Lorelai began making her way to the living quarters when she stumbled across her mother, who introduced her to Lady Landra who was visiting along with her son Dairren. Lorelai coulnd't help but roll her eyes when the conversation turned to marriage and how a husband is won through gentler arts rather than wielding weapons. Dairren attempted to flatter Lorelai but by this point in her young life she knew them to be nothing more than empty words, used to lure her into a loveless trap of marriage. With Lady Landra retiring, Lorelai took it as an opportunity to escape her mother's disapproving gaze and Dairren's lustful one. Before she could be held up any longer she walked briskly to the living quarters and found the door to her brother's room open. She stood in the doorway, watching the happy family of her brother, Orennia and Oren.
"Is there really going to be a war papa?" Oren's sweet voice piped up, "Will you bring back a sward?" Her brother chuckled "That's a sword Oren and I will bring you back the mightiest sword I can find."
Lorelai smiled to herself, it seemed being a warrior and a Cousland was synonymous, and if she had any involvement she'd make sure that her nephew was trained well.
"Ah look and here's my little sister to wish me well" Fergus said as Lorelai stepped further into the room.
"I wish I could go with you." Lorelai sighed sadly
"In Antiva a woman fighting in battle would be unthinkable." Orennia's disapproval was nothing new to Lorelai and rather than rising to the bait she just shrugged it off.
"It'll be tiring killing all those darkspawn by myself." Fergus chuckled.
"Well you will get a head start on father, Arl Howe's men have been delayed."
"More spoils for me and my men then, just be ready with the ale and wenches for when I return."
"What's a wench?" Oren asked, his eyes shining with curiosity
"They are woman who serve ale in taverns." Lorelai explained, just as Bryce and Eleanor entered to wish Fergus well.
Oren tugged on Lorelai's leather armoured skirt, she turned and knelt down in front of him "Mama says that you're going to be watching over us while Papa is gone. Is that true Auntie?"
"You bet it is."
"Are you going to teach me to use a sword Auntie? Then I can fight evil too!. Take that dire bunny. All darkspawn fear my sword of truthiness!"
"You bet, come on let's go."
"This is your influence, my husband." Orennia siad folding her arms
"Come on love, Lore means no harm do you little sister?"
"No harm at all." She said with a smile. "I should get going, I've a long day ahead of me tomorrow. Or so everyone keeps telling me. Stay safe Fergus." Lorelai embraced her brother and departed from the room, envying the adventures her brother will no doubt have, adventures she would only ever imagine.
Lorelai had always been a light sleeper, the sound of shouting and yelling woke her. Abruptly she sat up, and tiptoed to her bedroom door, straining to hear what was going on outside. The shouting seemed to have disappeared completely, she wondered whether she had simply imagined it and began making her way back to her bed. Suddenly the door swung open, a servant stood there "Milady! The Castle is under attack", was all he managed to say before he was cut down right in front of her eyes.
"Well, looky here seems we found ourselves a nice little reward men." The solider said stepping over the lifeless body of the servant, his gaze full of lust as he took in Lorelai, who was dressed in nothing but a silk shift.
"You lay your hands on me and you will lose them and more besides!" Her voice portraying more strength than she felt.
"Ohhh you're a right little feisty thing aren't you? In case you hadn't noticed you are outnumbered three to one, not to mention you have no weapons." The soldier smiled sadistically, plotting all the things he was going to do to Lorelai.
"Are you sure we should be doing this? I mean our orders weren't to take any prisoners?" The youngest soldier piped up.
"We're all entitled to a little fun and besides I'm sure there'll be a nice little place for this whore." The man turned from the young soldier to Lorelai "Now then shall we get started?"
Lorelai's eyes scanned the room desparately, looking for a way out or something to defend herself with, but it was no good, her weapons were on the other side of the room and there were three heavily armed man surrounding her. The soldier laughed menacingly, "Come on now, let's not waste any more time." He said stepping closer to Lorelai, staring her down. Without warning, he picked her up and threw her on the bed.
"Stand guard outside, while I take of her." The other soliders nodded, all the while Lorelai's hands fumbled under her pillow, for the small dagger she kept there, she knew she'd have to time it carefully. The soldier, climbed on top of her, she tried kicking him in the chest but against his plated armour it was futile. His hands began to fumble her body roughly, before he kissed her hard, he tasted of ale and tobacco, Lorelai amost choked on the taste but resisted breaking the kiss. It was now or never, she raised her right hand and plunged the daggar into the side of the soldier's neck. He began gasping for air, blood spilling forth from the fatal wound, covering Lorelai's shift, with ease she pushed the man off her and onto the floor. Slowly she rose and carefully made her way to her chest, quickly discarding the shift and equiping herself with her armour and weapons. With a deep breath she opened her bedroom door, the two soldiers immediately confronting her, she engaged the nearest soldier first and swung her longsword in a wide arc slicing him across the belly. She then turned her attention to the other, but before she could strike an arrow pierced him from behind, and he fell to the ground.
"Darling! Are you allright?" Eleanor's voice brought some comfort and relief to Lorelai's
"Yes mother. I'm fine." Lorelai's voice shook slightly
"Have you seen their shields? They're Howe's men!"
"Then his men weren't delayed and he's betrayed father."
"The lying bastard, I'll cut his throat out myself." Eleanor paused attempting to figure out their next move "We need to find your father, and make for the servant's exit."
"We should check on Oren and Orianna." Lorelai said, her stomach twisting in knots about the possibilities that could have befallen her
nephew and sister-in-law, though her thoughts would do little to prepare her for what she was about to see. Pushing the door to her brother's room open, she gasped deeply at the sight before her. Oren. Orienna. Laid on the floor, pools of blood surrounding her. Lorelai's eyes filled with tears, anger and rage flowed through her veins, clenching her fists tightly as she committed the scene to memory "I will make Howe pay for this." It was a promise to herself but also to the ones she'd lost.
"I don't want to see this anymore. We need to find your father, and if we can we must retrieve the Cousland family sword and shield. They cannot fall into Howe's hands."
"They won't." Lorelai's eyes were filled with steely determination and she couldn't wait to cut that monster down with the Cousland blade, little did she know it would not be this night.