Disclaimer: Dragon Age is owned by Bioware and EA games.

Warning: There are spoilers from Dragon Age: Inquisition, the DLC Trespasser, and the book posted on HerenyaHope's account titled Blood of the People and Heart of the People posted on Flamewing80's account in this book. There are some very major ones if you've never played the games or read the first book in the series. This is the third book in the series with the first book being Blood of the People and the second being Heart of the People.

Flamewing: Welcome back, we're happy to post the first chapter of the third book in this series Herenya and I have been working on. The first book is posted here on HerenyaHope's account and the second is on my account Flamewing80. For this book I write the creators (same drill as the last one) which means Solas, Mahvir/ Dirthamen, and Falon as well as Inan (read Heart of the People for more on him but he will appear in this story). As well as the birds Deceit and Fear, all of Dirthamen's children, most of the sentinels, Teren, Raywa, and Butter with a few odd characters here and there.

Herenya: Hi guys! I hope you you guys are excited for book three! It has been such an awesome time writing with Flame. I've never co-written a story before, and the fact that we're on book three is amazing. This story has gone through so much and I love all you guys for being on this crazy ride with us. Any who, on with the show!

Both: We hope you enjoy this story. Favs and reviews are much loved!


"Up or down?" Lori let out a sigh, unable to decide whether or not to put her hair in a ponytail or to leave it down. "Maybe just a half up-?"

Someone pounded on the bathroom door.

"Lori, you in there?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Well, hurry up."

"Don't rush me."

"I will rush you, I gotta do my hair."

"Well, so do I." Lori sighed and looked back at her reflection. "Maybe a braid?" she muttered.

"Did I just hear you say braid? Hell no, you're gonna be in there for five days."

"Seriously, Lori, can we come in?"

"Would you two be quiet?!" Lori snapped. "Just use the mirror in your guys' room!"

"It broke," the twins said in unison.

Lori rolled her eyes. "Of course it did." She grabbed her hairbrush and started separating her hair into sections. "Just give me ten minutes and I'll be done-"

The door flew open.

"Hey!" Lori jumped in surprise and dropped her brush. "I said give me ten minutes!"

"And I said let me in," Fen retorted.

"Yes, now move!"

Lori narrowly avoided being run over by Fennir as he rushed inside. "Watch where you're going- oh, seriously?!" Lori quickly turned her head when she saw him unbutton his pants.

"Sorry, I really need to pee!"

"Move over," Fen said as he fought for mirror space.

Lori glared at Fen, but ultimately yielded him half the mirror. "You really couldn't have waited?" she asked. Just to prove him wrong, she was trying to braid as quickly as possible.

"You're always hogging the bathroom, it's not just yours," Fen said with irritation.

"Do you see how much hair I have?" she asked, gesturing to her mane of wavy blonde hair.

"I have long hair too, and I have to do touch ups," Fen argued, waving one of his dreadlocks in his sister's face. "It takes way more effort to keep these babies maintained than to do your stupid fishtail-whatevers."

"It's called a fishtail-braid, stupid." Lori grimaced when she saw her brother pull out a certain jar. "Oh, creators, are you going to use that nasty hair goo?"

"Beauty is pain," Fen smirked as he opened the jar of the black goo he used on his locs.

"I'm leaving before you poison me."

"I win." Fen flattened himself against the sink as Lori squeezed passed him to escape the bathroom.

Despite being three years older, the twins had already outgrown Lori by the time they were fifteen. It was difficult to use her authority as the older sister when her brothers quite literally looked down at her.

Lori went down the hallway and started down the stairs, trying to finish her braid. With her focus on her hair, the elf didn't notice the book sitting on the step until she'd tripped over it.

The girl yelped, grabbing onto the banister before she ended up tumbling down the stairs. "Mel, stop leaving your books on the stairs. You almost killed me," Lori squawked.

"S-sorry! I forgot!" Mel jumped from his seat at the bottom of the stairs and grabbed the book. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just had a little heart attack," Lori chuckled. When she saw the look on Mel's face, her smile dropped. "Mel, relax, I was kidding. Just try and be more careful next time."

"Sorry," the younger elf mumbled, hugging the book and his sketchpad to his chest.

Lori sighed. 'Don't bother, he won't listen.' "Do you know where papa is?"

"He's in the library I think."

"Ma serannas." Lori ruffled her brother's hair and went down the stairs, eyeing them for any more scattered books.

She made her way to the family's library, a favored spot by both Mel and their father. As she approached she heard her father speaking to someone. 'Wait, I thought mamae was in the kitchen?'

She poked her head into the library, curious."Papa?"

A familiar elf stood on the side of the table closest to Lori. His normally neat robes looked to be tattered from a recent fight and his fishtail-braid, she had always known to look perfect, was messy, almost completely destroyed. "The spirits of the departed-"

Her papa held up his hand. "Falon," he stopped the other elf from continuing. "Yes, da'vhenan?" Solas turned his pale eyes on her.

The other elf turned to Lori. Sure enough it was her cousin, his face ever hidden under a half mask sporting the vallaslin she had seen many of the people within the clan wearing to honor Falon'Din.

"If it isn't Lori," he smiled at her then frowned. "What happened to your braid?" Falon crossed the room to her. "Here." His long, slightly cut fingers, pulled the half finished braid loose. It took him only a few heartbeats to weave her hair into a long fishtail-braid. "There now you're perfect, dear cousin."

"Ma serannas," Lori smiled. "Now come here," she pulled him into a hug. "I didn't know you were visiting! How have you been?"

He returned the embrace. "Well enough." As Falon spoke, he pulled his own messy hair from the braid and combed it with his fingers before braiding it back into the normal fishtail. "A few run ins with trouble, but nothing to be concerned about," he added.

"Did you just get here?" Lori asked.

"A few minutes ago." He turned to Solas. "We'll finish discussing that matter later, Uncle?"

Solas moved around the table Lori normally saw her father reading at. "After the children are aiding their mother," Solas replied in smooth tones.

Falon frowned a little but didn't otherwise comment. "Where are your brothers?" Falon asked. "I'd like to see how much all of you have grown since my last visit."

"F-Falon?"

Lori turned around and spotted Mel by the doorway. "Well here's one."

"Mel!" Falon strode over to Mel and clapped the smaller elf on the shoulder, his touch light. "You've really grown since I last saw you. How goes learning the piano? Do you think you're ready for a greater challenge yet?" There was always an elegance and sense of authority in the way Falon moved. Not even looking as disheveled as he did diminished this about Falon.

"I-I have been getting better," Mel replied, wringing his hands nervously. "I'm not that good though. But-but I've also started playing the lute too and I love it, a lot."

"Wonderful, I look forward to hearing you play either." Falon gave Mel what was his version of an encouraging smile. It was always a little off because of his half mask hiding the upper part of his mouth.

"Ma s-serannas," Mel stuttered, a small smile on his face.

Lori wished that Mel could be more confident in himself. He had always been a savant when it came to music, and was just as good at painting as his father. Yet if one were to ask him, the youngest Lavellan would act as though his talents were mediocre at best.

"Hey, Lori, where's my comb?"

Mel squeaked as the twins pushed passed him.

"I didn't take your comb," Lori said, arms crossed.

"Yes you did-"

"Wait, Falon?" Fennir cut his brother off.

Falon gave a soft chuckle. "You two are as subtle as always." He walked over to them and placed his hands on either of their shoulders. "Fen, I swear, every day you look more and more like Uncle Solas, just with black hair instead of golden-brown. Now, if we could find some wolf teeth, we could weave them into your dreadlocks, shave the side of your hair, and poof, we'd have a mini young uncle."

Their papa raised a brow. "Falon, you are not putting bone in my son's hair."

Falon smiled at Solas and flicked his wrist. "Bone was so ninety centuries ago anyways."

"I don't know about bone, but shaving the sides would look cool," Fen said.

"There's no way mamae would let you," Lori pointed out.

"She lets Fennir wear the hat, so, why shouldn't I shave my head?"

"Hey, don't mock the hat," Fennir pouted, holding his hat as if someone would take it. He'd made the hat himself when he was thirteen, and it was an amalgamation of fabric scraps patched together into a two-tailed stocking cap that was as permanent a fixture on Fennir's head as his hair was.

Falon laughed. "You really are the spitting image of your father, Fen, rebel and all."

Solas let out a long low breath.

Fen scoffed. "Me, like him? Please."

"Yeah, I think you're a bit off, cousin," Fennir snickered.

Falon opened his mouth then just laughed and shook his head. "One day."

Solas didn't comment on this.

"So what'cha doing here anyways, Falon?" Fen asked.

"Yeah, haven't seen you in a while," Fennir added.

"I needed to run something by Uncle Solas. Also, it's getting close to his birthday. I figured I'd missed the last three, so, why not try this time around."

Solas's eyes widened. He looked at Falon sharply. "No," her papa shot down the idea in a heartbeat.

"No?" Falon's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean 'no'?"

"No as in banal, Falon," Solas snapped.

"Whoa, calm down Pops. What's wrong with birthdays?" Fen questioned.

"Exactly what Fen just said," Falon stated as he gestured to Fen. "I mean, sure, my siblings, father, myself, and," he frowned, "I don't know, did mother forget the first one we did?"

Solas glared at Falon. A hint of green was creeping into Lori's papa's eyes.

"Oh, hey, papa, I almost forgot!" Lori spoke up, trying to change the subject. "I came here because I was wondering whether or not we were going to be doing any magical training today?"

"Lori!" The twins groaned at her.

"Why would you ask him?" Fennir sighed.

"Yeah, we were banking on him forgetting so we could hang out with Braun and Berdine," Fen glared.

"Well, unlike some people, I actually like training." Lori put her hands on her hips. "It's important as mages that we practice in order to perfect our skills."

"Perfect our skills," Fen repeated mockingly, causing his twin to snicker.

"We aren't practicing today, da'vhenanen," Solas looked at all of them.

"Yes!" The twins cheered, high-fiving one another.

"Nor are you skipping out on helping your mamae to," Solas paused, "hang out. All of us, are heading for the kitchen."

Falon looked at the twins with sympathy.

"But, Pops," Fennir whined. "Berdine and I were going to the market to look at knives."

"Yeah, and I was going to help Braun pick out a new chest-plate," Fen added.

"Last night, all of you promised your mother you would help her today. You will keep that promise." Solas looked at each of them in turn, his pale gaze sharp. His eyes flashed a little as he looked at Fen.

Falon grinned. "Pick up a chest-plate or look at girls, Fen?" their cousin asked as he nudged Fen in the ribs and winked.

Fen blushed. "I dunno what you're talking about," he muttered.

Lori rolled her eyes. Falon was right when he said the twins lacked subtlety.

"All of us are going to the kitchen." Solas looked at Fen and Fennir, his gaze even sterner. "You can worry about your love lives later." Solas strode towards the door. He took hold of the twin's as he passed, steering them out of the library. "Falon, come as well."

"You want me to cook?" Falon asked. He moved after Solas and the boys.

"This is gonna be bad," Mel mumbled.

"Oh, cheer up, Mel. Think of this as some quality family time," Lori smiled.

"This is gonna be bad," he repeated.

Lori followed Mel and the others into the kitchen, where their mother was.

"Finally, you five have decided to hel-" Nimwen's eyes widened when she saw their cousin. "Falon," she said, surprised.

"Aneth ara, Aunt Nimwen." Falon gave Nimwen a slight bow. "Uncle just conscripted me for whatever this cooking is for." He then straightened a little. "Is there a place I can wash and bandage my hands first?" he asked and lifted his scraped hands.

"I-yes, there's the sink over there," Nimwen said, clearly still surprised by Falon's arrival. "As for the rest of you," she looked to her children. "Lori, you will help me with this chicken. Fen and Fennir, I want you two to start peeling and dicing these potatoes."

The twins groaned.

"Why do we get the most boring job?" Fennir complained.

"Because last time you two kept eating the food instead of making it," Nimwen explained.

"Falon, when you're done cleaning your hands would you mind stirring this soup until it simmers?"

"Sure, that's a safe enough job," Falon stated. He had just finished washing his hands. He glanced around the kitchen. "Umm," - Falon rubbed the back of his head - "which one is the soup and what do I use to stir it with?"

Nimwen handed him a large wooden spoon. "The soup is in that pot over there," she said, pointing to the large pot on the stove. "Solas, can you do the salad?"

Falon moved over to the soup. Lori watched her cousin as he moved the spoon so he was holding it a little wrong before he started to try and stir the soup.

"Of course, vhenan," her papa said with a small smile. His gaze flickered over to Falon. "Falon, hold the spoon like you would as you eat."

"I knew that, just checking, Uncle," Falon muttered. The tips of his pointed ears were a little red.

Nimwen turned to her youngest. "Hearthcakes?"

"Hearthcakes," Mel replied, already gathering ingredients.

"Okay, people, let's get a move on."

"Calm down, mamae, you act like we're going to war," Fen said.

"The party a day away and we need to have enough food for everybody," Nimwen replied.

"We'll need a lot, especially if people like Uncle Bull or Hawke will be there," Lori added. "Those two alone could eat enough for an army."

"Which is why we need to start cooking now." Nimwen placed a large chicken onto the cutting board. "Lori, hand me that bowl of seasoning."

"Ah, so that's what all this about; a party." Falon glanced around at all the food. His yellow-gold eyes less than impressed by the amount of food. Then his gaze brightened. "Speaking of parties-"

"I said 'no,' Falon, and meant it," Solas interrupted Falon. He continued to cut the lettuce head without looking at Lori's cousin. "It's not important."

Falon stopped stirring. "Not important?" he repeated, voice less than a whisper.

"What are you two talking about?" asked Nimwen.

Falon let out a heavy breath. "Uncle's birthday in a few months," Falon stated. "I thought it would be nice to celebrate like we used before the chaos hit between the nine of us," he explained. "We did miss the last three for Uncle Solas, and it just-"

Falon let out a sharp hiss. The soup leapt up, boiling over the rim.

Nimwen rushed over to the stove. "Falon, I said the soup needs to simmer!"

"Isn't this a simmer?" Falon asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"No, this is boiling," she corrected, taking the pot off the heat. "And as for birthdays, Falon it's nice that you want to, but Solas is not fond of birthdays."

"Why? We celebrate our birthdays," Fen said.

"He's right. Papa, you never told us why you never want to celebrate your birthday," said Lori.

It was Falon who answered. "You're talking about yearly celebrations. Those stopped a long time ago for Uncle, Dirth, and myself."

"Falon." Solas gave Falon a sharp look.

Falon frowned.

"When would you celebrate your birthday if not every year?" Fennir questioned. "That's… sort of point is it not?"

"I guess," Falon seemed a little confused by this but it was only apparent in the slight trail at the end of the words. "We've not celebrated yearly since Ghilan-"

"Falon!" Solas snapped, his eyes flashing.

"What?" Falon glared at Solas.

"Papa, why does this make you upset?" Lori asked. She never understood why the subject of birthdays was such a taboo for her father. Birthdays were meant to be fun, to celebrate another year of life. Just two months prior they'd celebrated their mother turning forty. It had been a simple enough occasion, they each gotten their mother a gift and the children had cooked her a nice meal. Granted, it was mainly Mel who cooked, and the other three did their best not to burn anything. Lori was all right if given directions or a recipe, the twins could burn water if they tried, but it was the youngest Lavellan who possessed the most culinary skills.

'I can't imagine what could make him hate birthdays,' Lori thought to herself. Her eyes glanced at her mother absentmindedly, when she saw something unfamiliar. 'Hang on, is that gray in her hair?'

Sure enough, tucked behind the older woman's ear was a lock of silver amidst her black hair.

'How long had that been there?' An unsettling feeling grew in Lori's chest. Her mother was forty now. That wasn't that old in the grand scheme of things, but it meant she was only one year away from being forty-one, and soon she would be fifty and-

A chill went up Lori's spine. 'Someday mamae will be old. Someday she'll die.'

Lori wasn't stupid. She knew what death was and that everyone eventually died. However, the idea of her parents passing had always seemed distant, as if they were the exception. Because they were her parents, they would always be around, right? It felt as though one last vestige of childhood naivete had fallen away as Lori finally realized the mortality of her parents. It was as if her sight had cleared.

Along with the silver streak, Lori saw the slight wrinkles near her mother's eyes she hadn't noticed before, the crease in her forehead, even her vallaslin seemed more faded. True much of it could have been because of the hard life her mother lived before having Lori and her brothers, but the girl couldn't deny that time was starting to affect her mother.

'And she's only forty. Papa will be turning sixty!' Lori thought with horror. She dared a glance at her papa, to see if she noticed any aging on him.

She looked and found… nothing.

'Huh?' She tilted her head in confusion. She tried to see if anything was different but found nothing. She looked back on her memories of her father, trying to see if he had ever looked younger. She couldn't see it, in all her memories he looked the same as he did now. 'That doesn't make sense. Surely he would have to have changed a little bit in twenty years,' she thought to herself. Granted, most of her father's side of the family seemed to have aged quite well. In fact, Falon himself was supposed to be two years older than her mother, but he still looked quite young.

'So does great-uncle Bora,' Lori argued to herself. Her uncle was in his sixties, but had the looks and spirit of a thirty-year old man. 'So I'm not crazy. Papa can't be not aging, that would be silly.'

"I have no desire to celebrate my birthday, Lori."

Her father's voice brought her back to the present.

Solas looked at her, his eyes soft. "Before, Falon brought it up, all of you had only asked once about it. I just don't like my birthday."

Falon was shaking a little. His eyes closed. "The one tradition we can keep and you want to throw it away. One tradition!" Falon shouted. His eyes snapped open. A soft acidic green light was starting to overtake his eyes.

"It's not an important one, Falon," Solas argued.

"Not important!" Falon took a step towards Solas, his voice kept rising. "Banalhan banal'raslin it's not important!"

The chicken twitched one wing.

"Did you see that?" Lori gasped. "The chicken, it-it moved!"

"Are you an idiot? That thing is long dead," Fen scoffed.

"It is the one tradition we have left which is peaceful. Atish, Uncle. Or does that also mean nothing to you!"

The chicken started to stir.

Falon advanced on Solas and took hold of his collar.

The chicken leapt up onto the bone which remained of its feet.

Lori shrieked and backed away. "I told you!"

"Holy shit!" Fennir gasped.

"What the fuck?" Fen raised the peeling knife in defense. "Get that thing!"

The chicken bolted. It slid on the bone and crashed to the floor. It scrambled back to its feet and raced forward again. It hit the counter, fell, stood, and repeated.

"Falon!" Solas snapped.

Lori screamed as she leapt onto the countertop. "Kill it, kill it!" she cried.

The twins scrambled after the chicken wielding a knife and potato peeler.

"Hold still, you little shit!" Fen snapped as he swiped at the chicken.

The shouting made Falon pull away from Solas and blink. "Fenedhis," Falon spat. He lifted his hand. "Ir mala ghilana din'an. Hamin eth bellanaris, mala sulevin mirthadra."

The chicken fell to the floor. It didn't stir again.

"Ir abelas, Aunt Nimwen." Falon gave Nimwen an apologetic bow. "I shouldn't have lost," he hesitated, "control like that. Forgive me for frightening all of you." His eyes swept over them.

"You did that?" Fen asked.

"You have got to teach us that!" Fennir exclaimed. "Fen, just imagine the pranks we could pull doing that."

"Absolutely not," Nimwen cut in.

"I knew this would end badly," Mel sighed, holding a tray of unbaked hearthcakes.

Falon shifted. Without a word, he strode from the room. Lori could just see his ears had turned bright red at the twins' words.

"Back to the potatoes, boys," Solas instructed them. "Vhenan, I will get a new chicken for the party." He gave a small sigh.

"All right," Nimwen nodded. "I'm going to check on Falon. You four hold down the fort for us."

Solas wasn't far behind her, telling the twins, sternly, to not burn down the kitchen.

Lori watched as her mother strode out of the kitchen. "I hope cousin Falon is all right," she said, worried.

"All three of them need to stop being so wound up," Fen said, taking his frustration out on a potato.

"Yeah, what's with them?" Fennir added, plucking a strawberry from the bowl of fruit.

"I don't know-" Mel smacked the strawberry from his brother's hand. "-but I think there's something going on."

"Yeah, me too," Lori sighed. She looked at the kitchen door. Something was going on that her parents and Falon weren't telling them. She had an urge to follow her mother and eavesdrop on her and Falon, but she could get in trouble. 'Not to mention we have all this to do.' She looked at all the unprepared food with dismay.

She forced herself to push the issue to the back of her mind, and instead focus on the party. 'It's going to be wonderful to see everybody again.' She smiled. Soon her mind filled with the excitement of seeing her old friends and relatives. 'Uncle Dorian and Aunt Viv are going to be so impressed with my new spells,' she thought with glee.

"Uh, sis, why are you smiling at the bread like that?" Fen asked.

"It's kinda creepy," Fennir added.

"O-oh nothing," Lori stammered, cheeks pink. "I was just thinking about- Fennir, stop stealing the strawberries!"

"Come on, I just wanted one!"

*~ x ~*

A sharp wind had picked up over the last week. Valendrian could smell the sharp scent of sea air being pulled inland. He turned his gaze towards the clouds, keeping his hood up with his free hand. A mass of thick, black clouds were brewing on the horizon.

"I don't think we're going to make it to Kirkwall before the storm hits," he called over the wind and the soft tapping of his hart's hooves to his companions.

"Great, first nasty wind and now we get caught in a downpour. Really brilliant. You're doing great as keeper." It was Kaida who shouted this over the roaring wind. She was seated on a hart just behind Valen's mother. Kaida was the daughter of Alaula and Sinderon, his adopted sister and his grandmother's brother respectively. Given the time Valen spent with his sister he had taken to calling Kaida his niece.

"No one even asked you to come," Valen muttered this so his mother wouldn't be able to hear him.

"We need to find shelter before the storm hits," his mother said, eyeing the horizon. "Valen, is your cloak warm enough? I have an extra if you need it."

Kaida snickered.

Valen felt his ears warm under his hood. "I'm fine, mother."

"Are you sure? You know how you get during rainstorms."

Valen felt his cheeks start to warm a little as well. He had inherited his father's bad lungs and frail body, a fact his mother would never let him forget. It wasn't as bad as his father, at least his breathing wasn't.

"I'm fine," Valen repeated. He closed his left eye. Images overlaid before the right, showing him a path. He could see a cave not far from them and feel an echo from the spiders which dwelled within. "There's a cave that's safe not too far from here," he called back, changing the subject. "There might be a few spiders in there but nothing too bad."

"I can handle a few spiders," his mother said, patting her longbow. "Now let's go. I can already feel this blasted humidity getting in my hair." His mother had extremely curly, red hair.

A light rain started by the time they arrived at the cave. Valen dismounted his hart and led the mount only a little ways into the cave. He lifted the hand not holding the reins and soft fire flickered to life on his palm. It was just enough light to see into the dusty cave.

Clicking came from the back. He closed his left eye once more. Shapes moved in the shadows just beyond his light. None moved closer, not yet at least.

"Wow, it's even colder in here than out there," Kaida almost shouted as she stepped into the space. Her voice echoed.

Valen sighed. "Can't you keep it down just once?" he asked. Her parents were the quiet ones within the clan. Not Kaida, she took any chance she had to mouth off and be heard.

"Here da'len." The red haired woman held out the spare cloak.

Valen took the cloak, but didn't put it on. Instead he wrapped it over the infinity bag his father had crafted him when Valen had first awoke as being a mage. He stepped forward, hand on his staff, left eye still closed.

"The spiders will come from the left," he informed his mother and niece.

"Be ready you two," his mother said, raising her bow.

Valen drew his staff. A bolt of lightning swung from the end and struck a spider as it leapt from the shadows. He Fade-stepped back, casting a barrier over himself and the two women.

His mother fired an arrow just as another spider leapt towards her, striking it between the eyes. "Kaida, on your right," she warned.

"Yah-hooooooo!" Kaida let out her version of a battle cry. A bottle exploded at her feet, lighting the space around them in a slight blaze. The fire raced over her clothes.

She leapt off the small platform, ironbark daggers drawn. Blood sprayed as she landed on top of a spider.

Valen twirled his staff around him and slammed the end into the ground. The cave was lit in arching blue light. Lightning bounced from one spider to the next.

"I'm going to pull them together!" he called.

Veil warped as he called on Pull of the rift. The spiders clawed the ground as they were forced towards the center.

Kaida leapt off her spider and slashed another's legs as it stumbled passed her.

"Good job, da'len," the redhead praised as she fired at the trapped spiders.

"You could have used the lightningy one," Kaida complained. She cut down another spider. "I like hitting them and seeing sparks flying as I hit them."

Valen sighed. "It's called lightning cage, Kaida."

"Whatever, I don't care about the magy terms, keeper. I just want the sparks."

"Less talking more spider killing," Valen's mother scolded as she shot another spider.

"Already on it, Aunt Milly!" Another vial exploded at Kaidas feet. Her movement blurred as she struck at the spiders.

"Mother's name is Milliel," Valen corrected. Lightning raced from the tip of Valen's staff in a barrage. It hailed down on the last spider, killing it. "It's over." He lowered his staff.

"Good," Milliel sighed. "Everyone okay?"

Valen smiled. "I'm fine. Kaida?"

"Meh, not telling."

"Kaida." Valen walked over to her. He was relieved when he was no longer looking up at her. In the last year he had grown so that he was only an inch or so shorter than his father. "Where are you hurt?"

"Not telling." Kaida folded her arms across her chest and grinned.

"Young lady if you're injured you'd better say so," the redhead demanded. "You're already in big trouble for following after us after you were told not to."

"Oh, come on!" Kaida exclaimed. "I just wanted adventure. A little excitement. Mom already treats me like I'm still ten. I'm fifteen. Fifteen!"

Valen closed his right eye this time and lifted his hand. Magic flowed through him in a trick his great-grandfather had taught him. It allowed him to find any injury without actually having to touch the person.

"You're fine," he stated and moved off.

"All right you two, let's set up camp," said Milliel. "And be quick. We'll be taking a short rest and leave as soon as the rain lets up."

Valen was already pulling out the dry wood from his infinity bag. He was setting up a fire near the entrance but not where the rain would hit it. The rain wouldn't let up.

"And if it doesn't let up?" Kaida asked.

"We'll have to go out in it," Valen replied in place of his mother. "We're only two day's ride from Kirkwall."

Kaida huffed. "Slave driver."

"This isn't a vacation, Kaida," Milliel reminded her. "We need to get to Kirkwall as soon as possible so we can warn Nimwen and the others."

"We're only a little ahead of the group trying to kill our people," Valen stated as he lit the fire. He then started to pull out some of the medication his girlfriend had given him. She was apprenticed to the clan healer. "Here," - he tossed a vile at Kaida - "drink that, it will help ease your hunger."

"What about food?"

"I said we were low last night. We only packed enough for two," Valen reminded her.

"Fine." She made a face as she drank the potion.

"We can last until we reach the city," the redhead said as she examined her bowstring. "When I was your age, my hunting party lost our food bag in the river. We ate grass for two days straight."

"Yuck!" Kaida made a face.

Valen ignored her and pulled out the other items Rawya, his girlfriend had packed for him. She had been very stern about him taking the new potion she had figured out to help keep his airways clear through the day. She was very pleased it worked for both him and his father.

Valen smiled, remembering how she had warned him on how not taking it would mean he would have to rely on the "quick" fix his father was used to. She had made certain to give him just enough for two doses a day until he returned to the clan.

"You look happy all of a sudden," Milliel said. "Something on your mind?"

"Someone's thinking of Apprentice Healer Rawya." Kaida made smooching noise. "The great keeper misses his girlfriend."

Valen felt his entire face heat. "W-what? I do not."

"Oh, I'll tell her that you didn't miss her when we get back."

"Don't you dare!"

"Rawya is a nice girl," Valen's mother said. "She's becoming quite a skilled healer."

Kaida snickered. "Yeah, she get's practice time with Vally."

Valen's ears felt as if they were about to fall off.

"All that smooching too."

"Kaida!" Valen pulled his hood over his eyes. He wanted to vanish into the ground just then.

"Ah, you're no fun." Kaida huffed.

"Okay, subject change," Milliel declared. "I don't need to hear about that from my baby boy."

"'Baby boy,' pffft." Kaida fell back, clutching her stomach as she rolled around laughing.

Valen took a deep breath and looked away from her. He just had to ignore her. He had to ignore her.

"What's so funny?" Milliel tilted her head, confused.

"I think she finds everything amusing, mother," Valen stated. He had regained his composure. He took the vile, breathing in the power.

"I swear I don't know where you get your energy from," Milliel told Kaida. "Even when they were young your parents were the calmest elves I'd ever known."

"Yeah, well one of us has to loud, don't we?" Kaida smirked.

Valen stood and moved towards the entrance.

"I suppose," Milliel chuckled. "Valen don't go out in the rain with your hood down."

Valen let out a low breath but didn't reply. He had no intentions of stepping outside just yet. His gaze locked on the horizon and arms behind his back. He closed his left eye, letting the images of the days to come pass over his vision.

War and flames licked at the city of Kirkwall. They would arrive a day ahead of such chaos if they were lucky. A war waged for the very lives of their people and Kirkwall was now a target because the shemlen had learned the eldest, or what was believed to be the eldest, of their people lived there. His grandfather, Solas or, as he was known only to a few of them: Fen'Harel.

"Is everything alright, da'len?" Milliel approached and stood beside her son.

Valen opened his eye. "Just thinking, mother."

"And looking as if you rule the world while doing so," Kaida spoke in dry tones.

"Did you see anything new?"

"It's," Valen hesitated, "my vision isn't as clear as father's, but I think we'll arrive a day before the city comes under attack. Maybe?"

"Maybe? That's the best your weirdie sight can do? A maybe?!" Kaida huffed. "So much for being Shartan's eldest son and prodigy!"

"Kaida, that's enough," Milliel scolded the girl.

"What? Come on!" Kaida let out an exasperated breath. The sound of her curling up by the fire followed. "Whatever. It's not like I want to be part of weirdie conversations anyway."

"Don't listen to her," Milliel told him, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"It's fine, I'm used to it." Valen gave his mother a small, reassuring smile. In all honesty, most of the clan had treated him differently since he had been very little. Him and his sisters, later his brother when he had come along. They were the children of Mahvir, the toymaker and hahren of the clan. Now, since his father had revealed the fact he had been Shartan, the looks had become even more awe filled.

It had always been different for Valen though. He had awoken as mage at an age unheard of to most Dalish, being only three. He had been ushered into training and found everything about it fascinating, keeping pace with keeper faster than even she had thought possible. Perhaps he was different, yet, was it really surprising? His father was Dirthamen, his grandfather was Fen'Harel. Was there anything normal about that side of his blood at all?

"You've grown up so fast," his mother sighed. "I remember when you and your sisters were babies. You were so small, it seemed just yesterday I could sit all three of you in my lap."

Valen felt himself smile a little further. His sight let him actually see and remember moments like that. "Diantha and Anira never did like sharing your lap with me," he said with a small laugh.

"Diantha and Anira were never fond of sharing anything when they were little," Milliel chuckled. "Oh when did you all grow up? You look so much like your father. But just remember, you'll always be my baby boy," she smiled, pinching his cheek.

Valen touched his mother's hand. He'd only ever minded her doing this right after he had become the clan keeper. Otherwise, he had always loved the small moments his mother and Grandmother Henala had shown affection towards him and his siblings.

Kaida snorted with laughter. "The great keeper," she giggled. "Ah, too cute. Not as cute as Thalion gagging and running for cover," - Kaida named Valen's younger brother - "or as cute as little Sybil spitting in shock," - she named his two-year-old sister - "but still cute. If only the rest of the clan was here to see the great keeper being mommied."

"Oh, as if your parents haven't babied you as well," Milliel teased.

Kaida turned bright red. "Oh, so shutting up now."

Valen laughed.

He then turned his gaze back on the rain pouring outside. "It's not going to let up," he whispered more to himself than to his mother. They would need to head out again soon if they hoped to just beat the storm which was about to break over the city.


Banalhan - Place of nothing/ the void or abyss

Banal'raslin - Shadow bloodor taint

Atish - peace or peaceful, used as peaceful by Falon

Ir mala ghilana din'an - I am your guide into death

Hamin eth bellanaris, mala sulevin mirthadra - rest safely for eternity, your purpose is honored.


Flame: So, something random, is the wikia for dragon age says atish'an means peace, but -an is a suffix referring to place. Which means peace is actually atish and atish'an is peaceful place.

On another note, the clan did have a first after Nimwen left in the form of Dirth's and Milly's eldest son Valen. So, all good there.

Herenya: What do you guys think of the kiddos being all grown up? It was kind of strange for me to switch up Lori's speech from that of a toddler to a nineteen year-old, and the twins were infants in book 2. But I love writing their teenage selves. Also first appearance of the fourth Lavellan child! Meet Meldarion Lavellan, aka Mel. He's a sweetheart and I love him too :0)