Chapter 3
Previously on The Man Who Stopped The Blight...
As the roar of the helicopter faded into the distance, the three outlanders kept their eyes trained on the tree-line ahead of them. Pequod had assured them he only signs of life nearby were various small animals, but this was still uncharted territory, literally.
After a few moments of silently staring down the trees, Big Boss quietly said, "Let's move out."
"Good boy, good boy," Big Boss said to DD while gently patting his head with his right hand. An hour after departing the beach, the trio of Diamond Dogs soldiers literally stumbled into a pack of wild wolves. The mere surprise of it had taken Big Boss and Ocelot off guard for barely two seconds, more than enough time for the wolves to notice their presence and prepare to pounce.
Fortunately, the two were prevented from being turned into chew toys when DD valiantly leaped before them and started barking; one dog/wolf hybrid against an entire wolf pack. It wasn't even a fair fight.
The pack was tripping over each other, fleeing in fear of the loyal companion to Big Boss.
"Guess it was a good idea we brought him along," Ocelot said, doing a fantastic job of keeping his momentary off-balance in check. Producing a treat from out of nowhere, he tossed it to DD, who caught it and barked in thanks.
"Let's keep moving," Big Boss said, lifting his MRS to eye-level. "DD," he said, capturing his buddy's attention, "go." He pointed ahead of them.
Understanding the order, DD quickly swallowed what was left of his treat before trotting ahead. After a few seconds of silence, DD's bark was heard, signifying the immediate vicinity was clear. "Let's go then," Ocelot said, drawing one of his trusty Tornado revolvers and flowing closely behind Snake.
The sun was beginning to rise over the distant mountains, bathing the area in a warm orange light and cutting through the morning fog. So focused was he, Big Boss didn't notice how cool it was at night until he felt those early morning rays touch his prosthetic. It was a marvel of engineering, his mechanical arm. Largely powered by his body's natural movement, its supplemental power source was sunlight, giving his arm a warm feeling as it recharged, almost like it was his real one drinking in the solar vitamin D.
The early morning dew gave the grass a shimmering gleam in the sun, not to mention the bonus of preventing their footsteps from being given away by the breaking of dry grass. Being the hardcore soldier that he was, Big Boss wasn't one to stop and admire something simply for its beauty, preferring the dark and shadows to cover his presence, but even he had to admit that the sunrise was a sight to see.
He couldn't help but smile a little in the corner of his mouth, recalling the wild, largely untouched plains of Africa. Memories of him infiltrating camp after camp, outsmarting some of the best PF's the world had to offer, and even the confused and fearful look of someone dangling from a Fulton extraction balloon before shooting up into the lower atmosphere brought a smirk to his face.
Inevitably, those memories led to others. Some good, many bad. He remembered his close brushes with death when facing the Skulls. He remembered the thankful looks in the eyes of the unfortunate children he rescued from the war-torn African region he'd mostly operated in. He remembered the adrenaline pumping, and the fear coursing through him, as he stared down one of Death's emissaries, the Man on Fire.
But perhaps his most treasured memory, one that he would never let himself forget, was the time he spent with Quiet.
Rivals they may have started out as, enemies they may have been forced to meet as for the first time in battle, but eventually comrades they became. Partners who trusted each other with their lives. Partners who, if they'd had the time, might've been something more.
Snake shook his head, trying to escape the bittersweet memories. Quiet was gone; if not dead, then far beyond his reach.
"Hey, Snake," Ocelot said, "you OK?"
"Yeah." He replied. "Just fine."
"Good, because it looks like we're here."
Looking ahead, Snake saw what he was referring to: a large stone wall stretching for miles in either direction, and a metal gate leading within, just past the tree line and across a large open field. Tactically sound, Big Boss thought to himself. The open field prevents any large force from sneaking up on the gate.
"Let's go." He said, about to move when he abruptly stopped. His sense for danger, honed after years of service for his country, and then under the true Big Boss, and then as Big Boss himself, was on edge, warning him of a threat he couldn't see, but was most assuredly there. Every single time he'd listen to this sense, he was given just a second or two to act before something happened, usually an alarm about to be tripped or a Skull soldier about to decapitate him with one of their machetes.
Something wasn't right.
Spinning around, time seemed to slow down to Big Boss as he brought his MRS up to eye level and scanned the area in front of him. With barely a second to think, all Big Boss' mind registered was the dark figure standing out among the early morning light. Pulling the trigger, time sped up as several shots left the suppressed barrel of his assault rifle and impacted their target.
Ocelot and DD, shocked by their leader's sudden action, turned in the direction he was aiming, Ocelot bringing up his Tornado and DD growling and preparing to pounce, when they saw it.
Standing before them was perhaps one of the most disgusting creatures all three of them had ever laid eyes on. Roughly the size and height of a man, the creature before them might've once been a human, but any semblance of that individual must've been lost long ago. Its skin was disgustingly pale and had various cancer-looking growths in parts of its exposed skin; its lips were missing, revealing two rows of jagged teeth; its eyes dull and white and filled with hate, and a strange black liquid was bleeding out of its eyes and mouth.
Big Boss didn't know how he kept his stomach contents down, but he was proud that he managed. The shots he had fired seemed to penetrate the rusted plate armor it wore, he could tell from the black ichor that was leaking out of the bullet holes, but the creature before them either didn't notice or didn't care.
Following his leader's example, Ocelot hip-fired his Tornado-6, causing its head to explode in a shower of bone, brain matter, and black ichor.
With the threat taken care of, the two men, and presumably the dog, stole a breath of relief.
Snake's earpiece crackled, and he heard Miller's panic-tinged voice. "Boss. What. The hell. Was that?"
"You didn't see it?" he replied, absentmindedly checking the miniature video camera situated on the left breast of his uniform to make sure it was on.
"Oh, I saw it. My mind is just refusing to believe it. What the hell kind of world did we get dropped in?"
"Don't know." Ocelot answered for him. "But I think we'll have a better chance of asking the locals rather than speculate ourselves."
"Agreed." Big Boss said. "Keep listening in, Miller," Big Boss ordered, "and have some Intel analysts in the room ready to jot down everything we find. Something tells me that…thing isn't the most surprising thing this world has to offer. We'll try to find someone in charge and probe them for answers."
"You got it Boss. Stay safe."
With that, the line was cut, and the trio hurried to the main gate, leaving the corpse of their first kill to rot in the rising sun.
An average day in the life of Teyrn Bryce Cousland was busy, to say the least. Typically, his day stated with at least a dozen reports on the state of Highever and the surrounding lands before meeting with representatives on the daily affairs of his city. There was always some Chantry zealot demanding that he and his family be more open about their faith, and some freeloader begging for coin for his or her family.
He typically turned those last ones away. Bryce may have been a compassionate and fair man, but that did not mean he couldn't spy a lying addict when they stepped into his home.
And that was all before the afternoon meal. He was lucky to have only twice the amount of work by sunset. But the letter currently in his hand warranted him putting it all off to read.
It was handwritten - or dictated to a scribe, same thing - by the King himself. Apparently, large amounts of darkspawn were seen to the south and Grey Warden intelligence claimed this was the beginnings of a Blight.
Blight; the one word no one wanted to hear, or see happen, in their lifetime. Darkspawn were always a problem, especially for the last dwarven kingdom of Orzammar, but it was a rare sight to see them on the surface. Still, when they were spotted, it was often the last sight for many a careless traveler.
Upon finishing the letter, Bryce Cousland stood up from his desk in his personal study and hurried out. Motioning for one of his guards to follow, he ordered, "Have the Captain of the Guard, the general of the army, and the advisors meet me in the main hall now." The guard saluted and hurried off to fulfill his lord's order's leaving the Teyrn to contemplate his next move on his way.
From his study to the main hall, no one tried to stop him. Those that had been with him long enough, from elf servants to soldiers, knew that look in his eye, one of a man on a mission. And those that were relatively new, they followed their colleagues' example.
Everyone in the room immediately straightened up at the arrival of their lord. Taking his place at the head of the room, Bryce Cousland spoke. "I have just received a letter from the King himself. There appears to be a darkspawn uprising in the south."
That got everybody talking. Bryce allowed them a few moments before speaking again, wordlessly demanding their attention. "According to the King, the Warden-Commander of Ferelden, Duncan, claims that this is merely a precursor to a Blight. The King's army is being deployed to Ostagar and is preparing it as a staging point to combat the bulk of the darkspawn horde. Teyrn Loghain is on his way to join the King with his own men. If he calls for it, Highever is expected to match his support."
He took a breath here to gauge the reaction of the room. As he expected, the main reaction to his announcement was fear. But really, who wouldn't be if they just heard that a Blight was coming to their country? He would be suspicious if there was anyone in the room who wasn't feeling a little anxious. "I want Highever's army ready to deploy within the week."
"It will take at least a day for the message to reach Arl Howe, Your Lordship." One of his advisors said. "And it will take us two weeks at least to mobilize for war. This is rather short notice."
"I understand," he replied, "but this is not simply an Avaar tribe that has decided to pick a fight. These are darkspawn, and this is a potential Blight we have on our hands. Right now, they are isolated to the Wilds in the south. But what happens when they grow bold enough to trespass on our lands? What happens when they taste the blood of our people and decide one village won't be enough? We have a chance to stop them and the king has deemed the reward worth the risk."
"Yes, Your Lordship," the room replied.
Before Bryce could continue, the massive wooden entrance doors were pushed open and in walked one of his city guards; one of the men at the wall he guessed. "Your Lordship," the guard said, saluting him by bringing his fist to his chest, "I apologize for this interruption, but there's been a situation at the front gates that I believed you needed to be informed of."
It was a rare day when one of his guards came into the main hall unannounced and interrupted a meeting of the Teyrn and his advisors. It was for that reason that he asked the guard, "Soldier, what could possibly have happened that would warrant interrupting this war meeting?"
Seeing that he had likely blundered big time, the guard made himself as composed as he could and said, "A little less than an hour ago, two men and a dog approached the front gate requesting entrance. They bore no armor, no visible weapons, and no symbols of allegiance to any of the lords of Ferelden. The guard who accepted them into Highever was then attacked, whereupon they were detained. The guard in charge of the morning shift at the gate is bringing them here, Your Lordship."
Bryce Cousland blinked when he heard that. Foreigners were not that rare a sight in Ferelden, though, considering the history of Fereldens not reacting well to others trying to come in and tell them what to do, they typically tried to keep under the radar.
Addressing the room, Bryce said, "That's all for now, everyone. I want updates to our preparedness level by the end of the day." Once the room was clear, he approached the guard and said, "Describe this trio to me. Where do they hail from? Orlais?"
"I don't think so, Your Lordship. They don't sound Orlesian and they didn't even know that you were the Teyrn of this city."
"What about their dog? You said they had a dog with them. A mabari?"
"That creature was no dog, Your Lordship, it was a demon. The hungry, evil look in its eye; there's no mistaking it."
Bryce feared this man was beginning to descend into hysterics. "What breed was it?" he clarified. "If it wasn't a mabari – oh, never mind." He took a breath then, thinking it wouldn't be fair to take his rising frustration out on the man who was simply doing his job. "Where are they now?"
"Guardsman Dennis is currently escorting them along with half a dozen men from the front gate. He sent me ahead to inform you, Your Lordship."
"Very well. Excellent work, son. Bring them in as soon as they arrive."
With a nod and salute, the guard hurried out to fetch the three visitors, leaving Bryce Cousland alone in the main hall. Or, at least, he thought he was alone. Though he couldn't see them, he knew who it was as soon as they began to approach him. "You know you're the lady of this castle," he said as he felt strong but thin arms wrap around him from behind. "You don't have to sneak around."
"I know I don't," his wife replied, "but seeing you up there, ordering everyone around, it's so…attractive."
"Heh," he turned in her arms to face her, Eleanor Cousland, the love of his life, face to face. "Is that so? As I recall, you're not one for taking orders."
Raising an eyebrow, she smirked and said, "Well, perhaps the right kind of order..."
Bryce knew where conversations like this led, and as much as he would love to say, "sod it all" and retire early with his wife, he couldn't. "Not now, love." He lamented. "There was an incident earlier at the front gate. Two travelers and their dog apparently had some sort of altercation with one of the guards. I need to deal with this before it turns into a problem."
Eleanor nodded, understanding, though privately disappointed her seduction attempts failed. "I can certainly see how morale among the men might go down if you do nothing. Who are these travelers? Are they from the capital?"
"No, actually, they-"
He was interrupted by the tell-tale groaning of the massive wooden doors being pushed inward, signifying their arrival. "This should be them. Come, my love, why don't we greet the rabble?" He held his arm out, upon which she rested her own. The doors opened and in marched a processional of Highever guards, all fully armored and with swords drawn and aimed in the direction of their three guests.
Eleanor wasn't entirely sure what she expected from these travelers her husband mentioned. But considering she had only known about them for a total of ten seconds, one could forgive her for her lack of information. However, never in her wildest dreams would she have pictured what strolled into her home.
Being a native-born Ferelden, her eyes immediately noticed the familiar form of a dog at the two men's sides. However, other than the fact that it was walking on four legs and was sniffing the air, likely getting used to the multitude of new smells, that was where the similarities ended. Where mabari were typically large and well-muscled, befitting a dog of war, this one was on the lean side; not skinny, but not bulky. Also, it was common for a mabari's fur to be somewhere between brown and black. The hair on this one was grey on its back, which faded into white on its underbelly. But perhaps the most eye-catching feature of this canine was, ironically, the eye-patch on its right eye. For a few moments she could've swore she knew what this dog was but couldn't place it, and then it hit her: this wasn't a mabari, it wasn't even a dog, it was a wolf. Somehow these two men had captured and domesticated a grey wolf to the point where it acted like any other dog. No, not like any other dog, one bred and trained for war. It was not a mabari, but she had a suspicion it would not have any trouble holding its own in a fight.
The first of the two men, she noticed, had long blonde hair flowing freely but swept out of the way of his eyes. He wore a large brown overcoat over a similarly colored buttoned-down shirt and a red scarf wrapped around his throat; charcoal pants and knee-high boots completed his look. Two belts were tied in a crisscross over his chest and she swore she saw something glinting underneath his coat. She would've laughed at his impractical clothing if not for the look in his eyes: he was examining her and her husband just as much as she was him. The look in his eyes, something about it reminded her of a predator eyeing up its prey. But not in a way she was used to from less-than-subtle lecherous glances from visiting dignitaries; he was determining if she was a threat.
The third man, the one who led the trio, was perhaps the strangest looking man she had ever seen, even more so than his companion. He had dark brown hair that hung wildly from his head with the back lazily tied in a ponytail and he had the beginnings of a beard growing. His clothes were an odd combination of green and very pale yellow with a black-looking harness tied over his chest and sturdy-looking boots that, unlike his companion's, ended at his ankles with his pants tucked into them and fastened with straps. He also carried several strange looking items on his person; one large one on his back, one hung from his left hip, and one was tucked into his right hip.
But it was three distinct features that really grabbed her attention about him: 1) he was wearing an eyepatch on his right eye, just like his wolf companion, out of some bizarre fashion choice or because they both lost it, she didn't know; 2) sticking out of the right side of his forehead was a black horn, she didn't know how else to describe it, she didn't know what it really was or what it was made out of, but this man had a horn; and 3) his left arm was metal.
Honest to the Maker, this man had a metal left arm.
She would've lingered on that a bit longer had her husband not started speaking. "Greetings, travelers, my name is Bryce Cousland. I am the Teyrn of Highever. This is my wife, Eleanor," he nodded at her. "Now, what's this I hear about you two attacking one of my guards?"
While Big Boss knew that the chances of this op going smoothly were slim, he honestly hoped things would go a lot smoother than the three of them being marched before this city's ruler because DD got a little overzealous. DD was trained, too well it turned out, to first and foremost protect his master, Big Boss, in the field.
Not half an hour ago, the trio had reached the city gates, managing to cross the open field without any problems, a record for them. However, that was as far as their luck held for as soon as they reached the gate, several men in medieval looking armor appeared over the battlements above them, armed with arrows. He honestly would've laughed if not for two things; the possibility that might piss them off to try and fire, and if he remembered how to laugh.
"Halt strangers!" one of them shouted, presumably whomever oversaw deciding who got to be let in. "State your names and intentions for visiting Highever or leave. If you refuse, we will be forced to fire upon you."
"Twenty bucks says they couldn't come close once?" Ocelot whispered to Big Boss. And while he normally would indulge his lieutenant, they didn't have time to waste.
Knowing this, Ocelot stepped forward to speak for them. "Hello!" he called out to the men above them. "We are travelers who are new to these lands. We came here hoping for somewhere safe to rest and find our bearings. Would you mind opening your gate and letting us in?"
"Quite a vague explanation," the guard replied. "And unless I'm mistaken, you didn't mention your names."
"Aren't you the perceptive one," Ocelot muttered. "What do you think Boss? There's no way they can possibly know who we are. Aliases, or real names? Your call."
Taking a breath, Big Boss replied, "My name is Ahab." He wasn't sure why he picked that specific name, given the many codenames he was already affiliated with, but at least this would make it easier for him to naturally reply should someone call him. "This is my friend, Ocelot," to whom he gestured, "and this is DD," who barked at the mention of his name.
"Odd names for odd travelers, eh? I suppose that's appropriate." On some unseen signal the archers put away their bow and arrows and one by one disappeared back behind their wall. "Well, come in, then," the man said, "wouldn't be decent of me to leave you out in the wild after you indulged me."
The metal gate groaned and creaked as it opened, and the Diamond Dog trio went through. Big Boss wasn't sure what he expected from a city in this world, considering all the evidence they had so far told them this world hadn't even mastered electricity yet, never mind building metropolises, so his expectations weren't high.
He was right.
While the city was in better condition than most of the developing nations of the East he had operated in, that was not saying much. The buildings looked well made, out of wood and stone; the people looked relatively healthy; the guards looked and acted disciplined and professional, though this city was by no means impenetrable. He saw no visible signs of advanced infrastructure or sewage grates anywhere and sanitation seemed to be an unknown concept to these people.
His observations were interrupted by the sound of someone approaching. Turning, he recognized the man they spoke with on the wall approaching, two other men on either side of men. "Greetings, travelers. Welcome to Highever."
Ahab was spared having to speak when Ocelot instinctively took the lead. "Thank you for admitting us. We weren't sure where to go from here."
"Ah, I'm sure you two would've been fine. You have that look about you; something as inconvenient as being turned away wouldn't get you down."
"Well, you're not wrong."
"So, what are you two doing in these parts? We're not out of the way, but we don't often get completely random travelers who don't have a clue where they are."
Big Boss began coming up with and discarding twelve scenarios a millisecond in his head as their excuse, and a glance at Ocelot told him he was doing the same thing. Unfortunately, they were prevented from answering with a new arrival.
"Dennis!" the stranger shouts from behind them. Big Boss and Ocelot did not let their surprise show, they're trained too well for that, but DD is not, and he begins to growl menacingly at the newcomer with the hostile aura. Big Boss pets DD, trying to reassure him that this new man isn't going to be a problem, which includes whether he attacks or not.
Approaching them was an abnormally short man dressed in nice clothing, far too nice to wear in the lower-class edge-of-the-city part they were in, rather than the armor of the guard. His cocky attitude told them he expected everyone below him to kiss his feet and the closest thing he had to a weapon was a sheathed dagger strapped to his hip. Big Boss immediately didn't like him.
"Mikael," the guard they now knew was called Dennis said, his voice dripping with exhaustion and contempt for the man, "to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence at our humble gate?"
"You know the rules, Dennis. No admittance to the city without the express permission of the Captain of the Guard. And when the Captain is not present or unavailable for whatever reason, that decision falls to his lieutenant, which, in this instance, is my good self."
"Oh, come on, Mikael, these men have just arrived after traveling all night to find a safe place to rest. Surely they can just hang around here until the Captain arrives and decides?"
"A waste of time, Dennis, when we can simply evict them now. Besides, the Captain is currently in a meeting with the Teyrn. He cannot waste time with trivialities, which is why I am here. Now," he turned to address the trio of strangers, "who in the Fade are you?"
"My name is Ahab. This is my friend Ocelot, and DD. As I was telling Dennis here, we came to your city hoping to rest and resupply for the day while we planned our next move."
"Mmm-hmm, of course. The convenient excuse, well, we can't very well turn you away for that, can we?" The sarcasm in his voice was palpable.
It was at that point that the abnormally clever DD deduced that this man was being a problem for his master. So, as he did so many times when his master had an enemy in a chokehold and was trying to pry information out of them, DD adjusted in a stance that would let him pounce on the man's neck at a moment's notice and started growling, his intimidating fangs glinting in the early morning light.
The well-dressed "guard" named Mikael clearly wasn't as skilled in maintaining his composure as Big Boss or Ocelot was as he almost tripped over himself backing away from DD. His reputation was forever sealed then when several other guards nearby saw and started laughing at the "superior" they all despised being knocked down a few rungs, by a dog of all things.
"Damn mutt! I'll teach you a thing or two about respect!"
Big Boss could understand being angry about being made a fool of in front of your subordinates, but any sympathy he had for the man went out the proverbial window when he drew his dagger and made to approach DD. Now, while he was positive DD would be able to handle him, having taken down much bigger, deadlier men in their time together, the sheer audacity of this scum trying to do something right in front of him was too much. Before Mikael could even get past him or Ocelot, Big Boss made his move.
With a speed only his companions knew he was capable of, Big Boss now held the man's knife in his right hand at the man's throat and his arms twisted behind his back in his left. By the time the guards had drawn their swords in defense of their despised superior, Big Boss could've slit his throat and disarmed half of them with Ocelot taking care of the other half. But he decided that this was bad enough and left it at that.
"As much as I enjoy seeing Mikael humbled Ahab, I'm going to insist you release him now, before you dig yourself and your companions in a deeper hole." Dennis said, not that concerned about Mikael's predicament.
"You damn dirty traveler," Mikael said. "What are you idiots waiting for?! Kill him!"
Several brave-hearted guards stepped forward to try and free their superior, only to back off when DD stepped forward and bared his fangs as his growl wordlessly conveyed his meaning: Back. Off.
Without warning, Big Boss released the man, so suddenly that he tripped over himself and fell flat on his face. Several of the guards couldn't help chuckling at their superior's misfortune, and two stepped forward to help him to his feet. With the front of his suit ruined by dirt and grass, the man's formerly regal appearance was ruined.
After feebly brushing off as much dirt as he could, Mikael tried to compose himself. He knew he had just lost face in front of his lowly subordinates and he needed to remind them who was in charge. "Congratulations, you lowly trash, you just earned yourselves a year in the stocks."
"Actually," Dennis interrupted, "that is not your call."
Mikael was on the verge of exploding at this point, though he was doing a remarkably adequate job of keeping his outside appearance composed. "Excuse me?"
"The Teyrn decides the fate of those who cause problems in Highever, Mikael. And the last time I checked, you're not the Teyrn. We take them to Highever Castle and Teyrn Cousland will judge them. Unless, of course, you'd like to explain to His Lordship why you've circumvented his authority."
From the interesting shade of red Mikael's face was sporting, Big Boss expected steam to be billowing out of the man's nose and ears and a high-pitched shriek to be heard. Logic seemed to win out in Mikael's mind as he turned and stomped off.
Once he was gone, Dennis said, "Alright, I want six men to come with me and escort our guests up to Highever castle. The rest of you, stay at your posts until the next shift comes to relieve you!"
Five minutes later, the entourage was coming up on an impressive-looking medieval castle. Just another piece of evidence in the ever-growing list that they were in another world, not that they were still in the denial phase. Big Boss was a practical and realistic person, denying the facts wasn't a trait of his.
Though, as they crossed the city, several sights did make him begin to question whether he was in a coma of some sort. If the variety of humanoid people in this city was any indication, Diamond Dogs had a lot more to contend with that they thought. Their first hint was that large amount of people who looked like humans but had one defining trait that said otherwise: their sharp ears.
Elves.
"Fucking elves…" Big Boss chuckled under his breath.
But that wasn't the end of it. Dwarves; short, full-bearded, those kinds of dwarves.
"Ocelot, you're seeing this, right?" Big Boss whispered over their comms.
"Yeah, I see it Boss." He replied. "The men back home are going to just love this."
"Miller," Big Boss said, carefully tuning his radio to Mother Base's CP frequency, "are you getting all this?"
"Yeah," came the reply, "and I'm just getting more worried by the second. We're in a fucking fantasy world, Boss. And if there are elves and dwarves here, what else is there? What if that…creature from outside the gates was some kind of…I don't know, monster?"
"I think that was a given," Ocelot said as they were let through the castle's outer gates, "considering we've seen manmade horrors back home. Regardless, looks like we're coming up on the man in charge's house. We probably won't be able to respond until we're alone, but make sure you record everything we see and hear Miller."
"Don't worry about that, I got you covered. Just remember that, unless you want to expose us to this Middle Ages movie set, you won't be getting any support from us. Watch your backs and try not to start a war."
"Heh, no promises."
As the entourage approached a set of large wooden doors, likely the entrance to this impressive castle, a guard Big Boss recognized as being one from the front gate who disappeared in the chaos approached them.
"Have you announced our presence to the Teyrn?" Dennis asked the guard.
"I have, sir. He told me to bring you in as soon as you arrived."
"Well then," Dennis said, turning to the trio, "let's not keep him waiting."
A dramatic push of the doors, which took their time sliding open, much to Ocelot's OCD displeasure, and the trio were led into a simple, yet impressive and large, open room with table set up along the sides and a fireplace on the far side. Standing towards the middle of the room, a man and a woman stood, presumably the Teyrn and his wife, Big Boss did not know the feminine for "Teyrn" yet.
Though they were both dressed in well-made, and surprisingly practical, clothes, Big Boss knew he was not looking at two simple nobles; the analytical looks they were giving him just as he gave them, and he was sure Ocelot was as well, told him they were soldiers. Veteran soldiers at that, considering they were still alive to enjoy their noble status. He estimated the couple to be around his age, give or take a few years, though he had yet to go grey, something he chalked up to his way of life, and different standards of living in this new world. He swore he saw people dumping chamber pots out their windows on their way here.
"Teyrn and Teyrna Cousland, may I present Ahab, Ocelot, and DD. Gentlemen, and dog, may I present His Lord and Her Ladyship Bryce and Eleanor Cousland, rulers of Highever." Big Boss was able to deduce from the expectant looks on everyone's faces that he was expected to bow or show some form of submission to this "higher power".
Like hell, he unwillingly thought to himself.
After everything he had done, everything he had experienced, from being a green recruit in the army to becoming Big Boss himself, the last thing the man named Ahab was willing to do was submit to anyone. That was the whole point of Diamond Dogs, that was the whole point of Big Boss; to stand up and say "no, you don't control me."
But still, this man had not proved himself as a foe or an ally yet. There was no reason to make his first impression a disrespectful one. And so he decided on a deep nod of him head, low enough to be respectful, but not so it seemed he was deferring to this Teyrn's authority. Ocelot followed his example, though DD, not comprehending what his master was doing, merely barked a greeting.
Much to his surprise, nothing happened. No one shouted that he was being disrespectful, no one drew their weapon and tried to run him through. That was certainly a deviation from his expectation.
Taking the lead, Ahab spoke. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Teyrn and Teyrna Cousland. I apologize for the incident at your gates. It was not our intention to come in and start trouble."
"I wouldn't think so." Teyrn Cousland replied, stepping forward toward the trio. "If you were spies, as some of my advisors will claim later, I'd imagine you would do a better job of blending in, not picking fights with my guards and arriving in such…obviously foreign garments."
"Well, thank you for giving us the benefit of the doubt, I suppose."
"I would know who I've allowed into my house, however. It's clear to me neither of you are from any of the other banns of Ferelden, and I'm almost certain not from Orlais either. Your mannerisms are too dissimilar from those spoiled cowards."
Big Boss raised an eyebrow at that, curious at the Teyrn's thinly veiled dislike for this Orlais and its people. He wasn't the only one to notice either as Miller called in then. "That's genuine hate, right there, Boss. Some sort of any blood feud between kingdoms?"
The Teyrn spoke again, unknowingly preventing Miller from continuing his speculations. "So, who are you, Ahab?"
I'm still figuring that out myself, Ahab thought to himself, though what he said out loud was far different. "We came here in the hopes of speaking with you as candidly as one ruler to another could," everyone in the room, including Ocelot, stiffened at that. "May I request that we speak privately, Your Lordship?"
He knew he had just played a huge gamble, and he hoped, prayed even, that it would pay off. He saw the surprise in the Teyrn's eyes at his implication, as well as the curiosity.
"Leave us." The Teyrn ordered to everyone in the room that wasn't him, his wife, and the visiting trio.
"Your Lordship?" Dennis asked, clearly concerned for his Teyrn's safety. "Is that…wise?"
Clever choice of words, Big Boss thought.
"I am not a fool, Dennis, I will have my personal guards with me. Now, please, return to your posts, all of you."
Though his voice was firm but gentle, it was clear no one was expected to respond. Everyone in the room saluted their Teyrn before vacating it. Once they were alone, Bryce said, "Perhaps we should speak somewhere more comfortable. This way, gentlemen. Eleanor would you mind finding our sons?"
Hearing his unsaid request, the Teyrna left the room through the right exit while her husband escorted their guests toward the one on the opposite end of the room. Once she was outside, in the castle's inner courtyard, she waved down a patrolling guard and said, "Would you mind tracking down my two sons and having them report to the Teyrn's study? They should be training at this time of day. And would you mind seeing that the guest rooms are cleaned and ready. We are having guests."
After dismissing the guard, Eleanor made her way to their private sitting room, thinking to herself, "I sure hope you know what you're doing, my dear husband."