A/N - Just replying to reviews:

Lelimor29 - Glad you like the idea of just his soul arriving in Thedas. I don't read much fan fiction (I haven't read any of these Elder Scrolls / Dragon Age crossovers), I just write it and I thought it might be at least a little different to other stories.

thedark2 - I don't know what that mod is as I don't use many of them (I only play on the PS4. The mods there don't make big changes). But he will eventually have Shouts.

thedarkwolf95 - I like throwing in the occasional twist or two. Can't let you get too comfortable. As for why, well, it'll become clear over the next few chapters. Or, at least, I hope it does.

VGBlackwing - Please re-read my note at the beginning of the previous chapter. I think I explained clearly enough what was happening with his Shouts, though if I didn't, I will put it simply. He will eventually get his Thu'um back. As for magic, not everyone is capable on Thedas, so Uhtred not having magical capabilities is keeping to the realities of that world. Add to that, if you read 'Land of My Fathers', Uhtred was hardly what you would call a mage. He rarely used magic, instead relying on his talents with sword and shield, his companions, and on occasion, his Thu'um.

Keep the reviews coming, letting me know what you like or don't. I want to keep the standard up all the way through, plus keep you all interested!

Three sharp blows of a horn woke me up immediately. I had never heard it before but I knew what it meant. We're under attack? By who? The darkspawn can't be here?

I was immediately up and alert, sword in one hand, dagger in another, as I rushed out of the library, thankful that I never left home without a weapon. My first thought was of my family. The closest door was to my brother's quarters. Opening it, he was already awake and getting dressed, sword and shield in hand. Before I could even ask what was going on, his marbari warhound, by the name of Bear, ran past me, barking and growling in order, turning to see two men run towards us. They were armed and looked intent on attacking us. So Aedan and I met them head on.

I had no idea who the enemy was but he was partially skilled, at least. I was fighting with only a sword, my shield lying in the armoury. But I didn't feel naked without it. I knew it would make my opponent more confident, but it allowed me more manoeuvrability. The soldier was careful in his approach, shield raised. All I did was watch his sword, an idea already forming. He feinted once or twice to thrust forward, before trying to hit me with his shield. When he stepped forward, I simply span and cracked him in the side of the neck with my elbow. Turning to see him stagger, he tried to turn himself, his shield already hanging low, leaving himself exposed as I rammed my sword home.

Turning to help Aedan, he bashed his opponent with his shield and we both thrust forward. The soldier was dead by the time he hit the ground.

"By the Maker, these are Howe's men!" Aedan exclaimed.

"What?"

"Their shields. It's the symbol of Amaranthine."

I'm not the smartest man in the world, something I say often, but even I could see what had happened. "Howe's men weren't delayed by the weather at all," I stated, before growling, "That lying bastard."

"Bear! Come!" Aedan exclaimed, the marbari hound bounding back towards us. I had learned over time that Aedan often spoke to his dog, and the dog appeared to understand at least some words. Much different to the dogs I'm used to.

"What's the plan?" I asked. I had one forming, though it was simple. Kill every single one of Howe's soldiers, then find Howe himself, and kill him too. It was the perfect excuse to let loose the rage that had been simmering underneath for months.

"Find our parents. If Howe is going to target anyone, it would be them."

"Let's move."

Mother was already running towards us as we exited the bedroom. Surprisingly, she was already armoured and armed, bow and arrows on her back. She noticed my look but said nothing. "Are you two alright?" she asked instead.

"We're fine, mother," Aedan asked, before he pointed at the bodies, "But these are Howe's men."

"I know. Do you have any idea what's going on?"

"Betrayal," I growled. I knew the feeling all too well.

"Have either of you seen your father?"

"Not since supper," I replied, "He was sitting with Howe last time I saw him. They were talking about their plans for Ostagar."

"We should find him. Immediately." Mother showed her intentions by taking the bow from her back and nocking an arrow. Aedan and I shared a glance, looked back at our mother and nodded. She grimaced. "As you both know, I am no Orlesian wallflower. I can fight as well as any man."

"Lead the way, Uhtred," my brother said.

"You're the one with the shield."

"And you're the natural born warrior. Time to show us what you know."

Howe's men had flooded the castle, and the only sound above those of battle were the screams of innocents being killed. The four of us, including Bear, moved forward carefully, waiting for the unwary to stumble into our path. I took us towards my brother's quarters, figuring we should check on Oriana and Oren.

The sight that greeted us upon opening the door was… I had seen a lot of blood in my life. I had seen some horrific sights. I had seen the slaughter of the innocent. But you never got over the shock of seeing it, each and every time. The throat of Oren, no more than a child, had been slit, Oriana had been stabbed repeatedly. I was thankful that, on appearance alone, she had at least not been… defiled.

"Who would do such a thing?" mother whispered, getting down onto her knees to cradle Oren's head, taking a moment to close his eyes.

I took it all in in silence, as did Aedan. I had felt the build-up of fury inside me only once before, when I walked into Jorrvaskr to find Kodlak Whitemane murdered. I had grown to love this family as my own. And now they were being murdered. Mother looked at me, into my eyes. She nodded. "It's time, Uhtred. Show me what the Dragonborn is capable of."

I grabbed a sheet from the bed and covered both of the bodies, getting down on one knee and whispering a quick, silent prayer to the gods to care for them. Getting to my feet, I strode out of the bedroom, sensing my brother, the dog and mother at my back.

The next soldiers I met I took great pleasure in slaughtering. I moved so fast, the first one didn't even see the sword coming, crying out in surprise when he found it buried in his chest, quickly taking the dagger from my belt and burying that in his neck. Withdrawing both weapons, I hurled the dagger at a nearby archer, the dagger landing where intended, as I swivelled and swung my sword again, this time taking the arm of another soldier. I didn't even give him the coup de grace, figuring I would just let him bleed out on the ground.

Gathering the dagger from the eye of the fallen soldier, we moved on, continuing to hear screams echo, walking past slaughtered servants and the remnants of the soldiers who had stayed to defend the castle.

"Where is Ser Gilmore?" mother asked.

"I'm not sure. Where was he last?" Aedan wondered.

"With father in the main hall," I replied.

"We should head there. If we can link up with him and whoever is left, perhaps we can fight them off?"

Mother sounded hopeful, far more hopeful than myself. I'd fought against great odds during my life, but numbers always counted in the end. We would always lose more than we could afford. The best thing we could do is kill as many as possible before making our escape. Getting out alive was now our only priority. Get out alive, fight again another day.

The one thing I missed through all this was my Thu'um. Once I realised I didn't have the gift in this world, I didn't really think about it as I was never in a situation, until now at least, where it was required or I would have thought helpful. But I would have loved to Shout and put the fear of the gods into Howe's men. Since I couldn't do that, I'd have to show them what a warrior from Tamriel was capable of.

We entered the main hall to find Ser Gilmore and the remaining Cousland soldiers in a terrific battle with Howe's men. The gates were shut, for the moment at least, and I wasted no time continuing to bloody my sword, making haste for the pair of mages at the edge of battle, where they were busy casting spells. Mother helped by putting an arrow through the next of one mage, and after cutting down two more of his soldiers, the mage suddenly realised I was making a beeline straight for him.

I was expecting a spell. Instead, the mage twirled his staff and tried to smash the side of my head in with it. I parried his swing with my sword and surged forward, tackling the mage to the ground. Before he could react, I had the dagger at his throat and took delight in slicing across, hearing him choke as the blood flowed freely. I heard a call of my name and rolled off the body, just as a sword was swung down. Kicking out at the knee of the soldier, I watched it buckle and I thrust my sword up into his chin.

Getting to my feet, I immediately searched for the next opponent, I didn't even see the archer until I felt pain in my left shoulder, glancing down to see an arrow sticking out of me. I just roared and charged forward, the archer's eyes going wide as he fumbled for his next arrow. That would be the last move he would make as his head was soon detached from his body.

"Any more?!" I cried, feeling the adrenaline surge from my toes to my fingertips. It wasn't like fighting a dragon, but it was a fight at last.

Breathing heavily, I turned around to see that, at the very least, the battle of the main hall had been won. But I could hear many more men behind the gates, and they were on the verge of breaking through, two of our soldiers doing their best to hold the gates in position.

"Uhtred, your shoulder," mother cried.

"Aedan, pull it out."

He looked at me, surprise in his eyes. "Are you sure?"

"I've been shot before. Pull it out. I'll see to it later. It just means that, for the time being, I'm one handed. You will have to lead."

I grimaced as he took hold of the arrow, biting down the on the dagger as I nodded. The pain was tremendous as he had to jerk on it at least three times before it came away. Thankfully the entire arrow, with head still attached, came out. That meant I wouldn't have an infection, just a nasty looking scar. It started to bleed heavily immediately, mother ripping the tablecloth from a nearby table and holding it against the wound. She used a bit more cloth to bind it around my underarm so it would hopefully stay in place.

"Ser Gilmore, report. Where's our father?" I asked once that was done.

"He's was going to find your Ladyship, sire. I believe he was heading towards the kitchen."

"What was his condition?" mother asked.

Ser Gilmore looked away for a moment before returning his gaze. "He had been badly wounded, your Ladyship. I asked that he stay close by but he was insistent on finding you."

"We must find him," mother stated.

"You three must go. Find an escape from this place. I will lead what is left of the men and try and hold Howe's men back."

We all knew what he was suggesting. His face gave nothing away, but his eyes spoke volumes. I could not fault his courage. "Maker watch over you, Ser Gilmore."

"Thank you, my lady."

Knowing time was short, I held out a hand. Ser Gilmore went to grab it, then I grabbed his forearm. "Like that, Ser Gilmore. That is how warriors greet each other and say goodbye. May Talos guide you."

"And the Maker you, Ser Uhtred. Protect her Ladyship and the young Lord."

"With my life, if necessary."

He turned and joined the few men left under his command. Mother, Aedan and I slipped out a side door. We did not look back.

The screams soon died down, and I knew that nearly everyone else in the castle had either been slaughtered, had escaped or was in hiding. We stumbled into another half dozen of Howe's soldiers, making short work of them, as we continued to look for our father. We ended up walking into the kitchen, following a blood trail. A realisation crept over all of us that we were going to find our father. Whether he was dead or alive was the question.

We found father in the pantry, bleeding heavily from a wound at his hip, another in his stomach. How he still lived, only the gods could say, but I knew he was not going to survive without immediate medical attention. Mother was at his side immediately, crying his name and asking a million questions. Despite the situation, my father managed a bitter chuckle. He grabbed mother's hand. "I am not long for this world, Eleanor." Then he looked at Aedan and I. "You must escape. Get to Fergus. Tell him what happened here."

"Where is Howe?" I asked.

"Gone. No matter. He will get what he deserves in the end. You must find Fergus. He must know."

Aedan grabbed father under his arm. "Come, father. We leave together."

He smiled at his son. "I cannot move, my boy. Look at the blood. I barely live as it is."

"We can flee together, Bryce. Find healing magic!" mother exclaimed.

Father looked at his wife, a sad smile but only love in his eyes. "It is too late for that, my love. I will never make the journey."

A sound behind us caused me to whirl around, sword and dagger ready to strike. I paused as I realised who it was. "Duncan? You're alive?"

"Barely. Many of Howe's men fell to my sword, but I fear his entire army is ready to break through. The few soldiers who remain are holding the gate, but barely. The castle is surrounded and any escape is going to be difficult."

"What's your plan?" Aedan wondered.

"You are under no obligation, but I beg of you, Duncan. Get my wife and sons to safety."

"I will, your Lordship. But I'm afraid I must ask for an obligation in return." Father nodded, immediately understanding. Duncan looked across all four of us as he continued. "There is an evil spreading across this land. I came to your castle seeking a recruit. The darkspawn threat demands that I leave with one."

Father nodded, accepting without hesitation.

"What of Ser Gilmore?" Aedan asked.

"To be honest, Aedan, you were always my first choice. You are a capable warrior and you desire to join our order. My second choice would have been your brother beside you. He may choose to join as well, if he wishes. Your Lordship, I will escort your wife and sons to Ostagar and inform Fergus and the king of what has transpired here. After that, your youngest son will join the Grey Wardens."

Father nodded, before adding with fury, "As long as justice comes to Howe, I agree to your terms."

Duncan turned to my younger brother. "Aedan, I offer you a place within the Grey Wardens. Fight with us!"

"I accept," he replied without hesitation.

He made the same offer to me. I smiled. "I am not the hero of this story," I replied, "But I will think about it."

"Then we must make haste."

Duncan held father by the shoulder. "Make sure my sons do not die from Howe's treachery. All three are to make their mark on the world yet."

"I'm staying here," Eleanor stated suddenly. And in a tone that suggested we must not argue.

I looked at Aedan, who returned my glance. We knew immediately there was no chance of changing her mind. We knew our mother well. Once her mind was set on something, virtually nothing would change it.

"Eleanor, please…"

"Hush, Bryce. I am going to kill every single bastard that dares come through that door. I will not abandon my husband. If we are to die, we die together."

I handed father my dagger. "Make sure you take a couple more before the end." He grabbed my hand and squeezed, before I kissed mother on the cheek. "Talos guide you both," I whispered.

Aedan did the same, asking that the Maker watched over them both, in life and death, before there was an enormous crash and the sound of battle resumed once again, quickly followed by more screams of the fallen. "The gates... We must leave quickly," Duncan ordered.

"Go, sons. Make us proud," father stated.

The passage was barely a dozen steps away, the secret door already open. Duncan led the way as Aedan and I both stopped and took one last look. I had already lost one set of parents before, a father I had never met, and a mother who I had watched slowly die over many months. Now I was watching another set of parents sacrifice themselves so that we should live. I know I was not the only one with moisture in their eyes as we turned and started to jog into the darkness.

We exited away from the castle, using the cover of darkness to evade Howe's men. Yet a glow in the distance grabbed my attention, and my stomach dropped as I knew something was terribly wrong. Before Duncan or Aedan could stop me, I sprinted ahead, not saying anything though I could hear footsteps behind me, not caring if it was those two or all of Howe's men.

My house came into view quickly and the glow was of the fire that had taken hold. On the ground before the building lay my two servants. A cursory check of their wounds suggested they had been dragged out and then slaughtered. The fire was fierce, having to take a step back due to the heat. I could only stand there, helpless as the fire gutted my home, the smoke disappearing into the sky taking all the memories I had of the better times I had once experienced.

I'm not sure what happened next, but I felt some pain in my head before everything turned black.

I woke with a start, unaware of my surroundings. Looking left and right, I realised we were in some woods. Sitting up, I noticed Duncan and Aedan sat around a small fire. "Where are we?"

"We are safe, Uhtred. That is all that matters," Duncan replied.

"How long have I been out?"

"You were… We had to stop you heading back to the castle to exact your revenge. So I had to keep you quiet," Duncan replied matter-of-factly.

I felt my jaw and could feel the bruise forming. "Apologies," I stated, opening and closing my jaw to regain some feeling.

"It is understandable. You have both suffered tremendous loss."

"I'm going to take his damned head," Aedan growled.

"Later, Aedan. We still have to get to Ostagar then meet with the king. Once he hears of this treachery, rest assured Howe's days are numbers."

I staggered to my feet, still feeling groggy. Must have been a good punch. I could only remember visions of flames. All I knew is that Howe had clearly given orders for the entire Cousland line and their castle to be put to the sword. Why he would burn my home was unclear, but it didn't matter. It was a statement if ever there was one. Part of me was actually glad that my wife was not there to see it happen.

Taking a seat next to Aedan, I could only stare into the fire, the pop and crackle another reminder of my loss. We had both lost our parents, made a little worse by the fact it was a second set of parents I had now lost. Vengeance doesn't even begin to describe what I had planned for Rendon Howe when I got my hands on him. Because it was not a case of if. It was a case of when. And what I already had planned in mind was barbaric.

"Will you be joining the Wardens, Uhtred?"

"No. I have one mission in life now. Vengeance against anyone who planned what happened. If someone above Howe was involved, they will die. If someone above them was involved, they will die. So on and so forth until anyone who knew or was involved lies dead."

"That is not an honourable path you are walking," Aedan stated.

"There was no honour in what just occurred. Honour will mean nothing when it comes to dealing with anyone involved in that level of treachery."

"Can I trust you to at least be focused on the darkspawn threat for the time being?" Duncan asked.

"Of course. I am a warrior and I can narrow my focus when required. I will not be distracted. The time of distraction is over. I now have a single purpose in my life."

"And you, Aedan? You have been affected by this too."

"Howe will pay for his crimes. But I still intend on joining your order. I accepted your offer. And I believe being a Grey Warden will also have its advantages."

"Very well. If you're both ready, we should keep travelling during the night. There are no darkspawn this far north, and I don't believe bandits are going to attack three heavily armed and armoured men. The quicker we get to Ostagar, the quicker you can undertake the Joining."

Being knocked out, I didn't even know we had travelled by horseback, a trio of horses tied to a tree, hidden away from the road. Putting out the fire, we mounted and quickly had our horses in a trot, the only light that of the moon, though even that was half-hidden by cloud. There was no chatter, Aedan and I alone with our thoughts, no doubt dark, my heart broken even more by the events of that evening, but my mind clear on what I was to do. Duncan led the way, his eyes on the horizon, keeping watch for anyone dumb enough to try and attack us.

The road we followed took us through a town called Crestwood, the giant lake on our right even I knew as Lake Calenhad. The road eventually curved away, and by the time the sun was rising, we were on the outskirts of a town called Lothering. Here we could see the first signs of how the darkspawn had affected Ferelden, the roads slowly becoming clogged by refugees escaping the menace.

We stopped for breakfast, Duncan having just enough supplies to sate our hunger until we made the camp at Ostagar. Neither Aedan or I had much to say, Duncan filling the silence with what may be planned once everyone arrived.

"Do you think this is a true Blight?" Aedan finally asked.

"I'm not sure yet. As far as I'm aware, an Archdemon has not yet been sighted on the battlefield."

"And if one is?"

"Then this is the start of the Fifth Blight."

"Can the Wardens ever stop Blights from occurring?" I wondered.

"Honestly? I'm not sure the darkspawn can ever be truly stopped. Ask the dwarves their opinion of what they think. They have been fighting them constantly for longer than anyone could imagine."

We tried to ignore all the refugees around us but it was difficult to avoid seeing the suffering on their faces. And you couldn't miss the fear. These were people who had seen monsters rise up from beneath and lived to tell the tale, but had likely witnessed unspeakable horrors while doing so. I could empathise with them, having seen similar horrors myself, and not just recently.

The sun was warming our backs as we continued south to Ostagar, the stream of refugees thinning the closer we came to the king's camp. Reaching the edge of the camp, we passed numerous tents, men either training or resting as we passed. Many recognised Duncan, or at least the fact he was a Grey Warden, some saluting him, others regarding him with a suspicious eye. Aedan and I shared a glance, and all he could do was shrug. Even with the darkspawn knocking at the door, not everyone trusted the Grey Wardens.

The king and his advisors were situated in the middle of the camp, near the ruins of what appeared to be a former bastion. I knew nothing about the history of Ostagar, so it was up to Aedan to fill me in with what he knew. "It was built by the Vints," he stated.

"The who?"

He looked at me then realised. "Oh, that's right. It's easy to forget nowadays that you don't remember. They're known as the Tevinter Imperium."

"Oh, I've heard mention of them. Read a bit about them too. But who are they exactly?"

"I'll keep it simple. They're humans and their leaders are mages. Therefore, the rest of Thedas takes an intense dislike to them, particularly due to teaching of the Chantry about magic. Though we're at peace now. Apart from the darkspawn, there are more concerning enemies to worry about." Cryptic, and I wasn't sure who he was referring, but I didn't ask.

"Ah, the whole 'Circle's' thing…" was the thing I did mention.

"You're not a mage, Uhtred. Neither am I."

"I was capable of magic in Skyrim."

"But not here?"

"No."

"Well, at least we don't have to send you to a Circle then."

I gave him a look and he just grinned in return. Returning my attention to our surroundings, I realised we were now deep within the camp and no doubt close to the king's tent. We finally dismounted and led our horses to water, as Duncan escorted us the rest of the way. Duncan asked for news, and was pleased to hear that the Ferelden army has already won three skirmishes with the darkspawn, but we all knew the major battle had yet to come.

We headed to the Grey Warden camp, Duncan having explained that every Grey Warden in Ferelden was at Ostagar, and that better news was that all Grey Wardens in Orlais would also be arriving, though perhaps not in time for the battle. If the darkspawn were not stopped at Ostagar, Duncan warned that Ferelden could fall.

What none of us expected was the arrival of King Cailan himself at our camp. Aedan and I went down on one knee immediately, the king immediately asking us to stand, unable to stop looking at his gold armour with a touch of jealousy, gleaming as it was in the sunshine. To say the king was getting excitable about the approaching battle would be an understatement, though I found the jokes were a little… strange from someone of his position. Maybe kingship is different here on Thedas?

Duncan introduced us both, explaining that Aedan would also be joining their ranks. After shaking hands, he asked us about our father and the journey south. It was obvious the king was completely unaware of events further north. Even worse was the news that Fergus was not in camp as he had already been sent on a scouting mission and was not expected back for some time. Aedan and I shared a look, and we knew the king had to be told immediately.

I've seen men and women angry. I've seen Jarl's and Generals apoplectic with rage. King Cailan… I think his bodyguards should be glad he did not take his fury out on them. We tried as best to explain what happened, and while it did not cool his anger, it certainly added steel to his resolve.

"You both have my word. Once the battle here is done, I will turn my army north and march it all the way to Highever to bring Howe to justice. He will pay for his treachery."

"Thank you, your Majesty," Aedan and I echoed.

Little did we know at the time. Little did we know…