Grey gaurdian. Part 1. Chapter 1.1

Chapter 1.1 Duncan arrived at Highever.

9:30 of the Age of the Dragon*.

Sunlight filtered through the clouds and the crimson crowns of the trees. Small drops fell from the leaves and disappeared into the yellowed grass. After the rain, the forest smelled of moss and earth. Despite the beginning of the stubble season, the air still felt pleasantly cool in calm weather.

Duncan walked along the manicured path to the castle, whose tall stone towers were already visible on the horizon. It was only an hour and a half by horse from the city on the direct road here, but Duncan decided to walk. The hunting grounds of the Highever Tarn were indeed worth a look, but Duncan was on his way to the castle on business, so even though he admired the forest and hills, he did not deviate from the direct path.

Soon, the path turned into a cobblestone road. The majestic fortress of gray and white stone stretched out in all its glory ahead, and the sun was sinking to the west and almost touched the spire of the tallest tower.

The guards at the outer gate of the fortress noticed from afar a swarthy man in combat attire, with a sword on his belt and a pair of daggers on his back. They gripped their spears tighter, ready to stop the intruder if he tried to pass without asking, but the man stopped himself and greeted warmly:

"I welcome you. My name is Duncan. I am Commander of the Grey Guards of Ferelden. I recently wrote to your Teyrn about my request, and he kindly invited me to his castle. Does Knight Sir Roland Gilmore serve here?"

One guard nodded and disappeared through the gate, the second guard kindly invited the guest to proceed to the courtyard of the fortress. Duncan glanced briefly at the laurel wreath carved into the stone above the gate and entered the open door. There he was asked to wait until he was reported to Thairn.

Duncan was left alone, looking around the bustling courtyard. As in the city, preparations for a long hike were in full swing here. Elf and human servants scurried back and forth with armfuls of things, passing baskets and travel bags. Several dozen soldiers and knights lined up in even ranks, their commanders called the roll and gave instructions.

Along with the clatter of the marchers, the sighs of those who came to see off their relatives and the voices of curious children who climbed the walls to watch the solemn action could be heard. A few boys even tried to slip into the soldiers' ranks along with the warriors, but they were quickly chased away and urged not to interfere. Soon these soldiers will go south to defend their country, and not from anyone but from the formidable creatures of darkness.

Duncan took a few steps along the bridge leading deep into the fortress, under which there were wooden and stone buildings from various warehouses and servants' houses to the armory and barracks. Hearing the clink of steel and the nearby sounds of battle, the Guard craned his neck and peered over the wall of one of them.

On the sand training ground, two knights were fighting within a fenced circle. At least that's what Duncan thought from their armor. Both had the same symbol on their shields that he had seen above the gate, a laurel wreath that looked like two wings— the symbol of the house of Teyrn.

One knight was noticeably smaller than his opponent, but he fought with him on equal terms, and even surpassed him in agility and speed. He had a long blue crest on his helmet, and his smoky gray armor stood out from the brown scaly armor of his comrades who were watching the battle.

The second knight was much bigger and broader in the shoulders and with a heavy gait. He tried to catch his more agile opponent in a power duel, but he successfully avoided the obvious trap and struck from the flank, not giving him a chance to seize the initiative and attack.

An elderly knight, who was watching the duel, motioned to a soldier standing to the side to join the fight. He hesitantly followed the order, but after entering the circle, he began to actively attack the knight in gray armor. The battle accelerated.

The little knight tried his best not to get between the two opponents and, constantly moving, tried to strike one or the other, and, when necessary, used the shield as a weapon and the sword for protection. Finally, a large knight drove him to the edge of the outlined area and began to press the shield to force the enemy into the kill zone.

The soldier decided to take the chance and attack from the side. The little knight froze in place, tensed, and then, when the soldier was only a step away from him, abruptly, like a spring, leaned to the side, slipping out from under the pressure from the front with the help of the shield. The large knight, due to the disappeared resistance, fell forward just in time to bump into a soldier who jumped out into his path, and together with him flew out of the circle, and even knocked the poor guy to the sand.

There was a burst of laughter, cheers and whistles from the onlookers. Even their mentor, an elderly knight— grinned, raised his hand and said something, apparently declaring the winner. The little knight put his shield behind his back and took off his helmet, his disheveled dark hair scattered over his shoulders and back.

Woman. Pretty young. Perhaps the youngest of the soldiers and knights present at the training, men and women. The girl approached the fallen soldier and gave him her hand. He seemed embarrassed and did not dare to hold out his hand, but the girl smiled and said something, insisting. The soldier hesitantly took hold of the outstretched palm and used it to get to his feet.

A new pair of rivals entered the outlined circle, but Duncan did not look at them. The girl stepped aside, put down her helmet and sword, took off her gauntlet and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Her mentor came up to her and started talking and showing her something with an imaginary sword and shield in his hands. The girl looked at his gestures and nodded.

"Grey Guardian," a soldier approached Duncan.

"Who is this girl?" Duncan asked, pointing at the winner.

The soldier looked over his shoulder at the training ground.

"Oh, this is Milady Elissa, the daughter of Thairne." he replied and returned to the original topic. "Teyrne Kusland is ready to receive you."

Duncan looked back one last time at the young warrior, who at that moment was also called by someone from afar. She shouted, "I'm coming!" and disappeared behind the walls of one of the buildings. Duncan followed his guide to the castle gate.

The Kusland house was a series of isolated stone buildings connected by rows of arches and ceiling-less corridors leading upward. Decorative ivy covered the walls. The masonry was cracked from antiquity in some places, and scaffolding stood here and there. Duncan was led to the main hall, from which small corridors branched off like a network of rivers leading deep into the castle. The guard quietly went inside.

Tyrne Bryce Cousland was standing by a huge fireplace at the far end of the room, stunning in its size, and was not alone. He was talking to another nobleman, who was as gray-haired as himself. Duncan tactfully stayed at the entrance, admiring the rich surroundings, and catching the conversation out of the corner of his ear.

"...So your soldiers will be delayed?" Thairn asked the other man.

"It's the rainy season in Amaranthine, so they could be hampered by bad weather. I'm sure they'll start coming tonight or tomorrow morning. I'm sorry for the delay, my lord. It's my fault. I should have announced the collection earlier."

"No, no, it's okay. No one expected the darkspawn to appear in the south. I myself received an order from the king to march just two days ago", Thairn slammed his fist into his palm. "Then it's settled! I'll send my senior with my men, and we'll wait for your soldiers and ride together, just like in the old days."

"That's right, only then we were young and fighting for our country with the Orlesians, not..." The nobleman shivered, "with monsters."

"But the smell of this war is the same." Teyrn grinned and turned his attention to the girl in the doorway, and his gaze immediately warmed up. "I'm sorry, little wolf, I didn't see you," he smiled.

Duncan immediately recognized the young warrior from the training ground, except now she was wearing a turquoise dress, and her hair, which was still messy after the fight, was pinned back in a bun. Elissa approached the interlocutors and made a slight bow.

"Hou, do you remember my daughter?" Thairn introduced her.

"I see she's grown into a beautiful lady." Hou replied politely. "It's good to see you again, my dear."

"Greetings, Earl," Elissa nodded back.

Rendon Howe and Bryce Cousland had been good friends since the last war with Orlais, but Elissa had only seen Earl a few times, and since the last one he had a lot more wrinkles, but she would never forget that hooked nose and would recognize Howe for a hundred steps.

"My son, Thomas, has been asking about you. Maybe I should take it with me next time." Howe asked casually.

"What for?" Elissa looked away busily, as if she didn't understand what was being said, to which Thairn and Earl just laughed.

""Why?" she says! She's a lively girl," Howe remarked. "She's just like her mother."

"You see who I have to deal with. Now my daughter decides everything on her own, God bless her," Teyrn sighed with a smile.

"I've heard rumors that you raised your daughter as a warrior. It's quite unusual... although I don't see the point in it."

Teyrn did not react to the last remark and turned back to his daughter:

"Your brother and I are going to war, so I'll leave Highever in your care."

Elissa already knew that her father was not taking her with him, but her childish stubbornness still persisted:

"I want to go with you."

"I'm sure you would have proved yourself, but think about your mother. She's already worried about me and Fergus. What will I tell her if I let you go to war? She's going to kill me."

"If you don't let go, I'll kill you!"

Thairn laughed:

"Don't make me choose which of my favorite women to fight. By the way, your mother holds a stronger sword."

Elissa couldn't argue with that, even though she'd never seen her mother in combat. But he and his father had met during the war with the Orlesians, and they had defended Ferelden together with weapons in their hands.

"Of course, I'm asking you a lot," Thairn continued. "There are only a few guards left here, and you will have to maintain order on the lands. Just in case, be careful. Don't you know the saying "a cat goes out of the house, a mouse goes dancing"?"

"I'll do everything, just come back." Suddenly, Elissa said seriously, the stubborn child disappeared, and the heir of Teyrnir stood in front of the father.

Many had heard stories about the last Plague, and they all agreed that it was a time of darkness, fire, and death, when the heavens themselves turn purple and blood pours onto the earth instead of rain. For a moment, Elissa imagined that their land and green forests could turn into smoldering coals, and crows would swarm on the ruins of dead cities, and shuddered. She didn't want her father and brother to go to a place where all this had come true, but they had to protect Ferelden.

"Your brother and I are going to war. Who knows what might happen."

Teyrn looked up at the window, blocked by angular wooden patterns, from where warm sunlight poured in a slanting column. Thairn looked at Elissa again and took her by the shoulders.

"I'll tell you one thing: you're my daughter, I love you very much, and if the worst happens, you'll be a worthy successor to the Cousland family."

Elissa frowned. She didn't even want to think about the fact that her family wouldn't be around, and she would be left alone with great responsibility. No, the father and the elder brother will return, and everything will be as before. Damned creatures of darkness! It would have been better if she had gone with the army instead of Fergus, or at least looked after him, both of them.

"Let's not talk about sad things!" Suddenly, Teyrn Bryce said cheerfully and stroked his daughter's cheek. "Let's think that the Creator will take care of us, and everything will be fine", Elissa nodded with a smile. "Little wolf, I'd like you to meet someone." Thairn turned to the guards at the gate. "Please invite Duncan."