#because i could write the entirety of his experience during the blight if i didn't control myself

[xhatake]

alt!

Send me "alt!" and I'll introduce you to a character I've rped in the past, want to play in the future or are currently playing somewhere else! [ ellis cousland @higheverlost ]

It was supposed to be a good day. Ellis had risen with the sun, eager to stretch the light of dawn as far as he could. Fergus was supposed to march with the majority of Highever’s forces that day & Ellis still had a sliver of hope that he may be permitted to go as well. it was a long shot, but there was an ache in his hear that could only be satisfied with acclaim. It had always been a dream of his to become a hero, sheathed in the blinding light of glory & gore. He was a second son, his legacy would be carved by his own hand. Stories of Grey Wardens riding into battle on the backs of griffons had filled his head since he was a boy. Surely the blight was the single thing that could see these fantasies become reality.

Ellis had shared a quick breakfast with his sister, assuming that their older brother, Fergus was spending time with his family before he marched ... it was then, that he & Lily had been summoned to their father’s side. they had gathered in the great hall with lord howe, who implied that his daughter may be looking for a husband. ellis politely declined. though they had not made it official, his heart belonged to another. Astoria had left only weeks before & Ellis already missed her. he wonders if he'll be a hero by the next time they met. she would get a kick out of that, surely.

There was one man who stood out against the others. In the mix of familiar faces, warriors, lords, he was introduced to someone else.a real-life grey warden, Duncan,  had stood in their halls. He looked exactly as Ellis had always imagined, a stone wall of a man with two blades that had likely seen more battles than Ellis could count... & Ellis could count pretty high.

Excitement had boiled over in his chest when Duncan said that he & his sister were his first choice of recruits. To Ellis’ dismay, his suggestion was shot down immediately. His father needed them here, to watch over Highever while they battled against the blight. Where Ellis opened his mouth to try & fight his father on the subject, Lily was quick to cut him off. She didn’t seem too keen on laying her life down for Ferelden & was already threatened with the loss of Fergus... She needed at least one of her brothers to see the end of this.

Ellis had nearly missed a passing conversation in all the excitement. Howe had made a point to identify he & Lily as Bryce Cousland’s younger children. He had thought nothing of it, distracted by another pressing matter... But in hindsight, he would wish he had taken note of it.

On his way to say goodbye to their older brother, the duo was stopped by their sweet mother. Her silver hair reflected the sunlight, radiating a certain grace. With her was a lady she was supposed to be going north with, away from the greater part of the conflict. Ellis nearly misses their conversation in the eyes of one of her pretty companions but snaps back to reality at his mother's firm voice. He & his sister's hounds had gotten into the kitchens, seemingly to gorge themselves on lard. but things were not as they seemed, as Backup & Fergie had unveiled a grand plan to stop the rats that threatened their home. nan had carried on & on until she heard the word ‘ rats ‘. after that she had been quick to throw the dogs a treat & rush them on their way. They had likely been coming from an old passage in the pantry, trying to invade the kitchens through.

The rest of the day passes like a dream, filled with more emotions than Ellis knows how to comprehend. He had exchanged a tearful goodbye with Fergus & accepted that he would be left behind. When he marched from highever with the bulk of their forces,a sinking feeling ignnited many racing thoughts of death, fears of loss...He had decided to distract himself with a different sort of company, inviting the woman he had met earlier to join him in his bedchambers for the night. His heart may belong to Astoria, but the sentiment did not yet extend to his body. Sleep takes him, providing temporary relief from an uncertain future.

What he does not expect is when he is woken in the night. It's his hound that wakes him; Fergie whines at the sound of steel clashing in the hall outside of his room. Ellis throws on his clothes, collects his weapons & wakes his companion. She doesn't make it very far, as she is killed when he throws his door open to see what's going on. It's a bitter feeling, but he pushes through regardless. He tears through men in armor that reflects the dim light of the candles that lit their halls. Despair settles in his stomach as he realizes their numbers are too great. Every time he dances out of the reach of one sword, another is ready to meet him. He braces himself as a man threatens to bring down his weapon on Ellis' face, but something stops him.

The swift ' thwip' echoes across the hall Ellis has torn was way into, resolving in an arrow through Ellis' opponent's chest. It was a powerful blow & he raises his gaze to see his mother, at last. It is strange to see her in armor. Usually, she was dressed like a proper lady, in the colors of their family. But there was something legendary about the ferocity in her eyes as she defended her son. They tear through the rest of their opponents with renewed faith, stopping only after the last of them stopped breathing. there were still the sounds of conflict echoing all through Highever, a warning of what awaited them when they left this hall. Ellis kicks over one of the dead men, recognizing the men as one of Howe's soldiers.

One of Howe's men. Betrayal. Ellis tries to contain the rage that begins to grow in his chest, coming to a thousand different conclusions of how this came to pass. All he could think was how lucky the lord was to be elsewhere, or Ellis would ensure he ended up in the same pile of gore as his men. Despite his rage, there is one thought that cuts through every assumption.

" We have to go. " Ellis speaks before his mother can react, his mind already racing in regards to the wellbeing of his sister. His mother nods & they come to the understanding that this will be their last night together. What Ellis does not know, however, is how determined his mother is to insure the survival of her children. Ellis mind is already racing, as are his breaths. For all he dreamed of battle, he had never thought it would find him in the walls of his own home, " We have to find Lily. "