The Dalish Commander (The Daughters of Thedas Book 2)

18: Not Just A Commander

We went back to the Keep so I could conduct some Warden business. I was sitting in the study dealing with more letters from the Banns and a few personal letters. I read over a letter with no signature politely requesting my presence in Amaranthine. I knew that this had to be from the Dark Wolf, as it was in the same hand as his previous letter. I heard a knock at the door. I looked up to see Oghren standing in the doorway.

"Realin, we need to talk," he said.

"Of course."

The Dwarf walked in and shut the door. "Dreams. You get them?"

"Almost nightly."

"Is this a Grey Warden thing? I remember you and Alistair having fitful sleep during the Blight but why didn't anyone warn me?"

"Be glad you didn't Join during a Blight like I did. The nightmares are worse and you hear the Archdemon."

"I can't imagine he has anything interesting to say."

"Not really."

"In my dream, I saw one of those bloated, vomit-smeared Broodmothers and it had Hespith's face. You remember Hespith, don't you?"

Hespith was Oghren's first wife, Branka's, lover. We'd met her in the Deep Roads, tainted beyond help. We never did find her again after we destroyed the Anvil of the Void.

"Branka was there and whispered 'It's time' and Hespith screamed and a thousand Darkspawn burst from her... The Darkspawn surrounded me and started talking... asking me if I would like lemon in my tea..." At this point, I really hoped I was keeping a straight face. "And if I could please teach them to read and write and one of them kept repeating 'Where's the baby?' That's when I woke up."

"I can honestly say I haven't had any Darkspawn dreams like that." How I managed not to laugh is beyond me.

"Huh. I do get other dreams about Darkspawn, mostly shadows and murmuring, but nowhere as scary." He turned to go. "Thanks for listening, Realin."

"Anytime, Oghren." After he left, I chuckled and shook my head. Leave it up to Oghren to put me at ease and in a better mood.

I heard a soft knock at the door. I looked up to see Nathaniel leaning on the door frame. I stood and walked over to him. He'd gone off to be by himself after we returned from the cellars. "Is everything alright, Nathaniel?"

"Considering I just watch a woman I loved like a mother die..." He looked at me. "May I ask who you lost to the taint?" I'd already hinted at the information. It wouldn't hurt to tell him.

"My best friend, Tamlen. When I discovered that he was tainted beyond help, he begged me to end his suffering."

"You killed him?"

"The taint is painful for those who are not Grey Wardens. Unchecked, it'll drive the victim mad and either kill them or transform them into a ghoul."

"And Tamlen?"

"He was going mad. He still had enough of his mind to know me and to beg me to end his suffering."

"I'm sure that was hard to do."

"Very."

"I'm sorry that you had to be the one to do it. And thank you for jumping in when you did. I don't know if I would have been able to kill Adria."