A/N - I wanted a project that wasn't as dark as my other current ones, so I pushed Blackwall and Bethany together and things happened. I wanna thank Orangeflavor for always being there to chase Plot Bunnies with me. Go check out her stuff, she's awesome.
Chapter One: Warden Recruit
The air crushes in around her, and all she sees is the twinkling, laughing glimmer in Daveth's eyes.
"Come on, Sweetheart. It's time," he leans towards her on his knees. His fists rest on top of his knees, and the corners of his mouth begin to tug up into a small smile. Bethany's hands tremble and her chest heaves. Blood magic is wrong. She knows this is wrong. She knows they are wrong. Dark eyes shut tightly and squeeze thin rivers of tears from their lids.
He sees her hesitate and lunges forward to grab her wrist, jerking it to force her to look down at him.
"Remember what I told you," Daveth says. His brows lower and the muscles at the corners of his jaws clench down. She does not struggle to get free of his grasp, but Bethany shakes her head with a straining whimper. His grip tightens painfully.
"Remember it," he insists, pushing her hand back to her, "Remember what I said."
Bethany's breaths come in quick, rapid pants as she feels magic in the air around her, raising the small hairs on the backs of her arms as it seeps into her skin, feeding off of her power and growing stronger… and darker. The tip of the blade slides down the length of her palm to leave a tick, oozing trail of blood seeping out in its wake. She steps forward and covers the majority of his face with her hand, holding the blade flush against his scruffy, scarred neck.
He winks up at her.
She cuts his throat.
Her blankets are soaked with sweat as Bethany lurches up in her chambers. Her mouth is sticky and raw and tastes of blood. For long minutes, she sits and stares down at the outline of her legs beneath her covers. When her hands stop shaking, Bethany struggles to get out of bed. Bare feet touch the cold stone floors, and the dark haired woman makes her way to the window. She pushes it open and leans her head out into the early morning air, trying to draw herself back to the present. Bethany opens her eyes and peers down through the pass that leads up to Soldier's Peak. Shadows flit from one tree to the next, and beyond them, just above the tips of the sheer ridges their fortress is nestled into, she can see the tallest buildings of Denerim.
Movement catches her eye at the bottom of the paths winding up to the keep. Rays of sunlight glint off of armor, and a mane of black hair and a thick beard is all that she can make out of the traveler's features. Narrowing her eyes, Bethany turns from the window and strides to the small chest she keeps her armor and tabard inside of.
No warning bells sound out as she dresses. Minutes later, there is a gentle, albeit insistent, knocking at her door. Bethany cinches her belt tightly around her waist. Gripping the handle, she pulls the door open and greets a stern face before her.
"Senior Warden," He rumbles out.
She feels her stomach tighten at the title. Whatever part she played in the defeat of Corypheus, it didn't warrant the honor. None of them knew the truth.
"Yes?" Bethany says, pursing her lips together as she peers past her fellow warden and down the corridors that he came from.
"Warden-Commander summons you. Make your way to the courtyards." Just as quickly as he had appeared, the man leaves her once more, slinking off down the hallway to the darkest shadows, still untouched by dawn.
Bethany peers over her shoulder back to the window one last time.
The brisk walk down to the courtyards does not take long. She pushes against the broad wooden doors with the help of another Warden and sees herself out onto the upper platform where the Commander awaits her, hands clasping behind his back as his eyes fixate on a point far away beyond the gates, somewhere lost in the trees.
"Commander," she murmurs.
It feels wrong to break the silence. Tiny snowflakes fall from the skies, too pitiful to make it to the earth before melting away. The birds begin to awake, but there is little more than stray, hesitant peeps from the ever greens.
"I've a third recruit for you," Khanir says. A man of extremely few words, the new commander took over after the Hero of Ferelden disappeared with no warning. Khanir doesn't bother to turn his face towards her. Bethany steps closer and folds her hands in front of her waist, staring out past the tree line to try and spot what it was her Commander was seeing. In Lothering, she met Chasind before, but never one so quiet and stoic as the Commander.
"Have their Joining complete within a fortnight." He turns from her as the silhouette of the traveler creeps into view, plodding up the final precariously twisting paths to their gates. She hears his horse snorting and huffing. Bethany waits until the bearded rider enters the courtyard and dismounts before she descends the stairs, padded boots not making a sound against the steps.
"Welcome, Ser," her brows furrow as she peers at his face. Something in his features is familiar to her, but she cannot place its origins, "What business have you at Soldier's Peak?" Her chin tips up gently.
"Greetings, M'lady, I've come to join the Wardens."
The skin around her eyes tightens as he says this. He states it as though it is nothing out of the ordinary, as though she might have asked him whether he enjoyed fishing and which lakes he frequented. Her stomach tightens. For a moment, she cannot think of what to say.
She dips her head once in acknowledgement of a very short, polite bow.
"You are welcome among us then. My name is Bethany Hawke. I'm a Senior Warden, and before the fortnight is over, I will prepare you and the other recruits," She steps back once as his horse stomps a foot irritably. She has never been around the beasts for long. The bearded man reaches up to get a better grip on his horse's reigns, forcing it to steady for a few moments longer.
"Apologies, M'lady, he's aching for the stables," the recruit pulls the corners of his mouth farther out to the side and looks off directly above her shoulder somewhat sheepishly, clearing his throat and shifting his weight from foot to foot.
"And yourself no doubt for a hot meal," she tries to smile, but fears it may look as forced as it is, "The stables are over there," Bethany raises her hand to point at the far side of the courtyard where a second larch archway is looms, "When you're finished with him, I will be waiting for you just beyond those doors," she nods back towards the platform at the top of the stairs.
"As you wish. I will not keep you long." He dips his torso to her once more in a tiny bow, then looks to his first destination.
"S-ser?" Bethany stops him hesitantly. The feeling of familiarity will not dissipate, and she knows not why, "What is your name?"
He opens his mouth to reply at first and then catches himself. She sees something pass through his eyes before he glances down at her boots.
"Thom Rainier, M'lady."