Healing Hearts
Three years after saving Amaranthine, a semi retired Varel looks for a way to ease the Warden Commander's pain when she disappears from the Vigil.
Angst/Fluff/Family Drama/Friendship & more
Varel sat on the porch of his home and watched the farmhands harvest the wheat. After three years it was still a marvel to him that he was alive and he owed that to Warden Commander Lorena. She and her group had saved Amaranthine, killed not one but two vile sentient darkspawn monsters bent on further destruction, and returned to what remained of the Vigil. While the fortress had survived the onslaught mostly intact, the walls and every building were reduced to rubble. The last thing he remembered was being picked up by an Ogre and then everything went black. He remembered waking up two weeks later, the Warden Commander smiling down at him.
"Welcome back." She had said.
He was not expected to survive from his injuries. He had two broken legs, all of his ribs were broken, and a broken hand. His skull had also been cracked and he had been unconscious for two weeks. Commander Lorena would not give up on him. When not overseeing the rebuilding of the keep, she would spend every waking moment with him. She was there for him from the beginning. She was the one who helped him take his first step. Commander Lorena was the one who listened to his frustrations. She sat stoically as he unleashed his fury at his slow recuperation and celebrated every milestone with him. While Captain Garavel had become seneschal during his recuperation, the Grey Wardens still employed him on a part time basis. He assisted Commander Lorena with the recruitment and the Joining, and he also consulted with Garavel on various matters concerning the arling. He was also Commander Lorena's official representative whenever a Landsmeet was called. For his duty, Jessica rewarded him with the Turnoble lands and the title of Lord. He had farmhands, a maid, a cook and the people now called him Lord Varel which still made him chuckle.
He spent three to four days a week at the Keep and when he was finished with his duties, would ride back to his estate where he enjoyed the quiet.
Today, he would be riding to the Vigil and looked forward to listening to the sounds of the keep and dining with the Commander.
It was hard for him to comprehend that she was barely twenty five years old. She had experienced and endured so much and never faltered. Lorena had sealed her place in history as the Savior of Ferelden, yet she hated the accolades and the hero worship. Despite her deeds, she was still a woman and a beautiful one at that.
Despite their age difference, they had developed quite a bond. He enjoyed talking with her and now and then, they enjoyed the occasional card game. Lorena trusted him with her innermost secrets. He knew of her past relationship with the king and how after all this time he was still bitter that she spared Loghain. The Wardens from Orlais told him, that it was a smart decision because the Grey Warden who slays the archdemon dies with it.
When he was recovering from his injuries, Anders had told him that it was Chancellor Eamon and Arl Teagan that rewarded them for their heroism. Alistair went away to a lodge to avoid the festivities. It angered him when he heard this. And as much as she denied it, he could see her pain.
What hurt Lorena the most however was her brother disowning her. Fergus heard she had conscripted Nathaniel Howe into the Grey Wardens and he stormed over to the Keep and told her in front of everyone that she was no longer his sister. Varel had witnessed Fergus's verbal assault and how she barely blinked. And when he left, Varel watched her as she silently headed back to her quarters.
He ordered everyone to leave her alone and had walked by her door, hearing her sobbing. A part of him wanted to comfort her but the dutiful side of him prevented him from doing so.
Two weeks ago, he had heard that crying again. Nathaniel had come back from patrol and told everyone how he encountered Teyrn Cousland fighting bandits. Nathaniel saved him and said the Fergus was grateful. Lorena hugged Nathaniel, thanking him for saving her brother's life and quietly excused herself to her quarters.
A Grey Warden is supposed to cut ties from their family but that belief was slowly changing. There were married Wardens and Oghren had a daughter he visited twice a month. Lorena confided in him once telling him that she wanted Highever to be a sanctuary for her and had dreamed of visiting her brother a couple of times a month to help him rebuild. That dream was shattered when she made the decision to conscript Nathaniel who proved he was not his father's son. Fergus had remarried and had a son that Lorena had never seen. She wasn't even allowed to visit the memorial for her family. Lorena could deny it all she wanted but he could see her pain.
Varel respected Lorena's sense of duty but he also felt she deserved joy in her life and as she helped him recover, vowed to be a friend to her. There were times however, he had felt a closeness that didn't seem proper because of the difference age difference and was concerned about the comments people would make. Lorena was young enough to be his daughter. He was forty seven years old and before retiring, considered himself a lifer.
Lorena had no one else. She was close to Anders, Nathaniel and Sigrun but never burdened them with her troubles. While Lorena did form a friendship with Nathaniel, she could not confide him the same way because he still felt responsible for his father's actions and for her brother disowning her even though she never blamed him.
Anders and Nathaniel were both very perceptive men and could see her pain and tried to get her to open up more but Lorena felt as Commander of the Grey it would not be right. Varel was honored she trusted him as much as she did.
"Thank you John." Varel said to the young man bringing his horse. "You are in charge until I return."
"Yes my lord."
Getting on his horse, Varel rode away looking forward to seeing Commander Lorena's smiling face greeting him.
…
Varel gave his horse to the stable master and walked toward the keep. Something was wrong. It seemed quieter than normal and the occasional person or soldier he encountered all had the same worried look on their faces.
Anders, Nathaniel, & Garavel were standing in the throne room when he came in.
"Greetings gentlemen. Is the Commander busy? She usually greets me when I arrive."
Varel watched them exchange nervous glanced.
"Hello Varel." Garavel said in anxious tone. "We actually…do not know where the Commander is. She sort of had a breakdown when receiving a letter summoning her to the palace. It seems some Wardens from the Anderfalls have made a stop there."
"Breakdown?" Varel dropped his pack. "Are you saying she ran off?"
"She just started crying after reading that letter from the palace and ran off." Anders shrugged.
"We found her horse gone." Nathaniel looked at Varel
"Perhaps she went riding to unburden herself."
"She took some camping gear from the storage room Varel." Anders said in a worried tone.
"We have another problem. There is also a Landsmeet."
"I could care less about this Landsmeet!" Varel declared. "Our main priority is finding the Commander!"
"We have scouts looking for her"
"I'm going to her study. Perhaps there is something inside that might give us insight as to where she went.
….
The aroma of fresh lavender and leather polish awakened Varel's senses as he entered Lorena's study. Browsing through the papers on the desk, he found her journal and picked it up. He should be struck down for considering reading it but his worry outweighed his conviction.
He opened it up to the last entry and after reading a few lines, set the book down.
Today would have been her nephew's fourteenth birthday.
Noticing a piece of vellium on the floor, he read it and found it was a note saying she had no desire to go to Denerim and needed some time alone.
"She needed time to get away." Varel said. "There was a note on the floor that must have blown off her desk.
"But what about the Wardens from the Anderfalls and the Landsmeet?" Garavel looked frantic.
"Do not worry Garavel. Nathaniel and I will head to Denerim. We will deal with Wardens. And I think its time I have a word with the king and Teyrn Cousland." Varel said bitterly.
….
"It's my fault." Nathaniel said in a somber tone. "Ever since I told her about my encounter with Fergus and those bandits, she has not been the same."
Varel slowed his horse down and looked at Nathaniel. "It is not your fault that she ran off Nate. We forget that the Commander is human. She keeps her burdens and troubles to herself."
"What are we going to say to those Wardens?"
"You are going to tell them the Commander is in the Deep Roads tracking a dangerous band of stragglers led by one of the sentient darkspawn."
"And what will you be doing?"
"I am going to have a nice chat with the king and Lorena's brother and then we will go back and help in the search for our Commander."
….
Varel stood with the King and Teyrn Cousland and watched as Nathaniel escorted the visiting Wardens to the compound.
"I had no idea the First Warden thought it was not the best strategic move that my sister saved Amaranthine. I considered it one of her better choices."
"I'm not surprised Fergus." Alistair said. "The Wardens do not always take the humane path to get the job done."
"Your sister?" Varel laughed. "I seem to recall you tell the commander she was no longer your sister."
"I beg your pardon!" Fergus glared.
"With all due respect your Lordship; you need to shut up! Your sister happens to be missing at the moment."
...
A/N: Happy Birthday to the reader who PM'ed me this request! :-) I agree. needs more Varel. :)
And don't worry readers, I have not forgotten my other stories.