Zhara stared at the corpse at her feet. Vaughan. She only wished it had lasted longer - that he had suffered some.
"I'm sorry, Soris."
Soris knelt over his cousin's body. He wanted to wake up now; to wake up and realize that it was all a bad dream. He wanted to wake up and slip into his wedding clothes, to have the ceremony and to go live happily ever after. Right now, he should be carrying Valora over the threshold, and Nelaros should be carrying Tarel over theirs. Shianni, his younger sister, should be giddy with excitement - and perhaps a bit of wine - and the Alienage should be in a state of celebration. Instead, Tarel and Nelaros are dead; his betrothed has spent the day in a dungeon; his sister's been raped; and the Alienage is about to be plunged into a state of mourning.
When the women of the wedding party emerged from the back room, they could scarcely believe their eyes. Gasps and stifled sobs filled the room. Many of them had looked up to Tarel; she was a friend and a role model to many. If the Alienage had one beacon of hope, it was her. She was a girl with a mind as sharp as the daggers she wielded so masterfully, and a tongue to match. And as realization set in, their hearts fell.
"Come, Soris. We need to get these women out of here."
Soris looked at Zhara with tears in his eyes. "We can't just leave her here! Think of what they'll do to her - think of Cyrion!"
"Then we'll take her with us." Zhara promptly lifted the body. "All of you, take a weapon or shield if you can find one. There are plenty of bodies to pick from. We've already cleared the way, but it's best to be prepared."
Zhara could see them already, Valendrian and the Grey Warden. As the group came closer, she saw Cyrion join them. Valendrian gestured past the gate, and Cyrion's face paled. She could see the look of pity the Warden gave him. It was a look she had never seen a human give an elf.
"What happened?" Cyrion choked back his sadness and took his daughter in his arms.
"We were overwhelmed. They killed Nelaros and Nola, too. Take what comfort you can in the knowledge that Vaughan will never again cause such pain."
As Cyrion took his daughter's body away, Duncan shook his head. "I'm sorry today has been so tragic, but I am afraid that I came for a recruit and I must leave with one."
Valendrian nodded. "If there is one bright spot in this tragic time, it is that one of my people will be getting out of this place. Zhara, today you will set forth on the adventure of a lifetime." He gestured modestly from Zhara to Duncan.
Zhara's eyebrows twitched ever so slightly. "Surely you're not serious, Valendrian!"
"I am very serious. Zhara, you are like a daughter to me, and though it saddens me greatly to see you leave, there is more for you out there than you could ever hope to find here."
"If I may interject, there is also the matter of the Arl's son, my lady." Duncan stepped forward. "The guards are surely on their way, and if left to them you will surely hang before the day is done."
"The Arl's guards do not frighten me. Have you forgotten, Valendrian, the life I have led?"
"I'm sorry, Zhara; I know you are not happy with this decision, but the matter is not up for debate. Duncan is in need of a recruit, and I know no better candidate than you."
"The guards are here!" A passerby shouted. The street fell suddenly silent as the Alienage held its breath. Would they kill her? Would they kill everyone?
Zhara gave Valendrian, Soris, and the Warden one more look as she turned to face the guards. True to her nature, she turned and awaited her fate with her back straight and chin held high.
"We seek the Elder Valendrian, Keeper of the Alienage."
"Here, Captain. I assume you're here in response to today's events?"
"Don't play stupid with me, elf. The Arl's son lies dead in a river of blood that runs through the entire palace. I need names and I need them now."
"I am responsible." Zhara stepped forward without hesitation. She seemed almost queen-like, with her perfect posture and a stoic expression on her blood-spattered face. Behind her, Soris flinched but said nothing. He knew as well as she did that it was better that one of them die rather than both, and Soris had more to lose; he had a family and a future – Zhara had only her honour.
"You expect me to believe that one woman is responsible for that massacre? Do you take me for a fool, elf? Do you think I cannot see your little friend cowering behind you, covered in blood?
"Had you ever left the safety and comfort of your castle walls and taken part in a real battle, rather than those foolish political skirmishes your kind are so fond of, you would know that blood does not simply choose to land on the one who draws it." She spoke with a regal eloquence that seemed to surprise the guards. "It is true that he was present, but if it is a killer you seek, then I am the one you want." The elves who had not chosen to run for cover began to whisper amongst themselves. The captain remained silent for a moment. Zhara assumed it was partly out of surprise and partly because he was trying to resist the urge to strike her down then and there.
Part of her wanted him to try it. Part of her wanted the rush and the thrill of the battle and of the hunt that would follow. But as she imagined the rush and the thrill, she heard her father's nagging voice in the back of her mind. Everything was about honour and duty with him, and he had been sure to instill it in his only child. Like it or not, Zhara was a warrior, and as such she was obligated to respect the Keeper's wishes, as well as the Warden's. She could wait for him to invoke the Right of Conscription which he undoubtedly possessed, or she could maintain some level of honour and dignity by accepting his request which had thus far gone unanswered.
"Unfortunately, Ser Knight, it would seem that there are more pressing issues that I must see to."
"Such as…?" The Captain gave her a look that was somewhere between questioning and mocking.
"Saving the world. Which, much to my dismay, includes you." She turned to Duncan. "Warden, I accept your offer."
"I am glad to hear it. Gentlemen, give your Arl my regards. I did not intend to interfere."
Zhara raised a hand as the Captain turned to leave. "Give him my regards as well; I was so looking forward to dying for his entertainment. Perhaps another time?"