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In good times and in bad	By : kruemel Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 14748 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Dragon Age and the characters of the game do not belong to me. This is a no profit fanfiction

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Summary:
"My name is Alistair. I'm an almost-templar, a full-time Grey Warden and a royal bastard... but, shush, this is actually a secret. This is my story... although it's not alone about me... It's more like my version of how the most unlikely bunch of losers accidentally saves the world. And no, I'm not exaggerating. It's a tale worth being told and worth reading. It's pretty tragic, mind you, with lots of villains, treacherous bastards, dragons and more darkspawn than I can count. But also kinda funny... we laugh more than you would expect. And you're going to meet the most ravishing, beautiful and cunning young woman ever... my woman. Maker's Breath, she's amazing! And she's the reason why this story contains a whole lot of... lamppost licking... err... Now, why don't you just read it while I stand over there until the blushing stops, yes?"
Alistair's POV of the events during the Fifth Blight and his love for the Cousland Warden. The story follows the game with lots of extras.
Rated explicit for what happens after chapter 28. Before, oh, well, you know this is about adorably woo-less Alistair, so what else to expect?
Ostagar
"Duncan! You're back!"
"Obviously," the leader of the Grey Wardens of Ferelden replies but his eyes sparkle with amusement when he looks at me. Only six months ago I joined the order and already Duncan has become more of a father to me than I ever had. My real father never took much interest in me as if I didn't exist at all. The man who raised me sent me away when I was ten years old because his wife despised me. Maybe it's easy to impress me. Maybe it's just Duncan.
I am so glad to see him. Ever since he left Ostagar for his trip to Highever, the Grey Wardens have tried to measure up to the expectations Cailan seems to have when it comes to the legendary warriors against the darkspawn. He seems to believe we only have to glare at the darkspawn and they start running. We at least managed not to be exiled again. But Gregor set his beard on fire and I have been playing hide and seek with the Revered Mother. I swear she's the impersonation of the Maker's wrath and I have to pay dearly for my sins. I should have never mentioned that I almost became a templar. And I shouldn't have expressed my relief of having escaped this fate in front of her. My mistake. I just can't keep my mouth shut.
I keep pace with my mentor while he strides towards the Grey Warden's camp. Not that it is a big camp. There's only so few of us. Duncan looks tired like he hasn't slept well in weeks. With the Blight our nightmares have become worse. I have felt it and I am only a puppy compared to my brothers.
"I have brought a new recruit with me," Duncan informs me while he nods his greetings at other soldiers as we walk. "And I want you to take special care of Rori. She has suffered a great loss."
I only half listen to him. New recruits are a good thing for the Grey Wardens - if they survive the Joining. I'm not going to make the mistake of getting too fond of the new recruits again. Last time it was my Joining and the other poor sod didn't make it. He was a nice chap. And it was a shock to see him die. We didn't spend much time together - still, we were introduced to each other as recruits and I didn't have a clue about the dangers of the Joining. All Duncan gave me was some cryptic warnings that I couldn't make much sense of. I so hated being a templar I probably wouldn't have cared if he had told me the truth. Anyway, that other recruit, He was a brother in arms from the beginning. Now I know better, although I doubt this is any preparation for what is to come..
"Sure. Where can I find him... Wait! ... Have you just said she? Like in she's a girl?" I almost stumble over my own feet. Somehow I never thought Duncan could return with a girl in tow. Sure, there have been female Grey Wardens, but - well, it's a rough life. I love it. But a girl?
"Yes, Alistair, Rori is a young woman."
"Wow. A girl. I mean, we don't have any other girls yet. And now there she is. A female Grey Warden. That's somewhat unexpected. Why would she want to become a Grey Warden?"
Duncan comes to a halt so unexpectedly that I almost bump into him. "Do you have any problems with women, Alistair?" He arches an eyebrow quizzically at me.
I become flustered - that's something I am really good at. My special talent. "No, no, not at all. I like women. I love them. A lot. Uhm, I didn't mean this to sound like that. I'm not a drooling lecher or any other kind of deviant. I don't like them that way. No, not at all." The corners of Duncan's mouth begin to twitch while I go on digging my own grave again. My words spill out of my mouth so fast that my brain cannot keep up. "That hasn't come out right again, has it? Should I have another try or better not. What I want to say is that I like women a lot... just not the new recruit..."
Now Duncan is grinning with undisguised amusement. "Alistair..."
I sigh, frustrated with myself. "Let's pretend I didn't say anything at all."
Duncan thankfully isn't one to rub it in. "Rori is the most promising of the new recruits. I have high expectations in her and I have no doubt she will exceed them all. Just make sure she feels welcomed. Help her get settled in. At the moment she is taking a look around but I told her to seek you out once she is ready. Maybe you find her first."
"How could I recognize her?"
"In case you stumble across a young woman with unruly bright red hair and huge blue eyes, one with a sword and a dagger strapped to her back, that should be her."
"Heavily armed redhead. Yep, I should be able to find her." I turn to leave. Duncan needs some rest.
I am almost gone when he calls me. "And Alistair..."
"Yeah?"
"She's pretty. Just don't get too excited about that."
Haha! Funny old man.
With a feeling of looming doom I start searching for the girl. And guess who I find? Or maybe she finds me. One never knows with that woman. The Revered Mother! She ambushes me when I less expect her. My mind is busy with getting used to the thought of a woman joining the Grey Wardens. A young and pretty woman. Blame me, but I wouldn't be bothered as much by an old and ugly one. But young and pretty brings the white knight inside of me to the surface.
"Brother Alistair!"
Ouch! I wince at the voice behind me. It is so loud and shrill there is no way pretending I didn't hear her. So I switch on a smile and turn while I wonder why she still has to call me brother when I have left the Chantry for good.
"Revered Mother, I didn't see you coming." Or I'd have run faster. Taken another route. Hidden behind that barrel over there. Sprouted wings and soared to the sky. Whatever would have saved me from having to talk to her. Don't get me wrong, I believe in the Maker. I'm not a religious person, however. Priests aren't that bad. There's a lot of very nice ladies in the Chantry. This Revered Mother isn't one of them. I can't stand her. And she knows. That's why she haunts me like a nightmare.
"Would someone like you still find the time to clear his depts with the Chantry that took him in and brought him up, trained him and gave him a shelter?"
Doom.
Where's the darkspawn when you need it?
I stiffle a groan and just in time remember that rolling my eyes won't do me no good.
"What is it you need my assistance for?" I ask through the gritted teeth of my fake smile. A moment later I have been downgraded to Revered Mother's errand boy. She needs a message to be delivered. She has five sisters in her company, following right behind her like a holy armada but she needs me to talk to the mages.
Yeah, make my day!
Duncan's new recruit, a busty little redhead with a pixie haircut, runs into the scene I have with the mage. He isn't pleased but, hey, he's not alone with this feeling. I am glad when I can get rid of him and turn to the young lady who approaches me once the mage has left, calling me a fool. He isn't the first today and won't be the last.
"You know one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together."
"I know exactly what you mean," she laughs pleasantly.
"It's like a party. We could all stand in a circle and hold hands. That would give the darkspawn something to think about. Wait, we haven't met, have we? I don't suppose you happen to be another mage?"
She cocks her head to one side and grins at me with mischief sparkling in her dark blue eyes. "Would that make your day worse?"
She has some sense of humour and certainly is no mage. I cannot detect any sign of her taking offence of my question. "Hardly. I just like to know my chances of being turned into a toad any given moment."
"We wouldn't want that to happen," she agrees. "There's only so few Grey Wardens I've been told. Can't afford losing one to a mage's wrath."
It then dawns on me who she is. "Wait, I do know who you are. You are Duncan's new recruit from Highever. I should have recognized you right away. I apologize."
"Oh, that's all right. No offense taken."
"Good. You didn't exactly catch me at my finest with the mage there."
"Oh, I thought it was rather entertaining... err... at least from my point of view... probably not as much for you." She grins sheepishly, blushing slightly.
"If it makes you smile, then I'd gladly repeat it." Men probably would do a lot more just to see her smile. Oh, and now she flushes. Cute. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Alistair, the new Grey Warden."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alistair," she mumbles, casting her eyes down bashfully.
"You're the first to say so today."
"Didn't have a good start, did you?" she says with teasing sympathy. "My name's Rori." She hesitates for a brief moment, making me wonder if there's more to come. "Just Rori," she then firmly says.
Rori indeed proves to be pretty, even beautiful - and younger than I have expected. Duncan said not to get too excited and he is damn right. Here she is, smiling at me, her blue eyes sparkling. She looks so young and vulnerable, so fragile despite her weapons and armour. Don't get me wrong, there are a whole lot of women who are amazing fighters. I have to know. Ser Eryhn stomped me into the ground at the tourney right before Duncan recruited me. She is amazing with her shield and sword. Still I always feel somewhat guilty when fighting one of them. A girl, woman, female. Especially a pretty young one. Rori I don't have to fight. But I have to welcome her to the Brotherhood. And at the same time I have to keep my distance. It's a tough thing to do because she's witty and sassy next to pretty. I like her sense of humour but liking her too much is rather unwise when she has a high chance to not live to see tomorrow.
"You know, it just occured to me that there have never been many women in the Grey Wardens. I wonder why that is?" Truth is, I wonder why she is here. But I don't want to blurt out my curiousity. Duncan didn't give me anything to even make a guess. Something about a tragedy - but that makes my imagination run wild and leads nowhere. It could mean anything.
Just Rori isn't going to give me any satisfaction. I will have to ask her later when I find the courage for a blunt approach. "Probably because we're too smart for you?"
Playing games, little girl, are you? "True, but if you're here, what does that make you?"
Now she laughs, a clear and cheerful sound bubbling from her mouth. "Just one of the boys?" she asks sheepishly, raising her hand to tuck a lose strand that isn't there behind her ear. This gesture comes so naturally to her I guess she has only recently cut her hair that short.
"Well, let's go then and welcome to the order. I will accompany you and see you through your Joining with Duncan. Any question, feel free to ask. That's what I'm here for."
She has questions. A whole lot of them. And half of them I cannot answer. Duncan would skin me alive if I told her the truth about the Joining. She coaxes me into telling her more than I actually want or should. Thankfully she doesn't push me to tell her more. "I'll be fine," she just says when I tell her it's not going to be nice at all. She inhales deeply, then nods as if to reassure herself.
"Okay, since you cannot really tell me much about the Grey Wardens, what about you? Or is the life of Alistair a secret as well?" Rori teases.
"I? Oh no, I am just a really dull person." I laugh.
"That's hard to believe."
"Oh, don't get fooled by the cool armour, the long sword and the ruggedly handsome looks. That's just the false front."
"Oh, I don't know... Convince me."
"Well, if you insist... Now, where do I start?" She asked and she keeps asking. So she gets her answers and learns how the bastard from Redcliffe became a Grey Warden. She lets me do all the talking, not giving me much chance to ask her anything. It almost seems as if she was avoiding any questions about herself. I guess, it's better that way. It helps not getting attached to her too much. Okay, okay, I am dying to get to know more about her... I'm as curious as a cat.
Only once do I get her to answer a question. It makes her uneasy. She avoids looking at me and nervously keeps repeating that gesture of tucking a lose strand of hair behind her ear. The way she holds her head, she'd rather hide behind a curtain of long hair right now. "Did I want to become a Grey Warden?" she mumbles as if it's the first time she thinks about this matter. Seems she has some consideration to do because she falls silent for such a long time that I feel urged to repeat my question. "That decision was taken away from me," she finally answers in a very small voice. "But if I had been asked - without the circumstances being as they were - I guess I'd have said yes."
Rori and I are searching for Duncan. The war camp is buzzing with activity like a bee hive and the old chap has disappeared from the camp fire. We take a seat and wait, silence embracing us while I study her profile. She has a cute heartshaped face with eyes a little too big. It makes her look even younger than she is. Her short hair gives her the air of a tomboy but her facial features are so delicate, the boyish haircut suits her. And her curvy body in that tight leather armour most certainly belongs to a woman. I am staring rather bluntly but she doesn't notice. She's deeply lost in thought.
"Can I ask you some questions?" I shouldn't but I am so curious, I can't stand it any longer. And I rarly do what is best for myself. Like shutting up. She really hasn't been talking much about herself - unlike Ser Jory. All I know about her is her name and that she has an older brother she hopes to meet here in Ostagar. There's more, there has to be more and I want to know. Maybe it's the sadness in her eyes. It's there in the depth of these dark blue orbs. She's cheerful, jesting, trying not to let the mask slip off her face. She's good at it but not that good. Right now she looks like a person who desperatedly needs a hug.
She snaps out of her thoughts and turns to me. I can't get rid of the impression she's thankful I talk to her. "Sure," she says hesitantly. "I have pestered you with so many questions, I guess, I owe you some answers now."
Yes, she has. But I enjoy talking to her, so I didn't mind.
Her eyes dart towards the pot that dangles over the fire. Her stomach rumbles loudly and I feel like a complete idiot that I haven't asked her if she was hungry.
"Would you like something to eat?"
"Yes, I am starving!"
"Good, otherwise you wouldn't bring yourself to gulp this down," I reply with a laugh. I pour some of the stew into a bowl for her. It looks as if someone has already chewed it before spitting it back into the pot. Handing the bowl to her I apologize. "I am so sorry."
"What for?" Her hands curl around the bowl. She is so hungry she doesn't even wait for my reply but digs into the stew. Three spoons later she slows down and swallows hard. Tears well up in her eyes but she bravely blinks them back.
"As I said, I am sorry." If she survives I shouldn't be too worried about the Joining.
"What is that?" she coughs, looking around for some water. I hurry to ease her suffering and hand her a waterskin.
"Lamb stew. I cooked it." I shrug apologetically.
"You are a horrible cook." She tries to feed the stew to her Mabari. The dog sniffs, whines and pushes the bowl away with his paw. "He's smarter than his mistress," Rori observes.
"Pointing out the obvious now."
"Your cooking skills or my level of intelligence?"
I can't help it. A lopsided boyish grin appears on my face. "Both?"
Rori points the spoon at me like a dagger. "Beware, boy, or I will feed you with that slodge!" She's grinning and the sorrow has vanished from her eyes for now. Mission completed! "So, what did you want to ask me?" Rori inquires curiously.
"Whatever it is, it will have to wait." Duncan has returned. I haven't seen him approaching - no surprise there as I was foolishly gawking at Rori. "It's time for you to summon the other recruits, Alistair. Prepare for your trip into the wilderness."
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In good times and in bad

Summary: