Chapter 3: Duster's Revenge (Faren)
Six hours later, Faren woke up in a dirty room with a cage. The first thing he saw was a rotten dwarven skeleton, from which Faren crawled away in fright. At first he thought he was in prison, but then he noticed a branded dwarf behind the cage, whom he had seen running errands at Beraht a few times. The dwarf called someone. It seems that Beraht got to Faren before Orzammar court did.
Seeing Faren awake, Jarvia approached the cage.
- What, woke up at last? - she asked.
- Zero guards, two miserable lackeys of Beraht, - Faren said. - Or maybe one lackey and one overly stupid noble hunter. Do you know that Beraht is not from the noble caste? Or will you even spread your legs even in front of a dwarf from the servant caste? Personally, I would not have fun with you even for the opportunity to get a caste.
Faren decided that since death is near anyway, he can finally be bold. Jarvia grabbed the bars of the cage.
- Shut up! I would kill you myself, but Beraht has something worse for you.
- Well, we've just found out that I'm in Dust Town. And what did I do wrong to Beraht? I just did his job. It's not my fault that this son-of-a-nug Everd was drunk and staggering like a sleepy bronto.
- You screwed up and disgraced Beraht! Lord Vollney has lost a hundred sovereigns betting because of you!
- Losing a hundred sovereigns won't make Lord Vollney broke. Where is Leske?
- Took advantage of the commotion and fled the Proving arena. But don't worry, we'll find him too.
- What does Beraht want to do with me?
- I won't spoil the intrigue, you'll see for yourself, - Jarvia said and left for the exit.
- Try not to be near Beraht when I kill him, - Faren said proudly as Jarvia left.
Faren thought about how to get out. He would accept his fate, but Beraht would not stop at his death, he would get to Rica. Faren had wanted to kill Beraht for a long time, and now nothing will stop him from doing it. He just needs to get out of the cell.
- Hey, Anrik!
Faren heard a familiar voice.
Leske appeared in the cell block with a flask of ale.
- My friend, our innkeeper poured some ale for everyone, and he didn't forget about you, - Leske said, giving the flask to the guard.
Anrik drank ale in one gulp, lost consciousness and fell, dropping his flask noisily. Leske pulled the key from his pocket and opened Faren's cage.
- So the poison came in handy, - said Leske, while Faren grabbed the guard's sword and put on his armor. - It's good that we didn't poison Mainar. Anrik is a nice guy, though not very smart. Didn't want to kill him.
- Thanks for getting me out, Leske. I will never forget this.
- What are we going to do now?
- Jarvia said that Beraht is very unhappy. I'll have to kill him before he gets to Rica. You can still leave if you want.
- Well, I do not. You owe me five coppers. You won't give them back if you are dead.
- I'm glad you're with me.
Faren and Leske walked cautiously through several rooms. Luckily, most of the Carta dwarves were either fast asleep or heavily drunk. Only one noticed them and tried to raise the alarm, but Leske instantly cut his throat.
Finally, they came to the last door, behind which were the chambers of Beraht.
- Ready? - Leske asked.
- Almost, - said Faren and listened to the conversation between Beraht and his two henchmen.
- If the traitor Faren doesn't know his place, then I don't need Rica anymore, - Beraht said.
- Rica? Ah, the one you buy lace to. I've wanted to get to her for a long time, - one of his bodyguards replied.
- I understand you, salroca, I'd also do a lot of things with her, - added the second one.
- If you want, she is yours, - continued Beraht. - And I'll tell you, it tastes sweeter than it looks.
- Well, that's it!
Faren could not hear that anymore and kicked the door. Beraht and his henchmen immediately took out their weapons.
- You're all going to die here! - Faren shouted.
- What are you doing here? - Beraht asked indignantly. - Guys, let's teach this duster a lesson!
- This? Just this? Does anyone take me seriously here? - Leske intervened and burst into battle first.
While Leske was distracting the bodyguards, Faren hit Beraht with a swing, but he blocked the blow with his shield in time. Leske threw a dagger to the neck of one of the thugs, and he immediately fell.
- Call for help! - Beraht shouted to the second thug.
The bodyguard didn't have time to go far - Leske jumped on him and began to strike all parts of his body with the remaining dagger.
- Help will not come, Beraht. Defend yourself! - Faren exclaimed and once again attacked his former boss.
Beraht went on the defensive and fought off one blow after another. But no matter how expensive his armor and weapons are, Beraht is a merchant, not a warrior. After the sixth blow, Faren managed to break Beraht's shield and pin him to the wall.
- Nothing will end with my death! My house will avenge me! - Beraht shouted.
Faren did not stop and thrust his sword into Beraht's stomach. The head of the Carta yelled in pain, Faren began to twist the sword in different directions.
- Tastes sweeter than it looks, doesn't it, you bastard? - Faren exclaimed caustically.
When Beraht lost consciousness, Faren pulled his sword out of him.
- I can't believe it! You did it, salroca! I have never doubted you, - said Leske, who approached him.
- This idiot was right. It won't end with his death. I've just killed a merchant dwarf, and the authorities don't care that he was the head of the Carta.
- You need to escape to the surface.
- To the surface? There are only two exits. Passing through the main entrance is impossible. It is easier to break into the Deep Roads, but there I will wander on my own and I won't find a way out. But we'll solve it later. Now we have to run away from here.
- I've been here before. There are two exits from the building. I suggest we go different ways.
- Agreed. That way at least one of us will make it to Dust Town.
- You've killed Beraht, so you deserve to go through the secret passage. I'll sneak past the guards again and exit through the main entrance.
- Leske, if I get caught, take care of Rica, okay?
- No problem, salroca.
- And by "take care", I mean it literally. No flirting.
Faren and Leske parted ways. Faren went through a secret passage that led straight to one of the shops. He silently walked to the exit from there, ignoring the insults of both the vendor and the noble customer.
At the exit, Faren was waiting for the familiar landscapes of the Commons - the central district of Orzammar, in which all castes live, except for the nobles and the casteless. Faren knew that Beraht had a secret hideout here, but he didn't think it was that visible. His return to Dust Town had just become much more difficult. The townspeople, clearly remembering Faren from the Provings, began to poke their fingers at him and call for the guards. Faren ran to the exit to the Dust Town, but just a couple of steps before the exit, he was stopped by a guard armed with a crossbow.
- Veata! - he shouted, aiming his crossbow at Faren.
- Shall I leave peacefully? - Faren asked, as he didn't want to kill another dwarf today.
- What are you doing at large?
- Yes, I was wandering, maybe killed the head of the Carta, who knows.
- What? Be... I mean, the head of the Carta?
Faren realized that the guard was clearly taking bribes from Beraht. Many knew what Beraht did, but no one had the courage to say it out loud. Faren was about to offer the guard a bribe, but they were approached by four more guards, who had been called by the townspeople.
- Take him! - one of them shouted.
- Eh ... Okay, no need to, I'll go myself.
Faren surrendered his sword and went along with the guards to the city prison, regretting that he did not have time to lie low in the Dust Town and see Rica again. He could only hope that Leske has managed to get to Dust Town safely.