Half Dead

Shattered Hopes

Ace stared blankly at her father's frowning face. Her father had green eyes and fine black  hair that draped down at his neck. He had worry lines etched into his face. Ace was almost an exact replica of her mother. Her thick hair was silver with many tangles her eyes were bright blue with hints of green inside. There was one truly odd thing about the fair skinned half elven girl. There was a large tattoo like marking on her forehead in which she had been born with. It had been a source of great distress for Ace's mother, Clover. Clover and her husband, Stone had taken extreme measures to make sure their daughter was away from all templars of the city Kirkwall. She was never allowed anywhere until after dark and even then it was a rare opportunity for her to not just go to visit her mother's Dalish friends who lived in the mountain. She was well aware of the risks her parents took to protect her. She contained more magic than all the apostates in the entire Free Marches put together. The Keeper was very fond of Ace. She taught her a lot about the magic she could access and use. Ace became good friends with the Keeper's apprentice, Merril. She knew Merril used blood magic to try to help her clan.

  "Zero fucks were given." Was all Ace said when Merril asked about her feelings on the matter. This evidently confused Merril so Ace said.

"Listen, Kitten. You don't seem like the kind of person to do this for personal gain and I trust you to make the right choice. So if you think you should do it I'm with you all the way." She said this anytime Merril was upset by something one of her clan members said or did. It was simple but enough to make her feel better. But she hadn't seen Kitten since her mother died. There was no reason to. Her visits to the Keeper stopped. Her father drank every night. Not enough that he got drunk but a lot. She hated seeing her father so sad. But when he told her what he did she was outraged.

"YOU SOLD YOUR OWN DAUGHTER TO SLAVERS?!" She yelled. He looked at her with desperation.

    "There is a man in Tywinter who owes your mother a favor. I called it in and told him exactly when and where to find you. He's a married man with children of his own. He's adopting you." He said sadly.

  "What? Da, You're perfectly capable of taking care of us. Why do I need to go to live with some... Some Tywinter asshole and his family when I have mine? Da....What happened? What did they do to you?!" She yelled enraged her voice cracked as she held back tears. He looked at her with a small smile.

     "You're just like your mother. You two always knew when I was in deep. She was so beautiful. I miss her. And no matter what you say you miss her too." He said folding his arms. She couldn't hold back anymore. She began sobbing and she wrapped her arms around Stone.    

    "I've always missed Ma. Da I.... Just thought it would be too painful for you if I talked about her. You've practically isolated us from the entire world and now.... Without any warning you're pushing a flightless bird from a nest hoping it can fly before it hits the ground? No! Da I'm not leaving you! I will never leave Kirkwall. I promise you." She said taking his large hands into her own. She hear slow clapping behind her.

    "Beautiful performance Little Bird but you're not flying you're being caged. Thanks to daddy dearest." The slaver nodded to another man. A noise rang out and she felt a warm liquid spill onto her shirt. She looked down to see crimson red. She quickly came to the realization that it was not her own.

     "DA! NO! DA PLEASE DON'T DIE!" She yelped as her father began to collapse. She held his bloodied body in her shaky arms. He put his hand on her face.

  "It's alright. Shhh. It's okay. I'll be with Clover. We'll be together again after four long years. Ace. Love. I'm not pushing a flightless bird. I'm releasing a great falcon to make her own path. We love you.... Ace...." He said this just before his limp hand fell from her small face. Her vision became red.

     "YOU KILLED HIM! AND NOW YOU WILL DIE FOR YOUR MISTAKE!" She screamed letting fire erupt from her body. All the man were burnt to a crisp in seconds but more came. She felt her energy leave her body.

It's fucking hopeless.  She collapsed onto the ground and just before losing consciousness she wrapped her hand around her father's own cold limp hand.........