With a booming laugh the giant replied "and here I was having been lead to believe that you were looking for me!"
"I mean no offence but I am unaware of who you are my good sir" I replied,
"Ah but I have no way for you to know me by as I have only just returned. My friend you may call me Aedan."
"You..You're the youngest son of the couslands? But you look like you were birthed by a giant!" Daveth quickly covered my mouth
"I apologize my lord on behalf of my friend" said Daveth hastily
"You needn't bother as I have not been treated as nobility for many a year and I wish it to remain that way. Also to be precise I am not only the youngest son but the youngest child."
"There's more than one" I muttered to myself
"You have disrupted to the balance of this world thus much shall change in many ways that you can also define" said a disembodied voice in response
"What was that?" snapped Elissa
"You heard it too?" I asked
"What do you mean all we heard was you muttering to yourself, what did you say?" continued Elissa
"It wasn't anything important. But what is important is that those men in the dungeons and the ground belonged to Arl Howe he was attempting to betray you and take Highever for himself."
Aedan stood up knocking over the wooden table in the process "I ought to go and rip that conniving snake's tongue out" raged Aedan,
Duncan seemly having been taking it all in looked up and said "Aedan is it? I advise that you sit down and try to remain calm"
Aedan looked down at this man as if he wished to rip him in half but surprisingly took a seat,
"What is important for now is that none but his men have died in the last night!" I announced
"The violent foreseer has a point" grumbled Aedan, the Teyrn and his wife nodded in agreement
"Why would he launch such an attack though? My father and I met with him just this morning" stated Elissa
"Because" began Daveth "Highever is one of the jewels of Ferelden, he would have wished to murder you and take it for himself"
"I know for a fact that Howe's men would have been merciless" after many blank stares I sighed and said "Oriana and her son would have been amongst the first slaughtered." With all but Daveth and Jowan looking at me horrified I asked "out of you two" pointing at Elissa and Aedan "who owns a Mabari war hound?" after looking at each other quizzically,
Elissa replied "I have one and Aedan has two as he trains them for true war by his side"
With a proud smile Aedan said "they know my fighting tactics and even their own training exercises"
"Then you both would have survived" I said and with a grin I said to Aedan "have you heard about what they say about Mabari?"
"No what" Aedan replied while Elissa asked looked on interested
"They are smart enough to speak but also wise enough not to?"
Aedan laughed "that one rings true my friend their intelligence knows no bounds" Elissa also stifled a giggle
"Onto business once again afore we get to far off track" said Bryce
"Pointing to me "you said you came here seeking my children yes? And Duncan have you found anybody suitable?"
I signaled to Duncan "actually I have found suitable recruits in both of your youngest children but as it seems they owe Dracon their lives I think it is only suitable that he decides their fate"
"That seem fair as long as he is no deviant" nodded Elissa
"I am honor bound to agree" grinned Aedan
"Actually it matters not to me as we shall rejoined soon enough but I believed one should go with Duncan" I say mysteriously
"Tactically speaking I am the best choice for you" said Aedan
"How so?" Daveth said
"Well so far you have a mage, an archer and the bloody one yes?
"Why yes my observant friend"
"But what does that have to do with you?" questioned Jowan
"Well you have two long range and one close, my sister is long range I am short range" stated Aedan
"Nothing about you is short" chuckled Daveth
Aedan cracked a grin at this "maybe medium then?" he joked "but really you two back each other up yes? He said nodded at Jowan and Daveth
"Of course" said Jowan sounding hurt
"I meant no offence my friend but my point is who looks out for the bloody one?"
"He has a point" said Daveth
"Then it's agreed welcome aboard the crazy cart my friend" smiled Jowan
"Do I even get a say?" I asked
"No" said Jowan, Daveth and Aedan in unison
While I just shook my head in disbelief all laughed at the quickly bonded friends but Duncan just chuckled to himself.
We had been travelling for close to three weeks by the time we reached the Frostback Mountains and each evening I had been subjected to more brutal trainings designed by Aedan that had the whole team including his hounds joining in on. it was me against two 'tag' teams, team 1 was Jowan and Aedan and team 2 was the dogs and Daveth, one team would fight me then swap so I had to defend and offend against both long and short range at the same time, we used practice weapons of course (except the dogs, teeth hurt!) by the time we had arrived Aedan seemed pleased with my performance by the time we arrived.
"Soon I shall duel you, I think you have far surpassed me my comrade" Aedan grinned
"Only because of your help M'lord" I joked
Aedan shook his head "I am no lord and I think you shall continue to surpass us all"
"Well off this topic on to ozgrammor we shall split into two teams we search for dwarves, I don't exactly know who they will be"
"I still don't get how you knew to look for a Cousland but not who" stated Aedan
"Let me explain it this way I have seen this happen before but things have changed, before there was one Cousland and I also changed many things such as both Jowan and Daveth's fates"
"That makes sense I guess" said a confused Aedan "but wait how did you change their fates?"
"He has a point, what did you change?" said Jowan
"Yeah, what?" asked Daveth
"Honestly criminal and fatal futures, Jowan would have been turned whilst escaping the Templars then poisoned Arl Eamon and maybe been sentenced to death" I said
Jowan looked horrified "I would never do such a thing"
"You had no other choice but in the version I saw you redeemed yourself"
"What did I do?" quizzed Daveth
"You got caught by the guards then Duncan conscripted you…" I continued
"The Duncan we just met in Highever?"
"Yes and you got conscripted to the grey warden"
"Did I help with the darkspawn?" he asked hopefully
"Well….." I pause "you do not wish to know" I decide
"c'mon" he says annoyingly
"You choked to death during the wardens joining ritual" I blurt
"Oh well that's no fun" Daveth says rather pale
"Well the time you join hasn't arrived yet so shall we avoid that at all cost?" I say ashamed at my lack of control
"I agree"
"Hahaha of course you do my friend" said Aedan with a grim smile, he turns to me "I must ask what of me?" he tenderly whispers
I turn to him with a sly grin "that I cannot say my friend for you were the decider of many fates, you will ultimately change the world"
Aedan smiles slightly "and I will start with you Dracon" he smirks at my alias
"So Aedan obviously you know battle tactics what do you think the teams should be? Asked a now recovered Jowan.
"Well Jowan and Daveth have worked well together before so maybe I should go with Dracon and you two take the dogs?"
"May I look for a fine lass whilst we complete this task?" said Daveth smiling broadly
"NO" said all three of us in unison before turning to each other and laughing as Daveth was wide eyed with mock pain.
"Wha- why?" he says slightly amused slightly shocked
"Because" began Aedan "I myself have had to put up with your stories of the women who have shared your bed all the way from HIGHEVER AND WE SHANT BE GIVING YOU ANY MORE TO SHARE" he shouts sternly but amused.
"Most I do not believe a word of" added Jowan
Daveth smiles coyly "what you do not believe my prowess?"
"No we don't believe there were that many women that were blind and willing to be so kind to not offend you" Aedan says with a chuckle
"Too right" I add laughing