The Other Couslin
Chapter 3
I do not own Dragon Age or any of the character unfortunatly. Please let me know if you are enjoying the story.
We rode the rest of the night and through the first day, stopping only to let the horses and hounds rest. I had finally stopped crying and could barely speak. Not that I had anything to say at this point. Aedan kept shooting me worried glances and kept close by. I could tell he was hurting but where I wore my emotions on my sleeve Aedan kept things bottled up and took out his emotions on the practice field.
My stomach was growling and I was exhausted mentally and physically and when we finally stopped it was getting dark again. I was not use to traveling on horseback for so long but the aches and pains in my body was pale in comparrison to my heart. My mind had not fully processed everything and truthfully at this point I was feeling numb. Aedan helped me down from Lady and my legs buckled alittle.
I used Lady to steady myself as Aedan stood there watching me with concern. I had been too sheltered. Father had taken Aedan and Fergus on hunting trips where they would be gone for up to a week out in the wilderness. While Aedan was learning to survive I was learning ettiquite and how to sing and dance. What good did that do me now? I felt useless and suddenly angry. Angry at myself, angry at Howe, angry at my mother.
"It's going to be ok" Aedan said hugging me "We still have each other and Fergus is marching to Ostagar just like us. We will find him and make Howe pay for what he did, I promise".
"What's going to happen when we get to Ostagar?" I forced the words from my sore throat.
"Your brother is going to join the Grey Wardens and help defeat the darkspawn" Duncan said walking up to us. I furrowed my brow not believing what he was saying.
"No" I rasped. Duncan looked at me like I was crazy. "I lost, my parents, nephew, sister-in-law, Nan, and my Rory" my voice cracked on his name but I straightned my shoulders and threw back my tangled hair. "You will not take my brother too". My voice became strong and firm, I would not lose Aedan the way I lost the rest of those I loved.
"Little sister, this is what I was born to do, I'm a warrior. What kind of warrior would I be if I didn't fight for those dearest to me" he smiled sadly. He already failed to protect some of them.
"I don't want to lose you too!" my voice was rising. "Haven't we lost enough Aedan!"
"You wont lose me, I promise" he hugged me so tighlty I could barely breathe.
"Don't worry child, there are more Grey Wardens than just myself, there is a whole group awaiting us." Duncan put his hand gently on my shoulder. I took a deep breath and calmed down. Sundance began pawing at my leg and headbutting my hand. I knelt down and hugged the huge dog letting her lick my face and the tears that I shed. Scamp came up to me too and nuzzled me as well.
"We will camp here for the night, Aedan I have tents and food in the saddlebags if you can help me make camp. Adara, if you could get water from the stream at the edge of the treeline your brother and I will do the rest." Duncan turned to leave when I spoke up.
"I can cook as well.." I said quietly, "Nan taught me to cook." Duncan smiled kindly at me.
"Thank you child, I know you and your brother have been through a lot, but I can see you are both strong."
"I am not a child.." the words left my mouth without me even thinking. Duncan chuckled slightly.
"You're right, you are not a child, forgive me my lady" with those words he bowed slightly and turned and walked away. Aedan smiled proudly at me and gave me one last hug.
"As long as we are together we will survive. Father would be so proud of you, I know I am and Duncan is right, you are strong sister." He ruffled my already messy hair "together?" He asked holding his hand out to me.
"Together" I went to grab his hand but he grabbed my forearm like he would a fellow warrior. I smiled and we both got to work.
It felt good to be doing something useful. I gathered water from the stream and began pulling out what I needed to make dinner. Aedan and Duncan worked well together getting the camp set up in no time. I roasted some ham over the fire and we had hot ham on bread with cheese. It wasn't a big meal but it tasted wonderful after not eating all day.
I yawned exhausted and Aedan shooed Sundance and I off to my tent. I stripped down to my shift and climbed into my bedroll. The ground was hard but my bedroll was soft. Sundance curled up next to me with her massive head on my hip. Soon I was warm and quickly drifted off to sleep.
"Aunt Adara help me!" Oren screamed but I couldn't find him, fog so thick that I couldn't see surrounded me.
"Oren where are you!" I screamed, running this way and that looking for my beloved nephew. All I saw was fog.
"Auntie, they are hurting me! Why aren't you helping me!" I was panting, running as hard as I could toward his little voice. His terrified scream ripped my heart out. The fog parted and I saw him lying on the ground, his throat slit and blood flooding out. I ran to him trying to stop the blood, sobbing brokenly.
"Oren, no!" his eyes looked up at me, he was gasping for air and then he stopped breathing, the life draining from him. I craddled him in my arms. My sweet little Oren, why, who would hurt such an innocent child.
"Adara where are you?!" No... not her too.
"Nan! Nan you have to run!" I jumped up and ran not knowing if I was going in the right direction.
"They are everywhere! Help me child! I can't fight them off!" Nan sounded so scared. Her gargling scream filled the air. Then there she was in front of me, eyes frozen in fear.
"No... Nan..." I didn't even get a chance to close her eyes before another voice tore through the air.
"Little Flame, you must leave us!" I turned as the fog cleared and I saw my parents on the floor clinging tightly to one another. I shook my head and fell to my knees infront of them.
"We can all make it out Father! Let me bind your wound and Mother and I can steady you as you walk. The exit is right behind you!" I began tearing strips from my skirt in preparation.
"No child, you must leave or you will die too. Your Father is too gravely injured. I will stay with him until the end, but you must go." Mother pushed me away and then wrapped her arms around my Father lovingly.
"I'm so sorry it's come to this my love.." My Father groaned in pain.
"We've had a good life, it's up to our children now..." Her voice drifted away as the fog covered them both and I staggered away as the sounds of their pained cries echoed around me. I looked down and Father's blood was still coating my hands. I felt so lost and helpless, I didn't know where to go. I stumbled blindly trying to find a way out. The echoes of screams of fear and pain was all around me, all I could do was cover my ears.
"Please stop!" I screamed into the endless fog around me.
"My love! They are storming the castle you must get out!" My head jerked up and terror filled my whole body. Not my Rory!
"Rory! I'm coming!" I ran as hard as I could, I couldn't lose Rory, I couldn't.
"Run my love! Don't let them get you!" I could hear metal clanging close by, so close. The fog once again parted and my hands flew to my mouth as I saw Rory fighting for his life. There were 6 shadowy soldiers fighting against him. I could tell he was exhausted and he was wounded. Blood poured from his stomach and arms. A scream tore from my throat as one of the shadowy figures impaled him. His face twisted in agony and his eyes met mine. "No.. my love you must.." blood trailed out of his mouth and his eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed on the ground.
All at once the shadowy soldiers parted and Howe stood there smiling. He walked towards me and began laughing like he had gone mad.
"It's your turn my dear..." I stood frozen in terror as he reached for my throat...
"Noooooo!" I sat up quickly heaving. The bile rose in my throat as I got up and ran blindly out of my tent and threw up. My whole body was shaking and I fell to my knees not able to stand anymore.
"Adara, are you ok?" Aedan walked slowly up to me, making sure I knew it was him. The dying embers of the fire barely illumanating his face.
"A nightmare" that was all I could say. He knelt down and gently rubbed my back and handed me a skin of water.
"Rinse your mouth out then sip slowly" I did as he instructed feeling myself calm down.
"It was so real, like I was back at the castle and reliving what happened." I said so softly I was surprised he heard me. He didn't say anything just stayed with me.
"It was horrible..." He trailed off looking out into the darkness. "Howe will pay." I looked up at my brother and knew without a doubt that he would indeed make Howe pay. I knew my brother better than anyone and knew he would be the one to bring Howe to justice. The look on his face would strike fear into the hearts of his enemies.
"Here, drink this" Duncan materialized out of nowhere and I jumped slightly. "It will help you sleep without dreaming"
"Thank you" I smiled grateful and drank the draught as fast as possible trying to avoid the bitter taste.
"Now let's all get some sleep, the journey to Ostagar is not quick or easy. You will need you strength." He turned and walked back to his tent. Aedan hugged me once more as he too went back to his tent, leaving Sundance and I standing near the fire. She took her head and pushed me towards my tent, then once inside pawed my legs until I settled back into my bedroll. This time I layed on my back with her head on my stomach. I gently stroked her head until we both fell into a deep dreamless sleep.
The days blurred together as we traveled south towards the Wilds. A few times we stopped at small villages along the way to get supplies and I thanked the Maker Duncan had gotten my things that I packed including gold. When we needed fresh meat Aedan and Scamp would hunt or fish. He really was good at it and apparently, according to my brother and Duncan, I was an excellent cook. Their compliments were bittersweet as they made me think of Nan and all the cooking lessons she had given me.
I missed them all so much. Atleast the grief did not swallow me anymore, it hurts but I was coping. We would travel as far as we could each day, stopping only when neccessary for supplies. Then we would make camp, eat, and when I drifted to sleep the nightmare would consume me and I would wake only to start the whole process over.
Aedan and I didn't speak much, each of us processing what had happened to our home and those we loved in our own ways. Aedan would spar with Duncan, the older man seeming to understand that sparing helped him deal with his pain and anguish and would never complain. My brother would push himself to the point of exhaustion every night before dinner, but never once did he drop his sword. I was so proud of him, he trully was born to be a warrior.
While him and Duncan trained I would cook and mend our clothes just like Nan had taught me. Then after we ate I would sing, this was how I coped. Taking care of my brother and singing away the fear and pain. I would catch Duncan from time to time swiping a wayward tear from his face as I would pour my heart out in a song.
"I think from now on I am going to call you Songbird" Duncan smiled kindly after my little performance. "You are very talented my Lady."
"Thank you" I said bowing my head slightly in embarressment. I had been complimented before by my Mother or passing servants but I always felt they were saying it out of duty or in my Mothers case, proud that I had something to attract suitors.
"You are welcome" He said leaving me alone with Aedan.
We were both quite for a time, each of us lost in thought when my brother broke the silence.
"Im proud of you little sister." Aedan said looping his arm around my shoulder. "You haven't complained about traveling although I know it has been both painful and hard on you. You have thrown yourself into helping us and trying to learn new things. Just look at your hands!" He grabbed my hands and held them palms up. "Mother would be horrified to see these calluses!" He smiled and chuckled sadly. I smiled and chuckled as well thinking of the look of indignation that would be all over our Mothers face.
She would never allow me to do anything too strenuous and would be beside herself seeing me haul heavy buckets of water around or doing manual labor in general. I was her doll to dress up and parade around. She would puff up her chest and brag about my accomplishments as if they were her own.
"Father however would be very proud of the strong woman you are becoming" with those words we hugged each other and cried.
We let it all out for the last time. It was a healing cry, the kind where you feel comforted and safe. I was numb and frozen inside for so long but for the first time in what seemed like forever, I could breathe again. We were still hurting and would miss those we had loved and lost, but we were no longer broken over it.
That night when I fell asleep, the nightmare did not come. Instead, I dreamed of happy times, smiling faces and laughter, of happy squeals of mischief and playful pranks. I dreamt of first kisses and and the happiness of new love. As I awoke from my sleep my heart still ached but it was tinged with bittersweet happy memories.
"Come on sleepy head," Aedan said poking his head in my tent. "Duncan said we should make it to Ostagar by midday." So I packed what I could and gathered more water from the nearby pond to fill our skins and prepared for the last part of our journey. I didn't know what the future would hold, but with my brother by my side I knew I would be safe and loved.
