Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age or any of its related characters. This is just for my own enjoyment and the potential enjoyment of other fans like me, and no monetary gain was expected or received.
Rating: T
Spoilers: May contain spoilers for Origins, Origins DLC, Awakening, and Dragon Age II, Dragon Age II DLC, Dragon Age Inquisition as well as the novels The Stolen Throne and The Calling.
WARNING: A totally alternate universe re-imagining of the world of Dragon Age from my own highly skewed perspective, which if you know anything about me you should know is highly Loghain-centric. In this half of the story, Loghain is dead and his place has been taken by a scheming Envy demon.
Chapter One
Cauthrien found him in the stables. He seemed to disappear at will - not terribly out of character, he'd always been remarkably stealthy for a big man. She saluted and stood at attention until he acknowledged her.
He saddled his horse and secured the girths, then turned to greet her. "Yes, Commander?" he said.
"I think I should come with you, Ser," she said.
He gestured to the stables. "Gear up and get your horse, Commander."
She was surprised by his easy acceptance. "R-really? Well, thank you, Ser."
"Just don't take long, my dear - we'll be leaving as soon as the rest of the hooligans get off their asses and get here."
She saluted again. "I'll be right back, Ser," she said, and was off like a shot.
The others from the party began to arrive: the Warden, the elves, Hawke and Bethany, Aveline. Cauthrien arrived moments later, a pack on her back next to her sword. She went to the stall where her own horse, a Green Dales Feral named Dalish, was stabled, and saddled him up. When everyone was mounted, they rode out into the city for the city gates leading to the Pilgrim's Path between Denerim and Amaranthine, the route on which the Warden had left her people. The Warden stopped them not long before sunset.
"The camp is just off here, if they're still there," she said. "Just let me talk to them first, eh? Alistair won't be happy about… well, he won't like it, is all."
"Waste of time," Loghain said. "These horses need rest, and our people need to bed down for the night. I don't give a damn what Alistair doesn't like. We all go, we don't stand here and wait for approval that won't come."
"I don't give a damn what Alistair doesn't like, either," the Warden said. "Just let me have a chance to get him prepared for the idea, all right? I want as little stress and as few broken bones as possible."
Loghain nodded toward the bushes off to the right of the road. "Its through here, right? I can smell the campfire." And without another word, he pushed his way through.
"Oh, shit. There's going to be blood. Cauthrien, Aveline? If you could help me, please? I think I'm going to need a lot of brute strength to tear these two off each other." And the Warden went scrambling after Loghain.
Alistair was just leaping to his feet. "You," he said, his words loaded with venom.
"My reputation precedes me, I see," Loghain said.
"What did you do to Elilia?" Alistair said.
"Nothing."
"Bull," Alistair said, and threw himself at Loghain. Loghain grappled him and threw him to the ground, drew his sword, and put in the center of the young man's chest, ready to plunge it into his heart. The Warden threw herself at him and knocked the blade out of his hand.
"You are not killing Alistair," she said, with a severe look. "He's the only other warden there is in the entire nation, and despite how whiny he can be, he remains a friend of mine. You both have to calm down."
"He tried to kill me!" Alistair said, scooting backwards on the ground.
"You attacked him!" the Warden said.
"He killed our King!"
"That was a demon!"
"Why did you bring him here?"
"We need help! His experience and skill will take us far! And Her Majesty asked it of him. Besides, he brought us further assistance. Warriors, rogues - even mages. Our strength grows."
"We don't need a bloody King-killer."
"Just sit down, Alistair," the Warden said. "He's here and he's going to help us. You'd better accept it."
"I can't believe you'd do this to me," Alistair said, but he sat down.
The Warden introduced the rest of her followers. "This is Leliana, and this is Sten, and that over there at her own campfire is Morrigan. She's not very sociable. Everybody play nice. I'll go get the others."
Sten slowly approached Loghain. His walk turned into a charge on the last few steps. Loghain sidestepped him and grabbed his arm, twisted, and tripped him with an outstretched leg. Sten fell, but was on his feet in a heartbeat. They grappled, and Cauthrien and Aveline tried to break them apart, but Aveline was flung clear by the qunari's left arm and Cauthrien couldn't find a good spot to grab hold. Finally Loghain, eyes glowing brilliantly, managed to grapple Sten to his ass in the dirt and get both hands around his thick neck.
"Maker's sake, is this going to happen every time I leave you alone? Stop trying to kill my companions, Loghain!" the Warden said as she came back into the clearing, followed by the others.
"When they stop attacking me, I'll stop trying to kill them," Loghain said, not lessening his grip on the qunari's throat.
"This man is demon-touched," Sten said, gasping and turning an interesting shade of greyish purple.
"That's what I'm saying," Alistair said.
"Let him go, Loghain," the Warden said. "Sten. Leave him alone."
"You cannot allow the demon-touched to live," Sten said.
"I have given you an order, Sten," the Warden said.
Sten did not say anything for a long moment, and so Loghain did not let up his grip. Finally, Sten nodded. Loghain let go, and Sten got up, rubbing his throat. "You are not to be trusted," he said, staring hard at Loghain.
"That's a good maxim for damn near everyone," Loghain said, staring back just as hard. His eyes were no longer glowing but they were so cold and pale that they might as well have been.
"Well, this is a wonderful start to our companionship," the Warden said, raising her arms to her sides and bringing them down hard. "I wonder how many more times we'll try to kill each other before the end?"