For anyone confused as to how this pairing is possible: Karma's Origins Companions mod. It makes Jowan-among others-recruitable and romancable.

1. Crazy

Grey Wardens were crazy. Absolutely insane. Jowan reached this conclusion as he watched Alistair lunge forward with a bellow of rage and draw the High Dragon's attention-on purpose, no less-away from Jael, and the elf immediately took advantage of the respite to scramble up the thing's neck.

Y'know, you're a Warden now, too, remember. The thought drifted through his mind as Jowan watched their fearless leader plunge her sword into the dragon's skull. I know. Yet more proof that Grey Wardens are crazy. Or, at least, she is. No sane person would've recruited me.

The dragon screamed in rage and pain, shaking its head violently to try and dislodge the fiery-haired parasite clinging to it. Jael wrapped her legs around its neck and drove her sword even deeper, twisting the blade for good measure.

"Just die already!" the elf hollered, and then let out a whoop of triumph as the dragon emitted one final, wheezing screech and went down.

Jowan scrambled aside as the huge creature fell, narrowly dodging the head. So maybe a mage shouldn't be in so close, especially fighting something that could like as not have swallowed him whole, but he'd felt like he wasn't helping enough from what would considered a safe distance.

"Yeah, I'll be feelin' that tomorrow," Jael laughed, breathing hard and rolling her shoulder as she hopped up. She wrenched her sword free and wiped it against the fallen dragon's leathery wing to clean it off before sheathing the blade. "You alright?"

She's definitely crazy. He nodded. "I think so."

She gave him a casual once-over and grinned. "Good. Wouldn't wanna lose you. A good mage is incredibly hard to come by," she teased as she raked escaping locks of red hair back towards her ponytail.

"And you have three," Jowan mumbled under his breath as the elf turned to playfully harangue Alistair about being a little slow with distracting the dragon. She didn't need him, not really; and he still wondered why she acted like she did. Because she's crazy.

xxx

"Think you could distract the next one a little faster?" Jael teased, lightly socking Alistair in the arm. "Maybe before it gets the chance to gnaw on me? That would be nice."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." The warrior shot her a searching-and mildly worried-look. "The next one? You're thinking we'll do that again?"

Jael shrugged and shot him a cheery grin. "Y'never know." She looked back at the two mages as Wynne tried to brush off the blood spots freckling her robes. "I think Jowan thinks I'm crazy."

"Jae, you are crazy," Alistair chuckled, giving her ponytail an impish tug. "So he's completely right."

"Oh, you," Jael huffed, taking a swing at the back of her friend's head and missing. "Just for that, you get to cut open the dragon and see there's anything worth salvaging from its gut." She nearly collapsed laughing at his expression. "Oh, Maker, Alistair, if you could see your face..."

He made a face at her. "Very funny, Jae."

"Well, I thought it was..." the rogue shot back.

xxx

"You like him, don't you?" Alistair asked after catching Jael glancing over toward Jowan for the fifth time in as many minutes.

"Like who?" Her eyes were off the mage and on the fire with speed that would put a griffon to shame.

"Oh, fine, play dumb."

She shrugged. "If it works for you..."

"Hey, now," Alistair protested with a chuckle. "Alright, let me be more direct about this. Jae, you like Jowan, don't you?"

"Jealous already?" she asked, her tone teasing. "He's only been around two weeks. I don't know him that well, so how could I like him, y'know, like that?"

"I dunno. But you do. I can totally tell."

"I-" She stopped herself, sighed. "This conversation is over." She stood.

"Aw, c'mon, Jae, I'm sorry."

"I'm not mad at you, Alistair," the elf promised. "I just... there are things I need to do. Like making sure Jowan got food. Morrigan usually doesn't share with people."

"Good point. You should go ask him."

She sighed and shot him a dirty look as she snatched up a bowl of the stew Leliana had prepared and headed toward where the mage had settled.

xxx

"Hey, Jowan?"

Jowan looked up at the greeting, hiding a smile at the nervous way Jael chewed her lip. "Yes?" Fearless in battle-and arguments-she might be, but the elf always seemed nervous in regular conversation.

"Just wanted to make sure you got some dinner." She shifted so all her weight rested on one leg. "Wouldn't want anyone going hungry. Anyway, here ya go." She held out a bowl of stew.

"Thank you." He took it.

"Leliana made it, so I'm sure it's good," she mumbled, looking like she was digging for an excuse to linger.

"Oh?" Jowan chuckled. "You say that like there's some where the quality might be in doubt."

Jael laughed. "You obviously have never eaten Alistair's cooking. And even mine is only so-so."

"Really?"

"Don't sound so surprised," she muttered, rubbing he back of her neck sheepishly. "I... my cousin lived with us, and she took care of the cooking, so I never got much practice. I'm not terrible, but I wouldn't be a smart person's first choice."

"Ah. I see." His stomach rumbled as the smell wafting up from the bowl in his hands reached his nose. "Maker, this does smell good."

"Well, I'll leave you alone, let you eat." She turned to go.

To his own surprise, Jowan found himself unhappy with that prospect. "I wouldn't mind company, if you don't mind watching me eat."

"Oh, um... okay." She shrugged, looking flustered and out of her element in a way that was actually kind of cute. "'M not the best choice for conversation, but I guess I can give it a go, if you really want me to."

He smiled. "I do."

xxx

She'd swear her heart landed in her stomach when he asked her to stay. Jael swallowed hard and sat cross-legged on the ground next to the log serving as the mage's seat. "Whaddya want to talk about? You want me to stay, you pick the topic."

Jowan hardly thought for a second before asking, "Are all Grey Wardens as crazy as you and Alistair?"

"What?" The word filtered out through a giggle.

"With that dragon earlier," the mage elaborated. "You two struck me as being more than a little insane. Just curious."

Jael shrugged. "I actually wouldn't know." She tugged at a tuft of grass by her ankles. "Alistair and Duncan are the only other Wardens I've ever met. Duncan definitely didn't strike me as particularly crazy, and I think Alistair is only occassionally, and then by necessity."

"Huh?" Jowan cocked his head and shot her a questioning look.

"Well, I'm rather good at concocting wild and crazy plans-"

"Like climbing a dragon in order to kill it?"

"Exactly. Its head is the most vulnerable spot, so I figured I just needed to get to it. Anyway, I concot these plans, and I need his help to carry them out. Rogues aren't exactly good at direct attacks, y'know, so having a warrior distract people while I go all sneaky and take 'em out from the back makes things sooo much easier. So, I guess, in answer to your question, no, not all Grey Wardens are as crazy as the two of us."

"That's a relief," Jowan muttered, absently poking at the stew with the spoon. "I'm not particularly good at crazy. Or brave, for that matter."

Jael snorted in disbelief. "You're better at brave than you think."

"What in Thedas would give you that idea?"

"Um, aside from you going into the Fade to save Connor?"

"You're the one who said I should do that. It's not like I volunteered," Jowan protested.

"But you did it," Jael retorted. "And you didn't try to weasel out or anything."

"Still..." he let the sentence trail off, looking unconvinced.

"Maker, you're a hard sell," she huffed in mock exasperation. "Well, I had absolutely nothing to do with your willingness to own up to what you did. And whatever you say, I know that took guts."

Jowan opened his mouth to protest and then shut it again, unable to come up with an argument she was likely to buy.

Jael grinned and leaned back against the log. "If you're speechless, I win."

"Then I guess you win," he conceded with a lopsided half-smile that made her stomach do a funny little flip. "Because I can't think of a thing to say to convince you otherwise."

"That's 'cause there isn't anything you can say that will convince me othewise," she shot back, trying to hide the fluttery feeling in her gut behind a teasing grin. "Owning up to any mistake is hard, and something as major as poisoning an arl... well, you're a better man than some I've met."

"Maker, you must've met a really horrible sampling if they're worse than a maleficar who got talked into poisoning an arl," Jowan muttered.

"I'm an elf, Jowan. I lived in an Alienage my entire life until a few months ago. Y'don't get much chance to meet humans in there. However, the fact remains that you're a better and braver man than some I've met." Particularly one cowardly bastard who talked big 'til he felt my dagger at his throat. Then he was all too willing to try and buy me off.

xxx

There was a story behind that look in her eyes, there had to be. But curious as he might have been, Jowan didn't feel he knew Jael well enough to ask what it was, and instead mumbled, "So, um, where are we going next?" The question was more to get off the topic of whatever bravery she mistakenly believed him to possess than actual curiosity.

From the look she shot him, she knew it, too, but she was gracious enough to not call him on it. "Denerim. We cut off some of the scales from the dragon and I know someone there who can probably turn them into damn good armor. Alistair's is getting kind of... worn out."

"Ah. I see." He shifted nervously on the log.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he muttered. "Just wondering what'll happen if the templars see me." He looked down at the green Tevinter robes he wore. "It's kind of obvious I'm a mage."

"Oh, we're going to be as... inconspicuous as possible, believe me," Jael assured him. "Grey Wardens aren't exactly in favor with the general population right now, thanks to Loghain."

He almost asked what she meant, but then remembered that the regeant had pinned the responsibility for the massacre at Ostagar on the Wardens. "Oh, right. So, me being a mage Warden..."

"Means you should draw as little attention to yourself as possible, yes," she finished for him. "We won't be skulking, exactly, but... try to blend in."

He nodded. "Understood."

"You, um, you want me to take that?" Jael motioned toward the now-empty bowl in his hands, and Jowan realized he'd been so focused on their conversation he hadn't even tasted the stew.

"Oh, sure." He handed it to her and stood. "Thanks for the company."

xxx

"Oh, you're welcome." Jael could feel her face getting hot and hoped it wasn't getting red, too. "It was my pleasure." She accepted the hand up the mage offered, trying not to stare at the scars criss-crossing his skin. "Thanks."

"No problem," he smiled.

Jael bit her lip as she let go. "Um... I should... I need to go. It's my turn to do the dishes and there's a whole stack waitin' and-"

"Want some help?" Jowan offered.

"You want to help me do the dishes?" Jael shot him a dubious look. "What are you, crazy?"

He chuckled. "Apparently."

"In that case, yes, I'd love some help."

"Well, then, lead the way."

Heart singing, Jael did just that.