Start to Denerim - Ny's group

"Aw. But I am really good at that." he teased, "Other than that I'm very good at a lot of things. Telling jokes for one thin', or cheerin' a bloke up."

"As for what I can do for real? Well I'm rather good at bar fights, and with knifes." He took a step forward and shrugged a bit. "And who's to say I didn't come here to help, and the bedwarming thing is just an added bonus for you?"

This time Roy moved forward quickly, pulling out the knife from his sleeve and placing it against Nygozy's neck. "I see you are as good as they say," he said with a smirk as he felt the cold touch of her blade on his own neck.

Before her little bodyguard could throw a fit over his 'attack', Roy stepped back, retracting his blade, hands in the air again. This elf was going to make his fingers numb. He wondered if he could provoke the man enough to punch him... he didn't seem the type to let go of his weapons though (from what Roy had seen so far anyway) and the recovering from a stab wound is a lot longer than the one from a good hit in the face. Man needed to get in a bar fight. Roy would love to help him with it too. Hell Roy would fight with him! The whole camp could do with some nice fist fighting... he should start a club!

"I'd let you poke me any day, little fox." he grin and then looked to Kai and shrugged. "You're a little to scary fer my tastes though. Sorry bloke." he teased.

Nygozy could feel something was going on with Royce but did not believe it to be a danger. Kai; however was chomping at the bit ready to do something so she put a hand on his arm and mouthed a "no" to him. Kai glared at her, a sneer on his lips, ready to kill in a moment but she gave him an order. He was seething as Royce continued to flirt.

Then there was a flurry of motion and Nygozy was grinning with her knife to Royce's throat as his was against hers, her other hand up in a stop signal so that Kai would not move any further. It was a precarious balancing act to keep the assassin, her guard at bay. Her chuckling seemed to be what stopped him in his tracks more than the hand gesture.

"Not bad yourself but that was a tricky move hoping that my bodyguard would allow that to happen in the first place." She was not surprised that Royce kept up the flirting even after Kai had threatened him but she'd hoped he would not as she could feel the Elf's anger.

Kai's temper was reeling from Nygozy doing such a stupid thing putting herself in danger and now this man was still hitting on her. The last suggestion that Ny could poke him was the last of it. He went to move forward but the Dwarf had grabbed his wrist. He looked down at her hand then up at her and scowled before turning back to Royce, thinking his newfound mantra once more.

i'm only doing my job as her guard, i'm only doing my job as her guard, i'm only doing my job as her guard


A knife was in his hand in a moment as he snarled at Royce, "I have already told you once to keep your romantic venues elsewhere. This is the last time I am going to tell you to refrain from those advances. While you are at it, never even suggest such a disgusting consideration to me either."

He pulled his free hand away from Nygozy, sneering down at her furiously, "And don't you ever again give me an order which would put your life at danger because next time I will ignore it. I was hired to keep you alive. I have never failed in an assignment and I refuse to do so now when your life is at stake."

It was so dark down in the Deep Roads. He did not know how far he had fallen, but he was effectively cut off from his unit. Coughing up dust from the collapsed rock, Garoll staggered up to his feet. He checked to see if there were any broken bones under his gashed armor. None. No... Wait. Painful when breathing. Broken ribs. Sod it all. He mentally growled. Wincing with every step, he climbed up a pile of rubble for what felt like hours. Strange, there was a bird there? A Hawk...why was it underground? Must have hit my head pretty sodding good... He mused to himself and climbed up to the top of the rubble pile.

Wandering in the pitch blackness, he found a tunnel that seemed to ascend, and he followed it. For weeks he followed the tunnel and it kept on going higher. The Darkspawn must have used this during the Blight to get access to the surface. He dreaded going topside. Rumors that you'd fall into the sky scared him. Nothing ever frightened the old dwarf before now.

Finally he smelled something different. The air was...cleaner? It didn't reek of sweat and blood or stone anymore... it smelled... different. Taking a deep breath, he broke the surface of the tunnel and blinding light met his eyes. Sunlight, was that what surfacers called it? It was like a big ball of white flame in the sky. His eyes took some time to adjust from the all-encompassing darkness into sudden light. He looked around. He was at the side of a mountain, probably the Frostback Mountains, and the sky was covered in white fluffy stuff and blue. It made him feel queasy.

He turned aside and wretched on the ground, surprised to see he hadn't fallen upwards. His blue eyes widened. "Salroka! I'm alive!" He hooted and jumped in joy that he wasn't dead. He then removed his armor and treated his broken ribs by applying poultices on them. He redressed and suited up, and then headed out, wandering for a while.

It took another month before Garoll found someone. He heard voices nearby. Some sort of conflict. "I have already told you once to keep your romantic venues elsewhere. This is the last time I am going to tell you to refrain from those advances. While you are at it, never even suggest such a disgusting consideration to me either."

The voice sounded close, and he followed the sound, crouching low and drawing his sword and his battle-beaten shield. He moved forward and placed his sword towards the boy's back. "Drop your weapon, kid. And tell me where the sodding hell I am." He growled beneath his beard and scarred face.

The sound of someone moving behind them made Kai tense himself up. He was already holding one dagger as he slowly removed the second one from its resting place at his side. After a moment the sound of the movement was closer. The assassin had tuned everything else out, even Nygozy as he focused on the person.

The assassin spun himself around feeling the cold metal of a blade resting against his back."Drop your weapon, kid. And tell me where the sodding hell I am." The voice came from a dwarven man whose beard covered most of his face, the shield looked as though it had lived through many years of conflict.

"Coming up behind a man that's armed in order to make a demand is fairly unwise." Kai kept up his guard and held his daggers at the ready, one was positioned to easily knock back the sword and the other ready to move to hit the dwarven man. Kai glared waiting for the man to move, he was waiting for any attack.

"Coming up behind a man that's armed in order to make a demand is fairly unwise." The boy said back at Garoll, who smirked beneath his beard and sheathed his sword. "Sorry, but you were sodding threatening people. That doesn't sit well in a sodding nughole." He said and crossed his arms. "Now tell me where in the Stoned sodding hell I am." He barked, his eyes narrowed beneath bushy orange eyebrows.

Nygozy had heard the sounds the same as Kai and was only one moment behind him at turning, brandishing her weapons, an axe and a sword. She tilted her head slightly as the men spoke.

"Sorry, but you were sodding threatening people. That doesn't sit well in a sodding nughole. Now tell me where in the Stoned sodding hell I am."

"It's my sodding business whom he threatens not yours." Nygozy snarled as Garoll put his weapons away.

This time she did not tell Kai to stand down as she had no clue what this Dwarf was up to and watched him warily. That was until she moved sideways to give less of a target, looking at the man from a different angle, eyeing the shield and seeming to count some marks on the outer rim of the shield.

Nygozy chuckled then outright laughed just before making two hawk calls. She put her weapons away and touched Kai's shoulder gently to show him all was fine, "Garoll I presume? I've seen you and Rainard once before in the Deep Roads but you never saw me. A few more notches though. What are you doing up here? The sky might take ya away, ya nug humper."

As Garoll spoke to the eyepatched boy, he heard the sounds of drawing steel again and looked over the boy's shoulder (evidently the Dwarf was standing on a rock). "It's my sodding business whom he threatens not yours." came a voice that sounded vaguely familiar. He spotted her, a good looking Dwarf girl with black hair and a harsh glare that reminded him of Commander Greylene in the Deep Roads.

She had sheathed her weapons and smiled at Garoll. "Garoll I presume? I've seen you and Rainard once before in the Deep Roads but you never saw me. A few more notches though. What are you doing up here? The sky might take ya away, ya nug humper." she said, and then it hit him like a kick in the nuts. He recognized her. "Eh? Whozzat... sodding sky ball." He muttered. "Hey...you're that kid from...Dust Town. Yeah. One of Beraht's thugs last I saw o'ya's." He walked up to her and hoisted his shield back over his shoulder, slinging it to his back.

He smiled beneath his beard at her. His scarred, wizened face brightening a little. "Heard ya were banished topside. I've been up here for a sodding month or so, the sky hasn't taken me yet. And if a pole licker like yourself ain't fallen upwards by now, I won't neither. I'll tell ya's how I ended up here when we've got time, but fer now I'd like to rest a bit...long ass hike."

Roy threw his head back and laughed, "It's becomin' a right ol' party 'ere!" he snorted, glad that the knife was no longer pointed at him. He would take anyone on in a fist fight, gladly. It's when it came to sharply pointed objects he started to object.

He watched with interest as the two Dwarfs conversed, taking it that they sort of knew eachother in passing, and as long as the elf stopped pointing at him, Roy wasn't one to complain. The dwarven slang wasn't very soft on one's ears though, all that swearing wasn't fit for a beautiful lass such as Nygozy. But he would keep that to himself, that other one had a very pointy sword, and he liked his head attached to the rest of his body.

That did give him an idea though; and it was going to be one hell of a drinking contest!

Kai watched as the two dwarves conversed or rather, he watched the one Nygozy called Garoll. T?he dwarf put his weaponry away and that relaxed him a little but he didn't let down his guard or his weaponry. The assassin shot the man a harsh glare with one eye as he called the dwarven lady a 'pole licker' there were a few things that came to mind with that term. None of them pleasant.

Kai gave a quick look to Royce, wondering what the man was thinking. After a moment to think on that Kai decided, that with the decisions he made on Royce already that he'd rather not know. Kai looked back to the two people, he waas tempted to get between them as the space between the to began to close. He decided to wait and watch quietly.

"Eh? Whozzat... sodding sky ball. Hey...you're that kid from...Dust Town. Yeah. One of Beraht's thugs last I saw o'ya's. Heard ya were banished topside. I've been up here for a sodding month or so, the sky hasn't taken me yet. And if a pole licker like yourself ain't fallen upwards by now, I won't neither. I'll tell ya's how I ended up here when we've got time, but fer now I'd like to rest a bit...long ass hike."

"Hmph." She smirked and took a quick glance at Kai before turning her face from him, but not being able to hide her expression which flitted across her features like a fast storm. She did not really want anyone to know what she'd been used as by crimelords like Beraht. The killing was fine. It was the rest that hurt. Or, for some reason she did not want Kai to know how she'd been abused feeling that maybe the thought of her being used would make her seem weak.

"Ah ye've seen me there did'ya? Aye, I worked for Beraht. It kept me from being a wallop night toy. If not a dead one." Nygozy shrugged remembering what she'd been forced to do before working for Beraht, "It ain't a good deal either way. And yeh they banished me. If it wasn't for the wardens I'd not have even had that but I'm a paragon now. Can you believe that?"

Nygozy wrapped her arms around herself for a moment then tilted her head at the sound of a hawk which could be seen circling overhead, "You're not going to fall up either, that's true you old bronto. We're on our way to camp and you're welcome to come with us. We can talk more and grab you some brew."

Her head turned and she smiled at the other two, "It isn't far to where we will camp."

The hawk shrieked again making her look up and call back in it's own tongue then the bird flew down as she lifted her arm and landed on her wrist, "Hello my friend." She said with a smile as the bird chirped at her, giving Garoll a sideways glance, "I thought so. I was told you were a tough one, Garoll, and I'm glad you survived your fall some months back."

Garoll noted the two men watching him, one with disdain, the other with curiosity. He turned his attention back to the girl. Nyso? Nygo? Nygozy. Aye, that was the name. "Ah ye've seen me there did'ya? Aye, I worked for Beraht. It kept me from being a wallop night toy. If not a dead one. It ain't a good deal either way. And yeh they banished me. If it wasn't for the wardens I'd not have even had that but I'm a paragon now. Can you believe that?" She said and Garoll almost guffawed. "Well, slap my ass and call me a nug-wrangling Duster! A Casteless Paragon. Hopefully that'll give some o' ya's a break. Part of th' reason I joined the Legion was to get away from the sodding crap of politics." He explained. As to the offer of ale, he grinned wider. "Can you believe I've been up here for a month and have not had a single drop of ale yet? You've NO idea how thirsty I am for a sodding brew right now." His eyes lit up and he gingerly started following the group, his gashed and scratched armor clanking as he moved.

Nygozy had a familiar bird. Apparently that was the one he saw in the Deep Roads. He wondered how it was possible but didn't comment. "Ah don't lie, lass. You barely know me." He smirked half-heartedly.

"Well, slap my ass and call me a nug-wrangling Duster! A Casteless Paragon. Hopefully that'll give some o' ya's a break. Part of th' reason I joined the Legion was to get away from the sodding crap of politics. Can you believe I've been up here for a month and have not had a single drop of ale yet? You've NO idea how thirsty I am for a sodding brew right now. Ah don't lie, lass. You barely know me."

"Meh. It takes quite the bs to get to that. The politics getting anywhere there is a pain though." She kicked a rock into the river, chirped at the hawk and it flew off, "A month with no ale? My oh my you must be about ready to kill anything that moves by now."

Nygozy halted her steps and looked at the river, "I barely know you but I've heard of you." She eyed the water as she rubbed her head, bringing her hand down all dusty and bloody from the fight, "That's it. I've had enough of this gunk on me."

The Dwarven woman put her weapons and backpack down on the ground then undressed and went into the water to wash off.

Garoll agreed with Nygozy's description of the politics of Orzammar. The Assembly would often take weeks or even months to settle a debate because they couldnt the collective stick out of their asses. He shrugged. "A month with no ale? My oh my you must be about ready to kill anything that moves by now." Nygozy joked (well, no that's not entirely true. Any Dwarf worth their salt knew that they get cranky when they're sober). Garoll smirked a bit. "I nearly ran your eyepatched friend through, didn't I? I hear the sodding surface ale makes the stuff back home taste like piss in comparison." He chuckled and then he saw her prepare to strip down.

Having lived in the Deep Roads, he was not shy around women or men undressing to bathe because there was no gender in the Legion, and they were all dead anyway. Still, out of decency he rolled his eyes and turned his back for her. So instead he spoke to the two boys who were probably the Warden's bodyguards or something. He cleared his throat. "Right. Commander Garoll Stonebrach of the Legion of the Dead. I'm the longest living Legionnaire in history." He smiled beneath his orange beard. His arms folded, as Dwarves weren't ones to do the human thing of handshaking. One could lose their Stone sense in such a way after all.

His armor was the standard black plate uniform of the Legion, but it was so horribly scratched and gashed up it was barely recognizable. The Legion of the Dead logo emblazoned on the chest was still there, proudly glaring at any enemy. His shield was as noted earlier, bent in places and scratched up as well, made of the same black steel plate as his uniform which would make it quite heavy, yet he wielded it without a problem. Along the outer rim of the shield were red marks, a tally. Nygozy had noted those were his kills of something. There were 103 marks. By the relatively small amount of them compared to how many Darkspawn he must have fought, they must be marks of either Alphas or Ogres.

Roy watched as Nygozy moved towards the river, he chuckled a bit and went over and pat Kai's shoulder. "For a body guard, you have your work cut out for you." he teased as he wondered what he should do while the Hero bathed.

Oddly enough it didn't beg him to stare. He had seen plenty of women in his life (and men), and those back braking manners were still etched into the back of his skull. So he crossed his arms over his chest and turned his back to the river.

"Tell me elf, where are we headed now?" he asked, glancing at Kai.

There had been mention of ale. And Roy's spirits were up just thinking about it. It seemed he would get his drinking games after all.

As Nygozy began to remove her armor Kai tiurned himself away. He was trying to be respectful of her as she deserved her privacy. Not only was the little dwarf a woman, which asked for privacy on its own, but she was also Ferelden's hero. As the elf turned away he saw Royce coming over to him. Kai sighed.

What on earth could he want?

As Kai thought on this question Royce answered it, the human's hand pat his shoulder. Kai glared at him for a moment before glaring at the hand, which he caught as it moved. "For a body guard, you have your work cut out for you." The human man teased him, Kai only stared at him.

The assassin was about to say something when Royce opened his mouth again, a stupid thing that the man always seemed to do. "Tell me elf, where are we headed now?"
Kai glared again at the man, this one carrying more anger to it as he threw down the humans hand

" We. Meaning the two dwarves and I, will head to a cabin at one point or another. You on the other hand, will end up with your body in a hole without your head if you so much as touch the dwarven lady or myself. And you would do well not to call me 'elf' again, I am not some kind of shemlen servant."

"I nearly ran your eyepatched friend through, didn't I? I hear the sodding surface ale makes the stuff back home taste like piss in comparison."

"You wouldn't have made it, Garoll. He's a lot faster than you figure and so am I." She smirked at him, "But you could have made a lot of trouble."

Nygozy washed up, removing gore from herself and especially her hair. Being shorter than most others, even those of her own race, she tended to receive more of a mess in her hair than anyone else. She plucked out some intestine from her hair then dunked herself all the way in and continued to brush her fingers through her hair. She couldn't wait to get somewhere that she could have a full bath. It seemed with this group that her muscles would need a good relaxing soak.

She thought of each of the people who had already joined, working out who would be best at what and why. There was a lot more to know of each person, many things to learn and become aware. Maybe she should discuss everything with someone. Usually she went with Drake's word on things but after what the hawk had said to her she figured that he deserved a break to himself.

When she turned she noticed that all three men were giving her privacy by not watching her, not that she cared, but it made her smile all the same. Even though she had been washing she had heard some of what the men were saying and sighed as she came out of the water, took a towel from ther pack and dried off then put on a spare set of leathers. It wasn't armored leather because she had to clean that a bit later.

"I am dressed, gentlemen." She stated as she started wrapping up her armor to put in her backpack, "Thank you for the privacy." The woman smiled at them all, "Now let's get to our camp before there are any knifings."

Garoll harrumphed, being ignored by the two taller men. They disregarded his introduction to bicker amongst themselves. How very barbaric, but then, they were both surfacers. He was mildly surprised that the eye patched boy considered Garoll a part of the group already even if he had just wandered into their camp now. Nygozy's voice echoed from behind him. "I am dressed, gentlemen. Thank you for the privacy." She then smiled at them, to which Garoll nodded in response. "No problem, lass. Normally I don't much care who's bathin' but surface rules are differen', eh?" He asked her. "Now let's get to our camp before there are any knifings."

Garoll grinned and nodded. "And I've got two to three months worth of drinking to catch up on! Lead on, lass!" He guffawed and followed beside Nygozy, seeing if she would speak about life on the surface while they walked.

There was a low voice from below, and Roy looked down to the new Dwarf. "Legion of the Dead, eh? Nicey nice. Roy Alfstanna, just a stupid human noble." he greeted.

Roy looked to Kai and cocked an eyebrow, shrugging. "Touchy touchy," he chuckled. "I'm quiet happy with my body where it is. Head an all. Thanks for the offer though, perhaps another time." he joked. "No need for that glare, we can be friends."

He turned to the rive as Nygozy called to them, he smiled to her and nodded. "I have been trying to be good my little fox, but it's just so hard."

"Touchy touchy," The man gave a chuckle as Kai continued to glare "I'm quiet happy with my body where it is. Head an all. Thanks for the offer though, perhaps another time." Kai was growing to dislike Royce more and more with every second.

"I don't believe I asked for permission to be rid of you"

"No need for that glare, we can be friends."

"Friends with you" Kai scoffed "Please I'd sooner befriend a darkspawn" He turned to Nygozy as she called to them

"I am dressed, gentlemen. Thank you for the privacy. Now let's get to our camp before there are any knifings." Kai nodded with a little smile to the woman.

"I have been trying to be good my little fox, but it's just so hard." Royce seemed to move in time with Kai, giving Nygozy the same smile and nod as he spoke. The words that came from Royce's mouth made Kai Shoot him yet another glare and snarl a bit

"It will get easier and you will behave, or you will cease to exist. Your choice."

The assassin walked up beside Nygozy. His arms were folded and his experssion dead serious, he would not warn Royce again if he continued his behavior. Kai's gaze shifted after a while and he watched Garoll as they walked, wondering what to make of the new dwarven man.

"No problem, lass. Normally I don't much care who's bathin' but surface rules are differen', eh? Now let's get to our camp before there are any knifings."

She blew some hair out of her face then brushed a hand through it, "The surface is different. People here are more used to privacy and other things you can't get in Dust Town. It's kind of nice with some things though. Like the better beer for instance." Nygozy chuckled as she got her pack on.

"And I've got two to three months worth of drinking to catch up on! Lead on, lass!"

"Ha! It's a good thing I had the farmers keep lots of brew there for me then. I'm sure it will be gone in no time."

She had been listening to the other two while talking to Garoll but didn't comment quite yet. Her eyes turned to see Kai give her a slight smile and she smiled back, a bit more shyly than she'd intended to then Royce spoke to her.

"I have been trying to be good my little fox, but it's just so hard."

"Trying to be? Should I ask your sibling if that is a first?" Nygozy grinned as she began walking then became serious, "I think it's best if you do not speak much with Kai, Roy, but after a few brew I'm sure you and Garoll can have a good time staying out of his way."

Roy laughed at mention of his sister. She was a force to be reckoned with when it came to him and his 'escapades' (as she angrily put it). "Both me brother an' sister can tell ya the same thin'; At least I'm consistent with my behavior." he laughed again, he kept switching between a peasant accent and a nobleman's one. Something he got in the habit of to annoy his family, and it just stuck.

"Aw. I'm just tryin' to be his best friend." he mock pouted to Kai. "But he's a bit of a cranky elf." he quickly stepped behind Nygozy to stay clear of any possible knifes the man could throw at him, which he seemed very close to doing.

"Always wanted to have a drink with a dwarf, bet I can drink ya under the table." he challenged as he walked next to Garoll now. He hadn't had much interaction with other races, other than servants sometimes being elven. And this group seemed to be quiet diverse in it's members. At least the little group he had seen so far. At least he wasn't the only (sexy) human, as he noted that man --Ianto-- from earlier. He just might be the most sane one, considering that Ianto had been talking to himself. Which was a new one, Roy sane, what a laugh.

As far as old Garoll could tell, he was going to enjoy this group very much. He was anxious to meet the rest if there were any. Still, He grinned at Royce. "Aye? Well you'll be hard pressed t'beat a thirsty Dwarf at drinkin', lad. Challenge accepted." He reached up and clamped a gauntleted hand on Roy's shoulder. He turned his attention back to Nygozy. "Feh. If you've seen one naked lass or lad, you've seen em all. I don't understand these barbarians and their shyness. They all look the same t' me. Ah well. Better ale you say? I hope so. The stuff back home tastes like piss water after a while." He chortled, still walking aside the Warden-Commander.

Kai walked silently beside Nygozy, he still carried his anger with him as he thought on the events that were occuring. He wondered for a while where exactly they would all go in the end, when they would get to this camp, and about those who would be traveling with them.

After a while Kai's gaze shifted from the path infront of them to the dwarven man beside him. He'd hardly been paying attention but he was sure he heard Garoll and Roy agree to a drinking contest. Though Kai enjoyed ale himself and respected those who were able to handle the drink, he found the idea of a contest utterly stupid.

Why would any man intentionally drink themselves into stupidity? There was no pride in getting drunk enough to act like a mindless fool only to end up passed out on a floor. There was certainly no fun to be found there.

Kai again shifted his attention, Royce was its focus once again. He thought of the man and his irritating personality, how every word and ever move enraged Kai. The assassin felt his hand close around one of the daggers he kept, he shook his head and cleared Roy from his mind lest Kai do something he would pay for later.

Kai's gaze shifted, bringing his thoughts with it uet again. This time both were settled on Nygozy. He wondered why the flirtations with the hero made him as angry as they did, sure the woman was pretty but Kai had seen plenty of pretty wemon before, none of them affected him in the way Nygozy has.

"Both me brother an' sister can tell ya the same thin'; At least I'm consistent with my behavior."

"Consistent is an interesting way to put it. It makes me wonder why exactly your sister sent you to me." Nygozy rubbed her jaw as she considered that. If his sister figured he was a difficult person than what was the real reason?

"Aw. I'm just tryin' to be his best friend but he's a bit of a cranky elf."

A long sigh came from her lips as she shook her head, "I do not believe he wishes to be your friend and he has a right to be cranky." Her eyes shifted to glance at him as she spoke, "He is my bodyguard. There are many assassins who use bed as a way to take out their targets. Kai is watching out for me and to him you are a wild card."

"Always wanted to have a drink with a dwarf, bet I can drink ya under the table."

A snort then a slight chuckle made clear her thoughts of the bet as she had heard of Garoll's drinking escapades.

"Aye? Well you'll be hard pressed t'beat a thirsty Dwarf at drinkin', lad. Challenge accepted."

She nodded, "A Dwarf accepting a drinking competition. What a surprise." Sarcasm dripped from her voice but it wasn't a nasty sarcasm but amused.

"Feh. If you've seen one naked lass or lad, you've seen em all. I don't understand these barbarians and their shyness. They all look the same t' me. Ah well. Better ale you say? I hope so. The stuff back home tastes like piss water after a while."

"Some are more interesting than others but it's no surprise either way." She admitted as they continued on.

They came over a rise and she halted at the edge of the hill going down. The Dwarven lady had taken them through a short cut she knew, making it so that they had arrived before the others but now she remained still while she surveyed the damages.

The home still stood and was not broken into but there were signs of a scuffle. Some of the crop was messed up but not much as the fighting seemed to have happened nearer the house. Her bow came out as she slowly advanced, examining the area and the few dead Darkspawn from a distance.

"The family is gone." She announced calmly as she cocked an arrow just in case. There would be no problem with being able to shoot from afar if she had to. The other three were close fighters, "We need to check the perimeter and the house."

As they walked, Garoll contemplated the drinking that was soon to come, but as they rose over the hill, he sensed something wasn't quite right. Both Nygozy and Garoll went to investigate, and Garoll found several signs of struggling, and some tell tale drag marks on the ground. Someone had been carried off struggling by the Darkspawn. He could smell their black blood. There wasn't much of it, which told him that the family who lived here were caught by surprise. He followed the trail to a cleft in a plateau nearby and hearing, the growling and moaning inside, drew his longsword and battered shield. Inside he trudged and found two Hurlocks standing guard over a woman, who was in obvious pain. She was clutching her sides, sobbing and moaning as the obvious signs of the taint ripped through her.

Garoll sighed, marching into the cleft, which was just big enough for him to stretch his arms across if need be, blocking off the exit from the two Hurlocks. He grinned grimly at them. "Bad place to pick, boys." he said and launched himself at the two Darkspawn, quickly hacking the liver out of of one, and lopping off an arm and head off the other. With her guards dead, the woman looked up pleadingly to the Legionnaire. Her face was blotchy and festering, the signs of deep exposure to Darkspawn blood. "Please ser...help me...the pain...it's too much." She whimpered in a quiet voice. Garoll shook his head. "Where be your family, lass?" He asked her. She pointed to a pile of bones in the corner. "They made me... they made me eat them... my husband...and son. After the horrible noise took hold in my head...I couldn't control myself..." She whispered. Garoll nodded. "Sorry, lass. You'll find em again in th' next life." He said in a quiet tone to her, after brushing some of her sodden hair from her face, he plunged his longsword into her heart, and withdrew it, laying her down gently.

He returned to the others, several splatters of black blood on his already black armor. He grunted to Nygozy. "Found the family. They're all dead." He said simply and closed his blue eyes.