Chapter 2: Just the Beginning

'This isn't the Fade.' Seraphia was drifting in the darkness and surprisingly it didn't hurt. She no longer felt she was floating; she merely was just in the darkness.

"She heals incredibly quickly for one so young, don't you think mother?" A faintly familiar female voice speaks somewhere in the darkness.

"Indeed she does, but she is no ordinary elf or mage. Her power has yet to unleash itself, child." Another much older female voice also seems familiar.

'Are they talking about me?'

"She is coming to, attend to her while I go and console that fool outside." The older female voice fades away and there is a slight banging noise in the distance.

'Hello?' She tries to form the thoughts into words but the darkness is still so thick that she doesn't know if her efforts are successful.

"Ah, so the little one lives on. T'is most good to hear, I was getting tired of watching over you." The voice sounds closer now and Seraphia recognises it as the witch that she encountered in the Kocari Wilds.

"Morrigan." She speaks softly and slowly opens her eyes to the new world around her that is far from the darkness where she drifted.

The room is small and shabby, a fireplace in the middle section of the opposite wall with a cauldron warming up. A few wooden shelving with books on them and some more scattered around the floor, the fur rug is muddy yet pleasant enough as it appears to be the only decoration that makes the hut seem more like a home than just somewhere to rest one's head for the night.

"T'is good that you remember my name, Little one. The condition mother found you in was most troubling indeed. Your friend feared your death was certain." Morrigan sat down in a chair next to the small bed that the young elf was laying in and studied her face carefully.

"What happened to everyone at Ostagar? Is Alistair ok?" All shyness forgotten, Seraphia sat up and let the thin bed covers drop to her waist revealing her small under clothes that she always wore under her mage robes. "I need to know what happened."

Morrigan saw something in the girl's eyes that both intrigued her and scared her at the same time. 'Mother was right as always, this girl is truly powerful. This is very interesting indeed.' So the younger witch of the Wilds retold all that she saw at the battle of Ostagar and at Seraphia's request, didn't hide all the unpleasantries.

After learning all she could, Seraphia hastily grabbed her mages robes and put them on before gathering her trusty staff and venturing outside to the worrying Alistair.

Outside, Alistair and Morrigan's mother were standing by a lake in complete silence. Seraphia gripped her staff for reassurance and slowly approached the two of them. Upon hearing her footsteps Alistair turned round swiftly and his golden brown eyes widened and lit up as he made eye contact with her.

"I'm so glad you're alive. I felt for sure that you were dead." His voice is barely above a whisper and suddenly his arms are wrapped around her slender body and he crushed her to him. "You're really here." He says more to himself than anyone else and at that moment in time he doesn't care if he looks stupid because he isn't alone anymore.

"Yes, but you're crushing my ribs Alistair." She places her hands on his chest and gently pushes him to pull away from her. Her blue eyes look up at his face and she smiles solemnly as she can see hurt so clearly across his features and wishes that this was just a nightmare and not reality.

Morrigan's mother watches and finds the seen amusing at best, though there is the smallest human part of her that feels pity for them but it isn't recognised. "See I told you boy that she was going to be just fine. Have more faith in me please." She is sarcastic and she absolutely loves it, especially when it puts the man on his toes.

"Y-yes, I'm sorry for doubting you." He stammers out and the old woman can't resist laughing slightly at him before explaining that they are the last two Wardens in Ferelden and it's up to them now to stop this Blight getting out of control. "So you're ready to be Grey Wardens then?"

Alistair turns and looks down at Seraphia and almost gasps when he sees the determination glistening in her eyes. She's changed a little bit since Ostagar and he can hardly blame her for no longer playing the innocent mage that just got dragged into this mess.

"Yes." They say in unison.

A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update, I wasn't sure how to continue this story but now I do so it's all ok now. Zevran will turn up in a couple of Chapters down the line. Hope you liked it, please let me know what you think!