Chapter Text
Helena had been born with certain privileges, and these had been things she had perhaps taken for granted. The fact her Father had let her grow up as quite the rogue despite all their money and the fact that he let her wield a sword about the countryside was something everyone had turned their heads at, no one said a word to Teyrn Cousland’s daughter. However those days were long gone, and still no one said a thing about her wielding a sword, though now it was because of the fact that this particular woman had become a Grey Warden, and if one didn’t ignore the Noble woman with a sword, it was because they felt threatened. Those sided with Loghain, and the man himself had saw it fit to even hire someone to take out the woman and her fellow Grey Warden companion. The woman was traveling with him now as he spoke some smart comment, it only had her pale lips twisting in a scowl, “seriously Alistair, how old are you?” She finally asked. Her voice was strong albeit feminine.
The man couldn’t help but toss her a boyish grin which just had Helena rolling her eyes a bit, a small smirk tugging on those lips.
Morrigan was a little less easy to please though and her scowl remained on her features, going to shake her head. “He doesn’t age Warden Helena, he just stopped at three. Sure his features seem to have grown but you peel back that facade and it’s just a toddler.”
Now Helena was truly amused and she was letting out a chuckle to which Alistair gave his own eyeroll. “Now I know you ladies just find it so entertaining to watch me squirm, but come now, have a bit of decency!”
Helena snorted and turned her gaze to the speaker, “says the man who uses lamp posts as euphemisms for sex.” She was at least kind enough to say this under her breath to the man, though it was still a joy watch the way he fumbled and nearly dropped the waterskin he’d been holding, his cheeks flaring up. Holding her head just a bit higher, the woman seemed satisfied and had gone to keep walking. She was about average height for a woman, her build hard to tell under the armor but she was obviously strong to bear it as easily as she did.
A woman stood not far in the distance, Helena’s mabari Fell bringing it to her attention as he gave out a bit of a warning growl.
The woman wasn’t phased by Fell, only relieved that she saw someone had come to her aid. “Please, they raided our wagon, it’s just up ahead.” She had turn to run away from them in the direction of her wagon.
Morrigan was scowling like no tomorrow, “I don’t know about this Warden” she grumbled, and Alistair had his own head nodding in agreement, but seemed so surprised to have agreed with her upon something that he remained speechless.
Helena’s blue eyes stared out at the direction the woman went and sighed, giving a shrug of her shoulders, “nothing we can’t handle.” It was true enough and she had gone to give a shake of her head, reaching one long arm behind her head to grasp the pommel of one of her blades.
“Isn’t that what people usually say before they’re attacked?” Alistair ventured as they were coming up to the wagon. The blonde woman was smirking as she tilted her head toward an Elf walking up to her side.
Helena’s blue eyes were looking at the newcomer as his smirk widened, already both her daggers were drawn, Alistair by her side, the Grey Warden issued greatsword and shield up in arms. Behind her, she heard Morrigan’s whispered breath, her staff slamming into the ground. It was that quick. The group of ‘raiders’ were swarming toward them, only held back by the mind blast that Morrigan had shot out.
Helena wielded the blades to cross in front of her, the air singing with the hum and crash of steel. There was an intensity to those blue eyes, her tattoos almost brightening on her face from the sheer exhilaration of battle. The elf who had started it all was not to be seen as he flashed around like a blur in his movements, but soon enough Helena had speared a man through his leather armor, stepping on him to pull out the blade when she caught the movement in the corner of her eye. It seemed the Elf had no clue this woman was not a noble warrior, but a rogue. She thrust that same dagger up at his throat before he had come in for a killing blow, and while the point of her dagger rested on the flesh of this throat, she caught him off guard. She raised up her other arm, the pommel of her dagger coming to slam down into the side of his head and rendering him unconscious.
Helena looked back to Alistair. “I think we just got ourselves our first prisoner” she went to give the area a once over, to make sure no one else was hiding about and saw Morrigan going over to the woman who had helped set them up. “What do you think Morrigan?” She asked, feeling Alistair’s disapproval at her trust in Morrigan. Despite his concerns though, Helena found herself putting faith in the Apostate where others wouldn’t.
“Is it really such a good id-”
“Alistair, come help me move him, he’s no loaf of bread you know.” Helena had pointedly interrupted him, and he knew it but still Alistair came to her aid, heaving a loud and resentful sigh as he did so.
The two dragged him away from the open and laid him under a tree so they could take some refuge as well, away from the middle of the road. While Helena had sent Alistair to patrol, and Morrigan had gotten rid of the mage who had been heavily injured anyways, it was the redhaired woman who remained. Leaning against the tree, Helena studied his features, the tattoo on the side of his face, his tanned skin and lighter hair. He was someone that was certainly not from this area. There was something in the way his face looked when he ‘slept’ that was rather unnerving to Helena. That someone who fought with such cold skill could look so peaceful while being knocked out, then again would could have argued she was no different than him.
Alistair and Morrigan returned to Helena’s side just as the elf was rousing. “Ah, what a headache” the smooth accented voice passed from his lips and he was raising a hand to his head, “so what is it that you would like to know? I’m assuming that’s what you want, yes?”