3

The new Grey Warden

The journey to Ostergar wasn't especially eventful; I lost my other dagger in a scrap with some Howe solders that were kicking around but nothing major. I spent most of my time crying, not just the loss of my parents but everything, my daggers, my armour, my sister-in-law, my nephew everything, well except Ebony, one plus I suppose. There was nothing left of my family, not even our family blade.

We travelled south through the Hinterlands to the ruin of Ostergar at the edges of the Korcari wilds, when we arrived we were greeted by the king no less. He greeted Duncan boisterously then he turned to me and frowned. I was about to snap "What are you looking at?" then I realised I must have looked a mess, hair tangled with blood, red raw eyes, eyelashes stuck together and sticky with tears, yep I looked a mess alright.

I saw the king give Duncan a quizzical look, the Grey Warden shock his head quickly.

"Ah you must be Bryce's youngest, from Highever." The king seemed to radiate enthusiasm.

"Yes your majesty." I mumbled.

"Your brother has already arrived; unfortunately he is out scouting in the wilds."

"At least that gives me some time to think of what to say to him." I muttered, more to myself than anyone else.

Thankfully the king seemed to notice I wasn't in the talking mood and so simply welcomed us to the camp, said he had better go before someone sent out a search party and left.

"What the king said is true," Duncan looked at me concerned.

"Sorry what?" I said.

"About the darkspawn," Duncan looked even more concerned.

"Eh?" I had no idea what he was talking about.

"It is late, I will show you to our camp," Duncan was still looking at me like I was mad.

I let him lead me through the camp to some small tents, a big fire was in the middle of the camp which Ebony instantly curled up by and went to sleep

"We are camped here," he said. "Get some sleep I will see you in the morning."

So I did, the bed was hard and the blankets thin but I didn't care I was asleep the moment my head touched the pillow. That night I dreamt of my parents, of Fergus, of little Oren. I dreamt about my daggers and my armour, about my bow and everything I'd lost. Duncan kept telling me it wasn't my fault but what if I could have saved them? What if I could have done more? What if I had failed them?

I eventually woke with no idea what time it was but it wasn't light yet so it couldn't be late. I staggered out of my tent to find Duncan by the fire.

"Ah you are awake..." he trailed off when he saw my face. "What is wrong?"

"What do you think is wrong?" I snapped at him. "I lost my entire family a week ago! Were you expecting me to be all happy and fresh-faced?"

"I..." He looked stunned by my outburst.

"My whole family was murdered by one of my father's best friends turned traitor! I'm not going to be happy about it am I?"

Hey what's all this shouting about? Ebony marched over to us, I just collapsed next to the fire crying, Duncan tried to calm me but I was having none of it. He left after a time, not that I noticed.

Hey come on cheer up! This is fun! I had a run around the dog pens earlier.

I didn't reply just buried my head deeper into my knees crying harder.

Come on, I miss Sansdana but you don't see me crying do you? Sansdana was the kitchen cat back home, how stupid does that sound I don't have a home anymore, I never thought about it before but Ebony must miss home too, her and Sansdana breaking into the larder together.

"You're right baby I can't sit around crying can I? I suppose I should probably apologize to Duncan."

Good idea, I'll come too. Just to make sure you don't sass him again.

So we wandered over to where Duncan was standing with his back to us,

"Duncan?" I asked tentatively.

He appeared startled "Lady Cousland, how are you feeling?"

"I'm sorry I snapped, Duncan, I didn't mean it," I said ignoring his question.

"I understand," Duncan didn't even seem angry.

"Is there anything I can do, being miserable just gave me a headache."

"Well you can go and find Alistair the newest Grey Warden in the order. You'll need armour and weapons."

"Find Alistair, get some armour and weapons, got it."

So Ebony and I set off to find Alistair. I suddenly realised I had no idea what he looked like or where to find him, just as I was thinking I should go back and ask Duncan we came across a guard.

"Excuse me?" I asked

"AGHH!" He yelled. "Oh Maker, don't do that."

"What?" I asked.

"That, creeping up on people," he said, I clearly hadn't lost everything from home. "Wait a minuet, you ok?"

"Fine, I just wondered have you seen a Grey Warden called Alistair. Or do you know where I might find him?"

"If I where you I would listen for screams of outrage, it's a good warning if he's coming," he gave me an easy grin. "Why do you want to find Alistair anyway?"

"Duncan told me to." I said simply.

"Oh Duncan, well that explains a lot, actually scrap that, it explains everything. If you're not delivering a message, no on would do that voluntarily."

"Um thanks, but how do I actually find him?" I asked.

"Hear the dogs? Through those trees," he pointed to some big pines over to my left, "are the dog pens, well when you get to those walk straight on past the big tree by the purple tents you'll see two big ramps, one facing you one-off to your left go up the one to straight in front when you get to the top of that one turn right and walk up the next ramp, up there there's a small open bit last time I saw him, I mean heard him, he was up there."

"Thanks, I'm Brodie by the way, but most people call me pup, I love puppies." I said.

"Eric, but everyone calls me Sparrow, sparrow's bones supposedly."

"Nice to meet you, thanks for the directions Sparrow."

"Nice to meet you too Pup, see you around."

I wondered through the trees to the big tree Sparrow had talked about I couldn't see ramps he mentioned, leaning against it was a woman with pure white hair and decided she might be a sensible person to ask,

"Excuse me," I said.

"Yes, oh hello you must be Duncan's new recruit he is not a man…" she trailed off. "Are you-"

"Alright? Why is everyone asking me that? Is it the face?"

"Well, yes. Anyway are you alright?"

"If you don't count that my whole family was murdered about a week ago then yeah. Fine as fine can be."

Hey don't snap at her she's trying to help Ebony gave me a firm glare.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said the woman. "I'm Wynne a mage of the circle here by order of the king."

"I'm Brodie, here by order of Duncan." I said to her.

Wynne chuckled, "I'm guessing you'll be looking for Alistair then, I can promise you that if you spend time with Alistair you'll be more than fine in no time. So you'll be fighting darkspawn soon?"

"Have you fought darkspawn before?" I asked.

"Stragglers yes, but never the bulk of the horde, what of you? Do you know of the connection between the Fade and darkspawn?"

"Isn't the Fade the land of dreams and the realm of the dead?"

"Well sort of. Any time your spirit leaves your earthly body, it passes into the realm we call the Fade. It's home to many spirits, some benevolent others far less so."

"So the darkspawn are just dream spirits?" I asked.

"Far from it," Wynne smiled. "When the mages from the ancient Tievinter Impierium attempted to control heaven they tainted it with their sin. That taint transformed those men, turning them into twisted reflections of their own hearts and the maker cast them back to the earth where they became the first darkspawn. At least that's what the Chant of Light says."

"The Chant of Light says tons of stuff." I said.

"It may be allegory meant to teach us that our own evil causes human suffering, or it may be true it's as good an explanation as any for now." Wynne was still smiling at me.

"It's something to ponder."

"Yes sometimes it is good to consider one's actions before making them, but I'm sure Duncan has more for you to do than talk to me all day, Alistair's up there somewhere." She pointed over her shoulder.

"Thanks." I smiled

I raced up the ramp which I could now see and hung a right at the top I could already hear the predicted screaming standing in an open-topped area was a man around the same age as Duncan and a younger man around my age.

"What is it now?" the Duncan-aged man was yelling. "Haven't Grey Wardens asked more than enough of the circle?"

"I simply came to deliver a message from the revered mother, ser mage. She desires your presence." Said the other one who I assumed must be Alistair.

"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.

"Might you, and here I was thinking we were getting along so well. I was even going to name one of my children after you. The grumpy one."

"Fine I will speak to the woman if I must, out of my way fool," he said pushing me aside.

"My apologies, my lady," Alistair came over to me. "But not everyone around here has heard of something called manners."

I was about to say something when I looked into his face.

He was cute, no other way to put it. His coppery blond hair glowed gold in the light of the morning sun, a golden halo around his head. High cheekbones in his pale face, and to cap it all off chocolate-brown eyes flecked with gold. Exactly the same as my father's.

"Hang on, we haven't met have we? I don't suppose you happen to be another mage?"

"Would that make your day worse?" I retorted.

"Hardly, I just like to know my chances of being turned into a toad at any given moment. It's bad enough being given the awkward task of telling a mage to do something but it's even more awkward when you were once a Templar."

"Yeah I can see that." I said.

"Wait a minuet I do know who you are, you're Duncan's new recruit, from Highever. What was the name? Broda? Rosa?"

"Brodie-May but everyone calls me Pup."

"That was it. So if you're Brodie then this must be Ebony."

That's me! Did you hear? He knows me! I have fans!

"Who couldn't be a fan of such a cute little cutie?" Alistair seemed to radiate humour and a sunny nature; I was more surprised to feel myself smile than ser Gilmore was when I told him babies don't come from a baby merchant. My face had almost forgotten how to laugh and joke.

"Duncan said I needed armour and weapons." I said.

"Ah the ever sensible Duncan, well I suppose unless you wanted to get engaged in a boxing match with the darkspawn you might need some. For some reason I don't think the darkspawn will understand down for the count, do you?"

"Maybe not." I laughed.

"Well then I suppose we should probably get you some armour and a sword."

"Good idea." I said.

So we set off for the quarter master. Together.

A\N - Ostergar was one of my favorite sections of the game, I have absolutely no idea why but it's something about it. I wanted to show how the Human Noble must be grieving their parents, in the game they seem to be indifferent which wouldn't happen as anyone who has lost someone close to them will know. At the start my character is not arrogant exactly but speaks first, thinks later as you have seen. Now I looked at my first two chapters and noticed that they were very doom-and-gloom so I did try to make a few jokes and a little less depressing, many people do like depressing stories but personally I don't so I tried to make some funny sections in it.