Chapter 2
Davyd had tossed and turned for hours trying to get to sleep. He should've known better than to think he was going to be sleeping at all that evening.
Eight years, he thought. Eight years since my first wife, Sara, was taken from me. I'm so sorry, Sara. I should've been able to do something. Something more than I did do,at any rate.
Davyd had spent an hour in deep prayer to the Maker before turning in. He had asked the Maker for many things, but forgiveness for what he'd done had not been one of them.
Frustrated at himself, he threw the covers off his bed and got up. He threw on a robe and made his way to the Vigil's kitchen. The keep wasn't entirely quiet even at this unholy hour, but it was close. He passed only two guards on his way to the kitchen.
Upon entering the kitchen, he made a beeline for one of the iceboxes. Inside, he kept his stash. He filled a small tankard with some of his own home made ale. Making his way into the dining area, he didn't even notice he wasn't alone.
"What do you want, shem?" a harsh voice startled him.
He nearly dropped his mug of ale in surprise. Looking up, he noticed the newest recruit, Velanna, seated at one of the tables. "I'm sorry, I didn't even notice you were here," Davyd said.
"I asked what you wanted, shem," she said.
"Nothing, nothing. Just couldn't sleep, that's all. Lots of things on my mind at the moment."
"Hmph," she grunted.
"How about you?" Davyd asked amiably.
"Perhaps I'm busy thinking of creative ways to get rid of nosy shems," she muttered. "I'm pretty good at that, you know. Getting rid of shems I mean."
Davyd frowned. "I've offered you no insult. What in the void is your problem with me?"
"It's not you. It's your kind. All of you. Shems do nothing but commit crime after crime against the Dalish, and you all dare to call yourselves civilized," she spat.
"Crimes? As if the Dalish are innocent," Davyd said.
"Moreso than you shems," she replied.
"Eight years ago to this day, my first wife was murdered. Butchered. I pulled three arrows from her body. Dalish make, all of them. So, no, the Dalish are not more innocent than us 'shems'," David snapped.
"She probably had it coming. What was she doing near a Dalish clan anyway?"
"Had it coming? What in the name of the void is wrong with you? She was with a caravan. They didn't know any Dalish were around. If they had, I'm certainthey'd have taken a different route," Davyd snapped.
Velanna shrugged.
"Fortunately, the perpetrators didn't get away with it. I was in Rendon Howe's service then. My squad tracked the attackers. Took us two weeks to run them to ground. When we did, we showed them the same consideration they showed Sara," Davyd said.
Velanna's eyes hardened. "You. Murdered. Them."
"I like to think of it more as pest removal," he said.
She was on her feet in a millisecond. Her hands burned with magical fire, ready to hurl flame at a moment's notice. Normally, Davyd would've felt some justifiable fear. As it was, he just didn't give a shit.
"What are you going to do, burn me down right here? Go ahead," he dared her.
She controlled herself, and the magical flames died away. "I am under an oath I swore to Lady Cousland. I will honor that oath and not slay you right where you stand."
Davyd turned his back on her without further comment, leaving her to her table.