Attack on Highever Castle

Liv felt like she had only just fallen asleep when she heard a sudden, loud bang at the door of her bedroom. Boom! She woke with a start and heard cries coming from the corridor. There were voices coming from every direction, voices of men, women and children, battle cries mingled with the barking of mabari war-hounds, and the clashing of many swords.

Liv's mabari, Ash, was growling with flattened ears at the door, ready to shoot forward in attack.

Without even trying to guess what was going on, she dressed as quickly as she could in the leather armor she was wearing the day before, took her sword from the trunk and walked to the door to open it, but it literally exploded in her face vomiting two soldiers into the room who attacked trying to kill her. Ash rushed one of them, throwing the man to the ground and holding him down under her huge, heavy and muscular body, as she tore him to death in a few seconds. Liv dodged the mace-blow directed towards her head thanks to a quick crouch, then rapidly struck the soldier in the abdomen, managing to insert the blade between the plates of the armor. Splashes of blood stained her right arm and cheek but she wasted no time to clean up. Hearing that others were coming, she left the room immediately and saw two soldiers bearing the insignia of Amaranthine at the door of Eleanor's bedroom.

Liv rushed forward throwing a battle cry. The two of them were taken by surprise by the sudden attack and soon found themselves lying on the ground in pools of their own blood. For the first time in her life she was killing people and facing a real battle. This time it wasn't training: The strokes were aimed to injure and kill and the slightest mistake could cost everything. Yet Liv had the feeling that she had never done anything but this through all her life, and was neither frightened nor shocked by the fighting or killing. Indeed, her blood was seething with hatred for Howe: He had betrayed her father and now his soldiers were setting Highever on fire.

Liv was suddenly transfixed by the thought that her parents may have already been reached in their bedroom and killed in their sleep. In that very moment she heard the door open, and saw her mother running out wearing a chainmail armor.

Eleanor looked at her daughter as if she were a mystical vision. "My dear! I was so worried for you, I was about to come and get you!"

They hugged each other.

"Where's Bryce?" Liv asked with a lump in her throat.

"I don't know... he went out when the first sounds of turmoil were heard and I have no idea where he might be now! Come! We must get away from here, others are coming!' Eleanor picked up a sword from a dead soldier's body and headed for the courtyard but Liv stopped abruptly. The door to the room where her brother's wife and son were supposed to be sleeping was closed but showed signs of forced entry. The wood was cracked and the lock broken. Her heart pounded wildly as she kicked down the door. Nothing Liv had ever experienced could have prepared her for what she saw as she entered the darkened room. She heard her mother's anguished gasp behind her as her own knees hit the floor with a thud. Before her was a pool of blood that lead to the small hand of her nephew Oren enveloped by the lifeless body of his mother. A tight, dry lump formed in Liv's throat as she stared in disbelief. It was clear that Oriana had tried to protect her child by shielding him with her own body, but it was a futile effort as a sword thrust had callously pierced both mother and son with ease. Liv sat still, staring mutely at her nephew and sister-in-law. Her heart pounded wildly as her thoughts went to Fergus; She knew that the intense grief she now felt would be pittance compared to his when she delivered the news of his beloved wife and son's passing.

While Liv had never got on with Oriana – a typical mannered and self-righteous woman of Antiva, she loved her nephew and above all she loved Fergus and couldn't tolerate the thought of giving him a grief so immense.

Liv was torn from her trance by her mother's cry of pain. She turned and saw the woman kneeling, her head in her hands, knuckles white as they tensed in the effort to pull at two tresses of hair as if she were trying to tear them off.

"Mother, don't look! Come on... both of you!" Liv pulled her mother off the room and called the mabari who was disconsolately whining while she tried to revive Oren by licking his hand.

Eleanor didn't seem able to stand on her own legs anymore, bent under her grief, so Liv grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently. "Mother, I swear that Howe will pay. I'll kill him with my bare hands should it be the last thing I do but now we must fight! We have to find dad and escape the castle, come on!"

Eleanor looked at her daughter as if she saw her for the first time, then squared her shoulders assuming a fierce gaze. "Come on!" she replied, jutting her chin forward and pursing her lips, an attitude that Liv often assumed when determined and that, again, she took after her mother.

They ran toward the courtyard where they were attacked by a group of soldiers. They were easily dealt with. Full of adrenaline and anger as they were, Liv and Eleanor flung themselves at those men with a fury that swept them away like a tornado. Fortune also smiled on them, bestowing the gift of ignorance as the male soldiers grossly underestimated their strength, foolishly assuming that women were weak and defenseless creatures. The three together were a wondrous force to be reckoned with: Liv bashed enemies head over heels with her shield and pierced them with her sword, while Eleanor shot dead many of them with her arrows before they could even reach her daughter. Ash threw herself into combat with Howe's mabaris with the fury of one possessed.

They were unable to leave the castle. They ran down one hallway after another, only to find their every potential escape route blocked by barricades made of wooden poles burning from oil barrels set on fire. Luckily, being underestimated gave them a great laissez-passer.

Finally, after yet another turnaround they were forced to make, they met Ser Gilmore, who was very relieved to see them both alive and unharmed. While he was uninjured, he too was covered in blood spatter and looked exhausted.. He had been fighting for much longer and had almost single-handedly prevented Howe's men from invading the northern area of the castle. With only a handful of guards under his command, he had nevertheless thrown back every attempt an invasion for several hours. He had been put in charge of a small handful of guards and had thrown back all attempts at invasion for several hours. He told Liv and Eleanor that Bryce had gone to the kitchens and that he looked badly wounded. In the larder there was a trapdoor to a secret passage that led directly outside the walls of the castle. Perhaps he had gone there to seek refuge and was awaiting them... or perhaps he had hoped to find both his wife and daughter already there. Liv was struck by the horrible thought that, not finding them there, he would believe them both killed.

"Hurry up! Gilmore come with us!" Liv called in the manner of someone used to command. The young man smiled, amused but also impressed. "No, milady! I have to stay here and defend the last gate. If they break through it will be impossible for you to get to the kitchens. Run, I'll meet you outside the walls, don't worry!"

With that, the handsome boy joined the other soldiers in fighting back the invaders' attempts to break through the last barrier of the castle. Despite his words, Liv knew in her heart that it would be the last time she would ever see Ser Gilmore.

Liv, Eleanor, and Ash raced down the passageway to the larder, then ran for the trapdoor, and saw what they didn't want to see: Bryce was lying on the ground in the middle of a blood pool. He raised his head as they entered the room and called out their names with a feeble voice, broken from suffering and weakness. At least he was still alive!

"Father!" Liv sank down beside him and began fingering his clothes where they looked torn trying to stop further bleeding, but he took her hand. "It's too late, pup ... I ... I'm dead ... run to safety! Howe's men will be here very soon!" It seemed as if every word, whispered with the little strength he had left in his body, caused him unbearable suffering.

"Bryce, no!" Eleanor sobbed, clasping his hand covered in blood.

Liv was speechless, staring at her dying father, unable to think or do anything. Finally, she took his head in her hands and began to stroke it gently, tears falling into his already blood-soaked hair. Ash whined pitifully while licking his face andwas so desperate and clumsy that she managed to pull a smile out of him.

A moment later, the door opened and both women leapt to their feet, ready to rail against anyone coming in. But the man who entered was not one of Howe's men. It was Duncan! Their eyes met and Liv realized by the look he gave her that she must appear to be in terrible shape. In fact, her armor, arms and face were soiled with the blood of her father, and tresses of hair were plastered to her face with sweat and her eyes were full of tears. "I'm fine," she reassured him.

The Grey Warden approached Bryce and immediately realized that there was no hope.

The dying man grasped his arm. "My friend... bring my daughter and wife to safety ... I beg you!"

Eleanor wrapped herself around him as if to prevent being taken away. "No my love, I'll stay here where my place is. I won't abandon you!" Eleanor then turned to her daughter. "Your place is with the Grey Wardens now, mine is with your father, at his side to death and beyond." She was calm but determined. She had chosen her path. There was no desperation in her voice, just resignation to fate and immense love and gratitude for the man she had married long ago and for the life they had spent together.

Duncan witnessed the scene in silence, looking as if he too was on the verge of tears. He put a hand on Liv's shoulder not only to comfort her but also to call her to duty; they had to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"MOTHER I CAN'T LEAVE YOU HERE! THEY'LL KILL YOU!"

Eleanor was adamant. "No, love! We had a good life and did all we 's up to you now."

"You won't die tonight out of Howe's treachery." Her beloved father gave her one last smile. "Go out there and make us proud."

Eleanor met her daughter's gaze, strong, determined, eyes alight with the fire they shared. "Get yourself Honor, get revenge when the time comes, I'm sure you'll make us proud. Now go!"