Hey everyone
This my first attempt at a fanfic, it is my first one and starting to get a long and big project, but I love every word I put on paper.
If you like Solas, slow burn romances and loads of inner feelings and turmoil than this is the story for you.
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If you are not familiar with the story yet I welcome you and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it. ;)
I have written the Elvish sentences in Italic and translated what I could.
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The cover is the beautiful drawing by the talented Noctuaalba (Noctuaalba. tumbrl. com)
You can find it on
ahrorha. tumblr. co m (/post/173327292679/noctuaalba-solas-and-eirlana-for-ahrorha-after) (remove the () and the spaces)
Chapter 1
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The ground was covered with big green ferns, shadowed by the foliage of massive oak trees. A thick layer of old fallen leaves cushioned his footsteps as he walked towards the ruins. Vine overgrown pillars lay before him where roots had found a hold in cracked walls. Soft mosses grew where once was a mosaic floor. The ruins lay before him abandoned and forgotten in the depths of the Planasene Forest.
Solas' eyes wandered, his memories drifting back to a time this small temple stood in all its glory. He remembered people living here, though he couldn't recall their faces or names. Time had consumed those, like so many other things forgotten, lost in ages past.
He walked into the heart of the temple towards a grant statue of a wolf. His hands glowed with magic as he mumbled in the old Elvhen language. With a click, a panel under the statue sprang free. Solas was relieved that the old wards and spells were still intact. He conjured a small hovering light as he descended the stairs. Guided by his memories he walked the dark abandoned corridors, his feet disturbing the dust accumulated over the centuries. He turned left and expected a door. Puzzled he stood still when the passage kept going. He thought hard, but the memories of the exact location where he had left the tome eluded him. Sitting down against the wall and dimming the light, he closed his eyes to enter the Fade. Maybe a spirit would know where to find it.
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He walked through the temple from the past, brightly lit by numerous magical candles. Shimmers of the People who once lived here faded in and out of his sight. The spirits mimicking what once was, faint memories, remnants of the past. A sentinel guard walked past him on his route, protecting this place as he always had. Solas hoped he could find a spirit with the knowledge he needed.
He suddenly halted when he had reached the statue of the wolf. Something was changing. He felt a soft ripple in the Fade; it reacted to something other than himself. His ears picked up the voice of the sentinel that had passed him earlier.
"Atish'all vallem, Fen'Harel elathadra."
"Nuvenas mana helanin, dirth bellasa ma."
It was his greeting asked at every visitor not known by the guards. Something unknown had come to this part of the Fade.
A soft female voice answered, "Ar-melana dirthavaren. Revas vir-anaris."
"Amae lethalas." replied the sentinel.
Solas readied himself, someone was with him in this memory. How he didn't know. People didn't went this deep in the Fade, especially one who spoke Elvhen. Who living now, would even know of the greeting of Fen'Harel?
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An elven girl walked cautiously into sight, looking around. She was skin and bones, clad in rags, filth covered, her pale hair matted and tangled. She seemed like a ghost, but Solas knew better. She was no regular person but someone who could focus her will deep into the Fade, a dreamer. He had to be careful.
She startled when she saw him. Before he could react or say anything, she rushed towards him, grabbing his arms. "Why are you here? Are you dreaming here somewhere?"
Solas was stunned. Who was she? How was she able to enter this part of the Fade? Hollow, pale blue eyes locked with his grey-violets.
"You have to leave now! Or THEY will catch you. Where are you dreaming?" her voice and eyes were full of fear and panic. He was taken aback, suspicious about her intentions.
She seemed to sense his emotions and let go of him, taking a few steps back. "It doesn't matter where. Just wake up and leave at once. Don't go to the south of these ruins. I will lead them aw... ."
Suddenly she screamed and clutched her neck as if she was in severe pain and disappeared.
Shaken Solas woke up in the underground corridor, he moved quickly, leaving the chambers and sealed the door again. There were voiced in the distance, covered by the greenery he carefully he moved closer.
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"Tell me what you have found! ANSWER me!" a deep voice bellowed.
There was a loud slap, and a woman yelled out in pain. She was being hit.
"I found not much." her timid voice spoke. "There is a small amount of gold. I will show you."
"Is that ALL!?"
Solas watched the scene from a collapsed niche. Three men and a templar were standing around the elven woman from the Fade. She lay on the ground and looked in a worse state than he had seen her in. She was emaciated, filthy, bruised. Her wrist and ankles were shackled and chained, and a thick iron collar was around her neck. She slowly sat up. "This was a house of Fen'Harel."
"So what!"
"He didn't value wealth, I doubt the gold is from that era. It was probably hidden here by someone."
House of? He didn't value? How did she know this? Her choice of words was strange. He felt a fury slowly ignite in him as she was dragged by her hair on her feet. Stumbling she guided them to some loose stones, where they found a small sack of coin. At first, they seemed content, their eyes shining as they quickly ransacked the stash. Weak the elven woman slumped to the ground, panting irregularly. Her falling down got the templars attention, and he walked up to her. He kicked her hard in the stomach, making her yell out in pain. She curled up, coughing violently, vomiting a bright blue liquid.
The templar looked at her in disgust. "Useless." he muttered.
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Suddenly the templar turned into an ice block before her eyes. An elf stormed out of the greenery striking the frozen templar with his staff, shattering him into thousand pieces. Standing in front of her he formed a protective bubble around them. Ice and lightning crackled through the air as he fought her startled captures. They looked in horror at his display of powers and tried to flee in terror. Before they could disappear into the woods two of them lie dead on the ground, the third managed to get away.
Out of breath, Solas leant heavily on his staff, he was still getting used to performing magic with the Veil in place. It severed his direct interaction with the Fade. He felt weak after his long slumber, his body hadn't fully recovered yet. Slowly he calmed down. He focussed his attention on the young elf still lying on the ground. She stared at him petrified, her big pale blue eyes shadowed by dark circles. What had they done to her?
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He knelt in front of her to examine her wounds. She fearfully scrambles backwards. His eyes emitted pity as he smiled to calm her down.
"I am not going to hurt you." he said softly.
He slowly approached her again. Carefully he removed her shackles from her wounded wrists and ankles. She must have worn these chains for a very long time, under them her skin was discoloured and almost gone. Where the shackles had cut deeply into her flesh, there were bloody festering wounds. Everything was sore and red inflamed and must be extremely painful. He had to move slowly with her flinching and shivering with every move he made. Having removed the shackles only the collar was left, but Solas was hesitant to remove it. Strange runes were engraved on it, and they emitted a strange, bleak aura. When his hands reached for it, she abruptly grabbed his wrist.
"Don't the lyrium..." her eyes went big with terror. She quickly let him go as if she burned herself and cowered before him. "I... I am sorry."
Solas recognised this fear. He had seen the same terror, in the eyes of some of the slaves he had set free in the past. In a calm voice, he asked. "What lyrium?"
Fearfully she looked up at him, her body still pressed to the ground. "The collar, it blocks magic. I will be pulled into the Fade again otherwise."
He thought back at her abrupt screaming departure from the Fade.
"They gave you lyrium?" remembering the blue liquid she had coughed up earlier.
She nodded. Slowly he got a picture of their practices. By giving her lyrium, they forced her into the Fade. Judging from their earlier conversations to look for lost treasures. The collar was used as a safeguard, controlling her, rendering her defenceless.
Anger spread across his face, and she shrunk shivering into a ball, terrified she had done something wrong, that she had displeased him by grabbing him.
Solas forced himself to calm down. He needed to take care of her first. "I am sorry. Can you walk?"
He helped her to her feet and guided her through the ruins to a small river, that flowed through the former gardens. He put down his pack and took soap and a washing cloth out from it.
"Here, clean yourself. I will look for some things to treat your wounds."
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She watched him going back. Not wanting to disobey she lowered herself into the stream. It was painful but refreshing. Slowly she removed her tattered clothes, the cool water splashing against her bare skin. Wondering how long it had been, she started to rub herself clean.
Solas looked for the belongings of the killed men, he needed a lot of clean cloth. The state she was in was horrifying. Three horses stood grazing just outside the ruins. Several bags lay beside them, together with an open wooden box that had bindings in it and some holes. Feeling sick to his stomach he set it on fire.
"These savages! I killed them too quickly."
He ransacked the bags for food, bandages and other useful items. He found a casing with several bottles of lyrium, that they had used to poison her. With his anger still burning within him, he smashed them. After setting the horses free, he set out to find some fresh elfroot.
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When Solas returned, he found her sitting on the bank, crouched together and shivering uncontrollably. Her matted and tangled long dull white hair covering her naked body. She was cleaner, making her scars and bruises on her skin only more visible. Her pale skin was blackened and discoloured in too many places. Her wounds were oozing bloody pus now that they were softened by the water. He could count every bone in her body. Those beasts how dare they do such a horrible thing.
She shied back when he got closer, looking at him wearily. She reminded him of a wounded halla with her white skin and hair, staring at him with her big eyes.
Taking his spare clothes and honey out of his pack he slowly approached her and sat down opposite of her. "Here put this on." he handed her his shirt. It took a moment, but she accepted it, pulling it quickly over her head. It was too big but much better than the rags that lay discarded in the grass.
She flinched as he touched her hand.
"I have to clean your wounds." he said smiling softly at her. She tolerated his touch, but he was careful not to hurt her too much. The wounds went all around her wrists and ankles, scars were visible where the shackles had cut her flesh again and again. He bandaged her with a dressing of honey and elfroot to reduce the inflammation, he didn't dare to heal her magically. A body needs reserves to repair itself, magic sped up that healing process. With her being in such a sorry state it would be devastating for her.
When he was finished, she put on his spare trousers, strips of cloth served as makeshift belts. With his bigger clothes, she looked even smaller than she was.
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Evening was already approaching. Solas got a fire going and boiled some grains and vegetables. She hadn't said a word, and sat at a safe distance, watching him When he gave her a bowl, she devoured the food quickly with the bread he gave her. She was starved. He felt his anger returning. How could this world let this happen? He had tried to stop one abuse, only to create another. His dark thoughts left him when he saw she had stopped eating, eyeing him nervously. She was very impressible.
After they finished their meal, he removed her collar with care. She took a deep breath of relief, and he felt the air around her change, her connection with the Fade renewed.
"Thank you." she whispered.
Her neck was also wounded and scared, but these were more like burns. Where the runes of her collar had executed their power, they had left horrible marks on her flesh. After he had bandaged her, she fell exhausted asleep next to the fire.
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Solas watched her as she slept, mulling over his options. He had no time for delays and needed to travel south to reach the conclave on time. He had gotten word his plans were proceeding as planned, and he needed to be near Haven on time.
The next morning at sunrise he gathered his belongings, she was still deeply asleep. He felt reluctant to leave her, silently he left her a pack with supplies from those thugs and things he had to spare. With one last glance, he made his way into the forest towards Cenar, a small town at the coast used by smugglers and fishermen. For a whole day, he walked through the thick undergrowth and made significant progress. It bothered him he hadn't been able to retrieve the tome and that he had to leave her, but this was for the better. Soon everything would change.
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Night had fallen, and Solas was resting against a big tree, soft moss covered the ground. With his eyes closed, he enjoyed the sounds of the dark. Rodents were rustling through fallen leaves, the air was filled with the high-pitched sounds of bats, and occasionally an owl hooted. He had almost fallen asleep when his ears twitched as he picked up a disturbance. Someone was walking through the night. Slowly he rose his staff in hand, to defend himself if necessary. To his surprise she emerged from among the trees, walking slowly and leaning on a branch she used as a walking stick.
"What are you doing here!? I have no time to look after you." he said irritated.
Not answering she came closer, looking relieved she had found him. She sat down a patch of soft grass nearby, looking weak and tired.
Solas was puzzled at what to do. "I freed you from your captors. You are free to walk your own path."
A hint of a smile showed on her lips, her eyes had lost some of the hollowness. She nodded and then lay down, exhausted she fell almost immediately into a deep sleep.
Solas frowned, he had no time for this. How had she even managed to find him? Walking the lands undetected has always been his speciality. He didn't sleep much that night and was up at dawn resuming his path. Occasionally he would stop and look back, listening. But there were just the wind and the usual forest noises to be heard.
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Refreshing himself at a small stream, he looked at the setting sun. Another day had passed, and he hadn't seen or heard her. As he settled for the night, his eyes kept scanning the forest. The moon was already high in the sky when she came into view once more. Again she looked relieved, her lips revealing a hint of a smile. She slumped against a tree, physically exhausted from the journey.
Seeing her, he was reminded of the People he had freed so long ago, not knowing what to do with their freedom. They sometimes would follow him around, looking for a new purpose.
Slowly she started to unwind the bloody bandages around her ankles. Seeing the damage she had done to herself by following him, Solas shook his head.
He walked towards her summoning a light. "Here let me help."
She flinched as he carefully started to remove the rest of the bandages. The wound looked cleaner, even with all the walking she had done. He dressed it again, while she was observing every move he made.
"What is your name?"
She stared at him, her eyes quickly moving while she was thinking. She was unsure what to do.
"My name is Solas" he smiled at her, hoping it would put her at ease. When she didn't answer, he went on with changing her other bandages.
" I... I don't know, I don't remember." her voice was quiet, trembling, shy, timid.
Solas looked at her pitiful. "You don't have a name?"
"I..." she swallowed. "The spirits call me Eirlana."
Eirlana, the elven name for winter. The name fitted her, she looked like snow with her white hair and skin, her eyes pale blue like the winter-sky. "The spirits?"
She nodded. "They are my friends."
He stopped with what he was doing and looked her in the eyes, she was no ordinary girl to call spirits her friends. She flinched again under his stare, it pained him to see her own spirit so crushed. What had she endured? How long had she suffered? When he finished dressing her wounds, she moved back from him, putting some distance between them.
Settling back against a tree Solas closed his eyes. What was he is going to do about her?
"Thank you Solas" her shy voice drifted towards him. He smiled at her "You're welcome."
He felt a pull into the Fade as a soft blue hue surrounded her hands. She moved her hands slowly along her legs the healing magic spun fine, like a wisp of morning mist.
"What are you doing?"
The magic disappeared as she flinched again, she clearly wasn't used to normal conversations.
"I haven't walked much in this world."
Her short answer told him a whole story.
