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How to Adopt a Warden and Other Tales	By : Royality Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 2658 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Excerpt from 'Legend of the Warden' Page 5
To start the tale of the Warden, one must start from the beginning. To understand the actions and events that are now deeply engraved in our current world, one must understand the past. To begin with, Izarre Cousland was not always such. He was not born to the nobility that came with the Cousland title. Like many of the unfortunates that wandered the streets of Highever, the would-be Warden lived a meager existence as a cutpurse and typical delinquent. Having no knowledge of his parents, he was only known for his gentle features, stark-white hair, and piercing, green eyes. It was always assumed he was of mixed blood, having the softened features of the Elven race without the sharpened ears. The white hair that would naturally stand out was so often dirtied with soot and dirt; it was hard to place him out of the crowd of other wild children who would run through the streets barefooted on a daily basis.
In the evenings, they would cuddle together in shacks, using old hay and bits of ruined cloth for bedding. If caught stealing, they were beaten, but no one would take in a stray. Many of these boys did not know their parents, being the unwanted children of whores and barmaids. Some were made through saucy affairs, while others were simply abandoned after a loss of a homestead, fortune, or family to disease. Izarre's earliest memories were of these times. While life on the streets was not glamorous, it looked like quite the adventure to a rich boy locked away in a castle by his parents. Fergus Cousland, the only child and son of the Teyrn and Teyrna, often daydreamed by the window while he should have been focusing on studies.
To lock a child up was cruel, he often thought to himself, and felt it his duty to mingle with his people...so long as that mingling meant he got to run the streets like the boys he saw in the marketplace. After much planning, the young Cousland managed to do just that. On a sunny afternoon, as the old tutor had dozed off yet again in the large comfortable chair with a heavy book upon his chest, Fergus took the opportunity to sneak out through the servant's entrance by the back of the kitchen. Draping himself in a 'borrowed' cloak, he hurried through Highever to the busy streets. Fascinated by the smells, sounds, and thrill of freedom, he looked like a young tourist in his own town. As he wore the fancy clothes of his noble upbringing, he was also made to be an easy target.
Izarre had taken a silent notice of the young man, smirking to himself at who he must be. A rich son of a merchant perhaps? The spoiled brat of a noble women who was off spending her husband's coin on yet another piece of clothing? The questions occupied his mind which relieved an empty stomach, at least, until the naive boy was hassled into a back alley. Even at the young age of only ten years, Izarre could smell danger. To be fair, he had been on his own as long as he could remember. Being able to sense foul play kept him alive.
Off in a back alley, young Fergus was cornered and surrounded. While he was trained to fight by the best fighters, including his own father, there were simply too many of them. It was quiet until the sound of a broken board was heard, immediately followed by the sound of someone falling down face first.
"Stop standing there, you idiot! Come on!" Turning to give another one of the assailants a swift kick to the groin, Fergus felt his hand grabbed and armed pulled. As if in instinct, his feet began to move on their own, being pulled along by a child who barely came up to his chest. There wasn't any time to ask questions, as they were being chased as well. They ran through alleyways, dilapidated homes, and finally resting with their backs pressing against the wall, hiding under a dirty canvas. There was much noise and swearing as the pack of young thugs lost sight of their prize and turned tail before the guards came.
Fergus heard the sound of his heart beating out of his chest, his breath short and he panted uncontrollably. Turning, the boy next to him stood perfectly still, their hands still clamped together tightly.
While the young Cousland seemed exhausted from their run, the other child did not. Looking over, he noticed the bright white hair and the smooth pale skin dressed in dirty rags. There were also no shoes any were to be found on the small dirty feet. Instinctively, the rich boy put a hand up, pushing the messy white hair aside to check for signs of being a knife ear, but the pale ear was just as rounded as his own. Being touched so causally, Izarre jumped away like a startled cat. The green eyes glared at Fergus like a cornered wild animal. Letting go of the hand, Izarre pushed the dirty canvas off of their frames, taking in a breath of fresher air. "That was close. You're pretty stupid..."
"I...Excuse me? How dare you..." Before the Cousland could retaliate, he felt the need to sigh in relief. This child was not his enemy. "I mean...thank you..." Izarre looked over, giving a shrug.
"You can cut through that alley and get back on the main streets. The marketplace can still be heard. Go home." With that Izarre sat down, as he had no home, this was as good of a place as any. Giving a nod, Fergus moved to walk away, but stopped. "Aren't you coming?"
"No."
Such a blatant answer, it threw the young noble off-guard. "Why not? What's your name? You should come with me, I mean, you saved my life and all. Father said I should never abandon a debt." Izarre only glared, his overgrown and messy cut hair hiding one of the angry eyes. "My name is Fergus. Fergus Cousland, of the Teyrn and Teyrna Cousland...You do know who that is...right?" Tilting his head, Izarre only blinked.
"You mean you live in that big castle? Why would you come down here?” He paused to smile. “You really are an idiot."
"I'm not! I just wanted to see what it was like...and I'll take you to my home where my father can repay you. You deserve a reward for saving me! And...then you can go back to your home..."
"I don't have a home."
Now it was Fergus's turn to look confused. "Not have a home? What do you mean? Everyone has a home. You know, it's the place with your mother and father..."
"Don't have those either."
"Then where do you live?"
Shrugging again, Izarre stood up and dusted himself off, though it made little difference. "Tonight? I don't know. Maybe, over there? That looks dry." Pointing over at the pile of broken wood and canvas, Fergus looked and absolutely cringed.
"That's..." It only startled him more as a large rat came crawling out of one of the canvas's holes. "Ugh...that's foul! I forbid it. The savior of my life is not sleeping in a rat nest!" For the first time since they met, Izarre laughed.
"Don't you know anything? The rats keep it warm. Then you can kill them and make stew for later." The look that painted Fergus's face only pushed the laughter to be louder. Fergus joined in, still chatting about how utterly disgusting that was.
"It's decided then. You'll come home with me. I don't have anyone at home...I was going to have a little brother or sister, but Mother couldn't make it with the baby. They....said that they aren't going to let me have any siblings after that. " The smile faded into a distant memory of sadness after saying such a thing. Quickly, it was shaken off as Fergus moved to take Izarre's hand. "Your name? I need to know the name of my new brother."
"...It's...Izarre." The young white haired boy stood still, despite being touched yet again. He was amazed how easily he was accepted and at accepting Fergus Cousland's naive kindness.
"Izarre? You mean like star? That name really suits you with that weird hair of yours! How did you get such funny hair anyway? Only old men have white hair like that."
"I...was born with it, so they told me."
"Alright then, Little Star. We need to get back to the castle before they notice I'm gone." As Fergus gripped the small hand, Izarre allowed himself to be led, only speaking up to give directions back to the castle. Sneaking through the entrance, past the guards and gates, they managed to get to the young lord's large room. While Izarre didn't believe the tale that he rescued a young Cousland, he was starting to now. The bedroom was everything told in stories that included the rich and noble blooded. The sheets were made of silk, the bed large enough for at least five boys his own size. It would have been wonderful if they were not greeted at the door by a large mabari hound. The wardog jumped to defend his master from the small intruder, only to be bopped on the nose by Fergus. "That's enough out of you! Quiet before mother hears! This is Izarre, and he's my brother now, so be nice to him!" Izarre, who had taken to hiding beind Fergus, peeked over to look at the dog. The dog and small child glared at each other before the dog began barking happily. He acknowledged the little boy as a friend and was glad to have someone else to possibly pounce on and play with.
"FERGUS! What is all that noise!" The sound of a scolding mother was heard, even from down the hall and behind a closed door.
"ACK! It's Mother! Quick! Hide under the bed!" Startled, Izarre scurried like a mouse under the bedframe, the hound following after him. The dog panted loudly until hushed by Izarre. With a whimper, it shut its mouth. The large door swung open as Fergus went to sit innocently on his bed. Izarre could only see around Fergus's ankles as they were attempting to shield the view.
"I know you snuck out today, Fergus. Thank the Maker, you're home safely. You have no idea how worried your father and I were about you!"
"Oh, let the boy be, dear. The young lad just wanted a little adventure. He's old enough..."
"That's no excuse, Bryce! He should have finished his lesson and...by the Divine, what is that smell? Where is your mabari?" Being called out, the war hound wiggled out from hiding. Turning to the bed, he began to bark as to call Izarre out as well. Playtime was over.
"What is he barking at?" The father was more curious than anything, and ducked under the bed. Fergus jumped to try to stop him.
"Wait! It's nothing, Father!"
In the darkness, Bryce Cousland only saw bits of white hair. "Is that a rabbit?” he asked before raising an eyebrow. “Is it dead?"
"A rabbit? Fergus, I told you not to bring in wild strays into the house! What if they have diseases!" his mother exclaimed. Fergus sighed, watching his father reach under the bed.
"OW! What in the world! I've been bitten!" Wrestling, Bryce finally managed to pull out Izarre, who was wiggling and kicking wildly. "It's...a child?"
Eleanor Cousland looked bewildered. Coming closer, she inspected the dirty pup. "Is it one of the servant's children? A thief?" Before the couple could come to an explanation, Fergus took Izarre’s hand and pulled him down from his father's grasp.
"This is Izarre. He saved my life in the marketplace and now he's my brother." The struggling stopped as Fergus came within reach again and Izarre looked to him.
"Your...brother? Fergus, you don't have a..." began his father but was interrupted.
"I do now, alright?!" The hand that gripped Izarre's grew tighter as Fergus's frustration began to come out. Izarre's eyes softened, allowing his hand to be squeezed at tightly as it needed to be. "Izarre doesn't have a home, or parents. No one takes care of him and he has no one to play with! He saved my life and you told me never to abandon a debt, Father! He's my brother now and he's staying with me!"
The noble words of their kind hearted son stuck into the hearts of his parents. "Bryce..." Bryce turned to smile at his wife before kneeling in front of his son.
"You're right, Fergus. We never abandon a debt. If he saved your life, then we are grateful. He...can stay here...as your brother." The tears that were wheeled up in Fergus's face finally released, as did his grip on Izarre's smaller hand.
"Really? You mean it, Father?" Rubbing Fergus's clean brown hair, Bryce nodded. "I do. You're welcome to stay with us, Izarre...but first...we need to clean you up. You smell terrible..."
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How to Adopt a Warden and Other Tales