Who: Ser Talfryn Armstead (NPC), Warden-Commander Alistair (NPC), his recruits from Gwaren and Orzammar, their companions, Faer Arandil and Jaden Tahal, and some Templars (NPCs). Where: Outskirts of the Brecilian Forest When: Summerday, 9:45 Dragon Summary: After leaving Orzammar with a few new recruits, the Warden-Commander leads the group south, where they arrive just in time to rescue two Dalish elves from some vicious Templars. Rating: T. Possible violence, language.
It was hard to imagine that his feet had been crunching through snow not but a week ago, when Talfryn was now beginning to sweat underneath the thickness of his leathers. At least the knights weren't still wearing their plate, though the thought was only a small comfort as they rode underneath the thick canopy of leaves, which seemed to be trapping the oppressive, balmy air around them. Had a storm not just passed by their large group (numbers bolstered by seven after their unsuccessful bid for reinforcements from Orzammar), they would not have found it necessary to ride east into the Brecilian Forest. But the last of the spring rain had just swept from the northern Bannorn and across the Drakon River, resulting in a damp heat that clung to their skin, and a flood that had crawled up the embankments and washed out the proper West Road.
Their change in route wasn't the first detour they had made on their way to Amaranthine; though Talfryn assumed that they would be following the Imperial Highway along the north, the quickest way to Vigil's Keep, the Warden-Commander had insisted that they go south instead. It was still warmer along the banks of Lake Calenhad than it had been up in the Frostbacks. Three days was all it took to reach the village of Redcliffe, with their new recruits and their guardians either doubled up on some of the horses, or riding in the backs of the supply wagons. Just as their rest in Kinloch Hold had been brief, so would their stay in the village be -- only Alistair had ventured up to the castle to meet with Arl Teagan and pay his respects to Eamon's tomb, while the rest were put up in the tavern and the homes of generous townspeople overnight. It was no big favor on their part; they still heralded the Grey Wardens as Heroes of Redcliffe, and it was their honor to take care of the associates of such an important guest, even if just for an evening.
There was song and wine and a hot meal that night, but Talfryn had kept a careful, sober eye on the group and made sure nothing was amiss while Alistair took care of business. He was, after all, used to attending to an army of knights and keeping them in order as a captain of the guard; it seemed only natural for him to fall into the position of a temporary lieutenant during their journey to the Keep. In fact, it was almost ironic. Though Talfryn had never said as much to anyone else, it had been just over ten years since Alistair had last asked him to join the order, and he still had no regrets about turning the man down, even if he seemed to be carrying out the duties he would have had otherwise. His place was in Gwaren, with his wife, his children, and his Lady. It was only by her orders that he was here, though that wasn't to say he had no great concern or affection for his charge. Coan's safety was at the center of his attention; they still had a trained assassin in their midst, and he could not entirely be sure of the motivations of the mercenaries the dwarven recruits had brought with them. His vigilance had been on the young man's behalf moreso than for anyone else. Talfryn would see that Coan made it to Amaranthine safely, and perhaps even longer after that, if necessary.
Alistair's visit was completed by the early morning, and Talfryn set about gathering everyone up to travel once more. It was on their way across the West Road that they first saw the ominous grey clouds on the horizon. They reached Lothering within a few more days' riding, and were forced to take shelter inside the Chantry as the drizzle quickened into a pounding rain. The storm had been so thick and dark that it blotted out the sun, and by the time the group managed to reach the reconstructed trading post, it was difficult to tell what time of day it was. By evening, the howling winds had died down along with the rumbling thunder that shook the entire structure, but it was still too dark and too wet to leave. When dawn came around the next morning, the clouds had cleared completely, but the roads had not. The Revered Mother ushered out her refugees as quickly and gently as possible after that, insisting that she needed to continue getting her preparations for the Summerday Festival underway.
After hearing the news of the flood from the locals, the Warden-Commander had consulted with the knights on the best way to get back to Amaranthine and they all came to an uneasy agreement that they would need to go around the main roads instead of waiting for clear passage. To no surprise, Ser Zekry Bairns was vocally against the idea of going through the forest; he had always been stubbornly oppositional to any decision that Talfryn made, but this was likely more personal than their rivalry. The Brecilian Forest was not territory easily or regularly traveled by humans, and Ser Bairns was no stranger to conflict with its inhabitants. A lifelong resident of Gwaren, he had no fondness for the Dalish, and made no secret of it, either. It wasn't an unreasonable prejudice by any means -- the dislike was mutual, even violent -- but their mission was greater, and it seemed the only clear way around the area most damaged by the river was to go east.
Before they left town, Talfryn sent letter with a messenger to his wife. He pictured her reading it to the children now, all gathered around the hearth in their house, combing her fingers through little Aeron's hair as she perched in her mother's lap, with Cahir looking over her shoulder, and Enid sitting on the adjacent stool, sharing the sentiments of love he had written to them. He was closer to Gwaren than he had been in the last month and a half, but his heart never ached more to be with them than it did now. Today was Summerday; to his relief, it would still be another year until Enid was old enough to join in the procession to the Chantry, an event he would have hated to miss. He was thinking of his family when he heard shouting from up ahead, and by the way that Alistair had suddenly turned his horse, it was evident that he was not the only one to notice the distant sounds of conflict. The Warden-Commander raised a hand to halt and silence the rest of the caravan, as he stared between the trees in search of danger.
"Darkspawn?" Talfryn asked quietly as he sidled up beside Alistair, failing to pick up on whatever invisible signs that the Grey Warden was seeing. It was common knowledge that members of the order possessed an uncanny ability to sense their mortal enemies -- Alistair had proven it the last time they were ambushed by those twisted monsters, a situation that had ended tragically, and one that Talfryn did not want to repeat.
The man shook his head, but his expression remained grim. "No... There's a mage out there."