Aftermath

All he could feel was pain. His body was torn, defeated, but in his heart and soul Ser Gilmore was victorious. The Teyrn, Teyrna and Lady Cousland may be dead, but the lying snake never got his hands on Cobian and the little Lord. Cobian and Oren were safe.

Arl Howe was furious.

"You were supposed to kill them! They were your main targets and you failed," he spat. "Find them! Search every village, every road, find them and bring me their bloody heads!"

Ser Gilmore wanted to get up. He wanted to stab the traitorous fool in the back, but he no longer had the strength. Not even to avenge his house. It was agony to hear the rat speak, but he had to endure until his death. A death where he would unite with his brothers in arms and the dead of house Cousland. Where he would not see Lord Fergus, Lord Oren and especially not Cobian. Ser Gilmore would not welcome him to his death until Cobian was old and grey, long since satisfied with his life.

"Where are they?"

It took some time for Ser Gilmore to recognise that it was he who was spoken to. He smiled at Arl Howe, but that only earned him a swift kick to the ribs. His broken, ruined ribs. Ser Gilmore laughed as he coughed blood over those nice, clean boots and trousers. Of course, as if the rat would ever face a Cousland in battle.

"You'll never," Ser Gilmore rasped. "You'll never find Cobian Cousland. H-He's too smart and- And much better than you could ever hope to be!"

Every breath he took felt like his lungs were on fire. Probably from the stab wounds. That was most likely it. Cobian would have a million things to say about that, probably about how his body was breaking down and which parts would go first.

The little menace.

"Speak," Arl Howe commanded. "And I will ease your passing."

"My passing-" Ser Gilmore gasped. "My passing has come already. I-I see the slumbering darkness and welcome it. I welcome the Maker's embrace." He couldn't help but choke on his laughter again. "A-And I will watch Cobian come for you."

Arl Howe howled and Ser Gilmore could only laugh as the Lord threw his tantrum. His only regret was that he wouldn't be by Cobian's side directly when he took down this coward. But sacrificing himself for his friend wasn't a bad way to go either.

"I-I know you never believed, C-Cobian," Ser Gilmore breathed out, grinning fiercely. "B-But m-May the Maker watch over your road."

He barely heard the screech of pure, utter rage from the rat. Nay, he heard his brothers in arms and welcomed himself to the comforting darkness.

.::.

Narascha had jumped into a lake hours after the attack on Highever to clean the blood off of herself. The dog had done so too and was now shaking himself off while the others rested in the quiet of the night. They had lit no fire in fear of attracting Howe's men. Duncan and the elderly lady were arguing over their next course of action, but thankfully in low tones instead of shouts.

She would have smacked both of them for being dumb otherwise, if Epona didn't beat her to it.

"The other villages would take us in and let us hide," Nan insisted. She was pressed against Cobian's side who still held Oren.

Nan looked surprisingly calm, her voice even, but her shaking hands gave her away. She was just as terrified as the rest of them. Narascha didn't feel too bad though, yes, sorry for the Cousland's, but unlike most people she had been on full scale battles like that before. It was kill or be killed.

Just the traitorous family part that was catching her breath.

Why did people do that to those they claimed to love?

Ciara shook her head. "Howe will expect us to hide with them. It is better if we press on and not give them a chance to harm any villagers in case they do find us hiding there."

"I doubt we can continue on like this. Lord Oren doesn't even know what's happened, and my Lord is in shock."

Cobian grimaced. "Shocking turn of events. We're all tense."

"Villagers might also sell us out for coin," Faren added in carefully. "Depending on the person."

"Highever folk are loyal to the Couslands-" Nan spat.

"Same could have been said of Un- Of Howe." Cobian stared deeply into the forest. "Oren cannot be put at risk. He needs to go somewhere safe while I'm in Ostagar." Cobian seemed to reach a conclusion because he straightened up and nodded. "Anora."

"Queen Anora?" Nan blinked.

"Outside of our main household I will always believe in Cailan, Anora and Uncle Loghain," Cobian said firmly. "Cailan and Uncle Loghain are in Ostagar, but Anora will be ruling in Denerim. She will protect Oren because she loves us."

Nan frowned. "We were just betrayed by Howe," she said softly. "And you loved and trusted him-"

"Uncle Loghain has no patience to lie. Anora does, but she has always been Loghain's daughter first. Cailan, meanwhile, is incapable of doing so for so long. I believe in them." Cobian's eyes hardened. "You will go to Anora with a letter from me and she will protect you and Oren."

"I'm not leaving your side, Cobian," Nan hissed.

"You must. Oren will not survive a place like Ostagar, must be somewhere safe and familiar. Anora is a family friend, he will at least recognise her," Cobian insisted. "And you must be at his side, because he will trust you above all others in the palace. You must go for his sake. For our house-"

"I know more of your house than you do, boy," Nan spat. "And I would protect each and every single one of you, and that means you too-"

"You can't protect me." Cobian shook his head. "No, all you would do is throw yourself between a sword and I. Not protection. You're only in the way. I'm a warrior. A monster. I don't need you to protect me. I need you to support me. And Oren. Especially Oren."

Nan gritted her teeth. "Damn you."

"Anger understandable, and not unreasonable, but useless in the current situation. Frustration can be taken out later when the heir to Highever is safe." Cobian's entire face hardened. "Oren must live above everything and everyone else."

Nan bowed, and that startled Cobian because he actually flinched away. "Yes, my Lord."

Cobian grimaced. "That is not something I would ever be pleased to hear you say, Nan."

"Your are a Lord of house Cousland."

"Much more suited for a scholar in a library." Cobian smiled as he stood up, gripping his sword, his eyes much more focused. "But I am a Cousland and my duty comes before pleasure. I will protect Ferelden and right now the Grey Wardens need my aid."

"Thank you, Lord Cobian." Duncan bowed his head.

Cobian bowed back. "Please, Commander, we'd be brothers in this Order. I am Cobian."

Duncan smiled warmly. "And I am Duncan."

"Thank you, Duncan."

"Not to interrupt whatever this is," Torph began. "But when do we eat? I'm starving after all that."

Narascha huffed. "Honestly, duster?"

"What?" Torph smirked. "I'm a growing boy."

"I could say many things to that," Narascha mused. "But I won't."

"Yeah, yeah, take the 'high horse' or whatever the saying these topsiders use is."

Duncan sighed.

.::.

It had been a long night, but Epona hoped that a decent meal would help ease her new companions. She had went to hunt not too long after Duncan had told them to take a break, and decided to leave the human affairs to the humans.

Hunting also brought to her some sense of ease. All she could hear was the wind rustling the trees and she couldn't help but close her eyes for a moment and enjoy it.

Of course the peace was disturbed by a familiar pair of voices. Not the children of the stone's bickering thankfully but by the two junior Grey Wardens. They were walking past her, not too far away, hidden by all the foliage.

"All that terror for jealousy?" Lawrien cursed and punched a tree, and Epona jumped when it crushed beneath her fist, caving in the wood. "Why? Oriana was so scared, she didn't want to die, she wanted to have another baby when Fergus returned. She was excited and scared he wouldn't come back and now she won't see him again and Oren doesn't have his mother," Lawrien cried hysterically. "I don't get it! How can someone do that?"

"Monsters do that," Ciara replied grimly.

She reached out and grabbed the shemlen girl's hand, inspecting it carefully. Lawrien buried her face into her free hand, sobbing harshly. Ciara's face was pinched, the shemlen's hands remained steady however.

"Everyone was angry and terrified and they wanted to protect Oren. Protect the heir. Kill the heir. Main target. They all wanted his life to be safe and to be taken from him. They all kept cutting off. I couldn't feel them anymore-"

Ciara grabbed her shoulders firmly. "Lawrien. Breathe."

"I-I-I can't- I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't!" Lawrien sobbed, burying her face into her hands. "It won't leave! My head feels so full and heavy but everyone is so tired tonight and Duncan's upset and Cobian is devastated and his head is so full and Faren's still mourning and I don't know what I'm feeling. Narascha hurts and Torph is confused and Oren doesn't even realise what has happened and it's all so tangled-"

Epona quickly slipped away, realising all too slowly that this was a private affair. That she had lingered too long. After she snuck away she realised that the shemlen child was perhaps not a child at all, perhaps in looks but in feelings she was probably much older and overwhelmed.

She had made her empathy sound like a gift, but Lawrien must have came across scenes like Highever before as a Grey Warden. The darkspawn were cruel and nasty creatures after all.

.::.

The worst part was trying to explain what had happened to Oren. Cobian normally would explain it logically, but Oren was just a boy, only four. He didn't understand any of this just yet. He stared up at Cobian from Nan's lap, eyes so wide and full of so much trust-

How could Howe ever raise a sword to Oren? No. Howe was a coward. He had someone else do it. Howe didn't even have the strength to do the deed himself. Of course it would have been easy for him.

"I'm cold and tired," Oren said softly. "Where's mother? Where are we?"

Cobian debated for a moment before sighing. "Some bad men came to the castle-"

Oren gasped. "Then we must hide!"

"We tried, but these were really bad men," Cobian insisted. "So we had to run. But your mother, and grandfather and grandmother couldn't join us..." He didn't know what to say.

"They had to go be with the Maker," Nan said, stroking Oren's hair back.

"But why?"

"The Maker really wanted to see them," Nan soothed. "And one day we'll get to see them again too. We just have to be patient."

"Until then I'll be going to find your father," Cobian said. "He'll run right back to see you-"

"And beat the bad men!"

Cobian smiled weakly. "And beat the bad men."

"So we're going to father?" Oren smiled shakily. "He can find mother, right?"

"No, little one." Nan shook her head. "When one goes to the Maker, they can't come back. They must stay by his side."

"But that's unfair. I want mother!"

"I wish she was here too," Cobian said, and closed his eyes. "But the bad men took her and the Maker had to save her."

Oren gasped. "The Maker saved her?"

"Yeah. The bad men can't hurt her or grandfather and grandmother ever again."

He opened his eyes when Oren remained silent. Oren shifted in Nan's lap, staring at the ground, but then their eyes met and he nodded. "Okay."

"Okay?" Cobian blinked.

"We'll go to father!"

Cobian shook his head. "I'm going to your father, but you need to go somewhere safe. Your father fights a war right now."

"But I said I would watch you!" Oren protested. "Father says you think too much, and you get dis... Dis..."

"Distracted?"

"Yes! So you need us. You need me!"

"You're too young to be at a battlefield, Oren," Nan huffed. "We're going to Denerim to the Queen."

"No!" Oren screamed, kicking and squirming. "NO!"

"Enough." Epona was suddenly at their side, and Cobian flinched, startled at the sudden appearance. And at how firm her voice was. The Dalish elf knelt before Oren, eyes hard. "Your Uncle has told you that you are to go somewhere safe. So you will stop throwing a tantrum right now otherwise you're in trouble. Do you understand me?"

Oren sobbed.

"Do you understand?" Epona asked, even more firmly.

Oren nodded then buried his head in Nan's shoulder, sobbing quietly.

"We can't have him screaming," Epona said, standing up, but it was slow and stiff. "The forest is too quiet for that. If this Howe man has scent scouts out they will hear us."

"Thank you." Cobian bowed his head.

Epona scoffed. "It was hardly anything. If my daughter fussed like that during a dangerous time in camp I would have done exactly the same."

"Daughter?" Cobian perked up.

"Don't, shemlen." Epona scoffed. "We're not having a deep conversation."

"Ah, sorry, curious-"

"I can tell." Epona rolled her eyes, then stalked off.

"What a delightful elf," Nan huffed, she then faltered, and Cobian ached to see it. It wasn't a look he was used to. "I suppose we go our separate ways-"

"I suppose so. I..." Cobian fidgeted. "Barely hours ago I thought you would all be here, you all said you would. Now everything has changed, all because of Howe."

None of this should have happened. Why did it have to happen?

"Such cruelty," Cobian said weakly. "Unsure what would have been better though. No, would have been easier if he had always been cruel and nasty. Easier if he was foul. But no, always so kind. A kindness always faked or did he actually care for us, but for power more? Such troubling thoughts."

"I'm sorry, Cobian." Nan laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry too." Cobian frowned. "And I wish I didn't have to say goodbye so soon. But Fergus must be warned and battles must be fought in Ostagar. You must also get Oren to safety."

"Please don't go..." Oren whimpered.

"Be brave, Oren." Cobian ruffled his hair. "And patient. And know that you are always loved, no matter how far apart we all are."