- SLOW BURN -

His first few weeks with the Inquisition had been some of the most stressful days in all of Blackwall’s life.

He had been living a double life for years now, taking up the mantle of Grey Warden Gordon Blackwall in an attempt to make a better life for himself and make up for the sins of his past, but before he had simply been recruiting farm boys to the Grey Wardens and teaching nobodies to fend for themselves when trouble came knocking on their door. Now? Blackwall was surrounded every day by some of Thedas’ best and brightest. Apostates, Qunari spies, Spirits... it was only a matter of time before someone found out who he really was, wasn’t it? How long until someone discovers that it was not Blackwall who fought beside them, but the criminal Thom Rainier?

Thom or Blackwall, Blackwall or Thom. To a part of him, it didn’t matter what name he went by. His sword still cleaved through the bodies of his enemies and the enemies of the Inquisition just the same, and wasn’t that worth something? It had to be, if Blackwall was going to continue on in his efforts as the resident Grey Warden of the Inquisition despite having little real world experience as a Warden. After all, Thom had never really been inducted into their ranks. But Blackwall had.

Now, trudging through the mud and gloom of the Storm Coast, was the wrong time to be lost in his own thoughts, but lost he was. It was only when a Darkspawn, seething with the stench of the Blight, came running out of the shadows that Blackwall was pulled from his own mind. Before he knew it, he was sent flying down into a nearby cavern, hidden from the coast and buried in the mountainside, hitting the ground below with a loud crashing sound. Saved by his armor once again.

Dizzy and confused, Blackwall stood to his full height, holding his head in his hands. If he hadn’t been wearing his helmet, who knows what would have happened.

“Sera? Dorian? Inquisitor?” Blackwall shouted, looking up from where he had fallen. It didn’t look like he was going to be able to climb out alone. “Is anybody out there?”