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Blood Bond	By : Hikari86 Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 4278 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
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Prince Among Wardens

Arawin awoke with a start. Her eyes shot open, heart wanting to leap from her chest. She stared at the ceiling of her tent as she allowed her heart to slow, and her breathing to be regular. After a few moments, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. The dream was still fresh in her mind. It had been so real. She could still smell the foul stench and hear the call of the archdemon. She shivered as she remembered the song it sang. How she had found it pleasant was beyond her. The song it had admitted was more of a low rumble than a beautiful melody, yet it had ensnared her even so.
Arawin stood, knowing now that she was awake, and with such a dream, she was not going to go back to sleep. She peered out of her tent. The camp they had set up was quiet. The fire still flickered, but it was beginning to smolder down to the last embers. She saw Kunjo laying next to the fire. His legs were in the air, one of his back legs twitching. But besides Kunjo, there was no one else. This didn’t bother her, though. Morrigan liked to be in animal form when it was her turn for night watches.
Arawin removed herself from the tent and walked to the fire. She squatted next to Kunjo and warmed herself a bit. She looked down at the dog as his leg began jerking violently. She smiled at him, knowing he was probably chasing something. It made her a little envious. She knew that her dreams would never be like those again. Innocent and unclear. Now, not only did she have to deal with dreams that were so real she could have sworn she was right there with the archdemon, but also she had to share her dreams with someone else. The thought made her shiver again even with the heat from the fire. Arawin looked around the forest. She wondered if Morrigan was watching her right now. It wouldn’t be surprising. The witch was probably wondering what Arawin was doing. She shrugged her shoulders. It didn’t really matter much to her.
Standing, Arawin made her way to the trees. She stood within their shadows, taking in everything about the forest. She loved it. This was a place she had always wanted to come. Nature was always a fascination for her. It was one of the reasons why she had spent so much time studying the Dalish. She hated living in that cramped little alienage with barely any room to stretch ones legs. The only thing that provided nature was the Vhenadahl in the middle of the alienage. How could anyone appreciate such beauty with only one tree? But Arawin let all of that go. She was not in the alienage anymore. Now she was in a real forest, looking for the Dalish. If she was lucky, she would find a clan and they could tell her everything she ever wanted to know about them and nature.
Arawin began walking through the trees. She needed a nice walk to get her mind clear. The sounds and smells of the forest helped her. The wind blowing through the leaves, carrying with it the smells of the foliage and the scent of flowers and fresh soil. Crickets chirped in the darkness, a choir of legs that echoed through all the forest. She could even hear frogs croaking in the distance. A pond must be nearby. She would have to go and investigate that later. The forest was very peaceful. It was–
Arawin froze.
She felt something creep up her spin. It was a feeling she could only describe as an electric chill. She looked around the darkness of the forest, trying to determine the direction this feeling was telling her to go. Then she saw them. Three darkspawn were only a few feet away from her. They had torches lit, and stuck in the ground to light up the place they were scavenging. Quickly Arawin hid behind a large tree. They hadn’t spotted her yet, which was good. Arawin cursed herself for not bringing Fang with her. What was she thinking walking through the forest in the middle of the night with no weapon?
She slowly angled herself around the tree so she could see. The darkspawn appeared to be looting an old camp, either one left behind or the owners were long dead somewhere. It didn’t really matter either way, Arawin only knew that she had to kill these three. She was surprised they hadn’t felt her yet, but it was only a matter of time. She watched and analyzed them.
There was one hurlock and two genlocks. Even without a weapon, she figured she could take them. There was nothing really special about these three. They had more than likely just wondered away from the horde in search of easy prey. Well they had found it, but it wasn’t going to be easy.
Arawin took a step away from the tree, exposing herself. If she was going to kill them she wanted to take them by surprise, before they realized she was there. She balled up her fists, ready to fight, just as she had done many times before in the back alleys of Denerim. The darkspawn at first took no notice of her, until one stiffened and turned around. He caught her eyes and growled. The other two turned as well and did the same.
The hurlock took the lead as he took out his sword and shield and began advancing on her. It was only then that Arawin realized as well that she didn’t have any armor on either. She silently cursed herself again for being so stupid, but it was too late now. She knew she could do it. She just needed to have faith in her speed and dexterity. It had been the key to many of the battles she had won, with or without a weapon and armor.
She made ready to duck when the hurlock lifted his sword, ready to swing down on her, but he never did. A cold whoosh went through the air and the hurlock was frozen in place, his arm hanging straight in the air. Arawin stood staring at the darkspawn before she realized what had happened. A voice sounded through the darkness, followed by a bright light that flew past Arawin’s head. It collided with the hurlock, causing him to shatter into a thousand frozen pieces. Some of them hit Arawin in the face, causing her to cover her eyes.
“You are definitely the strangest elf I have ever met,” she heard Morrigan say as the witch came beside her. “Going into the forest all alone with no sword or anything, then challenging three darkspawn? I guess it does show bravery, if not also foolishness.”
“You didn’t have to do that, you know,” Arawin chided. “I could've handled it.”
“I also didn’t have to bring you your swords,” Morrigan said as she handed Arawin Fang and the longsword. “But you are welcome nonetheless.”
Arawin gave her a cocky smile. She was glad to have someone to banter with who could banter back and not be totally offended.
She took her swords and ran straight for the two genlocks. Morrigan stood back, knowing that now Arawin really didn’t need any help.
It was easy enough to take them out. They only had one dagger each and were not fairly skilled. Arawin was able to kill both of them in a single move. She spun, striking one genlock across the chest with the longsword, then sliced through the second one's throat with Fang. She didn’t even break a sweat.
“Are you happy now?” Morrigan asked once Arawin was finished.
“Not really,” said Arawin. “I was kind of hoping for more of a challenge, but I guess that will have to do for now.”
“Since you are already up and have no chance of going back to sleep, I suggest we go ahead and rouse Sten and pack up camp. We may be able to arrive at South Reach by the afternoon if we leave now.”
Arawin considered it. The sun was about to rise, and with the adrenaline running through her veins, there was no way she could sleep. She didn’t even want to sleep because of the dreams. “Fair enough,” she said cleaning her swords. She then began making her way back to the camp with Morrigan beside her. They would get everything ready then head out.
***
Zelda was covered in a cold sweat. She was sitting up in bed, breathing deeply and fast. The dream vivid in her mind as she sat, staring at the door. Quickly she got up and placed on a robe. She suddenly felt like she did not want to be in that room anymore.
As she left her room, she made her way down the hall and found a doorway that lead out to a balcony that over-looked the village. The estate was located on a hill, high above the village. When she stepped out and looked down, she saw many houses, all dark, but peaceful looking. The stars shined in the night sky, and the moon illuminated the entire area. It was beautiful and serene. It was what she needed to see in order to get her mind off the dream.
“Bad dreams, huh?” came a voice from just beside her. Zelda hadn’t noticed Alistair standing there. He was standing somewhat in the shadows of the pillars.
“Oh, I didn’t see you there,” she said startled.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said. “You just seemed within yourself right now, is all. That’s how it usually goes.”
“So you had one too?”
He nodded his head as he stared out at the village, leaning against the railing. The moonlight hitting his skin, and Zelda was reminded of when they were in Lothering having to defend themselves from the villagers. As then, even now he was shirtless, with only his trousers. Why did he always have to do that to her?
“Must have been something we ate,” she said turning her head from him. She felt the familiar pang in her heart and sighed. She hoped he hadn’t noticed.
“Drank, more like,” he said with a little laugh. “As in the tainted blood, remember? Part of being a Grey Warden is being able to hear the darkspawn. That’s what your dream was. Hearing them. The archdemon, it... ‘talks’ to the horde, and we feel it just as they do. That’s why we know this is really a Blight.”
Zelda followed his gaze to the village. “The archdemon. That’s the dragon. Will these dreams continue like this?”
“They will,” Alistair said turning to her. “It takes a bit, but eventually you can block the dreams out. Some of the older Grey Wardens say they can understand the archdemon a bit, but I sure can’t.”
“Can you hear the song?”
“You mean that awful humming sound? Yeah, of course. You can’t really not hear it. Why the darkspawn are so enthralled by it, I’ll never understand.”
Zelda swallowed hard. The song was beautiful to her. She understood why they loved it. Why they followed the archdemon to no end. She quickly gave him a small smile to hide her anguish. “So are there any other surprises I should know about?” she asked more trying to lighten her own mood.
He smiled back at her. “Other than dying young and the whole defeat-the-Blight-alone thing? No, I’m all tapped out for surprises.”
She giggled a little then looked back out at the village. Her face became serious again and solid. “Thank you, Alistair. I appreciate you telling me these things.”
“That’s what I’m here for. To deliver unpleasant news and witty one-liners.” He smiled broadly but then noticed she wasn’t laughing this time. He went over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “It was scary at first for me, too,” he said. “Just know that if you ever need to talk, I’m right here.”
She smiled up at him again. He was a good friend. “Thanks. I'll... take that into consideration.” She looked back toward the village, missing the sudden concern and sadness in his eyes.
***
It wasn’t long afterwards that the sun began to peak over the horizon and light the valley. Zelda and Alistair headed back to their rooms to get packed and ready to leave. Zelda found Leliana and told her that they wanted to leave as soon as possible. Redcliffe was only a half day away, so it would be best if they got started.
Lord Talon had offered to give Zelda and her companions horses, but she had politely refused. “Thank you for the offer,” she said. “But we're not in any real need for mounts at the moment. Redcliffe is not far.”
“Are you sure, my lady?” Talon asked. “You wouldn’t be quite as worn out.”
“I'm sure.”
“Fair enough. I can’t really afford to be giving you any of our horses, but I wouldn’t be a good host if I didn’t at least offer.”
“And the offer is appreciated,” Zelda nodded.
“Then I wish you good luck, my lady. When you reach Redcliffe, if you can, could you please send word to us on what is happening? I’m sure there is a reason Bann Teagan hasn’t done so, and I worry about him.”
“I will.”
Zelda and the rest said good-bye as they headed off. She was happy to be leaving Rainesfere, as she was eager to get to Redcliffe and find out what was going on. Alistair was eager as well. He had told Zelda and Leliana that Arl Eamon had raised him when he was a boy. He was very close to the arl and didn’t like the thought of him being sick. Alistair had taken the lead when they left, letting Zelda and Leliana chat again behind him.
To Zelda’s surprise, Leliana hadn’t bothered her about what had happened before they got to Rainesfere. She figured why the bard hadn’t asked at Rainesfere was because of what happened there at dinner. Zelda finding out about Howe had made both of them, even Rupee, somewhat keep their distance. They felt she needed it to figure things out, and Zelda did appreciate what they were doing.
Leliana was probably eager to talk about Zelda and Alistair’s relationship, but she never brought it up on the way to Redcliffe. Zelda knew she hadn’t forgotten, so the only reason why she didn’t say anything was probably due to the fact of Alistair’s closeness. Even if he wasn’t paying attention, Zelda wasn’t going to say much, no matter how hard Leliana tried, and the bard probably knew this. So Zelda was grateful for that as well. But as they talked, Zelda noticed Alistair acting weird again. She sighed, wondering how many times she was going to have to comfort him or make him feel better before he got over his loss. It wasn’t until they reached Lake Calanhad and spotted Redcliffe Castle looming over the lake did Alistair decid they would rest before going on.
“Why, Redcliffe it right there?” asked Zelda. “We can rest when we get to the village.”
“Uh, I just think we should rest... for a moment,” he said timidly.
Zelda eyed him suspiciously. Leliana did the same thing. He looked back at both the women in turn, acting as if he was caught between a rock and a hard place.
Finally he sighed and closed his eyes. “Look, can we talk for a moment? I need to tell you something I, ah, should probably have told you earlier.”
“Oh, this should be good,” said Leliana crossing her arms.
Zelda did the same thing and stared at Alistair. “Go ahead,” she said still suspicious. What could Alistair have to say that was making him act so fidgety?
Alistair opened his eyes and looked only at her. “Well, let’s see. How do I tell you this? We’re almost at Redcliffe. Did I say how I know Arl Eamon, exactly?”
“You said he raised you.” Zelda began to laugh as she realized what it was he might be trying to tell her. “Why? Are you his son?”
“No. No, I’m not his son,” he said hastily. “If only it were that easy.” Alistair took in a deep breath before continuing on. “I’m a bastard.”
“Oh? And what’s so bad about that?” asked Leliana. “I’m a bastard to, you know.”
“It’s not the same, trust me,” he sighed.
“What's so special about you, then?” Zelda said. “Come on, spit it out!”
“Well,” Alistair cleared his throat. “You see, my mother was a serving girl at Redcliffe castle. When she died, Arl Eamon took me in and raised me before I was sent to the Chantry. The reason he did that was because... well, because my father was King Maric. Which made Cailan my... half-brother.”
Zelda had to take a step back from hearing what he had just told her. This was big news. Surprise and shock ran through her, followed by anger. “What?” she cried. “You don’t think you might have told me this before?” It was a serious issue, after all.
Alistair sighed. This apparently was a conversation that he had been trying to avoid, but now that they were in a place where it could come out, he had no choice. “How? When would I say that? ‘Oh, by the way, King Maric had sex with a servant and she produced a bastard son. That’s me!’” he said sticking both his thumbs at his chest and smiling. His smile soon faded when neither Zelda nor Leliana laughed.
Zelda was tapping her foot, but soon stopped when she realized what she was doing. It was true what he was saying. How could he have told her? “I guess I understand,” she sighed. “Still, why did you wait to tell me this?”
“I would have told you, but... it never really meant anything to me. I was inconvenient, a possible threat to Cailan’s rule and so they kept me secret. I’ve never talked about it to anyone. Everyone who knew either resented me for it or they coddled me... even Duncan kept me out of the fighting because of it. I didn’t want you to know, as long as possible. I’m sorry.”
He seemed sincere about it, and Zelda could understand. Being the bastard child to the king wasn’t really something to be proud of. Nor was it something that was going to work towards his advantage. She could also see it now as she looked into his face. The eyes, the cheekbones, the mouth. She had seen portraits of Maric and after meeting Cailan, she could pick out the features that belonged to him. She could see some of the same features in Alistair, perhaps even more than Cailan had. Everyone did say that he looked more like his mother.
“I see it now,” she whispered. “You do look like Maric in a way.”
“Really, you think so? No one’s every told me that before.”
“How are they going to?” asked Leliana. “If you don’t even tell them he’s your father.”
Alistair glared at her. “You think I like being the bastard son of the king? It’s brought me nothing but problems, to be honest.”
Zelda understood more than she thought. It came to her that she and Alistair were almost in the same boat. Because of what Howe did, Zelda could no longer say she was the daughter to Bryce. If she did, there might be people out there who would try and capture her and bring her to Howe. And only the Maker knew what he had planned for her.
“I do understand, and I forgive you,” she said.
Alistair sighed with relief. “Good. I’m glad. It’s not like I didn’t want to tell you. Duncan said that it would be best if I did say something, especially to the other Grey Wardens.”
“Why would Duncan want us to know?”
“Just in case something every came from it. That would never happen, of course, but you never know. Cailan might have wanted me dead just in case he feared me.”
“Cailan didn’t fear you,” said Zelda. “From how I saw him act towards you, I wonder if he knew about you at all.”
“I couldn’t really say if he did or not,” Alistair answered. “But the reason why I’m telling you now is because when Eamon took me in, there were a lot of rumors going around that I was his son. The arl had married a young woman from Orlais. It caused a few problems with the king after the war, but he loved her a great deal, so eventually Maric gave in. He was Rowan’s brother after all. But the rumors going around pegging me as the arl’s bastard made the new arlessa resentful to me. They weren’t true, of course, but they still existed. The arl didn’t care, but she did. So in a fit, she had me packed to the nearest monastery at age ten where I eventually was chosen to be trained as a templar. Just as well. The arlessa made sure the castle wasn’t a home to me by that point. She despised me.”
“What an awful thing to do to a child,” said Leliana.
“Although I can understand Isolde’s actions,” Zelda put in. “Whether or not Alistair was Eamon’s, he was still a threat to her.”
“Maybe,” said Alistair. “She did feel threatened by my presence, I can see that now. I can’t say I blame her. She wondered if the rumors were true herself, I bet.”
“That is awful, Alistair,” Zelda said with compassion. “But you said your mother died? What happened to her?”
“She died I think when I was about one or two years old. I don’t remember much about her, or how she died. I just remember I had an amulet with Andraste’s holy symbol on it. The only thing I had of my mother’s. But, I don’t have it anymore. I’m so stupid.”
“What happened to it?”
“I was so furious at being sent away, that one day I tore it from my neck and threw it at the wall and it shattered. Stupid, stupid thing to do. The arl came by the monastery a few times to see how I was, but I was stubborn. I hated it there and blamed him for everything... and eventually he just stopped coming.” Alistair looked sad again as he thought about the memory.
“You were young,” Zelda said trying to be considerate.
“That still doesn’t forgive my actions, but maybe all young bastards act like that, I don’t know. All I know is that the arl is a good man and well-loved by the people. And being King Cailan’s uncle, he has a personal motivation to see Loghain pay for what he did.”
“So then I have a question,” said Leliana. “Why keep it a secret anymore? Aren’t you in line for the throne now?”
This made Alistair go pale. “No, no,” he said. “That is something I really don’t want. My blood has never been important to me. I’ve spent my whole life trying to forget about it and being told that I would never sit on the throne. And that’s fine by me. No, if there’s an heir to be found, it’s Arl Eamon himself. He’s not of royal blood, but he is Rowan’s brother...”
“Yes, he could claim it by marriage,” added Zelda.
“Though... if he’s really as sick as we’ve heard... no, I don’t want to think about that. I really don’t.” He shook his head trying to get rid of the thoughts.
Zelda smiled at him as he did this. So he didn’t want to be king? He was perfectly content with just being Alistair. She liked that.
“So there you have it,” he finally said. “Now we can move on. I got what I wanted to say off my chest.
“Well this certainly is going to change things,” said Leliana. “We’re traveling with royalty.”
“Please don’t,” Alistair begged.
Both Zelda and Leliana giggled. “Sure, whatever you say... my prince,” Zelda teased.
Alistair rolled his eyes. “Great, I know I’m going to regret this,” he said as he made his way down the path.
“You think it's bad now? Just wait until Arawin hears this! She makes fun of me for being a 'princess'. I wonder what she'll do when she hears you're really a prince!”
Alistair shuddered. “Maker help me.”

Paraphrasing from Dragon Age: Origins
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Blood Bond