Shadows of Denerim
Months passed since I have left clan. I worked as mercenary or blade for hire. It's ridiculous how much you can earn by only killing other people. Humans are so eager to hate and envy other people. Hiding my real identity wasn't very hard. I just was wearing hood. No one at road or at taverns wanted to even get close to me. I killed many people on my road, from rugged bandits to knights.
I understood one thing, humanity know no love. They only care about them self and if they talk about love they mean lust. Also I can't acknowledge so called "city elves". They left their pride and let humans use them as service. I could understand this blindly obedient I Tevinter because rising in small number against the mages is bad, but here in Orlais and Ferelden are only normal humans. They bleed if you cut them and can't counter simple arrow with fireball or lightning.
My journey had been doing nicely until I approached lands of Bann Loren. Now I can see that I were too carefree there. A little bit more of wooded land made me too confident so I couldn't predict this what have happened there. It was and I had been sleeping. Because of forest I forget to set guarding glyphs and traps over my camp, like I used to do. I was waked by sound of bolt piercing through sheet of my tent. I barely rolled away from it. I grabbed daggers of my descendent wife. Runes activated as soon as mana link has been closed. I jumped out of the tent and hided by closest tree. I could see only four hostiles, because of reflection of moon light from crossbows. There were probably more of them here. I was right. Second after this I felt wave of pain coming from my left shoulder. Bolt thrust in it and stacked in bone. My left was barely made to use right now so I decided to run. I couldn't know how many archers they have there and I knew that they weren't ordinary bandits. They had crossbows and good training. Even when I'm asleep all my senses are sharp, so I would have heard approaching enemies who don't know how to sneak. I heard whizzing of bolts around me.
"Thanks gods that shems can't see well in night. Otherwise I would be dead by now."
I thought that I ran away, but suddenly only thing that I felt and saw was darkness and pain.
I woke up closed in cage witch chains on me.
"We probably will take him to Denerim. Mistress need help in house. You know how this Orlesian ladies have to left hands for everything." one of men said.
"It's better for you if she never hear that or else she will show you in what is she good."
Other man said and started laughing. Soon other laughs joined him. Now I could see everyone. Eleven people near campfire and probably about two or four on watch. They were all well armed. Probably mercs hired by someone.
"What is laughing matter here ? " some woman asked after she came out of tent.
"Nothing mistress just Jazons stupidity like always."
"Ok. If you already stopped laughing that you Skitter and your people will come to Denerim and make my home set. I will come and see if everything is still with out changes in Lothering. Also take this elf with you. I need servant in house."
"As you wish mistress. And what with his weapons ?" man called Skitter asked
" You can take everything but daggers. I need to ask him about them so if you could wake him up and bring him to my tent."
Skitter nodded and walked to my cage. He was surprised when he saw that I' had been awake. With out word he opened cage and took me to the "mistress" tent. Tent was big and made from some white material with embroidered fancy patterns made from golden thread.
"Leave us." woman commended.
"You can save your tongue shem. I know what you want me to ask. Only thing that you need to know is that this daggers belonged to someone from my past life who is now gone." I said after
Skitter left.
"Oh ! So you were awake. Good. So I will skip explaining why I called you here. But to made it clear. We don't caught you. It were Bann Loren's peoples. My boys killed them and recapture you. We don't want to be seen here. You will make my new home look good until I came to Denerim. After that you can either join me or try to sneak out of the city."
"It's too kind for human except for this all home preparing. You shems like to treat us elves like servants. So my question is why you make such offering ?"
"Looking through your equipment and from your appearance you are either Dalish who somehow abandoned his clan or something like this, Antivan crown or crazy run away elf servant. Third one is impossible too good equipment and peach of your voice is empty in other meaning. This emptiness is either made by killing many people or by losing something what was your all life. The second one would confirm peach of your voice but where is your crow emblem. So peach of your voice is effect of being "half dead". This confirm first one. You lost something so you left your clan... Probably I think."
She was good one. By only few words spoken by my and also looking through my equipment she knew nearly everything about me.
"You are close to truth human. In past life I could call my self Dalish, but not now. So what is catch in your contract ?"
"You can die or be captured by someone and be thrown to alienage. Have I already tall that people seems to die rather quick in my company ? But if you survive you will be rich."
"For now I will come with your people, but for first I'm coming on my own will so no chains and no cages. Second I want my daggers back. Third if you ever think about me as a servant you will die."
"Good for me. So we both saved time. If you wouldn't be so cooperative I would drag you to Denerim and than have this talk with you there. You will have your daggers back also I will give you some coat. Yore previous one was teared by bolts and arrows. Also this one will make you look more scarier and in the end may I ask whats your name ?"
"Minan. In yours people language it would mean blade of vengeance, and yours ? I would like to know your name if I will work for you for next months."
"I'm Marjolaine. My name don't have some fancy meaning so t hats all if you want you can sleep outside with other boys or rather you want to spend night in my tent. You know sleeping with someone always rise temperature."
I took my daggers from Marjolaine and walked away with out word.
Two weeks later near Denerim
Company seemed like that they already used to me. No one talked to me but now also no one wanted to try pick a fight with me. Skitters company where mostly archers, but no one approached us. Skitter decided to make a stay in village near Denerim.
"Boys ! Have fun this night. Next day we are leaving to Denerim."
Everyone seemed happy to hear words of Skitter. I walked straight to my room in tavern. I were woke up by screams. I took daggers in hands. This time I woke up in time. Door to my room cracked open and three muscular villagers came in. I jumped at first one and cut open his throat. Before other two could do anything I stepped behind them and thrust daggers through back of their heads. Daggers went easily through bones because of runes on them. I putted on my coat and hood. Coming through mine door would be bad. So I decide to climb down through the window. Only reasonably answer for what is happening here was that Skitter and his boys done something and now villagers are trying to kill them. I decide to take horse and ride to Denerim. I could find there Marjolaine's house and live there for a while. I sneaked to the stable and took horse which was in the best shape. I get on him and ride out. When I heard shout.
"You bastard ! Why are you living us! Take me with you !"
It was Skitter. He was cowered in blood with bow in his hands. I ignored him and made horse ride faster. Skitter drew his bow and shot. I thought that distance would make his shot less accurate but it wounded area near my ribs. After night of ride I was finally here. Denerim. It walls were bigger than any others I saw in Ferelden. I left horse near stable. I don't need it any more so someone will take him. I went thorough gate. Two guard were standing near it, but they seemed to ignore everyone who were entering Denerim. I realized something very bad now. I didn't know where was Marjolaine's house. I had no money and no where to go. I came here with out plan. Suddenly it hit me. Ironically only place where I could stay unseen was alienage. I went to center of district. There were many shops and standings. Good for me there was someone selling maps. I sneaked near his sanding and stole one which was showing Denerim. Now I needed to sneak in elven Alienage. When I came to the alienage gates there were only one guard. No one where looking on him or at the alienage. This gate was simply ignored. If he reacted to me I would kill him and throw his body in to moat. But luckily for him he ignored me. Alienage. It was not very big with tree on center. I came near the tree and fall there asleep.
"Hey ! You are alive friend ?"
„Yes. I think so."
I answered slowly opening my eyes. I couldn't remember what happened. Last think I remembered was big tree in alienage.
"You were lucky back there. If young Tibris hadn't been walking by and called me you would be dead. Such nasty wound. But now it is OK. I think you are new around ?"
"Yes I had nowhere to go so I came here. Also who are you ?"
"I'm Valerian the Elder of alienage and this is young Tibris. If you have no where to go you can stay in my house and as repay help me with some staff when you will be back in shape."
"Thank you for help. I will stay around for while and try to repay our kindness. But now if you don't mind I would like to sleep some more."