This is an elaborate bit of fanfiction produced only for pleasure and never for profit featuring both Original characters created by me and non original characters who were created and are owned by Bioware and EA.
Prologue:
In 9:30 the Dragon A young noble woman named Ysolde Cousland was rescued by a grey warden after a scheming Lord massacred her family. She under took the Joining and became a full fledged Grey Warden herself, only to suffer a crippling defeat against the Darkspawn at the battle of Ostagar. She set out with her fellow Grey Warden Alistair to unite the nation of Ferelden against a traitor and a horde of demonic Darkspawn. But this story you already know. After the Blight was over and the dust settled, the Grey Warden Ysolde married her lover Alistair Theirin and became Queen of Ferelden, having made a bargain with a powerful witch to save the lives of both Alistair and herself.
In 9:31 the Dragon, the Wardens were given the Arling of Amaranthine, the former Arling of the now deceased Arl Howe, as a boon for their service to Ferelden and Ysolde, now called the Hero of Ferelden, was offered the position of Commander of the Grey.
She declined and abdicated in favour of a young Grey Warden Mage from Orlais named Ondine Caron. Ondine had spent her youth serving as apprentice to First Warden Jacob at Weisshaupt and more recently had spent several years under the command of Senior Warden Riordan in Jader. She took the joining at 18 and had never seen the inside of a circle tower, having been under the protection of the Grey Wardens all her life. Ondine remained Warden-Commander of Ferelden for only a short time before First Warden Jacob succumbed to the taint and in his last will and testament named Ondine his successor and the new First Warden. She took a small compliment of her Silver Knights & Grey Wardens from Amaranthine and made the journey to Weisshaupt only to find another Grey Warden, Lars Endolun of Rivain, had claimed the mantle of First Warden for himself. After a terrible battle on the very steps of the Fortress of the Grey, Ondine slew Endolun & claimed her rightful place as First Warden & Lady of the Grey.
Now another battle brews after the fall of the Circle of Magi in Kirkwall and the mage rebellion spearheaded by a former Grey Warden Anders and the Champion of Kirkwall, a mage named Hawke. As all of Thedas is divided between mage and chantry, the Wardens will soon be forced to pick a side or be faced with War.
Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley.
Vigilance
Ondine had never expected that being First Warden would be boring. When she'd served as an apprentice of sorts to First Warden Jacob she'd seen only crisis. It seemed every day the world was falling apart and First Warden Jacob kept it all from crashing down with his tight lipped manner and iron fist. But now, as she sat on The Throne of the Grey she wondered if perhaps he was only putting on some elaborate show for her sake. Some days she would sit in the throne for hours without a single visit from her steward, but as she looked up to see him scurrying towards her she knew today was not one of those days.
"First Warden Ondine a group of travellers have come to the gate, requesting an audience. There is a Grey Warden among them, but he is not one of ours." Said Marius, her elderly elven steward.
"Are they citizens?" Ondine asked, rising from her seat. She feared she knew the answer already.
"No, my Lady, they carry no banner and wear no uniform." He replied, his brows furrowed in distress.
"Curious. Well let them pass, we are not so poorly manned that we fear a small band of travellers, are we?" She asked smirking.
The Steward only shook his head, "I'll send word at once, my lady." and with that he was gone.
Ondine brushed off her skirts as she waited, remembering how fearsome Jacob had looked when she'd been brought to him here. He'd stood with sword in hand, as though ready to put any man to death at a moments notice. Fearsome, strong and immovable, she'd always admired his confidence and she envied it more than ever now.
The heavy iron doors creaked open slowly as two guards pushed them with the full force of their bodies, letting the sharp cold air of the Anderfells break through the veil of heat from the fireplace.
A group of travellers walked hesitantly in behind them, their cloaks pulled up, the snow melting on their bodies. Their leader, a blonde haired man carrying a large staff, held out one hand and bowed his head in respect as he spoke "First Warden, I am-"
"Anders?" Ondine cut him off. Could that really be him? He seemed twenty years older, his blonde hair pulled back haphazardly, the stubble on his chin nearly a beard now. He was lithe and pale, his eyes almost seemed bruised with the dark lines beneath them. He even sounded like a different person. But this was Anders, there could be no denying it.
"Warden-Commander Ondine? What're you doing here? Where is First Warden Jacob?" Anders asked, genuine confusion in his voice.
"Dead going on three years." She said.
"Really? I suppose it was a little strange that he would send Nathaniel of all people to track me instead of someone under his command." He sneered.
"Track you?"
"Let's not pretend, Ondine. I know you've sent people to keep an eye on me." Anders said his brows furrowing.
"Senior Warden Nathaniel has been sent to the Free Marches to investigate a dwarven thaig, not to find you." She said.
"You're retracing our expedition? To what end?" He asked.
"I'm not at liberty to say."
They stood there, locked in defiance, neither willing to relent until finally the little Blonde-haired woman to his left spoke up "Would someone like to tell me what's going on here? I've not yet mastered mind reading." She said, her mouth in a little smirk.
"Forgive me. Warde- First Warden Ondine, I give you Nevela Hawke, Champion of Kirkwall." Anders said, gesturing to the woman.
So this was Hawke. Nathaniel had sent missives that mentioned her and of course her brother had often complained of her when he was sauced enough. She'd thought her some glowing idol of a woman by all the descriptions of travellers who'd encountered her, but instead she was faced with a slender girl with eyes too big and innocent for her voice. She was dressed simply in heavy velvet robes and leather leggings, a wool cloak practically wrapped around her delicate form. It was almost funny to think of her as champion of anything.
"Serah Hawke, I've seen your handiwork in the Vimmark Mountains. I'm impressed."
"Impressed is good." Hawke nodded.
"Your brother has also spoken of your skill."
"Also good." She said, though the smile had left her face.
"He's not with you?" Ondine asked.
"No, he went back to find his commander before joining us here."
"I see." Ondine eyed them suspiciously. Carver had not been given leave to visit his sister. He was a dedicated young man who by all accounts bore no love for her, yet he'd abandoned his post to help her without permission. This was very worrying. If Grey Wardens started abandoning their duties at a moments notice how long could she keep the order before they all started deserting?
"Have I done something to offend you First Warden Ondine?" Hawke asked after some time in silence.
"I'm just waiting to see if you burn down my fortress," She shot a look at Anders "I hear that's what you do now."
"I did what I had to. I will not apologize for that." He said, scowling. She didn't think she'd ever seen him scowl before. My but he had changed.
"That is not for me to say. But my gut says I cannot trust you Anders and I have half a mind to slap you in irons as it is."
"I... Understand." He nodded, his expression pained.
"So, if you haven't come to blow me up, why have you come?" Ondine asked.
"There is no where in Thedas for us to hide now. This is the only place I thought I might find shelter, at least for a time."
"You're a deserter. If we were in the army I might have had you hanged, if you were a Silver Knight, I might have you flogged. But you're a Warden and Wardens never waste anything valuable."
"I'm glad to hear that's still true."
"Don't be so glad, you'd be of value to me Tranquil as well."
"You wouldn't do that. You're a mage." He said, his anger rising visibly.
"I'm a Grey Warden." She corrected.
"But you're still a mage, right? That big black staff you're carrying isn't just for show, is it?" Hawke interjected.
Anders immediately took a step closer to her protectively, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Love." He whispered, shaking his head "Don't."
"No, please," Ondine waved her hand for Hawke to go on, intrigued by her nerve "Speak your mind."
"The way I see it even if you turn us away the Chantry will come after you. Even after they squish us under their holy boots they'll see you as a threat." Said Hawke
"And why is that?" Ondine asked, amused.
"You're a free mage without a phylactery commanding an army of tainted men across Thedas and you're the only other person in the known world with as many men with big pointy swords as them. They'll see you as an enemy simply because they have no hold on you."
"There are treaties, we have signed oaths." Ondine assured her.
"The only oath a templar remembers is the one he made to the Maker. They will kill every innocent man who defends you and they'll sleep easier having done so."
Ondine took a moment to chew on that.
"They may try." She said, not sure if she was trying to convince Hawke of herself.
"Rest assured they will. But we can help you fight them, if you let us stay. The templars fear us now, as much as a person with that much blind faith can fear anything, knowing we are here may give them pause. You say the Grey Wardens waste nothing valuable? Well we're a skilled band of fighters unmatched by any in the Free Marches and we would fight for you. You should think carefully before you throw us away."
Ondine thought on this. This woman wasn't wrong, she had been denied the role of first warden for her magic once before and nearly been defeated. If she could overtake Weisshaupt with only a few skilled wardens how long would it take an army of templars? Would the men even fight for her, if it came down to it? How many among them would ignore the word of the Divine for their commander? Either way, it seemed a battle would come for her, she could see Hawke wasn't going to leave without spilling a little blood and Anders she already knew to be a radical.
"All right, Hawke," She said finally "I'll offer you a deal, I'll let you and your companions stay here as long as you like if you give us Anders as collateral."
"What?" It was Anders and not Hawke who responded first, shocked and confused. Good, she thought, a little taste of his own medicine won't hurt him.
"You heard me. You are a deserter and I am obligated to make an example of you, otherwise what's stopping the rest of the wardens from running off?" She barked at him, her voice echoing through the frozen fortress walls.
"Sounds fair to me." Said one of Hawkes companions, a stern looking copper haired woman with a square jaw and a finely polished set of armor.
"How exactly will you make an example of him? I'd like him back in at least two pieces if you please." Said Hawke
"Hawke!" Anders exclaimed.
"What? You thought they'd just let you waltz back in here? Be thankful you are a Grey Warden, otherwise they'd have killed you already." Said the copper haired woman.
"He will be put to work under the command of Senior Warden Nathaniel until such a time as I see fit to release him. He will not be harmed by any within, but the work of the Grey Wardens is always dangerous, he may very well die serving this sentence." Ondine said, trying to sound as unwavering as First Warden Jacob always had.
"This is ridiculous! My life is devoted to the plight of the mages of Thedas, I'll not follow around Nathaniel Howe while he strokes his bow." Anders shouted.
"It is your decision, you stay and accept our terms, or you take your chances out there. Choose wisely, Grey Wardens rarely give second chances."