This Is Ferelden Not Orlais

Bowen happened to be near them and looked at Marcus in disbelief. As the old couple-maker that he was, he had noticed the looks Guremi gave the muscled elf, and couldn't understand how the lumberjack was letting such a woman go away without doing anything.

''Are you nuts, lad?? Go and get her! For treason is more likely that she will be executed the very moment they arrive to Denerim, if she arrive alive''

Grunting his disapproval, the Nevarran looked at Nygozy.

''With your permision, I'll go and get her back. She is the Wardens liaison with the Ferelden army, and there weren't orders from the King himself to make her go back. So, unless you agree with this, I think she should stay with us until the King himself says the opposit''

"Do so." She said to Bowen, "State our rights as wardens and you go along with him, Marcus. She may not realize that it is our right to enlist whoever we wish. In that case we will require someone who knows her to speak to her."

Nygozy was pleased to see Bowen ready and willing to do what was needed in this matter. She could see that the idea of her going into that group herself made Kai unhappy as he seemed to not believe these men were soldiers. In truth she doubted them as well but it had been official documents and she knew Alistair's penmanship.

"Do what you need to in order to get her back."

''As you say, Commander'' Bowen offered Nygozy a big, badass grin, and then motioned to Durbans to follow him

''Let's teach those soldiers how this group takes care of those who try to take away from us those we appreciate''

Marcus looked over at Bowen who was staring at him in disbelief. ''Are you nuts, lad?? Go and get her! For treason is more likely that she will be executed the very moment they arrive to Denerim, if she arrive alive'' Bowen said in rapid fire. Marcus merely gave that boorish grin. "Just figured that one out, did you? I thought everyone knew I was mad." He said with a slight twinge in his eye.

His heart wrenched a bit as he knew what was going to be done to Guremi if she was tried as a traitor. Then Bowen implored Nygozy for permission to go after Guremi. "State our rights as wardens and you go along with him, Marcus. She may not realize that it is our right to enlist whoever we wish. In that case we will require someone who knows her to speak to her." The Warden-Commander bid them.

Marcus closed his eyes and nodded. He felt foolish but he had lived his life under human cruelty and was conditioned to follow their wishes. Alienages were terrible places to live. No. Keep the memory repressed. Do not let the beast out. he chided himself.

''Let's teach those soldiers how this group takes care of those who try to take away from us those we appreciate'' Bowen snapped Marcus out of his thoughts and the huge elf hoisted Durbans over his shoulder. "Or die trying." He said with grim finality before marching towards the band that Guremi was leaving with.

''Or die trying''

''If someone's going to die today, comrade, we'll make sure those would be them. You're not the stupid you want us to believe, so don't try to fool me. I am old, but not an idiot'' Bowen smirked and then put his helmet on.

The soldiers weren't far enough yet, so they could get them justt walking. Most of the guards were still sore even if Jezarine had healed them partly, and obviously Guremi didn't wanted to go, so she never rushed her horse. So it took three hundred steps or so to get them.

''Hey there'' Bowen yelled. The soldiers that were guarding the rear looked at them, and almost everyone in the group stopped when they saw the muscled elf with the enormous axe and the even more enormous warrior wearing full plate.

''The lady stays with us. So, unless you want to be beaten again, you'll let her stay with us, or else someone may have to come from Denerim to retrieve your corpses, because there's no way we'll let you take her away from us'' The Nevarran stated with loud, serious voice.

The commander of the soldiers gave Guremi a hard look as she came back to them and shook his head, "At least you are honourable enough to own up to your fate."

"I bide by my king, Ser, and felt he would wish that I stood up for the Hero." Guremi lifted her chin to show she was not intimidated, "If that goes against my role within the military then so be it. I accept my punishment just as I choose in what I believe to be right."

''Hey there," A voice called out and Guremi looked back, blinking away her surprise as Bowen continued, ''The lady stays with us. So, unless you want to be beaten again, you'll let her stay with us, or else someone may have to come from Denerim to retrieve your corpses, because there's no way we'll let you take her away from us''

Tempest shook her head with a snort and turned part way towards the voice realizing that her mistress was surprised and the reason came from behind.

"Thank you for your help, Ser, but I cannot allow anyone to be endangered by this. I knew there would be consequences to my actions and I am rightfully obligated to accept them." Guremi said but looked sadly at Marcus then regained her composure, "There is nothing that could convince me to become a deserter. That relieves me of my honour."

Bowen smirked under his helmet, he had expected this.

''Unless I see a letter from the King ordering you to go back to Denerim, you're under the Commander's orders, so you stay. This is not a suggestion''

Marcus looked over at Bowen, then to Guremi. "You could be conscripted to the Wardens... I seem to recall they can do such a thing. If that's true, I would like to join the Wardens with you." He said, smiling his private smile to her, the one that didn't look like his usual boorish grin when in the Durbans persona.

Yes, the idea was perfect. They could make her a Grey Warden and then she would be safe. She wouldn't need to be executed for a treason she did not commit. Justice would be served. Yes.

Guremi was not used to people standing up for her except for the one time she had been saved from a slave's fate. Her culture did not ensure individuality so much as the requirement of being able to work together. It was how she was so easily capable of working in the militia, her sense of honour being so strong. But for others to come to her aid was something she had not considered and the sentiment of becoming a warden was even a larger surprise.

The Grey Wardens were something of an enigma to her as that was what the king was and she respected that. She noticed Marcus smile without the grin he used for everyone else and the thought of someone she got along very well with going through whatever tests there were to become a warden was more than a simple additive to the mix.

"If the Commander will accept me as an initiate to the Grey Wardens then I see no dishonour to my choices." She looked back to the captain, "It is a good day to live." Guremi stated and moved her horse towards the other two.

The captain snarled and took out a crossbow, aiming it at the woman's back, "Not for you, traitor."

Marcus was pleased that Guremi decided on living, and did not keep it off his face. But the smile faded when he heard the click of a tickler trigger on a crossbow. Everything seemed to slow down all at once. Marcus saw the bolt leave the crossbow, and he instinctively ran forward with impressive speed.

Time was his.

Everything else was in slow motion, he was able to grab Guremi's arm and hurl her out of the way, only to feel the pain of the crossbow bolt slam into his shoulder. The shock to his system caused him to fly into his blood rage. The beast was let loose. With a snarl, he turned around, grasping Durbans firmly in the arm that still worked properly as the crossbow bolt was lodged into the ball of his shoulder. He howled in rage and flew forward to the assailant, swinging Durbans in a wide arc that cleanly severed the man's hands from his arms.

The soldier cried out but it was cut short from the rebound swing taking his head off his shoulders. Two soldiers saw this and tried to collectively grab Marcus by the arms to restrain him, but the big elf was already cleaving their legs from beneath them, and their torsos fell to the floor and they howled in pain, intestines littering the ground beneath them.

Chaos ensued, the remaining seven soldiers were torn between wanting to flee from the mad bull, and kill him before he harmed anyone else or dying in the case of the two who were cut in half. Marcus deflected a futile attack from one soldier's sword and brained him with the counterbalance of his axe, and then stabbed him with the pointed end of it through the stomach multiple times before swinging the axe wildly around in another wide arc to cut another soldier from hip to opposite shoulder. The rest flew in fright, running for the hills.

Marcus, covered in blood and breathing heavily, forced the rage down afterwards, snapping to his senses. "And don't come back!" He shouted at them.

The large woman rolled as she hit the ground with a growl as she came back up, bent and ready to act in a run or any other way that was required. She noticed that Marcus had a bolt in him and sneered at herself for having turned her back on that idiot. She should have known that they would not let her go that easily.

There were sounds of armored feet running towards her and she took no time to consider what to do. She knew that these were soldiers so she spun, criss cross slashing with her swords, ripping armor from body and tearing into flesh and bone. As the man fell she used him like a springboard, jumping in the middle of three opponents with her swords flashing in a complex pattern of attack, counter and counter attack. She was fast, vicious and precise, her attacks causing severe damage.

One man ran off with his life as the other two fell and Guremi swirled to see what to do about the ones Marcus was fighting but that squabble was over as well. She noticed her mare to the side of the road eating grass with a couple of the dead soldier's horses as if nothing was going on.

"Well," She said as she wiped off her swords, sheathed them then walked towards Marcus, "It seems I am in good hands with those who use themselves as a bullseye for me."

Bowen grunted for himself once the brief skirmish met its end . He knew it wasn't going to be that easy to get the girl back with them.

''Good work, boy'' He offered a smile to Durbans, pleased that the boy seemed to have woken up, and then he looked at Guremi

''Guremi, you have been claimed by the Commander. So, you're coming back with us, your new little merry family. How cool is that?''

Laughing, the Nevarran turned to go back with the group, leaving those two alone

Well after that little episode of fun, Marcus' blood lust was sated, Guremi was safe, and he had a crossbow bolt in his shoulder. All was well. He grunted as the pain started to hit him though. It would be a while before he could use that arm again properly, even with healing magic helping him. The elf sighed and shook his head, then turned to grin at Guremi. He was covered in blood and gore, but still that grin shone through all the red mist. Guremi was walking towards him. "Would you have it any other way? Personally, I'm not going to make a habit of getting shot." He shrugged his good shoulder and winced as the other tried to follow suit.

Kestrel looked blankly to Sinjan, "Funny how things work out bastard. And I would not be so quick to say things about this little devil. She has no courage when it really matters, and is just full of hot air. What a shame you've fallen for her fluttering eyes and scantily clad body, I would have expected better from a Koru. But I guess your family no longer holds class as highly as they use to." with that said he snorted. "What is the world coming to? And elf being treated with some semblance of respect. You shouldn't spoil her, now she's going to expect it from everyone. And it just doesn't deserve to be treated like anything other than the animal it is." Kestrel shrugged his shoulders mockingly and smirked.

Lithawen frowned deeply and glared. But that was all she could do to her brother. She knew that after she stopped visiting that he was sent to become a Templar, and no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't fight a Templar. They fought dirty, and one simple spell and Elendil would start to weigh her down to the point she wouldn't be able to move. After all she had a great deal of magical strength which allowed her such a massive weapon, but when taken away she had little to no true physical strength. Lithawen may have been hot headed, but she had no death wish, and she was smart enough to know she was no match for her brother.

Kestrel sneered, "See. She knows I am right, and she has learned her place, she knows now to hold her tongue." the words formed perfectly in his mouth, as he only spoke what his heart felt. Turning the Templar started to walk away he had nothing else to say to these people, and he would just have to suffer through the horrible journey with the dalish, until he saw signs of a fade spirit taking over her (which was bound to happen with the horrid temper) and then he would be justified in her death.

..:: Trying to color code it to make it easier to read and tell who's who. ::..

"Yes." She said as he winced, "I would rather people did not get hurt." She put her hand on the shaft of the bolt and broke off the majority of it, "Let us get this tended to. I believe we should be able to obtain what I require to mend this. Then we should be on our way."

Guremi tossed the rest of the shaft and started towards what had been the original battlefield. Now she had another purpose and felt glad of it due to not having her honour thrown to the wind like the shaft had been.