It Takes a Wolf

Chapter 37: Returns and Broken Promises

Ellen was beginning to feel the closest to her normal self since Fenris had left. Her fun-filled nights with Dorian seemed to be just the distraction she needed to get herself back into her duties. She walked through the training yard, making her way to the ramparts as she recalled her and Dorians rather intense pillow fight. She thought for sure when Josephine walked in, seeing the millions of feathers littering every inch of the floor she would have scolded them relentlessly, but instead she smiled warmly and turned as if to leave when she grabbed the throw pillow from the sofa and clocked Ellen in the back of the head.

Ellen chuckled lightly, looking over the troops as they trained just outside the gates. She scanned over the mass of men, seeing the determination in their eyes as they gave everything they had to their training. She couldn't believe these were the men that joined them only a few months ago, she was proud of how far they have come. Her eyes drifted to the horizon, watching the sun slowly rising above the treeline. The back of her mind and the deepest corner of her heart ached to see a glimpse of her beloved once again. She turned away, feeling her eyes beginning to well up with tears. She clenched her jaw, pushing the pain aside with a sigh, shaking her head. Trust him, he will return.

She began to walk down the steps, leaving the ramparts when the ground beneath her feet started to rumble and cause her to teeter. Suddenly an explosion ripped through the air with such force it pushed her from the top of the steps, causing her to plummet to the ground. When she opened her eyes she looked vacantly towards the sky, her ears ringing loudly from the blast. She rolled onto her stomach dazed and confused, seeing the guards scrambling from the gates. She looked up to see the barn quickly being engulfed in black smoke. She pushed herself to her feet, sprinting in the same direction. She stopped just before the barn seeing the stable master frantically hauling the mares from their stables when everyone had rushed up behind her.

"Ellenwen! Are you alright?" Gallevorn asked.

"Is it intruders?" Cullen questioned, unsheathing his sword.

"Well, let's not wait to find out." Varric said, pulling Bianca from his back.

"Agreed." Dorian said with an excited grin, forming a lightning ball between his fingertips. They all prepared their weapons, facing the barn doors when they were pushed open from the inside, releasing a thick black cloud of smoke. The smell was unlike anything Ellen had ever experienced. Her eyes burned instantly, welling with tears. Her throat ran dry, causing her to begin hacking from her lungs, but the worst of it was the smell. It smelled like a dead nug covered in feces that was left rotting in the sun for months. The putrid smell turned her stomach, causing bile to rush up her throat threatening to undo her.

She pushed it down and forced herself to look through the heavy smoke when she saw Sera and Tomlen, stumbling their way out of the barn. They stopped just outside the doors, hunching over as they grabbed their knees, coughing and gagging. Cullen stood beside Ellen, his face red with anger. "What is the meaning of this?" He growled through gritted teeth.

"Piss!" Sera perked up quickly, glancing at them all with a soot covered grin.

Cullen stepped toward her with an irritated scowl. "Sera, if this is the result of one of your ridiculous pranks gone wrong I swear to the Maker-"

Sera waved her hands frantically from side to side. "No, no, no, Cully we...we were just, you know, stuff with..."

Tomlen finally caught his bearings when he stood tall, taking a step toward Cullen. "No sir, the fault is mine. I asked Sera to assist me with an idea I had that could aid us in the upcoming battle against Morvain."

"What would that be Second Commander?" He asked, his glare still bearing down on Sera.

"I had thought we could use stench grenades. We could launch them with the trebuchets, causing more damage to his men before they could reach our front lines." He replied.