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peopleofthedas2011-01-16 03:41 pm
valiasedai) wrote in peopleofthedas2011-01-16 03:41 pm
Where We Stand - Chapter 13
Thanks to decantate for the beta! Aaaand, the rating will likely go up next week. And if you read here, make sure you go to the very end for a special treat ^^
Chapter: 13 - Victory
Words: 1,185
Characters: Erise, Sergeant Maverlies, Alistair
Summary: The Vigil stands, but victory has its cost.
Over at FF.net
Maverlies raised her sword as she watched the last ogre disappear over the horizon. "They're gone!" Her breath came fast and heavy and she couldn't stop the smile that spread over her features. "They're gone!"
There were a few feeble cheers from the courtyard.
She turned towards the soldiers and raised her sword again. "The Vigil stands!"
This time the response was louder, and a few raised their weapons to hers. They echoed her cries of victory until they were hoarse, and though the sun was setting, none of them feared the night. They had won.
**********
Their return to Amaranthine had been met with the firmly-set jaws and hollow expressions from the guards who knew what the Wardens had done through the night. The guards had built the pyre and carried the dead to it in silence; the Wardens received no blessing and no curse, only a grim, silent acknowledgement.
They had stayed only long enough to eat before pressing on. The keep was nearly in view when the wind carried a scent down the road.
Erise drew a deep breath. The smell of rotting corpses and charred flesh and wood met her nose. It was the scent of battle.
She quickened her pace and the keep came into view. The crenellations were half-collapsed and smoke rose skyward. The gate was a pile of rubble, with a few men crawling over it.
It was then the wind shifted, and a banner atop the wall fluttered. Her footsteps faltered. "Nathaniel. Look."
"That's the royal standard. The king is here!"
She broke into a jog, the footsteps of the other thudding behind her. Her gait was awkward in such heavy plate, but she pushed through despite the way her legs burned.
When they were almost upon what was left of the gate, she raised a hand and they slowed. A man in polished silverite saluted her. "Are you the Commander?" She gave a nod and he gave her a relieved smile. "Sergeant Maverlies will be happy to hear your back. She said you'd come back."
Erise's breath caught. Maverlies was far down the line of command. Too far. "Where is she?"
"She's over at what's left of the barracks, but I – hey!"
She was already half-way over the rubble by the time the guard's last cry finished. The smell of death was strongest here and her eyes burned at the way it fouled the air. Tears stung at her eyes and her mind could only recite two words. Too late. Too late. Too late.
*******
"Sergeant." The voice was thickly accented.
Maverlies turned sharply. "Commander." Days of hoping she'd see the other woman were finally vindicated. Her throat tightened. The burden of command was finally gone. "I knew you'd come back."
The Commander held out a hand, and Maverlies took it as the woman spoke. "You've done more than anyone could have asked." The Warden nodded her head at the handful of soldiers who had managed to make it through without serious injury. "All of you have." There were quiet murmurs and the Commander gave them a half-smile. "Thank you."
The other woman's green eyes settled on Maverlies, untouched by even that small smile. "Tell me everything."
*********
Erise's hands itched. The king had insisted on an audience immediately. He wasn't a bad sort : young, inexperienced in his role as royalty, but kind and her blood hummed with his presence. He wanted to know everything. She had already told him of Amaranthine's siege, of the Mother and the Architect, but not of what she and the others had done in the city. He was chattering now, lively and a little too-eager to share his own tales of the Blight.
"That first dragon wasn't really necessary, you know, but she insisted on it and…" The king trailed off and settled his gaze on the floor. "Is there anything else that happened?"
She eyed him a few moments before letting out a quiet breath. "Yes." Her mouth worked a few moments as she tried to find the words. "Many of Amaranthine's people were tainted."
The king's hazel eyes settled on her, unusually hard. "What did you do?"
Erise squared her shoulders and met his gaze. "We killed them." She ached to explain her reasons, but they would make no difference to the dead.
The crackling of the fire was the only sound for minutes.
He finally nodded, slowly, and let out a long breath. "You did what was needed." The king stood and his expression made her rethink his apparent youth. "I know how that feels."
Erise rose to her feet and inclined her head. "I am sorry for your loss."
The king smiled. "She would have liked you, I think." His voice was thick.
He stepped forward and embraced her then, and the move was so sudden and strange that Erise nearly didn't return the gesture.
When he pulled away his eyes were wet. "Sister."
Part of her resisted the appellation on instinct, but his tone was warmth weighed with the burden of a shared duty. Her hands trembled now, and her heart clenched in her chest. "Brother."
She stayed in the room long after the king left, turning his words in her head.
*********
The hall was quiet. Erise knocked lightly on the wooden door before she turned the handle.
The only light in the room was fading with the sun, and she lifted her candle high. "I'm here to change your dressings." Anders and the herbalist had their hands full, and she had offered to help where she could. This was her last stop.
"Erise? Is that you?" Varel's voice was rough and his tone was strange, but it still made her heart jump.
"Oui, I'm here." She moved quickly to his side and set the candlestick on the small table by the bed. His face looked ashen and a bandage covered his forehead and most of one eye. "Let me change this." She reached out and touched the strips of cloth lightly.
He grimaced as she unwrapped the cloth to reveal a long, jagged cut. The wound was a dark, angry red and the skin near it was swollen and pink.
"Who cleaned this?" She pressed her fingers to the flushed skin and frowned when she found it hot to the touch. "Merde, it's already infected. I need to hot water and more elfroot."
She stood to leave, but he caught her hand in his. "Don't leave." His eyes were over-bright and his grip was weak. "Please."
She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed the tips of his fingers. "I'll only be in another room."
Varel's mouth worked silently for a few moments. "I…" His eyes searched her face and whatever he found there made him relax. "Come back."
Erise leaned down and pressed her lips to his cheek. "I will."
**********
One more thing: I had a commission done of Varel and Erise! This is a not-yet-written sort of thing, but it's so wonderful I had to share. Located on her devart page here.
decantate for the beta! Aaaand, the rating will likely go up next week. And if you read here, make sure you go to the very end for a special treat ^^Chapter: 13 - Victory
Words: 1,185
Characters: Erise, Sergeant Maverlies, Alistair
Summary: The Vigil stands, but victory has its cost.
Over at FF.net
Maverlies raised her sword as she watched the last ogre disappear over the horizon. "They're gone!" Her breath came fast and heavy and she couldn't stop the smile that spread over her features. "They're gone!"
There were a few feeble cheers from the courtyard.
She turned towards the soldiers and raised her sword again. "The Vigil stands!"
This time the response was louder, and a few raised their weapons to hers. They echoed her cries of victory until they were hoarse, and though the sun was setting, none of them feared the night. They had won.
**********
Their return to Amaranthine had been met with the firmly-set jaws and hollow expressions from the guards who knew what the Wardens had done through the night. The guards had built the pyre and carried the dead to it in silence; the Wardens received no blessing and no curse, only a grim, silent acknowledgement.
They had stayed only long enough to eat before pressing on. The keep was nearly in view when the wind carried a scent down the road.
Erise drew a deep breath. The smell of rotting corpses and charred flesh and wood met her nose. It was the scent of battle.
She quickened her pace and the keep came into view. The crenellations were half-collapsed and smoke rose skyward. The gate was a pile of rubble, with a few men crawling over it.
It was then the wind shifted, and a banner atop the wall fluttered. Her footsteps faltered. "Nathaniel. Look."
"That's the royal standard. The king is here!"
She broke into a jog, the footsteps of the other thudding behind her. Her gait was awkward in such heavy plate, but she pushed through despite the way her legs burned.
When they were almost upon what was left of the gate, she raised a hand and they slowed. A man in polished silverite saluted her. "Are you the Commander?" She gave a nod and he gave her a relieved smile. "Sergeant Maverlies will be happy to hear your back. She said you'd come back."
Erise's breath caught. Maverlies was far down the line of command. Too far. "Where is she?"
"She's over at what's left of the barracks, but I – hey!"
She was already half-way over the rubble by the time the guard's last cry finished. The smell of death was strongest here and her eyes burned at the way it fouled the air. Tears stung at her eyes and her mind could only recite two words. Too late. Too late. Too late.
*******
"Sergeant." The voice was thickly accented.
Maverlies turned sharply. "Commander." Days of hoping she'd see the other woman were finally vindicated. Her throat tightened. The burden of command was finally gone. "I knew you'd come back."
The Commander held out a hand, and Maverlies took it as the woman spoke. "You've done more than anyone could have asked." The Warden nodded her head at the handful of soldiers who had managed to make it through without serious injury. "All of you have." There were quiet murmurs and the Commander gave them a half-smile. "Thank you."
The other woman's green eyes settled on Maverlies, untouched by even that small smile. "Tell me everything."
*********
Erise's hands itched. The king had insisted on an audience immediately. He wasn't a bad sort : young, inexperienced in his role as royalty, but kind and her blood hummed with his presence. He wanted to know everything. She had already told him of Amaranthine's siege, of the Mother and the Architect, but not of what she and the others had done in the city. He was chattering now, lively and a little too-eager to share his own tales of the Blight.
"That first dragon wasn't really necessary, you know, but she insisted on it and…" The king trailed off and settled his gaze on the floor. "Is there anything else that happened?"
She eyed him a few moments before letting out a quiet breath. "Yes." Her mouth worked a few moments as she tried to find the words. "Many of Amaranthine's people were tainted."
The king's hazel eyes settled on her, unusually hard. "What did you do?"
Erise squared her shoulders and met his gaze. "We killed them." She ached to explain her reasons, but they would make no difference to the dead.
The crackling of the fire was the only sound for minutes.
He finally nodded, slowly, and let out a long breath. "You did what was needed." The king stood and his expression made her rethink his apparent youth. "I know how that feels."
Erise rose to her feet and inclined her head. "I am sorry for your loss."
The king smiled. "She would have liked you, I think." His voice was thick.
He stepped forward and embraced her then, and the move was so sudden and strange that Erise nearly didn't return the gesture.
When he pulled away his eyes were wet. "Sister."
Part of her resisted the appellation on instinct, but his tone was warmth weighed with the burden of a shared duty. Her hands trembled now, and her heart clenched in her chest. "Brother."
She stayed in the room long after the king left, turning his words in her head.
*********
The hall was quiet. Erise knocked lightly on the wooden door before she turned the handle.
The only light in the room was fading with the sun, and she lifted her candle high. "I'm here to change your dressings." Anders and the herbalist had their hands full, and she had offered to help where she could. This was her last stop.
"Erise? Is that you?" Varel's voice was rough and his tone was strange, but it still made her heart jump.
"Oui, I'm here." She moved quickly to his side and set the candlestick on the small table by the bed. His face looked ashen and a bandage covered his forehead and most of one eye. "Let me change this." She reached out and touched the strips of cloth lightly.
He grimaced as she unwrapped the cloth to reveal a long, jagged cut. The wound was a dark, angry red and the skin near it was swollen and pink.
"Who cleaned this?" She pressed her fingers to the flushed skin and frowned when she found it hot to the touch. "Merde, it's already infected. I need to hot water and more elfroot."
She stood to leave, but he caught her hand in his. "Don't leave." His eyes were over-bright and his grip was weak. "Please."
She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed the tips of his fingers. "I'll only be in another room."
Varel's mouth worked silently for a few moments. "I…" His eyes searched her face and whatever he found there made him relax. "Come back."
Erise leaned down and pressed her lips to his cheek. "I will."
**********
One more thing: I had a commission done of Varel and Erise! This is a not-yet-written sort of thing, but it's so wonderful I had to share. Located on her devart page here.