The Korcari Wilds are a cold expanse of forest and swamp at the south of Hinterland, the extent of which is not truly known. Further south east, there is a wasteland of snow and ice further to the south, filled only with desolate tundra and nomadic barbarians. Further south west is territories owned by Tevinter family, a Margrave family of Olga Federation. 

Decades ago, Tevinter family built a large fortress called Ostagar fortress in the middle of Korcari Wilds, as a garrison to watch any sign of barbarian or Ferelden invasion. 

Hence, the area surrounding it is called Ostagar. 

Straddling a narrow pass in the hills, the fortress kept the invaders from the fertile lowlands of the north, being exceedingly difficult to attack due to its naturally defensible position.

During Federation occupation of Ferelden via the puppet king, Meghren, King Maric Theirin and Loghain Mac Tir occupied the fortress and assembled rebellion force at Korcari Wilds. They rebuilt and reinforced the fortress. However, it was vacated after they successfully retaking their countries. Since then onwards, Tevinter reoccupied the fortress. Five years ago, Tevinter had decided to abandon the fortress as there had been no more intrusion from either barbarian or Ferelden. 

***

(Ostagar fortress)

Sin opened his eyes. The bonfire has gone out. He could hear a babble of voices. Speaking in hushed tone. It sounds like hundreds of people. It is still dark outside. He wakes his daughter up and takes a peek. There are hundreds of people lying and sitting on the ground. As he has nothing to do, he does a head count. One by one. After an hour, he finishes counting. There are approximately five hundred people. Several of them turn their heads towards his direction. His daughter hides into the house. She hides in the farthest corner of the room. People are busily lighting a fire and heating up their food. They make hot water from the snow and wash their hands and faces. The smell of grilled meat wafts in. He gags. He he holds his daughter tightly in his arms. So she wouldn’t be able to smell anything. So she wouldn’t be able to see anything. With only a wall separating us, these people eat and drink and speak in hushed voice.

He, like the five hundred people outside, is a refugee. 

They are fleeing from prosecution by Negara forces that had invaded their land. 

Tevinter family who protected their land for hundreds of years were not only defeated but every single member of Tevinter were decimated.

"Hey."

A man appears from the entrance into the room. Sin freaks out.

"Calm down, man. We are in the same boat."

Hearing the man says that in gentle tone, Sin relaxes. His daughter returns to his side. 

That man just reignites the bon fire. 

Once lit up, he constantly peek into the large window towards the refugees below.

He turns to Sin,

"You are a lucky man. My whole family were killed."

Sin instinctively grabs his daughter's hand. 

The man raises a question,

"It seems you have been staying here before we came. How long you've been here? A week?"

"3 days." Sin replies.

"Four your daughter's safety, you should follow us. This abandoned fortress is not safe. If it is safe, there won't be fortress in the first place. Moreover, this place is empty. No one helps you if something happens to your daughter."

The experienced man repeatedly mentions Son's daughter so his heart could be moved." 

Sin asks,

"Where are we going to?" 

"To Ferelden. Some say Hinterland, a border is close by. Anyway, we will keep moving until we see human settlement."

Sin thinks that is a reasonable direction although he doubts the existing inhabitants will accept these huge number of refugees easily.

Would they see the refugees as invading soldiers. They, now refugees were former town folks and villagers until a group militias came invade.

That's expected in this time. 

Sometimes on horseback, sometimes by foot, in a carriage or astride donkeys, occasionally on a boat—having strayed far from the main phalanx—and every now and then from above, in a ship. But if he looks at the largest possible picture, the longest view, he must admit that it is by foot that they have mostly come, and so in this sense, at least, our example is representative; in fact, it has the perfection of parable. Two men arrive in a village by foot, and always a village, never a town. If two men arrive in a town they will obviously arrive with more men, and far more in the way of supplies—that’s simple common sense. But when two men arrive in a village their only tools may be their own dark or light hands, depending, though most often they will have in these hands a blade of some kind, a spear, a long sword, a dagger, a flick-knife, a machete, or just a couple of rusty old razors. It has depended, and continues to depend.

Both men gauge their fate by staring deep into the bon fire.