The Future So Bright
Once upon a time there were three girls who were closer than sisters. They lived together as children in an orphanage in an Alienage in the largest city of Ferelden. Hila was the oldest and the one the other two called Soul. She bound them all together.
Adi and Meiri both shared the same birthday but were not related by blood. Adi was the prettiest of the three and the kindest. The other two called her Heart.
Meiri was the quietest and the smartest. It seemed as though she never forgot anything. The other two called her Mind.
For as long as the three could remember they had been inseparable. One day, when they were nine and washing dishes, Hila froze the dishwater. Sister Shiri, the most devout of the ladies who ran the Orphanage, saw her do it. The next day Ser Otto and another templar took Hila away.
Eight years later
Meiri could tell that Adi was beside herself with excitement. The day had at last arrived. The air was crisp and cool. The light was beginning to show on the rooftops as the sun began her ascent. In the dim light the girls were dressing for their big day.
Meiri tied a thin cloth rolled into a belt around her waist under her dress. In the cloth was her entire fortune.
Meiri put on her very best (out of three) dresses, a thin, brown wool garment Adi had sewed for her. Adi was wearing a similar dress, but in green. Both girls and dresses were as clean as elves could make them. Meiri hoped she looked presentable. Adi, of course, looked stunning.
Today Meiri would buy her elevation into being a journeyman silversmith. Today Adi would become a journeyman tailor. Today was also both of their birthdays as well as the end of their indentures.
Tailors only needed to make a showpiece and be approved. Adi had shown needle skill at a very early age. Elves were prized in the cloth trade because they were capable of very fine work. Adi, however, not only was talented with a needle, she was also a good designer and could keep a pattern true with almost no mistakes.
Silversmiths had to buy their ascension every step of the way. Parents bought their children apprenticeships with a silversmith. Apprentices, and their parents, bought journeyman status. The apprentice also had to produce a showpiece and have it approved by the Guild. Meiri's had been approved weeks ago. She debated whether to wear it, but concluded it was too showy for a mere apprentice to wear. She put it safely away under her mattress. Meiri had bargained, traded, sold and haggled her way into the purchase price. She had done without ever since the day she apprenticed. She had saved every bit of coin she came across. Today would make all of that worthwhile. Once she was a journeyman she could begin to make real coin. She could pay the Orphanage back her apprentice fees. She stopped herself. One step at a time, she thought.
The time for celebrating and wool gathering would be after work at the celebration in the Orphanage. They would be moving in with their respective masters the next day as junior members of their guilds. Meiri would be the first elven member of her guild ever. Adi would only be the third or fourth member of hers.
After they dressed the girls left the Orphanage. They both felt they were on the edge of something far bigger than they could possibly hope.
"I'll get a little shop and make all the latest fashions. You'll trade your way into a fortune and be the richest elf ever. We'll both have dowries and choose our own husbands, who will both be tall and handsome. You'll get a kind one and I'll get a clever one." Adi broke off at her friend's giggling.
"Glad to know everything is all planned out" Meiri laughed.
"Why don't we splurge a little?" Adi asked. "Go to the market and split a day old cakelet? I know you have the money" she wheedled.
To Adi's amazement Meiri actually considered it.
"That would be nice. But no. There are too many pickpockets in the Market. We daren't risk it. But we can stop through there on the way home tonight. The cakes will be cheaper still and we can share" Meiri said.
"Spoilsport" Adi mock grumbled, then ruined the effect by grinning.
Their usual path took them off the broad River Road and on to the much narrower Butcher's Street, which despite its name was mostly human dwellings.
Halfway down the block, the two girls realized that the street was deserted. A moment later two armed men emerged out of a doorway in front of them. Meiri turned around to see two more armed men close behind the pair. She backed up against Adi, who was trembling.
"Give us your money" said one of the men behind Meiri. Meiri removed her purse from her belt and tossed at the grinning man in front of her. A soft chink told her that Adi had done much the same.
"No darling, give us all your money." said the man in front of her. He was tall with greasy sandy hair and a spiked club. His shoes didn't match, thought Meiri. His companion was shorter with two nasty looking knives.
"That's all we have" Adi wailed.
Meiri was grabbed from behind. She froze in panic as the man with the knives stepped up to her and cut her dress into pieces. Within a minute she was naked. Adi wailed and began to move. The man with the club hit her over the head and she crumpled to the ground.
The knife man cut Meiri's cloth belt. It fell to the ground with a soft thud. The club man picked it up, hefted it and grinned at his companions.
"We've got the lot." He said triumphantly.
The man with the knife then punched Meiri savagely with his knives. She staggered and was nearly blinded by the blood pouring down her forehead.
"That's for trying to hold out" he snarled.
The man with the club pointed past the girls and yelled "Scarper, it's the nobs!" All four of the villains ran off. Meiri looked to see three city guardsman walking slowly down the street. They stopped, looked at each other and resumed walking forward.
Meiri called to them "Thieves! They're getting away!"
The leader grinned at her with inadequate teeth and said "I doubt it was all that much. But don't worry, we're here to keep you safe and sound."
Something in his tone put Meiri on edge. Beside her Adi gave a small groan. Meiri stooped to see how her friend was. She was breathing and her skull wasn't cracked, but the lump on her head would give her headaches for quite some time. Meiri gathered up what remained of her dress.
One of the guards leaned over Adi, felt her skull and said to his companions "She'll live."
Meiri pulled on Adi's arms to try to get her to stand.
"Now you can't leave the scene of a crime. We need to question you."
Something was seriously wrong here. Meiri felt the fear spread over her entire body. She looked around wildly. The street was still deserted.
"Bind the pretty one and take her back." the leader said.
The two other guards seized Adi and with the speed of long practice soon had her tied and gagged.
"What about the other one?"
"Leave her to me. Take yours to his lordship. She's just his type. I'll join you in a bit."
Meiri tried to fight the man, but one blow from his huge hand made her spin and her knees buckle. She staggered, then fell as he pushed her to the ground. She could feel the grtit of the street against her naked back. She beat against the suddenly immense man, but another blow and then another robbed her of her strength.
==0==
She lay there in shame and guilt and grief. Her body ached. She could feel the stickiness of blood on her face, on her back and on her thighs. There was blood everywhere.
Her Heart was gone. She suddenly became aware that the street was full of humans. She stood, then fell, then stood again. The humans stared at her as she passed by. She stooped, picked up some cloth and covered herself as best she could. Then walked and crawled back to the Orphanage.
Meiri had though, as much as she was capable of thinking at that moment, that it would get better once she passed the Alienage gates. The elves didn't stare with the mixture of lust and loathing that the humans had. The elves stared with impotent pity and horror.
One red haired girl stood with her eyes wide and her doll held limply in her hand as Meiri made her slow progress. Finally an older man grabbed her by the arm and hustled her away.
Sister Orly was just leaving the Orphanage on an errand when she saw Meiri come stumbling towards her. She raced to the young woman, took her arm and hurried her inside.
Meiri felt numb. Her pain and emotions were locked behind a thick wall of glass and she could only feel them dully. In almost a trance she described what had happened. She wanted to search for Adi. She wanted a bath. She wanted to die.
The next day she made her way to Master Halen.
"I'm sorry ser, but I haven't the money".
"I'm sorry too, Meiri" he said, and she could tell that he meant it. "I'm disappointed in fact. Of my four apprentices, only young Tolliver has bought in."
Meiri's head turned. She caught Tolliver hiding a smirk. He hadn't even been close three days ago.
Master Halen continued "Will you be able to raise the money today?"
"No ser."
"You are released from your indentures. I wish the best for you, Meiri."
"Thank you ser."
She left the shop, never to return. That night, before dinner, Sister Shiri told them that Adi's body had been found down by the river, badly mangled.
The next day Meiri sold her showpiece to Alerith, the Alienage shopkeeper and left Denerim to find the Dalish.
30 Dragon, Haring
Meiri approached the templar. "Excuse me ser?"
"State your business." He sounded cold and tired.
"I'm looking for Hila Raziel, she is a mage here."
"She's not here."
"Ser, where is she?"
"Dead." His voice was flat.
"Dead, what do you mean dead?".
"We had a mage revolt. The rebels killed her."
Meiri wanted to scream at the man. She wanted to hurt him. She wanted to the earth to swallow her.
Instead she smoothed her face and asked "Please ser, where are her ashes?"
He directed her to a columbarium. Meiri stood for a long while in the cold. Hila was interred in an unmarked mass urn. She didn't weep. Her face remained placid.
After an hour she turned and went home to Denerim.
Once upon a time there were three girls who were closer than sisters. But this isn't a nursery tale. Now only one remains, a woman with neither Soul nor Heart.