The handmaid leads us through a garden fit for royalty that would feed my people for years. A throb of anger stokes my heart, but I keep it in check. Getting angry won't fix anything. And, Leliana says something that distracts me.
"I've been here before on a job. I know the inside if you need my help finding your way around.". I quickly set my lover straight.
"This is the castle I murdered all those humans in.". A pause.
"Oh.". I chuckle a little as the maid stops us near the back entrance.
"You know, I never got your name.". Or, more likely, I forgot it.
"Erlina.". I nod as Erlina continues.
"I'll distract the guards. Hide in the bushes and sneak inside when they're gone. I'll meet you inside.". I nod and duck down in some bushes beside a back fence. Leliana, Wynne, and Duncan all crouch down beside me. Within a minute, Erlina and the guards come stomping by and that's our cue. All of us silently rush into the palace and wait inside a lavish room for Erlina to arrive. My fellow elf quickly comes back in with three bundles in her arms. She hands them off to me as she explains.
"Disguises. You should be able just to walk through the palace without anyone noticing three more guards and a guard dog. The servants won't dare stop you, and there are so many new guards coming in daily the real guards will just think that they haven't seen you before. The only threat is if Loghain himself sees you, and he's not here.". I nod as I hand disguises to Wynne and Leliana. The two slip into their disguises and soon enough we're all guards of the palace. I pat Erlina on the shoulder and give her some advice.
"Stay back a bit. Some of these men might recognize me.". I smile a little.
"That is, if they were cowards and hid while I was tearing this place apart less than a year ago.". Erlina squeaks as I push past her into the dining hall. I make note of the area where I once killed three guards, then continue through the busy palace. Nobody pays us any mind as I lead us through the same path I once took to try to save my cousin. I find myself touching my necklace as I go. Each room I remember where I killed someone.
I can't be that woman again, no matter how much I want to be. I need to control myself. Put elves first, but don't risk my own life to harm humans. Do no harm, but take no shit.
My inner monologue is interrupted when I finally lead us into the room where Shianni was raped.
Maybe I can be that woman again.
I shake my head free of such thoughts. I've come so far and made so much progress. I love Leliana and am friends with Morrigan and Wynne.
Maybe that was a test from the Maker to see if you'd forget your roots. Maybe you failed.
No, I didn't. My love for Leliana isn't a failure.
Maybe I can love Leliana and hate humans.
I shake my head again. I won't fail. Not here, not now. I'm about to open the door down into what I'm assuming is the dungeons when Erlina interrupts me.
"You went too far!". I flip back around and see the elven maid shaking her hands in the air.
"You passed the queen!". I feel my face flushing red and splutter.
"I didn't!". Elrina nods.
"You walked right past her room! I don't even know how you knew the layout of this place!". I grumble and look at the floor. I prepare to walk by the maid, but she interrupts me once again.
"Actually, there's a problem. It's probably actually good you came down this far since you'll need to go down into the dungeons.". I groan a little at the frustration of there being a problem, but allow the maid to continue. My first priority is still getting the queen out of here after all.
"Alright, what's the problem and how do I fix it?".
"There's a spell that's locked the queen in her room. Most likely, Arl Howe is casting it. Anora said she heard a guard saying Arl Howe was in the dungeons. So, just go down there and kill him to free Anora.". I nod before giving my fellow elf some advice.
"Go back to the queen's room and get her ready to leave. I'll kill Howe, then my team and I will come back. Be ready to leave, I think it'd be best if we got out as soon as possible after the Arl is dead.". Erlina nods, turns, and quickly leaves the room without another word to me. I open the door leading to the dungeons and lead my team down. We've hardly entered a long, dark hallway full of cells when we're confronted by a guard. The man turns with a sneer on his face when we enter.
"Who're-". He's interrupted by two hands coming out from the cell behind him and grabbing his neck. My team and I silently watch as the man's strangled to death and drug into the cell. Soon enough, a man dressed in the dead guard's uniform comes out. With a bow, he begins to speak.
"My thanks for the distraction. I'm Grey Warden Riordan from Orlais.". I don't bow since he's a human and doesn't deserve my respect, but I still acknowledge him as a warden. The last thing I want to do is turn down help after Alsitair's failings.
"I'm Grey Warden Kallian Tabris of Ferelden. I'd suggest you leave and find Arl Eamon. You and I can discuss warden matters with Grey Warden Alistair of Ferelden at a later time.". Riordan bows once again.
"A smart move. Wasting time in this dungeon helps neither of us.". The man begins to reach for me as we pass one another, but a glare makes him stop short. Morrigan, Leliana, and Wynne are the only humans I'll let touch me. Every other human can forget about it. I turn my attention away from Riordan and push deeper into the dungeons. A small walk down a slanted hallway leads me to a door. I open the door to see a man in leather armor glaring at me. His rough voice rings out and I already feel an urge to kill this human boiling in my guts.
"Who're you?". I begin trying to make an excuse.
"I'm-It's me, don't you-the handmaid for the Arl-oh fuck it.". My sword cuts his head off as multiple other guards swarm the square, stone room my team and I are in. We slaughter them like lambs. I charge into the fray and chop through leather, fur, metal, and anything else these guards have put on to try to defend themselves from me.
Then, I charge down the hallway and into the maze of the dungeons. I run down a hallway and three doors at a corner open. Guards and mabari come streaming out to try to defeat me. Duncan is already at my side and me and my mabari show these fools how to fight. I chop off heads and arms while Duncan tears the throats out of the other dogs. Duncan's wearing his spiked collar and harness, so the other hounds can't even come close to hurting him. In the end, Duncan and I are finishing off the last guard when Wynne and Leliana finally catch up to us.
"Try to stay with us!". I charge down the hallway we haven't been down and two doors on my left open and another on my right opens. Thankfully, the ones from the right appear to be guards not on duty because they have neither arms nor armor. Another slaughter. Cloth tears along with flesh to reveal the red and white innards of the guards I kill. Their guts and blood cause the floor around me to become slick and sticky as I go about slaughtering every single one of them like they're calves waiting for the butcher.
I'm not quite sure if my team helps me significantly, but when it's over the battling in the dungeons seems to stop. One more long hallway and another corner leading me left. We pass about five doors and I can hear movement on the other side of each door, but I don't open a single one. The last thing I want is for any undo fighting to occur and possibly injure my side. I open the only door in this new hallway and enter. I'm assuming the grey-haired man in leather armor in front of me is Arl Howe and the mage and three warriors surrounding him are his personal security. I'm quickly proven right when the man raises a single, accusing finger at me.
"Kill them! Let none escape!". The Arl disappears in a puff of smoke and his security fall upon us. I shove my way past the heavily armed and armored warriors and attack the mage preparing to shoot a fireball at me. My first swing cuts his stomach open wide enough his intestines fall upon the ground like a thousand worms, and my second swing severs his head from his neck and sends it rolling across the ground. Warm blood splatters both me and my blade, then causes my boots to squeak as I turn back to my friends.
Leliana and Wynne have killed one warrior while Duncan is standing over the bodies of two. Before I can thank them, the Arl returns. He was attempting to appear behind Leliana and stab her in the back, but Wynne is behind him and the elderly woman sees her chance. A single crack across his unprotected head with her staff is all it takes. The man falls to the side and that's all we needed. I search the bodies, take their finest stuff, and tell my team what we're going to do.
"Let's get out of this shitty place and go find the queen.". Everyone mumbles their agreement and I lead us away. A right turn and a small walk down the rest of the hallway leads me to an iron door. A key from the Arl's body opens that door and I'm able to quickly lead my team out of the dungeons, back into the castle, and down to where I see Erlina standing at the end of the hall. I stop outside the queen's room and speak.
"Anora, are you ready?". A beautiful woman with soft hazel eyes and the whitest of hair steps out to greet me in a guard's uniform.
Damn, I have to stop being soft on female humans.
"Aren't you a little short to be a guard?". The woman smiles down at me.
"I fit the part much better than you.". I smile a little back at her wit.
"Alright, fair enough. Now, come on. We need to get you back to Arl Eamon as quick as we can.". Anora nods her consent and I begin leading us back through the estate. However, I only get a few feet before a problem occurs. Every guard-since I haven't killed any of them-along with Loghain's main bitch are waiting for me outside the door leading out of the estate. The dark, hawkish woman walks close enough to me I'd have pushed her away if she was a man. I have to look up at her and I can feel her breath wash over me as she speaks.
"Well, what have we here?". A sick smile crosses her sharp features.
"A little lost mabari bitch trying to take something that's not hers.". No less than twenty arrows are trained at my heart. I look up into the woman's dark, deep eyes and see nothing short of pure hatred.
"I'd suggest taking your armor off, putting down your weapon, and kneeling before me. Anything less and I'll gut you and all your friends.". I feel my spine turn to jelly. I'd never bow before a human man trying to give me commands, but this woman makes me want nothing more than to grovel at her feet.
Leliana's had too much of an effect on me.
I also don't want Wynne, Leliana, and Duncan to get hurt for my sake. Besides, I'm sure Erlina and Anora can escape while I'm being taken away. Before I know it, I'm naked and kneeling before the woman's feet.
