“SHE HAS BEEN HERE SINCE ORIGINS AND SHE IS STILL STANDING”
“i love that leliana is allowed to be soft without being naive. she believes in hope, in stories, in the idea that people can be better and she still does the hard morally gray shit at the same time”
vs. Ser Cauthrien
“If you ever got absolutely flattened by her in that fight and went “ok wow” you already understand why she should win”
“REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME YOU RAN INTO HER WITH A PARTY THAT WAS NOT READY?????? because I do. permanently.”
“loghain’s most loyal employee. ferelden’s most terrifying hall monitor.”
DA Sapphic Week Day 7: Alternate Universe | Promises (1/3)
@dragonagesapphicweek
Word Count: 200
Featuring Josephine Montilyet / Ser Cauthrien
“Josie, I promise. I will come back.” Cauthrien rubbed her thumbs gently against Josephine’s cheeks. She cradled her lover’s face in her hands. The unshed tears she could see there were breaking her heart. None of this was supposed to happen to her. After so many failures, she was supposed to spend the rest of her life just trying to make up for it; to die forgotten. Not a hero, with a woman who loved her, and people who believed in her. Believed enough to die for her.
“I was lost, but I found you. And I’ll find you again.”
-----
Josephine tried not to cry as she clutched Cauthrien’s arms. It was foolish and childish. They had to stop Corypheus. Cauthrien had to be the one to do it. There were no other options. The idea of letting her go, letting her walk into whatever was waiting in the Arbor Wilds. It terrified her. This was it, the last stand. She could not shake the fear that some might not come back. That Cauthrien might not come back.
“I wish I could turn you to stone, keep you here with me.”
Tagged by @ramonadecember. This is something that is truly a blast from the past, from a writing project I’m not sure I’ll resume writing: a glimpse into the latter part of my long-in-hiatus Blight fic of my Canon Grey Warden, Kalindra Tabris. I miss her immensely, and I love sharing unseen glimpses of her story.
Due to the length, I’ll be using a Read More below. So, before then, I’ll tag @bh-chaotic and @lathboraxviran. I’m also welcome to be re-tagged with a specific request, but for this one, I’ll be a little self-indulgent. Thank you!
So, without further ado, Kalindra Tabris on the way to the Landsmeet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everything was at a distance as she walked through Denerim, Alistair and Sten at her sides. Zevran had not returned, as she had suspected, Leliana was too Orlesian, and Morrigan was... well, Morrigan. Beautiful, powerful, and unsuitable for political maneuvering in the Fereldan court. Fen’len was, naturally, unsuitable, and Wynne...
She pushed the tears away. She would mourn the old mage later.
As they approached the entrance of the hall in which the Landsmeet would take place, Kalindra paused and took in the contingent of forces awaiting her. Cauthrien. Of course.
Before the woman warrior could do more than step forward and put her hand on the long blade sheathed at her back, Kalindra said quietly, “I wanted to thank you.”
The comment obviously gave the woman pause. Kalindra felt Alistair’s incredulous gaze on her as Cauthrien tilted her head and replied, “I’m sorry, what?” Her hand remained on the hilt of her weapon, but the puzzled look on her face indicated that Kalindra had gained her attention.
“For saving the servants at Ostagar,” Kalindra explained, her green eyes not wavering from the (brown) ones of the warrior of such misguided loyalty. “I was told it was you who set aside a contingent of warriors to guide the non-combatants from Ostagar and set them on the path to Lothering. You saved the life of a friend of mine with those actions.” She put her hands together and bowed slightly, holding it as she continued. “No matter what may come to pass, no matter how we may disagree with each other regarding the necessity of the deaths which need not have occurred, I am yet grateful to you for taking those actions.”
“The code of the knight dictates that as many lives be saved as possible,” Cauthrien answered automatically.
“Pity not all at Ostagar followed it as assiduously as you did,” Kalindra replied, keeping her tone soft and soothing. “Perhaps I would not be here if he had done so.”
A sussuration of sound filled the room as the warriors with Cauthrien drew their swords, but Kalindra kept her position, her peripheral vision telling her that Cauthrien’s greatsword was still in its scabbard. After a few tense-filled seconds, Cauthrien said in a terse tone, “He devoted his entire life to Ferelden, and done more for it than you can possibly imagine.”
Kalindra finally looked up. “Then let me help him keep his honor. History will condemn the man who let the country be devoured by darkspawn more than they will acclaim the Hero of River Dane.”
For an instant everything else faded away, and it was just two women staring at each other, the fate of Ferelden in their hands. With a shake of her head, Cauthrien’s hand tightened around her hilt. “You have torn this nation apart to oppose my lord, and never once tried to understand why he is a hero to Ferelden.”
“He is a hero for some of Ferelden,” Kalindra said, acid in her tone. “Ask the people of the Alienage whether or not they felt his recent actions were heroic. Ask those who were assured that his forces would back them up at Ostagar whether his flight from battle without warning was heroic. Ask your Queen whether his support of Rendon Howe was heroic.”
“You killed--”
“--a rabid animal who deserved to be put down. I’ve done it before, and it seemed appropriate to do it again.” Kalindra took a step forward, ignoring the knights around Cauthrien as they stepped closer. “Seems you shem can’t keep your own houses in order.” She took another step forward, keeping her eyes locked with Cauthrien’s. “Look me in the eye and tell me you have absolutely no doubt of any of his actions, that never for an instant did you doubt his honor, and I will turn around and walk out that door.”
“Kalindra--!” she heard Alistair protest, but she held up her hand.
“Tell me he is the same man to whom you swore your oath as a knight, and I will walk away. Otherwise, let me stop him.”
The clear brown eyes across from hers widened, the brows pinching together above them. When she saw the traces of moisture gather along the bottom lid, Kalindra felt a surge of triumph roll over her. She had read the woman correctly.
The warrior removed her hand from the hilt of her weapon and bowed her head. “I never thought duty would taste so bitter.” The knights around her shifted uneasily on their feet, but at a gesture from Cauthrien, their swords returned to their scabbards. “Stop him, Warden. Stop him from betraying everything he once loved.” When she looked up, her eyes gleamed brightly, but there was no sign of tears or that they had once threatened. Instead, she dropped to her knees, retaining her dignity even in that position. “I beg of you, however, to please show mercy. Without Loghain, there would be no Ferelden to defend.”
Kalindra stared at her, trying to see history through a perspective where that statement in any way made sense. For the Alienage, the changeover from Orlesian to Fereldan kings had meant only that those who abused them spoke with different accents. Before she could respond directly, however, Alistair declared, “And because of him, there is almost no Ferelden left to defend.”
Cauthrien flinched, but kept her gaze on Kalindra alone. “Please... show mercy,” she repeated softly.
“His fate is in his own hands,” Kalindra replied.
The warrior bowed her head, then stood and stepped aside, waving her fellow knights away from the door. “Enter, Warden. May the Maker guide your path.”
Kalindra closed her eyes, remembering the tingle of ashes heavy with the price of faith and the gaze of one who had remained true to his own path for centuries. “Prepare yourself for war, Cauthrien. The time for battle against Fereldans is over. The darkspawn await.”
And then she moved to the doors. Two of Cauthrien’s knights hurriedly reached for the door and swung it wide, bowing to her in the process. The now constant pain in her abdomen grew more intense, and she took a moment to steady herself. Behind her, she knew, Alistair and Sten stood ready for her command. Fighting the urge to turn and run, to leave it all behind, she forced her spine to stiffen and her foot to make that first step forward.
Never had fighting the darkspawn seemed so simple...
I wanted an update of her for the post-Trespasser timeline over at @thedastimelines. Fifteen years after the Blight & more than a decade after she joined the Grey Wardens, she’s got more grey in her hair & she’s picked up some more scars, but she’s not quite as serious as she used to be.
Watch out yall, I’m back on my bullshit again and here to remind everyone that my Wife, Ser Cauthrien of Ferelden, is a hunk and the whole country is W I L D for it
