Chapter 25 – Mythal Save the Queen

Ayu gathered her companions and told them of the mission. The group travelled through the city to Arl Howe's Denerim estate with ease. They stayed away from the main roads where they could, quickly moving along the side streets. Ayu saw Zevran tense only once along the way. They had been moving through a back alley when Zevran had briefly paused and stiffened. His keen eyes scanned the surrounding buildings carefully.

"What is it Zev?" Ayu leant over from where she walked beside him.

"The Crows . . . They are here. Not right here, I see no sign of them now, but they are in the city surely. I have seen their markers again." Zevran's voice was low, his hands balling into fists.

Alistair saw them pause and stopped himself. "What's this?" he asked. "What's going on?"

Ayu took a breath looking at Zevran for a moment before she turned to the warrior. "Zev's been seeing the Crow markers throughout the city. They are here."

Alistair visibly ruminated on this information before he spoke. He opened his mouth, pausing briefly. "Well there's only one solution isn't there?" He said carefully. "You are just going to have to stick with Zevran while we are in the city. He will keep you safe."

Ayu tried not to stare at Alistair in surprise. "I will," she softly replied and nodded her head.

Zevran, on the other hand, did. "Me?" he asked. "Are you sure I won't kill the poor, sweet lady?" He added sarcastically.

Alistair let out a sigh. "Yes, you. You know what to look for . . and . . and you've been good to her. I – I don't see that changing anytime soon. Plus – she'd kick your ass." He gave a slight smile to the assassin.

Zevran broke out into a smile. "She would indeed."

They met Erlina near the front of the estate. A collection of peasants were gathered at the main door, causing an adequate – though unplanned – distraction. Erlina waved Ayu and her companions over as they approached. They moved quickly, keeping close to the wall to meet up with her. "I have four uniforms," she said quietly. "I could not get any more. All of you cannot go to save my queen."

"That's fine Erlina," Ayu looked around the courtyard of the estate. "Four will be more than sufficient." She selected a small group to follow her into the estate. Alistair, Zevran and Morrigan would accompany her. She told the others to stay hidden near the entrance and watch the movement of the guards.

"The servant's entrance is on the other side of the house. We must be careful: Arl Howe is inside," Erlina whispered.

Alistair let out a heavy sigh. "Howe is here? Just great . . ."

Ayu shushed him with a look but felt the same way.

"Yes," Erlina replied, "and where he goes, a great number of guards go with him."

Ayu looked over her shoulder to glance at the angry people at Howe's door. "At least we should be able to get in fairly easily. It seems Howe has a few more unexpected guests."

"Yes, the workmen are very angry. They are taking up most of the guards' attention." She pointed around the side of the estate. "The entrance is that way, I shall be right behind you."

Ayu nodded and jerked her chin to signal the others to follow her. The team quickly darted across the lawn to reach the cool stone of the building. Ayu placed her back to it, her bow strung in her hands and walked along the side of the house. The companions made their way along, slipping into a narrow path between large stone buildings. The Warden poked her head around a corner and listened quietly. There was the sound of two men talking up ahead. Ayu spied the source. Two guards in heavy chain-mail were standing with their backs to the party, discussing some matter or another. Ayu looked back at Zevran, nodding at him while she silently slipped her own dagger from her boot. He gripped his own dagger tighter and moved up beside the elf. Ayu slung her bow around her body and started to creep forward, Zevran right at her heels. Alistair and Morrigan, being of the less sneaky persuasion, knew to stay put until the elves had dispatched the enemy.

The elven pair, with quiet footsteps hidden by the din of the guard's conversation, got close behind the men. Taking one man apiece, the elves nodded at one another. In the next second, sharp steel met tender flesh of the guards' exposed throats. The men began to gurgle and sputter as warm, red blood flowed down their shining steel armour. The Warden and Zevran lowered the collapsing bodies to the ground, laying them face down in the soft grass.

Ayu motioned Alistair and Morrigan forward and the pair quickly joined the elves. The party moved quickly around the next corner to the back of the main house. Erlina caught up to them at the corner as the group spied two more guards by the entrance.

"What's your plan for them Ayu?" Alistar asked softly.

"Hmm let me think . . we need to dispatch them quietly or the whole house will be alerted."

"I will distract the guards," Erlina piped up, walking calmly around the party, "but you must move quickly." She glanced at the guards before looking back at the Warden. "These two know the faces of all the guards. Put on your disguises and I will draw them away. The others inside will only know you as other Howe guards. Quickly now."

Ayu and her team donned the disguises as fast as they could, helping each other as needed.

Erlina kept her eye on the guards, but they did not leave their post.

"There, done now?" Erlina asked. "Wait in the bushes and I will draw them aside." Erlina trotted toward the entrance to the estate as the party hid in a few bushes nearby.

Ayu watched as Erlina ran to the men. "Come quickly! Come quickly!" she heard the other woman cry. "I saw something by the well! I think it was a darkspawn!"

"Darkspawn?" one of them asked.

"Yes! Yes! They will drag us underground to be eaten!"

"Should we call for help?" The same man asked his guard partner.

"Did you fall off a cart of stupid? The others will think we're scared little girls. Panicking over the cries of a scared knife-eared wench."

"They will eat us all alive! Quickly! Get help!" Erlina cried loudly.

The first guard looked at his comrade. "If there is something and we don't look, we'll look worse than scared."

The second guard rolled his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "Andraste's holy knickers . . . . Fine. Fine, we'll look, but there's nothing there."

"Thank you! Oh! It was this way," Erlina began to jog toward the courtyard nearby. "Come quickly!"

The second guard looked at the first with a perturbed look on his long face, but the pair followed her nonetheless.

"Here's our chance," Ayu moved from the bush, her companions following closely behind. They ran hurriedly to the large wooden door. The companions looked about as Ayu pushed the door open. It swung mercifully quiet and the group darted inside before closing the door again.

It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the dimness from the bright sunshine outside. The room they entered was small and square with a few storage barrels dotting the edges of the floor. The other side of the room was lined with a pile of firewood. The only other doorway from this room was straight across from the entrance and a soft glow lit the archway from a fireplace beyond. The Warden and her companions moved into the next room when they heard the door open and close behind them. The party whirled around.

"Ah! It took me forever to be rid of those two!" Erlina griped as she approached the party. "We must be careful now. The servants will not look too closely at anyone in uniform; they all look alike to a cook, no? But you must not draw attention to yourself. Most of the guards are new, so no one will see you as a stranger. Though you should still keep your distance and try to blend in."

Ayu adjusted her armour around her neck. "Where's Anora?"

"She is in a guest room off the main hall."

Ayu fidgeted in her armour again.

"Are you alright Ayu?" Alistair looked at her with concern. "It's your mark again isn't it?"

"Yes," Ayu fiddled with her armour again, "but it is only an irritant right now. Once we get moving it'll subside . . . and the faster I'm out of it the better." Ayu offered her friend a smirk of mirth she didn't really feel.

"Andraste guide us," Erlina said softly, briefly holding her hands in prayer.

With a look of disdain, Ayu shoved her helmet onto her head, tucking in any loose hairs. "Let's get this done."

She strode off into the next room, the others at her heels. It was the kitchens and a few of the servants looked up but quickly shied away when they noticed they were merely guards. One servant by the large stone fireplace went back to stirring her cauldron but kept nervously tossing glances in their direction. Ayu kept a steady pace through the kitchen and walked into the adjoining chamber. This room was a large rectangular hall with long tables all along it. A few guards were sitting at the tables, most of them eating or drinking. A few men walked in from the other side of the hall and found a place to sit. Ayu's eyes kept scanning the room, however, she kept her chin lowered to avoid any potential eye contact.

The team, with Erlina in tow, walked along the hall and out into the main corridor. It was darker than the other rooms, only a few lit torches dotting the walls. A few more guards in plate armour walked down the stone hallway, but they were too self-absorbed to notice the party. Ayu moved to the wall and slowed her pace to allow them to pass, tossing an eye over her shoulder at them. The hallway had several wooden doors along its length and a few of them were left ajar or fully open. As she walked passed, Ayu peered into one of the rooms. A couple of guards were sparring inside. Some of the other rooms were empty as they turned a corner in the hallway. At the end of the hall was a dead-end, forcing the party to exit through a heavy wooden door on the left. This led them into another stone lined hallway, however, most of the doors on either side were closed. Ayu gingerly tested the closest door to them, but it was locked.

Erlina poked her head around the group. "We're nearly there," she whispered loudly. "The main hall is at the end of this hallway and my lady is being held in a room off of it.

"Alright," Ayu walked briskly forward, keeping her head low, but her eyes alert.

No more guards passed their way while they headed to the main hall. Ayu pushed the door open and slipped inside. A pair of guards were standing at the far side talking, their backs to the group. Erlina sidled up beside Ayu.

"This way," she beckoned.

Ayu surveyed the chamber as they made their way through it, following Erlina. The crimson rug was plush beneath her feet as they walked along. A couple long low stairs led up to a sort of dias with a stone archway leading nowhere. The guards were standing on the steps of the far side and still had not bothered to pay attention to them. They left through an open archway on the right and Erlina quickened her pace. As they neared a door around the corner, the party could hear a voice from the other side.

Erlina pressed her body against the door. "The Grey Warden is here my lady."

"Thank the Maker!" The party heard a woman's voice from behind the door. "I would greet you properly, but we – we've had a bit of a setback."

Ayu pinched the bridge of her nose letting out a soft sigh before speaking to the door. "A setback? What kind of setback?"

"My 'host' was not content at leaving me under heavy guard. The door has been sealed by magic."

"Any ideas of how we get around this?"

"The mage that cast the spell. You must find him. He's most likely at Howe's side."

Ayu sighed heavily and looked at Morrigan. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Warden! My prayers go with you."

"Keep your prayers. I have my own faith." She started into Morrigan's eyes, a silent conversation moving between the pair.

"Teryn Howe will probably be in his rooms. They're at the end of the hall, on the left." Erlina explained.

Morrigan focused on the door for a moment, her face scrunching in concentration. She turned back to Ayu and slowly shook her head. "Tis a magic that I cannot break. We have to find the mage who cast it."

Ayu sighed heavily. "Of course we do."

"Maybe . . . your magic?" The mage offered, gesturing to the sealed door.

Ayu looked at the door and reached out to lay a hand on the thick wood, drawing Mythal's power to the surface. She ripped her hand back, doubling over and grunting in pain. "No, no" she panted, "something is wrong. Mythal cannot." Ayu took a couple of steadying breaths. "It burns of blood magic. We need to destroy the source of the seal."

"With all your unlimited power, even you cannot break a simple seal?" Morrigan scoffed.

Ayu gave the mage a perturbed look. "My power is not infinite, Morrigan. There is a strong demonic force at work here. Can you not feel it?"

Morrigan smirked. "I was merely testing you."

Ayu wrinkled her nose in amusement at the woman and turned on her heel. The stopped at the junction in the hallway that led them down to the queen's chamber. Ayu looked both ways before slipping down the hall. "Stay here Erlina. I don't want you getting hurt if this goes sideways."

Erlina gave a shallow bow and remained by the sealed door. "Of course Warden. May the Maker guide you."

Ayu walked down the short hall. Again this one ended in a dead end with a door leading both left and right. Ayu opened the door to the left, pausing briefly to listen as she slowly opened the door. There was no one here so the party quickly shuffled in. Alistair closed the door behind the group. As he turned back to rejoin the party, he saw tendrils of smoke rising from the collar of Ayu's armour.

"Ayu – uh, Ayu," he said in a panic, quickening his pace toward her.

The elf sniffed the air, a curious look on her face. "Hey, do you smell something?"

Alistair began to beat on the Warden's back. "You're on fire!"

Ayu jumped away from them, yanking on the straps to her chest-piece. The smoke billowed behind her neck, creating a large plume behind and above her. Her companions darted toward her in attempts to help, but Ayu spun and drove them away. "No, stay back. I may not get this off in time . . . "

As the Warden's last words echoed in the small cross room, a lick of flame peeked out from her collar. With one final tug, Ayu pulled the armour over her head tossing it away from her into the corner. Her mark burned brightly on her back. Bits of charred undercoat fell from her skin, the ash lazily dancing down around her boots.

The far door opened suddenly as a pair of guards came in. They stopped in mid conversation as they were surprised to find the party standing there, Ayu's burning armour in the corner.

"What is all this?" One of them squawked, pulling his sword out of his scabbard.

"Ah – she got away on us. This woman is destined to be presented to Arl Howe himself. Grab her!" Zevran thought quickly on his feet, throwing himself at the Warden.

Alistair and Morrigan looked at each other briefly, before leaping at the elf, trying to grapple her. Ayu was caught off guard as Zevran's body smashed into her. She let out a cry as he pinned her to the ground. Ayu began to kick and squirm in a fake attempt to get away. The guards at the door brandished their swords in Ayu's face, pressed into the stone. Alistair and Morrigan each grabbed a leg, pretending to hold her down.

"Behave you!" One of the guards yelled at her. The other tossed Zevran a length of thick rope that he had retrieved from the next room. "Here tie the wench up. Arl Howe is in the dungeons. Don't let her get the better of you again, the Arl will not be pleased."

Zevran grabbed the rope tossed at him and he deftly tied Ayu up around the torso. He tied the elf's arms to her body and the others released her legs. They hauled her up to her feet and before Ayu could utter a single word, one of the guards gagged her with a strip of dirty cloth. She uttered a few curse words at the pair and Zevran started to pull her along.

"Come on you. We don't want to keep the Arl waiting." He hid his accent as best he could, yanking Ayu along by the arm. Alistair and Morrigan followed along behind, passed the guards and out the far door. Zevran pushed Ayu around until they were out of sight of the guards then he loosened her bindings and took off her gag.

"I am sorry my dear Warden. I had to think of something and quickly, lest our ruse be discovered. I trust we did not hurt you?"

"I'm just fine Zev. That was an excellent idea. It may have bought us some extra time with the lovely Arl." Ayu added with a hint of disdain in her voice. "Let's keep going. We have to be almost there now."

The party moved along another corridor at the end of which was a set of stairs leading down and a heavy metal door. Once they descended the stairs, Zevran unsheathed his dagger and sliced Ayu free. "No point in maintaining the disguise now," he said with a twinkle in his eye, "as much as I adore seeing you tied up and helpless."

Ayu rolled her eyes and grinned. "Oh, Zev you're terrible."

"Oh? I thought I was quite good. No? Oh well." He shot her an amused glance out of the corner of his eye as the rope fell away from her body.

Morrigan crossed her arms, huffing and Alistair dropped his head, shaking it back and forth slowly.

Ayu slowly pushed the door open, peering around it as she did so. The coast was clear and she only could pick up the sound of distant men. She opened the door fully and motioned her team to enter the hallway. The stone walls were damp and weeping, long rivulets of water running between the stones in some spots. The hall was not very well lit, only a few torches hung on the walls and most of them were sputtering from the damp. Ayu and her companions moved along the rough stone floor, following some kind of wooden slats down the middle. The hall curved gently to one side and the party turned with it. Wooden barrels now dotted the perimeter.

The voices of the men had grown louder now and the party could see them standing in a room ahead of them. Howe's men had not seen nor heard the party yet. There were three of them it looked like, standing around and talking. Ayu and Morrigan flanked them from one side, while Alistair and Zevran went to the other side. Alistair ran into a barrel with his shield by accident, alerting the guards to their presence. Morrigan summoned a great ball of fire and hurled it at the ground by the guards' feet. One of them had a bow and leapt back, firing on the women. Alistair charged forward holding his sword high and his broad shield in front of him. Zevran was right behind him, his daggers at the ready. The other two guards were swordsmen, one of them running at the Warden and Morrigan, the other at the pair of men.

Ayu drew her bow tight and let it loose at the guard charging them. It glanced off his armour with a ping, leaving a small scratch in its wake. The guard brought his two-handed sword up over his head as he closed with the women. He let out a fearsome battle cry, bringing the sword down with all his formidable might. Ayu leapt back, knocking Morrigan away. As the pair fell to the stone, the guard's sword hit the floor with a spark. He cried in anger, wrenching his sword free and coming at them again. Morrigan unleashed another fireball directed at the man's eye-slit in his helmet. The fire burned the metal and smoke choked his eyes and lungs. He dropped his sword, bringing his hands to his face. While he was growling in pain and frustration, Ayu quickly rose to her feet and sunk her arrow into the soft flesh of his neck. She pulled it out with force, notching it in her bow and sending it at the archer. It hit him in the chest but didn't look to penetrate his chain armour very deep.

Alistair ran full force with his shield into the guard racing at him. It staggered the man for a moment, giving the male Warden a chance to bring his sword down. He cut into the guard's shoulder, drawing blood. The guard dropped his own shield to the floor with a clatter. An arrow whistled by Alistair's head as he bent to one side to dodge it. Zevran tapped on Alistair's back, signalling the warrior. Alistair planted his feet and bent forward. In one smooth motion, Zevran was placing a foot on the warrior's back and launching himself forward into the guard. The elf slashed with both daggers at the guard, making him take a few steps back, swinging his sword wildly. Alistair saw an arrow fly toward the archer near the exit archway and he charged toward him. The warrior bashed into the archer driving him back against the wall. His shield hit the fletching on Ayu's arrow and it splintered under the impact. The force drove the point deeper into the man's flesh and the front of his armour started to stain with blood. Alistair drove his sword up into the man's ribcage, holding him there until the warrior saw the light leave the guard's eyes.

Meanwhile, Zevran was dancing around the swordsman, sticking his dagger tips into any soft part he could find. Morrigan regained her feet and ran up behind the guard, while Zevran distracted him at the front. She ripped off his helmet, placing both her palms on the guard's temples. A purple glow surrounded her hands and burned from the man's eyes. He screamed in terror, dropping his sword to the ground. The skin on his face began to pull back and turn sallow. His eyes rolled back into his head as he screamed, his body wasting away until he fell to his knees – dead. Zevran hopped back, watching the man die before him. Alistair dropped the archer onto the floor unceremoniously and walked over to join the others. Ayu also made her way over to Zevran and Morrigan. They looked from one another for a moment.

"Nightmares can be a terrible thing." Morrigan quipped, smirking.

Ayu's eyes grew large for a moment as she blew out a silent breath. "That's one batch down," Ayu stood with one hand on her hip. "There is no point in trying to be subtle now."

The party moved from the room and into another long winding hallway. At the end was a large room with cells on either side. There was one guard standing near a corner cell, who whirled around from the captive inside once he heard the party approach.

"Who in the blazes are you?" He cried. He began to pull his longsword from its scabbard when the captive inside the cell reached through the bars and began to strangle him. The guard spat and gurgled until he was lifeless against the bars. Ayu gripped her bow tighter as the guard fell to the ground and was dragged closer to the bars. The prisoner rifled through the guard's pockets to find the key to his cell. He let himself out, letting the heavy barred door swing open slowly as he emerged. He held his hands up before him to show that he was unarmed. The man was of a slighter build, but his shoulders held the broadness of a trained swordsman. His hair was as black as the night, cropped into a short mop on his head. His beard was unkempt, sticking up at odd angles.

"Thank you for the distraction, stranger. I've been waiting for days for the opportunity. I am Riordan. Senior Grey Warden of Jader. You –" he paused for a moment, looking Ayu over carefully. "You must be Duncan's last recruit. You match the description he gave."

"How did Howe capture you?" Ayu asked, slinging her bow over her shoulder.

"With an offer of hospitality and a poisoned chalice." Riordan spat angrily. " I was a fool in thinking that Loghain didn't know who I am."

"Where's Howe now?" Ayu looked him dead in the eye. "Do you know?"

"I saw him go into the dungeons," he pointed to the other side of the room where a heavy metal door sat. "He may still be there. I need to leave this place and breathe some fresh air." He bent over and took the guard's sword in his hand. "I will seek you out once I see the healers." Riordan turned and started to walk away. He stopped in the doorway and looked back at Ayu. He gave her a gentle smile and said, "good luck, sister."

Ayu nodded to him. "Be careful. We've dispatched a few but I bet there are more guards milling around."

"I will, thank you." He turned back around again and left the chamber quietly.

Ayu gave Alistair a questioning glance, but the warrior merely shrugged. "I have not personally met the man, but the remains of his armour speak of his telling the truth."

"Fair enough then. I wasn't picking up any deceit either." Ayu grabbed her bow off her shoulder. "Let's go talk to Howe, shall we?"

The party walked out of the room, stepping over the body of the archer and into another room. Various torture devices were scattered around. A rack was occupied by a young man. He was screaming and squirming on the machine once he saw the party enter the room. His wrists and ankles were shackled and he rattled them to gain their attention.

Ayu jogged over to him, the rest of the party in tow. She looked around quickly, but there were no other guards in sight. The elf began to unstrap the man from the rack and he jumped off the table in a panic. He stood there shaking while one hand rubbed the wrist of the other. He was dressed in only his small clothes and hunched over in the chill.

"Was this supposed to be a lesson? Did my father think it funny to make me wait for so long before sending you?"

Ayu blinked at him for a moment. "I doubt I was sent here for you. Arl Eamon sent us."

"Well . . . I thank you for saving me regardless, stranger. I am Oswyn, son of Bann Sighard, of the Dragon's Peak Bannorn. Whom should I be thanking for my rescue?"

Ayu gave a small bow to Oswyn. "I am Ayu, of the Grey Wardens."

"Then I do not doubt why you have come, Warden. Your people have suffered here the most. You have my gratitude and, I assume, the gratitude of all of the Dragon's Peak Bannorn. If my father sent one after me, I can assume that he does not yet know the colour of the snakes he has allied with. If you talk to him, he will give you any reward you ask of him."

"I ask that your father sides against Loghain in the upcoming Landsmeet." Ayu looked Oswyn straight in the eye, her tone serious.

"Then there is a Landsmeet after all? Howe said the Arl of Redcliffe was dead and the Landsmeet called off. I swear, if there is any forum to speak out against Loghain, my father will be there. Now please, I must try to get to him. I - I wish to be rid of this place."

"There are fallen guards in the next room," Ayu pointed him in the right direction. "Take arms and armour off one of them and use it to sneak out of the estate. Be well."

"Thank you, Warden. I cannot thank you and yours enough." Oswyn turned and trotted off into the next room.

Ayu watched him until he disappeared through the doorway. She jerked her chin to one side and began to walk to the other side of the room. The party walked through an open archway and into another chamber lined with iron-barred cells. The cells hung empty, giving the dungeon an eerie air. Ayu shuddered and pressed onward, the party on her heels.

They walked down a short hallway and stopped on the other side of an iron-banded door. Ayu pressed a finger to her lips, looking at her friends. She listened at the door for a moment and stepped back, unslinging her bow. She had an arrow notched before the rest of the party could react. They saw the determined look on her face and drew their own weapons. Ayu flung the door open as best as she could and marched into the room beyond, her bow held up and ready.

"Well, well. The Grey Warden." Arl Howe turned to face the door, crossing arms. A smug smirk crawled across his lips. "I have to say I'm surprised Eamon would condone you invading my castle and murdering my men. Is he losing faith in the persuasive powers of his Landsmeet?"

Ayu held her bow steady. "We're here for Anora."

Arl Howe laughed, tossing his head back for a moment. "The traitorous bitch has you under her thumb? Anora does love games, but I'm surprised she'd play with the likes of you. You should have left when you had the chance, Warden. Slunk off to the Anderfels to hide with the rest of your kind." The mage at Howe's elbow snickered. "This Landsmeet is a farce. Loghain will triumph and you will die." Howe spat, raising his hands in fists.

"We'll see about that." Ayu snarled. The rim of her eyes glowed for an instant before she let her arrow fly. The arrowhead caught Howe in the shoulder as he was reaching for his sword. He cried out in pain and the mage beside him began charging up an ice blast.

At Arl Howe's cry, three more men entered through an archway on the far side. These men had their weapon's drawn and were charging toward the party. Ayu notched an arrow and shot it at the mage. He managed to dodge the arrow, but his movement disrupted his attack. Alistair charged at the mage, knocking him to the ground. He plunged his sword into the fallen man. A thick blood stain began to colour the abdomen of his robe. He coughed up blood, attempting to charge an icy ball, but he collapsed to the stone. The magic wafted away from his palm, useless.

Morrigan transformed into a huge spider, shooting webbing at the three other men. She captured two in her sticky web, pouncing on the third and biting him savagely. Arl Howe raised his sword to attack Alistair, but the warrior brought his shield up in time, blocking the attack. Zevran ran up behind Howe, slashing at his jerkin with his daggers. Ayu shot an arrow into one of the trapped men before he could cut himself free. The arrow sunk deep into the man's neck, just under his helm. A geyser of blood spurted out around the shaft. Morrigan spun on her eight legs, her hard mandibles gnashing together. Using one of her legs, she knocked the last man's helmet from his head. He was still trapped in her webbing but was struggling to free himself when she pounced on him. Her mouthparts sunk deep into his now exposed face and head. Ayu trained her bow on Arl Howe as he was locked in combat with Alistair and Zevran. His sword was swinging wildly, batting at the boys like flies. Ayu launched an arrow, hitting Howe in the thigh. He cried in pain and dropped to one knee. That was all the opening that Alistair needed to drive his longsword down into Howe's collarbone. He hit an artery, blood launching itself out of the wound as Alistair pulled his sword out.

Howe fell to the floor, gurgling and gasping. He tried to cover his neck with one hand, but to no avail. His gaze fell on Ayu and he glared at her. "Maker spit on you . . I deserved . . More . . " he gasped with his final breath. His body shuddered a moment before he lay still - dead.

Morrigan transformed back to herself and came to stand beside Ayu, resting the butt of her staff on the ground. She wiped the back of her hand across her chin, removing the residual blood of her victims that was there. Ayu looked at her in wonder.

"You have never done that before. Could you always change shape?"

Morrigan adjusted her robes, straightening the front of her skirt. "Yes. Mother taught me when I was very young, but I did not feel that it was needed until now."

"Very impressive," Zevran chimed in. "I for one am impressed."

"It doesn't take much to impress you," Morrigan quipped.

Zevran shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "True."

Ayu walked over to Alistair as he stood up from kneeling beside Howe's body. He held something covered in blood in his hand.

"What did you find, Alistair?" Ayu asked, stopping beside him.

"Here. It's a keyring," he offered the large metal keyring to his fellow Warden. "I bet it's got all the keys for this place on it."

"I bet you're right," Ayu agreed, lifting it from his hand. She wiped the keys off on her breeches and clipped it to her belt. "We will hang onto these for the moment."

Ayu slung her bow over her shoulder and carefully picked her way over the bodies. Her team followed her and they found themselves surrounded by cells and a single, iron-barred door. As the party made their way to the door, Ayu heard a shuffling in the cell beside her. The elf turned as a woman, very close to her own age, gently grasped the bars. She was on her knees and covered in rags. The woman's green eyes stared sadly up at Ayu.

"Please . ." she croaked, "please help me out of this place."

"Who are you?" Ayu asked, dropping to her knees and pulling the keys from her belt. "How did you get in here?"

"The 'Arl'," the woman in the cell practically spat the name. "His forces killed my family and destroyed my home. It burned around me while his men tied me with rope and carried me away to this forsaken place."

Ayu found the key for the cell and slowly opened it. She stood up and moved back while the prisoner stood and took a few steps out of her cell. The stranger pulled the ragged hood off her head and faced Ayu and her companions. Her mahogany hair was tied back in a leather strap, but loose hairs hung around her face and neck.

"I thank you, my lady," the woman took Ayu's hand in hers. "I am in your debt for getting me out of that cell . . . And killing Howe," her eyes fell on his lifeless body. "It is a pity that I could not help you in dispatching the foul man, but thank you for ridding Thedas of his treachery once and for all." She took a breath, tears pricking her emerald eyes. "He was friends with my father before he turned traitor and murdered him . . . And my mother." She dropped Ayu's hand and hugged herself. "Forgive me . . I have not spoken to anyone in . . . Well, a long time. I am Enwyn. Enwyn Cousland, daughter of Teyrn Bryce and Teyrna Eleanor Cousland of Highever. I am at your service."