The Unicorn and the Blight

Chapter Six: A Long Path Ahead

I woke to the surprise of being alive. It was a feeling I was becoming much more used to than I would like.

I knew I was alive because I could feel the bandages wraping much of my body, and beneath them I could feel the closed holes from where the bolts had pierced my flesh. Somepony had obviously tended to my wounds, but who it could have been I had no clue. There shouldn't have been anypony able to rescue me and...

Veneer and Grenolyn!

I thought in sudden realisation. I had survived the battle and I dearly hoped that my two new friends had survived as well. As I pulled my head off of the pillow it had been resting on I pondered for a moment that I already considered them friends. Was it because they were Grey Wardens like me, or was it that we had fought and shed blood together? It was probobly a combination of the two.

I felt the warm blanket that had been draped over me slide off as I lifted myself up to get a better look around. I saw that I was definitely no longer in Ostagar, the building I was in was costructed of wood and while it was old it looked well maintained. I saw a warm fire kindled nearby heating the room so I knew whoever had tended my wounds couldn't be far seeing as the fire looked like had been started recently.

I brought a hoof up to feel the wounds I had taken by the Darkspawn bolts and found them almost completely healed. That meant I had either been unconcious for quite some time or that whoever had tended my wounds had done so with magic before wrapping them in bandages.

I shrugged off what either of those things could imply as I pulled myself out of the bed. I noticed that the building I was in had only one door that I assumed lead outside. I found my cloak, battered and sainted with blood from the battle in the tower but it appeared it had been washed and mended.

I put the cloak on, pulling it over my back so that it draped down my sides. I also covered my head with the cloak's hood out of habit as I made my way over to the door that led outside and turned the doorknob with my hoof.

I was quickly welcomed by the cold dank smell of a marsh as I took my first breath of the air outside. The area was nothing but pools of water broken up by small patches off land, it was on one of those patches of land that the house I walked out of was built on.

"Ah, your friend awakes it seems." I heard an old mare's voice say as I stepped out into the damp air.

She had a greying mane and a stark white coat, her cutie mark was a black upsidedown crescent moon.

"Blue!" I heard Veneer's voice call out as I saw him standing there with Grenolyn at his side. The sight of the two of them relieved my worries greatly as he continued, "You really had us worried there, it's been two weeks and we were starting to thing you'd never wake up."

I looked in shock to Grenolyn and she nodded in confirmation. I had been unconcious for two weeks, it was startling that two weks could pass by just like that.

"Yes, hello. Your friends have told me that your name is Blue Streak," The Old Mare said "My name is Flemeth and my daughter Morrigan and I were the ones who rescued you in the tower."

Something about what she said bothered me. I was gratefull for her saving my life of course, but... it just felt like I was forgetting something. Her name... Flemeth...

That was it! Flemeth was the name of a witch of the wilds, or so I had heard on my travels. A witch of the wilds was said to be a horror and something that could make one's heart stop with just a look. Although those stories were most likely exagerated.

Looking at this elderly mare however I couldn't make myself think of her as some monstrosity, she seemed like any other pony I had ever met. Even if she picked an odd place to make her home.

She must have seem my expression when I realised where I had heard her name before because she let out a chuckle and said, "Oh child, if I had wanted you to come to harm I would have simply left you in that tower, let alone nurse you back to health in my home."

Well... That did make sense, but why would she go through the trouble to-

"After all, we can't have all of the Grey-Wardens dying off now."

Oh... That's why.

"While I'm thankfull for your health Flemeth, what do you mean by that?" I asked.

"It's simple child, the Blight is a threat to us all and Grey Wardens are the only ones who can stop the Blight."

"Much good three Grey-Wardens are against a horde of DarkSpawn." I heard Grenolyn's voice sullenly say. "It takes an army to stop a Blight witch and we've just lost the only one we have."

I finally noticed how Grenolyn carried herself with a slump, much different to her pridefull stride I had known her to carry herself with. She looked as though while she had survived at Ostagar physically her spirit was broken.

I turned to Veneer and saw that he showed similar signs of hopeless-ness even if they weren't as pronounced as they were with Grenolyn.

"Surely there is hope?" I croaked. "Aren't Grey Wardens able to call upon aid from groups against a Blight?" I remembered from the tales I had heard of Grey Wardens.

"Yes, if my memory serves me Grey Wardens call call upon aid from Unicorns, Diamond Dogs, and Zebras. That sounds like the making of an army to me." Flemeth spoke up.

"Yes, and not all of Ferelden's forces were at Ostagar, and I know that not all of the grey-Wardens had arrived at Ostagar yet." Veneer chimed in hopefully while looking at Grenolyn.

She appeared to ponder what we had said for a few moments, seeming to churn through the possibilities. Eventually however, I saw the familiar determined fire in her eyes begin to re-kindle. Not what it had been at Ostagar admitedly but it was better than the hopelessness that had been there before.

"I think- I think you might be right." Grenolyn finaly said. "It is our duty as Wardens to do whatever we can."

I breathed a sigh of relief, I had not known Grenolyn for long, but I don't think I would be able to do what we had to without her.

Wait a moment.. we... I had already begun to think of myself as a Grey Warden. I didn't know how to feel about that just yet, but I knew that Grey Wardens were needed now.

Putting my thoughts of who I was becoming aside for a moment I looked around at those around me, and noticed that they were all looking at me expectantly.

"Wh-why're you all looking at me like that?"

"Because Blue," Veneer said with his familiar irritating grin returning "How could we ever move onward without our leader?"

"WHAT!" I exclaimed, sincerely hoping that he was making one of his stupid jokes.

"Yes Blue," Grenolyn said calmly "You shamed me when you had kept hope when I had all but given up. I may be the senior member here but I doubt I could lead anyone in my current state of mind."

"Yeah! And we al know that I would just make a terrible leader, meaning that just leaves you for the job my friend." Veneer laughed.

I felt the blood drain from my face when I realised that they were serious about this, did they really want me to do it? why!? I could barely muster the courage to stand up straight in a crowd.

"Well then my young Warden," Flemeth finaly spoke up. "You have a long road ahead of you, and you shouldn't keep the Blight waiting."

I tried to speak up but found myself unable to make the words leave my throat. I looked around on efinal time in an atempt to see if Veneer or Grenolyn might change their minds about this insanity, but I found nothing of the sort.

"I-I don't know why oyu would want me to lead, but I'll trust your judgement." I was finally able to say "Lets get trotting before I decide to find a hole to hide in."

I tried to keep my thoughts of gloom and doom under control as I began to move my hooves to take me out of this swampy land and head toward what seemed to be an impossible task. I needed to assemble an army, and defeat the Blight. I really wished they had found a better pony for the job.

"Good luck to you Warden, you will need it." I heard Flemeth's old voice call out from behind me.