Author's Note: This will be a fourteen chapter short story, detailing the first year of a certain Grey Warden. His friends his enemies and his loves. Hope you all like it

Dragon Age: The Grey Year

Prologue: Day One

"Is he dead yet?"

Arika looked up from her vigil; the old desire to slam Nug's head into the near pillar came back with a vengeance. This was the fourth time the dwarf had asked that question.

She was kinda getting tired of answering it.

"He is not dead, go back to the others."

"I want his boots if he dies. Remember that girl; they will fetch a good price in the Ostwick market."

Arika sighed, "Stroud."

"Nug get over here," the senior warden said not even bothering to look up from his book, "Now."

The dwarf snorted and returned to the campfire, the other wardens chuckled. Nug gave them all the finger as he sat back down. The shadows of the deep roads closed in around the small party. They could all still feel the darkspawns' presence, just on the edge of their senses. The wardens had given the creatures a bloody nose today.

It was doubtful they would come looking for trouble anytime soon.

Arika looked back down at her charge, the young man groaned.

She shook her head, this was no job for a proper Nevaran Reaver, she had killed dragons before, supped on the blood spurting from beast's severed neck. More recently she had killed darkspawn in the darkest corners of the deep roads, clearing the beasts out of there festering holes to make the world a better place.

And now…now she had become a nurse maid.

It was intolerable.

Another of her fellow wardens rose and approached her, the reaver gave the woman a curt nod, this was the one that Arika could actually tolerate talking to. She had frizzy orange hair that looked like she had just been struck by a lightning bolt. It was not likely in the deep roads of course, but mages had a way of doing the impossible.

The girl leaned down, touching the boy's forehead.

"How is he?" the Reaver asked.

"Is that concern I hear in your voice my dear?" Nug chortled.

"Just want to know how long I'm gonna have to play 'watch the corpse,' the girl complained.

"The boy is not going to die," Stroud sighed, "He has survived the joining. When he awakens he will be our new brother." The senior warden turned to Arika, his cool eyes bore into her, "It will be your job to see him through the next few months."

Oh joy, the girl thought.

IOI

Stroud's gaze turned to the orange haired mage, "Well Siobhan, will he survive?"

"His fever has dropped," the Ferelden Mage grinned, "He should awaken soon."

"Good," Nug hissed, "I'm getting tired of this place," he turned to Stroud, "I'm surprised you would take in a charity case boss. The boy had better be worth all this."

"We shall see," the Antivan warden replied.

"It was the right thing to do Stroud," a tall warden with dark hair and Grey eyes said from where he kept watch on the main tunnel, "The Maker will surely smile on you for your mercy."

"This was not mercy Brother Nigel," the senior warden replied, "I owed Anders a debt, now I have repaid it. The fact that we have gained a new brother is just another step in are war with the darkspawn. Mercy and the Maker's blessing was never part of the equation."

Nigel nodded, whatever Stroud claimed, it was still a good act, the right act.

Stroud looked up at the last of his scouting group the elven twins had said nothing of their latest acquisition, which was unusual. Normally Veryan and Arthian could not help but offer their opinions.

"What do you think my friends," Stroud asked the two elves, "Do you think I have made a mistake?"

"Not our place to say," the elves said in unison, they were both olive skinned with long dark brown hair. To be honest, Stroud could still not tell them apart. Both were skilled fighters though, so that was all that mattered.

"Ah they're just pissed that the boy survived the joining," Nug laughed, "I bet them each a sovereign, and they lost."

"I thought you were hoping he would die?" Arika asked from where she was standing.

"I bet that he would survive the joining," the dwarf clarified, "Now that he has and I have my coin, he can die if he wants, as I said his boots will fetch a fine price."

"Screw you Nug," the elves said in unison.

"Only if you're good boys," the dwarf snickered.

"How about a little decency," Siobhan complained, "You did not see the rest of us contemplating your deaths after your joining."

"Death happens down here mage," Arika shrugged, "The deep roads kills all but the strong."

"Well said Reaver," Nug saluted her.

"Drop dead Nug," Arika hissed.

The dwarf laughed.

IOI

At that moment the unconscious boy coughed, he groaned and tried to sit up.

Siobhan smiled.

"Easy," the mage said placing a hand on the boy's broad shoulders, "Deep breaths, the disorientation will pass soon."

The boy looked up at Arika, she held it evenly. He was attractive, for a lowlander, dark hair, blue eyes and muscular in the way of all farm boys. His friends had said he was a great warrior.

They would see about that.

"Can you hear me?" Siobhan asked.

The boy nodded.

Finally, Arika thought, it was about time, she looked over at the senior warden.

"Hey Stroud," she sang out, "Your charity case is awake!"

IOI

He had been drowning in darkness.

That was how it had felt anyway, the shadows had been closing in, the cold dampness of the deep roads had leeched away all of his strength. He could feel the taint in his blood, the blight clawing at his heart like some kind of hungry predator, and below that had been the song. It…it had been so beautiful, beautiful but terrible. The boy had feared he would go mad. That it would make him claw out his own eyes and leave him suffering in shadows until death finally took him.

That had not happened. He had survived…somehow.

The last thing he remembered clearly was Anders and Garrett handing him over to these people, and now…now…

Now he was somewhere else.

He looked up into the faces of two women; the first had a kind plain face with green eyes and frizzy orange hair. The second…

The second was something more.

Her gaze was as cold as ice, she had foxlike features with clear blue eyes and dirty blonde hair, at least he thought it was blonde, it was hard to say in the shadows of this place. Her chin was decorated with a strange swirling patterned tattoo.

He did not recognize the markings, she was clearly no chasind, and he could not place her strange accent.

Both women wore the same blue and silver gambesons. Only the blonde had armor over hers, the red head had a staff strapped to her back.

She was a mage then, the boy thought, wonderful. He might not have been born with the same gifts as Garrett and Bethany, but he could still sense magic.

The one gift his father had given him.

"How are you feeling Charity?" the blonde said coolly.

"Fine," he coughed.

Wait? What had she called him?

"That… that is not my name," he croaked. He tried to sit up, dizziness put him right back on his ass.

"Easy," the mage cautioned.

The blonde snorted.

"You're Charity until you prove yourself otherwise Charity," she continued, "We Grey Wardens do not usually make it a habit of picking up strays in the deep roads."

"I'm not a stray," the boy said hotly.

"We'll see," Arika snorted.

"Ignore her," Siobhan said glaring at her fellow warden, reavers have no sense of tact or compassion."

The girl was a reaver, the boy thought; he did not know that there were female reavers.

"I'm tougher than I look," he warned her.

"As I said…we will see," Arika snorted.

"Arika be civil," a tall Antivan said joining them; he had short black hair and mutton chop style mustache.

"Greetings lad," the Antivan said with a slight bow, "I'm Stroud senior warden of this scouting group, and your new commanding officer."

"Ser," the boy said quietly bowing his head.

"We don't stand on ceremony here," the Antivan said, "You may address me as senior warden or simply Stroud."

The boy nodded.

"I'm Siobhan," the red head said with a warm smile. "You have already met Arika."

Arika ignored the boy's nod, she went to the fire, he was out of danger. Now she wanted to get some rest. If she was going to be saddled with him for the next few months she wanted to enjoy her last few hours of peace and freedom.

Siobhan helped him to his feet, he was still rather dizzy, she steadied him the best she could.

"Here," the mage said holding out a water skin, the boy drank deeply.

"Easy," she cautioned, "your body has had a terrible shock."

His stomach cramped slightly, but he managed to keep the water down.

Siobhan led him back to the fire. He sat down next to the two elves.

"This is Veryan and Arthian," she informed him, "We just call them the twins."

"Hi Charity," the two elves said greeting him.

The boy's eyes narrowed, he was already getting tired of the whole 'charity thing.'

"The tall one over on watch is Brother Nigel." The mage continued.

The brother nodded.

"He is a priest?" the boy asked.

"He was training to be a Templar before the Blight; he joined the wardens to help protect Thedas."

"Then the Blight ended," a bald headed dwarf with a scraggly beard snorted. He had a strange tattoo on his left cheek, "He joined for nothing."

"I do the Maker's work," Nigel responded.

"Sure you do," the dwarf smirked.

Siobhan frowned.

"This is Kilir." She informed their newest recruit.

"Don't call me that," the dwarf told her, "My name is Nug."

"Nug?" the boy asked.

"As in crazy as," the dwarf said giving him a saucy grin, "You got a problem with that Charity?"

Anger flickered in the boy's eyes, but he pushed it back. He was in no shape to fight anyone, much less a Grey Warden.

There would be another time.

"Pleased to meet you all," the boy grumbled.

Siobhan laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Don't take it personal, no one liked me much when I joined at first either."

"I can take care of myself," he snorted irritably. He shrugged off her hand.

Siobhan's face fell slightly.

"My apologies," she said in a hurt voice.

He cursed under his breath, lovely, his first day as a Grey Warden and he was already alienating the one person who was treating him with respect.

He was being a prick…again.

"No, I am sorry," he said, "I'm still…this is a lot to take in. I thought I was dying."

"You were," the mage reminded him, "The taint is still a part of you, we can't help that. But the joining will give you a chance to avenge yourself on the darkspawn who did this.

The boy's eyes narrowed dangerously. Yes…he would enjoy taking out his anger on the tainted creatures.

"We have stew if you are hungry," the mage offered.

The boy shook his head.

"Enjoy not being hungry Charity," Nug laughed, "Once your stomach settles you will never not be hungry again."

The boy arched his eyebrow, what was that supposed to mean?

"The boy will learn his place in time Nug," Stroud cautioned, "give him time."

The dwarf shrugged no dust off his stone.

The boy rubbed his broad shoulders. He felt both hot and cold all at once. And…he missed his friends Aveline, Isabela, Varric, and Merrill…Maker how he missed her. What would she say when Garrett told her about this? Would she mourn?

Would she cry?

He was surprised that he missed Garrett as well, he had complained daily over the last year about not being able to get away from his brother…now he had, and…

He wished he could tell him that he was alive…that he had survived.

"So what is your name?" Siobhan asked him.

"Huh?"

"Your name? Unless you want me to start calling you Charity too," the mage said with a slight laugh.

"Please don't," he begged.

The mage smiled, she was just teasing, he seemed to understand that.

"Carver," the boy told her, "My name is Carver."

"Pleased to meet you Carver," Siobhan grinned, "Welcome to the Grey Wardens."

IOI

Arika settled down into her bed roll. The Reaver found herself watching the new boy, watching this Carver.

Most charity cases did not survive their first five months as a warden. She probably should not get overly curious.

Still…she found herself watching him.

She had seen the fire in his eyes when she called him Charity. If this one died it would not be easy. As a reaver she saw that fire as both a challenge and as an invitation.

Carver thought he was tough, he did not know what tough was, at least not yet.

As junior member of the order it would be her job to see to his training.

He would either emerge as a strong new Grey Warden…

Or he would not emerge at all.

That was just the way it was.

For better or worse.