Naruto: Knight of Highever

Chapter 1

Written by KitBeast

Beta'd by Vixen's Shadow (Greatly appreciated by the way)

Disclaimer:- In no way do I own the franchise's of Naruto and Dragon Age. They are the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Bioware. No profits are made by this story.

Everybody knows where they are and what they are doing on the days their world changed. My name is Naruto Uzumaki and the day my world changed was when Sasuke, the person I thought of as a brother decided to become a traitor and abandon our village. He had somehow come to believe that if he studied under another traitor called Orochimaru then he would gain enough strength to avenge his family and kill their murderer. The Hokage had sent me and four others to capture him but along the way we had become seperabted as we all began indivual battles with the people who were escorting our target back to Orochimaru. So here I was alone, at a place called the Valley Of the End, facing the closest person I have to a brother in a fight that could very much be the end for one of us.

A gentle breeze blew threw the valley, catching a stray leaf of the floor and carrying high into the air. As the leaf lazily glided threw the barren valley the eyes of two young boys were boring into it. One of the boys had a fairly short mop of uncontroled hair, that was the colour of the sun itself. This clashed with the bright orange track-suit that he wore, which had a noticeable hole in the left shoulder. His right had was holding a spinning ball of energy that sounded as if it was sucking the air itself into it. However the most noticable thing about him was the bubbling cloak of red energy that surrounded his body and gave him a vulpine appearance. He was Naruto Uzumaki.

Across from his was another boy of the same age, only this one had two large hand like wings, and had coal coloured skin. He wore a very simple dark blue tee-shirt and a pair of plain white shorts. And like the first boy his right hand was covered in energy as well, only this time it was in the shape of compressed lightning, which chirped with the sound of a thousand bird. He was Sasuke Uchiha.

"Chidori" "Rasengan"

The two deadly attacks collided causing a devastating shock wave that shook the very valley that surrounded it. The vast amounts of corrupted chakra and demonic chakra combined to create an effect that nobody would have guessed.

As the sphere of chakra imploded into itself it formed a corridor too an entirely unknown world.

Finally arriving after what seemed like hours, Kakashi quickly moved to survey the surrounding valley. The massive gouges that covered the rock face, and the two great statues that defined the valley were shattered. Both told of the viciousness of the battle that happened here, not minutes before.

And while it had only been minutes since the battle had ended, so therefore it would be easy for Kakashi to catch up to Sasuke, but doing so may be fatal when it comes to Naruto. Faced by the decision of whether to go after his wayward student or search for his possibly injured student, Kakashi made one of the hardest decisions of his entire life.

Quickly running over the river, Kakashi made his way up the opposite side of the valley, pumping more and more chakra into his legs, desperate to catch up and stop the Uchiha.

"Hold on Naruto. I don't know if you're injured or not, but if I don't stop Sasuke then we will lose him to Orochimaru. Konoha will lose one of it's founding clans: such a thing might destroy the already weakened moral of the village. And you have both your stubborn determination and the Nine tailed fox to keep you alive, and if they can't save you then there is nothing I would be able to do."

As he began to stir, the first thing that Naruto noticed was the vast fields of golden corn and lush valleys covered in grass that surrounded him. Concern flooded through him, since this was nothing like the place he last remembered being: The Valley of the End.

Struggling against the blinding pain that coarsed throughout his body, Naruto forced himself to his knees. Galvanized against the pain by this tiny victory Naruto continued to struggle to his feet.

The shoulder wound that had been closed just minutes before had reopened, due to the damaging effects the chakra of the Nine tailed Fox had done to his body.

Shuddering as the pain once again ripped through his body, Naruto was beginning to believe that he wouldn't survive until nightfall.

With the mass of blood that was pouring out of the wounds covering his body, Naruto found himself becoming increasingly faint. Deciding to leave his life in the hands of fate, Naruto slowly started to move in a random direction.

Unfortunately he didn't manage to get far before he finally succumbed to his wounds.

Heading down the well worn trail that made way to Castle Cousland, Teyrn Bryce Cousland was looking forward to being able to finally spend some time with his wife, and of course his son.

He was sharply removed from his thoughts when one of the scouts came galloping up to the group, screaming about something he couldn't quite make out.

"Calm down ser and tell me what's wrong" Bryce said calmly, hoping to sooth the scout a little

"My lord, there's a child" the scout answered after a moment to regain his breathe

"A child? Out in the wild?"

"Yes my lord, and he seems to be badly injured"

"Injured? Do you have any idea what caused them?"

"No my lord, but if we don't hurry I fear the boy may not survive much longer" the scout said urgently

"Of course, quickly ser take us to him" Bryce said while maneuvering his horse to follow the scout. Turning slightly on his saddle, Bryce told a younger lad who was wearing elegant looking robes, "When we get there I want you to check on the boy Harrison"

"But my lord, I am still an apprentice. I'm no where near finishing my training. I don't know what I could do to help the boy."
"While you might not be able to heal him fully Harrison, the little training that you have received will let you do more for the boy then what we would be able to. All I ask is you help him be stable enough to travel. Once that happens we will be able to bring the boy to Highever."

"Yes my lord."

"Ser Gilmore, I want you to head to Highever straight away. Once there tell my wife to gather the Healers and the supplies needed to heal the boy."

"I will leave immediately, my lord."

Turning back to the track ahead of him and some travel, Bryce was soon assaulted by the view of a young boy, about 12 years of age, who was soaked in what appeared to be his own blood.

"By Andraste's grace, what happened to him?"

"I don't know, my lord. This is how I found him. There doesn't seem to be any sign of a struggle. Although it does appear as if the boy walked here from another location." The scout said while pointing towards the south-west. "With your permission my lord, I'd like to follow the trail, and try to find out what has happened here"

"Of course. But try to be careful. Any information you gain would become useless, if you were to be slain. And any information, no matter how little would help us prevent this from happening to anyone else in future."

While the dialogue between the scout and Bryce had taken place, Harrison had proceeded to begin to do what little he could to help the boy. Settling down into the role, Harrison quickly went about bandaging all the wounds he could spot. After several minutes he knew there was nothing more that could be done for the boy's physical wounds by someone of his small abilities, so he focused on the area of his expertise. Magic. He sent a small amount of magic into the boy, to feel for the taint left by demons from within the fade always left behind when they possess a person.

The results of his probe didn't answer his questions like Harrison had hoped, in fact it had increased them. Exponentially.

"This can't be right!" he muttered in disbelief.

"What is it Harrison" Bryce asked kneeling beside the young mage, concern clearly shown on his face

"The boy has magic."

"So he's a mage then? Perhaps one who has run away from the Circle?"

"There have been no mages who have left the Circle in the last 5 years that have not already been captured by the templars, My lord, so that's impossible. He has magic, but it's nothing like anything I've ever come across, or even heard of in all of my studies."

"What? Are you sure?" Bryce asked mirroring Harrison's disbelief

"I'm positive my lord." Harrison said. The conviction in his voice clear for all to hear.

"I'm sorry Harrison, but I don't understand. You claim the boy has magic, yet you say he isn't a mage? Everyone knows that only mages, whether they're from the Circle or an apostate, have access to magic."

"Believe me My lord, I am just as confused about this as you are. But perhaps I should try to explain myself?" Harrison asked glancing towards Bryce. Seeing him nod, he paused to take a deep breathe to calm his thoughts before starting his explanation. "You see my lord, everyone, from the smallest child to the most powerful mage has access to magic. The difference is only a mage has the sufficient amount of magic available to project outside their own bodies. This boy has roughly the same amount of magic available to him as Irving, the First Enchanter of the Circle Tower. However the boy's magic seems different, while at the same time it feels the same."

"How can something be the same and be different at the same time?" Bryce asked in clear confusion.

"Imagine that all magic is water. Normally in a mage, that water is calm and collected in one place, like a reservoir. But the boy's magic, it's wild and constantly flows around his body, as if it was a river. While both a river and a reservoir is made up of water, the way they behave is completely different to each other."

"I think I understand. Is the magic stable?" Seeing the confused look on Harrison's face Bryce quickly added "It won't lash out and cause harm to anyone?"

"I believe it would only behave as such, if the boy was threatened in some way my lord."

"Right. Otherwise is the boy safe to be moved to Highever?"

"Yes my lord."

Nodding, Bryce slowly pushed his arm under the boys legs and under his upper back, allowing him to pick him up without causing too much stress on the boy's wounds. Moving towards his horse, Bryce carefully avoided anything that could impede him on way to his horse. Shifting the boy into a more comfortable position, Bryce started to move the boy onto the front of his saddle; the perfect place for him. It would be somewhere Bryce could be certain the boy wouldn't fall and he could be protected if they were attacked. And while unlikely this close to the castle, one could never be too sure. And of course the main reason even if he wouldn't only acknowledge it within his own mind, was that if the boy was dangerous, it would be him, not his men, that was harmed by it. After all, it was the duty of a Teyrn to watch over all their subjects, and guarantee their safety, even at the expense of their own.

Looking out of the window, she was once again captured by the majestic view of Castle Cousland. Even after 40 years she could not believe that this is the place she called home. Slowly taking in the sights which she had become so accustomed to, and the sounds of the castle, which was bursting with life, now that the cold grasp of winter had been left behind; the children once again roamed free, with over protective parents hovering close by. Eleanor was quickly lost to her wandering thoughts.

When she was young she had always thought that she would never have a life anywhere near what she has now. And it all started when she met Bryce. The handsome, young noble who she had helped in a scrap. And as the saying goes, the rest was history. After a year of courting Bryce had asked her to marry him, and while she was overwhelmed with happiness, she was also shocked speechless. After all while she may have been noble born, it was to one of the lesser families, with estates that was barely worth mentioning. And yet Bryce Cousland, heir to the Teyrnship of Highever, had asked for her hand.

She had accepted of course, although as it turned out she didn't have as long as she had believed to grow into her new responsibilities. Just 3 and a half years of marriage her father-in-law had passed away, elevating Bryce to the title of Teyrn, and her as his wife, the title of Teyrna, something she believed she was no where near ready for.

But Bryce had always supported her and said that she would do brilliantly in anything that she put her mind to. And to prove her loving husband right, she had put her mind, body and soul into being the perfect Teyrna. And all the effort she put forward showed. The people loved her and her husband, and their lands had flourished.

Her wandering thoughts were soon grounded when the peaceful atmosphere of the castle was broken when a man galloped into the castle, barking orders to all those around him.

Leaving her perch on the window seat, Eleanor quickly made her way to the man to find out what the commotion is due to. After several minutes of hurried walking, after all it would not do for a Teyrna to run, she made it to the courtyard to see the man was actually the young Ser Gilmore. And upon seeing her he made his way towards her, and bowed his head to show his respect.

"What is wrong Ser Gilmore?" Eleanor asked with a surprising calmness

"My lady, the Teyrn has sent me ahead to ask you to gather the healers"

"The healers? Why would Bryce need the healers? He wasn't hurt was he?" She demanded becoming frantic in worry

"No my lady, the Teyrn is safe, and so are the men. However several mile from the castle a scout reported that he had found a injured child. And the Teyrn has gone to collect him and bring him here."

"A child?"

"Yes my lady"

"Any idea what caused this?"

"Not at the moment my lady."

"Right. Ser Gilmore I want you to remain here. I will be in the western guestroom, and when my husband arrives direct him there. I will have the healer waiting."

"Of course my lady."

Rushing up the stairs she had recently descended, she set about gathering the needed healers, as well as the supplies they were sure to need, nothing extravagant, just several clean cloths as well as a bucket of fresh water. If anything more that is needed, the more advanced medicine would need to be collected later by the servants. After all she is a fighter not a healer.

Speaking of which, some of the servants had acted on their initiative and already sent the healers to her, which was good; she had no idea how long it would be before Bryce arrived with the boy, and therefore had no time to search for the healers in the castle.

The speed of which the horses entered the castle clearly showed the urgency or their riders.

A speed that was quickly mirrored by Bryce as he dismounted and lifted the injured boy down with him. Carrying the boy with him he made his way toward the main hall of the castle. While he was walking he was joined by Ser Gilmore, who immediately informed him of the Teyrna's wish that the boy be brought to the western guestroom.

After several long minutes, the Teyrn made it to the designated room and the door was already open with his wife looking worriedly down the corridor, checking for any sign of them. Seeing him she rushed over and gasped when she saw the state of the boy. "Andraste's grace, what happened to him Bryce?"

"I don't now Eleanor. But he needs to be healed immediately. Harrison has done what little he could for the boy, but I fear that will not be enough."

"Of course, what was I thinking? Now is not the time for questions. Come Bryce." Eleanor said leading Bryce into the room

Stepping back Eleanor gave Bryce enough room to put the boy on the bed, still in disbelief that something as horrible as this could happen to a child.

Placing the child on the bed as softly as he could Bryce took a step back to join his wife, bracing himself for the rush of questions he was sure would be asked.

"When do you think the child will wake up Bryce?" she asked concern ringing in her voice

"I don't know Eleanor. Hopefully it will be soon. While I may have a scout searching for answers, I fear we won't have any until we can question the boy."

"Something must be done Bryce. No matter how long it takes for the boy to wake, we can't let whatever monster that did this threaten our people."

"Yes, you're right. I'll go organize patrol parties immediately." Bryce said heading towards the door

"Well then, I will remain here, and oversee the boy's care." Eleanor stated which made Bryce nod.

Stopping once he made it to the door Bryce gave a long sigh before saying "Even with the extra patrols I don't believe I will feel safe again until we know what happened and it is dealt with."
"Me too Bryce, me too."

"Ser Gilmore!" Bryce barked while exiting the main hall of the castle

The unexpected voice had caused said Ser to spill the water he had been drinking. Seeing the seriousness on the face of his lord, Gilmore was quick to put flask away while making his way over.

"Yes my lord?"

"I want you to double the patrol's around Highever immediately. The patrol's will stay this way until either I or the Teyrna says otherwise. Is that clear Ser Gilmore?"

"Yes my lord"

Seeing the young knight rush to perform his new task, Bryce allowed himself to relax for the fist time in hours. Given that Highever was as powerful as it was, very few things could threaten it. But then again very few things would do such a thing to a child. Not even the most ruthless bandit or dangerous blood mage would do such a thing. Which left only two plausible explanations. Either some new beast had taken up residence near by, and would need to be hunted down to ensure the safety of the people, or Maker forbid, there was Darkspawn near by.

And if the Darkspawn were on the surface it could only mean one thing. A new Blight. And Ferelden was nowhere near ready to face a Blight.

A.N... This is a story that I have wanted to write for a long, long time. Since I first got the Dragon Age game actually. Only when I found out that Dragon Age II was coming out did I realize how long I had been thinking about it. So here it is, my first attempt at a multi-chapter story since 'Rumours of a Shadow Fox'.

Now i'm not one of those Author's who say there not going to update unless they get a certain number of reviews. I'll update when i'm happy the chapter is ready to be uploaded. Which of course means I will be getting it Beta'd. However reviews will allow me to understand some of the problems, improvements etc that you all have so if you want to fell free to leave a review.

Thanks for your time KitBeast.