Carry you home
Life in Alianage never had been luxury but at least peaceful. Any problem they had always came from the outsider, mostly human. Shianni had every reason in the world to hate them.
Even now the human still was bringing chaos to her home. Although she couldn't blame them for the plague, she didn't think they're trying to help. Those Tavinter mages set the quarantine and kept many of her people in their hospice even most of them didn't sick. She knew they're up to no good, but she could do nothing. In the time like this, she really missed her cousin. If Millar was here, she must believe and help her. Soris; another cousin didn't believe her. Every day, their argument would end as she running from home, just like today.
However, there's something changed. When Shianni opened the door, she literally bumped into someone. The visitor moaned and held her forehead which red because the contact with wooden door. Behind the elf, there're three human, two elves and a dwarf were staring at Shianni in shock.
No one say anything until the unlucky elf recovered. "I never expected good home welcoming, but this is a bit outrage."
"Millar, it's you!" Forgot every angry, the red haired elf held her cousin with all her might. "I thought you're dead at Ostagar. Oh, I'm really glad to see you again."
"And you greeted me by bumping the door at my face? What would happen if you don't happy to see me?"
Shianni rolled her eyes. "It's accident. You know how stupid I could be when I was angry."
Their teasing was quite cute but Issara had no time to waste. "Sorry for interrupt, but I afraid we have quest to complete, if you don't mind, of course."
The red haired elf glanced at another redhead suspecting. This human looked different. She never had seen any human smile so bright like this before. "Who are these people, cousin?"
"They're my friends. This woman is Issara. And this man is Alistair. They're Grey Wardens like me." Millar introduced them. "This is my cousin. Her name is Shianni."
"Nice to meet you." Issara said friendly.
But Shianni ignored. "You came in the right time. I need your help, Millar."
The Grey Wardens exchanged their glare. At this point, problem couldn't surprise them anymore.
"I heard about the plague, but something told me it isn't that simple." The Exotic Warden remarked. "The 'Free' favor from the slavery country sound 'Odd' to me. I have no evident but... Well, I think I smell a rat; a big, dirty and bloody one."
Those words captured Shianni's interest. "I thought human doesn't care about us elves."
Issara shrugged. "Racism is suck."
This human didn't seem bad. The hothead elf thought. "Perhaps we ought to talk. Come inside and take a seat, we have a lot to discuss."
...
"Please help, my cousin is sick." Shianni cried as she carried Millar to the hospice.
There is more patient every day, thus no one surprise to see new sick elf. Anyway, the healer leered at beautiful patient and smiled too sweet. "Don't worry. Your cousin is in the good hand. We'll take very good care of her." He nodded to the guards.
Two big guys carried Millar to the back room. Their gesture had changed as soon as the door closed. They set her on one of many empty beds in the empty room.
"Now-now, you little pretty thing, we'll give you first 'treatment'." One of the guards said as he unbuckled his belt.
"What? But you supposed to... Where're other patients?" Bewilder, the elf asked.
The big guy pointed to the door nearby. At any rate, they seemed to be carefree in their doing. "They're in another room. You'll meet them after we done with you."
Millar scoot backward. "But... Don't you afraid of the plague?"
They laughed. "Oh, poor girl, the plague is what we made up for our 'plan'. We would never catch it."
"Thank for information." Someone said as a shoelace tight around his neck.
Before anyone could react, the attacker turned around and lifted the victim up. In the hanged man's position, he struggled for awhile until neck's bone broke and the breath left him. Another guard had no chance to help or anything because the dagger in his chest stopped him.
Issara, Lynx and Zevran sheathed their blades. The leader gave the elven Warden a hand. "Are you alright?"
"Perfectly safe, thank to you." Millar replied. "This is too easy. I thought there're more guards inside."
"They're, but not for long after we sneaked in here. The elf guard at the back door didn't so appreciate in his job, so I blinded him with coin. Well, I took a few of them down but Lynx and Zev did most jobs."
"I won't take the credit." The Antivan refused. "I never had known that you could kill a man with your shoelace. Perfectly silent and clean killing you did. Perhaps I should learn to be assassin from you."
"I can't. My grandpa made me sworn to not teach this to anyone. I won't give up my word even for you." Issara refused.
If she gave her word, she would keep it. He knew his stubborn Warden too well, so he wouldn't bother her. "All right, I won't trouble you."
"Well, let's search the room. They mention the elves are in another room, I'll go checking it." The leader gave the order. Anyhow, Millar followed her.
"I hope my father is in there. Shianni said they took him and elder Valendrian a week ago. I'll kill every of them if anything happen to him." The brunet elf said as she picking the door's lock.
The room was full of elves, but not in good condition. Men, women and children were caged in gruesome dens like animal. Issara was really angry by the picture.
"What's this? How could someone do to the innocents like this?"
The elves looked desperate, but changed as they realized that the newcomer wasn't the guard. "Help, please let me go. I swear I'm not sick."
"You don't have to ask." The Grey Wardens hurried unlocked the dens. However, Issara told them before they left. "Run out through the back door, don't let the guard or Tavinter mages see you."
"Thank you, milady... You saved me again." A familiar elf said, saluted to Issara with great respect.
Surprising, the Exotic Warden asked him. "You're... Sorry I can't remember your name, but your face is familiar. Had we met?"
"I used to live as servant of a fat merchant. One day, during his trip in Highever, he flogged me because I broke his goods. I might have been dead if you didn't stop him."
"Oh, I remember now. I paid that merchant for your debt so you freed from him. It feels like a year ago." Issara remarked with laugh.
"I'd returned to Denerim just the day Ser Grey Warden came here to find new recruit. He said he might go to Highever to meet my savior. Didn't you meet him?" The elf asked.
In Lillian's journal, she mentioned Duncan never been in Highever the day Howe attacked. But it seemed Issara had changed the story by saved this elf.
The guardian said she would change the world. Perhaps he was right.
Anyway, the elf recognized her fellow Grey Warden "Millar, it's you! I can't believe my eyes."
But she had no mood for formal greeting. "Where's my father?"
"They took him and elder, just yesterday. I don't know where they had taken them to. I'm sorry I can't help." He answered.
Millar felt like her knees turned to jelly. She couldn't stand still. Her friend had to carry her. "What's the... Why this happen to me?"
"I'll help you find him, but you must stay strong. Crying doesn't help, Millar." Issara scolded.
That brought her back to reality. "Yes, you're right. I must keep focus."
They returned to main room. There, Zevran gave the leader a note. "This is an order from someone. True be told, I don't like the sound of it."
Bring three healthy males, four females and two children to the warehouse before tomorrow morning; these were the words in the paper. It sounded like a shopping list, but order for people instead of stuff. Issara thought she knew what happen.
"Slavery is forbid in Ferelden, but not in Tavinter, right?" She asked.
Bewildered, her companions stared at her in disbelieve. "Do you mean... Maker, this is outrage! We have to stop them."
No need to say it twice. Issara had extraordinary sense of freedom. "Of course, we will stop them. Go get Alistair and Morrigan outside and go to this warehouse. I won't let any of those slavers leave Denerim, alive."
...
Issara always kept her word.
The blood Mage who in charge of Tavinter slavers tried to negotiate, but she didn't listen. The Grey Wardens killed every last of the slavers in the warehouse. As her companions released the elves from the cages, the Exotic Warden checked the mage's corpse and found dealing documents. Loghain sold the elves to the slaver for gold that he used for his army.
How far anyone could go for power? There're many examples in history but she always fail to understand human's nature. Teyrn of Gwaren had been corrupted, she knew that. But she never had thought he could be eviler than he already was.
This must had been stopped. Someone would die in the Landsmeet, one way or another.
Whatever, there's always beautiful thing to cherish even among the darkness. Picture of Millar was crying in relief after found her father warmed Issara's heart. This was what she fighting for.
"I can't thank you enough." Valendrian: the elder of Denerim's Alienage praised her. He exhausted from the days in dirty den, but still strong enough to walk.
The Grey Wardens and co helped everyone back to their home before returned to Valendrian's house. The elder was old friend of Duncan. He told them about the old day and gave them dagger that the dead Grey Warden gave him long time ago. Somehow, Issara felt this wasn't coincident.
After finished their business that evening, they stopped at Grey Warden's secret vault that hidden in denerim's warehouse for find something useful.
The secret door opened. First thing Issara saw was Duncan. His ghost was waiting for them in the room before faded to armor stand nearby.
The Exotic Warden knew what it means.
Followed the clue, she found a large shield that had golden griffin emblem on top. Alistair cheered in delight as she showed it to him.
"Duncan's shield, I never had thought I'll see it again!"
Issara didn't surprise. "I think he want you to keep it. He will be proud, I believe."
"Did you...see him?" He always banter her about this ability, but this time was different. Just like the other, he wanted to contact people he lost.
His wife just smiled.
There's no gap between them. He knew what she mean and grateful for the gift. "Thank you, Ice. This means a lot to me." And then, he kissed her.
Millar cleared her throat. "I'll take this armor, if you don't mind."
"It fine, I think." Issara replied with red cheeks.
"Yes, we should grab everything useful and back to the estate. I'm already hungry." Alistair tried to make joke. He knew how the elven feel toward his wife, but he would keep it quiet for Issara's sake.
The brunet Warden gave him creepy look.
They stared at each other fiercely. The Exotic Warden sensed unfriendly emotin, so she tried to break it. "Nah, we're exhausted from the all-day work. Let's go back to get some rest. There're more jobs to do tomorrow. We ought to rest while we still can."
No one ever refused her command. The rivals stopped arguing and went back to work.
