Dragon Age Origins: A Grey Wardens Tale.

Chapter 4: Kallian Tabris Part 2.

The Arl's Mansion stood at the head of The Drakon River and at the foot of the hill that led up to the infamous and cruel military prison: Drakon Fortress, the Mansion itself stood as a stunning home where even Elves aspired to work as servants but the rumours of any Elf Servant that failed in a task was met with a quick death were rampant within The Alienage.

Gazing down at herself; Kallian's once beautiful wedding dress sat stained with the red smears of Nelaros' own blood: her Husband-to-be's blood, as she gazed out of the carriage that she, Shianni and three other Elf Maidens sat in while being taken to Vaughan's Mansion.

As the cart came a stop and the door opened to beckon the girls out; one of the Elf Girls that Kallian didn't know too well broke into a sprint in a desperate plea for escape only for one of The Guards to shot her with an arrow, the arrow making a distinct thud as it struck the fleeing Elf and killed her in her tracks.

"Let that be a lesion to you knife-ear wenches!" shouted one of Vaughan's Guards; loading another Bolt into his Crossbow to prove his point to The Elf Girls about their fate if they attempted to flee.

"Now now… let's not frighten the girls too much, we want them relaxed otherwise they'll be too tense for when the fun begins" Vaughan spoke with a sinister grin spreading across his face, his lecherous eyes peering with fantasies of what he'd do with his quarry of elf girls.

"I'm sorry My Lord… I was a little too eager to play with the girls" snivelled the rat-like man; dropping to his knees as he asked forgiveness indicating that he was low-born rather than a Noble like the other men.

"Worry not; there are plenty of girls to go around… escort them to that room while I take this one for myself" Vaughan spoke with a wave of his hand; dismissing the rat-like man's begs as he suddenly seized Shianni's arm at her elbow and dragged her to his side with his superior strength.

"Shianni! No!" Kallian yelled while reaching out for her Cousin; her efforts in vain as Vaughan was already dragging her away.

"Cousin… please help me!" Shianni screamed one more time before she was struck in the back of the head and silenced before being dragged into The Mansion via its front entrance: an immaculate wooden double-door with carvings of wild bears set into the panels.

Kallian could barely help as she was pulled away into the mansion through a side door by the armed and armoured men while Shianni was forced to walk through the main door with Vaughan's tight grip on her arms, the side door leading to a small room with a heavy lock set on one side of the door; The Guards along with Vaughan's rat-faced compatriot opened the door to reveal a small room with only a set of three cots each barely big enough for an adult to lay in.

"You girls will stay here; chose a cot and wait for each man to come for you" Rat-Face spoke with his snivelling voice; with a closer look at the man Kallian noted that he was short, fraying hair and hunched over like he spent a great deal of time bowed in service; her thoughts being that this man was a true rat in human form.

Kallian eyed the Dagger hanging from Rat-Face's belt; seizing the weapon wouldn't be hard but the two tall Guards would cut her down before she ever got the chance to use the weapon much less seize it for herself, opting to bide her time as The Guards watched her with suspicious eyes.

"Guards… leave me with the girls for now; have a mead on me" Rat-Face spoke and The Guard's surprisingly obeyed; both armoured men leaving and closing the door, Kallian thought that Rat-Face may have some command and authority over the soldiers than she initially thought.

"Now then… I think I'll let The Guards have their way with the Bride later… they'll want to ravage you one by one; I think I'll take you!" Rat-Face spoke with a hauntingly sickening smile as he spoke to Kallian as he foreshadowed how The Guards would assault her when their turn came, his claw-like hands grabbing one of the Elf Girls: a petite woman with a short bob of dark hair and dressed in farmer's smocks from working in vegetable fields.

Spotting her chance to take a weapon; Kallian rushed in and seized the handle of the Dagger on Rat-Face's belt, lifting the blade but not without the man realising what the Elf was doing in stealing his only weapon.

"Hey! What the fuck do you think you're doing…" Rat-Face began to speak as he released his grip of the girl only for his words to be cut off as Kallian drew the blade from its sheath and thrust the short Dagger into Rat-Face's throat.

Rat-Face gargled loudly as Kallian drove the Dagger into his throat; a mixture of blood and saliva bled from between his gums only to flow down not only his clothes but also Kallian's pure white dress.

"Lady Bride… what have you done? You killed a man" spoke one of the girls: a young woman with sleek black hair and dressed in a simple frock but with the apron of a florist, she and Kallian barely knew each other but she'd likely only attended the Wedding Ceremony due to her being a close friend of Nelaros.

"I did what had to be done" Kallian stated without remorse; pulling the Dagger free from Rat-Face's neck as blood poured from the now-open wound and spreading across the floor in streams, testing the weapon in her hand Kallian found the Dagger to be slightly unbalanced in her hand but it would do until she found something better.

The girls sat silently though their shared grey eyes stared at Kallian with fear and anxiety upon witnessing a swift and cold-blooded murder at the hands of one of their very own people, it was a long standing rule that City Elves should never raise a hand in violence against a Human on the punishment of public flogging or execution .

"We need to leave now" Kallian spoke with resolve; her plan to leave The Mansion and kill anybody who stood in her way while ignoring the laws and consequences of her actions, the two Elf Girls glancing to each other before nodding and rising to their feet before following Kallian out into the winding hallways of The Mansion.

Each room looked the same as they dashed from room to room; every chamber containing little more than rich carpets, tapestries, or portraits, the three Elves running into the Foyer after pushing open a door and rushing in only to be met by Vaughan's two friends from when he'd came to The Alienage.

"Shit…" Kallian muttered as the two friends of Vaughan glared at them; both had their helmets removed revealing that both men not only had the same slicked-back hair but wore rich finely-woven clothes and Daggers at their hips.

"Well… it appears the little Bride-to-be has taken a life" The First Guard spoke; his tone amused as Kallian had given him ample reason to cut her down for her crime though the perverse glint in his eyes told her of his intentions.

"And doesn't the rules state that any Elf that harms a Human mut face punishment fitting the crime" The Second Guard answered; the same perverse look shining in his eyes that peered through a helmet's slit until meeting Kallian's gaze.

"Touch a hair on me and you'll meet Rat-Face's fate" Kallian snapped; holding up the weapon she'd stolen though her supposed murder proved void as Rat-Face stirred and groaned in pain as blood seeped from his wounds, her mind racing with thoughts on how to dispatch the two guards and make the next step to escaping The Arl's Mansion.

"Rat-Face?! I wish I'd thought of that name for the little bugger" The First Guard spoke up; removing his helmet from his head revealing his bald scalp etched with a tattoo of a series x's likely a counter of kills he'd claimed.

"I admit that's pretty good nickname… a pity we'll never thought of it" The Second Guard answered again; his hand resting on his weapon before slowly beginning to draw the blade only halting as his eyes widened upon observing Kallian's chosen actions.

Kallian raised her unarmed hand to the two Girls cowering in fear behind her; indicating for them to step back while she fought the two Men standing between them and freedom, the Dagger in her hand quivering not with fear or excitement but a feeling she had no name for.

"If you think you'll be free after getting past us then you are sorely mistaken; there are Guards placed not only at the Gates but also at The Alienage preventing any help from the fellow knife-ears" The First Guard scoffed; barely holding back his laughter as an Elf dared to raise a weapon of rebellion against her human captors.

Gritting her teeth as Kallian knew they were right; they'd never get back to The Alienage in one piece as all it would take to end them is a single blow from any weapon and by the looks of the curved-bladed Daggers the two Men carried were of greatly higher quality than the heavy unbalanced Dagger she'd stolen.

The two Men laughed through gritted smiling teeth, the one of the left stepping towards Kallian and the Girls just as the other Man fell to the floor with an Arrow sticking out the back of his unprotected head; clearly dead.

"What the fuck?!" The Second Guard shouted; spinning on the spot just as he caught sight of an equally tall but very thin Elf rushing towards him with a Short-sword in-hand; the blade sinking into her chest and sliding between his ribs to pierce his vitals, gasping in the pain before the blade was pulled back out leaving him to die where he stood.

Over the two men stood to Elf Men, one tall and thin with the Sword while the other lowered his Bow as he clutched his chest in pain from a recently inflicted wound that still seeped blood into the man's clothes.

"Soris?! Nelaros! I thought you were dead!" Kallian spoke with disbelief; flinging herself into Nelaros' arms for the two shared a brief embrace before realising that there would be a time and place for them later, pulling back and noticing that Nelaros' wound from earlier had been bound up but only the bleeding had stopped and he'd not had the time to heal.

"We came to rescue you and the other girls as soon as we could, Valendrian gave us these weapons to get past any Guards we might have to fight… I'm not keen on the idea of fighting but if I can impress one of these girls then I'll happily do it" Soris explained in a hurried tone of voice, though he felt his explanation unnecessary as Kallian went straight for her groom rather than her brother before in turn; hugging her brother.

Kallian gave a brief smile; she'd known Soris as a kind and compassionate older brother and he'd had no luck in finding any kind of romantic partner, even arranged marriages for Soris hadn't worked out as the girls would either be interested in someone else or they'd just reject him on their first meeting.

Her train of thought brought to a halt as a familiar face dressed in full Chainmail Armour and brandishing a Steel Longsword stomped into the hallway with his weapon drawn, his cold eyes staring down from the slits in his helmet as his tongue licked at his lips as prey stood before him, "So you filthy knife-ears revolted after all… I'm going to enjoy peeling that blood-soaked rag off you before I kill you"

Kallian knew that the Dagger she had stolen would do little against a man decked out in such strong Armour and his weapon had greatly more reach than her own, her thoughts halted as The Guard charged her with his Steel Longsword held aloft just as Nelaros raised his own Short-sword: forged of Grey Iron to guard against his attack; the two blades sparking as metal clashed against metal but The Guard proved stronger and pushed Nelaros aside.

Soris stood to one side of the room with a Bow held up and an Arrow nocked; firing the shot but the arrow merely struck the solid plate protecting his chest, "Fuck… thought that would work if I hit the chain-links".

Kallian stood to the other side of the room; her eyes carefully searching for any weakness in his armour, watching as The Guard tried to bring his sword down on top of Soris but only slashing through his bow and cleaving the weapon into useless pieces of wood.

"Ha! Pathetic!" The Guard jeered in his gruff voice; winding his arm back before punching Soris hard with an armoured fist, Soris crashing to the floor clutching his injured face only to then scream in pain as The Guard lifted his Longsword and thrust it down into Soris' stomach and impaling him just enough to cause him pain but not enough for a cause of death.

Kallian grimaced in fury as Soris was injured but then saw a weakness; as The Guard tortured Soris the back of his helmet lifted up and exposed the back of his neck, taking a nimble step forwards with her Dagger held at the ready to strike only for The Guard to turn his head and spot her coming before she could plunge the weapon into any of his exposed joints; one hand letting go of his weapon and striking Kallian to the hard floor with a backhanded slap but with his gauntlets his strike would hit much harder leaving a red welt on her face.

"You little bitch! you're not going to kill me that easily!" The Guard yelled so loudly that anybody who heard would come running within seconds, his Longsword raised high to inflict a finishing blow but the positioning was to cleave Kallian in half by head to toe, The Guard grinning maliciously as his blade came down on top of the defenceless Kallian; screaming in fear of being killed by this Man moments before a figure pushed her aside and took the strike.

Kallian's saviour screamed loudly as the Longsword tore through his body with such force that he crimpled under the weight of the blow; his blood pouring not only from his chest wound but also the fatal blow that nearly cleaving Nelaros in two.

"Nelaros!" Kallian yelled as she helplessly watched The Guard slash through Nelaros' body; the splash of blood as her Groom was nearly cut into two, his body crashing to the floor and instantly began bleeding out on top of a finely woven carpet.

"Fuck… Vaughan will have my head once he spot's this mess" The Guard spoke to himself; glancing at the blood covering the floor after his attack on Nelaros, having gotten overexcited by killing an Elf even if he was still barely breathing and bleeding out.

"Forget him… you have me to worry about!" spoke a voice from behind The Guard's head as his helmet was suddenly pulled to one side and a flash of metal before a stabbing pain in his eye rang through his nervous system, Kallian had rushed behind him and stabbed him in the left eye during his moment of distraction.

"FUCKING BITCH!" The Guard yelled while swinging his Longsword wildly while Kallian leapt off him and grabbed the broken stub of Nelaros' own Longsword only to charge in and drive the broken weapon into the chain-links of The Guard's Chainmail, the stub of the blade slicing through the links as it produced a trickle of red blood from her foe.

Dropping his own Longsword and grabbing the Dagger in his eye; screaming an endless string of curses and racial slurs towards The Elf as The Guard pulled the Dagger from his eye causing blood to pour from the wound and blind his other eye, pulling off his helmet to wipe the blood away seconds before realising his error, Kallian ran in and took up The Guard's very own weapon with both hands before bringing it in a twisting slashing motion and slashing The Guard's head in two from his left cheek to his right ear.

The Guard was dead before he ever hit the floor while Kallian rushed to Nelaros' side after having abandoned the Longsword and the Dagger on the floor; thankfully he was still breathing but barely for her Husband-to-be only had a few moments of life left in him, "Nelaros… please speak to me".

"Kallian… will you stay…" Nelaros forced himself to speak with a strained voice; his clothes soaked with his blood as not only had his chest wound reopened but his new wounds gushed his blood endlessly bringing about an end to his life.

"By your side until the end… of course I will" Kallian spoke softly; the vengeance in her heart briefly quelled by sadness for what should have been her wedding night but instead she was fighting for her life against men who saw her people as nothing more than toys to be used, broken and tossed aside.

Nelaros smiled as he felt Kallian's warm lap under his head, her soft hands holding his as his life seeped away; his smile remaining on his face as he tried to lift his head up to share their wedding day kiss before he died, Kallian lowering her as their lips met for the first and last time as Nelaros died.

"Sister… we must leave" Soris spoke with strained words; laying on the floor clutching a bleeding wound to his stomach; Kallian knew his wound was not life-threatening but her coldness towards him struck his heart harder than any blade could.

"Not without Shianni… that bastard will pay for every drop of blood shed by my people" Kallian spoke; setting Nelaros' body down to the cold, damp floor with care before taking up The Guard's steel Longsword along with the Dagger taken from Rat-Face and marching over to the end of the hallway and trying the handle of the door only to find it locked from the opposing side, not wishing to waste time picking the lock; Kallian lifted her right leg up and kicked the door in with all of her might.

The door bursting out as Kallian kicked the lock twice with all of her strength opening the way to Vaughan's Bedchamber but the sight she walked into both horrified and infuriated her, standing over a kneeling Shianni was Vaughan who stood shirtless and his trousers open with his erect genitals exposed.

"Cousin… I'm sorry" Shianni spluttered her words as if she had been eating something disgusting; her face bearing a red mark from being violently struck while her dress had been ripped open to expose her own breasts but Kallian spied a slight trickle of blood from where her soft skin had been cut with the knife used to tear her dress.

"Don't be sorry… this scum will soon pay for what he's done to the Elves" Kallian spoke; her ruby-red-painted lips curled with a smile ignoring the blood dripping from her cheek or the blood that stained her once beautiful wedding dress to the point that the floral patterns were no longer visible.

"You think you can make me pay? You Elves make me laugh… you must realise you're not going to leave his mansion alive" Vaughan spoke; the grin on his face leaving nothing to the imagination as to what he'd forced Shianni into doing for him.

"I don't care! I'm not going to let you abuse my family or friends any longer!" Kallian spoke with a clear resolve to kill Vaughan in her voice; her hands tightening around the Longsword and Dagger, her eyes spying Vaughan's own Sword laying within his arm's reach: a sword with a straight laced blade for cutting down foes with ease.

"Tell you what… I'll let the rest of these knife-ears go free… on the condition that you: the beautiful blood-stained bride that you are lay with me and my men tonight, it'll be the greatest night of your meagre life" Vaughan grinned as he made his disgusting offer; grinning a fraction wider as regardless of her choice to accept or deny she'd still be executed for killing the Humans in The Arl's own home.

Kallian sneered at The Noble before her expression softened like she was about to accept his offer bit instead swiftly lowered the Longsword she'd taken from The Guard: the very weapon that had not only injured her Brother and Husband-to-be but had also ended Nelaros' life moments ago, she took pleasure in the sudden pained expression on Vaughan's face when she brought the sword down.

Vaughan grinned a pleased grin as it appeared Kallian was going to accept his offer when he felt a sudden hot wetness around his groin; looking down at his groin just as the blade of that Longsword sliced through his phallic appendage, his eyes spotting his prized body-part fall to the floor severed from his body.

"YOU BITCH!" Vaughan screamed at the top of his lungs as he seized the jewelled Longsword he kept within his arm's reach; slashing at Kallian instantly and tossing aside the scabbard only for Kallian to easily duck under the slashing motion and drive her dagger into his forefront right leg.

Screaming in pain so loudly that more Guards would likely come running upon hearing such bloodcurdling sounds; Vaughan himself lifting his blade once more in an attempt to drive it straight through Kallian as she fought, abandoning the Dagger in The Noble's thigh though unluckily had missed his artery to backstep away and take back up the Longsword she'd stolen.

"How the fuck are you able to move like that?" Vaughan screamed with rage and pain; pulling the dagger from his leg and tossing it away to clatter across the floor and out of sight, blood flowed from his wounds and soaked through the legs of his trousers.

"Because your crimes against my people made me stronger… asshole" Kallian spoke back with a tone of enjoyment as she watched Vaughan bleed; raising the stolen blade over her head before driving it down into Vaughan's chest cavity with such force that the blade's tip protruded out from his back.

Vaughan's eyes staring unseeingly at Kallian as the light of life faded from his eyes; his body slumping to one side with only the soft sound of his body hitting the floor followed by the clang of the steel weapons clattering against the floor.

"Cousin… what have you done?" Shianni finally spoke with a trembling voice after witnessing the brutal assault and murder of her captor; unsure of what to feel as she stared at Kallian: the woman and family member she loved now standing in a torn and blood-soaked wedding dress with her bloody weapons laying across the floor.

"What have I done? I just saved us! Our dignity has been spared! This pompous bastard and his friends were going to rape us and then pass us around like dolls amongst the Guards! I wasn't going to let that happen!" Kallian spoke in a raised tone; her disbelief in Shianni's own disbelief in that Kallian had committed serious crimes for she looked to her blood-soaked Cousin like she was seeing her for the very last time.

"But… you'll be executed for this; he was The Arl's Son… you cannot just kill him" Shianni stuttered as she spoke; her voice wrought with fear from her Cousin's fate now that she'd committed serious crimes against Humans.

"It's a little late to worry about that now Shianni, what is done is done" Kallian spoke without remorse for her actions, having killed three men while witnessed the deaths of two other men; her hands free of any weapons as she beckoned for Shianni to join her in the escape attempt.

At that moment the door swung open as Guards rushed into the bedchamber led by a tall yet imposing Knight donning shiny Plate Armour with cold leering eyes peering out from a helmet; his eyes and expression gave away a no nonsense attitude, "Guards; arrest the Elf stained in blood and arrest all the others while you're at it too".

Kallian barely flinched as The Guards came over and clasped her wrists in iron shackles; having already released her weapons and killed the man she desired to kill most, allowing herself to be arrested seemed a small price to pay to prevent the mental and physical scarring that her fellow Elves would have endured.

As she was marched out; Kallian spotted Shianni, and the other two Elves whose names she'd forgotten in adrenaline of combat all being given thin blankets to cover up their exposed bodies as they were taken to their holding cells to await judgement while she remained in his blood-soaked Wedding Dress only now did she notice the rips and tears in the dress that left her right leg exposed to the eye.

An hour passed before Kallian saw the red and orange streaked skies of Denerim again; having been put into a carriage with five counts of violence against Humans and murder charged against her and an automatic sentence of public execution, she feared dying but her desired future of becoming Nelaros' Wife and Mother to their children was long gone and thus embraced her fate.

"Elf Kallian Tabris; you stand accused and found guilty of the murder of Lord Vaughan Kendells, a Guard of Denerim of whom was under Lord Vaughan's employ and a retainer to the aforementioned Lord, the punishment for these dire crimes is execution! Do you have anything else to add to your sentence?" The Guard Captain shouted at the top of his lungs; gesturing with his left arm to Kallian as she knelt before her judge and soon-to-be executioner.

"Yes; I do… I alone carried out these crimes and the others are entirely innocent; they should be released" Kallian spoke to an awestruck crowd of onlookers; ignoring their shouts of abuse while she knelt at the centre of the platform while eyeing The Guard Captain now that his helmet was removed, taking in his features of his strong jawline and thinly cropped black hair except for two bangs of black hair that hung over his face.

"You say you acted alone and the evidence proves your words to be true! In light of your confession the Elves named Shianni, Nessa and Alicia will be pardoned" The Guard Captain glanced down at Kallian as she sat knelt down and covered in blood while all the other Elves were either in damaged clothes or had wounds reflecting how they'd been treated but none showed the signs of bloody battle like Kallian did, "Very well; the aforementioned Elves will be released while you alone shall face punishment, may The Maker have mercy on your damned soul"

Just as The Guard Captain drew his own Steel Longsword and raised the blade to take Kallian's head off from her shoulders at the neck just as a voice rang out from across the jeering and slur-chanting crowd gathered that silenced all as a familiar bald man in armour walked through the crowd as easily as a pickpocket.

"Forgive my intrusion but I may have a solution for this matter" spoke Ser Claude; his voice resounding as a voice of reason as the crowd parted at this sudden turn of events, whispers rang out across the crowd regarding the sudden appearance of a Grey Warden for most did not know one was present within their walls.

"Ser Claude… you are still here? fine then… I will at least hear you out Warden" The Guard Captain spoke with surprise in his voice; having dealt with The Grey Warden a few hours prior to Kallian's arrest, his hands tightening on his weapon rather than removing the blade from the delayed execution.

"Allow me to conscript the girl; I walk away with a recruit from The Alienage and another from The Backstreets, and then this girl is no longer a concern for Arl Kendells or a citizen of Denerim" Ser Claude wasted no time in making his proposal; speaking to take Kallian and make her a Warden in place of execution for he'd been ordered to at least bring a recruit from both The City and The Alienage.

"Rumour tells that not all recruits survive the journey to becoming a Grey Warden… The Arl will have my arse on a silver platter for this but I'll allow it, take this knife-ear out of my city before sunrise or I'll take her head and mount it above The Alienage for all to see" The Guard Captain raised an armoured hand to his unshaven chin; opening considering the notion as the crowd of people watched and chanting a call for death and to see the Elf's blood be spilled only to return his weapon to its scabbard on his back with the order to release Kallian to The Grey Warden.

Another Guard stared shockingly at The Guard Captain before taking the key and unlocking Kallian's shackles and releasing her while the crowd dissipated with clear dissatisfaction in the last of any death or punishment, Kallian herself rising back to her feet while rubbing her wrists to get her blood flowing back into her numb fingers.

"My thanks Guard Captain; we shall leave with post haste" Ser Claude spoke; already beginning to walk towards Kallian to take her away before anything more could occur.

"May I please see my family before I leave?" Kallian spoke as she lifted her head; glancing again at her saviour before turning to The Guard Captain and posing her question, she knew she was asking for a lot given her crimes but she hoped that The Captain might be a better person that the other Humans she'd crossed paths with.

The Guard Captain looked down at The Elf as if she'd just asked for freedom from her crimes as well as exception from judgement; his nose wrinkling like he just smelled something foul, "No! You leave with The Warden immediately! If not for Ser Claude I would cut your head off and feed the rest of you to dogs but you'll do better as fodder for Darkspawn".

Looking behind her upon descending the execution stand and into the empty Marketplace Kallian heard the voices calling her name; Kallian spotted not only Shianni, but the two Elf Girls she'd also saved standing with shackles as they were being returned to The Alienage while Cyrion and Valendrian stood under the portcullis.

"Make it quick girl; we have to leave" Ser Claude spoke; his back turned to Kallian but still knew her people were calling out to her.

"Thank you Ser" Kallian spoke before running to the portcullis as fast as the torn and dry blood-caked wedding dress having not been allowed to change to prove her guilt to the crowd prior to what had been supposed to be her execution, tears beading under her eyes as her hands met the beckoning hands of her Father and The Alienage Elder.

"My daughter… I thought I might never see or hold you again" Cyrion spoke with care; his voice sounding with comforted relief upon seeing his daughter alive and spared from a grim public execution.

"Kallian… there is nothing I can say that will bring you any comfort but wish you the best as you travel to Ostagar" Valendrian spoke softly; his hands clasped around Kallian's right hand only to slip a woven bracelet onto her wrist as something to remember from her home.

"I'm sorry… I may have to leave forever but I'll always remember you all" Kallian spoke with haste; blinking the tears out from her eyes only for the tears to roll down her cheeks.

"I cannot condone that acts you have committed at The Arl's Mansion but I do think you acted for the right reasons in saving the dignity of those girls but what happened to Soris?" Cyrion spoke; his hands tensing with disapproval of the deaths his only daughter reaped but he remained thankful that the innocence of not only Shianni but also the other girls remained safe.

"Wait… Soris didn't return? But he was alive after the battle with that Guard" Kallian stuttered at the fact that her missing brother had not been found, her mind worrying while he heart dreaded even more loss.

"Kallian; we must leave now" Ser Claude spoke; his gloved hand pressing on her shoulders about to pull her away as Guards were watching their every move.

"Can you not spare another minute Claude? For a friend?" Valendrian spoke with a begging voice; his old eyes wide with need for just a few more seconds before watching Kallian leave forever.

"No; if the girl values her life as well as your own then we must leave now" Ser Claude spoke back; giving Valendrian a stare that silently spoke that he'd like to delay their departure but could not if he was to keep Kallian alive to undergo The Joining.

Kallian held back her tears; her rage towards Humans blanketed by the sadness of possibly never seeing her friends or family again, the disappearance of Soris dwelling on her mind as well as the image of Nelaros as a lifeless corpse in her lap, each step she took away from the portcullis felt like she had walked a thousand miles in single step until climbing into a horse-drawn wagon where Ser Claude sat in the driver's seat and a second man sat in the wagon itself; a thick travelling cloak sat unused on each side meant to cover up the passengers from the cold.

Taking one last look at The Marketplace as she sat in the horse-drawn wagon; barely able to catch a sight before a tomato struck her in the face, juices dripped from her once beautiful hair as she glanced to the source of the tossed produce only to spot her former employer The Butcher and his Mother glaring at her.

"I told you the knife-ear was no good… the little bitch is a criminal" The Old Woman screeched; an expression of glee on her old wrinkled face as her biased thoughts on Kallian had been proven right by her crimes.

"You were right Mother… I hope the dirty tramp dies from the cold" The Butcher spoke as he glared at Kallian while she was carted away; their eyes meeting for a moment, his expression one of regret for ever employing her much less his more private intimate thoughts on his mopping girl.

Kallian didn't think her heart could sink any lower than it already had; having lost her Groom, lost the trust of her employer and her close friends as she'd killed with ruthless abandon, barely given a chance to say goodbye to her Father or even Valendrian for all the good graces he'd given her while growing up.

"Worry not girlie; it's only a few days journey so you'll have plenty of time to move past your troubles" spoke the man riding in the same wagon; his thick, wavy brown hair coupled with his leather coat over a shirt and breeches gave him the look of a street bandit.

"Shut up Human… do not speak to me" Kallian snapped back; shooting the man with a hostile expression that instantly shut the man up; even unarmed she still radiated a grudge that would not be soon quelled.

Ser Claude glanced over his shoulder as Kallian threatened the man sat across from her; worried if either the thief or himself were safe from this Elf's wraith during the nights of their travel to Ostagar.

Author's Note: Truth be told I enjoyed writing Kallian's slaying of Vaughan a little too much but I'd like to say that her blood-stained wedding dress was inspired by the iconic prom scene from Stephen King's Carrie, with each kill she'd stained with more blood much like the pig's blood drenched Carrie herself.