In With the New
A dank sunlight greeted Warden Commander Aedan Cousland as he opened his eyes that morning. Ears perked up at the faint sound of hammering and stone grinding one stone far below the window. Grunting slightly as he dragged himself out of bed, he wanted nothing more than to sink back into that luxurious four-poster; drift away into another peaceful sleep.
However duty tugged at his conscience, the faint shouts of men below needed to see their Arl and leader. It was as much for morale as it was to ensure they did their jobs properly. Though Aedan doubted they were slacking off too much.
Cracking his neck exquisitely as he assumed his morning rituals, the Hero of Ferelden chanced a glance out of the window. Really the work on Vigil's Keep was extraordinary; barely two months had passed since the catastrophic battle with the darkspawn's forces, and already the ancient fort was starting to take on her old glory once more. Temporary fortifications held their ground while irate stonemason Voldrik Glavonak oversaw the reconstruction of the Keep's mighty walls, yelling at a pair of human workers who were just digging a hole in the wrong place.
Not too shabby, master dwarf. Though don't work them all to death. Aedan thought with a smile.
Aedan left the window and approached his armour, notched and scarred through many a battle, though Aedan wore it proudly and well. A familiar comfort greeted the senior Warden as he donned the bright silverite, plates slotting into place as the heavy armour enveloped him. Adjusting his form in the mirror, it wouldn't do for the Warden Commander to appear sloppy to the men, he approved his appearance with a nod and strode out of the room.
Trotting down the stairs, he greeted maids, servants and soldiers with cursory nods and smiles. Hastening down to the gate and into the front yard, he paused for a moment. The work that had so impressed him from above was even more magnificent right in front of him. Dozens of workers milled about, humans, elves, dwarves, even a qunari or two. All were setting stone bricks, laying mighty firs, hammering metal into place or else making some contribution to the effort. The Keep's restoration was in full swing. Now all that was needed was a troop of Wardens worthy to defend her.
Straight to the first duty of the day then.
Aedan's head swung around to the small forge manned by the master blacksmith Wade and his partner Herren. Early in the morning and the pair were already bickering away. Doing his best to hide the small smirk creeping up his face, Aedan approached the two men.
"Wade, we can't afford to make these armours with such expensive materials," Herren chastised his partner, a list of said materials in hand, "Couldn't you have used something cheaper?"
"Cheaper?" The blacksmith scoffed, "you mean worse, I won't have my art dragged down by such shoddy rubbish!" Wade whipped his head away from the insult, Thick moustache bristling. His merchant partner rubbed at his face with both hands.
"You won't be able to make any more 'art' if we cannot stick to our orders," Herren muttered through grinding teeth, "You've nearly used twice the budget the Commander gave us!" The bald headed man waved away his concerns.
"He'll be thanking me when these lovelies save him and the other Wardens from a genlock ambush." Wade attempted to assure his long suffering companion with little success. Herren groaned audibly as Wade shook his head at the other's foolishness. Aedan chose that moment to enter with a deliberate cough. The bickering pair swung around to face him.
"Ah- Commander," Herren started haltingly, "what a pleasant surprise." He chuckled nervously as he contemplated how to break the bad news to his latest employer. "I'm afraid there's been some sort of a mistake-" Wade huffed brusquely, "a mistake with the acquisition of materials for the armour you ordered." The merchant smiled most flimsily as he imagined the loss of business that would occur from this disaster.
"Relax my friend," the Commander waved away Herren's fears with an easy smile, "I'll speak with Mistress Woolsey and arrange proper payment. My Wardens need all the help they can get." The merchant's face bloomed in colour.
"Hah! You see Herren?" Wade swept in smugly, "the Commander appreciates quality." He quickly sped past Aedan, "Come, you must see them for yourself, my life's work is what it is! Come, come!" He beckoned the Warden to follow him.
"Wait!" Herren spoke up in protest, "You still need to finish Lord Eddelbrek's armour!" The blacksmith didn't miss a step.
"Oh that can wait, this is much more important." With that, Wade practically skipped into the Keep. The Commander spared Herren a sheepish grin before making after the eccentric blacksmith; pausing only to send a pair of messenger boys off to summon the other Wardens.
xxx
Aedan found himself being treated to a lecture about all the wonders Wade had constructed for the order. The armour designs were simple, elegant and beautiful, so said the master blacksmith. He muttered grudgingly of the values of the designs from Weisshaupt fortress, though his own personal ideas would have been much superior, naturally.
The armours truly were a work of art, thought Aedan. Each set sporting a blue and silver striped tunic, with brightly polished silverite armour, all finished off with fine brown leather boots and gloves. The warrior armour wearing complete armour, the mage robes only featured a chest plate and cuisses. Altogether much more impressive than the random assortment of gear Aedan had to use during the Blight.
These, Aedan thought with a smile, will be armour worthy of the Wardens.
It wasn't long before the Ferelden Wardens joined their Commander and Wade in the armoury. Nathaniel, punctual as ever, arrived first, clad in his usual black leather armour. Sigrun followed, wearing her usual Legion of the Dead armour. Both eager to see their new gear.
"This is it Commander?" Nathaniel approached his gear with an approving smile. "Maker, how many sovereigns did these all cost?"
"Costs are immaterial when it comes to quality!" Wade interjected, a little defensive, "You'll be glad of them come your next battle." The human Wardens shared a look; they were all too familiar of their blacksmith's pride in his work.
"I'm sure I will," Nathaniel replied gracefully, "a rampaging ogre couldn't break this metal." Wade nodded, apparently appeased and left the Wardens to their new treasures. Aedan looked over to Sigrun, who was perusing her armour with significantly less enthusiasm.
"Something wrong Sigrun?" the Commander asked as he walked over to her.
The usually ever sunny and cheerful dwarf shook her head rigorously, "Oh no! It's lovely." Her fingers idly traced over the Grey Warden emblem on the chest plate. "It's just … heh, it's stupid really."
Nathaniel wandered over and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Come now Sigrun, whatever it is, it can't be so terrible as to frighten a Legionnaire." His light jest was met with only a small smile from the dwarf.
"Well," Sigrun began uncertainly, toying with a buckle on her Legionnaire armour, "it's just … The Legion were like a family to me, they are my family. Taking a different set of armour … feels like I'm leaving them behind somehow."
Aedan inhaled deeply, he had no idea this would impact her in such a way. From the look of Nathaniel's face, neither did he. The archer spoke up first, smiling at the forlorn dwarf.
"Sigrun, it doesn't matter what emblem you wear on your chest. What matters is that you keep them with you here." He gestured with a fist over his heart.
Sigrun spluttered a little as she tried not to laugh. "Really Nate? That was almost romantic coming from you." The archer smirked a little playfully at her brightened expression.
"I have my moments." Nathaniel answered dryly, winking at Aedan.
"You don't have to use it if it makes you so uncomfortable." Aedan offered.
Still giggling a little at Nathaniel, Sigrun looked back at her new warden armour. "Thanks, but I'm fine … it is wonderful though, really."
The warm moment suddenly evaporated as a hearty belch announced the arrival of Oghren. The Commander turned to see the dwarf with Anders, Justice and Velanna in tow.
"Hey Commander," Oghren called over, the familiar aroma of booze reached Aedan's nose, "This the new gear you promised?"
"Aye, take a look." Aedan gestured to the armour and robes adorning the manikins around the armoury. "All tailored to fit perfectly, or so I'm told." The warden's spread out to their new uniforms with interest. Each moved behind a personal dressing screen to fit their new gear. Justice approached the Commander, the decaying face of Kristoff typically stoic and neutral.
"Warden-Commander, would it not be wise if I did not wear this new Grey Warden armour?" Aedan raised an eyebrow at the question, "I am not a Grey Warden and my current armour is satisfactory enough for our purposes. In addition, I do not suffer pain as you mortals do, so to receive new armour will not benefit me as much as your kind."
The Commander chuckled a little at Justice's reasoning, "You may not be a true Grey Warden, but you've done so much for us that I'd consider you an honorary Grey Warden."
Justice cocked his head to one side in confusion. "What does that mean, to be an honorary Grey Warden?"
Aedan rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, it means that we consider you one of us. Even though you haven't … undergone the training, so to speak."
"By training you mean the Grey Warden Joining ritual." The Commander nodded. "I see now."
"Hey! Spirit boy!" Oghren yelled over, popping out from behind his dressing screen. Chest piece already in place and one boot on, "Just put the Blighted thing on will yer! Boss says yer one o' the gang so get the shirt on!"
"There is no shirt with this armour." Justice furrowed his brow in confusion, inspecting the armour further.
"It's not a literal shirt Justice. It's just a phrase" Sigrun called from behind her dressing screen, noticeably more chipper than before.
"You mortals have peculiar ways." Justice muttered seemingly to himself more than anyone.
Aedan shook his head while chuckling, moving to the end of the armoury where his own tailored armour was. Picking up the chest piece to admire it, he had to admit that Wade had done exceptionally well. The metal was light, much lighter than what he typically wore for battle. Just by griping the steel Aedan could almost feel how strong it was.
He quickly changed into the armour and moved through some motions to test its limits. All in all he had a much broader scope in movement than he had in his typical armour. It was almost like moving in a simple tunic and trousers.
"Fenedhis!" The curse came from the changing screen next to his, from the Keep's resident Dalish elf Velanna.
"Is something wrong Velanna?" Aedan called next to her screen.
"I can dress myself thank you!" The heated reply came through the wood. Anders' popped his head around his screen further down the armoury. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Aedan struggled not to laugh a little, "I'm sure that you can. Are you not happy with the armour?"
There was pause before she replied, "No, it is exceptional work, Wade must be very proud …"
"But?" The Commander leaned against the separating pillar, arms folded.
Velanna came out from behind the screen a moment later, newly clad in her Warden mage robes. Aedan had to admit that she looked good, and it made a change from her more … immodest Dalish robes. Said robes were carefully folded and draped over her arms, which the elf held to her chest protectively.
"It is just a big change is all," her eyes drifted down over her new attire, a thoughtful expression on her face, "I have never worn anything other than Dalish clothes my whole life." She paused with a half-smile. "It is of no concern to you." She lightly chided with her typical scowl back in place.
"Listen Velanna, if you'd prefer, you can continue to wear your Dalish robes," Aedan offered, "I'm not asking you to abandon your culture."
"Ma serannas." She commented dryly, "But I think that I can survive this ordeal. It is no worse than fighting a horde of darkspawn surely."
"Maybe," Aedan smiled, "still, for what it's worth, I think you look good." The human was more than slightly amused by the flush of red that appeared on her cheeks and ears.
"I should hope that we all do for the exorbitant price you surely paid for them all." Velanna brushed off the compliment, adjusting the straps on her gloves.
"Some are looking better than others though, right Commander?" Anders sauntered over to them, practically strutting in his new robes. Aedan was mildly surprised and disappointed that the mage didn't perform a twirl or two as he reached them.
"Ugh, must you be so … flamboyant?" Velanna asked, evidently irritated by the human mage.
"But of course, my dear lady!" Anders adopted a faux respectable tone and bowed low, "you would quickly grow tired of me if I were as serious and as dour faced as you are." He finished with a cheeky grin.
Velanna's eye twitched as she restrained herself from responding to the insult. Aedan could have sworn he saw electricity spark around her for a moment. "I am tired enough already of your antics human!"
"Oh! You wound me my lady!" Anders theatrically grabbed his chest as if struck by an arrow. Nathaniel wisely chose that moment to intervene and steer Anders away by the shoulders.
"Come now Anders, you don't want to die before breakfast do you?" That perked Anders' interest.
"Oh, good thinking Howe!" He cried enthusiastically, patting the archer on the back as they walked out of the Armoury. "To die on an empty stomach is a cruel fate indeed!" He laughed.
Velanna gripped the bridge of her nose with finger and thumb as she sighed in frustration. "Creators preserve me," she muttered, "Just one fireball … it would be so easy." She smiled when Aedan laughed at her comment.
"True, but that would leave you with all of the arcane work to do." The Commander pointed out. "Healing, fighting, support."
"You think that I couldn't?" Velanna's eyes narrowed a fraction.
"Hmm," Aedan pretended to mull it over, "perhaps you could. Maybe you should ask Anders if you could take over all magical duties from now on." He posed the suggestion, a playful smirk on his mouth.
Velanna replied with her own smirk. "You would not notice any difference if I did." That brought a proper laugh out of the Commander.
"Oy!" the shout from Sigrun at the door made human and elf look up, "Are you two lovebirds gonna stand there all day or are you gonna come over for breakfast. Best hurry before Oghren eats everything!"
Both Aedan and Velanna bloomed in red as Sigrun sniggered to herself. The other Wardens had already filed out.
"Tch," Velanna muttered, "that dwarf would eat the entire Keep if it looked enough like meat." She strode out of the armoury with Sigrun in her typically confident fashion. Aedan shook his head with a chuckle as he took off after them.
xxx
The Warden-Commander wandered into the Keep's dining hall, passing numerous soldiers and workers who zipped about the Keep to their duties. Reaching the dining hall, he found all of the Wardens complete in their new Warden Armour. They were sat around a long table, which was simply festooned with food. The Warden appetite was grand indeed. A small troop of kitchen staff were ferrying food and drink to the table.
Aedan failed to supress a smirk when he noticed that Oghren appeared to have cleaned four plates already. He noted with a hint of sadness that the dwarf's armour was now speckled with food. Sighing a little and making a mental note not to allow armoured Wardens at the dinner table in future, Aedan stepped forward into the room.
"Commander!" Sigrun called, "Here!" She indicated the seat next to her. Aedan took it and nodded his greeting to the group. Anders and Oghren appeared to be in the middle of an argument about magic.
"I'm telling you! Brawn is all well and good, but we're talking about controlling the very elements of Thedas itself!" Anders proclaimed somewhat theatrically.
"Never nug humper! No way can yer prissy magic spell stuff beat good ol' steel!" Oghren shot back, slamming his tankard and most of its contents on the table. "One taste o' my axe and you'd be crying all the way back to yer sheltered circles."
Aedan leaned over to Nathaniel who was watching the proceedings with exasperation. "What are we arguing about here?"
The archer wiped his tired looking face with a hand. "These two children are determined to prove who has the biggest weapon, so to speak."
"Hah!" Oghren spat with a mouthful of food across the table, "you're not getting involved 'cause you know you'd lose kiddo!" Nathaniel slowly wiped breadcrumbs from his arm. "Like your teensy little arrows could do much to a mage, or a dwarven berserker in full … berserk!"
"Impressive vocabulary. I simply feel no need to compete on such a trivial matter." The archer replied dryly.
"Anyways, forget that." Anders reeled the groups' attention back to him. "Magic can do so much more than a sword or axe can though, it's obvious! If a mage and a warrior of equal strength had a fight, the mage will always win!"
"I'm with Oghren," Sigrun started to Anders' dismay, "you can do a lot with practical weapons, the only real limit is your own skill." She shot an amused look at Oghren. "Though I wouldn't call Oghren's fighting 'skilful'." The dwarf in question spluttered as he drank from his flagon. "Besides, as a rogue, all I have to do is dodge your attacks till I get close enough to shiv you." She finished with usual chirpiness.
"I agree," Aedan thought he might as well throw his two silvers in, "it's all in your own technique, a good enough swordsman can take down any mage."
Anders wagged his finger disapprovingly. "Your vote doesn't count."
"Why not?"
"Because you took down an Archdemon! That's kind of a lot bigger than blood mages and arcane warriors." Anders objected.
"It was still magical though." Aedan retorted with a smirk.
Frustrated, Anders turned to the elf sat next to him. "Velanna, come on, back me up here! Magic is better than any mundane form of fighting!"
The elf sighed. "That goes without saying." Anders smiled and nodded to the others enthusiastically, "However I am not getting involved in your little spat."
"Ha! You already gave me your vote." Anders smirked.
Velanna merely rolled her eyes. "Fine, do as you will." She resumed her meal and took no further part in the proceedings.
"Face it skirts," Oghren shot at Anders, "you've lost this one. Most o' us are 'mundane' types." The dwarf gave the mage a toothy, triumphant grin.
Anders appealed next to Justice, who till now had merely been watching the spectacle with typical vague interest. "Justice, you're a spirit person. You of all people have got to know that magic trumps all else!"
The spirit blinked a few times before answering. "Barring the fact that I am not truly a person, I can see no overall advantage for one side or the other. Each has their specialties and uses, each has their weaknesses. I cannot vouch for one form of attack over the other."
"Great, very helpful." Anders commented sarcastically. He slouched over the table with his head on his folded arms. Sigrun snickered and patted him on the head patronisingly.
The rest of the meal passed by with more bickering and chatting, all in all a typical morning really. Just when Aedan was contemplating breaking up an argument between Anders and Nathaniel over whom mas more likely to win in a war – Orlais or Tevinter – a messenger boy ran into the hall and drew everyone's attention.
"Warden-Commander ser!" The young boy burst out, near breathless from running, "A message for you ser. Been told it's urgent ser!" He thrust a letter into Aedan's hands and stood waiting for further orders.
Brow furrowed in concern, Aedan broke the seal and read. "Darkspawn sighted … large numbers of them … on the road to Denerim." He looked over his Grey Wardens. Each of them were focussed on him. Darkspawn raids were becoming rarer as time passed since the Blight, but still they persisted. "Well, looks like we'll get a chance to test out our new armour then." He called out across the group with an easy smile.
"Ha ha!" Oghren burst out with glee, still mostly covered in meat and breadcrumbs, "can't wait for it! Come on, let's get going!" With that, the dwarf grabbed his axe and took off out the doors.
The rest of the Wardens quickly followed suit, picking up swords, daggers and staves for the fight ahead. Aedan handed the letter back to the messenger boy. "Thank you, give this to Seneschal Varel, inform him of the situation and that the Wardens will deal with the threat." The boy bowed quickly and ran off.
The group quickly moved through the Keep and into the courtyard where Oghren was struggling to get on the back of his horse. The beast was easily twice the size of the berserker. Still the dwarf had insisted on the giant beast as his steed.
"How far?" Nathaniel posed the question as he retrieved his own charger.
"Shouldn't be much more than a few hours ride, if we maintain a fast pace." The Commander replied, mounting his own steed as he did so.
Velanna brought her horse out of the stables at a quick trot. "Let us not waste time then, come Oghren!" The dwarf had only just managed to mount his horse as the rest of the Wardens took off at speed out of the front gate.
"Err, right then! To battle!" Oghren cried with a hearty laugh as he set off to catch up. The dwarf nearly fell off the back of his horse as the beast accelerated.
The Wardens were off to war, fresh armour gleaming. Aedan looked back at his Wardens as his stallion set the pace for the ride ahead. He was suddenly struck by the groups make up: Humans, dwarves and an elf; Warriors, rogues and mages. There was even a friendly spirit amongst them. It was quite the mixture. By rights, half the group should probably have been killing the rest. Yet here they were.
Aedan urged his steed forward as a smile crept up his lips. The Wardens of Ferelden galloped onwards as the morning sun rose further into the pale blue sky.