Authors note: This is my first Dragon age fanfic. It will cover the whole story of Origins, including Dlc and dialouge will be mostly slight variations of game dialouge, plus there will be some au content too.

Bioware owns Dragon age (sadly) im just playing in the sandbox. Reviews welcome. :)

1:Ostagar

I forced myself to move, made my legs move in time to the erratic beat of my heart as I ran for my life.

My eyes stung, from both tears, and the lingering soot of smoke, and it took all my willpower not to look back.

Back towards the devastation.

To where my old life had ended in fire and death, and my new one had begun.

Highever, the place of my birth, and where my parents had ruled, until this Maker forsaken night. We had all been betrayed by someone who had claimed to be out firend and ally. Arl Rendon Howe.

And I would not rest until I had my revenge,

I spared the ruined burning carcass of my old home a final glance, then turned away. My parents were dead, as were all my friends, my life in tatters around me. There was nothing left for me here.

I wiped the grime and tears off my face, crying would do me no good now.

Whining beside me leg made my eyes refocus on my Mabari, Barkspawn, who was rubbing his head against my leather skirt. I smiled. He had been with me since my sixteenth year, almost five years, having chosen me from his brothers and sisters from a litter and old Mabari had had. And I was grateful right now that I had him.

Inseparable till the end.

The last Cousland and her faithfull Mabari.

"Elissa," Duncan, my saviour, and Grey Warden called to me. He was at the edge of a small woodland. "We must take cover here until morning, Howes men might still be looking for you." He smiled warmly at me. "We make for Ostagar at daybreak."

I sighed. Ostagar.

My brother Fergus was there, and I thanked the Maker that that was so. I hoped that Arl Howe hadn't sent anyone to capture of kill him already. I was already dreading telling him of his Wife and Son, who had be mercilessly cut down and left to die in a pool of their own blood.

Nothing would erase that image from my mind.

Later on Duncan, Barkspawn and I were camped deep in the woods, feasting off of wild rabbits I had caught using my bow, further impressing Duncan, who was already full of praise for my skills.

I had after all always been his first choice, when he had come to Highever to recruit. I just wish Ser Gilmore had gotten the chance to prove himself too.

I pushed the rest of my meal around my plate, my appetite gone. Placing the bowl at me feet, Barkspawn lapped it up appreciatively.

Duncan left me to my thoughts, which I appreciated immensely, but I soon found no reason to sit there, simply staring into the fire, and I soon wandered over to the bedroll I claimed for myself, Mabari at my feet.


We pushed on early the next day, anxious to reach Ostagar before the day was out.

I also decided to learn more about Duncan, the Grey Wardens, anything to take my mind off of my sadness really.

Or maybe I craved companionship.

"So, Duncan," I asked as I followed him across a small riverbank. "Where are you from?"

"I hailed from Highever before my joining," he held a hand out to me to help me up quite a nasty incline. "Now my home is wherever the Wardens need me."

"Must get lonely," I mused, huffing as I pulled myself up.

Duncan chuckled. "Sometimes. But there are plenty of us at our base at Weisshaup Fortress, our base in the Anderfels, it sometimes feels like a community. And we have regular meetings at our compound in Denerim." He turned to face me. "Trust me Elissa, you'll do fine."

I smiled, "Have there been many women in the Order?"

"Not many," he set a pace across the long expanse of field ahead of us, which I had no problem keeping u with. "But the ones I knew in the past were formidable."

"Knew?"

Duncan looked solemn. "Being a Grey Warden isn't easy Elissa. Only the stoutest of heart have what it really takes." He fell silent and I realised the conversation was officially over. I instead looked down at my feet, watching my leather boots scuff the ground.

One long period of silence ensued.

Just after midday, Duncan finally spoke again.

"There it is," I followed his gaze, my eyes falling on the ruins of Ostagar. The sun hit the stone, reflecting silver across my peripheral vision. Duncan tapped my shoulder. "Come, the king is waiting."

"Calian is here?" I hadn't seen the King of Fereldan since his coronation five years ago. We had become firm friends.

"You know him well?" Duncan guessed. I nodded. "Yes he's here. As is Loghain, his advisor."

Loghain Mac Tir. Although he was a great man, a hero during the war, I had never really liked him. Something about him had always seemed….. Wrong.

As the three of us entered the ruins a garrison of soldiers headed our way, lead by a man I brilliant golden armour.

Calian.

"Your Majesty," Duncan bowed. "I wasn't expecting a…."

"A royal welcome?" the king chuckled. "I was worried you would miss all the fun…" Calian spotted me then. "Elissa? My its been years. I hadn't expected you . Your brother was growing worried that your father had yet to arrive."

"He wont be coming my lord," I mumbled, overwhelmed with greif again.

"Arl Rendon Howe has proven himself a traitor, my lord," Duncan informed the shocked king. "He sent his men to Highever to slaughter everyone once the majority of its army had left. Teryn Bryce Cousland and his wife are dead."

"What!?" Calian looked sick and angry. "How could he think he could get away with this." He placed his hands upon my shoulders. "Elissa, as soon as my armies are done here, I will march them to Denerim to bring Howe to justice… I swear it." He smiled. "You want to see your brother no doubt, unfortunately he is currently scouting the wilds at my behest."

"But he could be in danger," I pleaded.

"Fergus can take care of himself." I sighed. I knew I was being irrational, but I wouldn't calm down until I had seen my brother with my own eyes and knew he was ok.

"I must go before Loghain sends out a search party," Calian told me. "And don't frown…. This battle will be over before you know it." He turned and made his way back to camp.

I scoffed. "Still as confident as ever."

"Overconfident," Duncan frowned. "He believes this is no true blight. However something makes me uneasy. We should proceed with the joining immediately. We don't have a minute to waste."

"What do I do?"

"Head into the camp and find a Grey Warden by the name of Alistair. There are two other recruits around somewhere, but finding Alistair is your priority. I will look after your Mabari. Once you have found Alistair, meet me across from the Mabari pens, near a bonfire, you can't miss it."

I nodded, scratched Barkspawn behind the ear, then entered the camp.


Thanks to a very friendly guard I found Alistair in record time, stopping only to have a chat with a lovely elderly mage called Wynne.

Alistair was in the middle of a heated argument with a hot-headed mage, who didn't like being harassed.

I watched Alistair from afar and there was no denying how handsome he was. His dirty blond was styled carefully, he had hazel eyes, a tanned complexion and an angular nose.

Strangely enough he reminded me of Calian.

And he was now staring right at me. Oops.

I averted my gaze hoping he wouldn't realise I had been staring.

"You know," he said, with a rich voice. "One good thing about the blight is how it bring people together." His eyes lit up with humour. I smiled my first genuine smile in days.

"You are a very strange man," I told him.

"Your not the first woman to have told me that," he moved closer and I noticed he was quite muscular. He frowned. "Wait, we haven't met have we? Your not another mage are you?"

"No."

"So you must be," his eyes widened in shock. "Duncan mentioned he was bringing a new recruit. I just didn't realise you were a woman, I apologise."

"Its OK," I reassured him.

"That's good," Alistair smiled and my heart, surprisingly, did back flips. "As the junior member of the Order, its my job to help you as you prepare for the joining."

"I look forward to working with you"

"You do huh," Alistair shrugged. "That's a switch."

We fell into step beside each other, and although I was trying my utmost to be professional, I found myself glancing at Alistair more times than I cared to admit.

I was glad when he struck up conversation.

"So, have you ever fought Darkspawn….. Umm," Alistair frowned. "I'm sorry, I never caught your name."

"Elissa," I smiled. "Elissa Cousland." Alistair visibly relaxed, glad to have a name to put with the face.

"Right," if he recognised surname, and why wouldn't he, my family is, was, the second most influential nobles of Fereldan, after the king, he chose not to say anything.

"But in answer to your question," I continued. "No, I've never fought Darkspawn before."

Alistair shuddered, "When I fought my first one, I wasn't prepared for how nightmarish it was." He smiled sympathetically.

I quickly changed the subject, "So who are the other recruits? Have you met them?"

"Not in person, no," Alistair led me around the camp, past the quatermaster, up a small slope and into another area of the camp. "The camp is rather big. But Duncan told me a bit about them in the letters that he wrote. We stopped by a row of hospital bed, where several soldiers lay, all in various stages of Taint poisioning. "Daveth was recruited in Denerim, he had tried to steal Duncans coin purse, and would have been arrested if he had been conscripted. Ser Jory is a knight of Redcliff, but he has a wife in Highever, who is heavily with child."

I collapsed at that moment. Alistair jumped in surprise as my tiny frame hit the hard floor. I didn't care if people stared at me, or that I had kind of hurt myself, this was all too much.

"Elissa?" Alistair knelt by me. "What is it?" He was taken back when I started sobbing, but he didn't leave in disgust at least.

Staring into his eyes I calmed slightly. They were warm, gentle and full of concern. I hadn't meant to open up about the still raw betrayal I had endured, thinking I could face the demons alone, but I found myself blurting everything out to a man I hardly knew.

Alistair remained by my side the entire time, not interrupting me once, his mouth forming a small 'O' of shock.

"I've lost everything," I sobbed, bringing my tale to a close. "Fergus is the only thing I have left and he's not here. He's out in the wilds scouting. I only hope he is OK"

"I'm sure he's fine," Alistair soothed, his hand upon my shoulder.

"And now I know Jory is from Highever, and that his wife and unborn child may not have survived its destruction. Just how am I supposed to tell him that?"

"Everything will be OK Elissa, trust me," Alistair stood and smiled down at me, his hand outstretched to me.

And despite the anguish I felt, the hatred I had for Arl Howe, I believed him.

I took his hand and he helped me up, while I tried to deny to myself that I liked the feel of my hand in his. Once I was standing I brushed the last few tears away, furious with myself that I had lost it so easily.

"I'm sorry Alistair," I mumbled. "You shouldn't have to deal with me crying all over you, you have enough to worry about I'm sure."

"Its OK, really. You would be surprised how many women cry on me, or over me," he shot me a cheeky grin, then laughed.

I couldn't help laughing too.

Shortly after I had calmed down I spotted a man in a cage. Curious I wandered over.

After hearing his story I felt sorry for him. Sure he had been planning to desert his fellow soldiers, taking the contents of a chest one of the Tranquil mages had, with him. But to be denied a last meal before he was executed was just….. Wrong.

So I used my charm on the guard that was watching him, to secure the last scraps of his dinner.

"Oh thank you," the prisoner cried. "Here take the key to the mages chest, I'm sure you will get more use out of it than I will," he dropped it into my palm. "Just don't ask where I hid it to keep it secret, trust me you really don't want to know."

"Ewww," I gasped, almost dropping the key in disgust. Fortunatly Alistair took it from me gingerly wrapping it in a handkerchief.

"You know what," he told me as we left the prisoner to wolf down his last meal. "You are to kind for your own good sometimes."

Childishly I stuck my tongue out at him.

We made our way back to the Mabari pens, and I could make out the figure of Duncan, accompanied by two other men, the other recruits I guessed. Barkspawn sat at Duncan's feet.

As we headed towards them, a familiar man, clad in heavy iron armour, came towards me.

Teryn Loghain.

He eyed me curiously, trying to remember where he had seen me before.

"You are Bryce Couslands youngest, are you not," he grumbled, not smiling or showing any indication that he was pleased to see me. He was exactly how I remembered him five years ago at Calian and his daughter Anora's wedding.

"Yes my lord," I replied, bowing slightly. "I am Elissa."

"Of course," Loghain said. "Anora speaks of you kindly. She wonders when you will visit next."

"Not any time soon my lord, to my great regret," my mother would be proud of me at this moment, acting like a high born lady, despite looking like I had been dragged through a hedge backwards, and hadn't bathed in a few days.

"Yes," Loghain's lips pulled up into a sneer. "Calian told me of what Howe did to your family. My deepest apologies."

"Thank you my lord," I was polite and respectful, despite Loghain's clearly false apology.

"Now if you will excuse me," Loghain huffed. "I have important preparations to oversee." He strode past us with determined steps.

Alistair was staring at me funny. It made me blush a deep crimson, my face warming under his gaze.

"What?" I asked. I worried I may have something in my hair or on my face, besides the dirt and a small cut on my cheek, but after what I had been through it was understandable. My hair was still in the traditional spiral plaits at the base of my head behind my ears, only a few strands fell across my face.

"You just impress me that's all," he told me. "Your diplomatic and very reserved. I can see why Duncan recruited you."

"You haven't seen me fight yet," I warned him.

"Trust me," Alistair smiled. "Duncan sees your potential and that's good enough for me." My cheeks warmed again as we set off towards Duncan, who smiled when we approached.

Barkspawn yapped happily at my return and immediately ran to my side.

"Hey boy," I scratched his favourite spot, just behind his ear. "Did you miss me? Have you been good for Duncan?" Alistair approached behind me. Barkspawn growled once in warning, but a quick glare from me, made the hound sniff, then lick Alistairs hand.

"He yours?" Alistair asked, bending down to scratch the Mabari on his rump.

"Yes," I gestured. "Barkspawn," the dogs tongue lolled out of his mouth, "This is Alistair. Alistair, Barkspawn, the craziest and soppy Mabari in all of Fereldan."

Duncan called us all to attention then.

"You four will be heading into the wilds to complete two tasks," Duncan explained. "First, you will need to gather three vials of Darkspawn blood, one for each new recruit."

"Blood?" I asked, my own running cold.

"It's needed for the ritual," Duncan said, like collecting blood from corpses was a regular occurrence for him. "The other task is this; Deep in the wilds there is an old Grey Warden watchtower. Abandoned but recently discovered it houses some Treaties inside. Retrieve these also, then return here. Alistair will accompany you."

"Three vials of blood and some old Treaties," I said checking them off on my fingers. Duncan nodded. "Got it."

"Watch over your charges Alistair and return safely.

"We will," Alistair gestured for us to follow him and we fell into line as he lead us towards the gate, where we were permitted access to the wilds.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review and favourite. Much love S x