This is my first attempt at a fanfic. For those Alistair fans, he doesn't seem to be the same man from the game - not at first. Be patient! I've also used a bit of poetic license in killing of the Archdemon. Thanks to DE for reading the story.

The Warden Commander

'Mireli! NO!!!'

The red haired woman grabbed the large two-handed sword that was sticking out of the ground and ran, dragging the sword towards the Archdemon. Alistair felt his feet stick to the floor and his hands reached out ineffectually towards the woman he loved. Her green eyes met his and a sad smile played upon her lips. Even though she was a rogue, she swung the sword high and jumped on the neck of the Archdemon, sticking the blade through the head of the beast. Then a blinding, flashing light and they were all knocked off their feet; the group, the fighters and darkspawn.

Alistair woke with a start and sat up in bed. After four years of having had and lived this dream, he knew what happened next: Alistair holding Mireli in his arms, his tears of rage and pain not enough to bring her back, then the funeral in Highever, her brother Fergus, who lost his last remaining family member and Alistair, not able to say why she sacrificed herself. Sacrifice. They never tell you how deeply that duty would go when you join.

He dried the tears that had been shed during sleep with his hands and got up. Enough self-pity, time for action, he thought. Once he'd completed his morning ritual and got dressed in armour, there was a knock at the door.

'Enter'

'I thought you should know the new recruits have arrived with Fergus, ser' said Alexander. He had only been Joined two years earlier but had gone up the ranks and proved an excellent aide to Alistair.

'They're early aren't they?' asked Alistair, somewhat surprised. Fergus had sent word they would arrive tomorrow at Highever Castle.

'Yes, they managed to get a carriage from Redcliffe earlier than expected, ser.' Alex seemed to hesitate, as if there was something he needed to tell his superior.

'Very well, show the new recruits to their rooms and I'll come down to talk to Fergus. That will be all thank you, Alex.' Alistair watched Alex retreat.

On his way down to meet Fergus, Alistair passed other Grey Wardens and was greeted with nods and 'Warden Commander'. Only in the last year had he got used to the title and felt he was growing into his role effortlessly. There were few at Highever who called him by his name but Fergus was one of the few exceptions.

Fergus was standing in what had been his father's study when he'd lived at Highever originally. He was in front of the desk with his back to the door when Alistair walked into the room. His dark hair was flecked with grey and the lines around the eyes had grown deeper. All the deaths of his family had prematurely aged him, as Mireli's had aged Alistair.

'Fergus, good to see you' said Alistair clapping his friend on the arm. Alistair motioned for him to sit down as he sat in his chair behind the desk. He'd come to Alistair a year after his sister's death, a broken man. Fergus gave Highever to the Grey Wardens and had travelled immediately after her death but couldn't run away from his grief anymore. He had begged to be allowed to join the Grey Wardens and knew something of the Joining, which could be fatal. He felt that he had nothing else to live for and did not care if he died. Once Alistair had seen him fight and made sure that his prowess with a sword wasn't a rumour, Fergus completed the Joining. He was very ill, but survived it, while younger men perished on the same day.

'How was your journey back from Redcliffe? And the Arl?' queried Alistair.

'Tiring, and would have been more comfortable on foot' Fergus replied smiling. 'Eamon sends his greetings.'

'I'm sure. So what's the news on the recruits?'

'We have two. A man by the name of Edmund, who is an excellent fighter with a sword and shield. Originally from Rainsfere but has been living in Redcliffe, training as a blacksmith's apprentice.' Fergus answered.

Alistair nodded. 'And the other recruit?'

Fergus sighed, 'A woman by the name of Talissa, who originally lived in the Elven Alienage in Denerim but fled with her family to Redcliffe during the Blight, when she was just a girl. She fights duelist style and is a very talented rogue. Unfortunately, she's equally good at throwing insults, as Edmund would tell you.'

The two men smiled at each other.

'However, she has excellent leadership potential and would certainly be able to lead a group in the right circumstances' said Fergus. 'You should come down to the training ground and see them this afternoon. We're due to start training them both, once they've had a rest.'

'I certainly will do, if I can get far enough through the paper mountain.' Alistair's eyes strayed to the tray on his left, filled with supposedly urgent memos and letters.

'Well, I'd better get on. I have a lot to catch up with.' Fergus took his leave.

Alistair sat with his elbows on his desk, chin propped up by his hands, thinking. Fergus was the closest person to him at Highever. Once his Joining was complete, they'd had some very uncomfortable conversations about his sister's death. It was still raw for both of them and once he'd even challenged Alistair to a fight while drunk, when he'd found out how close Alistair and Mireli had been. For their relationship had not simply been that of the last two Wardens in Ferelden. During the year they'd travelled and fought together, they had eventually been lovers too. Alistair tried not to think too hard about that but the bittersweet memories came unbidden to mind.

'That damn dream' he muttered and began to move paperwork around the desk.

Talissa let out a scream of frustration between gritted teeth and kicked the wall outside the back of Highever kitchens. Why did she agree to share a room with the only other female Warden in the place? And how annoying she was! Just because she'd been a Warden for three years longer than Talissa had, didn't mean she had to be bossed around by her. Were all Grey Wardens so damn maddening? Admittedly, she'd liked Fergus from the start. When she'd seen the large man with the twinkling eyes scrutinising her fight on the dummy outside her parents house, she was about to call him a pervert for watching her until he'd introduced himself. Her big mouth, nearly getting herself into trouble again. Her father said she'd always opened her mouth before she'd wound her brain up into working and yet again he was proved right.

Talissa was starting to calm down but she felt sweat trickling down her neck. Maker's breath, she was sweating without even drawing a knife. She thought she should go to the training ground but was finding it hard to muster enthusiasm with Edmund doing his 'Fighters are always better than Rogues' rubbish. It was as if he was going out of his way to aggravate her. She checked her equipment, made sure she had her knives and found her way to the training grounds and waited to meet Zevran for the first time.

It was early afternoon and Alistair was replying to a letter. He'd lost track of time among his correspondence and was about to break for some food, when there was a knock and the door opened.

'Warden Commander,' said a pretty yet angry young woman with long curly black hair 'I need to speak to you'.

'Diandra, please sit down.' A few years ago he would have groaned when faced with a woman so annoyed but he'd learnt to bite his tongue and let them talk before making a judgement call. A skill discovered from his time working with Mireli, he supposed.

'Very well. That...elven woman you've put in my room. I came back to meet her and she had turned the place upside down, changed drawers over and generally messed the room up. I had left enough space for her clothes but she insisted that she needed more.'

Usually, issues like this would be dealt with by their direct superiors but Diandra, like Fergus, was one of the first Grey Wardens at Highever and they helped to rebuild the place. This was the first time she'd come to him with a problem that seemed insignificant. There must be more to this than she's initially said, thought Alistair.

'Is it just a clash of personalities, do you think?'Alistair looked her straight in the eyes and he knew she felt like she was 'running to teacher'.

Diandra dropped her head then looked back at him. 'I didn't explain myself very well but she's the first person I've met here who... I don't think is good Grey Warden material.' She breathed out, a sigh of relief.

'What makes you say that? I know you and I know that you wouldn't say that without a reason.' Alistair leant forward.

'It was her temper. I told her politely that I'd left enough room for her clothes. She looked at me angrily and told me I was a bossy cow and an ignorant shem and then ran out slamming the door.'

For the first time since she'd walked into the room, he got the irrational urge to laugh. The old Alistair would have laughed. Sometimes he really missed the old days.

'She certainly sounds as if she has an attitude alright but that doesn't mean that the attitude can't be tamed. Fergus saw something in her and I trust his judgement. However, we can't have her treating people like that so I'll ask Fergus to have a word with her.'

'Thank you' said Diandra.

'That's not a problem. Now I wonder if there's anything left to eat in the Refectory because I am starving.' said Alistair, escorting her out of the door.

Alistair always wore basic splintmail armour when training new recruits. This was partly due to him trying to show that at heart, all Wardens were equals but also because he didn't want to show he was the Warden Commander too soon. They would find out quickly enough. New recruits tended to be more honest when they didn't know exactly who he was and he got a good idea of their immediate strengths and weaknesses. None of the other trainers called him by his title when on the field for that reason alone.

Alistair made his way down to the training grounds to watch the recruits. Today, there was only Edmund being trained by Fergus and Talissa being trained by Zevran. He walked across to Fergus and asked if he could have a word. Fergus told Edmund to have a two minute rest and they walked out of hearing distance.

'What's wrong Alistair?' Fergus asked.

'Talissa. Diandra has complained about her attitude. 'Alistair answered.

'Why, what did she say to her?' asked Fergus intrigued. He had hoped that sharing a room with Diandra might calm her down. Some hope, thought Fergus.

'They had an argument and Talissa told her she was a 'bossy cow and an ignorant shem' and stormed out.' He saw Fergus's lips twitching, trying not to smile.

'Bah, it's just a time of the month thing.' Fergus answered.

'Doesn't matter what it is. Would you have a word, let her know her behaviour was not acceptable?'

'Of course I will. Wish me luck, I might need it.' Fergus said in his sometimes flippant manner.

Alistair watched Fergus go across to Talissa and talk to her. Her olive skinned cheeks had flared red. He could tell enough by the hand movements that she was not impressed about Diandra's complaints but she stuck with the telling off. At least she didn't storm off from that too, thought Alistair.

Once Fergus came back to his student, Alistair watched Edmund train, who he agreed had talent with a sword and shield. He needed more confidence but he had no doubt that would be gained in time.

Alistair was trying to ignore the other training duo at the moment although he knew that she would be angry when he did go across. After half an hour he walked to the other side of the field and it was there he heard raised voices.

'You need to be more focused, Talissa.' Zevran said, in his clipped Antivan accent.

'More focused? I am! I'm focused on that bitch who complained about me!' yelled Talissa.

Uh oh, thought Alistair. Zevran was usually able to calm the most stubborn individual but today his charming tones had the opposite effect on this angry young woman.

'Is there a problem?' asked Alistair innocently.

Talissa rounded on him, her amber eyes flashing in annoyance.

'You! You're Diandra's lapdog! You're the one she complained to, aren't you?' Talissa pointed at Alistair. Zevran smiled behind her.

'That's right. She told me what happened.'

'Who are you anyway?' Talissa eyed him up.

'Alistair' he said, keeping up the pretence.

'And I suppose you're yet another Grey Warden who thinks they know it all? I didn't become a Grey Warden to be bossed around.' Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

'No, but you're here to fight and that's what Zevran here is trying to train you to do. All he means is if you can control your anger, you can be a disciplined fighter.' Alistair said calmly.

Some of the anger seemed to go out of her then.

'Let's see what you can do on the training dummy.' Alistair said, walking over to it.

For the next twenty minutes, Alistair saw a young woman who could fight and had skill and speed. She was a talented duelist, that was for sure and when she concentrated on her opponent, she would be able to do some heavy damage. But she was leaving herself wide open to attack.

'You'll do some impressive damage, Talissa but you're making yourself very vulnerable. That attack where you cross your knives is good but you have to be in and out quickly. Don't forget when you're in a group, you won't be fighting alone and it will be your job to spot openings and take advantage of them rapidly.' Alistair told her.

He could see her gritting her teeth as he said this but it didn't matter, someone had to tell her and it may as well be him.

'What type of weapons are you trained in, then?' Talissa asked.

'Sword and shield.' Alistair replied.

'So let me get this straight. I am being advised on how to be a duelist by a man who uses a big sword and a shield and thinks his shield bash is going to save the day. Is that it?' Talissa's eyes flashed angrily and she stared him down while Zevran snorted with laughter.

'That's about right.' Alistair replied, trying not to smile. 'But I have enough experience in fighting to know when you're doing it wrong.'

At that moment, Alexander ran across the training ground to Alistair.

'Warden Commander – there's an urgent message from Queen Anora- 'Alexander said breathily.

Alistair looked at his aide in annoyance. Then he realised that he'd never told Alex about not calling him by his title on the field.

'Very well, I'm afraid I'll have to leave. Zevran, Talissa.' He nodded at an amused Zevran and a shocked Talissa, who now had her mouth open and looked as if she was going to hit the floor any second. He walked back to the Castle.

'Oh no!' Talissa sat down hard on the floor with her head in her hands. Then she looked up and watched Alistair walking across the training ground.

'Zevran, please tell me I didn't just call the Warden Commander a, a-'

'Lapdog? Yes you did I'm afraid. Incidentally, you insulted his combat abilities too' Zevran said, grinning mischievously. 'I hate to think how long you'll be working in the kitchens after this.'

With that he cajoled a dejected Talissa back to her feet to continue training.