"I almost miss fighting normal things," she quipped right back as they went. She slowed every time there was a side-street, quieting so she could look down the alley and see if there was trouble ahead. So far so good. "But beggars can't be choosers. Not when they'd be dead otherwise." Darkspawn, sometimes, were more preferable to demons and even to the undead. As a Warden, your death would be assured if you fell to darkspawn; demons could possess you for years before allowing you freedom and the undead always had masters to bring you back to. And as much as she wanted to engage the person responsible for the mayhem they faced, she was also afraid of what they'd find.

As Elissa rounded towards one of the alleys, a grisly hand shot out and scraped along her arm. Her armor held firm as she turned in alarm, hand reaching back for one of her daggers. She stabbed the monster in the eye and then kicked it, freeing her blade. Flames bounded upward as she drew her sword and swiped at its head, severing it with one clean blow. But there were others behind the one she killed, a small pack that was feasting on the remains of some unfortunate animal they'd cornered. Two fresh kills were more appealing than whatever they'd found; they turned their attentions toward Duncan and her.