Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age: Origins or any of its characters. Bioware does.
I plan on writing a this about the female Dalish Elf. Review please :D
The bushes rustle as a blur dashes through the forest. Coming to an abrupt stop, Lyna catches sight of her fair-haired companion, bow drawn and arrow notched. Following suit, she slowly steps up to his side, taking aim at the three figures cowering in front of him. Even Tamlen's elven ears could barely discern her approach. "You're just in time. I found these… humans lurking in the bushes. Bandits, no doubt." He glanced to her, egging her on, "What do you say, lethallan? What should we do with them?"
Her dark eyes flitting from one human to the next, she ignored Tamlen's seeming suggestion. "Let's find out what they're doing here."
A note of frustration entered his light voice, "Does it matter? Hunting or banditry, we'll need to move camp if we let them live." His eyes narrowed and his muscles tensed as one of the humanstook a single step forward to speak.
"L-look… we didn't come here to be trouble. We just found a cave… with ruins." The man spoke nervously, his voice shaking with every word.
"We know this forest. There are caves, but no ruins. You lie." Her last words dripping with poison as she pulled back ferociously on her bowstring, her knuckles white.
The human's eyes widened. In desperation, he fumbled with his pockets, yelling "I… I have proof! Here…" handing an intricately carved artifact to Tamlen's curious fingers.
Tamlen looked to his sister, speaking in near disbelief "This is elvish. Written elvish!" Looking back to their prey, he calmly raised his bow once more.
"We found this just inside the entrance. We didn't get very far in."
Lyna frowned at the human, "Why not?"
The shem gestured wildly "There was a demon! It was huge. With black eyes! Thank the Maker we were able to outrun it!"
Tamlen scoffed loudly at the shemlen. "Demon? Where are these ruins?"
"To the west. Not far from here." he offered freely.
"What do you think, lethallan?" He asked, turning to the woman beside him. "Do we need to kill them?"
The humans' eyes widened, pleading and darted between the elves. Lyna struggled for a moment. A look of sympathy washed over her face as she stared into the humans' eyes. "You've frightened them enough. They won't bother us."
Tamlen looked over at his partner, then nodded slowly in understanding. "Run along then, shems… and don't come back until we Dalish have moved on."
He waited until they were well out of sight before taking the carved artifact out again and turning his back to where the humans once stood. Staring at the stone carvings, he lifted his head, a devilish look on his face. "Well, shall we see if there's any truth to their story? These carvings are making me curious."
Lyna knew Tamlen better than anyone. He wouldn't stop for reason unless someone metaphorically shoved it down his throat. She hoped she would be a loud enough voice of reason to counter that habit of his. "Shouldn't we inform the Keeper?" she strongly suggested to her brother.
He furrowed his brow for a moment. "She might be interested in these carvings, but let's see if there's anything more being we get excited." He tossed her the relic. "Besides, we're already here." The blond turned around, gazing at the sky. "Now, they said it was to the west…"
Following the directions the humans gave, the pair made their way gracefully through the forest, moving as one. Lyna let her mind wander, she always did while running in the woods. She tried to think of a time she had gone off without Tamlen at her side, but soon realized they had been together so long that she could remember the last time she made it into the woods without anyone following… for a time.
Lyna snuck off into the woods in the middle of the night, as she often did, to sing to herself and the creatures of the forest. The young rogue had left the other fledglings asleep by the fire, sneaking past Ashalle's aravel, as quietly as she could manage. She found her favorite spot; a single, large tree stump in the middle of a clearing. The stump was covered in light from the full moon. Happily, she ran to the stump and leapt atop it, twirling in a circle and breathing in the night air, deeply. Feeling more lively than usual tonight, she closed her eyes and danced about the tree stump as she sang, her voice echoing through the trees.
Her song finished, and her arms outstretched, she opened her violet eyes only to be met by three pairs of pale eyes staring at her in wonder. Startled, Lyna jumped back, leaping from her stage onto the forest floor below. There stood the fledglings Tamlen, Merrill, and Fenarel, applauding her performance. "That was incredible!" Tamlen shouted as he patted her on the back, as an older brother would to a sibling.
She looked up to see his smiling, proud face. It brought a smile to hers, as well. She thought to herself and quietly hummed as they walked back to camp, and to the waiting Keeper, to be scolded together.
Lyna snapped back to their current dilemma as she saw her fellow hunter stop abruptly. Two wolves blocked their path. They seemed more agitated than usual. In a flurry of blades and arrows they were easily taken down.
Tamlen watched as Lyna knelt by each of the fallen beasts, pressing her forehead to theirs, praying for their passing. She had always been kind to all.
There was one moment that always stood out to him though.
She had agreed to let a shemlen beggar to leave with his life after stumbling upon the clan, when he turned around and lunged at her, dagger drawn. Tamlen moved to help her but was too slow. The struggle was over quickly, and the man lay dying; his own blade protruding from his chest- Lyna had caught the man and turned his blade against him. As the grass turned red around him, Lyna knelt next to the human, placing her hand on his chest and placing her forehead upon his, she prayed the Creators take mercy and ease his passing. She stayed like that until he passed. When she arose from the ground, Tamlen questioned why she would do as such for anyone that attacked her, let alone a human. She looked surprised for a moment, then gazed at him with soft, knowing eyes. "We may be different in life, but in death, we are the same. Scared. Would you not want someone to ease your passing?"
Tamlen suddenly realized he was standing still at the gaping rocks before him. How long they had been standing there, he had no idea."This must be the cave. I don't recall seeing this here before, do you?"
Lyna knew she and the other hunters in the clan had been all over the forest, and not once had they come across this.. nor anything like this. "No, and that worries me. We should be wary."
His curiosity got the better of him again. His tone changed to that of defiance. "Always the careful one. Fine, but I'm not running back until I know there's something worth making a fuss over. Come on, let's at least see what's there," he said, stepping closer to the entrance. "How dangerous could it be?"
Upon entering the cave, the air smelled stale. Tamlen looked around in wonder, stepping farther into the ruins without thinking. "It looks like the shem was telling the truth. These ruins look more human than elven," he observed quietly.
Lyna followed her brother into the ruins cautiously, glancing around, listening for any sign of trouble. Something doesn't feel right, she thought as she heard a loud hiss. She whipped around to look behind her and all around. Seeing nothing, she turned back to face her partner.
Seconds later, she heard the hiss again, but closer. Her heart began to race, but her face showed no sign of her nerves. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as a cold shiver ran down her spine. It's nothing. It's nothing. Just watch where you're going. Watch where you're—"Tamlen!" Lyna shouted suddenly. His foot hovered over a tile on the floor.
He turned around innocently, "What are you shouting about?"
She pointed angrily at the tile he was about to step on. It didn't look like the rest. It was slightly raised and looked unsteady. Lyna knelt down to examine it. It was a pressure plate, and would have triggered who knows what had he stepped on it. She began to disarm it to avoid future problems, while Tamlen continued on around it.
Lyna shivered as she heard the hiss again, but her muscles tensed as she heard Tamlen's yell of trouble. She lifted her gaze to see Tamlen fighting off a giant spider. He can handle himself she told herself as she watched helplessly, her fingers trapped beneath the pressure plate for the time being, trying to disarm it. She blinked and suddenly there were eight large blood-red eyes staring back at her, hovering in front of her face. The second spider dropped heavily to the steady floor in front of her as a third scurried up to its side. Slowly it walked towards her, its fangs dripping with venom as it eyed her.
Tamlen watched it happen, as if in slow motion. Lyna finished disarming the trap just as the spider lunged over the tile at her, taking her to the ground.
It was all Lyna could do to put her arms up in defense. She held her arms steady, as the spider ripped and tore at her flesh with its fangs, trying to get to her vulnerable body. She screamed out as the spider clamped onto her right arm and held, unwilling to let go of its prey. With her left hand, she fumbled for her small dagger at her waist, praying it had stayed on her when she had fallen.
Tamlen watched in horror as blood poured from his sister, but he could do nothing to stop it. The first spider was dead, but the last of them heard its sibling fall and vowed to take revenge on the creature that did so, attacking Tamlen before he could aid Lyna. Suddenly, a cry from both spider and the elven woman met his ears.
He could not take the chance of stealing a glance, or he would die at the will of this spider. As it leapt into the air in front of him, the tip of an arrow suddenly shown through its head. Staring directly ahead as the spider fell away, he was met by the sight of his friend. Her normally well kept hair disheveled and falling to her shoulders. Her gaze and stance unwavering, her bloody hand still held her bow aloft.
She spoke in a very even, calm tone. "Let us be more wary of this place. It appears it has not been as still as you thought." Tamlen nodded silently in agreement and followed behind her.
She looked at her bare, bleeding arms before pouring a poultice into the wounds. She watched as the flesh knit back together slowly. They took this calm moment to take a good look around the room they were in. There were many skeletons littering the floor, most of which had been picked clean, both of flesh and of items. Her dark eyes rested on one body, gloves and bracers still covered the arms. She eyed her own bare ones for a moment then strode over and plucked them off the body, examining them. They were of cured leather. These will do nicely she said to herself as she slipped them on herself.
The pair continued through the ruins, without encountering any more spiders, but with many more traps. After the first near miss, Tamlen agreed to let Lyna take point, as he was not trained in the arts of a rogue and could not recognize these as traps. Suddenly they found themselves in what seemed to have once been an important hallway. There were remnants of ornate decorations covering the walls and floor. Where the hall met another at a crossing, there sat a statue. It looked to be that of a woman with her arms and a golden pair of wings outstretched.
Tamlen stepped closer to the statue, "I can't believe this." When he stood directly in front of it, he turned to face Lyna; his eyes beaming. "You recognize this statue, don't you?"
Lyna eyed the statue for a moment or two, racking her brain for the answer. "It's worn, but looks vaguely familiar..." she resigned.
Tamlen's face fell, but only for a second. He smiled again as he began to speak. "Back when our people lived in Arlathan, statues like these honored the Creators. When the shems enslaved us, much of the lore was lost." He studied the carved figure for a few more seconds, finally stating "This looks like human architecture… with a statue of our people." He seemed confused, then offered "Can these ruins date back to the time of Arlathan?"
Lyna had always been fascinated by their heritage, but it was not a passion. Not like it was for her friend. "It's interesting. So much of our past is lost to us."
He reached up and placed his hand on the cold stone, dragging his fingers lightly over the crevices in the rock. He spoke excitedly, "I'd never have guessed ancient elves might have lived here! With humans!"
He stepped backwards and Lyna's ears twitched as she heard a loud click. The hall in front of the statue began to fill with a poisonous gas. The bodies strewn about the halls suddenly jumped to life and shamble towards them. Lyna looked at the floor to see what she had thought was ornate metal-work for decoration was actually a large pressure trap. Damn! How could I have missed that? She scolded herself harshly as she carelessly dumped the contents of her pouch to the floor and thrust the cloth over her nose and mouth.
Grabbing her dagger in her free hand, the elf fought viciously to protect she and her brother, who had taken her lead and also held his pouch over his face. He was faring well considering he was a better trained archer than combat fighter. Lyna twisted her legs and crouched low, wrapping her bladed hand around her body. She then unfurled herself in a twirling sweep of blood and blade, decapitating the bodies. The gas dissipated, allowing she and Tamlen to see the carnage that lay at their feet.
Lyna wiped her blade clean, but stopped just before sheathing it once more. There's something there… she thought, staring at the door before them.
Tamlen could sense her unease. He stepped to the door, standing to the side. He looked at her to see if she was indeed ready. She was crouched and ready to strike, her blades primed for any attack.
He threw open the door as an echoing growl emerged from the opening. He watched as Lyna's face turned from one of preparedness to one of horror and surprise. Leaping to her side, he drew his bow but stopped before notching an arrow. He, too, was taken aback. Before them stood what looked to be a bear… but no longer a bear. It was different. Changed. Spines protruded from all angles out of its back and limbs.
Lyna shook off her shock and surprise and dove for the beast, plunging her dagger deep into its body. The bear turned to stare her down. Its eyes were different too. It looked to have none of its previous self left. The bear in this creature was no more. It shook away from her blade, as she was lost in thought, and used one of its massive paws to throw her towards a wall. She contorted her body in such a way she perched herself right on the wall, then dropped herself to the floor. Holding her hand to her abdomen, her body was screaming at her. She watched calmly as it strode over to her, and stood on its hind legs to take a strong swipe at her. The beast bellowed and fell to the ground at her feet.
Walking to its side, Lyna pulled her long dagger from the body, wiping it clean once more. "Even big things like you will go down with enough poison," she stated simply before walking away. Her brow furrowed as she stared back at it and thought It was not your body. You destroyed what proud beast used to own it. I don't know what you are, but you are not the same…
Tamlen stepped carefully into the room, looking at the creature. "By the Creators, what was that thing?"
Suddenly, he seemed distracted by what lay in the center of the room. On a platform sat a mirror. The frame decorated with carvings. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Tamlen finally broke the silence, "I wonder what the writing says." Neither of the Dalish could read the carved writing around the mirror's edge.
Lyna studied the mirror for a few seconds before it dawned on her. There's no reflection. She began to feel nauseated, like something terrible was going to happen. "Stand back, we cannot be sure it is safe," she warned him.
Tamlen looked over his shoulder at the younger girl, trying to reassure her, "It sat here for who knows how many centuries—what could be so dangerous? Don't worry; I won't break it." He stepped onto the platform and ran his fingers along the frame. "I wonder what the writing is for? Maybe this isn't—hey, did you see that?" he asked as the glass rippled.
Lyna felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach as dread overwhelmed her. "Get away from it, Tamlen…"
Tamlen hushed her, "Hold on, I just want to know what it is. Don't you see it?" The glass rippled a second time, but larger, "There it is again!" He continued to stare into the mirror. "Can you feel that," he asked with a small smirk, "I think it knows we're here. I just need to take a closer look."
He stepped ever closer. Suddenly panic flashed over his face as he yelled "It saw me! Help me sister!" He struggled against his body, his hand lifted toward the glass, and though he tried violently to turn his head away, his eyes never left the mirror. "Help me! I can't look away!"
Lyna dove for him but she was too far away. His fingers touched the glass. A white light exploded forth from the mirror and threw the elven woman back. Weakly, she stretched her hand through the darkness quickly filling her sight, "Tam…len…"
The first chapter of the Dalish Elf story I plan to write. The updates will be somewhat sparce, as I've got school to worry about, but review and let me know what you think of this first little installment!