Warning: This is a sequel to a pre-existing story called Vallaslin and Lyrium. DO NOT READ THIS STORY if you have not completed the prequel story for this will contain spoilers of V&L. there will also likely be great confusion on what's going on if you have not read Vallaslin and Lyrium.

Now that that is out of the way; welcome to the second phase of Fenris and Merrill's life together. I will apologize in advance that this story takes place nearly two decades after the events of V&L, and that the focus won't be centered directly on Fenris and Merrill, but another character instead.

Chapter One

Fear

Her scream was drowned out by the deafening blast that shook the whole mansion to its core. The two years old clung desperately to her nanny as the walls creaked and the chandelier danced violently overhead.

"Mama!" The poor child cried as they left the front door to a dust and debris covered street. She coughed violently as the polluted air filled her lungs and hot ashes floated down like grey snowflakes that burned the skin.

Through the screaming of terrified men and women, the child could barely hear her nanny tell her that everything would be alright and to close her eyes. She clamped her eyes shut as hard as she could, trying to focus on the soothing of her nanny's hand rubbing her back. But tears still streaked down from her puffy eyes and across her cheeks, drawing lines of porcelain skin through the dust that clung to her face.

When she finally opened her eyes again, she found them both in the middle of Hightown square; she vaguely remembers her, Mama, and Papa taking strolls through this part of town. The child desperately looked around for any signs of her parents, hoping that they would appear and everything would go back to normal.

They were on the move again and started heading down the steps towards Lowtown, where the air was much less suffocating. She watched in confusion as a man wielding a large staff like mama used appeared further down the steps. She watched as the man sent a sinister light into the crowd of people in front of her and the Nanny, some of the people falling down the steps in agony after being touched by the light. This greatly confused the child, Mama's staff always made butterflies and pretty lights to play with the young toddler, why would this man's staff hurt someone?

The man wielding the bad staff pointed it towards the child and her nanny, a sudden flash of light appeared and the child felt searing pain engulf her back.

V

9:54 Dragon, seventeen years later…

Aelynn awoke with a start to find herself in her bedroom; she looked around the room terrified in search of a danger that had passed years since.

The elf released a sigh before muttering to herself, "Just another dream," 'no, memory' she corrected herself mentally as she pulled herself out of her bed sheets. Gauging from the low light coming out of her window it was predawn; so she decided to train a little earlier today.

She got out of her nightgown and pulled on a skirt that reached down to her knees, put on a leather tunic and some leather boots that had no soles. She then grabbed her mother's old green scarf from the bedframe and tied it around her waist like a sash. She finally walked towards her vanity where her longsword rested; though she stopped to look in the mirror.

She had her mother's looks, with a long neck, narrow body and soft cheeks. She also had her father's eyes, grim and borrowing, and his snow white hair that she grew long and usually kept in a braid; though she decided not to bother with her hair until later today.

Grabbing her longsword, Aelynn left her room and crept her way through her house so as not to wake her parents or her little brother. She stopped only for a second in the kitchen to grab a leftover dinner roll from last night before heading out into the fields.

Though it was late summer with autumn around the corner, the cold of last night sent shivers through her body as she headed into the fields. She eventually found her practice dummy, a crude yet sturdy construction of tree branches and a wool sack filled with hay made to look like a man's torso.

She gripped her sword within her two hands and took a defensive position, imagining her wooden opponent as guarding as well. She took a step forward and thrust her blade into the dummy's chest. The elf then did a clockwise spin on her heels and did a decapitation, the blade whacking into the bucket that served as a head.

"Your swing is too slow, your opponent could have easily blocked and countered your strike," Aelynn turned around to find her father leaning against the nearby oak, his arms crossed and that look of pride on his face whenever he watched his daughter practice.

"Father, how long have you been there?!" Aelynn questioned her father.

"About as long as you have, you woke me up," The daughter hung her head in shame, she knew her Father to be an extremely light sleeper given his history as a Tevinter slave. It was a habit that never really went away, even after Danarius' death.

"Sorry for waking you," Her Father nonchalantly waved it off, knowing that it wasn't her fault he was a light sleeper. Aelynn is reminded of Mother once joking about how he could wake to the sound of a cricket chirping.

"Remember your stance," Fenris firmly instructed his daughter, who quickly turned around to face her opponent, "Break his guard and go for a thrust,"

Aelynn swiftly swung the blade against the outstretched tree branch that served as an arm, hitting the wooden poll that imitated a weapon before quickly pulling back and thrusting forward.

Aelynn continued training with her father's increasingly complex instructions. Sometimes she fumbled over his orders by mixing them up or forgetting an step altogether, but she would simply be repeated the same set of instructions until she got it right and moved on to more advanced movements.

Soon Fenris decided that it would be more appropriate for Aelynn to be sparring with him; so he unsheathed his own shortsword and grasped it in his remaining hand. Over the years he had become quite adept at one-handed fighting after he lost his hand to a cruel slaver named Leotok Vetaris nearly two decades ago, he was not as skilled as he was in two-handed fighting, but he could definitely hold his own and still be able to pass his knowledge and skill to his beloved daughter.

Father and Daughter seemed to almost dance in their movements as they sparred, and the clang of steel the music. They would strike when the other would feint a drop in guard only to be countered and have to counter the counter to try and gain the upper hand; a flurry of steel cutting through the air between them as they did so.

The sun had fully separated itself from the horizon when the father decided that they were done, much to Aelynn's silent approval as she wiped the sweat from her brow and the adrenaline began to wear off.

The two warriors sheathed their weapons as they entered the house to find Aelynn's Mother at the hearth making breakfast with Orana. The elven woman of forty-six turned her gaze at the sound of the door opening and closing, a smile playing across her delicate face at the sight of her husband and Daughter. Merrill looked much as she did twenty years ago thanks to the youthfulness of elves. Though her hair had some grey coming in and her eyes didn't hold that youthful light of innocence that it once did, instead replaced with a wiser, mellow expression.

"And how are my warriors doing today?" she asked as her husband walked over and gave her a kiss.

"Doing well, Ma'vhenan," Fenris gave the elven endearment that meant 'my heart'.

"Fine, Mother," Aelynn responded in a sharp, callous tone as she sat down at the nearby stool and rested her head against the wall behind her. Merrill gave a sad, longing look to her daughter before turning back to her cooking.

It was no secret that Aelynn detested her mother, after 'The incident of Kirkwall' as it became known, Aelynn held a great mistrust of mages, though it would never reach the level of hatred that her father had once held in his early life. One thing was certain about Aelynn's view on mages though.

They terrify her.

A few minutes later Aelynn's thirteen year old brother Garrett emerged from his room in nothing but his trousers and a nightshirt as he groggily asked what was for breakfast. The boy had short black hair like his Mother that sat atop his rugged facial features that belonged to his Father, and he also had the green eyes that were a common trait between his parents.

"Porridge," Orana responded in that sweet voice of hers as she went to set the table. Garrett made a yacking sound at the thought. Aelynn reached into her pocket and pulled out the dinner roll that she had pilfered earlier and tossed half to her brother, who used his magic to telekinetically catch it out of the air.

"Garrett!" Aelynn scolded in a tone of extreme disgust as her younger brother hung his head guiltily. He knew better then to use magic in front of his sister.

"Aelynn, it's only a simply telekinetic spell," Merrill stated calmly to her daughter before turning to her son, "it's alright Da'len,"

"Sorry Aelynn," Garrett apologized, only to get a defiant huff from his sister.

Aelynn watched as her father lead her mother out of the room for some privacy. The nineteen year old could hear a muffled conversation on the other side of the door that she couldn't quite make out.

"Aelynn dear," she turned to Orana to see a worried expression on the nanny's face, "I know you have difficulty dealing with magic, and you have every right to be, but please don't take it out on Garrett and your Mama,"

"Why shouldn't I?!" Aelynn asked defiantly, "Father was a slave to a mage, and so were you when you were my age!"

"But both me and your Papa understand that not all mages are like that," Orana pleaded for Aelynn to understand.

"Whatever," Aelynn shrugged it off as she stormed outside, not wanting to continue the conversation she was losing; she then made a mad dash to town.