Chapter 4: Questions
"DIANA A INAN!"
Lyna's ears twitched as the man in green shouted those words. Her blue eyes widened.
She…she could not believe it!
A shem that knew the language of the people!
"Shut your eyes," he had said.
The fact that he knew their language was not as important as to what those words meant; the scruffy looking mercenaries clearly did not know what he had said.
Good for them, she supposed.
So shocked was she to hear them that she almost didn't obey. The emerald clad figure raised a small glass ball out of a pouch on his belt. He held it over head, and threw it hard to the tavern floor.
The Dalish woman only had seconds.
"Look away," she shouted to her companions, even as she dropped down to shield Arrow with her cloak.
The glass ball struck the floor…
…and chaos came in the form of a blinding white blast of light!
So bright was the flash that even with her eyes shut tight, even with the cloak shielding her face, the blinding flash still left her seeing stars.
Screams of surprise and curses of anger rang out from there would be attackers. Lyna briefly wondered if Bok or Royce made it through okay, and they not obeyed her…
…they would likely not be much help in the next few minutes, but considering what they were facing. Now was not the time for worry.
Now…was the time for action!
She threw her cloak away, and stood, ax and dagger in hand. Her eyes still watered from the flash but the mercenaries were in complete disarray.
"NOW!" she shouted.
"ATTACK!"
At her words, Arrow lunged taking a large balding mercenary by the throat. Lyna launched herself forward catching a second by the neck with her ax. Behind her, her companions laid into the rest of their opponents. Their quick strike left the battle even in the numbers department.
Five versus five, or perhaps it was six versus five after all, or maybe seven.
The man in green had come to their defense, he drew his long sword and after taking out an opponent made for the door, the mercenaries outside were now trying to rush in to aid their comrades.
Thanks to their mysterious ally and his wolf, none managed to make it into the tavern.
Royce had already downed another mercenary, his fists doing more damage than his greatsword could have done in such close quarters. Bok had also finished off his opponent and was now going to aid their rescuer at the door.
Lyna moved to join them.
The Dalish warden slammed into the nearest opponent, all the air rushed out of him as he ended up on the streets.
The two of them met blade upon blade.
The man had some skill, but against someone who had crossed blades with demons, darkspawn, and even a mad nobleman or two…
Her enemy was no match.
Now that she was out in the open Lyna was free to let loose. She called on her anger as Oghren had taught her during the Blight. She summoned what was called the dwarven battle wrath, the power of the berserker.
That power left most enemies unmatched.
The man she was fighting snarled.
"You were worth more alive Knife-ear," he spat, "Guess we will just have to settle for dead!"
Lyna only half heard him, such was the power of the rage, but she heard enough.
Bounty hunters then?
Good.
The world turned blood red, her heart pounded in her ears.
She glared hatefully at her opponent.
"Dead men have no need for coin, Shem'alas," she snarled.
He caught her a glancing blow on the arm but that only further enraged her. She pushed him back and back…
Finally, her weapons got through his defenses.
Her ax took the man's head.
The rage continued to build; she whirled looking for another opponent…
The street was now cleared. She caught the shape of two fleeing mercenaries. The thought of pursuit came to mind, but was quickly rejected.
Let them run, she thought with a cruel smile.
…A good lesson to whoever else might try and come after us.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, ending the rage that had made her immune to pain moments before, the cut in her arm throbbed, but it did not appear too deep.
Her companions emerged from the tavern, even as the first of the townsfolk emerged from their homes.
The carnage had been brief but brutal.
Lyna wiped off her ax on the cloak of one of the dead mercenaries. Shouts for aid were going up around the village. The warden debated flight, but considering the closeness of a military garrison she decided against it.
She thought she could see soldiers already emerging from the fort across the lake.
She sheathed her weapons.
She would do what Varel had taught her.
She would be…diplomatic.
It would throw the shem soldiers off guard.
She looked at the man in green, who now stood beside Bok. He was breathing heavy. His hood had fallen during the fight, revealing a man about her age with sandy blonde hair, large green eyes, and a short goatee. The slenderness of his frame seemed strange for a human, but did not take away from the strength she had seen in the Tavern.
He smiled slightly at her.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
She nodded.
She was about to ask him his name when the first soldiers arrived arms at the ready.
She took a deep breath.
It was time to be…diplomatic.
IOI
The group spent the next hour being interrogated by the General from the Citadelle Corbeau. The chevaliers had arrived to find the fight over, but that did not mean that the people in charge still did not demand answers.
Blood had been spilled, and the populace terrified.
Those two facts alone ensure that the Dalish warden and her companions would not pass unquestioned.
Lyna held her tongue for the most part. Listening to the nobles of Amaranthine drone on for hours at a time had finally taught her the patience that Keeper Marethari had expected her as the daughter of her predecessor. Keeper Mahariel had died before she was born, but even in death he had cast a very long shadow.
Lyna's ears twitched.
Marethari had never said it, but she thought that the woman had wished that Lyna had inherited her father's gift of magic. If she had, she might have been first and not Merrill.
Thinking of the Dalish First brought a slight sneer to her lips.
Merrill had never liked her; she had always been so cold, so dutiful, and so perfect. She had always thought that Lyna was wasting her life and her potential. Perhaps she had known that Marethari would have preferred her as an apprentice as well, it was a plausible explanation why the two Dalish women had never gotten along…
…then again, Merrill might just have been a complete and utter bitch.
That was a plausible explanation too.
She tried to push all thoughts of Merrill out of her mind. The past was in the past. Now she had to deal with the presence.
Namely this fancy painted Orlesian who called himself a general.
She gave him a helpful smile, and promised to answer all his questions.
The man's brow had furrowed, and he had begun.
"Who are you?"
"A Grey Warden."
The general's brow had furrowed at that. Perhaps he did not believe that an elven woman could be a Grey Warden.
She would happily change his mind if he gave her the chance.
"Do most people go around claiming to be wardens when they not?" she had asked.
The man shook his head, with the quick end to the Blight few would be brave enough to step on the wardens' coat tails. Surely the general knew that.
Sighing the man continued.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm on my way to Val Royeaux, a special mission for the order."
"Who are your companions?"
"Possible recruits; I'm testing them before sending them on to the Garrison in Mont Simmard."
The General's eyes narrowed.
"A Fereldan and a dwarf," he said questioningly.
Lyna smiled.
"I suspect I will add a Chevalier or two by the time I leave Val Royeaux."
If the man disputed her choices, he did not show it.
Instead, he continued with the questioning.
"Who were the men who attacked you?"
"I do not know."
"You don't know or can't say?"
"I don't know," she repeated, "If they were after gold they were wasting their time. I have little except what the order has given me for expenses."
The man snorted at that.
"What do you know of Kierhen Delamont?"
"Never heard of him."
"He is the half-breed that came to your aid, the Ranger."
She digested that. So, the young man was a thin blood, she had met a few in her travels. One parent was elvhen another human. The result was always a human child, but a few did maintain some elven characteristics. Slender bodies, big eyes…it was a shame that they did not inherit pointed ears as well, they might be more accepted by their elven peers.
And a Ranger too, she thought.
Interesting.
"Ah," Lyna said with a slight smile.
"I had not gotten the chance to ask his name."
The grilling continued for quite a while. The General had seen the carnage she had caused in the tavern. Even if she did not believe her a grey warden, it was unlikely that he would do anything about what had happened.
They had been attacked, and they had defended themselves. No innocents had been hurt, and only minor damage had been done to the tavern, a few broken chairs, and a table, oh and few broken bottles of alcohol.
Lyna offered five gold sovereigns to the bar keep for his trouble. More than enough to effect repairs, and also a large enough bribe that he would not consider pressing charges.
In the end, the General let her go, provided that she promise to leave their village and never return.
Lyna accepted that sentence. It was unlikely that her journey would bring her back this way again. Places like this would not likely be home to the cure for the Calling.
So, they returned her weapons and sent her on her way. Royce, Bok and Arrow were waiting in the courtyard by the time she arrived. The man in green, Kierhen was also there. The Orlesian soldiers gave him a wide birth.
She smiled at their rescuer.
"We have been released," she informed her companions, "Though we have been ordered to leave the premises, and to cause no more trouble."
Bok chuckled at that.
"Story of my life, my dear warden."
She nodded and returned her attention to the man in green.
"Mas Serannas," she said with a slight bow.
The Ranger returned the bow.
"You are welcome, but we should be away from this place and soon."
He looked around.
"More hunters will no doubt be on their way."
Lyna eyes narrowed.
"How do you know this," she asked, "What is going on?"
"Better that we talk on the move," he said, "You have made enemies, powerful enemies."
"We would be wise to not linger in one place too long."
Lyna pursed her lips.
She did not like the idea of running, but her experience during the Blight taught her the value of staying one step ahead of the enemy.
"Okay then," she said, "We will take you back to our camp."
Royce gave the man a cool look, not suspicious exactly, but cautious.
He had helped them fight off their attackers after all.
That was hardly the act of an enemy.
"Is that wise Ar..." he caught himself even as Lyna was glaring at him.
So far they had not figured out that she was the Hero of Ferelden. Here she was just a Dalish Grey Warden named Lyna.
That was best for everyone…for now at least.
Few recognized her on sight, there were no paintings of her, and the chantry's depiction of her always made her look more human than elven. The fools did not even try to get her Vallaslin right.
It might have been insulting if it was not so useful.
She preferred that no one knew who she was. It was an advantage that would be lost if Royce announced who she was to an entire Orlesian garrison.
Fortunately, he caught on quick.
Lucky him.
He shifted under the weight of her cold gaze, finally he finished.
"Warden," he said.
Lyna pinned him with her cold gaze for a moment more, then relented.
"Wise, no," she said, "Necessary, oh yes."
She smiled at their new companion.
"We have questions," she said, "Hopefully you have answers."
"I will tell you what I can," he promised.
"Good," she purred gesturing towards the fortress' exit.
"Shall we?"
The man smirked and nodded.
"Lead the way."
A/N: A special shout out to Merilsell, the shem'alas taunt is from her story Elves and Humans if you have not read it you should, it is great.
DG