The Fade

Chapter 16 Redcliffe (Part 3)

Larrith's POV

After making sure that we where all ok after the long fight we started to walk up the hill towards Bann Teagan who was looking out over a lake towards Redcliffe castle "Bann Teagan you wished to speak with us, is everything alright?" Sarina asks him "odd how quiet the castle looks from here. You would think there was nobody inside at all. But I shouldn't delay things further. I had a plan...to enter the castle after the village was secure." he then turned around to look at us and continued "there is a secret passage here, in the mill, accessible only to my family".

"Ah the infamous secret entrance I always used, but how come you haven't tried to get into the castle yet?" Sarina asks him "I couldn't leave the village unattended while they where being attacked. I would have gone sooner if it wasent for--Maker's breath!" Bann Teagan then points at something behind all of us and we turn to see a young lady running towards us.

As she got closer she spoke with an Orlesian accent   "Teagan! Thank the maker you yet live!" "Isolde! Your alive! How did you...? What has happened!" Bann Teagan asks her "I do not have much time to explain! I slipped away from the castle as soon as I saw the battle was over, and I must return quickly. And I... need you to return with me, Teagan. Alone" she said "why does he need to go with you alone shouldn't he go with, at least, someone?" Vee asks "what? I... who are these girls, Teagan?" Isolde asks "surely you remember me Lady Isolde, don't you? Or has your memory already started to fade?" Sarina asks "Sarina? Of all the... why are YOU here?" Isolde asks them "this WAS my home before you had Arl Eamon kick me out because you where too scared to sleep under the same room as me!" Sarina replies with a mix of sas and anger "Isolde, Sarina please now is not the time. Isolde, they are Grey Warden. I owe them my life" Bann Teagan says breaking up the argument.

"I can see the other four but Sarina? Never mind. Pardon me Grey Wardens, but I... I would exchange pleasantries, but... considering the circumstances..." Lady Isolde says "please Lady Isolde... we had no idea anyone was even alive within the castle. We must have some answers!" I tell her but she turns straight to Bann Teagan and says "I know you need more of an explanation, but I... don't know what's safe to tell. Teagan, there is a terrible evil within the castle. The dead waken and hunt the living. The mage responsible was caught, but it still continues. And I think... Connor is going mad. We have survived but he won't fleethe castle. He has seen so much death!" "who is connor?" Marilla asks "Connor is my nephew and Lady Isoldes and Eamons son" Bann Teagan tells us "Sarina do you know Connor?" Rose asks them "no I was kicked out before he was born so I never met him but I have heard of him" Sarina says.

"You must help him, Teagan! You are his uncle. You could reason with him. I do not know what else to do!" Isolde says sounding like she might start to cry. "Lady Isolde, Bann Teagan mentioned that Arl Eamon had fallen gravely ill how did that happen?" Vee asks "I think the mage we captured... I think... he is an... infiltrator, I think... one of the castle staff.  We discovered he was poisoning my husband. That is why Eamon fell ill but he is still being kept alive". "Arl Eamon was poisoned!?" Sarina exclaims "he claims an agent of Teyrn Loghain's hired him. He may be lying, however, I cannot say" Isolde says.

"Why must Bann Teagan go alone?" Marilla asks "there is something in the castle that the mage unleashed. So far it allows Eamon, Connor, and myself to live. The others... were not so fortunate. It's killed so many, and turned their bodies into walking nightmares! Once it was done with the castle, it struck the village! It wants us to live, but I do not know why. It allowed me to come for you, Teagan, because I begged, because I said Connor needed help." Isolde says "from what you have described, the 'evil' sounds like it could possibly be a demon" Vee mentions "I... I do not know. Oh, Maker's mercy! Could it truly be a demon?" Isolde questions no one "I can't let it hurt my Connor! You must come back with me Teagan! Please!" Isolde begs "Teagan if you go with Isolde we can go through the secret entrance you mentioned and fight from the inside and stop this evil from spreading" Sarina says "agreed, the king is dead, and we need my brother now more than ever-" at that I notice his eye seem to move over to us with a saddened look "-I will return to the castle with you, Isolde while the Grey Warden go through that secret entrance."