Chapter Text
Elsamir wasn't sure what woke her up exactly. Perhaps it was the smell of burning wood, invading her senses, or even the raised voices from the corridors or yet, the sound of her beloved Mabari hound Jett scratching and whining at the door. Hell, maybe it was a combination of all three? Who knows? Whatever it was, it woke her with a start, causing her to start looking wildly around her room while her eyes took time to adjust to the dark even though a thin beam of light could be seen under the crack of the door.
"Jett, what are you doing?" But no sooner had the words left her lips was she aware of what the sounds outside were. Moving swiftly, the Teryna's daughter had grabbed her daggers from their stand and opened the door to find her mother, fighting armed men in the corridor.
Jett wasted no time in bounding into the fray, snapping and snarling at the intruders.
The Teryna looked like a goddess of war as she fired her arrows, before taking another and driving it into the throat of one man.
As one attacker turned towards her, Elsamir snapped herself into the present. Now was not the time to observe; now was the time for action.
Bringing her dagger up quickly, she blocked the first strike, following it up with her second dagger and thrusting it sharply into the mans chest.
"Thank the Maker!" The relief on her mother’s face was evident and matched her own. "I heard fighting outside and I feared the worst! Are you hurt?"
"No mother, I'm fine - but what's happening?" Eleanor smiled tightly but soon turned to shock as she caught sight of one of the men that laid slain on the floor.
"This is the seal of Amaranthine. These are Arl Howe's men! Why would they attack us?" She gasped crouched down looking them over.
"He attacks while our troops are gone."
"You don't think Howe's men were delayed - on purpose?"
"I don't think they were ever delayed, it was all a ploy - his men must have waited till Fergus had left with our troops. But why is he doing this?" Her mother shook her head, it wasn't a question that she could answer.
"Have you seen your Father? He never came to bed last night." Elsamir looked at her mother, now fear was taking over.
"No. Where was he?"
"He stayed up late, talking with Duncan and the Arl. Oh Maker." No. Elsamir refused to think for a moment that anything could befall her father.
"We need to find him." Elsamir began to to head down the hallway when her mother stopped her.
"Andraste's Mercy, what if the soldiers went into your brother’s room first?" The young Cousland felt her blood run cold - surely they would spare Oriana and Oren, they were innocents, Oren was a babe and only a monster could harm a child. But then again… It didn't bear thinking about.
Mother and daughter moved together, Jett bristling behind them as they carefully nudged open the door. The sight that befell them made Elsamir cry out, with her mother crumpling to the floor and cradling Oren's head in her lap.
"No! Not my little Oren! What kind of fiend slaughters innocents?!" She sobbed.
Elsamir found her distress quickly becoming anger. She found it fueled her and she would make them pay for this. Arl Howe would rue the day he decided to attack the Couslands. Elsamir spared a moment from her rage,instead placing her lips softly on the forehead of her sister and nephew as Jett whined uneasily in the doorway. There was no more they could do here, death had already claimed them.
"I'll make them pay for this." The words were quiet, serenity hiding the burning hatred for Howe and his men.
"Howe is not even taking hostages. He means to kill us all." A sob escaped her mother as she moved from her grandson. "Oh poor Fergus....lets go I don't want to see this."
Back in the hall, the two women could hear the fighting drawing nearer, the few guards that they had must have been fighting to get to them, but they would meet them and help defend their castle.
Fire was everywhere, hiding rubble and bodies - servants that had been with her since she herself was a babe. Each body she found was a wound that cut deep. Every mangled corpse was more wood to a fire that was burning fiercely inside her.
Rounding the corner they found the first instance of the fighting. Eleanor was quickest to join the the fight, releasing an arrow and quickly taking down one of Howe's men.
Elsamir and Jett waded in at the same time. Jett charged at the men, sinking his teeth deep into flesh, making the man howl out in pain as he waved his sword around, trying to hit at the Marbari. Elsamir circled round, driving her daggers into the back of another and taking him down before he realised what was happening.
Three of their men were left standing when the last of Arl's men throat was crushed between Jett's jaw. "We must flee! The castle is in flames, we can not win this." Eleanor looked lost, despair taking over as their men looked ready to flee.
"No! We stand! We fight! This is our castle - Howe can not be allowed to live!" The three men saw the fire in Elsamir's eyes and nodded, raising their blades. She was right, they knew that, they had a duty to the Teryn and Teryna, they would fight and with that thought, Elsamir saw hope flicker in their eyes, they could succeed.
Moving through the halls, fighting the Arl's men whenever they appeared, gathering fewer and fewer men, all the while witnessing the full extent and horror of what Howe had done, Elsamir and Eleanor reached the grand hall, where most of the fighting seemed to be concentrated at.
A few of their men were pressed against the doors trying to hold out the Arl's troops, while the rest fought with those who had gotten through. Elsamir was relieved when she saw Ser Gilmore alive and well.
"Rory! Have you seen Bryce?" Eleanor called as the last of the men were slain.
"No M'lady, not since he went looking for you both. He told us to hold the hall as long as possible. When I realised what was happening, all I could do was to shut the gates. But it won't keep Howe's men out long. If you've another way out of the castle, think of it quickly!"
"Darling come on, we must use the servants' entry in the larder to escape." Eleanor reached for her daughters arm.
"But what about our men? We can't just leave them here."
"Go Elsamir," It was rare for Rory to call her by her name, but now was not the time for manners. "We will hold them off as best we can, head to Denerim and appeal to the King, get us justice for the atrocities Howe has done today!"
With one last glance back, Elsamir took off with her mother to the larder. She couldn't help the sickening feeling growing inside her; they had left their men to die for them so that they may escape. None of this was right, a Blight was coming and Howe was fighting them? And now her father was lost somewhere within the castle, possibly dead for all she thought. No. The thought was pushed to the back of her mind, he was alive until she saw otherwise.
As the Cousland women moved to the larder they saw a blood trail, and upon following it they found her father, gravely wounded. They had no potions, no healers with them. No hope, but Elsamir simply couldn't abandon him.
It was at this moment that Duncan the Grey Warden appeared, and he saw as they all did that Bryce Cousland would not survive the night, but he had come for one thing and one thing alone.
"I came to your castle seeking a recruit," Duncan said to her father. "The darkspawn threat demands that I leave with one." And truthfully, Elsamir had been intrigued by the Warden. The idea of it, was tantalisingly appealing, but right now, all she wanted was to save her parents. "I will take the Teyrna and your daughter to Ostagar, to tell Fergus and the king what happened. Then, your daughter joins the Grey Wardens." No, this was all happening so suddenly, it wasn't a decision that could be rushed.
"So long as justice comes to Howe . . . I agree." Elsamir's eyes widened as her father agreed to the warden's terms, a man of his word which meant Elsamir was in no position to refuse him.
"Then I offer you a place within the Grey Wardens. Fight with us." Duncan said as he turned to her.
"Pup, I wish this could be different, but there is no other way. See that justice is done, defeat the Darkspawn that threatens us all, go now Pup."
With tears begging to fall, Elsamir nodded gravely. "Yes father, I will see it done."
"We must leave quickly then." Duncan moved to the opening, the way out, and it was waiting for Elsamir.
"Bryce, are you . . . sure?" Eleanor asked, her lips trembling, she had lost her grandson and daughter in law, she very may well lose her daughter too.
"Our daughter will not die of Howe's treachery. She will live, and make her mark on the world."
"Darling, go with Duncan," Eleanor's eyes never left her husband’s, setting her shoulders, a fire like Elsamir's burning inside. "You have a better chance to escape without me."
"Eleanor . . ." Bryce Cousland began.
"Hush, Bryce. I'll kill every bastard that comes through that door to buy them time. But I won't abandon you."
Elsamir couldn't control the tears now. "Please, no let us stay together! I'll fight them all, please come with me." She threw herself down, embracing her father, who held her tenderly as her mother stroked her hair.
"Go, Pup, warn your brother. And know that we love you both. You do us proud." Bryce hushed, releasing his only daughter.
"Good bye, darling," added Eleanor as she already pulled back an arrow.
"I love you both, so much," Elsamir cried as she turned rushing after Duncan.
Of all the things Elsamir Cousland would come to face, abandoning her parents so she could live - would always be the hardest thing she would ever have to do.