IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ: This story takes place in the Dragon Age universe but has crossover/fusion elements with Lord of the Rings and Drowtales.
If you do not know what Drowtales is, then I would HIGHLY recommend that you check it out. It's a wonderful webcomic that deserves more attention. Also, it will help readers understand parts of this story if they read the webcomic.
To find it, just type Drowtales in Google and it should be the first option. At the top of the main page, click the archive tab and the first option is named Moonless Age. That is the main comic and is free to read. Much of the stuff on Drowtales requires a subscription but the main comic is free.
The first Arc of the story will mostly depict the childhood of our Dalish Inquisitor. It will be vital for establishing relationships and world building for the story. Therefore, it will be a number of chapters before the actual Dragon Age story will begin.
I will also post links on my profile to various pics on my deviantart page concerning the story. Hope you check them out.
Disclaimer: I do not own or claim the rights to Dragon Age, Lord of the Rings, or Drowtales. They belong to their respective owners.
Special thanks to my beta reader, Milarqui, for all the wonderful help he has given me!
Inquisition of the Elf Prince
Chapter One: The Past and the Present
The fire crackled and shined with dull red light, as an aging man sat calmly on his chair. Facing the parchment in the table, he dipped a quill in ink and started his task.
Inquisition of the Elf Prince, The old man wrote with a smile. He then lit a pipe and calmly blew a few smoke rings. Now, then... where to begin? Ahh, I know. He dipped his quill again and began to write the tale...
Many of us remember the way of life lived by those of Elvenkind in this day and age. The Elves have a long history of misfortune at the hands of others.
In human settlements, the city Elves lived in slums called the Alienage, and were considered barely a step above slaves. They lived there, overlooked and forgotten by the people of the world.
Then, there were the Dalish Elves. Nomads that roamed the world in clans and defied the human's laws and customs in an effort to hold onto their own. The Dalish were proud, loyal to their own, and determined to restore their civilization to its glory. Humans looked upon the Dalish with even more disdain than the City Elves, believing these nomadic vagabonds to be wild and savage for not following human customs or believing in the Maker and Andraste.
But, while the humans forgot, the Elves remembered. They remembered their civilization of Elvhenan, the ancient Elven empire that spanned all of Thedas. Elvhenan, meaning 'place of our people', was remembered as a glorious time and age for Elvenkind.
The Elf-constructed great structures and wondrous cities that would shame the architects of today's era. Their master craftsmen making jewelry and artifacts of beauty made perfection. The forges burning hot as smiths worked masterpieces. Suits of armor light as a feather that could turn any blade, and swords that could slice through stone without receiving a scratch to mar its perfection. In all these things, magic was woven and mighty spells were caste, for the Elven civilization was centered on this mysterious power. Magic was in the very blood and been of the Elves, and their mastery over magic had no equal.
A golden age, they said, where the Elves' achievements were legendary and the envy of all. However, the truth was much more complicated.
The Elves were no different than the other races of Thedas in many instances. There were disagreements, conflicts, and war. In the ancient times, there were many ethnic groups of Elves, each ruled by a leader of some sort. In these days, the land we know today went by different names of the various Elven factions.
There were the Wood Elves. Fierce, proud, and independent, they were ruled by the stern Elf King, Thranduil.
There was the Lady of Light, Galadriel, who co-ruled her lands alongside her husband Celeborn.
There were also the Dark Elves, who were the most aggressive of Elvenkind. They were ruled by their powerful Empress, Sharess of the Sharen Clan.
The greatest and most powerful of them all, however, were the Noldor Elves, also referred to as the High Elves. The High Elves were said to have been the first of Elvenkind to appear in the world. They were the ones who formed Elvhenan, they were the ones who founded the city of Arlathan, and it was they who united all of the Elven races under the rule of the High Kings.
And the greatest of the High Kings was Gil-galad.
A group of figures entered a throne room with unearthly grace. The first was Thranduil, with his wooden crown upon his head. The second and third were Galadriel and her husband Celeborn, wearing formal outfits that were as white as snow. The last was a dark elf woman with tan skin and long purple hair: the Empress Sharess. On the throne before them sat the High King, Gil-galad. He was powerfully built, with long brown hair, and wore royal armored robes of blue and gold.
The authority of the High Kings was absolute. They ruled all of Thedas from their seat of power, the great capital city, Arlathan. High King Gil-galad's rule was strict, but just and fair. All Elven rulers bowed to the authority of the High King, for at the time, the bonds between the Elven races had reached its peak.
The four Elven rulers bowed their head to Gil-galad. He bowed in turn, marking them as equals in his eyes, and they all exchanged smiles, for their friendships were strong.
It was a time of peace. The Elves had a good relationship with their dwarven neighbors and were on good, if shaky, terms with the recently appeared race of Men.
But... that peace was not to last. For where goodness thrives... evil tries its hardest to consume it.
The Elven rulers suddenly turned as a new figure entered the throne room. He was graceful and elegant in appearance. His fair form hiding the malice in his eyes.
A stranger came to Elvhenan, a stranger that called himself Annatar. Many Elves were enamored by this 'Bringer of Gifts', for his knowledge of craftsmanship and magic were astonishing, even by Elven standards, but the Elven rulers did not trust this Annatar, for they could sense dark purpose in him. So they sent him away from Arlathan.
High King Gil-galad stood from his throne and bade Annatar towards the entrance. Annatar frowned but turned and left.
This was not the last that would be heard of Annatar, however, for he then traveled to a region of Elvhenan that was ruled over by Celebrimbor, the greatest smith of the age.
Annatar entered another throne room, where Celebrimbor sat, with his wife and daughter standing not far away. Celebrimbor's eyes widened with awe as Annatar knelt before him and presented a silver smithing hammer to him.
"It is so fine a gift," Celebrimbor spoke with intrigue.
Celebrimbor conversed with Annatar before the two nodded and clasped hands. Soon, Celebrimbor was working with his new smithing hammer, while Annatar watched over his shoulder.
Celebrimbor and Annatar combined their skills together and discovered the secret to forging the Rings of Power. These great, magical rings would forever change the history of the world. Seven rings were made first, before being followed by an additional nine.
Celebrimbor and Annatar stood over the collection of rings. Annatar held one up and examined it with wonder and a hint of desire in his eyes.
"Only you could accomplish such art... Celebrimbor," Annatar praised.
Celebrimbor took the first seven rings, to give them to the dwarfs as an act of friendship. In secret, Annatar took the second set of nine rings and left Elvhenan, traveling to a place that Elves avoided.
But then, after Annatar left, Celebrimbor surpassed himself and, without the stranger's help, created three more rings of power, that were even greater than the seven and nine rings. These were the Elven rings of Power, and Celebrimbor presented them to the Elven rulers.
Nenya, the Ring of Water, was given to the Lady Galadriel, who used its powers of preservation, protection, and concealment to watch over her lands.
Narya, the Ring of Fire, was given to Empress Sharess, who used the ring to calm the fiery nature of the dark Elves during times of peace, and to kindle that nature during times of war.
Vilya, the Ring of Air, was presented to the High King Gil-galad. Vilya was the greatest and most powerful of the Three, crowning all other rings of power. Vilya became a symbol of royalty among the Elves, and all knew in their heart that he who carried Vilya was the rightful ruler over all Elvenkind. It was the heirloom of Gil-galad's house and bloodline. The heirloom of the High-Kings.
But they were, all of them, deceived... for another ring was made...
Celebrimbor worked in his forge when he suddenly looked up with horror on his face as a vision entered his mind. He saw a massive behemoth of a man in black armor surrounded by fire, as he held up his hand, upon which he wore a golden ring.
As the vision faded, Celebrimbor heard Galadriel's voice in his mind.
"We were deceived and betrayed," Galadriel spoke with fear.
In Arlathan, Gil-galad was conversing with Sharess before they too saw the vision that showed them the truth. Sharess fearfully turned towards the High-King.
"Its power blazes like a beacon, and it shall bring ruin to Thedas," Sharess spoke. Gil-galad's eyes narrowed in suppressed fury before he looked at Vilya on his hand.
"Not if we stop him. We know who you are...Sauron," Gil-galad declared.
The Dark Lord gazed at the ring he had forged for the purpose of dominating the Rings of Power. He suddenly jerked his head as he sensed the three Elven rings, for he had no knowledge of their existence. Realizing that the Elves now knew the truth about him, he let out a roar of fury.
The Dark Lord had forged the One Ring to control the other Rings of Power, but because he had no hand in creating the Three Elven Rings, they were not affected by his power in the same way as the other Rings. Knowing that the Elves had the power to resist his domination and challenge him, Sauron set out to accomplish their destruction.
Sauron could not control the dwarves, for their hardiness and toughness allowed them to resist Sauron's will, so he instead gave the Nine Rings to the human rulers of the Tevinter Imperium. Blinded by their greed, they accepted the Rings and would forever be slaves to the Dark Lord's will.
With Tevinter under his control, Sauron waged a terrible war against the Elves. The Elves fought back valiantly, but the power of the Dark Lord was too great. King Thranduil himself fought against Sauron in single combat, even managing to injure the Dark Lord. But in the end, the mighty Elf king fell to the Dark Lord.
Some believed that Gil-galad possessed the gift of foresight and foresaw the Elves' fate. Whether or not this was true is up to speculation. Either way, as the Dark Lord's forces approached Arlathan itself, Gil-galad ordered Empress Sharess to take the Dark Elves and flee to the south. Sharess initially refused, for the Dark Elves were rivaled only by the Noldor in war, but she eventually obeyed the orders of the High King.
Sharess took her people south across the Waking Sea, and then through the lands that would one day be known as the Dales. At the southern end of this region, between the Frostback Mountains and the Arbor Wilds, the Dark Elves discovered an entrance that led underground to a series of caverns. These caverns were not apart or connected to the Deep Roads ruled by the Dwarves. It was there that the Dark Elves escaped and hid underground, where they would remain hidden from all for many years.
Let us take a moment to take a look at the history and fate of Sharess and her people...
When the Dark Elves disappeared under ground, a powerful barrier was created to keep trespassers out. No one knew how this barrier was created, some say it was Sharess herself who created it while others say Eru Iluvatar, the supreme deity, created the barrier when Sharess prayed to him. In their new home, the Dark Elves founded a new underground city to be their capital, which they named Chel'el'Sussoloth, the City of Lights within the Darkness. Many would refer to it simply as Chel.
For ages, the Dark Elves remained hidden from all. Because much of Elven history and culture was lost, almost all records of the Dark Elves existence was lost and they were forgotten by the human, dwarves, and qunari peoples.
Then, in the later years of the Blessed Age, which preceded the Dragon Age and when Orlais was occupying Ferelden, the descendants of the Dark Elves reemerged... but they were Dark Elves no longer. Ages spent underground caused the Dark Elves to change. Their skin turned from dark brown to an ashy obsidian color, while their hair had turned pure white. Only a handful of Dark Elves remained while the rest had become the Drow.
The current Empress of the Drow was Diva'ratrika Val'Sharen, grandniece of Sharess. Sharess herself was gone, and, according to legend, was believed to have left her physical form to try and protect her people and the world from the Netherworld, a realm that existed as the opposite of the Fade. Due to her actions, many Drow believed that Sharess ascended and was revered by many to be a goddess.
As a child, Diva'ratrika had known Sharess and grew up being told stories about Elvhenan and its glories. A desire that turned into obsession grew within Diva'ratrika to restore Elvhenan. When the Drow revealed themselves to the surface world again, Diva'ratrika declared her intentions to restore Elven power and would begin with conquering the Dales. Thus began the Drow-Orlesian War.
Initially, the war began in the Drow's favor. Almost all Drow could wield magic, which was strange and alien compared to the magic of the surface world, and they were even more fierce warriors than their Dark Elf ancestors.
The Drow war machine tore through the Orlesian armies, and were on the verge of taking the former Dalish capital city, Halamshiral, and the Orlesian capital, Val Royeaux. In desperation, the Chantry called for an Exalted March, and many religious warriors from across the human kingdoms came to face the Drow Empire. The tide turned against the Drow and they were pushed back.
If asked, the Chantry would say that the faithful had pushed back the Drow with the Maker's blessings. In truth, it was infighting among the Drow that weakened them, for many of the powerful Drow Clans began to argue and fight over who controlled which parts of the valuable surface land that was claimed.
A stalemate occurred for several years, before both sides finally agreed to a truce, which allowed the Drow to retain control over the southernmost portion of the Dales. A tense peace was created between the Drow and Orlais, but neither forgot their grudge against the other.
The results of the war would lead Empress Diva'ratrika to lose power and control in the Drow Empire, as the nine Great Clans began to pursue their individual agendas for power. Diva'ratrika approached the Dalish Elves and made an arrangement which would allow a Dalish elf to live and learn about the Drow in hopes of reforging ancient bonds.
Let us now return back to the past and the fate of the Elves...
After sending Sharess and her people to safety, Gil-galad and the Noldor held one last stand against Sauron's forces at Arlathan, for the outcome was inevitable. Near the end of the battle, Gil-galad the High King fought alongside Celebrimbor, but the Ring-Maker fell against the Dark Lord Sauron. The details of the fight are unknown, but it is believed that Celebrimbor gave his life to distract Sauron, allowing Gil-galad to sever the One Ring from Sauron's hand with his glaive, Aeglos.
Separated from its master, the One Ring fell off the edge of a nearby cliff into a river, where it was lost. Sauron himself was unmade, and his physical body exploded into a great magical blast that caused the ruins of Arlathan to sink below the surface. The Dark Lord was defeated, but his spirit endured...
It was at this location that Gil-galad was found by his herald, Lord Elrond. Knowing that he was dying from the injuries he received from the Dark Lord, Gil-galad entrusted Vilya to Elrond and commanded him to give it to Gil-galad's daughter to keep safe, until the time of the Elves could return and a new High King could rise.
Many of us know what happened after the war ended. Even though Sauron was gone, Tevinter enslaved the Elves for many years until Andraste, the bride of the Maker, lead a revolt against Tevinter with the aid of the elf leader Shartan. In gratitude for their aid, the Elves were given the lands called the Dales.
It is curious to note that no heir of Gil-galad appeared to claim the throne of the High King when the Dalish Kingdom was established. Some say that this was because of a political group, called Banal'ras Mi'durgen, who believed that the rule of the High Kings was a failure and had made it so that no High King would appear. Others simply say that there weren't any descendants of Gil-galad remaining.
Whatever the reason, the Elves of the Dales attempted to assume an isolationist policy and minimize their interactions with the outside world, in an attempt to maintain their culture. This would backfire as the Human kingdoms became superstitious about the Elves, until war broke out and the Elves were once again stripped of a home.
Afterwards, many Elves dwelled in the cities, accepting the human culture, while others roamed in clans trying to preserve their history and dream of regaining a home of their own.
It is here, my dear reader, where our story truly starts. Somewhere near the borders between Nevarra and the Free Marches, two Dalish clans camp together. Clan Lavellan and Clan Undomiel. They are waiting the return of one of the most important and influential members of their clan.
And while they wait, a young Elven boy with electrical blue eyes and hair white as snow runs through the camp with a smile on his face...
Lavellan and Undomiel Camp, the Dragon Age, one year before the Fifth Blight...
Nine-year-old Ralinor Lavellan let out a laugh as he ran through the camp. An older elf girl with long red hair was chasing him with a grin of her own. The girl then darted around one of the aravels and cut off Ralinor.
"Let go, Idriel!" Ralinor yelled as Idriel caught him.
"Not a chance, little brother," Idriel replied before she began to tickle her sibling.
"That's enough, you two," a voice spoke up, causing both children to look up and see their father, Talinor Lavellan.
Talinor had red hair like his daughter Idriel. He was one of the clan's best swordsmen and a skilled hunter. He smiled down at his two children.
"You need to get ready. Your mother should be back soon. In fact..." Talinor looked towards the edge of the camp where a group of Elves riding halla had just arrived. "That should be her there."
At the edge of the camp, Keeper Deshanna Istimaethoriel Lavellan, mother of Talinor, smiled at the lead figure of the halla riders. Deshanna had tan skin with greying hair, but was still a beautiful woman. The Elves may no longer have their immortality, but they maintained their prime physical condition for a longer time than humans did. A sixty-year-old elf woman could still look about half her age, just as Deshanna looked less than half her age.
"Andaran atish'an, Altariel," Deshanna greeted.
Altariel Lavellan, formally of Undomiel, was an Elven woman of unsurpassed beauty, even by Elven standards. With long silvery white hair flowing down her back and electrical blue eyes, she could cause almost any man to pause and look at her. She wore elegant blue and green dress. A cord with a small pouch hung around her neck, containing a valuable heirloom of Clan Undomiel.
Although she was married to Talinor of Lavellan, Altariel was keeper of Clan Undomiel, and remained as such after their marriage. It was the main reason that Lavellan and Undomiel were so close and often travelled together.
"Andaran Atish'an, Deshanna," Altariel replied. "It is good to be home among my people."
"How was your journey to Orlais?" Deshanna questioned.
"Oh, about the same as usual," Altariel replied with a sigh. "The nobility sneering at me for being Dalish and a heathen. Thankfully, they are still unaware that I am a mage, else they would have sent Templars after me. At least, the Elves in the Alienage treat me with respect... a little too much respect at times, for I feel like they sometimes see me as more than I really am."
"You have chosen a difficult path, Altariel," Deshanna reminded. "Few shemlen even agree to meet with Dalish. Your diplomatic missions to establish relations with the shemlen kingdoms will take some time before they bear any fruit."
"I must try, for if I don't then the humans will never see us as more than nomads," Altariel replied.
"Mother!"
Altariel turned and felt her heart warm as she saw her two children running towards her, with her husband following behind at a slower pace. She knelt down and caught her children in a warm embrace.
"My children! I missed you so much!" Altariel said as she hugged them. A moment later, she released them and turned towards her husband. "Talinor, ma vhenan."
The two of them embraced and kissed, glad to be in each other's arms again.
"It is so good to be back," Altariel commented before turning back to her children. "How have you all been?"
"I've got better at using a bow! I hit any target now!" Idriel declared with a grin, which Altariel returned. Altariel's daughter took after her father, with matching red hair and skills as a Dalish Hunter.
"Mother! Look at this!" Ralinor spoke up before holding his hands up. His eyes narrowed in concentration for a moment before sparks appeared in his hands that turned into an arc of lightning that connected between his palms.
"Amazing, Da'len!" Altariel said in genuine surprise at Ralinor's magic. "You've been practicing a lot while I was on my trip."
Ralinor's magic had first manifested at a very young age. Altariel had once climbed into an Aravel only to freeze in shock at seeing her then three year old son levitating no less than a dozen items with his magic.
He will become a very powerful mage someday, Altariel thought with pride.
"Lightning comes so naturally to him," Deshanna commented. "I imagine that's what he'll be best at."
"I'm so proud of you, Ralinor," Altariel smiled.
"Will you teach me a new spell then?" Ralinor asked his mother with hope in his eyes.
"Of course I will, Da'len," Altariel assured.
"Did you receive our message, Altariel?" Deshanna suddenly asked. "About an urgent matter that you needed to see to?"
"I did. What is it about, Keeper?" Altariel asked.
"Not far from here, our hunters discovered a small hidden valley that can only be accessed through a gap in a rock cliff. The valley is tiny, only about twenty feet across. But, on one of the rock walls within this place, there is an ancient door that you must see."
"An ancient door?"
"Yes... with both Quenya and Sindarin writing inscribed on it," Deshanna revealed in a serious tone.
Altariel's eyes widened at hearing that. Quenya and Sindarin were two of the Elven languages spoken during the time of Elvhenan and few, even among the Dalish, knew how to speak or write it.
"If what you say is true... then this door may have been untouched for thousands of years," Altariel remarked. She then glanced up to see what position the sun was in. "The day is still young, show me this hidden valley and ancient door."
"It's not too far from the camp," Deshanna stated.
"You're leaving again mother?" Ralinor suddenly spoke up with sadness in his eyes. "You just got back."
"This could be an important discovery, my son. I be back in a few hours," Altariel assured her son before she, Talinor, Deshanna, and a few Dalish hunters began to leave the camp towards where the hidden valley was while Ralinor stared after them. Idriel gave her younger brother a pat on the head to try and reassure him.
After a short while, Altariel and her companions reached the hidden valley and were standing in front of the ancient stone door. Altariel traced the inscriptions with her hand as she examined them.
"Hmm..." Altariel hummed to herself. It was difficult, but she could read some of the ancient Elven language. "This is Quenya... and this is Sindarin... which mean this says... ah, I see now..."
Altariel placed both hands on the door and muttered a spell under her breath as she channeled her magic. The magic outlined the door in white light and a booming noise was heard. The door slowly shifted open. After a moment of hesitation, Altariel stepped in while raising her hand and green colored Veilfire appeared, illuminating the large room.
"It's... an armory?" Talinor guessed. Suits of armor were displayed on stands, while the walls were covered in swords, spears, and many more weapons that were clearly Elvish in design.
"No," Altariel corrected as she pointed at an anvil. "It's a forge."
Altariel walked up to one of the suits of armor and examined it more closely.
"This... this is Noldor armor. Even after all these years, all it needs is a little cleaning and it will be ready for battle. Amazing."
"There's a hallway at the back," Deshanna pointed out. She and Altariel ventured further in while Talinor and the hunters continued to examine the armor and weapons in awe. As Deshanna and Altariel reached another room, the excitement grew within both of them.
"It's a study," Altariel stated. The room was lined with bookshelves, with hundreds of books, scrolls, and tomes. Both women quickly began to examine the ancient writings more closely.
"History... crafting scrolls for arms and armor... all from the time of Elvhenan... this place is a gold mine," Deshanna whispered.
"Ten gold mines and the mountains on top of them could not match the value of this place to our people," Altariel replied. She then held up one of the larger books she found. "This book here is one of many training manuals all about Dirth'ena Enasalin, knowledge that leads to victory."
"The Arcane warrior..." Deshanna breathed. "Is the complete collection of manuals here?"
"I believe so," Altariel replied before thinking, Ralinor is going to want to learn how to be an arcane warrior.
"Ma Vhenan, mother," Talinor called from the forge room. "Come look at this."
They returned to the forge and Talinor held up a steel shirt for them to see.
"Silver steel... Mithril," Altariel realized. Mithril was the rarest metal in the world. Light as a feather but as hard as dragon's hide. Like many things however, it was rarely seen in the current age. The dwarves used to mine the rare substance, but when most of the great thaigs of the Deep Roads were lost to the Darkspawn, so was Mithril.
"I also found this," Talinor held up a sword to his wife. Altariel took it and was surprised to find that the sword had almost no weight to it.
At first glance, the sword appeared to be a regular straight longsword. However, this struck Altariel as odd. The sword was clearly Elvish in make, due to the designs and inscriptions on it, but it had to have been made during the time of Elvhenan. Elven swords during that time were curved, often in the shape of an S. The Lhang, or High Elf Sword, was a good example of this style of Elven swords. The Lhang was a standard weapon for Noldor swordsmen. Another good example would be Hadhafang, the sword of the Elf Lord Elrond. Although not as prominent as the Lhang, Hadhafang still had an S shape to it.
Why did the sword her husband had just found not have that shape? Glamdring the Foe Hammer had a straight blade, but Altariel knew this sword was not Glamdring.
Altariel began to translate the inscription on the blade.
"It reads, 'A beacon of light to the unled. Blazing like fire with justice in lands stained with foulness. One stands alone in the light.'" Altariel stared at the sword before realization slowly hit her. "By the Creators, the Valar, and Eru Iluvatar... this sword is Urfael. The sword that Celebrimbor forged and used when he fought alongside Gil-galad against the Dark Lord. It is a legendary weapon, one of the greatest ever made by the Ring-Maker."
"So much of our history and our culture is here," Deshanna declared before her face frowned. "And it must be kept secret. The Shemlen will try to take it all if they find out."
"Then we will keep it safe, but it must be shared with our fellow Dalish Clans," Altariel decreed. "This is our chance. We can use the knowledge here to forge the Dalish a proper army, based on the armies of the Noldor from ancient times. Even if it's not the proper time, we will call for an Arlathvhen. And... we can also make some changes."
"What kind of changes?"
"For starters, we can cease the foolish act of limiting the number of mages we have in our clans."
"That is done to try and not draw attention from the Templar order," Deshanna reminded. "It's so the clans can survive."
"We need to stop trying to survive and try to live. We need to stop traveling as nomads while dwelling on the past and start making real effort to find or regain a homeland and move towards the future," Altariel insisted. "With the discovery of this hidden forge, we can obtain that. We cannot forget the past... but we mustn't let it keep us from moving forward."
"Do you mean to create an army to wage war with the Shemlens, Altariel?" Talinor asked with a raised eye.
"No, Ma Vhenan. The last thing I want is war. But, if the Elves are to once again try to claim a home, we need the power to back our position. Hopefully, we won't have to go to war, but we need both military and political power if the human kingdoms are to take us seriously," Altariel explained. "And who knows? Our Drow cousins might start showing us more respect as well. They don't think too highly of Dalish, since we are nomads and because of how few mages we have. Almost all Drow can use magic, after all."
"You lived with them for a good portion of your childhood because of the agreement between the Dalish and the Drow. You have friends there," Deshanna pointed out.
"I do have friends in Chel'el'Sussoloth... and enemies," Altariel admitted. "But it has been many years since I was last in the Drow capital. Besides, the Drow only respect strength and won't take us too seriously until we have it."
"It may be difficult to convince some of the Keepers to go along with this and make changes to the Dalish. Thelhen of Clan Virnehn, for example. He could cause trouble," Deshanna mused.
"Thelhen is a narrow minded fool," Altariel stated in disgust. "If he wants to continue being one, then his Clan will have to deal with the consequences. Now, we can bring a few items to show to our fellow Keepers at the Arlathvhen and then we can..."
Altariel trailed off as she suddenly jerked her head towards the entrance.
"What is it, Ma Vhenan?" Talinor asked.
Altariel didn't answer and just stormed towards the entrance with annoyance showing on her face. Both Deshanna and Talinor sighed as they knew what the problem was. After stepping outside, Altariel looked around to see nothing.
"Ralinor Undomiel Lavellan! Come out here, right now!" Altariel shouted. When nothing happened, she shouted again. "Ralinor! Do not make me ask you again!"
Ralinor slowly poked his head from around a tree to see his mother glaring at him with her arms crossed. After hesitating a moment, he slowly walked up to his mother and stood in front of her, staring at the ground.
"I told you to wait back at the camp, Da'len. We did not know what we would find and it could have been dangerous," Altariel scolded her child. "Promise me that you won't do this again."
"... I promise." Ralinor softly answered, still looking at his feet.
"... You know what?" Altariel asked.
"What?"
"You always look at your feet, before you lie," Altariel noted while Ralinor just grinned sheepishly. Altariel sigh before crouching down in front of Ralinor. "Why did you follow us, Ralinor?"
"... You just got back and you left again," Ralinor softly replied. "I miss you."
Altariel felt her heart clench at hearing that. It was true, she often left, sometimes for a couple of months, for some diplomatic mission to meet with nobles of different kingdoms or visit an Alienage to try to bring encouragement to the Dalish's city brethren. She sadly stared at her son for a moment before reaching forward and bringing him into a hug.
"You know why I'm gone, correct?"
"To try and help our people?" Ralinor replied as he returned the hug.
"Yes... I know this is a hard time for you. You're still a young child and I should be around more often for you. But, things will start to change now, thanks to the discovery of this hidden forge. I won't be taking so many trips and I will be around far more often," Altariel informed her child.
"You'll be leaving to go to the Arlathven," Ralinor pointed out. "I heard that."
"That's true..." Altariel noted before smiling again. "Want to come with me?"
"YES!" Ralinor immediately shouted, causing his mother to let out a laugh. A thoughtful look then crossed Ralinor's face. "Mother, is there anything I can do to help you and our people?"
"You're still young, so I'm afraid there isn't much you can do... but I'll let you know when that changes," Altariel answered before standing. "Now then... do you want to see what our ancestors left us to find?"
Ralinor gave an eager nod, causing Altariel to let out another laugh. As they walked towards the hidden forge, Altariel handed one of the tomes she found to her son.
"Here, you might like this."
"Dirth'ena Enasalin... the Arcane Warriors?" Ralinor read the title in excitement. "Can I learn how to be one?"
"If you're determined enough and strong of will... then yes," Altariel answered with a smile.
"I'll be the best Arcane Warrior ever!" Ralinor declared.
Chapter End
Elven Language:
Andaran atish'an: A formal Elven greeting.
Banal'ras Mi'durgen: Shadow Diamond.
Ma Vhenan: 'My heart'. A term of endearment.
Dirth'ena Enasalin: "Knowledge that leads to victory". The elvish name for Arcane Warriors.
Da'len: Little child or little one.
Urfael: When broken down in Sindarin, means "Fiery Gleaming Brilliance".
Arlathvhen: Meeting of the Dalish Clans.
Altariel: Quenya form of the name Galadriel. (Before you ask, no. Altariel is not THE Galadriel from LOTR.)
Author's Note: Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Like I said, we won't actually begin the Dragon Age: Inquisition storyline until a number of chapters later. We will be meeting the Drow in the next chapter. See you there!