Let's talk this through

Elanna was in Denerim when she got the message from Nathaniel asking if he could come by.  She was quick to send a message back in the affirmative, not thinking much about it when she did.  Over the years, she and Nathaniel had actually become quite good friends.  While it had been a bit tentative starting out, for obvious reasons, they had in time managed to work through everything and appreciate each others' take on things.

He hadn't said why he was coming by, so she wasn't sure if it was because he happened to be near Denerim for a bit or if there was something in particular he wanted to discuss.  Either way, she was happy to have someone who wasn't part of Byron's circle around for a bit.  She made sure there would be wine and snacks available at her home, and settled in to wait until his approach was announced.

Nathaniel had a lot to think about recently, with the prospect of proper treatment for the taint that infected him, it could really be a game changer. While there was some concern it would make it more difficult for them to fight darkspawn, Nathaniel didn’t entirely agree with that sentiment. What interested him the most of course was the fact that the treatment might keep him from ever having to race the calling, which would be monumentally huge.

He needed to talk to someone about it before he made a final decision to be a guinea pig for Rosalie, but most of his friends were Grey Wardens, and he really craved an outsider’s perspective on the topic It made the most sense to look up Elanna. He was just glad they were able to recover from what Nathaniel’s father had done to her family and moved past it for them to even have a friendship. When he arrived he knocked on her door.

Hey, it’s me, Nathaniel! He called out, so that she’d know who she was opening the door for.

When she heard the knock and the announcement that her friend had arrived, she was quick to answer.  She opened the door herself with a smile.  [color=#17b529]"Nathaniel!  Come in, come in,"[/color] she ushered him in.

Once he was ready, she led the way to one of the more cozy room in her Denerim home that she'd had prepared.  If he was hungry, there was food.  Thirsty, there was both water and wine. She didn't stand on ceremony when it came to her friends, and he should know well enough that he was welcome to anything that was out.  [color=#17b529]"It's so good to see you again.  How are things at Soldier's Peak?"[/color]

Nathaniel walked in, his usual charming smile flickered across his face, though his eyes probably betrayed his more chaotic thoughts at the moment. Nothing was wrong really, but he felt weighed down by his inability to make a decision about whether or not to become a guinea pig for Rosalie Rutherford’s blight treatment.

He followed her through the home and nodded as she said it was good to see him again. The feeling was quite mutual and he made that known. While the blights were going on he’d had far less free time to go visiting to Denerim. As she asked about Soldier’s Peak he tipped his head slightly as he considered his answer.

Well with the blights over, it’s certainly freed up our time. I mean there’s still making sure Ferelden is completely free of the damn things, the stragglers causing mischief here and there, and of course dealing with some of the bandits that swooped in during the blight to take advantage of people. People really could just be complete assholes, as if a blight isn’t bad enough, there would always people trying to use it as a way to take advantage of people.

He looked at the food and drink and suddenly realised how hungry he was. Had he even eaten breakfast that day? He was entirely not sure, as the hours had a way of evaporating around him when he got busy with something, not to mention the fact that he had been anticipating his visit with Elanna all week.

It’s like you saw the future and knew I was going to be famished! He joked though before he ate anything he wanted to get the important bits out of the way first, the reason he’d asked to meet up with her.

She nodded.  There had never been two Blights to hit so soon after one another that she was aware of, much less in the same place.  It seemed like so much of the progress that they'd made had been ripped away.  Yet, this Blight too had been shorter than most and Ferelden had recovered before.  It would do so again.  It was lucky they had so many Wardens in residence this time - it could have been so much worse.

[color=#17b529]"I'm glad to hear that some of the work has eased," [/color]she said.  Not that it was ever completely over, she knew that.  And the bandit situation was something they were going to have to address - some of it was just greedy assholes who wanted nothing more than to take from those who couldn't protect themselves.  But others...  Ferelden was not rich and there had to be a way of better utilizing their resources to help keep people from falling on such hard times.

She grinned at his reaction to the food.  [color=#17b529]"Oh, I've learned from being around your lot enough that you cannot have a Warden over and not have food.  Go on, you can tell me about what brought you by while we eat.  Always easier to think when you're not starving."[/color]

Nathaniel snapped to and grabbed himself a plate, grinning the entire time. The decision he needed to make weighed heavily on him, but like she said, it would be a lot easier to talk about it if his belly weren’t empty.

I really appreciate you taking the time to meet with me. I’m sure you’re busy. Though with the Eluvian network up it’s certainly made getting places much easier. He didn’t think he was putting Elanna out, but he wanted to still be sure she knew how much he appreciated it. Once he got some food on his plate and sat down, he took a few bites and then had something to drink. Then sat back a bit.

So, the reason I’m here. How much do you know about Cullen’s sister Rosalie? I mean, I know you know her, but about her Blight research? The fact that Rosalie was to the point she was ready to test, he had to imagine that there was at least some knowledge of it outside of Rosalie and the Grey Wardens, considering the implications of what it would mean if the research paid off.

She waved him off with a smile.  She knew his words were genuinely meant, but she was always going to make time for her friends.  And that's what they'd become over the years, truly.  One wouldn't have expected it from a Cousland and Howe after everything, but one thing she'd had to learn was that individuals were not always reflections of their families and everyone needed to have the chance to be judged on their own merits.  Once she'd managed that, well, in time everything fell into place.  [color=#17b529]"It's not a problem at all."[/color]

She started putting together a plate for herself, albeit a somewhat smaller one than the Warden across from her.  She could never match their appetites, and didn't bother trying.  Wine poured, she settled in waiting for him to bring up just what he'd been so eager to discuss.

The Blight research?  This was an interesting turn of conversation.  [color=#17b529]"She was looking for a cure for the Blight, yes?  A way to stop the Calling?"[/color]  A perk, she supposed, of having spent so much time with Wardens was that she knew a bit more than the average person about them.

Nathaniel nodded as he ate a few bites, he hadn’t fully realised just how hungry he was until he started eating. As Elanna responded to his question, he went to talk, but realised his mouth was still full. He chuckled and sped up to finish chewing, then took a cloth and politely wiped his mouth before continuing.

Well, she’s gotten quite far along in it. She doesn’t think she can fully cure the blight at this stage, but she feels she can at the very least prevent it from being a death sentence. At least one side effect she’s worried about is that it would take away a Grey Warden’s ability to sense the darkspawn, but on the other hand, it would also mean they would lose their ability to sense us. So I personally don’t really see it as a downside. He paused and took another bite, letting all that sink in before he continued. It was a good deal of information to digest and he wasn’t in a hurry.

Elanna started to eat, but she hardly got a bite or two in before she found herself ignoring her plate entirely as she turned over the implications of what Nathaniel was telling her in her head.  The Blight didn't have to be a death sentence anymore.  Grey Wardens could trade some of their advantage against the Darkspawn for a new lease on life.  That was remarkable - she'd had no idea Rosalie had managed to make such progress!

[color=#17b529]"That's amazing.  So you could be a Grey Warden for a while and then have a chance at retirement rather than certain death?  That opens up so many possibilities!  People would have the chance to stay on in the order not as front line Wardens, but trainers, advisors, or could go on to new lives entirely!"[/color]  So many people she knew wouldn't have to die in the next few years.

[color=#17b529]"Tell me more - you say it doesn't cure it but it wouldn't be a death sentence.  What would that mean, exactly?"[/color]  Maybe she was getting ahead of herself in her excitement, but she couldn't help it.

Elanna’s enthusiasm was intoxicating, and made Nathaniel feel even more excited about the whole situation than he’d already been. He was sure that Rosalie would be better at explaining it all, but he did his best to recite all the things that Rosalie had explained to him before he said he would think about being her guinea pig and get back to her. He nodded his head as he spoke.

She’s pretty certain there wouldn’t be a calling. I mean even without a Blight, we’re pretty much dead men walking. One day the taint will infect us to the point that the only course of action left is to disappear into the Deep Roads. He paused and took a drink, then quickly added.

She says there’s even a chance it could help a Grey Warden’s ability to have children. He finished and then took another bite of his food. He’d always wanted a family, but after being caught trying to steal back his family’s possessions and given the choice death or Grey Warden, well he just assumed that the chances he’d have kids was next to nil. Not that it never happened, only that it was quite rare.

[color=#17b529]"So it wouldn't cure it, but make it possible to live with,"[/color] she said slowly, following Nathaniel's train of thought.  No Calling, but no cure.  A chance to live with the disease at whatever point it had progressed to.  The Joining only slowed the progression so much, so this would allow the person to lose the benefits, but regain years of their life in exchange.  Remarkable!

Her eyes widened at that last addition.  She knew Nathaniel had wanted a family, had been so closed to having one before he returned and ended up changing the course of his life.  For that to suddenly be possible...

She positively lit up, warmth coloring her expression and tone.  [color=#17b529]"You could have the family you always wanted.  Oh, Nate, this almost sounds too good to be true.  Are there any drawbacks that Rosalie is aware of?"[/color]

Exactly! He exclaimed at Elanna’s comment about how it wouldn’t entirely cure it, but it wouldn’t kill them either. The not having to die because of it was a definitely incredible plus side to things. He wouldn’t mind so much falling in battle fighting the darkspawn, but the idea of just, fucking off to the deep roads to just lay down and die, never sat well with Nathaniel.

He grinned as she commented about how he could have the family he’d always wanted to, then shrugged at the drawbacks. It wasn’t without risk, though Rosalie was certain that with her tests on animals, that it wouldn’t result in death, which would have been a definite deterrent to him agreeing to be a test subject.

There could be side effects, though nothing she thinks that will be dire, based on the animal testing she did. It also means having to be treated for the rest of my life, but I think that’s an acceptable handoff considering the benefits. It wasn’t like he couldn’t ever have kids without the treatment, it was just *very* unlikely.

Elanna nodded. Well, needing treatment the rest of his life was perhaps inconvenient, but it was better than a guaranteed death. I agree.

Honestly, I'm trying to see the downsides to this. The only thing I can think of is that while everything looks promising we simply don't know for sure that it will work as intended or what the side effects would be. I suppose the only question is if there's any chance of this making things inadvertently worse. Not that she didn't trust Rosalie, or that it wouldn't be worth it to try, but as promising as everything sounded Nate would ultimately be the first, or one of the first, to try this. There was always some risk in that.

Nathaniel nodded, fully understanding Elanna's concerns. Yes, there's always that risk. While Rosalie is confident with her research, there's still a possibility that we might not foresee all the potential side effects. However, I believe that the potential benefits outweigh the risks. This could change the future for all Grey Wardens. He proclaimed, clearly getting more and more excited about the idea as Elanna showed her support and interest.

I mean think about it, we could just properly recruit people, no more having to recruit from the gallows, hoping that the people prefer a slow death later to a quick death now. There were some wardens who were short sighted about it all, traditionalists that just didn’t want change, even if it was a good change.

@Elanna Cousland

She could feel his excitement about this, his enthusiasm even after considering the risks, and she couldn't deny she felt the same. It would be an absolute game changer, but that did bring up other questions. Obviously it would be somewhat divisive internally for the Wardens - there were always some that stubbornly cling to old ways simply because it was tradition. And not that there weren't people who volunteered for the Wardens, but it was thought of more as a haven for those without other options and an order that which, once pledged, there was no going back.

You bring up a good point there. I do believe that would be a good thing, of course, but I wonder if it would make the Wardens' status somewhat more complicated, she mused. There were political implications to this, after all, that they had not discussed. It could fundamentally change the nature and composition of the Order. They would not be able to be so secretive about things. More people would find out about what the Joining, and I suppose the UnJoining, would involve. And with Wardens able to serve longer, or in different capacities, I have to wonder if other countries would start to feel threatened. It's happened before even without a cure on the horizon.

Having accompanied Lana during the fifth blight, and seen quite enough during the sixth as well, she didn't doubt the necessity of the Wardens. But politicians had short memories when they wanted to and any big changes to the balance of power would inevitably stir the pot.

@Nathaniel Howe