Amaril ducked beneath a branch and clutched at her still-distended belly. Her body was still weak and sore from the birth, but she was certain she had heard Nahel calling to her in the forest.

Sweat dripped from her brow as she stumbled through the moon-dappled grass. Nahel could not be dead, not by the hand of shemlen and flat-ears, not with his command over magic. He was out there, waiting for her.

Amaril pressed deeper into the tall, dark pines. She would find him and bring him back. They would be together at last.

Ashalle hushed the babe in her arms as Marethari approached.

The Keeper's eyes were tired, and her mouth was drawn tight. "Amaril has been found."

Relief welled in Ashalle. The birth had taken almost two full days, and Amaril had been lost to fever dreams shortly after the babe slipped from her body. "Mythal bless us, is she all right?"

Marethari licked her lips and shook her head once. "Hahren Paivel says he will be ready to sing her to rest in the morning."

The breath went out of Ashalle. In the days before the birth pains began, Amaril had begun to smile and laugh again. Ashalle had been certain the child would renew Amaril's hope. "And what of her daughter?"

There were a few moments of silence before Marethari reached out to touch the babe's forehead. "The girl belongs to our clan. I will find someone who wishes to care for her."

The child's earlier discontent had faded into a drowsy sleep. Ashalle pressed her lips to the girl's downy-soft hair and inhaled the soft scent with a dreamy sigh. In all the many years she had been with Vanil, she had borne him no children. Ashalle had been bitter at first, but time had softened it into resignation. The tiny bundle in her arms sparked a hope she had thought long dead. "Vanil and I can care for her. He always wanted a daughter."

Marethari's eyes ran over Ashalle's face, flat and unreadable, and Ashalle clung to the babe, praying the Creators would grant her this one wish. "You cannot claim her as your daughter, but you may care for her if you wish. The clan will assist whenever you need. The responsibility lies with all of us."

"Thank you, Keeper." Ashalle hugged the girl close and smiled as Marethari turned away. The infant nuzzled at Ashalle's breast and made a soft huffing noise. "Elin." The girl lazily opened her eyes at Ashalle and went cross-eyed as she tried to focus. The child was beautiful and perfect; the child was hers.

"Elin! Where have you been?" Ashalle sighed heavily and gave Elin a stern look.

Elin held up one hand and tried to keep the excitement from her face. "Look!" The rabbit had been tricky to catch, but in the end she had gotten the trap right. Warm, sticky blood ran down her arm, but Elin did not mind. It made her feel like a real hunter.

"Oh da'len, I didn't know you were out trapping." Ashalle took the rabbit and drew her belt knife. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to surprise you." Elin's shoulders slumped a little when Ashalle sighed. She never meant to worry Ashalle. "And I didn't know if I would catch anything."

Ashalle leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of Elin's head. "Thank you for the rabbit, da'len. Just tell me next time you'll be gone so long. Vanil was ready to send the hunters after you." Ashalle flipped the rabbit on its back and slid the knife down the belly. "Now, go tell him you returned safely. And then wash up so you can help with dinner." Ashalle gutted the rabbit in a few casual, easy gestures as she spoke.

Elin nodded absently as she watched the deliberate movements of Ashalle's knife. The skin separated cleanly from shiny grey sinew and deep red muscle under the precise strokes of Ashalle's blade. Elin's fingers twitched as she tried to commit the movements to memory. "Can you teach me to do that?"

Ashalle's smooth movements stopped. "Go tell Vanil quickly, and I'll wait."

Elin grinned. "Ma serannas. I'll hurry!" She bounded out the door, imagining her legs as swift and strong as a halla.

Merrill stared into the fire, knees drawn to her chest. Her new Keeper was so serious, and there was so much to learn. Merrill was certain she would never remember it all. She felt so small and alone here, and even the forest was strange to her. Marethari's clan was nice, but no one spoke with her much, and she was beginning to feel invisible.

A happy giggle was the only warning Merrill had before a girl tumbled into her. The impact sent Merrill's head spinning.

"Abelas! Did I hurt you?" The girl looked down at Merrill, all green eyes and wild blonde hair.

"I'm okay." Merrill felt her cheeks heat as she sat up. She never knew what to say around the new clan, and she so scared of bothering them.

"I'm Elin." The girl smiled and plucked a twig out of Merrill's hair. "Can you play?"

Merrill blinked a few times. "Play? I think so, but I can't go far. Marethari says to say close if she needs me."

Elin stuck out her hand and pulled Merrill to her feet. "We can stay in the camp, then. Master Ilen always has little wooden halla to play with. Come on!" Elin scampered off so suddenly that Merrill nearly tripped trying to keep up.

That night, Merrill crawled into bed with her fingers curled around a tiny wooden halla, and a smile as she drifted off to sleep. She had a friend.

Moon-shadows hid many things. The deer knew this, but it did not know how. The air was still and carried no scent of predator. Night-birds broke the silence with calls that held no note of urgency of alarm.

Sweet young grass had been pushing its way through the spring-warm soil, and the deer lowered its head to graze. The fresh, crunching greenness of the grass was a joy after a hard winter of bark and twig-tips. The wind shifted and tickled the deer's nose.

Two-leg.

The thought was an image more than a word, but two-leg meant death. The deer tensed to leap.

Its knee gave way just before it felt the pain and the hot trickle of blood that spilled to the ground. Only then did it realize the night birds had gone quiet. The deer's heartbeat and the sound of two running feet were all the deer could hear. Another jolt of pain and it struggled and collapsed again. Its heartbeat was wild, and breath was lost to it.

Strange paws grasped under its chin and something sharp cut into its neck, drawing the blood out like a stream. The deer blinked at the two-leg that held it and struggled one last time before it died.

Tamlen strode into the clearing and put his hands on his hips. "Lucky shot again?"

Elin glanced up at him, calm and cool-eyed as she worked the knots of the make-shift sled. "Where's your deer?"

He felt his cheeks go hot as he squatted near the carcass. He had let his footsteps grow careless, and his deer had run. "I let it get away."

She cocked her head to the side and the corners of her mouth nearly twitched into a smile. "Did you, now?"

Tamlen stuck his tongue out at Elin and was rewarded with a laugh. "We should go. It's nearly dawn."

"Help me carry it back to camp, and I'll share." Elin's eyes sparkled mischievously.

"Of course, lethallan." He knew she would share regardless of his help, but he was happy to give it. They would do much more than carry prey for each other. It was the way of the Dalish, and of friends

Many thanks to and LJ user xogs, as well as my husband, for providing beta services! This story will update on a MWF schedule until complete.