Why Us?

Title: Why Us?

Summary: The four new Grey Wardens each decide to have a sit down with the Warden Commander, Rayne Tabris, to ask her why she chose them. And in doing so, they find out a little more about her and her time during the Blight.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of course.

Warnings: Nothing that you haven't seen or heard if you played the game. Some spoilers for Awakening!!

Winter-Rae: Awakening is great, don't get me wrong, the only problem I have with it is the lack of the romancing option. Oh well, thank goodness for fan fiction because I plan to write an Alistair/Female Tabris/Nathaniel Howe story eventually. Anyway, I was hoping to write this whole other huge story combining the Male Human Nobel, Female Dalish Elf, Female City Elf and Female Dwarf Commoner, but it didn't happen (and it's been done before anyway), so if I make mention of other characters it's just using what I had in mind for that other story. Don't worry though, it's shouldn't confuse anyone too much, I hope. So, go easy on me, read on, and enjoy.

Why Us?

Chapter 1: Anders – The Caged

"Oghren, I have a question for you?"

"What is it this time Sparkle Fingers? More comments about my smell? My height? Just try it and as soon as the room stops spinning I'll deal with you! You...nug licker!"

Anders chuckled at the dwarf's obvious hostility. Of course it could mostly be blamed on the large tankard of ale in his hands. In his short time of knowing the dwarf, Anders had been quick to learn that Oghren could be slightly angry when he was drunk; which was why Anders was standing a few feet away from him.

Oghren had been sitting at the large dining room table, eating alone, which was common unless the Warden Commander would eat with him. Their fearless leader was nowhere in sight however and Anders had been eager to speak with her. Of course knowing how busy Rayne could be, what with her duties as the ruler of Vigil's Keep, he would be lucky to find her awake and willing to talk.

"Nug licker, now that's a new one," the mage mused, "Anyway, do you happen to know where the Commander is?"

Oghren let out a belch and wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve.

"Probably in the study," he slurred, "Now get out of here and let me finish."

"One more question?" Anders went on, loving how annoyed Oghren was getting.

"Bah! Fine, what is it?"

"Do you think she'll be willing to answer some questions?"

"Why ask me?"

"You've known her longer than I have."

"Hmm, true, well she's a real talker that's for sure," the dwarf replied, "Get her going and she'll never shut up. Annoying really, the way she always seems to get you to talk to her even if you might not want too."

While Oghren seemed annoyed by the trait, Anders couldn't help but notice that the Commander was the only one he spoke too when he was having any sort of problem. So regardless of his complaint Anders was sure that Oghren appreciated the Commander's counsel.

"She's persuasive, I'll give her that," the mage mused, "Well, thank you Oghren, I'll let you get back to your drink then."

"Good, I'm getting sick of talking to both of you!"

"Both of..." Anders trailed off as Oghren slumped forward on the table, passed out and face first into his meal. The mage poked him and then chuckled.

"Oh how tempting it is to cut off part of that beard of yours," he mused. However, that idea was erased from his mind as he thought of how Oghren would react to losing part of his beloved beard. The images of a flying axe being embedded into his chest were the first things he thought of, making him shudder.

'Right,' he mused to himself, 'Another time then.'

He then left Oghren to his drunken nap and went in search of the Commander; the elven rogue Rayne Tabris.

Anders had a decent opinion of Rayne. She did, after all, save him from being sent back to the tower where he would have no doubt been made Tranquil or hung, both of which he wanted to avoid. Not only that but she had even been willing to help him search for his phylactery, which surprised him greatly. But she didn't seem to think mage's evil or dangerous like others did, maybe it had something to do with that Wynne character they had met in the city.

Of course he had been initially surprised to find out she was an elf, he himself had no ill feelings towards elves in general, but even still an elf in power was surprising. If anything he rather respected elves, seeing as though most of the elves he had known in the tower were a great deal better at magic than he was, and he always thought himself to be a very decent mage. But in any case, Rayne was an elf who he respected and got along just fine with.

Oghren had been right when he told him that she would be in the study. She was sitting at a table near the fire place; her food and drink pushed to the side and a piece of parchment in front of her. She appeared to be writing a letter as she would pause every once and a while to ponder on her words, scratching out some and re-writing others. She did look busy, so Anders wasn't sure if he should even bother her, but his curiosity got the better of him.

He swallowed and then knocked on the door. She glanced up at him with alert grey eyes and cocked her head to the side.

"Hello Anders," she greeted, "Something wrong?"

"No, not really, just wondering if I could ask you something?"

She seemed to pick up on the slightly serious tone in his voice, as she pushed her letter to the side and motioned for him to join her at the table. She then retrieved another cup, filled it with the same wine she had been drinking and placed it in front of him. She observed him for a moment before smiling.

"You may ask me anything," she said. Anders arched a playful eyebrow.

"Oh? You mean that? Best be careful my lady, this could get personal very quickly."

She let out a laugh.

"If you're here to try and make me blush, I should warn you, there's nothing that you could say that might surprise me. My friend Zevran corrupted any innocence in me very quickly."

"Zevran?"

"An Antivan assassin," she explained. Anders arched an eyebrow.

"You have certainly travelled in strange company Commander."

"Strange would be putting it lightly," she replied, "Anders, have I ever asked you to call me by my name?"

"Not that I recall."

She frowned slightly.

"Well then I insist, it's just 'Rayne' this 'Commander' stuff makes me feel old."

Anders chuckled.

"Well you certainly don't look it."

She rolled her eyes.

"Flatterer, didn't you have a question for me?"

"Oh, yes, right," he said, "Why me?"

"Why you what?"

"Why did you decide to conscript me? Surely there must be a reason, aside from the fact that you needed more good looking individuals in the Wardens of course."

"I don't know, have you seen some of the Wardens around here?"

It was Anders' turn to laugh.

"Seriously though, I'm only curious, if there's no real reason that's alright."

Rayne crossed her arms over her chest and thought for a moment.

"Well, I suppose it's a fair question," she said, "Aside from your obvious skills, part of the reason is that you sort of reminded me of Alistair. Your humour and care-free side mostly, not to mention that you're fluent in sarcasm just like he was."

"Oh, I remind you of your lover do I?" Anders said playfully, "I'm never going to let you forget that now. Ewww, you don't think of me when you're with him do you?"

"Maker's breath, no Anders, I don't think of you," she said in an exasperated tone, "You're not that good and I haven't even been with Alistair since I arrived here."

She looked slightly concerned when she mentioned the new king. Anders observed her expression for a moment before he decided to speak.

"Something wrong?"

"I worry about him sometimes," she replied, "I also hate being this far from him, if he needed my help I wouldn't even know it. But I suppose worrying about it doesn't help, and my new responsibilities keep me busy, so that's a comfort."

"Ah yes, running after us new recruits must be a real thorn in your side."

"Not at all," she replied with a grin, "I rather enjoy it. To return to your question; the main reason why I recruited you is because I didn't want you to have to go back to the Tower."

Anders frowned, feeling his defences go up. He wasn't sure why but he felt that this conversation just might head into uncomfortable territory for him.

"Why would you even care?"

She looked him in the eye.

"Because I know what it's like to be caged."

Anders was annoyed by that comment. How in Andraste's name would she know what it was like to be in that Tower? Never being able to leave it and having all of those Templar's eyes on you every second of every day. Or even being locked in solitary confinement; Anders shuddered at that thought. That was one long memory of his life he would rather forget.

"Somehow I doubt that," he muttered. She watched him sympathetically and reached out to pat his hand in a comforting manner.

"Maybe not to the extreme but I have some idea."

"Enlighten me."

Rayne nodded.

"Well, I don't know if I told you this, but I'm originally from Denerim," she explained, "Most of the elves there were servants and lived in the Alienage. I hated it there, to me that place felt like the worst kind of cage. It was filled with so much death, despair and pain. If disease didn't get you then the sense of hopelessness did. I lived in there my whole life, until I was recruited by Duncan. Though I did have it easier than you I suppose, I had my family, you didn't."

"I've heard of the Denerim Alienage," Anders said, "Not exactly the nicest of places to live."

"No, it wasn't," she sighed, "I think what was the worst about it was that no one seemed to care. The elves did nothing to try and improve matters; a lot of them drank horribly, so they would get into trouble which would make it worse for others. And the humans, well, we weren't anything to them."

"That's a very mature way to look at it," Anders pointed out. Rayne chuckled bitterly.

"Yes well, it was a hard lesson to learn."

"So, how did you get recruited?"

Rayne crossed her arms over her chest.

"I killed a nobleman's son for raping my cousin."

Anders' jaw dropped, he hadn't even been expecting her to come out and tell him in the first place. And now he was wishing that he hadn't even asked, the topic seemed to be very sensitive for her.

"I...I'm sorry," he said. What else could he say?

"Don't be, she's fine now and so am I," she pointed out, "I've never regretted it either and I would do it again, the pig got just what he deserved."

"I'll not argue with you there."

The mage then thought on what she had told him, and he supposed that she did have a point. He had told her once that he hated being judged as dangerous just because he was a mage, he didn't decide to be one after all. They both had been trapped in a life that they had no control over. He didn't decide to be a mage and she didn't decide to be born in the Alienage where humans could take advantage of them.

"So I guess I should thank you then," he mused, "For saving me from my cage."

Rayne smiled.

"You don't have to do that, besides I rather like having you around."

"Thank you Rayne."

She watched him for a moment before replying. He wondered what she was thinking about in that time but decided it might be best not to ask. She was entitled to a few private thoughts after all; maybe he'd ask her about it another time.

"You're welcome my friend, now is there anything else you'd like to ask me?"

"Not right now," he replied, "Maybe another time?"

"Any time," she said, "Good night Anders."

"Good night Rayne."

The mage then got to his feet and made his way to leave the room. He paused at the door and glanced back at her; she had gone back to her writing and didn't appear to notice him still standing there. His respect for Rayne had increased a great deal during their conversation and the fact that they had something in common was a comfort for him.

Despite all of the despair both of them had seen in their life time, they survived it and it made them both stronger. Now, they had both been chosen to become Grey Wardens and to do something great, to Anders that was an amazing feat.

'Maybe one day, I can return the favour,' he thought to himself before closing the door to retire to his room for the night; Ser Pounce-a-lot at his heels.

Winter-Rae: That was fun to write, Anders is so adorable, I just wanna squeeze him, haha. Anyway, the next one will be Velanna. Honestly, I don't like her much but it will be interesting to write. So leave me some feedback and thanks for reading, cheers!