A New Recruit
Chapter One
Location: Vigil's Keep, Amaranthine

A/N: The Dragon Age franchise is property of Bioware. Reviews and constructive criticism are very welcome.

If Nathaniel Howe had known exactly what lay in store for him at Vigil's Keep, he might have run screaming back to the Free Marches and gladly taken up the life of a goat farmer. He'd descended upon Vigil's Keep intent on extracting some sort of revenge or perhaps recovering family heirlooms. The Maker (in his infinite wisdom) however, had something else in mind entirely. Nathaniel had been captured fairly quickly (but not before taking down four Wardens he thought with grim satisfaction) and forced to cool his heels in a prison cell for three days.

Then the Warden Commander had shown up. Nathaniel had expected some larger than life, brawny godlike figure with lightning bolts shooting out of his eyes and hands. Instead here stood a petite female elf with exotically beautiful features studying him with solemn grey eyes. His temper exploded at the thought this interloperwho was obviously here to gloat over his misery. He'd shouted at her, accusing her of being the soulless monster that had murdered his father in cold blood and condemning the Howe family to live as pariahs. When his ranting finally subsided the Warden Commander had coolly inquired if he knew exactly what his father had done. Shaking his head, Nathaniel crossed his arms and leaned back against the cell wall, certain she would the call for his execution. His father, mother, siblings, and countless others were all dead; his childhood home now belonged to the damnable Grey Wardens. He had nothing left; his death would be a relief.

Then she spoke the three words that would change his life forever: "Let him go."

Nathaniel's eyes had bulged open in shock. "What?" he gasped.

"Are you absolutely certain, Commander?" Seneschal Varel stared at her in horrified surprise. He opened his mouth to protest further, but prudently shut it again when the Warden Commander merely raised an eyebrow at him.

Nathaniel wanted to grab the Commander by the shoulders and shake her silly until he got some answers. Why had she murdered his father yet saw fit to spare his own life? What game was she playing?

But then Varel and the Commander left and the cell guard barely let Nathaniel grab his belongings before escorting him to the Keep's front gate. "Off with you now," the guard bit out contemptuously. "Be grateful the Commander chose to be so merciful."

"Right," Nathaniel muttered.

The inky black of the night was marred by large, angry storm clouds. As the Keep receded in the distance, Nathaniel paused to consider his options. He should probably head towards the city of Amaranthine to try and find a room for the night. However, he had nothing but the clothes on his back, his bow and only a few silvers to his name. Perhaps a sympathetic farmer would let him take supper and spend the night in the barn if Nathaniel offered to chop wood or clean out the stables or something.

It started to rain heavily (another indication of the Maker's odd sense of humor?) and the need to find to find shelter quickly became Nathaniel's primary concern. Pulling the hood of his cloak over his head he headed swiftly to a cave he remembered was located not too far off the road.

Upon arriving at his destination he undressed, laid his clothes out to dry then slipped into his bedroll. There was no dry wood for a fire and he had no food on him. Hurriedly pulling the blanket over his shivering body, he found it strange that the only person in all of Ferelden who had showed him any kindness was his father's murderer. He'd threatened to kill the Commander of the Grey and she had let him go. There had to be some irony in that.

He supposed he could go back to the Free Marches (to become the aforementioned goat farmer). Or perhaps he could become a Grey Warden. Somehow the thought of fighting the darkspawn didn't seem so bad anymore. At least he would have a purpose.

Thinking back to the Commander, he had to admit he was intrigued by her as well. Did she always keep that rich, dark chocolate brown hair of hers styled in such a severe bun? She carried a mage staff at her back yet her armor consisted of thigh high doeskin boots, breeches that fit her like a second skin and a leather tunic layered over a deep blue linen shirt that flared at the cuffs. What mage wore leather armor?

Tomorrow he would go find her and ask to make him a Grey Warden. Perhaps it wouldn't be as simple as waltzing back to the Keep and adding a 'pretty please' to his request, but somehow he knew that she wouldn't refuse him. His last thought as he finally drifted asleep was of the alluring grey of her elven eyes.

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The insidious army of tiny dwarves now stomping gleefully around in Nathaniel Howe's brain had also tricked him into swallowing half the sand in Amaranthine. At least that's what it felt like. As he tried to remember what happened to him, Nathaniel made the fatal mistake of opening his eyes. Yelping rather loudly in surprise, he shut them tightly as ten thousand pinpricks of cruelly horrible light stabbed him repeatedly in the eyeballs.

"Welcome Brother," a somber, female voice greeted him. "How do you feel?"

Reality sharpened quickly into focus as Nathaniel opened his eyes again. Mercifully, it didn't hurt as much this time. He'd undertaken The Joining and survived to become a Grey Warden. He was also in what appeared to be his old room while the Warden Commander sat near him, a book in hand.

He grunted. Honestly, it was all he could come up with at the moment.

Setting aside the book, she stood and walked over to him. She placed her hand on his brow, as if to gauge how warm he was. He flinched as a flash of blue light flared from her fingertips. "Peace, Nathaniel," she said reassuringly. "I am merely trying to ease your pain."

His headache slowly receded by degrees and the tension from the muscles in his shoulders eased. Her hand brushed his forehead again as she finished the healing spell, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

"You are good at this," he muttered under his breath.

The Warden Commander smiled. "I'll take that as a sign you are feeling better. " She helped him sit up then handed him a glass filled with a murky green, brackish liquid.

"What is this?" He sniffed suspiciously at it.

"It's Oghren's morning after concoction. It is vile but it will help you feel better."

Nathaniel shook his head mulishly. "I don't like the way it smells," he said flatly. "Also, it isn't morning."

"Drink it." Her tone brooked no further argument.

Nathaniel glared at her balefully. Sighing, he gulped the contents of the glass quickly, preferring not to dwell on what that nasty tasting excuse for a restorative was made of. His eyes immediately began to water and his throat choked up. Setting the glass down he slumped sullenly back on his pillow, muttering under his breath.

"I suppose you could address me as 'fool woman'," the Warden Commander commented with a wry grin, "But I'd rather you call me Neria."

She then pointed to a covered tray laid out on a nearby table. "I brought you some food; no doubt you must be starving. You may go to the armory later and choose from whatever armor or weaponry we have available. When you are ready, report to the throne room. There are reports of darkspawn in the Keep basement and I could use your help down there." She picked up her book and turned to leave.

"Why did you let me go?" he asked suddenly.

"Pardon?"

"I wanted to kill you. Any sane person would've had me executed on the spot. Instead you set me free."

Neria raised an eyebrow. "Do you still want to kill me?"

Nathaniel glared at her, offended. "No, but that's not the point."

She crossed her arms and sighed. "I don't blame the son for the sins of his father, Nathaniel."

"Why not? Everybody else does."

She took a moment to ponder the question. "As an elf and a mage, I understand all too well what it is like to be looked upon with suspicion. I figure everyone deserves a second chance. Even you."

Nathaniel closed his eyes. He wondered if it would ever be possible to understand the tangled paradox that was the Warden Commander's logic. "You are a very strange woman," he murmured.

"I've been called worse. Rest well, Nathaniel." Gracing him with an easy smile Neria exited the room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

A/N: Wow, I was originally going to do a 3 part mini story deal, and it grew into another creature entirely. I guess it's gonna be more than a few chapters long. I hope you jump on and hang along for this crazy ride.