Authors Note: Poor Aedan, the guy can't catch a break.

-O-

Chapter 4 – Off to Ostagar

Aedan

He had tried to wake her up but nothing worked. It must be a mage thing he thought. She must be in the Fade or just a really deep sleeper. He sat there looking at her for a moment wondering what to do. He couldn't very well just leave her here. He packed up their notes and put them in a pouch at his waist and put the books on a cart that was near the entrance. He stood next to Amara's sleeping form trying to figure out what exactly to do. He decided to just try and pick her up and carry her back to her room. Maybe it will wake her up he thought. He bent down and picked her up, his arm wrapped around her back and his other under her knees. She murmured something and shifted in her sleep, one of her arms draped around his neck and her face nestled into the crook of his neck. He could feel her hot breath on his neck and the smell of jasmine from her hair nearly undid him.

"Oh maker," he groaned. This woman was going to be the death of him he thought. He's known her less than a day; no woman has ever affected him his way. Fergus had warned him, but he didn't listen. He always said there was a woman out there he'd be enthralled by. He didn't believe him until he saw her. He had been around beautiful women before, his mother had tossed nearly every eligible girl in Ferelden at him over the years but none of them held his interest. None of them made him feel so relaxed and anxious at the same time. Not one of them made him feel like he couldn't breathe when they were close or make his heart race. When she touched him his skin tingled and when she hugged him his whole world came apart. He always kept his emotions in check but when her arms wrapped around him nothing he could have done would have stopped those tears from coming. Now she was in his arms again and the sensations were overwhelming. Every nerve in his body was on fire. He just stood there in the library for a few moments marveling in her closeness before setting off to take her to her room.

The halls were empty except for a few Templars stationed near the doors. He nodded as he passed them trying not to draw attention as he carried Amara to her room. One of the Templars spoke as he approached the stairs leading to her room.

"She fell asleep in the library again eh?" Aedan nodded. "Well that's one thing we won't have to deal with anymore, carrying her back up those stairs." The Templar removed his helm, Aedan remembered him from earlier, and it was Bran the other Templar that was playing cards with Amara.

"Bran right?" Aedan inquired. The Templar nodded. "So this happens a lot?"

"A couple times a week. When she gets in the Fade it's hard to wake her back up. That's probably something you'll need to know when you are traveling to Ostagar. Just make sure she sets up her glyphs that will wake her up. If not you'll have to carry her around like Cullen's had to over the years." At the mention of the red-haired Templars name Aedan tightened his grip on Amara. Why am I upset? Aedan wondered. He couldn't be jealous of that Templar; it couldn't be that… could it? When he had walked in and saw him standing so close to Amara and her lips slightly swollen from kissing a part of him want to draw his swords and run the Templar through. By the Maker what was happening to him.

"We are sure going to miss her around here. She'll be better off with you Grey Wardens', you'll look out for her right?" asked Bran.

"Of course, she'll be safe with Duncan and me. I better get her to bed; it's going to be a long day tomorrow." He passed the Templar and started to climb the stairs to her room. He reached her room and luckily there was still a candle burning so he could see where he was going. He managed to nudge her bags out of the way and pull down the blanket with one hand while still holding her tight to him. He laid her down on the bed gently, her arm still wrapped around his neck. While he was bent over her he realized her lips were but mere inches from his. He was so tempted; he leaned forward but stopped himself. Again he thought what am I doing? Instead he leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. He untangled himself from her arm and pulled up the blanket. He stood there watching her sleep for a few minutes before blowing out the candle and pulling the door closed quietly behind him. He turned and nearly ran into the red-haired Templar. The man just stood there in the way staring him down.

"Excuse me," said Aedan. He really did not feel like getting into it with this guy, it was late and he already did not like him. He examines the man to see if he was going to need to draw his blades to get down the stairs or not. While he did not look happy, he did not seem aggressive. The two men sized each other up for a couple more moments.

"You're lucky you know that?" Cullen spoke softly. Aedan gave him a confused look.

"Why am I lucky?" Responded Aedan, not sure where this was leading. This man is obviously deeply troubled he thought.

"You are lucky because you get to be with her… she is free now, there is no Chantry to stop her. If you win her heart there is nothing to prevent you from being together. I could never have that." Aedan felt an overwhelming sense of pity for this man suddenly. He was right; he never could since he was a Templar and she was a mage. It was obvious that he was in love with Amara. "Promise me you will take care of her. Promise me you will protect her with your own life if necessary." Cullen pleaded with him.

"I promise," said Aedan. It was an easy promise to make; he already had planned on it.

"Thank you," responded Cullen. He turned and walked back down the stairs leaving Aedan standing outside Amara's door.

-O-

If felt like he had just shut his eyes to sleep when someone was banging on his door for him to get up for breakfast. Aedan sat up and wiped the sleep from his eyes. Yesterday had been such a confusing day; he had a hard time getting to sleep after leaving Amara's room. He couldn't stop thinking about her and what happened in the library. It was crazy he thought. This is not the time or place to be even thinking about this. It was an eight day walk to Ostagar from the Circle Tower, eight days until he could be in battle. Why was he even thinking about her like that? He splashed some cold water on his face from the basin on the table. There was another knock on the door.

"I'm awake," he called. "I'll be down to breakfast shortly."

"Aedan… It's me, may I come in?" At the sound of her voice his heart started pounding.

"Uh, sure give me a moment." He realized he was standing there in his smalls and started frantically searching for his pants and shirt. He quickly dressed and opened the door. There she stood, dressed for travel with her hair pulled back loosely in a bun. She took notice of his disheveled appearance… shirt unbuttoned and hair tangled and smirked. He felt her eyes on him; she seemed to focus on his chest for a moment. Aedan felt his cheeks redden slightly.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt you. I just wanted to say thank you for taking me back to my room last night." She seemed embarrassed. "Normally I remember to cast glyph so if there is movement anywhere around me, it pulls me out of the Fade."

"It was no problem…" His voice was huskier than he wanted it to be. Maker she is so close, the scent of jasmine drifted through the air. He felt his chest constrict as he noticed her looking at his chest again.

"You have a very large scar," she stated softly. She removed her glove and reached out and traced a finger along an old jagged scar he had just below his collar bone. Aedan just stood there frozen; he didn't know what to do. His mouth was incredibly dry, he cleared his throat.
"A… it's an old training scar… Fergus got in a lucky blow…" he said. Her touch was as light as a feather but it felt like open flame touching his skin.

"Here let me fix it for you," she said. She removed her other glove.

"You can do that? I thought once it was healed there was no way to make it go away," he said, sounding a bit unconvinced.

"I can if you will let me, healing is one of my specialties," she said.

"I'd like to see you try," he smiled. She grabbed his hand and led him to the chair near the bed. Aedan followed without resistance and had a seat in the chair. Amara knelt down to the side of the chair.

"Take off your shirt," she said.

"Pardon?" he choked.

"It will make it easier for me to see where the scar starts and ends." Aedan slipped the shirt off and leaned back in the chair. He was lost at this point, if she would have asked for the pants too he would have striped them off. She reached up and laid both hands on the scar on his chest. When she did that he couldn't help but intake a sharp breath. That caused her to look up at him. Their eyes met and Aedan was sure he saw her eyes glow green for a moment just like the yesterday with Duncan. Then he felt it, a warm tingling sensation where the scar was. He looked down to see a faint blue glow around her hands. He closed his eyes for a moment trying to not notice how close she was and how erotic it was to have her kneeling beside him like this. The warmth intensified to where it was just bearable then it stopped. Aedan looked down to see she had removed her hands and the scar he had carried for nearly a decade was gone.

"That's amazing!" he said as he felt the new skin where the scar had been. Amara was already on her feet and putting her gloves back on. She smiled at him. "Thank you, you didn't have to do that."

"Yes I did and again, thank you for not leaving me in the library all night." She leaned down and gave him the brief kiss on the cheek then turned to leave. "I'll see you at breakfast, you best hurry. Duncan's going to want to leave soon." And with that she left leaving a confused Aedan scrambling to pack his belongings.

-O-

Aedan stood next to Duncan outside the Circle Tower as Amara said tearful goodbyes to her friends and walked away from the only home she has known. Aedan noticed the red-haired Templar was nowhere to be found. After several minutes, Amara joined them. Her eyes were red and swollen and she just stared at the ground as they made their way toward the docks. When they reached the docks, Kester helped them on to the ferry.

"I'm sorry to see ye go milady," old Kester said. "You'll be better off with these Wardens." Amara managed a weak smile.

"I hope you are right," she said softly. She settled into one of the back seats and stared off into the distance. Aedan watched her for a moment then moved to sit next to her. She had comforted him last night. It was time for him to return the favor. He slowly and cautiously put his arm around her; she didn't flinch or reject him. Instead she leaned in closer and rested her head on his shoulder. He leaned in and said "Everything is going to be alright, you are not alone in this remember. We are in this together."

She looked up at him and asked, "Do you really mean that?"

"Yes I do and I will do anything I can to protect you when we reach the battle," he said with conviction. Amara smiled at him.

"Thank you Aedan." She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. Aedan looked up and noticed the odd looks from Duncan and Kester. He stared them down and didn't flinch under their gaze. He didn't care what they thought; he meant every word he said. Eventually both men turned around and ignored them. Aedan was sure from the look Duncan gave him there was going to be discussion in the future. It was the same kind of look his father would give him when he had something to say but didn't want to talk about it in front of others.

When they reached the other side, Aedan stayed close to Amara. She seemed more fidgety the farther from the tower they were. Aedan couldn't imagine what she was feeling. He had traveled a lot with his family and spent many of his days out hunting and camping in the woods near Highever. This was her first time out, she must be afraid. They stopped at the Spoiled Princess so Duncan could check for messages and they needed a few more supplies before heading to Ostagar.

"It stinks in here," whispered Amara to Aedan as they sat at a table waiting for Duncan. Aedan smirked at her comment.

"Aye, most pubs do. It's the ale and the piss." He pointed to a drunkard in the corner. It was obvious he had soiled himself as he hung over his spilled mug of ale.

"Disgusting," she muttered. "Why would anyone drink something that makes them act like that?" Aedan laughed.

"Not everyone that drinks ale ends up like that man. You've never had any have you?" Amara gave him an offended look.

"Of course not, the Chantry forbids mages from drinking," Amara said. "What if a drunken mage decided to burn the pub down? It also makes weak mages more susceptible to turning." Aedan couldn't argue the logic of that.

"I see your point but one mug of ale is probably harmless. Next pub we stop in you at least have to try a sip." He gave her a crooked smile. She looked at him suspiciously. "Just a sip?" she asked. Aedan nodded.

"Well I don't see what harm a sip will do," she looked unsure of herself. "Just one, nothing more," she stated. Aedan just smiled. She is so innocent he thought. It was such alluring quality of hers. Duncan approached them at the table.

"It is time we head out. Well follow Lake Calenhad to the south. We should be able to reach the Hinterlands in six days." Aedan stood up and offered Amara his hand. He could see the fear in her eyes as Duncan turned to exit the pub. Aedan held on to her hand after she was standing.

"Remember, we're in this together right?" She looked at him; she relaxed a bit and nodded. "Good, let's not keep Duncan waiting." They secured their packs and exited the pub after Duncan.

-O-

"The man is relentless," grumbled Aedan as they followed Duncan along the lake shore. They had been walking for hours with no real breaks. They stopped a couple times so Amara could heal blisters on her feet but other than that it had been a constant push south. The landscape was rather barren as well, no trees just small brush and grass. Amara was exhausted; she tripped over a root and nearly fell. Aedan barely caught her in time.

"Duncan, we need to stop and rest," called Aedan. Duncan was several yards ahead of them. Duncan shook his head. "We can rest when we set up camp for the night." Aedan was about to argue when Amara laid her hand on his.

"Don't, he'll probably make us walk all night if you do. I have something that might help." She rummaged through her green bag and pulled out two small vials of a golden liquid.

"What are these," he asked.

"Endurance potions, I packed a couple before we left the tower," she said. "They don't taste very good but they should get a few more miles. " Aedan nodded and quickly drank the potion. He could feel the effects almost immediately. Amara drank hers as well and shuttered at the taste.

"Well if you can drink these, ale won't be a problem," Aedan joked. Amara rolled her eyes at him before grabbing his arm and pulled him toward Duncan who was waiting up the path for them.

The endurance potion helped get them through the rest of the day. The arrived at small crop of rocks near the shore of the lake, it was near dusk.

"We will camp here for the night," announced Duncan. Without another word he started unpacking his bedroll. Aedan dropped his pack on the ground and sat down for a few minutes. Duncan was walking faster and trying to cover more ground than he was when they were in route to the Circle of Magi. Aedan looked to see where Amara was, she was sitting on a large rock near the lake running her fingers through the water.

"It seems like we are hurrying more than we were on our journey from Highever," Aedan stated. "Is there a reason for that?" He asked Duncan as he started to unpack his bags. Duncan was arranging some small rocks in a circle for a fire pit; he stopped and looked at Aedan.

"I received word when we stopped at the Spoiled Princess that the scouts have seen multiple hordes of darkspawn in the Wilds. The attacks have been more frequent and there are several missing scouting parties…"

"Was there any word regarding my brother and the King and what happened at Highever?" Duncan shook his head.

"I doubt that messenger has arrived yet. They were only a day or two ahead of us." Amara approached the two as they worked on setting up camp.

"There's a small creek on the other side of the hill. I'm going to go wash up and then gather some wood for a fire," she stated.

"How do you know there is a creek over there? You've never been here before," asked Duncan. Amara just smiled and said "I can sense it." She searched through her gear for some items and a small bag leaving them perplexed as she walked towards the hill. Aedan had noticed a change in her. The farther away they were from the Tower the more the changes were evident. Initially she was scared, almost hesitant to leave but once they were on the road she seemed happy, almost joyous at times. She was also very distracted like she was listening to a conversation he could not hear. Now she seemed to be gaining a confidence that surprised Aedan. She seemed to be well within her element out here on the country side. Still, he didn't like her off by herself. Aedan watched anxiously as she disappeared over the hill.

"Maybe I should scout it out… make sure it's safe," said Aedan.

"I'm sure no harm will come to her. She bested me in a dual, she'll be fine. I don't sense any darkspawn either," responded Duncan. "We need to discuss a few things anyway." Aedan didn't like how that sounded. He felt a lecture coming.

"I see you two have grown pretty close in a very short amount of time," commented Duncan. Oh great, thought Aedan. Here it comes… He could help but feel defensive about it.

"Is that a problem?" Aedan responded coolly.

"Maybe… maybe not," said Duncan. "Life as a Warden is not an easy one. There are many sacrifices, some with a heavy cost."

"Then shouldn't one take what happiness they can get? I was trained as a soldier Duncan, I understand the risks. Death happens," Aedan said.

"Aye you can look at it that way but be aware of this… if it ever appears the battle is lost and you will die and she is there, you must not let the darkspawn take her. There are fates worse than death Aedan. Under no circumstance can she be taken, do you understand me? You would need to end her life."

"There has to be another option!" exclaimed Aedan.

"Do you know how darkspawn breed Aedan?" asked Duncan.

"No, we even did some research before leaving the Circle, none of the books had any information on that." Duncan sat down on a nearby rock and ran his hand through his hair.

"Grey Warden's keep many secrets, we have to or the common folk would panic. What I'm about to tell you stays with you. I will tell Amara when it is time, are we clear?" Aedan nodded. "There are female darkspawn but pray that you never see them. They are in the far reaches of the Deep Roads. They are not born they are created. The darkspawn raid villages and take the women; human, elf, dwarf and Qunari. These women are tainted and raped repeatedly by the darkspawn until they change into Broodmothers. These creatures can birth thousands of darkspawn. Each race produces a different type of darkspawn." Aedan was horrified. He felt like he was going to be sick.

"Why?" he choked out. "Why did you recruit her if you knew that could happen to her?"

"As a Grey Warden you have to do anything regardless of the cost to end the Blight. I recruited her because she is one of the most powerful mages I've ever seen. She could be what we need to end this Blight quickly. And for that, I'm willing to risk it." Duncan got up and walked to the lake, his back to Aedan. "You said you would protect her in battle, if you intend on honoring that you need to protect her from being taken. You need to be prepared for that possibility."

Aedan was in a state of anger, disgust and fear. The thought of that happening to Amara made him feel physically ill. He looked to the hill again, she was still not back. A sense of dread started to fill him. He quickly got to his feet and without another word to Duncan he left to find her.

-O-