Chapter 18: Sudden Help (Daveth)
In the center of the alienage stood a large crowd, through which Duncan and his three recruits tried to pass.
- Duncan, you've chosen the wrong time to visit, - said hahren Valendrian, noticing them.
- What happened to you? - Duncan asked.
- The Arl's son broke in here with guards and took two brides and their bridesmaids from the wedding.
- Are you planning to save them somehow? - Aedan asked.
- How? - asked a fair-haired elf dressed as a groom. - We don't have weapons.
- We Grey Wardens cannot intervene directly in such matters, - Duncan replied. - But we can give you weapons so that you can use them to save your women.
Duncan drew a crossbow and dagger from behind his back. The fair-haired elf groom took a dagger, and the red-haired one got a crossbow.
An elderly elf stepped forward. Daveth noticed that although he was pale, he looked a lot like Kallian, the elven girl he met when he was trying to rob Vaughan.
- Soris, Nelaros, I beg you, save Kallian, Shianni and other girls! - he said.
- Can we go with them? - Elissa asked. - The two of them can't do it.
- I have to deny this request to you and Aedan, - Duncan replied. - There are quite a few of Howe's friends at the Arl's estate. They can tell Howe that you and your brother are alive and in Denerim.
Daveth noticed that Duncan had not mentioned him and decided to take advantage of this.
- Duncan, I want to go with the grooms. I'm not a noble, so this Howe of yours won't care about me. And I know how to get to the estate through the window.
- All right, Daveth, you will go.
- I have a question for the locals, - Aedan intervened. - Does anyone know a girl named Amethyne?
- Such girl lives here, - said Valendrian. - Why do you need her, human?
- It's personal, I... met her mother. And she asked me to tell her something.
- Follow me, I'll bring you to her grandmother.
The crowd dispersed, leaving only Daveth, Duncan, Elissa and two elves by the vhenadahl.
- Duncan, how do the local elves know you? - Elissa asked.
- It's not the first time I've come here for recruits. City elves revere Garahel, the Grey Warden from one of the alienages. Over 400 years ago, he raised an army and slew the archdemon, ending the last Blight. Therefore, there are always recruits among city elves. Twenty years ago, I wanted to take into our order an woman named Adaia Tabris, renowned in the alienage for her prowess in combat. But she had a little daughter, Kallian, and I decided to leave her with her family. Adaia died three years ago. But if she had managed to train her daughter, then Kallian would be an excellent Grey Warden. We have come here for her.
- Knowing Kallian, I can tell that she will definitely agree to join you, - Soris said.
- All right, let's not waste time, - Nelaros added. - Let's save our women. Human, lead on.
Daveth climbed onto a familiar house and saw that the window in the estate was closed this time. He took out his bow and shot at the window, which shattered into pieces. Daveth jumped through the window first, followed by Nelaros and Soris.
Looking around the corridor, Nelaros exclaimed:
- We need to hurry, the women don't have much time! There are three aisles, let's split up!
Everyone has chosen their own way. Daveth wanted to go back to Vaughan's bedroom and try to his chest again, but it was dangerous to go there alone. In addition, he admired the courage of Nelaros, and he really wanted to help the two grooms save their brides.
Davet looked into one of the rooms. There, two guards stood over the corpse of one of the elven girls.
- She shouldn't have resisted. She only spoiled all the fun, - said one of them.
Daveth understood: not only the rich are monsters here, even ordinary guards allow themselves too much. Nobody can be spared.
The thief shot the first guard with a bow and grappled with the second one. He managed to dodge the warrior's sword twice and threw a handful of sand he had stored into his eyes. After that, it was not difficult to finish off the guard with a well-aimed arrow. Daveth glanced at the dead elf - it certainly wasn't Kallian. He put on the armor of one of the dead guards and went on, hoping to save at least someone today, but also not forgetting the goal of robbing Vaughan.