this story was not only inspired by my favorite game but also by a song called All of Me by Matt Hammitt the words moved me but fit the whole city elf/alistair romance
story is rated M and MA
My breath caught in my throat seeing Ostagar for the first time. The massive size of the ruins, the likes of which I had never seen before loomed in front of Duncan and me. My new life the life of Grey Warden would truly begin here. Just inside the gates, we're greeted almost immediately.
"Duncan!"" a voice exclaimed, the gold of his armor glinting from the midday sun. I blinked rapidly trying to clear the black dots from my vision. The newcomer smiled delighted at our or I should say Duncan's arrival. His blond shoulder length hair tied away from his face accenting his handsome face. Around him, four guards formed an arc. "I was beginning to worry you'd miss all the fun!"
"Not if I could help it, your majesty," Duncan chuckled, bowing. I stared in awe; this was King Maric's son Cailan, the new king of Ferelden. I knelt down on one knee crossing my right arm across my chest and bowed before him.
King Cailan clasped Duncan around the arm in greeting. "Then I'll have the mighty Duncan at my side in battle after all! Glorious!" the king smiled broadly his eyes searching around Duncan until they met mine. The weight of his gaze turning my knees weak I smiled back weakly grateful to be kneeling. "The other wardens told me you'd sent word about finding a new recruit. I take it this is she?"
Duncan nodded, "allow me to introduce you, your majesty."
Cailan laughed and it was childlike in its exuberance, "no need to be so formal Duncan. We'll be shedding blood together after all." He reached down offering me his and timidly I placed my hand in his. With a light tug, he pulled me to my feet and into his arms. As he held me against him gently, a dark heated look clouded his eyes and his voice deepened slightly, "hello there, might I know your name?"
Color flushed across my cheeks flustered by our embrace, "my name is Fìera Tabris, your majesty."
"Pleased to meet you," he murmured releasing me. I stepped quickly backwards blushing furiously. "From where do you hail?"
I kept my gaze lowered as I answered, his attention making me nervous, "the city of Denerim."
"As do I," he exclaimed jubilantly. "Though, I have not been in the palace for some time. Do you come from the alienage?"
I nodded trying to focus on anything but the Kings face. His boyish good looks could get him any maiden in Ferelden. I did not understand why I commanded his attention so.
"Tell me how is it there? My guard all but forbids me going there," his asked his tone sincere.
The question had my head snapping up from the ground I had been concentrating intently upon. My eyebrows knitted together and I spoke carefully, "then there are many things you know nothing about."
"Oh, anything in particular?" his eyes searching mine the air thick with tension between us.
I did not break his gaze though I wanted to, "I am unsure where to start." My voice was breathy.
"Surely you could list off a couple of things," he smiled dazzling me.
"Poverty, injustice, murder, abuse, rape…" I listed off, the kings eyes widened and I trailed off unable to finish my sentence.
He scrutinized my face, my indifferent stare, "you think I care nothing about these things, but I do." He sighed, "I supposed your trust will only come with proof. I swear to you before witnesses that things will change once we defeat the darkspawn. In not just the alienage but throughout all of Ferelden," He smiled sheepishly he teeth a perfect white line. "But for now we must attend to war."
I smiled in return unable to help myself, he took my hand in his, laying a kiss lightly upon the back of it, "milady allow me to be the first to welcome you to Ostagar. The warden's will benefit greatly with you in their ranks."
His hand lingered on mine, I pulled away slowly blushing lightly, "you're too kind, your majesty."
He gave me a lingering glance, speaking to Duncan who had been silent during our exchange. "I hate to cut this short but I should return to my tent. Loghain waits eagerly to bore me with his strategies."
"Your uncle sends his greetings and reminds you that Redcliff forces could be here in less than a week."
Cailan laughed, "Eamon just wants in on the glory. We've already won three battles against these monsters and the next one should be no different."
"You sound very confident of that, "I observed.
"Over confident some would say right Duncan?" Cailan asked nudging Duncan in the arm.
"Your majesty, I'm not certain the blight can be ended quite as quickly as you might wish."
Cailan sighed in disappointment, "truth is I'm not even sure this is a true blight. There are plenty of darkspawn but alas we've seen no sign of the Archdemon." He shook his head looking thoughtful for a moment. "I'd hoped for a war like in my father's tales! A king riding with the fabled Grey Wardens against a tainted god," He huffed out a wistful breath. "But I supposed this will have to do."
Behind him, a lone guard came running towards the king drawing all of our attention. His colors were different from the Kings and Cailan rolled his eyes dramatically, "I must go before Loghain sends out a search party. Fare thee well Grey Wardens," he gave me a roguish wink before being enveloped by his guards.
Duncan stood thoughtful watching the king and his men disappear from view. I smiled to myself flattered by the king's attention.
"What the king has said is true we've won several battles already," Duncan confirmed indicating me to follow him.
"Perhaps the King is right then and this isn't a true blight but just a large gathering of darkspawn instead?" my knowledge of the darkspawn was limited to what the elder's stories had taught me. I didn't know what the difference was between a blight and just a horde of darkspawn and, told Duncan just that.
"A true blight means that there is an Archdemon behind the darkspawn rising to the surface, and I know there is one behind this but I cannot ask the king to act solely on my feelings."
"He seems to hold the Grey Wardens in high regards," I said curiously.
"Yes," Duncan agreed. "His father Maric was the one to bring the Grey Wardens back to Ferelden. He also traveled with a group of Grey Wardens into the deep roads during an expedition."
"Are we in danger?"
He chuckled softly, "there is always danger but we are doing what we can for recruits. We also sent a call to the Grey Wardens of Orlas and hope they reach us before the Archdemon rears its head. Our numbers here are too few and while we anxiously wait, we must turn to Teyrn Loghain to make up the difference."
"Is there anything we can do in the meantime?" I asked trying to be helpful.
He stopped walking and I stopped next to him. Before us was a magnificent stone bridge leading to the war camp. My mind reeled at the majesty of it.
"We should proceed with the joining ritual without delay."
My head swiveled to face him, "wait what do you mean? What ritual?"
"Every recruit must go through a secret ritual, we call the joining in order to become a Grey Warden," for a moment a deep sadness crossed his face and his eyes would not meet mine. I wondered at the level of danger involved in this 'ritual'. "The ritual itself is brief but there is some preparation is required."
I took a deep calming breath, this was going to happen whether I wanted it to or not. Panicking would not help the situation, "Am I the only recruit you have?"
"No, there are two others already in camp. Feel free to explore the camp here as you wish all I ask is that you do not leave it for the time being." My stomach growled loudly and Duncan chuckled. "After you have attended to your needs find our newest member named Alistair in the camp and have him gather the others for the ritual."
I nodded accepting his task, while mentally going through my inventory.
"Until then I have other business to attend to. You may find me at the Grey Warden's tent on the other side of this bridge, near a large pyre, should you need too," he smiled patting me gently on the shoulder."
"Thank you for your kindness Duncan," I said gratefully.
"You are most welcome though I admit that my kindness was somewhat selfish."
I smiled, " it's alright I am grateful nonetheless."
He nodded, and looked as if he was almost going to add something but turned and strolled away instead. I stood there awhile watching until he was but a dot in my vision. Although soldiers brushed by me on their way into the camp, I was officially alone. I backtracked towards the entrance to a path that had caught my eye earlier. I followed it past crumbling stone and overgrown grass. I found what had caught my eye earlier a patch of elfroot and deep mushrooms. I knelt with my pack and started gathering the healing herbs. A few soldiers walked past, their conversation loud enough for me to hear.
"Today two units arrived every hour and they expect to double that tomorrow."
"Yes but I heard the Teyrn is worried that will not be enough to drive the darkspawn from the wilds." Their voices drifted off, as they got further away. I quickly finished picking the herbs and wrapped them in a piece of cloth, and tucked them into my pack. I checked the small field over for any sign of wild life but knew it was pointless any game would already been hunted or scared off.
I took off across the bridge into the king's camp, as the soldier standing at the other end of the bridge called it, when I stopped to ask him directions to a quartermaster. I smiled my thanks and proceeded into the camp. Throughout the ruins, tents scattered around for the various divisions of groups gathered. The King and Teyrn kept to one side surrounded by their personal retinue of guards. Near them, troops practiced their various skills. Next to Loghain's tent and the pyre was Duncan's tent and next to him were the ash warriors. I had never seen anything like them so devout in their beliefs and practices I stopped to watch them with their mabari hounds. The beauty of the beasts was breathtaking. I secretly wished for one of my own as I nodded in respect to them.
I found the quartermaster, who mistook me for a servant elf, tucked away in a corner of the camp. After pointing at my armor, he apologized offering me a slight discount on goods. After perusing his wares, I found a sword sheath that strapped across my back. I also purchased several leather ties to braid back my hair, a larger backpack and traded my current scabbard and most of my coin for a smaller one for my knife at my hip. When I was finished, he pointed me in the direction of the food caravan, after filling my stomach and braiding my hair back I went in search of the Grey Warden Alistair. It did not take long he was just north of the war council in an argument with a mage.
"What is it now? Haven't Grey Wardens asked more than enough of the circle?"
"I simply came to deliver a message for the revered mother, ser mage. She desires your presence." I approached slowly listening to their argument not wanting to interrupt unless I had too.
"What her reverence desires is of no concern to me! I am busy helping the Grey Wardens, by the King's orders I might add!" the mage shouted his face turning an interesting shade of purple.
Alistair snickered, "Should I have asked her to write a note?
"Tell her I will not be harassed in this manner!"
"Yes, I was harassing you by delivering a message," the blond Grey Warden shook his head.
"Your glibness does you no credit," the mage scowled.
"Really and here I thought we were getting along so well I was even going to name one of my children after you…the grumpy one," Alistair sneered.
"Enough," the mage shouted fuming with rage. "I will speak to the woman if I must! Get out of my way fool." He pushed past Alistair scowling as he bumped into me.
"You know, one good thing about the blight is how it brings people together," he said to me turning and watching the mage disappear over my shoulder. The full impact of his gaze took the breath from my lungs. He smiled slightly waiting for an answer as I tried desperately to capture my breath.
"I'm sorry?" I wheezed out. Who was this human? And why did I feel like my whole world just fell into place?
this chapter took longer to post but not write its actully been sitting on my thumbdrive for a while i was just distracted by my story Raised by Wolves for the elder scroll series that i forgot to post this so here it is. a bit late but better than never and finally our hero has appeared :)