Summary: "We need to talk," the Warden-Commander said to Velanna before the entrance to the Mother's lair.
Pairings: F!Tabris/Velanna companion piece. No romance, just two comrades having a discussion. Allusion to F!Tabris/Leliana, but it is small enough you can ignore it.
Warnings: This mentions rape, but there is no actual act. If there's anything else I should warn for that I haven't, let me know, but I pretty much can't think of anything else.
Spoilers: Awakening's last quest. Don't even know how this fandom does spoilers, because no one else posts them that I've seen, but I thought what the heck.
Author's Note: I wrote this because I got to the end of Awakening and was completely pissed I couldn't explain why I made the choice I did to the characters. It was a very visceral reaction that I had when I was playing it, and I think it makes it a bit more understandable why I made those choices. I don't want companions running around thinking I'm a horrible person for the wrong reasons. At least think that for the right ones. Any feedback greatly appreciated.
An Explanation of Sorts
by wayfaringpanda
"We need to talk."
Velanna looked up from looting the darkspawn body. They were almost to the Mother's lair, and she was running low on lyrium. To say that she was in a foul mood would be an understatement.
The Warden-Commander was practically glaring down at her, sword and dagger both dripping in blood as she held them. It still surprised Velanna that here in front of her was a walking contradiction to everything the Dalish elf had ever thought about the rest of society. The Hero of Ferelden, noble by right of the king, leader of armies, head of the formidable Grey Wardens - and standing there was a young elven woman, shorter even than Velanna was herself. An elf who had been raised in one of the worst slums in the country, who had been looked down upon all of her life.
Velanna usually looked at her Commander and was slightly awestruck, although she hid it behind a biting tongue and scathing wit. She was unaware, of course, that compared to previous mage companions the Commander had traveled with, Velanna was pleasant company indeed.
At this time, however, Velanna didn't feel much awe. Instead, what she felt was anger. It was a familiar emotion, and one she felt was quite deserved for the occasion.
The Architect, cut down. A darkspawn, yes, but one with a vision to bring his people to freedom. One who was striving to end the Blight, once and for all. Not to mention, her sister had disappeared.
Oh yes, Velanna was pissed. "I have nothing to say," she snapped, standing again.
Kallian sighed, wiping her weapons clean with a dingy rag and sheathing them again, stowing the rag in her pack. "Please."
"What?" Velanna responded angrily. "There is obviously nothing I could say that can fix the damage you have already done." She moved as if to brush past the other elf.
Before she could walk away, though, Kallian grabbed her by the arm. "Fine," she said, heat in her voice as well. "Don't talk. But by the Maker, you will at least listen to what I have to say." Sparing a quick glance to Oghren, who nodded and herded Nathaniel to the side, she pulled Velanna into a side nook, away from the others.
"Get your hands off of me," the Dalish elf snarled, pulling away. "We don't have time-"
"We will make time for this," Kallian interrupted. She glared at Velanna, and the look in her eyes was one of frustration and rage. "I need you to understand why I made the choice I did."
Velanna shook her head. "I don't need to understand. I helped kill him, didn't I? Helped destroy our chance to make sure no one has to go through a Blight again. Helped destroy their chance to become more than just monsters." She spat on the ground, hoping against all hope that it would at least get the taste of dirt and sweat and taint out of her mouth. It didn't.
Kallian snarled then, and stepped forward, invading the other elf's space. "I need you to understand so that you don't hesitate. I need you at the top of your game, I need your support. All of it, no hesitation. You're my mage, I need you more than anyone else out there."
Shocked, Velanna started to respond, but found she couldn't in the face of her Commander. "Fine," she finally managed to say.
Slowly, the Warden-Commander backed away, giving the mage her space. "We don't have a lot of time, so I'm going to keep it short and sweet. You know about broodmothers, right?"
Slowly, Velanna nodded. "Yes. They're the ones who give birth to the darkspawn."
"You know that the broodmothers are created by corrupting and raping women? Dwarf, elf, human, even qunari?"
Velanna winced, seeing something in the eyes of the elf in front of her. "I had heard that was the case, yes."
Kallian got a bit closer again, and the haunted look on her face was unmistakable. "That's how they reproduce. There are no female darkspawn, to pop out little baby darkspawn and have cute little darkspawn families. They take our women, they rape them, and they corrupt them. They force them to consume darkspawn flesh. They drive them insane, and turn them into darkspawn themselves. That is the only way they reproduce."
The Warden-Commander looked towards Oghren, who was telling some drunken tale to Nathaniel to keep him occupied and away. "Oghren knows. His wife- well, I don't know what you've heard from him. She planned to turn her own lover into a broodmother. She did turn the other females of her house." Kallian turned to look at Velanna again. "There's nothing quite like seeing up close the before and after."
Silence fell then, and Velanna studied the Commander. It was obvious that she was deeply affected by this. It was horrifying to contemplate.
"Kallian," Velanna finally said, shifting weight. It was uncomfortable to have to admit she might be wrong. "I have not seen what you have. It sounds horrifying, to be true. But to stop the Blight forever, to maybe even come to some sort of accord with the darkspawn. Surely that was a noble cause?"
"I have stopped one Blight," Kallian responded, a trace of tired humor in her voice. "As have others before me. There are only two Old Gods left, surely we can manage two more Blights." The flicker of a smile that had started to grace the Commander's lips vanished before ever being realized. "I'm sorry. I cannot help but want to wipe them all out. I never want anyone's daughter, or mother, or sister, to be forced to breed in insanity. I can't stand to think of it happening to-" she stopped suddenly, choking on her own words. She twisted one of the rings on her hand, a topaz circle the color of honey that shown faintly in the darkness of the Deep Roads.
Suddenly, Kallian turned away, hurrying back to their other companions.
"About time," Oghren grumbled, eyeing the Commander. "You two kiss and make up? Maybe do a little more than make out? Hehe, don't worry, I won't tell a certain bard, you can give ol' Oghren aaaall the details."
The Warden-Commander rolled her eyes, smacking the top of his helm with enough force to rock the stocky dwarf. "Keep your mouth shut, or it won't be my dagger you'll have to worry about, and you know it."
The group moved on, Velanna falling into the rear. She watched her leader, seeing how she drew strength from those around her. Kallian was very social, surprisingly, and seemed to shine most when depended upon. It obviously destroyed a piece of her soul overtime she failed to save someone. If nothing else, the Dalish elf decided, her respect had been earned by the woman, even if they did not necessarily see eye to eye.
After they entered the Mother's chamber, though, and Velanna listened with growing horror as the mad creature spoke, she could not find it in her to disagree on this particular topic with the Warden-Commander anymore.
She just prayed her own sister would be spared such a fate until Velanna could find her again.