In her flight from the Chantry Lee had somehow managed to bypass her own comrades entirely and found herself, instead, in the midst of Redcliffe’s forces. The large majority of them were nothing more than civilians with scuffed swords, ready to defend their homes til death. Accompanying them were a number of guards and Lee thought she could make out a stray knight or two mixed in.
Men were still pouring out into the square, pulling on armor as they went, and her arrival went largely unnoticed in all of the confusion. Those who did notice the mage offered little more than wary glances, eyes fixated on the robes swirling about her ankles, while a few edged away nervously. Sighing softly, long accustomed to such reactions, she straightened her back and stood proud before every judging eye. She was a mage and she was not ashamed.
A sudden burst of sharp yips from across the square had Lee flinching unconsciously and, almost on instinct, turning to scan the area for whatever dog was loose. Eyes swept back and forth but it was to no avail, wherever the dog was it was out of her range. She hoped that perhaps its owner had come along and swept it off to safety; she had absolutely no desire to find the poor thing after all of this was over.
Pushing the dog firmly from her mind Lee relaxed and waited patiently, though she was unsure whether it was for orders or an attack. Flickering shadows to her left had the mage whipping around in time to catch sight of Miss Aelricsdottr’s gleaming head of hair and, judging from the armor and height, Ser Talfryn disappearing into the gloom. She stared at the place they had vanished for what seemed like minutes, waiting for them to reappear, when a cry rang out, sending half the force surrounding her into a panic. As those in charge gathered themselves order after order echoed out into the night and a flurry of movement broke out as everyone rushed to fulfill them. Sword and shield were raised high, bodies braced, and then for a few short breathes everything was still. The calm before the storm. Then shadows melted from the darkness, the darkspawn had arrived, and chaos reigned.
Their number were few but their mere presence had Lee rearing away, instinct drove her back but it was resolve that kept her feet planted to the ground and her arm steady. Swallowing down the lump in her throat the mage quickly gathered her power to her and with one sharp thrust sent the affliction hex spiraling straight into the small band, the crackle of lightning not far behind.