The Oaths of Fealty scene at the beginning of this chapter was very interesting to write! It came together in bits and pieces as I figured out how many threads I had going and what points would be made where and the PACING of it all. Also you can thank Jiyuu no Tsubasa for Liz’s speech there.
And I’m going back to rewrite bits of the earlier chapters already! Nate’s not conflicted enough! I need to check the subtext of everything! I might be able to remove some extraneous expositions!
I’m so looking forward to Chapter 5. I might write most of it tonight.
My best friend is finished Part 1 of the rewrite of his story… it’s magnificent. It’s got so much tone, and character, and maintains a ‘legend’ quality even when it goes into snarky dialogue and action scenes, and yet it doesn’t feel pretentious like it might be easy to fall into for an inexperienced writer. Cullean and Asrath are vying with Varel for ‘favourite badass old man’, and Dann is adorbs.
Chapter 4
The Wardens from Orlais had brought the white and blue uniforms of their order with them, and one of Elizabeth’s servants, Firiel, brought me one to wear. I went down to the Great Hall a little late to the gathering. I had no particular desire to stand out, either from my smart blue and white uniform, or from anyone recognizing me as Rendon’s son.
Unfortunately my wish was to go unfulfilled, as only a minute after I entered the Great Hall – the room now looking fresh with autumn flowers – Bann Esmerelle, who governed Amaranthine City, spotted me and came to speak to me. “Nathaniel Howe!”
I bowed to her rather stiffly. “Bann Esmerelle, I believe. It’s been a while.”
“Yes, yes. Nathaniel, it is good to see you. We all miss your poor father. He was so good to us. You look so much like him.”
“I do?” I asked, unsure whether I was pleased or not. Years ago, I would have been delighted to hear that. Now… after his disgrace, I wasn’t so sure it was a good thing.
“Yes, you have his nose. But your mother’s eyes.” Of course I did. My father had a big beaky nose, and I had inherited that. In actual, unfortunate fact, I was not a handsome man. Huzzah.
Esmerelle went on. “It’s somewhat of a surprise to see you here, and in that uniform. I would have thought you would never ally yourself with that girl.”
“I suppose letting her hang me would have been a much better choice,” I commented, and Esmerelle looked from under her brows at me, startled, I think.
“Can I help you?” said a quiet voice, and I saw Elizabeth hovering at Esmerelle’s elbow, ready to rescue me from her clutches. I tried not to stare. Either the Wardens had brought her a fancy dress in Warden colours and Ferelden cut, or Elizabeth’s servants had been very busy in the last couple days. But her sword was at her side as always, and she had attached her silvery pauldrons to her shoulders as if she always had to be ready for battle. Her hair was not in her usual braided buns but braided up onto the top of her head, with a very understated tiara across it.
“A new glass of wine, I think,” Esmerelle said dismissively. Elizabeth’s eyes met mine and for a moment they sparkled with mischief before turning away and deftly taking a glass from a passing servant’s tray. “In any case, what is she like?” Esmerelle accepted the glass from Elizabeth, again without looking at her. “We all know she’s a Cousland, impetuous, sentimental, violent… And so young. I know she was favoured to be Teyrna over her brother, and she did help Queen Anora put down that Blight, but she’s barely more than a child, is she not?”
“I do not know her well yet,” I said, painfully aware that Elizabeth was right there. “I would have said that she’s certainly more than a child, but…” Elizabeth’s eyebrow went up. “However, she’s… a strong woman. And if nothing else, Amaranthine does need someone to send those blasted darkspawn packing. Why not a Grey Warden?” My sarcasm was a little weak tonight, and I think Esmerelle missed it.
“So complimentary to the woman who killed your father,” Esmerelle said in surprise. “What has made you so loyal to her?” She began to look around the hall. “Also, this is her party, is it not? Where is she? Where is Arlessa Elizabeth?”
“I’m Elizabeth, if you’re looking for me,” Elizabeth said in that same quiet voice, carefully deadpan, and Esmerelle started and almost dropped her glass.
“Arlessa – forgive me – I didn’t see you-”
“It’s no matter. Nathaniel, would you introduce us?”
“Very well. Lady Esmerelle, this is Warden-Commander Elizabeth. Commander, this is Bann Esmerelle of Amaranthine City.”
“I am pleased to meet you, Bann Esmerelle. I hope we can work together on many things,” Elizabeth said, blandly polite, and Esmerelle bowed low, trying to hide her irritation and embarrassment. “Now, if you don’t mind, I must borrow Nathaniel for a moment.” She beckoned to me, and to Anders and Oghren, who also wore Warden uniforms, and began to make her way to the front of the room.
“That may not have been wise,” I murmured to her. “From what I recall, Esmerelle finds it difficult to take a joke.”
She turned serene blue eyes on me that said she didn’t care. “Words of experience, it sounds like. Stand here, please.” She lined us up on the second-highest step of the dais at the front of the room, where the Arl’s seat was placed. She did not sit there, but stood on the edge of the dais, looking across the crowd who turned to see her. They applauded her politely, some with more enthusiasm than others.
Now the room grew quiet and there were people looking at me, mostly at her but at me and my fellow Wardens as well. I swallowed while attempting to keep my face calm. I hoped she knew what she was doing.
“Good people of Amaranthine,” she said, her voice clear and strong over the hall, “Thank you for coming this evening. I am Warden-Commander Elizabeth, granted my station here by Queen Anora.”
“I would like to introduce my fellow Grey Wardens: Anders, a former Circle mage; Nathaniel, who has been training in the Free Marches; and Oghren of House Kondrat, warrior of Orzammar and one of my companions in the Blight.” Well, at least she had placed me in the middle, where I was more likely to be forgotten. And with the way Oghren was grinning, hamming it up for the crowd, and with Anders’ kitten sitting primly on his shoulder, I was possibly the least interesting one to look at as well, although I was the tallest.
Not that that would stop anyone who guessed who I was.
And Elizabeth quickly drew their attention again. “Most of you know me not only as the Warden who raised an army for Ferelden’s defence, but as the sister of the new Teyrn Cousland of Highever. I would remind you that until only recently, our two lands were the best of friends, and so shall we be again. Amaranthine is a beautiful land, and it is my duty, honour, and pleasure to serve her as your Warden-Commander and administrator.”
I couldn’t see her, facing into the crowd as I was, but her voice grew stronger, more stern. “While it would have given me great happiness to live here in peace after the Blight, it is obvious that the darkspawn have not completely withdrawn from the surface, placing us all in danger while they remain. You may be wondering where the Wardens who came here from Orlais are on this evening. I will be frank – they have been abducted by the darkspawn. It is my highest priority to rescue my fellow Wardens, and to find out why the darkspawn are still here, and to stop them.”
I wondered if that was wise, being so utterly honest and transparent. Letting the nobles know that not even the Commander of the Grey knew why the darkspawn were still here, would mean that some of them would chalk it up to youth and inexperience, some favourably, some unfavourably, and some of them would have a low opinion of Wardens confirmed.
I heard her take a step forward, and glanced towards her, seeing that she had leaned forward earnestly and raised a clenched fist. “I stand here before you not as Arlessa, but as someone who has devoted her life to fighting for others. Thus I swear to you that the Grey Wardens will fight to the last of their strength for your freedom! Give us your support and loyalty, and we will defeat the darkspawn and live free of fear!”
“Three cheers for Eliza- I mean, Lady Elizabeth!” Oghren yelled, and the room followed his enthusiastic gesticulating in polite applause. I clapped for her, too – I didn’t know she could orate like that. For a brief moment, I felt a twinge of envy – I could not orate like that – but I quashed it. I would not be my father, eaten up with jealousy of a Cousland. I noticed she hadn’t mentioned my father at all. It was probably for the best.
But under the polite applause, I saw faces that were unmoved and it worried me. Whatever I felt about Elizabeth, I wanted her to do well with my home, and to do that, she would need the support of the nobles. My father had favoured many, and those he favoured were not likely to find favour with her, not necessarily because they had been allied with Rendon Howe, but because their ideals and hers were so different, that much I could tell already.
I retreated to a corner as soon as I could, hoping that no one would come talk to me. I caught quite a few glances thrown in my direction, some that were perplexed or disappointed or upset, but for the moment I was left alone.
The nobles had stretched out their hands towards her and were reciting their oaths of fealty now. I wondered how many were sincere, and cynically guessed that maybe a quarter of them truly meant all the things they were saying about the honour of their families and loyalty unto death.
It was not a long oath, and afterwards, Elizabeth descended back into the crowd to meet her people more intimately.
One of the first people she spoke to was a stout older lord. “Lady Elizabeth, welcome to Amaranthine. I can’t say how much pleasure it gives me to see you here. I am Eddelbrek, lord of Feravel Plain, and I knew your father well.”
Elizabeth’s face brightening in surprise and pleasure. “I am very pleased to make your acquaintence, Lord Eddelbrek. I do recall you a little, although I was very small at the time, I believe.”
“Yes, quite small.” Eddelbrek chuckled, then grew solemn. “I am very sorry for the loss of your father, and swear to you that I had nothing to do with his murder.”
“I believe you,” Elizabeth said. “Thank you for your support.”
“If it’s not too much trouble, Lady Elizabeth, I would ask for your support in return. You see, Feravel Plain is mostly farms and fields – poorly defensible, and poorly defended. We supply the food for almost all of Amaranthine, and unfortunately we are also the hardest hit by the continuing darkspawn raids. I understand that you’ve had an attack here recently, but if you have any soldiers to spare, I would beg you to think of us.”
“While Lord Eddelbrek speaks truly, he is misguided,” Bann Esmerelle cut in smoothly. “Lady Elizabeth, Amaranthine City is woefully undermanned and darkspawn have even raided the outskirts of the city in the past month. If you send the soldiers to the farms, you would let our rich, ancient splendour be lost to the monsters.”
“Lady Esmerelle, do be reasonable,” Eddelbrek said. “Would you rather starve than lose the Chantry of Our Lady Redeemer?”
“It is up to Lady Elizabeth,” Esmerelle said stiffly.
Elizabeth looked between the two of them. “You both make good points. However, the city of Amaranthine has tall, strong walls, stronger even than Vigil’s Keep in its current state. A well-stocked city, even short on defenders, could hold out against a determined siege for many weeks – more than long enough for me to collect soldiers to aid you. Meanwhile, the farmers have little or no protection, and what good are we who fight if we do not protect those who need us most?” Also, in my practical opinion, we’d need farmers to feed our soldiers, or else we wouldn’t be able to protect anything.
“Lady Elizabeth,” Esmerelle began.
“Have those who live on the outskirts of the city withdraw into its walls,” Elizabeth advised her. “We must all keep as many people safe as we possibly can.”
“Do you not care about the history, the pride, the glory of Amaranthine?” Bann Esmerelle cried.
Elizabeth looked at her a little sharply, raising her chin imperiously. “History, pride, and glory are all things that should be preserved… but not at the cost of grieving families. I have faith that we will endure.”
The tone in her voice was final. Both Eddelbrek and Esmerelle bowed and moved away from her, leaving her to meet with other nobles.
It wasn’t the most interesting social event I’d ever been to, even with the tension and the awkwardness, but it made me appreciate not having social events very often in my life.
I think Elizabeth was thinking the same thing, as she drifted in my direction during the evening. “I’m not sure they like me.”
“I think some of them do,” I said. “Your speech made an impression, don’t worry.”
“You liked it? I’m glad. I spent the better part of the day thinking about it.”
“I certainly couldn’t have bested it. Now I see what people mean when they talk about the effortless Cousland charisma.”
She thought of something and laughed. “I guarantee you my brother’s speech when he Ascended to Teyrn was limited to ‘Hey, it’s me, let’s make Highever great’.” She paused and her smile turned wistful. “Perhaps with a mention of our father’s memory.”
“But Fergus is also a popular man,” I said. But he didn’t have his sister’s spark, though I wasn’t going to tell her that yet. “Anyway, there are a lot of nobles here with more of an interest in commerce or their own luxuries than high ideals. Or even, apparently, worrying about what the common folk might like to have, such as their lives.” She snorted. “Just don’t let them take advantage of you. Where’s Justice tonight?”
“I told him this might be a lot to take in. He is in a private room with some books that I thought might be helpful.”
“Good idea. You look nice, by the way.”
She blinked. “Thank you.” She looked down at her feet. “I thought I should wear the dress they brought me, although it’s a little bit short… but that just means I can show off the shoes that Leliana bought for me once in Denerim.”
“Leliana… one of your companions during the Blight?”
She smiled in fond remembrance. “Yes, indeed, one of my closest friends. She loves shoes, and while I would rather wear my boots anywhere, she insisted that I get something… ‘pretty’. And this is about the only time I will wear them, so I thought that I should.”
“Boots are good,” I said. “Is she Orlesian?”
“Ah, yes, I guess you can tell.” She paused, suddenly retreating into her shell awkwardly. “I don’t imagine you find this at all interesting, either.”
“This isn’t my favourite social activity,” I admitted. “Though it beats sitting in the cold wind and mud, waiting for an attack that probably won’t happen.”
“I suppose you’re right,” she said. “What is your favourite social activity, then?”
Did I have a favourite social activity? Did I want to tell her about it if I did? “Do archery contests count?”
A wide, involuntary smile flashed across her face before she schooled it back to calm seriousness. “I’d say they count.” This might not have been the most interesting social event I’d ever been to, but it did make me appreciate having an interesting Commander. She was definitely more interesting than most of the empty-headed nobles combined.
Another woman drifted over with a pleasant smile on her lips and an urgent look in her eyes. “Lady Elizabeth, I would like to speak with you for a moment.”
“In private?” Elizabeth asked, picking up on the woman’s demeanour as well and glancing at me.
“I can go, if you wish,” I offered. It was time for me to return to the dark corners of the room, anyway. I’d spoken to enough people for the time being.
“You can stay, Ser Nathaniel, but perhaps if you could warn us if anyone seems to be listening?” said the lady. “My name is Ser Tamra, and I’ve intercepted some letters between some of the nobles that suggest a conspiracy is afoot to remove you from Amaranthine, either by disgrace or by murder.”
“Do you know who these nobles are?” Elizabeth said, attempting to keep the sharp look from her face.
“I do not, my lady. None of the letters were signed, and I couldn’t trace the handwriting. I thought I should warn you, and offer my help.”
“Why should you help me?” Elizabeth asked slowly.
“I know your record, my lady. You are a warrior who protects the people under your command, a noble who despises politics. And your speech earlier tonight… You seem sincere in your wish to serve Amaranthine, and so I wish to serve you.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Thank you. You are generous, Ser Tamra. In that case, try to find out whatever you can about these conspirators so that I may confront them. I would wish to fight the darkspawn without fighting nobles as well.”
“I am glad, my lady. I will do whatever I can,” Ser Tamra said, looking relieved, and she bowed and left.
“I am, however, going to tell Varel,” Elizabeth muttered to me and began to make her way through the crowd towards her seneschal. And then she slowed and paused. “But maybe not this instant.” And she returned to greeting nobles, while I moved slowly back to my corner of the room.
I woke late that night after the event, strangely hungry, so I got up and went to see if there was anything the kitchens wouldn’t miss. I was in luck – there were a number of sweet pastries left over from the fealty gathering; I took a plateful and headed back towards my room.
On my way, I passed the dining hall and was surprised to see candlelight and hear voices. Elizabeth and Varel again. Did those two ever sleep? I crept closer to hear more.
“You could invite a member of each noble family to stay at Vigil’s Keep, effectively giving you a hostage regardless of who is in this conspiracy,” Varel was saying.
“I won’t do that,” Elizabeth said. “It might be effective, but it sounds too much like something Rendon would do. I would prefer to confront them squarely and not threaten those who would otherwise be favourable to me. …Besides, what if I am then forced to execute someone I have come to like?”
“I would suggest sending soldiers to spy on the nobles, but we have no experts in subterfuge and I doubt we’d learn anything effective from…”
She held up a hand to silence Varel, looking in my direction. I had thought I was being quiet, but she had heard me anyway. She beckoned for me to join them, glancing at the plate of pastries. “New-Warden hunger? I’d forgotten that happened.” There was a pot of steaming tea nearby and she poured me a cup.
“You hit on the most important side effects,” I told her, accepting the cup with a nod of thanks. “How did you hear me?”
She smiled a little. “After living with the Dalish in the Brecilian Forest for a summer, even a human can sense things in a quiet castle in the dead of night. You should go back to bed, though.”
“I realized earlier that I didn’t thank you for saving my life, Commander,” I said to her, and offered her a pastry. “I would not have asked you to almost die for me.” Not given our history, and I knew she caught the implication. Varel shot her a concerned look. I didn’t think he would be happy about the Commander almost getting herself killed for one of her soldiers.
She took the pastry daintily, looking a little blank. “You’re… welcome. But I would have done the same for any of my companions. I just… did it.”
I attempted a smile. “In any case, I am grateful. Perhaps I can do the same for you sometime.”
She smiled a tiny smile back. “Perhaps sometime I will let you.”
That moment, I realized what was happening. The vaunted Cousland charm was affecting me. Three days ago I had hated her, wanted to kill her, and already… I wanted to be her friend, instead.
And for some reason, I wasn’t even resentful of that fact. “But more importantly, why are you sending me to bed when you don’t seem to sleep?” I said to her, offering Varel a pastry as well. “You’ve been here how many days? And already you look more tired than when you arrived.”
“He’s right,” Varel said with gruff affection. “I’ve got enough grey for both of us, my lady. You proved your dedication tonight already. There’s no need to worsen your condition.”
Her… condition? I took a closer look at her hair and saw that indeed there were many silver threads mixed in to the glossy dark brown. She had more grey than me, and I had ten years on her. Her life hadn’t been easy, had it?
Instead she leaned against the table and sipped her tea. “Do you have family, Varel- Gideon?”
“Aye, I did,” Varel said, with a shadow in his eyes. “Lost my wife in the birth of my youngest, and then both my son and my daughter died in the Blight.”
“I’m sorry,” Elizabeth said softly.
“She’d be about your age, in fact,” Varel said, looking her up and down. “Not so tall, nor so forceful, but she had your gentleness. …It’s one reason why I’m loyal to you, certainly, my lady.”
Elizabeth raised her chin slightly. “Gideon. When we are in private, you are to call me Elizabeth from now on.”
Varel smiled. “As you wish, Elizabeth.”
“Thank you.” She glanced at me. “You were both saying sleep might be good for me. I think I will do that. Don’t stay up too late yourself, Gideon.”
The next day I was woken by a loud crashing and thumping, as of heavy stones falling outside, and I huffed crankily at the ceiling of my room. The weather was overcast and the porridge we had for breakfast was lumpy. It was a wonderful start to the day.
The courtyard was a busy place. On one side, the dwarves were beginning to pull down the damaged wall and the tower, with human labourers doing most of the work and the dwarves directing. On the other side, Varel and Garevel were dealing with the recruitment process, beginning to build up Vigil’s Keep’s army back into a proper fighting force.
Elizabeth was in the thick of things, of course, speaking with Mistress Woolsey near the castle doors, and I avoided her as I went up to my spot on the east wall.
To my dismay, Anders was already there with his kitten. I had to make him leave. “How do the Templars always find you, Anders?”
The scruffy mage looked up from scratching under his cat’s chin with a gormless grin. “Incredibly angry, that’s how they find me! How are you this fine morn?”
I grunted in response and leaned on the wall. “There must be some trick to it, surely.”
“They began recruiting women,” Anders quipped. “The male templars never stopped for directions.”
I glared at him. “You are impossible to talk to.”
“Fine, thank you, and how might you be?” he replied, maddeningly perky.
“Oh, go soak your head,” I grumbled.
“What bee’s gotten into your bonnet?”
“You’re in my spot,” I mumbled.
“What?”
“You’re in my spot.”
“What’s so special about-”
Fortunately, at that moment we were both distracted by shouting from the courtyard, or I would probably have wrung Anders’ neck.
“You do not say that about anyone, elf or human!” Elizabeth shouted, and we looked over the walls to see Captain Garevel standing very stiffly as she leaned into his face, the elf servant Firiel standing nearby looking frightened and confused.
Garevel saluted very formally. “I… understand, ser. I apologize.”
“Apologize to Firiel, not to me,” Elizabeth said sternly. “That goes for all of you! If I hear any slurs against elves, you’ll be on field patrol with the darkspawn for a month!” One of the new recruits was foolish enough to snicker, and she rounded on him.
And suddenly, I saw her demeanour change. She had been angry and showing it, but now she became a deadly, thinking sort of calm. There was still a fire in her eyes, but she wasn’t going to throw a tantrum like a despot.
She walked over very slowly to the recruit, who was starting to look a little uncertain. “Something amusing about this situation to you, ser?”
“Ain’t ya doin’ a knif- an elf, lady?”
“That has very little to do with it,” Elizabeth said, and glanced at Varel. “Seneschal, I want this man whipped and thrown into prison for a day to think about his words. I will not tolerate racism in my castle.” But she still needed every soldier she could get.
“Yes, my lady.”
She dismissed Firiel, to whom it seemed Garevel had apologized properly, accepted another salute from Garevel, and began to climb the stairs towards us. Her eyes were worried now. “Do you think that was too harsh?”
“How should I know?” Anders asked. “You’re the boss-lady.”
She looked at me and I shrugged. “They know you mean business. I don’t think you’ll have any trouble from them on that matter.”
“But what if they resent me for it?”
I looked down at Garevel, who was carrying on yelling at the new recruits as if nothing had happened. “Some of them will probably respect you more for it. You’re a strong woman. Don’t second-guess yourself.”
“Make mistakes boldly, is that it?” she asked.
“Story of my entire freakin’ life!” Anders cried brightly.
The shadow of a smile crossed her face. “I will remember that. Thank you. I’ve not had to put these lessons into practice before, mostly.”
I nodded and turned to look out at the ocean, still cranky but slightly mollified by Elizabeth’s presence. She could make Anders bearable. She seemed to actually like his company.
“So what’s the plan for today, Commander? Do we get to laze around and catch our breath?”
“In this glorious, sunny weather,” I muttered.
“I’m afraid not,” Elizabeth said, sounding more energetic now. “I’m leading a force to the Wending Wood to hunt for the bandits attacking our traders. All the Wardens are going, including Justice.”
“So we have to come too?” Anders asked, with a bit of a pout. “Fine. It’s nicer than a swamp, anyway.”
“You’re still taking the damn cat, aren’t you,” I grumbled.
“Of course I am! He can sense danger!”
I rolled my eyes, but followed the other two down the stairs to where about forty or fifty soldiers were assembling – not the newest recruits, but men and women who had been at Vigil’s Keep since I had gotten there. Sergeant Maverlies was at their head. Justice and Oghren were also there, and none of us were wearing the blue and white uniforms. They were nice enough, and practical, too, but in the forest we would only stand out. And I liked my regular armour.
Elizabeth had even had gear prepared for us to camp in the forest overnight. This wasn’t a mere jaunt into the woods, then. She was serious about clearing the path right through to Denerim. She certainly didn’t do things by halves.
“So, Nathaniel,” Oghren said as we set off, “that whole ‘quiet and stoic’ thing must get you a lot of action, huh?”
I frowned at him, then thought of a way to deflect him. “I take it you’re an admirer, Oghren?”
The redheaded dwarf sputtered. “What? No! No, well not unless… No!”
“Good,” I said simply. “Then I won’t have to worry about getting too drunk at camp tonight.” Not that Elizabeth had brought a surplus of alcohol, although with the way the dwarf always reeked of it, that wasn’t a problem. Someone with a low constitution could probably get drunk just inhaling his fumes. I wondered how Elizabeth stood it.
The dwarf gave a low, appreciative chuckle. “Okay, I like you. Just… not in that way.”
I gave him a polite nod and conversation ceased between us for the moment.
The road got twisty and turny in the depths of the wood, snaking between massive ancient trees and Tevinter ruins lurking on hilltops. It was the perfect place for ambushes. We hadn’t gone very far in before we found the remains of a ruined caravan, looking a couple months old. A short while later, we found another, much newer – perhaps a couple of days old.
Elizabeth stopped to inspect this one. “I don’t think this was caused by bandits.”
“Ser?” Sergeant Maverlies asked.
“These look like the marks of…” Elizabeth frowned. “How to put it… Sergeant, have you ever seen trees walk? Particularly in this forest?”
“No, ser?”
Elizabeth looked around at the forest. “How about Dalish? Do Dalish live here?”
“I… think so, ser? We don’t often see them. Why, ser?”
“These wagons were wrecked by some powerful force, too powerful for mere bandits, but without the filth that an ogre would leave behind. I suspect sylvans, or…”
She looked up abruptly and we looked with her. There was a flicker of movement in the trees, and then the soldiers in the rear of our group cried out in fear as tree-roots erupted from the ground, encircling us in a solid living barricade.
A beautiful elf-woman stood on the hillside above us, glaring down on us. Her golden hair glinted in the sun, and she grasped a sturdy staff in her hand. Elizabeth stared back at her, guarded, but not reaching yet for her sword. “Who are you?”
“I’m asking the questions here,” snapped the elf. “Where did you get that ironbark armour? Whose body did you steal it from, human?”
I saw Elizabeth’s hackles rise and and she maintained her calm with an effort. “This was a gift from Varathorn, Master Shaper of the Brecilian Dalish.” That explained a few things – the strange texture and colour of her armour, and her reaction when it had been damaged in the Fade.
“You’re that human who led the armies against the darkspawn, aren’t you? That’s the only reason I haven’t destroyed you already.”
“Yes, I am Elizabeth. What shall I call you?”
“What are you doing here?” the elf demanded as if Elizabeth hadn’t spoken.
“Protecting my people,” Elizabeth said strongly. “Is it you who attack the travelers on this road? Let my soldiers go!”
The elf’s eyes blazed. “You – you’re no better than the rest of the shems after all! You come into my woods with soldiers and order me-”
“If you are attacking people, human or elf, I will stop you!” Elizabeth cried. “I don’t care who you are!”
The army began to mumble and I surreptitiously drew an arrow and set it on the string, but the elf swatted casually at the air with her hand. Faster than I could blink, roots erupted out of the ground below me and twisted around me, leaving me immobilized and gasping for air.
“You’re the ones who killed my sister!” raged the elf. “You’ll all pay for that!”
“You tree-addled wench!” Oghren bellowed. “If you think Eliza kills elves, you’re out of your mind! She just threw a man in prison this morning for calling them names!”
To my surprise, the elf hesitated, uncertainty plain on her face. “You’re allied with those who murdered my sister-!”
“Who is your sister?” Elizabeth said. “Tell me, and if I can set things right, I shall.”
There was a long silence as human and elf stared at each other. I could feet roots digging into my ribs even through my leather armour, and prayed that they wouldn’t constrict any tighter around my throat.
Without warning, they released me, and the roots around the entire group vanished into the ground, leaving nothing but disturbed earth. “You have one chance,” hissed the elf. “My sister’s name was Seranni. She was killed, along with the rest of my companions, in the north-west part of the forest. She was murdered by human soldiers. Their weapons still lie there. Tell me who they were and let me have my revenge! Else I will destroy even your precious castle and you within it.”
Elizabeth took a step back. “I will find out whatever I can, I promise you. I want no trouble with the Dalish.”
The elf hesitated again, then scoffed – and vanished, seemingly into thin air.
“Ser!” Sergeant Maverlies gasped. “What- what was all that? What’s going on?”
“There may indeed be bandits within these woods, but that is not the story behind the merchants’ troubles here,” Elizabeth said. “This may be out of your league, Sergeant. I can cover more ground with only a few companions. I will take the Wardens and investigate the claims of this woman. You should return to the Keep and inform Varel and Woolsey of the situation.”
“But ser!”
“I’ll be fine,” Elizabeth said firmly. “Please believe me. Go on, back to the Keep. If you do see any bandits on your way back… give them a piece of my mind.”
“…Yes, ser!”
Elizabeth gestured to us, and we set off away from the road towards the northwest. After only a short while she stopped. “Anders, Nathaniel, are you well?”
Anders had been attacked as well? “I’m fine, Commander.”
“It was mildly uncomfortable, although a little exhilarating,” Anders said. “I’m fine too. And so is Ser Pounce-a-lot.”
“Good,” Elizabeth said. “Justice?”
“I suspect the situation is more complicated than it seems,” Justice said. “I am sure that merchant caravans are not to blame for this woman’s sister’s death, but the murderers must be brought to justice regardless of her actions.”
Elizabeth blinked, apparently having asked a different question than was answered. “Very well. Let’s move quickly. We might be a few days out here and we should get answers as soon as possible.”
It took us a day or so to find the place where the elf’s sister had been killed; the forest was large and this event had supposedly happened a couple months ago. But eventually we found a clearing in the forest with four cairns of stones and a ruined Dalish camp – and a couple broken swords and arrows that did not look Dalish in design.
Elizabeth looked at them closely, but neither she nor the rest of us could deduce who might have wielded them. They were very plain, and quite cheap. They were definitely human-made, but more than that, we couldn’t tell. There were also no remaining tracks leading to or from the place, but Elizabeth made the decision to keep searching the forest for more clues.
Her decision was a wise one. A few hours later, in a dark corner of the forest farther west, we came upon a pit in the ground filled with mouldering corpses. They were all human, and naked.
Oghren growled in his throat as he looked at them. “I don’t know about the elves, but this lot were killed by the darkspawn, no question of that.”
Elizabeth was looking around. “There are darkspawn near. I think this is a trap.”
“Oh boy!” Oghren seized his axe. “Come on, then!”
Bushes snapped, and a dozen darkspawn came rushing towards us. Quick as a thought, I loosed an arrow, taking down one of them. Anders blasted another with a fireball. We supported Elizabeth, Oghren, and Justice as the three armoured warriors threw themselves into the thick of combat.
It was a tiring battle, and Oghren took a serious knock to the head before it was done. Anders healed him but said he might still display signs of a concussion for a few hours.
While Elizabeth was inspecting the bodies of the darkspawn, I was looking again at the pit of corpses. It wasn’t likely that any of them could be identified at this point, or even that a link could be found to the dead elves, but…
Something was twinkling on the ground at the edge of the pit, and I frowned at it as I reached for it.
A root burst out of the ground at curled around my wrist, stopping me short. I looked up as the elf woman appeared on the other side of the pit. “Don’t touch that,” she snapped.
“Or what?” I retorted. “Is it part of another trap?”
She snarled at me, and more roots picked me up and tossed me – relatively gently, actually – away from the pit. She swiftly rounded the edge and picked up the thing I had seen. She inspected it with wide eyes, then clasped it to her heart. It was some sort of amulet. “Oh, Seranni…”
“Does it belong to her?” Elizabeth asked quietly as I picked myself up.
“Yes,” said the elf, her anger seemingly dimmed for the moment. “She… she might even be alive-! I can feel it!”
“Good to know,” Oghren grunted, still rubbing his head. “You mind not attacking more human caravans from now on? We need the stuff they bring us.”
“Yes, yes, whatever.” She whirled on Elizabeth. “Will you help me find her?”
Elizabeth answered slowly. “I don’t even know your name. Who are you, and where are you from?”
“My name is Velanna, formerly of the Amaranthine Dalish,” said the woman, her stature tiny but her posture proud.
“Formerly?”
Velanna’s lip curled, but she answered. “You humans burned the village where my clan lived, trying to drive us away like animals. When I sought revenge, my Keeper, Ilshae, banished me.”
“Sounds like you seek a lot of revenge,” Anders commented.
“Maybe I do,” said the elf coldly. “There’s a lot to get revenge for. Like the centuries of oppression and humiliation that the elves have endured at the hands of you humans.”
I expected Elizabeth to say something in her defence, given how much she wanted to elevate elves from being second-class citizens in Ferelden society, but instead she said: “Perhaps I will help you find your sister, but I have responsibilities towards all of Amaranthine. However, it seems that darkspawn were involved in her disappearance, so while they are around, our goals coincide and we may as well work together.”
Velanna snorted. “I suppose that is the best I can get from a human, and a human noble. Very well. I can work with that.”
“It’s getting late,” Elizabeth said. “Will you allow us to return to Vigil’s Keep to rest and prepare for a further expedition?”
“All right,” said Velanna. “In fact, I’ll come with you. I don’t want you to forget your promise to me.”
“Very well,” Elizabeth said. I wondered how well that would work. With such an abrasive woman… and many in the Keep not as open-minded about elves as Elizabeth wished… we might have problems. And from how Elizabeth was speaking, I suspected it would be a few days before we sent out another expedition, one that she herself would insist on leading again. Velanna would probably get impatient before then.
But perhaps we’d be able to get trade going in Amaranthine again.
It had been a week since that day, and I had actually seen little of the elf woman. She was around the castle; I knew she had been given her own room, but she ate her meals on her own time and in her own place, and she was more reclusive than I was, lurking up in one of the higher towers of the Keep, silently observing us all.
I would have expected her to pester Elizabeth more, but the young Warden-Commander was clearly run off her feet, still adjusting to all her new duties. She was constantly running about, overseeing Garevel’s recruits, discussing Warden finances with Woolsey, answering more domestic questions from the castle staff, familiarizing herself with Amaranthine’s resources and politics with Varel, and discussing the rebuilding of the castle with Glavonak. We had come across an outcropping of what Elizabeth and Oghren called granite in the middle of the Wending Wood, and apparently it was the desired material for rebuilding the castle walls damaged in the darkspawn attack. I had far fewer duties – a couple of watches, and keeping my skills sharp – and I made a visit to Delilah in Amaranthine in the middle of all of it.
Delilah was happy to hear that things were going smoothly so far, and I was just glad to be able to spend time with my sister. Visiting her gave me a space away from the castle that had once been my home. It wasn’t that I was unhappy there currently, really, just… it wasn’t the same, so full of strangers. And Elizabeth. There were times, certainly, when I forgot that she killed my father. But there were also times when I remembered. And for all that I was starting to like her, sometimes I just had to get away from her. Maybe that was why Velanna didn’t come bother her. If she hated humans so much, living in a human castle must be incredibly stifling.
After another few days had passed, it came time for the monthly ritual of hearing court cases that fell under Vigil’s Keep’s jurisdiction, as well as any legal disagreements of the lords and ladies of Amaranthine. Elizabeth was judge, of course, with Varel at her side, and I chose to watch, just to see what she would do.
After a few minor cases, there came one that I would have thought would also be minor – a shepherd named Alec had stolen two bushels of grain from a storehouse belonging to the crown, an offense punishable by hanging. The wretched young man could hardly lift up his head in Elizabeth’s presence, but he stammered out some sort of defence – his sheep had been stolen, he could find no other work, and his family was starving.
I would have expected Elizabeth to have the man flogged and imprisoned, but instead, she stepped down from the dais – again, she wasn’t using the arl’s seat – and walked around the young man, looking him up and down from all sides. “How many people are there in your family?”
“S-six, your ladyship. My mother and father, too old to work, my wife, and my three children…”
“You look strong and healthy, Alec. I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I need soldiers to fight the darkspawn. Join my army, and your crime will be pardoned and your family fed.” Well, now that we were getting more of the trade we ought to, that would be much more doable than before.
Alec’s eyes widened in surprise and hope. “Y-your ladyship! I-I-”
“Go take him to see Captain Garevel,” she said to the guards with him. “He is not to go home for one month, but find out who his family is and send a soldier’s month’s pay to them.”
“Yes, ser.”
The next case was of a pair of nobles quarreling over land. I would not have paid much attention to this one either, except that the lady had claim on the gentleman’s land because my father had promised it to her for her support during the civil war during the Blight. Naturally, the man did not wish to give up his land.
Elizabeth supported him, saying: “I am not Rendon Howe. Whatever promises he made to you were made void by his death. Ser Derren keeps his land.” But I also noticed that although Ser Derren implied that Lady Liza had done more than just support my father, Elizabeth did not punish her either. I wondered if anyone else noticed.
She was almost done when a giant of a man was brought in, a man with red hair and tanned skin and a fat face. He was introduced as Ser Temmerly the Ox, whom I vaguely remembered as being even more of an ass than an ox, and the charge brought against him was murder.
Murder of one Ser Tamra, who had warned Elizabeth about a conspiracy against her.
Unfortunately, there was absolutely zero evidence to convict him of the crime. It seemed certain that he had done it, but as Varel pointed out, that wasn’t enough for justice. Short of a confession, which I had an idea Elizabeth would not be using torture to extract, there was nothing she could do to punish him.
And then a cool look crossed her face as she regarded the hulking thug. “Absolutely no evidence, you say?”
“You can’t touch me,” said he, roughly.
“Perhaps not,” Elizabeth said, raising her chin. “However, as the chief suspect in the crime, you certainly can’t just be released, not until my… substantial and extremely long investigation into Ser Tamra’s death is concluded.”
The man looked like she had just punched him in the gut. “What? You can’t do that!”
“She certainly can,” Varel said, trying to hide a smug, gleeful grin. “Take him away!”
When Temmerly had been dragged out of the room, Elizabeth couldn’t hide a smile of her own. “That… was satisfying. I suppose he will have to be released eventually, and I wish Tamra’s death could have been pinned on him, but…”
“Perhaps he’ll think twice on what he can get away with under your rule,” Varel told her. “Well done. You made… some very different choices than I would have made, and very creative ones, too. I think Amaranthine will respond favourably.”
For a moment, she looked uncertain, and then she nodded. “Although that conspiracy still exists, and I expect the woman I crossed today is in it.”
“Do you want to do something about it?”
She thought for a long moment. “I can’t think of anything right here and now. I hate to leave it brewing, but I must hope to think of something later.”
“Understood, my lady.”
She nodded to him and went to check on the mail.
There were two letters for her today, another one from her lover, which made her smile reflexively, and one from her brother, which she tore open immediately. Something small and relatively heavy dropped into her hand.
“What’s that?” I asked, coming up beside her.
She held it up. It was a tiny silver charm shaped like a step-ladder. After a moment, she laughed. “I get it.”
“Hmm?”
“Whenever my brother annoys me,” she explained, “I usually ask him ‘Can I get you a ladder, so you can get off my back?’ I suppose he has taken the initiative on himself to get me a ladder so I can give it to him the next time we quarrel.”
I had to smile. “Ah, siblings. I know the feeling.”
She was reading the letter. “Yes, that’s indeed what he says here. ‘Hang this on that chain next to that gaudy ring you wear. I don’t want to feel less important to you than that ridiculous elf of yours.’ Oh Fergus… am I going to have to beat you up again?”
I laughed, but I was curious. “He gave you a ring?”
“He did,” she said, and from under her tunic she pulled a silver chain with a plain silver amulet, and beside the amulet was a heavy gold ring with sapphires and rubies in it. She began to attach the silver ladder charm to the chain on the other side from the ring.
“But you don’t wear it? Are you not engaged?”
She hesitated. “I… don’t think Zevran believes in marriage. He didn’t believe in love, before he met me. And besides, it’s an earring. It doesn’t fit my finger.” True, it looked a bit large for that.
I frowned. “I don’t wish to question your private life, Commander, but…”
She looked up at me with her serious eyes. “I trust him. He trusts me. For now, that is enough for both of us.”
Fair enough. If she trusted him, I wouldn’t throw cold water on her. If this Zevran really was faithful to her, there was nothing to worry about, and if not… she would find out in her own time. It wasn’t my place to say anything.
Darlingestest Liz,
I don’t have much time to write today. I may have kicked a hornet’s nest or two in the last few days, and all of Antiva is looking for me. Me! I feel very important right now, as you may expect. Do not worry, none of them can catch me. I am currently clear outside of Antiva City – although that is all I will say on that matter. I’m not sure what you meant with your advice on the Guildmaster, but he is dead now so he is certainly no longer trying to kill me; just every one of his peers and underlings is.
So your mortal enemy’s son is your new best friend? I must call him Nate, to celebrate his new status. And this Justin – pardon, I mean Justice of course – is it anything like what dear Wynne was dealing with during our acquaintance? The rest of your new friends sound interesting as well. I hope I can return to meet them soon, and tease them to the best of my ability. Are any of them attractive?
It does sound like you have been busy. Strange about the darkspawn kidnapping Grey Wardens. On a serious note, were any of them women? Do you know? I know you will be able to deal with everything, so I will try not to fuss. I know how you hate it.
And I am to stab Oghren, am I? Excellent. I always wondered when you would ask me to.
Ah, how I miss your strong, loving arms, my dear. I think about them hourly. And every other part of you, too, including and especially-
Dearest Zevran,
Things might be settling down a bit here, at least for the moment. There might be some trouble with the Dalish ahead; apparently some villagers have been harrassing them and drove at least one Dalish woman to exact terrible revenge. Her name is Velanna and she is staying at the Keep until I keep my promise to her to find her missing sister, who might have been abducted by the darkspawn. I still have not found the missing Wardens and while hope dwindles for them every day, I will not give up yet. I do not know if any of them are women… As for my companions, I suppose Anders might be somewhat handsome. ‘Nate’ resembles his father too much (and his face looks a little like a horse stepped on it when he was young, forgive me for my unkind words), and Justice is literally a corpse. So no, none of them can hold a candle to you.
I met the nobles of Amaranthine and they officially swore fealty to me, but I was told by a woman who is now dead that some of them are conspiring against me. I don’t like to leave them be but I also refuse to resort to any sort of tactic that Rendon Howe might have used. Do you have any advice as to honourably discover who they are and enforce their loyalty? Please note that I am not inclined to hire any of your former co-workers, even as mere spies and not assassins. I realize that limits my options greatly indeed. As for the woman’s murderer, there was no conclusive evidence that he did it… but he’s a nasty man anyway and I threw him in prison while I conduct an investigation. That I’ll probably get around to five or six months from now. Am I evil for that?
My brother sent me a silver ladder charm; in his note he asked me to hang it from my amulet’s chain beside your ring. Apparently your gift to me is threatening to his brotherhood. And Nathaniel is confused by our relationship, but he forbears to ask too many questions so I won’t thrash him. For now.
You miss my arms, do you? You do realize that I can hardly read a word you say without blushing? The things you write… you are determined to make my nose bleed from embarrassment, aren’t you? I was going to tell you how much I missed your kisses, and of the dream I dreamed of you, but now…
No, I couldn’t not tell you, could I? I dreamed-