Arthion was knelling in the dark bush at the edge of the smithy’s land. He knew that the witch who lived here was in support to their cause or though she was in support he did not just but he needed her help stop the queen.

His mind started to drift to his lover. How he wanted her to be free of the queen and so that they could be together without free of being caught together, Vanessa head of the blood eagles and the witch queens closest friend. He the elf that had tried to kill no less than 26 times since the 9th year of her rain.



He sighed slightly and wistfully murmured “oh my raven of shadow, oh how much I wish the was free to dance in the light instead of the shadow of night in which you dwell. I wish that she should be mine in your freedom.” Arthion noticed that the he could not hear the sound of smithy or the sight and smell of the smoke coming from the fire, sine the queen demanded that they made her armour it had been still open to the early hours day light.

Arthion considered the possibility that this may a trap set by the blood eagles so that the queen could kill him after all this time.



He decided to risk it as he needed to talk with Geraldine as she was his only chance to slay the queen or at least help him to slay her.



Through a flame lit window his eyes meet the crumpled on the floor was the person he seeked. His mind raced with the thoughts of capture and death if he entered the smithy.



For moment fear of what may happen if he entered the smithy “by the gods what has happened. I should have been here so I could stop what happened then I could have protected her. She must want me dead even more than usually as she must know what we all plan for her”

He sighed as his moment vanished away. The fear in his mind followed out of him into the ground before he decided to enter the smithy to see what traps awaited him.



He entered the smithy and looked at the crumpled form of the witch Geraldine. The light from her magic floated off her body. “what is this”? He hissed “is this a state of death which flows on her but what will break this deathly slumber”.



Surprise arose in his face when she stood, awake and she smiled at him as the surprise filled Arthion as he looked at her. She smiled slightly when she saw him. “it is good that you have come hiether to see me Arthion my friend.”



He wrapped his arms around himself as his surprise turned into a small pocket of fear in his heart for what he was about to ask her “what happened here? I fear to ask you this but I must ask you this.”



She turned her back him so that he could not see the look on her face of sheer sadness that covered it “the plan is coming to pass with the victories going to Kalian” she shivered slightly when she said the witch queen’s name. Only the bravest of souls could say the witch queens name without either falling to their knees to pray or running as faraway as possible screaming their fear of what they have just said.

When she continued her voice was shaky and fearful “they have her, my friend, Jane. I have no wish or idea to know what they will do with her only that I know that it has something to do with this plan of hers” he looked to ceiling in despair “OH MAKER, why do you turn your eyes from us and give all fortune to are enemy” he yelled.



The sound echoed up the stairs, through the closed of the upper chamber. The blood eagles that accompanied Rachel where relaxing before they headed back to the fortress home of the head quartos of the blood eagles. “did you hear that?” she asked but she heard an iterated clicking noise from a blood eagle sitting on the chair.



Her eyes fixed to the one of them who was relaxing on a bed. When she spoke her voice sounded like that of a serpent “I have heard nothing Annette, decides me and Bethany are talking.” Annette sighed and adjusted her position before Bethany started to talk with the third blood eagle.

“yesterday in the unholy temple I was playing poker with one of the black priests” as the continued to talk about the poker game from yesterday she sat there, silently, her hearing was heightened thanks to a small spell she cast so that she could hear what was happening below her.



Geraldine turned to look him, she smiled at him as his rage filled of the fact that the queen was wining and she had defeated this witch. “I am such a fool if I was here sooner I could have been taken so that you and Jane could have fled. We are both the fools which lie underneath the moon in these times of darkness and evil” he hissed enraged with everything which was happening.

Arthion turned around to face the door and breathed hard for moment, trying to control his race and bloodlust. Ever since he was small boy he had unquenchable since he left Kirkwall many years ago to save his sister the fate of mages in the circle.



Geraldine noticed his unhappiness in him. She pulled out her white wand, she pointed it at him as he started to growled like wolf. She moved so that she could cast this spell on with out his knowing of it. His bloodlust was about to consume him completely, she started to cast spell which should calm him down and make him peaceful being once more.



Blue light appeared over him, making him sigh slightly as he felt his blood lust melt away “my thanks to you, Geraldine” he walked towards, his body was still flickering from the spell which she had cast on him.



Upstairs meanwhile, the blood eagles up there sensed the magic being used below them. Annette started to move along with the other three. One of them looked sheepishly towards her “it appears that you were right and I have decided that you will go down the stairs first to see what peril awaits us down their.” she lead the way out of the room and headed down the stairs. Her movements were slow and steady as she walked down the twisting steps.



On the last of steps she jumped off to land silently on the wooden. Her breath stopped when she saw her queens most dangerous of assassins which had tried to kill her. Annette hissed when she saw Geraldine talking to him.



“you witch of light. After my queen have let you life without either joining us or being slain by the queen you are now planning her death and are downfall”



The other blood eagles which accompanied her, came from the stairs behind and stand around her, “we will bring you to Kalian in chains, traitors!” they yelled as they started to a cast a spell on them.



Arthion looked at them, a cruel smile on his lips “we wish none of you blood eagles instead we wish you all to be free of Kalian and her power which she has given you all. I will not go with you I have no problems with you. Hence why I will flea with my friend” he turned and ran off into the darkness of the shadows of the night.



Geraldine smiled as she started to vanish into light “quickly stop her” yelled Annette to Bethany but it was to late for she had now gone.



They stopped casting their spell as disappointment filled as they had let their pray escape them. “oh no, they have escaped us” “Bethany go an report to kalian in Shadow Daine” Bethany paled when she told her where should would be sent. “couldn't you go Ingrid?” she shook her head “no, I need to report to Vanessa along with Annette” they started to leave the smithy to report to their command.



She started to appear at the edge of the land which surrounded the smithy. Although they were out of danger for now they needed to plan for next move against the witch queen.



“what are we do now? We have no way to stop the queen just the two of us and a scared clan of Dalish elves” he asked her. She thought for a moment before answering her fingers drumming against her hip bones. “I’m sorry for letting them over power me and take Jane” he stepped towards her a faint smile on his lips “I do not blame you for this but now we must know what we need do stop her plan to become a goddess.”



“I am not sure what we need to do now apart from this, we need to talk Aziza the mermaid of the lake of night. I have not spoken with her in many year she should know what to do, I hope” Arthion folded his arms, an expression of weariness on his face “it is a long short that she should try and help us”



Then for a moment what happened surprised him. Geraldine jumped or tried to jump into his arms but in his surprise he did not catch but let her drop to the ground. A whimper came from her lips “why did you do that? my friend I wish no harm to you but you have surprised me with your actions” he watched as she rose to stand before him once more, she looked upset. “come we must rest for night then by dawns pale light we will seek out Aziza for she may speak words with us” she lead the way as he followed behind not knowing one single ice cold run down her check to land on the ground before her.