All new content! Gearing up for some action (finally, eh?). Enjoy, please review!


Alistair awoke in a bed that was not his own, with a headache so loud and pounding it made him want to throw up. But when he moved to roll off the bed, he found himself pressed up against another human being. "Oh Maker," he mumbled, thinking he had stumbled into bed with one of the female Wardens. He was not wrong, technically, but when his eyes finally focused on the body next to him, he cried out and rolled in the opposite direction until he was on his feet- bare feet. Where had his boots gone?

"Morning," drawled Anders from across the room. He looked tired, to say the least. Something Alistair could very much understand. "Sleep well?" He asked, almost mockingly.

He felt no need to lie. "Surprisingly, yes." He rubbed his eyes with thick hands as he stood there awkwardly. Had he really barged into her room last night and fallen asleep next to her? Heat began to rise in his cheeks, and he cleared his throat. "I didn't.. say anything awkward last night, did I?"

"No, just broke into this room, started crying, and passed out on the Commander." Something in Anders tone made Alistair think he was not particularly welcome any more.

"Oh. Sorry. I'll just. Leave." So he did just that. The moment he was out of the room he made a run for his own chambers, his bare feet slapping off the ground as he threw himself away from that room. Away from her. Once he had made it down the hall and around a few corners and behind the door of his own room he shut it and latched it. Before sliding to the floor right then and there, rubbing his temples with a groan. "Was I really that drunk?" He asked himself, and got no answer.

There was a bath already waiting for him in the corner of his room, some of the servants must have dragged a tub in while he was gone. Someone must have told them how much he had to drink. He did not complain, instead he threw off his clothing and his small-clothes and hopped into the tub. The warm water instantly soothed the ache behind his eyes, and he sunk deeper. He was already replaying the events of the morning again, something had been different about what he had woken up next to. Her flesh had been less grey and more pink, more human. He shook his head, scrubbed himself down, and decided to get on with his day.

It was a good thing too, for when he arrived at his office Varel was waiting for him, with a fresh stack of mail for them to sort through. The people who owed Amaranthine fealty were constantly asking for either help against darkspawn or their schemes for more land. Something Alistair had no care nor patience for- except the darkspawn.

"He says he say three score of them-"

"Three score?! He lies."

"Of course he does, Commander. But these minor lords feel as if you will not help them unless they use... exaggerations," Varel explained. He was actually rather patient with him, which was nice.

"Fine, fine. Let's send Oghren and his choice of 8 recruits, plus one of the garrison. Tell him to sweep Lord.. what's his face's lands, and come back down around from the west. He should stop at Amaranthine on his way back in for any supplies or fresh recruits."

Varel rose a greying eyebrow. "Do you think it is wise to send the dwarf?"

Alistair nodded after a moment. "Yes. He's good, no, great on the battlefield. And if they do not respect him, they at least fear him. Plus, sending him might make these minor lords think twice about wasting my time."

"I see, a wise decision, M'lord." The title made him cringe, but he took the compliment as it was. "Now, have you looked at the budget?"

"Yes, it seems we are missing a few hundred sovereign to finish the reconstruction on the outer gates. Would the dwarves take our word of repayment, you think? Or do they only understand gold in their hands."

"They will require the gold, for they have to buy the materials."

"Damn." Alistair sighed softly, rubbing his temples for the fifth time that hour, he swore he was going to have permanent marks on the skin from that. "And here, it says we spent- oh Maker, 300 sovereign on the garrisons wages? That is outrageous!"

"Commander Cousland can be a tad over generous at times. Shall I let the officers know that we need to cut their stipends?"

"No. No. She'll have my head for that. We will just... need to make some extra money."

"Hm, well. I have heard a strange rumour, if you are willing to hear it." This piqued Alistair's interest and he rose his eyebrow at the man. "I hear there is a nest of Dragons north and east of here, on an uncharted island just off the ocean. It is.. of course, just a rumour, but many will pay a fine price for the skin and scale of dragons, even their bones. Not to mention the alchemists who would pay dearly for just a vial of their blood."

This made Alistair sit up straight. "You think we should go on a Dragon hunt?"

Varel shook his head, "Not you. I would suggest you stay here for court, but I also suggested the same to Emily, and she would have none of it either. Of course, most of the recruits would have to stay here, along with many of the officers, but yes. Dragons could be the key to our wealth. If I have heard the stories correctly, you have already defeated a dragon or two."

A smile touched his face, returning some of the youth lost in his cups. "I like this idea."

"Would you like me to pursue this rumour?"

"Yes, and quickly."

There was a commotion happening downstairs and it woke Anders from his afternoon nap. He had stayed with Emily for longer than he had to, to explain what had happened, in detail, to Velanna. She too seemed perplexed, but dismissed him quickly enough. It was her own way of caring, he thought as he rubbed sleep from his eyes and went to pull his robe on over his head. Only to get a face full of orange tabby. Ser-Pounce-a-Lot mewled at him unhappily for being roused, but when Anders apologized, the cat seemed to stop caring, and go back to napping inside of his pockets.

He followed the noise to the feast hall, where all the Wardens, except for the Dalish one upstairs, were gathered.

"What do you mean we cannot go?" Asked an irritable Nathaniel Howe, jabbing a long finger into the face of Alistair.

"Go where?" Asked Anders, drawing the eye of every person in the room.

"Dragon hunting!" Said one of the young men who had been recruited within the last few months. "There are some dragons that need slaying up north."

"And here I thought that Grey Wardens were meant to kill darkspawn, not dragons." Quipped the mage, raising a brow at their current leader, who suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

"I know that, I just, I mean," his eyes darted around the room, looking at each face. That was when Anders noticed that even Oghren was present, but being held back by the firm hand of the assassin crow, who had been missing for weeks. He had a bone to pick with him. "I don't even know if we will, I just thought I'd let you all know of a prospect. But, like I said before, a group of you really do need to go to the Bannorn-"

"I don't want to fight darkspawn if I can fight dragons!" Cried another new recruit, until another joined in, "Me either!"

There wasa flicker across Alistair's face, before any sign of hesitation or fear of the group was gone. "I don't care what you want. You will do as you're commanded. You are Grey Wardens, not children! You will be ready to scour the Bannorn for darkspawn in three days time, and Oghren-" he rose a hand to point at the dwarf, who looked slightly taken back, "will be leading you." Once again they all tried to speak at once, and Anders couldn't help but think about how this would never have happened were Emily still in charge. "Quiet!" Cried the Templar, slamming his foot down on the stone, his shout quieting the whole room instantly. "You leave at dawn in three days. Pack and prepare. This is no argument. You are dismissed." He turned on his heel and stomped back into the office and slammed the wooden door behind him.

All hell broke loose after that, Warden recruits and officers alike began to shout their disappointment. Frankly, it irritated the mage more than anything. Even from where he was in the back of the room he could hear Oghren speak: "He trying to get me killed? I'll slice off his-"

Zevran interrupted him, "I believe he is trying to get you to work your anger out on something more, let's say, productive."

Felsi next to him nodded, for once there was no baby in her arms. "You have been more of an ass than usual. This might be good for you..." And then he could no longer hear them speak, for Brosca, the near-silent dwarf Warden had approached him.

"Will you be coming with us?" She asked him, and for a moment Anders was confused why she would be speaking to him. Then, after a quick glance around the room, he realized it was because he was one of the only calm ones around.

"Probably not, I cannot leave the Commander. I believe we have had some progress."

"Really? Good news, I hope?" Those grey eyes of her's seemed to sparkle a little. He wondered again just how the Commander had saved her, how she had inspired them all. It made him a little sad to think about.

"I'm not sure really," he admitted to her. "But I hope so."

Brosca flashed him a quick half-smile before she waved a silent goodbye and disappeared into the crowd of Wardens. Some had given in to the orders they were given and had begun to slink away out of the room. Anders stayed to watch them all pass, and thought about exactly why this Warden would want to chase a rumour of dragons, instead of fighting the darkspawn. Could it be for glory? Or to separate himself from the Commander, he had been rather emotion the night before. It was too early to tell, but Anders made mental note to watch him more closely.

As more of the Wardens drifted away Zevran settled silently into the chair beside Anders, so silently that it wasn't until he tapped the mage's arm that he realized he was even there. "Dear Maker you scared me!" He gasped, placing a hand to his chest.

"I apologize, Anders. I saw you watching me earlier. Was there something you need?"

Anders had to smirk, the elf was quite observant, more than he let on. "Yes, actually. I have a question about Oghren and Alistair-"

"I see. I do not believe it is my story to tell-"

"I cannot let Wardens kill each other Zev. You must tell me."

The assassin gave in with a sigh. "If I must." He looked uncomfortable then, shifting in his chair a few times before he began. "Before the Blight, when we had all been companions..." He sighed, shaking his head. "I do not know where to start."

"Were Emily and Alistair lovers?" Anders found himself asking suddenly and by the shocked look that Zevran shot him, he realized he hit the nail on the head.

But Zev only sighed again, harder. "It was not so simple. But.. as you can imagine, they had a falling out. Rather, he left her in the middle of the landsmeet, you have heard of it, yes?"

"Of course. It was held to decide who the next monarch of Ferelden would be, it was where Emily conscripted Loghain."

"Yes. At the cost of him." Zevran pointed toward the office door, towards Alistair. "He did not see what that did to her, he did not have to listen to her cry for days when she thought no one was listening. We did.

"One night, back on the road, only a week since he had left us, left her, Oghren had convinced her not to retire to her tent directly after dinner. Instead, he asked her to share a drink. One drink turned into many, and the rest of us joined in, even Shale."

"Who?"

"Nevermind. But what I mean to say is... we watched how him leaving destroyed her. I had never seen her cry until that day. Oghren, as tough as he looks, was just as hurt by the betrayal." Zevran shook his head. "But I have said too much, I must return to my duties. I have many things to do."

Anders was still trying to work it out, attempting to imagine the Commander he knew broken down and crying, and failing. So by the time he turned to Zevran to ask him to explain more, he was gone.

The mage gathered himself to his feet shortly after that, and left the Keep. He needed some air.