Author Note\Heads up: This is my first fan-fiction I posted. It will follow the in-game events mostly but will focus on things thing I like to think happened between certain events and conversations. It is based off my last play through as, of course, a mage, but you can expect to see things that were not included in the game especially between my character, Alexandra, and Alistair.
Alistair was talking to her. His lips were moving, but it was if someone hit mute somewhere because Alexandra couldn't hear a word he said. She was just looking at him, staring really. She couldn't help but notice that he was incredible handsome and he was the Grey Wardens that was suppose to help her complete the Joining ritual. That's why Duncan sent her to find him. Maybe she was wrong about her earlier impression of being a Grey Warden. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.
That was until the sound suddenly came back with a rush as she heard him say he was once a Templar. Alexandra was born a mage and had known no other life then being inside of the Circle Tower. So, she knew all about templars and their so called duties. Suddenly, various images of people flooded her mind's eyes. Every templar she ever came across during her stay at Circle Tower from Knight-Commander Greagoir to Cullen. But, surely he couldn't be like them, could he? And before she could even stop herself, the question tumbled out of her lips: "You were a mage-hunter?"
Alistair looked at her blankly, confused to why there was such a shocked look on her face. He answered nonchalantly, going on about something along lines of that was not all the templar's do. He obviously had forgotten that she was mage, probably due to fact that her staff was currently replaced by a dagger and a wooden shield strapped to her back that had gotten along the way trying to help Lily and--Him. She refused to even speak his name anymore after what he did to her, to them. It just made her angry thinking about it.
She heard a heavy boot being tapped impatiently against the stone floor. She realized she had stayed far quieter then she had intended as Alistair was giving her a puzzled, yet amused look that let her know she had probably missed something important. "What did you say? I apologize. I was not listening." She said slightly embarrassed. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink, which she hoped he had not caught. Unfortunately for her, he had which caused the smile on his face to grow.
"Oh, nothing, just trying to find a bright side in all this." He responded, before adding silently to himself, 'And I think I just found her...I mean it. Yeah, that's right, I mean it.' He had not fooled anyone, including himself, if he said that he was not pleasantly surprised that she was one to be joining the ranks of the Grey Wardens. Duncan had not done her any justice when he described her. The newest Grey Warden recruit was nothing like he expected when Duncan wrote that she was a mage. He was expecting she would be this uptight, preachy, magic wielder who thought they were better then everyone like the one he just been in an argument with a few minutes earlier.
Alexandra Amell was not that way at all. She seemed to be more leveled and calm with understated inner strength about her. Her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail with two long strands let loose on either side of face. Her green eyes locked onto his brown ones showing she was listening intently to everything that was being said, at least when she was not lost in thought. And a body that even the boring mage robes would not hide and not make any male not want to...The rest of that thought caused his cheeks to flush. The sudden image of the Revered Mother scolding him about being a gentleman returned him to his senses. 'Ah, yes, being struck by lightning and then the end of the world.' He thought jokingly, regaining his composure.
"Alistair?" Alexandra's questioning tone made him notice she had said something he did not catch. As soon as his gaze fell back on her, she repeated her statement, a little slower this time showing a bit of annoyance. "I-look forward-to traveling-with you." "You do? Huh, that's a switch." He commented more to himself then to her, not even catching her change in attitude. He followed by quickly adding, "If you have any question, let me know. Otherwise, lead on!"
And she did, much to her credit without even questioning why he allowed her to lead. For that, he was forever grateful and ever more impressed.
After a short introduction to other recruits of Ser Jory and Daveth, Duncan explained that their quest was to collect three vials of darkspawn blood for the Joining ritual and then find the Grey Warden's cache to retrieve the old treaties from the former allies of the Wardens. As soon as he had finished, Ser Jory, Daveth, and Alistair all turned to Alexandra waiting expectantly as if for some sort of order to be uttered from her lips for them to follow willingly. Alexandra just stared back, not exactly sure what to say or do.
'Is this some secret part of joining the Grey Wardens that the newest recruit is suppose to lead them on their first quest? Or is this because their just scared to order me around because I'm a woman...Or maybe it's because I'm a mage...Yeah, let's go with that.' She thought, smiling. She then realized that the smile would seem to come from nowhere and would appear odd to the men in front of her. So, it instantly disappeared and her serious demeanor returned.
"You heard Duncan. We need to find that darkspawn blood. I saw the exit to the Wilds is down this way. Let us go." She stated and much to her relief, everyone nodded ready to follow her. Duncan watched as she led them away, with a small smile that nobody caught. He was glad that he had chosen to conscript her to the Wardens. She was intelligent, fearless, determined, and yet had a good heart, and all that he got within the short time he talk to her at the Tower. She would make an excellent Grey Warden and maybe one day, rise to be their very leader.
Even Duncan knew, while Alistair may have been longer in the ranks, he would not willingly take over if anything should happen to him. Nor would he feel right in forcing Alistair to do so even if he was strongly devoted to his duties as a Grey Warden. Alexandra would serve as a good replacement for him. Duncan knew from the moment he had met her. He also knew his time was going to be over very soon. Maybe he would rest a little easier now knowing that such a capable young woman was in charge of saving Ferelden from the Blight. That was if she survive the Joining of course, but he had a feeling if anyone could, she would.
Alexandra felt anything but capable as she was staring into face of the creature known as darkspawn. Alistair had warned her about how monstrous they would appear, but she had no idea until they were charging toward her. 'Use your magic and fight!' A voice said into her head reminding her for her purpose out there. She pulled out her staff and froze one of them. That's when Alistair and the others entered the picture, for a second she forgot they were out there with her.
From then on it got easier for her, she would freeze or paralyze the little gemlocks or the big hurlocks, as Alistair later explained to her the differences, and then he or one of the others would attack close up. She would then fire way with her staff or an occasional arcane spell. All three men seem to realize that being mage, one of their tactics should be to intercept any and all enemies that broke free from them and towards Alexandra, for that she was grateful.
Not that far into the forest, the group came upon a wounded solider. Alexandra looked at him with concerned crouching down. She could have healed him with magic, but they not in the best place to wait for the magic to work. She didn't know why, but she found herself looking towards Alistair, who as soon as he saw the look on her face spoke up about having bandages. She watched in relieved as he went to work at patching the man up before the man got up, thank them, and limped away. Alexandra didn't see it, but Alistair was watching her with a small smile on his face.
The whole exchange between the mage and the templar caused Ser Jory and Daveth to exchange looks of their own to which Daveth just shrugged. Something was going on between the junior member and new recruit of the Grey Wardens even they realized it, but it was not their place to say anything about it. It was easier for Ser Jory because the news the wounded man brought scared him more then anything making him voice his opposition to being there thinking about his wife and their still unborn child back in Highever.
"I have magic. We'll be fine." Alexandra spoke first trying to soothe his fragile nerves. Daveth's snide comment after Alistair spoke, however, succeed in dismantling her hard work. She sighed, letting it go for now knowing that it was not going to be last conversation they had about the danger they were in. She led on anyway fighting through the darkspawn and collecting the vials, which all ended in her possession. Alistair made a reply underneath his breath when Daveth handed the last of the vials that Alexandra swore sounded as if he said, "She'll keep the vials safe and then I'll-We'll make sure to keep her safe." But he said it so low that she thought she had imagined it and anytime she even attempt to bring the subject up, he deflect her questions with humor. So much so that she just gave up, much to Alistair's relief.
Along the way, she found a Chasind Robe and as far as she could tell, seemed to offer her a little more defense from damage, even if not the elements considering the way it was made. So, she told the guys to stop for a second and disappeared into nearby wooded area before anyone could stop her. She first made sure to check it was clear of anybody, human or darkspawn, the last thing she need now was to be surprised by either one. And once satisfied that no one could see her, she began to change into it.
Alistair couldn't believe that Alexandra had decided to change right now in middle of forest crawling with darkspawn. He knew that it might have offered her better protection from damage and she couldn't do it in front of them, surely not...correct? He could feel the heat rise to his face again at even the possibility. He stuffed the feeling down, deciding to look to the other two to distract him. Sir Jory was starring off into the distance, lost in thought, probably about his wife. Daveth was creeping ever so closer to the spot Alexandra had disappeared when he caught Alistair's angry glare. He instantly retreated back to where he had been standing before, no longer just afraid of the darkspawn in forest.
"I'm ready now. So let us move on." Alexandra said as she emerged not too long afterwards, tucking her old robes into the backpack. All eyes turned to her and she heard them all take a sharp intake of air. So, the robes fit her a little too tightly? She didn't think anything of it until Alistair broke the silence. "Oh Maker!" He muttered unconsciously, turning away quickly trying to hide his face that was redder then before. 'Darkspawn, we're here to fight the darkspawn. Not become a drooling lecher over a soon-to-be fellow Grey Warden, none the less, but that robe was making it difficult, so difficult...' He thought feeling even his ears becoming hot.
Ser Jory didn't seem to be dealing with it any better then Alistair as he quickly turned away as well. "Wife with child, wife with child, wife heavy with child." Ser Jory repeated over and over again to himself like a chant. Daveth seemed to be the only one who approved of her robe change by not shying away from looking at her and somehow, that didn't make her feel any better about changing. It was too late to do anything now. She would just have to stay that way until they returned to camp.
"The cache must be in the area up ahead. I hope the treaties are there." She said in a hurry suddenly to move on whether or not they were following behind. Luckily, they seemed to get the hint and returned to the task at hand. As she came upon the open area where a broken chest was, she felt as if they were being watched, but no one seemed to be around although she thought she felt a strong magical presence in the area. She just thought it was just her overly sensitive mage sense at work, until she caught Alistair's eye. He seemed to be feeling the same thing by the way he was suddenly very alert.
Still, someone had to get the scrolls from the chest. So without a word, she stepped forward and examined it. It was empty. Now what were they going to do? Before she could share this finding with those with her, a woman appeared from out of nowhere and began walking down ramp that Alexandra could have swore was empty a few second earlier. As she spoke questing whether they were scavengers or intruders, Alexandra could not help but think that she was wrong when she thought the Chasind Robe was revealing because the woman's robe, if anybody could actually call that singular piece of fabric a robe, was far less clothed then the Chasind one. It almost made it look modest...Almost.
Daveth called her a "witch of wilds," the ones that the guard had told Alexandra about but that could not possible be true, could it? No, that would be too coincidental. Alexandra made a conscious decision to remain cordial to the witch, especially after learning that she knew where the scrolls are. It allowed her learn that the witch's name was Morrigan and she had been following them for quite sometime. It was a scary thought. Alistair, however, was not helping her get on Morrigan's good side especially by calling her a "sneaky witch-thief," to which Alexandra did have to hold her tongue to keep from laughing. She managed to keep herself together and talked her way into be led to Morrigan's mother, but not without sound advice from Alistair. "I'd be careful. First it's, 'I like you...' but then 'Zap!' Frog time." He warned even before Morrigan was out of earshot, not that Alexandra need anymore reminding that apostates could be dangerous.
After receiving the treaties from Morrigan's mother, Alexandra and company returned to Ostagar to inform Duncan they did as they were asked. As soon as she entered, she felt the stares of most of the men on her as they past by. All the attention was starting to get to her and she picked up the pace leaving Alistair, Daveth, Ser Jory to almost have to run to keep in step with her in their heavier armor. On the way, Alistair could feel an intense feeling of anger stirring within him that he never felt before watching the way the other men in the camp looked at Alexandra. He did not understand why he felt that way, but he knew did not like the attention she was getting at all.
His sudden mood shift was brought to Duncan's attention as he stood right next to him. Alistair seemed to be on edge, which was not like him in all the time Duncan had come to know him. Though talking to him would have to wait until later as Alexandra handed over the scrolls and vials. Setting up for Joining would come first and then they could all talk since there was much he needed to tell them all, including Alexandra. Duncan then dismissed everyone, telling them to get a good night's sleep. Early tomorrow morning they were going to undergo the Joining.
Daveth and Ser Jory left immediately heading towards the Grey Wardens' camp. Alexandra stood right where she was. She looked at Duncan and Alistair, studying them. She still was not at ease with not being given any more information on the ritual, even after returning from their quest. So she had to ask, "Why is it that I have a feeling that there something important you are not telling us? Can this ritual kill us or something of the sort?" "Alexandra, the Joining ritual has been done for centuries and has proven to weed out those who are suitable for being a Grey Warden and those who are not. Trust that if you are meant to be Grey Warden, you will become one." Duncan answered, without any hesitation. "And if I am not supposed to be a Grey Warden?" She continued to press for more answers. "Then you will not be one." He responded in a gruff tone that told her that was all he wished to tell her about it. She saw Alistair look down sadly at that point, remembering something...or someone.
She was about to say something to him, but Duncan interrupted her. "Alistair, Alexandra must be very tired. It has been a long day. Please show her to her tent and then return to help me set up for the ritual." He commanded to which Alistair nodded, grateful for the distraction. "This way, Alexandra." He said leading the way to the camp. Alexandra took one more look at Duncan, who stood as stoic as ever, before reluctantly settled to follow Alistair. She wasn't going to tell anyone, but all this secrecy around the Joining was making her extremely worried, maybe even more then Ser Jory and she had nothing to lose. Why did she suddenly feel that if she went through with this, there was going to be no turning back?