What no one realised, when they picked their Inquisitor, their saviour, was that she'd be so incredibly other. She kept secrets and had been labelled an outsider by the Vallaslin crafted so carefully by Keeper Istimaethoriel Lavellan. The markings were a symbol of pride when her people looked upon her, but were a pain in reality, things she received while masking her doubt. She learned things to recite, excuses and hopes and promises she didn't remember.

It wasn't until a couple of years after she earned her Vallaslin that she finally learned to read the basics of the Common Tongue. What with the Fifth Blight and the avoidance of trade with the humans before that, she'd never been able to justify asking hren Threros to teach her to do so. There was too much to do, too many of the people to protect, too many darkspawn to avoid or cut down. As a scout, that was her duty, her role: protect the clan.

But a scout wasn't taught to read Ancient Elvhen, because why teach someone who wasn't expected to know everything? Instead, Alaina was left to stare blankly at the pages of symbols she couldn't begin to understand, not without some kind of tutelage. And they were only in the common tongue, books written by dwarves and humans and even a diary from a city elf.

"All these worlds just out of my reach," she would murmur to herself - until 9:38 Dragon, when Threros finally took pity on her and agreed to teach her.

Less than two years hence, the Conclave was called. The Keeper sent Alaina, as the only kinsperson capable of travel and also able to read the language, to watch and wait. If the Templars' won, then things would inevitably worsen for the People. If the mages won, then perhaps the Elvhen could eventually be welcomed with open arms.

What Keeper Lavellan should have realised was that Alaina was an incredibly curious girl. Given the chance, she would have happily explored the 'dreadful' human cities they sometimes passed on the path to Arlathvhen, the meeting of the clans. She was too curious. She wasn't 'Dalish' enough, but she was also 'too' Dalish to blend in with the people who saved, accused, and raised her up.

She was just alive enough to be what the Inquisition needed, though. Until they said they needed her to write reports of what she had done. When she realised that half way through a mission, she slipped and sliced her finger as she adjusted the daggers' holsters on her back.

"Fenedhis!"

Word count: 431

A/N: It occurred to me that my poor curious Inquisitor, Alaina Lavellan, wouldn't really have been taught to read common tongue or ancient elvish in the chaos that led up to the Conclave. Just too much going on - no time to teach the children, the elders needing all spare hands. But if something changed - if it got safe to be an elf, even only by a fraction - then she'd have talked anyone into teaching her to do so.

Threros is an OC; he teaches the children basic skills. Istimaethoriel is the canonical Keeper, in DA:I Lavellan can receive a letter signed by her.

Vallaslin - blood writing, the facial tattoos. Common tongue - main language of Ferelden, created largely by Dwarves, basically their version of English. Hren - respected person. 9:38 Dragon - start of Orlesian civil war, year before DA:I. Fenedhis - elven curse, similar to 'crap' or 'shit'.