ethosa

Title: rescue
Fandom: DragonAge Universe
Prompt: Table 1: 08. Beginnings + 1,305 - Prompt
Rating: K+
Word Count: 1101 words
Community: 10_prompts + daily_prompt
Summary: The duo team of Viveil and Hallor rescue an apostate from the templars, but who is she?
Authors Notes/Disclaimer: I own the characters, not the universe this takes place in. I wrote this in 2 - 3 hours.

"Be quiet!" His voice was a strained whisper as his dark haired partner followed him through an ancient alley.

"Viveil, wait. Are you sure this was the right path?"

"I'm positive! Can't easily miss that flash of pink hair, now can you?" Hallor held back a laugh and nodded. The pair weaved through the alley with the cunning of a fox and delicacy of a cat, Vevil not once uncertain where they were headed.

"You continue ahead. Don't exit into the street until I distract them," Viveil said as he jumped up onto an awning.

"Hey, where are you going?" Hallor stopped running to watch his partner scale up the building without so much as a glance down. Why does he never tell me his plans, he thought. Hallor continued down the alley, stopping just short of the exit into the main street. He hid behind a stack of wooden crates and peered out from them, surveying the crowds of people before him. Methodically he counted them to keep his nerves down.

"Six, seven, eight..." He took a breath. He was always nervous before a battle. Even back when he was still a mercenary he would do a little calming ritual so he could give his full hundred percent in the battle. Unfortunately, assassin life didn't quite suit this method, and he often found his blows not being as well put as they used to be. It was in this line of work where Hallor learned the ways of the reaver.

While halfway to a hundred, a loud commotion sprang up in the swath of people not more than twenty feet away. At once he knew that was his cue.

A great charging force, his sword drawn and his brows scowling, Hallor rushed into the scene. A single wide arc of his greatsword and two men were cut down. The cage Alienne was being held in was also slightly damaged from the shockwave. Hallor grit his teeth and readied for the next strike.

Meanwhile, Viveil danced around three men, delivering swift, percise slices to each of their throats by use of his stealthing techniques. Once he saw the damaged cage, he summoned a decoy to cover for him while he picked the cage's lock. There was no lock he couldn't pick at this point.

Just then an arrow made contact with Viveil's right shoulder, lodging itself deep within his flesh. Hallor taunted the remaining men in time for Viveil to open the cage and pull Alienne out. But as he dragged her away from the scene, she jerked herself away.

"Let's go," Viveil wheezed. He was in a lot of pain, blood soaked his clothes and dripped down his arm. Tiny dropplets of wet rimson fell from his rough fingertips.

"Take off my blindfold and untie my arms," she ordered. Her words were firm and seeped anger.

"We don't have time for this, Alienne. We need to get you out of here before the templars arrive." She glanced back at the sound of Hallor's shouts. She grit her teeth.

"If you don't, then I'm going to just attack blindly. There could be a lot of damage to the surrounding buildings, and there could be deaths. I can't promise anything." Vevil sighed. "That would look bad on your track record, wouldn't it?"

With his good arm, Viveil tugged her blindfold down and cut the rope tying her arms. At once, she grabbed Viveil's dagger and slit her wrist.

Blood poured out and with it, a symphony of flame began.

Some time later, the three of them stood in a dainty hovel of a hotel room. It smelled of mold and the ceiling dripped a clear yellowish liquid from time to time. Dirt was scattered throughout the wooden floorboards and the ugly rug next to the bed had weird stains on it. Dust floated throughout the room, so Alienne opened the shutters before she set to work on Viveil's shoulder.

The two of them sat on the edge of the musty bed. "This is going to hurt," she said. Viveil stuffed a piece of linen in his mouth and grit his jaw tight as Alienne took hold of the arrow and yanked on it. He let out a muffled wimper and blinked back threatening tears.

"You going to use that blood magic mumbo jumbo on him, now?" Hallor stood next to the door with his arms crossed, not looking very pleased. His lips had a slight pout on them and his brows were firmly knit together in a scowl.

"No. Only healing and salves," came her curt reply as she took some salve out of a burlap sack. This disgruntled Hallor further.

"Viveil, did you know she was a blood mage?"

"I did. It was in the profile."

"Why didn't you tell me? --wait, profile?"

"She will be joining our team, my friend." Viveil gave a weak smile, showing off his perfectly straight pearly whites. You could really only see his top teeth.

"What! I'm writing a letter to the Coordinator right this moment." Hallor grabbed the rusty doorknob and left in a hurry.

"Are you sticking up for me?" she asked quietly.

"You're healing me, aren't you? Why can't I do something to return the favor."

"We're a team now... can't function as a proper team if one member can't perform to the best of his ability."

"If that's what you're worrying about, you sure have a lot of time on your hands. I'm the leader of this team. You just do as I tell you, and we will perform perfectly."

"I'm actually worried about that warrior guy. He won't rat me out, will he?" Viveil coughed and shook his head. She sighed.

"Were you really an Antivan Crow?" Her movements seized up for a second but then she relaxed. She stopped dressing his wound to stare sadly into her palms.

"For a time, yes."

"Your profile didn't have much about your history. Is there anything exceptional you can mention?" She shook her head.

"Nothing important. You already know I'm a blood mage and that I was an Antivan Crow. That's all you need to know." She took a strip of linen and wrapped it tightly around his waist to secure it and then went up to wrap over his shoulder. When she finished she gave him a light tap on his injury spot and a gentle laugh. He hissed in response, stood, and left.

"Well..." She looked around the room and then out the open window. "This is just the beginning. I promise to make better choices this time around."