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Blood Bond	By : Hikari86 Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 4278 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Bioware owns everything Dragon Age. I claim no ownership and make no money/profit.

Chapter List
- 6
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- 8
Crime and Punishment

It would be the second time that day Arawin would wake with a headache. This time, however, instead of the pain in the back of her head, she felt it more on the right side of her face. She had hoped that it had been nothing but a dream. A horrid drunken nightmare, and she was now laying in her bed, about to get up and get ready for the big day. But the sound of one of her bridesmaids chanting assaulted her ears.
“Maker keep us, Maker protect us, Maker keep us, Maker protect us--” was all Arawin could hear and it was beginning to drive her mad.
“Stop it! You’re driving me insane!” came Shianni’s voice. It was what brought Arawin back to the real world as she remembered the horrible truth. She had to get up and figure out what they were going to do. She stirred and pushed herself up into a sitting position.
“Oh, thank the Maker you’ve come to,” said Shianni. “We were so worried...”
“Oww!” was all Arawin could say. She tried to speak but her mouth was more sore than she thought. She stretched it out, up and down, and from side to side to make sure there was no real damage.
“You usually dodge better than that,” Shianni said as she came to examine Arawin. “This one will hurt for a while.”
After Arawin was able to regain the use of her jaw, she was finally able to speak. “Alright, that human dies.”
“Glad you’ve still got some fight in you.”
“I have to. Who else is going to save you girls? Now...” She looked around the room. They were in what looked like a storage room, even though it was completely empty except for the five elven women. “Where are we?”
“We’re in the palace, of course. Doubt we’re getting the tour,” Shianni joked.
Arawin stood and looked around. There were two doors, and she assumed they both were locked. No matter, she thought. I can just pick them.
“I know what you're thinking,” said Shainni seeing Arawin eying the doors. “I thought the same thing myself. I tried picking the locks but they’re very complicated. I don’t even think you’ll be able to open them.”
Valora came next to Shianni. “They locked us in here,” she said. “To wait until that... bastard is ‘ready for us’.”
Arawin chuckled. “We’ll kill the first human that opens the door. They're not going to do anything to us.”
“We’re five unarmed women,” said one of the bridesmaids. Arawin recognized her as Nola. “What makes you think we can kill anyone?”
“Because you have me here!”
“Maker keep us, Maker protect us, Maker keep us, Maker protect us--” The other elven woman had began chanting again. Arawin had to cover her ears to keep from bashing her head in.
Shianni rolled her eyes. “Great. Now this again.”
Nola swallowed hard. “I know of your famous scrapping, but you are unarmed. Look, we’ll... do what they want, go home, and try to forget this ever happened.”
“She’s right,” said Valora. “It’ll be worse if we resist.”
“It’ll be worse if we don’t,” said Shianni.
“Listen, just follow my lead,” Arawin spoke. “When someone comes through that door, when I give the signal, attack.”
“I don’t know how to fight,” said Valora.
“It’s simple. Just roll up your fists like this, and make sure you hit them as hard as you can in the face.” Arawin tightened her fist into a ball to show Valora.
“Sh!” Nola whispered. “Someone’s coming!”
“Then be quiet, and remember, don’t do anything until I say.” Arawin turned to see the door in front of them swing open and several guards in full armor walk into the room. It was more than she had anticipated.
“Hello, wenches,” said the man Arawin assumed was the captain. “We’re your escorts to Lord Vaughan’s little party.”
The bridesmaid that was praying popped up in front of the captain with terrified eyes. “Stay away from us!” she cried. The captain pulled out his blade and in a quick sweep cut across her abdomen. She fell, dead before hitting the ground.
All the girls gasped. “You killed her!” Nola said, hands over her mouth.
“I suppose that’s what happens when you try teaching whores some respect,” said the captain. He smiled wickedly and began giving orders to his men. “Now, you grab the little flower cowering in the corner. Horace and I’ll take the homely bride and the drunk. You two, bind the last one. She’s the scrapper.” The guards went and grabbed everyone, leaving Arawin. When they all left, Arawin stood alone with two guards blocking her way. The two of them eying her with lustful gazes. All Arawin could think of was getting out of there and rescuing Shianni.
“Don’t worry; we’ll be perfect gentlemen,” said the first guard. He took a step closer to her and Arawin backed away.
“Now, you heard the captain,” said the second guard, also coming closer to her. “Be a good little wench or you’ll end up like your friend, there.”
“Try it. See what parts you lose first.” Arawin was ready. These two guards shouldn’t be too much trouble. I wish I had a sword, though.
The first guard laughed. “Ha! Horace was right: She’s a scrapper!”
They began their advance. Arawin raised her fists, ready to strike when something behind them caught their attention.
“Uh... hello?” It was Soris. Arawin was surprised to see him. What was he doing here? She also saw that he was carrying two swords and a crossbow.
“Oh, look at this,” said the first guard. “A little elfling with a stolen sword.” He laughed hard.
“Arawin, catch!” Soris cried as he tossed the two swords toward her. He slid them under the guards to keep them from catching them. Arawin scooped up the swords. One was a longsword, made of gray iron, and the other was a dagger, made of the same material. It felt good to have a weapon back in her hands. Arawin could feel the adrenaline pumping through her system as she stared at the guards, a smile creeping up her face.
“Oh, sod.”
A burst of energy was released within Arawin and she struck fast at the two guardsmen. The first tried to pull out his weapon, but was too slow. Arawin slashed at him with the longsword, hitting his main hand. He screamed in pain as most of his hand was gone and spurted blood. She then lunged and embedded the dagger in his gut. The guard coughed up a great deal of blood, some of it getting onto Arawin’s clothes. She growled at the mess and pushed the guard off her sword with her foot.
The second guard was able to retrieve his sword and shield, and came at Arawin in a frenzy, screaming for the death of his friend. He slashed down at her, but Arawin blocked him with the longsword. She then swiped with her other weapon at his legs, but his shield blocked her effort. The guard keep his shield up as he swung at her, dueling. The clanging of their metal sounding throughout the room, and probably throughout the palace. Arawin didn’t care. She was loving the battle. This was what made her heart pump, her mind soar, and where her true passion laid. Fighting brought her ecstasy.
The guard thought he had gained the advantage, as Arawin was on the defensive and was being backed into a corner. A bolt then flew past his face, and he caught a quick glimpse of the other elf standing in the doorway holding the crossbow, but appearing to be having trouble loading it. He ignored him, knowing that the elf wouldn’t be able to handle the crossbow properly. He would deal with him later.
Wanting to end the fight quickly, the guard then pushed Arawin with his shield and swung his sword down, hoping it would connect with her skin. But instead of hearing the sound of metal ripping into flesh, he heard the sound of metal ringing against stone. Arawin had ducked under his shield and rotated to his flank. She had been waiting for him to make such a move. She then planted the dagger in his back. The guard screamed and spun on her, trying to swipe at her again. She ducked under the swing, pulling out the sword at the same time. It ripped through his rib cage. The sound of breaking and crunching bones made Arawin giddy.
The guard found he was unable to lift his sword arm, and Arawin could see the terror in his eyes. With a quick stab, she sank the dagger into the guard’s chest, then with the longsword, cut off his head. The head rolled to the floor and stopped at Soris’s feet. The elf grimaced at the head, and gingerly kicked it to the side as he made his way into the room.
When Soris entered, he saw the elven maid’s body on the floor. “I... can’t believe they killed her!” he said trying to hold back from vomiting. All the blood and carnage in the room was making him sick. “Are you all right? They... didn’t hurt you, did they?”
“Nothing rattles me. You know that,” said Arawin.
“Thank the Maker! Hopefully we can still save the others.”
Arawin examined her dress and saw that it was now completely ruined. Blood and gore stained the front, turning the once pure white clothe into a deep red. “Great,” she mumbled. “This Vaughan is really going to pay now!” Sighing heavily, she realized that there was nothing she could do for her dress. Then something came to mind. Something that had registered until now. She began examining the swords that Soris had tossed to her for the first time. They were light for the material they were made from and well balanced. She looked at Soris and at the crossbow in his hands as well as the quiver full of bolts on his back.
“Where did you get these?” she asked him.
“Nelaros,” he said. “They’re his.”
“What? These are his swords? Wait, he told me he didn’t make weapons. Did he lie to me?”
“He doesn’t have to make weapons in order to own them,” said Soris. “I’m sure he has his reasons.”
“No.” Arawin examined the swords again. She could see it now. The details of the blade were good, but not that of a master weaponsmith. This looked more like the job of an apprentice. “He did make these, but I’ll have to question him later. I knew he wasn’t telling me something. Now, is he here with you?”
“Yes, he’s the reason we’re here. He lost it on those who wanted to ‘hope for the best’. I... didn’t know what to do. He was so determined to rescue you.”
“He wanted to rescue me? Ha! As if I need rescuing.”
“I tried to tell him that, but he wouldn’t listen. Something about a promise he made to you before Vaughan came. I couldn’t let him go alone.”
“Oh, Soris. You're really not that great of a fighter, but thank you nonetheless.” Arawin stared at the crossbow in his hands, then saw a bolt sticking out of the calf of the first guard she had taken down. “Do you think you can handle that thing?”
“It’s my first time, but I”m starting to get the hang of it,” he said. “Besides, it’s best I stay back so I don’t get in your way.”
“True. Coming in, did you have to fight your way through?”
“We snuck in, although Nelaros took down a guard. He’s a savage fighter. You may have some competition.”
“Really? Another thing I’ll have to question him about. I guess I’ll have to duel him when this is all over. Where is he right now?”
“Guarding the end of the hall. Let’s figure this out with him.”
Arawin nodded. Soris handed her the two sheathes for the swords and she tied them to her backside. As they left the room, they came into an empty kitchen. “Which way?” Arawin asked.
“This way,” Soris said pointing to another door.
Going through the door, they came into a large dinning area. Here were several large tables lined up for soldiers to eat their meals. At first Arawin thought the mess hall was empty, until she ran into an off-duty guard who had been sitting at the end of the table next to the kitchen door.
“Hey now!” said the guard. “Watch where you’re going. Wait. Where did you get a weapon, elf?”
“Uh-oh...” Soris swallowed, backing away.
“You better talk quick, scum!”
“Get back to enjoying your meal, and maybe you’ll live,” said Arawin. “Or do you want it to be your last?”
“Are you insane?” cried Soris.
“You maggots are gonna die slowly...” The guard jumped up and pulled out his sword but Arawin was too quick for him and ducked his swing. At the same time she pulled out her own and stabbed him in the side, allowing the blade to twist with his and her movements as their momentum pushed them away from each other. Her sword ripped through his abdomen and spilled his guts to the floor.
Soris stood, mouth gaping as the guard fell before his feet. He had seen Arawin fight, but never had he seen her with a blade. It almost scared him.
“Will you stop looking like an idiot and came with me!” Arawin yelled.
Shaking his head to get back his senses, Soris nodded and followed Arawin out of the mess hall.
They ran into a few more soldiers out side of the mess hall. Arawin would take most of them down, but Soris was becoming pretty good with the crossbow. Even taking down a guard who was about to flank Arawin by shooting him in the head with one shot. They were becoming a fairly good team.
“Here,” said Soris as they came up to the end of the hall where he knew Nelaros was at. Arawin turned the corner, only to come to a gruesome sight.
Nelaros was surrounded by the same guards and their captain that had taken Shianni and the others away. He had two swords, just as she did, and was fighting with all his might, trying to take down all four at once. Arawin charged at them, but it was too late. The captain ran Nelaros through. He fell, and Arawin stopped in her tracks. The captain wiped his blade off with Nelaros’s clothes and stared down at Arawin and Soris. Arawin felt a surge of anger run through her and she began to tighten her fists around the sword hilts.
“See?” said the captain. “I told you there’d be more. Elves run in packs, like rodents.”
“Should we keep the knife-eared bitch alive?” asked one of his guards.
“They killed our boys. She dies.”
“Tell me where the others are!” Arawin said through gritted teeth.
“Don’t worry, sweet thing; they’re being taken care of. When Lord Vaughan’s done with them, we get our turn.”
Arawin growled, her mind swirling with anger. She needed to get to them, but not before taking care of these guards. “So you killed Nelaros? That was a bad move.”
“Ha!” laughed the captain. “He squealed like a stuck pig when he died. Let’s see if you do, too.” The captain charged, and so did Arawin.
Crossing her swords, Arawin caught the captain’s blow in between them. She pushed them forward, while also using her legs, and shoved the captain’s sword up in the air, where he lost control, but only for a brief second. It wasn’t long before he swung at her again, and Arawin had to block him with both of her weapons.
Soris stood far behind her, trying to load the bolts. He shot one at the three guards coming up to join their captain. It hit the nearest guard in his right shoulder. He yelled, but then pulled the bolt out and went to charge at Soris. Quickly, Soris loaded another and fired. The bolt landed this time in the guards neck. He kept charging, but stumbled and Soris was able to move out of his way as the guard crashed into the wall and fell to the floor.
The other two guards had ignored Soris, and went straight for Arawin, who was now fighting one on three. It didn’t matter to her. She was having fun. Many exciting and joyous sounds escaped from her mouth as she fought and blocked the guard’s swings and blows. One guard was able to get past her defense and slashed down, tarring a hole in the skirt of her dress. She felt the blade inch into her skin, but her excitement and thrill kept her from feeling most of the pain. Instead, she reveled in it, allowing it to give her strength.
She pressed forward, pushing the guards away, then swept both swords in front of her, cutting at all three men. Each guard felt the blow of both swords. One guard went down as a bolt planted itself in his head. The other stumbled and laid dead after Arawin pierced through his armor at the armpit and punctured his heart. All that was left was the captain.
He stood in front of her, looking down at his men. His face was grim and when he looked at Arawin, he could see the look of jubilation on her face.
“Where did a knife-ear learn to fight like you do, huh?” he grunted. “You fight like you have a chance.”
“My mother was a very good teacher,” said Arawin.
The captain laughed. “I guess when I’m done with you then I’ll have a new toy to play with. You’re mother will make a good trophy if she’s your teacher.”
Arawin glared at him, daggers in her eyes. “You’ll have to get past me first!” she said charging at him. Their swords clashed and the fight began anew. Soris tried to aim at the captain, but they both were moving in circles, and he didn’t want to hit Arawin. He kept his aim, ready to fire when the opportunity presented itself. It never did.
Arawin soon learned the captain’s moves and was able to outmaneuver him, rolling under his blows, and then running her dagger through his back, between the plates of armor. The captain fell, but not before grabbing a fistful of Arawin’s hem and ripping the dress even more.
“Sodding piece of--”
“That was awesome!” said Soris as he ran to her. “I can’t believe you were able to take three men on at once. I don’t think I ever saw you do anything like that.”
“It’s easier than it looks.”
Slowly Soris turned and saw Nelaros on the floor. He went over to him and stood over his body. “Nelaros...” he said softly. He looked at Arawin. “I’m so sorry.”
Arawin knelt beside Nelaros’s body and gently touched his face. She didn’t know what to feel. She felt bad for what had happened to him, but yet his death did not mean much to her. “I’m sorry, Nelaros,” she whispered. “You did not deserve this, but I am grateful that you died to save me.”
“Let’s make sure it wasn’t in vain,” Soris whispered.
As she was about to get up, Arawin noticed that his right hand was clenched tight. He had dropped his swords, so she wondered what was in his fist. Carefully, she opened his hand to find a gold ring inside. Her wedding ring. She examined it and saw that on the inside was a date: 9:30 Dragon; along with an inscription: May our love grow and never die.
Arawin took the ring and held it close to her heart. She slipped it on her left ring finger and stood. “I vow to never forget this day,” she said to herself. She then looked at Soris and he nodded. With a silent command, they both headed down the hall. Eager to be gone from this place and to rescue the others.
***
Arawin and Soris made their way through the estate, taking down guards and leaving a trail of blood behind them. It was what they had to do in order to find Shianni and the others. Arawin was beginning to get frustrated. The estate was big and they had been running around it for a long time. She did not want to think of what Vaughan might have been doing. Finally, Arawin and Soris reached what they assumed were the royal bedchambers. There was a lack of guards, and any they ran into, Arawin easily took down. All of the rooms in the area had their doors open, except one. The one at the far end. Arawin and Soris ran to it, and were met with a loud, blood-curdling scream.
The scream was piercing and bloodied. It sobbed and cried, begging for something to stop. The scream ran down Arawin’s spine, making her go pale and cold. It was Shianni.
Running at the door, Arawin crashed into it with all her might. It was barred shut, and wouldn’t be opened easy. “Let her go you bastard!” she yelled at the door while slamming her shoulder against the wood. She clawed at it. Rattled the knob. Anything to get in. The crying was torture, but what made it worse was along with it was laughter.
The crying rang out again, and again, until Arawin couldn’t take it anymore.
“I’LL KILL YOU, VAUGHAN! LET HER GO, NOW!!!”
Soris stood back, shaking. He had never seen Arawin so anger before. He had never been in this type of situation. He did not know what to do. He could only stand frozen as he heard his sister’s screams and watch his cousin beat at a door that seemed it would never budge.
Arawin backed up and ran at full speed at the door. She smashed into it, and a loud crack sounded. For a second, the door didn’t move, but then it flung open and Arawin went tumbling inside. When she regained her footing, Arawin looked up to see Vaughan jumping off the bed in the corner. He was completely naked and when he saw Arawin, quickly grabbed the corner of the bed sheets and covered himself. Making a quick glance at the bed, Arawin saw a sight she did not ever want to see. There was Shianni, just as completely naked. She was bruised and blood covered the sheets. Her eyes were red and wet from crying and they pierced into Arawin’s, pleading for her to do something.
Arawin clenched her fists and felt the red hot anger creep through her veins. She felt it spread through her body with every beat of her heart. She turned on Vaughan. Her eyes were full of murder as she stared at him and he saw it. His two friends stood behind him. They had been there watching, and laughing at Shianni’s screams. It made Arawin sick and disgusted.
“My, my. What have we here?” said Vaughan seeing Arawin and Soris. He had just entered and stood next to her, trying to avoid looking at the bed.
“Don’t worry; we’ll make short work of these two,” said one of the lordlings.
“Quiet, you idiot!” said Vaughan. “They’re covered with enough blood to fill a tub. What do you think that means?”
“It means your guards are dead,” Arawin said through her teeth. “And soon you will join them.”
Vaughan’s eyes went wide and he slowly backed up a bit. “Alright, let’s not be too hasty here. Surely we can talk this over...”
Arawin growled. “You really think you can talk your way out of this?”
A sob emitted from the bed, and Arawin relaxed her body as she saw Shianni reaching for her. “Please, just... get me out of here! I want to go home!” Her sobs ripped through Arawin, making her shudder.
“I will get you home, Shianni. I just need to deal with the trash first.”
Vaughan had grabbed some pants and put them on. “I would really consider what I have to say first. Think for a minute. Kill me, and you ruin more lives than just your own. By dawn, the city will run red with elven blood. Think about it. You know how this ends. Or we could talk this through... now that you have my undivided attention.”
Arawin snapped her head back at him. “How dare you threaten us!” she yelled.
“Last chance,” said Vaughan. “Kill me and destroy everything you care about, or hear me out and change your life for the better.”
“No deal!”
“But Cousin,” Soris pleaded. “What if he’s right? They’ll purge the alienage again!”
“You think they won’t as it is? After what we’ve done? Besides, look at your sister. Look at her! Do you really think this is something that shouldn’t go unpunished?”
Soris slowly turned his head and stared at Shianni. A hardness crept into his eyes. “You’re right. If you’re sure... I’m with you.”
“Good. I’m going to enjoy this more than you know.”
“Bah! I always regret talking to knife-ears!” Vaughan and his friends grabbed their swords that were laid against the wall. “Now I’ll just gut your ignorant carcases instead!”
The three of them charged forward, and Arawin went straight for Vaughan. The lord was shirtless, and didn’t seem to care. He was fairly skilled with a blade, Arawin noticed, but she didn’t care either. Her anger drove her, making her stronger, and the thrill and excitement of the battle made it even better.
Arawin took down the first of his friends with the help of Soris, who shot a bolt into his leg. The lordling went to pull out the bolt, giving Arawin the opportunity to slice off his head.
The second of Vaughan’s lackeys, had hesitated in the charge, but soon went forward, running for Soris. He tripped over the headless body of his friend, and Soris was able to release bolt after bolt into his back. The lordling never got up again.
All the while, Arawin dueled with Vaughan, only once taking her eyes off him when she decapitated his friend. Vaughan had noticed, and went for her at that point, but found she was quicker than he had thought. Arawin had moved to the right, then to the left, causing Vaughan to lose balance trying to keep up with her. She slashed at him with the dagger, and it cut across his back, and around his left side to his abdomen. Vaughan didn’t cry in pain. He only stopped to look at the new scar.
“You’ll pay for that, knife-ear!” he growled.
“You should be thanking me,” said Arawin. “Women like men with scars. It makes them look tough. Course, that’s only if you live through this.”
They clashed again and again. Vaughan was only fighting her with one sword. A longsword made out of steel. Arawin could tell that he was stronger than her, and she was starting to become tired. All the fighting she had done before coming here was beginning to catch up to her. She wasn’t sure how long she could last against him, so she knew she needed to end it quickly.
“Soris!” she cried, blocking one of Vaughan’s attacks. “Now!”
Soris aimed at Vaughan and fired. The bolt found it’s way into the lord’s right shoulder blade. Vaughan cried out this time, and stumbled forward. Arawin then, with both blades, drove them into his abdomen, driving them up. Vaughan gasped and choked. He looked up at Arawin with confused eyes.
“Why... you,” he spit out. “This... is not... the end...”
“It is for you.” Arawin twisted the blades, then pulled the hilts up. The blades went down and out causing Vaughan’s insides went spilling all over the floor.
Arawin felt the excitement of the kill running through her. She stood where she was breathing heavily and shaking from the adrenaline still in her veins. She was only slightly aware of Soris’s presence beside her.
“He... he’s dead,” Soris said slowly. “Tell me we did the right thing, Cousin.”
Arawin began to come down from her exhilaration. She stared at Vaughan’s corpse. A sense of righteousness was what she felt now. “What’s important is that Shianni’s safe.”
Soris nodded. Walking up to the corpses on the ground, he went through their pockets before finding what he was looking for. He pulled a key from Vaughan’s trousers. “I... I’ll check the back room for the others,” he said walking to the door on the other side of the room. He looked back at Arawin.“Shianni needs you.”
Arawin dropped her weapons and ran to Shianni’s side. Her cousin laid on the bed, covering herself with the bloody sheets, eyes closed tightly. Arawin sat down next to her and gently touched her hair. “Shianni, it’s okay. I’m here.”
At first, Shianni cringed from Arawin’s touch, but at the sound of her voice opened her eyes and began to cry. She grabbed onto Arawin and the two held each other close. “D-don’t leave me alone... please... please, take me home,” Shianni sobbed.
“Everything will be all right,” said Arawin as she held her cousin tight. She didn’t like this. Arawin had never seen Shianni so valuable before. It was not her. It was not how she wanted to see her cousin, who most of the time was a strong, and out spoken women, much like herself. Shianni had always been able to handle things, sometimes better than Arawin could. Now Arawin felt guilty for what had happened. If only she could have done more. If only she could have been faster. If only... it had been her instead.
“So much blood,” Shianni said, bringing Arawin back to her. “I... I can’t stand to look at it. It’s... everywhere.”
“Can you walk?” Arawin asked.
“I... I think so... You killed them, didn’t you? You killed them all.”
Arawin felt very protective at that moment. “Not just them. All the humans who hurt you.”
“Good. Good...” There was a coldness in Shianni’s voice Arawin had never heard before. It sounded like her own in a way.
Soris and Valora made there way to the other side of the bed. “Is... she going to be all right?” asked Valora.
“I hope so,” said Arawin.
“Shianni’s strong. She’ll recover.” But there was concern in Valora’s voice as she spoke the words. Even though she was new and did not know Shianni very well, Valora could still tell that this was not how she usually acted.
“Er... we should go,” said Soris. “Soon. As in now.”
“Yes, I’ve had enough of this place,” said Arawin. There was no longer any emotion in her voice. “Valora, is there anything you see in here that we might be able to cover Shianni up with? I see that they ripped her clothes to shreds.”
“I can go and retrieve Nola’s clothes. I hate to do it, but they killed her for resisting and...”
“It’s all right,” said Arawin. “I feel bad for Nola, but right now my concern is Shainni.”
Valora went into the back room and after a few minutes came back in with a dress that was covered in semi dried blood. Arawin examined it and saw it was torn, but still useable to at least cover Shianni respectfully. “Soris, could you please watch for any guards while we help your sister?”
“Yes,” said Soris. He went to the door and stood out in the hallway.
Together, Arawin and Valora helped Shianni dress. Shianni was beginning to come out of her frightened state and was soon acting like her normal self. It made Arawin relieved to see her cousin not letting the situation take her down.
She is a strong woman. I just hope this doesn’t torture her later on. That she can look past it.
Arawin began fiddling with the wedding ring on her finger. I will not forget this day, she promised herself. Nelaros... Shianni... I cannot let what happened to them go.
When Shianni was ready, the three women made their way to the door and told Soris it was time to go.
“I’ll take the rear guard,” said Soris. “I can’t wait to leave this place.”
None of them could wait to leave.
***
They traveled through the shadows, avoiding any guards or anyone they might have ran into to keep people from asking questions. If someone did stop them, Arawin would not hesitant to take them down. She had brought the dagger with her, but had left the longsword. All she cared about was getting Shianni home and safe.
When they were out of the estate, they traveled through the back alleys. It was a route the three elves knew very well. It was how they traveled most of the time when ever they left the alienage. Valora stayed close behind them, following and listening to whatever they told her to do. It was a rough place to travel. The back alleys were full of bandits, thieves, and suspicious characters, but it was still safer for an elf to travel through Denerim than on the main roads. Especially now, since no one in the alleys would ask questions to what the four of them were doing, or why some of them were covered in blood.
When they finally reached the alienage, they were met with a crowd of elves. Valendrian and Cyrion pushed their way through the crowd to get to the four arrivals.
“You have returned,” said Valendrian. “Has anyone been hurt? Where is Tormey’s daughter, Nola?”
“Nola didn’t make it,” said Valora. “She resisted, and...”
“... they killed her,” Shainni finished.
“And Nelaros?” asked Cyrion. “I don’t see him. Please don’t tell me...”
Arawin nodded. She was unable to look at her father.
“The guards killed him,” said Soris, seeing that Arawin wasn’t going to say anything.
“Oh, Arawin...” Cyrion went to her and hugged her close. “I am so sorry.”
“Don’t be, Daddy,” said Arawin, her voice calm and soft. “He fought and died to make sure I wouldn’t get hurt. And I didn’t. Shianni... she’s the one that you should be worried about.”
Both Valandrian and Cyrion looked at Shianni and noticed she was in Nola’s dress instead of her own. “I see,” said Valendrian. “Valora, would you please take Shianni home? She needs rest.” Valora acknowledged him and both the women made their way from the group. Valendrian then made his focus back to Arawin and Soris. “Now tell me... What happened?”
Arawin released herself from her father’s arms and looked Valendrian square in the eyes. “Vaughan’s dead,” she said without any hesitation.
“Arawin,” said her father sounding frightened. “You didn’t... Do you know what this means? The garrison could already be on their way to take you. Soris? Did you have a part in this?”
“I helped,” he said. “I did kill as well.”
Arawin became cold again. “If they come for us, we’ll fight them.”
“Do so and you will put us all in danger,” said Valendrian. “Even more danger than we already are.”
Arawin looked around at everyone. Staring at each in turn: Soris, Valendrian, her father. She saw the pain in their faces. It was something she had put there, and she did not want to be responsible for adding to it.
An elf run to Valendrian. He was out of breath and panted before he was able to speak. “The guards are here!” Shock and gasps went through the crowd.
“What do we do?” cried one of the elves.
“Give them to the guards,” said another. “That’s all they want. Then they’ll leave us alone.”
“You’re talking about my daughter!” Cyrion cried. “Would you want to send your own child off to the dungeons?”
“Don’t panic,” said Valendrian as he tried to settle down the crowd. “Let’s see what comes of this.”
Several guards come through the alienage gate and made their way to the crowd. They were more heavily armed than the ones Arawin had faced. She could tell these were royal guards by their fancy red plated armor and polished silverate blades and shields.
When they reached the center of the crowd, the guard in front began shouting.“I seek Valendrian, elder and administrator of the alienage!”
“Here, Captain,” said Valendrian, motioning for them to step forward. The captain of the guard, followed by his men, made their way over to Valendrian and the others. “I take it you have come in response to today’s disruption?”
“Don’t play ignorant with me, elder,” said the captain. He was a short man, but fierce looking. “You will not prevent justice from being done. The arl’s son lies dead in a river of blood that runs through the entire estate! I need names, and I need them now!”
Arawin remained silent. She was unsure about what to do. If she did not confess, then her home, along with all it’s inhabitants, would suffer for her crimes. But if she did confess, what would happen to her? They would throw her in the dungeon for sure, and do only the Maker knew what to her. It would perhaps even be worse then what Vaughan did to Shianni. And there would still be suffering in the alienage. Her father, Shianni, Soris; they would all be hurt to see her taken from them.
Then there was Soris. He had helped her kill all those guards and Vaughan. If she didn’t speak up, what if he did? What would happen if he was taken instead of her? Arawin did not want to think of such a thing. She would not be able to live with the guilt of Soris taking the full punishment when it was not his fault. No, if someone had to take the full blame, it would be her, and only her.
Arawin stepped forward. She stood straight and proud in front of the captain. “It was my doing,” she said.
The captain looked at her suspiciously. He then seemed to notice that her dress was splotched with blood and gore. “That might be so with the way you look, but you expect me to believe one woman did all of that?”
“We are not all so helpless, Captain,” said Valendrian.
The captain accepted what the elder had said. He knew that there was probably more than just one elf involved, but he wasn’t going to push the issue. He had what he came for. “You save many by coming forward. I don’t envy your fate, but I applaud your courage. This elf will wait in the dungeons until the arl returns. The rest of you, back to your houses!”
“No, please!” cried Cyrion, reaching for his daughter as the guards seized Arawin. “Please don’t take her! I can’t lose her... not like this.”
“Daddy, I must do this,” said Arawin. “I can’t let everyone suffer for what I’ve done.” She sighed. “I will accept my fate. I’m sorry that this day did not come out like you planned, Daddy. Even though I didn’t want to get married, I did not want it to happen like this.”
“Arawin...” Tears ran down Cyrion’s face. He kept his hand out, trying to reach for her, but only barely able.
“Cousin, why are you doing this?” said Soris.
“Don’t Soris. This is my burden. Not yours.”
They all watched in silence as the guards took Arawin away. She went with them without any hesitation as they passed through the gate and into the market square.

Paraphrasing from Dragon Age: Origins
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Blood Bond