A Rose by any Other

Disclaimer: I know own so you no sue

Scroll Four: Welcome to the Wardens

What a night.

Anders finally awoke some time later and roused himself from his sleep. He noticed that his robes were cleaned and placed beside his bed on a night stand. He wondered who knew how to fold robes properly enough that they did not leave creases, or who stripped him naked. He shivered after the nightmares he had came rushing back to him. They were terrible, about a horrible beast, he assumed it was a she from the three sets of large breasts and tentacles it wielded. It was a disturbing sight indeed.

He reached for the robe and found a note placed neatly atop the pile. He scanned its contents and a smile spread across his handsome face. It seemed there was more to the famous Elissa Cousland than the stories held.

Anders,

I took the liberty of having Zev change you out of that blood encrusted robes and had them washed. I assumed running around with crusty darkspawn blood was not palpable to your tastes. I am glad you have survived your ritual. When you have changed and feel up to it seek me out in the study. A servant will guide you to it. We have much to discuss Ser Mage.

Sighed,

Elissa Cousland, Warden Commander

P.S. Zevran had pinched an earring off of your person, he refuses to return it, but I have found a replacement.

The last bit of the note seems scribbled furiously, not at all like her careful handwriting before. He could only imagine the Warden Commander had beat the sodding elf until he admitted his crime. How she had noticed an earring was missing was beyond him. That is until he felt that the earring in his right ear was indeed missing. He wondered if the commander had been in his room to see how he was doing. Or if she had seen more than her fair share of his skin.

He changed and moved towards the door. As soon as he opened it the elven rogue was waiting for him. He looked to Zevran with a glare and shot him a scathing remark. "Threatened by me enough your had to steal my earring hmm?"

Zevran glared at the human mage. "You are too much alike to a former companion. Your Warden Commander will be easily hurt by your actions. Watch yourself." Zevran pressed off against the wall and made his way to the kitchens to seek out Oghren.

Anders stood confused at the warning He shook it off and found a servant girl. He worked his patented charm and was lead to the Commander's study. What he expected to find could not have prepared him for the vision he saw. There was the Commander ripping a piece of paper to shreds and growling like a rabid Mabari. He coughed lightly and she turned around, her hair down and flowing wildly like a the sweeping red of a sunset.

"Light this blasted note on fire and do not stop until it does not exist." She commanded.

Anders rose an eyebrow but summoned the magic to his hands. She crumpled the note shreds into a ball and threw it towards him. Anders shot off a small flame and hit the mark. They both watched as flames engulfed the note before it even hit the floor. Anders looked up to see the Warden Commander smirk triumphantly at the ashes.

She looked up to him and nodded her head. "See if he can send a note from the grave now."

"Commander are you sure that fall to the stone roof did not give you a head wound?" He joked.

Elissa sighed. "I think my head injury is far from curable. I have this uncanny ability to make rash decisions that come back to haunt me."

Anders smirked. "I shall enjoy haunting you then. I should become acquainted with your room."

The Warden Commander rolled her eyes. "Doubtful. It would seem there is must investigating to be done in Amaranthine tomorrow. I would like for you to accompany myself and Zevran." She replied taking a seat at the head of the desk.

Anders took a seat across from her. "That sounds entirely too easy, what else is there?"

"It would seem some hunters may have found a darkspawn breeding ground. I also have to meet with an old friend about something she wanted my help with. Her note was vague." She replied blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"Was that the note you wished to see its early end. Or did it give you a paper cut?" He teased.

"No," The darkening of her aura returned tenfold. "It was an old note I could not bring myself to be rid of. It needed to be done and I thank you for it."

She reached into a drawer and pulled out a small bag. She rustled around inside of it until her eyes sparked. She pulled the small trinket out. It was a golden earring, but instead of being plain as his old one was, it was enchanted with a rune upon it. It was purple in color and seemed to radiate power. She reached across the desk and offered it to Anders.

He held back a gasp and smiled at her. "A gift, and how thoughtless a man am I for not thinking of bringing a beautiful lady such as you one as well."

Elissa held back the urge to smile. "I figured you would feel awkward without your earring. It suits you." She replied.

Anders concealed the blush well. "Is that a rune?"

"I know a bit about rune crafting from my time in Orzammar." She replied with a shrug. "Consider it a welcome to the club present. A peace offering for the bad news I am about to tell you."

Anders noted her grave countenance and sighed. "Always with the catch. Is there not something in life without a catch attached to it?" He lamented attempting to see the Warden smile once more.

Elissa shook her head. "Other than the air, I believe everything comes attached to a catch, unseen or not."

Anders sighed. "So what bad news brings such a look onto such a pretty face?" Anders asked, hoping it was not as bad as she made it look to be.

Elissa took a deep breath and rose from the desk. She stood and moved towards the window and gazed out into the Keep. Repairs were coming along nicely and the eighty sovereigns she paid the dwarven stone mason appeared to be well spent. Some craftsmen had already arrived. She let the breath flow out of her before she turned to Anders and attempted a smile.

"Well you're dreams will now be laced with any threatening darkspawn for as long as you live. So a peaceful nights rest will be difficult to come by. That's easy for starters."

Anders cried out. "Oh whatever will I do without my erotic dreams of powerful women making passionate love to me on a battlefield."

Elissa let out a chuckle and moved towards the mage. She leaned against the desk just a few feet away from him. "Yes, whatever will you do without your dirty fantasies?"

Anders laughed and leaned closer to the woman, when she moved a little closer he continued. "I shall have to think of fantasies while I am awake then."

"About licking lampposts in winter?" She suggested before her eyes grew dark again.

"Are you alright Commander?" He asked her with a soft voice.

"Just an old wound, and not one that magic could ever heal." She replied giving him a vague answer. "That is besides the point, the heavy price you will pay for your 'freedom' is that you have been taken into my care and I shall have to over see you for the next thirty yeas."

Anders laughed. "Thirty years? Is that some kind of Grey Warden contract?" The smile on his face disappeared at her apologetic eyes.

"In a sense. The taint from the joining will kill a Warden within thirty years. Human bodies can only survive the taint so long. We see them, they see us, and we hold the power to destroy the Archdemon. The price we pay is to never see our golden years. Our time is limited, around thirty years and we are done. I could not tell you before because the Grey Wardens are a secretive bunch, I have a duty to keep those secrets within our ranks." She looked ashamed.

"So what you're saying is I only have thirty years to live my life before I bite the big fireball?" He asked her.

"I do apologize, but I could not let the chantry just eliminate you. What they do to their mages is disgusting and foul. Controlling someone who was born with a powerful gift? Imprisoning them in a tower and calling their Maker given powers a curse? I find it is they who are the true abominations." She admitted bowing her head. "I am no different it seems, trapping you into short a life you did not ask for."

Anders was shocked at the woman's admittance and took a moment to think about what she offered. She had given him freedom from almost certain death. She had stood up to Rylock, even raised her blade against a the woman for him without fear. She had given him more of a sense of freedom than constantly running from the Chantry would have. All she asked was for him to kill some darkspawn and listen to her orders it seemed. It could not honestly be that bad. Besides allowing a beautiful woman commanding me around would definitely improve my lacking love life at this point. Women do love men they can boss around.

He looked up into her saddened eyes and figured that if this was to be his fate, at least there would be a nice view. "Well either thirty years of freedom with the Wardens or a lifetime as a Tranquil in the Circle at best. I like the idea of the Wardens personally. So long as I am able to have a few things that I have always wanted in life."

Elissa let a small smile grace her lips and nodded. "If its not too much trouble then I shall see if it I can make it happen."

"All I want in life is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning out of my hands at fools." He smirked and looked at her meaningfully.

"Well you can shoot lighting at whatever evil we're fighting, there is a feast tonight as I meet all the nobles and talk with Arl Howe's staff, and about the pretty girl, well when you find one you fancy let me know. I'm sure I can work some leave time for you to woo her." She responded not catching on to his leering as her eyes were focused on the door. "Though I do know a pretty elven male who swings either way if you wish." She joked lightly and laughed as she heard Zevran storm away from the door.

Anders almost felt hurt by her ignorance but noticed she was focused elsewhere. Her naivety was cute after all. "I've seen quite a few already, you'll be the first to know when I make a successful move." His eyebrows waggled and Elissa snorted.

"You'll have to work harder than that to get a respectable woman to lift her skirt for you. I suggest going to Zevran for some pointers, he boasts he can woo any fair maiden he meets. But I am glad to have you in our ranks. We already scouted the basement and found some interesting items. In addition an old friend from my past has joined our merry little band. He is now passed out enjoying the post-joining nightmares."

"Who did you find survived the darkspawn attack?" He wondered aloud.

"Nathaniel Howe. He apparently snuck here in order to kill me when I arrived. He was caught however. I offered him a chance to redeem the Howe name and conscripted him." She replied conversationally.

"Why in Andraste's knickers would he want to kill you?" Anders asked surprised, from what he gathered no one could hate the woman, well maybe templars.

"His father murdered my family and took over Highever claiming they were traitors. I killed him in his home and proved he was slaving elves and torturing noble sons and family members. Oh and keeping a fellow Grey Warden hostage." She replied with a sigh. "Looking back on it, murdering him in his own home like I was some common assassin was a cheap end for him, but it suited the slimy bastard."

Anders eyes widened. There was talk in the Circle that the Cousland's of Highever were traitors to the crown and were all slain, he never believed that they were traitors. The history of the Couslands more than spoke of their ties to Ferelden. They were one of the oldest noble family lines. Here stood one of the two living members left and she had reclaimed the honor by killing the man who had wronged her. Yet she allowed his son to live.

"You are joking right? The man wanted you dead!" Anders exclaimed jumping up and moving closer to the obviously unstable woman.

"Better men have tried, Zevran at least almost succeeded. Now he's one of my most trusted friends." She replied with a smirk. "I have an uncanny knack for surviving when I shouldn't, and a soft spot for giving people a second chance."

Anders words stumbled about in his mind. "So you-you, are you, you let a killer, an assassin, two assassins, follow you, around the world?"

"Well to put it more eloquently, I am allowing one assassin follow me around to redeem themselves and their ruined family name. The other refused to leave me alone, not until I'm dead it would seem," She saw the look on Anders face and added, "of which he would be very upset with me."

Anders was flabbergasted. "I also have a soft spot for attractive males, what can I say I enjoy the view." She joked as she let another small smile cross her face. "Come on we have much to do, I have to look presentable to my guests."

She moved to the door and held it open for him. Anders moved closer to her. "This is not a good idea Commander."

Elissa shrugged. "It is already done, and if he tries anything funny you have my full permission to shoot lighting out of your fingers at either Nathaniel or Zevran, to your hearts content." She stepped back away from him and still appeared to be standing firm on her position.

Anders glared playfully at the woman. "You my lady, are very manipulative."

"So I've heard. Now off with you, I have a party to attend, and I am hoping you'll appear in something formal. You're closet should hold something." She replied as she shut the door behind her and moved deftly out of his way.

Anders shook his head and his stomach rumbled noisily. He blushed and made his way towards the kitchens. He literally ran into the smelly dwarf from early and glared down at him. "You really are short. I could not even see you ten feet away."

Ohgren glared at the mage. "Figures she'd like you. I'll let this one slide, the she Warden hasn't smiled in six months. At least that's what pointy ears says. You'd better watch yourself. You cause that smile to fade and I'll make sure you never leave your Fade."

Anders was shocked at the drunken excuse for a Grey Warden. "What in the hell are you and the elf blathering on about?"

"None of your sodding business sparkle fingers, just keep your hands off her." Ohgren pushed past the much taller man and made his way out of sight.

Anders glared after the dwarf and made he way to the kitchen. He charmed a nearby kitchen servant to bring him some food. As he sat upon a stool and began filling his stomach he had time to think once more. This situation was becoming more and more odd by the second. The Warden Commander seemed to switch between a fun loving rouge and a stone faced Tranquil. She was hiding something, and it seemed it dealt with her past. The elf and the dwarf knew about whatever troubled her mind. There were moments she acted like a human, where as others she acted as if she had no shred of emotions except a deep darkness. He had traded the tyranny of the Chantry for the command of an emotional mess.

He wondered if his choice was the right one. He should have fled but his blasted call to heal, to fix things urged him to stay. First to fix the Keep to save the lives he could. Now it was demanding he fix a wound she herself had claimed no magic could cure. She had issued a challenge without even knowing. He was a slave to his powers at times. It seemed they were desperate to return the woman to her obvious former glory. He just hoped he would not die in the process.

AN: I have noticed as my writing tends to stray from the intended time line, Elissa will be opening up out of her shell very soon. That still leaves us with getting to know one another, lust, and then love. The heart does seem to fall faster when life and death situations occur regularly.