- Chapter 10: The Ambush -
The four companions had been walking for some time without saying a word. Alistair's grief and sense of failure was evident as he slashed through the dense forest with his sword, in order to open way. The night was starless and the moon was their only light. It was a relief when they found a clearing.
Alistair gave up and sat down. He held his head in his hands and closed his eyes – his epic quest was turning out to be a desperate attempt to run away from his throne; and an unsuccessful one for that matter. He breathed deeply in order to get his thoughts together. He had reached a dead end. Where else will I get any information? Should I just give up and go back? Back to that life of loneliness, responsibilities and distrust?
He felt a hand on his shoulder. He knew her touch so well. He held her hand with his, still staring down at the ground. He was telling her without words that everything would be fine. Eventually.
"Alistair…" Elissa whispered as she got down on her knees. She looked at him with those bright, sea green eyes of hers, looking for some kind of reaction. He lifted his head and looked back at her.
"Say something, at least," suggested Isabela. She got closer to the couple – They're not a couple, so I'm most certainly not interrupting anything – and crossed her arms, staring at them both while Elissa let her hand slip to her side and stood up.
Isabela had to make him talk. All that silence was leaving her very uncomfortable. "You're not stupid – you knew the witch wouldn't bring your father with a cup of tea and a hug. What were you expecting?"
Alistair looked back down. "Just… an ending. Even a grave." Even though it seemed he was just trying to get away from the throne, the truth was he was hoping to have a family. He had never met his mother, and the thought of meeting his father gave him the warmest feeling deep down. And that dream was now slipping slowly through his fingers.
"At least you still have the hope that your father lives." Elissa looked at the full moon while dark memories flooded her brain. "Trust me, a grave would have a worst impact on you."
"At least then I would know what happened and could go back to my stupid, boring life." He stood up, getting ready to walk again, not even thinking about the true meaning of Elissa's words. "Now all I am left with is more questions unanswered." No one could argue with him, so silence took over once again.
Varric had been just listening to them quietly. When he couldn't stand the silence anymore, he just suggested, "Let's get back to the ship, shall we? I doubt Yavana wants us spending the night in her swamp."
A sudden scream erupted from Isabela's mouth and everyone's attention was drawn to her. An arrow pierced through her left shoulder, knocking her to her knees while tears appeared in her eyes and blood spilled onto her once white tunic. She grabbed the tip of the arrow that sprang from her shoulder, while keeping pressure on the wound so that she could ease the bleeding.
Alistair unsheathed his sword quickly while Elissa got her bow ready with an arrow as Varric loaded Bianca in a hurry. Before they knew it, they were surrounded by Claudio and some of his Crow henchmen.
"Next time, pierce the heart like you're asked," Claudio hissed to Isabela's shooter, a man with a heavy helmet that covered his face, just like all the others henchmen that accompanied the Antivan prince. They all looked the same with their matching crimson uniforms and golden armplates
Isabela looked up at him with disgust. "Claudio! You bastard!" she spat amidst screams of pain, while tears spread across her golden brown skin.
Alistair had a grim look on his face. He was tired – tired of failing, tired of being played and tired of fighting. But what he wanted right now was to chop Claudio's head off for attacking Isabela without reason.
"What is this?" the king angrily asked. "If you wanted us dead, you could've saved us the trouble and done it in Antiva."
Claudio smiled, showing his perfectly white teeth and speaking with an Antivan accent. "I could have, yes. But this isn't Crow business. My master has been looking for the Silent Grove for years, but the dragon had always been a problem – we never made it through the swamps until today. My sincere thanks for showing us the path."
"What master?" Alistair was finding this whole situation very suspicious. How could a prince have a master? Was this the reason why he had let them escape the Archive so easily and unharmed?
Claudio grinned eerily. "Take the king alive," he said to his henchmen. "Kill the others."
An arrow was shot right after Claudio's command and landed perfectly in the middle of an Antivan soldier's neck, who fell to the ground, instantly dead. Claudio jumped to the side, as he was not expecting that and lifted up his sword. He looked at his adversaries and found the culprit – Elissa was grinning with malevolence.
She didn't know what it was, but every time she got into a battle, her heart rushed to her throat and her instincts would take over her. She became a relentless killer, possessing a harmonious evasion that allowed her to move quickly in the battlefield in her deadliest stance. Sometimes she wondered if she hadn't picked up this battle rage from Oghren, a dwarven berserker. But deep down she knew what the true trigger had been... she just didn't want to think about that dreadful night too many times.
Varric smiled at her. "We had to start somewhere…" He then aimed Bianca at another Crow, hitting him in the shoulder so that Isabela could cut his calcaneal tendon, making the crimson henchman fall to the ground, face first. She then jumped on top of him and buried both her daggers into his neck and back, still struggling with the pain she was feeling in her shoulder. The arrow would have to remain lodged there until she could take it out without any risk of splinters – or worse.
Alistair was using his shield both to divert enemies and inflict serious wounds, while brandishing his trustworthy sword in order to finish them. Elissa stayed behind, shooting arrows, often giving up on accuracy in order to allow her the maximum amount of arrows shot at an amazing speed.
They were outnumbered and the odds were not in their favor. Soon enough Isabela got overwhelmed by a kick on her face, making her fall down almost unconscious and breaking part of the arrow lodged in her shoulder. Elissa was too pumped up to focus, which allowed her to be quickly surrounded by Claudio's soldiers. She was left with no time to unsheathe her sword or dagger. Varric tried to make his way to both women, but to no avail, as a wall of three soldiers got in front of him, each one with his sword held up high, seconds away from striking a killing blow to the courageous dwarf.
Alistair was involved in combat with Claudio, who was surprised that the king could actually hold a weapon. In the heat of the battle, from the corner of his eye the Warden saw his companions being dangerously surrounded. He then heard a cracking sound, quickly followed by a thud on the ground and a woman's hurt breath.
"Stop!" he shouted, before taking a couple of steps away from the Antivan prince and allowing his sword and shield to fall. "We surrender." This was his mess; his friends didn't need to get hurt or killed because of his own foolishness.
Claudio widened his blue eyes in disbelief. Had it really been that easy? "What?" he asked, just to be sure of what he had heard.
Alistair looked back at his allies, all of them in life-threatening situations, death being only a few seconds away from them. They all stared at the king, in a mixture of shock and fear. "If you want me alive, you let them go. All of them. Then I surrender."
"No!" shouted Elissa, reaching for her sheathed weapons, since her bow was lying on the ground. The men that surrounded her quickly let their swords rest gently on Elissa's neck, threatening her silently. She stood still with her hands down near her waist, not daring to move them. "We are not cowards!" she shouted in desperation. As she said those words, her throat moved slightly, causing the nearest blade to cut through a thin layer of her skin; blood trickled slowly down her thin neck.
"It is not about cowardice," Alistair stated worriedly as he saw the fine, red blood on her. "It is about keeping you all safe." His eyes were filled with grief and worry.
Isabela let out a muffled laugh, as her whole body ached. "We're all still breathing!"
Claudio looked with despise at both women, trying so hard to look strong at the eyes of the king, like each one was trying to show him she was the best. He knew the king was not married, so maybe both women were making their paths to become the Fereldan Queen? He turned to Alistair, who was still waiting for his response.
"I accept your terms, King of Ferelden. But Isabela – make your bed somewhere far beyond my notice." That woman had his friend killed, and he wanted her dead. But he wouldn't do that – not just yet, anyway – in order to honor his agreement with the king.
Alistair was grabbed by two of Claudio's soldiers and escorted away. The soldiers surrounding his companions slowly backed away from them and joined the rest of Claudio's entourage, picking Alistair's weapons up on the way. Alistair looked back at his companions, all now reunited around Isabela because she was badly hurt, and issued his final orders: "Go back to Ferelden. Find Arl Teagan – he'll pay you – and tell him what happened. I will be forever in your debt, my friends." The henchmen pulled him by his strong arms and shoved him along their path, walking over their companions' dead bodies.
Isabela pulled the remaining part of the arrow out of her shoulder, letting out a muffled cry of pain. She looked at Elissa, who had her eyes fixed on where Claudio had disappeared, thinking about what she should do next.
"Go back to the ship and follow Alistair's orders," she told the pirate and the dwarf, going back to where she had been to recover her bow.
"Right. And what about you, Blaze?"
"It won't be the first or last time that I'll save the life of Ferelden's beloved king." She wiped her neck with a bit of cloth she found in one of her pockets and started to walk back where they had come from.
"Wait," asked Varric, slowly realizing what was going on in that red-haired head of hers. "Are you planning on going back to the Witch's lair?"
Elissa gave him a doubtful look – how had Varric understood her plan? She shrugged it off. After all, there were only three of them, and she had to send them both away for their own safety. She would be alone, and as much as she disliked the witch, she would need help to get Alistair back. Elissa sighed before answering the dwarf. "She may be of some help. They're too many—"
"Don't you even think you're going there alone," said Isabela, rising to her feet with a black eye and sore body. "I won't leave this damned swamps until I slit Claudio's throat and we get his prisoner back."
Elissa nodded. She would definitely need help. She turned her eyes to Varric and he looked between the two women.
"You're not expecting me to go back to the ship alone, are you? I don't have what it takes to be a captain. Besides, those elves are tall."
They got back to the Silent Grove as quickly as they could, but Isabela had to make a few stops to catch her breath. She believed she might have internal injuries and the nearest health poultice was stocked somewhere between Elissa's things, so she just had to hold on until they got back on the ship.
She looked at the younger rogue. Elissa hadn't said a word the whole time they were walking back to the white building and had a very angry look on her face. Isabela was unsure if this plan was their best option. Elissa was hoping she could get some help from Yavana, and so was Isabela – they needed it. They were all badly hurt and the witch was the only one that could provide some help at all. Of course they were also dealing with a powerful mage, so there might be a chance that they wouldn't even walk out of there alive.
When they finally reached the Grove, the party quickly got up the stairs and walked inside.
"Yavana!" The red-haired woman shouted. "Yavana!"
Varric stopped her, holding her by the wrist. "Blaze, do not forget she is a witch." She looked at him angrily. "I know you feel betrayed and you want to get him back, but so do we. Just… make sure you don't startle the witch."
She nodded, but no matter how hard she tried, her anger wouldn't just fade away. Elissa partially blamed Yavana for what had happened to Alistair, and her deepest desire at the moment was to bury her sword into the apostate's chest.
The building was ample, and all white. Marble columns held the ceiling way high, and the rogue's words echoed loudly.
Then they saw her. Yavana was kneeled at the edge of a giant pit right in the middle of the room, which had stairs leading below. The party did not understand what she was doing, but she seemed concentrated on something, as her eyes were closed and she was mumbling.
"Yavana!" Elissa called one more time. The witch opened her eyes and slowly turned her face to meet the rogue's cold gaze. "Alistair was taken and you need to help us get him back."
The witch smiled at the young girl's outburst, but deep inside she was worried – without Alistair, her plan would not be fulfilled. "Taken, you say? Many things could have taken him, if you tell me what it was perhaps I can be of some help… If I wanted to involve myself at all."
Elissa quickly got near her and kneeled beside the apostate, grabbing her arm violently. "Stop playing games, witch. You are going to help us, or I shall take the last breath out of your chest myself." Varric and Isabela were watching everything unfold a few steps back, but were ready to battle if needed.
Yavana laughed. Then she looked straight into Elissa's eyes. "Oh, you foolish child…"
An invisible shockwave spread across the room with its origin in Yavana, making Isabela and Varric stumble and Elissa fly a few feet, landing harshly on her back upon the white marble ground, once again hitting her head.
"You dare threaten me?" Yavana hissed as she stood up. "You might have known my sister, but believe me, I'm not as caring as she is." She started walking over to Elissa, who still hadn't got up, with her staff glowing faintly. "I shall show you your place!" Her staff was emitting now a red glow, getting more intense with every step she took.
Varric got himself in the way between the two women, afraid of what the witch could actually do.
"Now let's just all calm down for a second." He threw his hands in the air and the witch stopped, the glowing on her staff fainting slowly. "King Maric made a bargain, and so can we." He looked at Isabela for reassurance and she nodded back at him.
Just convince her to help us, and most importantly, to not kill Elissa, the pirate thought, hoping the dwarf could understand her.
Varric looked back at Yavana. "Name your price."
Yavana looked at Elissa, who was stumbling to get back on her feet. It had been the second time that day she had hit her head, so it probably wasn't in very good shape. The apostate met her green eyes, still filled with anger, but more toned down. With a gesture of her hand, the air around them got thicker and some kind of mist involved them all, swirling and tangling itself around them. None of the companions moved when the thick and warm air surrounded them.
Elissa felt light-headed and a sudden ache in the back of her head as she felt her bones coming back into place. The wounds she had on her neck and a recent one to the back of her head closed, leaving pristine, scar-free skin in its place. Isabela's aching body suddenly felt rested, her wounds healed and her blackened eye brought back to its former beauty. Varric wasn't badly hurt, but any cuts and bruises he had were now gone.
The dwarf looked at the women that accompanied him. They were both standing, searching their own bodies for a sign of a cut or a bruise, but they found nothing – not even a single bloodstain on their clothes.
"Oh, look at that," he stated, "she even did your dirty laundry!"
The mist slowly faded away, leaving the room once again empty and with it, a chilling temperature. The witch smiled at her work. "Go now. Your friend needs you."
Elissa thought all of it was very suspicious. "So that's it? You healed us? Is that how you're going to help us?" she drily asked. The witch might have healed her and her allies, but she still didn't trust her.
"This was her end of the bargain, Blaze," Varric explained. The dwarf knew that if they ambushed Alistair's capturers and with their replenished health and rested muscles they had the advantage. "Now what do you expect in return?" he asked Yavana.
She just turned her back to them and sat back down where they found her. "Don't worry. You will do your part. Go."
Alistair's hands were going numb. Claudio himself tied them up together, tightly, with a piece of rope behind his back, and he had been like that for what seemed hours now.
The king was sitting on a log by the campfire listening to Claudio brag about how easy it had been to capture the mighty King of Ferelden, the same man who helped put a stop to the last Blight.
"I was impressed you came to Antiva alone. It showed… courage, if not intellect." He took a sip of the red wine that rested in his cup without offering any to Alistair, who was certainly thirsty.
Alistair smiled. "Right. Because you're the clever one! Imagine that, you lured me all the way out here to get into that Grove and here I am. I didn't even suspect a thing! Your might surprises me!"
He had a jocular tone to his voice, but Claudio didn't seem bothered by it – after all, the king was his prisoner, and soon enough they would enter the Grove and fulfill his master's wishes.
"You asked me about my master," Claudio said, still smiling. "Prove yourself more tolerable than your father and I may even tell you about him."
Alistair's face hardened. "What do you know about Maric?" he asked in a serious tone. "What happened after he came here?" Claudio knew more than what he was letting on.
The silence present in all camp was suddenly interrupted by an eerie song that flew through the woods, carried by an ethereal voice.
"Come to where the woods call…"
The Antivan prince stood still, as if he had been enchanted by that single verse. He suddenly snapped out of his comatose state once he realized what was actually going on.
"It's the witch's work! Find her!" Claudio shouted at his men, who quickly disappeared into the woods, looking for whoever was responsible for such a drawing voice. He felt compelled to go after this mysterious voice as well, but he kept his wits and stood with his important prisoner.
Along with the song, the sounds of shooting arrows were heard coming from the trees. Alistair smiled – it was not the witch.
"You wanted me alive," he told Claudio. "Now you have to try to keep me."
"Come, and we shall play…"
The dense vegetation surrounding the camp was perfect for the sounds to spread across all directions; Claudio's men were like blind rats, searching in vain for the source of the singing. They were being shot dead not long after.
"What sorcery is this?!" Claudio unsheathed his sword, readying himself for a surprise attack. "You idiots! Maintain a perimeter!" He tried to make himself heard amongst his men, but they ignored him completely as they dove into the woods, searching for the woman behind the voice.
"When you reach for the skies—"
It was too late; his men were scattered all across the woods, not even one in his sight. Arrows kept flowing between the trees and bodies fell down – he could hear it all too well. Another sound drew his attention, coming from behind him; leaping from a nearby tree, the pirate lady with her two daggers in hand smiled at him.
"Poor Claudio," she said. "Luis had that same confused look."
The song kept coming from the woods, and the high pitch tone of the last verse gave Claudio a shiver through his entire body.
"It is because you have not driven death away!"
Claudio gathered whatever courage he had left and tried to shake that mystical voice from his mind. He quickly dashed at Isabela with his sword, but his sudden attack was interrupted by her both daggers, crossed with one another.
"You don't deserve to speak his name!" Claudio hissed angrily at her.
"He was my husband, not yours." She diverted his sword and attacked him, but he was too quick and avoided her assault. "Do not be jealous, now."
Alistair smiled at the pirate's sassiness. "Didn't I tell you to go?"
"So what if you did?" Isabela retorted. "You're not my king."
Claudio plunged back with his sword at Isabela, who jumped back to avoid it. "Trying to trade up then?" He laughed as he turned back to face her. "Luis could pay for your wine and your silks, but this man could give you a whole country!"
"Come now, to where you belong…"
The left corner of Alistair's lips curled downwards and his eyes wandered aimlessly to the dark sky. "Isabela's indeed a beautiful woman, but my heart is hard to win," he muttered.
"She is calling your name…"
Isabela let her guard down for a brief moment and Claudio took his chance. He dashed with his sword at Isabela's face, who wasn't able to avoid it quickly enough, letting the steel cut mildly through her light brown skin.
Claudio was feeling victorious, so he took a moment to gloat while Isabela got back on her feet.
"Always the hypocrite! How many nights did you wear that shy little smile, whispering meekly in your husband's ear?"
"Leave your weakened corpse behind—"
The voice was getting closer and Alistair moved in place, trying to find its origin.
Claudio kicked Isabela in the stomach, making her fall harshly to the ground. "Then when he asks you to entertain his friends, you decide he's not doting enough? You were lucky to be Luis's plaything – no one else would have lifted you out of that filth you called a home!"
A quick arrow was shot through the woods to rest in Claudio's right shoulder, giving Isabela the chance to get up and punch him with the dagger's pommel on his throat.
"For tonight you shall be slayed." Elissa ended the song without singing the last verses as she stepped in the clearing with her bow in hand.
Alistair looked back from where her voice came and smiled. "You look calmer than normal," he stated. "Maybe you should sing more often."
Elissa looked briefly at him and smiled, before her eyes were drawn to Isabela standing on top of the Antivan prince.
"Last words?" she asked him, daggers in hand. He couldn't speak because of the hit he had taken to his throat, so Isabela held her right dagger up high, getting ready to pierce it through Claudio's heart.
Alistair's eyes moved to where Elissa was looking and they widened. "Don't!" he shouted in despair.
But it was too late. Isabela fell down on top of Claudio and brutally stabbed him in his heart, splattering blood all over. She then got up and cleaned her dagger on the dead man's clothes, kicking lightly the still choking body of the Antivan prince.
Elissa rushed to Alistair to set him free from the ropes that tied his hands and he fell forward. He looked up to Isabela still incredulous.
"You… You killed him. He had answers about Maric." He looked down at the dirt beneath him, wondering once again what he would do, now that one more opportunity to find out the truth about his father has slipped away that easily.
Shock invaded Isabela's face. She had no idea it was so important to keep Claudio alive, at least just to get some answers out of him. "I… I didn't know. It's too late now."
A laugh was heard from the woods, echoing through the cold air. "You believe so?" Yavana asked them as she slowly stepped in the clearing, smiling, and came nearer to the Prince's corpse. "I assure you – the truth is never out of reach."
Author's note: Life's been crazy! I have so little time to write, but I'm trying my best. College requires work, and my polymer clay sculptures are selling, yay! If you want to know more about them check the links on my profile :) Soon I'll have a one shot about our red-haired heroine online, so stay tuned :D
I'd like to thank once again to the awesome LyriumLove for taking some time off to correct this chapter for me and for constantly reviewing. A huge thanks to clafount as well for her constant reviews. And finally thanks to all of you who follow Elissa's crazy story and give me strenght to continue (what a lame thing to say). Any doubts, ideas or comments, feel free to drop a review or a message. I love hearing from you guys :)