From Blood and Ashes i Rise: Part Four of From Out of The Shadows

by whitetiger62512

the story of the noble human and how he went from one of the bull's chargers to a recruit in the grey wardens. find out how this reaver self exiled noble son on his yearly visit home turns into a recruit with the wardens. how will the lover of the queen deal with the loss of his family and the betrayal of arl Howe

From ashes and blood I will rise

A from the shadows origin: human noble; Emerson Cousland

Emerson walked through the gates of the high-ever castle with his hound by his side. A young guard started forward to tell the armed and armored man that he had to leave as this was the Cousland's private estate and not open to petitioners currently, when the guard captain strode forward and bowed low to the rough looking man and said something the guard could not hear then lead the man off with a bow war hound walking off with them after getting a scratch behind the ears from the captain. The guard turned to his partner "Who was that thug?" the other man looked ready to hit him for that comment "That 'thug' as you called him is the young lord Cousland back for yearly visit with his family." His partner said. The guard paled realizing he just called the youngest son of teryn Cousland a thug.

Emerson walked into his room and took his cloak off hanging it by the door and dropping the bag to be unpacked later by his bed, he then started the process of taking his armor off needing no help to get in or out of the thick and heavy scale. Once the armor was off and he had settled into a set of tunic and pants with a leather vest with thick leather bracers and greaves, as to many times of a tavern brawl or peace full noble party in that viper nest they call the oralison court ending with someone trying to kill him he now never went anywhere without at least a heavy Saxe knife strapped to his thigh and leather vest and limb guards.

He walked out of his room his hound highlander at his side, highlander was a pure breed mabari war hound that had been with him since he left for Orlais he had left his old war hound who was highlander's sire. The hound was nearly hip height on Emerson who stood tall at six foot five, the hound had a pure chocolate brown coat with a skeleton pattern painted on with a spiked collar to prevent anyone grapping his collar in battle. Emerson himself had a broad bearlike build for years of swinging a great sword around, his face was clean shaven with his deep red hair was cut to less than a finger's width long to make it easy to clean after battle. His skin was a pale brown like his grandfather the storm giant. He walked the paths of castle Cousland for the first time in a year he miss this place, but the tension between him and Cailan Theirin made it best for him to be far away and only talk to each other through letter and his yearly visits. The main cause of the tension was that fact that they disagreed on many thing in regards to the art of ruling, Emerson had been raise with Anora and Cailan from the time that both he and Anora were brought to denerim for lack of children their own age around. He and the now king could not be more different in some ways and almost the same in others. They mainly differed in the way that they lead and ruled, they had the same teachers so the was not the reason Cailan just was raise too much in Emerson's opinion on tales of honor and glory and toke them to be how you should rule and lead a war. Were as Emerson had been raise on stories from his mom and father's tales of battle and on history not fiction and fantasy, leading Cailan to take a back seat to his queen who while a bit harsher than Emerson was leaps and bound better than the king in ruling. It bother the young noble that the people gave Cailan credit that was not his but should go to his wife. His wife was the final straw that had broken the horse's back when the night before their purely political marrgie was to take place Anora had come to Emerson who had been her best friend and finally first and only love and for the last time made love in Anora's room, it had all gone wrong when Cailan in a fit of nerves or not screwing the lines up came to ask Anora's help came in with out knocking and found then just as Emerson spent his seed into his love for what he thought would be the last time of his life. Cailan had been shocked to say the least as he had never known that his two best friends were lovers, the fight that ensued was the cause of Emerson leaving. He still came back every year and they now had a good friend ship as long as they stayed apart so not to remind each other of that night, all three still sent letters consistently to each other.

The sounds of a runner broke him out of his thoughts the runner told him that his father want to see him in the great hall. He thanked the runner and headed for the hall, passing the oddest trio he had seen since he left his merc group the bulls chargers behind at the border to visit. The was a man with bright eye hurt level pink hair trimmed just barely longer than Emerson's own with a matching goatee, the man wore battle mage robes that looked to be made of various animal pelts with a large number of pockets and pouches attached to him with metal armor on the left and right arms but shaped in a way to allow full movement. The man's companions were a pair of elven women, one was wearing the scale armor of the dalish armor with an ironbark sword and shield crafted in traditional dalish fashion with a curved blade and leaf shaped shield, her face was adorned with blue simple mythal markings -if he remembered lessons from dalish the elven mage in the charger correctly- she had pale brown hair with bright gold eye her aura screamed dalish he wondered what clan she was from and why she was away from they if she was a warrior and not a mage. The last of the trio gave Emerson the feel of the other elf of the merc group he served in who was aptly nicknamed skinner she was carrying a pair of plain but Cleary finely made dirks along with her strap leather armor and twin bandoliers of throwing knives, with a scar running down the left side of her face. Her hair glinted with what upon close examination were spikes in her braids he knew she was a fighter of a high order by how she watched him watching her without blinking. Turning he walked of wondering why those three were he normally his family did not chase mages because most of his family disagreed with their treatment but they never openly allowed mages to walk the castle like that so they must have a reason or his father would never allow them here otherwise.

Entering the great hall through a side door he saw his father talking with Rendon Howe, Emerson never trusted Howe for the reason that the man was a ladder climbing snake who always seemed to believe that he deserved more than anyone else including the Couslands who were his oldest allies. Approaching the pair of older men he heard that Howe's men were delayed and would not be leaving with father's army that set his nerves on high alert, instinct screaming at him that Howe would betray them. He had no way to prove that but years on the battle field leading men first in his kings army and as a squad captain for his qunari merc boss had told him to trust these instincts. "Ah and here is my youngest back for his yearly visit, pup you remember Arl Howe right?" his father said upon seeing him arrive. "Yes I remember him, you are looking well for your age Howe." He said deliberate not using the title as he believed that the man did not deserve the title in the least give the way he treated his own people, Were Emerson might be harsh to some under his command or rule he was never that way without very good cause and no other way whereas Howe was cruel for the joy of it. "Yes my daughter asked after you." Howe said ignoring the slight "to what end? It would gain your family nothing and only cost my family for me to marry so far below me." Emerson responded not that his family or him gave a nug's arsehole about that kind of thing but Howe did and he would use what he had available to stay out of an arranged marriage. The look on Howe's face said he did not like being reminded of the fact that he was only their vassal and not their equals as he believed he should be. "Away pup I need you to tell Fergus that he is to head out with the army without us I will be riding with arl Howe." His father said stressing the arl's title to stroked Howe's fragile ego, just then a man in gray warden rogue armor approached "Ah Duncan welcome, pup this is Duncan the warden commander of frelden he and his wardens are staying here for the next few days to rest and test for recruit before heading out." His father said with a respectful nod to Duncan, Howe looked upset about Duncan being here at the castle. If his nerves were not already buzzing the look on Howe's face would have done it, 'what are you planning Howe?' Emerson thought. "You did not tell me that there would be gray wardens here." Howe said with a bit of concern in his voice. "Not all of them just Duncan and his recruits the others went on and head to book the passage they would need, why does this concern you Howe?" his father asked picking up on Howe's concern. "NO worry I just do not like being caught unprepared that's all." "Pup I am leaving you in charge while your brother and I are away will you see to Duncan's need while he is here?" "Of course father but remember I am heading back to Orlais at the end of the week I need to back in time for the next contract with my group, besides mom and my sister in law are more the capable of running everything thing while you are away." Emerson said he had no interest in running high-ever as it was not his place to rule as it would belong to Fergus so he would rather stick to leading men and women in battle not ruling, not say that he could not in fact many debate whether he or his brother is better suited to rule the lands give his brother's flair for heroics and a bit of an naïve view of ruling and political gameplay and how to wage a battle. "I know pup but until then I need you to help around here." His father said.

Bryce Cousland was sad to see he youngest son throw his talent away as a mercenary and occasional ambassador for Cailan in Orlais, Bryce hated that his son's ill-advised affair with loghain's daughter but he knew they both still loved each other and little did the other nobles know that when they saw each other the still made love to each other, that fact was known only to four people besides his son and his lover. It had been part of the deal that Anora, Cailan and Emerson had made five years ago when Cailan found out about them. Because of that deal Bryce was force to keep Fergus as his heir and watch the young man who should be his heir waste his talent as a sword for hire it made Bryce weep some days. "As you know my lord I would be interested in recruiting your son if possible." Duncan said breaking Bryce out of his melancholy and into a defensive rage. "I would not see that Duncan I do not have so many children that I would give any up!" "I am sorry Duncan I am honored by your offer but I am needed by my merc captain I would not abandon him, he is one of the best men I have ever known and I would die for him so I cannot join your cause not matter how worthy it is." Emerson said breaking the tension that had started to raise from his father and Duncan, Emerson knew his father's thought his life. "See there you go Duncan let us speak no more of this, pup please to deliver my message." With a nod Emerson depart the tense room, he stopped by the kitchen to see about grabbing food for himself and his hound. Nan was willing to part with some scraps for them both, the scraps were still better than some of the food he had eaten in the last year when stuck in a place aptly called the hissing wastes.

He ran into his mother along with one of her friend the friend's son and handmaid who seemed to have a small crush on him, it was flattering but he lived a life were it was whores and bards while away from frelden and only Anora in frelden. Not part of the agreement between the three friends but he would not give up carnal pleasures but it would be casual or not at all without Anora. Anora and Cailan knew of his choice and more than once Cailan tried to set him up with someone else to keep him and from Anora but even if he was tempted Anora made it clear that her heart belonged to him and him alone and he had sworn the same thing. He slept with those whores and bard when he was in a deeply depressed mood and even then he only picked ones who looked similar to the queen, it may not be healthy but it was how he dealt with being apart from the woman he loved and would do anything for he had even refused to take another woman until his queen told him that he was not to cause himself unneeded pain to prove his love for her.

He meet up with the trio recruits on the way to his brother's quarters and started to talk with them. "If you do not mind me asking what made you guys chose to be wardens? You do not need to answer if you do not want to I am just interested in why someone joins their order." He asked the trio, they exchanged a glance and they all shrugged. "I joined because Duncan saved my life, and that I wanted to get my hands on the secret magic's that the wardens have." The mage said with a dark smirk that said exactly what kind of spells he was looking for. "I joined because I am sick with the blight and the wardens are the only ones with the cure. A spirit friend and Loki are keeping me healthy until we get to the place for the joining which will cure me." The dalish said in a sad voice. "You're a spirit warrior I did not think there were any left in the world, which is amazing far better than me being a reaver!" Emerson said with a respectful tone. "The wardens promised me access to their rare poison plants to add to may shop in Llomerryn after the blight along with recipes for new poisons, also I may have killed the arl of denerim's son who in my defence was trying to rape several women at a wedding." The rogue said with a look of challenge as if daring the noble to attack for killing a fellow noble, to their great surprise Emerson started laughing in his deep husky as gravel voice. "WOW! I own you a night in the tavern and whore house of your choosing for that my friend!" he said still laughing. The three recruits looked at each other in confusion this was not what they had been expecting when Briaris revealed what she had done, they had expected rage and demands of justice no matter how right they were in killing the asshole spoiled noble. "You're not mad I would have thought your noble pride would be injured by a knife-ear killing your fellow?" Briaris asked. At this point Emerson had stopped laughing and looked at them seriously "I tried to kill the bastard myself after he tried to rape one of my family's servants during my brother's name day feast, the bastards excuse was that since she was an elf it was allowed. If his guards had not stepped in I would have killed him for it. Also I have serve in a merc group with a dalish mage and an alienage elf who both have save my life more times than I can count, they are among my best friends and I would die for them and my boss." He said in a somber tone.

Briaris was shocked to learn that the noble son had not only approved of what she had done but had tried to do it himself at some point, even more surprising was the fact that he served with a pair of elves one dalish and a mage and the other an alienage dweller like her family. When she heard about him serving in a merc group she had thought it would be with a pure human group. As they talked she learned it was not just elves it was also anyone who wanted to join and was willing to pull their weight but then again when you are qunari you can't really be picky about who you take. As he walked off she could see why Duncan was wanting this noble so badly, but she also saw that it would take something massive to get him to abandon his people who he has deemed his second family.

Heading up to Fergus's room he thought back to the talk he just had with the trio they were a good sort and he would be honored to serve beside them, they saw the truth of the world and had made deals or joined out of a need to survive that he could respect. Not that he would join unless forced as he still had his vow to his brothers and sisters of the chargers. Reaching his brother's room he knocked then entered when called as unlike his friend Cailan he always knocked no matter the rights he had. "Brother Father says you are to go ahead of him and Howe as the rat's army is late." Emerson said upon entering as there was no point in delaying the news. "So the Arl's men really are delayed I think they are marching backwards with the pace they are going." Fergus responded in an exasperated voice. After a few minutes of banter their father walked in. "You could have just delivered the message yourself if you were coming here anyways." Emerson said not liking to be sent on assignments that had no point. ""Is it a crime to want my family in the same room before one of us head off to war?" "You will take care of mother while we are gone won't you brother?" Fergus said before Emerson could make a comment on his father's tricks that were not needed.

"for as long as I am here I will lend a hand but mother is no helpless maiden, I am sorry but it has been a long day and I want some sleep after a quick bath, if I may be excused?" Emerson said as he was starting to feel the day's hike up the hills to the castle. At his father's nod he left with a bow and prepared for bed, but because his nerves were still singing he slipped into his under armor and jerkin and laid his heavy Saxe knife unsheathed on his night table and slept without the blankets covering him so that he could react quickly, he also barred the door just encase. Highlander picking up on what is master was doing moved to the foot of the bed and laid down ready to defend his master if needed, there was no need for orders as this was how they slept if they were outside of a safe place. At midnight his nerves were proven right once again as he came awake with the sound of fight in the castle, he was up in a flash and started placing his scale plate armor on with his pack already packed as it always was never knowing when you would need to flee at a moment's notice He finished settling his great sword to his back as it would be useless in this close of quarters he could make it work but it was better to trust his armor and skill with the Saxe knife that was the size of a small machete.

The door burst open as two soldiers entered expecting to find a soft noble in bed unprepared to fight the image was shattered when a full grown war hound leapt up and tore the throat out of the soldier on the right and a Saxe knife ripped its way through the other soldier's throat as if it was butter. The archers behind them barely had time to lift their bows before they too fell to the pair of demons one wrapped in fur and teeth the other wrapped in steel and leather. Emerson paused to loot the bodies several years fighting as a merc taught him to always loot the bodies for anything useful, be it potions or coin/ information. His mother came running out of her room looking around upon see him. "Are you all right I heard fighting?" she asked. "I am fine but I was right Howe that rat has finally decided to bite the hand that feeds him." He said in a dark tone standing and walking over to her. "Come on we need to check on my sister in law and nephew." They ran to the room but found it empty of the people in question only the bodies of guards lying dead with looks of terror on their face and burn marks from lighting covering them. "Was I unaware that one of the two was a mage?" he asked confused as the way the burns lay they were not caused by a flask of lighting so who could have done this. "Wait Duncan's recruits, one of them was a mage maybe he found them and saved them. We need to find them now!" he said already moving for the rest of the castle.

Loki and his new partners in crime the other recruits were wandering the castle at night to see want they could find, as Fenlen was have trouble sleeping not even her friend Curi could keep the nightmares away now. They could stop the progression of the taint and keep her healthy for now but they could do nothing about the dreams, so here they were walking of another nightmare. Briaris had taken to flirting with Fenlen at every chance she got but had yet to do anything as they had promised not to play until Fen was cured so as not to tax the poor girls system anymore. "Hey what are those guards doing with that oil?" Fen asked breaking Loki out of his thoughts, he looked and what he saw made him pale. "Those are not the teryn's men those are Howe's and they are about to set that balcony on fire, their betraying the teryn!" as he said that two more guards saw them and shouted charging them with swords drawn.

Loki whipped his staff off his back and swinging it in a complicated pattern that every sharp stop released a bolt of lightning out of whatever end was pointing to his foe, the circle could take thrusting their staff and stuff it this was how a mage was meant to fight! The dance of the staff served many purposes the first made it faster and more accurate without giving the enemy the chance to see where he was aiming. It also gave him the muscles and skills need to fight without mana should it come to it, the last one was that it made the most basic spells more powerful by letting the mana flow. The trio had been armed after Duncan said that something could happen at a moment's notice and they should be ready to flee. The women draw their own weapons and falling into a pattern they had worked on at night in camp. Fenlen advanced threating the enemy's as more came out of the wood work, while Briaris fled into the shadows climbing up the rafters and killing the archers who had been trying to light the fire without a sound. As the last of them fell to Fenlen's brutally efficient sword methods they hear a scream and ran towards it finding the wife of lord Fergus trapped with guards closing in, snapping to a stop Loki fell into the dance once more felling the guards quickly. "Come on we have to find Duncan and get out of here Howe has betrayed you!" Fenlen yelled to the young woman who nodded and grabbed her son and they ran to find Duncan.

Had fought their way through the waves of Howe's men hope and dreading with every corpse they found that it would be their family. Reaching the great hall and helping to push back Howe's men to seal the gates a little bit longer they went off in the last known direction of the teryn leaving the men they had found and help along the way to by even more time. They ran into the trio of recruits who had already managed to get Emerson's sister in law to a passage out of the keep with some loyal knights with her son. "Thank you we are going to find the teryn Duncan was with him last we heard." Emerson said already heading for the kitchen stopping only to grab travel rations stuffing them in a sack that he snagged, they entered the room and saw the teryn the trio of recruits and Emerson went pale as they who had live with the reaper as a best friend for the last few years could see the teryn was die his body just had some catching up to do. "Bryce!" the teryn's wife reached for him and started to lift him "Wait I will not survive the standing." Bryce said just as the kitchen door closed behind Duncan who then barred it along with the pantry door. A brief talk later Emerson the trio and Duncan fled into the might leaving the teryn dead and his wife who would fight to the last breath to give her youngest son the best chance to survive.

Standing at the top of the hill overlooking high-ever as the castle that had stood for nearly as long as the Cousland's had ruled this land burned. "By the blood spilt this night and the ashes of my homeland I swear I will rise to avenge all who died unjustly at the hands of Rendon Howe and his men." Emerson said before turning and walking away from the castle in the background, "let's go the sooner we end the blight the sooner I can hunt that rat. I swear that I will do whatever is need to end the blight before I seek personal vengeance as there is no place for that in war as I well know." He said to the group. Duncan nodded "good next we when for the circle of magi to pick up a talented young mage who the first enchanter said would be well suited for the wardens as she is an expert healer already and speaks and reads many languages then we head to the dwarf mountain to pick up two recruits who are going to need help to be able to join us but they will be useful."

That night as the camped they started sparing with each other to learn how to better fight with each other in battle, Emerson proved to be a very good trainer and battle leader showing a massive understanding for strategy. He said it was because of his upbringing and his years as a war leader in his merc group were he a man named grim and another named krem lead the men so the boss could go where he could hit thing the most. "You were really trained by the hero of rive Dane?" Loki asked after they had finished sparing. "Yeah he told me one very important thing about leading in war and battle, it is all about cost and the cost is payed for in lives of your men and you must pay it and hope that at the end it was worth it. That was something I learn truly in my soul the hard way as I lead my men into battle and watched them die for someone else." Emerson said in a somber voice. "With what groups have you served." Asked Briaris curious about this noble who was wise and old beyond his years speaking of a hard life in battle forge hardened and sharpened in war/battle. "I have fought for the king's army until five years ago when I left and joined a group known as the bull's chargers who are led by a qunari warrior who has a good head on his shoulders." Emerson said with a fond smile thinking about his old group. "That is enough talk for tonight we have a long day tomorrow." Duncan said, they all nodded and called goodnights crawling into their tents that they had stashed outside of the castle even Emerson had made sure to have a bolt hole filled with supplies in case he needed to run so he crawled into his tent with highlander curling up next to him. Emerson spent some time practicing a few mental exercises to calm his reaver blood to sleep and bury his rage and anger for another time when it was time to kill Howe for now he needed to be free of his rage and hate, Howe's time would come but he would not let it consume him lie other reavers.