Chapter One: A Dreaded Meeting
Summary:
One would think that love would be easier for an immortal god, but that could not be further from the truth. She is something to him that is forbidden and just barely out of his reach. He is her greatest dream and worst nightmare transforming into her new reality. The world has made him out as a monster, but to her? He is only a man. Theirs is a love that can transcend through the ages, but station and old pains may come to snuff out this love's spark before it becomes a blazing flame.
Disclaimer:
I do not own Dragon Age or any of the characters that are presented in the novels, comics, video games, or movies. All rights belong to Bioware and the characters to each of their respective writers.
Halinia's POV:
The dawn's rays were just beginning to seep through the canopy of leaves and vines that spanned out in nearly every direction. If one was not careful in this forest, they would end up going around in perpetual circles. Even though everything appeared to be so peaceful and inviting, there was still a darkness that lurked around every corner. It called to the innocent and whispered promises of insanity to those who were foolish enough to listen. In the center of this forest slept a small settlement of Elves. They were the sentinels of this place and were the ones that kept the darkness from seeping out into the world. With ancient magic and sacred rituals they were able to keep this evil at bay, yet even the brightest among them were subject to these venomous whispers.
Halinia Lavellan was one of these bright individuals who kept the darkness back. She went around each day re-energizing the charms and talismans with her magic. These foci set up a field that constantly battled back any form of negative or dark energy. However, if they were weakened due to no magic running through them then this field would fade and the darkness could begin its slow corruption. She also tended to each individual shrine devoted to the Creators: Elgar'nan, Mythal, Falon'Din, Dirthamen, Andruil, Sylaise, June, Ghilan'nain, and Fen'Harel.
There were of course others who assisted in giving magic to these foci as well as blessing and leaving offerings at the shrines to the Creators. They tended every shrine but one: Fen'Harel's. His was a shrine that many still avoided and tried to forget, thus leaving that responsibility to Halinia. When questioned why she left offerings at his shrine she would simply smile and say. "Many of our own people are misunderstood. Could a god not be misunderstood as well?"
She was not one to believe in the tales of Fen'Harel coaxing innocents down the path of insanity, in her mind if they followed The Dread Wolf down that path then they were just as responsible as the one tempting them.
So as the sun fully began to gleam down upon the elven settlement, Halinia crawled out from underneath her furs and grasped the amulet that she always kept on. "Tel garas solason."
It was a simple prayer that she whispered every day to the gods so she would not find herself prideful or arrogant. She had seen the effects of pride when she was young and ever since then she knew that she never wanted to wield such arrogance. With her daily prayer uttered, Halinia stood and picked up a grey set of robes with a faint smile.
They were worn and had been stitched many times, but these robes were one of the few things that Halinia valued above all else. These robes once belonged to her mother and while they were somewhat loose around her body, she still wore them. After all, all those who tended the shrines were never to wear anything that was too tight or revealing since they were highly respected and thought to be on the same level as the Keeper of the clan.
Halinia slipped the robes on and fitted a red sash around her waist before she began to run her fingers through her hair. Her hair was the color of obsidian and reached down to the middle of her back. She had the luxury of keeping her hair long since she was not a hunter who had to eliminate any and all possible hindrances when it came to hunting. Halinia looked into the mirror that stood against a corner in her home. She found golden eyes to be staring back at her and a scar taunting her when she closed her right eye. With a slight sigh she touched her scar that ran over her eyelid and to the top of her cheekbone. "Nadas…"
Some memories would never leave themselves in the past so Halinia tried to ignore them, but having a mark for a time so painful made sure that she would never forget those memories. With past moments being pushed back to the edge of her mind, Halinia looked away from the mirror and grabbed a basket by its handle. With a final glance back at the mirror Halinia left her home and began to walk down a road that would lead out of the settlement. Most of the others were still asleep so Halinia was able to enjoy the sounds that nature gifted them each day: the melodies sung to them by the birds, the soft rustling brought to them by the wind, and the howls off in the distance.
The path to each shrine was not far off from the elven settlement, but it was one that you did not diverge from. So rather than going off into the forest, Halinia picked small flowers that grew along the path. With more time these flowers may had grown into even more beautiful specimens, but the Creators needed offerings so this beauty would have to be sacrificed.
Halinia reached the first shrine which belonged to Elgar'nan and placed two scarlet flowers before bowing her head and sending her prayer to the All-Father. With her mind fully at peace she left the All-Father's shrine and continued down the path to Mythal's shrine which she left two yellow flowers. When the other Tenders arrived they would leave flowers of different colors to symbolize their own prayers sent to the Creators.
As she continued on her journey, Halinia left offerings at each shrine down the path. When she reached June's shrine she became aware of a feeling of something, someone, was watching her. Surrounded by untamed nature, Halinia was used to this kind of feeling. Without another thought Halinia continued on to Ghilan'nain's shrine and closed her eyes in prayer as a rustling was heard in the brush far behind her. Her lips curled slightly at the disturbance, but she continued to send her prayer.
Fen'Harel's POV:
The Dread Wolf had left his realm for the desire of finding some entertainment. He could had toyed with his fellow Creators or even pestered the Forgotten Ones, but after a while it got rather boring using them for amusement. So he came down to the realm of mortals in hopes of finding some elf to play with or to enjoy the thrill of the hunt where the game would have some chance to escape him; those poor animals never did, but that didn't really matter to him.
He was a hulking mass of black fur and crimson eyes which would almost glow whenever the moon fell. Yet being The Dread Wolf had many benefits such as being able to be the apex predator. He had the speed of the swiftest halla, the stealth of the sneakiest bear, and the strength the mightiest giant. Then add being immortal…Fen'Harel had very little to contend with so he had to find many ways to keep active.
As he padded across the forest where Halinia's clan called home, he found himself sniffing the air and finding the scent of a young female elf. She smelled of honeysuckle and maple which made his stomach rumble even though he already had filled himself on earlier prey. It seemed that she was keeping along one path and was stopping every so often for the same amount of time. He had never been to this forest before so anything could had really caught his attention. So a solitary elf moving like clockwork was something that intrigued him.
Fen'Harel sniffed the air and caught the aroma of the elf coming to closer to where he was hunkered down in the overgrowth. He watched her carefully with his ruby-red eyes and wondering what she was doing. At first, it seemed that she was simply leaving flowers at worn statues. Upon peering further at these statues, he could make out the faces of his fellow Creators.
Throughout his travels he had seen hundreds of shrines devoted to his kin and very few devoted to him. Those shrines that were devoted to him were often covered in moss and vines with no offering set around them. It mattered little to him since he was not a god who craved offerings or followers, he craved intrigue and amusement. So with a low puff of air Fen'Harel was growing extremely bored of the sight before him and began to think everything in this area was dull.
He took note of the elf though and his ears perked up when she began to move again, she seemed to be a dutiful and controlled sort. Not someone who would be fun to enter a game with…well, perhaps a game of riddles, but that was not the type of game Fen'Harel was interested in at that moment. She was a dainty little thing and the robes she wore did her no justice, in fact she looked like someone who was devoted to Mythal or Sylaise. Mythal was a dear friend of The Dread Wolf, yet she was not one who he could fool around too much with. She had a temper and he did not want to ignite it like he had done so many times before.
As the elf moved before him, Fen'Harel followed silently beside her in the bushes. Just making enough noise that would cause her to be alert, but not enough that would send her running. She looked modest in her robes, but her face was anything but plain. Fen'Harel was interested in how intense her eyes were, they were almost as deep and golden as the sun itself. His eyes then flicked to her lips which were set in a way that always made her look like she was pondering on some great magical theory. She seemed to radiate with an aura of innocence which made him nearly roll his eyes. She was a pretty little thing, but seemed to be rather tame and unlikely to partake in any mischief. So instead of tempting her, Fen'Harel merely observed her with his eyes never leaving her form.
Halinia's POV:
Only two flowers remained in Halinia's basket when she reached the final shrine. It belonged to The Dread Wolf, Fen'Harel. Before she had arrived to his shrine, she felt the hair on the back of her neck standing up more on edge than usual; there was a tension in the air that she could not yet define. She found it odd that for once she felt uncomfortable in the place she called home, yet even with this nervousness Halinia had a duty to her clan, to the Creators, and to herself.
So Halinia tenderly picked up the remaining two flowers that were a deep violet color and set them at the base of shrine. Her eyes then shut and she began to send her prayer to the Creators for the final time that day.
"With these offerings I only ask of thee to protect my clan's hunters, keep the children innocent for as long as you are able, and guide us down the path that will lead us into your embrace."
Halinia felt a slight tingle in the air as those last few words slipped over her lips and were carried away by the wind. She then looked up at the shrine to Fen'Harel and placed a hand on its chest. "Fen'Harel enansal."
A blessing that was personal to The Dread Wolf and hopefully someone else in Thedas was murmuring this blessing as well. It was almost sad to Halinia that Fen'Harel's shrine was always so barren, save for her own offerings. Some thought that being hated was the worst thing in the world, but being forgotten or ignored is much a greater pain. Halinia never knew what it felt like to be forgotten or ignored, but she could understand how it would hurt. She then shooed away that thought and realized how she was bringing one of the Creators down to her level.
"I do wonder what Fen'Harel feels when he turns his attention to my peoples' realm…if he even has the base emotions as I do…" Halinia whispered to herself as she turned around just in time to see a shadow pass by her.
"Andaran atish'an."
She called out into the bushes, asking for whatever was there to show itself peacefully, yet of course she did not get a response. With a low sigh at the nature surrounding her, Halinia started to walk down the path when all the sudden she heard a voice behind her.
Fen'Harel's/Halinia's POVs:
"It seems that I am not the only who still worships Fen'Harel." The voice stated in a measured tone that had a slight melodic sense to it.
Halinia looked back at the shrine and saw an elf in dark green robes with a white sash tied around his waist. He seemed to be rather tall for someone of her race and he also had a strange energy surrounding him, it seemed as if the air was crackling in between them. There was certainly magic in the air and it made Halinia take a step back.
Where did this man suddenly come from? How did he manage to get to the shrine without her seeing him, and who was he? Halinia knew everyone in her clan so seeing a stranger in the middle of their lands put her on edge.
"Er seranna ma? Who are you?"
Halinia asked as she stared at the stranger who had picked up one of the violet flowers that Halinia had left as an offering to Fen'Harel.
Fen'Harel twirled the flower in between his fingers while Halinia was speaking. He soon sniffed the flower and made a face of distaste. "I don't believe you know what kind of offerings Fen'Harel seeks, do you?" The Dread Wolf dropped the flower and turned to face Halinia with his lips twisting in a wolfish grin.
He sauntered towards his little worshiper and while he expected her to flee, it looked as if she was going to stand her ground. With a light chuckle Fen'Harel stopped a foot away from her and spoke with a slight growl.
"I would not be opposed to telling you what he would prefer as an offering, but of course you would have to do something for me."
Halinia's golden eyes held the stranger's gaze as he stood before her and promised her knowledge…knowledge for a price it seemed. She was going to run back to her people but there was no point in doing so; not when the path would had allowed this stranger to simply chase after her.
She had no idea who this man was, she had no idea where he came from, and she had no idea what price she would have to pay to have the information he promised. As a Tender, Halinia's life was meant to be dedicated to the gods so they would have their favor. If her clan had Fen'Harel's favor then perhaps he would not lure anyone to their self-inflicted demise.
"What do I have to do in order for you to tell me what Fen'Harel prefers?" Halinia crossed her arms and allowed her magic to intertwine with the atmosphere surrounding them.
Fen'Harel smirked when he felt the little elf send her mana out in the area around them, the brush around them was now subtly moving with magic. It seemed that she was trying to make herself seem all the more threatening and in charge of the situation, that would not work.
"All you have to do…" The Dread Wolf paused before he leaned down and whispered into her ear. "Is tell me your name and guess who I am." His voice was low and deep, almost to the point where it would make most tremble with anticipation. Fen'Harel closed his eyes as he took a light breath of Halinia's scent, it used to be so sweet and innocent; but now her scent was fiery and invigorating.
Halinia's eyes narrowed when the man got close to her, and quite frankly began to invade her personal space. For a split second, she thought that she felt him breath when he got near her. This stranger was odd but to breathe in another's smell…that was on a whole new level of weird.
"My name is Halinia Lavellan…" She replied with a small tremor in her voice, the magic in the air was becoming all the more intense and distracting. There was no one who came to mind that this elf could be…well no one realistically. Unless those ridiculous thoughts running through Halinia's mind actually had the right answer.
Fen'Harel subconsciously licked his lips when his worshiper spoke her name, it rolled off the tongue and now he had a name to pair with her face. "Halinia Lavellan," He practically purred her name before he moved back so he could lock his icy blues with her blazing golds. "Tell me…tell me who you think I am."
The Dread Wolf felt their magic dance with one another in the air. Their energies were so different from one another: light and darkness, fire and ice. Their combined magic was so powerful that wisps of scarlet and aquamarine could be seen flitting throughout the air.
"You're…you're Fen'Harel, The Dread Wol- Wolf." Halinia stuttered when she finally allowed that cursed name to slip from her lips and be tossed out into the world. She noticed that she was becoming light-headed the longer she was near this man…near Fen'Harel.
"You are correct. I am indeed The Dread Wolf and I would prefer offerings that would allow me to toy with others." Fen'Harel got a glint in his eye as he started to walk around Halinia, going in circles around her. "I would also not be adverse to offerings that were of your own personal belongings. It would make the offering all the more sincere, my little Halinia."
At this point, Halinia felt as if she was swaying back and forth on her feet; her vision was beginning to get blurry and her hearing was making any sound appear as if it was accompanied by an echo. "I…I…" She brought a hand to her eyes and rubbed them to see if her vision would clear up, it did not help in the slightest.
"Ah, it seems that I am making your head spin. I am not supposed to interact with The People, too much…if I spend too much time with them; they typically end up going insane."
With his smile now gone, The Dread Wolf realized that his game would soon come to end or he would risk Halinia's sanity. "So, I believe this is where we will part ways…it was a pleasure meeting one of my few remaining worshipers. This will not be the last time I see you…"
Halinia collapsed to her knees as Fen'Harel finished speaking, and just as suddenly he had appeared, he disappeared in an instant. She still felt as if her head was going to explode and as she laid on the ground, blood began to trickle out of her nose.
There would be no forgetting this encounter and if what Fen'Harel said was true; then this would only be one of the many meetings they would have.
Author's Note:
This is set where Arlathan was still thriving and the humans had yet to arrive. So, Fen'Harel will not be identifying himself as "Solas" in this story. This also means that this Lavellan is not the Inquisitor, she would be one of her ancestors. I decided to write this story in a past age because I have seen numerous stories that have Lavellan x Solas/Fen'Harel in the modern age(9:41 Dragon). I wanted to do something a little different and add my own spin on things. Hopefully, you will all come to enjoy my interpretation of Fen'Harel/Solas and exploring a time other than 9:41 Dragon.