I know I said it would be Wednesday before I posted another chapter but I've started on chapter 13 and I couldn't wait, (I'm very impatient) I changed the spelling of Ser Gilmore's name, its pronounced near enough the same (Rare-ri) but I wanted to used the Irish spelling, cause I'm Irish and I think that spelling is more interesting. Please review and let me know how I'm doing!
Chapter Three: An Almost Wedding and Many Funerals
Kallian Tabris hadn't been looking forward to her wedding day, marrying a man she did not know, though now as she stood in the hallway of Arl of Denerim estate, her white dress stained with the blood of the guards that had attacked her; she knew this was not the way she had expected the day to go. Her cousin Soris stood beside her, and sword and shield at the ready.
"Where's Nelaros?" she asked glancing around nervously, they had been stealthy enough, though they had left a bloodied path of bodies behind that they had done little to hide. It wouldn't be long until someone noticed and followed it to them. They had to find Shianni and the rest of the women that were take and get out of here.
"He's through here, come on." Soris ran to the door to the right of the corridor, when they opened it they were meet by two guards standing over the prone and bloodied body of Nelaros.
Shock hit her first, she didn't hear what the guards said before drawing their weapons again, everything in Kallian mind seemed to still and a strange white light cleared through her vision, she was only briefly aware of the arch and swing of her arms as they sliced through air and then flesh. She could smell, taste, see and feel the blood but she was not complete aware, everything was detached and when it ended it was sudden and abrupt, leaving her breathless as she became aware of her body again and the strange whiteness left her vision, leaving everything with a slight blue hue, as though she was looking through painted glass.
She turned abruptly, not looking back and her cousin or Nelaros body, leaving the room closing the door tightly behind her. Taking a shuddering breath she glanced sideways as Soris, "Let's find Shianni and get the hell out of here."
The passed through several more corridors avoiding the eyes of staff and guards, they where both covered in enough blood now that they would raise the alarm if they were spotted. They stopped at the top of a small stair case when they heard raised voices coming from down the leading corridor.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" The woman's voice echoed through the halls, it was demanding, authoritative and fill with anger and hate.
"M-my lady C-c-cousland? To what do I owe this pleasure?" it was that bastard Vaughan.
"THERE IS OBVIOUSLY NO PLEASURE IN THIS VISIT! I CAME HERE TO FIND OUT WHY AN ASSASSIN WITH LETTERS FROM HOWE AND DIRECTIONS TO MY PERSONAL CHAMBERS SEALED WITH THE ARL OF DENERIMS SEAL TRIED TO KILL ME IN MY ROOM! AND I ARRIVE HERE TO FIND YOU, YOU SICK BASTARD, ATTACKING WOMEN!" the woman was shrieking the words at the Arl son, her voice growing in volume and venom.
Kallian turned the corner of the hallway to see what was going on, the Arl's son stood against the door frame of the room, face stuck between shock and outrage, the woman in question stood tall, only a few inches shorter than the man in question, wearing full leather armour with leather breaches and high boot that laced up to her knees, her wavy chestnut brown hair fell lose to her shoulders, the expression on her handsome face matched the sound of her voice, filled with hatred and disgust.
The expression on Vaughan face changed to an ugly and smug smirk, "Ah I see Howe failed to do something as simple as hire a half decent assassin. If he managed not to screw up at Highever, all I have to do be rid of you and the Couslands will be no more." The woman was taken over by shock, there was a slight tremble in her hands as she looked at the pitiably excuse of a man.
"What did you say? What plan? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY FAMILY?" The last words where accompanied with the swish of a dagger as she pulled it from her belt and pressed it to the noble's throat. The was the noise of scraping steel and Kallian lifted her daggers and looked round to find it source, three guards where coming from the opposite side of the hallway towards the human woman, she turn quickly pulling small throwing knife from a hidden belt at her thigh and throwing them at the guards, the first one fell dead, the second one getting hit in the shoulder pausing for a second to pull it out, the third kept his charge the woman meeting his sword with her dagger deflecting the blow.
Kallian saw Vaughan reach for the dagger at his back and before she knew she was doing it she had charged at the noble catching him off guard. She drove her dagger through his gut, relishing the shock on his face as she twisted the blade before pulling it out, letting him collapse to the ground.
"Filthy dog" she spat at him before looking up in time too see Soris run a sword through the remaining guard that was attacking the human woman.
"Thank you," she said nodding to both of them "Are you another one of the girls they took?" she asked looking to Kallian.
"Yes, they took me, my cousin and three of my friends," her voice went quieter as she continued; "they killed Nola when she fought."
"I am sorry," the woman's face paled slightly, "thankfully me and my guard where able to interrupt the Arl's son before he could hurt one of your friends, she went with my most trusted man to find the rest of the girls, and I told him to meet me at the servant's entrance." She looked down on the Vaughan body, "If what he says is true, Highever has been over thrown. I must get to Redcliffe and see if I can get a message to my brother and the King at Ostagar to tell them what has happened." She looked up at the two elves again, "come on, we need to get out of here before anyone notices what's happened."
Kallian nodded and they followed the woman back down the set of stairs they had not long left, making their way down through the kitchen to a small door next to the scullery. There they meet Valora, Meri and a very tall red haired human man dressed in splinter mail armour with a small similarly red headed elf that lay curled up in his arms.
"Shianni!" Kallian rushed towards her cousin stopping short to look up at the man carrying her, "What happened to her? What did you do?" her voice and body was shaking a as she spoke, the man's eye widened a little in slight horror.
"N-no no, I didn't do anything, s-s-she fainted after we f-found the girl in the cells." He glanced back at the woman behind her.
"I'm sorry, let me introduce Sir Ruari Gilmore, and I'm Elissa Cousland." Kallian looked at the woman realising she hadn't yet given her name either.
"My name is Kallian Tabris, this is my cousin Soris, my friends Meri and Valora and that my cousin Shianni." She said pointing to each one in turn.
"My Lady, the rest of the guards are running interference in case there is another assassin lying in wait, I asked one of the servants to arrange carriages to Redcliffe, there is a carriage waiting for us just outside the estate."
"Good," she turned to elves, "come with us."
"What?" Soris asked looking dumbfounded while Kallian gapped at the noble.
"I cannot leave you here at the mercy of these animals, come with us to Redcliffe where you will be safe, there will be room in the carriage for you all."
"What about our families?" Meri asked sheepishly.
"We can send for them when we reach Redcliffe if you wish." The elves all nodded in agreement at the plan. "Excellent, Ruari take them to the carriage and meet me and the stables." The red head nodded before leading the elves outside the place to a small gate at the side, used for deliveries, where a large four house carriage was waiting for them. Ruari placed the unconscious Shianni comfortably on the soft set of the compartment before stepping out, helping Soris lift the rest of the women in through the carriage doors.
"We will set off when Lady Cousland and I return, here," He handed in a small bag that clinked as the contents moved, "Health potions in case anyone is injured." With that the carriage door was closed and they were left in silence, Kallian lifted her unconscious cousin head and placed in gentle on her lap. She stroked her hair as she waited for the carriage to begin moving.
It didn't take long for Elissa to reach the stables, she walked over to the kennel at the back letting her mabari Drake out, she dropped down as he ran to meet her, and she hugged him tight running her finger through his fur. He whined and licked her face as she pulled away silent tears falling over her cheeks.
"It's alright, I'm sure there all fine, Howe couldn't even get an assassination attempt right let alone over throw the Cousland's." She gave Drake a weak smile before petting him again; wiping her eyes she stood and began to ready a horse.
"The carriage is ready my Lady." She turned to see Ruari enter the stables.
"Good, pick a horse and let's go meet it, the sooner we get out of here the better."
As she adjusted the straps of the saddle she repeated the mantra in her head, "They're alright. They're alright. They're alright"
Ho ho! so we have now met five of our Origins stories and a few companions, I'm wondering Who are/were you looking forward to most? Do you have a favourite Origin?