Chapter 6: Split Decision
My indecision ends when I hear her screams. I can now hear a scuffle going on inside, including the hissing sound of spells hitting armor. I leap into action, sprinting across the courtyard toward the door. "Cat, hang back on this one. I'll try to make it a good show," I say quietly.
The templars appear again in the doorway, dragging a dark-haired young woman outside onto the landing. One of them backhands her with his gauntleted hand. Her screams cut off, becoming more of a whimper. When they turn to march her down to the street, they finally notice me standing at the bottom of the stairs. I had hidden my short daggers between the folds of my skirt, and I remind myself to keep my hands at my sides so they don't show.
"What are you doing to her?" I ask, eyes wide, trying to make my voice sound as feminine and non-threatening as I can manage.
"Templar business, woman; out of our way," he commands, and takes a step down the stairs.
I don't move. "You brutes, can't you see she's hurt? Please, I know something about healing herbs. Let me tend to her." I take a step closer and lean in around him, as if to inspect Bethany's injuries.
I use the opening to sink my blade into the space between his breastplate and helmet. I feel the dagger cut deep into the flesh of his neck and know I reached what I had been hoping for. Blood sprays outward in an arc as I forcefully pull it back out again. The templar clutches the side of his neck, but my strike had been true. He will bleed out, there's no stopping it now. He collapses, falling over the side of the raised landing and onto the street below.
The other templar stares incredulously for a split second, before turning back to me. "Bitch, that's the last mistake you'll ever make," he threatens, and dumps Bethany backwards on the landing. Her knees buckle, and she falls in a heap.
The templar charges toward me, drawing his sword. I take a few steps back, my advantage now gone. This fight will be a lot tougher, especially given he has me on height by a good foot or more. I place my feet slightly apart, this part of the dance being familiar to me. I observe his movements. His jabs are jerky and aggressive. Not much in the way of style or speed, but with the greater reach of his weapon, it's effective enough that I can't get close. It's all I can do to dodge out of the way of his attacks.
I can tell he's driving me backward, and I know there is no exit that way, only a wall and more stairs leading to locked doors. I'll have to try a feint, catch him off guard. I lunge right, then turn left in mid-step. He's slow to react, but my bulky skirts and the difference in our size work against me - he kicks out and manages to connect with my shin.
I trip and fall forward, catching myself on my hands and knees. My daggers clatter across the stone street, out of reach, useless. Sharp stabbing sensations jolt up both legs and arms. Ow, I'm going to feel that tomorrow. I attempt to get to my feet, but I'm not quite quick enough. He catches hold of me by hair and pulls me the rest of the way upright.
"You're a dead woman," he growls, pulling his sword backward behind him. I feel the magic rising up inside me. Without a focus, this won't be easy. I can probably manage a barrier, but I've never tried casting around a templar before at all, let alone without my staff. I don't have a lot of confidence that this will work.
I raise my hand a little to cast the barrier spell, when the templar freezes. Not stops, but truly freezes solid. Frost creeps up his armor.
Out of the corner of my eye I see Bethany over by the entryway, leaning against the door frame, a staff in her hand. I can tell she'll have one hell of a bruise tomorrow, but she's standing at least. I don't waste any more time, and wriggle out of the templar's grasp. I lose a few strands of hair in the process, but at least I'm free. I grab the nearest dagger from the ground and slice his throat as I had the other templar's. It gives way with a sickening shattering motion, his flesh falling outward in small fragmented pieces. The spell ends, and he falls, landing in front of me with a solid thud.
Maker, that was a close one. I give him a good shake with my foot to make sure he's finished. Not even a twitch. I make my way back toward the stairs, retrieving the second dagger on the way. Bethany descends the stone steps, meeting me in the middle of the street.
"Are you alright?" Bethany asks. Having a better chance to look at her now, I can see the similarities between her and Hawke, but whereas Hawke's features are sharp, more striking, Bethany's are softer and kinder.
"I think that's supposed to be my line. Are all of your parties this exciting?" I joke. "But yeah, I'm good. Thanks for the assist back there, by the way."
She looks surprised. "No, I should be the one thanking you. I'm the one they were looking for. I'd be halfway to the Gallows by now if you hadn't stepped in. I'm Bethany."
"Norah," I say. "I'm not sure I did you any favors tonight, Bethany. Two templars left to find you and disappeared? They will send more."
"True. Maybe it would have been easier just to let them take me," she says, crestfallen.
"It didn't look like you wanted to go from where I was standing. Or am I wrong?" I ask.
"No, I-," she starts, but I never get a chance to hear the rest of what she is saying.
Searing pain rips through my rib cage on my left side. I look down, shocked to see an arrow sticking out of the wall. It's just a graze, but I'm already bleeding, and it's starting to soak through my blouse.
I spin around, and see nearly a dozen men pouring into the square. These men aren't templars. My guess is a local gang of bandits, seizing an opportunity. They are all dressed in similar, if low quality leather armor.
"Of all the nights," I mutter, taking up my stance again and preparing to attack. I sense movement behind me, and realize Bethany is standing next to me, back to back. Interesting.
Things feel a bit like a blur after that, dodging, slicing and shattering. It's a novel experience for me to have my targets frozen or weakened by magic, but I have to admit it's damned effective. I hope Cat is enjoying this. Bethany and I rotate around each other, and I take out more of the men stunned by her spells, giving her an opportunity to get to the other side. It feels like we're making progress, but we don't appear to be reducing their numbers enough. How many men do they have, anyway?
I sweep my leg out, knocking the man in front of me prone, and stab him forcefully in the chest with both daggers. I move on to the next, trying to ignore the burning in my side. I'm worried that Bethany might be reaching her limit. I know from personal experience that casting multiple spells like that takes a lot out of you. I kick another man away from me, his arm dangling uselessly at his side, when a burst of magic hits him from the right. Wait, Bethany is behind me, that couldn't have been her spell. Where the blazes had that come from? There are just too many of them, I can't see anything.
I experience a tingle of magic, and I suddenly feel like I have the energy to fight forever. I slash and parry with renewed vigor and speed until there is finally no one left standing in front of me. I spot a lone archer at the top of the staircase to my right. He has an arrow drawn and aimed, but not at me. I throw one of my daggers, and I inwardly cheer as it hits him blade-first in the face. His arrow looses, going harmlessly wide, just as a bolt of energy hits him square in the chest. His body tumbles limply down the steps.
All I can hear for a second is the sound of my own labored breathing echoing off the walls of the courtyard. It's over. The energy from that tingling spell is gone, and I find myself exhausted. The pain from the arrow wound in my side returns as well, feeling like it's on fire. I have got to learn that spell, whatever it was.
I can no longer feel Bethany near me, but spot her quickly, sitting on the steps, clearly as spent as I am. In the archway leading out of the square stands Anders, staff still glowing from the last spell. He's staring at me with an unreadable expression. Neither of us say anything for a moment. I break eye contact and look down. My hands are scraped and abraded from the fight; I'm covered in blood, some of it my own. I can only imagine what he must be thinking about me right now.
"Are you alright?" he asks, and I'm not sure if he's talking to me or Bethany.
She answers first. "I will be, but this mess will bring trouble. We shouldn't stay here."
Anders takes in the scene, including the two dead templars. "Maker's Breath, Bethany, they came for you?"
"They tried," she says. "I don't know how they even knew where to look. I thought it was over for me, but then Norah showed up. She fought them off - you should have seen her, Anders. I was able to get back up and help her against these other guys. You arrived toward the end of it, thank the Maker. I don't know how much longer we could have held up."
"Bethany, remind me not to attend your next party," I say weakly, exhaustion sapping my usual energy.
"You two know each other?" he asks, looking between the two of us.
"Not really. Just chanced by at the right time," I say, not able look him in the eye. "But, now that you're safe, I should probably be going."
I need to get home, wash the blood off and nurse my wounds. I know a healing spell that should help take the edge off, even if I am out of practice at casting. Not to mention Cat is waiting; she'll no doubt want to talk about what she has seen.
"Wait!" both Anders and Bethany say in unison.
I ignore what was probably going to be more questions. "Bethany's right, you know. This will attract attention. We shouldn't be seen here in the street. So, another time, then." With this final farewell, I start walking back the way I came. My vision starts to blur, and I start to lose my balance. I just have to make it home to my staff.
I barely reach the edge of the courtyard before the world goes dark.