Summary: What if there had been no Blight when Lilith Cousland joined the ranks of the Grey Wardens. How would she have coped with her new role and what relationships would she have forged when free of the pressure of saving the entire country.
A/N: Yay, I'm back again! And much quicker this time. First off, I want to thank everyone who has added this story to their favourites or to their story alerts and also people who have added me to their favourite authors! It really, really means a lot to me, so thank you sooo much! Erm, I haven't really got a lot to say about this chapter, except I wrote it in a few sittings and each time I reread it I noticed a couple of mistakes, so, if you spot any more, could you please tell me and I'll sort them out. Okay, hope you like it!
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age: Origins or any of its characters (just my Lilith Cousland) and receive no profit from this story.
Gossamer eyelids gently fluttered open, revealing the azure irises that lay hidden beneath, a protected treasure like the pearl concealed within an oyster, before retreating again from the blinding light that filtered through the window. Everything seemed calm to Lilith as she lay in bed, however, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something wasn't right. She tried to think on it, but it constantly evaded her, like the distant but somehow familiar memory of a quickly fading dream. The more she concentrated, the more confused details she started to recall. She remembered the darkness of the Ceremonial chambers; she remembered Duncan handing her an ornate chalice; she remembered the feel of the blackened ichor burning its path towards her gut; she remembered pain like she'd never felt before; she remembered the feeling of her skin peeling away from her bones; and she remembered her screams as she was engulfed in fire.
A gentle voice tore her from the dark path that her mind was travelling, bringing her back to reality. "It is good to see you awake, child." Duncan stated, a warm smile stretching his somewhat haggard features as he moved towards the end of the bed, "You had us all worried."
"How-" she attempted to speak, but found her parched lips and dry mouth were not conducive to conversation. Silently, she accepted the jug of water that Duncan offered her and drank greedily of it, before starting again, "How long was I asleep?" she questioned, noting how stiff her joints had felt as she lifted herself into a seated position.
"Almost twenty-four hours." Her mentor stated, matter-of-factly.
"A day?" she questioned, her eyes widening in astonishment and her jaw hanging slightly slack, a most unladylike expression, she was sure.
"Come, child," Duncan started calmly, slightly amused at her astounded look, "Breakfast is just starting; you should eat something. Unless, of course, you don't feel up to it." He added as an afterthought.
"Surely you jest? I could quite easily eat you!" Lilith returned laughingly, slowly lifting her exhausted body from the all too welcoming embrace of her warm duvet.
The newest member of the Grey Wardens was slightly stunned when a gentle laugh rumbled past Duncan's lips and a true smile alighted his dark eyes. 'He's been so stoic since I first met him,' she thought, 'it's nice to see him really smile for once.' She briefly wondered if the Wardens deliberately distanced themselves from new recruits until they had passed their initiation. 'Surely it must be difficult to attempt to acquaint yourself with someone whom you know could quite soon perish,' she reasoned.
As they made their way downstairs, towards the refectory, Lilith vaguely wondered how different her life would be now. She was still mourning the loss of her home and family and was certain she would never truly make peace with it unless she fulfilled the final vow that she had made to her father. However, her parents had also made her promise that she would live her life and that she would not let the events that had transpired engulf her very existence. She had the chance at a fresh start and though she had felt somewhat uncomfortable around the other Wardens on her first night, she was determined to make the most of the opportunity that was afforded her. 'I will not fail you… Not again.' she swore, looking up at the ceiling as if she could see straight through it to the sky above.
The smell of porridge had never seemed so enticing as at that moment, when Duncan pushed open the doors to the dining hall and allowed her to enter. She felt her stomach protesting fervently to its lack of sustenance as the delicious aroma grew stronger, however, she stopped dead in her tracks as a loud cheer sounded from the men who were already seated at the long table in the room. She looked towards each of them, noting their smiling faces and their drinks held high in salute, and looked back towards Duncan, who wore that same smile as before. She couldn't help but feel overwhelmingly happy at that moment; for the first time in what felt like eternity, she truly belonged.
xXx
The sound of wood clashing against wood echoed throughout the walled garden of the compound, as all present watched in awe as the junior member of the order effortlessly parried the attacks of one of the most experienced, each spectator heartily cheering on their favoured participant. With the dexterity that came from wielding two weapons came swift, graceful movements. Lilith was neither warrior nor rogue, but a seamless mix of the two: when she could, she danced fluidly around her opponent, evading the strongest of his attacks, but this was not out of weakness and when his thrusts came too fast, she simply accepted them, using the momentary opening in his defences to strike back.
The two had been sparring for some time now and most of the other Wardens had gathered to watch as the match progressed. Alistair, now relieved of the position of 'Baby Warden', as some of the others liked to call him in order to rile him up, stood amongst the crowd of those that had congregated around the training ring, his rapt stare focused solely on the graceful motions of the young noble's lithe form.
"Quite a fighter, isn't she?" The man that stood to his right pronounced, jabbing him sharply with his elbow and breaking him from his reverie, "I've never seen a fighting style like that."
The blonde just stared blankly at him, not really registering what had been said until the man to his left interjected, "Oh, of course, Garrod," he started sarcastically, a leery glint in his eye, "I'm sure it's her technique he's admiring so intently." The thin, almost gangly, elf finished with a wink in Alistair's direction.
"Oh," Garrod spoke again, dragging out the syllable as if realisation was dawning upon him, "Is that how it is?" he questioned, tipping a wink of his own, "You've got a crush on her!" he stated, somewhat too loudly and too smugly for the blonde's liking.
"What? No! I- I just-" Alistair finally spoke, fumbling over his own words.
"It's alright, lad," the man to his left, Nate, said, slapping his hand heartily onto, a very flushed, Alistair's back, causing him to stumble slightly "When you get to a certain age, it's perfectly natural to start noticing beautiful women." he finished, causing the two men to burst into laughter.
Alistair opened his mouth to defend himself, however, his attention was immediately drawn back to the match, temporarily forgotten in his flustered state, as a loud grunt was sounded from the middle of the ring. He turned just in time to see a wooden practice sword flying to air and falling to the ground several metres away. Meanwhile, Lilith slipped fluently behind her opponent, reaching up and bringing her own practice sword into contact with the soft flesh at the man's jugular.
"Do you yield?" she asked confidently, her voice hoarse with exertion. An exuberant smile spread across her face as the man simply nodded. Ever modest in defeat, the man, when released, turned to shake the girl's gauntleted hand, offering her words of warm congratulations.
She removed the helm that was an insisted-upon part of all sparring sessions from her head, shaking out her short, pure white tresses and brushing them harshly from her face when they stuck to her sweat-glistened skin. Again, Alistair found himself enraptured by the sight of the woman he had known only a few days, as her ivory hair and soft skin once again caught the light of the early summer sun. Dirty, bruised and bedraggled as she was, she was still, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman the Templar turned Warden had ever seen.
As her opponent left and the crowd started to disperse, Lilith made her way over to the bench were she had left her hound, who had also watched her match intently, and a water skin. Alistair watched as she grabbed the Mabari's massive head between her hands and said something inaudible from his distance, though from the tone that she used and the happy barking of the dog he was sure she was using the type of speech that people usually reserved for smaller, less deadly animals. Clutching the chain in his pocket, he made his way to where she now sat, pouring some water into a dish for the dog before taking a long swig for herself. He couldn't explain why, but he felt incredibly nervous when he thought about talking to her. However, his apprehension quickly melted away when, upon noticing his approach, her face fell into an easy smile.
"Were you watching?" she asked, cheerfully, her eyes lighting up with glee like a child on her birthday.
"I think the whole Order was out here," he replied, smiling, indicating the area of the training ring with a sweep of his arm, "You were amazing," he continued, settling onto the bench next to her when she scooted over to make space. He was almost convinced that the flush to her face darkened at his words, as she coyly turned her head from him and avoided his eyes.
"It's just beginners luck," she said modestly, though it was obvious that she had appreciated the compliment.
An easy silence stretched between the two before the blonde remembered the reason he was seeking her out in the first place.
"Oh," he started, startling his companion slightly, "Here. Duncan asked me to give this to you." He finished, fishing the chain from his pocket and holding it out for her.
She crouched down slightly to the level of the pendant, clearly examining the contents of the teardrop shaped locket, "What is it?" she asked, looking directly at him with wide, inquisitive eyes.
"We call it 'Warden's Oath'," He stated solemnly, "We take some of the blood from the Joining and put it in this pendant in remembrance of those that went before and who… didn't survive."
She reached out to gently run her fingers across the cold glass of the necklace, observing with a sense of some wonderment how even the vile, viscous liquid that she remembered ingesting come look so beautiful in the light of day, as the bright rays of the summer sun passed through the dark liquid as it sloshed about. She found a deeper meaning than intended in the simple adornment: for her, this band was not really a reminder of those that hadn't survived the Joining, for she knew not of them. Instead, it would be a token to remind her that even when things seem at their worst, the light of a new day will reveal just how wonderful the world really is.
Having quietly watched her contemplation of the necklace, Alistair was startled when she suddenly straightened herself out and turned so that her back was facing him, as if he had said or done something wrong. However, he soon realised her intention as she uselessly attempted to sweep her short hair from her neck and turned to look at him over her lithe shoulder. Unclasping the necklace, he carefully threaded it around her exposed neck, before endeavouring to fasten it in place. However, after several unsuccessful tries, wherein he only managed to catch his own fingers in the clasp, Lilith tenderly took the two ends of the necklace from his hands and effortlessly fastened them together, leaving him to wonder why she had wanted him to do in the first place.
As she turned around to face him once again, a sweet smile once again playing on her lips, Alistair felt his heart begin to pound in his chest.
"Right then," she began, her grin widening and becoming much more impish, "Where are the kitchens? I'm starving!"
A/N: This is another fairly big chapter, for me anyway. I didn't think it would be at the start, but it's nearly four pages in Word so, there you have it. My fingers just have a mind of their own sometimes, haha. I know in this chapter (and probably in others) Alistair kind of gets bullied, but, I'm sure the others aren't being nasty, it's just too much fun to get him all flustered! Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review to tell me what you think!