So this is the first fanfic I've ever posted. Ahhh nervous...
A quick thanks to my wonderful friend Alex for being my beta.
Disclaimer: I own diddly squat (well apart from Seren, she's a lovely figment of my imagination). Bioware on the other hand, own both my heart and soul.
I hope you enjoy Forgotten Lives :)
Part One
I loved her not for the way she danced with my angels,
but for the way the sound of her name could silence my demons.
- Christopher Poindexter
On a newly built deck, extending across a lake on the outskirts of Honnleath, there sat a seven year old boy.
With his feet submerged in the cool, crystal clear water, he enjoyed the relief it offered from the sun's harsh summer heat. Every once in awhile, a breeze would pass over the water, spreading ripples on the surface and ruffling the boy's golden curls.
Almost asleep in the summer haze, his stupor was abruptly interrupted by the sound of running feet. He lifted his head to find a girl careening in his direction, a tress of auburn hair flowing out behind her.
"Move!" She shouted with a mad grin. The boy barely managed to avoid the peculiar girl as she took a running dive into the lake, sending great waves in every direction as far as the eye could see.
The boy wasn't sure why but he began to count in his head; when he reached 30, he peeked over the edge of the deck and was instantly met with a wet mass of limbs erupting from the water's surface. The girl shook the wet hair out of her eyes, treading water as she gripped the deck, whilst suspiciously eyeing the now soaking-wet boy.
"Don't tell him I'm here!" She glared at him, took a deep breath and then slipped back beneath the decking. The boy frowned, completely bewildered by the events of the last minute.
"HEY!"
He turned to see a middle-aged man jogging towards him. Panting, the man stopped just short of the decking. Bent over-double, he stammered in-between large gulps of air, "Have you - seen my - daughter?"
"I... Uhhhh... I don't…"
The boy would later wonder what it was that made him trust the whirlwind of a girl, who moments ago had almost knocked him into the lake over this seemingly well-meaning adult.
"She went that way sir." The boy said pointing vaguely off into the west, hoping his face wouldn't reveal his lie.
The man looked relieved. "Thank you." He took another breath, shook his head, then set off running once more.
As soon as the man was out of sight, the boy reached his hand under the water. He felt the girl's hand grip tightly as she resurfaced, inhaling deeply while attempting to speak.
"Holding your breath - for that long is - hard!" She swallowed. "Why does dad have to be such a chatterbox?"
The boy nervously laughed a little.
"I honestly thought you were going to snitch. But... maybe you aren't so bad after all. Seren." She extended her dripping hand to the boy.
"Uhh, Cullen." The boy replied, shaking her hand.
Seren planted her other hand on the deck, pushed herself up and sat next to Cullen, water pooling beneath her.
"A pleasure to meet you Cullen." She said grinning and Cullen found he couldn't help but smile back. "You know what?"
"What?"
"I think we're going to be friends." She said as she yanked on Cullen's hand and dragged him into the lake, causing another colossal splash. He resurfaced, coughing from the water he'd inhaled, to find Seren convulsing with laughter. She stood, still giggling. "Best friends!" She flashed Cullen a mischievous smile, then turned on her heels and jogged back in the direction she had come.
Cullen rested his elbows on the deck and watched as she ran, her wet hair and clothes clinging to her, her bare feet beating rhythmically along the wood. Once gone from sight, he stared at the trail of watery footprints she had left behind, wondering where this mysterious girl had come from, and if and when they would meet again.