Chapter One, The Fall of House Cousland
The prosperous City of Highever lays on the banks of the Waking Sea, ruled by the Old House Coursland who have long watched over theses lands.
The Force of the Cousland marched through the city's streets and outside the walls of the city, gathering within a large camp full of thousands, Soldiers awaited their orders, ready to march.
The youngest of the Coursland Family, Aedan made his way through the castle keep and walked into the great hall, where he was greeted by his father a fair skin and kindly old man. Stood next him was his vassal Arl Howe a fair skin thin faced gentleman who had a long pointed nose. There was one man he didn't recognize; He was a dark skinned handsome man, with his a well groomed beard, his hair was tired back into a ponytail and dawn in armour which was a magnificent silvery gray plated armor with a chainmail cuirass underneath covering his torso alongside the padded navy blue gambeson armor with diamonds stitching, showed behind his plated shoulder pauldron and arm armored and upon the plated chest piece there was a great two headed griffin, it mighty wings, spread wide.
"Greeting Aedan, its a pleasure to see you again" said Howe
"Greetings Arl Howe, Father, Who's our guest?" he asked, giving the man a respectful nod.
"This is Duncan, the commander of the gray wardens of Ferelden" said his father.
"Please to meet you" Duncan said, giving a slight bow.
"a gray warden?, the warriors from legend, its honour!" Aedan said a smile spread along his face.
"I'm just glad, you have heard of us, many seem to have forgotten" Duncan gestures to two others within his company. "this is Duran" a manly dwarf with a great dark brown beard, he held a foul scowled upon his face and wore worn and battered old dwarf armor. "and Solona" the other was a tanned woman with silky black hair tied into a bun and brown eyes, dressed in mage's robe who carried a mage's staff firmly in one hand, her gaze seem to dart around the room, Duncan continued, "there are two of my recent recruits for the order and looking for a third"
"Yes indeed, I'll fix a meeting between you and some of my remaining knights as soon as I can" said his father swiftly stepping by his son's side.
"If I may, your son would also make a fine recruits," said Duncan.
"I'm sorry but I will not allow it, one of my sons is already preparing to march out to war, i will not risk another, unless you wish to force the matter of course?" asked his father, his eyes narrowing, Duncan lowered himself before him.
"I will not force the matter against your will, your word is final" Aedan placed a hand upon his father's shoulder.
"Father please, do I not get a say in this?" he asked, his father knocked aside his hand and gave him a stern look.
"No pup, and this is not why I summon you here, I want you to go to your big brother Fergus and tell him to go on ahead with the bulk of our forces, toward Ostagar, while I wait here for Arl Howe's men to catch up"
"Why do I get the feeling you're trying to get rid of me" he swiftly snapped back.
"Go!" his father insisted, with his face twisting into a scowled, he glanced at Arl Howe and Duncan.
"I wish you well Arl Howe, Duncan '' he spun around and swiftly stormed out of the great hall, his skin boiling with his rising temper, stepping out side he took a monument to compose himself.
"My lord!" cried out a familiar voice, he glanced over to see it was one of his fathers finest knights, Sir Gilmore.
"Yes Sir Gilmore, do you require something?" he asked, turning to the knight.
"Yes My lord, it's that hound of yours, its got into the kitchens again!" said the knight, approaching him.
"Again!, I swear that dogs got a nose for trouble" he said shaking his head.
"Indeed, your mother insist sorts it out immediately, the cooks gotten into a right huff about it"
"Thank you Sir Gilmore, I'll held it" making his way through the halls he got to the kitchen when the infuriated cook was yelling at her elven servants.
"I swear if you two let that dog get into that larder again, I'll string you both up by your ears!"
"My lady please calm down," one of the elven servants pleaded.
"Take it easy on them nan, one dog is not worth so much commotion," the Sharpe eyed elderly woman spun around turning her vicious gaze upon him.
"This is your fault too, you need to keep that blood mongrel of yours under control!"
"He is a pure blooded hound not a mongrel!" said Aedan sternly.
"He's a bloody blight upon my kitchen is what he is!" yell the cook as she pointed towards the larder.
"I'm here to deal with it ok, now let me through!" he yelled, as nan moved aside, he went into the larder, to see his hound.
"There you are, how do you keep on getting in here?" he asked with slight smirk, his dog ears perk up, turning to face him as its short tail began to wag joyfully, when Aedan noticed he did not bark, he realized something was within dogs mouth, he stepped forward and held out his hand.
"Drop" he said sternly, the dog did so without hesitation, and let out a loud bark, upon closer inspection, he saw that a large mangle body of a rat was within his palm of his hand, he dropped the body within a nearby empty sack, and held it firmly with his hand, and then stroke his head. "Good boy!" The dog barked again, his tail wagging even faster than before, he left the kitchens and after whispering the cook's ear about the rat infestation and handed her the sack, then he let the dog explore the keep as he went on his way to his brother's room.
On his way there he ran into his mother within the halls, with her was her best friend, Lady Landra, along with her son and her lady in waiting, a beautiful elven girl, "Hello sweetie, have you dealt with that dog of yours"
"Yes, nans back to work," he said, flashing a smile.
"Good, you'll remember Lady Landra, she be staying here for the night before we leave you"
"Yes, I wish you luck in your stewardship of the Highever, you remember my son" Lady Landra said.
"Of course, when we last met, when I dueled you in that tourney," he said.
"And you beat me swift, it's good to see you again Aedan!" Landra son said with a chuckle.
"You're being too modest, it was a great fight" Aedan said patting him on the shoulder then turned his keen eyes to Landra lady in waiting, a beautiful mature Elven girl, Iona. "and Iona, its great to see you again" he said with a wink.
"Thank you, mi lord" Iona said, bowing to him as her cheek flushed red, she ran her hand through straight short neck length.
"I must be leaving, I'll see you all at dinner I trust" he continued onwards until he reached the keep of the castle and found his elder brother armed and armored, within his bedroom, he held his beloved wife, kissing her, there by his side. Aedan opened the door and leant upon the nearby wall, making the sound of someone being sick, and his brother slowly turned to him, with a single eyebrow rise.
"Are we bothering you little brother?" he said, a smirk crawling across his face, as his wife held him close, his big brother was the spring imagine of him fair skinned with a well groomed neck length dark brown hair. He however had a fresh face with no beard, unlike his older brother, who fashion a circle beard around his mouth.
"If you spent as much time training as you do within her arms, your would be the finest swordsman within the all Ferelden"
"You know one of these days, you'll find a good woman and then you'll understand"
"I have a woman already!" he said, walking into the room.
"Oh, Bold words dear brother!, you do know I mean falling in love, not a roll in the hay with that elven women." said Fergus with a chuckled, his wife gentle whack him in the chest.
"Fergus not in front of our child!" she said.
"Uncle, if you take care of the castle, can you teach me to use a sword like father!" said his nephew, with a hopeful eye.
"You bet, I'll have a wooden one, craft just for you" he said with a bright smile, as the child cheered.
"You pain me, sometimes brother" the wife said glaring at him, he flashed her his cheeky smile and she broke into a smirk.
"You're far too young for that, I'll teach you myself one day" said Fergus.
"You promise!," the child said with folded arms.
"I promise," said Fergus, rubbing his head.
"By the way brother, Arl Howe men are still lagging behind, father said for you to gather our force and go on ahead of him" Aedan said, looking back up to his brother.
"Still!, by the bloody maker you would think they were walking backwards at this rate, totally useless" Fergus said shaking his head.
"I wish I was going with you" he said somberly, with a grim smile.
"Me too, I'll have a hard time killing all those darkspawn by myself," Fergus said with a half hearted chuckle.
"Well, it's good to have everyone together, one last time, '' said their father as he entered the room alongside his wife, Aedan turned to see his parents and shook his head.
"You could have given the message to yourself, father," he said.
"And miss having everyone together, never" his father said,as they stood near him and his brother.
"My prayers will be with you my dear!" said their mother, kissing Fergus on the cheek, the group of them hung out together, but soon it was time for Fergus to leave. Aedan escorted him out of the keep and to the courtyard, when Fergus was mounted and ready, he looked down at his brother as dark cloud began to bloat out the sun.
"Well I'm off to be a hero, have fun watching over our land" said Fergus
"I will, I have that elven woman to keep me warm tonight" said Aedan with a smirk.
"And he's me having to deal with the cold march to Ostagar, I envy you." he watched on as Fergus left, when he returned to the keep, he saw his father waiting for him.
"Come with me, pup, I've got something to give you" he followed his father, Aedan followed him to the castle armoury, his father took him to a sword which was the centrepiece of the armoury. it stood upon a stand within its sheath, his father picked it up and passed it over to him, Aedan eye widen as he looked back up to his father.
"But fathers, this is yours" he said.
"It belongs to our family and it's about time I passed it down to the next generation, I can have another sword," his father said, offering him the sword and Aedan took it: The cross guard of the sword and the round pommel where gilled with gold a ruby was placed within the center of the cross guard and had a wooden hilt was warped in black leather. the scabbard was the navy blue and decorated with gold with the Cousland family crest upon a shield with the centre of the scabbar; Aedan withdraw the blades, and looked upon in awe.
"The sword of the old kings of Highever, why me and not Fergus"
"I have faith in pup, I keep you behind to look after the castle because of that, I trust you to take care of our lands on your own, and to grow as a leader because of it" he returned the sword to the scabbard, and gave his father a hug. He took the sword with him everywhere he went and later that day after Dinner he would leave for an early night, when Lady Landra elven lady in waiting arrived, he open the door for her and let in his room, taking her to his bed, he showed off the sword to the elven women.
"Wow, your father gave you that, may I, may I hold it?" she asked looking upon the sword with widened eyes.
"Be my guest" he said and pasted the sword, as she inspected the sword, he draw himself closer to her and placed one arm behind her back, she kiss him on the check and put the sword away after a few monuments, putting upon the nearby bedside table.
"How's the kid?" he asked, stroking her hair.
"She is doing well thank you, Lady Landra been good to us" she said beaming at him.
"if she is half as beautiful as you, she will have the boys tripping over themselves for her," he said with a chuckle.
"You can put away the silver tongue, I've come here for one reason" she said leaning toward him as her cheek flushed.
"Well then" the pair of them kissed and embraced and spent the night together only to be interrupted once by the dog scratching and barking at the door. Aedan let the dog in and spent the rest of the night cuddling up with the women under the covers of his bed, until he was woken up by the barking of his dog once again.
"Ripper, shut up!" the irritated Aedan yelled as he arose from his slumber.
"Wait, I thought I heard someone, screaming, I'll go and see whats going on?" Iona got out of bed and put her panties back on before opening door, while Aedan also arise from the bed and put his own pant back on, his new sword was next to him upon the side table.
"Ye…" said Iona, as the door was forced open by a swordsman, who came toward her blade drawn, Aedan turned to grasp hold of his sword, but as he draw the sword from his scabbed, the dying cries of Iona, could be heard, as she was cut down by her the swordsman.
His the hound proud upon the swordsman his helmet falling from his head as the dog tore into his throat, but there was a bowmen within the doorway, Aedan rushed forward but it was too late, time almost seem to slow as he watched the bowmen kill his dog with a single shot, the yelp of his dog wrenched at his heart. A primal rage came over Aedan, he continued to charge forward, yelling out an unintelligible war cry of pure rage, the bowmen backed away from the door, another swordsmen stepped in his path and stormed into the room.
The swordsman came lunging towards him, he knocked the sword to one side with his own, and slammed his body into him, the force of it, knocking the sword men off his feet, but the bowmen had his arrow notch ready and fired. Aedan sword deflected the arrow before it could find its mark, but then the swordsman pulled him to the floor and as the pair of them grapple with each other, the bowmen readied another arrow. Duncan burst into the hallway, the bowmen turned his longbow toward him and let loose, the arrow clanged as Duncan deflected with his pauldron. The bow men dropped the bow and withdrew his arming sword and charged Duncan, who withdrew his second smaller sword and swiftly cut the bowmen down.
"Let him go!" he demanded stare upon the soldier, who was gripping with Aedan, the soldier parted with him and as he got to his feet, and raise his hand, Duncan also cut him down without hesitation; his skin flustered red, Aedan also risen to his feet, taking long deep breaths.
"Duncan, what is going on here!" he said, turning to him.
"Arl Howe has betray your family, his army surrounded the castle, these men were of his personal bodyguard, I'm only sorry I showed up too late" Aedan heart dropped, when he saw the door to his sister in law room was wide open, he rushed forward to find his dead sister nearby the door, and his dead nephews mangle body upon within the corner of room, he fallen to his knee, tears trickle down is face.
"No, what nightmare is this!" he said, gazing down at his sister's dead body, Duncan placed a resurrecting hand upon his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, really but we must get moving, your mother and father are awaiting you" Aedan slowly rises to his feet.
"Yes, yes, let me get changed" he said then rushed to put on any old set of clothes alongside a hooded robe and shield, which hand family crest embodied upon it. Duncan kept watched outside and found the body's of Lady Landra and her son, when Aedan returned from his room, he gesture for Aedan to follow.
"Why is Howe doing this, our family have been friends since before I was born" Aedan asked as Duncan escorted him down the hallways.
"From what I know your family's you have not always, been friends"
"Any misdeeds between us, have long since passed"
"Some people can harbour grudges within their heart for a long time, where those grudges transform in hatred over time" said Duncan, Aedan fell silent. Duncan took him to their kitchens, where his father and mother waited for him. Aedan's face fell when he saw father; his was face pale, his body and limbs shaking, as his mother was next to him putting pressure upon his belly, the blood was all over him, her and the floor, he ran over to their side.
"Father, what happened?" he asked, kneeling next to him.
"I was assaulted by one of Arl Howe knights, and if it weren't for the timely intervention of Duncan, they would have finished me off" as eyes winced from the pain.
"Did you find Arl Howe?" he asked.
"I looked for him after some of his men tried to ambush me, but he is long gone, so I made way for you and your parents," said Duncan.
"Well, let's get out of here" he said as he risen up to his feet, gesturing for his parents to get up, his mother gave a grim smile and his father faced the floor.
"Pup, Arl Howe men did a number on me, Duncan only delayed death, I already feel the reaper lingering over me" tears began to trickle down the Aedan face, he stare at his father stunned but his words, he fell to his knees once more.
"Father you can't be serious!, please!" he said, praying this would be some kind of joke.
"pup, I'm sorry" his father said. the same tears swelling up within his eyes, he held his father into a embraces, alongside his mother.
"Sweetie, you must go, save yourself, save Fergus!" said his mother, he turned to face her.
"What do you mean surely you're coming with me!"
"No, I will not let your father die alone, and I will not let him end his own life, I'm going to kill him and he will kill me" Aedan face twisted into a look of confusion and horror.
"Mother, this is madness!" he said.
"I love father dearly, I would rather die together, then live on without him," his mother said stroking his hair.
"I can't let you do this!" he said, almost yelling the still tears ran down from his face.
"I'm your mother, you do not tell me what to do, '' she said with a smile.
"We need to get moving, the castle is overran and Howe force has brought ram to the keeps gate!" said the dwarf as he rushed in the room with the hooded mage in tow. He and the mage, eyes locked on to Aedan and his parents upon entering the room, as Duncan gestured for them to keep quiet and walked over to Aedan and his parents.
"If I may there is only so much time, Lord Coursland, I can take your son and if you allow me to take him in the grey wardens, we can protect him from harm, we are one big family"
"He is better off with you now… watch over him" Duncan pulled Aedan away as Aedan tired to fight him off, the dwarf came over and helped.
"We must go!" Duncan pleaded, as Aedan struggled against him and the dwarf.
"Pup, leave that is an order!" his father bellowed with what little strength he had left within him, his head hung low as he let Duncan and the dwarf pull him away and took him off down the secret passage, his mother closed the door behind them.