Dragon Age: Prologue

Shanen was aware of the guard closing in but he was also aware that they would only shoot him as a last resort. There were no guards in his way and the one behind him would block the shot of any arrow or bolt.

He took a deep breath, put his head down and pumped his legs faster.

"DOWN!" She yelled with authority. Anyone between her and Shanen hit the deck. Parker and Arrow continued to run, but both came to Shanen's flanks so Lyra would have a clear shot to her prey. She fired the first shot wide on purpose, hitting a tree in front of Shanen and off to one side, a warning shot to let him know she was serious. Hopefully the bolt would cause him to flinch, so one of her guards could take him down without injury...

He heard the 'Thum' of the arrow and in an instant it flashed by him and embedded itself in a tree, only two feet from where Shanen was. The surprise caused him to halt for a split second, involuntarily. He was sure Lyra wouldn't have ordered her men to fire, he was too valuable for that.

Or so he thought.

He turned and came to face his closest pursuer. He refused to be taken easily and raised his hands in a unarmed fighting stance.

Parker and Arrow flanked Shanen as he stopped running. Lyra released a breath. A fist fight would cause far less lasting damage.

Thank god. Lyra thought to herself, running forward, Crossbow still cradled in her arm, she began to load a new bolt as she ran. Her two guards were trading blows with Shanen - both men a good mix of speed and strength. As she got within range, she slowed down so Shanen could hear her better, her crossbow raised to his chest height, aiming carefully.

"Think about it, Majesty. You're half dressed, and the nights are cold. We rode here on horseback... do you really want to try and find your way on foot? You can't even be that sure which direction to travel once you get into the canopy." Lyra yelled in warning. "Where will you go if you leave? And do you think I would so cheerfully permit you to go? You're no good to me escaped."

"You're no good to me escaped." He knew that much was true but was sure he would be shot only as a last resort. But she had also promised he would die rather than be allowed to escape.

He raised his hands in submission.

"Ok....Queen. You have me." Shanen said, walking up to her. As he did so her guards closed in behind him and she lowered her weapon. It was the break he needed. A foot in front of her, he pulled the crossbow from her grasp. Before she could react, he grabbed her wrists, spinning her around.

His left forearm wrapped around her throat, his right hand, taking a hold of her right wrist. He now had a human shield.

"Sorry Queen." He said, giving her a playful kiss on the neck. "Looks like I need an escort out of here."

He spun her around, pulling her up against him and kissing her neck. Lyra's expression darkened at the kiss, and both Parker and Arrow took a step back away from her. Ignoring the pain, she went absolutely dead limp in his arms, mostly to offset his balance. Her chin snapped upward, and her arm pulled oddly to one side - but dead weight was some of the hardest to control.

Her left elbow shot out to try and catch him in the ribs on the way down. As they both staggered to the floor, his body falling over hers, she shoved him hard trying to throw him on his back, teeth bared - anger unleashed. She looked like a hellcat as she put her feet and knees back underneath her, crouched low. If it was a fight he wanted, it was a fight he was about to get...

She was quick. His back hit the ground and she was already on him. He grabbed a wrist and putting a foot on her hip tried to wheel her over. He did so but she landed on her feet. It gave him enough time to pull himself up and face Lyra as she circled around him.

"Fair warning this time. You want a fight, I'll fight you as if you're my equal. No quarter given Queen." She didn't answer, the fury on her face was plain to see.

"Sorry about the kiss. Couldn't help myself being so close to such a beautiful woman." He winked at her.

She roared in rage, leaping off the floor toward him - it was a clumsy attack, full of anger and indignation instead of planned strikes. She bore down on him with quick blows, most of which were easier to deflect. She was absolutely wild, paying no attention to what she was doing. She hissed breathlessly, the calm and collected demeanor shattered. They traded blows, Shanen blocking a good most of hers. He landed a good hit to her jaw, snapping her head to one side, and causing her lip to bleed - but still she persisted.

She spat blood, and leapt back in - throwing punches and kicks to him, and eventually knocking him back onto his back simply on sheer force of anger alone. She threw herself over him, pinning him down - she raised one hand, fist coiled backward as she tried to breathe... and then stopped....

Her eyebrows relaxed, and then went wide. Only Shanen could see the change. Her hair covering her face, her breathing ragged - she suddenly realized where she was, and what she'd been doing. She lowered her hand a bit, looking down at his expression. "... gods..." She whispered, only loud enough for him to hear.

"Parker, Arrow..." She said, the ragged breathing making her voice hoarse. "Get him up. Throw him back in the tent..." She started to move, to get off of him.

Fourteen minutes after Alaric left the members of the Thieves' Guild to collect supplies, he found his way back to them. He was now wearing a hooded ashen gray robe. The strap of a tanned leather travelling bag hung across his chest. There was a noticeable difference to him. He no longer carried his white dragon bone staff with him. He reached the group and bowed toward them. His black hair fell around his face, hiding his expression. As he came up from his bow, he brushed the hair away from his hazel eyes to look at the Bard.

"Good sir," Alaric addressed the Bard. "I trust you will be able to secure transportation post haste. We have many leagues to cover before we reach the Lair of the Bandit Queen. There is much to discuss along the way. Hopefully a carriage or wagon will suffice."

[waits for a reply]

Wasting little time, the group was on their way. Alaric turned his head toward the rest of the group. His expression remained grim.

"His Eternal Grace learned much of the Bandit Queen and the forces which she possesses," he explained. "His wisdom and resourcefulness knows no bounds." Alaric chuckled darkly at that. "Her authority spreads over twenty-five subjects, nineteen of them combat worthy. Six of them support the rest through their labors. The Queen enjoys to send out four to six of her subjects out at six hour intervals to kidnap innocents for ransom. This is her first weakness. In her hubris and impatience, the Queen sends off a second patrol in the fifth hour of the first patrol. Her domain loses between eight to twelve combat-worthy subjects."

Alaric paused and looked ahead to where the group was heading.

"The defenses of her domain are spread wide and thin, both to her strength and weakness. They may cover a lot of space, but they are few and vulnerable. At maximum, there will be five of her subjects on patrol at any one time. The remainder of her forces are behind ramparts and other defenses facing Garlan's Keep in preparation for an assault. Depending on how you wish to time this, it is possible to attack when her domain is at half strength."

Her attack had been relentless. He had deflected her wild blows, for the most part and even replied with a shot of his own. Her head had snapped but Shanen hadn't even had the time to feel guilty as she pressed on, his blow not even registering.

In seconds, she had him on his back, pinned and mounted. She raised her fist and roared as he froze, waiting for the blow.

Suddenly she stopped, her entire expression changed, the anger faded from her eyes.

"God's" She whispered.

She ordered her men to pick him up moved to get off him. "Wait." He said, grabbing a wrist. "Don't go." The thought was a crazy one and even he wasn't sure if he was being entirely serious. But what he did know, is that he wanted her to stay right there with him.

"What in the name of the Darkspawn are you doing?", she sounded absolutely thunderstruck as he grabbed her wrist. She tried to pull her arm away from him, but he had a good grip on her. "Unhand me..." Her voice was far softer than usual, far quieter, as she looked down at him, too tired to harden her expression.

I have to get up... get off of him... go find somewhere to cool down and wash the wine off of me... I need to get away...

She trembled slightly, feeling wrong footed from the outpouring of emotions she'd just let off - and further off kilter from him not letting her go. The anger was still there... still barely contained under the surface. The anger mingled with confusion... why in the gods would he want her to stay? That was fool's talk... He couldn't possibly have been attracted to her... She released a sigh, lowering her head for a moment, rubbing her hand over her face.

She took a few deep breaths, closing her eyes, feeling the warmth of her blood on the side of her jaw, as she tried to calm. She was just emotional, full of adrenaline and drive... At least she'd blown into a rage - that would keep the men from questioning her, or trying anything.

She didn't pull away, not really.

"Interesting." He thought to himself.

He knew he was caught, by now several more guards had circled around him and their leader. He needed to play it smart and upsetting her was not the way to go.

He released her wrist.

"Sorry." He said simply, looking for the reaction in her eyes.

She looked surprised at the apology. I am sorry as well... She thought, feeling foolish for having lost control.

She rose slowly, the guards going to surround him. She'd already issued her orders to Arrow and Parker, she saw no reason to reiterate them. One of the others came to approach her, raising a hand to touch her shoulder, which she readily threw off. "Keep three guards on him, and make sure the wine is refilled. I need to clean up, and I will be headed back to the tent for dinner. Station guards at the doors from now on. Two man shifts. We can't have him trying this again... the fool will die of exposure, or break his royal neck in the woods - and then where would we be?"

She turned away from the group, beginning off in long swift strides, forcing her body language back into the stiff, well controlled exterior she usually wore.

Parker and Arrow got their arms underneath Shanen's arms, and hauled him back to his feet, half carrying him back toward the camp.

"Tha' was a foolish thing ye did, Majesty.", Arrow said to him in a slow drawl. "Lyra ain't exactly known fer her forgivin."

"Good sir," the mage addresses Alexiz. "I trust you will be able to secure transportation post haste. We have many leagues to cover before we reach the Lair of the Bandit Queen. There is much to discuss along the way. Hopefully a carriage or wagon will suffice." the grey robed magic user finishes.

"Considering where we might be heading it would be ill advised to ride in a carriage, those things tend to be obnoxiously loud. And the last thing we'll need is to announce our presence to our quarry. But I do know of a stable where we can get horses." Alexiz calmly replies as they exit the castle and leads the group towards the merchant in question.

"Ah Master Alexiz what can I do for you this fine..." The merchant begins but quickly stops as he notices that the group included a mabari hound.

"I'm doing quite well Thomas, my friends and I require some mounts for travelling. Do you have any available?" The bard replies trying to allay the somewhat frightened merchant from bolting from the spot.

"Ah... we do sir... but..." Thomas replies while fidgeting.

'But what my good man? Buck up or I might not hear what you say." Alexiz teases the merchant slightly to distract him from whatever is freaking the man out.

"We only have three horses available at the moment, the rest have been sold earlier in the week. We won't be getting any from the ranchers until next fort night. Although..." Thomas finally answers after putting the bard in between himself and the object of his fear.

"Although what Thomas? We don't have all day." Alexiz asks starting to somewhat feel impatient at the man.

"I do have some mules you can buy." Thomas replies quickly as he notices the bard's slight irritation.

"Well take the horses and one mule then." Alexiz states as he hands the merchant five gold sovereigns. The merchant then heads inside his stables and brings out one by one three saddled and bridled Andalusian steeds and a very tall and somewhat handsome looking mule with a modified saddle and bridle for it as well. The horses shy away from Alaric in a way that suggest they sense his otherworldliness while the mule stands contently by him when it was finally brought out. Well that solves the issue on who rides the mule then. Alexiz thinks to himself trying very hard not to say the thought out loud.

"Well then that solves our transportation issue, we might need some other supplies much later on, but for now we're covered since Syrinia was kind enough to provide for us." Alexiz says as he adjusts the saddle and the mounts a grey colored stallion and waited for his allies to mount theirs as well before he starts heading out of town.

Wasting little time, the group was on their way. Alaric turned his head toward the rest of the group. The grim expression on his face unchaning.

"His Eternal Grace learned much of the Bandit Queen and the forces which she possesses," he explained. "His wisdom and resourcefulness knows no bounds." Alaric chuckled darkly at that. "Her authority spreads over twenty-five subjects, nineteen of them combat worthy. Six of them support the rest through their labors. The Queen enjoys to send out four to six of her subjects out at six hour intervals to kidnap innocents for ransom. This is her first weakness. In her hubris and impatience, the Queen sends off a second patrol in the fifth hour of the first patrol. Her domain loses between eight to twelve combat-worthy subjects."

Alaric paused and looked ahead to where the group was heading.

"The defenses of her domain are spread wide and thin, both to her strength and weakness. They may cover a lot of space, but they are few and vulnerable. At maximum, there will be five of her subjects on patrol at any one time. The remainder of her forces are behind ramparts and other defenses facing Garlan's Keep in preparation for an assault. Depending on how you wish to time this, it is possible to attack when her domain is at half strength." The mage finishes as he goads his mule on a faster canter.

Kell was highly amused by the merchant’s fear of Allard, which soon turned to annoyance when it was slowing Alexiz’s negotiations with the man. When they finally had their horses and mule, Kell mounted his horse and followed the group at a pace that allowed Allard to keep up with him. Alaric turned towards them and began explaining the Bandit Queen’s defenses.

When he had finished, Kell said, “Considering the difference between our numbers and theirs, it might be wise to attack them when they are not at their strongest. To do otherwise would be foolhardy. We should also approach them from opposite direction of Garlan’s Keep, to avoid their fortifications. As long as we avoid the patrols or keep them from raising the alarm, we could bypass the defenses undetected. You said it yourself, mage, her defenses are spread thin.”

Kethrii checked over her pack while the others negotiated for the horses. It all seemed to be in order, at least... she couldn't think of anything that she was missing off the top of her head. This could always change later, and she didn't like the sound of that.

She grabbed the reins of a chestnut mare with a white nose and feet and strapped her pack to the saddle. Arranging her short bow on her back along with her quiver, she made sure her various hidden blades were in order before pulling herself up onto the tall horse's back.

She half-listened to the others as they discussed the bandit's defenses and weaknesses, breathing a bit easier now that they were outside the city's walls. The forest always had a calming effect on her.

Kell spoke up beside her, bringing her attention back to the conversation fully. “Considering the difference between our numbers and theirs, it might be wise to attack them when they are not at their strongest. To do otherwise would be foolhardy. We should also approach them from opposite direction of Garlan’s Keep, to avoid their fortifications. As long as we avoid the patrols or keep them from raising the alarm, we could bypass the defenses undetected. You said it yourself, mage, her defenses are spread thin.”

Kethrii found herself nodding. A sound tactic - she liked this guy's thinking. "I agree coming at them from an alternate direction could throw them off if they are expecting a rescue party sent straight from the keep. Depends on the terrain through - we don't want to go so far out of our way that it adds days to the trip. Unless.... there's a way we can just sneak in and back out again..." she said, eyeing the others and wondering on their ability to be at all silent. "... or is our dear Mister Shanen not one for the sneaking about?"

Alexiz listens to the group's discussion on their plans as they keeping heading towards the forest, but he quickly notices that a rider rushing from behind is quickly gaining on them, realizing who the rider was Alexiz mollifies the group that it was no threat and then tells them to head on ahead so he can meet with his 'friend'.

"The mistress sent me here to tell you that you are to report to her immediately." The rider huffs as if he was the one doing all the work while his horse seems to be practically fine.

"But I'm doing something here at her behest." Alexiz replies somewhat confused at the change of events.

"Something more pressing has occurred, and you are to return to her manor for further instructions." The rider relays as he turns to head back to where ever he came from.

Alexiz returns to the group with a sigh and with great regret tells them. "A personal matter has arisen that I must tend to immediately. I apologize to every one since your burden is now heavier but something of greater personal importance to me has occurred. I thank you for the very short adventure we had. But I must go." He then turns to follow the rider who quickly disappearing in the distance between them.

Alexiz spoke with the strange guest quietly for a few moments before turning to the rest of the group. "A personal matter has arisen that I must tend to immediately. I apologize to every one since your burden is now heavier but something of greater personal importance to me has occurred. I thank you for the very short adventure we had. But I must go."

With that, the bard was gone, galloping into the distance with the stranger. The three that were left looked a bit stunned for a moment not sure what to do next. All that talk, and now he was gone... just like that? "Heavier burden, indeed," Kethrii commented, adjusting herself in her saddle.

As she glanced between the other two, she realized she was actually the only one left from the Thieves Guild present. Granted, Kell was working off his debt, but... even so. How had it come to be that she was only representative going? She hadn't even been with the guild all that long compared to some.

"Me and my big mouth..." she mumbled, before speaking up more loudly for the other two. "Well, it's my understanding we've got at least a days ride. I figure we can get close, make camp for the night and go over our plan of attack for the morning," Keth said, looking at the others.

(reply Kell / Alaric)

"Well, as pleasant as it is today, there's no use standing around in this field. Shall we be off?" She motioned on down the road.

[sorry for the short post.]

Alaric glanced with disdain toward the pack mule that the Bard rented. He would rather ride in a carriage, but his place was one of a supportive role. What mattered was the rescue of His Eternal Grace's son. He finished shared everything he knew about the Bandit Queen's camp to the the Warrior and Rogue. Both of them shared their thoughts on Alaric's findings and offered strategies that Alaric never considered.

He heard the Bard say something about leaving. Alaric nodded his head curtly before continuing to pay attention to the Warrior and Rogue.

"Me and my big mouth..." Alaric heard her mumble. "Well, it's my understanding we've got at least a days ride. I figure we can get close, make camp for the night and go over our plan of attack for the morning,"

Alaric nodded in agreement, looking at the mule. He sneered and mounted it.

"Well, as pleasant as it is today, there's no use standing around in this field. Shall we be off?" She motioned on down the road.

Alaric rode on.

[Continuing the roll of short posts]
Kell watched as the bard departed, wondering what urgent matter needed his attention so badly. He heard Kethrii mumbling something under her breath and turned to face her. She then looked at Kell and the mage and spoke up.

"Well, it's my understanding we've got at least a days ride. I figure we can get close, make camp for the night and go over our plan of attack for the morning.”

“Sounds like good a plan as any.” Kell said in reply.

"Well, as pleasant as it is today, there's no use standing around in this field. Shall we be off?" She motioned on down the road.

“Right”, Kell said urging his horse forward. “So, any idea where we should set up camp?”