The Alienage

Life in the Alienage, any of them, was never an easy one. The life of a city elf was riddled with hardships and ill fortune, most of which was caused by their human betters. The elves were a strong people though, no matter where it was they came from, and while there was much suffering and strife inside the walls of their Alienage; there was also a close knit community to keep everything from falling part entirely. There was joy mixed in with the sadness, and laughter to make up for the tears.

The youth held most of the hope. Their eyes still shined and their lips still carried wide smiles. They didn't yet know what kind of world they had been born into. Certainly the children understood that they lived away from the humans, in shacks that were in need of serious repair, but they still seemed to believe things would get better. And perhaps, with time, things really would get better.

The Surana's had an energetic son who believed wholeheartedly that things weren't as bleak as they seemed. There was still so much good and so many wonders in their small world, he didn't see why the adults couldn't grasp that.

Quinn, his name was. Always covered in dirt and never minded that his scraggly black hair stuck out in any which way it chose to. He was born to a city elf, Araniel, and a dalish hunter, Naraian. Their union was something akin to a fairytale story and Quinn loved hearing it. He knew it by heart by then, with how many times he'd asked both of his parents to retell it to him over his short seven years of life. But even so, he would still ask from time to time, much to his parents' bemusement.

"Again? Aren't you bored of this story, darling?" His mother asked as she wiped at her forehead with the back of her hand, her attention divided between preparing supper and acknowledging her child. Araniel was a small woman, even by elven standards, with freckles covering most of her fair skin and her red hair tied in two loose braids over her shoulders. The boy shook his head and wiggled about, a big ball of energy contained in a small body. "Again, mum! Pleeeease?"

"Alright, alright. Calm down before you explode or something!" His mother laughed, motioning towards the one chair at their quaint dining table. He settled himself in it, legs too small to meet the ground, and watched his mother expectantly.

"Aah, let's see.. I was really no more than a lass when we first met. I'd been looking for some herbs to make more salves, Maker knows-"

"Creators, mum." A small voice piped up.

"Ah, your Da's been teachin' you about the old gods, hasn't he.. Creators know," She corrected herself, flashing Quinn an amused smile; "we never had enough medicine to go around the Alienage. Still don't, really." She sighed at that, pulling some meat off of the bone. "Anyways.. I was out lookin' for some herbs, against Hahren's wishes might I add, when I first met your father. . Quinn, listen to what the Hahren tells you, you hear?" She smiled as she said that, teasing him. The boy returned her smile with a scrunched nose, head shake and pursed lips.

"He'd been out hunting, your Da. Thank goodness for that, because while I'd found the herbs I needed, a bear had found it's dinner: me!" She said that part dramatically, eyes wide as she looked at Quinn. He stared back, enraptured. "I'd just about fainted when I saw it lumbering up to me. I'd never seen a real bear before then, and I was sure I was going to be eaten. It was a grand animal, much bigger than I woulda thought it'd been. It roared a miiighty roar and began to charge! I was so stricken with fear, I couldn't move a muscle. That's when-"

"Da flung an arrow at the bear's shoulder, and it got really angry! Then he fired another one and the bear finally noticed him and it ran after him instead!" Quinn threw his arms up, tipping back in the chair. Araniel paused, placing her hands down on the cutting board and quirked a brow at her son. He quickly folded his hands in his laps and shut his mouth, looking at her with wide eyes; as if to say, "go on, what then?".

She chuckled softly, returning to dinner. "Yes, the bear was no longer paying me any mind.. But I was still so stunned, I didn't even think to run off. I stood there, shakin' in my boots, and watched as your Da emerged from the forest; flingin' arrow after arrow at the bear. He was sayin' somethin' to me, yellin' really. I wasn't paying much mind then, but he tells me now he'd been tellin' me to run. A reasonable thing to hollar at someone who'd almost been mauled by a bear. Then, two more Dalish came out! The three of them took down the bear as easy as I'm tearin' apart this fowl."

"Your Da came up to me, practically huffing, and asked if I was alright. I'd hardly answered before he began to berate me for being out in the forest all by myself." She laughed softly, shaking her head at the memory. "I thought he was going to end up makin' me for dinner instead of the bear, with how livid he was! Don't tell 'em I said that." Araniel winked at the boy, before continuing. "They looked me over and sent me on my way then, and I ran by to the city, and back to the Alieange. Hahren was so angry at me, I don't know who chewed me out worse." She laughed some more as she began to cut the meat.

"After that, I'd promised Hahren not to sneak off again. But I was a mischievous little thing, and I didn't think it'd hurt any to venture out just one more time. I'd seen the Dalish after all, and nearly no one in the Alienage had seen one before. I was just.. curious, I think. Or maybe I just wanted some sort of adventure in my life." She shrugged, "When I went back, I wandered around for hours. I wasn't really sure what exactly I was even lookin' for. But then your Da found me, again. He seemed indifferent to me bein' there, but a little curious too. Asked me why I'd return. I told him I wanted to know more about the Dalish, asked him if he'd take me to his clan. He said no."

"He told me, instead of taking me to his clan, he'd answer what he could right there. And so we talked. I must've asked for many silly questions, and I can't even really remember what he'd answered them with anymore. It was very late by the time we'd gotten done talking, and he saw me out to the outskirts of the forest. I asked him how long he'd be in the forest, and he told me he didn't know. I asked if I could come back again to talk to him more; there were more things I wanted to know, I'd told him.." Araniel paused, her face tilted down as a fond smile stretched on her lips. "He smiled at me, amused by my many questions, and told me he'd meet me right where we were. Didn't want me wandering around the forest alone anymore."

Quinn opened his mouth to ask his mother something, but shut it when he heard the door open and a familiar voice call out to them in greeting. The child hopped off of the chair swiftly and ran to the door, excited greetings being returned.

"Aneth ara, Da!" Quinn bounced slightly on his naked heels as his father came in. Naraian returned the enthusiasm with a warm grin, unloading the pack slung over his arm onto the ground and quickly replacing it with his son; scooping him up and blowing raspberries against his cheek. The boy snorted as he laughed, gently trying to paw his father off of him. "Da-aaa, don't do that! That's for babies." Quinn huffed in faux annoyance, though the smile on his face betrayed the act entirely.

"Aaah, but ma da'len, you will always be my baby." The man chuckled, placing Quinn back on the floor and ruffling his already messy hair. Naraian was an elf of a dark complexion more common to Rivain than Ferelden, black hair worn long yet kept up by a red scarf. He'd mentioned having been from a clan that frequented Rivain before, but like many of the Dalish clans his moved around too often to call that country their home.

Naraian hefted his pack up once more, walking with Quinn beside him into the main room of their home. There wasn't much in their home, but they were a rather content family. There was a table against the left wall with one chair, a fireplace with a pot hung over it for their supper, a small drawer of their clothing and a few crates and chests for other things. Against the right wall there was a decent sized bed, enough for two if they huddled close. Quinn used to sleep with them in the bed when he was younger and much smaller, but now that he was at least four feet and four inches he could no longer fit between his parents and instead slept on a pile of furs in the corner, right next to the bed. It was a fair arrangement, and he was young enough that it didn't bother him.

"Good hunting?" Araniel asked her husband, greeting him with a smile. The man grinned back, nodding and giving the pack he bore a light shake.

"I've already given some to the Hahren to distribute, and we may have some yet to sell." The Dalish elf replied, placing the pack on the clean end of the table. He pulled out a small bundle of herbs, flashing them to his wife. "Elfroot, since you've been mentioning the lack of it recently. It should be enough to make a few things, yes?" He raised a brow. Naraian was a hunter not an herbalist, and while he knew which plants were good and which weren't, he wasn't keen on trying his hand at making medicine with them.

Araniel once again halted in dinner making to examine the herbs, nodding at him with a thankful smile. "That should do us just fine."

"Da!" Quinn interjected himself back into the conversation, catching his father's hand in his own and tugging at it softly. The man looked down at him curiously, a brow raised and one side of his lips pulled up. "Yes, ma da'lan?"

"Mum was tellin' me about when you two first met. She got to the part where you guys agreed to talk again, and then you came in and now you're here, and you hafta tell the rest while Mum cooks." Quinn heaved an exasperated sigh, arms hanging in front of him and expression expectant. Naraian glanced at his wife a moment, a silent "Again?" on his face. He relented though, and sat down in the chair. The child flopped onto the wooden floor, crossing his legs and looking up at his father.

"She'd gotten to after the second time we'd met?" Quinn nodded. "Very well. After that. . we kept both our words. She would return to the place we agreed upon, and I would meet her there. We spoke, about a great many things. For as many questions as she asked me, I had some for her as well. I'd never met a city elf before then, and although I never gave it much thought before I was rather curious to know how she lived. Elves of Dalish upbringing are quick to look down upon our city fairing brothers and sisters, calling them flat-ears. I was no different, before I met your mother. She helped me to see her world just as I helped her to see mine."

"Time passed and we fell in love. My clan was getting ready to leave, but I couldn't bring myself to do so. I told my clan's Keeper that I had met my soul's match, and while she was weary, she gave her blessings for me to do as my heart willed. We married, and had you. The rest is already known to you. . Just as this memory is. It warms me to know you like hearing of it so often, Quinn, but I wonder how you've not yet tired of it!" Naraian laughed, shaking his head softly.

Quinn opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by his mother telling them to both to wash up. Dinner was finished.