A few days after the attack on Vigil’s Keep, Anders picks his way through the forest, trying to find his way back to the road. He grimaces a few times, as Justice flares beneath his skin. It hurts, in a strange way, like his skin doesn’t fit.
Or maybe that’s how Justice feels.
After a series of stairs, they arrive in a bustling market. Along one side is a grouping of ramshackle houses. Lirene is leaning out of one, waving to them. She looks frantic.
“He’s gone! He heard there was some sort of fight in Darktown and he just ran!”
She spots Cia and Ilska. “Thank goodness you’re both all right. Come in, let’s get some food in you.”
Cia hesitates, because yes, they do need food, but-
But Anders didn't seem like much of a fighter. And they owed him. And Ilska can.
"Which way?" ey asks, a little desperately.
“No, no, you’re not to go throwing yourself into that fray. You’re not Wardens yet,” Lirene says sternly, but her eyes do flick towards one particular street.
They can hear Lirene calling for them to stop, and her husband trying to catch up, but they easily lose him.
The path to Darktown is clear, a set of stairs descends into the belly of Kirkwall.
Ilska darts ahead of Cia, but doesn't stop em from following her down the stairs. (Cia isn't wrong, they do owe Anders, and Ilska doesn't know how to start repaying him the kindness she barely remembers knowing.)
There doesn’t seem to be much evidence of a commotion when they get down into the depths, but it’s clear this is a very rough area, with a lot of desperate people.
People watch them pass with haunted, hungry eyes.
They both recognise the look, and Cia shrinks closer to Ilska as they make their way through.
The tunnels seem to twist and turn, people staring at them as they go past.
Eventually, in a lower section, the sound of a fight can be heard, and was that...Anders’ voice?
Ilska shoots Cia a warning look, a 'stay behind me', and heads in that direction.
The scene unfolds below them:
In a somewhat sheltered section of Darktown, one side opened up to the cliffs, Anders is taking on group of well armoured men and seemingly winning. He spins to avoid blows, uses his staff to block, and unleashes spells with devastating efficiency. He is clearly a trained soldier.
Pressed against the wall are three trembling elf children. The marks on their wrists tell of shackles.
-Ilska is frozen for a second and then...
She dives forwards into the fray, producing a dagger from somewhere and attacking one of the armoured men. She has some training at fighting, that's clear.
The children cower away from her, but at least don't try to run away.
"Ilska! Get back!" Anders yells, erecting an ice wall between her and her opponent.
She's reluctant, and there's a glimmer of fear that she hides well. She makes a confused noise as she retreats, keeping between the armoured men and Cia and the children. She doesn't put the knife away.
Anders nods approvingly at her, and then sweeps an attacker off his feet with his staff, setting the man alight to roast in his own armour. He freezes, forces back, clunks over heads where he has to.
Ilska makes a range of sounds, of varying levels of distress - she can help, why isn't Anders letting her?
Then, two men charge around the ice wall, heading straight for Ilska, Cia and the children.
The elves scream.
Anders, locked in combat with the commander, hears and tries to break away, heart thudding panicky in his chest, Justice thrumming under his skin.
Ilska doesn't hesitate in diving forward again. She knows what she's doing, knows where to aim. (The join of armour from the leg to the hip was rarely strong enough, and there was an artery close to the surface there, and the neck was another good spot.) That she doesn't necessarily pay enough attention to her own defense is neither here nor there to her. The important thing is to protect Cia and the elves.
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