Cousland - The last of his line
Anrothan couldn't sleep.
The events of the day troubled him. Not only had they received word that the darkspawn threat was rising, but he was told to stay behind in his father's stead while the Teyrn and Fergus would ride to battle in the south. But that wasn't his only concern. His father had seen it too; Rendon Howe was agitated from the moment Master Duncan made his appearance. It was like the Warden Commander's presence changed his plans, whatever they could be.
'Could it have anything to do with the bad feeling I have been having ever since the morning?' The young noble thought. Suddenly, Félagi, his mabari, jerked up his ears and growled towards the door. Anrothan slowly got up from his bed, his eyes on the door as well.
"Do you hear something, boy?" He asked, earning another bark and a growl from the mabari. Soon enough, the sound of shouts was heard. It didn't take long for Anrothan to realize that they were under attack when the door flung open and a soldier came into view. The young noble rushed towards the soldier, who looked in surprise.
"This one's awake…" He started yelling before the noble's fist connected to his face. Anrothan looked up as three more soldiers rounded on him. The noble took the sword from the soldier he just took out and attacked them as Félagi ran out of the room and lunged himself at the soldier on the right, effectively taking him out by ripping out his throat. Anrothan took advantage of his momentum and quickly disarmed the second soldier.
"Who sent you?" He yelled in anger as he disarmed the last soldier. However, a look at his opponent's shield sent chills down the young man's spine. It was adorned with a yellow and white emblem, with a brown bear on its center.
'Uncle Howe has betrayed us? But why?' He thought in disbelief, before he quickly shook his head. 'That is not the most important thing right now. I must check on Oren and Oriana before anything else.'
He cautiously approached the door opposite of him, his thoughts on his brother's family. The young noble noticed that there were sword marks on the door, but other than that it didn't seem like it was forcibly opened.
"Oriana? Oren? Are you ok?" Anrothan asked. To his relief, his sister in law answered.
"We are alright. They were about to bring down the door, but something caused them to leave us." Oriana said as she unlocked the door. "What's going on, Anrothan?"
Just then, a couple of soldiers came from the entrance of this wing.
"They are still alive? Get them!" One of them said as they all attacked the Couslands.
"Stay back!" Anrothan yelled as he got between his family and the soldiers while taking a stance. Just then, an arrow swept past him and struck a soldier in the head.
"Who…" One of them started before he got struck by another arrow. Anrothan took a moment to look back, and saw his mother standing there, dressed in leather armor and with bow in hand.
"Don't just stand there! There are still more of them left!" The Teyrna ordered when she noticed her son's surprised expression. Anrothan shook his head one more time and ran towards the remaining soldiers, his mabari at his side. After the three of them took out the intruders, Eleanor approached her family.
"Darling! I heard fighting outside and I feared the worst. Is everyone alright?" She asked.
"We are all fine." Anrothan said.
"Good thing I barred the door when I did. These people would kill us while we were still sleeping if they had the chance." Oriana said.
"These are Uncle's men, Mother." Anrothan pointed out. "I am starting to believe that they were delayed on purpose."
"To attack us while we are at our weakest." Eleanor added. "That bastard! I'll cut his lying throat myself!"
"Mama? What's going on?" Oren's innocent voice brought their attention to him. The poor boy was obviously scared.
'Howe does not even care that there are innocents in the castle.' Anrothan thought when he saw his nephew. The young man could barely keep his anger in check.
"It's ok, my son. Everything will be fine." Oriana said as she hugged her son who buried his face in her skirt while Félagi nudged him in an attempt to comfort him.
"Have you seen your father? He left with you earlier, didn't he?" Eleanor said as she turned her attention to her son.
"He wanted to talk with Master Duncan and… Howe, about the plans in the south." Anrothan said. "We must make haste. There is no telling what that man is capable of."
Before any of them could talk further, a woman's scream echoed in the room.
"That must be Landra!" Eleanor said in realization as she took off.
"Take care of Oren and Oriana, Félagi." Anrothan said to his mabari, who barked in response, and followed his mother. There, he saw Dairren clutching his stomach while getting inside a room, and ran towards the enemy soldiers in order to take their focus away from the injured young man.
"A Cousland is still standing here! Come at me, cowards!" He shouted as he attacked the soldiers. With each swing, he took out a foe. Just as he finished the last enemy, the door to his left opened, revealing the Teyrna and her guests. Meanwhile, Félagi entered the hall, like he knew that the danger had passed, accompanied by Oriana and a shaken Oren.
"Goodness, what is going on, Eleanor?" Lady Landra said.
"There's a good chance that Rendon betrayed us, Landra." Eleanor said, causing Iona to gasp in surprise.
"The Arl? Why would he do that?" The blond lady-in-waiting asked.
"We don't know yet, but I think it's safe to move for the moment. Darling, we must find your father as fast as we can." Eleanor said as Anrothan looked outside.
"Can you hear the fighting? It comes from everywhere." He said as he came back to the group. "These are but a handful of the force that was supposed to arrive in the morning. Which means that we are bound to meet more of them. I would have no problem taking the fight to them, but…"
He didn't know how to finish that sentence. There were unarmed people in front of him. Innocents who shouldn't be dragged into political games. The young noble gritted his teeth as the Teyrna spoke.
"If Howe's men are inside, they must already control the castle. We have to find Bryce and then use the servants' entry in the larder to escape." She said with determination.
To escape. That did sound like a good plan, considering the circumstances. However…
"That snake could still be here, Mother. I cannot walk away while he destroys our home." Anrothan half-shouted in frustration, startling the people present.
"Listen, darling, we haven't much time. If we can't find your father, then you must take every unarmed person you can protect and get out of here alive. Without you and Fergus' family, the entire Cousland line dies here. Do you hear me?" Eleanor said. It was clear to Anrothan that she understood why he was angry, but she prioritized their safety. His eyes widened as he remembered something else that was important.
"The treasury. Father could have gone there to retrieve the sword and shield of Highever. We must head there first." He said, receiving a nod from the Teyrna in response.
"And then we'll go to the front gates. If we don't meet Bryce in the treasury, then he must be at the hall." She added as the group started going towards the treasury.
While they were on the move, Anrothan leaned on his mabari and ordered him. "Protect anyone who cannot bear arms. You can do that, right, boy?"
After Félagi barked in a way that the blond noble knew was a positive one, he turned to Dairren.
"Are you in condition to fight, Dairren?" Anrothan asked, noticing the wound on the man's side.
"Yes, my lord. It's not as bad as it looks." Dairren answered with a nod, his expression turning serious as they engaged more enemy soldiers. "But still, what would Arl Howe gain by betraying the Teyrn? I don't get it."
Anrothan didn't answer, but instead focused on clearing the way. He could see guards fighting with enemy soldiers everywhere. The castle was almost reduced to ash and debris, blocking their path on many occasions.
The poker playing guards that Anrothan had seen earlier in the day lay dead in front of the treasury's door. True to the word, they didn't let anyone to the vault.
"Father is not here." Anrothan said as Eleanor unlocked the door.
"However, both the shield and the sword are here." She said. "Take them, my son. They are yours to wield now."
Anrothan nodded before he approached the weapon stand and took the family sword, a silver longsword with a blue colored hilt.
'This is Caladbolg, the sword of Sarim Cousland. Just looking at it leaves me awestruck, not even mentioning holding it.' Anrothan thought as he held it high. He then strapped the shield of Highever on his back and got out of the vault.
"To the front gates now! We must hurry!" He said as he ran towards the center of the castle, followed by everyone else. The soldiers that they had rescued during this ordeal now focused on helping those who could not fight and were fortunate enough to still be alive. That, alone, slowly calmed the young noble's rising anger.
Still, he was the Teyrn's son and the one responsible for the castle, so he, himself, had to limit the casualties as much as he could. Dashing inside the main hall, he found Ser Gilmore and a handful of guards fighting against a much larger group of soldiers. Anrothan let out a war cry and went into action, taking some of the soldiers by surprise with his unexpected appearance.
"This is our chance, men! Show these bastards what the soldiers of Highever are capable of!" Sir Gilmore shouted as the guards got on the offensive. Gradually, they managed to push back the invaders and closed the gates.
"Go! Man the gates! Keep these bastards out as long as you can!" Sir Gilmore ordered before he turned to Anrothan.
"My lord! You're alive! I was certain that Howe's men have gotten through." He said with a mixture of surprise and relief.
"They have gotten through, Sir Gilmore. It was thanks to our luck that we heard them before they take us by surprise." Eleanor's voice was heard as she entered the hall. "Is the Teyrn not here?"
"He was looking for you two, your ladyship. He told us to hold the hall as long as possible and to tell you to go to the servants' entry to escape should you not run into each other." Sir Gilmore said.
"Then we must go find him!" The Teyrna said before she started running towards the other exit.
"Have you seen Master Duncan?" Anrothan asked.
"It was he who warned us of the treachery. After that, he left to find you and the Teyrn." Sir Gilmore answered.
'Howe did look surprised when Master Duncan appeared. Could it be that he tried to take him out before he attacked us?' Anrothan thought as he looked back at Sir Gilmore.
"Come with us, Roland. Thought this is not what I wish to do, I fear we have to escape the castle." The young noble said.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, my lord. There are already a few of us here to bar the gates. If they fall, then Howe's full force will be unleashed in the castle." The knight said with a somber expression. "You must escape while you still can, my lord. Your brother's family is still alive, as well as others." He added as he pointed to the people who just entered the hall. "You have to help them survive."
Anrothan didn't want to admit it, but Roland was right. He did notice that the soldiers who held the gates were showing signs of heavy fatigue, which meant that there was no time for debate.
"Just promise me one thing, Roland. Make these scum regret the moment they set their foot on Highever." He said.
"As my lord orders." Sir Gilmore said with determination and ran towards the gates in order to help keep them shut. Anrothan begrudgingly turned and started walking towards the exit, but a familiar voice stopped him.
"I'm scared, Mama." Oren said. Anrothan looked back at his nephew, who seemed to be on the verge of tears.
"Don't worry, my little Oren." Oriana said tenderly as she knelt in front of her son. "We'll be alright. Your uncle will protect us from the bad people."
"Will you protect us, Uncle?" Oren asked, his eyes pleading, as he turned to his uncle. Anrothan approached the little boy and ruffled his hair.
"Rest assured, Oren. I will keep you all safe." He said with a smile before he turned to the rest. "Come on, everyone. follow me."
The larder was just around the corner. He would find his father and he would manage to lead his family out of harm's way.
What awaited him, however, when he turned was another group of enemy soldiers. And this time, they had a knight with them.
"You are big." Anrothan said with a grin as the knight came at him with his maul. "I've fought bigger."
The blond noble moved to the side in order to dodge the knight's swing and tried to slash him with his sword. Unsurprisingly, the knight's armor held that blow. The knight, then, elbowed Anrothan in the face, sending him to the ground. As he was about to pummel the noble with his maul, Anrothan rolled out of the way and dodged the strike that left the knight vulnerable. Taking advantage of his lack of equipment, Anrothan swiftly got up and decapitated the knight with a smooth slash. After that, he turned to see that the rest of the guards had taken care of the remaining soldiers.
"To the kitchen, everyone! Time is of the essence!" He said as he guided the people in the kitchen. There, he found Nan's body, surrounded by a couple of dead soldiers.
'Tough old woman. How many did she take out before they killed her?' Anrothan thought, a mixture of wonder and sadness on his face. However, the sight that he witnessed when he got to the larder froze him on the spot. There lay his father in a pool of blood. His mother was next to him, trying to stop the bleeding.
"There… you are. And Oriana and... Oren are with you. That's good. I was… worried about you." The Teyrn said as Anrothan rushed to his side.
"What happened, Father? This wound looks mortal." He asked.
"Rendon… did that. He took a knife while I looked at a map and… stabbed me. Thankfully, Duncan… found me and helped me fend off… his soldiers." Bryce said between grunts.
"That snake! I will kill him!" Anrothan said, gripping the sword in his hand. The Teyrn noticed the family weapons in his son's possession and smiled faintly.
"You have the weapons. Good." He said before he leaned forward and coughed, hacking blood.
"Bryce, we need to get out of the castle. We can find you healing magic." Eleanor said, but the Teyrn shook his head.
"I- I won't survive the standing, I think." He said.
"Then I will carry you! I am not leaving you behind, Father!" Anrothan said.
"If only it were that simple, my son. The castle is surrounded. You won't be able to survive if you are burdened by my weight." The older Cousland responded.
"I'm afraid the Teyrn is right, Anrothan." Duncan said as he entered the larder, his blades dripping blood everywhere. "Howe's men have already surrounded the castle. The only way to escape successfully is to be swift."
"Duncan… my friend. I beg you." Bryce said, despair evident in his voice. "Get my people… to safety."
"I will, old friend." Duncan said with some hesitance. "I'm afraid I must ask a favor in return though. I came here for a recruit. The darkspawn threat demands I leave with one."
"I- I understand." The Teyrn said in defeat.
"Are you referring to me?" Anrothan said in surprise. "What about telling Fergus what happened? Or taking revenge from Howe? I will not be able to do that if I become a warden."
"Our family… always does our duty first, pup. It protects Ferelden… from any kind of threat." Bryce said. His hands were trembling as he removed a ring from his hand and gave it to Anrothan. "This ring… bears the emblem of our family. You know what to do with it."
"I- I understand." The younger Cousland said begrudgingly as he put the ring in his hand.
"Oren… my grandson. Come here." The Teyrn said as he motioned for the young boy. Anrothan noticed that Iona was helping Oriana with distracting Oren all this time.
'She must know how to talk with children. Maybe she has a kid herself.' He thought, feeling a more intense need to help everyone after witnessing this.
"Grandpa, why are you down? Did you trip and fall?" Oren innocently asked.
"This is the last time I'll see you, my boy. I won't be there to see you grow up and become a great man like your father." The Teyrn said gravely.
"Are you going somewhere grandpa?" Oren asked. The poor boy had already started crying by that point. As Oriana went to pick up her son and try to comfort him, the Cousland patriarch's face turned to her.
"Take care of Fergus and Oren, my daughter." He shakingly said.
"I will do that, Father." She said, barely hiding tears herself.
"You are the best daughter I could ask for. Fergus is really lucky… to have you." Bryce said before hacking more blood. Oriana nodded in response, unable to say anything.
Suddenly, a thunderous noise was heard.
"They have broken through. We must hurry." Duncan said as he got up. However, Anrothan noticed that the Warden Commander looked ill, and his eyes were tearful. At that moment, he realized that Duncan didn't want to leave his friend behind.
"Darling, go with Duncan. You must keep our people safe." Eleanor suddenly said. The young noble's eyes widened as he turned to look his mother.
"What?" He only managed to say.
"You'll escape easier without me." She added.
"Eleanor, are you sure?" Bryce asked, his face showing surprise too.
"Till death do us part, Bryce. Did I not swear that?" The Teyrna smirked. "I'll kill every bastard that comes through that door to buy them time. You can't do it on your own. Plus, if they find both of us here, they will probably stop their pursuit on everyone else, at least for some time."
'There is no way I can persuade you, is there, Mother?' Anrothan thought. It was painful how much logic there was behind her argument. He felt powerless to protect his parents. However, looking behind him, he knew that there were some people that he could protect.
"I love you both, so much." He said, giving one last hug to his parents before he got up.
"We love you too, my son. Now go and make us proud." Bryce said with a pained smile before he ordered the rest. "Everyone, go! Now!"
All of them heard him, leaving from the hidden passage with tears on their faces. Anrothan left last, but not before glancing at his parents one last time.
The small group of people gradually made their escape from the castle. They have found themselves on a hill in the Coastlands, which overlooked the entire city of Highever. It was heartwrenching for Anrothan to see his beloved castle being engulfed in fire and smoke, but he had to move on. Not only to make sure that those he managed to rescue will be safe, but to ensure his survival long enough to take his revenge.
"Are you okay, my lord?"
A voice full of concern brought him out of his thoughts, and Iona came into his view.
"I am well, Iona. Thank you for your concern." He said, forcing himself to smile in order to convince the young woman. She didn't seem to fall for it, but dropped the subject anyway. Sighing, Anrothan looked forward to the scout who just returned.
"Did you find a path we can use to get to West Hill?" He asked, earning a nod from the scout, who was heavily panting.
"Yes, my lord! There's a path not too far from the Imperial Highway that's not guarded by the Arl's soldiers." The scout said.
"But we cannot count for it to stay that way for long. We need to get to West Hill and then to Bann Loren's lands through carriages as fast as we can. Thank you, soldier. We shall wait for the other scouts and then continue." Anrothan said. As the scout gave a slight bow and left, Oriana and Lady Landra appeared before the blond man.
"Lady Landra! My thanks for agreeing to take everyone with you. I am in your debt." Anrothan said with a slight bow.
"You don't have to thank me, my lord. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be dead right now. Catering for these people is the least I can do to repay both you and Eleanor." Lady Landra said with an understanding expression.
"Are you sure about this, Anrothan?" Oriana asked with concern.
"I promised Father that I would help keep Ferelden safe. Besides, I will probably find Fergus there. What better way to assist him than fight alongside him?" Anrothan said as he chuckled. "I will be alright, Sister. And I will feel better, knowing that you and Oren are somewhere safe too."
Just then, Duncan approached the three of them.
"Ah, Master Duncan. I have been meaning to talk to you." Anrothan said when he saw the Warden Commander. "Can you leave us some time to go through the plan, ladies? In the meantime, you should get ready for we depart soon. Dairren seems to be in need of new bandages for his wound too."
The two women excused themselves and went to help the rest. Meanwhile, Anrothan looked back at Duncan.
"Before anything else, we need to get these people to safety. Lady Landra agreed to take them to her castle, but we have to get them there first, or my mind will not be at ease. When we are done, you have my services." The blond man said.
Duncan was aware that Anrothan would rather avenge his parents than join the wardens, so he was impressed that the young man put his remaining family's safety, as well as his subordinates, above everything else.
"I will help you with ensuring your people's safety. However, I must tell you this; a Grey Warden's duty is to stop the Blight. Nothing, not even vengeance, precedes that. We will inform the king about what happened here and he will decide Howe's fate. As for you, I only ask that you focus on the darkspawn threat and put aside your hatred, for the time being at least. Will you promise to do that?" The Warden Commander said.
"If we do manage to end the Blight in a short time, I can do that. But, for all we know, it could last for years, even decades. Can you ask me to let that snake roam free all this time, benefiting from my parents' death?" Anrothan said. "I may be a warden recruit, but I cannot promise that I will not pursue Howe, if given the chance."
"That will do for now." Duncan said, satisfied with his recruit's answer. "To that end, we should proceed with moving the people. Then, you'll come with me on Grey Warden business before we head for Ostagar."
'Grey Warden business?' Anrothan thought, but chose to ask the Warden Commander another time. Instead, he turned to the rest of the survivors.
"Alright everyone, it is time to move. The sooner we get to Bann Loren's lands, the faster you will be to safety." He said as the group got on the move again.
Author's Note: Hehehe. This is awkward. I originally would've written it way sooner, but you see, I came across a masterpiece of a game called Persona 4. It's not that great of reason, but that's what happened. Anyway, this chapter was really hard to write. It was really challenging to import characters like Oren in the story since I had to come up with something original for the story, and I didn't want to make it too tiring. And there was not much detailed fighting, but I believe the conversations make up for it. Next chapter will show the Grey Warden business thing and the next warden recruit. Until later then!