Alright, so this one is going to be a bit depressing because of the images of death and suicide. If this kind of thing bothers you, don't read.
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After meeting with King Cailan shortly after they arrived in Ostagar, Duncan left Azariah to look around while he took her mabari, Tucker, to their camp. Azariah was now alone and finally had a moment to take a breath after everything she'd been through. She felt completely hollow. The images of the castle – her home – falling apart, her father in such pain after being stabbed, her mother's heartbroken expression, her sister-in-law and nephew lying dead on the floor, pooled in their own blood with cold, lifeless eyes… it was all too much! She simply fell to her knees and cried, clutching her sides as if in pain as she curled up into a ball on the ground. She didn't care if anyone walked by and saw her, she didn't care if she was supposed to become a Grey Warden… she just didn't care about anything. After a few moments, she calmed down enough to get up off the cold, hard ground and walk down to the bridge that separated the two parts of Ostagar. She then came across a large crumbling part of the bridge that had no railing, and the drop was at least 300 feet to the encampments below. 'One careless step, and someone could fall right down to their death…' Thinking that, Azariah took another step forward to the edge, then another, and another…
"Wait!" Someone yelled out to her right as she was on the edge, and she turned her head to the right to see a blonde-haired man in armor standing there. "Don't do it." He said to her softly as he golden eyes pleaded with her silently.
"Go away!" She growled. "I'm not looking to be talked out of it!" She looked back down at the valley below.
The man was silent for a moment before he took a step towards her to fling a piece of trash over the edge, but made sure to not get too close so she wouldn't jump right then. "Look… I don't know who you are, or what your story is, but… I do know that killing yourself is not going to solve anything."
"I told you to go away!"
"I can't. I'm involved now. If I just walk away and let you do it, what kind of man am I?"
"You shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place!" Azariah growled.
"I saw someone about to let themselves walk over the edge, I couldn't just let it happen." He let out a sigh. "You must've really been through something to make you think the only way out is suicide…"
"What's it to you?"
"Maybe if you talk to me about it, it will make you feel better. Then, you won't need to kill yourself." He cautiously held out his hand to her. "Please reconsider…"
Meanwhile, Cailan was walking by the bridge when he looked out over it and saw the view in front of him. He stopped dead in his tracks before moving closer to try and hear what was being said. He couldn't help but smirk as he thought to himself, 'What do we have here? My little brother and my old friend, Azariah… this ought to be interesting!'
Azariah gazed at the man's outstretched hand skeptically. "You don't know me, so why are you doing this?"
"I told you: I'm involved now. I'm not going to just let you jump to your death." He stretched his hand out a little further. "Come on…" He gently said. "Take my hand. You don't have to do this."
Azariah looked back at the man's face with such a look of sadness that he returned it with a look of sympathy, but didn't retract his hand. Azariah slowly reached out and placed her hand in his, and his fingers wrapped around it before he gently pulled her towards him and away from the edge. Azariah let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and seemed to relax as she stood in front of her mysterious savior. It took a minute or so, but she finally managed to mutter, "Thank you."
"Don't mention it." He gave her a soft smile and shook the hand he was still holding. "I'm Alistair."
"Alistair? The Grey Warden?"
"The one and only!" He laughed. "You've heard of me?"
"…Duncan sent me to find you."
"Ah, that would make you Azariah Cousland, then? The newest recruit?" She looked shocked that he knew that before just nodding. "I think I understand why you wanted to jump, then…" He looked at her sadly. "I'm so sorry about your family. Duncan said you just lost them in his letter."
Azariah sniffed and just nodded.
"But hey, look at the bright side. You're alive, and were chosen to be a Grey Warden, an honor not many receive. Don't look at losing your family as an ending. It's more of a new adventure; it certainly was for me when I became a Warden. It's just a new chapter in the story of my life, and maybe it'll be the same way for you." Azariah chuckled, and Alistair smiled widely as he looked at her. "Ah-ha! Made you smile!" He joked, and she outright laughed this time.
"Thank you, really. You stopped me from making a big mistake."
Cailan smiled as he watched the two of them continue talking. 'Hm… was this coincidence or fate, I wonder… and where will their story go next?'
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Hey, so this is just a short little story about how Alistair and Azariah really met, in my mind. I did get the idea from Titanic, if you were wondering.
