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The chapter summary for this reads thus: "The beginning of Anders story as he's captured for what he believes will be the final time and dragged to a castle overrun with strange monsters. The people he encounters inside may be even stranger, but he can't deny that the beautiful Grey Warden just might be the saviour he's been looking for."

Which may or may not be what this chapter is about, as I have not mastered the subtle art of summary as of yet.

I honestly don't remember what I was thinking or doing or feeling or whatever as I posted this chapter. I was working through the new book on editing and I remember that I went way overboard at first on the amount of stuff I cut out, such that I didn't even feel like this was the same chapter anymore. Which was good, in a way, but also bad. So I had to re-import the original and try again, this time being a lot more discerning, but not like protectively discerning about what to cut. Then I got to the end of the book where it encouraged me to use imagery and sense of place and feeling and appeal to the readers' senses. So I did, which is why this chapter, more than any that has been revised up until now, has like ridiculous over-the-top description of setting. I promise you it settles down to what I think are healthy levels after this. Then again, maybe you like this level of description and from now on you really wish I would describe the places more.

But Anders is telling this story and he gets to choose what details are important. Which is the beauty of this format, really. I get a lot more poetic license to break rules because it's a story within a story. Delightful.

Anyway, here's chapter 1. I hope you enjoy it.

( Chapter 1: Grey Wardens )