First Joining

Macha was almost surprised when the Ser knight so addressed her by name. Nygozy had introduced her of course, but with almost a familiarity . . . as he came up, she examined his face more closely. By the Maker! She almost dropped the chalice in her hands. But she had known this man, once, when she was young. He'd been a squire in her father's service, a student of the same man who taught her swordplay. She could see it in his face now. Suddenly she was all nerves again, but she kept her mouth shut, and nodded at him. After Harval's death she was less confident of his survival, but she prayed that he would make it.

As with the others, Macha quickly set the chalice down beside her as she hastily knelt down. He was still up, but Harval had as well, and he'd been dead on his feet, so her hand flew up almost frantically to find the pulse at the gap in his armor's neck. She sighed with relief to find that he yet lived.

"Welcome to the Warden Order, Ser Maddox Hyperion," she said quietly as she hovered over the body, and offered his unconscious form a small smile, and helped to lie him down gently so that he was easier for Nygozy and Kai to slip him away to the other survivors. He seemed to have become a brave man, to stay on his knees. She glanced over to where the others lay, making sure that they were all still alive, and to make sure that Marcus was still well, before standing up once more.

"Tatsoo," she called, hiding the surprise in her voice. With a name like that (and seeing the girl), she must have been a Chasind Wilder. Macha could not recall ever having heard of a Wilder Warden. "Please step forward."

This was it. This was it. The others all survived except for Harval but that was only one out of five. She glanced at the ones who had survived, lying on the blankets and the one on the chair. The dark Dalish was holding the one called Ianto closer to herself, her eyes closed.

Tatsoo stepped forward, took the chalice timidly and drank before she could become frightened and run away. Or at least try to. She had noted that the mabari was positioned not only to watch the proceedings but to keep people in as well.

The stuff tasted horrid and the pain hit her immediately as her eyes rolled back. A strange sound came from her throat almost between that of a shriek and a wolf then she fell to her knees, her body wracked in pain. Her hands gripped the flooring, her fingers digging into the wood as she choked, another strange sound emitting from her lips, through the hair which covered her face almost like a lion's mane.

The young woman fell to the ground, fingers still dug into the flooring and no movement came from her.

Nygozy and Kai came forward, concerned as she was not breathing but as Nygozy knelt to touch the woman she thought was dead, Tatsoo breathed then hunched her shoulders, pushed upwards and growled, in terrible pain. She looked up at the two wardens and chuckled, "Ah thin' wader be good bout now."

The warden commander was surprised but she and Kai helped her over to the resting area beside Maddox and got her some water.

Macha watched with a profound relief when the Wilder woman not only survived, but stayed awake. She seemed to be made of stern stuff, that one.

Nygozy and Kai took care of helping her to where the others were, and Macha turned back to face the remaining two initiates, the man and the woman who'd come in late. She nodded her head, and held the chalice out. This batch of blood was almost all gone.

"Robert Scwarzer, you are next. Please step forward."


[Not much posting for Livi, but I felt bad for holding this up.]

(It's okay, your health comes first)

It was hard watching all these people go before him. Especially with how each person reacted to it. Only two managed to stay conscious and one died! Whatever was in that mug is not meant to be ingested. And although he can say the same of any number of dwarven brews that managed to make it's way into Lloyd's tavern, he has never seen anyone drop dead from it.

Hearing his name called was a relief. Now he doesn't have to sit there and wait any more. He can just get it over with and see what happens later. He walked up to the chalice nervously scratching the back of his neck. He took the chalice into his hands and looked at the stuff inside. It definitely smelt worse than some dwarven brews, but the one person this stuff killed was a dwarf. It must be foul if it did him in. He took a a gulp of it and put the chalice back down. He stepped back a bit as he swallowed.

The taste was something you would never want to have in your mouth more than once. He just stood there, a few seconds went by. He didn't feel anything similiar to what the others had yet. Just as he began thinking that he was lucky enough to avoid the pain, it shot through him almost instantly, dropping him to the ground. He was only unconscious for a few seconds. He tried to get up, but he just didn't have the strength to. "I need some help getting up. I just can't do it myself right now."

Nygozy was beside Robert as soon as he was trying to get up and she smiled at him, "Come Robert. We have a soft spot for you and water to wash out that taste." She made a face, remembering that horrid taste and the expression on the young man's face said it all.

She and Kai helped him to a soft chair near the others who were still awake and gave him water.

For a moment, Macha couldn't keep a smile off of her face at Robert's request. Another survivor - thank Andraste. Surely they were blessed, with the success they'd had so far. Her other Joinings had never been so successful, for sure.

With Nygozy helping the man to his feet, Macha turned her eyes to the only one remaining. She nodded solemnly at the red-headed woman, and then held up the chalice one final time. "Guremi Darslan, you are last among the initiates. Please step forward to receive the cup."

It was time. There was little that Guremi could fear and the thought of death was not one of them. She would walk through fire to do what her honour was bound to and she was bound to do this. She lifted her chin and went to the warden, bowed in respect from the torso, not the waist then stood straight as she took the chalice.

"You honour me, ser Cousland." She said then drank.

At first she stood there wondering what the fuss was all about then her eyes rolled back and she gritted her teeth from the pain. Her body spasmed before she even hit the floor. She was awake until her helm hit the ground. As it was not adjusted properly, like Guremi normally did, it twisted and a loud crack could be heard from the impact. It was then and only then that she went unconscious.

Her body slumped on her side and some short, silvery white hair escaped around the helm and the red curls.

Well, just one dead. It was a pity though, it never was pretty seeing anyone failing the Joining but...

Bowen almost jumped in his skin when the clinging sound of a helm and a loud crack could be heard as Guremi fell. Bloody hell. He rushed to the room where Jez was checking Ianto and the others that had survived and opened the door.

''Jezarine, Guremi fell and I fear that her skull may have broken, could you give her a look? Please?''

Gunnar was still there, just looking and smoking, pretending not to care. With just one hand, he knew he was no help at all, for carrying the living or carrying the dead, and he pretended to not move in either case just to not feel useless.

Once she was sure Guremi was srill alive, Calliara silently left. She checked the room where the survivor were, but then she went, alone, to the room where Harval's body was. She closed the door and kneeled beside him, strangely sad, and brushed some hairs out of his face. It was always sad, and horrible, seeing someone die, known or not, during the Joining. It made them all think about that moment, and lots of 'what if...' What if I had failed too

''I am sorry, Harval'' She muttered sadly. ''You were the one who saved Jezarine, and we all owe you that. I am sorry we couldn't know you better. I am sorry that your story is now gone. I am sorry''

Marcus grunted, his body still ached from the Joining but when he heard Guremi's name called he had to see if she survived or not. He forced himself to his feet and limped out the door to the next room where he saw the red-curled woman fall forward and a sickening crack rang through the hall. His eyes widened and he ran as best and as fast as he could to her side, cradling her in his arms and checked her pulse. Alive, but injured. His body was screaming in protest but he had to check the damage. He brushed her hair aside to see the fracture on her skull.

He ripped some fabric from his shirt and wrapped it around her head until Jezarine could take a look at her, his eyes watching the dark skinned elf pleadingly. "She'll live, yes?" He asked.

The crack could be heard from in the other room where those who were recovering were. Jezarine looked up with concern, kissed Ianto's forehead and set his head onto the pillow gently before rushing out and after Marcus. She moved quickly but even addled from the joining Marcus beat her to the wounded woman.

As Marcus lifted her she did indeed notice blood and some red hair fall back showing silvery white hair as he brushed the curls back. Jezarine came over and started healing the wound one hand on the larger woman's head as she did so. The helm was partially off and finally fell, pulling some of the red hair and clanking on the floor. A moment later a horn followed the helm but Jezarine was too busy working on the wound to notice that.

As Jezarine healed the unconscious Guremi, Marcus noticed something curious now that her helm moved off from her head. Some white hair and horns? Well wasn't that just something. He stroked the curly locks of hair gently, feeling the white streak that was there. Qunari? No, she wasn't tall enough nor of the right color. Perhaps she was a half Qunari? Curious.

Still, he cradled her in his arms protectively while Jezarine went about her work. He kept silent about the revelation, or at least the theory in his head.

Jezarine completed her healing and sighed, "She will live and I don't think she has any permanent damage," She noticed the horn and bit her bottom lip before touching the red locks of hair. The hair moved backwards a bit with the force of her fingers pushing it, "Huh ... it's ... it's glued to her and ... the hair underneath is white. Silvery white. That's a qunari horn."

Her deep brown eyes turned to Marcus, wondering what he thought since he'd been the one to run to her and was holding her like she held Ianto.

So Jezarine had finally noticed the horn, but Marcus was relieved to hear that Guremi would be alright. He sighed in relief. "Yeah it seems to be a Qunari horn. I'm guessing she's a half Qunari." He said and picked Guremi up in his arms to carry her to the little sickbay that was set up in the next room. Her armor was the only real weight to him but he didn't mind. It was her after all. He lay her down on a bed to sleep her recovery off.

Macha looked on with no little interest as Jez and Marcus tended to the fallen Guremi. Her eyebrows shot up into her hairline when the horn came into view, and she wanted to kneel for a closer look, but she knew that it was more important for Jez to heal her, and gawking wasn't going to help. She was, however, going to look into this in great detail later.

"It is done, then," she said with a relieved sigh. Still, as happy as she was that it was over, the death still hung over her head. Now there were funeral arrangements to make, and rights to perform. She wondered if Nygozy would be able to do the dwarven rights for the dead Harval, who deserved no less than a Warden's burial.

Her shoulders slumped, and she ran a hand across her face as she absently placed the goblet to the side. She could clean it later. She caught Nygozy's and and gave the dwarf a weary smile. She was just glad it was all over.

Nygozy decided to stand back from what was happening as she did not wish to have too many people in the spot and she felt it was better to allow Marcus the chance to be at Guremi's side. That was much more important. They may be wardens and may die at any time but that was much more reason to give them this. It was important that people bonded and if anything came from it then so be it.

Once Marcus took Guremi to the other room she knelt down and picked up the horn, giving Jezarine a nod so that the elf would go to Ianto's side as she wished to.

"It is too bad this cannot be reattached." She commented solemnly as she stood and looked to Macha, noticing the weariness and showing her the horn. It was not very long compared to many qunari but it was solid, "I see why she was so intent on honour now. So, have we ever had a qunari warden?"

Macha took the horn into her hand gently and inspected it with a passive curiosity. To think that the woman had been hiding that kind of secret - but Macha could understand why. She was very honorable, indeed, but she was not very much like other Qunari, otherwise, and it would have been difficult to avoid the odd looks and questions. Still, Macha wished she had known.

"No, I shouldn't think so. Our first, it seems." She smiled a little, and tossed the horn into the air and then deftly caught it as she looked at Nygozy. "We should write it down, or something."

She looked back over at the still unconscious Wardens, her gaze lingering on Fremelda and then on poor Jez, still cradling Ianto, and then she looked back at Nygozy, her expression much more subdued. "We should move them all to their rooms. They won't want to wake up in this cold hall. And then we have to prepare a funeral for Harval. Could you say the dwarven oaths to the stone for him?"

Macha was always a sensible soul who did very well at working things out quickly and amiably, "You are correct and that is why I have some soldiers ready to move them. I only need to give my demon dog the word to go get them."

Torture barked at her saying "Darn right I'm a demon dog and don't you forget it." making Nygozy laugh.

"Harval is a different situation. He told me whenever died at any time to just burn the body with but a small contingent of people to see and wish him well on further journeys. It seems he was run out due to his tastes in partners and had a dislike to the beliefs of our people. So that is what we shall do."