"Speech"
'Thoughts'
Beginnings
Ardal
Wooden palisades were finally in the distance after trudging through the thick and cold bush. The group of wardens finally reached the edge of the Kocari Wilds. It had been a long day, fighting through wolves, darkspawn and even a wraith. Ardal Cousland was surprised to have met a beautiful, if suspicious, apostate witch and her mother deep in the woods. Yet they had proven to be helpful. The brownish-red haired man gave side glances at the revealing witch in tatter robes and a small top. 'Morrigan.'
Her golden eyes sent chills down his spine every time she looked at him, like she was always observing. And the way her mouth twitched into a smirk left his heart racing. He always liked dangerous women, which he blamed on seeing his mother fight when he was young. Ardal could separate his lust from love, but something deep down intrigued him. Also, he had more important things to worry about than a woman he might never see again.
Alistair was behind him with Daveth and Ser Jory, talking about getting out of the wood finally. Daveth seemed to always look away from her, and Alistair with narrowed eyes. Ser Jory seemed as jumpy as usual, and Ardal tried to act like he wasn't completely worried about apostates. 'It seems not all of them are dangerous.'
His scale armor and family shield clattered as they came to a stop at the edge of the wood, Morrigan stopping and turning, "There is your camp. Next time you travel through the wilds, try not to crash through them like children."
Alistair cleared his throat, "At least we were better than the darkspawn." Ardal suppressed an urge to smile.
"They were at least mercifully quiet." Morrigan did not look impressed by him, and Ardal cut in before this turned into a full argument.
"Thank you for helping us." Jory nodded in agreement, and Daveth had already walked ahead of them out of the woods, Jory soon moving to catch up to him. Alistair turned to join them, and Ardal took one last look at the dark-haired mage, "And thank your mother again for saving the treaties."
Her eyes met his sharp features and blue eyes, "Tis rare to have such an…understanding guest in our woods."
Ardal forced a small smile, his mind still unable to escape the recent events with his family, "It's better to play nice in a place where someone has the drop on you."
"My, what an intelligent man. If only your blond companion had the same wisdom as you." There was a teasing mirth in her eyes, and he couldn't help but blush a little.
"I don't know him very well, but he seems well-meaning."
"Well-meaning can be just as dangerous as malicious intent." Her dismissive tone rankled him a bit, but he held his tongue.
"Well goodbye." He began to turn, taking a few steps when Morrigan's called out.
"Do you think your king will be able to win this battle? Truly win?" Her arms crossed over her chest, leaning against a tree.
"I…" The question hit him harder than he expected. The chance of victory was the only thing holding him up right now. He had no idea what becoming a Grey Warden entailed, but they historically managed to stop the Blights. The last one only took a short amount of time compared to the first.
A large bulk of the Fereldan forces were gathered here, though he didn't see the banners of many of the Bannorn and Redcliffe, along with Howe. The king seemed confident about victory, but there was a pit in Ardal's stomach that he was ignoring. Ardal looked away from Morrigan, rubbing the hilt of his family blade, "There is a chance. I need there to be a chance." His voice cracked a bit, and Morrigan just shrugged.
"Then that is that." She began to turn, and Ardal heard a swoosh, and a raven flew into the sky. He shook his head. He didn't remember there being a raven there before.
Morrigan
A black raven flew over the thick woodlands. Morrigan certainly found the wardens interesting, at least compared to many of the people she saw in nearby villages. Especially that Ardal man. He was certainly handsome and hadn't been completely put off by the headstrong witch. It helped that he had beautiful eyes. There was something buried in those sharp blues. 'Now I sound like some helpless damsel.'
Morrigan may not have much experience with the civilized world, but she could read Ardal enough to know he was lying to himself. At least partially. She knows a liar when she sees it, her mother a wonderful role model, though there was some relief at knowing he was lying to himself. 'If only he had the intelligence to not fight in a battle one might lose.'
The rest of them were certainly leagues less interesting. Especially the blonde oaf. Swooping? If there were chasind anywhere nearby, they would have attacked the men. 'Besides, the darkspawn have already driven them north to Ferelden or fled to the deepest part of the woods.'
But whatever would happen was beyond her concern. What mattered was keeping watch around her mother's hut. It wasn't like she wasn't going to see any of the men ever again.
Ardal
A fire was lit as Ardal sat on the edge of the woods, the sounds of rustling bushes and bird calls filling the air. Ostagar had fallen, the king and Duncan, along with the rest of the Wardens had died. Him and Alistair were the only ones left, and while they had goals, the weight of the world sat on Ardal's shoulder. Camped just off the imperial highway past Lothering, Ardal finally had time to sit down and think.
Grief was still fresh, and while Alistair, Leliana and Sten sat around the fire, Alistair and Leliana quietly talking, Ardal sat crossed legged, looking down at the ground. 'How had things gotten so bad?' It was like the world against them. He wanted to mourn his parents and brother like a good son, but he felt that he could never find the time or mental willpower. Ardal couldn't break down so early into the journey. A tear threatened to spill down his face, but he wiped it away before the rogue emotion could undo his carefully constructed façade.
He felt so tired, and as he leaned back, he saw a pair of breasts and golden eyes, "Why are you not with the blond fool and the crazy woman?" Morrigan was leaning forward, presenting a tempting view of her body.
Ardal forced himself to look in her eyes, "I just had to think is all." He patted the ground besides him, "You can join me if you want."
"I do not need your permission." Morrigan sat down next to him, and he chuckled at her stubbornness. She reminded him of himself when he was a teenager. Ardal's mother sure got that out of him fast. He sat in silence for a minute, before Morrigan spoke up, "So tell me about your mother."
Ardal glanced at her, "Rather blunt." He took a breath, his chest feeling very heavy.
"Well, you were the one intruding into my past with your incessant questions. Tis more than fair that I get to the do the same."
Ardal let out a resigned sigh, "I suppose that is fair. Just give me a second." He took a few deep breaths, before turning to face her. Morrigan's eyes were scrunched a bit, legs crossed as she stretched them out. 'She seems interested at least.'
"Well if you have to know, she was a tough woman. Always nagging my father, brother and I. Called us rude with the manners of mabari." He smiled at that, which shifted into an uncomfortable shudder, "She taught my brother and I to fight alongside our father."
"Ferelden women can fight?"
"Of course. Many women in the Bannorn are in charge of their houses. I fought besides her as the castle…" Ardal swallowed heavily, "As the castle fell. But I prefer not to think about that. I want to remember her as the lovely, if stern woman who raised me."
Morrigan hummed, "And the rest of your family?" Ardal had to admit he was surprised by her curiosity, and swore he caught a slight softening in her look. But it was gone before he could tell what actually happened.
"We had our arguments, especially my brother. Duncan wanted to recruit me, but my father was against it."
"Did you believe in the stories too? Men often seem to be caught up in…stories."
"Only if there is a beautiful woman in it." The words left his mouth before he could think, and the corner of Morrigan's lips lifted. He had to look away for a second or he might do something he regretted.
"Ah. Men do seem to love beautiful maidens, or seductive apostates." Ardal had to take a breath, her low and seductive tone causing his heart to beat just a bit faster.
"Not a lot of the latter." Ardal had to move away from the topic, "But yes. I did like the stories of the Grey Wardens. My father even told me some of them." Ardal began to tell stories of growing up in Highever, good memories of his family flowing back in. Morrigan occasionally jumped in with a question but mostly let him ramble. In a time of destruction, loss and grief, being able to tell stories was something he needed, though the pain was still there, if dulled for now. A genuine smile crossed the warden's face, and as he lost steam, he looked at the witch.
"Thank you."
A curious and surprised look crossed the beautiful witch's expression, "What have I done to help?" She looked cute, scrunching her face. 'For such a perceptive woman, she needs help with people.'
"For letting me speak. I think I needed that." He looked deep in her eye, and his affection shone through, his heart still beating fast. Her gaze left him a bit weak, and he wondered what his brother or father would say, assuming they could get past the whole apostate thing.
"Tis good that you are moving on."
"I don't think I'm moving on yet but getting there." He paused, "And you know what I remembered?" Morrigan raised an eyebrow, "Your mother's story with Lord Conobar?"
"I know the story, yes." She tapped her foot, impatiently waiting for his response.
"Lord Conobar's death led to my family taking over the land. He was the captain of the guard and chosen to become the new lord. So, it seems your mother had a hand in my family's position, and us meeting, if indirectly." It was a connection that was tenuous, but certainly funny, to at least him.
Morrigan chewed on those words for a minute before speaking, "If they are true. Though knowing her, she would just laugh at that." The pair fell into a comfortable silence, Ardal enjoying the company of the witch.
After a couple minutes Ardal spoke in a low, almost whisper volume, voice, "I want to find Loghain and Howe and kill them." He frowned, "I know I said your idea to attack them directly was bad, but you aren't wrong. I would love to go right to Denerim and find them both."
Morrigan just hummed and seemed to listen to the chirping insects, "Then hold onto that anger for when we can."
Just then Alistair's voice rung out, "Supper's ready!"
Morrigan groaned, "Let's hope that fool has improved that…gruel that he calls food." She stood up and gave him one last look before walking away. Ardal stood up and walked behind her. 'This woman is going to be the death of me.'
Author Note
Welcome to my Dragon Age fic! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! This is going to explore between canon scenes, leading to an AU Awakening. I thought it would be fun to explore the relationship between the pair. I will try to make sure to keep you guys updated on where in the plot we are, but for those who want to know, the rough order of events is Shale, Redcliffe, Mages Tower, Warden's Peak, Denerim/Urn, Orzammar, and finally the Elves and Return to Ostagar! Also, Ardal is the name of a historical Cousland, so he's named after an ancestor. I would love to hear your thoughts, and I'll see you guys' next time!