Dragon Age Origins: The Tale of Solana

Chapter 23: War Table

Solana felt her head clearing, and her body regain feeling again. She felt her nerves tingle from the experience she had undergone. When her sight began to ease back the black curtain, her eyes opened slowly. Alistair was the first thing she saw. His golden eyes, their green hue like light shining on a new-spring field, had more hope than ever before. Duncan was also there, looking down at Solana with parental love.

"It is finished," he said with a smile. "Welcome."

He patted Solana's back as she sat up from where she lay. She was sore, and every move she made was agony. Something told her it was going to get more painful here on out. She groaned and dropped her head into her hands. She wasn't even sure if she cold recount what just happened without some kind of cringe. It will ever be a scar on her memory, and body.

"Two more deaths," Alistair stood. He was relieved that Solana had made it. He was happier than he thought he ever would be. However, the fresh bodies of Ser Jory and Daveth was still fresh in his mind... As well as his past friend.

"In my Joining, only one of us died," he shook his head, "but it was... Horrible. I'm glad at least one of you made it through."

Solana managed to get to her feet, refusing the help Duncan offered. She quickly shot the shem next to her a dirty look. Alistair too, was given such a look as she noticed the other men's bodies piled onto one another. When asked how she felt by Duncan she gave him an incredulous look.

"How do I feel? How do I feel!" Solana shoved the man back with all her might, sending him flying backwards. She quickly defused Alistair with a quick hand movement of the same. Her strength surprised even her, but it was quickly subsided by shock and distrust. Alistair stumbled backwards, catching himself onto a pillar as Duncan stood again on his feet. Solana shot him a glare and in one sweep, had a finger pointed into the chest plate of a wide eyed Duncan.

"Nothing," she said with venom, "you said prepared me for that."

Duncan brushed away her hand slowly, knowing that the woman was too exhausted to do real damage. "Such is what it takes," he explained, "to be a Grey Warden."

"Did you have dreams?" Solana turned to Alistair who looked concerned for her. She frowned and looked away as she remembered the horrible on slot. He sighed before continuing with a pained look. "I had terrible dreams after my Joining."

Duncan saw the expression on both their faces and crossed his arms. "Such dreams come when you begin to sense the darkspawn, as we all do. That and many other things can be explained in the months to come."

"You to?"

Duncan recalled his nightmares and how he once cried for two whole nights because of them. He chuckled at the woman so intent in her rage, knowing how alike they are. He, to, had the same reaction so long ago after his Joining. "Yes, my dear girl," he confirmed. "I too had the nightmares."

"Oh!" Alistair pulled a necklace from his pouch that hung on his belt. "Before I forget, there is one last part to your Joining."

He handed the elf the pendent where just a trace of dark red blood could be seen sloshing about inside. The woman inspected it with a curious and sad look. Alistair saw how her blue eyes danced with a new light; he had seen it when she was in her rage before... they had ignited, and sparks of blue smoke had oozed into tendrils of what looked to be glowing smoke, before quickly dying off.

He wondered if Duncan had seen it too? That light was back, ever so dim in her eyes, as if it was reacting to the blood in the new necklace.

"We take some of that blood and put it into a pendent," he explained. When he got an odd look he held up his hands. "Something to remind us... Of those who didn't make it this far."