Disclaimer 1: I do not own Dragon Age Origins or any games, media, or official literature associated with the Dragon Age series. I DO own a pretty cool picture of Zevran that my friend drew me :)

Disclaimer 2: For those who still may be confused, I am using the DA:O version of Merrill, not the DA:2 version.

Enjoy~

To the rest of Thedas, Ferelden is generally seen as a cold and muddy kingdom. What many people forget is that Ferelden, like most of the world, also has seasons. Normally these seasons consist of winter and "almost winter", but every few years spring will flourish. On this particular day, summer was flourishing, much to the despair of the Dalish clan currently residing in the eastern part of the Brecilian forest.

As Lynn trudged through the hot and sticky air, birds chirped and life went on around her, just as it always did. Despite the heat, this section of the forest had always been her favorite. The grass seemed greener, the skies were bluer, and game was plentiful. Bow in hand; the young elf knelt to examine the area around her.

A rather large elk has been through here, along with a small group of deer. What's driving them away from the south?

The question had been brought up multiple times among the various hunters and trackers. Keeper Marethari told her clan that it was just an odd migration season, but Lynn knew better. Tamlen agreed with her, of course, but that in itself was not strange.

Tamlen…

The star hunter of Sablae clan had been on her mind more than ever, but not in the ways Tamlen had probably hoped for. The pair always had a mildly flirtatious atmosphere around them, but to Lynn, it was always in jest. The clan always assumed that their two best hunters would be together. It was only natural, of course.

Am I not natural? Is my avoidance of him not normal?

She felt shame when she first realized that she was not attracted to Tamlen or any of the other men. She was not naïve enough not to recognize what was happening to her. While being gay was not so unheard of in the rest of the nation, within the Dalish Clans, it was borderline forbidden. It was the duty of ever Dalish elf to produce offspring and continue the elven race.

Maybe I'm just going through a phase. It's not like I'm seeing any of the other femal-

A snapping of twigs brought her out of the confusing line of thought. Peering to her left, the hunter quietly made her way through the forest. More snaps and a rustling of grass led her to a small clearing, where a mature deer stood grazing. Slowly kneeling, Lynn brought an arrow out of her quiver. As she looked for the best target, something else caught her eye. Roughly eighty feet away from the creature, a tall shape was moving about. Narrowing her sharp eyes, the hunter could tell that the figure was humanoid, but was moving away from their position.

It could be my imagination…or it could be a shem.

With no hesitation, she abandoned her prey. A good amount of meat would be nothing if her clan was destroyed by templars or bandits. The very thought of it made the Dalish elf's blood boil. Just as she did moments before, she silently made her way through the woods, avoiding the twigs and leaves. The closer she got to her target, the louder a certain noise was getting.

Is it a river? Too loud to be a creek or pond, are there waterfalls in this forest?

Her suspicions were confirmed when she got to the edge of the wooded area. Hiding behind a large oak tree, she cast her gaze at the towering spew of water. There were several waterfalls scattered throughout the Brecilian Forest, but she assumed that none were of this size. Remembering her current goal, Lynn moved her eyes to the river, expecting to see a foolish human. Her eyes widened and breath hitched as she looked upon who she had been tracking.

By the Creators…I…Oh my….

The Keeper's First, Merrill, stood before her, naked as the day she was born. Her tan skin reflected well against the sun, and her slim figure was accented by her vallaslin. Her butt was nicely rounded and her legs were slender. Underneath her robes, Merrill was absolutely beautiful, and Lynn couldn't even see the front of the mage.

I need to breathe…why aren't I breathing? What is she…Why…

Blinking furiously, she tried to dispel the image in her mind. Looking away, Lynn finally caught her breath. Taking in a deep breath and gasping it out, she quickly hid back behind the tree when she realized how loud the noise was. In an instant she gave a prayer to every Dalish god and goddess, but she knew the capabilities of elven ears.

"Who is there? I heard you, so come out before I drag you out!" Merrill's voice was hostile and laced with suspicion. Like Lynn, she must have assumed there were humans in the area.

I need to get out of here…I can't…I can't do this. My heart is beating so fast and my head…Oh no…please no…I can't…

"I give you only one more warning, shem! Face me, or I will send you to your Maker!" Lynn knew that Merrill would make good on her threats, she wasn't the Keeper's First for nothing. The magic she wielded was near as powerful as the Keeper's.

Taking a deep breath, Lynn came out of her cover with her arms raised to show she posed no threat. At this angle, the hunter could she the rest of Merril's body, and could mentally confirm she was as beautiful as Lynn assumed. Just like the back of her body, the mage's front was tan and lean, with her tattoos accented in all the right places. Her mind did a double take when she realized that the elf's breasts were larger than her own, something the elf's robes hid very well. The hunter met the mage's eyes, but quickly looked away, embarrassed by the traitorous thoughts her mind was coming up with. Merrill quirked an eyebrow at her fellow elf's unusual behavior, but thought nothing of it.

"Lynn? What are you doing out this far into the forest?" the First knew of Lynn's usual hunting patterns, but was confused by her sudden appearance.

"I…I uh…was tracking a deer and saw you moving, but I…thought you were a shem." Lynn coughed at the end of her awkward sentence, and then realized that she pretty much insulted her Dalish sister. "I mean, from far a-away you did. Now that I…see…you, you're definitely not one!" she laughed nervously, subconsciously trying not to screw up in front of the beautiful mage.

Merrill, however, just smirked and put her hand on her hip. "You thought I was a shem? Well, I've never heard that one before." She chuckled when she saw how the hunter jumped at they playful accusation, but then realized what was off about her. "Is…Something wrong, sister? You're acting strangely." Her fellow elf once again averted her eyes before responding, confirming her suspicion.

"N-nothing's wrong, Merrill. It's just, y'know…you're…" Lynn trailed off nervously, not sure how to respond. Don't you know what you're doing to me!? Put some clothes on!

"I'm…what? Naked? Why is that so odd?" Now she was even more confused, the clan was tightly knit, and though the genders were separated, the females had all seen each other naked before. What was so different this time?

In Lynn's mind, she knew exactly what she wanted to say. She tried her hardest to keep it down, but it was the only truthful explanation she could give. "It's just that…I've never noticed how…b-beautiful you…are." Any softer and she would have whispered it, but the woman before her had elven ears, and had most definitely heard it. She cast her green eyes down in shame and embarrassment.

If anything could be said about Merrill, one thing always trumped everything else. She was almost as intelligent as her Keeper, and after hearing Lynn's confession, the pieces fell into place. Now she realized why she was avoiding Tamlen and the other male elves and how she was almost always seen with the other female elves.

"Lynn…are you…." she shut her mouth when she noticed Lynn shaking, her head pointed directly at the ground. "Are you crying?" When the hunter shook her head, Merrill knew she had her answer. She looked into herself, and realized that she would act the same way, if confronted. While she didn't identify herself as gay, she also never found the men attractive. Her eyes widened when she realized that Lynn must have thought the mage disapproved of her.

"I…I tried so hard…b-but…I can't hold it in anymore…I'm so s-sorry!" At this point, she was fully crying. Her life was falling apart around her, Merrill would tell the clan and the Keeper would force her to mate and-

Her panicked thoughts ceased when the elf in question placed her lips firmly onto hers. Lynn's mind ground to a halt, none of it made sense, why would she kiss her!? Luckily, her body leaped into action. Closing her eyes, she returned her first kiss and felt herself getting wet. With Merrill's hand on her chin and the other on her lower back, Lynn moved both arms and cradled herself on the mage's neck.

Merrill had been just as surprised at her actions but felt no regret. What she was doing felt right, unlike what she was supposed to feel around men. As much as she loved her first kiss, she wanted more. With Lynn's aid, they stripped her of her leather armor without ever breaking the kiss.

After what felt like hours, they finally parted. They stood before each other, naked in a forest older than they could possibly imagine. Their eyes drank in every detail while their hands felt the soft skin and curves. Time faded and they found themselves in the grass.

The First bit and tugged at Lynn's nipples, as the young elf moaned and squirmed. She moved to her throats and kissed her sensitive skin. Thinking she was in control, the mage jumped when she felt she butt being grabbed and squeezed. Taking a moment to moan into the hunter's neck, she felt the other woman's nails scratch her soft behind.

Time flashed once more, and Lynn's tongue gently lapped at the elven honey while Merrill used her hand to push her deeper into her womanhood. Lynn moved her mouth and softly sucked on the small pleasure nub, causing the elf to nearly pass out from the orgasm that rocked her body.

As the sun began dipping, Merrill's fingers slid in and out of Lynn's tight slit. She increased the speed, and slowed down constantly, making the woman grit her teeth in frustration. However, the First knew what she was doing. Pushing her fingers as far she could, she prodded against the woman's cervix, making Lynn gasp in pleasure. While pulling out, she jolted her fingers upwards, pressing against a woman's most pleasurable spot. Lynn cried out in ecstasy while birds flew into the sky.

It was nearly dark when they finally ceased their love making. Lying in the grass holding each other, they knew the decision they made was the right one. Whispering sweet nothings made them giggle and sigh. Finally they stood and clothed themselves. After one last kiss, they made for the camp. Little did the couple know, a great darkness was looming to the south. It would shatter their lives as they knew it. One would flee, one would fight. These things were not on their mind though, they lived for the moment.

They lived for the Dalish summer night.