There and Back Again Ch. 131

With the tunnels open to the sky in several places, it grew colder as we climbed, and we paused to don layers as the day wore on; it was late afternoon when we finally exited the tunnels into the frigid, snowy courtyard of the keep. I grinned to myself at the gasps and slack-jawed expressions as Loghain and the soldiers saw Soldier's Keep for the first time. I looked over the area with pride; the building truly was impressive -- massive, built into the mountain, with soaring towers connected by high, open walkways. I couldn't even begin to guess how many rooms it held, how many people it could house, not to mention what other things might be found in long-abandoned storage rooms and towers. As much as I wasn't thrilled with being there without my family, I had to admit I was looking forward to exploring.

There were some new developments in the courtyard: a sparring ring had been set up, along with archery targets on the far side; a small barn and fenced area for horses was set against one wall. A full smithy sat opposite -- small, but completely roofed, with smoke pouring out of two large chimneys. There were some ruined buildings I hadn't really noticed before -- whether they were meant to be barracks, a barn, or something else was no longer obvious -- but they were halfway to being disassembled, stacks of wood -- some obviously rotten, and some potentially useful -- dotted around the courtyard.

We were met, while everyone was still gawking, by Levi himself, accompanied by almost all of the soldiers assigned to the Peak, plus Faren, Bel, and Jowan. A servant rushed up to take the horses' reins and lead them away. The soldiers hustled into some sort of formation, and at an unintelligible shout from Ser Mhairi, they all saluted formally; those who'd accompanied me from Denerim also snapped to attention behind me, returning the salute. Surprised, I stammered, looking between an amused Faren and the female knight. Seeming to take that as acknowledgement enough, she shouted 'At ease!' and the soldiers dropped their arms, shifting to a more comfortable, but still formal stance.

I approached Levi who, if he had any opinion on the soldiers' display, showed no indication of it in his expression.

"Your Highness!" he greeted me, eyes crinkling with amusement at my grimace.

Not waiting for my response, Faren grabbed me in a hug. "Am I glad to see you! It's really boring around here."

Bel shot him a dirty look, and Jowan just sighed. I laughed and turned to Levi.

"It's good to see you again, Levi. And it's still just Sierra, okay?" He nodded reluctantly, and I smiled. Dropping my voice to a whisper, I leaned in so the soldiers waiting beside us couldn't hear. "Now what do I do?"

"Just say something to the group and then tell them 'as you were'," Loghain replied.

I turned awkwardly to the ranks of soldiers, nervous at the unexpected speech.

"Um, thank you all for, uh, being here. I look forward to working with you, and, uh, getting to know each of you better. Ser Mhairi, if you can get the newcomers settled in and then come find me?" The knight nodded. "Right, then, as you were!"

The soldiers fell out of formation, and Mhairi began shouting orders. Avanna joined her, and the two were soon herding the entire group towards the Keep. I watched them go, bemused, while Loghain nodded in apparent approval beside me.

I finally got to greet Bel and Jowan, and Levi gestured towards the Keep. "Shall we go inside? I've got the braziers burning for warmth, and your quarters are ready, my Lady."

I followed Levi as he pointed out the improvements I'd already noted. "My brother is running the smithy, if that's alright with you; he's already got a start on weapons and armour for the soldiers to choose from. And we've got workmen starting to tear down those old barracks. You can let me know what you'd like built there once they're done. We've got patrols in the mines, lookouts on the catwalk, and guards on the doors. We've cleared enough rooms for the soldiers you brought with you and then some. Got a cook and some helpers, a handful of maids, stable-hands, and the like in the servants' quarters."

He turned to me, seeing my overwhelmed, tired expression. "Beg your pardon, my Lady. You must all be exhausted. Why don't I show you to your quarters and you can clean up while I get dinner arranged?"

I nodded. "I'd appreciate that. Please invite Ser Mhairi and Lieutenant Avanna to join us for our meal? Then we can all talk while we eat."