The Dalish Warden (The Daughters of Thedas Book 1)

60: Dark News

In the courtyard, we found several Darkspawn attacking the doors with several soldiers defending. With a cry, I charged forward, beheading two Darkspawn in passing. They never knew what hit them. Several fell before we reached the stairs and ran up them, aiding the soldiers protecting the door. The Darkspawn, in turn, were aided by an ogre, which Sten easily took out.

"My lady!" one of the soldiers cried. "You're here! Thank goodness!"

"Did the Darkspawn get into the castle?"

"Some did, yes, but we were able to close the gates and kill the ones in the courtyard. I was told to watch for your arrival, Wardens. Your comrade, Riordan, arrived just ahead of the Darkspawn attack. He has urgent news for you!" It shouldn't surprise me that Riordan was here, although I had expected him to be tracking the movements of the horde. "I should take you to the hall right away, my lady. They'll be waiting for you there." I quit fighting the title everyone had given me. There was no use. They were going to call me "lady" no matter how much I protested. The soldier led us inside and to the main hall. Eamon, Teagan, and Riordan were waiting for us.

Riordan walked towards us. "It is a relief to see you unharmed, Realin. And you as well, Alistair..." He gave us the Grey Warden salute. "Or should I say, Your Majesty?"

"Err... no. No, I wouldn't say that. Not yet, anyway." Alistair said.

"The Darkspawn that attacked Redcliffe were relatively few in number, I'm afraid. It was assumed the horde was marching in this direction... but that is not true."

"Riordan tells us the bulk of the horde is, in fact, heading towards Denerim," Eamon explained. "They are perhaps two days away from the capital."

"What?" Alistair asked. "Are we sure about that? I mean... if it's true..." Denerim needed to be warned.

"I ventured close enough to 'listen in' as it were. I am quite certain." So Riordan was one of the older Wardens who could understand Darkspawn speak.

"Has word been sent to Denerim?" I asked.

"Word has been sent but they need more than warning. They need our armies," Eamon answered.

"There is, I'm afraid, one other piece of news that is of even greater concern," Riordan said. He turned away and walked towards the fire. "The Archdemon has shown itself. The dragon is at the head of the horde."

The Archdemon. The one creature that needed to be killed to end this Blight. And what we had been aiming to do since taking the Grey Warden treaties and traveling to the different lands of the different peoples and gathering our army.

"Maker preserve us!" Teagan breathed.

"But we can't reach Denerim within two days, can we?" Alistair asked acting like the king I knew he could be. "It's too far."

"We must begin a forced march to the capital immediately with what we have. Denerim must be defended at all costs."

"I agree," I said. "We've collected an army. Let's use it." And if the Archdemon was going to be there, what better way to end the Blight?

"The horde must be defeated but the Archdemon is our true target." Riordan echoed my very thoughts. "And only the Grey Wardens can defeat the Archdemon. That is why we must go." Every story ever told about the Wardens and the Blight said that only the Wardens could put an end to it. Killing the Archdemon was the only way to do so. And only a Warden could kill it.

"Then we march," Alistair said. "And hope the army we've collected here gives us the chance we need. How long before the army can set out?"

"By daybreak," Eamon said.