A/N: Hello, readers and fellow fanfic-ians! It's been a long time since I sat down and wrote fanfiction, but with how obsessed I've become with the entirety of the Dragon Age series, I think it's bout time I jumped back in.

I've had this story stuck in my head for quite some time and only recently had the chance to write it all out. I know that everyone seems to be writing a game-length fanfiction of what they wanted to happen in Inquisition, and this one is no different. I loved the elven play through for Inquisition, though there were parts of it I thought should have been different in many ways so here it is. There will be a number of my own head canons in this so be prepared for a bit of a twist on a few parts of the storyline.

That being said, one of my Inquisitors in this story is a transman and I would appreciate that any transphobic comments (or any hateful comments in general) be kept to themselves and well away from my story.

As always: Don't like, don't read.

Thank you. Enjoy!

-Bert

The Path that Leads Astray

Prologue

A few years after the rebellion in Kirkwall, the fragile tension between mages and templars erupted into an all out war. The Circles voted for independence from the Chantry, resulting in the Templar and Seeker orders leaving the Chantry as well.

As declared by former Lord Seeker Lambert, it was to suitably police the mages as the orders saw fit without the limitations of the Chantry being enforced. To make matters worse, a civil war broke out in Orlais following the attempt on Empress Celene's throne from her cousin, Duke Gaspard.

In this time of unrest, the people turned to their heroes: Amelia Hawke and Harwyn Mahariel.

The Champion of Kirkwall had gone into hiding shortly after defeating Knight-Commander Meredith, though many had hoped to look to her for courage in this time of conflict. The hands of the Divine had even hoped she would help settle the tension between mages and templars by leading a reformed Inquisition. Having had enough of the, as she so eloquently put it, bullshit she had been put through, Amelia Hawke disappeared; leaving in her wake, the Seekers grasping at mere rumors of her whereabouts.

Her companions, if they knew where to find her, weren't giving an inch to those looking for her, responding with belligerent loyalty or feigning ignorance. Her elven lover and former Tevinter slave, Fenris, was nowhere to be found either and assumed to be in hiding with the Champion.

So the eyes of the Ferelden people fell upon the throne to King Alistair, begging him to contact their hero, the conqueror of the Fifth Archdemon, the grey warden Harwyn Mahariel.

But the Warden was even harder to find than Hawke. The Dalish had rarely been an easy group to find, as they were so nomadic and rarely involved themselves in human issues, but many thought finding this one in particular would have been easier as she was easily recognizable and already proved to be an asset to Thedas.

It had not been.

The King had attempted to contact the hero's known mistress and left hand of the Divine, Leliana, but she offered little to no explanation for her lover's disappearance.

Thedas was falling into chaos and without their heroes to rely on; Divine Justinia took it upon herself to announce a Divine Conclave, a last effort for compromise between the two sides. It would be held at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, both sides would attend to find a solution to the problem before any more blood was spilled.

It could be the way to stop the war or to make it worse, but only time would tell.

Deep within the forests of the Free Marches, Clan Lavellan had settled nicely away from the turmoil rumbling within the South. On occasion, a few fights would come dangerously close; but luckily, with skilled enough hunters, the little sparks of rebellion were easily smothered.

It was nearly noon when Hirale and the twins had arrived back to camp, a few large catches thrown over their shoulders while the smaller game was tucked away into packs on their sides. When they sauntered through the handmade archway of the camp, they were met with a slew of greetings, intertwined with surprise at their early return.

The templar and mage dispute was starting to make its way closer to the clan and they had to cut their hunt short to deal with the stragglers and alert the elders. When they returned, they learned that the Keeper had gathered their elders to discuss what to do about the war and determine if they would need to get involved.

Hirale was one of Clan Lavellan's most skillful hunters and the praise of his peers was not lost on his ego. His ability made him quite popular amongst the clan, giving him coercion in clan meetings and pick of anyone if he ever decided on a mate.

He was quite the peacock.

He often wore embellished Dalish hunting armor of green and tan; unlike the typical Dalish armor, it had a fancy trim designed in it. He favored thicker armor as it washed out any distinguishable feminine curves he'd rather be erased. Thankfully his medication, for the most part, had been smoothing them out, but he was still nowhere near where he wanted to be so the artifice was welcomed.

While on the hunt, he typically carried the standard bow and arrow, though his weapon of choice was a battle-axe crafted from Veridium and darkened Samite. Despite his small frame, he could wield a weapon twice his size without any strain and was a forced to be reckoned with once he got his momentum.

White swirls of vallaslin, a tribute to Andruil, trailed so lightly over his forehead and jawline they looked like a faded afterthought. Pastel blonde hair fell smoothly in a wave atop his head and left faded beneath it. His eyes were like wild violets; so bright against his honeyed skin they looked electric. There was an old gash, healed over his lower lip and a few tattered marks edging experience into his features though he was barely out of his twenties. He had ripples of muscle following down his arms and powerful thighs that excelled at speed.

"That's quite the haul!" The craft master of the clan, Cyrmet, exclaimed when the three waltzed over to his hut. He was an impish man, time had scraped away his physique and he looked as though a gust of wind could easily knock him down. "We'll be eating like kings for weeks!"

"That isn't all." One of the twins, Lemhon, said grinning from ear to ear. Her dark vallaslin twisted with her smile. "Thought you'd like some of these."

Her sister, Lemhel, flopped one of her packs into the craft master's arms. It was nearly overflowing with ironbark and herbs. The look on the old man's face was like that of a child receiving a long desired gift.

"They weren't easy to come by." Lemhel said as a smirk, one matching her sister's, tweaked her lips.

The twins looked like matching bookends, the only differences between them were the faded trails of vallaslin and the occasional aged scars on their faces. The two were tall like trees; wild red hair lit aflame atop their heads and blue eyes twinkled mischievously. They were strapping women, youthful arrogance riddling in their posture and the way they spoke.

"I had to fight off a bear to get to that ironbark!" Lemhon exclaimed as she flung her arms into the air dramatically.

"Did she say a bear?" Lemhel jumped in.

"I meant five!"

"With razor sharp claws!"

"And dripping fangs!"

"They had me cornered-"

Cyrmet indulged their outlandish tales as he placed the crafting materials in their proper baskets, making sure to emit the occasional surprised gasp as the story took flight. If the two weren't so proficient in hunting, they'd surely be considered for the next storytellers of the Clan.

Hirale smiled lightly at them, but his attention was elsewhere as his eyes quickly scanned over the camp searching for one elf in particular.

Clan Lavellan worked like gears in a clock, every member had a job and was attending to their duties promptly. The hunters that had not gone with Hirale and the twins were tending to the weapons or patrolling around the camp. Those that had finished their jobs were joined around the fire pit, trading stories and fables with one another as the children listened. A light melody played along the camp as they went about their day, something soft and merry. But amongst them, Hirale couldn't see his friend, Aydienne, anywhere.

"And there I was, with only a single arrow left!"

"Death was imminent!"

"And I took that arrow and aimed straight for its heart and-"

"Hahren, have you seen Aydienne?" Hirale interjected, looking back to the craft master and ignoring Lemhon's wounded face for his interruption.

"Oh, she went off to read, I think." Cyrmet answered, as he checked off lines on a piece of parchment he had for his inventory.

"I should have guessed." Hirale breathed.

"Always with her nose stuck in a book." Lemhel offered with a chuckle.

"You should take the meat over for storage." The craft master suggested, nodding his head toward another hut across the way.

"But I'm not done with my story!" Lemhon exclaimed childishly.

"There will be time for that later." Cyrmet said, gesturing the two off. "Best you get the meat cured before it goes bad." The twins nodded obediently and peered over to Hirale.

"Do you want to come with us?" They asked together.

Hirale shook his head and said, "I'll catch up with you later." The twins nodded to him and left, still just as loud as they walked away, laughing and chattering together about the hunt. Hirale looked back to the craft master. "Did you see where she went off to?"

"Near that tree on the edge of camp, if I recall."

"Ma serannas, Hahren." Hirale turned heel and headed toward the outside of the camp.

The forest was quiet, give or take an occasional chatter of wildlife going about their day. The trees reached clear to the sky, clutching at the blueness with grasping green branches. The day was warm in the sunlight, cooled down only by the breeze wafting through the trunks.

Aydienne was sitting beneath a tree just a few yards away from the clan, a book nestled comfortably in her lap while she absentmindedly twisted a ribbon through her fingers. A finely crafted staff leaned against the tree, its opal orb dormant.

Her face was narrow and her skin was nearly flawless, a side effect of spending most days studying elven history and literature and not participating in hunts. Oil black hair was pulled over to one side, billowing down into a braid, while the other side had been shaved closely from the nap of her neck to the temple.

She had eyes that could rival that of fire and sparked with a ferocious curiosity. Her vallaslin twisted into bright green swirls from beneath her eyes and well over her forehead, praise to Mythal rather than Andruil.

She hadn't been born into Clan Lavellan, but had been a trade in from another clan many years ago. While some Dalish clans turned out any additional mages, for fear of magic, most saw the importance of keeping their numbers and magical talent within their kind and would trade apprentices from clan to clan.

Aydienne's original clan had considered sending her away as she got older because of her debatable take on elven culture. Aydienne was interested in knowledge and not repetitive storytelling; she often found herself questioning the stories her elders told her, which didn't make her the most popular amongst her people. She would collect various tomes of different cultures and histories from merchants her clan traded with and would steal time away from camp to read them on her own.

They had already two apprentices to their Keeper at the time and needed very little reason to cast her out. Although, Clan Lavellan was much more accepting of her quirks, she still found herself on the outs even within this clan. Other than the Keeper, she was only close to Hirale and even that, at the beginning, hadn't been an easy friendship.

Against the glaring silence of the forest, the sound of Hirale's clamoring armor as he flopped down next to her was like thunder. "How you can hunt in that without making a sound is proof Andruil favors you." Aydienne muttered, giving her friend a playful nudge.

"I'm not trying to be stealthy right now, da'avise." Hirale reasoned, returning the nudge. He peered over Aydienne's shoulder, scanning the tome briefly. "What are you reading now?"

"A detailed collection of an Orlesian scholar and his thoughts on Fen'Harel." Aydienne answered as she slipped a colorful ribbon into the binding of the book to save her place.

Hirale crinkled his nose wincingly as he swiftly snatched the book from Aydienne's hands, much to her protest. He held the book out by its cover, the pages flapping wildly as they hung awkwardly in the air.

"Our stories tell us all we need to know about the Dread Wolf." Hirale stated with a disgusted face as Aydienne clawed over him to get to her book. "Why would you bother with reading what a shemlen would write about it? And an Orlesian at that."

As a proud Dalish, Hirale found all he would ever need about their culture in the stories and traditions their elders passed down. He didn't need the word of some shemlen trying to explain something as simple as the Dread Wolf to him. Everything he knew and loved was here, the outside world just didn't mean much to him; Aydienne, however, felt completely the opposite.

"Well, neither are we, da'mi." Aydienne argued, finally snagging the book back and smoothing the pages affectionately. Once they were neatly pressed, she turned to look at Hirale with a sour face. "Besides, it's interesting!"

"I think you and I have different definitions for 'interesting-'"

"He suggests that perhaps the actual meaning of Fen'Harel's name may have been misinterpreted and that-"

Hirale rolled his eyes and began picking at his nails, hoping his apparent boredom would stave off a lecture from the apprentice. However, such actions rarely deterred Aydienne if she noticed them at all amidst her rambling.

"-Perhaps he wasn't even a trickster god in the first place-"

"If you say so." Hirale said casually as he pulled off his gauntlets and twisted his wrist, stretching the stiff muscles. "I don't see why you can't be content with reading the Elven texts the Keeper gave you."

"Because I've read them all!"

Hirale didn't doubt her. Aydienne was by far the most brilliant elf he knew. Her magical talent far surpassed the Keeper's expectations and her desire for knowledge was insatiable.

"I want to know more than what the Keeper can teach me." Aydienne continued. Her yearning gaze fell on the cover of her book and her fingertips grazed the binding softly. "Besides, our people are so set on recovering the past that they forget everything around them now. We're so content to ride along in aravels and act like this is preservation, but it just feels like we're fading."

As a result of her desire to learn more than what her elders taught her within the Clan, most got the impression that Aydienne disliked her own people, but the truth was that she cared a great deal. She often felt that the stories told to her weren't complete truths and the only way to learn more was to compile other texts outside of the recycled ones her elders kept.

Her compassion was not strictly for the Dalish either, like most of their people felt, but for all the elves of Thedas and what better way to express that than to uncover as much as she could about their past; even if it didn't correlate with her childhood stories.

"We were once a great empire and now we're dwindling in the forests waiting for the humans to kill each other off so we can take back what we lost." She heaved a sigh, exasperated. "But the truth is, we're already losing."

"Don't let Thelnarel hear you say that. He'll have a field day convincing everyone you're a heretic." Hirale commented with a laugh.

"Don't they already think that?" Aydienne snorted. "I wandered away from them to read a human's study on the Dread Wolf after all."

"Good point." The hunter smiled. He looked at the book again and then back to her. "Where did you get this anyway?"

"It was one of the books Felassan gave me the last time we saw him."

Felassan had been one of the elders that suggested Aydienne's original clan trade her to Clan Lavellan rather than turn her away. Though he was Dalish, he hadn't been part of either one of the clans, but he often visited between them. He was more of the lone wolf than a pack elf.

When her previous Keeper had considered kicking her out, Aydienne turned to Felassan to let her travel with him but he declined. She begged and begged, but he told her he had business that wouldn't permit her to follow. She couldn't begin to understand what he meant, but she did as she was told. Luckily, he was quite persuasive and it was agreed she would go to Clan Lavellan. Afterwards, Felassan would occasionally visit and bring Aydienne books he found on his travels.

"But that was two years ago!" Hirale exclaimed. "He hasn't visited our clan since he traveled to Orlais. I'm sure you've read this book by now."

"Of course I have. It's one of my favorites so I read it often." Aydienne said. "I can't wait for the next Arlathvhen. I do miss him." Her eyes twinkled with bright wonder. "I can't wait to hear of his adventures in Orlais. Orlesian life sounds so… grand."

"Or backwards." Hirale suggested as his eyebrows had knitted themselves caustically along the brow. "Don't they kill each other at the drop of a hat?"

"I think they have killed someone over dropping a hat." Aydienne mused, running a finger over her lips in thought. "But I mean the gowns and the fancy balls. Ooh, and the Game!"

Aydienne's eyes glossed over as she imagined maneuvering through the court. Hirale's blank stare indicated that he hadn't the slightest clue what that meant and Aydienne was more than happy to explain. "The tactical dance one has to play whilst maintaining a regal demeanor and poise. Fail at the Game and you die. How splendid it would be to attend one of their balls!"

"Sure, I'd love being called knife-ear behind my back while pandering to snobby nobles and simultaneously wondering if I've offended anyone to the point of assassination." Hirale said sarcastically.

Aydienne made a face but decided to change the subject with a wave of her hand. "Enough about that. You're back early. How was your hunt?"

"Excellent! Even for a short hunt we got a great haul." Hirale lit up, alien eyes even wider than before. Hirale regaled her of the details of their hunt, embellishing stories just to see her smile light up. Nearly an hour had passed as he fed her story after story, the sun was the edge of the horizon for nightfall.

"Did you see any templars or mages?"

"A few, but we had no problem picking them off." Hirale answered, his cavalier tone bragging for him so he wouldn't need to explain further. "They had some good stuff too." He pulled out a few items from his pack, mostly junk but with some trade worth. Hirale shrugged as Aydienne glanced over the loot. "They didn't have any books on them, otherwise I would have brought them for you."

"That's alright, da'mi." She said, but her brow creased restlessly. "It doesn't look like this fight between the mages and templars is coming to pass any time soon." She sighed and leaned back against the tree with Hirale. "The Keeper has been in council with the elders for the past day or so trying to decide what to do about it."

"I don't understand why we'd have to do anything about it at all." Hirale stated reflexively, mentally kicking himself when he saw the look on Aydienne's face, a lecture most assuredly about to be launched in the warrior's direction.

"Because if this war continues, it's only a matter of time before it reaches us. It's already getting too close for comfort. If it continues, it won't just be a human problem anymore."

Hirale snorted and nudged her, hoping to relieve the tension. "I can't wait for you to have kids, you have the perfect scolding face for them."

"Oh hush, da'mi." She said, as her expression remained serious. "Everything in life has a cause and effect. We can't ignore that. Whatever happens in the human world will eventually have an effect on us, probably negative if it's them warring amongst themselves."

"That's fair. Only Blights really bring people together." Hirale paused, hearing footsteps approaching. He stood up and drew his axe, though Aydienne stayed perfectly still on the ground. Twigs snapped as the footsteps came closer, shortly followed by the manifestation of a familiar, and unwanted, voice.

"The craft master said I would find you two here." The Keeper's second apprentice, Thelnarel, came walking casually out of the woods.

Thelnarel was a vicious man with cold steel eyes. His posture was always solid and threatening, as if daring others to take him on. His blood red vallaslin, symbolizing homage to Elgar'nan, covered half of his face. Charcoaled dreads were pulled back into a long tress that nearly reached past the small of his back. He was one of the taller elves among the clan, towering over with broad shoulders. If he hadn't been born with magical abilities, he would probably be a thriving hunter by now instead of the Keeper's second apprentice.

Although he and Aydienne were apprentices, the two acted more like rivals than close comrades. Before Aydienne had been switched to their clan, he was originally in line to be the first, but couldn't match up to Aydienne's natural abilities and knowledge. This made her the object of his desire and envy simultaneously.

He feigned fear at the sight of Hirale's drawn weapon. "Oh no, please don't run me through!" Hirale's ears flattened and he put his weapon away. Thelnarel chuckled and added, "I hope I didn't ruin your romantic afternoon together."

"I doubt that." Hirale grunted.

"What do you want, Tael?" Aydienne asked. The other apprentice approached them so he was standing in between the two. He was grinning in the slimiest way feasible, as was his trademark.

"The Keeper wanted me to bring the two of you back to camp." Thelnarel answered. He extended a hand to Aydienne to help her up, but she stood up on her own with leveled, irritated ears. "She and the elders are calling a meeting for the entire clan."

"The entire clan?" Hirale echoed curiously, exchanging pensive looks with Aydienne.

"The Keeper must have decided how we're to handle the templars and mages." She concluded.

"Yes, yes." Thelnarel dismissed, crossing his arms over his chest impatiently. "I'm sure she's going to tell us to involve ourselves in this pointless shemlen fight."

"It isn't pointless, Tael." Aydienne said. The other apprentice began to open his mouth but Aydienne held up her hand. "But let's discuss this with the rest of the clan rather than getting into it here." If there was a side to take, Thelnarel surely took any opposition to Aydienne and would make a spectacle of it. She threw him a mockingly sweet smile. "We're wanted after all."

"Fine." Thelnarel huffed and turned toward the camp. When the two hadn't budged in the slightest, he turned back to them, annoyed. "Are you coming?"

"Yes, yes, we'll be there shortly." Hirale said hurriedly, waving him off flippantly. "Run along, we don't need you to chaperone us, Tael."

Thelnarel muttered angrily in Elven and disappeared into the trees toward the camp. The two waited for a few minutes, listening to his footsteps vanish with distance and replaced with the forest sounds once again.

"He's such a prick." Hirale finally said, glaring off after the other apprentice. "If there is any reason for you to never leave this clan, it'd be to keep him from ever becoming Keeper."

Aydienne forced a laugh as her eyes trailed after Thelnarel, a churning uneasiness in the pit of her stomach.

The clan meeting had not gone as smoothly as the Keeper had hoped. When she announced they would need to involve themselves, she was met with a mass of unhappy disagreements and outrage, all of which were led by Thelnarel.

"I don't know why we're involving ourselves in shemlen problems, Keeper!" Thelnarel boomed, eager to have his opinion be the loudest before Aydienne could interject. It was strong and powerful; beckoning other clan members in agreement. "They wouldn't offer us aid if we were fighting amongst our clans!"

"That's not the point." Aydienne started, but her voice was drowned out as more shouts from her clanmates erupted.

"They'd sooner imprison us in those ghastly alienages!"

"Or sell us to Tevinter as slaves!"

"It'll be the Exalted March all over again!"

"The Divine Conclave is to be the means to resolve the conflict between templars and mages." Aydienne was practically shouting to be heard over the others and they quickly hushed, surprised at the anger in her tone. She relaxed, her voice leveling out. "I understand your concern, all of you. This fight may not be our problem-"

"Then let the shem fight amongst themselves." Thelnarel suggested quickly, earning cheers of agreement from many clanmates. Aydienne gave him a sharp look, fire colliding against steel in a glaring match. The Keeper began to open her mouth both to response and to calm her apprentices down, but Aydienne beat her to it.

"If the fight continues, what's to stop it from reaching our clan? Or other clans?" Aydienne challenged, her expression daring Thelnarel to debate her.

"We have handled those that have come too close thus far." Thelnarel declared and more cheers from his supporters rang in the air as if to intimidate Aydienne from her soapbox. They were not so fortunate in that attempt.

"Yes, but while our hunters are skilled, we are ill prepared for a war against either mages or templars." Aydienne continued. A palpable stillness fell over the clan as they considered her words, only a few murmurs under breath hung in the air. "Templar armor is crafted to handle massive amounts of punishment and these mages have been studying magic for years, in many different factions. With our clans spread so far apart, we do not have the numbers nor the power to rival an entire horde of either side should the fighting get any closer."

"And I doubt they would be so careful as to leave us out of it." Hirale chimed in, earning quite a few nods of agreement. While he didn't feel as passionately as she, Hirale would always come to her aid. He noticed the Keeper gave him an indescribable reflective look, the gears churning in her head as she studied him.

Did I say something wrong?

Aydienne gave him a quick, thankful smile before continuing, her eyes glued to Thelnarel. "It would be foolish to think what we've done against stragglers would compare to that of near armies. It would devastate our already diminishing numbers."

"Well, Sael, I-"

"That's enough, the both of you." The Keeper interjected as she stood up, a reproaching look tracing her face aimed at the two elves, both of which immediately fell embarrassingly quiet like children scolded by their mother.

"While I don't want to intervene in human affairs, as they have rarely proved favorably for our kind, it's become abundantly clear this problem cannot be ignored any longer. We need eyes on the inside of the Conclave, but I do not wish to risk all of our clan with a journey to the temple and nor do I wish for them to know of our infiltrator." Keeper Deshanna turned to look at the clan, her eyes scanning over them with regal wisdom. "I need only one of our own to make the journey for all of us, as one elf will easily be invisible to them."

Hirale glanced around, searching the faces for a potential candidate.

"Someone skilled."

Aydienne most likely.

"Someone level headed."

Definitely not either of the twins.

"Someone prepared to fight if called upon."

Thelnarel sounds perfect for that.

"I will send… Hirale."

Sounds – Wait, what?

It was quiet amongst the elves as they shuffled their gaze around to look to Hirale. His violet eyes blinked a few times, dumbstruck and trying to process what had just been said. Staring at the Keeper, Hirale shook his head and pointed at himself, just to determine if he had heard right.

"M-me, Keeper?"

"Yes." Deshanna answered. The silence lingered for a few more moments before the twins shouted in agreement, leading the other hunters into a frenzy of congratulations that engulfed the entire clan. Palms patted him briskly on the back while many hunters flung their arms around him excitedly.

Both the apprentices stared flabbergasted, barely able to move themselves from their spot. Aydienne snapped to attention and spun around to look at the Keeper. Her eyes flickered protectively, urgent and desperate.

"Keeper, no." Aydienne interjected.

Send me, not him.

"I'm your first. I should go."

"I have made up my mind, Sael." The Keeper answered simply. The Keeper didn't look at her. "I will be sending Hirale as he is well equipped to handle anything that may happen."

"But Keeper-"

"This is not up for discussion." The Keeper's voice was like steel, ending the argument from Aydienne as she turned to look at the hunter. "Hirale, I expect you to be ready for your journey in less than an hour. The Divine Conclave takes place in a few days and it is vital you do not waste any time getting there."

"Understood, Amelan." Hirale said with a bow, his tone reluctant rather than excited.

Aydienne watched sullenly as the whole of the clan poured out, catching the unenthusiastic eyes of Hirale as the twins pulled him out of the tent. Thelnarel joined the clan as they exited, throwing Aydienne a self-satisfied look as he left. A few minutes passed before everyone but the apprentice was with the Keeper, who had decided to take a seat on her cot.

"Keeper, why didn't you choose me to go?" Aydienne asked finally.

"Da'len, it's important you stay here. Your training is nearly complete and when the next Arlathvhen is called, you'll be taking my place as Keeper."

"That's not for another few years." Aydienne reasoned. "And I've read more about shemlen culture and I could blend in better than Hirale."

While she had the utmost faith in Hirale to succeed in the task at hand, Aydienne wanted nothing more than to go instead. The call to adventure beckoning in her chest, while Hirale never wanted anything more than to quietly enjoy his clan life. She wouldn't have another chance to adventure into the world once she became the Keeper.

"He doesn't even want to go, but I could go and learn so much from this." Aydienne was practically begging.

"You are correct."

"Then why not me, Keeper?" She exclaimed. Her patience was wearing thin. "Surely, it can't be just that I need to continue my training to the point you'd overlook the benefit of sending me."

The Keeper sighed and looked at her apprentice seriously.

"Da'len, I mean no disrespect, but Hirale is more admired by the Clan. Sending him will ease our clanmates minds and will inspire more cooperation from them." The Keeper was right and Aydienne knew that, but there was more to it; she could sense it. "And Hirale is very skilled with a weapon so he can better defend himself if need be."

That's hardly a good enough reason.

"I can form lightning storms with the clap of my hands." Aydienne stated, barely maintaining her composure. "I have magic and knowledge to defend me."

"Yes, but given the situation between the templars and the mages, if things were to go sideways they may mistake you as part of the rebellion and take you down." "Whereas, with Hirale, he has no magic and doesn't have any emblem of being sided with the templars or Chantry. He has a better chance of getting out of there than you do."

"But I can do this, Keeper."

"I don't doubt you, my dear." The Keeper's eyes were unreadable and it drove Aydienne mad. "But I have already made my decision."

"But-"

"Enough, da'len."

"Yes, Amelan." Aydienne breathed, bowing her head respectfully to her elder. She could get caught up in her own passion that she forgot to be tactful. "I meant no disrespect."

The Keeper placed a hand on her shoulder. Aydienne looked up to her, only to be met by a lighthearted smile. "Go to Hirale. I'm sure he wants to spend the last few moments in the clan with you." Aydienne nodded and left without another word.

Keeper Deshanna stared after her apprentice and heaved a heavy sigh. In truth, Keeper Deshanna was being selfish by not sending her. She saw Aydienne as the daughter she never had and she knew that if Aydienne were to leave the clan, with a wanderlust as grand as hers, she would never return to simple clan life.

"It's completely unfair." Aydienne's voice rang from outside of the aravel. Hirale shook his head before sliding his binder on, trapping inconvenient breasts behind soft Halla leather. He pulled his light armored breastplate over his head and secured it to his chest, adjusting the straps tightly.

"-I should be the one to go! I'm the Keeper's first after all." Aydienne continued, though Hirale was only half listening as he calculated how many potions he would need for the trip against how many he could actually fit in his pack.

Health poultice. He grabbed a few red flasks.

Stamina drought. He grabbed three yellow flasks.

"-I'm more than capable of handling this-"

Testosterone potion. He paused for a moment, biting his lip while estimating necessity. The trip shouldn't take that long. While he wanted to be prepared, over packing would only slow him down but if he missed a couple doses it could ruin his therapy. He grabbed two flasks.

"-And Thelnarel's smug face when she didn't pick me-"

Hirale jumped out of the aravel with his pack in hand. Aydienne was leaning against it, Hirale's battle-axe sizing her up. She spoke with her hands, flailing them around madly as she complained, her words racing from her lips.

"I actually prefer it this way." Hirale admitted, a coy smile playing on his lips. Aydienne's face couldn't have curdled any more if she tried.

"Of course you do." She scoffed. Hirale chuckled, soft clanks warbled from the bag as he pulled the strap over his head and tucked it away securely. Aydienne's expression softened. "Do you have enough medication for the trip?"

"I have two flasks."

"Are you sure that's enough? Do you need me to make more?"

"It should be a short trip." Hirale reasoned aloud, it was more so to ease his own indecision than Aydienne's. He wouldn't be travelling with a mount, as it would draw too much attention to him when he got closer to the temple, so the less he needed to carry was for the better. "I don't intend to be away from the clan for long."

"How often plans change, da'mi." Aydienne murmured. Hirale lifted his axe and secured it to his back. Aydienne watched quietly, contemplating, as he tightened the weapon. "Did you know she actually said that she's sending you because you're more popular with the clan?"

"Me? Popular? Creators no!" Hirale laughed. The two began walking towards the food storage tent to stock up for the trip.

"Don't be so glib."

"I'm not." Hirale waved a hand at her. "If the Keeper is sending me, it's because of what I can offer the mission and not out of favoritism. Besides, I think it'll be safer if I go." The look on Aydienne's face demanded his reasoning. Hirale sighed. "I'm battle ready whereas you are not."

"I have studied many tactical-"

"Studied and action are two very different things, da'avise."

"Oh really?" Aydienne rounded on him, stopping him in his tracks as she stood in front of him. "I'm more versed in human culture so I'm less likely to offend. And if we're concerned about my abilities to protect myself, may I remind you how I can conjure a storm with a clap of my hands?" Electricity danced around her palms to emphasize a point she didn't need to reiterate to him.

"Yes, yes, I know." Hirale said, waving his hand to calm her. He continued once the lightning had dissipated from her palms. "Aydienne, you're a mage in shem eyes. If something were to go wrong, I don't doubt their templars would cut you down."

"I could say the same about you." She said pointedly before adding snappishly, "And you're not a mage."

Hirale sighed, looking at his dear friend with such exhaustion. Aydienne could wield words better than any blade and she had the knowledge to back herself up in any case; but sometimes she could be so stubborn.

"Yes, but I'm less likely to provoke hostility simply by not being a mage." Hirale found his main point of argument and stuck to it. "Besides, with a sharp tongue like that, you're bound to rub someone the wrong way. At least I can be discreet."

Hirale laughed as Aydienne muttered elven curses, the two of them continued walking. They came up to the elven woman in charge of the cookery, Hirale quickly made an order and she left to fetch it for him.

"But the Keeper didn't even consider sending me, da'mi." Aydienne took a sharp, annoyed breath through her nose before exhaling the frustration. "That's how little faith she has in me."

"Maybe if you didn't argue with her on everything she taught you." Hirale suggested, the woman returned and placed a neatly wrapped bag a food in his hands.

"I don't argue on everything-"

"Most things-"

"I just don't see the harm in questioning what we think we know." Aydienne said simply. Hirale nodded his thanks to the woman and the two began toward the edge of camp where a party of clanmates was waiting to wish him luck and goodbye. "Stories get changed over time and who's to say we haven't changed details over the centuries?"

"Look, I'm not saying you're wrong, but consider being a little less vocal while I'm gone. Especially with Thelnarel sniffing around." Hirale said as he glanced over to the campfire pit where Thelnarel was sitting, clearly refusing to bid Hirale well wishes for the trip.

"I can handle him just fine."

"I know you hate to hear it, but the Keeper is right. You're not the most liked person here and Thelnarel is more liked than I want to give him credit for." Aydienne considered it thoughtfully. "He could easily manipulate others to fight your authority so don't give him ammunition."

"This would all be easier if I was the one going."

"Yes, but you'd never come back." Hirale joked, there was a slight twinge of sadness that suggested even he knew there was some truth to it.

"I could say the same for you right now." Aydienne suggested playfully, trying to steer clear of that conversation. "You're the one leaving the clan."

"I'm not going because I want to leave the clan." Hirale reasoned. They were coming closer to the edge of camp, the rest of the elves in clear view. He slowed his pace to keep their conversation private. Aydienne matched his pace.

"I'm going because I'm needed to protect my clan. You're right, this war will eventually become our problem, if there's any hope for us to avoid it, I'll do what I can." Aydienne looked at him incredulously. He smiled and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "And as soon as I get the information we need, I'll hightail it out of there on the first Halla I find."

Aydienne sighed, her arms crossed over her chest. She looked at him despondently. "You have permission to leave the clan and have this fantastic adventure, and your only focus is to come back as soon as possible."

"My home is here." Hirale stated. "There's nothing out there that draws my attention away."

"You squander your luck, da'mi." Aydienne mumbled.

"Creators give me luck to return in one piece." Hirale joked, but Aydienne's pursed lips indicated he wasn't the least bit funny. "Da'avise, I have a duty to my clan. As do you. You're the Keeper's first apprentice."

"She can find other, more agreeable, apprentices." Aydienne's eyes wandered to the nearby fire pit where laughter erupted around Thelnarel.

"Mythal knows he's just hoping you'll step down so he can be the Keeper's first." Hirale laughed, earning glances from the nearby party that quickly rotted into sneers once they caught on he was laughing at them. "He isn't the best for our clan, Aydienne. Everyone knows that. He's impulsive and vindictive. Traits not becoming of a Keeper."

But he wants it more than I do. Aydienne thought for a moment, her chest aching and her shoulders heavy.

"Look, I don't want to argue any more before I leave. It wasn't my choice, but I'm happy with the Keeper's decision." Hirale's voice softened, a rare instance that only Aydienne was accustomed to seeing. "If anything were to happen to you-"

"And you think it'd be easier for me to handle anything happening to you?" Aydienne contested. Always prepared for a debate. "I'm as much afraid for you as you are for me, da'mi."

The clan gathered at the end of the camp, lines of elven hunters shook Hirale's hands and gave him pats on the back, words of luck and return leaving their lips with every handshake. Some tears were shed, as it's always hard to allow one of their own into the heat of danger, even if Hirale welcomed danger without batting an eye.

"Good luck, da'len." The Keeper smiled to him as he walked to her, hugging him lightly. Pulling away, she left her palms on his shoulders, her face serious and knowing. "Remember, we may have interacted with the shemlen more so than other clans, but that doesn't mean we know everything. Be wise."

"Of course, Amelan." Hirale assured and her hands slipped away from his shoulders. He turned to Aydienne who, once he was free of any more of the clan's hands, threw her arms around him; embracing him so tightly that he peeped in surprise, but he returned the squeeze nonetheless.

"Be careful, da'mi." She whispered into his ear, her eyes tight to stave off any renegade tears threatening to break free. Hirale nuzzled the nape of her neck, breathing in deeply to steady his own wave of emotions ebbing on the edge of eruption. Pulling away, she mussed the fluff of blonde hair atop his neat undercut. "Stay safe and stay hidden."

"I'm an elf, Aydienne." Hirale joked with a husky chuckle. "They'll barely even know I'm there."

Nearly a week later, the Divine Conclave was finally here.

Miles and miles of mages and templars trudged single file towards the Temple of Sacred Ashes. They kept at a reasonable distance from one another so not to start any unnecessary fighting on holy ground. They all marched silently, except of course for the clanking of templar armor against sword and shield and the light whirring of magical staves entangled with the soft crushing steps of mage feet in snow. Though they said nothing, their glares behind helmet and cowl spoke volumes. The tension was palpable but they remained restrained.

Solas peered from the safety of the forest, keeping himself hidden amongst the shade of the trees. He was crouched down to avoid anyone seeing him, as he'd rather not be noticed. He wished he could get closer to hear the talks, but he wouldn't risk being part of the fray if one were to arise. He was almost certain one would.

I suppose I should make camp. Solas thought finally.

He settled a little further in and made camp. A small fire was crackling as it warmed his meal. He began to set up cover for his bedroll when the quick pitter-patter of steps caught his attention. Solas instinctually cast a cloak barrier around himself and his camp to hide.

He snuffed out is fire quickly just before someone came rushing over, stopping just a few feet from where he was kneeling.

They weren't very tall, from what he could tell they weren't even as tall as him, but it was definitely not a dwarf. They were dressed in thick winter wear, making them appear exceptionally padded all around. A large battle-axe was strapped firmly to their back, eliminating the possibility they were a mage, and they didn't carry a Chantry emblem either.

Not a templar either. Solas thought as he studied them from the safety of his cloak.

They tarried for a moment, watching the lines of templars and mages, before removing their hood, exposing their dark elven face.

A Dalish. Solas concluded, his eyes considered the twist and turns of the pale vallaslin on his face. Solas looked around for a moment, but didn't see any other Dalish hunters following him. But he appears alone.

Odd.

The Dalish paused, his nose twitching to the smell of a burning fire he couldn't see. Solas eyed his campfire; mentally berating himself for not considering it would give him away.

The elf raised an eyebrow as he noticed fresh footprints near his feet, Solas' from just moments before. Had he been expecting the intrusion, Solas would have made more of an effort to hide his footprints and the scent of his fire. The Dalish knelt down, surveying the imprints carefully as one hand slipped back toward his battle-axe. Solas reflexively twisted his fingers tighter around the halt of his staff, a small creek of leather against skin chirped and he tensed.

His ears twitched and the elf shot a look in Solas' direction. He had a hunter's gaze, steady and encompassing, his large purple eyes were searching for him, but luckily the barrier kept them impaired. But the hunter instinct wasn't as easily swayed. His brow furrowed darkly, his hand reaching out toward Solas' barrier, but before he could touch it, a horn sounded in the distance.

He stopped.

It rang three times from the temple, announcing the talks were to begin soon. He dropped his hand, forgetting the previous suspicion as he gazed out at the templars and mages, all of whom had quickened their pace toward the temple.

He looked back in Solas' direction for a moment, eyes darting around one last time for any sign of what he sensed. Reluctantly, he gave up and took off toward the temple; clearly he had more pressing matters to attend to. Solas exhaled, realizing that he had forgotten to breathe the entire time.

Solas stayed behind the barrier for a few more minutes to be sure he hadn't rounded back toward him as a trap before allowing it to dissipate around him.

"Curious."

It was a few hours later as Solas wandered the outskirts near them temple when the explosion sounded. There was a deafening boom as the sky cracked with a familiar green light, sending a pulse of energy through the entire temple in a blaze. A wall of air flew through the trees, bending and breaking many in its rush.

Solas' brow creased remorsefully as he gazed up at the sky as it crackled angrily. He heaved a sigh and began to walk toward it, knowing exactly what must be done.

Everything was dark and quiet.

Hirale could feel damp stone beneath him as he drifted into consciousness. Harsh crackling noises broke the silence, a vague pain shooting through him, but his body was too tender and his head throbbing too much for him to pay it any notice.

Get up.

Hirale stood up; his body stinging from top to bottom. Though they shook slightly, his muscles were still resilient in their strength, holding him up steadily. Smoke wafted around him but nothing felt warm, only cold and clammy. The air was thin making his head spin, the pressure of his sinuses threatening the onset of a bloody nose. Hirale's eyes tried to adjust, but everything around him looked distorted and shadowed. Wincing, he skimmed around trying to remember where he was, but nothing looked, if it did look at all, familiar.

Where am I?

Feet shuffled under him, his gaze drawn to a distant light that illuminated blurred lines of jagged rocks that towered like raggedly claws. The sky was green and all but empty; a floating city of black hovered in the distance. Hirale felt something nag at him as if it should have greater meaning to him now, but it didn't.

He pieced together steps that overlooked him; upon the top of the hill the light seemed to take the shape of a person, one that was urging him to come closer. Insistence fluttered around the silhouette, but Hirale's body seemed to barely move as she stepped toward it.

Is this a dream?

Am I dead?

A shrill chatter behind him snapped Hirale senses back to attention. When he turned to see what it was, his heart clenched within his chest. Huge spiders were charging at him; beady, hungry eyes fixated on him. His hand reached for his weapon but just groped air; the weapon was gone.

The spiders were getting closer.

Run!

Hirale found all the strength he could muster and began to run as hard as he could up the stairs toward the light. He could hear his labored gasps of air, pounding his legs harder to move further and faster; his heartbeat pulsated in his ears. The chattering sounded closer, but he was almost to the top.

So close.

Almost there!

Running.

Everything felt slowed as he reached the top. His fingertips fumbled for the extended hand, barely grazing an unexpectedly tangible grasp, before the light engulfed everything around him. Then almost as quickly, evaporated into darkness again.

Hirale felt as though he had been falling, but he couldn't imagine how or where. The air seemed to become thicker around him again, and before he knew it, he collided with solid stone. Panic still coursed through his veins, adrenaline paralyzing his muscles.

Are the spiders still coming?

The smell of smoke wafted into his nostrils and the pop of fire tearing apart debris sounded. Wind howled around him and he shivered involuntarily to its tickle.

Where did the light go?

He could hear shouting of men around him, clanks of swords against armor as they moved closer to him, but before Hirale could gather any more will to move, he collapsed into nothingness again.

So fun fact: I named Hirale that way because I was joking about naming my male Inquisitor "Herald" so it would be like everyone was just calling him by his name the entire time. I landed on Hirale for one of my elf Inquisitors because I thought it was even funnier if the Inquisitor's name was similar to "Herald" and he would get annoyed at all these shemlen saying his name wrong.

Don't worry; I'm aware I'm the only one who finds myself funny.

Thank you for reading! Please review if you enjoyed it, constructive criticism is always welcome, but hate is not. As I'm a little rusty with writing fanfiction, I'll attempt to keep my postings pretty regular. Fingers crossed

In addition, I'd like to give credit and endless thanks for many of the Elvhen phrases to FenxShiral for their incredible work on deconstructing the Elvhen language. To find Project Elvhen /works/3553883/chapters/7825850 or visit their tumblr under the FenxShiral tag.

Ma serannas, Hahren!

Translations:

Da'avise – (affectionate term) little flame.

Da'mi – (affectionate term) little sword.

Amelan – Keeper.

Hahren – Elder.

Sael – First.

Tael – Second.

Ma serranas – My thanks.