A/N: As usual, I own nothing of the Dragon Age universe. I just like to play here. Thanks for reading!
-0-0-0-
Finally! Anders was incredibly excited. He checked his robes. They were still spotless, like they had been the last fifteen times he'd checked them. He looked in the mirror one last time (Really, this will be the last time!) to make sure that his hair was in place.
"Anders, you would think that you were going out to see a woman, not meeting your first Warden apprentice," Nathaniel groused as he waited in the doorway. Anders was finally satisfied with his appearance and turned to Nathaniel.
"I want to look professional," he explained. "This will be the first time I'm in charge of anything, let alone a new recruit, and I want to make sure that I leave a good first impression!"
Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "Anders." The really, would you mind not being a drama queen? voice was in place now. "You look fine. You look … well, like a mage. You'll be fine, if you ever get downstairs and meet the recruits."
"All right! All right! I'm coming already." Anders smoothed his hands over his robes and left his quarters. Nathaniel accompanied him to the keep's throne room and they talked on the way.
"This is Solona Amell's brother, yes?"
Nathaniel nodded. "Yes. His name is Arthur. According to the note that the First Enchanter sent, he's excellent at primal spellcasting and passed his Harrowing faster than anybody but you and his sister."
Anders grinned. "Excellent! I'll just have to work on darkspawn strategies with him and maybe teach him a couple of basic heals and he'll be ready for anything." He lengthened his stride in his excitement, wanting to be in the throne room as soon as possible. Nathaniel sighed and walked faster to keep up.
They entered the throne room to see Elissa standing there with a young man and a young woman in front of her. She smiled at both of them. "Ah, here they are. All the Wardens are here now. Gentlemen and Erlina, may I present to you our newest recruits. This is Selena, a former templar initiate who has come to us, and Arthur, a newly-harrowed mage from the Circle." Each of the recruits bowed in turn to the Wardens assembled and Elissa made her introductions.
Anders studied the mage, his first apprentice ever, as Elissa talked. The man was built like a warrior and stood almost as tall as Nathaniel. He made a mental note to ask Erna, their resident seamstress, to let out the poor man's robes across the shoulders once they got him something decent to wear. Circle Tower robes were cut more on the lean side and Arthur looked uncomfortable. Arthur had reddish-brown hair that he wore loose around his collar and he kept a moustache and goatee neatly trimmed. Even with the facial hair, the man was young, barely out of his twenties. For the first time, Anders felt … old?
Elissa turned to Anders. It was apparently his turn to be introduced. He smiled at her and held out his hand to Arthur first. "It's a pleasure to meet you!" he said cheerfully. "I am Anders, senior mage of the Grey Wardens of Ferelden. I look forward to working with you."
Arthur's eyes widened as he heard Anders introduce himself. He turned to fully face the other mage. "Anders, you say?" At Anders' nod, his expression turned neutral and his eyes looked calculating. "Were you in the circle tower? Escaped a bunch of times?"
Anders preened. "You've heard of me, I see." He grinned his most charming grin. "Seven escapes. The last one took when I was recruited into the Grey Wardens."
"That's what I thought," the other man mused and took a step forward. Anders' hand was still extended for a handshake, but what happened next defied all his expectations.
Arthur Amell, young promising mage recruit from the Circle in Ferelden, hauled back and punched Anders in the gut. It hurt. Anders doubled over in pain, trying desperately not to vomit the contents of his stomach all over the floor in front of all the other Wardens. Once he thought he got his gorge back under control, he looked up to see Arthur being restrained by Nathaniel and Elissa in case he tried to punch Anders again. "What was that for?" Anders croaked. He still hadn't gotten his breath fully back.
"My sister," the younger mage said as he glared at Anders. "You told her she was special, you dumbass, and then disappeared on her. It's a good thing she didn't believe you after seeing you with three other mages the week before." He looked at Elissa. "It's all right, Commander. I won't hit him any more." Elissa and Nathaniel looked at each other, then reluctantly let him go.
Anders ignored Oghren's snickering and quietly cast a spell to heal any internal damage the punch might have caused, then stood up. "Well, I probably deserved that." He ruefully shook his head at Arthur. "You, ser, have the honor of being the first person to ever punch me because of his sister. Congratulations!" He extended his hand out again and grinned at the younger man.
Arthur's eyes grew wide again, then crinkled as he laughed. He clasped Anders' hand heartily and shook it. "Good show, ser Anders, good show." He leaned forward and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Just so you know, I broke your old record." He leaned back and gave Anders a challenging grin.
Anders was confused. "I thought that Irving had said I still had the fastest Harrowing ever, and your sister had the second fastest."
"Oh, that's true. I meant the other record."
Anders gasped. "You mean …?"
Arthur nodded and his smile grew infinitesimally wider. Anders thought the young man looked rather wolfish. "Yes. I now hold the first place record for the most trysts in the First Enchanter's office."
"Maker's breath! What is with you mages? Are they all like that? I can't believe you've never been punched before for your exploits! No wonder they lock you all in a tower!" Nathaniel threw his hands wide in exasperation and stalked off, muttering about mages who couldn't keep their sex lives to themselves.
Anders laughed loudly and threw his arm over the younger man's shoulder. "Welcome to the Grey Wardens! You'll get along here just fine!" He led the younger man off and they started comparing their experiences in the Circle Tower.
Anders had his first apprentice ever, and the knew it was going to work out fantastically.
