Chapter 10: Redcliffe Revisited

"Redcliffe is just up ahead." Alistair called out.

"We know, thank you for the pointless information." Morrigan spewed out before Ahimee had even a chance to react to it. Pol barked and Morrigan snarled.

"It is so refreshing to hear you argue like bitter lovers." Zevran said and chuckled.

"I suppose you have the experience, Zevran." Morrigan replied and Zevran took himself over the heart and did a theatrical display where it appeared as if he had been hit by something right in the chest.

"You wound me, you cruel woman." Zevran replied and Ahimee snickered but hastened her steps so that they would get to Redcliffe just a little bit faster. Pol jumped forward to catch up with her as Redcliffe came into view. However something was off, the gates to Redcliffe Castle were smashed down. Ahimee started running, Queen Anora was here, Riordan was supposed to be here, had the darkspawn horde already reached Redcliffe? Her companions followed her example, everyone ran over the bridge but Ahimee stopped right in her steps.

"It… It's you! The grey warden!" The roughed up man said and looked at Ahimee as if her very presence were equal to the Divines, Leliana had told Ahimee of the Divine and how revered she was. Ahimee had done the connection of the Divine being some sort of Keeper. However Leliana told her that she was wrong, Ahimee never truly comprehended the shem customs anyway. "Andraste's mercy that you got here when you did. Thought for sure these monsters were going to get me."

"What happened? Where is everyone?" Ahimee asked, mostly concerned with the citizens for the moment, just realized that all the nobility should be in Redcliffe Castle and she remembered it well. There was no way any darkspawn would be able to just waltz in and attack anyone without heavy losses first.

The man turned around towards the fallen wooden gate to the castle before he replied.

"They all fled to the castle this morning before the darkspawn arrived." The reply was somehow reassuring, as if knowing what the problem was made it any better. The man turned back around to face Ahimee. "I thought I could make it to my home and back before they got here. But it took me too long to get down here. What a relief you arrived!" Ahimees eyes narrowed. What lunatic runs out to get things during a siege? Especially when they had already been under siege once and darkspawn was more organized than demon-controlled corpses.

"You should get to safety." Ahimee said and crossed her arms, she wasn't about to let him go anywhere close to his property until this attack was over.
"I'm going to get out of here before anymore of those things arrive. Thank you again!" Ahimee stepped out of the way as the man ran and waved after him.

"'Tis most unlikely that the gate was destroyed by fleeing villagers." Morrigan commented and Ahimee nodded.
"There are probably darkspawn all over the village, there could still be survivors." Alistair said and Pol barked as he said this. Ahimee turned her gaze towards Zevran, he always had something to say. However he just petted the mabari slightly, maybe a gesture of agreement?

"Let's see if there are any villagers left, then." Ahimee said and picked up the pace again, they didn't get far before the first attack came in form of a lit arrow flying past Ahimees ear as she dodged it. She went into stealth as ran forward to survey the enemy ranks, hurlocks, blight wolves and a Hurlock emissary. Ahimee brought out her bow and loaded it with one of her elf-flight arrows and sent it off right through the closest blighted creature, in this case a wolf. Ahimee managed to send another arrow at the next wolf before she was discovered. The green spell hit her in the side and she turned towards the emissary.

"Cursed creatures!" Ahimee called out and loaded her bow, the next spell would've knocked the bow out of her grasp considering the fireball the emissary was preparing unless Zevran had suddenly crept up to stab the emissary right in the back. Just about three or four stabs with his possibly poisoned blades the emissary was down for counting. During this time Ahimee managed to kill the last blight wolf.

"Excellent!" Ahimee exclaimed because of sheer rush of excitement going through her body like the surge after drinking a huge stamina potion. Ahimee turned her bow towards the hill leading up to the mill expecting more darkspawn. However none came around so Ahimee started running down the hill, her companions followed. Ahimee never missed the battle once she was out of it but right now she felt some kind of rage bubbling in her chest.
Ahimee kept running down towards the Chantry and saw another group of darkspawn as she heard Alistair call out her name. Ahimee turned around and looked at Alistair, slightly confused.

"Typical of you to rush ahead like a fool." Morrigan panted as it was she who had caught up to Ahimee. Zevran and Alistair had taken care of the stragglers Ahimee didn't care for even noticing. Alistair positioned himself to look out over the village, the darkspawn further down on the bridge across the waterfall hadn't even cared. Ahimee looked at Alistair, anticipating his report.
"There are plenty to go around us four, it might be a lot of fun to go down there." Zevran said after a glance down the road. Morrigan scoffed and rolled her yellow eyes.
"'Tis no time for such fruitless attempts at heroism, 'twould be a better choice to just go the the castle and deal with the matter at hand." Morrigan continued and Ahimee was still focused on Alistair, somehow she decided that it was his decision. Alistair turned around and seemed defeated.
"There are too many, for once the witch has a point." Alistair said as he turned to walk up the hill again.
Morrigan said something clever and witty as a reply but Ahimee didn't hear. She was positioning herself on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the little they could see. Hurlocks and genlocks wandering around, waiting for something to attack, and a huge Ogre was just tearing a building apart with its giant hands. Just as Ahimee was about to turn around she heard the howl of a wolf, probably a Blight wolf, and Ahimee sighed before walking back up the hill. However she realized it was better to survive here and save their energy to the castle.

"Let's hurry there, it will probably be a lot of darkspawn there too." Ahimee said as some kind of encouraging information. Alistair just nodded still being silent. Zevran touched her arm gently and Ahimee turned to him with a challenging smile as she picked up the pace.
"The battle is not lost yet, Alistair." Zevran said and Ahimee just knew he had that confident smirk only he could manage. The smirk that made her bones turn to jelly but she didn't turn her head.

"I guess I can't just go around and give up, I am going to be the king after all. You haven't given me any comments on that subject yet." Alistair said, probably changing the subject to not seem so gloomy. "I suppose you don't care?"
"No, no, I think it is quite marvelous. A most unusual way to pick a king, however." Zevran replied and even though Ahimee didn't say anything she had to agree.
"Unusual? I guess it was a bit... unorthodox, even by our standards. Why? How does a king get picked in Antiva?" Alistair asked, Ahimee had heard several of Alistairs curious conversations with Zevran.
"Oh, he or she is elected, of course. Provided they make it to the election without being first assassinated." Zevran replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Ahimee had read about this and asked Zevran about it but it bore no fruit since Ahimee barely understood Fereldan politics.
"Yes, from what you said that seems to happen a lot there. Makes me wonder why anyone would even want to be king." Ahimee could almost feel Alistairs intense glaring and she smiled followed by silent snickering.
"It is considered a very brave and impressive thing to attempt to become king of Antiva. Sometimes nobody steps forward at all, sadly." Zevran sighed slightly.
"And what happens then?" Alistair asked, it was kind of cute how curious her friend was of Antiva, maybe there was some underlying reason Ahimee hadn't picked up on.
"Why, we start assassinating those who we think should run until someone does. Never let it be said that the Crows are not patriots." Zevrans words was followed by silence and Ahimee glanced back to see that Alistair had gone slightly pale.

"Well, well, 'tis a special day when Alistair goes speechless." Morrigan commented and Pol jumped a little as if to show that he agreed. "Do not think your little act will win you any points with me, mongrel." She continued and the mabari whimpered as the castle came into view.

And with it a bunch of tainted trouble.