I Quit the Blight

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age.

Ahria Tabris nervously tugged on her bright red hair. She really did not want to have this conversation but she knew that if she put it off for too long then she might be tempted to never reveal the truth and she couldn't hide it forever. The two hadn't thought anything of it when she had requested just their presence on a 'scouting trip' and that was the only way she could think of to ensure any degree of privacy. "Alistair, Zevran, we need to talk."

Predictably, Alistair started looking incredibly uncomfortable. "Uh-oh. That's never a good sign. But wait…you dumped me. Why do I have to be here for this?" he demanded, looking over her shoulder as if there were an escape route somewhere behind her.

Ahria sighed. This had nothing to do with anything and she really should just let it go but it annoyed her a little and she was all for further delaying this conversation anyway. "We've been over this before, Alistair: we were never involved."

Alistair immediately started giving her the puppy dog look (and her mabari Nelaros really didn't have anything on him though her fellow Warden often swore he didn't realize that he did that) and Ahria had to look away so that she could remain strong because she knew that she was right. "I get that you chose Zevran but please do me the courtesy of not pretending that our past didn't happen."

"But we don't have a past," Ahria reminded him. "I just asked if your Templar vows meant that you were a virgin and accepted a rose that you gave to me under false pretenses!"

Alistair crossed his arms and frowned at her accusation. "It was not under false pretenses."

Ahria raised an eyebrow skeptically. "No? Then tell me how does 'I wanted to give you this to remind you that there is still beauty in the world since your life keeps falling apart and things are pretty horrible right now' translate into 'If you take this that means we're in love'?"

"Try and keep in mind, Ahria, that he's a virgin. He's hardly an expert at wooing," Zevran spoke up, giving Alistair a significant look that made him flush although Ahria had no idea what that was about.

"I guess…" Ahria agreed reluctantly. It was one thing to make allowances but quite another thing to be expected to feed someone's delusions that you dated them.

"But I will agree with Alistair that nothing good ever comes from a conversation that begins with the words 'we need to talk'," Zevran prompted her.

"Well…" Ahria hesitated. She had known for about a week now and she still had no idea how to broach the subject but there could be no more stalling as both men were looking expectantly at her. "It's not good, exactly, but it might be so later. For now, though, this is practically a disaster."

"Well? Do not just leave us in suspense, my dear Warden," Zevran said playfully, deliberately dispelling some of the tension.

Now or never. "I'm quitting," Ahria blurted out.

"You're quitting? Quitting what, exactly?" Alistair asked, confused.

"The Grey Wardens," Ahria clarified, hoping he wasn't about to make this difficult.

No such luck. "You're joking, right? Please tell me you're joking," Alistair said uncomprehendingly.

She couldn't say that as much as she might want to. "I'm sorry, Alistair."

"You can't just quit the Grey Wardens!" Alistair cried out, sounding somewhat desperate.

"Watch me," Ahria said simply.

"But…but what about the Blight?" Alistair asked, getting increasingly frantic.

"Ferelden still has you, Alistair, and we've just finished getting all the treaties. You'll be fine," Ahria said gently. She forced a smile. "I have faith in you."

"May I ask why you're so eager to leave the Wardens, Ahria?" Zevran asked curiously. As her leaving wouldn't mean that all the pressure of stopping the Blight would fall to him he was taking this a lot better than Alistair was. Well, at least until he found out her reasons for doing so.

"Well, it's not like I'm eager to do this but it must be done," she prevaricated.

"Why?" Zevran pressed.

"I…" Ahria trailed off. This was so very stupid and embarrassing and the worst possible timing and… "Oh, Maker. I can't say it."

"I can't accept your resignation until I have a reason and it needs to be a good one," Alistair said firmly. Were there Grey Warden policies against leaving the Order during a crucial time like this? Jory hadn't survive attempting to forego the Joining but Alistair wasn't Duncan, she had a better reason than simple fear, and he had been a clear security risk from the start. "We need you, Ahria."

Damn, he knew her and her weaknesses too well, it seemed. But it wasn't like she could just change her mind about this. It was the only choice she could really make and be at all responsible. "I'm pregnant," she said quietly, hoping they wouldn't ask her to repeat it.

Again, her luck failed her. "…What? My hearing must be going. I could have sworn that you just said that you were pregnant," Zevran said, his eyebrows shooting up higher than she had known was possible. At least this time it wasn't Alistair again or she'd probably hit him.

"That would be because I did and I am," Ahria said defiantly.

"Really?" Alistair furrowed his brow. "But…how?"

Ahria rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Alistair. You're a grown man. If you really don't know by now then ask Wynne. She was trying to tell you where babies came from earlier, wasn't she?"

The ex-Templar quickly reddened. "I know where babies come from!" he insisted.

"So you've said but I'm not convinced," Ahria said flatly.

"And neither am I," Zevran agreed. "I think you had best lay our doubts to rest right here by telling us everything we know and we can helpfully correct whatever misinformation you may have heard."

"I am not going to have this conversation with you!" Alistair exclaimed, looking faintly horrified. "And I meant that I didn't know it was even possible with the taint and whatnot."

"Well apparently is it," Ahria said lamely. What else was she supposed to say? 'No, Alistair, it's not possible but it happened anyway'?

"Am I wrong in assuming that I am the father?" Zevran asked slowly, sounding almost hesitant.

"Of course you're the father!" Ahria said indignantly. "How can you even doubt that?"

"Well, we haven't exactly agreed to be exclusive," Zevran pointed out delicately.

Ah, right. Zevran's commitment issues. It wasn't like she didn't understand intellectually but basically being told that he didn't care who else she slept with as long as it didn't hurt the other person's feelings was not one the high points of their relationship. "But I have been. You're the only person I've been with since I became a Grey Warden and I'm not far enough along for it to be from before."

"So you're pregnant," Alistair repeated, shaking his head. "Well, we're not going to judge you or anything."

"I should hope not but it wouldn't matter if you – or rather, Wynne – did because there is nothing wrong with having a child with the man that I love," Ahria told him bluntly, her eyes flashing.

Zevran choked. "Wait…love?"

"Yes, love. Is that a problem?" Ahria challenged. She knew that she probably shouldn't have even brought it up but since she had she really didn't need the father of her child getting flaky on her right now.

"I…I'm going to need some time to process this," Zevran told her.

"Well if nothing else I won't have time to deal with that until I'm done getting you guys to deal with the reality of my pregnancy," Ahria informed him.

Zevran nodded his understanding. "I shall endeavor to think quickly then."

"Ahria, I'm not really sure how to ask this but…is that safe?" Alistair asked hesitantly.

"Safe?" Ahria echoed. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean…I have never heard of a Grey Warden having a child after they joined the order," Alistair explained. "At first I thought that it was impossible but if you're pregnant than clearly it can happen. Still, with the taint and everything…what if the baby is tainted? You could be giving birth to a darkspawn or something!"

"I'm a Grey Warden, not a broodmother!" Ahria protested, going over to smack him over the head.

"I know but we don't really know anything about this," Alistair backpedaled slightly, rubbing his head. "Even if you don't give birth to a darkspawn the taint can't be good for the child."

"Pardon but what is this 'taint' that you speak of and would it really be that harmful to my child?" Zevran asked solemnly.

"I…it's a Grey Warden secret, really, but we won't be able to tell if there's a problem until it's born," Alistair said hastily. "It will probably be fine."

"I see," Zevran said, sounding unconvinced. He shot Ahria a look that implied he'd be grilling her on the matter later but that was fine by her. This probably was relevant information for him to know.

"You can still come with us, you know," Alistair told her in an effort to change the subject. "The Grey Wardens don't come with a morality requirement or make you take any vows of chastity."

"Yeah, but I'm pregnant," Ahria reminded him.

"You keep saying that but I'm not seeing why that matters," Alistair confessed.

Maker, had he never been around a pregnant woman before? Actually, that was entirely possible…and even if he had been since at Redcliffe when Connor was born Isolde was no fighter and so he might not see the problem. "I can't fight, Alistair. Frankly with all the times I've been stabbed, attacked with magic, fallen from great heights, or gotten darkspawn blood on me it is a miracle that I even managed to get pregnant in the first place and that's not even taking into account the taint-reduced fertility. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'll be able to successfully carry this child to term as it is and there's no way that that will happen if I keep fighting. Not to mention that as my pregnancy progresses I will physically become incapable of fighting."

"Oh. Well, it's not that I'm not happy for you both because I am but…is during a Blight really the best time for you to have a child? Especially if you're one of the only two Grey Wardens in Ferelden?" Alistair demanded.

"Well it wasn't like it was on purpose!" Ahria told him, a little irritated. "But you told me that it wasn't even possible for a Grey Warden to have a child and I sort of figured that you would know."

"I said that I thought it wouldn't be possible," Alistair defended himself. "Clearly I was wrong."

"And now we both will have to suffer the consequences and Ferelden may very well fall because of it," Ahria said gravely.

The three stood in a solemn silence for a moment before Zevran broke it.

"Ahria, I'm not sure if this is the best time but there's this piece of loot I've been meaning to give you. It's meant a lot to me but feel free to sell it if you don't like it…"

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