The Herald of Andraste

"Keep your hands up!" Ela barked. A smack to his head punctuated her message. Shaking the pain away, Aiden positioned his hands like she had shown him and dodged the next strike. Kata recovered quickly, skirted to the side, threw another punch hitting him under his ribs, and sent him skidding through the snow.

Aiden groaned; he was bruised, sore, and tired. Training was nothing like he had imagined. There were no swords, no grand grimoires to pass, and no fun. There was only pain and the ache of his muscles.

Ela had woken him early that morning, before even the sun had risen, dragged him outside and made him run laps around the village until his tunic was soaked with sweat. Immediately after the run, she made him climb trees, then hold a barrier while Lilith bombarded him with spell after spell. Now, he was in a grappling match.

"On your feet," Ela ordered lifting him up, "When you get hit, roll like I showed you, don't try and hold against it you're too small." She brushed the snow from his back and moved back to her position on the sideline.

Across from him waves of heat of heat rose from Kata as he rolled his shoulders backward, his crimson eyes driving into him.

He charged. Aiden shuffled backwards; hands raised while trying to keep his footing. Kata was on him in a second, lashing out so fast Aiden couldn't see his fists, but he could feel them. The air rushed from his lungs with each strike. Aiden rolled to the side hoping Kata wouldn't adjust to quickly. Gasping for air, he pushed himself to his feet, only to jump backwards as Kata's fist came shooting toward him.

"Don't just dodge, strike back!"

He tried to do as she bid. Aiming for Kata's exposed chest, he charged. His first two strikes missed. The last landed, but it did nothing to slow Kata, and only made Aiden's fists feel like jelly as they connected with his ironbark chest. In an instant, the Qunari trapped Aiden's arm under his own and smacked him to the side with a massive forearm. His vision dimmed. Before he could get his bearings, he felt himself being lifted up. Then there was a blur of white, grey, brown, and he was on the ground. Aiden's teeth clattered together and he bit back a scream.

"Enough." Ela breathed moving to his side.

Aiden sat up with a groan, clutching at his aching back trying not to imagine the bruise that would bloom there. His cheeks burned as his sister stood over him, her gloved hand outstretched toward him. He took it with a frown.

"What do you think you did wrong?" She asked hoisting him upward.

"I don't know," Aiden grumbled, glaring at the ground. "He moved really fast and he's strong. It wasn't fair he's bigger than me."

"Nothing is fair, Aiden." Ela stressed placing a hand on his shoulder. Her eyes were fierce as they bored into him. "The battles you fight won't be fair. The rewards you earn won't be fair. You're going to have to learn how to deal with it. Now, what did you do wrong?"

He huffed, jerking away from her touch and shouldering on his cloak. "I didn't hit him and I forgot to keep my hands up." He answered.

"That's what I told you. What did you notice yourself?"

Aiden shrugged pulling the hood over his head. "I don't know!"

His sister glared at him from the corner of her eye, all stern and deadly, like a viper waiting to strike. He'd upset her.

"Well until you figure it out, you can go with Lilith and practice holding a barrier again." She said steadily. "It'll do you some good."

"Why, can't you just train me the way you were trained?"

Ela groaned aloud. It was the fourth time he'd tried to convince her to train him. It seemed like a simple task to him. Why she refused was beyond him.

"I'd do whatever it takes to-"

"No." Ela growled low in her throat. She turned on him, her eyes heavy and hard. "I don't want to hear it anymore."

"You can't just push me to the side-"

Ela took a threatening step forward leering over him. "Enough, go now, before I make you run laps till you collapse."

Aiden huffed and glowered at his sister, but headed away to do as she bid, dragging his feet all the while.

The next day was much of the same and once a week had passed Aiden found himself growing use to the routine. His muscles did not ache as strongly after his runs and he found it easier to cast some of the spells that Lilith and Evsa were teaching him. Sparring with Kata was still a struggle and at the end of each match he found himself bruised and frustrated.

Eventually, Ela's wounds healed and she joined him in his morning runs. Aiden relished their runs together. It was the only time that Ela acted like Ela. In Haven her guard was constantly up, watching everyone and everything. Most nights she didn't even sleep. On their runs together she was completely different. She smiled, joked, and teased him just like before the Breach.

It brought him immeasurable joy, but lately she talked feverishly of leaving for the Hinterlands. It was beginning to sour his mood. Aiden desperately wanted to go with her and the Seeker. Besides training, he spent most of his days reading about potion recipes, watching the Commander's troops train, and standing in council meetings at Ela's side listening to a flurry of information that he felt he should remember now that he…he was…the Herald of Andraste.

His mouth went dry every time he thought about it. It felt too heavy. It was too much responsibility. So many people were expecting him to fix the Breach, to save them all. He drove the thought from his mind. Ela warned him that if he kept focusing on it, he would drive himself to an early grave. He should just trust her, like she told him too. Even if it meant she had to leave him.

When the day came for her to leave, he stood at the gates to say goodbye. His hands mindlessly wringing a scrap of paper. Ela had donned a simple iron chest plate, greaves, and gauntlets with boiled leathers underneath. An Inquisition sword hung from her hip. It was odd for him not to see a shield on her arm, but her hand still couldn't grip normally. Aiden hoped she would be okay without it. He had never seen her go into battle without one.

The Seeker, Varric, and Solas, were all going with her; though it was doing nothing to calm his nerves. One thing still bothering him was the fact that Ela and the Seeker were still on rocky ground with one another. Even in council meetings they only shared a few clipped words with one another and the tension hung thick in the air like the scent of Fereldan cheese.

"Be good while I'm gone, okay." Ela said as she embraced him. "Read your tome, and practice with the other mages, and don't stay out too late. Kata and Lilith and Evsa will be there if you need them."

He bobbed his head in agreement. It was the same speech every time she left.

"Don't fight the Seeker." Aiden whispered glancing over at the woman. She was standing by the gate with her arms crossed over her chest, her ever present scowl plastered on her face.

Ela tightened the hug, chuckling quietly. "I'll try."

She pulled away clapping him on the back lightly glancing back at her group. He could tell by the look on her face she was anxious to be gone. If there was one thing she hated, it was sitting in one spot for too long.

"Stay safe…Herald." She said with a grin.