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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Chapter 3.1 On the road

Elissa was rushing through the forest as if she was being chased by a wild animal. She pushed through branches, jumped over roots, bumped her shoulders against trunks, and clung to branches with the strap of her bag. The forest, well-tended and beautiful during the day, now resembled a gloomy crypt through which the light of the moon did not penetrate. The cold air was saturated with the smell of fallen leaves and damp earth. Elissa kept slipping and almost falling, but she kept pushing forward. Where to? She didn't know. Just go ahead. Into the darkness. Into the abyss, if you like, but don't stop.

Duncan ran after her and did not lag behind. He hoped that Elissa knew these woods and would lead them both out, but in the end, he realized that she was just running to nowhere. He didn't mind. The most important thing right now was to get away from the fortress. Mabari Chase had caught up with them and was now running behind the hostess along the path she had trodden. He didn't mind. The most important thing right now was to get away from the fortress. Mabari Chase had caught up with them and was now running behind the hostess along the path she had trodden. Any hunter would have tracked them down through the deep tracks, but Duncan hoped they would get out of the woods before anyone started looking for them here.

Elissa ran deeper into the thicket, sharp branches whipping at her face, scratching her palms, clinging to her clothes. It was getting harder to distinguish the road. The local forests and most of the Highlands are hilly, and any turn could be followed by an ascent or descent. Because of this, it was difficult to determine how far the fugitives had managed to get away from the castle and whether their pursuers were chasing them. Elissa hadn't thought about it. All she could hear in the silence was the crunching of nearby branches, the rustle of leaves, Mabari's light running, her and Duncan's footsteps. His armor was clanking a bit, but there was no one there to hear them, even the wild beasts were hiding.

But there were other dangers. In the dark, with roots sticking out of the ground here and there, the rolling thicket was treacherous. No one came here on horseback, only on foot. Elissa knew these woods, knew the ways and paths, but not now. Now she was tearing through like an animal struggling in a trap, slipping and bumping. Her thoughts were racing and couldn't focus on one thing.

Her mother's word "Run!" burned in her memory and whipped her forward, while the word "Goodbye" tried to stop them, bring them back, protect them, not abandon them. Elissa fought with him, ran on. Each blow of a branch in the face sobered, freed from the temptation to go back. She kept running.

In the dark, Elissa did not notice the root, tripped and rolled down the wet slope of a low hill, fell into a hole and hit her knee on a stone. Only then did I feel my legs, cheeks, and palms burning. The pain was throbbing. I only had enough strength to sit down. Duncan slid down after her and landed neatly beside her.

"Are you hurt?" he asked sympathetically.

Elissa didn't answer. She stared down. Her long, disheveled hair fell over her face, and her fingers dug into the soft earth. The blood on them hadn't had time to wear off yet. Father's blood. He could already be dead, and the blood was still fresh.

A single sob escaped Elissa's lips at the same time as a tear. She didn't make another sound, but her shoulders were shaking, betraying her sobs. Elissa bit her lip. Everything hurt, tears choked and scratched her throat. Duncan looked on sympathetically, not knowing how to help. Mabari whined next to her and tried to nuzzle her face, but she turned away.

Out of the corner of her eye, Elissa noticed three trees overhead, their slender trunks woven together like a rope. A piece of the starry sky could be seen behind them. She recognized the place. She realized where her feet had taken her. She loved it, it has a beautiful view.

Elissa got up slowly, enduring the pain and fatigue, and trudged up the slope with a heavy gait. She slipped on the wet leaves again and fell to one knee. Duncan tried to pick her up and help her up, but she made a hand sign not to touch her. The guardian left Elissa alone. No one can help her now. Falling and rising, she climbed up herself and limped out from behind the trees to the cliff.

The night was beautiful and clear. The moon shone softly, but faded before the huge conflagration. Highever Castle, surrounded by a black forest, burned like a torch in the distance. A dark column of smoke was disappearing into the night sky. Her house, her life, her family were burning-everything was turning into dead coals. It took so much to build it, and so little to destroy it all.

"Goodbye." Elissa stood on the edge of the cliff. "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Goodbye"... no. "Run!", "Find your brother", "Run!", "I'll do everything." She swore, swore...

Ellisa swore, whispering it inaudibly.

She sat down heavily on the ground and let go of her tears. Her faithful mabari whined next to her and rested his head on her shoulder. Alice hugged him, buried her face in his fur and sobbed loudly. For the last time. She won't cry anymore, won't shed a single tear, until she finds her brother, until she takes revenge on Hou, until she becomes the Gray Guardian her father would be proud of. For the last time.

* * *

They walked for hours. There was no pursuit, and the morning forest looked friendly and quiet again, as if nothing had happened that night. According to Duncan's calculations, they should have bypassed the city long ago. It really wasn't worth going there, for sure Hou soldiers are already in charge there or will start very soon. Elissa was silent the whole way. She was still walking ahead. Duncan tried to ask if she knew where to go, but she didn't answer, just continued to slowly and stubbornly put her feet together. In the end, Duncan got tired of it.

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