WELL HERE IT IS EVERYBODY. THANKS FOR READING AND STICKING AROUND! HOPE I DID A GOOD ENOUGH JOB FOR YOU READERS TO ENJOY!
**TDB**TDB**TDB**TDB**
The Dragmonborn's Blight Ch.3
"And The Fiercest Foes Rout When They Hear Triumphs Shout"
Stava let loose a battle cry as she charged another group of Howe's men. Stabbing and slashing with her sword, she felt the rage of battle course through her body. But it would be replaced shortly after with disappointment as the last man fell. The soldiers, in her opinion, were weak and easy to kill; nothing more than cannon fodder. She wiped off the blood from her sword on one of the many corpses at her feet, and continued on her way through the keep styled castle. No matter where she went she found herself constantly saving the lives of inhabitants of the castle. From cooks and maids to overwhelmed gaurds and even an old scholar hiding in a library. It enraged her to end seeing these "Soldiers" murdering innocent, unarmed men and women.
"These people are just common people, with no need for war. And what do these wretches bring with them? Betrayal and death." Stava spat angrily.
Rounding a corner she came to a door. Listening to her instincts she carefully stepped up to it and put her ear against it. From the sounds coming from the other side, it sounded as if it led to the outside. She was about to open it when she heard hurried footsteps and angry voices pass by the door.
"Come on, I want to find father and kill all these bastards before they can do anymore harm to my home." A male voice spoke.
"Don't forget we need to find Oriana and Oren as well. I fear what would happen to them if any of these honorless swine were to find them. Once we find them, we can make for the escape tunnel." An old feminine voice replied somewhat shakily.
Stava brought her head from the door.
'They must be rulers of this castle.' She deduced.
Deciding it would be best to join forces with the owners of the assaulted castle, she pushed the door open and stepped out into the open corridor. She looked around only a split second before she saw something coming towards her face. On instinct alone she raised her shield and blocked the attack. Looking over her shield she saw another one coming from the side; aimed for her midsection. Stava growled and bashed with her shield, connecting with the face of her attacker, sending them backwards and their sword mere inches from her abdomen.
She was about to press her advantage and kill whoever it was until she saw a brown blur charge and leap onto her, slamming her to the ground and sending her sword and shield clattering to the floor. She quickly realized it was a dog. A very big dog. Stava threw her hands onto both sides of its head; forcing her thumbs into its mouth and holding it by the jaw to keep it from biting down on her neck and face.
She was about to shout it off of her when the oversized dog was suddenly pulled off of her.
"Get back you fat oaf, she's not one of Howe's men." The female voice from earlier said.
Sitting up, Stava looked to the source of the voice and found that it belonged to an older women, looking to be in her late fifties at least. She was wearing a dark leather armor. Her gray hair was held back in a bun with many streaks of gray cutting their way through her blonde hair. There was a fierceness in her old eyes, dampened though, by an intense sadness.
"Are you alright?" She asked, holding her hand out for Stava.
Stava looked at the hand for a second and grabbed it, pulling herself up.
"I've had warmer welcomes before." She said cutting her eyes to the man just behind the old woman. He was holding his nose as blood trickled from it. He was looking her angrily in the eye.
"Your lucky that monster of a dog attacked me you fool." She said. "A few seconds later and you'd be dead."
The man squinted, "Why you little, I-"
"Apologize," The old woman interjected, stepping between the two. "I apologize for my sons brashness. But the situation doesn't exactly call for biscuits and tea, now does it?"
Stava was about to say something else but thought better of it, the situation really didn't call for it. So she just nodded her head.
"Your right." She said. "My name is Stava. We shouldn't tarry much longer though, Howes men are everywhere. I'm right in presuming that your the rulers of this land?" She asked quickly.
The both of them nodded, the man had finally let go of his nose and revealed a patch of dried blood on his face, running down his chin. Stava looked him over quickly. He was built with broad shoulders. His hair and facial hair were brown, just like his eyes. And his armor looked to be of a medium build, mostly steel fashioned pieces with no shoulder pauldrons. He was well equipped and rather handsome in her opinion.
'Minus the blood Ofcourse.' She thought to herself.
The man opened his mouth, about to speak, but he was interrupted by a piercing scream from down the corridor.
"We can introduce ourselves later," Stava said quickly, drawing her sword. "People are in danger and there are enemies to slay. If you want you may accompany me, just stay out of my way." She warned.
She started walking past them towards the scream but was grabbed by her shoulder. She turned and saw the old woman's hand and looked to her.
"Please just tell me first, have you seen a woman and boy? The woman would have a strange accent." She said pleadingly.
Stava immediately thought back to the woman and child that she had secured in the room she'd woken up in.
"What has her name?"
"Her name is Oriana and the boys name is Oren, have you seen them?" She said desperately. Even the man was just as interested and looking hopeful.
"Ah." Remembering the woman's name. "Yes. I saved them from a trio of rather, unsavory men. I've locked them in the room I was placed in. Now may we go?" Stava said already taking a step away.
"But-"
"They are safe women, there is no man in this castle that can reach them now. I am the only person who can reach them. Now we leave, no more questions." She said turning around and walking off.
She heard their steps behind her but didn't bother turning. She rounded a corner and felt something fly past her ear. Instinctively she jumped back behind the corner and pressed herself to the wall. She held her hand up to the rulers of the castle to stop them. Stava slowly inched her head around the corner, and instantly popped back at the distinctive twangs of several bows.
"Well they've got archers at the end of this hall, probably more infantry men too." She says to them. Her eyes looking the two up and down, formulating a plan.
"How good are you with that bow?" She asked the old women.
"I've been shooting all my life if that's any indication." She said proudly.
"Good, you'll be firing at them from behind me and your son." Stava said, then switching her gaze to the man.
"I'd prefer it if you called me Aeden." He said indignantly.
Stava simply ignored his indignation and pointed a finger at him.
"You and I will run down the hall shoulder to shoulder, making a two man shield wall. Your mother will fire just over the top of us. And tell your mutt to stay put." She said eyeing the behemoth of a dog and it growled at her slightly.
"His name is Rex, and he is a Mabari warhound, stranger. He's just as capable on the battlefield as any other warrior." Aeden said giving the dog a pat on his head.
"Hmmm, indeed." Stava grumbled and eyeing the dog. "Fine, bring your pet. But is he dies, I don't want hear any moping."
Stava then got into position, Aeden stepped beside her, grumbling somewhat. She waited a moment, brought her shield up and...
"Go!" She yelled.
Both her and Aeden turned the corner and began sprinting down the hall. Stava heard and felt several arrows ping and bounce off her shield. She felt an arrow swoosh over the top of her head from behind, and a yell followed immediately afterwards. She peeked around her shield. Ten feet left, and she watched Rex barrel down the hall in front of them. She gripped her sword tightly and when she was only a four feet away, jumped and brought her sword down on one of the front bowmen.
She barely registered the fact that it clove straight through his shoulder and into his chest. She pulled her sword free and spun, slashing and cutting the throat of another man, spraying her face with hot blood. She glanced to her left and watched Aeden stab a man through his head and then bash another in the face. Stava refocused on the battle, there were a few men left; she head butt one with an arrow in his shoulder and stabbed him in the belly when he hit the ground. The dog was ripping out the throat of another soldier to her left. She turned and closed in on the other and raised her sword to strike when suddenly an arrow was protruding from his eye. Stava turned and saw the old woman jogging down the hall.
Stava sighed disappointedly, 'A stolen kill.' She thought.
"Well it seems your plan worked." Aeden said to her. "But we need to hurry on, we need to find my father."
"And just where would he be? Hmm?" She asked irritably.
"The great hall would be the best place to search first. It's down this other hall and on the left." The old woman said, having reached them.
Stava nodded and followed the directions. She heard Aeden whistle and the padder of paws. Traveling down the hall the sounds of heavy battle grew louder. She reached the door that should lead into the great hall, and not wasting any time, kicked it open and ran inside.
It was pure chaos. Men were fighting like dogs in the hall. Bodies littered the floor and leaked puddles of blood. A group of men that were barely holding the great door closed, they were barely able to fend off the slashing and stabbing of Howes men.
Stava's face almost broke from her smile. She let loose her battle cry and charged into the thick of the battle. She hacked and slashed at every one of Howes men, having to block an attack from a guard of the castle every now and then. She even began laughing from all the carnage and death around her. Her Nordic blood boiling with a battle frenzy. Suddenly she saw the room light up and a bolt of lightning crossed the room.
"MAGE!" She heard someone scream.
Looking around it wasn't hard to find the "Mage." A circle had formed around the woman as the men tried to get as far away from her. She seemed feeble, even by mage standards. The woman's robes looked mundane though, no magical residue to them at all. The oddest thing was the heavy use of her staff.
Stava hooked her shield behind on her back and reached into herself and readied a ward in her left hand. She took a moment to draw on her fight or flight instincts, her will to live. She held her hand out and pushed as hard as she could to expand the ward to a full sized wall of energy and charged the Mage. The woman saw her coming and confused fear filled her eyes at the sight of Stava, she fired off several bolts of lighting and Stava grinned as they bounced off. The Mage fired one last great bolt at her, but Stava tilted the ward and rebounded it at the ceiling. Stava closed the gap, stabbed the Mage through the chest, pulled out and swung to cut her head off.
"All to easy!" She yelled out.
She turned and rejoined the battle, rallying the castle guards and turning the tide against Howes diminishing forces. Stava felt a joy at fighting alongside other warriors, it had been too long since she had spilled blood with others. Though the guards were nothing like the Companions and their battle glory, they did have pure passion.
It was only a few more minutes though until all enemies in the hall had been slaughtered and killed. The immediate threat had been ended and even as the wounded were being tended, many of the men fought to keep the great door closed; a constant banging from the other side threatening to break through. Stava stood there next to a fire place and took a couple of breathes to relax for a moment from her fatigue, using the ward spell had drained her somewhat; Restoration never worked for her like Alteration did. Looking around, many of the guards were doing the same, a few who were nearby when she killed the Mage gave her odd looks of fear though; but she just ignored them.
Stava's attention was then caught by the of voice Aeden. She looked over and saw him talking another man, his mutt at his side. The other man was a rather tall red headed soldier of some sort in a medium armor of leather and chainmail.
"Gilmore, please tell me you've seen my father?" She heard him ask.
"He was with us here my lord, fighting with us until Howe's forces began to overwhelm us and I forced him to make for the kitchens. I sent several of my men too, please hurry my lord, find the Teyrn and escape this place. My men and I will hold the doors for as long as we can." Gilmore said walking off to the doors with the rest of his men, shouting out orders to bar the door.
"Alright." Stava said stepping up to him. "We have a location, let's gather your mother and make for the kitchens. You lead the way."
"Right." He nodded. The both of them made for the exit; grabbing Aeden's mother, Eleana, Stava learned and made for the kitchens. Following Aeden, Stava noticed a drop in enemy encounters. She could only assume that the rest of them were outside the gates and that the ones she had encountered were only a token force.
'I wish that I could simply sit around for once. And relax from the constant fighting. I feel like I've done nothing but fight since Helgen.' She thought morosely.
She pushed the thoughts away though, fighting was simply her nature, her destiny. Glancing over to Eleana she felt the smallest pang of sadness for the old women. Her face was stricken with anguish and streaks of tears. Stava decided right then and there that there would be no retreat that night. There would only be victory and an absolute conquering of the enemy. Howe and his men were no better than bandits and raiders, and Stava hated bandits and raiders.
The group rounded a corner and were greeted by the sight of a man armored in silver, shredding through a handful of soldiers with his twin swords. Stava watched him, and she could tell that this man was a professional. The way he moved, the way he swung, all of it pointed to him being a master of fighting. He had an obvious age to him, he had to have seen at least 40 winters. And his armor, it was like the armor of a prince.
When he finished his fight he turned, saw them and marched his way to them.
"My lady Cousland, I'm relieved to see you unharmed." He addressed Eleana. "And you as well prince Cousland, it breaks my heart to see your home attacked like this." He said solemnly.
He turned his gaze onto Stava and gave her an intense calculating stare. She met his stare and returned the intensity and then some. This man, while being an obvious expert of fighting, was nothing compared to the enemies she had faced. It was only a matter of time before he blinked.
But to Stava's surprise and his credit, he blink.
"And you must be the stranger the Couslands found in the nearby forest. It is good to see you unharmed. I am Duncan, Warden-Commander of the Grey Wardens here in Ferelden. And you are?" He asked with eyebrow raised.
"My name is Stava, and we can exchange pleasantries and titles after the battle and find the, what do you call him? Teyern?." She asked trying to get the title correct.
"The "Teyrn" yes. I myself had been looking for him." Duncan said, giving her a strange look.
"Hmm, such a strange word. But we shouldn't just be standing here chatting. The teryn needs to be found. Now you can join our search or continue crushing these witless fools, I care not." Stava said, not caring about the look he was giving her.
"He should be through this door here." Eleana said urgently, pushing past them. She hurriedly stepped over the recently deceased dead and threw herself into the door and into the kitchen.
Not even a few seconds later they heard an ear piercing scream. Aeden was the first to start running, frantic and wild, he almost dropped his sword and shield, Rex following after him. Stava and Duncan followed after the trio and into the kitchen. She found a trail of blood leading into a back room, on both sides of the door were dead guards of the castle. Stava walked past the fresh corpses and into the room. Inside was a scene of pure sadness. Aeden was on his knees next to his mother, his dog whimpering with its ears pinned back, and in Eleana's arms laid who she assumed to be her husband, the Teyrn. He was clutching his gut, where she saw a constant flowing of blood.
"Oh maker. Bryce, what happened?" Eleana asked, fighting back sobs.
"It was Rendon *cough* he *cough* found me waiting here. I, I couldn't leave without you." He said reaching a shaky hand to Eleana's face.
"Maker damn him then. Come father, we can still get you away from here." Aeden then reached for his father but Bryce just slapped his hands away.
"No! *cough* Its too late for me. I won't make it. But you can before the rest of *cough cough* Rendon's forces make it in." Bryce urged.
"We can't!" Eleana interjected. "Even if I was prepared to leave you here, which I will never do, we must still find Oren and Oriana." She said forcefully.
The three Couslands fell into a slight squabble. Bryce demanding that they leave him and save themselves. Aeden not wanting to leave the fight at all, except to secure his family. And Eleana refused profusely to leave without her husband. Stava turned to Duncan and the two shared a look. Someone had to take control.
'Time to repay my debt in full.' Stava thought.
"How badly do you want to live?" She asked the Teyrn as she kneeled down in front of him.
He gave a confused look. "As badly as any man with a family." He croaked.
"Good, hold onto that need to live. Focus on it and it alone. Make it everything about your very existence." Stava said, examining the stab wounds in the Teyrn's abdomen.
The punctures were deep and twisted. The bleeding was heavy, his intestines also punctured. Stava brought her hands forward and placed them on the wounds, causing him to moan in pain. She closed her eyes and focused her magicka in the form of restoration. She saw the golden glow of her magic through her eye lids and heard a gasp. Her spell seeped from her hands into the Teyrn's body, healing the wounds and replacing the lost blood. She only hoped the man wanted to live as badly as he said. An exhaustion began to creep it's way into Stava, her inexperience at Restoration taking its toll. But she held the spell until she was satisfied with her work, at which point she released it and fell back on her butt.
Stava opened her eyes and saw two things. The first was the Teyrn's wounds had healed properly and his breathing returned to normal. The second however, was Eleana and Aeden's fearful wide eyed looks.
"Your a, a Mage?" Aeden asked dumbfounded.
Stava groaned and put her hand to her forehead.
"I wouldn't say Mage per say. But I am capable in a few schools of magic." She replied.
She watched Duncan step to her and offer his hand. Stava took it and he helped pull her up.
"That was no magic I've ever seen. And I have spent time among mages before." Duncan said to her.
Stava raised an eyebrow.
'How is it so?' She thought. 'That is one of the most common Restoration spells there are.'
"We can discuss this later." Stava said. "The Teyrn will live now. There's just one last thing for me to handle. And I believe once I have that we can answer all of our questions. Especially why your giving me those fearful looks." She said somewhat coldly.
Stava turned and walked out the room.
"Where are you going?" She heard Duncan call after her.
"To end this. Stay here and protect them." She said without stopping.
She was going to end this disgraceful night of murder. And she would strike total fear in the hearts of her enemies. Justice was to be delivered, and Howes men's trial would one of fire.
**TDB**TDB**TDB**TDB**
Gilmore always stood by his men. Always. To the end of every battle he'd ever been in. Even now as he fought to keep the great door closed, the thought of running had never even crossed his mind. He was ready to die with them so that the Couslands had a chance to escape.
He almost lost his balance when a huge bang shook the whole door and nearly busted it open.
"Well it seems they finally smartened up brought a battering ram. Hold as long as you can men!" He yelled out.
'Won't be long now.' He thought. 'Battle will be over soon.' Acceptance of the situation finally struck him.
Another bang and a dent formed in the door. Gilmore saw the looks of hopelessness cross the faces of his men. He hated that they had to die for this. Hated that their home was razed and ransacked. Hated Howe and his cowardice. Hated the sound of boots coming from behind him.
He turned and pushed against the door with his back. He was shocked to see the stranger that was with Aeden coming toward them. He was even more shocked by the look on her face. A look of sheer determination with a true rage in her eyes.
"What are you doing back here? Are the Couslands safe?" He asked desperately, wanting some small bit of good news.
"They are." She replied simply, stopping some fifteen feet away.
"I want you to open the door."
Gilmore's mind went blank for a few seconds, before another bang from the battering ram jostled him back to reality.
"Are you insane?! If this door opens all the rest of Howes forces get in and everyone who's still alive dies!" He yelled at her.
"You will open it as you are told to!" She roared back at him.
Gilmore felt everything shake, and it wasn't from the battering ram. He locked eyes with her and immediately realized that he wasn't going to win the fight. He shook his head in acceptance.
"Open it as far as you can when I say the word 'Toor'." She said taking a deep breath.
He turned around and readied himself. His men looked to him, asking with their eyes if they were really going to do this. Gilmore shook his head yes to them.
"Yol!" She started.
"Maker, protect me or welcome me into your house." Gilmore prayed quietly.
"Toor!" She yelled slowly.
They pulled the door open. Running back with it and were greeted by the hollering of Howes men and the sight of them charging.
"SHUUUUUUUUUUUUL!"
Gilmore froze. His eyes widened in astonished fear. A great gout of flame erupted from the woman's lips and washed over the flow of troops. He barely registered the agonized wails and screams as he continued to watch the woman breathe fire. His eyes begged to be shielded from the intensity of the flame but he was to shocked to move. Gilmore had seen much in his life, fought battles, executed criminals, nearly die. But this was like no other experience. He felt so small compared to power he could feel from this woman. He was terrified.
But it was all over before he knew it. The flames ceased and the woman was standing there, breathing deeply. A wall of smell hit him then. It was putrid and made him gag. He kept his eyes on the women, not daring to look at the aftermath of the flames. Then he heard her speak cryptically.
"What will I burn, what will I spare."
