Chapter 1:

Saura Azurad was sick of traveling. It seemed that was all she ever did. It would really be nice to stop and put her feet up for a while, yet she hadn't been given that opportunity for the last…well…as long as she could remember. Until now. Yes, it was finally time for a break. Her whole body was begging for at least a month of stability and Saura wasn't about to refuse.

She glanced inconspicuously at her current traveling companions, who'd been duller than dirt and had attempted to engage her in a thrilling conversation about the wonders of farming. Not that she had anything against farmers, but there was a fine line between passion for your trade and insanity. Saura was fairly certain they'd crossed that line years ago. Indeed, now the two older men were conversing in loud tones about when the best time to pluck carrots was. Ugh.

Saura turned her gaze forward and willed the Imperial Highway to shorten itself, although she was well aware they would be reaching Nevarra City's gates any time now. However, the trip through the Silent Plains with these nutty farmers had been just about unbearable and now she was counting the minutes it would take to finally rid herself of their presence. The farmers weren't her only traveling companions, however. Several caravans had passed through, but they rarely stayed to chat. Many were on a tight schedule and pushed on ahead with their carts loaded with goods. Indeed, two carts passed on her right now with harried drivers.

Saura needed a distraction from the repetitive one-foot in front of the other movement that carried her forward. She brushed her dark golden bangs out of her face and grasped the familiar hilt of her sword. She unsheathed it in one fluid movement and ignored the sudden worried looks she was receiving from the caravan drivers. She brought her blade up to rest in her other hand and she inspected it. The blade was battle-worn, but sturdy and sharp. The red steel had not a flaw in it, and Saura took a cloth from her pack and cleaned it now. The large violet gem embedded into the guard of the sword seemed to wink at her. She'd had this blade for several years now and could wield it as easily as if it were an extension of her own arm. It was a greatsword and quite heavy. She smiled as she remembered first attempting to swing it, which resulted in dropping it and falling over. After deeming her sword clean enough, she replaced it in its sheath at her back, but then busied herself dusting her hardened, crimson leather armor.

It was nearing nightfall when they received their first glimpse of the few ornate structures that bordered Nevarra City. These massive, beautifully constructed buildings lined the Imperial Highway on either side and rose up in a magnificent view unlike any other and glistened in the dying rays of the sun. These immense dwellings were tombs for the Nevarran dead. Saura had heard the tales of how Nevarran nobles and wealthy citizens began saving up from the time they were toddlers so as to one day lay their lifeless body in a grand temple to honor the life they had lived. Saura looked up at the rows of gilded mausoleums and couldn't help but gape up at them, just as awestruck as the others in her current traveling party.

It was soon after this that the first lights of Nevarra City came into view. It was a grand city, lined with a tall stonewall, the massive gate guarded by two stone figures depicting a man and woman warrior, shields and swords in hand looking vigilant as though they could come to life at any moment to guard their city from harm. Suddenly the dirt road of the Imperial Highway transformed into a paved street of a glittering stone Saura was unfamiliar with. As she made her way across it she peered down in wonder, convinced there must be an abundance of the stone to pave the entire roadway with it.

Her fellow travelers were walking up through the gates of the city, where several guards were keeping an attentive eye on the newcomers. Saura followed closely behind, suddenly feeling claustrophobic in the cramped area just inside the city gates. The rest of the city was barred off to the travelers until they provided names and business information to the guards and were deemed worthy of entering. The guardsmen were separating them into two groups: one for those planning to stay within the city for a period of time, and one for those just passing through. The majority of her traveling party were the caravans just passing through and they were escorted off down a small, well-traveled roadway off to her right. Saura however, found herself feeling physically ill at the idea of more travel and quickly told the guardsman she planned on staying.

" How long?" He asked in a brisk bass tone. The only visible feature of the man was his intelligent amber eyes, which glanced suspiciously at the sword on her back. The bulky metal helm with the green crest of the city etched into it covered the rest of him. The silverite reflected the light of the nearby street lamps and Saura suddenly felt a pang of compassion for the man when she caught a heady whiff of perspiration coming from him. How in the Makers name did the guards go all day in those damned metal prisons?

" How long?" The guard repeated with a note of annoyance.

" A couple weeks?" Saura said uncertainly and with a quick shrug. She had honestly no clue what her future plans were and hoped that while here in the city she could come up with something. The response seemed to work for the guardsman because he was shuffling some papers and stamped one firmly. He held it out to her.

" If you plan to remain longer you are required to fill out the appropriate paperwork at the town clerics office. Enjoy your stay in Nevarra's glorious capital." The guard rattled off the welcome speech in a monotone, which spoke leagues of how he felt about his job. Saura couldn't blame him.

The guard opened a gate off to the left and she was escorted into the city's market district. It was empty of merchants now, but Saura could only imagine the amount of activity within the square during the day. On the other side of the large square loomed the Chantry. It's cathedral-like visage and soaring towers were a sight to behold. Across the front, an enormous stained glass representation of Andraste had Saura stopping to inspect further. She'd never been very religious, although she did believe in the Maker, but more than that she appreciated the aesthetics of the old artwork. After a moment, Saura turned and took in the rest of the square. It was paved in the same white stone that she'd seen just outside the city and the flickering candlelight from the lampposts gave a dazzling glittering effect as she walked across it.

Saura began her search for the cheapest, disease-free inn she could find. As she walked through the vacant streets of the city she tried to get a feel for the atmosphere, or the tone that radiated from the people who inhabit it. But instead, all she could focus on was the rumbling of her stomach and the ache in her feet. At this point, she didn't care if the city was on the verge of revolution; she needed a meal and a place to rest. That was when she stumbled upon a modest two-story inn with a large vacancy sign posted out front. She looked left and right to scope out the area. It wasn't a rundown gang infested area, but an inn just on the outskirts of the merchant district. In fact, there was a café across the street and a tavern two doors down, which suited her just fine. Her mouth began to water at the possibility of a drink so she quickly marched into the inn and set up a weeks worth of pay.

An hour later, Saura was comfortably seated at a table near the front of the tavern listening to the local gossip idly. She felt much better now that she'd had a large meal back at the inn, consisting of stew and bread. The tavern was called The Slaver's Quarters. According to locals, this bar used to belong to a wealthy slaver who'd ship thousands of slaves at a time to the Imperium. But one night the captured slaves revolted, resulting in the death of every slaver present. The remaining slaves escaped, setting the place on fire before they fled. The original building had been burnt to the ground, but in memory of the event the tavern was built. Saura had only been interested in getting a bit drunk when she'd entered, but now knowing the story behind the bar; she was quite pleased at her choice.

As far as taverns go, this was one of the better ones Saura had ever encountered. Not that she was a drunkard, but she'd set foot in a few in her travels. There were a scattering of small round tables and a counter area in which the bartender stood behind, getting drinks for patrols seated on stools in front of it. There was a patio out back that was looking more and more tempting as the tavern began filling up. The wooden door was open, which allowed a cool breeze to flow through the otherwise stifled place, so she could just make out the wooden railing that overlooked a small expanse of grass. Saura looked up at the barkeep that was a mid-aged human man with three-day-old scruff and quick hands. Unlike other bartenders she'd encountered, this one was actually intelligent and mild-mannered. Although the way he was cracking his knuckles and glaring at the two men by the door on the verge of a fistfight, led Saura to believe he was much more than immediately met the eye.

Saura had been finishing up her honey mead and was ready to head back to the inn to get some rest when the group of idiot girls piled in. They were an obnoxious cloud of giggles and perfume that seemed to overtake the small tavern in a matter of seconds. Saura found her foot tapping the wooden floor as the sound level increased ten-fold. She swept a tendril of her dirty blond hair out of her blue eyes and placed it behind her ear that marked her as elven. Without seeing her ears there was no way to tell she was an elf, since instead of the usual straight nose, hers curved delicately. And yes, she was short, but not quite as short as the average elven woman.

" Did you see him?" One high-pitched girl's voice rang out across the tavern.

" What woman in her right mind could miss him? Maker he's gorgeous!" Another cried.

" Who are you talking about?" The mid-aged human woman sitting just in front of Saura at the bar area swiveled around to face the gaggle of girls just directly behind her. Saura peered discreetly over her glass of mead at the woman. Although older she was quite beautiful, Saura noted. Her long brunette hair was curled and fell in waves down her shoulders. She wore a pound of eyeliner and purple eye shadow and still somehow pulled it off. Her tight-fitting corseted blue dress accented her massive breasts and perfect figure.

Saura had to look away quickly to avoid facing her own insecurities in comparison to such a woman.

" You mean you haven't heard?"

Saura took a long draft of her honeyed mead.

" You've heard of the Champion of Kirkwall haven't you? And his companions that assisted in bringing down the Knight Commander in order to save the mages? Well, one of the Champion's companions is here within the city!"

" Which one?" The woman asked, scooting to the very edge of her bar stool.

" Fenris. It seems he just arrived early this morning! He's been seen around the city!" The giggles that followed seemed to etch themselves into her brain permanently. But despite this, her ears perked up at the news. She'd heard the stories about Garrett Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall and his companions. The band of unlikely allies that helped the city in the Free Marches from crumbling to the ground in the face of many threats, including that battle that drove the Champion from the city. The battle against the Knight Commander gone berserk. The Champion fought valiantly against all odds to save mages from needless slaughter, and then immediately fled into hiding. Saura wasn't much of a mage sympathizer, but she didn't agree with massacre, even against mages. It had been over a year since that battle and in that time, word had spread across Thedas of the amazing tale. Saura found the stories enthralling and quickly put a stop to the rising feeling of hero worship within her. Yes, the tales of the Champion made her smile. It wasn't every day that you heard a story that resulted in a happy ending. Yes, the Champion was forced to flee the city, but all of their lives were intact. Her favorite story of course was the one-on-one combat with the Arishok to save the life of his lover Isabella. Ok, Saura would admit it. She's a romantic. Although not quite on the same level as these babbling girls surrounding her now.

Saura took another long draft of her mead and attempted unsuccessfully to block out the high-pitched giggles surrounding her. She hadn't noticed the tavern's door opening, but was finally alerted to something being amiss when the bar fell into a long, uncomfortable silence. Footsteps echoed dully off the wooden walls and Saura looked up in time to see the throng of women jumping into motion to surround the newcomer. Saura hadn't thought it possible, but the giggles grew suddenly louder and squeals of delight had her covering her ears.

" Oh Maker! There he is!"

" Look at his battle-hardened body!"

" Those eyes! They seem to see inside my very soul!"

Throughout all of this noise, Saura distinctly heard a voice call to the bartender for a bottle of Agrisio wine."

Saura raised her head slightly to get a glimpse of the poor man, but the women in the room had formed a tight prison of bodies around him, which was impossible to see around. The mid-aged woman in front of her actually stood from her stool to get a look. She prodded the younger woman standing on her tiptoes just on her other side.

" There's something about that swagger that tells a woman all she needs to know about his bedroom performance. I bet he's a stallion!" The woman said. The girl on tiptoes burst into yet another fit of giggles.

" Agreed! And the way he looks up at you as if you're the only woman in the room!" The girl sighed longingly. " Let's see if we can—"

" OH BLOODY DAMNATION!" Saura roared, slamming her half-full glass down on the table. She stood so quickly that her chair tumbled to the floor, but she shouldered her way to the bar and paid no attention to the fact that the sound level in the tavern had dropped at her outburst. " Barkeep! Give me a shot of your strongest spirit!" She tossed a silver at the man who looked her up and down, running a large hand over the scruff on his chin. He gave her a long, doubtful look.

" You sure you can handle it girly?"

Saura glared daggers at the man.

" Just do it."

With one last skeptical look and shrug he turned and poured her drink. He turned back and handed her the glass without another word but paused as if waiting to show her she wasn't capable of taking it. But in one swift movement, Saura tipped her head back and swallowed the entire drink with a grimace and a slight shudder. She gave the barkeep a little curtsey and pushed her way through the crowd, grabbed her glass of honey mead and headed to the opened door leading to the abandon patio. As soon as she reached it, Saura shut the door behind her and breathed a sigh of relief. She retreated over to the railing overlooking the small patch of grass below that stood between the two buildings.

Saura groaned angrily. She wasn't normally so temperamental, but after being on the road for so long, all she'd wanted was a nice relaxing evening. All she'd wanted was to have a few drinks in peace and then return to the inn for a full nights rest. But of course her luck never turned out that way. She should have known. The cool evening air felt good on her skin and she found herself looking up into the sky and even with all the candlelight surrounding her, she was just able to spot a few stars above. Suddenly she felt a bit better.

After a few minutes of this, Saura decided to scrap the idea of staying at the tavern a moment longer. But before she could even turn to leave, the wooden door opened and shut quietly behind her. She didn't change her position, but just kept gazing up into the starlit sky.

" Escaping the madness within, I take it?" Saura asked companionably.

" You could say that." The person said in a deep, smooth voice. Footsteps sounded behind her and she heard the grating of wood on wood as he pulled a chair out from one of the small tables on the patio. She made no move to fill the silence that fell between them and actually found she appreciating the fact he'd chosen to remain taciturn. Minutes stretched on this way before he made an attempt at conversation.

" I…" The man hesitated and Saura relaxed her stance in a way she hoped would relay the message of openness. " I heard your exclamation inside. Do you disagree with what the Champion and his companions accomplished?" The question held a note of honest curiosity, not that of confrontation so Saura continued looking up at the almost otherworldly brightness of the stars, unfazed. Saura actually chuckled very softly at the question.

" No, it's actually quite the opposite." She explained. " I find it more than admirable what they did in Kirkwall. It takes a certain amount of backbone to stick up for what you believe in the face of opposition. Especially when that opposition is an army of angry Templars." Saura laughed, a low and throaty sound. She turned to look at her company and found the man sheathed in the shadow of the awning that covered the patio. The only features she could truly distinguish are the light color of his hair and the brightness of his eyes. The jagged line of his form suggested he was wearing some type of armor. " Everything the Champion and his companions did in Kirkwall was for the good of the citizens and I guess that's why I'm so angry. Instead of speaking of Fenris' amazing accomplishments, those women in there find it more pressing to speak of his possible performance in the bedroom." Saura said in a disgusted tone. She looked up sharply when she heard an odd choking noise coming from within the shadows and saw a darkened blur set down a glass.

" Is…is that what they're speaking of?" He asked after he'd finished coughing.

" Oh yes. And we can't forget how alluring and hypnotic his gaze is. As if he can see a person's soul. PLEASE!" Saura kicked the leg of the nearest table. " This is what's wrong with Thedas these days. Instead of focusing on the good deeds the man accomplished they choose to drool over him like a pack of bitches in heat!" Saura grimaced and suddenly heard soft chuckles coming from the man in shadow.

" Cheers to that!" The man said, lifting his glass up. Saura lifted hers as well, feeling a genuine smile tug at her lips.

Just then the door flew open, emitting an unwelcome light onto the patio. The loud chatter of the tavern interrupted the beautiful silence they had been enjoying only moments before. Two women sauntered out onto the patio, one being the gorgeous middle-aged brunette.

" Fenris darling! There you are! We thought you'd left without saying goodbye, but here you are!" The brunette woman walked in long-legged strides over to her companion in the shadows. She snaked her arm through his. " Come brighten our evening with your company!" She purred seductively. The other girl took place at the man's other side and practically dragged him to the door.

Saura however, was numb with shock. She stood there with her mouth agape as she finally got a good look at the man she'd been speaking with when the women led him into a pool of candlelight. He was a lean elven man with an unusually tall frame. He wore dusty black armor that practically sang of his victories. A large two-handed greatsword was draped almost carelessly across his back and glistened dangerously in the lit doorway. But what truly held her attention was how the light fell on his pure white hair, resulting in an almost ethereal glow. The same effect occurred as her eyes traveled down to his face and neck, where white lyrium tattoos reflected the modest light in a way that had her wondering for a moment if they actually somehow gathered surrounding light. She finally looked into his intelligent green eyes that were currently twinkling in amusement as he watched the emotions play on her face. At the eye contact Saura was horrified to find she was growing hot with a blush.

Oh Maker! What had she said to him?

" I—I…" Saura stuttered brilliantly and grappled with the right words to say in her apology to him. Her damned cheeks continued to blaze with an obnoxious blush and she tried to move her feet, but found they seemed to have lost feeling. Her heart pounded as she awaited the inevitable confrontation. But it never came. Instead, the tiniest hint of a smile curved his full lips upward as he surveyed Saura from the doorway.

" It has been an enjoyable evening after all." He said slowly, his gaze never faltering. " I am quite glad you have avoided my hypnotic gaze, otherwise we would not have had such a conversation."

Her blush somehow intensified as she stood there like a statue. He gave her a small smile and finally gave into the women's persistent tugs. The door shut behind them, leaving Saura alone to berate herself over and over again for her foolishness.