A/N: Sorry guys this chapter was really hard for me to write, I knew it had to be included but I just didn't want to do it, so sorry if it sucks :p and also, debbiepuff, I thought really hard about putting a drunk Elissa/Owen scene in, but it didn't seem to fit anywhere! And I will also try to write longer chapters... eventually :p
It was now nightfall, and while they were waiting for the monsters to emerge from the castle, Zevran couldn't help but watch with great interest as the girl they called 'Alaina' twirled her great sword around. He was positive that Alaina wasn't her real name just as he was one hundred percent that she was no common soldier. He knew her claims that the mabari wasn't hers were false, and the way she carried herself was far different from any soldier he has ever seen in his life. She wasn't broken, or used to authority, even though she liked to pretend. She was a pretty formidable liar, but he was far better at it than she.
"What?" the girl asked
"Nothing, my darling, just admiring your swordplay. Tell me, how does one such as yourself hold a sword that outweighs you?" It was true mostly, the girl looked to be only about 50 kilograms soaking wet.
"How about you worry about yourself and not about how I swing a sword."
"Oh? And how do you… swing a sword?" the elf asked coyly, a smirk playing across his lips
"Pig." she looked at him in pure disgust, and walked closer to the barricade. Ser Perth placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked up to see the monsters, with their torches, marching out of the castle and through the castle gates, which put them seconds away from rushing down the hill. "Son of a bitch…" she muttered while trying to light the oil on the ground with some flint.
Ser Perth abruptly grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back as a fireball came sailing by, hitting the oil and lighting the whole hill aflame. Elissa quickly jumped to her feet and looked back at the mage, half surprised and half furious, when they came. Now not only were they foul smelling, armor wearing, sword wielding skeletons, they were also on fire. They also weren't near as easy to kill as they were the first night. These ones knew how to maneuver, how to block, and where to stab. Elissa quickly disposed of the first two that rushed her, and then fell back as an arrow hit her in the shoulder, and another in her leg, pinning her to the floor. A skeleton rushed her, and she took his head off before he had a chance to swing. A surge of light went through her whole body, making her feel on top of the world, and she could suddenly move her leg. The girl had never had healing magic used on her before, or any magic for that matter, and it didn't feel like her insides were being roasted, or her brain electrocuted. It actually felt amazing, and she roared, leaping at every monster that came through the fire in hope that she would be injured enough to feel that magic again.
No dice, though, as the waves seemed to stop coming and another soldier came running up the hill below them, shouting that the monsters were invading the village, and the Warden and her party ran down below. Elissa staggered back, sitting with her back against a log.
"You okay?" Ser Perth asked
"I'm exhausted. That was the most intense thing I've ever had to do in my life."
"You were pretty impressive out there." Dwyn, the dwarf, commented.
Elissa smiled wearily "Bitch almost burned my face off."
"She also kept you, and most of us, alive." Ser Perth crossed his arms
"She only healed me once!" Elissa said crossly
"Well that was one more than I got!" that suspicious elf, Berwick, piped up.
"Ser Perth, should we be down there?" Elissa motioned with her head down the hill, where she could hear more fighting.
"No, there are other knights down there. We have to stay up here in case… Maker!" Ser Perth sighed as more skeletons came from the hill.
Elissa quickly got to her feet and thought to herself this is going to be a loooong night.
A couple hours after dawn broke, Bann Teagan gave his speech and let the Revered Mother talk as the pretty blonde Warden stood on the steps of the Chantry and took her praise gracefully. Elissa sat as far back as she could and scowled at the mage.
"Rough night?" The elf with the rich Antivan accent asked, sliding in beside her.
"You could say that, yes." Elissa crossed her arms and made too much of an effort not to look at him
"I see you still have your eyebrows. That's a good thing, no?"
"I'm just lucky to still have my face." she huffed, then turned to him "Don't you have something to do? Carry the Wardens personal belongings? Fetch them water?"
"Ah you're a funny one. I'll leave you to your stewing now." The elf left as deftly as he came, and Elissa watched as the crowd scattered and Bann Teagan took the mage and her templar companion aside.
"Get up, Princess, the Bann has requested our audience at the windmill." Ser Perth nudged her knee with his foot
"But I haven't slept all night!" she protested
"Princess, while you were pouting in the Chantry for the last four days, this was what my men were doing all night. How much sleep do you think we got the last four nights? Now stand up." He grabbed her by the forearm and pulled her up
"I hate you so much" she muttered, but didn't protest further. It was when they were walking towards Teagan and the Wardens when Isolde came running from the palace gates.
"Maker!" Teagan said, and pointed in her direction as the Wardens and their companions turned around in shock. Isolde looked at Elissa before turning her full attention to the Bann. Something about danger in the castle, he needed to come right now. The Warden started asking questions, and Isolde was getting aggravated. Elissa never cared much for Isolde, but she cared for the Warden even less and shared in Isolde's aggravation. Ser Perth's hand rested on Elissa's shoulder, keeping her from spitting out any ill meant remarks the Warden's way. After the questioning stopped, Teagan was able to get rid of Isolde for a time while she stood near the gates with her guards, and he turned to talk to Ser Perth.
"Look, I have to go in there. I'm sending Solona, Alistair, and two of their companions down into the secret entrance to meet me. Once they get to the courtyard, you, Elissa, a few other soldiers and the rest of their team need to wait outside the castle entrance until the Warden's let you in. Then you will all enter into the castle together and we can try and put an end to this."
"What of Eamon? And Connor? Any news? Does Eamon still live?" Ser Perth asked
"No, but I will find out, one way or another." His eyes met Elissa's and the fear she saw in them chilled her to the bone
"May the Maker watch over you" Ser Perth sighed
"May He watch over us all…" Teagan replied, and headed as fast as he could toward Isolde and the castle.
