A/N: With many thanks to juri for the beta.
Things you should know for this part: After the Blight, Bann Teagan Guerrin married Kaitlyn from Redcliffe Village. He became the Arl of Redcliffe in 9:37 Dragon under trying circumstances. He and Kaitlyn have one daughter, Roslyn.
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9:39 Dragon
Arl Teagan was exhausted.
A full day of talks with his sworn vassals, overseeing preparations for a grand ball in honour of his daughter Roslyn's fourth birthday... it was to drive a man mad. Thank the Maker for Kaitlyn, or he would have never survived this long with his sanity intact.
"Who's my favourite girl?" he asked, summoning his reserves of energy for the most important little person in his life.
"I am!" his daughter said with evident glee, not at all concerned by the fact that she was also the only little girl in his life. She wrapped her arms around him in a hug, and he lifted her up, pretending to groan with the effort. She had grown taller, again... when had that happened?
"Story, Papa. Please?"
Teagan placed her down on the bed, with an overly dramatic look back to the door. "Very well," he agreed, "but you must promise to be very quiet. Else Nan will become cross at me for keeping you past your bedtime."
Roslyn nodded in perfect agreement, her eyes wide with anticipation. "Very quiet," she promised.
Teagan smiled, and ruffled his daughter's hair. "Then let us begin."
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Lady Roslyn and the Dragon
In a big stone castle at the edge of a lake, there lived a lovely young lady named Roslyn. She was brave and fierce, and quick of wit. She could wield a shield and sword as well as any man twice her size, and had bested all the knights in the land in single combat. She was the Fair Lady Roslyn, much beloved by her people and her proud parents alike.
One day, the villagers of the castle spied a terrible foe: a great big red dragon, flying overhead. Cries of terror spread throughout the town. "Who will save us from the ravenous beast?" the villagers cried. "Who shall protect our children and our homes?"
"I will," said the Fair Lady Roslyn. With that, she gathered up her things, put on her best armour, strapped on her best arms, and prepared to do battle with the dragon.
She headed up to the high mountains to the west, for she knew that dragons liked to dwell in the frost-covered peaks in that area. The way forward was rocky and cold, but the lady was well-prepared and had rugged up warmly against the cool weather.
As she journeyed onwards, she heard the sound of fighting. She could see lone elf in a valley below, surrounded by scores of darkspawn. The elf was using powerful magic to defeat her foes, but Roslyn could see that she was tiring, whilst the hordes of darkspawn appeared to be unending.
With a great battle cry, the Fair Lady Roslyn joined the fray, wielding her shield and sword. She fiercely cut through swathes of darkspawn with her mighty blade, the Pink Unicorn Sabre, and her enemies began falling in vast swathes around her. Before long, all the foul beasts were slain, and only the Fair Lady Roslyn and the elf remained.
"Are you hurt?" Roslyn exclaimed, hearing the elf groaning as she picked herself up and came to her feet.
"Not at all, thanks to you," the elf said. "I am in your debt."
"It was nothing," the Fair Lady Roslyn said, for she was as humble as she was brave. Just at that moment, she peered more closely at the elf, who did not seem to be visibly injured. "Are you... a grey warden?" Roslyn asked, thinking that she might recognise the elf through the many paintings and drawings that she had seen.
"Yes." The elf sounded surprised. "I am Sylvanna Surana, a Circle mage and grey warden."
The Fair Lady Roslyn could not contain her excitement, and squealed with delight. "The Hero of Ferelden!" she exclaimed. "This is the happiest day of my life." At the elf's expression, she continued on. "I am a great admirer of yours, Ser Warden."
"That is most kind of you," said the warden. "Am I to assume from the heraldry on your shield and your obvious prowess in battle that you are the Fair Lady Roslyn of Redcliffe Castle? Never have I seen such dazzling agility nor such impeccable swordsmanship!"
"I am indeed," Roslyn said, overjoyed to have been recognised, and blushing to hear such compliments falling so easily from the warden's lips. "I am searching for a dragon that has been terrorising our village."
"Then I will aid you," the warden declared. "For I owe you my life, and this quest of yours is most worthy. Let us find the dragon together, and end its reign once and for all."
Together, the two of them journeyed further into the mountains. They descended into the maw of a huge, cavernous chamber, filled with monsters and dank, stagnant pools of water. The two of them saw many small dragonlings, but at their approach, the little creatures ran before them, until the sounds of their squeaking grew distant.
"That was quite strange," the warden mused.
"Very. Why did they not stay and fight?"
"I do not know. Perhaps they intend to ambush us at a later time. We should be cautious."
Roslyn agreed, and they continued on.
They found many a giant spider as they ventured onwards, and those they slew, taking care to avoid their poisonous spittle and cloying webs.
"Careful," Roslyn said, as she disarmed a trap on the floor, "the dragon's lair has many obstacles prepared for us."
The warden nodded, and waited for Roslyn to take the lead.
They crept further into the chamber, drawn by the sound of slow, deep breaths and the creaking of mighty lungs. As they rounded a corner, they saw the head of the mighty dragon, and the creature cracked open its baleful, yellow eyes.
"Great dragon," said the Fair Lady Roslyn, "why have you been harassing our village and disturbing our sleep with your mighty roars? You have been making my people quite fearful that they no longer wish to work in the fields nor tend to their livestock."
"Little lady," grumbled the dragon, "I have no wish to disturb your people. However, the truth of the matter is that I need to feed my young, and the number of dwarves passing through these mountains has decreased dramatically."
The Fair Lady Roslyn became thoughtful. "That is unfortunate, indeed," she said. "If I was the mother to so many dozens of dragonlings, I suppose I would worry about how to feed them all, as well. Is that how you would feel?" she asked, this last question directed to the warden.
"I suppose it would be a concern."
"Certainly, Great Dragon, we do not wish for your children to starve," Roslyn continued. "However, I am afraid that our villagers are all stringy and tasteless, and would not provide much nutrition for you at all."
The dragon eyed. "You smell rather deliciousssss." Her sibilant whisper echoed strangely in the chamber, as she snaked her head around to peer closely at Roslyn, her large eyes staring unblinkingly, no less than two yards away from the lady knight.
"I am covered in metal," Roslyn declared. "My sword and shield would stick in your gut and give you awful cramps."
The dragon huffed. "Perhaps."
"Great Dragon," Roslyn said respectfully, "why don't you take your children and fly west over the Arbor Wilds, to the Gamordan Peaks? There are always many travellers passing through that area to get to Mont-de-glace."
The dragon appeared to mull this concept over. "Are you sure that they will be tasty travellers?"
"The Chevaliers travel through that area often," the Fair Lady Roslyn said with confidence. "They are very tasty men, fattened with blanquette de veau and andouillette and gougère," she said, as her mouth began to water at the thought of such delicious food. "And your children may dine on their horses, as well."
The dragon snorted, and a wisp of smoke drifted up from her nostrils. "How do I know that you are not lying to me, little lady?"
"It's true," the warden said, taking Roslyn's lead. "There are many tasty Chevaliers in the Gamordan Peaks, and they always keep their horses nice and plump."
The dragon tilted her head to the side, as if she was considering her words. "This country is sadly lacking in horseflesh."
"Exactly!" Roslyn exclaimed. "All we have are very smelly dogs, which aren't tasty at all."
The dragon huffed, and she eyed both of them with her harsh yellow gaze. "Very well then," she said. "I shall take your advice, and travel to the Gamordan Peaks to see for myself. But mark my words, if you are lying to me, I shall certainly feast upon your fleshy bodies when I return to this land."
"Understood," the Fair Lady Roslyn said. "May I have your oath that you will depart these mountains on the morrow?"
The great beast chuckled, showing her long, white fangs. "What an impertinent little lady you are!" she declared. "Very well. I swear upon my mother's memory, that I and my kin shall depart these lands in the morning."
With that, the dragon gravely extended a claw, and the Fair Lady Roslyn solemnly shook talons with the beast.
"Now go," the dragon said, "before I change my mind, and devour you both."
Lady Roslyn and the warden both left the mountainous lair without further delay. They made camp in the mountains that night, braving the cold and the snow. In the morning, the many shadows of the dragon and her children blackened the sky, and the air filled with the sound of their beating wings. They had fulfilled their promise to the Fair Lady Roslyn.
The two returned to the village of Redcliffe, to much adulation and joy from the villagers. "Our saviours!" they called them, "defeaters of the dragon!"
"Stay with us and celebrate," Roslyn asked of the warden. "This victory is as much yours as it is mine."
"My lady is too kind," the warden said. "I am afraid that I have my grey warden duties to consider, but I will intrude upon your hospitality for a day, at least."
The two made merry, feasting and listening to music and stories long into the night. Unfortunately, it had to come to an end, and the grey warden packed up her things and prepared to return to her duties of quelling the last of the darkspawn hordes.
"You will always be welcomed in Redcliffe," the Fair Lady Roslyn said, as the warden bid the castle and the village farewell.
"You have my thanks, Lady Roslyn," the warden said. "I have no doubts that the Arling will prosper with you as its guardian."
The two bid each other a fond farewell, though their paths would cross again, in the years to come. In time, their tale grew into legend, and was told all throughout the land.
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A/N: I'm making the assumption that Arl Teagan hasn't read his Monster Manual and doesn't know that dragonlings and drakes can't fly.
The next fable will be told by Sylvanna.