There and Back Again Ch. 071-072

"What? It's not uncommon for recruits to faint. This way, someone can catch you, before you end up with a goose egg."

Aedan winked at me, and then whined. "Oh sure, you get to catch the pretty girl."

Solona blushed, Anders looked away and muttered something uncomplimentary under his breath, and I chuckled. "He's joking," I whispered so that only Solona could hear. "He's just baiting Anders. Anders is closer to his type than you. Anyway, this way you know there's not going to be any funny business."

She nodded, and then turned back to Tomas when he cleared his throat. He produced the chalice, setting it on a nearby table. He went through his spiel about how Wardens master the taint by drinking darkspawn blood. No one gasped, and Tomas shot me a dirty look. I shook my head -- I certainly didn't tell anyone -- and he finally finished. He nodded at Aedan, who spoke the same words as had been spoken at my Joining.

"Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten, and that one day, we shall join you."

Tomas stepped up to Anders. "You are called to submit yourself to the taint. From this moment forth, you are a Grey Warden."

Anders looked over at Solona, seeming to try to convey something; after a moment with no visible response, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then took the chalice. I was perhaps the only person in the room who wasn't nervous; I knew he would survive. Without a word, he drank, handing the chalice back to Tomas. His eyes rolled back, showing the whites, and his face scrunched in a rictus of pain. He fell into Alistair's waiting arms and was lowered gently to the floor. Alistair checked for a pulse.

"He lives."

I saw Solona twitch in front of me, and knew she cared more for Anders than she seemed willing to admit. I could understand that, with what Alistair and I had been through. "He'll be okay. He's just asleep," I whispered. She nodded.

Next, Tomas stepped up to Jowan and repeated the process. The blood mage took the chalice with shaking hands, eyes wild. I almost wondered if he'd try to escape, but it seemed sense won out. He took a steadying breath, and then drank.

His eyes rolled back, and he fell into Aedan's waiting arms. Aedan lowered the mage to the floor, and checked his pulse. "He's going to make it." I let out a breath I didn't realise I was holding; I truly hadn't been sure if Avernus' altered potion would allow him to survive.

Lastly, Tomas handed the chalice to Solona. She took one last look at Jowan and Anders, unconscious on the floor, and I nodded reassuringly. Taking one last breath, she opened her mouth and drank. I caught her as she fell, unable to see the agonised expression and white eyes I knew would be there. As a formality, I checked her pulse; it was steady and strong, like I knew it would be. I smiled.

And then there were seven.