Ostagar Anxiety
...they were here, he wasn't even a warden yet and he just knew it. The echoes of every footstep he took in the old tevinter ruin, the looks every soldier gave off in an instant, the whispers of death itself in every brush of the cold wind against his face; it was too apparent that the incoming darkspawn horde was here-- growing ever patiently, evidently pushing the allied forces into a corner, in this tevinter ruin. Tidus Amell had only been in Ostagar for nearly three days and the ambience of everything, it scared him. It scared him like a small rat staring in the eyes of a mabari hound. To strive on such arrogance in the tower, only to be diverged into fear.... now that was a scary thing, especially for Tidus. When he had the option to fight the darkspawn, he was so quick to jump on it. Especially, considering the position he was in. All of this, harbored upon a week ago, maybe. His nerves made him clench onto the now and forget the then.
A light breath left his mouth as he rose a hand to his forehead-- from his position, sitting on the old tevinter walls that oversaw the massive wild before him. "Andraste... be damned." his words left his lips, quietly and strongly. "The camp feels it more by each descending day, our impending doom is clear-- to all except to the King himself, Cailan he believed his name was. He didn't think much of him when he met him three days ago. But the morale he seemed to imply... it was gone, if it was even here to begin with. Cailan was so caught up in his imagination, his glory.
"Riding with the Grey Wardens to fell the darkspawn hordes.... does this man not see what is before us?" more words left Tidus lips as he mused to himself. He moved his hand from his face to the landmasses ahead, blue ambience siphoned through his hands before an arcane bolt shot into one of the many trees before him. Who was the king fooling? He couldn't of been so blind to see that with their small forces-- even with the small warden and mage support he had acquired-- they could not challenge a horde of demons. The reinforcements from Orlais... they weren't heard from-- it wasn't even clear if the empress herself had sent anyone to help. It certainly wouldn't surprise anyone.
"...surely, I am better off here in this suicide mission than being at Gregoir's mercy."
Tidus wasn't sure, but there had to be some way of survival here. He was no tactician, but there had to be some reasonable way to look at this incoming and undeniable battle. His thoughts went back to Duncan-- the warden commander who saved him from certain death. The templars surely would of ended him, right there at the Circle of Magi. Tidus took another heavy breath as he sighed, "I hope he brings an entire regiment back from Highever." he chuckled, a little-- probably out of desperation.
"Maybe somebody here has something to drink..." he stood up from his position and started moving towards the bulk of the camp in the ruin, although his footing would be stopped short by a comment from a female nearby. "Tell me, are all human's so easy to scare as you, mage?"
Tidus stopped, half-chuckling as he glanced towards the source of the voice-- seeing an female elf perched on the stone wall to his back. "Well, are all elves such as you so foolish to see the odds against us?"
The elf-- a blonde dalish, smirked a bit. "Oh, so you have some life in you then... and is it so foolish to strive to live-- in the now, rather than the theoretical over analyzation of the future?" she looked to him, her blue eyes narrowed. "I'd rather not be so empty of life to be the effect of a coward."
"I suppose you may have some truth to your words, elf." Tidus spat in retort. "I wasn't aware the dalish sent such a brilliant scout to help us weak human's in our upcoming death. Is there a party? Because I don't hear the dalish celebration you so embody."
"If you must know, human-- I was recruited by the grey warden's. Otherwise I wouldn't be here, bothering on your cynical moping."
Tidus groaned, she kept going-- damn elves. "You, too? Oh, I'm going to love fighting alongside you."
"The feeling is surely mutual, human." the dalish female retorted.
"Well, at least I won't die completely unfulfilled-- surely she will die before I do in the coming battle." Tidus thought as he shook his head. "Andraste's Blood, am I needing of that drink even more now." the elf giggled-- or chuckled, Tidus couldn't tell at his remark. "Oh, so you can wallow in your foolishness without being able to walk straight?"
"Maybe. Maybe I'd like to wallow in my foolishness. Maybe, I'd like you to be apathetic and stop bothering me. Surely you have better things to do." Tidus replied, instantly and bluntly, the elf stirring him so much more. He was beginning to miss the Circle elves, at least they knew how to keep their mouth shut.
"It's good to see we are all getting along!" a cheery, male voice soon entered earshot-- and Tidus glanced over. One of the warden's who didn't accompany Duncan or stay to chat with the king, didn't he have something better to do? Of course not, no one in the bloody camp did. "I'd be getting along with the elf if she kept her bloody mouth shut."
"Well, see if I give you some insight in the future!" the dalish elf replied as the blonde templar looked to them both and shook his head while sporting a smirk. "You two seem to have worse chemistry than the templar and the mages, and I should know-- I was one of them."
Tidus couldn't help but laugh, a little. "...I hear you there. But you see I can't exactly quit being a pathetic human."
"Do not forget foolish and cowardly." the elf added, Tidus happily nodded and spoke once again, "Right! How could I forget-- a foolish, cowardly and pathetic human." he couldn't help but to chuckle afterwards. It seemed to be the mania getting to him, or maybe he was actually lightening up to the whole situation. Tidus looked to Alistair. "Alistair, could you tell me-- when exactly is Duncan due back-- I'd like to get my joining done and get on with whatever-- death, survival, bloody whatever."
The elf nodded. "For once I think I agree."
Alistair shrugged in response to the two of them. "It could really be any day now." This equated a sigh from Tidus as he spoke again. "I really hope it's today then. The sooner I have to fight-- the better." the elf smirked and added her two cents with a sound "Indeed." in quick response. Alistair just shrugged, "Well then, let's hope."
"Hope is something this one needs." the elf remarked with another smirk.
Between the entire anxiety he felt due to the darkspawn and the elven female's insults, Tidus spoke again; not exactly specifically responding to either of the people in the conversation before him, "Whatever, I think I'm going to ignore the ale selection and just go right to sleep. Maybe I'll find out that this was one bad nightmare-- and before you comically say something, Alistair... please.... don't." Tidus sighed and made off to his tent, whether the elf said another word or Alistair did-- he didn't care. The elf was right at one moment, though-- and he knew it. He couldn't focus on the what if foolishness and he had to live in the moment. He had no problem with doing that before Ostagar so why should a few... hundred thousand darkspawn change his life views.
Well, maybe they should-- but he was going to try to make it so anymore. Worry more about making them explode, the end.
As Tidus went to his tent, the elf looked to Alistair. "A bit overdramatic, that one."
Alistair chuckled, "You can't exactly blame him, the darkspawn are driving everyone a bit crazy." the dalish nodded a bit, "Perhaps, but they did not drive me such when I encountered them."
"So, you've dealt with them before?"
"Twas a single occasion, but a quick one." she replied., before taking a light breath. "It was for Tamlen, as well." Alistair nodded, his smirk gone. "I'm--" he began before the female elf spoke, cutting him off. "It doesn't matter, don't feel sympathy for me or him, human." her tone was clear as she jumped down from the ledge she had been perched upon for the entire conversation. Alistair only was caught baffled in his sentence. "I...uh...er.. okay."
"...I'm going to head out, anyway. I'm sure staring at the wilderness should be a more enticing experience then this conversation." she added. Alistair had no choice to nod before the elf was off-- to scout or more accurately, collect her thoughts alone. "Duncan.... he better return soon-- the human's anxiety seems to be a contagious condition." she thought as she moved forward, her hands moving to her hair and strengthening the ponytail she had. "I don't know how much more of human conversation I can take.... I would prefer to get to the darkspawn killing of this warden status."
She sighed as he blue eyes set to the night sky above, a non-arrogant and generally honest smile coming to her lips for a brief moment. The unsettled atmosphere, it was like much the calm before the storm and she-- Lyna Mahariel was anxious for it. The darkspawn horde... it would be ready soon, she wasn't sure if she knew it or it was a baseless assumption-- but it felt.... correct.
It was soon.
It was going to be a long, long night.
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