Chapter One

A Wedding at the Alienage

Happiest day of a girl's life.

Well, so much for the fairytale.

Caden Tabris swung her blade and felt it slice through flesh, the blood spurting onto the white of her wedding gown. Her father had saved his hard earned coin to buy the fabric that Shianni had sewn into the garment and now it was stained with human blood. A very literal representation of the way in which Cadens wedding had been spoiled by the Shems she was now exacting her revenge on.

Soris came up alongside her, lowering the final arrow he had not needed to loose as he did so.

"I can't believe we killed them," he said, shock transparent in his expression. "I can't believe they're dead."

Caden gave him a stern look then spit on the fresh corpse at her feet. Soris regained some composure and his features hardened.

"Point taken."

"Come on, we have to find the others." Caden said, wiping her chin with her sleeve. Instead of removing the blood thereon, she merely succeeded in smearing it down her jaw.

Caden led the way out of the cell and down a corridor into a large room set with four long tables. There were a smattering of off duty guards sitting around and jesting with one another. They looked up in alarm as the two elves walked in, each bearing weapons and...was that blood?

"Oi!" One of the men strode over to Caden. "What do you think you're doing with that sword, elf?"

Caden rotated her wrist so that the blade swung in a wide circle before she stopped it in an upright defensive position. She smiled sweetly. "Just showing off." She felt a cut on her lip tear as she smiled and fresh blood dribbled down from her mouth. "Would you mind terribly directing my friend and I towards Vaughans quarters?"

The man sputtered indignantly and Caden sighed. "I didn't think you would."

She let out a ferocious cry and swung the borrowed longsword towards the man. His face froze in an expression of irritation as she cleaved his head from his body. Then they were all rushing towards her; Soris let his arrows fly swift and true and succeeded in felling a pair who made to attack Caden from the left, leaving her free to dispatch the remaining pair to her right. Before they left, Caden knelt down and tugged a heavy gold chain free from one of the men.

"Caden, what are you doing?" Soris asked, aghast. "As if we weren't in enough trouble as it is!"

Caden shrugged and pocketed the chain. "Call it compensation."

Then she stepped over the corpses and they headed out.

The way led down a new corridor with a single door at its end. Before they could reach it, the door burst open and Cadens eyes widened in horror as she recognised her husband-to-be fly through it. Nelaros landed hard on his back on the floor and for a moment their eyes met, but then the captain of the guard drove his sword into his chest and ended his life. Caden stared down at Nelaros' face, momentarily stricken and unable to move. The captain pulled his blade free and advanced on her. She heard Soris call out as if from very far away, but still she could not look away from Nelaros as he bled out on the cold stone floor. Then a fist connected with her jaw and she fell to the ground beside him. This was enough to snap her back to the present and with a split second decision she thrust her sword upwards, right into the belly of the captain who was mid-swing with his own weapon. He dropped the sword behind him and his arms swung down to his sides. Cadens own arms shook with the effort of keeping her blade steady as the captain began to slowly slide down it towards her, his mouth open and blood dripping from it onto her face. Then with a grunt and a burst of effort, she pushed him to one side, rolled him over and yanked free her sword. She panted heavily, grateful that Soris had been there to shield her from the other guards, who lay dead around him.

Caden knelt beside Nelaros and stroked his still warm cheek. "He died to save me," she murmured. The light in his blue eyes had gone and she gently used her fingertips to close his eyelids. Then she began to feel his pockets. Soris groaned. "You can't pickpocket your own husband."

Caden found what she was looking for and withdrew two slim golden bands. She slid one onto the appropriate finger and held her hand aloft. "This one belongs to me," she said firmly. "This one should be returned to his family. I think he said they came from Highever."

Soris softened and went to kneel beside her. "That's right. We'll get it back to them."

"You will," Caden said, pushing the ring into Soris' hands. "I don't intend to make it out of here, but if I do, do you really think the Arl will allow me to do anything more than languish in a cell awaiting my execution?"

Soris gulped. "What can I do? I'm as much to blame for this as you."

"No," Caden said forcefully. "We are getting you and your wife out of here, and then nothing more will be said regarding your involvement. Just promise me that when this is done you will look after my family and see that Nelaros' kin know of his brave deeds?"

Soris could do nothing more than nod, the lump in his throat too big to speak with.

After that it did not take long to discover the chambers where Vaughan had taken the women. The room was small and it only held Valora and the other female elf who Caden could not recall the name of. Soris visibly brightened as he saw his betrothed looking shaken, but safe. Caden turned to her friend. "This is where we part ways." She instructed. "Take these two and get gone, quickly. I will take on Vaughan myself." Soris opened his mouth to protest, but Caden interrupted. "Remember your promise."

He closed his mouth and nodded dumbly. Valora pointed towards the door opposite the one Caden and Soris had entered through. "He took Shianni through there. He said he would come back for us." She shuddered at this thought, but her words came out steadily and she held her head high in spite of an angry looking bruise that was forming on her cheek. For the first time Caden warmed to the mousey woman.

"Then that is my path," she said. Without looking back she headed through the doorway.

Vaughan and Shianni were in the room, along with two other men Caden recognised from the wedding, but she was too late. Shianni was on the bed, her skirt ripped into three strips, her bodice torn revealing one breast. Vaughan was at the foot of the bed, buttoning his breeches, while the other two men pawed at Shianni. Caden's cousin was beside herself with sorrow with tears streaming down her face and blood on the sheets between her legs. Caden felt hot rage bubble up inside her.

"Shem!" she shouted loudly. Had she left any guards alive they would surely have come running, but none did. Vaughan turned to the sound and took in the sight before him: the small elf wielding a sword that was made for a bigger man than she stood as tall as she was able, her gown in slashed to ribbons, spattered with blood, her face a mask of red and her blonde hair falling out of the elaborate up-do it had been in for her nuptials. He would have laughed, but for the look in her dark blue eyes.

The two men on the bed stopped what they were doing and climbed down, going over to stand beside the Arls son. Shianni didn't hesitate—she pulled all her limbs toward her body and curled up into a foetal position, rocking silently on the sheets.

One of Vaughans friends laughed as he took in Cadens appearance. "Whats this? And elf playing warrior?"

"Quiet you fool," Vaughan snapped. "Look at her—she's drenched in blood. What does that tell you?"

Before he could respond, Caden filled in the blanks for him. "I have killed your men, Vaughan. There will be no-one to come to your rescue should you call for them. Thanks to you and your ilk my life is in tatters and my husband dead. I might have merely taken my revenge on your smug face by taking an eye for each elf you have killed today, but given how you have violated my cousin, I do not think I will be able to stop myself until your blood covers this room."

Vaughan drew in a shaky breath, but he knew that everybody had a price. It was simply a matter of finding hers. "Strong words, elf, but you are outnumbered by three to one, and I can see the way your body shakes. You may have murdered my guardsmen, but the effort has exhausted you, whereas I and my friends have just gotten warmed up." One gave a short bark of laughter. "However, I am sure that we can come to some sort of arrangement...? Say fifty silver pieces and the chance to leave Denerim for another Alienage somewhere far away from me?"

Caden gaped. He surely wasn't trying to bribe her? "Nothing will satisfy my while your heart still beats."

Vaughan sighed. "Suit yourself." He gave one of his friends a shove in Cadens direction, which threw everyone off giving him time to lunge backwards and grab his sword from its sheath where it rested on his bureau.

Caden reacted without thinking as the man pitched towards her. She forgot the sword and simply held up her hands hoping to ward him off. His chest hit her hands and she was shunted back against the wall. Before he could recover, she pushed him off her, but right behind him was Vaughan and she had to quickly raise her blade to parry the blow. It was not a very tidy move, but it sufficed. However Vaughan had been quite right when he had pointed out how tired Caden was and how fresh he and his cohorts were. Vaughan fought with precision and strength and it was all Caden could do to just keep herself alive.

Maker, let me just get one chance for Vaughan, she thought desperately. Then I can die, but please, not before I have taken Vaughan down with me. Her back was still against the wall and Vaughans onslaught was vicious. Their blades clashed loudly and sparks flew as the metals connected. Caden felt the edges of her sight go grey...the tiredness was taking over. Vaughans friends had backed away and were cheering him on.

She was going to die. On her wedding night. Killed by the Shem would had kidnapped her, caused the death of her husband and raped her dearest friend. Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes—it would have been too much effort to try to stop them.

The flat of her borrowed sword slammed into his and he started to push against her. It was all she could do to keep hold of the blade. She wanted to close her eyes and wait for the killing blow, but she would be damned if she would hide from what was coming. She stared straight into his eyes.

Then suddenly he made a strangled noise and slumped forward onto her. In shock and disgust, Caden shoved him off her, luckily avoiding his blade or hers cutting her. Caden looked up into Shiannis face. Her expression was steely and cold; it sent a shiver down her spine. Shianni was holding a dagger that was completely coated in Vaughans blood—even her arm was covered, right up her elbow. Vaughan lay dead on the floor in a rapidly growing pool of his own lifeblood. His friends stood and stared at the scene before them. Eventually one shook his head and said: "You'll regret this, knife-ears!" before they both turned and fled.

"Shianni?" Caden asked hesitantly. Her cousin snapped her head around to look at Caden and at once the ruthlessness flooded out of her face.

"Oh, Caden," she moaned, dropping the weapon and falling to her knees, burying her head against Caden. She began to sob loudly and Caden stopped trying to fight her own tears, collapsing to the floor with Shianni. They held onto each other for a long time, until neither could weep any longer.

"Come on Shianni, we have to go...they're probably fetching guardsmen this minute..."

Shianni lent on Caden and together they found their way back home.