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Chapter 2.2 escape from Highever.
Elissa opened the door. The fireplace and torches were burning brightly in the hall, and the corpses of the Couslands and How soldiers were scattered all over the room. The portraits on the walls are splattered with blood. The air was so saturated with smoke that it was difficult to breathe. A handful of warriors were shouldering the main gate, which was being heavily pounded on.
"Roland!" the girl shouted, seeing a friend among the living defenders.
"Your Grace! My Lady!" Gilmore left the gate and ran up to them, his red hair matted with sweat, and a drop of red rolled down his cheek. "What a blessing that you are alive! Thairn was trying to find you."
"Where's the father?"
"He was seriously injured, but refused to leave. He said he'd be waiting for you at the back door in the storeroom, but he ordered me to hold the gate."
"Can they be retained? We killed many How soldiers inside."
"The castle cannot be saved, my lady. You need to leave."
"Then come with us!"
Gilmore froze for a moment, and then smiled and shook his head.
"If I go with you and the gate falls, you won't have time to get out. Run away."
"God bless you, Sir Gilmore." Teyrna said with sadness and respect.
"Roland!" Elissa grabbed his arm in a panic and shook her head, and Gilmore suddenly hugged her.
Elissa froze in surprise in his arms and only heard a whisper in her ear:
"I'm happy to protect you until the last moment. Thank you for your kindness."
Roland abruptly pulled away and ran back to the gate. Elissa took a step towards him, but was caught by her elbow by her mother.
"Did you hear what Gilmore said? I have to run. Don't you dare follow him!"
The gates continued to shake with heavy blows, as if they were being hit by a battering ram. The boards began to give way and crack. Elissa looked back at the defenders one last time-they were determined to stand to the death. For them. They stay to die for the Couslands and they know it, and she leaves, using their lives as a shield.... Suppressing her emotions with difficulty, Elissa ran out the side door into the hallway.
I won't forget.
The kitchen was nearby, but I had less and less strength to run. Elissa jumped and stumbled over the corpses of soldiers, knights, and servants. She recognized the faces she had so often wished good morning and evening to. I knew who had the day off and what they liked to do at their leisure, but now I was memorizing what their last emotions looked like. Fear, tears, regrets, despair, sadness and pain. They've done nothing to deserve this.
The kitchen was brightly lit by a fire. The fireplace was already lit, the vegetables were laid out on the table, but the kitchen knife was lying on the floor, as was its owner.
"Nan!"
Elissa rushed to the nurse, but she did not answer, just lay limply in her own blood with disheveled gray hair and a forever silent heart.
"How are you, my lady? I hope you're being good and not getting into trouble?"
Nan!
"Thank you for saving your old babysitter. God knows, I don't need to keep an eye on you anymore."
"May you find peace with the Creator, Nan" Elissa whispered, hugging her one last time.
Here's the storeroom. There's a torch burning.
"Bryce!" Eleanor shouted and ran inside.
Elissa left Nan and followed her mother. In the semi-darkness, she made out the figure of her father, lying on the floor and clutching his wound with his hand. His bright doublet was blackened with blood.
"And here you are," he smiled so warmly, as if he was waiting for his family in the armchair of the living room, and not bleeding on the cold floor.
"Bryce, what's going on? You're covered in blood!"
Eleanor fell to her knees next to her husband. Her former concentration evaporated, and the panic and helplessness that Teyrna had kept to herself for the time being appeared on her face.
"I... tried to find you, but Hou's people found me before" Thairn coughed, and Elissa could see that every word was coming out of his father's mouth, and his voice was hoarse. "Oriana? My grandson?"
"The soldiers killed them," Eleanor said bitterly. "It's just us."
Soldiers with a bear symbol on their shields. Rendon Howe's soldiers. If he could, he would have clenched his hands into fists with the same force he used to clench a sword. He remembered how nonchalantly he used to talk to How, how they used to laugh and tell each other stories. Bryce wrote to him when Oren was born, telling him what a celebration they had arranged for the whole of Forever, and invited an old friend to stay. In response, How sent only meager congratulations and referred to his busy schedule. Bryce Cousland was not offended, How had always been like that, ever since they had almost died together in the battle of the White River. And now...
"The king will punish this traitor!" I could still see the peaceful horseback riding and carefree conversations.
"Father!" Her daughter's worried voice made Teyrne look at her, she was ready to cry and sounded broken. "How are you? Can you walk?"
Her father was bleeding profusely. Elissa took out a handkerchief and pinched his wound, she didn't know what to do anymore, how to help! She still refused to believe what Teyrn had already understood... and accepted. He gently squeezed his daughter's hand and looked into her eyes.
"I'm afraid I can't get up anymore, little wolf." Elissa shook her head. They've already abandoned everyone to get here to find him! She can't lose her father either!
"No, you can do it. You... you came here, didn't you?"
"Duncan brought me," Teyrn smiled. "The castle is already surrounded, I can't go any further."
"I'm afraid Thairn is right."
At the unexpected voice behind her, Elissa jumped up and drew her sword. A Gray Guard stood in front of her. In the semi-darkness, she could only see the faint glow of a torch on his blood-spattered armor and his calm gaze.
"Are you Duncan?" Eleanor asked. She didn't feel threatened by the stranger.
"Yes, Your Grace. Thairn and I have been trying to find you" Duncan replied, ignoring Elissa's sword and mabari's wary posture.
"My daughter helped me get here."
"I'm not surprised," the guard looked at the girl carefully, and she, having made sure that he was not dangerous, put away her weapon.
"Duncan, will you help us get Dad out? He can't walk."
"No, little wolf. We won't get far this way."
"I don't care! If necessary, I'll drag you myself!"
Elissa began to turn over shelves, clearing the way to the secret door. She found the lock in the wall and pressed on the right stones. The wall slid open, revealing a long corridor from which a fresh wind blew.
"Bryce, here's the back door. Let's run together, we'll find healing magic for you." Eleanor urged.
Instead of answering, Teyrn looked at the Guard.
"Duncan, please take my wife and daughter to a safe place."
"I will, Your Grace, but I will have to ask for something in return."
The Guardian suddenly replied.
Bryce was ready to do anything to save his family, to give everything he had. But what can someone who is on the verge of death give?
"Your unhappiness pales before the threat posed by the creatures of darkness. I came to your castle in search of a recruit. The danger of Pestilence does not allow me to leave with anything."
Bryce looked at his daughter sadly. If it allows her to survive... and if it's necessary for Ferelden to survive.
"I understand..."
"You want me to" Elissa forgot all about the darkspawn and the Guards, her only concern was the safety of her family.
"To be honest, I originally came here for you. Besides, you got through How's men to me. I think the Creator's intention is clear," Duncan said.
"It's my duty to take revenge on How!" Elissa replied harshly.
"The King will take care of it," the Guard retorted, "and our task is Pestilence. I'm sorry, but the duties of the Grey Wardens are more important than revenge."
"But how?.."
"Little wolf, listen," Teyrn took his hand away from the wound and covered his daughter's hand. "How believes that this chaos will help him rise. He's wrong. Fergus and the king will find out about everything and punish him. But duty has always been paramount in our family, and if Ferelden needs a Grey Guardian..."
"Bryce, are you sure?" Eleanor was wary of the idea.
"Our daughter will not die here. She will live and leave her mark on the world." Bryce handed his daughter a sword with the symbol of the Couslands and a family seal. "Go to Ostagar, little wolf, find your brother and become a Gray Guardian."
What Guards? What kind of Plague? Which Ostagar? Father! Elissa held his hand and cried.
"I'm not going anywhere without you. I'm not leaving..."
"Then you leave me no choice," Duncan's voice hardened. "Despite your objections, I am conscripting you into the Grey Wardens. You're coming with me."
"What?" Elissa looked at Duncan, confused.
The right to conscription is the law.
"I'm sorry, little wolf. It's better this way." Teyrn looked into his daughter's blue eyes, so similar to his own, and smeared wet tracks on her cheeks. "Now go."
Eleanor closed her eyes for a second, and then suddenly slung the strap of her travel bag over Elissa's head.
"Darling, go with Duncan. I'll be a burden to you," she said gently.
"Mom!"
"Eleanor!"
"Don't, Bryce", Teyrna replied steadfastly, a single tear slipping out from under her eyelashes. "To buy them time, I'll kill every bastard who comes here, but I won't leave you. And you, honey, run."
"Mom, please don't leave me!" Elissa was crying.
"My place is here, with your father, and yours is with the Grey Wardens from now on. Become one of them and act according to your conscience."
Tears fell from under her eyelashes and drowned in bloodstains on the floor. The girl held her parents' hands and could not calm down, sobbing was suffocating, her heart was bursting with pain, tears burned her eyes.
The noise outside the castle grew louder, and smoke from the fire reached the storeroom.
"I'm so sorry, my love," Bryce whispered.
"We have lived a good life. I don't regret anything. Now everything is in the hands of our children." Eleanor hugged her husband.
"Go on, little wolf. Know that we love you both."
"There was a deafening crash" the gates fell "... and we are proud of you."
"Run away!"
Elissa grabbed the family sword and the ring.
"I love you," she choked with tears, being dragged by Duncan's shoulders. "And I'll do everything." Elissa swore.
"Goodbye, my soul..."
"I'll do everything!" Elissa turned and ran down the hall. "I'll do everything. I'll do everything. I'll do everything. I'll do everything..."
Mabari whined sadly and buried his wet nose in Teyrna for the last time.
"Protect her, okay?" Eleanor said softly, stroking the dog's head. "Come on, run after her."
The dog took off and ran after his mistress. Eleanor closed the secret door and blocked the passage with barrels. She managed to take her husband's hand and see his last breath. Bryce Cousland is dead.
Footsteps sounded close, and silhouettes flashed in the kitchen doorway. Tayrna Hayever raised her bow.
Commentary on Chapter 2. Blood on the wreath
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