The Fate of the Tainted

I lean against my pillow sitting legs out on my four poster bed as I stroke Damon's head as he rests it on my lap with a huff.
"So, my trusty companion, I may soon be a Grey Warden, if I can persuade mother to let the Commander recruit me. Maybe I'll meet my father..." I start rambling. "nope, don't get ahead of yourself joining the Wardens is one thing but meeting your father, nope, too fairy tale... He's probably dead, that's probably why he's never visited" I say back in reality. I stare blankly at the opposite wall before shaking my head.
"Oh I don't know, maybe fairy stories actually can be real sometimes" my mother says appearing in my doorway. I have to move my torso to the side slightly to look past the curtain hanging down the bed post. Damon barks happily and runs over to her.
"Hello you big fur ball, who's a fluffy boy," she says patting him as he wags his little stump of a tail.
"Mother?" I say confused, she sits on the red velvet sheets and I move next to her.
"He's not dead" she says confusing me for a second before I realise she's talking about my father.
"No?" I ask quizzically raising an eyebrow.
"There's no simple way to put this" Damon whines confused. Mother pauses looking over her left shoulder towards the door "Duncan" she says calmly he appears at the doorway where mother stood moments ago.
"We're leaving in the morning" he says
"I'm to become a Warden?" I ask surprised
"That's the idea" my mother says
"Why the sudden change of heart? But wait, we were talking about my father and now..." It hits me like a Darkspawn shield to the face, only without the pain of it.
"Duncan is your father" she smiles. I just sit there my mouth is moving as if repeating what my mother has just said while looking at the floor puzzled. My mother just laughs at my reaction. "This is the first time I've seen you lost for words since we met" Duncan says smiling. I look up and my confusion is replaced by joy.
"And since we've met you've changed my life dramatically. And it's only been a few hours" I finally piece together something to say. "I'm the daughter of two Grey Wardens, which is next to impossible in the first place for even one Warden. But two it's even more unlikely. Not only are both my parents Warden's one of them is a Commander of Ferelden's Wardens" I say grinning like a Cheshire Cat. Damon barks and stands on his hind legs with his front paws on Duncan's chest plate.
"That means welcome to the family I guess" I giggle "we've got a lot to talk about. Or I'll talk and you'll listen to my ramblings" I correct.
"Well, at least the journey to Ostagar won't be boring" he says
"One thing we need to clear up first. What do I call you?"
"Since Grey Wardens having children is unheard of maybe you should just call me Duncan." He states. "Around others anyway"
"That sounds good to me... Father... Wow that was strange, but I like the sound of it" I say
Alarm bells suddenly ring and I shoot to my feet, not long after Favian comes rushing in.
"Darkspawn" he says. Damon growls with his ears back and teeth bared at the very mention of the creatures.
"Where and how many?" I ask heading into my washroom where my now clean armour is hung on its stand.
"About a hundred. Emisary up front, an Ogre , Hurlock grunts and bolters mainly. Heading this way"
I hear my mother repeat the number startled.
I take my shirt off and noticing my undershirt isn't wearable I go without it and I start putting my gauntlets on, standing in only my breast-band.
"Call out my men, position the archers on the wall, get your sister up there tell her to wait for my signal." I put my chest piece on as I speak. "We'll head out there and use the trench traps." I say and I hear him run off as I start to buckle my chestpiece up the side whilst walking back into the room.
"I shall come with you" Duncan says
"And so shall I" my mother also says
"One big happy family fighting the Darkspawn. Sounds like a dream." I smile doing the last fastening up them moving to buckling my tassets around my thigh with the two straps, before I secure my blade harness on my back then grabbing my weapons from on top of my armoire, placing my slightly curved elvish made longsword and a matching dagger in their rightful positions as I turn back to my parents.
"Mother get your gear on and get to the wall, Father and I will get to the traps" my mother goes to get sorted and me and Duncan head off in the opposite direction.
"You certainly know how to give orders" Duncan says
"Are you saying that because I'm your daughter?" I ask curiously
"Not at all, but I'm sure proud of you for being such" he says with a smile.
"And it's and honour to have you as my father" I say with an equal smile before we run off towards the estate gate.

We take our position outside the walls and draw our weapons as everyone else scurries into place. The Spawn see us and stop for a moment they stare at us, and we stare back. The moment is tense, I look around and see some men still falling in behind me. And I hear the metal gates close with a small boom.
"What are they waiting for?" I hear someone say sounding panicked. I walk over to the man.
"Be calm, control your fear, you endanger yourself and those around you if you do not" I say quietly to him.
"Remember, they bleed just like anything else, and that means they can die all the same. If you see an advantage take it, but so not leave yourselves open to be struck." I say to everyone, trying to calm their nerves. "The Darkspawn are hideous, unsympathetic creatures, show them no mercy" I stand back besides Duncan. "For they will show you none" I say just loud enough to cause the Warden to look at me. I dare not look at him for the leader of the spawn gives the order to charge. In the dim light of the setting sun it's hard to see much. But they soon pass the white marking stone letting me know they're in range of our arrows.
"Hold!" I say loud enough for everyone to hear me. I notice some of the younger men still look frightened, but I cannot blame them, on my first bout with Darkspawn it was the single most terrifying thing in my life.
"Hold"
It was my first routine area check, against my mothers protests I went anyway under the supervision of my uncle. Darkspawn ended up surrounding us and that was the first time I saw real bloodshed, as one ran towards me I froze. My uncle appeared from the side and cut its head off telling me to stay close to him. I came to my senses a little and my weapons training kicked in and my muscles began to work again.
The fight was in our favour but it left me violently shaking with both fear and adrenalin. I was only fifteen, I didn't want to leave my room for months until I finally came around and knew It was my duty to my mother, uncle and soldiers of the estate to help them defeat the menaces. And so I braved the Darkspawn from then on. As I got older and more used to them I didn't fear them so much. Now I do not fear them at all and I've got scars enough for any man to be shamed by.
"Steady. On my command" I start holding my weapons ready, Duncan standing next to me. The Darwspawn get ever closer and are almost in spear length. "Now" I yell, and just in time the ropes are pulled raising the barricades, the first line of Spawn are impaled on the spikes atop the wooden structure and those behind fall into the ditch below skewering themselves on yet more hardwood spikes. The barricades are tied off on the oaken pegs and the men that were assigned to the rope draw their weapons falling into line behind us.
"Volley!" I shout
The spawn squeal as they're stuck with arrows. The ones that survive the initial onslaught of piercing missiles start trying to squeeze through the meter wide gap between each barrier. Getting cut down one by one or falling into the pit as they push each other around. It's getting harder to see in the growing darkness, a few of the archers have shot ignited arrows down to light the fires that now help us see. Then a roar erupts from the Ogre, and a blast of flame comes smashing through one of the barricades eviscerating it and sending the men guarding it flying and illuminating the battlefield a little bit more. The blast left a wide yet shallow crater with a few small fires scattered around it but the Ogre came barreling through without a care. Swiping at the first thing that moved it swatted Favian with its arm. As if in slow motion the elf barrel rolls in the air three times before landing hard in the dirt, the Ogre seemingly targets him. Rather than throwing my dagger, I pick up a discarded dagger from a dead spawn close by and throw it at the Ogre hitting it's horn, gaining its attention. I immediately regret it, but as long as my friend is spared from the beast I don't mind. It roars and gets ready to charge when an arrow hits it in the shoulder, causing the beast to whirl around in pain. I look up to see Amnon with her bow pointed at it knocking another arrow. I look around at the scene feeling a bit weary and panting heavily after fighting for so long. Spawn and men being cut down or lying around wounded and screaming in agony, the only way to help them is to win the battle so get back into the fight while making my way to the downed elf hoping he's still alive. I kneel down next to him and he coughs as I move him onto his back, having to turn quickly with a yell to impale a Hurlock that was running at me from the side. When I look back Favian's eyes are open and he's holding something out for me. I take it and look at the round glass bottle with a fiery looking liquid inside. He starts getting up painfully, and I help him. He's probably got some broken ribs no doubt and he's having trouble breathing. The Ogre then notices us, with Favian's injuries it'd be impossible to move fast enough out of the way of its charge. But I have a sudden thought about what to do with the makeshift explosive he handed me. "Maker I hope this works" I say as Favian stands of his own accord holding his blades loosely at his side. As the Ogre gets ready to charge it roars again and I throw the bomb aiming at its mouth. It doesn't hit where I want, but it hits it in a good place to severely injure and weaken it.

With its left arm now blown off a few of the soldiers start attacking it as it holds what's left of its blood spewing shoulder. It's soon felled by a sword to the eye from Duncan.

The number of spawn has dwindled and with the death of the Ogre the rest flee some are slain as they run and we stand ready incase they decide to come back but in the darkness it's hard to see clearly I stand guard near Favian as he has done on many occasions for me.

With no sign of the spawn returning we go back inside the defensive walls Favian limping as he leans against me for support. Amnon rushes to her twins side as soon as we're inside the walls. He groans as she hugs him, obviously she's worried about him and she apologises for causing him pain before they walk off to get him seen to but not before she thanks me, in her language, for looking out for him. I go back outside the walks helping people who are injured get somewhere to be looked at.