"You are the Hero of Fereldan."
Eralen Mahariel looked up from where she was looking over the battlements of Skyhold. She eyed the elf in front of her. Solas. Ah yes, the interesting apostate that followed the Inquisitor.
"I am indeed. How did you know?"
"The only other Dalish in the keep is that of the Inquisitor herself, from your voice you are Fereldan, and we've all heard the stories of the woman who vanquished the Blight."
"I see my reputation precedes me," Eralen said mildly. "Honestly, I can't go anywhere anymore without someone bringing up deeds done over a decade ago. Exhausting really."
"Are those...the markings of Fen'Harel?"
"Well done." Eralen replied, a sly look on her face. "Yes, they are indeed. You are not Dalish, but undoubtedly you know we honour our Gods through our markings. Or, so we're told."
"You doubt?" Solas was intrigued. Most Dalish believed they knew everything and were stubbornly proud of it.
"There's much we don't know, who's to say what we think we do know is right?" Eralen shrugged.
"But...if I might ask...why honour the Dread Wolf?" Solas asked.
"Because. I respect him." Eralen replied. "If what the Dalish teach us is true, that Fen'Harel sealed the Creators and the Forgotten Ones in their realms by trickery for all eternity, if that is true, the Dalish fear him for the wrong reasons."
"How so?"
"Think about it. The Gods were at war, they were killing each other. And only Fen'Harel knew how to stop it. He could go to both sides and they would think he was one of them. Because he was. He took no sides, he wanted the war to stop. I believe he tried peacefully at first, but they wouldn't listen to him. So he devised a trick to seal them in their realms, to cease the fighting and save them. He only wanted the war to end, but I think he might regret the way he achieved it."
Solas shifted uncomfortably under the elf's intense gaze as she stared at him while she spoke.
"I honour him for he was noble, and sacrificed much to end brutal suffering. For now he is alone. The Gods are gone, even if the stories are untrue the Gods are still gone, and Fen'Harel is all but one. He is alone in this world, and I think he's...lonely. Our people curse him and call him a Trickster, shy away from his legend and try to shield themselves from his bad fortune, but our people are wrong. I believe Fen'Harel is sad, so sad that mortal men can't comprehend his loneliness, or the deep regret and the guilt he walks alone with."
Eralen smiled then, her gaze shifting from Solas to the distance. "But Fen'Harel is not as alone as he thinks. Not anymore. And it's the closeness he now feels that makes him feel more alone than ever. But even Fen'Harel will learn, that there will always be one who forgives him for what he believes he's done wrong. There is one who will love him until the end of time."
Solas followed the Hero's gaze, to land on the Inquisitor. He froze. The Hero walked passed him, smiling a small but meaningful smile.
"The Dread Wolf is only a name after all," she murmured. "And fools who care what names mean, are fools not fit for his attention. No?"
She walked on along the battlements, leaving Solas to stare after her in a mixture of horror and awe. He looked again to Fen'Falon, who this time noticed his gaze and smiled brightly, the light in her eyes that shone when he looked at her bringing a smile to his face.
"One who will forgive the Dread Wolf you say Hero..." Solas murmured.
Perhaps, now, was the time to tell Fen'Falon the truth.