The Dalish Commander (The Daughters of Thedas Book 2)

5: The Joining

Soundtrack:

I am the One ~ Inon Zur (The Joining)

The others were waiting in what I took as the throne room of the Keep when I arrived. On a raised dais sat a very uncomfortable looking chair that I'm pretty sure I would look like a child sitting in. A small round table was off to the side of the steps leading up to the throne, for lack of a better word, the chalice I'd taken my Joining with sitting on it. Myself and two of the Orlesian Wardens had searched the area of Ostagar where the Grey Wardens had camped before that fateful battle. It saddened me that we never found Duncan's body. I really would have liked to have honored him at Highever, where Alistair said he was from originally. I could sense the taint coming from the chalice and knew everything was in place to start the Joining ritual. I looked at my recruits. Anders looked a bit nervous. Mhairi was pretty calm considering the chances of the Joining killing her. Oghren actually looked bored. I glanced back over at the chalice on the table. We'd replaced the Archdemon blood lost during Loghain's purge. This would be the first Joining since the Blight. The first since my own. I really hoped that we wouldn't have the same results as mine. I touched my Warden's Oath, hanging next to Alistair's pendent, remembering Daveth and Jory.

Varel saw me and approached. "Before we do anything else, Commander, there's an urgent matter we must take care of. Right now, I know of only one living Warden assigned to all of Ferelden. That should be rectified. I have already explained the Joining to them."

"Then let us begin." I walked towards the table the chalice sat upon. Tristan sat next to me to watch the entire proceedings. "The time has come for the Joining."

Mhairi, Oghren, and Anders gathered around me.

"Becoming a Warden is a sacrifice. We are the first line of defense against the Darkspawn. We give our lives for our people. We speak only a few words before the Joining. Varel."

"Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry out the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know your sacrifice will not be forgotten and that one day we shall join you."

I picked up the chalice. "Oghren, step forward." The Dwarf did so and I handed it to him. "From this moment forth, you are a Grey Warden."

Oghren took the chalice and looked at it. "What's this? The sampler size? Are you trying to say something about my height, eh?"

"Oghren," I sighed. "It's the same one I used. As far as I know, it's the same one that was used by the first Wardens."

"Really? Huh?" Oghren tilted it up and drank before handing the chalice to me. I took a step back and held my breath. He had no reaction to the Darkspawn blood, aside from his eyes rolling into the back of his head for a moment. He then belched. "Not bad."

I gave a small laugh and shook my head.

Varel gave a sigh. "Maker help us all," he said.

"Welcome to my world. I had to put up with that during the Blight."

Tristan gave a bark of approval and I turned back to my recruits.

"Anders, step forward."

The Mage did so and took the chalice.

"From this moment forth, you are a Grey Warden."

He looked at the contents. "So we need to drink Darkspawn blood?" He looked at me. "That's it?"

"That's it."

"Well, alright, but if I wake up two weeks from now on a ship bound for Rivain in nothing but my smallclothes and a tattoo on my forehead, I'm blaming you." He took a drink and handed the chalice back to me. I took a step back. He had the same reaction I had. He grabbed his head and cried out in pain before collapsing. I set the chalice down and Varel and I both knelt next to him.

"Wuss," Oghren muttered. "Can't hold his Joining juice."

I looked up at him and shook my head. Only Oghren.

"He lives," Varel said.

Tristan gave another bark of approval, this time complete with a tail wag. Alistair was the only other person he took to this fast.

"Thank the Creators!" I stood and retrieved the chalice. "Mhairi, step forward."

She confidently did so.

"From this moment forth, you are a Grey Warden."

She took the chalice. "I have awaited this moment." Without hesitation, she drank and handed the chalice back. I took a step back and waited.

Unfortunately, she reacted the same way as Daveth. She started coughing and clutching her throat. She gasped for breath and fell to her knees. She continued to cough and gasp as she pitched forward bracing herself with a hand before she collapsed. My heart sank, knowing a good woman like her who dreamed of becoming a Warden was lost.

I knelt next to her and Tristan whined sadly."I'm sorry, Mhairi. May the Creators guide you to your final rest."

By this time, Anders had awakened and was staring wide-eyed. "Andraste's flaming sword!"

I stood. "I'm glad you two survived at least. I was the only survivor of my Joining." I turned and Varel handed me two of the Warden pendants. I, in turn, handed them to Anders and Oghren. "We always put some of the blood from the Joining in a pendent. To remind us of those that did not make it this far. Go get some rest."

"I'll have a couple of the staff show you to your quarters." The two junior Wardens left and a pair of soldiers took Mhairi's body.

Varel turned to me. "Poor Mhairi. She really wanted to be a Warden." He motioned to a soldier by the doors and he opened them, allowing a man in heavy armor and an older woman in a brown dress to enter. They appeared to be in the middle of an argument.

"The Commander must be informed about the Deep Roads entrance. It could be their base of operation," the man said.

"You'd have the Wardens chase a rumor, then, Captain? And even if it proves true, unless the Pilgrim's Path is cleared by the time your army assembles, they'll have nothing to eat but shoe leather."

"Garevel. Woolsey," Varel said in an attempt to stop the argument. "The Commander has had a long day and journey."

"It'll only grow longer," I said.

"Woolsey says some of the merchants escaped the Darkspawn. And the Vigil is yours. Our business can wait until you're rested from both your journey and the battle."

I nodded. Tristan yawned.

"I'll show you to your quarters."