The Myth of the First Warden
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age.
"Well that's settled, then," Aunn Aeducan said cheerfully. "I've finally sorted out all my Surface problems and get to head straight back to fix the mess my little brother and I made of my House…"
Loghain Mac Tir looked incredulously at her. "You can't just leave now."
"And why not?" Aunn asked defiantly. "Like I said, I've dealt with all my Surface issues and now I need to deal with my problems in Orzammar. And I have a lot of problems. While killing all those relatives who spent my whole return visit snubbing me felt really, really good and I don't regret it for a second, their deaths also really hurt our House so I need to hurry up and return. Ancestors know I probably should have gone back already but I was too busy recruiting volunteers to supplement the troops Anora's already sending to help drive back the darkspawn. Come to think of it, I'll probably need to convince Harrowmont to let them in…oh well, I guess that's just one more reason to head back."
"But what about Amaranthine?" Loghain inquired.
Aunn blinked. "What about Highever?"
Loghain frowned, not seeing the connection. "What about Highever?"
"Oh, so we're not just naming geographical locations in Ferelden?" Aunn asked innocently.
"Of course we're not!" Loghain exclaimed.
"My mistake," Aunn said easily. "It would be helpful if you specified what, exactly, about Amaranthine you think should prevent me from going home?"
"Not prevent," Loghain clarified. "Delay."
"Alright then, what about Amaranthine should delay my return to Orzammar?" Aunn obligingly rephrased her inquiry.
"Anora – and, I suppose, that boy – have decreed that Amaranthine was to be given to the Grey Wardens," Loghain reminded her.
"You know," Aunn said slowly, tapping her chin. "I do vaguely remember hearing something like that in between all my goodbyes and good news. Good for them. From what I can tell, the Wardens haven't had the easiest time since they've returned to Ferelden and this should really help them out."
"The Arling is going to need an Arlessa," Loghain hinted. "The Warden-Commander of the Grey Wardens is a natural fit, I should think."
Aunn gasped theatrically. "By the Stone, you're right! Has anybody told Anora this? I would ask if anyone's told Alistair but he refuses to have anything to do with the Wardens since he quit."
Loghain rolled his eyes. "I'm certain that my daughter is well aware of the need to grant the title to the Warden-Commander."
"I'm still not seeing what this has to do with me," Aunn confessed.
"You're the Warden-Commander," Loghain told her bluntly. "At least until more Wardens have been trained."
Aunn laughed. "Me? As if."
"There's no one else," Loghain insisted. "The boy resigned from the Wardens and is now King – Maker help us – besides. Riordan is dead and I am too likely to meddle. There are no more Ferelden Wardens. Therefore, the job falls to you. Unless, of course, you'd like to let the Orlesians handle it?"
Aunn shuddered, looking a little lost. "Oh, Ancestors, no! I can just imagine…all those accents…"
"Now you see why it has to be you," Loghain said gently, knowing the argument was about at a close.
"I know nothing of the sort," Aunn disagreed much to his surprise. "I appreciate the need to have Wardens you can talk to without making your ears bleed, but I've got to stop the other Houses from tearing Aeducan apart."
"Well what do you propose we do then?" Loghain challenged. "If you won't do it, I can't do it, and we agree that the Orlesians are not an option."
"I vote that you do it," Aunn declared.
Loghain stared at her. "Are you even listening? I just said that I can't do it-"
"Why not?" Aunn interrupted. "You obviously feel that this is important and, frankly, have nothing better to do."
"If I stay here I will meddle in politics," Loghain explained wearily. "I won't start off meaning to but I know myself well enough to realize that if I stay in Ferelden that will end up happening. I'm no longer a Teyrn and cannot afford to get involved. Think of the problems it will cause for Anora if she has to try and save me from my inability to stay out of the way."
"Not for nothing, Loghain, but didn't you just say that whoever is the Warden-Commander of Ferelden would logically also be the Arl of Amaranthine?" Aunn queried.
"I believe I used the term 'Arlessa', but yes, I did. Why?" Loghain asked.
"Seeing as how there are only three Wardens in Ferelden right now and Alistair's quit, I intend to step down from active duty, and the other one is you, that makes you the senior member of Order. Sure, you've been a Warden for all of two months but what a two month's it's been. I man, do you really think the Wardens in Orlais could match your darkspawn body count?" Aunn demanded. "And as Arl you'll be expected to meddle. Sure, you'll have less power than you did as a Teyrn but not much less and you'll adjust."
"I don't suppose they would unless they've been on any Deep Roads expeditions to Kal-Sharok and it is true that Arl's have a great deal of power," Loghain conceded. "But people will never accept me as Arl. I've done too much damage over the last year to have them all forget so quickly."
"Well, it's not like this is Anora and my idea so she can keep you in Ferelden and I can go home," Aunn claimed.
Loghain raised an eyebrow elegantly. "It isn't?"
"Of course not!" Aunn exclaimed, sounding vaguely indignant. "We have no choice in the matter. Anora just gave the Arling to the Wardens and the First Warden – who, as you should know, we all must listen to – is the one who decided that you're going to be Arl. Either Anora can take the Arling back from the Wardens or she has to allow you to follow orders."
"The First Warden?" Loghain repeated. "I've heard of him. He lives in Weisshaupt, right? I suppose people would have to accept that…But why would he choose me instead of you?"
Aunn looked confused for a moment before her expression cleared. "Right. I'm not going to make the same mistake Riordan did about assuming that Alistair and I knew everything we ought to about being Wardens so, and please remember that we're alone and no one else could possible overhear us, what exactly do you know about the First Warden?"
"I just told you," Loghain said, a little irritated. "You claim you've been listening yet you keep asking me to repeat myself…He lives in Weisshaupt and the Grey Wardens all follow his commands unquestioningly."
"I thought so," Aunn nodded. "The First Warden isn't real, Loghain."
Loghain blinked. "He isn't real? Are you sure?"
"Not even slightly," Aunn confirmed. "You've heard how the Wardens in the Anderfels are all mixed up in politics? They hide behind the cover of the First Warden whenever they do something controversial so their name isn't attached to it. Similarly, if Wardens who aren't from the Anderfels would like to do something but feel that they can't for whatever reason – maybe because of how it would look – they simply claim that the First Warden ordered them to do it and possibly fake a letter with the instructions on it."
"You're not serious," Loghain said flatly.
"Oh, but I am," Aunn assured him. "Anora told me all about it and since no one but Wardens are allowed in Weisshaupt and the Anderfels are thousands of miles away, non-Wardens don't find out about the hoax and the non-Anderfels Wardens invocation of the First Warden is never questioned."
"If no non-Wardens know about this then why would Anora?" Loghain asked skeptically.
"Oh, she found out from Cailan," Aunn explained.
"Cailan wasn't a Warden, either," Loghain pointed out. "Although Maker knew he wanted to be one…"
"I have no idea how Cailan knew," Aunn replied. "Although he seems to have known everything else. Did you know that the first thing Anora did when she saw me after the Blight was over was demand to know why I wasn't dead if I slayed the Archdemon? I've learned so much more about the Wardens from Anora. You should ask her about them sometime, since you're now one of them and at this point you can either hear it from her or from the Orlesians."
"I guess Cailan's fascination might have actually been good for something after all," Loghain mused. "So what do you propose? That you pretend the First Warden wants me to lead the Arling?"
Aunn nodded and held out a letter to him. "As it happens, the orders arrived this morning. The First Warden is fully cognizant of how groundbreaking it is that the Wardens have been granted a place in politics outside of the Anderfels and beseeches you to be mindful that your actions will have an effect on the future of the Grey Wardens."
"I see," Loghain said, taking the letter and scanning it. It read pretty much like Aunn had summarized. All in all, it could be worse. Although his long-standing Grey Warden paranoia was flaring up again at the thought of all these brazen Warden lies. Notably, they didn't seem to bother Aunn but then he'd heard tales of Orzammar politics and he knew that she had grown up at the heart of it. "Am I to be the only Warden there, then? It may take awhile to find quality recruits and not all of them will survive the Joining."
"Anora's already found one," Aunn told him. "A knight, I think. What was her name again? Oh right, Mhairi." She hesitated. "As for the rest…I believe the Orlesian Wardens also received orders from the First Warden and will be sending over a dozen Wardens to help you out. You'll be the Warden-Commander, though."
Loghain stood transfixed by horror. "Great," he finally managed to say.
Aunn noticed his dismay. "Not to worry, Loghain; they promised they'd only send the ones with the least noticeable accents."
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