Thanks for your reviews Reploid Avenger and RedViking96.
Ignore any typos or errors please. Most of this was written on my phone for fun and only lightly edited.
They encountered many more of the attacking soldiers. Arno killed most of the ones that attacked, though Aldous took out several with the bow.
Arno was using the sword from the dead man, plunging it through the chest piece of one soldiers armour. The man fell to the ground with nary a sound.
"You are quite a fighter." Aldous stated.
Arno gave a wry smile, "I've had a lot of practise. What of you? How does a librarian learn to shoot a bow?"
Aldous shrugged, "I was not always a scholar." he answered simply.
Just then the sounds of fighting reached them. The three sharing a glance, they rushed to the door that the noises were coming from. Arno pushed it open, the sword ready in his hand.
Only to see an older woman felling a soldier, and a young woman decapitating one of the Arls soldiers with two daggers and a large dog beside her. The man - and his head - fell to the ground.
"Eleanor! Evie!" Mallol exclaimed, rushing up to them, relief in her voice, "Oh thank the Maker!"
"Mallol." The older woman, Eleanor, exclaimed, "What's going on? Howe's men attacking?"
The Mother shook her head, "I don't know." she admitted, "But they nearly killed Aldous and I. Were it not for this young lad." Mallol shuddered.
Evie, the younger one Arno gathered, eyed Arno, "You're the one that they found bloody in the Chantry?" she asked, and at Arnos quick nod Evie crossed her arms, "Well, I'll thank you for saving Mallol and Aldous once we kill Howe."
Arno eyed her for a moment, before glancing behind him with Eagle Vision, "There are more soldiers coming. Am I to assume you have a plan?"
"We have to get to the gates and find Bryce." Eleanor said, placing the mace that she held onto the ground and picked up a dagger from the decapitated soldier.
"I suggest we do so."
The group of five, six counting the dog, traveled the halls of the castle, encountering many soldiers. Aldous maonly stayed at the sidelines, shooting any of Howe's soldiers that went unnoticed by the group.
Arno was quick, never getting a hit on him. One moment he was parrying an attack and the next second he had slit the throat of a soldier sneaking up behind him. At one point there was a warrior coming up behind Eleanor, which Arno shot with a mini-bolt from his crossbow on his hidden blade.
After that battle Arno took the bloodied blade from the stone floor, wiped it, and put if back in his crossbow.
Not much later they came to the main gates. Several soldiers were in there, but Arno was happy to see that they were these Couslands soldiers. However, there were not nearly as many as there should be.
"My ladies!" the apparent commander exclaimed at sight of the two woman, "You survive - I was afraid Howe's men got through."
"They did get through, Gilmore." Evie said, looking away.
"They killed Oren and Orenia." Eleanor said, grief and anger both very clear in her voice.
Mallol and Aldous both let out cries of a horror and shock.
Gilmore deflated at that, "As soon as we realised what was happening, it was all we could do to bar the gates."
Erie took in a deep breath, and Arno could practically see her pushing her grief away and leaving only her anger. "Ser Gilmore. Have you seen my Father?"
Gilmore nodded his head, "Yes. He was heading to the servants exit, in the larder. He said you would meet him there."
"We should go." Evie said, looking around at the room, and her eyes landing on the soldiers stopping Howe's men from breaking through the gates.
"I'll stay here and buy you as much time as I can." Gilmore said, making Evie's eyes widen further.
"You'll die." she stated, a note of helplessness in her voice.
"It's my duty. Now, go - please." he said, and with one last look, Evie complied with his wishes.
Arno followed behind Evie and the rest of the group, pulling up at the rear with the dog. They encountered a few more of Howe's soldiers but not as many as were outside those gates.
Eleanor opened the door to the larder, and her and Evie went in first. The older woman let out a strangled cry as her eyes landed on something in the far corner of the room.
When Arno saw him, he knew it wasn't good. The man, who Arno was assuming was Bryce Cousland, was bleeding quite badly, much if his blood on the stone floor. His skin was sunken and pale, and it seemed like he could barely hold himself up.
"Bryce!" Eleanor dived down next to him, holding his upper half up and placed his head on her lap.
"There you are. I - I was worried you weren't going to - make it." he gasped.
"Oh, love, what's going on? You're bleeding!" Eleanor cried, caressing his head.
"Howe - got me pretty good." "We need to get you out of here." Evie said, kneeling down next to her father and mother.
"I'm afraid, pup, I won't survive the stand." Bryce replied, wincing in pain.
Arno was inclined to agree with the man. He could see Evie shaking with emotion. Eleanor wasn't much different. Mallol and Aldous were both pale as anything, and eyes wide.
"Don't say that! You'll be fine." Erie cried.
"Oh, my daughter," the man had to pause and Arno could see the pain shiver his body, "Only if willing made it so."
"Don't talk like that, Bryce! They'll be breaking through the gates any moment, and find us! The servants exit is right there! We'll find you some healing magic." Eleanor said, tears freely streaming down her face.
"I'm done for." Bryce said, his eyes flickering past his wife and daughter to land on Arno, Mallol and Aldous, "Aldous - Mallol. You live."
Aldous nodded his head, "Yes, your lordship - though if it were not for Arno here we wouldn't be."
Bryce looked at Arno for a moment, but returned his gaze to his daughter and wife, "Listen to me. You - you need to find Fergus. Tell him - oh, Maker - tell him what has happened here."
Arno glanced to the door behind him, which was firmly shut. He looked back to the family and was surprised to see the Teryns eyes on him, "Arno." he coughed, "You are a - stranger to these lands... and hold me no obligation - you have saved the Mother and Brother - I ask that you get my Wife and Daughter away from here."
Arno was startled by the intense gaze in his eyes, but the ex-assassin didn't need long to think about it. "Of course."
"Bryce - are you sure about this?" Eleanor asked, her voice quiet and at his nod, Eleanor shut her eyes, "Then I will stay with you."
"Eleanor, no." Bryce weakly said. "Mother!" Evie's voice cracked.
"Be quiet, my sweets." Eleanor said softly, "Evie, it is your duty to make sure the Cousland line goes on, and find your brother. Mine is to stay with my husband, for life and beyond."
"Eleanor..." Bryce trailed off, but slumped slightly as he didn't finish his sentence.
"I'll kill every bastard that steps through that door." Eleanor declared, anger sparking in her eyes.
"Mother." Evie pleaded.
The sounds of wood splintering, and the shouts of soldiers reached the room. The clang of metal on metal made Arno tense, "The gates have been breached." he spoke up, "They'll find us soon."
"We have to do something! We can fight!"
"And all die? No, Evie, you must get out of here. Find your brother and bring vengeance onto Howe." Eleanor said, looking up at Evie.
Shouts outside the larder grew louder, and he could hear running. Arno grabbed the young woman by the shoulder, and pushed her towards the hatch in the ground that Aldous and Mallol and opened, and the large dog stood next to it.
They climbed down into it, and Arno closed it, just as the shouts got louder. He heard Eleanor's shouts of anger and more sounds of sword play as he ushered Evie, her dog, Aldous and Mallol down the passage.
