Dragon Age: Awakening

Chapter 3: Twists

Chapter 3: Twists

Whispers hissed all around us as we walked into the tattered city, the guard captain stationed near the entrance was rubbing his forehead nervously.

"Excuse me," I smiled at the guard, who gave a quick nod. "Warden Commander!" His face lit up when he recognized me. "I'm glad you have come to help," He sighed and ran his fingers through his brown hair. 

"Do you have any suggestions on where I should begin?" I raised my eyebrows, the captain furrowed his eyebrows as if thinking quite hard. "The other Grey Wardens stationed at the Keep came through Amaranthine speaking of the Blackmarsh." He said quietly, "The Blackmarsh.." Anders sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Couldn't it be called anything else, at least something less icky." He smiled over at me, I rolled my eyes. 

"I've heard things about the Wending Wood as well." I said slowly waiting for the Captain to agree or disregard going there. He nodded and puffed out air, "Caravans have been attacked through the passages in the Wood, I am not sure if it is darkspawn or just bandits." He said the last statement quickly but I could tell he wanted us to check it out.

I nodded, "Thank you," I smiled weakly and turned on my heel, "There have been tales Knotwood Hills as well." He said slowly, I looked over my shoulder at the captain, "That the darkspawn seem to be gathering there, but I've only heard whispers." He looked down at his silver greaves, "Thank you for everything," I smiled and headed out of the city.

"Where to?" Anders piped up after we halted at crossroads just out of the city, I narrowed my eyes as I thought about where to head first. "Knotwood Hills," I said quickly, Anders grimaced. "The Captain said he had only heard stories." He said slowly, I nodded. "But if the darkspawn are gathering there in force then we need to wipe it out, and if nothing is there.. It will be a short trip." I explained, smiling at the corner of my mouth.

Anders nodded, understanding my reasoning for going to the barren hills and plains of Knotwood, Oghren belched loudly and laughed under his breath at himself, I groaned internally, this was who I was bringing into battle.

Anders snorted at Oghren who gave him a dark glare, or about as dark of one as he could give in his drunken stupor. 

"You're quite the dirty little dwarf aren't you." Anders smiled wickedly down at Oghren who smiled just as devilishly back, "Oh no," I said under my breath, "Here it comes," I rubbed my temples. "And you're quite the dirty little mage." Oghren rolled the words of his tongue as smoothly as he could. "I do my best," Anders shrugged, "Still, I'm no ale-swilling mountain of belches like you," Anders spat, I snorted but covered my mouth when Oghren shot a glare at me, then crossed his arms as he smiled at Anders. "And I'm no winking, slack-jawed coward like you." Oghren retorted, "True! We should form a club!" Anders swung his arm through the air, I rolled my eyes and focused on the path ahead of us.

We came up a slope that overlooked an ancient city, possibly dwarven if I had to guess, that was popping out of large crevices in the surface. Geometric designed pillars had collapsed all around as we crept down the large stone steps that led into the city.

Fleshy sacs littered the ground, I scrunched my face up in disgust. "Darkspawn," I sighed as we moved through the ruins and down a slope towards what seemed to be a way to get down into the actual city or whatever it was that was hidden below us. 

We turned the corner and I jumped back, dodging an axe that flew past me and impaled itself into a hurlock's skull. I raised my eyebrows as a dwarven woman stabbed her other axe into the chest of another darkspawn and then smiled up at us.

"Oh, sorry about that!" She apologized quickly and jogged over to us, I ripped the axe out of the hurlock's head and handed it to her, smiling. "My name is Sigrun," she said nervously, pushing one of her black braids behind her ear. 

"Katria," I held my hand out and Sigrun shook it vigorously, "Are you part of the Legion?" I arched my eyebrows as I looked at her pale face and the paint that decorated it, she nodded quickly. "I came here with the others.. but we were outnumbered, the darkspawn have taken over the city of Kal'Hirol." She gestured over her shoulder to the entrance we were heading to.

"I am the Warden Commander at Vigil's Keep," I explained, "The darkspawn here seem to be organizing themselves and not retreating as they should, I'm here to help." I said quickly, "Oh! Let me come with you!" Sigrun almost jumped up and down, "The others I was with are still down there, maybe we can help them." She frowned, "We need all the help we can get," I smiled, Sigrun beamed up at me.

"I'll explain why were are here on the way down." Sigrun said quickly as she turned and motioned for us to follow her into the dark towards Kal'Hirol.

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