Chapter 54
Jarvia stood front and centre of the room, arms folded in a nonchalant manner, her expression arrogant, but with a touch of anger in her pale green eyes. "So, Harrowmont finally realised we're taking the city, yet he still can't be bothered to send his own men. Well, you picked the wrong side, stranger. It doesn't matter who's king, as long as there's a queen!"
Aedan adopted a similar easy stance. "You know, you're awfully cocky for someone whose entire carta is dead." A cheeky grin accompanied his words. Jarvia dropped all pretence of aloofness and her face twisted with rage. "Kill them! But leave the mouthy one alive: I have plans for him!"
Aedan sniggered. "She must mean you, Zev."
An amused snort escaped the elf. "Isn't it marvellous? The reputation of my clever mouth has reached even the ears of the Carta."
Jarvia and her henchmen looked at each other with puzzled expressions; the relaxed banter threw them off their stride granting Aedan and his group an extra few seconds to prepare. Emma and Leliana moved to one of the alcoves, prompting Wynne and Morrigan to follow suit. Emma cast a force-field around Aedan, and she noticed another one encase Zevran. Alistair and Sten pulled their blades and charged the henchmen, while the two rogues went into stealth and moved to dismantle the traps. Emma resolutely kept her focus on the battle, refusing to be distracted by her anxiety for Aedan as he worked on the tripwires.
After a few minutes of intense fighting, Aedan materialised behind Jarvia and thrust his blade at her ribs; unfortunately, the crime boss was quick and rolled out of the way, though Emma saw the woman flinch, so it seemed likely that she'd taken some damage. Zevran suddenly popped up and shouted, "The traps are disarmed."
He swiftly took stock of where everyone was, before pouncing on a henchman who was in a two-on-one fight with Sten. Zevran's blades slid deep into the flesh, and blood spurted from gaping wounds as the thug stumbled back, before hitting the ground with a thud. Four more dwarves appeared at the top of the stairs and started to descend, two on each side, with the intention of creating a pincer movement on the warriors and rogues fighting below.
However, the mages and Leliana had other plans. Storm of the Century was immediately cast, striking two of the henchmen, who were halfway down the steps. Emma covered her side of the room with a Blizzard and infected one dwarf with the Virulent Walking Bomb spell. Leliana neatly put an arrow through the thug's thick skull and his corpse exploded, infecting the dwarf standing nearby. With all of the henchmen either dead or dying, the majority of the companions now concentrated on Jarvia.
This fight always caused Emma some difficulty; though, to be fair, she only had three other companions with her when she faced Jarvia. However, the damn crime boss was still giving them a run for their money, as she constantly flitted in and out of the shadows. There was only one thing that would keep her still long enough for the others to get in a few hits, and that was ice. Emma cast Winters Grasp and the men attacked immediately. As the spell wore off, Jarvia found herself once more entrapped in a layer of ice; Emma glanced around the column and saw Wynne lower her staff.
Morrigan cast Drain Life and Jarvia staggered; Alistair saw an opening and charged, hitting her hard with his shield and skewering her on his sword at the same time. The body fell to the ground as he shoved with his shield arm and pulled his sword back. Aedan bent down and felt for a pulse. "Right through the heart. Nicely done, Alistair. Now, let's get back to Harrowmont and tell him the good news, and hopefully get the help we need." Emma didn't have the heart to tell him that they had a far more dangerous task ahead of them before that would happen.
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Aedan glared at Harrowmont. "You're kidding, right? Just how many bloody problems do you want us to sort out for you?"
The dwarf spread his hands in an apologetic manner. "Believe me, I want this over just as much as you do. I am sorry, but with Bhelen pushing for another Assembly, I have no choice but to ask you for further help. With the word of a Paragon to back me, there would be no doubt as to who should be put on the throne."
"I'm curious, Lord Harrowmont; what is your stance on the casteless?" Emma asked, figuring now was as good a time as any to question his views on such things. An expression of distaste flickered across his features before he managed to school himself to be polite and project a more appropriate demeanour. But she'd caught the brief lapse in his friendly manner, and spoke up, her tone cool. "I see."
His brows drew down in a frown. "I haven't even answered your question yet."
She shrugged. "No, but the look on your face spoke volumes. I know it's traditional to hide the casteless and just pretend they don't exist. But has it ever occurred to you that Orzammar could use their help?"
He snorted with disgust. "And just what help could those criminals provide?"
Emma stiffened, and her eyes glinted with anger. "They're criminals because you don't give them the option to be anything else. You conveniently forget that there are people living below you in Dust Town. You all walk around up here like your shit doesn't stink, but not one of you has even an ounce of compassion or integrity."
Dulin Forender stepped forward, a snarl on his lips. "Be very careful, girl! You go too far!" She spun to face him. "Too far? I haven't even bloody started yet." She faced Harrowmont again. "You consider yourself a fair and just man, someone that the dwarves should look up to. But how can that be when you ignore your fellow dwarves living in squalor and poverty?!" Harrowmont glared at her and opened his mouth to speak, but she hadn't finished and kept right on talking. "The casteless turn to crime as a means of survival, but most of them would love the chance to do something else. But no! God forbid that you offer them actual work; a chance to do something better with their lives!"
She paced away and back again. "But I bet if the darkspawn broke through to Orzammar, they would be the first ones you'd get to fight for you. Use them as meat-shields, what difference does it make? I mean, they're just casteless, they don't think or feel like the other dwarves do, right? Let me tell you something Lord Harrowmont," she spoke his title with as much contempt as she currently felt for him. "I would rather put Prince Bhelen on the throne, regardless of what a bastard he is, because he, at least, has the right idea when it comes to helping his fellow dwarves – all his fellow dwarves, not just the ones who can help you climb the social ladder!"
Harrowmont's face was mottled red with anger. "Grey Warden, I have the utmost respect for your Order, but do not presume to tell me how Orzammar should be run." Emma glared at him, the green of her eyes so dark that they could be mistaken for emeralds. "Then you're a fool, Harrowmont." She deliberately left out his title as an insult. "Orzammar needs every able bodied dwarf in order to survive. If you can't see that, then you don't deserve to be king of a pile of nug shit, never mind Orzammar."
She turned on her heel and stormed from his house, only stopping when she reached the balcony that looked out over the commons. She leaned her arms on the metal railing in an attempt to control her trembling limbs, flinching when she heard Harrowmont's front door open and close again. Moments later, Aedan stood next to her. "Remind me never to piss you off," he said with a chuckle. She shot him a sideways glance. "I'm not going to apologise to Harrowmont. He's an asshole."
Aedan was silent for a couple of minutes before replying. "You realise it's not as easy as you make it sound? A lot of the dwarves back Harrowmont because of his traditionalist stance." Emma rubbed a hand over her eyes. "I know that, and I never said it would be easy. But he doesn't even want to change the way things are. It just needs one person to stand up for what's right, and over time, others will follow. If he hasn't got the balls to do that, then he's not the right person for the job."
For a while, they stood side by side in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. At length, Aedan turned to Emma. "So, tell me about Bhelen. I admit I'm not a big fan of the people he employs if Vartag Gavorn is anything to go by." Emma sighed and rested her head on her hand. "Agreed, both Bhelen and Gavorn are devious and vicious. However, putting that aside for the moment, Bhelen wants to bring about changes in Orzammar that could strengthen the Dwarven kingdom over time."
"Come on, Angel. Let's head back to camp and get some dinner and we'll sleep on the matter, maybe see what the others think." Emma groaned as she suddenly realised why they were heading back to camp. "Ah, shit! I screwed up our lodgings, didn't I? Harrowmont sure as hell won't want us sleeping under his roof now. Damn it! I need to apologise to everyone; we rarely get to sleep in a decent bed."
"Angel, they're used to sleeping in a tent by now. I wouldn't worry about it." Emma made a wry face, annoyed at her lack of restraint. If she'd tried to talk to Harrowmont she might have gotten somewhere; instead, she'd lost her temper and ruined any chance of persuading him to help the casteless.
Bollocks; she could be a complete idiot sometimes.
