Head feeling as though it was bursting, Thomas regained consciousness, slowly raising his head wincing at the relentless pounding. He felt a rush of panic realising he was tied to the chair by his wrists and ankles wondering how long he had been unconscious. "What is this?"

Sitting on the edge of the desk, Horace concealed his impatience, relieved he had finally woken. It was just past dawn and he was eager for answers. "This is to motivate you to tell me the truth. I am aware that there are a large group of Highever's citizens taking refuge at the Storm Coast, several Wardens and apparently Fergus and Aedan Cousland are with them, as well as your own sister and she is no prisoner. Interesting wouldn't you say given Ellowyn's timely return home."

Scowling Thomas met his gaze trying to ignore the violent pounding of his heart. "How arrogant you are to think my father would confide his plans in you. Ellowyn is loyal to him, he has made certain of that and as for my sister, how better to track the movements of the surviving Cousland's, than to gain their confidence. You think my father did not plan for all contingencies and who better to remain with the Cousland's than his own children, for who are more loyal than we? Now you will release me and you will take me to Ellowyn and Warin and Maker help you if you have hurt either of them."

Horace hesitated a sick feeling squirming in his gut; if Thomas was telling the truth his life would be forfeit for his actions. "If you are loyal why did you not tell me of them?"

"Who are you that I am required to tell you anything? You on the other hand should have come to me the moment you suspected something was amiss. I assume you have sent word to my father about your suspicions, no doubt there will be a raven returning shortly to set you straight." Thomas raised an eyebrow to conceal his rush of relief. "You have not contacted my father; why I wonder? Did you hope to gain greater standing by bringing him news of this great plot you have created? My father will tear you apart for what you have done here."

"No, you are trying to trick me. Why would your father tolerate the Cousland's and their soldiers so close?"

"You think they can take the castle? With the losses at Ostagar they can have little more than a hundred men at most, hardly a force to be concerned about. Perhaps you fear the civilians that escaped the Tevinters will pick up arms as well? Even if the Cousland's were foolish enough to try anything they have no chance if your men are half as good as they seem to be. They face capture and then execution at my father's hand. Let them take refuge on the Storm Coast, we know their location and my sister is in communication with my father. He will decide what we do with them, not you. Now where are Ellowyn and Warin?"

"She is in her room, for now and Warin is in the dungeons." He stood licking his lips nervously. "I want to believe you, Maker I nearly do, but it is clear she has no feelings for you and I do not believe her loyalty is to the Arl."

"Then you know nothing Horace and you are a fool. I will not explain myself further to you, you will release me immediately."

"I can't do that. What happens tonight will determine your fate."

"Tonight?"

"I found a little rat who was giving information to the group on the Storm Coast. This little rat was rather easily persuaded to pass on certain information, namely that you were attacked by the lady who accompanied you and she is to be hung tomorrow morning. Let us see what they do with that information. It was made clear that you of course may not survive your wound."

"You actually intend to kill me. Maker, you do have a death wish." Thomas jerked back feeling the sting of another dart, blinking rapidly trying to stay awake, hearing Horace walking away just before he lost consciousness.

xXx

Slumping into a chair Robert yawned loudly having just finished testing their initial token having spent most of the night with the other mages honing and extending the spell and creating a form that would allow it to be linked to an item. "That one lasted an hour, hopefully they all will, but we need to make it clear they might not last that long."

"However long they last it is more time than I could give them." Perin muffled his own yawn. "You have skills." He grinned at Robert's shy smile.

"You both have skills." Serris stated, glancing at the small discs with the hole in the centre that Philip had created at his forge. Carefully she threaded a strip of leather through each one to enable it to be secured around the neck. Each disc had a raised symbol on either side, once both were touched at the same time the concealment would activate. "Now we better all get some rest if we are going to be of any use tonight." She smiled slightly as Robert and Perin flopped down onto the pallets in the room, asleep within minutes.

xXx

By midday Jayden was looking over the tokens, intrigued by the magic. "Once activated, how long will we have?"

Robert shifted slightly still bleary eyed, having not long woken from his slumber. "The test lasted for an hour, but that might not hold for them all. I'm sorry there is no way of truly knowing."

"So, move as fast as we can."

"That would be my suggestion." Perin stated. "Do not activate them until you absolutely have to and then move like the wind."

Zevran grinned, placing his around his neck. "Ah, adventure. Stimulating, no."

Taking hers Leliana chuckled softly. "Let us see if you are still saying that if you are sneaking passed soldiers in the castle and the magic ends."

"Ah, if that happens my lovely Leliana I have my blades and their surprise at my sudden appearance will be all the time I need to end them."

"You hope." Theron muttered, failing to hide his amused smile.

"So little faith in my abilities, you wound me."

"No-one doubts your abilities Zev." Jayden stated, smiling slightly. "But Theron makes a good point, no unnecessary risks." They turned as Stephan approached with a tray of vials.

"Dylan and I worked on these for most of the night, they are the strongest we could make with the supplies we have. The sleeping potions will activate when the vial is smashed, preferably on the ground a distance from yourselves, they are very potent. You get a whiff of this stuff and you will be sleeping too. There were only enough supplies for eight vials, two each."

"We will make it work." Jayden stated, taking two vials and putting them in a padded pouch attached to his belt.

Stephan handed over three small boxes each containing eight darts as well as three pipes. "All of the darts in two of the boxes are tipped with a sleeping potion. Zevran you confirmed you have your own. Will, your box has four sleeping potions and four paralysing agents as asked. The black feathered darts are the paralysing agent. The fourth pipe and remaining darts are in Rinna and Faren's care should they need them, we ran out of supplies to make any more. The effects of the potions should last about an hour, but again that depends on the person."

"Speed seems to be the theme of the evening." Leliana murmured, feeling a rush of excitement.

"Fun, no." Zevran purred.

"Alright." Jayden stated. "Make sure you have everything you need. I want to be in position to take out the messengers when the sun goes down, with luck the shift change will remain the same, though we shouldn't count on anything being the way we expect it to be. We will meet back here in an hour." Taking a few moments to go and check his own supplies, which he had already checked several times, Jayden headed over to the healer's hut, kneeling down beside Morrigan, smiling as she slowly opened her eyes.

"You will need my help." She whispered trying to sit up, too exhausted to glare as Jayden gently prevented her.

"We have adapted the plan and while I prefer to have you at my side, you need to heal."

"This is your fault." She muttered. "I was angry with you and I was not as focused as I should have been."

"I will not apologize for trying to protect you, nor will I take the blame for how you reacted to it, but I am truly sorry you got hurt. You will be moved to the caves soon. You will go by stretcher and Dylan will put you under a sleep spell if you make a fuss, is that understood?" He maintained a steady gaze despite her clear disapproval. "Morrigan?"

"You are infuriating." She muttered.

"I know, you tell me frequently. I will see you when I get back." He moved to stand, hesitating as she grabbed his wrist.

"Be careful."

"I will be back before you know it to infuriate you some more."

"T'is no joke, what you intend to do is dangerous."

Gently taking her hand Jayden nodded. "I know, but everything we do these days is dangerous and we need to start reducing Howe's power and increasing our own. Putting Fergus back where he belongs not only helps the people of Highever, but will help our cause too, you know this."

"T'is not necessary for you to risk yourself, there are others …"

"And why should I risk myself any less than anyone else?"

Swallowing painfully Morrigan turned her head horrified as she felt tears burn. "Because you are the family I chose." She felt the gentle squeeze of his hand around hers and turned to him. "Because you are important, we have a destiny." She sighed softly feeling too weak to continue, her eyes closing.

"Get some rest, I will be back soon I promise." He glanced to Airyl giving her a gentle hug. "Stay safe and watch over her."

With a soft huff Airyl settled next to Morrigan's pallett, not happy to be left behind, but sensing Morrigan's physical weakness and knowing she needed to be protected.

Hurrying out of the hut Jayden hesitated seeing Delilah walking swiftly towards him.

"I should be going with you." Delilah muttered as she reached him. "I can be stealthy." She flushed at his raised eyebrow. "Perhaps not as stealthy as you, but …"

"Delilah you know this is about more than stealth. The people are already suspicious of you. If you are with us and something went wrong, no matter what it was you would be blamed."

"It is so unfair. I have done nothing to these people." She sighed softly. "But I suppose I can understand their concerns, perhaps I would feel the same in their place. Very well then, please bring Thomas back to me and be careful, no more scars."

Jayden smiled slightly. "You disapprove of my scars?"

"I disapprove of you getting hurt." Gently cupping his cheek Delilah pressed a soft kiss to his lips, pressing tight to him as his arms wrapped around her waist wishing they had more time. "Airyl is remaining behind?"

"Yes, I hate to go without her, but if the camp is attacked, she will protect Morrigan. I want you to stay close to them, please."

"Alright."

"Good. I have to get going." Their final kiss was too brief for either of them, but time was not on their side. Forcing a smile, he strode quickly away, joining the others. Rathnal was talking quietly to Rinna and Faren, once the messengers were incapacitated they would stay with them while the rest of the team joined Fergus before going on to the castle. It was the safest option for the Wardens, but neither were particularly happy about being reduced to babysitting duty. Ayanna and Stephan would support Perin while Serris, Dylan and Robert remained at the camp in case of attack.

"Stay safe." Rathnal stated firmly, gripping Jayden's arm.

"You too."

xXx

Trying to ignore the constant drizzle, Fergus gathered everyone together in their base camp. The infiltration team had already left and by the time the bulk of their force reached the caves, assuming all went well, the messengers would have been dealt with. It was time they got moving. "Tonight, we will retake Highever, but we know the Arl's men might be waiting for us, some may even come here so we must be ready. You all have your roles; you all know what you need to do. I wish I could promise you that no-one will get hurt, but what I will promise is that from tonight, one way or another we will take Highever back from those bastards who have terrorised you and taken our people from us." He forced a smile at the cheer.

xXx

Thomas returned to consciousness slowly, his tongue felt swollen in his parched mouth, pressing against the material gagging him. Heart racing, he forced his eyes to open, his vision taking a few moments to focus. The rope at his wrists and ankles was so tight it bit into his skin and the fraction of movement he could manage led to his skin burning with the friction. His bladder was uncomfortable bordering on painful, but Thomas doubted Horace would be sympathetic. Glancing around the room he realised he was alone and his sword and dagger were at the far end of the desk. Despite feeling shaky Thomas began to inch the chair around the desk, having to stop frequently as his breathing became laboured. Finally reaching the other side of the desk Thomas glanced to the door. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious or when Horace would return, but he knew there would be no rescue with Warin in the dungeons and no matter what his protector had done for his father, he had no intention of letting him be brutalised. Ellowyn would be kept alive to face his father he was sure, but that did not mean she was safe from harm, he had to escape. He nudged himself as close to the desk as possible, leaning over and using his chin to reach the hilt to bring the dagger closer to him. He froze as he heard the lock turn feeling sick as Horace stepped into the office.

Smirking slightly Horace leaned over and grabbed the dagger. "Is this what you want? Tell me just how were you going to use it?"

Thomas swallowed around the material watching him uneasily feeling sweat trickle down his back. He flinched as Horace removed the gag, noticing blood on his knuckles.

Horace followed his gaze and chuckled. "My discussion with Warin became quite physical." Sitting on the edge of the desk Horace gazed at the dagger in his hand. "Is she worth betraying your father for? She barely tolerates you, surely you know that."

Heart pounding Thomas met his gaze, nervously licking his dry lips. "I know that you are making the biggest mistake of your life and if you harm Ellowyn my father will kill you."

"I doubt that."

"You have no idea what you are meddling with. My father does not suffer failure, or those who interfere with his plans. If you harm Ellowyn not only will your life be forfeit, but so too will your family."

Glancing at the dagger Horace stood, he would not be turned from his course.

xXx

Cold stone beneath him, Warin lay still, grateful for the numbness that was spreading through his body. Horace had enjoyed every moment of pain he had inflicted, he could barely see out of his left eye, his jaw was swollen and agonising, his feet were raw and his back was shredded with lashes. He had been a fool, thinking his own reputation would keep them safe. Groaning in pain he forced himself to his knees before collapsing back to the ground as the pain overwhelmed him. He gave a shuddering groan, he didn't matter, a thousand lashes would not be enough punishment for all he had done, but Thomas had to survive this. He had trained Thomas, pushed him hard, but he had failed to protect him when it mattered most and he couldn't get to his feet let alone get out of the cell, he had never felt so helpless. "Maker, inflict whatever punishment on me you believe I merit, but please I beg you have mercy on Thomas. He may have been like his father in his youth, but surely you have seen him change; he is a good man, willing to risk his life to put right his father's wrongs. Please let him survive."

xXx

Moving stealthy through the trees, Faren signalled to Rinna that one of the messengers was ahead. The soldier was leaning against a tree watching the sky a slightly bored expression on his face.

Magrin shifted slightly easing the discomfort of his leg. There had been no need for them to hold these posts since the early days of the takeover of Highever; people had long since stopped trying to escape or cause trouble, their brutal regime had seen to that. The Captain however was convinced there would be trouble from a band of refugees and some displaced soldiers on the Storm Coast; it was almost laughable but for the small fact that the sons of Bryce were with them. Their father had proven himself treacherous and it would be foolish to dismiss them completely, still there was little they could do, even if they had an army which they did not. Stretching his arms, he muffled a yawn, it was an easy shift during the day and he liked the solitary nature of the job, but tonight he would be glad to be in the castle, if there was trouble, he did not want to be on his own. He glanced at his horse who danced sideways a fraction, standing straight as he heard a rustling, his hand shifting to the hilt of his sword, his caution turning to relief as Damon and Paul led their horses into sight. "You're late!"

"The Captain is as jumpy as a cat." Paul muttered, agitated that he had been relegated to messenger, in his opinion one of the worst posts. "He was double checking everyone. Maker as if anyone is going to attack the castle."

"We did." Damon pointed out, tethering his horse to a tree.

"Yes, but we had people on the inside, the Captain has taken care of their potential ally."

"Lord Thomas should have known better than to bring her here." Damon muttered.

"Love does strange things to men." Magrin stated, stretching again and gently rubbing the nose of his horse. "Still, I suppose he has seen the light now. Do you really think they will try something?"

"Maybe." Paul stated with a shrug. "If my sister was in trouble, I would do whatever it took to help her, but it doesn't matter either way, whether the Cousland's try to infiltrate the Castle, or are on the Storm Coast, by tomorrow they will be in the cells or dead."

"True enough. I'd better get back to the castle just in case there is an attack, I'd hate to miss out on the fun." Grinning he mounted and guided the mare through the trees humming to himself.

Settling on a tree stump Paul tossed his dagger in the air, deftly catching it.

Damon watched him for a few moments before leaning against the tree Magrin had vacated.

"Bloody waste of time being here." Paul muttered glaring at the weapon. "Especially if there is an attack, we should be where we can be useful!" He glanced up as he heard a thud, leaping to his feet as he saw Damon on the ground unmoving. Hissing in pain he grabbed at his neck, spinning around seeing a woman smiling at him before he sank to his knees, hitting the ground as he lost consciousness.

"So much for only one messenger per post." Faren muttered, putting the pipe back into his pocket.

"The others will likely know of the additional messenger by now, they should be able to handle them." The plan was to take all of the incapacitated soldiers to a hunter's hut not far from their current location. Getting them onto their horses took a bit of time and manoeuvring, but eventually they were secured. "Let's get going." They led the horses north west and in less than ten minutes saw their destination, surprised to see Theron sitting outside of the hut.

"How did you get back before us?" Faren demanded.

Grinning Theron inclined his head to the hut. "Ours were too easy, one was napping and the other reading by a fire. They made it far too easy for us. Surprising given they would know of a potential attack this evening."

"We heard ours talking. They doubted an attack would happen at all and they certainly didn't think they would be targeted."

Slipping out of the hut Jayden glanced at the unconscious soldiers, moving over to help. "Two for you as well then."

Nodding Rinna hauled her soldier off the horse with his help as Theron moved to aid Faren. "Their arrogance will be their undoing, though we did hear them say soldiers have been sent to the Storm Coast."

Feeling his gut churn Jayden forced back his concern, those at the camp were ready for any who might attack them, he had to trust they would be well.

"Let us not fall into their trap of arrogance, the others are not back yet." Theron muttered, grunting slightly as he took the soldiers weight to get him off the horse.

Once the soldiers were secured, they settled outside waiting for the others. Time passed and Rinna felt the growing tension, Zevran and Leliana should have been back by now. She did not doubt either of their skills, but that did not mean they were indestructible and Theron was right, just because they had dealt with foolish soldiers, did not mean their quarry would be so easily taken.

Driven by impatience and concern, little over thirty minutes later, Jayden swung himself up into a tree to get a better look of the surrounding area, feeling relief as he spied their missing companions, leading the horses towards them, realising the soldiers were being dragged along behind. Signalling to the others he quickly made his way back to the ground.

As they reached the hut Zevran was surprised as Rinna flung her arms around him and hugged him fiercely. "I am well caro." He murmured.

"I was starting to worry."

"Was there trouble?" Jayden asked in concern.

Zevran grinned. "You were worried? I knew you had a soft spot for me, but there is no need, our two were merely more resistant to the sleeping potion than anticipated. It took two darts each to subdue them, not unlike yourself."

Raising an eyebrow Jayden shook his head. "You really want to go there? Just as I was beginning to like you."

"Ah, too soon?"

"They attempted to get to the horses after the first dart." Leliana interrupted quickly. "The second dart stopped them in their tracks, but as you can see by their size, we had little chance of getting them on their horses so we had to be creative."

Glancing at them Faren whistled softly. "They don't exactly look like the messenger type, more like damn berserkers."

"That my friend is why I am glad we had the darts." Zevran grinned mischievously.

"Well let's get them in the hut before they suddenly wake and we do have a fight on our hands." Jayden stated, glad both men were unconscious. "Extra rope for these two I think, then we need to get going; Aedan and his team should be on the move by now."

xXx

Signalling to those under his command, Fergus led the way through the cave system he had played in as a child. His heart thumped mercilessly, in a few hours assuming all went well they would have rescued Ellowyn, Thomas and Warin, taken back his family home and freed Highever from Howe's grip. He swallowed nervously, his fear for Ellowyn had steadily risen. The wait was nerve wracking, everyone fidgeting with nervous energy. All Fergus could hear was the pounding of his own blood as he waited. He glanced at his brother feeling a shudder run through him that he was wearing Amaranthine armour; checking out the five squads who would deal with the patrols and jail. He forced a smile as Aedan moved to his side.

"The messengers should be taken care of; we better get moving."

Fergus nodded, he wanted more than anything to wait a little longer to ensure there were no issues, but they had a schedule. "Be swift and careful."

Clasping his brother's arm, Aedan smiled reassuringly. "Be back soon." He signalled to the four squads; those who would take the place of the patrols were citizens of Highever, the additional soldiers with them were to incapacitate the patrols quickly and transport Howe's soldiers to the jail before re-joining Fergus. It was Aedan and his team who would secure the jail for their arrival.

Fergus nodded to the squads. "Good luck."

Giving the signal, Aedan moved out of the cave and headed towards the main street before heading south. Philip, Roland, Gregor and Simon accompanied him, outfitted with Amaranthine armour, their helmets in place to obscure their faces. Apart from Philip who had all but begged for the assignment to try and find out if Eric was well, the three other men were traders. Each was capable with a sword and while they wanted payback, they understood the need for restraint; at least until the patrols were taken care of. Two more squads of men headed off towards the market district and docks, the third heading towards the housing district and the fourth to the warehouses where the captured Highever soldiers were imprisoned. Aedan forced himself to remain calm, they all knew their roles, yet it was still a huge risk. He silently prayed for their success before he focused on his own men; they looked just like any other squad on patrol and they took a leisurely pace to the jail. It was quiet, too quiet for Aedan's liking and the tension in his back and shoulders was unbearable. He had hated leaving Hunter behind with Rory at the camp, but no patrol had mabari's. Pushing open the large door Aedan felt himself grow cold, there were no guards. Signalling to the others to be quiet, leaving Roland, Gregor and Simon to guard the door, he and Philip headed down the stairs to the cells. One torch still spluttered at the far end of the corridor, eight cells on each side. Aedan imagined them filled with frightened people while they waited for the Tevinter's to take them. His fists clenched in fury as he forced himself to keep walking. He heard Philip's gasp and low moan before seeing the man move to a cell just ahead of them, the body of a woman within. "Who is she?"

"Mattie, Eric's wife. Damn them."

"I take it this is Eric." Aedan stated sadly, staring at the man in the cell opposite, his hand outstretched towards his fallen wife.

Tearing himself away from the cell where Mattie's life had come to an abrupt end, her neck broken, Philip clutched the bars of Eric's cell, the poor man having bled out due to a stab wound to the gut. "He didn't deserve this."

"We need to go; we can take care of their bodies once this is over. I want to check out the warehouses, those sent there may need our help." Leaving Roland and Gregor to secure the jail, Aedan, Philip and Simon forced themselves to maintain a steady pace to the warehouses despite being desperate to get there. He sighed in relief as a squad of their men were already at the warehouse and there did not seem to be any trouble.

Ser Harold, one of Fergus's most loyal men stepped forward. "There were no guards, you should see why for yourself my Lord."

No amount of pointing out he was a Warden now could convince Highever's knights and soldiers to address him as anything but my Lord and now was not the time to point it out again. Feeling dread piercing his heart Aedan moved into the warehouse, startled to realise that the soldiers in the cages were sleeping. It was a huge relief that they weren't dead, but it told of something more sinister, that Howe needed them for something. "They cannot be woken?"

"Some kind of sleeping potion I believe. We have tried everything. There is no way we can move them like this."

"Alright, there is nothing we can do here. The patrols of Howe's men can be put in the cells at the jail, then we need to report back to my brother."

xXx

Fergus paced impatiently, profoundly relieved when Jayden and his team arrived confirming that the messengers were unconscious and under guard, though he was sickened to hear that the base would be attacked. He hated putting his people in danger, but they had all accepted the risks wanting their home back and their families safe. Moments later he saw Aedan approaching. "What news brother?"

"The jail had no guards and as for prisoners there were only two, Eric and Mattie. They were already dead."

"Maker, is there nothing these bastards won't do." Fergus growled. "And the patrols and warehouses?"

"Our soldiers in the warehouses have been given a sleeping potion, they weren't even being guarded, it is almost as though they wanted to taunt us. As for the patrols they are replaced and secured in the jail. You are good to go."

Fergus turned to Jayden. "Are you ready?"

Nodding Jayden turned to his own team. "Time to move."

xXx

Theron and Zevran took the lead having proven the most accurate with the pipes. Perin and Stephan were following with Fergus and a team of ten soldiers, some to replace the guards they would debilitate on the pathway to the passageway used to escape the night of the attack and those to protect Fergus until the rest of his forces could be brought to the castle. Ayanna was waiting with the next group so that Stephan could allow his mana a little time to regenerate before he took the third group with Perin. It was frustrating that the groups would be so few in number, but any more would overwhelm Perin even with those supporting him with rejuvenation spells. Jayden glanced back knowing where they were hearing them, at times he saw shifting shapes, but his gaze simply couldn't rest on them. He signalled to them to stop as Theron and Zevran moved ahead using the darts to debilitate the two sentries stationed by the pathway. Fergus's men moved quickly into place, while the unconscious soldiers were dragged out of sight and secured. They repeated the process with the soldiers guarding the door, quickly rendering the two men unconscious, replacing them with two of Fergus's men.

Zevran and Theron activated their tokens and carefully opened the door slipping into the passageway. As with the spell Perin was manifesting, the tokens didn't make them invisible, but the guards could look right at them and not be able to focus unless they were highly disciplined and even then, they would likely not know what they were seeing.

Leliana smiled as they heard several thuds, counting out two minutes before she and Jayden followed. They passed four sleeping soldiers before they reached the storeroom. Three soldiers were unconscious on the floor and peering into the kitchen they saw at least twenty soldiers slumped on the ground sleeping. "It seems they were expecting us to enter the castle this way, luckily they underestimated us. I shall signal Lord Fergus."

Nodding Jayden took off his pack and took out the rope, beginning the process of dragging the soldiers into the storeroom to secure them. Zevran and Theron would check the servant's quarters, barracks and chapel assuming the tokens held that long and once Fergus and his first group were inside, he and Leliana could go after Ellowyn, Thomas and Warin.

xXx

Zevran pressed himself close to the wall and peered through the open door of the barracks which was a larger space than he had expected despite the description. There were at least fifty soldiers, armed and armoured and clearly waiting. They had enough nervous energy to set his hair on end. Gripping the vial of the sleeping potion he tossed it into the room, grabbing the door and shutting it quickly. The moment the vial had smashed the soldiers were lost; the airborne particles dispersed quickly, but it affected everyone in the area and they would be out for an hour at least and too groggy to be of much use in any fighting when they woke. Silently counting and keeping his mouth and nose covered, Zevran slowly opened the door seeing all of the soldiers slumped on the floor, many snoring. He did a quick check of the adjoining rooms. The sleeping potion had done its work there and the few soldiers in the bunk rooms were also unconscious on the floor.

"Nice work." Theron whispered, watching a soldier's hands being tied. He had checked out the servant's quarters which had been empty.

Zevran managed not to jump, glad Theron could not see his face. "You start on the right."

Grinning Theron moved swiftly, he might not have been able to see Zevran, but he knew the assassin was uncomfortable about being snuck up on and it gave him a perverse moment of pleasure to do it.

Once the soldiers were tied up and bundled into the bunk rooms Zevran headed to the door. "To the Chapel."

"Let's go before this magic runs out on us."

"Hush my friend, do not tempt fate."

xXx

Heart pounding Fergus led the soldiers into the castle, stopping at the storeroom, surprised by the number of soldier's unconscious on the floor and those still in the kitchen. "We can take over." He stated, seeing Jayden securing them. "At least we know the potions and tokens work." His gaze lingered on the sleeping soldiers; he wanted every one of Howe's soldier's dead for all the harm they had brought to his family and to Highever, but now was not the time to be hot headed. His thirst for battle had led him astray once before and he would not make the same mistake a second time. They waited impatiently for the second group to arrive who was being led by Ser Eril, relieved when a short time later they arrived.

Nodding to the knight, who was getting his men into position to follow them, Jayden glanced at Leliana who signalled she was ready. Turning to Fergus he gave a reassuring smile. "See you when this is over."

"Be careful."

Jayden moved over to Ser Eril . "Once you see Leliana turn into the corridor towards the family rooms, follow us, we don't know how many guards will be there, but you should have enough men with you to replace them. Get to the corridor outside of the family rooms quickly. If I whistle all is well and the guards are debilitated, you hear fighting, well feel free to help."

Eril grinned slightly. "Will do Champion." He winced slightly; Fergus had informed them that he wanted no-one knowing about the title until Highever was retaken. "Apologies I mean Captain."

Ignoring the slip Jayden took the lead, he and Leliana easing out of the kitchens and moving swiftly along the corridor. It had been a while since Jayden had been in the Castle, but he knew every corridor having explored it with Ellowyn and Aedan as children. He realised he was holding his breath as he hesitated at the turn in the corridor signalling to Leliana before activating his token. He peered around the corner seeing two guards. Neither looked in his direction, both looking bored. Edging up the corridor Jayden gripped the pipe and selected the darts laced with the sleeping potion, firing two quickly, managing to grab the soldiers and press them against the wall. "Lel!" He gasped.

Hurrying over to him Leliana grabbed a guard and with no small amount of effort they lowered their bodies to the ground, both wincing at each clank of armour. They dragged both soldiers into the alcove waiting a moment before peering back into the corridor.

"We need to keep going." Jayden whispered.

Leliana nodded, while she knew he was there she couldn't focus on him and it was all she could do not to show how unnerved she was. That being said such a disguise held great potential for future intrigues.

xXx

Crouching in the alcove behind a thick tapestry where he had been hiding not wanting to get involved in any potential fighting; Rodger frowned as he heard something smashing before there were alarmed cries and then the thud and clank of armour hitting the ground, frowning as the silence was suddenly punctuated by snoring. Biting his lip anxiously he waited for several minutes before he eased back the tapestry a fraction, his eyes widening as he saw the soldiers being dragged to the side, but there was no-one there. He gave a soft involuntary whine, perhaps those killed that fateful night of the attack had come back for revenge, however he doubted ghosts would exact revenge by making soldiers sleep. He pulled back sharply as the air seemed to shimmer and two elven males appeared.

Zevran gave a regretful sigh. "Alas the magic is over."

"It lasted longer than I expected it to." Theron stated, binding the hands and feet of the last soldier then standing. "We should move."

Zevran followed him out hesitating in the doorway for a moment, his eyes sweeping over the room.

"Zev!" Theron hissed, relieved when he moved after him.

xXx

Jayden hurried on, Leliana remaining behind him yet to activate her token. He hesitated at the main door, seeing several guards outside the first set of rooms kept for guests, seeing more guards in the section exclusively for the family. He had only two more darts which would be of little use. Worrying at his lip Jayden tossed the vial into the doorway between the two sections, the mixture becoming airborne instantly. He darted out closing the door behind him hearing a few alarmed shouts before the thump of armoured bodies hitting the ground. Unsheathing his sword and making sure his nose and mouth were covered Jayden carefully opened the door. The first set of soldiers hadn't moved a step from the table they were playing cards on. The other three had clearly tried to get to the furthest room, but had fallen just beyond Ellowyn's room. He listened at the guest doors before slowly opening them grateful they were empty. "Let's move." He whispered, heading to the family rooms, all were empty apart from Ellowyn's room and her door was locked.

Meanwhile Ser Eril and a squad of nine men had followed Jayden and Leliana's route, two men taking the place of the guards, four of the soldiers split into pairs taking an unconscious soldier each, moving them back to the kitchen. The remaining four including Ser Eril headed slightly further up the corridor waiting for the signal.

Jayden gave a sharp whistle before moving back to Ellowyn's room and knocking on the door calling out her name.

Frowning Ellowyn glanced at Fleta who was at the door wagging her tail. Biting her lip she pulled back the bolt opening the door, staggering back with a cry as Jayden suddenly appeared in front of her. "How …?"

"A clever spell cast on a token, but it is spent. I was hoping you could use it, but we will just have to be careful."

"Why did Morrigan not come, I have had the ring on for …"

"She did, but the guards were shooting any raven that came near the castle, she was badly injured, but she will recover."

Ellowyn paled. "Maker I … is Fergus here, our soldiers?"

"Yes, Zev and Theron are neutralising as many soldiers as possible with sleeping potions, but Fergus will not attack until you are safe."

"We have to find Thomas. I was told he had ordered me imprisoned in my room, but I do not believe it, he would not turn against us."

"The information we received was you had attacked him and he was not expected to survive. You were to be executed tomorrow morning. With Morrigan's injury we had no way to verify it."

"So, this is a trap."

"Hopefully one we will survive. You need to go to your brother; I will get Thomas."

"But …"

"No buts Ell, if you will not consider your own life then consider you are needed at the landsmeet if we are to defeat Howe. You cannot afford to be hurt; this whole plan was risky enough."

Flushing Ellowyn nodded. "Thomas and Warin might be in the study, that would be your best place to start, but be careful if Captain Horace is with them …"

"I'll be careful."

"Come then." Leaving the room, she nodded to Leliana, grabbing her dagger signalling to Fleta as four soldiers entered the corridor.

"They are ours Ell." He signalled to the men who began dealing with the sleeping soldiers.

Ellowyn recognised Ser Eril flushing at how ready she had been to attack them. She glanced at Emery who was snoring, curled up in the foetal position. "Be careful with him, he saved my life."

Jayden turned to the men with Ser Eril. "Keep that one separate, he is not to be harmed in any way."

"Yes Captain."

Leliana moved to his side. "Take my token and find Thomas, I will take Lady Ellowyn to her brother."

"I will ensure their safe return to Lord Fergus." Ser Eril stated.

Nodding Jayden put the token around his neck and hurried back down the corridor.

xXx

Rodger stayed where he was until his legs cramped, shaking as he staggered out of his hiding place. Almost tripping over his own feet, he got to the door trembling as he peered out seeing no-one, but that unsurprisingly did not make him feel better. Mouth dry, heart pounding he ran down the corridor bursting into the barracks staring in horror at the bound and sleeping soldiers. Terror filling him he raced to the courtyard where several companies waited for orders. "They are in the castle!" He cried out. "Elves, they were invisible and then they weren't. They have used sleeping potions on the soldiers in the chapel and the barracks."

Sergeant Daden growled in frustration, the Captain had clearly underestimated their enemy, no-one had mentioned magic. "This castle is ours; you meet with any resistance you fight to kill." He grabbed Rodger. "You find the Captain and tell him it's begun." He turned back to his men. "Let's show these Cousland bastards who this castle belongs to!" He raised his sword as his men roared, all eager for battle.

Rodger backed out and raced along the corridor, glancing back to see the soldiers pouring in from the courtyard. Heart pounding, he raced to the study, bursting through the door, stopping abruptly as he saw Horace standing over Thomas who was tied to a chair his mouth gagged.

"What in the Void do you mean by bursting in here?"

"I … Captain there are elves in the castle!" He shrank back at Horace's irritated look. "Not servants. They must have been using magic, one moment there was nothing and then they were there. They used sleeping potions on the soldiers in the Chapel and the barracks. Sergeant Daden has brought his men in."

"Magic." Horace hissed. "What magic can make a man invisible?" Realising he had underestimated them he turned to Thomas striking quickly, driving his dagger into Thomas's gut, ignoring the muffled pained cry. "Traitors deserve a slow and painful death." He hissed, turning to see the ashen faced Rodger backing towards the door. "Rodger!" The man froze as he knew he would. "I need you to stay here." He stated, walking over to him.

"Of … of course Captain."

Horace gripped his shoulder. "It's for the greater good."

Wide eyed Rodger saw the blade a split second before it drew across his throat, blood spraying against the wall.

"Can't have any witnesses." Horace muttered letting Rodger slump to the ground. He turned back to look at Thomas, his efforts to free his wrists becoming weaker. "Your father would kill you himself if he was here, but fear not, I will not sully your reputation, to him you will remain the devoted son. The Cousland's attacked you and Rodger died defending you. I tried to get to you but I was too late; this is all the mercy you will get."

Thomas stared after Horace as he left the room hearing the click of the lock. Shuddering painfully, he glanced down at the blood-soaked tunic, the pain washing over him in waves. Bryce Cousland had been slain in this very room, perhaps it was fitting he too would die here.

xXx

Author Note: Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed.