A/N: So uh…. This happened? I guess you could call it a bit of a continuation to Repeat? Yeah, I think that makes a bit more sense. So… if you want more background on this story, I say you should go read Repeat, which you can find on my story list. Now, I honestly can say that I'm not sure I'll finish this one (cause I'm think it'll be multi-chaptered), so please don't get your hopes too far up. :P

Hope you guys like this one.

WARNING: THERE BE SPOILERS

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age (Inquisition or otherwise)

Yeah… so… Start, right?

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Title: Isala Uth'Melana

Rating: T

Pairing: Solas/F!Lavellan

Summary: "Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away." – Marcus Aurelius

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"Introspective souls are often tormented by their passionate visions. This is because visionaries see what shall be and wake up to what is. However, if you couldn't see a glimpse of the city lights while stranded in the forest, how would you ever know to walk in that direction? Sometimes, your vision can't be put into action, until you gather the learning experiences, along your journey first." – Shannon L. Adler


X=X=CHAPTER I: IT BEGINS=X=X

The sky was in flames.

Ellana Lavellan found herself staring at it, unable to turn away, her hands tied. Even now, after all this time, she found the sight was strangely beautiful. Bloody dangerous, but still beautiful in that… "I can destroy the world while looking fabulous" sort of way. The voices in her head agreed, the familiar feeling making her feel elated, her heart beating rapidly. The sight was marvelous, but wrong.

It had gone wrong, and it wasn't supposed to be like this. Or maybe it was, but it was just at the wrong time. Activated too early. Or even perhaps too late. She wasn't sure. She doubted she would ever know. Only he would, and he would never tell her. Not in this lifetime, or even after.

"We call it 'The Breach'," Cassandra Pentaghast said, tilting her chin at the hole in the sky. "It's a massive rift into the world of demons. And it grows larger with each passing moment."

"It's not the only such rift," she continued. "Only the largest. This was the one that caused the explosion at the Conclave."

The swirling green of the hole in the sky that led to the Fade ominously glowed. Ellana's eyes darted to Cassandra.

"An explosion can do that?" Cassandra turned back to look at her. She nodded grimly.

"This one did," she said, "And unless we act, the Breach may grow until it swallows the world."

To prove her point, the Breach pulsed, expanding even larger than it was before. The sensation of lightning shot through Ellana's left arm, coming from the very Mark on her hand. The elf grimaced, clenching her hand tightly, but she did not fall. She has already done this many times before, the pain was nothing new or unfamiliar.

"As the Breach expands, your mark spreads… And it is killing you," Cassandra said, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving her a look. Honestly, Ellana is so used to dying at this point that the pain that the Mark brings is small in comparison.

"But it may be the key to stopping this," the warrior woman continued, "However, there isn't much time."

"I understand," Ellana replied. Cassandra blanched at her unwavering and quick response.

"Then…?"

"I'll do what I can," she stated slowly, "Whatever it takes."

Cassandra held her gaze, slightly disbelieving before giving a determined nod. She then grabbed the sleeve of her mercenary coat and led her away from the Chantry.

"What is your name?" Cassandra asked.

"Ellana," the elf replied. She made no mention of her clan, or the bright red vallaslin tattooed on her face. Cassandra didn't ask.

She let the human woman lead her down the snowy path, glancing around with shadowed eyes at the village of Haven. The buildings brought back much nostalgia. It's a shame that it would be destroyed.

They passed through the main hub of the village. The streets were filled with makeshift tents, townsfolk and soldiers alike all moving through. Some soldiers were on the ground, bandaged, but still bleeding. Medical cots were filled to capacity as healers scurried to and fro.

Eyes were drawn to the two women as they made their through the throng of people. Ellana ignored them all, however, pushing through and practically dragging Cassandra behind her. Their accusing eyes burned into her back, glaring and blaming. Their anger was apparent, but Ellana was numb to it. Cassandra's hand on her shoulder tightened its grip, urging her to move even faster.

They passed through a tunnel, and the warrior woman began to speak.

"They have decided your guilt. They need it." Cassandra's grip tightened even more and her voice took on a layer of grief. Ellana had heard this many times, yet Cassandra was a friend in her previous lives and it made her heart hurt to hear her like this. "The people of Haven mourn our most Holy, Divine Justinia, head of the Chantry. The Conclave was hers."

"It was a chance for peace between mages and Templars. She had brought their leaders together, and now they are all dead."

They reached a large gateway. The guards on either side glared at Ellana, but the elf ignored them. The two nodded in respect to Cassandra, then opened the locked gate for them.

"We lash out like the sky, Ellana," Cassandra said, nodding to the guards as they passed through. "But we must think beyond ourselves. Like she did. Until the Breach is finally sealed, we must think of those involved."

The human stopped, pulling a small silver knife from her belt. Ellana raised her tied hands, which Cassandra then cut.

"There will be a trial. I can promise no more."

The warrior then led Ellana across the bridge, to the continuation of the path on the other side.

"Where are you taking me?" The female elf asked, rubbing her wrists as the two climbed the path. There were dead bodies lying along it, some charred and burned, others fresh and still living, if only barely. A broken wagon stood in the way, on fire. The pair went around it before Cassandra responded.

"Your mark must be tested on something smaller than the Breach."

As she said this, a soldier ran past, exclaiming about the Breach being 'the end of the world'. The two paid no mind, still pressing on.

The path began to even out, revealing the valley below. In the distance, Ellana could see the still smoking ruins of the Temple of Sacred Ashes. And high above it was the Breach, a thin tail of green light trailing from its location in the sky to the temple below. The hole in the sky pulsed once more, sending a stab of pain into the mark on her hand.

Ellana gripped the offending limb, glaring at it.

"The pulses are coming faster now," Cassandra said, silently nodding towards the Breach. Ellana swallowed, clenching her hand before giving the human woman a look that said she was ready to continue.


It was when the two reach a second bridge when Cassandra speaks up again.

"Everything farther in the valley was laid to waste," she said, "But I suppose you will see soon enough."

As the two began crossing the bridge, a flash of green overcame them, a giant ball of fire falling from the very Breach they were trying to reach. The stone below her feet groaned from the impact, and the bridge began to collapse.

Then suddenly, Ellana was falling, the stones disappearing beneath her feet. Her insides jumped from the sensation, and she curled up into a ball to at least lessen the impact. The elf landed with an unceremonious thud on the ice below, unfurling from her feeble position, groaning. Cassandra wasn't far behind.

Ellana lifted her head to see another meteor slam into the ground nearby with exploding flames and from it came three shades, rising from the heat with vicious hisses and growls. Their eyes snapped towards the two women, flexing their clawed hands before coming towards them.

Upon seeing them, the elf propelled herself backwards onto a ledge that had been created from the broken rubble of the bridge, snatching up a bow and fletching of arrows that had so conveniently landed near her (or more likely placed there so that the author could advance the story :P). She immediately drew back the bow string, nocking an arrow into the space provided and let it loose. She saw Cassandra draw her sword and rush towards the group of shades, and then began to provide support from above.

The shades slowly began to surround Cassandra, much to her fury, so Ellana decided that now would be as good a time as any to get in close and personal. She leapt into the air, pulling back the bow string as far as she could, and let it loose before she landed on the ground in a crouch. The shade that had been hit by the barrage screeched, turning its attention away from the warrior woman and to her. It then began to make its way towards her, only as slow as a shade could.

When it finally came into hitting range, it raised its arms to attack, and suddenly, Ellana was gone. The demon glanced around in confusion before letting out a sharp cry of pain as a dagger edged itself into its chest. The dead shade vanished back to the Fade where it belonged and the elf replaced the knife into her boot, then turned to help Cassandra with the final two.

She rushed towards them, nocking an arrow into her bow.

"Lady Cassandra! Duck!"

The Seeker seemed to blink before ducking. Ellana used the momentum of her run to propel herself onto the warrior's back before leaping into the air. She pulled the bow string back, flipping in the air and let it loose. It pierced one of the shades right between the eyes, causing it to shriek before disappearing just as she landed in a crouch. During that time, Cassandra turned on the final shade and sent it back to the Fade.

Ellana stood from her crouch, giving a single glance to the bow in her hand; it wasn't exactly crafted with the skill of the Dalish, but it'll do. As she looked up once more, she found herself at the end of Cassandra's blade.

"Drop your weapons. Now."

Ellana raised an eyebrow, but sighed.

"Alright…" Slowly, she lowered the bow to the ground, eyes not leaving Cassandra's. Before the fletching of arrows could also fall, Cassandra raised a hand.

"Wait." Ellana blinked, stopping and holding her gaze. "You do not need a weapon, but you should have one," Cassandra continued, lowering and sheathing her sword. "I cannot protect you."

The tip of the elf's lip twitched upwards for a moment before she picked up her bow from the ground. Then once she was satisfied, Cassandra indicated for her to follow, leading her across the icy lake.

"I should remember that you agreed to come willingly," she added as an afterthought. "Not many would in your position."

Ellana shrugged.

"Where are your other soldiers?" The elf then asked.

"Either fighting the demons, or ahead at the forward camp," Cassandra replied, "Either way, we are on our own for now."

The Breach pulsed again just as the two came across another group of demons. Ellana ignored it, already pulling her bow off her back. Cassandra rushed down the path to meet them as the elven archer drew back her bow. The duo made quick work of the demons, moving as quickly as they could as the Breach loomed overhead, growing closer and closer with each step.

They continued on with the river as their guide, Ellana occasionally climbing a tree to see if they were moving in the right direction. Though she strayed from the path various times, the elf always made sure to remain within Cassandra's visual range. She knew that the warrior would appreciate it.

During this, Ellana found her mind wandering as they continued. The hope of her situation was bearing down upon her and she could feel the weight that it originally had beginning to return. After she finally accepted her problem, Ellana tried to apply as much variance as possible to differ them all. Of course, nothing seemed to make it better.

The sound of clashing metal and the feeling of the air growing even colder made her aware of the fact that they were getting close to a battle up ahead. She could feel the power that was someone's powerful magic coming from up ahead and she pressed forwards. The voices in her head were singing, sounds of a familiar tune; relief, excitement, urging.

"We are getting closer to the Rift," Cassandra called, "You can hear the fighting."

"Who's fighting?"

"You'll see soon. We must help them!"

As Ellana leapt up the last step, she quickly surveyed the situation. Bodies were strewed along the ground, tainting the white snow red with blood. Those still alive were struggling, grasping to their lives with fervor. And in front of them…

A blast of cold froze the approaching shade. Then, with an expert twist of his staff, the elven apostate shot a bolt of arcane magic at it, shattering the demon. Not too far away was a dwarf with no beard, wielding a crossbow and aiming with a sort of aged experience. The two men were in front of a Fade Rift, the green of the tear matching that of the sky. And out from it came a hoard of endless demons, shrieking and howling to the clouds above.

Ellana swiftly drew her bow and before Cassandra could blink, she reached out and stepped, pulling herself mentally towards the two fighting males. Within a flash, she was in between the elven apostate and an approaching shade, blocking its incoming claws with her weapon. She pushed it back before holding the end of her bow and whacking it with as much force as she could.

The creature shifted back with a cry, clawed hands reaching up to grasp its 'face'. Then, Ellana kicked up, her small knife flying from her boot and into her hand. The elf rushed forwards, slashing quickly across the demon's throat. The creature's black blood spurted from the wound in its neck, splattering onto the female elf and the demon vanished with a final cry.

She swiftly flung her blade at the next demon, readying her bow and firing a final arrow to finish it off. Then, before she could catch her breath and realize that all the demons were dead, a hand wrapped itself around her wrist and forced it towards the Fade Rift.

With crackling energy, Ellana felt as the mark began to close the Rift, lights sparking and flying. Then, with one final mini explosion, the Rift closed.

Her hand was let go and she pulled it to her chest. Then, she looked up.

The area where the Rift had once been was gone, the clearing now silent. All that remained was softly falling snow, the white coming down from the sky as if everything was normal. Despite the fact that the world was seemingly ending, Ellana found it strangely beautiful; the death and destruction painted the world in a grim light, a tragic tale in the making. After taking in the sight, she turned slowly to look at the familiar bald elf that appeared to be rather proud of himself.

"What did you do?"

"I did nothing," the elven apostate replied, with a slightly amused half smile. "The credit is yours."

"I did that? How?" She made sure to put emphasis on her words, as if she didn't know anything pertaining to the current issue. The lie of curiosity came easily, as if it were as natural as the first time. He gave a patient smile.

"Whatever magic opened the Breach in the sky also placed that Mark upon your hand," he replied, nodding. "I theorized the Mark might be able to close the Rifts that have opened in the Breach's wake – and it seems I was correct."

"Meaning it could also close the Breach itself." The apostate's gaze turned to Cassandra, who had just walked up to the duo.

"Possibly," he replied.

To someone unfamiliar with him, it would seem like he was considering the suggestion. To Ellana, it seemed like it was slightly mocking, not in a malicious way, but more like slight annoyance. Seems like Cassandra should really stop pointing out the obvious…

The elven apostate turned back to her, folding his hands together.

"It seems you hold the key to our salvation."

His eyes seemed to dance in amusement at this prospect. And yes, Ellana found herself slightly agreeing with him; it was kind of funny that one of the world's more beat down races was the one about to save the whole fucking world. She sighed, shaking her head, trying to keep the tiny smile from appearing on her face.

The clearing of a throat gained her attention once more.

"Good to know! And here I thought we'd be ass-deep in demons forever."

Ellana snorted, turning to face the approaching crossbow wielding dwarf, who was brushing off some extra dust the demons left behind. The male elf chuckled, whilst Cassandra simply rolled her eyes.

"You'd be the one with your ass deep in demons, Ser Dwarf," Ellana replied, "Us elves will be up to our knees, and the humans to their ankles."

"A height joke? Ouch, that hurt," the dwarf said, bringing a hand up to his heart.

"Tis all in good fun, Ser Dwarf," the female elf replied, giving a tiny strained smile, shrugging.

"At least someone here has a sense of humor," the dwarf grinned, "And it's Varric. Varric Tethras: rogue, storyteller, and occasionally, unwelcome tagalong." The last comment was accompanied by a wink to Cassandra. The warrior simply responded to the jab with a nasty glare, one that Ellana knew to seemingly be made especially for him.

"Are you with the Chantry?" At this, the elven apostate snorted.

"Was that a serious question?"

"I'm technically a prisoner, like you Glow." Ellana raised an amused eyebrow.

"Glow? Isn't that a bit… Oh, I don't know… Generic?" Varric gave a loud laugh, shaking his head.

"I don't know you well enough to give you a proper nickname," he replied, grinning, "Though if you want to discuss optio-"

"I brought you here for you to tell your story to the Divine," Cassandra interrupted, "Obviously, that is no longer necessary."

"But I'm still here, aren't I? Looks like it'll be for a while too, considering current events…" He gave a gesture to all the destruction and chaos that surrounded them. Ellana rolled her eyes.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Varric."

"You may reconsider that stance, in time."

Ellana turned her head to give the elven apostate a look, to which his impish grin changed to that of an overly exaggerated innocent expression.

He was such an ass.

Varric also seemed to be enjoying the playful banter that the apostate presented, putting a hand over his heart.

"You wound me, Chuckles! But I'm sure we'll become great friends in the valley."

"Absolutely not!" Cassandra placed her hands on her hips, sighing. Then, she returned her gaze to the dwarf. "Your help was much appreciated Varric-"

It wasn't.

"-but…"

"Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker?" Varric asked, neatly cutting the warrior off. "Your men aren't in control anymore. You need me."

Cassandra certainly didn't appreciate being cut off. Nor did she seem to appreciate the reality check that she had been given. But instead of dismissing it, the warrior growled, turning away. It was actually quite comical, even after all this time.

The apostate elf, who had fallen silent after his previous witty banter, coughed lightly to get her attention. Ellana turned to him, tilting her head.

"I am Solas, if there are to be introductions," he said, bowing his head in greeting. "I am pleased to see you still live." To this, Varric responded with a chuckle.

"He actually means to say 'I kept the Mark from killing you while you slept'."

Ellana raised an eyebrow. She placed a hand on her hip, and looked up at the other elf (because he was at least a good ten centimeters taller, curse him), blinking.

"You seem to know a lot about what this Mark is." She added a bit of suspicion to her tone, though most of it was that feigned curiosity from before.

"Solas is an apostate," Cassandra replied. She seemed to have calmed down from her annoyance earlier, coming back over to their little group. "Unlike most mages of the Circle, he possesses knowledge that those who live outside our way of life would not consider."

"Technically, all mages are now apostates, Cassandra," Solas stated, glancing over at the warrior. "Though, she is correct."

He returned his attention to Ellana quickly, folding his hands behind his back.

"My travels have allowed me to learn much of the Fade, far beyond the experience of any Circle mage."

There was slight distaste in his tone when he mentioned the words 'Circle mage', one which Ellana easily noticed. But he continued on, as if it were nothing.

"I came to offer whatever help I could with the Breach. If it is not closed, we are all doomed, regardless of one's origin." He then turned to Cassandra.

"Cassandra, you should know: the magic that created the Breach is unlike any I have seen." He glanced at Ellana, to which she narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. There was an indiscernible nod, before he continued. "Your prisoner is no mage. Even so, I find it difficult to imagine any mage having such power."

The warrior woman gave a nod, before turning. In the distance was the ruins of the Temple of Sacred Ashes.

"We must get to the forward camp," she said, "From there, we shall decide how best to assault the Temple remains." And with that, she stepped over a piece of rubble and gestured for them to follow.

As Solas passed her, he gave her a look. She nodded, one which he returned after considering it for a few seconds, before he then went after Cassandra. As they walked, Varric came up beside Ellana, who looked down to him with a raised eyebrow. The dwarf shrugged.

"Well… Bianca's excited!"


They continued down the white slope of the mountain, the shadow from the large landmass blocking the sun from view. The footprints of Varric and Cassandra was deeper and left imprints in the snow behind them. The elves, on the other hand, left lighter marks, marks which would easily blow away with the wind that would no doubt come later that night.

"You know, I don't think you've ever mentioned what your name was, Glow," the dwarf eventually said. Ahead, Ellana noticed the slight turn that Solas' head made. Seemed like he was listening in. She shrugged in response.

"My name is Ellana," she replied. As the two fell silent, it wasn't long before Solas turned to look at them over his shoulder.

"You are Dalish, are you not? And clearly away from the rest of your clan. Did they send you here?"

"What do you know of the Dalish?" Ellana asked instead, tilting her head.

"I have wandered many roads in my time," he replied, "And crossed paths with your people on more than one occasion." His tone was cold, making her sigh.

"We are of the same people, Solas," Ellana said. She heard a soft sigh come from the elf.

"The Dalish I met felt… differently on the subject."

"Can't you elves all just get along…?" Varric asked. The female elf could sense that the topic was one of slight discomfort, but she decided to continue to press it, if gently.

"One's attitude towards others depends on where you live, as well as who you live with. It is the same with the Dalish," she said, "Some are welcoming to outsiders, if slightly wary. Others… Well."

"And what of yours?" Solas asked.

"If a clan cannot be respectful of its own members, then how would you expect them to act towards outsiders? They are, therefore, no people of mine," she replied. His eyes met hers, and the two held the look; his stunned and sad, hers determined.

"I-"

A sound made the two of them pause, cutting off Solas' sentence. They stopped, causing Varric to nearly crash into them. In front of them, Cassandra noticed that no one was behind her, and she stopped as well. The noise persisted, one which Ellana now recognized as that of demons. Solas grasped his staff and turned his head to Cassandra.

"There are demons ahead," he said.

"I think maybe six, or seven," Ellana added, drawing her bow. At this, Varric gave a wiry grin, pulling Bianca from her holster.

"Happy you have me now, Seeker?" Cassandra grunted in displeasure, rolling her eyes. She drew her sword and shield, then the four slowly moved around the corner of ice that blocked their way.

Mangled corpses were strewn about the ice and the many demons prowled around, looking for their next victims. They glanced at each other, then, three heads swiveled to look at Cassandra.

"After you, Lady Cassandra," Ellana said, nocking an arrow.

The Seeker blinked, before rolling her eyes and huffing. Then, she rushed forwards, with a loud battle cry, drawing the attention of the demons. In response, several of the creatures shrieked, baring pointed teeth and stretching their pointed claws. As they rushed forwards to meet the warrior however, one received an arrow immediately through its head from behind.

Two or three of the demons spun around to face Ellana, who stood a distance away behind them, nocking another arrow into her bow. Those demons began making their way towards her. As they honed in on her, the female elf aimed and fired, immediately killing one of the shades. She rolled out of the way of slashing claws, vanishing for an instant as if she was never there in the first place. The shades let out a cry of indignation, spinning and searching.

A ball of fire flew towards them, burning the demons to smithereens and sending them back to the Fade. Solas then turned to freeze an approaching demon before climbing the tall snow bank nearby, at which Ellana already stood. The two provided cover for Varric to make his way to a safer spot and for Cassandra to engage them.

"I admit to being curious as to why you hide your magic," Solas said, firing another cold spell towards an approaching demon.

"It is easier to sneak around when one isn't carrying a staff all the time," Ellana replied. Her next arrow pierced the demon he froze, shattering it. "Most people aren't as suspicious of me that way."

"That is certainly a logical reason, though I assume that many that try that technique fail and are condemned by the Templars not long after."

"I won't deny the fact that most people try and fail." Her arrow pierced through the hide of a demon that was attempting to sneak up behind Cassandra. "But I'm not like most people."

An amused glint in his eye and an upturned lip.

"Clearly. I believe we established that already, what with the Mark on your hand."

"And now with my magic."

"Indeed."

The last of the demons fell to Cassandra's blade. The two slid down the side of the snow bank in order to regroup. Solas, turned his head to look down at her.

"I am curious to see how this develops," he said. "Does Cassandra know?"

Ellana gave him her most innocent expression.

"You wouldn't tell her, would you? Help a fellow mage out, Solas. Please? For me?" She added a pout for good measure. He pretended to think about it for a minute, tapping his chin.

"Just this once," he conceded, tiny smile on his face. Ellana felt herself grin in response.

"We should hurry," Cassandra said once the two elves had rejoined them. "We've wasted enough time as it is."


The group of four hurried to return to the path, climbing the stairs provided up the cliff and towards the forward camp. Varric, who walked in the front, turned back to look at her.

"So Glow, I gotta ask… Are you innocent?"

"I don't exactly remember what happened," she replied, shrugging. It was a lie of course, but one did have to keep up appearances. The dwarf gave a laugh.

"That'll get you every time! Should have spun a story."

"That is what you would have done," Cassandra deadpanned from her position at the back of the group.

"Well, it's more believable, and less prone to result in premature execution."

Ellana smiled quietly, shaking her head. Solas gave a forced cough, trying (and clearly failing, what with the look Cassandra gave him) to hide his mirth.

They had been walking for about another half hour, after (barely) sneaking around another group of demons when Solas spoke up once again. In Elvish. The words filtered through her ears, the voices whispering the meaning of the sentence to her.

"So, do the Dalish keepers speak to their charges in the Ancient Tongue? Or is it the common now?"

"Much of the elven tongue has been lost to time," she replied, slowly, pretending to figure out words. "However, one can learn many things from dreams, but only if you know where to look." Her skill in the language was almost perfected by the voices, who reinforced the meanings. She still needed some practice, though she was getting there. Writing was a different matter entirely. Her ability to comprehend what he said however, surprised Solas. He blinked, before giving a tiny smile.

"You surprise me yet again, da'len," he said. "Is this going to become a repetitive thing?"

In response, Ellana laughed.

"Trust me, Solas," she said, "You'd be surprised by how many secrets I know that the Dalish do not."

"I'm beginning to see that."

"Uh… Common please?" Varric asked, uneasily glancing between the two elves.

"None other speaks the Ancient Tongue. It is… distressing," Solas said quietly, eyes flickering to the dwarf.

"Indeed," Ellana replied in the common tongue once more. "I still need to perfect some of my grammar. Would you be willing to…?"

"Of course, da'len." The apostate smiled sadly. "A language such as that of the elven should not be lost to time, simply because of forgotten knowledge."

The female elf looked up at him quietly, assessing. There it was, that faraway look in his eyes that he always got whenever he remembered. The voices rose in sympathy, for they too remembered a time when the elves ruled and the sound of conversation in the Elven tongue was as natural as the magic in the air.

It was then that Ellana decided.