Chapter 6: Betrayal
Delia woke to the sounds of screaming. She didn't know what to do, but when she heard fighting in the hallway outside of her door, she jumped out of her bed and shut herself in the wardrobe. She sat in there, trembling in fear, and listened to the cacophony. Suddenly things were quiet, and she heard the door to her room open. A voice she couldn't recognize said, "Doesn't look like anyone's here. Maybe they went down for a little snack. Won't they hate it when their head is on the platter?" The voice broke into laughter, followed by the guffaws of several other men.
Suddenly it sounded as though the men were fighting in her room. The sound of clashing metal burned her ears, and the thumps of bodies hitting the floor made her shiver.
"Delia isn't here, Mother. Where would she have gone?" It was Aeden's voice.
"Wait, Aeden, I am in here." Delia opened the door of the wardrobe. She was ghostly pale, and as she looked into her room there was blood spattered everywhere. The bodies of several soldiers were on the floor, wearing the Howe crest on their tabards.
Terynna Cousland ran to the girl and hugged her tight. "Oh, my dear, I am so relieved to see you. It seems that they have already killed everyone else on this wing. Your poor mother, I can't tell you how upset I am. They've also killed Orienna and my little grandson. Now quickly, you must put on your dressing robe and some shoes. We have to find Bryce and get out of here."
"What about Dairren? Where is he?" she sobbed as she quickly dressed.
"There was blood in his chamber, but he wasn't there. Perhaps he was able to get away. I don't really know."
The three humans and Aeden's mabari quickly made their way down the hallway. Their first stop was the family's armory, where the Terynna opened the strongbox to get the family sword and shield. While in the armory, Aeden and his mother found some basic leather armor and daggers for Delia.
"I don't even know what to do with these, my lady. I've never been trained to fight." Delia protested.
Aeden shook his head. "You don't need to have training. If someone grabs you, just stab them. Otherwise stay behind me and I will protect you with my shield. Dusty will also be looking out for anyone who sneaks up on us."
Leaving the armory, they were nearly overwhelmed by Howe's men, but between the fighting skills shared by Aeden and his mother, the highly trained war hound and the few surviving members of the castle staff, they finally arrived intact at the main hall. Loud pounding on the huge oak doors told them that Howe's men were trying to break the doors down. Once they accomplished their goal, no one would have a chance to escape. Ser Gilmore was leading the Highever men, urging them to hold the door as long as possible.
"Terynna Cousland, thank the Maker you are alive. Your husband has been looking for you and told me that should I see you to tell you to meet him at the servant's entrance in the larder. My men and I will hold the door, but I don't think it will be long before it gives way. Please hurry and make your escape."
"Ser Gilmore, have you seen my brother? Has he been here?" Delia pleaded.
"I'm afraid not, my lady, but if I do see him I will send him your way."
The Terynna thanked the knights. They were all such loyal men, and it pained her to leave them to their certain deaths, but she needed to lead her son and friend's daughter to safety. The group left and made their way quickly to the kitchen, fighting more of Howe's men on the way. There, in the larder, Bryce Cousland lay on the floor in a pool of blood.
"Bryce!" the terynna cried, and threw herself to the floor beside her husband.
He raised his head. "Thank the Maker, you are alive. You need to escape. Take Aeden and Delia and leave now through the servant's entrance."
Aeden shook his head. "No, Father, not without you. I won't leave you here."
"I can't go with you, pup. I haven't the strength."
"Then I will carry you." Tears were flowing down the young man's face.
The Teryn answered softly, "Only if you are willing to leave a large part of me here on the floor, my son. I will not survive, and trying to take me with you will slow you down. I'm certain that Howe has the castle surrounded, and it will be difficult enough for you to escape without me."
A deep voice sounded from the doorway. "I'm afraid he's correct. Howe's men indeed surround the castle, and we must leave immediately. The great doors will be breached at any moment."
The Teryn looked sadly at Duncan, who was walking toward him from the doorway. "Duncan, please, save them."
"I am willing to do that, my friend, but I must ask a boon of you in return. I came to Highever to recruit a Grey Warden, and I cannot leave without one. I ask that you allow me to conscript your son."
To Aeden's surprise, his father readily agreed. "Yes, Aeden will be your recruit. Please be sure to save Lady Delia and my wife. Bring them to Ostagar with you. Perhaps the king will see to their safety."
"No Bryce, I will not leave you." Eleanor crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You are my husband, and I will die defending you. I can also buy some time for their escape if I stay here."
He chuckled. "I know that look. Whatever you say, my love."
Aeden looked at his parent's as if they had gone insane. "So I'm just supposed to leave you here to die? And I'm supposed to become a Grey Warden? Why don't I get a choice?"
Bryce looked at his son with sadness in his eyes. "You must survive, my son, to not only tell Fergus what has happened here, but to have vengeance. You must do this not only for the Couslands, but also for our dear friends, the Lorens. I trust you to do this for us all. You are strong and smart, and you will be a great Warden. Always know that we love you and are proud of you, but you must leave now."
With that, Duncan started to lead the two toward the tunnel. Aeden looked back to see his mother cradling his father's head in her lap, and they were talking quietly and sadly about how wonderful their lives had been together. He choked back tears as he followed Duncan and Delia into the tunnel.
The four hurried through the servant's tunnel, which led them to a door in the wall behind the castle. Duncan motioned for the others to hold, then he threw open the door and began fighting the two soldiers stationed there by Howe. Aeden and Dusty joined him, and they quickly dispatched the soldiers. Duncan motioned for them to follow him, and he led them away from the castle and towards the edge of the forest.
When they reached the timberline, he quietly told Aeden and Delia his plan. "We must travel for some time tonight, before Howe's men find the dead guards at the wall. If we are careful, we should be able to hide our tracks and still make it to the Village of Kell by tomorrow afternoon. It will be a push for you both, but we need to get supplies. Once the sun comes up, Aeden will hunt for breakfast and we will take a break. For now, it is imperative that we move as quickly as possible."
They traveled in silence. Delia and Aeden were in a state of shock, and only had enough will to just keep walking. They didn't even have enough awareness to know when they were exhausted; the rhythm of their steps was the only thing they could concentrate on. Duncan was aware of their states, and he whispered to the mabari to help to keep the two close by.
The sun rose before they knew it, and Duncan was pleased to see that they were only about two hours from Kell. He stopped the group, looked for an appropriate place for a campfire and asked Aeden to hunt for some small game. Delia sat on a log and watched as Aeden walked into the forest with Dusty, and Duncan went to work building the campfire. As the first flame glowed on the logs, Aeden returned with a rabbit. Silently he sat and prepared the rabbit for cooking. When it was ready, Duncan had a strong fire going, and before long they each had a meal of roasted rabbit.
Duncan could see how exhausted his charges were, so he suggested that they sleep for a few hours. Both Aeden and Delia fell asleep nearly immediately, with Dusty curled up under Aeden's arm. Duncan looked at the two and sighed. He knew their despair, as he had seen more than his share of tragedy. He knew that the road ahead would be rough for both of them. Then there was the issue of how to return Delia to her father. Duncan knew Bann Loren and didn't look forward to reacquainting himself with the man who was known for his shifting loyalties. Maybe if he asked the king for a small group of soldiers to travel with them he would be able to make the trip without any incident.
After a few hours, he put out the campfire, woke the others and they started the last leg of their trip to Kell. Again, Aeden and Delia walked automatically, and there was no conversation. Finally they reached the small village. Kell wasn't even on most maps because it was so small. It seemed like it was merely a few houses tucked into a glen on the mountainside. Most of the residents were families that had lived in the area for generations, and the town could only boast a blacksmith and a small tavern other than the handful of residences.
Duncan led the group straight to the tavern, The Fox's Horn. Outside was an old weathered sign painted with a comical looking red fox lying on its back holding a circular horn in its four paws. The party entered the tavern and was greeted warmly by a middle aged woman who was tending to a trio of customers.
"Duncan! What a surprise! It is so good to see you. Jofrey and I have missed you. Care for a bite to eat? We've got shepherd's pie for lunch today, and I know how much you love my cooking."
"Nattie, it is good to see you as well. Yes, my companions and I would love to have lunch, especially knowing how much of a delicacy your cooking is." He looked at her with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.
Nattie swatted his arm with a towel. "Oh, you… I have missed your teasing. Let me get you your food and I'll send young Maric after Jofrey."
Aeden raised his eyebrow at Duncan. He in turn looked at Aeden and chuckled. "It's a long story, and I will tell it to you after we've eaten."
They took their seats at a table near the fireplace, and Dusty settled down with a sigh right in front of the fire. Their food arrived quickly, and Aeden and Delia soon learned how Duncan had indeed been teasing their hostess. The shepherd's pie was bland and overcooked, but they were hungry so no one complained. As they ate, a man came through the door followed by a boy who looked like he was no more than ten years old. Warm recognition flowed across the man's face as he looked at Duncan, who rose from the table to greet the man with a warm hug.
"Jofrey, it has been too long, my friend."
"Yes it has been indeed! I guess there hasn't been much need for you wardens around here, eh? I am so glad to see you again. Let me introduce my son, Maric. Maric," he continued, smiling at the boy, "this here is the famous Grey Warden I've told you about."
The boy's eyes became as large as dinner plates as he looked at Duncan. "You're the man who fought with the king and queen? The one who went into the Deep Roads? Wow…"
Duncan laughed. "Aye, lad, I see that your father has told you some stories about our travels. You'll have to help me tell them to my friends here. May I introduce you to Aeden Cousland and Delia Loren? Aeden and Delia, Jofrey was a knight in the king's service. We had some interesting adventures together. And the lady across the room is his wife, the lovely Nattie. Jofrey, do you have rooms we could have for the night? I think my companions would prefer a nice, warm bed over the cold, hard ground. We'll also need to buy some supplies."
"Not a worry, not a worry. We always have room for you. After you finish your meal, come on over to the smithy. We'll get you squared away with your supplies."
Jofrey and Maric sat at the table, joined shortly by Nattie, and soon the conversation became lighthearted as Jofrey regaled them with tales of his travels with Duncan and their royal party. Duncan would laugh and add tidbits to the stories, and soon Aeden and Delia were feeling a bit better, their troubles set aside for a little while.