Grey gaurdian. Part 1. Chapter 5

Chapter 5. From midnight to noon

When the sun disappeared, the forest turned completely black. He seemed to be moving, the shadows inside him moving and watching, waiting. There wasn't a single light ahead. The creatures of darkness didn't need light. Compared to the darkness of the forest, the valley where the army was lined up looked like a bright starry sky. Everyone waited until a huge shadow began to separate from the forest and approach, as if spreading across the ground like an impenetrable fog. There was a roar and a rasp, the howl of the sea wolves in the distance, and clanking footsteps.

On command, fire arrows shot up from the defenders and fell like a starfall on the front ranks of the enemy. The shadows trembled, roared, growled, and rushed forward. The defenders were ready, they moved towards them and with a loud clang collided with the first wave of enemies, heavy blows crashed against the shields. Archers and mages stood on the platforms and supported the allies, and finally the roar of the darkspawn was drowned out by the war cries of the people.

When the darkspawn got close enough to the torchlit area, Elissa flinched. She had seen a man with leprosy only once from afar, and she could not forget that sight, but these creatures seemed to have been lepers for a hundred years.

Her pale to yellowish-brown skin was swollen or wrinkled, as if scalded with boiling water, her noses looked as if they had been cut off, and her crooked teeth and fangs protruded disfiguringly in the absence of lips. They grinned, growled, and screamed so hard that their ears hurt. With a heavy hand, they brought down spiked maces and curved swords on the shields of the defenders, leaving dents. The darkspawn had no strategy, no intelligence. All that drove them forward was someone's invisible will and an inextinguishable malice embedded in their very being, sparkling in their predatory whitish eyes.

Elissa staggered back as the first small creature of darkness lunged at her. Reflexively, she raised her shield, and Mabari barked next to her. Elissa came to her senses and twisted around, taking off her opponent's head with a strong blow. Dark blood splattered on the sword and armor, and the heavy body fell forward and was no longer dangerous. Not for anyone. Elissa looked at the fallen enemy and felt an unexpected sense of satisfaction. Without further hesitation, she continued the fight. Anger and bitterness for her family receded with every swing of the sword, with every drop of blood she shed, she was freed from the burden that was so oppressive inside and made it difficult to breathe.

Soon, Elissa felt the need to pick up the pace. Ignore the racing heart and just fight for your life, not thinking about anything. She already knew how to do that.

Elissa struck down a tall darkling from behind and saved the life of one soldier. The flimsy enemy armor made of iron plates and strips of leather easily succumbed to the silverite blade. Elissa didn't turn around and continued hitting any enemy that got in her way. Faster, smoother, clearer, as she had been taught.

Pushing forward, she did not notice how she found herself in the first line, the pressure on which was increasing. The main enemy forces joined the battle, and there were more and more enemies around. The shield held back two, and sometimes even three swords. Elissa moved, turned, pushed, struck. The faithful dog had her back, but with the dramatically increased number of opponents, he no longer had time to pull everyone away from her. The girl tried to retreat to small groups of allies and fight with them, covering each other, but the groups quickly scattered and everyone was already fighting for their lives.

"My Lord, our vanguard is having a hard time!" Loghain was informed.

"Let them hold on. The Darkspawn must not break through to the center."

Loghain stood at the back and gave orders, moving the troops around the battlefield like chess pieces. He was confident in the game, but every now and then his eyes searched the crowd for the man in golden armor who was rushing forward so recklessly. King Kaylan didn't like to sit on the sidelines. If his soldiers go into battle, he will go with them, if they fight, he will fight shoulder to shoulder with them until victory, otherwise it could not be. He was their ruler, and he wanted to be a hero to them, like Loghain and his father.

Duncan considered it his duty to protect the young king and tried not to deviate from him in battle by more than three or four steps, but in the heat of battle it is sometimes difficult to keep track of a comrade. People were scattered to different ends of the field, forcing them to think first of all about their lives and the lives of those who happened to be nearby.

King Kaylan fought fiercely and sincerely. He was focused on the opponent in front of him. After defeating one, he switched to the next, feeling proud that he was defending the country along with everyone else. At some point, he lost sight of Duncan, but did not look for him, but continued to fight, hoping that the Guardian was all right. Kaylan was protecting the soldiers, protecting himself, his kingdom, but he felt tired.

He engaged in battle with another humanoid creatures of darkness, which the Gray Guards called Garlocks, and stumbled — tripped over someone's body from behind. He fell on his back, rolled to the side, but before he could get up, he took a blow from a short genlok on his sword, parried, pierced his flesh. Dark blood poured onto the golden armor, the enemy growled, flashed predatory eyes and went limp. The king threw off his body and saw with horror how the half-finished garlock raised a jagged sword.

Really...

The moment before he brought his sword down on Kaylan's head, someone suddenly slammed into the enemy with a shield and threw him aside. Garlock was defeated. The savior turned to the king and touched his shoulder.

"Your Majesty!" He called out worriedly.

Kaylan knew him. He knew it very well. Alistair is one of Duncan's younger Grey Guards.

"Caution!" The king shouted, pointing behind the Guard.

Alistair looked back and managed to put his shield and sword under the blows of two Garlocks, but a moment later they were struck from behind by a sword paired with a silverite dagger.

"Duncan..."

"Alistair, what are you doing here?" The Commander of the Guards asked sternly. "Where are your charges?"

"Ah... Davet with archers in the rear guard. Jory's squad did not join the battle."

"And Elissa?"

Alistair lowered his head.

"I don't know. I lost her."

"Find her and be with her!"

"Got it."

Alistair stormed off. By then, Loghain's tactical maneuver had already unfolded in full force, and the advantage in the battle had shifted to the human side, which gave some units time to rest.

"Your Majesty, are you hurt?" Duncan bent over the king.

"No... no, it's okay," Kaylan muttered, still discouraged by the recent situation, and slowly got to his feet.

Duncan let out a sigh of relief, but he didn't show it. It was dangerous. And where did the king's guards go?

"I guess this battle is ours too." Duncan said, looking around and listening. "Congratulations to Your Majesty on your victory."

However, Kaylan did not hear him, but only stared intently in the direction where Alistair had disappeared.

"Your Majesty?"

"Yes?"

"I suggest we take a break and watch the end of the battle from the rear. I think Thairn Loghain will be glad to see you unharmed."

To Duncan's surprise, the king did not argue, but glanced once more at the crowd of fighting men and followed the Guard. The two of them made their way to one of the side platforms in the rear, from where the archers were shooting back. Loghain was standing in the center, and when he saw Kaylan, he just sighed heavily.

The archer on the platform fired another arrow into the eye of the enemy, who got too close to the rear.

"You're not going anywhere," he grinned.

"Is that you, Davet?" he heard a voice behind him.

"Ah, Duncan. Have you decided to join? Our sir knight will probably be complaining all day tomorrow that the battle didn't reach him.... Or maybe he'll be happy", Davet reasoned, not looking back, but continuing to shoot one arrow after another. "Oh, I was wrong, they were sent into battle too."

"A squad with fresh forces will chase the remnants of the darkspawn into the forest. I guess that was part of Thairn Loghain's plan."

"Yeah, he knows how to swing troops. There are legends for a reason."

Davet finally turned around when his quiver was empty and, noticing King Ferelden next to Duncan, gasped in surprise. Kaylan, however, did not pay attention and was intently watching the final stage of the battle.

"Have you seen Alistair and Elissa?" Duncan asked.

Davet had an incredibly sharp eye. In the light of the moon and the lights, the archer peered into the crowd for a while, and then pointed ahead.

"There they are, in the vanguard. And look at this: these two have already bonded."

In the huddled ranks of soldiers in the very first line, two warriors fought back to back so harmoniously that no creature of darkness could get close to them from behind or from the flank. When one was surrounded by enemies, the other came to the rescue. When one noticed an opponent behind a friend, he rushed to cover his back without unnecessary words or movements. So they circled around an invisible axis, not moving away from each other, until the opponents began to randomly run away.

"Yes, it looks like they'll really get along." Duncan remarked with satisfaction.

"Milady is Serious and a joker? I would look at it." Davet replied with a grin.

Kaylan also smiled imperceptibly.

The battle was won. The soldiers shouted enthusiastically, raising up swords, axes and spears. Elissa looked ahead, listened to the cry of her allies, and also felt a pleasant sense of unity and the joy of victory, something she dreamed of every time she picked up a sword. She managed to smile, but the smile faded immediately. If only... if only her father and brother were with her now.

"You've all done a great job", Duncan told them after the fight. "You can rest, and tomorrow I will tell you more about the Initiation ritual."

The tent where Elissa had left her things was allocated for the three recruits to sleep in, but after thinking for a second, she announced that she would sleep outside near the campfire.

"I agree. The fire is much warmer than in these cold tents. I don't understand how people sleep in them," Alistair replied. His bed had already been laid out not far from a high multi-stage bonfire located in a circle of dilapidated arches and statues.

Duncan often carried out night watches by this fire, his tent stood nearby. Elissa took off her gloves, cuirass, shoulder pads, and quilted shirt and laid out the bed away from Alistair's bed and the tent. Duncan watched her movements carefully.

"Elissa," he said to her, and she turned around. "Your wound doesn't seem to have bothered you much in battle, but just in case, go to the infirmary tomorrow morning."

Elissa bowed her head slightly in submission and went to get the bags to the tent, where the other recruits had already disappeared.

"Is she hurt?" Alistair was quietly surprised.

"An arrow in the back."

"Duncan... what happened in Highever? You just wrote that you left in a hurry and that you were leading a recruit."

"I don't think this is the time to talk about this, Alistair, and you better not ask her anything."

The rest of the night was quiet. In the eastern part of the camp and the valley, the soldiers celebrated the victory. Even King Kaylan wasn't asleep yet, but was happily celebrating with them, much to the delight of the warriors and Loghain's considerable annoyance.

The western edge of Ostagar was quiet. Duncan's campfire was burning brightly, and he himself was walking along the tents and sleeping soldiers, as if he was not tired. Alistair opened his sleepy eyes for a moment and saw Duncan bending over Elissa, who was sleeping on her side, and pulling a wool blanket over her shoulder. That night, she slept soundly without dreams.

Elissa Cousland woke up at dawn. The entire camp was still asleep after the night's celebration, but the patrol units were on alert. There was no way Teyrn Loghain would let his guard down and let the darkspawn take them by surprise. Duncan was nowhere to be found, and Alistair was snoring peacefully next to the campfire. Elissa got up and, noticing the sign of the infirmary nearby, headed there. Mabari raised his head sleepily, but, reassured by the hostess, went back to sleep.

"It's almost healed," the female healer said when Elissa showed her the arrow wound. "I'll change the bandage, and it'll heal completely in a couple of days. However, the scar will remain."

Elissa nodded and cringed as she endured the dressing. She felt awkwardly half-naked surrounded by so many people, but no one was looking at her, so after a while she relaxed.

"You can wash up if you want," the doctor remarked. "The magicians have built an artificial pond on the north side of the ruins, and the women are there right now."

At the thought of a bath, Elissa suddenly felt covered from head to toe in mud and road dust. Her hair, which she hadn't unwound in who knows how many days, had long since escaped from the braid and stuck out in all directions. Elissa thanked the doctor and decided to take advantage of the offer.

The reservoir was a large pit surrounded by partitions. Several women were already swimming there, and more were coming. Elissa felt awkward again having to undress in front of everyone, but reminded herself that this was a military camp, and others might not have such facilities. She quickly took off her clothes, leaving a bandage on her shoulder, and went chest-deep into the water, which was warm. Elissa washed her face with pleasure, scrubbed off the dirt from the road, and washed her hair. Despite the same not-quite-clean clothes and the smell of a cesspool wafted from somewhere on the wind, a bath has never been so enjoyable. Her long, damp hair fell pleasantly over her back and shoulders.

When the girl returned to the tent, her companions had already stood up.

"...where are the rest of the Grey Guards?" Davet asked.

"In the valley on the other side of the ruins. The main part of the army is located there. This fortress won't fit all of them," Alistair answered, laughing, and slurped something from a bowl.

"I've seen the other Guards," Jory replied. "They're wearing some kind of special armor. Why aren't you and Duncan wearing those?"

Alistair was dressed just like any other officer in the Royal Army, in brown plate armor.