Elissa studied the villagers who watched her group follow the man who introduced himself as Thomas. They had fear in their eyes and many were wounded. Was this what her own people went through the night Howe attacked them? She clamped down on that feeling, knowing wherever she went the people of Ferelden would always have two faces, their own, and those of her people she couldn't help.
The doors of the chantry were wide open and many villagers milled about in and out. She could smell blood and the smell of a battleground. There was also something else in the air that was rank and dead.
"Ugh the smell," Leliana whispered.
Morrigan whispered under her breath and Elissa looked at her. "Magic," she said so that only Elissa could hear her.
Elissa nodded knowing this was not the work of men and she sensed no darkspawn taint besides her own and Alistair's. She looked up at the castle that loomed above them. It was too quiet. The magic was coming from there. She had no doubt about it.
The villagers had set up an infirmary in the front of the chantry. Walking by them Elissa said a prayer to the maker. Whatever evil haunted this village they had to stop it. The haunted looks of the villagers grabbed her heart and clenched it like a vise.
In the chantry in front of the statue of Andraste stood Bann Teagan Guerrin. He was looking down at lists and maps on a table that had been placed there just for him to plan the attack. Elissa found herself at the back of her group and looking everywhere but at Teagan. She didn't want to remember her life before even though it was just weeks ago.
"Thomas?" Teagan addressed the villager as if he didn't know the man's name. "Who do you have with you, they are obviously not simple travelers?"
Morrigan snorted and Sten crossed his arms. They obviously didn't like the thought of stopping at the village. They clearly wanted to go find the darkspawn and get it over with. No matter how much Elissa explained they needed an army to face the mass of darkspawn no one really understood it. But that was darkspawn for you. No one knew anything about the beasts and no one believed this was a true Blight except for her small group.
Alistair smiled at seeing Teagan and remembered his childhood. The man had always been kind to him. Elissa hid slightly behind Sten. She felt like a coward. Seeing Teagan brought back time she spent in Denerim. Wearing dressings, attending balls, and shopping. When she thought about it like that she sounded like a spoiled princess. Now she shot arrows at living targets, and cleaned off blood from her leather armor.
"No my lord, they just arrived and I thought you'd want to see them," Thomas said.
"Well done Thomas," Teagan smiled at the man. "Greetings friends, my name is Teagan, Bann of Rainesfere, brother to the arl."
Alistair stepped forward, "I remember you Bann Teagan but the last time we met I was younger and covered in mud."
Teagan narrowed his eyes studying Alistair. "Covered in mud?" His eyes searched Alistair's face and then lit up with recognition. "Alistair? It is you! You're alive! This is wonderful news."
"Still alive yes," Alistair tittered. "Although I'm just as surprised at that as you are, believe me."
Elissa had to nod at that both her and Alistair seemed to be walking the line of life and death and missing the exit points to a journey to the other side.
"Indeed, Loghain would have us believe that all Grey Warden's died along with my nephew amongst other things," Teagan growled.
Elissa couldn't keep quiet, "What has Loghain been saying?" She knew that Teagan would have been called to Denerim. Loghain would naturally call a landsmeet because Ferelden was now a country without a king.
"That he pulled out his own men in order to save them. That Cailan risked the entire nation's safety in the name of glory. Loghain calls all Grey Warden's traitors, murderer's of the king. I don't believe it. It's the act of a desperate man!" Teagan pounded a fist into the table. He hadn't looked at who asked the question his own anger got the better of him.
Elissa waited for him to look up at her. When he did his eyes widened in shock. "Elissa?"
She felt all eyes turn to her. She resisted the urge to run for as long as she could. Now she had to face who she was and who she had become. She smiled and nodded, "Hello Teagan."
"Maker's breath," Teagan stepped away from the table. "We heard you were dead."
"No, it seems people who would like to see me dead will keep being disappointed for the time being," Elissa shook her head. For the first time in a long time she felt unsure of herself. How did she behave towards Teagan? Before she knew her status now she was just a Grey Warden. Just a Grey Warden. That title held a heavy responsibility and she was just realizing it.
Alistair raised an eyebrow. "You two know each other?"
Teagan looked at Alistair and then looked back at Elissa. "This is Elissa Cousland daughter of Teryn Bryce Cousland. Surely you know that? Elissa are you…a Grey Warden too?"
Elissa smiled sadly, "It was the asking price for my safety. Duncan was in Highever when Howe attacked our home. In order for him to take me to safety he asked my father for one thing, that I become a Grey Warden. My father agreed."
Alistair studied Elissa and felt anger and then sadness. She didn't trust him even after what they had been through together. Why didn't she tell him this? He didn't know what he could have done for her. But he could have been there for her for someone to talk to at least. He even understood her anger better now.
Teagan stared at Elissa in shock. He remembered the woman who laughed and joked and moved about court with grace. She was queenly but the common people could relate to her more than they could to Queen Anora. She now looked broken a hollow husk of what she once was.
"I see," Teagan cleared his throat. "Well I am glad you survived my lady."
Elissa nodded knowing the conversation was not over but moved to another time. "What is happening here Teagan?"
"I take it you came here to see Eamon? That might be a problem as he fell ill and we do not know what his situation is right now. No one has heard from the castle in days. No guards patrol the walls and no one responds to my shouts. The attacks started a few days ago. Evil things came out of the castle and attacked. We drove them back but many perished during the assault. As you can see many were wounded as well," Teagan nodded to the front.
"What sort of evil things?" Elissa wanted a better idea of what exactly they faced and not something someone deemed evil.
"Some call them the walking dead. Decomposing corpses who return from the dead," Teagan visually shivered. He turned to Alistair since he was the veteran Grey Warden. "Alistair I hate to ask you but we desperately need your help."
"I want to help," Alistair said. "But it's not just up to me."
Elissa looked at Alistair who was staring at her. She knew the decision fell on her. "Of course we'll help."
Alistair sighed in relief. Morrigan and Sten scoffed. "One would think we have better things to do," Morrigan muttered.
"Thank you!" Teagan brightened up. "Thomas go and tell Murdock what transpired here."
"Yes my lord," Thomas took off running and Elissa saw he seemed a little less gloomy.
Elissa looked at Teagan who was smiling at them. "Mayor Murdock is outside the chantry talk to him and see what he needs that you can help with. We also have one of the knights from the castle here with us. You might have passed him when you came down. Ser Perth is his name you can also check with him and see what you can do. I thank you my friends I really appreciate this."
It was a dismissal and Alistair, Morrigan, Sten and Leliana walked towards the entrance. Elissa and Lucky hung back and studied Teagan. "How is it really?"
Teagan closed his eyes and allowed himself to let down his guard. "I don't know Elissa if we'll live through the night."
"You will," Elissa looked around her at the women and children that were sitting all over the chantry. "I'll make sure of it."
"Did your father suffer?" Teagan asked.
Elissa was shocked by the question. She looked back at Teagan and didn't exactly know how to answer. "My mother stayed with him I don't believe either of them suffered."
She hoped they didn't. She hoped they died before Howe got to them. She hoped one of his men was careless and ended it before they did suffer. She had no doubt Howe would have made them suffer. She didn't know what she would do if she found out they did suffer.
"And your brother?" Teagan asked.
"He was already on his way to Ostagar. Howe waited to attack us when our men were gone," Elissa explained. "What is he saying Teagan? What is that bastard saying for why he attacked?"
"He is calling your family traitors to Ferelden. That you are Orlesian lapdogs who pulled Cailan's strings," Teagan growled. "No one believes it Elissa. Everyone loved your family. It is a tragedy how it…ended."
Elissa nodded, "I best get to work."
Teagan watched her go. What really could he say to her to make it better? She was different from the woman he had once openly flirted with. He never once thought he would ever gain her hand in marriage because of her rank. But she wasn't the same woman he knew. This woman who walked away from him walked with the cautious grace of a lion ready to pounce. She had become a fighter.
Elissa heard the sobbing of a girl before she reached the group. She looked over and saw a young woman clutching a quilt and looking lost. Leliana also noticed it and approached Elissa. "Shall we see what is wrong?"
Elissa nodded, she couldn't help every villager but the ones she could help she would. In the end they found out the girl's name was Kaitlyn whose brother Bevin was missing. He had run off after their mother was dragged off during an attack. Elissa added it to the list of things to do before nightfall.
At the door Morrigan glared at Elissa. "He's probably dead you know."
Elissa studied Morrigan, "We don't know that."
"And this village? You might as well leave them to their fate," Morrigan looked around.
Sten nodded his agreement. Elissa's anger flashed. "I'm going to say this just the once Morrigan and Sten. You both come from different worlds than us. But these people deserve life as much as both of you. I can help give them the chance of living just as I've already given you. It is my responsibility to do so."
"As a Grey Warden you mean?" Morrigan scoffed.
"No, as a noble. I belong to the people. Our duty was to serve and to protect. My father taught me that and I will not turn my back on them just because of your petty feelings. We need an army to go after the archdemon. We don't have one at the moment. Arl Eamon is our link to pull Ferelden back together to face the darkspawn. We have to help otherwise we might as well kiss part of our army goodbye. Now either go back to camp or shut up and help," Elissa moved past them leaving Morrigan and Sten standing where they were.
Lucky, Leliana, and Alistair followed Elissa down the steps and out past the men who were shooting at targets. Elissa seemed to gain a little bit of respect from Sten who at first thought she was spineless. Sten looked down at Morrigan. "She has spirit," he admitted.
Morrigan stayed quiet she didn't dislike Elissa but she knew people and people were bound to take advantage of a person like Elissa and her willingness to do whatever it took to get her army. She sighed, "It's going to be interesting to say the least."
They ran around Redcliffe village gathering supplies. They found Bevin hiding in his house. Elissa bought their family sword in order to help the two reach Denerim. She planned returning the sword after the Blight was over if they lived. It should stay in the family and with it a new story could be forged how it helped stop the Blight. They also talked the drunk blacksmith to get back to work with a promise to look for his daughter in the keep.
The group helped boost the morale of the men who would be fighting. They ran into a dwarf merchant and his son who were making there way past the village. Bodahn and Sandal didn't want to get sucked into the village problems but they also needed rest. Alistair helped them get settled in storing their supplies in a warehouse and their ox team in a barn that Teagan said should keep them out of harm. Elissa found Sandal interesting. He seemed simple but he liked enchanting weapons and armor of which he told her all about so did Bodahn as she was buying all of his arrows. She had a feeling she would need as many arrows as she could find for the attack.
When they were finished doing everything they could to help prepare the villagers and planning their defense they all sat around the mill waiting for night to fall. It was decided Teagan stay in the Chantry with the villagers. If Eamon ended up being dead it was up to him to lead Redcliffe. Elissa and her small group along with the village militia and the knights who made it back from their search for Andraste's Ashes defended the village.
Elissa was sitting on a crate looking towards the castle and the lake and applied poisons to her arrowheads. Ser Perth, Eamon's knight came up to her crate she was perched on and sat beside her.
"Do you truly think we'll make it my lady?" he asked.
Elissa paused and looked at him. His green eyes looked wary and his red hair looked disheveled. He reminded her of Roland. Her heart hurt thinking about him but it was not as bad as it once was. She wondered if this would have been what he had become in her father's service given time. Or if Duncan would have chosen him to be a Grey Warden had Howe not attacked. "I do."
"What makes you so sure?" he asked.
"Because I have to make it through this night Ser Perth. I have debts to settle, people to save and an army of darkspawn to kill. I won't let anyone die tonight," she sighed. It was amazing how resigned she was to this life now. Before she would have fought it but the curse of the taint inside of her slowly made her realize this was her life now. She could not outrun the nightmares no matter how much she tried.
"We had a knight get recruited into your order. Did you know him Ser Jory?" Ser Perth asked.
Elissa froze and looked down at her hands that started to shake. She closed her hands into fists almost snapping the arrow in half. She felt eyes on her beside Ser Perth and she looked up to see Alistair who had heard the question.
"Aye I did," Elissa answered. "Were you friends?"
"He was my brother in arms. I take it he didn't survive Ostagar?" Ser Perth asked.
"No," Elissa shook her head. "I'm sorry he didn't. I understand he had a wife in Highever who was expecting a child?"
"Yes, her name was Helena," Ser Perth nodded.
"When this war is over and Highever is restored to my family I will make sure she is taken care of. It is the least I can do for Ser Jory," Elissa said remembering the terror in his eyes at the Joining.
"That is very kind my lady," Ser Perth smiled at Elissa. "If you'll excuse me."
Elissa watched him go and Alistair took his spot. "That was nice what you just said," he paused. The air had grown thick and both of them didn't know exactly what to say but knew something needed to be said. "You could have told me you know."
After a long moment of silence Elissa sighed. "I know," she whispered. "I'm sorry for not telling you Alistair. You told me about your family. I just…I felt that if I admitted who I was it would make it more real than what it already was. I know my family is gone. But admitting it, talking about it, I just couldn't. I felt like I would lose them all over again."
"I understand," Alistair put a hand on Elissa's knee. "I understand your anger now as well."
Elissa took a deep breath putting her last arrow in the quiver and put her hand over Alistair's. She left it there adding her warmth to his. "Are you worried about Eamon?"
"Yes," Alistair nodded. "He's really the only family I have."
"What about your mother's family?" Elissa asked.
"Well…about that, I have a sister. She lives in Denerim I only found out about her when I joined the Wardens," Alistair looked at Elissa. "When we go to Denerim, Elissa do you think we could go see her? To meet her?"
Elissa felt the ache in her heart that yearned for her family. She studied Alistair knowing he didn't have the type of memories she did but she would like him to. "If you want to Alistair we can go."
"Oh good," he breathed a sigh of relief. "I just…with the Blight if something ever happened to her I would regret not going to see her."
"Well we'll go meet her, or you can and I'll stand outside if you prefer, "Elissa smiled.
"I think I would want you to come in with me," Alistair bit his lip and looked across the lake at the castle. "If you don't mind."
"I don't mind," Elissa smiled squeezing his hand. The sun was setting and the air was changing. "But first let's just make sure everyone in this village lives tonight."
"Good plan," Alistair smiled back at her.
The fight was bloody. When Elissa first saw the approaching mass of undead she felt a scream forming in her throat. What horrors had these villagers seen? The undead were their friends, neighbor's even family members. She even saw children amongst them. It only took one trying to bite her arm before she remembered that they only had one thought in mind. They were hungry and they would kill. So she had to kill them to protect the living. She prayed to the maker and heard Leliana and Alistair doing the same as they fought, each one of them praying that the dead soul found it's way to the Maker's side.
The fight started at the mill and they ended it in the village center. Elissa and Leliana climbed up on top of buildings surrounding the center and used height as an advantage to rain down arrows on the monsters that were attacking from the lake. The undead never seemed to cease. When one died it felt as if another took its place. Some were skeletons and she knew that these were not recent kills. It was a powerful magic that called the bodies of the long dead.
Alistair fought with one thing in mind survival. He needed to live through the night to make it into the castle to find out what was going on with Eamon. He was desperate to know and tried to hide his feelings but he couldn't hide it from Elissa. When the attack started he felt the magic that he was trained to recognize. It was an evil magic. He had no doubt in his mind that a demon was the cause of the walking dead. During a brief lull in the fighting he looked up at the castle and for a brief moment he thought he saw a child walking among the wall and he thought he could barely make out the cackle of a little boy. After killing more of the attackers he looked up at the castle again and the child was gone. He must have imagined it he thought.
When the sun started rising fog rolled in from the lake. Elissa and Alistair watched as the undead fell to the ground lifeless as they should have been in the first place. They heard the cheering of the villagers and the opening door of the Chantry. Elissa stared at Alistair and he stared back at her. They vaguely remember hearing people say everyone survived no one died. But Elissa was too tired to hear it. She climbed down from her perch on the blacksmith's shop remembering her promise to the man to find his daughter in the castle. She hoped she wasn't among those dead. Elissa moved through the corpses until she reached Alistair. Without saying a word he pulled her into a hug and she wrapped her arms around him closing her eyes tight and letting him keep her grounded. They needed to feel the warmth of someone alive. The dead haunted them in more ways than one. Both were happy to be alive but both had witnessed a horror in the world and knew it was not the last they would see.