Thanks for clicking onto this story but fair warning: i have no idea where this story went. It started as a good Idea but then kinda ran from me so if it starts sounding dumb or something let me know. I wanted this to be good but I need some opinions:) enjoy
Nathaniel couldn't quite understand why the Warden-Commander flinched at him occasionally. She was Hero of Ferelden, and a proud member of the Dalish. He once witnessed Her speek freely of her opinion on the Chantry's religion and the Maker to a Templars face, daring him to "correct" her.
That's when he knew he liked her. She wore her blonde hair short to show off her ears while most elves hid them behind long hair. She would tell them stories and legends when they camped for the night. She was strong and he couldn't get enough of that gleam in her eyes she would get when telling them stories of her adventures and what having a face tattoo meant to the Dalish.
When he recently caught her staring at him, she had such a foreign look on her face. From what he knew so far, Oghren was the only Warden who knew her other than the King but he wasn't around.
So he waited till he could get the Dwarf alone. Which was pathetically easy since Oghren spent most of his down time in the kitchen, drinking.
Unfortunately, Anders was with him. Sod it! He was going to ask anyway.
"Oghren ." He said getting their attention." Why does she do it!?"
Oghren belched.
"Who?" The Dwarf asked.
"Assan."
"Why does she do what?"
"Flinch! She tugs at her collar and sleeves when I'm around. She wont look me in the eye. If anyone mentions my father or that damned fort and doesn't talk. She's the Warden-Commander for Maker's sake, so why does she act like she's afraid of me?"
Oghren sighed. He knew this would come up eventually. Her scars hadn't fully healed and he figured she hadn't come to terms with what happened. He was about to do something he didn't normally do. Be serious.
"Too many eyes and ears." He said." Meet me by the gates tonight and I'll tell you everything. It's not your fault so I guess you deserve to know."
"Ooo. Story time." Anders sang cheerfully." Is there a happy ending?"
Oghren glared at him.
"If you consider a whole fort of guards getting slaughtered by a vengeful elf a happy ending, then sure."
"Can you switch the guards out for Templars?"
Oghren just rolled his eyes and walked out of the room.
/-/
When the sky was dark and only the howls of wolves could be heard, the three men met by the gate entrance.
"You weren't followed were you?" The Dwarf asked.
Nathaniel and Anders shook their heads.
"Good." He took a minute to try to form the right words." When we called for the landsmeet in Denerim, Loghain new he was in trouble."
"No." Nathaniel interrupted." Start from the beginning."
"I ain't some story teller, Howe!"
"Yeah, tell us what Assan was like back then." Anders pushed.
"You're lucky she came to Orzammar first lookin for The Giant's sword."
"You mean the Qunari?" Anders asked." Sten, right?
"Yeah, that was the name."
"From what I could tell at first she didn't look like anything other than a skinny elf but she showed her skill in the Proving and in the Deep Roads. Alistair told me she only recently became the cold bitch she can be today after her clan-mate was tainted by the darkspawn like she was.
"Some Warden named Duncan found her and gave her a deal. Join the ranks of the Grey Wardens and live or stay with the clan and die. So then that mess at Ostagar happened and then it was just Alistair and Assan. She automatically became the leader of our band of misfits even though Alistair was the Senior Warden of the two. He tried to talk her out of it but they went back and collected Cailan'a armor, some documents about Orlais, I believe, and even recovered Duncan's weapons.
"We had Wynne, a mage from the circle traveling with us. Alistair and Wynne were the only people she would talk to about her past until the camp was attacked thats when we found what happened to her clan mate...uh Tammy? Tamley? No..."
"Tamlen." Came a voice.
The three men turned to see the Warden-Commander. They all jumped in surprise. She was a sneaky rouge.
"After a year of being exposed to the taint, he was sent with a pack of shrieks to ambush our camp. As he laid dying he told me he always loved me and I slit his throat out of mercy." She didn't look angry but had folded her arms."What are you three doing out here? Telling my life story?"
"I...uh."
"I asked him to tell me." Nathaniel commented.
"I'm just here for the slaughtered Templars." Anders smiled raising his cup of ale.
Assan raised an eyebrow.
"I believe the only Templars I slaughtered were the possessed abominations and the ones who tricked us."
"No. The guards from the fort." Anders smiled, taking another sip.
"Wow." She scoffed." You're telling them that?!"
"I...should...Felsi? Is that you?" He started to walk away.
"Hold it right there." Assan ordered."Fine you want to know what happened?"
She began to undo her favorite robes she took from a Tevinter lord after she took her bow from an elf slaver during the unrest in the Denerim alienage. She now stood infront of them in her small clothes. She stood there too angry to even remotely feel embarrassed.
Oghren sighed. Anders slapped himself and asked if he was "that drunk?" Nathaniel looked away, not just out of respect but because he saw the scars.
"I snuck into Howe's house in Denerim and saved Lady Anora. When we were confronted by Loghain's second I brought up that I was saving Anora and the bitch backstabbed me and accused me of kidnapping her to save her own hide. We fought but were overwhelmed and the others escaped while I created a distraction." She held out her arms." They tied me up and whipped me. Joked around about how they "bet I was great for a tumble" but were too scared that they'd contract the taint. I tricked the guard and stole a knife and killed every guard I saw and walked right out the front door. Then when I got back to Earl Eamon's residence I lied to Anora just to get her to turn against her dad and then when I slit his killed him I made Alistair king and threw Anora in the tower where trash like her belonged."
"Look, Commander, I'm sorry." Nathaniel said.
"No. Don't be sorry. I don't hide them because I'm embarrassed, Lethaliin, I'm the Warden-Commander. I can't have people feeling sorry for me. I have to maintain a reputation built on fear and respect. Its up to me to rebuild the Grey Wardens and to figure out what is leading the darkspawn now. As a Grey Warden you only get about thirty years give or take before the taint kills you. I need the Wardens strong for when I'm not here. You already blame yourself for not knowing about your father's intentions and not being here to stop him...I couldnt... I can't having you blame yourself for what happened to me in the past."
She put her robes back on and turned to walk away.
"But why do you flinch at me?"
She stopped.
"I don't, I'm physically restraining myself from strangling you because you irritate me with your politeness towards me like I'm more than your superior, like I'm a queen. Your skill with a bow is..." She stopped, clearly having trouble with finding the right words."And...and your face!...but I'm your Commander!"
"What does that mean?"
"Ugh!" She groaned and stomped back into Vigil's Keep.
"I'm missing something." Nathaniel tilted his head to the side.
"She wants to grease your sword." Oghren hinted.
"What?"
"Ya know, she wants to-"
"You sexually frustrate her." Anders interrupted, finishing his drink." But you're her subordinate, she thinks that could cause problems. I had the same problem once when I tried to seduce a Senior Enchanter on my fourth escape attempt."
"Oh...OH!" Nathaniel thought about it for a minute." No! She doesn't get to do that! She doesn't get to accuse me of being the guilty one and walk away after saying that! Assan! Get back here!" He followed after her.
Damn she could walk fast!
He finally caught up to her and grabbed her arm. She quickly took advantage and flipped him onto his back.
"You know better than to do that!" She said.
"You don't get to say that and then drop it!"
"I'm the one in charge here, not you!"
"Yeah? Well maybe you irritate me too!"
"Is that so?"
"With those ears!"
"Whats wrong with my ears?" She gasped and touched her ear with her free hand.
"They are so cute and small and I've never seen an elf with such cute ears."
"What?"
"Then theres the way you slice and dice your enemies like they were as soft as snow."
"That doesn't make any sense." She shook her head.
"Yes it does!" He argued." You are so much better than me."
"Get ahold of yourself, Howe, before I break your arm!"
"And when you use your "Commander" voice like just now, I nearly lose it! Because you're so strong and you glow when you're being you.I've never seen anyone so confident in their beliefs and their flaws. Someone who is not very good at hiding the snickers when its obvious that not everyone is too happy to be given orders by a small, Dalish Elf who doesn't worship the Maker and Andraste."
She stared at him for a minute. Obviously pondering what he meant by all this.
"Look, I know with the taint we don't really have much time considering how fast the seasons change when you don't have a chance to close your eyes and just listen. Wether we are slaughtering darkspawn in the deep roads or off fixing everyone else's problems, I just want to be there at your side to give you the happiness you deserve."
"Thats...sweet, Nathaniel." She sighed." You're such a strange human."
He yanked the arm she had a hold of down, bringing her with it and with the other hand grabbed the back of her head and kissed her.
She hesitated but let go of his arm and ran her fingers through his hair. It wasn't a hungry-needy kids or a delicate-sweet one, it was a getting-to-know-you kiss. It was slow and deliberate like they were testing each other. But they both knew who was the hunter and who was the prey.
She pulled away and smiled.
"You're gonna have to try harder than that, da'len." She said slapping him playfully and jumped up to run away, laughing.
He picked himself up and rubbed his cheek.
"Good thing I have such a great mentor." He called, running after her.
"Good on ya." Oghren laughed at the scene and started to get back inside before he froze to death, leaving Anders by himself.
"Aw, there was no dead Templars." The mage whined and followed the Dwarf.
TO BE CONTINUED...MAYBE...I DONT KNOW...WE'LL SEE...
Still here? Great:) thanks for reading and if it gets any feedback ill continue:) thank you:)
TheSpazChik