TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter deals with THAT portion of the City elf origin in DAO. If mentions (even if between the lines) of sexual assault and related subject do not sit well with you, there is no need for reading this one, I'll be posting the next chapter in a few days, take care of yourselves =)

She holds Shianni close to her heart, embracing her as tightly as she can, both of them siting on the floor of the Arl of Denerim's Estate. 'I'm sorry Anny… I'm so sorry' her eyes filled with tears as her cousin whimper at her shoulder "D-don't leave me alone… please… please, take me home" she sobs in Mae's arms. Maeghan breathes to shake her grieving expression away "It's ok... it's ok now… you're safe. Everything will be all right"

"It's just… so much blood cousin. I… I can't stand to look at it. It's everywhere. You killed them, right? You killed them all?" Sorrow fills Mae heart, more death will do nothing for the Alienage, but Vaughan deserved… oh how he deserved it "I did what had to be done Anny" Her expression drops as Shianni holds her cousin by the arm "Good. Good…". After a while Soris and Valora arrive with the last elf and all five survivors leave the Estate straight to the Alienage. 'Valendrian… he'll know what to do'.

"You have returned. Has Shianni been hurt? Where is Tormey's daughter, Nola?" The girls and Soris look down, it is Valora the first to break the silence "Nola didn't make it. S-she resisted, and…" Shianni finishes her sentence "… and they killed her." Mae knows that Valendrian is already aware of everything by counting the returning elves, but even so Soris complements "Nelaros, too… The guards killed him." Mae looks sadly at both of her cousins as Valendrian speaks again "I see. Would the rest of you ladies please take Shianni home? She needs rest. Now tell me: what happened?" Valora tries to leave with Shianni but not until Mae gather courage enough to let go of her cousin's hand that she can take the red-haired elf away. Mae turns to the elder "Vaughan is dead, I didn't have a choice... I-I swear! H-he wanted…" her voice falters as tears fall from her face "he wanted to stay with them one more night, he told he would return them 'a little worse for wear' and I… I just couldn't…" only then she notices the one beside Valendrian, Duncan, even impersonally, had helped them escape from the place. She is thankful to him, at least wanted to thank him, but her mind and heart were in disagreement on what should be said. Her mind was more strategic, she and Soris needed to leave, but her heart won, the only thing that left her lips were sobs and pained sounds.

"Then the garrison could already be on their way. You have little time, dear girl" Duncan assures Mae, she looks at Soris "We may need to leave Denerim for a while" she sheepishly says, drying up her tears, straightening her posture. The human guards could not and would not see her suffering like this. "Ahh, that it has come to this" Valendrian pinches the bridge of his nose and not a single minute later the guards arrive at the gates of the community. "Don't panic. Let's see what comes of this" the elder tries his best to keep the composure in front of them, but Mae knows he is as scared as her or even more so.

"I seek Valendrian, elder and administrator of the Alienage" the captain speaks. Valendrian steps forward "Here, Captain. I take it you have come in response to today's disruption?" 'Ohh nice jab Valendrian' Mae impresses herself with the comeback of her elder. "Don't play ignorant with me, elder. You will not prevent justice from being done. The arl's son lies dead in a river of blood that runs the entire palace! I need names, and I need them now!" She looks at Soris apologetically, he holds his breath, and Mae steps forward.

"It was my doing, Captain. I killed him and his friends." She stealthy and lightly steps on Soris' feet so he doesn't react. "Am I to believe that one woman did all of that?" the captain now glares at her. "We are not all so helpless, Captain" Valendrian interjects again. The man inhales "You save many by coming forward. I don't envy your fate, but I applaud your courage. This elf will wait in the dungeons until the arl returns. The rest of you, back to your houses" Mae was impressed that she wasn't executed on the spot. "Captain… a word, if you please" Duncan now comes forward in the discussion "Be that as may, I hereby invoke the Grey Warden's Right of Conscription. I remove this woman into my custody." Mae looks bamboozled, if glad, at the Warden "Y-you… you can do that?" mouth aghast.

"Son of a tied down – Very well, Grey Warden; I cannot challenge your rights, but I'll ask one thing: Get this elf out of the city. Today." And with that the guards take their leave; Duncan turns to Maeghan "You're with me now. Say your goodbyes and see me when you're ready. We leave immediately." Mae nods at him, shakes his hand in a very poor attempt to thank the man.

And she does, she talks to all of them. Soris, Valora, her father… but still, the end of it all, she stands near her bedroom, where she knows Shianni would be and can't manage to step in. Mae holds her own arms folded tight into her chest and walks to her cousin. "H-hi... Shianni." She couldn't bear that in the morning she was complaining to her cousin about being married to someone - who actually cared enough to sacrifice himself to save her ass - and but hours later her cousin would have passed through fire.

She opened her mouth trying to speak and, before Mae could begin, Shianni intervened "Mae... You took all the responsibility for what happened. You're amazing you know that?" Those damned tears that can't seem to stay in her eyes start falling in her cheeks once more. "I just did what had to be done, Anny. H-how are you holding up?" she starts to loosen her arms and let them fall next to her side, but still changing her weight from one foot to the other anxiously. "I'm… all right. As far as the others know, Vaughan just roughed me up a bit. I just don't want them treating me like some fragile doll." Shianni and Soris always mentioned how Mae was strong and fierce and all that. But today, she looks awed and in admiration to her younger cousin. After everything, she was the strong one. The two of them stay silent for a moment before Shianni speaks again "You've always been there for me, but what happened… Mae… was beyond what anyone could ever expect from another person." Now both of them break as Shianni continues "When the world was at his worst, there you came – fire in your eyes – like something out of a storybook. I'll never forget that." They dried up their eyes, Anny sighs "I love you, cousin. Make us proud out there. You were always my hero." Mae shrugs remembering similar words from Soris mentioned that as well. She wasn't feeling heroic. "I love you too, Anny…"