Chapter 1.
The night sky was beginning to break towards the on coming dawn, and as the hounds start their morning ruckus Duncan began to wonder if the on coming battle was just going to be like bringing the cattle to slaughter, he stretched his aching body and rolled his shoulders getting ready for the onslaught of the day starting with a meeting with the king...
Meanwhile a not so alert Lisa-Rose was asleep in a blissful dream with her mabari snoozing right beside her. Castle Highever has been in the Cousland family for generations, nobles who's own personal gain was set aside so that the people could live and farm in peace they ruled with a iron fist yet it was always said that they were just. Now as our story moves forward we must remember that our hero is young and inexperienced in many things and this journey were about to embark on is one of learning and the lesson that is learnt the hardest is betrayal.
...
Lisa-Rose awoke to the sound of the castle waking up like an ancient machine rumbling to a start, the distant sounds of armour clinking into place, curtains being drawn back and the crack of nans voice like a whip in the silence. Time to get up I think mused Lisa-Rose to her very comfortable hound, it's way passed the allowed snoozing time, she smiled to herself thinking how if her hound could roll her eyes she would, at that thought she burst out laughing and jumped up out of bed pulled back her curtains and looked for her attire for the rest of the day.
...
Duncan was glad to be seeing the back of Ostagar at least for a few days he had received word of promising recruits at highever and god knows he needed the distraction as his horse whined and pulled the reins Duncan pushed on into a working trot and started his journey as he passed through the quiet valleys his thoughts turned to his fellow Grey Warden he chuckled to himself at the thought of his hopeless yet loyal friend but no sooner had the thought struck, it was replaced with a deep settling dread of what was to come. He was coming to the end of his life and he worried how his friend would cope after all he was more like family but alas he had no time to dwell on such things and as the sun was setting he kicked his horse into a canter wanting to arrive some time before noon the next day.
...
Duncan arrived just after noon and was greeted by a stable hand who took his horse and directed Duncan up to the castle not that Duncan needed it for he was born in highever but that's another story, he made his way through the castle grounds where he came across a woman she didn't see him but he watched her with curious eyes her hair was a dark red with a light red tinge she stood around 5ft5 built like a lethal predator he would have loved to see her wield a weapon to see if her reactions and form was as good as how it was betrayed, she seemed to be talking away to herself which Duncan thought was a little strange but probably added to her quirkiness. He decided to continue on and seek out Bryce Cousland to discuss the details of his promising recruits.
...
Lisa-Rose was muttering away to herself lost in thought she had sensed the different air around the castle her brother and father were heading to Ostagar to join the King's army so she would be left to run highever as her mother had decided to go and stay with Lady Landra which in turn scared her she was capable and dependable and all the rest but to be that alone is daunting, for anyone, just as she was letting her thoughts run riot she bumped into Sir Gilmore.
"Good morning Sir Gilmore how is things in the castle this morning? Any gossip for me?."
"Good morning My Lady nothing to exciting unless you count your hound which is at this very minute trying to give a nan a canary."
He was smiling as he said it knowing Lisa-Roses hound was as much one for mischief as her owner;
"What's Sovereign done now? She hasn't accidently hurt anyone?"
Lisa-Roses eyes were a lost sea of green and brown and hints of blues she looked so concerned yet all Sir Gilmore could do was get lost in those eyes so much so that he forgot the question. Sir Gilmore informed her eventually that he wasn't sure if the hound had hurt anyone although Lisa-Rose didn't think her hound would touch anyone within castle grounds but they headed off to the kitchen together, as they were walking together Sir Gilmore informed her of the Grey Warden being here although she had already met him that afternoon in the main hall when her father had sent her to find Fergus which resulted in Lisa-Rose seeing Rendon Howe, he was standing with Bryce; Lisa-Rose hated having to be courteous towards that man she always felt uneasy around him if she had to chose a word it would have been "Snake" even at that she thought that might be an insult to the reptile species. As her thoughts came back to the present she turned to sir Gilmore;
"I would love to be able to go with my brother and dad to fight but I am not allowed although Duncan said I would make a fine recruit."
She looked up at Sir Gilmore to gage his reaction to that, and too her delight he looked as worried as her father did when he point blank refused to allow Duncan to take her.
"I am sure My Lady you would make a formidable Grey Warden along with being able to grab the attention of anyone, kind of like a snake entrancing it's prey might I add,"
he laughed heartedly at her bemused face,
"you can wield two swords like a demon."
He was in complete stitches at this stage while Lisa-Rose pretended to be wounded at his words, they laughed and joked until they rounded the corner near the kitchens. Nan was upset to say the least and the noise that Sovereign was making in the larder was enough to even make her wonder what her hound was actually up too, she approached the entrance to the larder and entered, Sovereign was crouched in the corner a low rumbling growl escaping her bared teeth in an instant she lunged forward and a startling scream entered the room as sovereign tore open a very large rodent; after the wee scuffle Sir Gilmore and her parted ways and Lisa-Rose and Sovereign headed to find her brother, instead she ran into her very formidable mother who was standing with Lady Landra and Lady Landra's Elf servant Iona.
...
After the run in with her mother and guests Lisa-Rose was thinking about Iona how her body was the perfect hour glass and how she couldn't wait to run her hands up her thighs and worship those tender breasts; okay brain your running away ahead of yourself, she shook herself to try and remove the tasty images but she knew this was just for fun so it was harder to try and focus it always seems so much more exciting when you weren't tied down you can be wild and do things you'd never dream because you don't have to face the person day after day; at this stage Lisa-Rose just gave up trying to make her brain work in the right direction Cause right now it was all south of the border.
Finally she managed to track her brother down and she chatted him and his wife Oriana, she grabbed her wee nephew Oren and gave him a big hug before saying her goodbyes, just as she was leaving for her room her parents entered the chamber and she was held back again although her brother teased her about her little extra curricular night activities, she was going to miss her brother so much they were close and her father got her better than anyone.
...
Lisa-Rose and Sovereign headed to her room, she went for a bath soaking in the warmth, Iona crept into the room Lisa-Rose turned to stare at the beautiful creature in front of her, Iona had a sweet innocence about her which made her so infatuating. Iona undressed at Lisa-Roses instructions and joined her in the bath and Lisa-Rose trickled honey milk over Iona shoulders and started massaging her muscles Lisa-Roses idea was to become the servant that night and that's exactly what happened. Iona became a goddess to be worshipped and in the dead of night their rhythm moved the heavens.
...
Lisa-Rose and Iona woke to Sovereign growling at the door Iona decided to get up and see what was going on; from their on it was like Lisa-Rose was in a nightmare that no matter how many times she tried to wake up she didn't and the scenes just got worse and worse; dead bodies started piling up, more and more of her kin slaughtered until she went numb inside everyone in that castle was either dead or fatally wounded both Lisa-Roses parents her nephew and sister in law were all gone, Iona was the first to go in front of her eyes; the last to bow to Howes treacherous plan was her mother and father, her father slumped on the ground gutted in the belly and her mother standing over him as they urged her to go and then Duncan showed up out of God knows where and gave his word to Bryce that he'd save Lisa-Rose in exchange for her services in the Grey-Wardens and as she followed Duncan her entire being was screaming at her to go back and die with honour like her parents but that was not her future.