Dragon's Era- No Man's Land

by Jacon Winfree

  "And neither, Loghain," added Arl Vaughan, "are you."

  "There is only one choice, at this point," said Bryland. "The son of the man who should have been king, Bryce Cousland. Lords and Ladies, I present to you Fergus Cousland, Teyrn of Highever, scion of the blood of Calenhad, who fought bravely at Ostagar and in the Southron Hills for his country!"

  The doors in the back opened, and a tall, black-bearded man in shining silverite armor strode in. The Landsmeet exploded.

  Hawke really thought he would burst out laughing at the look on Loghain's face. Then, looking again, he decided it really was not all that funny.

  On the other hand, he quite liked looking at Teyrn Fergus. He was just as surprised as anyone else to find out that a Cousland had survived. It was a nice twist in the tale, and another fling at Rendon Howe.

  "Lords and Ladies of Ferelden!" Teyrn Fergus had a good voice: deep and resonant. "My countrymen! This is a day for rejoicing. We are victorious over the Blight, and many lives have been saved that might have been lost but for courage and wise leadership. I will be the first to give credit to Teyrn Loghain, general of Ferelden's army. I would be remiss, however, if I did not add my voice to those raised in thanks and praise to the Grey Wardens of Ferelden!"

  Hawke was pleased at the cheering. In fact, these nobles cheered louder for him than for Teyrn Loghain. Of course, quite of few of them did not like the Teyrn, whereas they had nothing against Hawke.

  Avernus was pondering the matter.

  "Loghain or Teyrn Cousland?" he quietly asked Hawke.

  Hawke had to think quickly. He had liked Arl Bryland all right when he'd met the man in South Reach. The people of Highever had liked the Couslands. If Teyrn Fergus lost here, he was probably as good as dead, because Loghain would never forgive this challenge.

  And on the other hand, he did not like Loghain, who had bullied him and threatened his family and put Carver in a position that led to his death. Loghain was a fine general, and possibly even a great man, but Hawke did want him ruling Ferelden and deciding what what would happen to Hawke, his friends, and his family.

  "Teyrn Cousland," he decided.

  Avernus nodded. "The Couslands and the Wardens have been allies in the past." Discreetly, he twirled the phylactery in his pocket.

  And so it was that there was a vote, and Fergus Cousland was named King of Ferelden. Queen Freya was furious and indignant, but her father, referring to his long service to Ferelden and his belief in their free way of life, submitted to the decision of his peers. He resigned the office of Regent and of Commander of the Army, and gave quite a decent speech about supporting the new King.

  "I will go to Gwaren," said Loghain, "and see to the needs of my people there."

  The Dowager Queen was of course his heiress, and would return with him to Gwaren. Freya looked as if she could have spit nails. It made her a very eligible woman, of course, but Hawke did not envy the man who married her.

  Teyrn Fergus—now King Fergus—then took over the session, and among other things told Hawke to attend a meeting of the Royal Council, to be held on the morrow.

  * * *

  They left the chamber, generally pleased with how things had fallen out. On the way back to the palace, Hawke came face to face with none other than Ser Cauthrien.

  She looked like someone had killed her dog.

  "I can't believe it!" she said, her face strained. "After all he's done... those ingrates... to retire him to Gwaren like an old warhorse put out to pasture..."

  Hawke sighed, fighting a last pang of jealousy. It had been a foolish fancy. She never had cared a pin for him. It would always be Loghain.

  "Maybe it's time for someone else to step up," he said, trying to put a generous gloss on it. "Maybe it's time Teyrn Loghain didn't have to do everything. He's not a young man. Other people have a duty, too."

  She was clearly not hearing a word he said.

  "I'll resign my commission, of course," she rambled. "The army is no place for me, if it has no place for Loghain Mac Tir!"

  "You'll go with him to Gwaren?"

  That, she did hear.

  "Of course. He'll need my support. The Queen needs me. The poor Queen!" She shook her head. "To be tossed aside like that!"

  Hawke had never cared for Queen Freya, who had never even troubled herself to grant him an audience and had locked up his mother and sister until Loghain had told her not to. And what exactly had she done to win the war, anyway? Not a thing, as far as he could see, but sit safe in her castle, dressed in silks and eating cakes, while the commoners suffered.

  "Well," he said, tired of the conversation. "I'm sure she'll find something to occupy her time. I don't suppose," he said, making a last attempt, "that you'd consider Joining the Wardens instead? We're going to be pretty busy with the Thaw, fighting the darkspawn left on the surface."

  She stared at him as if he were insane.

  "Join the Wardens?" she echoed, incredulous.

  "Yes," he said, annoyance spiking. "Join the Wardens and fight the darkspawn. Protect the people of Ferelden, even the ones who don't have a fancy handle to their name."

  Her lip curled. "You should be ashamed of yourself, after all he's done for you!"

  She turned on her heel and walked away. Hawke managed a bitter smile. Perhaps he should ask Avernus to nudge Loghain into proposing marriage to Cauthrien. They deserved each other.

  * * *

  Hawke brought Avernus and Alistair with him to the Council meeting. Avernus, because they might need nudges to get what they wanted. Alistair, because the young Warden, between his happiness with Alyson and his relief over the events of the Landsmeet, had told Hawke a very interesting bit of information.

  "The son of Maric? Really? And you let Teyrn Fergus... But now you'll never be king!" Hawke said afterwards.

  "I never wanted to be king," Alistair shrugged. "I just want to be a Warden. I love being a Warden. If they'd proposed Loghain, I might have felt guilty, not putting up a fight... but Teyrn Cousland's a very fine man, by all accounts. I wouldn't know how to be a king anyway. It's all worked out. Alyson and I are going to look up my half-sister, here in Denerim. Maybe she needs help. Alyson knows how to be tactful."

  So here they were, shown into the Council Chamber, which like the rest of the palace was very nice and posh and expensive. Hawke looked about with a sardonic smirk, thinking how many people could have been fed and clothed with what had been spent here.

  "Warden Hawke." King Fergus greeted them with a smile. "And Warden Avernus... Warden Alistair. My warmest thanks to you all. We have been discussing how best to reward you."

  Loghain was looking grumpy. Possibly someone had proposed something particularly nice.

  The King glanced around the table.

  "It has even been proposed that the Arling of Amaranthine, once the domain of Arl Howe, be given to the Wardens for their support and maintenance. The commander of the Wardens would thus be Arl of Amaranthine."

  Hawke's jaw dropped in utter horror.

  "No!" he croaked.

  The King's smile turned puzzled. Alistair gasped. Avernus gritted his teeth.

  "Sorry, Your Majesty," Hawke apologized. "It's just... Grey Wardens shouldn't have titles. We're just Wardens. That's all we need to be."

  Fergus was touched. "That's an admirably altruistic sentiment."

  Loghain, at the end of the table, snorted. "Hawke dislikes nobles. He'd think it hypocritical to be one."

  King Fergus raised his brows.

  Hawke refused to lie about it. "I have not the least desire to be a noble. All I ever wanted was a farm and a quiet life and for my family to be safe. I've never asked for anything else. I was conscripted into the Wardens and I've tried my best to do my duty. Our job was to kill the Archdemon, and we did it."

  "Hear, hear!" approved Arl Wulffe. "Well done, I say! Personally," he added in a growl to Arl Bryland, "I think he's just the sort of noble Ferelden needs!"r />
  Hawke plowed on. "But our job isn't over. We can't sit around, playing nobles and settling land disputes while there's a single darkspawn loose in Ferelden. We're warriors. We've given this a lot of thought. What we'd like is clear title to our old fortress up in the Coast Mountains."

  "Soldier's Peak," Loghain put in, his eyes blank. "That's the name."

  "Right. Soldier's Peak. We'd like that and a bit of land to support us. Enough for some pasture and a farm or two. That's all we need and all we have time to manage. With that, we can keep the Wardens fed and fielded. The Compound is Denerim is fine, and a good base when we need to be consulted, but Soldier's Peak will be our home."

  "Isn't it a ruin?" asked Arl Bryland.

  "It's not so bad, my lord," said Hawke. "We can fix it up with some work. None of us is afraid of hard work," he added, unconsciously echoing Bella. "We don't need anything fancy. We'll want our proper tithes, of course, but we don't need an arling."

  Arl Vaughan could hardly believe what he was hearing. He asked, "Do the rest of you agree to this? You really don't want Amaranthine?"

  "We agree!" Alistair's voice was firm and clear. "We didn't do what we did for honors or land." He narrowed his eyes at Loghain, who did not look his way.

  Avernus smiled and shrugged. "How does one put a value on slaying an Old God? Our order is precious to us, my lords, not wealth and power. And there are two Old Gods yet unawakened. It does not do to forget that. The Grey Wardens will always be needed."

  "Well," said King Fergus, eyeing Hawke with curiosity, "I've never heard of anyone turning down an arling before. You're a principled man, Warden Hawke. Proud, too. All of you: proud and principled. I think it's going to be interesting, working with you." He spread his hands.

  "All right, then. Soldier's Peak it is. I'll send some surveyors out, and we'll give you a demesne to support your order. I daresay we can carve a bit off Amaranthine for you." He grinned. "Just enough, and not too much, for proud and principled Wardens."

  "And there's just one other thing, Your Majesty," said Hawke. "I'd like permission for my mother and sister to be released from Crown custody." It was all he could do to keep his temper, thinking of it. "Now that I think I've proved my worth and loyalty beyond question, perhaps it's not necessary for them to be kept under guard at the Palace. I'd like them to travel north with me."

  Loghain looked away. King Fergus glanced at Arl Bryland, not quite understanding the situation, but making quite a clever guess.

  "Of course," said the King. "Now that the crisis is passed, there is no longer any reason for them to stay, if they wish to go. Don't you agree, Teyrn Loghain?"

  Avernus did not even have to use the phylactery.

  "Their movements are of complete indifference to me, Your Majesty."

  "Excellent," said the King. "What an agreeable session we've had today." He sighed. "Tomorrow will be a different matter, as we consider the fate of the heirs of Arl Howe. That is of some interest to you Wardens, as the Arl of Amaranthine will be your neighbor to the east. Tomorrow, however, is another day. For now, take our thanks with you, and our assurances that you will have all that you asked. If it proves a little more than that, try to be gracious."

  * * *

  They did not congratulate themselves until they had retrieved both Hawke ladies and everyone was safe and gathered in the compound.

  "Soldier's Peak!" said Anders. "I hope it's not too awful."

  "I lived there quite happily for many years," Avernus said blithely. "There is a tower for mages there. In my day we had what amounted to our own, independent Circle. We could do that again."

  A slow smile brightened Anders' face.

  "It sounds wonderful," said Levyn, trying not to stare at Bethany. He thought she was incredibly pretty.

  Oghren lifted his head from his mug of ale and spoke.

  "I might be joining you folks later on. I've got some business at an inn by Lake Calenhad. There's a girl who might be persuaded," he leered, "to let me carry her off."

  "Er... Oghren..." Alistair said nervously. "Aren't you already married?"

  "Hmmm... "Oghren cocked his head. "So you'd rather I brought Branka to Soldier's Peak?"

  "No!" yelped Alistair, horrified. "I didn't mean that!"

  Alyson squeezed his hand. She grinned at Oghren. "I'm sure your second marriage will be far happier than your first!"

  They all laughed. Hawke looked around. His family, his friends, a home. He would still have to fight for them all, through unknown battles and labors ahead, but at last, everything he had dreamed of was within his grasp.

  And there would be no nobles at Soldier’s Peak.