Wystellia didn't have all the facts and until she did, she knew she couldn't make too rash of a judgement when it came to Loghain. Where she thrived though, was when she was given an order. She liked to follow them, the structure provided was somewhat comforting, possibly contradicting her need for freedom but to her, freedom didn't mean chaos and recklessness.

For now, the two of them were sitting on the edge of chaos, considering they could have easily been killed but were instead alive.

There was silence and the mage waited, unsure if he would remember anything else from the cluttered battle and ruins. Things hadn't gone according to plan and in her mind, Loghain could have handled it but instead he hadn't. Why? Blinking away the images of the dead bodies, she looked back to Julien, unsure of how well he was to travel. But where would they even go? Sure, they couldn't stay where they were but who could they turn to? His next words solidified his disorientation and she told herself to be careful and tread tenderly. "Alright." She licked her lips and looked off, not sure what to say and what to keep to herself until he seemed more physically and mentally up to hearing more of the blunt facts.

"I don't know much because I just got up as well." She gave a disclaimer to the man, even if she was in a better spot than him. He then mentioned how some magic would be great, making the woman give him a small nod. His final comment coaxed a medium sized smile to scamper across her face. "I don't think they're the dancing sort...trampling, I suppose but let's see what I can do about that." Wystellia said lightly and began to channel her healing magic. "We're in a small little village where woodsmen often congregate." She began to tell him as she pointed her staff at Julien's body and began to do a basic healing spell for his wounds before she began to use something more potent, having needed to ease both the patent and herself, into the healing process.

Wystellia's eyes were focused on her target, taking note of what needed more effort and what could be left to heal on its own. "I think I walked here but you, I have a feeling someone helped you find your way here." She told him. "I did offer to stay and help but those who are here, insisted we not linger when we're well enough to leave on our own." She set her staff down, rather pleased with what work she could do. The major injuries had been fixed and even some of the minor ones, were mended as well. "I don't know if there's anything...or anyone left back in Ostagar." She told him grimly and got to her feet. "It might be helpful to go back though, see if it helps us remember anything, maybe there would be a clue as to what exactly happened." Or didn't.

Of course, they could move on elsewhere if the idea didn't sit well with Julien. "Right now, we're both without a clear direction. We need answers and we won't find them if we stick around here." She pointed out. "These generous people don't need to be taking care of us. It's our job to take care of them...and everyone else for that matter." Wystellia walked the four steps over to the window and looked outside to see people still doing their work, cutting wood, making stew, carrying food for their livestock. "There have to be other Grey Wardens out there...right?" She turned back to the man. "Maybe they found other places to flee to." She knew deep down, it was desperate thinking.

[Drunken Conquistador]

@Genkai

Kingdom of Ferelden. Woodsmen Camp

The smile in Julien's face faltered as he realized that his fellow Warden was just as clueless and confused as him. He should have suspected of course. No would would be able to form any kind of coherent image of the big picture. Ostagar had been a complete and confusing disaster. Of course, Loghain could have betrayed them and simply taken his forces out of the field. But the Darkspawn could have just as easily overwhelmed him too. Maker knows they have the numbers for that. Julien sighed inwardly at the thought, wondering what would be worse. That Loghain had indeed chosen the worst time in Ferelden's history to launch a coup or that the Kingdom was truly without defense. At least

His line of thought was interrupted by the warm and cozy feeling of magic coursing through his body and healing his wounds. The sensation was so good that the duelist was unable to suppress a satisfied groan even as he tried to keep focus and listen to his fellow Warden talking. Inwardly he agreed with the woodsmen, there were bigger threats that required the Wardens' attention. Besides, Julien himself wasn't willing to stick around so close to Ostagar after what happened. Specially if his fears about the destruction of Loghain's army were correct. And even if not he knew that without the Royal Army soon the whole south of Ferelden would fall. The best they could do was to run north and maybe get to the capital or Vigil's Keep. And from there send word to Orlais, the Free Marches and the Anderfels, asking for reinforcements.

When Wystellia suggested going back to that accursed place Julien felt himself compelled to snap at her. But stayed his tongue and allowed her to finish. It was the least courtesy he could show to the one healing his wounds after all. He agreed with her in the fact that they needed a plan and had to get out of here. Julien doubted that it would take long for the Darkspawn to reach them. When the mage walked over to the window Julien sighed and then replied:

"We can't go back to Ostagar. Not so soon after the battle. The place is probably crawling with the Spawn and I doubt that we are safe here either. First thing we need to do is to put some distance between us and them. We also ought to warn the locals about the danger of staying here." The duelist paused to turn his head towards Wystellia. "Then we need to get information, even a slightly larger village could offer something in our situation. But we can't stay in a single place for long." Julien paused once again, as if steeling himself to continue his line of thought. "And while others may have survived we must assume that we are the last Wardens in Ferelden. At least until we can confirm that others survived."

Julien then stood up from the bed, now without anymore trouble, and walked over to Wystellia: "We are Grey Wardens and our life's duty is to fight the Darkspawn. But we can't do it alone. We need to find a way to contact the other chapters of our order and request help. Though I doubt we have much time, without the Royal Army on the way the Horde could easily trample Ferelden before a relief expedition could be mounted." He laughed, it was slightly forced but it was the best he could do at the time to cheer himself up, and then added in an attempt to lighten the tone: "I didn't realized being a Grey Warden would be so much trouble."

[Genkai]

Kingdom of Ferelden: Woodsmen Outpost

As much as she wanted to go back and check for survivors or any information, or even supplies, Julien was right.

It would be a breeding ground for the enemy.

Gathering information wouldn't be easy. Even if they got information, she wasn't sure if it would be reliable. If only they had first hand accounts, as opposed to the usual rumor and gossip which blew across the land effortlessly. Tall tales could be spun without checking for validity. Could Wystellia put her trust in what a stranger said? Ideally, they'd find someone who was credible but even so, she would have liked to find Loghain himself and see what was needed and what actually happened. Something inside her gut, told her clarity wouldn't be easily found otherwise.

But they also had to assume the worst, that they were the only Grey Wardens, which was a tough pill to swallow. More bad news wasn't good for the body, let alone brain. Wystellia's stomach now housed both anxiety and worry and she was certain more would follow. As Julien got up from the bed, she found herself trying to win the battle raging in her head. Everything felt so futile, so hopeless and yet they were in a small village that should have been wiped out and yet it remained steady the way their team hadn't. The Grey Wardens' numbers were already dwindling while they tried to recruit new members, but to think that their future rested on her and Julien's shoulders, was a heavy weight to carry.

Julien walked over and mentioned how they couldn't give up, that they needed to do their duty and find others to help them. Help them do what? Fight Darkspawn? How could they do that when there was already restlessness among the towns and cities of Ferelden? A lot was being asked of two battered Wardens. Julien then let out a laugh which did little to comfort or amuse the mage but she appreciated the gesture's intent so she gave a small smile in response. His final statement did strike a cord with the elf though and she let a small dry chuckle. "Yes, these moments of impossible hardship aren't painted on banners that parade around recruiters."

Wystellia looked to the man next to her. "Tomorrow morning we'll need to go and head for the next town we can find." She told him. For now, she wanted to be cautious and let them both have one more night of restful sleep before they hit the road. A village would be too small since they both would need to find supplies and see what they could trade as well. "I might try look around this afternoon, see if I can find anything useful." She mentioned to Julien as she walked around and paused at the door. "We may not be able to do a formal Joining but that doesn't mean we're going to be alone in this fight."

Wystellia was determined to make sure they had allies somehow.

With that, she saw herself out and walked into the middle of the camp to see if she could help with anything. The old woman said she needed some more water from a nearby river. Wystellia was happy to oblige and took both large wooden buckets and headed off into the woods. Even though she was an elf, she wasn't Dalish but did dream of finding her own kind sometime and getting in touch with her roots. Her parents weren't Dalish but her grandparents were, sadly they died but not before filling the young girl's ears with wild tales which spurred her to dream of a bigger life beyond the walls of the Alienage.

As she walked along the dirt, she kept her ears perked for any enemies. When she arrived at the small river fifteen minutes later, she filled a bucket and moved away to quickly wash herself off. When she was done, she took both refilled buckets back to the camp grounds and the woman thanked her. Being a Grey Warden was often a thankless job but hearing those words, even for the water, made the mage feel a little less dull and worthless. The rest of the day passed without incident and in the morning, she gathered her belongings and headed out the door, ready to move on with Julien.

"Julien, are you ready to go?" She knocked on his door and waited for an answer. As she did, she turned and looked to the majority of the folks who stayed to see them off. Wystellia smiled at them and assured them that she didn't sense any hordes coming for their grounds but that it could change suddenly, and to move camp as soon as possible, to be safe. They handed her two red shiny speckled apples and she placed them in her leather messenger pack which went over her dirtied yellow robes. "Thank you." She said, knowing any food would do her and Julien some good on the road. Once they hit a town though, she would want to get real supplies for food and potions, her supplies had been wiped out and lose in battle and she was just happy to have her staff still with her.

"Let's hit the road, we'll find breakfast along the way." She knocked again.

[Drunken Conquistador]

@Genkai

Kingdom of Ferelden. Woodsmen outpost

Julien couldn't help but wonder on Wystellia's words about not being alone in this fight. A part of him wanted to believe these words, cling desperately to the idea that other Wardens had managed to escape the massacre, that there were other forces in Ferelden that could be marshaled to face the Blight. But another more rational, or maybe simply more pessimistic, made it hard for him to actually believe this notion. It was so much easier to believe that they were doomed. Because they were, weren't they? The whole Ferelden would be consumed by the Blight and two Wardens would make no difference. Except maybe kill a few more of the accursed Spawn. Not that it would make much difference in the end. If he were to be honest with himself, Julien felt as if he was already dead. His body was mostly healed and fit for travel, but for what? What could two Wardens do at this point that an army couldn't achieve? Maybe it would be better to go to Ostagar after all, at least he would die with some dignity left in that case.

The duelist immediately chastised himself, shaking his head to clear his mind of such thoughts. Hadn't he had just talked about the duty of the Grey Wardens to Wystellia? Were those just empty words? It was clear that both of them were shaken, to say the least, by recent events. They also lacked a plan, supplies and probably the mental capacity to even start working on fighting this Blight. By the Maker, it was already doubtful that the two of them would be able to contact the other Wardens before it was too late. Specially if Loghain had indeed decided to betray them, though why he would do that Julien couldn't even start to fanthom.

Turning his back to the window and leaning on it with a heavy sigh of defeat. But what else could he do? He had joined the Wardens on his own will, he had said the words, drank the blood and survived. He was a Grey Warden and he had a mission. He may not have actually expected to have to fight a Blight in his lifetime but it was part of the job nevertheless. It was his duty and his legacy. Long ago he had decided to make his own path in the world. And what better legacy than helping to stop a Blight? Even if the chances of actually achieving something were quite low he still had to try. And if he died in the attempt, which probably would happen, Julien would at least be able to stand before the Maker with pride and say that he had did his best and died doing his duty. The duelist chuckled lightly at the thought

His little pep talk finished, the now properly motivated Warden went to the other side of the room to check his gear. The woodsmen had stored it in a simple chest laid by the bed. Everything was there, or rather most of it anyways. His shortsword was missing but he probably lost it when his arm was almost chopped off. His armor had seen better days; the brigandine was dented ripped in some places while the chain mail was missing some links, it could probably be fixed easily by a good blacksmith. If he had the money to pay for it, which Julien hadn't. He had left most of his money at the camp. And to boot his helmet was missing too, but in this case he clearly remembered losing it at the start of the fight. Though at least his boots and longsword were in good condition.

Julien decided against putting his armor, what would be the point of doing that now? Preferring to remain in tunic and pants. Before following Wystellia's lead and seeking to offer his help to the locals. He spent the rest of the day helping the woodsmen carrying and cutting logs. Sometime after nightfall he returned to the cot they had graciously offered him and slept soundly despite everything. Remembering his father's words that a hard day of work were the best way to calm one's thoughts.

The next day he woke up shortly after sunrise, and after praying, went about the business of dressing up. Julien started by putting the chain mail over the tunic and then the brigandine over it. It was not the most protective set but Julien's fighting style valued agility over sheer staying power. Something, he had to admit, wasn't as useful in large pitched battles as it was in tourneys, duels and small skirmishes. Not that he could change now, he had spent most of his life fighting like that and he was damn good at it. Still, it wouldn't hurt to look for ways to increase the protection in his legs next time he had the chance.

It was then that he heard the knock on the door. Deftly strapping his belt and pack on before sheathing his longsword he moved towards the door, not bothering to call out as he was so close to it.

"Alright my friend." He grinned to Wystellia as he opened the door. "Ferelden won't save itself!" Sure, he believed that their mission was almost surely doomed. But that was no reason to not put up a brave face at least for Wystellia's benefit. They would need all the moral reinforcement they could get.

[Genkai]

Kingdom of Ferelden: Woodsmen Outpost

In her mind, both of them had done enough to repay the kind strangers for their hospitality.

For now, it was time to get moving. Wystellia stepped back when the door finally opened to reveal the only other known Grey Warden who could protect the country. "I kind of wish it would." She couldn't help but jokingly mutter under her breath as she moved to let Julien step into the warm glow of the morning stretched out before them. "Let's get moving." She agreed more loudly, mostly for Julien since he seemed so determined yesterday afternoon to make sure they had a bright outlook on everything. Wystellia wasn't certain but for now, she'd do her best to see that reality, as grim as it was, had some patches of light and that was enough to keep them going. They were Grey Wardens after all.

The pair waved and parted ways from the woodsmen and their company as they headed out into the woods. As they walked, her eyes scanned both the left and right side. The pathway was heavily used but even so, it didn't grant them immunity from wolves or bears or Darkspawn. "How are you feeling today? Fit for battle I hope." She glanced to Julien. Whether they were in top form or not, they were going to have to be ready for ambushes or traps. In the woods, anything was possible and the last thing either of them needed was to be hurt by a careless mistake or something they simply failed to notice in the first place.

"You know we're going to need to find a deer or bear to eat." She told him as a twig snapped under her foot as they walked.

"There is a river nearby, I could try finding it but it's a good ways off the path." She then brought up, not sure if he had a particular fancy for a certain kind of meat. She wasn't fond of fish or sea food but if she was really hungry and in a bad state, she'd force herself to stomach it. Right now though, they some choices and she didn't want to squander such a luxury. "What we don't eat, we can carry and trade, same wtth the pelt and teeth, if we find a fuzzy bear or wolf, that is." She didn't want to get too ahead of herself though. Wystellia also knew that finding game was something a gamble, it was even more of one to kill it and take the time to prepare it for a fire. Even so, they needed food since they had been through a tough battle. A light meal or two wasn't going to do the any favors.

Before they could have any more time to consider their next meal, three large spiders jumped down from the trees and scuttled toward them. Back at The Circle, Wystellia had seen a few spiders lingering around but she didn't like them one bit. Even if she was a grown woman, she felt she had every right to be massively uncomfortable. Letting a small gasp, she stepped back and frantically ducked behind Julien, not at all feeling guilty or embarrassed about using him as a shield. In the meantime though, she stuck her arm out with her staff and began to shoot a large flame out at the creepy overgrown arachnids.

Two of them caught on fire but the last one, and larger of the already large ones, managed to avoid her blaze.

Her heart rate accelerated and she finally stepped away from her human shield named Julien and attempted to freeze the third one but again her spell hadn't had the pleasure of connecting with its target. The foes were fast but she was also aware that she was still a little drained and that she wouldn't be her skilled self so quickly. And combat and accuracy weren't her strong suit either. Wystellia was a healer, someone who enjoyed powering up or weakening from the sidelines. She stumbled back as a spider attacked her and tried to pin her to the ground. She managed to kick it away and finally cast a Glyph of Paralysis at the most bothersome spider.

Two of the minions got caught in it, just in time to have Julien deliver finishing blows to both, but that still left the largest one. To her knowledge, and she had plenty of it, it wasn't a Queen or anything dangerous but it was still clever and clever enemies were very dangerous. She used a spell to give Julien's attacks a bit more a bite to them. Even though most of her supplies were gone, save for her robes and staff, she was sure she could make a poison for Julien's blade which would give them an advantage in other fights. For now though, she sent bursts of energy toward to spider as it finally went on the offensive since the other two spiders were now nothing but decay now.

"Let's finish this, I'm starving."

[Drunken Conquistador]

Kingdom of Ferelden. Somewhere in the south

As they walked away from the woodsmen camp, Julien couldn't help but wonder if their saviors would manage to escape before the Blight got to them. He supposed that if they got out now the woodsmen would have a chance. But if they waited too long they would die. No, scratch that, they would probably die anyway. Whether they fled now or waited. Julien himself was starting to doubt he and Wystellia would get very far considering how close the horde should be and their deplorable supply situation. To make matters worse, the duelist had no idea where the closest settlement was. And even if he knew the two of them probably didn't had enough coin to buy enough supplies for two Wardens. Why in the Maker's name did they had to eat so much anyway?

Wystellia's idea of hunting their own food did little to improve Julien's mood. For one Julien was never the most proficient hunter. The few times he had to hunt for his own dinner usually ended with him going to sleep hungry. And that was when had had access to either a bow. It would probably be much harder to hunt with a longsword. And forcing Wystellia to use her magic to kill a deer seemed like overkill. Plus he also doubted that she was a good hunter herself, considering that she probably grew in the Ferelden Circle of Mages.

The idea of fishing however, was much more attractive to Julien. And he wasted no time in making his opinion clear:

"I think it would be easier if we just went fishing. A fish may not be as filling as a deer or bear but it's much safer, easier and faster." The mere thought of going fishing brought back a rush of happy memories from his childhood. The many fishing trips his father took Julien and his brother would always have a special place in his heart. And the taste of the spiced up fish prepared by the servants would always serve to make his stomach grumble.

Unfortunately the spiders interrupted what was sure to be a reasonable and calm discussion.

Not wasting any time Julien drew his longsword with his right hand while the left instinctively reached for the empty sheath that housed his now lost shortsword. As if their situation wasn't already hard enough when he had two weapons, now he had to adapt his fighting style to using just one weapon. Not to mention that shortsword had been a prize from winning a melee at Kirkwall. It would be impossible to replace it.

Thankfully Wystellia's magic was enough to give them the edge. It was then Julien realized just how relieved he was that his companion also had some offensive spells despite being a healer. Maybe they would get a little farther than he thought in this case?

Jumping into the fray the Warden easily dispatched two of the smaller spiders. Feeling suddenly reinvigorated as Wystellia's spells took hold of him. Turning quickly to face the remaining spider, and largest one of the group, Julien managed to land a blow and sever one of the monster's legs as it was too busy getting magic spells to the face.

Deftly dodging a clumsy strike from the spider, Julien took his chance and tried to impale the spider's head with his sword. Unfortunately the monster managed to bring two of its legs to block, wounding them severely in the process, while using a third to stab the duelist. Barely managing to avoid being skewered by the spider, the duelist advanced again. This time managing to sever one of the wounded legs and avoid the beast's attempts to bite him by quickly sidestepping to the left. Which gave him a better position to bring down his sword on the spider's head, finishing the monster once and for all. As the monster fell dead to the ground he turned to Wystellia:

"So, do you think these things are edible?" Julien grinned at his own joke. The thrill of victory making him forget the hopelessness of the situation for a few moments.

[Genkai]

Kingdom of Ferelden: Somewhere in the south...

Julien's preference towards fishing was mighty unfortunate but right now, it was a matter she didn't want to argue.

They had nastier problems to deal with.

Despite the rocky start, their battle was finally taking a positive turn as Julien managed to duke it out with the final spider. Wystellia stood back and raised her staff toward him, having a better shot as she sent a mild healing spell his way, just in case he needed it. From the look of things however, he was going to win the battle which meant they had a few more hours of promised life before some nasty creatures tried to attack them again, if they were lucky of course. And so far, their luck had been pretty good. Both of them could have easily been killed in the confusion by either the enemy or a frightened solider.

Either way, Wystellia was happy that they could continue onward, no matter the futility.

"Very good." She praised Julien as he finally landed a finishing blow to the spider. Stepping forward to inspect their damage, Julien asked whether or not they were edible. She gave him a scowl, not finding the joke amusing. Spiders were gross, crude, vicious and overall awful things that often plagued her dreams when she was in the Fade. "I'll pass." She pouted and tapped the spider with the bottom of her staff, just double checking that it was indeed, dead. "If you'd like to try, I suspect the vile taste would compliment its potent venom." She mentioned. "And...suddenly eating fish sounds like a great plan." Wystellia admitted as the thought of taking a mouthful of a spider's roasted leg made her nauseous.

As much as she wanted to eat game, she knew she could be picky when they weren't so close to a massive gathering of Darkspawn. Looking around, she motioned for Julien to follow her as she led them off the dusty path and further into the woods. Birds flew overhead and rays of sunlight managed to hit them as they kept bumbling around. They went over a rocky hill and then made their way down. The sound of quick flowing water could be heard faintly and Wystellia looked to her right and jogged over to another, more steep hill and looked down to see a river down below. They weren't too high above it but if they wanted to get to lower ground, it would be another couple of minutes. And since neither of them knew where they were in regards to Ostagar, they didn't know how close they were to another town.

They would either need to keep moving or accept that taking a longer time to keep moving, meant having to make camp in the woods, and given their lack of supplies, it would be a very difficult night. Her mind was also considering that if Darkspawn appeared, she and Julien could easily be outnumbered and overwhelmed if they were careless. "Do you think you'd be able to fish here or should we look for a better spot?" She asked him. She could probably help with her magic but she didn't think it would do much good if she tried freezing the river or firing flames at it. If anything, she figured that would ensure that there would be no fish to reel in. If they get something, she'd be able to fry it up nicely and thankfully she didn't require tinder or anything like that.

[Drunken Conquistador]

@Genkai

Kingdom of Ferelden. Somewhere in the south.

"I'm sure that a accomplished healer like you wouldn't find much trouble dealing with just a little bit of poison." Julien teased as he wiped his blade clean with a rag. Not that it was of much use now however, the rag itself was pretty frayed and dirty itself. Plus Julien had also lost the oils and unguents he commonly used to maintain his weapons. He stopped his work momentarily, cursing silently at the loss of such expensive material.

At least he had gotten Wystellia to agree to fish. Which wouldn't be that easy now that he stopped to think about it. Well, maybe he could fashion an improvised spear out of some sticks like that templar had showed him back near Starkhaven?

Without any further ado he followed Wystellia silently. Eyes carefully surveying his surroundings for any more looming threats. Now that the thrill and excitement of victory had worn out, Julien was once again filled with that mix of hopelessness and resignation that he was sure would soon become a familiar companion during the remainder of his -probably- short life. He shook the thoughts away, there was no way back now. He would just have to do his best and hope to accomplish something. The duelist snorted loudly at that last thought, chances were they would end up dead once the horde caught up with them.

The rest of the walk was silent. Julien followed the elf up the dusty path and into the hills, his throat reacting instinctively once the sounds of running water became audible . The river she indicated would be a good spot as any. Julien wasn't banking on them succeeding while trekking up further into the wilds blindly with a empty stomach. He may had resigned himself to their eventual demise but he still had enough fight left in him to prefer a quick death in battle rather than starving to death in an unknown land.

"Chances are that river probably has some fish." Julien replied as he walked down the hill towards the river. "We just need a few sturdy sticks or branches to fashion spears with and we ought to be able to catch at least a couple fishes." Of course, a couple fishes would not be able to sate a Grey Warden's increased appetite but that part was left unsaid. "Once we're done." He continued as he bent down to grab and study a promising piece of wood. "We ought to use the sun and stars to locate ourselves." The stick was rotten and he had to throw it away. "I mean, Ostagar is in the south and we need to head north. A-HA!" Julien found an acceptable tree branch. Cutting it down with his longsword he quickly sharpened one end and with a silent prayer to the Maker he finally went to the river.

[Genkai]

Kingdom of Ferelden: Somewhere in the south...

If their resources had not been so minimal, she would suggested making something more clever and reliable than using stick and using them like spears. For now, there wasn't much else they could do that wouldn't seem crazy or risky. Wystellia followed Julien downwards toward the lower part of the crest where he began to look for the sort of branch that would be strong enough to pierce a fish but light enough for them to actually use to do so. The man continued to speak as he went to work on the branch he just procured. "Well the sun rose to the left of the village we were in..." She then turned in a circle to see where it was now. "It's rising from over there." She pointed beyond the river.

"Did you know that the sun doesn't really rise in the east, nor does it really set in the west?"

Thanks to the reading she had done in her younger years at The Circle, Wystellia knew that the mannerisms of the sun weren't so cliche and predictable as many might think. "That only happens twice during a normal year. Otherwise the sun will rise either slightly northeast or southeast. It of course depends on the season, as well as where someone is. If we were in The Orlesian Empire, that would also need to be taken into consideration. With the proper tools I could give a more accurate display of where we need to go..." She trailed off as she had bee pacing around the general wooded area for the past minute or two, also in the process of finding her own suitable branch or bit of wood that she could use.

"But I think we head in a general direction and look for a path, it will have to lead us somewhere." Wystellia said. At the moment, they appeared to be moving west which meant they needed to change direction but only slightly. "We need to start going more right...right?" She glanced to him as she planted a foot on a tree's trunk and grabbed hold of a branch and began to try pulling and wiggling to get it to break off. When it finally gave, she stumbled backward but steadied herself before she wound up in the river. Turning to Julien, she handed him what she had managed to find so he could do the honors.

Once their pieces of wood were sharpened, Wystellia and Julien set to work trying to catch some fish. Like Julien, she wasn't too sure of the method but they had little choice. "I'm giving this ten minutes to work, otherwise we're going off and tracking some real food." She told him. They couldn't waste daylight trying to make a meal but at the same time, they couldn't spend time walking only to be without energy when they needed to fight. It was a tricky thin line to walk across. She saw a shadow and threw her makeshift spear at it. It missed and the fish quickly swam off. She reached over and got the spear back without getting her feet too wet. Already, the practice of throwing, missing and then fetching was becoming tiresome and dulle.

"I do have two apples for us to eat, just in case we can't find anything." She mentioned to him as she kept eyeing the river again, despite not being too thrilled about the event of possibly catching a fish and having to skin, cook and eat it. "Since we're gonna be traveling together for...a while, we should probably get to know one another. Back in Ostagar, there wasn't a real formal chance to do so. We have a lot of time now though." She said and glanced over to him. "Do you have any family?" It was likely he didn't. Most people nowadays had lost someone, if not everyone close to them. That was what the Blight would do, take everything wonderful away while dragging survivors down to their knees.

[Drunken Conquistador]

@Genkai

Kingdom of Ferelden. Somewhere in the south.

Julien nodded absently as Wystellia explained the intricacies of the Sun. It wasn't like he didn't care, as a general rule Julien often found these little tidbits of information interesting, but he was more worried about sharpening the stick so that they could work on catching dinner than listening to technicalities. As useful as they may prove in the future. And in any case it was not like he would actually absorb the information in any useful way now. Yes, let her worry about that. Julien was too busy wetting his boots to bother with that.

Well, of course. Heading in a general direction would take them somewhere alright. Julien thought to himself. It's just that following a random path blindly could take them right into the Darkspawn Horde just as it could take them straight to Denerim. "We need to start going more right...right?" Julien repeated with an amused tone. "By the way you were speaking I figured you would use your years of academic studies to pinpoint our exact location in relation to King Cailan's third cousin through his second aunt." He joked as Wystellia handed him the stick. In no time he had already handed the sharpened stick back to the elf.

Once the two of them were in the river, Julien finally realized that maybe this method of fishing wasn't the best. To be honest the templar that taught him wasn't that good either. And the two of them ended up going to sleep with their bellies empty. But he was digressing and losing focus. Shaking his head slightly he strained his eyes to look for fishes. Ignoring her when she talked about giving up and suppressing a small chuckle when she missed.

"You will never catch anything if you don't get your feet wet." Julien warned as he narrowly missed a fish with his spear. Thrusting again and again as he tried to catch the fish before it swam out of reach. Almost falling on the river on the process. "A little water won't kill you. Unless there's some facts about elves that I'm unaware." He teased as he gave her a quick glance.

The question about family kinda caught him by surprise and Julien almost speared his own foot. It's not like he wasn't expecting this conversation. They were travelling together after all. But he figured the 'let's know each other better' talk would come later. Preferably when they weren't busy with anything else. Still, there was no reason to reply:

"I got family back home in the Marches. Mother, two older brothers, five nephews and six nieces." He said casually as he trained his eyes on an incoming fish. "It has been a while since I've seen them however." He added as he readied himself to spear the fish. "Decided to make my own path and got out of home as soon as I could to be-" Julien paused as he thrusted his spear at the fish. "Caught one!" He announced triumphantly as he raised his improvised weapon out of the river, a still twitching fish impaled on the top. "It looks like we won't go to bed completely starved today." He added with a grin as he unstuck the fish from the spear and laid it on the river bank.

"Anyway, where was I?" Julien asked as he returned to the river. Because he was damn sure that he could catch at least one more fish to complement their dinner. "Ah yes, I spent most of my adult life as a wandering duelist before joining the Wardens. Never had many chances to stop by and visit them. What about you? Had anyone before going to the Circle?"

[Genkai]

Kingdom of Ferelden: Somewhere in the south...

His joke regarding orienteering themselves to an obscure potential ally make her smirk a little. "Just give me time and we'll get there." She wryly replied to Julien. As they began to take shots at the fish, he mentioned her needing to get her feet wet. She frowned and looked down, not really wanting to walk with wet feet. It just didn't feel right. And maybe it was because she didn't grow up around water and hence, wasn't exposed to it until she took the boat over to The Circle and then later became a Grey Warden, but she didn't trust the stuff. Not when it was out in the open. It could react on its own when it was an ocean or river or waterfall.

Wystellia was nervous and looked upwards at the river, wondering if it would suddenly pick up and wash them miles away.

No, she couldn't think like that.

It was a silly thought and she felt silly for thinking it.

She bent down and took off her boots. "Elves don't mind water." She huffed. "I do." She said as she set them aside and walked closer to the riverbank. Wystellia inched her way into the river and glanced at Julien, hoping he was satisfied with the effort. In her mind, this was wasting time and making her even more hungry. The more energy they expelled, they needed to ensure that it was restored as well. As much as she wanted to chase after a deer and pretend she was back in a forest like her ancestors, they had committed to fishing and they had to see it through now.

When Julien finally indulged her in the topic of conversation, she was surprised to hear the family he had. It was a lot, at least in her mind. As he spoke about his family and how he had been so determined to get out of there, he exclaimed he caught a fish. The mage looked down at the water rushing between her toes and decided she couldn't let him do all the fishing. She began furiously stabbing at the water, trying to get something. Anything. After a few tries, she managed to get a fish by its tail. She bent down and wrestled with it. She stood up and let out a sigh, feeling pretty tired after having dueled with the slippery headache.

"After you left home." She said when Julien wondered where he had left off.

It was unfortunate, to her anyway, that he hadn't gone back to his family. For all she knew, her family was gone, either killed or starved. But she could understand not wanting to go back, as much as it hurt. "Me? I grew up in Denerim in the Alienage there." She said as she made her way out of the river, not feeling as bold as Julien was. One was more than enough to her. "My parents did what they could to get by..." She thought back to the struggles she wasn't supposed to see behind closed doors. She shook her head and tried to pick some of the leaves and murk off of her feet so she could put her boots back on.

Hopefully the sun would dry her feet off somewhat.

"When I showed signs of having magical blood...I was taken away from my family. Part of me hoped I could go back and use my magic to break everyone out but I know now it's...a childish whim." She told him. "Years and years passed, then Duncan came and recruited me and...I did go back to Denerim a few years ago, did some shopping...debated whether or not to see my family." She began to lace up her boots, the very ones she got back in the aforementioned city. "I ended up paying them a visit, my father was older than I had ever imagined, my mother was gone...maybe dead or just gone, no one really told me." She shrugged and stood up and picked her fish back up, it finally having suffocated on dry land.

"Being a Grey Warden takes time, makes you forget yourself sometimes. It's a double edged sword."

[Drunken Conquistador]

Kingdom of Ferelden. Somewhere in the South

Julien remained quiet as Wystellia spoke about her time in the Alienage. As much as it would be polite to say something he figured that they weren't close enough for the words to have any real meaning. Plus Wystellia might not be comfortable touching the subject. And as she withdrew from the river Julien turned back to the flowing water. If he could catch just one more fish, he said to himself, just one more and he would get out of the river and dry his boots.

"Well..."Julien started awkwardly as she finished telling him of her trip to Denerim. "For what is worth I'm sorry for your loss." Now that he could say with sincerity. The duelist knew very well the pain of losing a parent. And though his circumstances were better, if you can truly apply this word to this kind of situation, the sentiment was still there.

"Just one more things they don't tell when you sign up." He joked in an attempt to lighten the mood at her last commentary. To be frank however, there are lot of things the Grey Wardens don't tell their new recruits. But then again, if the details of the Joining were common knowledge he doubted that many would be willing to join the order. Julien himself, he had to admit, would probably not even think twice about the possibility if he knew that he could die just from the initiation into the order. And if he hadn't joined the order he wouldn't be in this mess.

Shaking these thoughts out of his head Julien once again tried to focus on the river. He had joined the Wardens on his own free will and there was nothing that he could to change it. Wondering about the past would do no good. And it was with a clear head that he finally managed to spear a second fish.

"That should be enough." Julien declared as he walked out of the river. "It's not much but should be enough to get us going some more time." He admitted as he shook of his legs on the river banks. "Wanna get a fire going here or do you prefer to look for somewhere else to camp?"

[Genkai]

Kingdom of Ferelden: Somewhere in the south...

Julien did seem sincere in his condolences but Wystellia was ready to move on to more productive topics of conversation. To her knowledge, you couldn't bring back the dead, nor could you change the past. He was right though, the trails and sacrifices you made after you became a Grey Warden weren't spoken out loud. It was only until it was too late, did the consequences and risks finally come into focus. The fact they didn't have long to live, if they made it through the countless battle. But also the fact that they could be targeted by the hordes themselves. These instances of pain and suffering were to be carried and worn around their necks like medals though.

They were meant to be strong fighters and protectors and even if they had regrets about joining, they couldn't turn back now. Wystellia had heard about one who did try to leave, he was hunted down and killed on the spot. She didn't want to die a coward nor a traitor. She kept quiet as they were left to their own thoughts. She looked around and tried to see if she could sense anything approaching them. She could not. Julien asked if they should move on and make the fire or if she was fine with sticking around. "We may as well do it here, we're not going to be staying for long anyway." She told him and walked over to get her staff.

Pointing it near the river, she lit a fire and quickly added some branches and leaves to keep it going on its own. She then drove a stick through her own fish and propped it up near the fire to cook. She'd only bother eating bits of the insides so she found no reason to waste cleaning the outside. If the fire got out hand, it wouldn't be hard to put out, which was part of why she wished to stay in the area. She then walked over and began to drink some of the water, cupping her hands together and crouching beside it. The method wasn't great, like their fishing, but it would do her just fine.

"Once we get going in the right direction," She laughed a little. "we should pick up the pace. I don't want to spend the night out here even if it's likely we will, I want to give us plenty of distance between Ostagar and ourselves." Even though Wystellia wanted to go back and check over the battlefield, it could wait. In fact, it needed to. The mage walked back over to the fire and glanced to the older man, almost wishing he had a solid plan. Of course she was a Grey Warden too and making a plan also fell atop her shoulders. "Maybe when we set up camp tonight," If needed. "we can try making some traps."

Sure she had read books but she knew she wasn't good at trap making. There was no harm in trying though. if they didn't try, they'd be fools. Wystellia rotated her fish and looked at the fire. Even in daylight, it was still a bewitching sight. "Part of me wishes we could just throw fire under the earth and kill the darkspawn." She muttered. "It isn't that easy though and I'm sure dwarves have tried already." She shrugged and stood up. "I doubt they've tried pretending to be one and trying to see where the Archdemon is hiding. If we get desperate enough, let's do that." She joked, though she wasn't sure how close they were to being that desperate.

They had to fight the odds against them, not just the Darkspawn.

[Drunken Conquistador]

Kingdom of Ferelden. Somewhere in the South.

Julien merely nodded as he walked and sat by the fire. Propping the now broken spear near it to let his fishes cook. Usually he would start skinning and preparing the fish. But he had lost his dagger at Ostagar and using his longsword to do the job would probably be awkward and he would end up hurting himself. Of course, usually he wasn't also lost in an unknown forest with a Darkspawn horde possibly lurking just beyond the treeline ready to pounce on him once his guard was lowered.

Julien remained silent as he nibbled on his half cooked fish. The taste was far from ideal and he was starting to miss even the suspicious porridge he had been served at the camp back at Ostagar. But its better than starving, he told himself with a sigh. As his mind started to wonder if there would be enough of him left to end up as a Genlock's dinner. Or maybe even a Hurlock. Still better than what would happen to Wystellia if she was captured alive. The aforementioned elf that had also started to speak.

"Traps sound like a good idea." Julien replied. Now those he knew how to make and pretty well. "Though we might lose some time gathering necessary material and crafting them. I think we should wait until we make camp to start working on that." He suggested as he scrapped the leftovers of the first fish and started on the second. Who was now more cooked than the first when he started. Though the fact did not make the fish taste much better.

The duelist chuckled slightly as Wystellia joked.

"I'm not sure about that plan." He grinned to her. "You're too small to be a hurlock and too big to be a genlock. And I'm surely not shaving my hair for that. Unless we do happen to find Darkspawn with hair and beards. But if we end up finding those I wager that we could make some money dragging it around and charging people a few coins to see the Rare Hairy Spawn." He joked back. "We could dress him in fancy clothes and call him Harry. Of course, we would have to tame and train him first."

After that Julien returned to his fish. Insistently ignoring the part of his mind reminding him of their hopeless situation and probable death. He was pretty well aware of the fact. But if he stopped to dwell on it he would only end up moody and distracted. Julien still hadn't got to the point where he was actively looking to be gutted by a Darkspawn because he got careless.

"So..."He started as he threw the stick with the rest of the second fish on the ground. "Ready to move?"

[Genkai]

Kingdom of Ferelden: Somewhere in the south...

The man was right, when they did end up making camp for the night, the needed traps and materials could come after the assessment had been made. Wystellia was hoping he had a better handle on that but she assumed he might, considering his specialty. She finally moved over to her fish where it was waiting for her. Unlike Julien, she didn't wish to eat something raw or even half-cooked, she wanted to be sure any pests had been killed during the cooking process. Things could pop out and kill her at any moment, the last thing she wanted to do was to give her body some kind of enemy it had to deal with.

Tearing open her fish, she let the steam rise before she picked at it.

Using her fingers to pick out meat the remove bones, she listened as Julien considered her plan and then wondered if they could find any other kind of Darkspawn. From a scholarly standpoint, it was an interesting idea to consider other types of Dawkspawn that have yet to be discovered and documented. The man continued to say they could show it around and even dress it up, considering they had trained it prior. She grinned and shook her head. She wondered if there was ever a time far back in history when those tables were perhaps turned on them, with the Darkspawn being to rampant and being in awe of humans and dwarves and elves.

"Another mouth to feed? It better make us a lot of money." She just told him.

Of course the act of enslaving something or someone didn't sit well with her. Even if she wasn't an elf, she didn't think she'd be alright with forcing someone around against their will, even if it was a Darkspawn. Wystellia had enough of her fish, which wasn't much but considering she felt disgusted by what she had eaten, and stood up, ready to leave the remains to any hungry wolves. Using her tongue to try to remove some fish between her teeth, Julien asked if they were ready to move again. "You bet." She told him and finally managed to suck the bit out and swallow it with a grimace.

"I just gotta get that vile taste out of mouth." She grumbled and dug out the two apples. "You can carry yours." She tossed him one as she kept the other and took a small bite out of it. The sweet crispness was a relief and did nothing to cause her guilt. Saving them was pointless, they needed extra strength for their task ahead: survival. Once they retraced where they had originally come from, they continued to follow the path until a new one was located that was going in the direction they favored.

As they walked, they encountered three more instances of needing to fight, either from Darkspawn or animals without care. By the time the sun was on its way down, Wystellia was pretty tired and trying to keep an eye out for a good place to stop for the night since it was clear they wouldn't be running into a town or village within the next hour or two. "The more north we go, the less dense the woods are becoming, that's a promising sign." She mentioned as they continued on. Up ahead and to the right, she saw a small clearing where others had clearly camped, based on the fire pit and indentations in the ground where tents and blankets once stood.

"That looks good to me." She smiled and ran up ahead, as if worried a pack of travelers were about to claim it for themselves.

Once she reached it, she spun around, inspecting the area. "This means we're on the right track." She told Julien as she hurried to get some branches and twigs for the fire so it could burn on its own throughout the night. "Why don't you go deal with traps and I'll see if I can catch us something for dinner. You know, something with four legs and no scales?" She smirked. If only she had her pouches of seasoning and bag of rice, then she would have been able to make a great hearty stew for their first night on their own.