(Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age or anything, blah blah blah)
Walking through the garden, the slender elven figure stopped and gazed at the stunning flowers. The Herald of Andraste, Silvia Lavellan, enjoyed time spent in the courtyard garden and visited as often as she could. Her auburn hair, worn in a high pony tail with two bangs framing the sides of her face, shone brightly in the morning sun.
"Inquisitor!" a familiar male voice called out.
"Commander Cullen?" she answered, turning toward him.
"I thought I might find you here. Care for a rematch?" the commander asked, motioning toward the chess board. Silvia did not fail to notice that Cullen's blonde hair was freshly styled, which gave off a sheen in the morning sun.
Grinning, she replied, "You're on."
The both of them sat down, and rearranged the pieces to their starting points. "It appears as if Sera was last to use the board," Silva stated, pointing at the king who was deliberately placed lying down on top of the queen.
"I believe so... the pawns are in the shape of a..." Cullen trailed off as he did not want to finish that sentence. Slightly embarrassed, he hastily ruining the outline while knocking some over in the process. Eventually, the pieces were set. Being on the white side of the board, Lavellan moved first.
"Last time we played we talked about my family. This time, let me ask about yours," Cullen remarked, moving his knight.
"Certainly, although I thought everyone knew everything about me. With Leliana's dossier and all," replied the Dalish elf, casually moving a pawn.
"That may be true, but I haven't read it... not all of it anyway. I was hoping you would tell me," he confessed, turning his gaze from the chessboard to met her curious stare.
"Of course," she replied as she moved her queen a few spaces before continuing, "I was raised by clan Lavellan. My mother died shortly after my birth, and my father died in a bandit attack."
"I'm sorry to hear. That must have been hard on you as a child," he solemnly responded, still not turning his attention to the chess board.
"It's quite alright. You're move," the elf reminded.
"Oh, right..." he muttered, moving the nearest pawn a space.
"It wasn't really. I was too young. The whole clan raised me, which was nice of them. But in turn, I found it hard to find real friends. For days at a time, I would go out into the forests and climb the highest trees," Silvia fondly remembered, putting one elbow on the board and resting her cheek on her hand. With her free hand, she moved a pawn, taking an enemy pawn off the board.
"Wasn't that dangerous?" laughed Cullen, not taking his eyes away from hers. Silvia smirked, letting out a small laugh.
"At times, it was. I didn't let that stop me, though. I became the master at sneaking out. I would study the animals- learn from them. They were my friends when I had none. Never once was I attacked by a wolf or a bear, but I soon learned that humans were the most dangerous thing I would encounter in those forests. It's your turn."
"So, how did you end up at the conclave?" Cullen asked, moving his knight which overtook a pawn.
"It's a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?" softly questioning, Silvia Lavellan turned her attention to Cullen once more. She noticed he was leaning forward, not turning his attention away.
"Of course," he responded warmly.
"I'm on night guard with this elf named Kyllen. He's the storyteller's son. Kyllen starts a conversation about Maker knows what. By the end of the night, we are laughing so hard the keeper yelled at us for not giving anyone's a moment's sleep. Needless to say we both volunteered for the night watch the next night, just to piss them off. But it was so fun," reminiscing, she absentmindedly moved a piece, seemingly chosen at random.
"By this time in my life, I had received many pelts as gifts from fellow clansmen who wanted to marry, as was the custom. I rejected all of them, for I did not know them or wish to know them. Kyllen became a fast friend, and better yet, did not try to give me anything. One day, we are out scouting and we stumble upon this giant black wolf, ensnared in a claw trap. I'll never forget those piercing brown eyes. The poor beast had been there for days. Without much hesitation, Kyllen undid the snare and the wolf limped free into the forest, never looking back." Silvia paused, gazing down at the chess board, and moved the king a space. She knew that move was totally useless, but she had lost track of whose turn it was. The Inquisitor, shifting her attention to the Commander, noticed his mirth-filled smirk widening into a smile as he moved a castle next to her pawn. Silvia smiled at the sight, noticing the way his eyes softened, how Cullen's smile tugged the scar that ran from his cheek to at his top lip, how he leaned forward every time it was his turn.
"The animal could have easily turned either of you. Why did he risk letting it go? ," eagerly asking, Cullen
"I asked him the same question at the time," Silvia replied calmly, leaning back in the chair before continuing, "Kyllen told me any elf with a bow or a blade can give the gift of death. I have given this wolf the gift of life, which is also my gift to you."
"It sounds like you two were... close..." the commander responded, voice sounding almost disappointed.
"I wouldn't say close. Friends, yes. I'm sure if time went on, who knows. Honestly, I never had a chance to consider it. I heard some fighting nearby, we set out to investigate. Then, as the two of us neared the source of the commotion, I was struck by lighting. I could only watch helplessly as Kyllen was struck down by the blade of a templar. We were caught in the middle of the civil war- between a templar and a mage. The templar was about to strike me too when the mage protected me. I tried to help Kyllen, but it was too late. Kyllen was gone. He helped me carry my friend back to the clan, but that mage left before I ever learned name," the Herald stated, trailing off as if lost in thought.
"I-I don't know what to say."
"It's quite alright. Before that, there were talks about who would venture to the conclave. None volunteered. After Kyllen... I volunteered. I slipped away that night, without a word. I knew that no matter what awaited me at the conclave, most likely I would not go back to the Dalish life," the elf explained, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, her eyes trailing into the distance.
"You've been through so much between what happened before the conclave and Haven. A lesser person would not have survived..."
"We've all had hard times. I'm just glad to be alive, here, with you- I mean- losing this game," Silvia stammered, trying to hide her blushing by putting a hand on her cheek.
The commander laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Losing? How so?"
Swiftly, Silvia snatched the black queen and moved it beside her white king. "Oh, would you look at that. You win. I guess we will have to play again sometime..." she beamed, laughing.
Cullen heartily laughed, then replied softly, "I would love to." A silence befell them for a moment, neither of saying a word. His amber eyes, warm and soft, caused her cheeks to warm.
"I, uh, should let you return to your... um... duties," the commander stammered, resetting the chess pieces.
"Y-yes, you're probably right," Silvia responded, helping him reset the board for the next players.