#daylen hawke

[crossdressingdeath]

Leandra: No! These things will not take Bethany! Daylen: If you fall apart now, you endanger us all. Leandra: Don't lecture me! This is your fault! How could you let her charge off like that? Oh, my poor little girl. My sweetheart. Daylen: Leave her. The darkspawn are gaining by the minute.

I'm already really enjoying red Hawke. Daylen's sister just died in front of him and he failed to protect her and his mother openly blames him (even though he was already fighting as hard as he could to protect everyone, he just couldn't be everywhere at once), and he has to be the one to get the survivors up and moving because if they stay to mourn Bethany they're all dead. They can't stay to mourn and they can't slow themselves down by bringing Bethany's body with them, and if saying that comes out harsh... well, it's a harsh truth to have to deal with.

Also, it's so interesting to me that Leandra blames Hawke for Bethany's death when she died protecting her (and obviously the same is true for Carver's death in a non-mage run). Bethany didn't "charge off"; she put herself between the ogre and Leandra. But instead of acknowledging Bethany's bravery or blaming herself as the one Bethany died for, Leandra blames Hawke (who'd been knocked to the ground by the ogre and couldn't have gotten back into the fight in time to intervene). I know it's not a new take to say Leandra is an at best not great mother who puts way too much on her oldest kid, but every time I remember just how early into the game that starts it catches me a little off-guard.

[chibichibisha]

Mages and their non mage-friendly love interests 👌

[whereismywarden]

oh. ooooh. OOOOOOH!!!!

I was trying to figure out some ways Neriah could exist in worldstates where Loris was never taken to the Circle and I started to think...

For this to work, Day can't have been taken to the Circle either.

So what if he's another potential Rook?

What if I make him my Shadow Dragon Rook?

Imagine how juicy the Treviso/Minrathous choice would be, especially considering Neriah would have probably been raised by Day in the worldstates (like, would Loris save his people, or would he think of the daughter he never got to see grow up?)

[antiparticular]

realised amell's family connections and got sad about it all so I wrote a little dialogue about his past. I'm not a writer so be gentle.

--

"I do have family- well, I had family. I haven't heard anything of them since I was brought to the Circle." Leliana's silence was the practiced gentle assurance of a Chantry Sister. She reminded him of Lily. Daylen shifted uncomfortably on the bedroll. "I was born in Kirkwall, I think. I was only four when the Templars took me, so my memory is a bit hazy. I know I had a mother and a father. I think there may have been another baby as well. A brother? Sister? I can't recall."

He looked down at his fingers tangled in his lap and cursed the tears forming in his eyes. "They could all be dead now, for all I know. Is it- ah, I'm sorry." He scrubbed at his cheek. "I don't even remember them, it's silly of me to get upset. I'm sorry."

Meeting Leliana's sympathetic eyes once more, he continued, his voice wavering. "Is it cruel to hope that they miss me? That I left some unfillable hole in their lives? Late at night I used to imagine my mother lying in her bed, somewhere across the Waking Sea, sobbing the same way I was. It brought me comfort. I can't even remember her face."

[heylavellan]

anon period ended a few weeks ago for the Dragon Age Poly Exchange, and i'm finally getting around to sharing what exactly i got up to! my main work was Two of Your Finest Vints, a lovely kremdoribull fic! but i also had fun writing some treats. i had so much fun writing these!! and if you have time, check out the entire collection!

Two of Your Finest Vints - E, The Iron Bull/Krem/Dorian. Bull and Krem shared a platonic bond deeper than friendship. But when they met Dorian Pavus, they both realised they wanted him. Like sensible people, the only solution is to share.

Red Skies at Night - M, m!Hawke/Isabela/Merrill. After fighting a dragon, Hawke gets badly injured. Isabela takes her girlfriend Merrill to check in on her boyfriend. Also, t4t4t!!!

From Ferelden, With Love - G, f!Cousland/Nathaniel Howe/Anora. After all they've been through, they found their way back to each other. And despite it all, they still love.

Sharing is Caring - M, Zevran/m!Amell/Nathaniel Howe. Nathaniel simply wanted to inform Daylen's partner that he had been injured. He didn't expect Zevran's response. Epistolary fic.

[sulky-valkyrie]

Helloooo Happy Friday! I come requesting "i’m watching you date all these other people and i don’t know what it is i’m feeling but it’s definitely not jealousy" for Dorian/Alistair :)

Happy Friday Sterling 💜💜💜 for @dadrunkwriting

It was strange to see Dorian again after all this time.  Strange to have this much distance between them.  They'd talked nearly every day, of course, but it had been through the sending crystal - just a little bauble, Alistair had told the First Warden.  Lying came more easily now.

They'd discussed it, of course.  How Dorian’s fledgling post as the newest member of the Magisterium demanded he act the part in every way - most ways, at least.  How Alistair’s own notoriety as one of the few Wardens that hadn't succumbed to the despair of the False Calling would be all the more suspect if his fraternization with a magister were to get out.  How it was best to keep their relationship as quiet as possible without the Inquisition to fall back on as a safety net.

It wasn't so difficult to pretend when literal countries separated them, but now, in Minrathous, as the Warden Commander (not his, of course - Maker knew where Daylen was) greeted the Archon, seeing Dorian’s eyes light up then immediately flick away hurt like a knife in the gut.

To help maintain the fiction of his non-involvement with Tevinter, Velanna had accompanied him.  It was flimsy at best, wouldn't hold up under heavy scrutiny, but it was better than nothing.

Dorian, for his part, had a dapper younger man on his arm.  Alistair had heard about him of course: Rezaren was an up and coming prodigy with long brown hair and soft eyes who looked like he'd be more at home spread across a cushioned bed than stuck in interminable meetings.  They'd discussed that too, of course - nothing quite so brazen as whatever Hawke got up to with whatever and whoever crooked a finger at him, but their own concessions to time and distance and politics.

Alistair hadn't sought out any companionship, but he'd stopped turning it down when it was offered.  Dorian, on the other hand, had very publicly engaged in several rather torrid affairs in the last six months.  All part of politics here, he'd assured him as recently as last week. Disgrace, discredit, disenfranchise.  Alistair didn't doubt it, but he worried all the same.  What if he found someone else without meaning to?  What if one of those dalliances proved possessive, or dangerous some other way?

Archon Radonis was a dreadful orator, and even though he was standing, Alistair nodded off twice during his speech.  Only a few jabs of Velanna's impossibly sharp elbows kept him from tumbling over, and both times, he caught a glimpse of Dorian’s fond smirk from across the room before he tugged at his mustache and smoothed his face back into serene attention.

When the Archon finished his patently insincere monologue about working together against the Venatori, Alistair made his escape as quickly as was feasible, and definitely more quickly than was polite.  He raced out of the throne room and down the hall to the guest wing, clutching fruitlessly for the necklace he'd carefully tucked away in the bottom of his bag.  Dorian would most likely be busy for hours and unable to answer, and probably had hidden it for the same reasons Alistair had, so the weight of it in his hand would have to be enough.

When he finally skidded to a halt in front of his room, his heart was pounding his chest as he threw the door open, nearly off its hinges, and dumped his whole bag out across the mattress, desperate for the only token he had, just to hold it and know he hadn’t dreamed the whole thing.

The necklace was missing.

"No, no, I packed it, no, where the void is it?" he hissed to himself as he tossed spare trousers and shirts to the floor.  Could it have been stolen?  Would someone really be so bold to rob the Wardens when they were guests in the Archon's household?

He grabbed each bit of clothing and shook it out, hoping against hope that it was simply tangled in a pant leg or a sleeve, but it was all for naught.  He’d lost it.  It was the only thing Dorian had ever given him, and he'd lost it.

"Looking for this, amatus?"

Alistair was moving before the second word was out of his mouth.  He spun around and charged, catching Dorian in his arms and pinning him against the wall as he kissed him.  The sending crystal clattered to the floor, unimportant now that the real thing was in his grasp.  "How'd you get here so fast?" he murmured.

Dorian chuckled.  "How do you think, darling?  Magic."

[justabrowncoatedwench]

#4 and #12 for the hype questions?

4. What does your worldstate look like going into DAV?

I have several worldstates and no "true" canon, but I'm always happy to talk about them all! I'll answer you with the one I'm planning to play first, since I imagine that's what's most interesting to hear about.

My very first Warden was Solona Amell; she romanced Alistair and kept him a Warden with her. The Hawke that followed her, her cousin, was my purple rogue Daylen Hawke-Amell (he took up the family name when he got the Estate back) - Bethany became a Warden - and he dallied with Isabela before getting into a relationship with Anders. Unfortunately, he (and I) was totally blind sided by what Anders was up to and broke up with the mage but didn't kill him before siding with the mages against the Templars in the final confrontation.

Poor Daylen subsequently was left in the Fade by Inquisitor Tanith Trevelyan, a former Circle mage, who romanced Cullen and made Leliana Divine. Tanith vowed to redeem Solas after he saved her life by taking her hand in Trespasser. She disbanded the Inquisition and retired to Ferelden with Cullen where they help Templars leave lyrium addition and the Order behind. By 9:54 (beginning of DAV), they have 3 children, a son, Nathan, and twin girls, Haven & Hope.

My first Rook will be Tanith's younger brother, Alvaro, an ex-Templar who journeyed to Rivain to connect with their mother's roots after Trespasser and joined the Lords of Fortune. He's a sword-and-board warrior by training.

12. What's one thing you're hoping we DON'T see in this next game?

What an interesting question! I really hope they let Cullen rest finally (I suspect they will, what with everything that happened with Greg Ellis).

I'm a little worried about how they'll handle the elves, in general, particularly the Creators vs the modern elves, since the elves are rooted in Jewish, Romani, and indigenous inspiration (as stated by the devs since DAO) and the whole "Evanuris were actually slavers" schtick is, uh, easily fumble-able let's say, without making any sweeping assertions on whether or not it was fumbled in DAI and the tie-in media since. (I'm not interested in litigating such a complex issue in a short ask answer like this one.)

_______________________

If you'd like to ask me a question as we get hype for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, here's the list!

[jjjwhovian]

Alright might as well have a crack at this, let’s get a list of characters shall we?

SWTOR:

Arono Maxir X Kira Carsen

Noviitro Antem X Mako

Kanave Flaros X Risha Drayen

Vanzeth Tokusair X Jaesa Wilsaam

Gabeshi Zulis X Theron Shan

Dier’erfano’xen X Vector Hyllus

Leteon Kaneri X Elara Dorne

Zinkaea Kallig X Lana Beniko

Dragon Age:

Aedan Cousland X Morrigan

Daylen Amell X Leliana

Neria Surana X Alistair Theirin (BEFORE BREAK UP)

Neria Surana X Carver Hawke

Natia Brosca X Duran Aeducan

Theron Mahariel X Merrill

Kallian Tabris X Zevran Arainani

Garrett Hawke X Isabela

Maxwell Trevelyan X Cassandra Pentaghast

Ellana Lavellan X Cullen Rutherford

Malika Cadash X Blackwall

Kaaras Adaar X Josephine Montilyet

Mass Effect:

Jane Shepard X Liara T’Soni

John Shepard X Jack

Scott Ryder X Cora Harper

Sara Ryder X Jaal Ama Darav

Pick your poison!

send a heart and a ship for a brief snippet!

❤️ first kiss / realization

🧡 kissing in bed / lazy kiss / cuddling

💛 reunion kiss / relief

💚 true love's kiss / magic kiss / healed

💙 drunken kiss / tipsy

💜 surprise kiss / impulsive kiss

💗 slow kiss / gentle kiss / inevitable / soft

💖 rough kiss / hot and heavy / making out

💕 kissing somewhere other than lips

💘 fake relationship / mutual pining / dared to kiss

🤎 multiple kisses / kisses all over / kiss after kiss

🤍 kiss at the wedding / milestone

🖤 kissing while crying / goodbye kiss / desperation

[hear-bee-dragons]

[Pinned Post]

I'm currently going through my second playthrough with the intent of starting a fic about it BUT my computer hates me so very slow progress until I can fix that.

[OCs below]

☆World State: Modless and Godless☆

Dragon Age Origins

Dragon Age II

Lynn Mahariel (she/her) - Dalish Warrior, highly values truth and its pursuit and very much dislikes liars, had a fling w/ Zevran and was in a relationship with Alistair before sacrificing herself to slay the Archdemon, played w/ no DLCs or mods (played on Xbox w/ GamePass)

**Daylen Amell** he/him - Human mage, hasn't even left the Circle yet (played on shitty little laptop with all DLCs)

Harris Hawke (he/they) - Rogue, purple Hawke, dated Anders and fled with him after act 3, played w/ only the Black Emporium DLC and no mods (played on Xbox w/ GamePass)

Dragon Age Inquisition

Saara Adaar (she/he) - Qunari rogue, sided w/ the mages, was FWB with the Iron Bull, played w/ no DLCs or mods (played on Xbox w/ GamePass)

[crossdressingdeath]

10 and 13 for the worldstate thingy 🔫

Why the gun... Why are you threatening me...

(The worldstate thingy)

10. are they good horse riders? Aster is good enough to not embarrass himself; Nathaniel (who as a noble presumably would've learned) taught him on the grounds that a nobleman should really be able to ride, even if Aster's only a noble by technicality. He's not great, but he's decent enough. Daylen can't ride to save his life. Put him on a horse and he will be on the ground less than a minute later, which I suspect would have been a great disappointment to his mother if she'd lived long enough to see him try. On the bright side Carver does get to see him try (because in my worldstate they flee to Amaranthine after Kirkwall goes tits up because Aster was in Kirkwall and extends an invitation) and he finds it absolutely hilarious. Alaris is actually quite good through a combination of a lifetime of halla riding, a lot of practice to transfer those skills to riding a horse instead of a deer, and the fact that his "horse" is a magical construct bound to his will. Some people (Daylen) might call that last bit cheating.

13. their thoughts on the Grey Warden order? Aster is grateful for his freedom, but also resentful; he's very aware that he was recruited because a powerful, prodigy mage that the Circle wanted rid of anyway was too good for Duncan to pass up, not because the guy was feeling merciful. Also having seen Weisshaupt allow the Chantry to fuck with the running of his Wardens he absolutely despises the First Warden. But he does love the Amaranthine branch; they're his family, and he's very proud of the work he's done to make them a respected force in his arling. Daylen recognizes they saved Carver, but they also took his brother away so he kind of hates them. Also the whole "sacrificing the Warden warriors in blood magic rituals" thing for some reason soured his opinion on them what with his Warden warrior brother and all. Alaris's feelings on the Wardens are kind of complicated because on one hand Anders did when sufficiently nagged tell stories about his time in Amaranthine with Aster and Alaris has a strong secondhand affection for the Amaranthine Wardens and a lot of respect for the elven mage who defeated the archdemon, but Anders also told him about how very badly his time with the Wardens ended. So it's sort of the same as Aster where he likes the Amaranthine branch specifically but is not fond of the rest of the order. Although he is sympathetic re the Adamant situation; they thought they were all dying and they panicked, he can't say for sure that he wouldn't have done the same in their shoes.

[ritasanderson]

Updated Amell and Hawke, so now everyone is here :+)

[whereismywarden]

10 and 18 for the canon world ask meme??:)

10. Are they good horse riders?

Out of all my OCs, I think Elle Cousland is the better rider, having learned as a child. Followed by Violette who's gotten some training as Inquisitor. The others are decent riders, except maybe Amell who was bitten as a child and is now afraid of horses. He can ride, but he'll only do it if there is no other choice.

18. Do they have any irrational fears?

Alwyn is afraid of the sea and storms after surviving one as a child. Let's just say that made the trip to Kirkwall especially difficult for him.

[heylavellan]

The Library

(image via @hedgequisition)

Looking for something to read? Go ahead, browse the shelves. There should be something you will like to read. Read more beneath the cut! Links on AO3, though they are also in my blog!

DA Black Emporium 2024

Bad Idea, Right? - T, Krem/Cullen. Fake engagement AU, but Krem realises he's caught feelings. The best time to confess is at a ball, right?

Frocks, Frills, and Thrills - T, Josephine / f!Trevelyan. Ariadne Trevelyan spent a lot of time learning to be the perfect daughter and preparing to join the Chantry. Becoming Inquisitor made her question everything: the Chantry, her purpose, and even love.

Hands Off, Howe - E, Nathaniel Howe/Alistair/f!Cousland. Alistair gets tired of Nathaniel flirting with his wife in front of him and decides to have a bi awakening about it.

Honey, Have You Seen My Super Suit? - T, Jowan / f!Surana. Adaya's robes have suddenly gone missing, so she has to borrow her boyfriend Jowan's until she can get a new set.

Uncertainty with a Side of Vengeance - G, Zevran & f!Lavellan. Solas is gone. Her Clan is dead. When the assassin she hired returns with news of the job, she realises they may have more in common than she realised.

DA PolyEx 2024

Two of Your Finest Vints - E, The Iron Bull/Krem/Dorian. Bull and Krem shared a platonic bond deeper than friendship. But when they met Dorian Pavus, they both realised they wanted him. Like sensible people, the only solution is to share.

Red Skies at Night - M, m!Hawke/Isabela/Merrill. After fighting a dragon, Hawke gets badly injured. Isabela takes her girlfriend Merrill to check in on her boyfriend. Also, t4t4t!!!

From Ferelden, With Love - G, f!Cousland/Nathaniel Howe/Anora. After all they've been through, they found their way back to each other. And despite it all, they still love.

Sharing is Caring - M, Zevran/m!Amell/Nathaniel Howe. Nathaniel simply wanted to inform Daylen's partner that he had been injured. He didn't expect Zevran's response. Epistolary fic.

DADWC Prompts

Find all my DADWC works here!

Ships include: Zevran/genderfluid!Cousland, Maric/Loghain, Shale & Wynne, Ser Gilmore/genderfluid!Cousland, Dorian/m!Lavellan, Krem/Rylen, Lucanis/nb!Rook, Carver/Cullen, Neve/Bellara, Tarquin/Ashur

[sulky-valkyrie]

OC Tag Game!

Tagged by @highwayphantoms (hiiiiii darling!)

Favorite OC: Ris. She is everything I wish I was and everything I wish I wasn't, all dialed up to 11.

Newest OC: Nati Brosca, who has only come up in two or three one-shot drabbles, but is the HoF in the Too Many Wardens AU I'm muddling with.

Oldest OC: Ris. I didn't even know her first name when I started writing her, so I stuck with the last name, then Alistair abbreviated it, and now here we are.

Meanest OC: Probably Trev. She's a fire mage through and through, in temprament and skill, permanently sleep-deprived, and not equipped to be the leader of anything, much less an entire army.

Softest OC: Emjee Hawke. They're so worried about losing people that it colors nearly every decision they make.

Most Aloof/Standoffish OC: Ris, again. She doesn't mean to be, and if she's trying she can fake her way through socializing. In an ideal world, she'd be be sitting by a fire with a book and a glass of wine or a mug of tea, but unfortunately for her, she lives in Thedas, and catastrophes keep happening.

Dumbest OC: Madman of Kirkwall, hands down. He's not actually stupid, but he has so little impulse control that the dumb thing happens before the rest of his brain finishes considering the implications.

Smartest OC: Ris or Nati, with Ris pulling ahead because she's had more time to read rather than constantly struggling to survive as a casteless dwarf. Daylen is pretty smart too, but not in practical ways thanks to that there Circle upbringing.

OC I'd Be Friends With: Hopefully all of them, but .... maybe from a bit of a distance to avoid splash damage.

Tagging @glowing-blue-feathermage @potatowitch @sunnygalaxyfox and @trans-ruffboi

[justabrowncoatedwench]

And now for my own fun tracking of my OCs ages in 9:52! xD (Added bonus of their LIs too.)

Hero of Ferelden

Solona Amell - 42 - Warden Alistair

Milena Cousland - 40 - King Alistair

Kalliana Tabris - 39 - Zevran

Marek Mahariel - 43 - Morrigan

Arien Aeducan - RIP - Ultimate Sacrifice

Inga Brosca - 42 - Leliana

Alanna (of Trebond) Surana - 40 - Zevran (aka George Cooper)

Champion of Kirkwall

Daylen Amell-Hawke - Left in the Fade - exes w Anders

Arienne Hawke - 46 - Anders

Yvanna Hawke-Vael - 46 - Sebastian Vael (rivalmance)

Daine (Sarrasri) Hawke - 46 - Anders (aka Numair)

Inquisitor

Tanith Trevelyan - 39 - Cullen

Kadan Adaar - 43 - Iron Bull

Atishavir Lavellan - 41 - Solas

Revassan Lavellan - 37 - Dorian

Alyssana Lavellan - 36 - Josephine (& OC Joslen Campana)

Isana Cadash - 34 - Sera

Keladry (of Mindelan) Adaar - 31

Rook

Tanith -> Alvaro Trevelyan [warrior, Lord of Fortune] - 38

Kadan -> Saaraban Adaar [mage, Veil Jumper] - 40

Atishavir -> Alyssana [rogue, Antivan Crow] - 36 - (in an open poly marriage)

Revassan -> TBD [Tal-Vashoth Reaper warrior, TBD]

Alyssana -> Revassan [rogue, Veil Jumper] - 37 - (single ready to mingle)

Isana -> dwarf [warrior, Grey Warden]

Keladry -> Alianne (of Pirate's Swoop) [rogue, Shadow Dragon] - 18

Bonus Round - My AU Fanfic Continuity:

HoF: Milena Cousland/Marek Mahariel

Champion: Arienne Hawke

Inquisitor: AU Solona Amell - LI: Cullen

Rook: Evanthe Amell, Mourn Watch mage OR Kieran Mahariel, Shadow Dragon mage

Dragon Age NPC Ages in DA: The Veilguard

This assumes that the 9 10 years between Dragon Age Inquisition and Dragon Age: The Veilguard refer to the Trespasser DLC (as in the last time Varric would have seen Solas; confirmed in Dev Q&A on 6/14/24). This places DAV in 9:54. Characters who showed up in a previous game will not be repeated in the lists for later games they also appeared in (i.e., Leliana is under DAO, not DAI).

Read more for length & spoiler reasons. The ages listed are assuming they have not had their birthday in 9:54 yet.

ETA1: I used the ages & evidence summarized by @dalishious in this post, superseding those ages with newer evidence where available or my own interpretation of textual evidence (when given a range I personally favor smack in the middle more often than not).

ETA2: Changed year/ages to reflect the Q&A information that Veilguard is 10 years post-Trespasser, not 9 as originally stated.

Dragon Age: Origins - 9:30 - 24 years prior

Alistair Theirin - 43

Morrigan - 49

Leliana - 50

Zevran Arainai - 48

Oghren Kondrat - 66

Wynne - RIP (would've been 71)

Shale - Eternal

Sten (now Arishok) - 67

Loghain Mac Tir - 75

Anora Mac Tir - 50

Dragon Age: Awakening - 9:31 - 23 years prior

Nathaniel Howe - 53

Anders - 54

Sigrun - 48

Velanna - 48

Dragon Age 2 - 9:30-9:37 - 24-17 years prior

Hawke - 48

Carver/Bethany Hawke - 43

Fenris - ~54

Isabela - 54

Merrill - ~47

Sebastian Vael - 46

Aveline Vallen - ~59

Varric Tethras - 53

Dragon Age Inquisition - 9:41-9:44 - 13-10 years prior

Josephine Montilyet - 41

Cullen Rutherford - 42

Cassandra Pentaghast - 50

Solas - ~2000 (appears mid-40s)

Sera - 32

Vivienne de Fer - 57

Blackwall/Thom Rainier - 58

the Iron Bull - 50

Dorian Pavus - 42

Cole - Ageless (appears 20, or he may have aged into his 30s if he were made more human in DAI)

Kieran - 22

[ambiguousrubbish]

Jowan/Karl reunion in He Chose Chains(ch11 preview)

Jowan gets to see Karl in the Gallows just prior to his uhh…to Anders’ recruitment into Hawke’s party. 💔

“You know what? Forget this whole thing. I’ll ask a Tranq to help me.” Prudence ripped the list out of his hands and strode away. “You’ll be one soon anyway, useless fool.”

Jowan looked like he’d burst into tears any second, but then a strong hand touched his shoulder. A firm hand, but not an unkind one.

He flinched hard and was now trembling and then he turned to see the friendliest face he’d seen in the longest of times.

“Jowan?! How in the world? We all thought it would be months before you were allowed topside?” The voice was familiar and Jowan immediately was reduced to tears and soft sobs. Brown hair cropped short and a medium length beard-Enchanter’s robes.

“Karl!” Jowan was hugging the older mage before anybody could stop him. Shannon didn’t even try.

“It’s good to see you too, lad. I’ve only heard rumors! Is it true what they say about Daylen? That he saved you?”

Jowan sobbed harder as Karl returned the tight, desperate embrace.

“I got a letter. He’s a hero, but he’s …”

Jowan trailed off and sniffled as he fought back more sobs and tears streamed freely.

Karl shushed him gently and rubbed his back.

Recruit Shannon’s hand was on Jowan’s shoulder too, now.

“I’m sorry Enchanter. I wasn’t expecting-“

“It’s perfectly all right, recruit. We’re all right.” Karl held up a hand to gently stop her from pulling Jowan away.

“Jowan has always been a sensitive soul-he didn’t need to lose his best friend.”

Jowan looked up towards Karl’s face as he finally slowly let go. “He didn’t deserve to die, but apparently the Grey Warden who kills an archdemon dies? We’ve all heard the rumors.”

“Yes, he sacrificed himself to save the king of Ferelden.” Karl nodded.

“Such a goody two shoes.” Jowan said halfheartedly. It had been a running joke at Kinloch that Daylen had been a “goody two shoes” but it didn’t seem so funny now, knowing what Jowan knew.

“This has to be horrible for you, Jowan. I’m so sorry.”

Karl said softly.

“It doesn’t get any better, does it?” Jowan asked. Karl sighed as Jowan began to tire of crying and his breaths came steadily once more.

“It will, but you have to be strong to get there. Please promise me you’ll hang in there?” Karl offered a small sad smile.

“I will try. Daylen wanted me to … this king was a good friend of his. He said in …the letter I received said he might visit me sometime. I doubt that will happen but it’s good to dream, Karl.”

“If that keeps you going then yes. It is good to dream, my friend. I should be going, I need to lead a study group now. Drop in sometime, all right?” Karl’s tone was sincere. He wasn’t just being polite, he seemed earnest in wanting to help Jowan find peace with his new life.

Jowan thought a study group would be a nice change from sitting in a cell in chains anyway.

“I will. Please take care!” Jowan gave Karl another quick hug before they walked away in opposite directions.