AN: This is my first piece of fan fiction and its more to gauge how people find my writing style. I've haven't used a beta but tried to weed out mistakes myself. I've taken a few liberties with the Dragon Age story and some of its mechanics, but other than that I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, not even this disclaimer, I robbed it from someone else.
Knock knock
Jamie, a young servant boy in the service of Arl Eamon Guerrein at Castle Redcliffe waited with anxiety coiling in his stomach, staring at the grain of the oak door to the Arl's study. The study was quite large which was precisely why it had been temporally turned over to the mages of the Ferelden Circle of Magi.
The castle was unusually full. Representatives of three separate armies had been gradually filling the castle over the last six months and along with a troupe of mages that were also staying made it unusual, when wondering the corridors, not to see a soul.
With so many new Lords and Ambassadors staying within the castle a call had been issued to the surrounding villages for helping hands. Jamie had come to Redcliffe a little over five months ago, shortly after the monsters that spewed out of Guerrein's castle had been dealt with by the Grey Wardens.
Much of what happened was still a mystery to the common folk but rumour abound that it involved demons, mages and the Fade. He was surprised to discover sometime later that the hero he had begun to idolise was in fact a mage himself, a people which he had previously thought the world was better off without.
This week had seen the arrival of the Champion of Redcliffe along with his party of skilled and diverse companions including the unknown and newly crowed, King Alistair, whom as a boy had been raised by Arl Eamon in the castle.
That was why Jamie was standing outside the study door in a ruffled servants tunic and tousled deep brown hair a few hours before the late summer dawn. No one believing he was sixteen meant that he couldn't join the army so instead he'd been given a servants role in the castle. When the Wardens arrived he was assigned as the Champions personal attendant.
A cleaning maid had roused him from his sleep saying that his master had requested him. In the few days that Jamie had waited on the Warden he had found that he was rather quiet though friendly, always seeming mildly surprised when Jamie did something such as refilling his goblet or laundering his clothes.
Still, been in the service of one so outwardly placid but obviously hiding such immense talents was slightly scary to a young boy of sixteen who had dreams of been great himself one day. He'd thought now that perhaps he'd knocked too quietly before so did so again though slightly harder.
"Come." came a muffled voice through the door.
Creaking open the door Jamie was first met with the sight of a muscle bound dog, lazing in front of the fire, jerked awake by the door and preparing to pounce on its masters enemy's. Jamie was used to the dog as the Mabari was to him so it quickly settled back down. Stepping further into the room he saw his temporary charge was sitting behind the desk already fully dressed in his magical robes. The silver pendant which hung around the mages neck was dangling and occasionally scraping the table as he bent over signing his name on a length of parchment.
"Ah, James. Yes. Come in, take a seat."
As Jamie took his seat the young mage who was soon to take charge of the gathered armies to fight the darkspawn intricately folded the parchment and produced a wax stick from a desk draw. Drawing the wax over the paper he brought his finger close to it, from which sprouted a small blue flame. Jamie started as the vestiges of childhood fears caused him to flinch at such a blatant use of magic, without even a Templar around.
"I'm sorry James. I forget that you are unused to magics." Jamie chose to stay silent. The Warden put the wax away, stamped upon its melted counterpart the seal of Redcliffe and wrote one simple word on the other side of the parchment. Alistair. He looked up and offered Jamie a small disarming smile.
"I suppose your wondering, James, why I've asked you here at such an hour."
"Yes ser."
"I have a request to make of you. One which you are fully welcome to refuse, should that be your choice." The Warden then looked dead into his eyes appearing to try and weigh Jamie's worth solely through what he saw there.
"I know what it is like to be constrained by circumstance. I would not force one so young and innocent to walk into the claws of fate and chance."
Jamie had no idea what the Warden was talking about, only that he was not as innocent as his boyish looks conveyed. He too had seen his fair share of fights and had perhaps done things he ought not have with the local girls. This battle mage spoke like he was an old man, not the recently Harrowed mage, no older than twenty five that he appeared to be.
" I will do what I can my Lord."
"Please, James. You know my name, you are free to use it." Jamie could only reply with a curt, "Yes ser."
The Redcliffe Champion sighed slightly and made his way over to a table by the fire. Stood upon it was a copper pot along with a thick chopping board with neatly piled and prepared herbs and what appeared to be salts of differing colours. Beside these were little bottles made of brown glass with labels on them written in a cursive black ink.
Ignoring these reagents the mage instead picked up a test tube holder, holding a single test tube. Jamie saw that the tube was both thick and tall, filled almost to the brim with a dark liquid that looked suspiciously like blood, where it was not filled the glass was opaque as if frosted.
His master must have seen his face and in doing so read his mind.
"No need to worry. This isn't blood magic. In fact it would be more accurate to describe this as a tool against Blood Mages."
"Yes ser." The Warden came back to the desk and looked down at Jamie looking as if he were considering that perhaps Jamie wasn't up to his task. Seeming to come to a conclusion he sat down and placed the mysterious solution between them.
"James as I am sure you are aware, when the collective armies are ready, we will be marching to Denerim. Hopefully we can end this Blight before it has truly begun." his master sounded sorrowful yet determined. Perhaps because of the inevitable losses that will occur Jamie thought.
"However, in light of recent information I have taken steps that, optimistically, will safeguard the immediate future of Ferelden." here the mage paused, trying to find the words to continue.
"You are a smart boy James, probably already having come to the correct conclusion that such impunity does not come without its own costs. What you see before you," here the Warden indicated the vial of red liquid, "is my attempt to remove any complications that may arise from such security.
Jamie leant forward in anticipation. He was a smart boy, he realised that the Champion of Redcliffe, a person whom people spoke of little else these days, was asking him to be part of Fereldens history.
"What would you have me do, my Lord?" The Warden smiled a true smile. As if Jamie's simple acceptance had been the final nail in the coffin of whatever destroyed future the Warden saw.
"Upon this vial I have placed my longest lasting enchantments. It is cold, and will remain so for three days. What I ask of you James is that you take this vial and secret it away in a safe place that only you know. A place as cold as the vial is now, you must tell no one where it is or indeed what it is." in this the mage was deadly serious, impressing on Jamie the importance of the task.
"After such a time that you have hidden it you will listen out for news of the outside world. So long as you hear I am alive you do nothing else. Is that clear?"
"Yes ser." all the anxiety from when he was waiting outside the study came rushing back at the implication that the Warden might die.
"However; should a time come when the Blight has ended, and I am no more then you are to take this letter and personally deliver it to King Alistair and him alone. He will mostly likely ask you take him to the vial. Take him to it."
"But my Lord..." here Jamie stopped fearing that he sounded impertinent.
"Yes James?"
"My Lord how would I gain an audience with the King? Not to mention proving that the letter really comes from you."
"Valid questions of course. Alistair is a good man, if you go to his court claiming to have a posthumous letter from me then he will mostly likely hear you what you have to say. On the other hand, Alistair's guards are not Alistair and as you so rightly point out he may not believe you at your word."
"Not that your word is any less honourable than mine of course." the mage quickly added with another disarming smile, Jamie could only weakly smile back.
"I had thought of this and I believe that I have proof for guard and King both. Simply show them this." the Warden reached behind his neck and unclipped his silver pendent. He then leant over the desk and placed it before Jamie.
Jamie picked up the pendent which was about the size of his palm and emboldened on the front was the symbol of the Grey Wardens, the White Griffon. Where its heart ought to be was instead, what appeared to Jamie, a red stone as smooth as glass.
Turning it over was to be greeted by elegant writing which read:
In War, Victory
In Peace, Vigilance
In Death, Sacrifice
Beneath that were the names of three people, two of whom Jamie had never heard of.
"My Lord, who are Ser Daveth and Ser Jory? Are they fellow Grey Wardens?"
"They were. They Joined with me in Ostagar and, died shortly after." his master developed a far away look, their ghosts clearly haunting his waking eyes. He shook himself out of his memories and looked at Jamie again.
"Each Warden is given an amulet such as this when they join. It is in remembrance of all the sacrifices already given. The griffon's heart holds part of the taint, we keep it close to our own hearts to remind us what we fight against. Presenting this should give some weight to your voice."
"I'll do as you ask my Lord." Jamie began to stand and reach for the letter but the Warden held up his hand.
"I am afraid that was the lesser of my requests. The second, thought more straight forward, is far more challenging." Jamie sat heavily back down with a small thrump.
"While my plan is simple and succinct it does not take into account that both myself and King Alistair may not survive this Blight. I think this outcome unlikely but it is still a possibility and that would leave no Grey Warden in Ferelden that I trust implicitly." the mage looked at Jamie square in the eye, silently asking him if he knew what would be tasked of him.
"You say that it'll leave you with no one you trust in Ferelden."
"Exactly. If the King and myself are no more then youmust take the letter and amulet both to Weisshaupt Fortress in Anderfels." Jamie's eyes almost comically widened at the implication that he may have to travel a few thousand miles. A round journey that would take him approximately a year.
The Warden couldn't help but laugh, "Darkspawn at your door does not faze you, yet a trek to the mountains turns your eyes to bulging sapphires."
"Forgive me but it's slightly more than a little trek!" a smile still lingered on the Wardens face at Jamie's incredulity.
"Yes it is, and for exactly that reason there is a final item that I shall give you." Jamie saw the mage reach into the draw that he had produced the wax stick from earlier and retrieve a bag made of sackcloth. He again reached over the table and put the bag into Jamie's awaiting hand.
Opening the bag the young servant was once again shocked, inside were a small fortune of gold and silver.
"There is thirty sovereigns in all. For some people that is two years hard toil. You are to use this money to travel, if needed, to Anderfels. However, should the Blight end and either myself or the King be alive then you have other instructions and the money will be yours to do with as you see fit." Jamie could feel that his time with the Warden was coming to a close.
"I said at the beginning that it is your choice whether you take up my request. Now that you know exactly what is required of you it is time to make that decision." the young servant lent back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair making it more ruffled than it already was.
There was no question really of whether he was going to accept. He knew deep down that he would simply because of who had asked him, but the sheer enormity of it made him doubt. In response to the Warden, Jamie pocketed the sackcloth and put the pendent around his neck, hiding it under his tunic.
The Warden stood up and so did Jamie. "Thank you James." He handed the letter and vial to the servant, "Take care."
Jamie took the offered items and made for the door. He stopped at the threshold, turned, and saw the Warden still standing.
"My Lord?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
"James, it was my pleasure to have known you."
Jamie walked through the door and closed it behind him. Only then did he realise that the Warden had said goodbye in the most final of ways.