Castle Redcliffe is on the coast off Lake Calenhad with its village just below. The Cousland's and The Grey Wardens arrived with no further encounters. They were greeted in the courtyard by Arl Eamon, he explained that Lady Isolde was in the family quarters caring for Connor and she would greet them later. The Arl's Seneschal showed them to their rooms, the children would be sharing a room while the Teyrn and Teyrna would stay in the room next door. There were other noble families visiting as well along with their children.
Fergus and Belyssa were no longer bickering; however, there was still some tension between them. Fergus was trying to be kind to his sister and she was doing her best to ignore her older brother. Bryce decided he would try talking his daughter hoping her to influence her to forgive her brother.
"Pup, how long do you plan on staying angry at Fergus?"
"I do not know, Papa. He hurt my heart."
"I know; however you are not completely blameless in this either Pup."
Belyssa's eyes widened and in a small voice she said
"You know what happened, Papa?"
"Yes I do, and had you not followed your brother and then picked the lock to spy on him this would not have happened young lady."
"He stopped wanting to play with me and I can't call him Gus either, all he wants to do is look at girls and spend time with Rory."
Belyssa's eyes began to fill with tears; Bryce picked up his little girl and placed her on his lap.
"So you spy on Fergus, Pup that is not right. You know this."
"I know" says Belyssa as she looks down. Bryce lifts her chin with his finger to look into his daughter's eyes.
"Fergus is growing up and at this time in his life his interests are changing that does not mean he does not love you anymore. Why not ask Fergus to make time for you and give him the distance he wants to pursue his interests."
"You mean girls."
"Well yes, your interest will change too as you get older." Bryce was not looking forward when this would happen to his daughter.
"I will think about it, Papa."
Belyssa gave her father a hug and he gave her a kiss on the forehead before setting her back down again. Belyssa went outside, she saw Fergus with some of the other noble children. However, she decided to head towards the stables and look for Duncan. She noticed another little boy away from the other children; he had dark blond hair and was raking a stall in the stables.
Alistair didn't know why he decided to clean his room this morning; he was almost done when voice behind him says.
"Hello"
"Huh" Turning around he sees a small child with dark curly hair and the bluest eyes he has ever seen looking at him. They were wearing pants and tunic made of a finer cloth than his clothing. He sort of lost his train of thought when they smiled at him.
It's is a girl?
"Who are you?"
An idiot, "Hello, I am Alistair."
He held out his hand for Belyssa, she in turn shook it.
"I am Belyssa Jae Cousland, my family is visiting. Please to meet you. What are you doing?"
"I am cleaning my room."
"Your room?" Alistair nodded and pointed at the stall in the stables. "You live in there?" Belyssa looked in a saw a there was a small toy golem and crate with some dingy clothes made from a rough fabric.
"Yes, with all my worldly possessions. It is not bad; when it's cold I use the hay as a blanket."
Belyssa felt sorry for him. "I am looking for Duncan; he is the Commander of the Grey Wardens in Ferelden. Can you help me?"
"I would be happy to, Milady." Alistair then bowed awkwardly at her.
"Just call me Belyssa and no bowing, please."
"As you wish, he might be staying in the soldier's barracks they are this way." He pointed in the direction they needed to go.
"How long have you been at Redcliffe?"
"All my life."
"In the stables?"
"Only for the past few years."
"And before that?"
"I lived in the kennels and before I that I can't remember."
Belyssa felt even sadder for him, she never thought that having a bed or even a blanket would be something a child would not have, though Alistair doesn't seem to care about his treatment at all. When they turned the corner she saw Duncan and the other Wardens practicing with the Arl's soldiers. Belyssa squealed with delight and ran over to the practice area. Alistair was surprised that a girl seemed to like fighting, he knew that Lady Isolde hated it and the other girls in the village didn't seem to have a use for it either, not be left behind he too ran to catch up with Belyssa. She was sitting on a bale of hay when he found her; she smiled at him as he walked over to join her. Belyssa was pointing at a tall man with tanned skin and dark hair in pony tail.
"There is Duncan."
Duncan was fighting one soldiers of Redcliffe while the other Wardens and guards looked on. Some of the other soldiers noticed Alistair sitting with Belyssa and waved a greeting to him.
"So you do have some friends."
"Yes, were you worried about me?"
"Yes."
Alistair blinked with surprise; no ever seem to care if he had any friends. All soldiers at Redcliffe made sure he has food and clothing he felt they started training him because they could not think of anything else to do with him.
"Thank you, Milady"
Belyssa makes a frustrated sound, grabs his hand and looks him in the eye.
"Alistair, I told you to call me Belyssa!"
"I did not mean to offend you M- I mean Belyssa. I am not used to just using given names, sorry."
"I am not offended, I just want to be your friend and friends use given names."
She just made a weird noise, I have never met a girl who does that, then again I have never met a girl wearing boys clothes either. I think she is crazy, nice but crazy.
Belyssa had already turned to continue watching the Duncan fight she was still holding his hand though. When Duncan was done, she called to him the other person he was fighting walked over as well.
"Good-day Milady" said Duncan
"Will you please call me Belyssa?"
"I will only do so when we are not in the presence of the other nobles."
Belyssa nodded and then turned to Alistair.
"This is my friend Alistair" introducing him.
"Alistair this is Duncan."
"Well met" they said in unison the other fighter looked down at Alistair.
"If you like Alistair we can get some practice in?"
"That would be great, Ser Donall."
"You fight?" said Belyssa in awe.
"When Ser Donall can spare the time between his other duties. Do you?"
"No, Mother wants me to be a lady. Can I watch?"
"Sure" Belyssa claps her hands in delight, Alistair smiles and goes to retrieve a practice sword and shield, none of the other armour there fits him. She is so different, he thinks to himself. On his way back to the field he waved at Belyssa, she waves back.
Duncan sits down beside Belyssa to watch Alistair as well. He is not bad, with some good training he could be a very good warrior when he grows up. Fiona you would be proud of him, he has his father easy going nature along with his looks but your eyes. I do not think you and Maric would approve of his treatment however.
Out of nowhere Belyssa looks at Duncan and asks.
"Who is Fiona?"
Duncan's eyes narrow has glances down at her. Did I say that out loud he wonders?
Belyssa becomes frighten at the look on Duncan's face and moves back on the hay bale but she moved too far and falls off landing hard on the ground, startled she cries out in pain.
Alistair heard Belyssa cry out, so he looks over to where she is and see her on the ground with Duncan looming over her. Next thing he knew she is screaming at him.
"BLOCK ALISTAIR!"
Luckily he has youth on his side and was able to dodge the blow coming at from Ser Donall.
"Nice recovery Alistair; however, if it wasn't for young girls scream you would not have noticed me attacking you, leaving yourself wide open. While being aware of your surroundings is good you cannot lose focus of the enemy in front of you." says Ser Donall
The next thing Alistair saw was Belyssa jumping from the fence onto Ser Donall's shoulders and soundly boxing his ears. He blinked in amazement. What in the Maker is this crazy girl doing? Ser Donall yells and went to pull her off him but she was too quick for him and leaped down stomping on his foot and kicking his other leg before she ran to stand in front Alistair.
"Bad form Ser Knight!"
Ser Donall was incensed, who is this little chit to chastise him. He is going to put a damn good fright in her. I will teach her a lesson; she should stick to playing with dolls and not with swords. He began to charge at her. Alistair is stunned; Ser Donall is going to hurt Belyssa. He drops his sword and grabs Belyssa by her waist to pull her behind his shield and leaps to one side making Ser Donall miss them both.
"Alistair stop, I am not afraid!" shouts Belyssa
"That's because you are crazy!"
"I am NOT!" Belyssa picks up a rock and throws at Ser Donall head.
"Oh MAKER!"
"ENOUGH!"
Shouts Duncan as he catches the rock Belyssa just threw and stands between them and Ser Donall.
"I have never seen one child get into the size of trouble she can this often." says Gelric.
"The young lady has not been any trouble since the encounter a week ago. Maybe she waits and the does something big to make up for lost time." another Warden replies.
"Either way watching the Commander handle her is amusing." says Gelric, this gets the other Wardens to chuckle.
"If you are finished commenting, take a look around to make sure no one witnessed what just happened." said Duncan has he glares at his Wardens.
The Wardens disperse to carry out their Commander's orders. He then turns to Ser Donall.
"Ser Do-
"That little chit needs to be soundly spanked for her actions I am Knight of Redcliffe crowned by King Maric, and she attacked me!"
"Come near me foul Knight of Redcliffe and I will do more than box your ears the next time."
"When I tell the Arl of your behavior and you will get the switch for sure and I will be the one wielding it!"
"When I tell my father of this, you will be stripped of your Knighthood!"
Alistair could not believe his ears, she just threatened Ser Donall and she did not even flinch when he mentioned a beating. Maybe he hit her in the head with his shield when he intervened earlier. Ser Donall started advancing on them again, Alistair got in front of Belyssa.
"You dare to threaten me. You think your unimportant Bann of a father is more powerful than the Arl of Redcliffe?"
"My father is no Bann."
"So how can he have to power to do anything?"
"Her father is Bryce Cousland the Teyrn of Highever and this little chit that is what you called her is Belyssa Jae Cousland his youngest child." says Duncan.
Alistair did not think he could handle any more surprises today. He did not know what a Teyrn was but by the look on Ser Donall's face it must outrank an Arl.
"Well that took the wind out him." Gelric commented.
Duncan turned to glare at Gelric, which really did not wipe the grin off is face.
"All clear Commander, Talnor will signal if someone comes near."
Duncan nods and motions toward the hay bales.
"Let's sit down and have a talk."
Ser Donall looked like he was just punched in the gut and quietly walks over and sits down. Both Belyssa and Alistair sit together each still glaring at the two adults.
"Alistair, I am sorry of my cry distracted you."
"No harm done, are you alright? What made you cry out in the first place?"
"I asked Duncan a question I should not have, he became so angry it scared me and then I fell off the hay bale startling myself. Looks like I will never make it as a warrior."
"You leaped onto one of the best Knights at Redcliffe boxing his ears, stood your ground when he wanted to pummel you and in the tried to throw a rock at his head. I think there might be some bravery in those actions."
"More like foolish, if you ask me." says Duncan.
"This is coming from the man that ran up a High Dragon's back and rode it, well I guess he would know about foolish then, huh." they overheard Gelric comment to the Wardens.
"WOW!" the children say in unison.
"GELRIC!"
"Sorry Commander, making myself scarce now!" says Gelric with the huge smile on his face.
Duncan grunts and looks at Belyssa, "Did you really have to save him a week ago?"
"Hey, I heard that." Belyssa giggles at Duncan's question.
"Save him?" asks Alistair
"The Lady Cousland killed a darkspawn about a week ago, a Genlock to be more precise. That is how we met. Belyssa I apologize for my reaction to your inquiry, you caught me by surprise I was not angry at you. Why did you attack Ser Donall?"
"He could have easily have tapped Alistair in his chest or even his head to get his lesson across, instead he came at him with a full charge and he would have tripped on the rock on the ground there (she pointed so everyone could see it) and his sword would have ended up in Alistair's chest. He is far too important to die because Ser Donall just wanted feel impressed with his own teaching skills."
"Thank you for being worried about me; however, it is not that I want to die I am nobody."
Belyssa stood up and started pacing back and forth she paused looked at Alistair, placed her hands on her little hips. "You are my friend, which makes you important to me!"
"I think Belyssa you may now understand what your father was trying to explain to you last week." says Duncan
The realization of how close she came to losing her new friend puts her own brush with death much clearer from her families' perspective and her eyes grow wide and she says "Oh!"
Duncan address Ser Donall, "Ser Donall I think we should not mention this to either the Teyrn or the Arl."
Ser Donall looks over at Alistair and nods in agreement. "I agree, the Arlessa would use this to cause more trouble for Alistair."
"Why would Alistair get into trouble, I am the one who attacked you." questions Belyssa
"The Arlessa hates me."
Belyssa looks to Ser Donall and he nods in agreement. "The Lady Isolde has made it clear of her dislike of Alistair and when the staff is caught being kind to him they are punished, since she does not like fighting she never comes to the barracks so the soldiers and knights try to look after him. I try to teach him when I have the time. Milady there is no way you could know for sure that would I trip and injure Alistair."
"Actually yes I did, I can't explain it further. Duncan I need your help with my father."
"What do you need my assistance with?"
"I need you to convince my father to allow me to learn how to fight."
"Why do you wish to learn?"
"I am going to need this skill later."
Yup, this girl is crazy, no can know their future and how could she possibly know she will need to fight. Alistair looks at Belyssa and then to Duncan who is actually considering her request.
Duncan looks at Belyssa his mind quickly turning; this could be the way I can found more about her. He didn't understand how she could be possibly know her future but he did know that Ferelden would be facing a Blight in the future according to what King Maric has told him and the Grey Warden do whatever is necessary to defeat the Blight.
"Alright, I will speak with your Father; though if you get your single-minded nature from him I am not sure I can convince him."
"Oh no, I get that from Mother, Papa says so all the time." she answers him very seriously. Duncan chuckles at her response. "Also Duncan, I would tell Papa I asked you to do talk to him; he does not like to be lied too."
Duncan nods, "Well no time like the present, then"
Alistair could not believe he agreed to it, did that rock hit him in the head. Why in the Maker's name would you agree to something like this?
"Alistair, can I stop by later?"
"Sure, if I am not at the Barrack I will be in the stables. See you later, Bel"
"What did you call me?"
"Uh Bel, are you mad?"
"No, I like it. See you later."
Alistair nods and Belyssa heads off in the direction Duncan went.
"Something tells me that life in Highever is never dull with that young girl."
"Probably."
"Let's get some food."
"Ok" They both headed inside the Barracks.