A Hurlock's head falls to the ground and it's body followed shortly after. Standing over it's corpse was the young Teyrn of Highever. His armor and blade drenched with the blood of slain foes. He and two Templars stood in a clearing. Surrounded by the corpses of dead Darkspawn and Templars. Despite killing countless Darkspawn, the horde was nigh endless. More Darkspawn would show up sooner or later and the three knew that they wouldn't last much longer. All the fighting was taking it's toll on them and they didn't exactly have a surplus of health poultices. The ones Aedan had in the small pack attached to his belt were spent. The same can be said for Ser Bryant and Ser Maron.
Once all the refugees and soldiers escaped Lothering, at least the ones who were fast enough, Aedan and the remaining Templars were about to flee as well but their exit to the Imperial Highway was cut off. Forcing them to flee elsewhere. Unfortunately, the Darkspawn had nearly surrounded Lothering and a group of Darkspawn would engage them on every turn. Each skirmish saw the Templars cut down in number. Eventually losing all but two when the Darkspawn surrounded them in the clearing.
Aedan fell on one knee and used his sword to steady himself. Taking a breather after all the fighting. Sweat drenched his body which felt tired and numb from exhaustion. He turned his head towards the Templars and saw Ser Maron on his knees while Ser Bryant knelt on one knee beside his subordinate. It was obvious the two Templars were exhausted as well and rested whenever the chance presents itself. Unfortunately, their little respite was cut short when they heard the sounds of fighting in the distance.
"Fighting? Perhaps some of our brothers are still alive." Ser Maron said.
"Maybe."
Before any of them could move, they heard the sound of approaching Darkspawn and the three turned their gazes towards the Hurlocks as they ran towards the clearing.
"It seems our rest is cut short." Aedan spoke up as he rolled his arm.
"No rest for the weary." Ser Bryant muttered as he fell into a defensive stance.
"We can't stay here." Ser Maron stated. "We'll have to cut our way through them."
"And so we will. For Ferelden!"
Aedan ran past the two Templars and threw himself at the Darkspawn. He rolled to the side to avoid the large blade of a Hurlock's greatsword before surging forward and swinging his blade high. Beheading a second Hurlock who stood behind the first before looking over his shoulder to see that the first Darkspawn was now engaging Ser Maron who blocked it's weapon with his shield. His instincts suddenly screamed and Aedan was barely able to block the Darkspawn's sword with his own.
Not wanting to lock blades for long, Aedan punched the Hurlock in the face. Causing it to stagger back before the young Teyrn swung and chopped the Hurlock's head off then kicked it's headless corpse towards another Hurlock who pushed the dead Darkspawn aside and rushed Aedan.
Half-swording his weapon, Aedan deflected his enemy's sword and thrust his blade up the Darkspawn's mouth. However, he was forced to leave his weapon in the Hurlock when another Darkspawn came at him with an axe. Aedan evaded the Hurlock's attacks as best as he can before ducking underneath a swing and rushing forward. Tackling the Darkspawn into the ground and holding it down as he unsheathed his dagger before bringing it down on the Hurlock's face but the Darkspawn grabbed his wrist at the last second. The tip of the blade inches from it's eye.
The two struggled on the ground for a while until another Darkspawn kicked Aedan off the Hurlock. Causing him to lose his dagger in the process. The second Darkspawn swung it's weapon down and Aedan rolled out of the way before snatching a crudely made sword from the ground. No doubt it once belonged to a Darkspawn. He got up on one knee and swung the blade at the second Hurlock's thigh. The attack forced it to kneel before the Teyrn who impaled the Darkspawn in the throat.
Aedan rose to his feet and immediately bashed his shoulder at the first Hurlock who had recovered then swung his pilfered blade up the Darkspawn's head. Leaving a massive cut that ran diagonally up the Hurlock's face. He turned around to face his next opponent and deflected a another Darkspawn's attack before unleashing a series of powerful strikes at the Hurlock.
Each swing was accompanied by a scream of fury from the Teyrn and each blow forced the Hurlock back until his last swing broke a piece off of the Darkspawn's blade as well as his own. Still. The two dropped their blades and locked the other in a grapple. Both of them fighting for dominance. Aedan, however, decided on a different approach and punched the flank of the Darkspawn which was left unprotected by it's crude armor. He repeated this until the Hurlock loosened it's grip and the Teyrn tackled the Darkspawn to the ground. Mounting his opponent, Aedan proceeded to punch the Hurlock in the face repeatedly before ending it by clutching his hands together then brought it down on the Darkspawn's face with a roar.
Removing himself from the Hurlock, Aedan looked around him before finding a greatsword from one of the dead Templars lying on the ground and stood up. He looked to the other two only to see Ser Maron struck down from behind by a Hurlock before Ser Bryant retaliated by beheading the Darkspawn. Unfortunately, this left him open to the other Hurlocks who quickly swarmed the Knight-Commander.
Aedan moved to help but was cut off by a Hurlock. He moved to engage but a horse smashed into the Darkspawn before stopping in front of Aedan. The young Teyrn looked up at the horse's rider and saw them hold out their hand.
"Your hand, Your Lorship!" The rider, a woman judging by the sound of her voice, yelled.
"Wait. Ser Bryant!"
The Templar pushed back a Darkspawn with his shield and looked over at the young Teyrn.
"Leave while you still can!" Ser Bryant killed off a Hurlock and then another before looking back at Aedan once more. "Just go!"
Aedan cursed but reluctantly grabbed the rider's hand and climbed up the saddle before the two rode away from the clearing. He held onto the saddle and looked over his shoulder. Cursing himself for leaving Ser Bryant behind but it was obvious that he wouldn't have been able to save the Templar even if he tried. The Templar knew it as well. The Darkspawn were on top of him. Ser Bryant would've been dead or close to it even if he had killed the Darkspawn.
Shaking his head, decided to thank whoever saved him.
"I thank you, my Lady. What is your name, if I may ask?"
"Mhairi, Your Lordship." The woman, Mhairi, answered and spared a glance over her shoulder at Aedan. "Lord Dairren asked anyone who has a horse to ride back to Lothering and search for you. I volunteered."
"Again. You have my thanks, Mhairi. I'll have to thank Dairren as well when we get back."
"It- "
She was cut off when the horse they were riding suddenly tumbled forward and threw the two of them off.
Aedan groaned after landing hard on his back but he pushed through the exhaustion on pain and got back up to his feet. He spotted Mhairi just as she was sitting up and ran towards her before grabbing her by the arm and pulled her up her feet. The two grabbed their weapons and ran for it as arrows rained down on them. The young Teyrn spared a glance over his shoulder and saw a row of Hurlock Archers letting loose another volley of arrows towards their direction.
Arrows shattered and were deflected by his plate armor so Aedan positioned himself behind Mhairi. Using his large frame to cover her from the missiles raining down on them.
"Keep moving!" He yelled. "Run!"
The two ran as fast as they can until they were no longer within the range of the Darkspawn's arrows. Even so, Aedan and Mhairi didn't slow down and kept running. They didn't want to stop until they reunite with Dairren and the others. Leaving Lothering behind as the Blight engulfed the once thriving village.
(Line Break)
After escaping Lothering, Aedan and Mhairi wasn't able to catch up to the rest of their company because the former's exhaustion finally took it's toll on him and he collapsed in the middle of the highway. Mhairi dragged his body, which was quite the feat considering the young Teyrn was larger than her, and searched around her for anything they could use as shelter. Luckily for them, a farmer with a horse and cart offered to take them to his home and provide them with a place to stay while the Teyrn recovered. Unwilling to leave the young Teyrn alone and unprotected, Mhairi asked the farmer if he could head for Castle Bryland and inform the Arl that Aedan was alive. The man thankfully accepted and Mhairi paid him thirty silvers as compensation.
Aedan slept for two days and two nights. Waking up only at the dawn of the third day just as the farmer returned with news that the company was provided refuge by Arl Bryland and that they were awaiting their return. He also brought news from the capital and the current state of Ferelden. That being it had fallen into civil war. Despite the news, the young Teyrn felt wasn't able to hide his hunger. His body made it clear when his stomach grumbled so loud that Mhairi thought there was a Mabari nearby. The farmer and his family were kind enough to invite him to eat breakfast with them though they were rather dumbfounded when they witnessed the nobleman ravage his meal. Even Mhairi was wide-eyed at seeing the Teyrn feast like there's no tomorrow. Once he was finished, Aedan realized how he looked like and apologized profusely for his lack of manners. The family waved him off but to their surprise, the young Teyrn offered to help clean the table and dishes.
The two thanked the farmer and his family and left for Castle Bryland but not before advising the family of three to leave the south and take refuge somewhere north. The Blight was slowly spreading across Southern Ferelden and it wouldn't be long before it reached the farm. Aedan and Mhairi quickened their pace. As they made their way to Castle Bryland, Aedan decided to know more about the woman who rescued him from Lothering.
"Mhairi."
"Yes, Your Lordship?"
"I know I have thanked you before when you rescued me from Lothering but I would like to repay you in some way other than words. Tell me. Which Lord or Lady do you serve?"
Aedan moved to walk beside her and the woman turned her head to reply but stopped when she realized she was looking at his arm before craning her neck to look up and answer the Teyrn.
"I squired for Ser Eran but he fell alongside the King's knights during Ostagar."
Mhairi looked away as she was reminded of how the Darkspawn tore her mentor apart while she was unable to help him nor the King.
"You survived Ostagar and volunteered to risk returning to Lothering to search for me. Not only did you find me but you also stayed by my sidr while I recovered. I can think of no better reward than a knighthood."
That got Mhairi to look back up at the Teyrn and she could see a small smile on his face.
"You've earned your spurs, Mhairi. I'll see to it that you are rewarded for your deeds after I talk to whoever noble you serve."
Mhairi stopped in her tracks and looked at the ground. Contemplating on what the Teyrn just said before looking back at Aedan and thought of the things he had done during and after Ostagar.
When the Battle of Ostagar was lost and Loghain abandoned them to the Darkspawn, the Teyrn was the one to rally what remained of the army and ordered a retreat. He protected the camp followers and risked death by staying behind to cover their retreat. He didn't sleep as he kept the company from killing each other after tensions rose and fighting nearly broke out in the ranks. He risked his life again to cover their escape from Lothering when the Darkspawn came.
A Teyrn's life was more valuable than a soldier, a knight or a peasant's yet he did not care about that. All he cared about was that many in Lothering got away with their lives intact. They would have understood if he had decided to join the others in their escape yet he didn't. He chose to stay behind and buy they time.
Nodding to herself, Mhairi ran to catch up to the Teyrn who didn't realize that he had been walking without her for a time.
"Your Lordship!"
Aedan stopped and turned around just in time to see Mhairi stop in front of him before drawing her sword and dropping on one knee.
"Your Lordship. If you would have me then I wish to swear myself as a squire for House Cousland. I swear I shall serve you with my life."
"Mhairi, what are you- "
She cut him off before he could protest.
"You are brave, noble and honorable, Your Lordship. You care for the lives of those below your station. You seek to bring traitors to justice. You see the true threat of the Blight against not only Ferelden but Thedas as well when the regent and many of the nobility could not. Too preoccupied with politics to realize the darkness spreading in the south."
Mhairi raised her head and looked at the young Teyrn straight in the eyes.
"When I was young, my father would read me stories of noble kings, lords and ladies and the knights who served them with utmost loyalty. Since then I have always dreamed of growing up to be like them. I have been given an opportunity to achieve that dream when Ser Eran took me in as his squire now you stand before me, a noble and just lord, one that I would be proud to serve to my dying breath."
No expression passed on the young Teyrn's face as he looked down at the woman before him.
"...You understand that swearing yourself to me and House Cousland will have consequences, yes? Loghain declared Howe as the Teyrn of Highever. Howe would do anything to keep his power. Send assassins, accuse me of treason, brand me a fugitive, appeal to Loghain for my death or imprisonment. These are just examples of the dangers of affiliating yourself to me. To House Cousland. Howe would see to it that House Cousland is wiped from the face of the world and Loghain would make sure that any supporters of the Theirin line is crushed."
"I care not for the words of traitors and usurpers, Your Lordship." Mhairi replied with conviction. "Only men of honor with noble causes such as yourself."
A moment of silence and contemplation passed before Aedan made his decision. He stood up and drew his sword before standing in front of Mhairi.
"In honor for your service to the late King Cailan and for valor in battle. I, Aedan Cousland, raise you." He recited as he dubbed the kneeling squire. "Be thou a knight in the name of the Maker. Stand, Ser Mhairi. Knight of House Cousland."
Mhairi moved to stand but paused when she the young Teyrn held out his hand for her to take. She stared at the offered hand for a moment before taking it and allowed herself to be pulled up to her feet. Aedan released his grip on her hand before patting her shoulder with a firm hand.
"It is a great honor to have a warrior such as yourself by my side, Ser Mhairi."
"My sword is yours to command, Your Lordship. From now until my dying breath."
(Line Break)
When they arrived in Castle Bryland, Aedan was welcomed warmly by Arl Bryland. Highever soldiers and knights cheered for the safe return of their liege lord. The Arl of South Reach pulled him into a hug before returning the Cousland Family Sword to him. Aedan then gathered the handful of Cousland Knights and introduced them to their new sister-in-arms. Informing them of her deeds days prior. The Cousland Knights welcomed Ser Mhairi with open arms and celebrated that night by getting pissed as newts. The young Teyrn, however, began discussing plans with Arl Bryland. Mainly about what they would do about their current situation.
The Blight is slowly spreading north and already the West Hills Arling saw intense fighting as Darkspawn incursions were starting to become widespread in the south. Arl Gallagher Wulff was dealing with them for now but not for long. The raids were becoming more frequent and he was losing more men to the foul beasts everyday. It didn't help that his daughter was kidnapped by Avvars and that the nobility were too embroiled in political chaos to see the Blight as a threat or send men to help defend West Hills against the Darkspawn.
Lothering was part of South Reach and reports arrived that small groups of Darkspawn had been spotted in the Imperial Highway as well as the woods. Caravans were being ambushed. It wouldn't be long until a massive horde would reach Redcliffe, Edgehall, the Bannorn and the rest of South Reach. If the Blight isn't stopped then Ferelden would be consumed by the darkness. Loghain's attempts in forcing the Bannorn to unite under his rule failed and his insistence that the Blight was a lesser threat compared to an "Orlesian Invasion" served only to cripple Ferelden.
Loghain focused his attention on forcing the Bannorn to serve him without question in conjunction with trying to silence any who opposed him while also trying and failing to convince the nobles to send men to fortify the northeastern borther. It was obvious at this point that Loghain was slowly becoming unreasonable. Aedan wasn't sure if the man can be convinced to see the threat of the Blight surpasses that of Orlais invading Ferelden.
Aedan just hoped the Wardens were making good progress with their treaties.
"The Wardens will have my support but if they're looking for recruits then I cannot spare the men. I've sent the majority of mine to deal with a large horde in the Southron Hills and it wouldn't be the last. We lost a lot of men in Ostagar. Two Arlings are not enough against the Blight. We need the entirety of Ferelden united if we are to survive."
"I know."
Aedan rubbed his temples before grabbing the tankard in front of him and downing the ale in a couple of gulps then set the now empty tankard down on the table. Honestly, the taste barely registered.
"This is going to be harder than I thought."
"Heh. When has anything ever been easy, my boy? Ah. I believe I have some news from Highever."
This piqued the young Teyrn's interest and turned his attention towards Arl Bryland.
"It seems your people did not take kindly to Howe's actions against your family and his ascension to Teyrn of Highever. They began an uprising. They do not accept Howe as their liege lord. Your people need you, Aedan. They stated as much. They would only accept a Cousland to rule over them. After all, your family has done much for the Teyrnir. Especially the commoners. To hear that such an atrocity befell upon your family and the man who planned it all now rules over them. They were not happy. I heard even Storm Coast began supporting Highever. Raiding Amaranthine's coast and established blockades around their ports."
Storm Coast. Known for their raiders and their Bann, Fearchar Mac Eanraig. The Storm Giant. Aedan remembered his mother telling him that not only was she the Teyrna of Highever but she was also the heir to the bannorn of Storm Coast. When grandfather passes, she would have been Storm Coast's new Bann. The Seawolf of Ferelden. Storm Coast was just west of Highever. News of the sack would have reached him first.
There's no doubt that his grandfather had been waiting for something like this to happen. An opportunity to take vengeance on Howe. The Highever Uprising gave him that opportunity.
Aedan knew he should be ecstatic by the news but this uprising also brought him problems. Ferelden needs to be united. This was not unity.
"I think I know what's going on in that head of yours, lad." The voice of the Arl of South Reach disturbed him from his thoughts. "If I may make a suggestion. Why don't you return to Highever? Reclaim your home and seat of power from Howe. Once that is done, reach out to the nobility. Convince them to support the Wardens."
"What about Howe?" Aedan questioned.
"Rendon has decided to stay in Denerim so he can be close to Loghain and whisper whatever he wants to the man's ear. Amaranthine is currently being looked after by Bann Esmerelle. Powerful and rich, yes, but she's not exactly a military commander. She hasn't sent out ships to deal with Fearchar's raids and blockades."
"What about his children?"
In the back of his mind, Aedan often wondered if they knew of their father's plot and if they approved of it. He liked to believe that they were innocent but a small voice in his mind was whispering for him to kill them as payback for his family's massacre. He quickly crushed that voice. He would not harm them for the sins of their father. No. His vengeance is solely for Howe and any of his men who participated in the Sack of Castle Cousland.
"Rendon gave Thomas Castle Cousland but ran as soon as he heard the entire Teyrnir was rising against the Howes. He either went back to Amaranthine or Denerim. I have heard no news from Delilah. Nathaniel's still in the Free Marches. I doubt word has reached them about all of this yet."
The rightful Teyrn of Highever leaned back on his seat and began contemplating his next move.
'What to do? What to do?'
(Line Break)
Bann Fearchar Mac Eanraig of Storm Coast. Known to many as the Storm Giant for his towering height and physique. A fearsome raider that the Orlesian navy had grown to fear and respect during Maric's Rebellion. He was also the father of the famed Seawolf and heir to the Bannorn of Storm Coast, Eleanor Cousland.
Eleanor was not his first heir but she was his only surviving child and the last one before his wife died from illness. Her brothers were lost during the Rebellion and so she became his heir but Eleanor has also proven herself to be more than deserving of the title. But now his line was spent. His dear Eleanor was taken away from him by one of her husband's friends or so they thought.
The Storm Giant raged for days when news arrived of the massacre in Castle Cousland. He wanted Howe to pay but he knew he didn't have the numbers to take on the Arl of Amaranthine. He could've resorted to the tactics he used during the Rebellion but the problem was that he had gotten old. He was barely able to fight for a few minutes without tiring himself. Let alone conduct raids in Amaranthine.
Still. Fearchar secretly lent his expertise in raiding and knowledge of warfare to the populace of Highever who had shown animosity to the Howes when survivors from the sack spread word of what really happened across Highever. It didn't help that Amaranthine men that Howe left to occupy Highever began abusing and mistreating the local populace.
Eleanor's youngest, Aedan, survived the sack and had ordered the others to spread word of the truth before heading for Ostagar to inform Eleanor's oldest of his ascension to Teyrn of Highever as well as request the King's aid in bringing Howe to justice. However, things went horribly wrong in Ostagar as half of the army and the King was lost with Loghain taking over the regency. Proclaiming the spineless worm, Howe, as Teyrn of Highever and Arl of Denerim after the rat bastard spread lies that the Couslands were plotting against the King.
Fearchar was consumed with grief and rage. His grandsons lost to the Blight and the killer of his daughter now ruled over the lands that rightfully belonged to her boys. He started actively supporting the Highever Uprising against Howe. Sending Storm Coast raiders to strike at the port towns and villages along the coast of Amaranthine as well as supplying them with weapons and having experienced soldiers train them into proper militia.
Recently, Fearchar received a letter from Arl Leonas Bryland of South Reach. The letter claimed that Eleanor's youngest is still alive along with what remained of the soldiers many had thought perished in Ostagar and was now heading for Highever. The Storm Giant was also informed of the truth on what happened in Ostagar. Loghain had betrayed the King and so many others during the battle by leaving the field and abandoning them to the Darkspawn.
With this new knowledge, Fearchar quickly took the opportunity to spread this news across Highever and Storm Coast. As expected, the people of Highever rejoiced for the survival of Aedan -or the Last Cousland as the people began to call him- and their fighting spirit soared. Battles between Highever and Amaranthine turned to the favor of the former while the latter's forces were slowly being driven out of the Teyrnir. All the while they await for their rightful liege to return to his seat of power.
The Bann of Storm Coast immediately began writing a letter for Arl Bryland. Telling him that the people of Highever eagerly await for the return of the rightful Teyrn and Storm Coast would be there to support him against the Howes. Fearchar wanted to see how far his dear Eleanor's youngest had grown. He wanted to see for himself if Aedan inherited not just his size but also the ferocity of Clan Mac Eanraig. He wanted to see how much his grandson had grown and if he can live up to his family name.
AN: I don't like this one. Feels more like a rushed filler than an actual chapter. Eh. I just wanna move on from this and write the next chapter already.