Аннотация: A walk through the Wild lands of Korkari.
Chapter 6. The Wild Lands of Korkari
Four Guards were making their way through thickets and swamps. There were still well-trodden paths near the camp, but they had to follow an untrodden path and complete two tasks.
"Why do you need any more tests? Isn't it enough that we were chosen to be Guards?" Jory complained, once again stepping into a puddle.
"Duncan said it was part of the Initiation, or maybe the Guards just want to annoy you," Davet replied.
The wild lands of Korkari greeted the guests with cold air, smelling of moss, pine needles and swamps. There were chirps and croaks everywhere, and rustles behind every hillock, as if the forest were alive, and he could see them.
"Why do we need the blood of darkspawn?" Elissa asked.
"It is needed for Initiation. I'm sorry, but I can't say more." Alistair replied.
"There are some secrets again," Davet rolled his eyes resignedly.
Alistair sighed heavily. "Take care of your charges. Come back safe and sound as soon as possible," Duncan told him.
Elissa stared into the jungle in silence. Although Fergus was here somewhere, the girl understood that looking for her brother was a crazy idea. The Wildlands had an area comparable to all the Banns' possessions, and this was only a known part of them. Beyond that, there were unexplored territories, beyond which, as they said, there was nothing but dead wastelands. Perhaps the Hasind's barbarians who live here know more, but it's rare to talk to them. Sometimes they go out to the nearest Ferelden towns and villages to trade, but they don't talk much. Therefore, Ferelden people used to consider the Wild Lands of Korkari as the edge of the world.
"But there are not only wolves and creatures of darkness here." Davet spoke again. "Have you heard about Flameth? I hope we don't meet her."
"Flameth?"
"Oh, it's a well-known legend in these parts. They say she was a terrible witch and possessed blood magic. One day she appeared among the Hasind, united the communities and led them to war against the northern Alamarri tribes."
"The Alamarri lived here before Ferelden was founded. Even witches don't live that long," Alistair remarked and brushed the marsh grass off his boot.
"Isn't that just a legend?" Jory asked hopefully.
"Who knows," Davet said vaguely. "The hero Cormac, led by Alamarri and the dwarves of Orzammar, drove them out. They say Flamethrower's head was taken off then. However, Flemeth's daughters survived and became witches of the Wilds. Even Jacinda is afraid of them here to this day."
"Let's focus on the darkspawn and the ruins", Elissa replied, walking ahead.
The girl was glad of the combat mission. If she had continued to wander around the camp, glancing at the passage to the Wildlands every now and then, she would not have been able to stand it and went there herself. The wait was unbearable. Even her comrades noticed that she was noticeably enlivened in action.
Duncan had ordered three vials of darkspawn blood to be brought for the Initiation ritual, but Elissa guessed that it wasn't the blood they had strewn all over the valley the day before. "To get what you need, you will need to work together, and this is an equally important part of the Initiation," Duncan said, and he also left her wolfhound by his side, making it clear that it was time for her to stop relying on him in everything. The second task was to find the old ruins that once belonged to the Grey Guards. Important documents could be preserved there, protected from enemies and time by a magical seal.
Elissa noticed something in the water. A man was lying face down in the swamp, judging by his clothes, a churchman, and had been lying for a long time.
"Sometimes the churchmen take it into their heads to go here almost alone to bring the Song of Light to the Hasind's," Alistair commented. "That's how they usually end up."
When the Song of Light written by Saint Andraste reaches all corners of the world, the Creator will forgive mankind for their sins and return. That was Andraste's prophecy. Most people were raised with this belief. Although the forests were inhabited by wild tribes of elves with their own pantheon of gods, the Qunari in the north of Thedas recognized only their teachings, and the dwarves worshipped the Stone and their ancestors altogether. It is unlikely that the Creator will turn his gaze on the inhabitants of Thedas in the coming centuries.
"Hey, there's something there!" Davet pointed behind the trees, and a gust of cold wind carried the smell of burning to them.
An overturned wagon was smoking, and supplies were scattered and burned. The clearing around is covered with bloodstains and littered with the corpses of Ferelden soldiers.
"It's terrible," Elissa whispered.
"Over here!" Davet shouted.
She and Alistair had turned over the cart, and there was a rustle coming from under it. A soldier was lying there, still breathing.
"This one is more alive than dead", Alistair said and gave the wounded man some water.
The soldier opened his eyes:
"W-who's there? People? Our squad was attacked by darkspawn. Please, I have to get back to the camp! Can you help me?"
"We haven't gone far. Can we escort him?" Elissa asked Alistair.
The guard doubted that they should return to Duncan as soon as possible, and they hadn't done anything yet, but after looking at the wounded man, he immediately wanted to agree. However, the soldier, seeing their doubts, said first:
"I just need to get my wounds bandaged, but I can walk on my own. There are no darkspawn behind you, are there?
Are you sure?
"I have bandages."
Alistair took out a tightly rolled skein from his bag. Elissa soaked a piece of clean cloth and began to wash the soldier's wounds, staining her palms with his blood. The guard looked at her carefully, but said nothing. He imagined the Thairn daughters... different.
The soldier stood up awkwardly and trudged heavily along the path towards the camp.
"I'm worried about him," Elissa muttered and looked into the distance again. Not just for him.
"Aren't you worried about us?" Jory asked nervously. "Did you hear what he said? The Darkspawn had killed them all, and they were experienced soldiers! How long did they last in these lands? It's a risky business, let's go back, and you can collect blood from old corpses.
"Easy, Jory. If we're careful, nothing will happen," Alistair replied.
"These soldiers were also careful, and what happened in the end?! There's a whole horde of darkspawn here! Even we can't handle them all."
"What kind of Grey Warden do you want to become if you're ready to turn at the first danger? We can't let them crush us, fight!" Elissa replied harshly.
There's no way she's coming back. After all, her brother has been fighting dark creatures here for several days, and Elissa will never disgrace him and his family, fearing danger. She won't turn back.
"But... I didn't run away! I'm just thinking straight. I don't want to die here when my wife and child are waiting for me at home."
"You know, there's nothing shameful about fear. Few people are happy to meet the creatures of darkness. I'm certainly not that kind of person," Alistair remarked and looked at Elissa.
"I didn't say that," she said, embarrassed. Maybe she doesn't give a damn about her life anymore, but there are those around her who have something to lose. "I apologize. I was harsh." She apologized to Jory, which surprised him a lot.
"Oh, no, I'm..."
"I think it's going to be okay." All Grey Guards can sense darkspawn from afar, so the enemy won't take us by surprise. That's why I went with you," Alistair said.
"Do you see, sir knight? Maybe we'll die, but we'll be warned about it first," Davet quipped.
"Is that supposed to calm me down?"
The guards left the path and went deeper into the Wild Lands. The darkspawn often set up ambushes on the paved paths. Even though Alistair had said he could sense them, he didn't want to walk straight into a trap hoping he'd spot them in time. The sun hardly penetrated through the crowns of the trees, the forest was very old and dense, smelled of wet bark and reeds. The palpable moisture in the air settled on the clothes, and it became cold. Elissa thought about her brother again.
"It's awfully cold this time of year. So, freezing in the southern rain, I'm all jealous of you sitting here by the fireplace in comfort," he laughed before leaving.
Elissa shook her head, dispelling the bad thoughts.
He'll be back. He will definitely come back. He promised.
She promised him something too.
Oren! Oriana!
Elissa shuddered and pulled the chain with the locket around her neck, which seemed too tight.
"Is something wrong?" Alistair asked.
"no."
"Wait," he said suddenly, and closed his eyes for a second. There are darkspawn ahead."
The guards crept between the thorny bushes and came out to the foot of a small cliff. Three Genlock archers were positioned on the ledge, and four Garlocks were walking around below with huge, rough-hewn swords. Right in front of them, three disfigured human corpses were hanging from a tree.
"Poor devils... In my opinion, this is unjustified cruelty," Alistair said.
"Davet," Elissa said to the archer. "Can you take those from above?"
"I can't aim from here, but if I get closer, I can. However, not all at once, and after the first shot, the Garlocks would quickly notice me and remember my name."
"They won't be up to it," Elissa replied. "Davet, as soon as you shoot the first one, quickly change your position. Your task is the archers" The girl turned to the others. "Alistair, protect Davet with your shield. Jory, we'll take the swordsmen."
The three of them looked at her in silence.
"It's a good plan," Alistair replied casually. "At least, no one could have thought of a better one so quickly."
No, she was Thairn's daughter after all.
At that moment, the creatures of darkness growled and began to look around, as if they had sensed something. One Garlock ran straight to the place where they were hiding.
"Here we go!" Kusland commanded.
Davet dived down, followed by Alistair. Elissa quickly threw the knife at Garlock's face, who immediately collapsed. The girl jumped out of hiding, shielding herself from the arrows with her shield. Until all the archers were killed by Davet, Elissa moved around the opponents, preventing others from aiming, Jory protected her back, and she protected him with a shield. The battle ended quickly, the darkspawn were not masters of combat. There wasn't a scratch on the Guards.
"I think we'll work well together," Alistair said.
Jory looked at the darkspawn, whose toothy jaws were frozen in a death growl. A chill ran through his body.
"In my opinion, we were lucky. It could have ended worse."
"Ha, say thank you to Milady Earnestness. She covered you from the arrows the whole battle. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gotten off so easily."
Elissa ignored Davet's comment and turned to Alistair:
"Will their blood do?"
"Quite."
She bent over the first dead Garlock, pulled out her knife, and put the empty vial under the wound. The blood of the darkspawn was thicker and darker than human blood, but still red. Not black, as people used to say. After filling three bottles, the girl wiped them on the grass and put them in her bag.
In a few hours of hiking, they encountered two more small groups of darkspawn, but they managed with scratches and minor abrasions. Alistair couldn't feel any large troops nearby. Probably, those who killed the soldiers in the clearing have long since left. The Guards camped in a hollow between two hills.
"I should at least make a fire, otherwise I feel like I'm going to freeze up soon."
Jory took off his gloves and exhaled warm air into his palm.
"I'll look for some dry branches," Elissa said.
"I'm with you. We shouldn't be wandering around here alone." Alistair left his shield and bag, taking only his sword with him.
There were too many swamps around, and all the branches and bark were soaked with moisture. Elissa looked for a dry stick on the ground. Her teeth were also starting to chatter from the cold. On a green log between the stones, she saw a flower with white petals and a red center. Even in forests full of creatures of darkness, you can find beauty. A crow flew up from the branch of a nearby tree, startling the girl. Once again, Elissa had the uncomfortable feeling that the forest itself was hiding and watching them.
In her search for dry branches, she didn't notice how far she had gone. When she looked up, she was already alone. The sounds of the Wild Lands still haunted her behind every hummock and every tree. Elissa called out to her brother again in her mind. Now that no one was around, the temptation to go looking for him became very great, but the Wild Lands now seemed even bigger and more irresistible.
No. She had no right to go against her duty and abandon her own.
Elissa heard a growl behind her. Two animals that looked like wolves were creeping towards her, but they were strange and sick. Kusland tensed up, dropped the gathered branches and drew her sword. The first wolf that lunged at her fell to the ground with its side ripped open. The second one managed to grab her gauntlet, and Elissa pulled her hand out of it, spun around, and sliced open his mouth. The beast's carcass thudded onto its side.
Alistair soon found her, but the fight was already over.
"Do you want a roast for lunch? I would not recommend eating them. The meat is a little harsh," he grinned.
"What's wrong with them?"
Elissa didn't even think to laugh at the joke. She was looking at the wolves. The animals were clearly sick: the coarse fur, which had fallen out in places, stuck out in shreds and dirty icicles, the unnaturally large fangs protruded forward, and the eyes, even after death, burned as if there was nothing left inside but anger and rage.
"This is what Pestilence does to living beings." Alistair said, picking up the branches that Elissa had dropped for the fire.
At lunch, Elissa again ate almost nothing and was silent. She didn't respond to Alistair's jokes, Davet's chatter, or Jory's complaints. She continued to stare through the trees for as long as she could see.
"What are you looking at all the time?" Davet said.
"No matter what."
As they made their way through the forest again, Jory almost fell into an old trap set by the Hasindas, probably for the darkspawn. Fortunately, Davet noticed in time a thin rope stretched across the path, and was terribly pleased with himself. Elissa admitted that he was good at what he did and took a responsible approach to the Grey Wardens' mission.
"It seems to me that Initiation is a kind of punishment," he once said. Retribution for everything we've done before and will do in the future. This is the sacrifice that the Grey Wardens make to defeat Pestilence. Our Sir knight apparently believed that being a Grey Warden meant riding a white horse under the admiring gazes of maidens and killing a creature of darkness a day. I think we'll find out the truth soon enough."
"Yes," Elissa replied simply.
"Aren't you afraid of what's coming?"
"No... probably not afraid."
"Ha! If you're not afraid of anything, then you've had a carefree life. Few can boast of this."
The guards came to a large swamp, above the surface of which were dilapidated arches, pieces of stone walls and fragments of statues, and the huge dome of the tower was askew and half sunk. The air seemed to have become even colder, and small clouds of steam were escaping from his mouth.
"It should be here," Alistair said.
There was solid water all around, only small paths and islands of land.
"Whatever it was, it probably sank long ago."
Ahead was a dilapidated building that had not yet been touched by the swamps. Architecturally, it resembled the Ostagarian towers. Inside a small courtyard surrounded on three sides by walls, debris, branches, grass had sprouted everywhere, and the stone was green from dampness and time. A rusty chest stood against the far wall, the only thing that had retained its former appearance at least a little. However, its lid was smashed and twisted, and the inside was... empty.
"So, so, what's going on here?" The sudden voice startled the four Guards.
A pair of attentive golden eyes stared at them from the ruined wall.