A/N: I'm so sorry guys for not updating this! But here is this chapter for now. And I'll get the next one done soon-ish so we can get onto the real story :)
"The winner is Everd!" The Proving master yelled, as hundreds of people screamed the name "Everd!" "Everd!" "Everd!"
Little did they know they were not screaming for Everd. Though I suppose I would do. When Leske and I discovered Everd was unconscious and drunk we thought we were done for, until I decided to go in his place. It would be the only way to get Beraht off our backs. If Everd did not fight, then Beraht would lose his bets. If Beraht loses his bets he loses a lot of money and as do we, it is as simple as that. Nevertheless, fighting in the Proving was rather glorious in itself, even if I was fighting in someone else's name.
I stood in the ring, in Everd's armour carrying Everd's sword and shield, awaiting an opponent. I looked up at the Proving master as he began to announce my next opponent.
"Everd will advance to the final bout," he announced "to determine the true champion of the ring, against-"
Then suddenly, the real Everd stumbled upon the ring. My jaw dropped open. Shit...
"Wha-?" He asked, drunker than a fool."Is my bout a ready?"
Angry screams came from the crowd. I was not sure who they were angry at. Everd or I.
"Hey! That's my armour!" he screamed, and tried to rush at me. He collapsed on his way, drooling all over the floor. Idiot...
"Who are you?!" The Proving master yelled, probably oblivious to the fact that he was Everd. "How dare you disrupt this sacred-"
"Wait, I know that man!" A man that I had defeated earlier yelled "That's Everd! Then... What imposter did I fight?"
I was in deep shit. I knew I was. "Remove your helmet, warrior, and let all who watched you see your face!" The Proving master yelled. I suppose it was now or... now.
My teeth were chattering in fear as my hands reached my helmet. But I could not be scared. The crowd were silent in anticipation, waiting to see their unknown champion. Probably expecting someone from the warrior or noble caste, but alas, I was neither. If I were I would not be in deep shit. I was not, so my fate was decided.
I removed the helm, and gasps of horror came upon everyone as they saw the tattoo upon my cheek. The tattoo of a casteless woman. "Yes, it is I, Natia Brosca of the casteless!" I yelled, trying to show no fear. "Despite what you think of me I have defeated your best warriors! I am your champion!"
People suddenly yelled angrily at me, throwing things at me. Guards then started to approach me slowly, surrounding me.
"You insult the very nature of this Proving!" The Proving master yelled. The guards steadied themselves, waiting for instructions from the Proving master.
"May I add something here?" An elven man approached the stand, one of the Grey Warden's recruits nonetheless. "This woman has proved herself stronger and much mightier a warrior than all the people you have here. Even though originally she is looked down upon in your society, wouldn't this make her worthy?"
"That may be how it works on the surface, elf, but not here!" The Proving master exclaimed. "Guards, take this... filth away!"
I did not resist the guards. One of them came straight up to me and punched me in the face. I fell back upon the cold, hard floor. The force of the floor against my head knocked me out, and everything turned black..
"Can you hear me?" Was the first thing I heard as I sat up in my cell. Leske was in the cell beside mine, stripped of any armour he was wearing before. As was I.
"How hard did they sodding hit you, anyway?" He asked. I shrugged.
"Not hard enough. It was the floor that knocked me out, not the punch," Leske laughed. "How did you get in here anyway?"
"As soon as everyone saw your face-brand the place went mad," he explained "Shut all the doors, examined everyone for family and caste. One of the guards recognised me and figured we must be working together. They burned three candles to the stump interrogating me about who put us up to this. I think they knew, you know, about Beraht,"
"Beraht said he'd hurt Rica if we did this wrong. We need to get out... somehow..." I sighed, knowing this was hopeless. My sister Rica was in danger and I could do nothing about it.
"Don't give up now!" Leske ordered me, but slumped down upon the floor. He knew it was useless.
I sat on the floor of my cell, awaiting a miracle. Suddenly, Jarvia walked into the room. I was not expecting to see her there.
"Good, you're awake. Beraht will be glad to hear that," She smirked. I stood up and faced her, confused.
"Why are you here?" I asked.
"You caused a lot of trouble today. Beraht lost a hundred sovereigns for Lord Vollney. The entire Proving was declared invalid, and the Assembly already called for an investigation. You can't imagine the state Beraht was in when he told me to get you," Jarvia explained, glaring at me. I knew these were not just regular cells.. They were cells within Beraht's estate.
"That explains a lot," I muttered, and sat back down. I wished I could do more to help myself.. I really did.
She took two steps towards me and smirked. I noticed she was ignoring Leske. "You got every guardsman at that Proving thinking if he takes your head off, the ancestors will bless him forever. But they know whose hand holds the whip. When Beraht claimed you, they knew who's going to get to watch your last breath..," She tortured, thinking she'd get an angry response to feast upon. I just grumbled, holding my anger in. This displeased her.
"You risked exposing Beraht before the entire Warrior Caste," She added, "Now they're asking questions, and as long as you have tongues to answer them, you're a threat. Enjoy your last night together. Sorry we had to put you in seperate cells, or I'd suggest you have a last tumble.."
I stood up, standing right next to the bars of my cell. I could not keep it in for much longer. "One, me and Leske are NOT together, nor have we been having any 'tumbles', and two, I will bloody MURDER you!" I threatened, my voice seeping through my grinded teeth. Jarvia laughed. That's just what she was wanting.
"Beraht'll be here soon to make sure you two maintain your silence," and she walked away. I sighed. I was not gonna wait until Beraht made his way here.I had to escape.. somehow.
I noticed a guard walk by and stop just beside Leske's cell. He had keys that he was fiddling about with in his hand. Possibly keys for my and Leske's cells. Leske noticed him too, then laughed slightly as he realised what the look on my face meant. I sighed. I could not believe I was going to do this..
I walked up towards the corner of my cell he was nearest and said in probably the least friendliest voice ever "Well, hello there,"
He turned around to face me and eyed me suspiciously. "What do you want?" he asked.
"Oh I dunno..." I replied coyly, trying not to sound as aggressive "What do you want?"
"Well, now that you mention it..." He replied, taking a few steps forward, placing the keys in his pocket. The hungry look in his eyes made me want to vomit, but I had to keep up this charade. I could see Leske in the corner of my eye trying to keep in his laughter.
"Why don't you come and see what I have to offer?" I gazed upon him suggestively and stood as close to him as I could. He walked right up towards the cell. I placed my hand upon the back of his head and before he could place his lips upon mine I bashed his head upon one of the bars of the cell. Once. Twice. Three times. I let him go and he fell to the floor, unconscious. He still had that stupid grin upon his face. Pervert.
At that moment Leske fell to the floor laughing. I spat on the ground and grumbled. It had to be done. Unfortunately I was the only female one here. I reached upon his pocket and managed to take out the keys. Success! I reached through the cell door and tried to unlock it with one of these keys. After a few failed attempts, I was able to open the door. I walked towards Leske's cell door. He was still laughing.
"Are you gonna stop laughing," I asked "Or am I just gonna leave you here?"
He stopped laughing at once and stood up. "You can hardly blame me," He chuckled. I sighed, but I agreed with him. In his place I'd be laughing too.
I fumbled about with the keys for a bit and eventually managed to open his cell. We were both free. For now.
I opened a chest near our cells with all our armour, weapons and belongings in it. It did not aquire a key, thank goodness. I passed Leske his armour and weapons whilst placing mine over the stupid little clothing they made us wear in the cells. I'm gonna kill what stupid little prat had to undress me..
"Want to kill some thugs?" I beamed, probably showing more excitement than I should have. Leske chuckled again and nodded.
I recognised this place. I came here when I was first hired by Beraht but that was the only time. Still, I knew my way around. I knew where Beraht would be hiding. I decided to go straight there and kill the bastard. Of course, there was a few thugs here and there but nothing I couldn't deal with. I had a lot more combat training than anyone in this stupid carta. Even Leske could never beat me in a fight. Half of these hirelings can barely carry a sword nevermind kill someone with it. It's safe to say though that today was the first time I ever wanted to kill anything.
We eventually managed to get to Beraht's hideout. I gestured for Leske to be quiet and put my ear against the door to try and hear what they were saying.
"I'm cutting the whore free," I heard Beraht say. "If that freak of a sister of hers can't stay in her place, I don't need that precious Rica, either," I almost snarled at the thought of him calling my sister a whore. Rica is not a whore!
"Rica? That the one you done up in lace? I been wanting to get my hands on that.." I heard a male voice say. I swear my vision turned a little red from anger.
"Heh, I know what you mean..." Another male voice added. That was it. They were dead. All of them.
I slammed open the door. "You will not have my sister!" I screamed, sword and shield at the ready.
"Looks like the creature got out of it's cage," Beraht chuckled as I marched towards him, Leske right behind me.
"Are you that surprised? The pathetic guard you had for us wasn't so hard to deal with," I threatened, and Beraht gulped. I knew he only kept his best fighters to guard the cells.
"Come on boys, the little whore needs to learn her place," Beraht gestured to the men beside him, who were now drawing their blades. I held my shield in place as I ran straight to Beraht and hit him in the head with my shield. Leske kept the other two distracted. It was only him and I. Beraht recovered from the hit quickly, it was only my shield after all, and swung his sword towards me. I blocked with my shield and swung my sword aimlessly towards him. He tried to block with his shield but missed, leaving a deep cut on his arm carrying the shield. He was not a good fighter. He dropped his shield by accident and before he could pick it up I knocked him back with another hit from my sword, cutting through his leather armour and leaving a light scratch upon his chest. I kept on hitting him aimessly and he tried his best to block with his sword but he was too used to fighting with a shield. I eventually managed to knock his sword out of his hand and before I could deliver the killing blow, Leske already had his dagger pierced through his stomach. Beraht was dead.
"You didn't let me kill him!" I screamed at Leske, threatening him with my sword. He took a few steps back.
"Not my fault you didn't kill him fast enough," Leske grinned. I grumbled and placed my weapon upon my back.
"I still can't believe we did that.." Leske added, not saying anything more. He knew I wasn't one for conversation when I was in one of these moods. I nodded in agreement.
"Let's go," I suggested, and we walked through a tunnel connecting Beraht's hideout to Beraht's shop.
The shopkeeper cowered in the corner when he saw the blood on our armour. I shrugged it off and exited the shop with Leske. I had no time for that kind of nonsense.
Unfortunately a guard spotted Leske and I before we could even take a step away from the building. "Sieze the fugitives!" He yelled, pointing in our general direction. Guards surrounded us. I didn't pay attention to anything they were saying, only looking behind them to the most curious sight.
A group of humans and elves, all of which were armoured and armed were walking across the commons until one of the elves said something to the oldest human and pointed in my direction. The same elf that spoke out during the Proving. The group then walked towards us, the oldest human looking at me in interest.
"May I ask what have you charged against this woman?" The human asked the Proving master, who I only just noticed was there.
"Only the greatest dishonour of our kind, Grey Warden!" He exclaimed to him. This human... was a Grey Warden? I never thought in all my life I'd ever meet one.
"She fought in their Proving in another man's name, a man who was obviously not fit to fight, against all their best warriors and won. They only brand it as dishonor because of her status in Orzammar," The elf explained to the Warden, obviously wanting me in the Warden's good books. I nodded at him in gratefulness, realising what he was trying to do for me.
"She also killed Beraht," Leske added, knowing that was not the truth. I almost argued against it but then realised this could go down in my favour.
"Beraht?" The Proving master asked, sounding shocked. "He had many enemies, but also powerful allies..."
"She has once again demonstrated her courage," The Warden interrupted "We Grey Wardens travel far and wide in search of those with the potential to join our ranks. It seems I have found yet another,"
My jaw dropped open. Me? A Warden?
"I.. don't know what to say, Warden..." I replied in shock. I glanced towards the elf who helped me and he winked at me. I smiled. "I would gladly join your ranks. Thank you, Warden."
"Please, call me Duncan," He replied with. I nodded.
"This woman is wanted for treason! You can't do this!" The Proving master exclaimed.
"I can and I am." He replied rather bluntly, then turned to me. "It would mean travelling to the surface lands and thus leaving your people, but it does offer you the chance to strike a blow against the darkspawn and the Blight."
"Considering the alternative is death... I'm in!" I exclaimed enthusiastically. Duncan smiled.
"Good. You shall join the other recruits and camp just outside Orzammar, on the surface. I still have business in the city that would be too dangerous for you to attend to," Duncan explained. I nodded, trying not to think of those old wives tales of surface dwarves falling into the sky. And failing, obviously.
As the rest of the recruits walked towards the surface, I followed them. I talked to the elf that brought me to Duncan's attention and thanked him. I found out his name was Theron and even talked to him a bit. It took away my fears of the surface. For a while. It was also good that I would be welcomed in my new life. My new life as a Grey Warden, full of honor and glory.