A/N: I don't own Dragon age.

2

A week later.

Elissa's POV:

Ostagar stretched out before us. The gutted ruins of a castle stood with a defiant limp as if it objected, with pure stubborn refusal, to crumble. A thousand soldiers marched in its vast shadow, a thousand spears clenched in their sure hands as they stretched towards a thousand ornate banners that scaled the thousands of tents in all their ambitious pride. Yet the great stone slabs held all their weight without complaint or revolt.

I watched it all with a haughty expression. The Cousland state had been as broad as it was beautiful and the guards there had smiled readily rather than wore a constant downtrodden grimace; the 'Had been' being a vital part of that sentence as I remembered the Cousland estate sinking to the ground. But I couldn't think about that. I needed to focus. I needed to stop the Blight then there'd be time to grieve but first the Blight. The truth was I couldn't grieve because even the thought of looking into that infinite, gaping expanse I couldn't even begin to measure the inescapable fear and misery it brought. I needed a distraction; I needed something that stopped me from addressing it. And was there any better distraction than the Blight?

Duncan stiffened beside me. His back growing rigid with discipline as a troop of soldiers advanced towards us, the sun catching on their armour then darting into my eyes. It was then that I noticed who stood at their centre. King Calian was visibly far more relaxed than the armed guard that orbited him. I instantly recognized the care-free smile and golden hair of the young king whom I'd known as a prince. I wondered if he'd managed to grow up since then. It was unlikely. Yet I couldn't help the smile that lifted my lips, it was good to see an old friend again.

"Duncan," Calian smiled and warmly clasped Duncan's hand in a handshake.

"King Calian," Duncan bowed with the proper salutation that King Calian lacked.

"And these must be the recruits you sent word of."

Calian looked behind Duncan with real interest only to be greeted by an accusing glare from the female elf while the male one smiled sheepishly.

"Hello there," King Calian said amiably.

The female elf's eyes narrowed to slits and the muscles in her neck jumped with tension before she began to open her mouth; her brother had to leap forward, clamp his hand over it and pull his furious sister away with an apology. We hadn't really conversed with the elves yet. The female had kept herself to herself and greeted any advance with open hostility (I was losing track of how many times one of us had been called Shem something or other). Her brother had been more than pleasant and gracious but seemed to grow quiet suddenly and retreat into a silent misery. I wasn't sure where Duncan had found them but I guessed it was the Alienage. We had been sleeping at the Inn in Denerim before making our way to Ostagar when Duncan returned in the morning with these two elves drenched in enough blood to stain their skin for several days afterwards. I hadn't asked and the siblings didn't seem willing to tell.

"Delightful," Calian seemed oblivious to their odd behaviour and turned his attention to us three.

Daylen's POV:

"Maker, is that the Couslands!" he clapped his hands together; "nearly all four of you there's only Fergus missing. I'm not even sure where to begin."

He moved to hug Aedan with a rough pat on his skinny back, a sober handshake for myself and an embellished bow to Elissa's polite curtsey.

"What are you doing with Duncan? Or did you come to visit your brother? He can survive without you, you know unless of course you're all fleeing from one of Lady Cousland's legendary scoldings."

"Unfortunately not..."

I grabbed Elissa's arm before she could continue and yanked her closer.

"Don't tell him about the Howe's attack," I whispered.

"Why ever not?" she whispered furiously.

"If you do so, you're turning all of us into targets. Howe believes that we're dead, if he receives information that the only surviving Couslands are ordering his arrest and also all conveniently collected here in Ostagar how do think he'll react?"

Elissa only glowered at me in response.

"He'll have us all assassinated and be rid of the only people who could act as accusers. We tell no one about what happened. No one. Until we are in a position of power, something we cannot gain from the King until he has dealt with the Blight."

She snatched her arm away, a face full of thunder before readdressing a bewildered Calian.

Aedan's POV:

Calian's eyes flicked to mine as if to say 'what the hell's going on' as Elissa and Daylen whispered to one another in venomous tones. I shrugged in response.

"They're usually like that," I said as some way of explanation.

"It must be good to have your sister back from the Circle," Calian made conversation then in a quieter voice asked, "is she as bossy as ever?"

"You have no idea," I sighed.

"Oh I do believe me; you should spend a week with Anora. I mean I love her but she could give Elissa a run for her money."

"Then it's vital that we never get those two ladies together. Can you imagine their combined power?"

Calian and I shuddered.

My attention however was soon preoccupied as a rather endowed nurse strolled past the space behind Calian's head. I happened to think of myself as the Cousland Casanova, a lifetime of female friends had helped me gain some understanding but it was Daylen's whole cold hearted exterior that they really loved. I couldn't work out why at first. I mean the local girls would swoon when he glared at them and ask him for a date two days after he'd used them and kicked them from his room as soon as he woke. He refused to even speak to them as if they weren't even capable of reaching the same supposed level he held. I didn't understand it; these were the same girls that had professed to me that all they wanted was a happy ending. The only thing I could assume was that that wasn't what they really wanted at all. On the other hand it could have only been the local girls. I couldn't remember any of Elissa's friends following Daylen around. And the elven woman had been more than sharp with him.

Speaking of our new found friends, where were they? I was quite pleased when Duncan returned with the two elves in tow, the female one especially. It was odd that the two could resemble each other so much yet still manage to look completely different. They had the same lean bodies; the woman's tight little form was of particular interest with the slender legs and taut ass; the same prominent cheekbones (which were more distinct in her case) and strong pointed jaw (which was squarer in his). They shared the same lips (they were almost coffee coloured and the upper lip curled ever so slightly over the fuller bottom one) underneath the same strong, thin nose. It was also the same feline like eyes in their faces with almost the exact same bright green; it was identical heads of deep crimson hair that curled gently around their faces. However the features managed to seem different in their faces. They fit her like a glove; her features oozed an easy confidence as she moved lithe and mobilized each for her desired effect. Her brother however seemed uncomfortable in his own skin as if he were wearing a suit that was a few sizes too big. It had an odd effect on each, the male elf's feature's seemed softer, tentative, far more thoughtful and held a constant worried expression while his sister seemed alluring, untroubled yet at the same time cunning and vicious.

"Hey," I smiled in approach to the two elves as they watched Duncan, Elissa and Calian.

"Hello," said the male, he offered one slender hand that I took.

"Aedan," I said.

"Yes I remember, you've already introduced yourself five or six times."

"Ah, I'm sorry I've forgotten you're name again."

"It's Darrian Tabris."

"And you are?" I tried to grin seductively at his sister who was openly ignoring my presence.

"Go away Shem before I castrate you," she smiled sweetly.

"Ah, lovely name," I mumbled nervously before making my way back to Elissa and Daylen with my tail between my legs.

Kallian's POV:

I couldn't help laughing to myself as the Shem boy (he could be barely 17) scurried away but Darrian cast me a disapproving look.

"There was no need for that," he said, "we have to get on with the others whether we like it or not. Like Duncan said we're all brothers and sisters in arms now."

"But it was worth it just for the look on his face, I thought he was going to piss himself."

"He probably has," Darrian mumbled.

I laughed again and fished an apple from my backpack. I offered Darrian a bite (he refused) before slicing into the crisp skin with a blade and savouring the juice as I placed the slither into my mouth. I watched with interest as another tightly bound flock of soldiers ambled past, their feet dragging along the floor and their backs bent under the weight of their armour. There was a constant bustle of hurried movement around me, enough to capture and keep the interest that had been wasted in the Alienage. I hadn't welcomed the responsibilities that being conscripted into the Grey Wardens meant but I readily embraced the freedom. Adventure, the long awaited something had finally happened. It had just happened in a terrible way.

"Are you okay?" I asked Darrian leisurely, still slicing up the apple. I wasn't good at this feeling sharing crap.

"Er..." Darrian sighed, "I'm not sure anymore. It just all seemed to happen so quickly. I can't even sort it out in my head right now."

"Well, this is good at least," I smiled. He turned to look at me baffled and I wasn't sure but it looked like hurt.

"I never wanted to be a Grey Warden. I wanted to stay in the Alienage. I wanted her."

There was a silence as I struggled with something to say (and words usually came so easily to me) and he struggled with his emotions. Darrian was an open book and he was hurt. The worst I had ever seen him. He finally sighed (with that mother hen sigh) and rose to his feet.

"Duncan's calling us over," he said, "we'd better go."

I groaned, "But that involves talking to that Shem boy."

"You never change," Darrian smirked as he helped me to my feet.

Darrian's POV:

"So how are we going to do this?" Aedan asked the rest of the group after Duncan had given us instructions to seek out the other Warden. I knew what he was asking, how are we going to do this together? Everyone glanced at one another.

"I'll go if you want," I suggested.

"No it's fine," Elissa said me sharply, "we'll all go."

The Couslands were a strange set of siblings, none of them acted as though they were related (except Aedan and Elissa) but that they weren't particularly fond of each others company. They didn't really look related either. Aedan was blonde with large, puppy dog eyes of a deep brown. Baby fat still clung to his squarer, smaller head. His nose and lips were soft and undefined paired with his skinny body and large shoulders gave Aedan the overall appearance of someone who was on the verge of growing into his body.

Daylen was almost the opposite, his hair was a muted brown, stripped here and there with a brunette and unlike Aedan's groomed locks had been left to their own devices (which in short meant they were casually pushed from his face but grew tangled and tousled at the back). Daylen's serious eyes were a hazel that reminded me of leaves caught on bracken and possessed the same barbed mercilessness of their likeness (hard eyes as father would have said). He wore a beard and moustache which added to his overall authority; it came from under his nose, around his mouth and covered his chin but unlike his hair was cut and policed perfectly. Daylen's nose was strong but his lips and the jaw hidden under his beard was smooth and rounded. It was an uncompromising but very handsome face, the kind of face that watched in silence before making a solid decision that would best suit his needs.

Elissa however seemed more the sort of person to throw herself into a conflict or race to someone's aid before even assessing the situation. Her face was soft and rounded like Daylen's and held that same doughy purity as Aedan's. Her eyes were large and beautifully delicate, a deep brown that in low light could be mistaken for black. Her nose was little and buttony, and paired perfectly with full lips. All these features added with deep brunette hair that was pinned and tied behind her head in an ornate, curling pony tail gave her a doll like appearance that held a naively pure quality. Despite this Elissa managed to still ooze a superior aristocratic air that Kallian perceived as snooty. She was small (dwarfed by her tall brothers) with a body that was all soft curves and smooth, doughy limbs rather than my sister's athletic body and slender limbs. It was obvious that Kallian had worked in her body, pushing and bending it until she knew every part and had grafted it to it's best; while Elissa had been kept locked away somewhere in fear of breaking. The only feature the Couslands shared was a slightly pale complexion that was spattered here and there with a cluster of small brown freckles, namely the bridges of all their noses, under their eyes and on their arms and legs.

"Is there any need for me to accompany you," Daylen asked.

Aedan sighed as he prepared himself for the oncoming brawl.

"No there isn't a need but it's best we all go."

"A better question would be is there any need for me to jump at your every command. I could better use the time by getting my armour cleaned."

"Well that isn't a need is it Daylen? Duncan asked that we find this Warden, I'm not ordering you around for the sake of it."

"Can you two Shems stop arguing for five minutes?" Kallian slid into the conflict with an easy smile, "look its best that we find this Warden first before anything and the more time we spend here arguing the more time we waste, yes?"

Both Elissa and Daylen nodded grudgingly.

"Yes so its best we go find this Warden," she smiled and both human lords were already slaves to her manipulation. I couldn't help but smirk.

A/N:

I know it's not brilliantly original or interesting right now but there's not much I can do about that, so sorry. I just wanted you to get a vague idea of the future Wardens in this chapter but I hoped you enjoyed it anyway.

THANKS FOR READING :D :D