The Unicorn and the Blight

Chapter Two: To be a Grey Warden

When I awoke I found myself laying on a sleeping mat. The first thing I noticed was the pain in my side from the Darkspawn axe that had struck me, and while it didn't hurt nearly as much as I had expected it to the pain was still there. I also noticed that the wound was now bandaged, somepony had obviously treated me while I had been unconcious

I cracked my eyes open and saw the cooling embers of a slowly dying fire. It was early mornign and the Sun was just begining to peak over the Frostback mountains. I craned my head to look around and saw that the area was rocky with dray grass spattered around, so I was probobly still somewhere in the Hinterlands at least.

As I looked around I tried to find the Pony who had rescued me in the Deep Roads, remembering the Armored figure from when I was losing conciousness, but he was nowhere in sight. I did however notice the sound of steel on a whetstone as a blade was being sharpened somewhere to my right, but whatever was making the noice was blocked from my vision by several large rocks.

I got to my shaky hooves and began to make my way towards the sound, assuming it to be my rescuer. I walked for a few minutes still shaky from my fight with the Darkspawn in the Deep Roads. Eventually I rounded a particuarly large boulder and a Stallion in gleaming armor entered my vision. I instantly knew what he was, the White Griffon on his armor giving it away.

He was a Grey Warden.

"In War, Victory. In Peace, Vigilance. In Death, Sacrifice. " is their motto. They were the ones to stop the first Blight when it seemed that all of Thedas would be onsumed by the onslaught of the Darkspawn. The Blight was ended when the Arch-Demon was slain, and ever since the Grey Wardens have been the ones to stop each Blight that followed in the same way. They were even said to be able to sense the Darkspawn somehow.

The Wardens' influence had wained in Ferelden in recent years. In the past four centuries there had been no Blight, and many on the surface had chosen to believe that the Darkspawn had been defeated forever, despite the fact that they still pressed on the Diamond Dogs' doors constantly.

The Light Grey Stallion quickly stopped sharpening his word and turned his head to look at me. His Dark Green Eyes unnerved me as I had been sure that he hadn't seen me aproach and there was no way he could have heard me coming, and yet he instantly knew that I was there.

"Ah, I see you're awake." He called out to me in an even voice. "I came out here to sharpen my sword so as to not wake you."

"Yeah, thanks for rescuing me." I looked to my bandaged side and winced adding, "I don't think I would have survived if you ahdn't shown up."

Tehe Warden sheathed his sword and began to walk towards me saying, "You know that the wound in your side is the least of your worries right now don't you?"

"No, I don't" I lied, trying unsuccessfully to push the burning sensation of the Taint spreading it's way through my blood from the wound.

"I think you do" He said with a calm certainty, "The feeling of Taint is unmistakeable and impossible to ignore."

My breathing began to grow eratic as I felt the truth in his words. Taint was a Death sentence, and not a quick and painless one either. It would eventually destroy your mind and everything you once were, leaving you nothing but a crazed monstrosity. If you survived that lost that is. I felt despair begin to set in, I was going to die.

"You talk like you know what it feels like." I said with venom in my voice.

"I do know what it feels like." the Warden said when he had closed the distanc ebetween us to a few feet. "I know because all Grey Wardens know the Taint. We have the Taint inside of us and it is what allows us to sense the Darkspawn, and all creatures with taint."

I strangely felt the truth in his words, it explained how he had known I was there without seeing or hearing me. He had felt the Taint in me. Then I realised that he had the taint was was still alive and very much in control of his mind. That meant there was a way to survive the Taint and that possibility sparked a glimmer of hope in me.

"Do you know why I rescued you?" He asked me, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Because that's what Grey Wardens do isn't it? You save Ponies from the Darkspawn." I asked rasing an eyebrow at his question, I hadn't yet considered  why this Stallion would not only save my life and drag me from the Deep Roads but also tend to my wounds.

The Stallion slowly shook his head before saying, "No, that is not why I saved you. I could feel that the Taint was in you, and in most cases that would be cause for a mercy killing."

My eyes grew wide as I recoiled in horror, that he would kill a pony as an act of mercy if they were infected with the Taint even though he knew there was a cure for it.

Seeing the look in my eyes he added "The only way to survive the Taint is to become a Grey Warden" He continued, "And that is not something that everypony can become."

"So you think that I'd make a good Grey Warden?!" I exclaimed as I realised what his words implied. I had never once considered joining the Grey Wardens even though I knew that even an Apostate wouldn't have to fear being dragged off to the Circle if they were a part of the Wardens. There was just so much that nopony knew about them, and they tended to live short lives if the rumors were true.

"Yes, I do." He stated with certainty. "You not only entered entered the Deep Roads to awnser a lone Mare's cry for help, but you even continued after you had encountered Darkspawn. I found the body of the Genlock you killed when I dragged you out. That is what we look for in a recruit, someone with the courage to face the Darkspawn against all odds." He paused for a moment before adding, "And we need every Warden we can gfet during a Blight."

My mind was reeling, I was faced with an impossible choice. If I didn't become a Grey Warden I would most likely lose my mind and die a painfull death, and if I became a Grey Warden I would have to fight to stop the Blight and still very likely die a very painfull death.

Silence held between us for what seemed like an eternity as my mind fought over what to do. I was no warrior, that much was sure after how I had ended up down in the Deep Roads and I doubted I'd be able to survive an army of Darkspawn. It was then that I heard Starlight's voice ring in my mind as I remembered something she told me just after we had first met, "Always remember, no matter how dark things may seem, as long as you're alive there is hope for the future."

My mind was filled with a sudden clarity. If I didn't become a Grey Warden I would assuredly die but if I became a Grey Warden I at least had hope for the future.

"I-I'll do it." I said in a shaky voice. "I will become a Grey Warden."  With each word my resolve grew stronger, and with the last word there was no doubt left in my mind. I would become a Grey Warden, I had given up on life once down in the Deep Roads, and I didn't intend to do so a second time.

"Ahha! I knew it!" The Stallion startled me as he lifted his forelegs into the air, "Ah, I am so glad that's decided. I didn't think I could keep up that act for much longer. The Commander said that I had to be serious when taking in a new recruit." He said as he baffled me with a huge grin.

The stoic Grey Warden in gleaming armor had turned into a boisterous stallion in less than a second.

"Well then my name is Veneer what's yours?" He suddenly asked me.

"B-Blue Streak." I said, the words stumbling out of my mouth as my mind reeled from Veneer's sudden change in personality.

"Well then Blue, we best go and see Commander Austere so we can put you through initation. We wouldn't want to miss all the fun after all." He said as he satrted off in a happy trott back towards the camp where I had awoke.

I stood there mouth agape before I finally managed to follow after his stumbling over my own hooves as I tried to keep up with him as I called out, "Where are we going!?"

"We are off to go fight an army of Darkspawn at the ruins of Ostagar." Veneer called out over his shoulder without breaking stride. He laughed as he added, "Oh you are gonna have a blast, I can feel it."

This Pony baffled me, he had been the epitome of calm wisdom and now he was saying I was going to have a blast fighting for my life againt Darkspaw! I only hoped that I wouldn't be dragged around at his pace for the entire trip

The cynical side of me remarked at the way I was being dragged around. At how I was no longer in control o fmy own life and things were going to get alot worse. The rest of me told it to shut up.

So I was left to my thoughts as I followed Veneer back to the camp before we prepared to head to Ostagar and wonder at the direction my life had suddenly turned to. I could laready feel that I had a long and hard road ahead of me.