Part One
Chapter Two
A Tear in the Open
A light seemed to flash in her head constantly, like a beacon that was dragging her forward, away from the dark. She was hurt, she felt sick, and her memory seemed slightly fuzzy. For some reason, she couldn't seem to remember where she was or what was going on. There was a commotion outside and she wanted to see what was going on, but for some reason she just couldn't summon the strength to even open her eyes.
"She must be dreaming…"
"This sickness is of nothing I've seen before. All we can do now is wait Ashalle. I've done all I can…"
"Lethallan…Hey…Lethallan…Aerianes!"
Her eyes opened and she saw Tamlen in front of her, standing there, smiling. She was confused. He stood in the middle of a vast blackness, seeming to just float in mid air, and all the while, staring at her. Her heart skipped and she tried to get up, but something was holding her back, something strong and not of this world.
"Come on sleepy head! It's time to go."
"Tamlen? Where are we going? What's going on?" she asked.
He just kept grinning at her, no real emotion behind his eyes that she could see. It felt wrong. Something about him was not right. She felt a presence around her that was not Tamlen, but something strong, and dangerous. Suddenly, she was standing before him and he was trying to take her hand.
"I'll show you!" he urged. "Come on! I'll show you the city. It's beautiful there! There's so much to do, and elves and humans live there together in peace. It's wonderful, lethallan. I want to take you with me."
She pulled her hand back, unsure of what to do. "Tamlen…where are we? I don't understand any of this. Where is the mirror?"
He raised an eyebrow at her. "What mirror? You're talking so weird. Now come on, it's time to go."
Aerianes shook her head. "No, Tamlen. We need to go back to the keeper. We're sick. We need help."
He frowned at her. "We don't need anyone else anymore. Don't you want to be with me?"
He grabbed at her arm, this time much more roughly. Aerianes winced and tried to resist, but his grip was strong, and his touch burned her.
"You're mine!"
"Tamlen! Stop! Stop please!"
His face changed. She could see the hatred in his eyes; eyes that were no longer his own. Aerianes cried out as they burned into her very soul. His skin melted away to reveal a green fleshy substance that bubbled and dripped off of his bones. His teeth became sharper than daggers and his hands became as skinny as bones, with fingernails that dug deep into her skin, blood running in between them.
"You're mine, all mine!"
"Tamlen!"
She shot out of bed, sweat beading on her forehead, her breath had left her and she was trying desperately to catch it. She held the sheets close to her bare chest until her knuckles were white from the stress. She could hear voices and it made her jump out of the makeshift bed and wrap the blanket around her for safety. Something was coming for her. She saw the shadow outside the tent slowly making its way to her. She had no bow, no quiver, and no blade. She was as good as dead.
"Oh thank the gods! You're awake! You've the gods own luck, lethallan!"
It was only one of the other hunters, coming in to check on the commotion she was making. She supposed that no one in the clan expected her to survive.
"What's going on?" Aerianes finally asked after her heart began to slow.
"You're back at camp. Everyone is worried sick about you! How are you feeling?"
That was when she realized that they were the only two in the tent. Her intuition told her something was awry. She brushed a piece of dark brown hair out of her eyes and sighed.
"I'm worried. Where is Tamlen?"
The hunter grew somber. "We don't know. The shem who brought you here saw no sign of him."
Her ears perked. "There was a human?"
He furrowed his brows in confusion. "A shem brought you back here two days ago. You…don't remember?"
She gasped, her sheet almost falling as she covered her mouth. She quickly repositioned it to cover herself, her face flushing in both embarrassment and frustration. "I've been here for two days?!"
He nodded. "Yes. You were delirious with fever. The Grey Warden brought you back into camp with you slung over his shoulder. He said he found you unconscious and alone outside a cave. He left you here and ran off again. The keeper's been using the old magic to heal you."
He heart began to race again. Two days of her lying here helpless and no trace of Tamlen yet? This didn't make sense. They were together in that ruin, how could he just disappear?
"Is anyone looking for Tamlen?" she asked with desperation.
"Of course! Our hunter's are looking for him right now!" He turned slightly, getting ready to make his leave. "But the keeper wanted to talk to you as soon as you woke. Get dressed and I'll go get her."
Aerianes did as told. Her leather armor was lying on the grass beside her bed and she quickly pulled it on over her still damp body. Why did she feel so cold when the summer heat was still upon them? Perhaps it was only because she just rose out of bed. But that didn't explain the perspiration she was experiencing. Something felt off…not right.
"I see you're awake, da'len. It's fortunate Duncan found you when he did."
The keeper had walked in on her while she still pulled her boots on. She was an old elf, far older than Aerianes could imagine elves today could age. Perhaps she was one of the ancients who still held on to their lifespan before elves were quickened by the shem? Aerianes wasn't sure. But she did know that the keeper was wise, the leader and the protector of their clan. It was up to her where they went, who would hunt, who would heal, who would craft. She kept their world in a perfect balance. Aerianes respected her and aspired to one day be as wise as she in the elven ways; even if she would never become keeper herself.
As Aerianes stood, the keeper, Marethari, walked up to her and felt her forehead. She frowned, the wrinkles on her tattooed face deepening with worry. Aerianes knew that couldn't be a good sign, but they had other pressing matters to take care of first.
"I know not what dark power held you," Marethari continued. "But it nearly bled the life from you. It was difficult even for my magic to keep you alive."
Aerianes frowned. "What happened to us?"
"I know only that the Grey Warden found you in front of a cave, sick and alone. Duncan thought there may have been darkspawn creatures inside that cave." She turned and looked at Aerianes in the eyes, pleading for answers. "Is it true?"
The young elf glared and crossed her arms. "Why listen to anything a shem says?" she spat.
Marethari frowned and shook her head, disappointed in the hunter. "The Grey Wardens are an honorable order, da'len, and we Dalish have enough enemies. Now, was he correct?"
She had heard of darkspawn before. But in her short life upon this earth, never had she come across one. She knew that they dwelled in the Deep Roads where the dwarves lived and that they were easy enough to fend off, most of the time. But the elves and the dwarves rarely saw eye to eye in the many centuries of their existence, so they stayed away from each other. With their clan being nowhere near the Frostback Mountains, she knew nothing of the darkspawn.
"I'm not sure, keeper. What does a darkspawn look like?"
"Like a man," she replied flatly. "But dark and tainted with evil. Perhaps you fought one in the cave and it wounded you?"
Aerianes tried to think hard. It was difficult with her head swimming like it was, and her memories still felt foggy. She remembered the spiders…the corpses…that twisted bear…
"There were only monsters, and dead men that walked," she finally answered.
The keeper paced, a look of worry written across her face. "Walking corpses? Dark magic, but not darkspawn. I know not what those other creatures might have been. What else did you find? What else do you remember?"
She remembered it clear as day now. That reflective surface that drew in her clan-mate.
"A mirror," Aerianes answered softly. "Tamlen…he touched it."
She heard the keeper suck in her breath and stop pacing. "A mirror? And it caused all this? I have never heard of such a thing in all the lore we have collected." She continued to pace, but now she sighed and turned from Aerianes, obviously frustrated by this turn of events. "I was hoping for answers when you woke, but there are only more questions. Do you feel well enough to show us the way, da'len? Without you, I fear we will not find it."
Aerianes straightened her posture, though it made her dizzy to do so, and nodded. "I am up to it keeper. I feel fine."
Marethari's face softened. "I am relieved to hear it. I am ordering the clan to pack the camp so we can go north. Take Merrill with you to the cave and find Tamlen if you can. But you must do it quickly."
Aerianes strapped her quiver and bow to her back and adjusted her dagger sheaths. She looked up to the keeper questionably. "The clan is leaving?"
The keeper nodded. "If there is any truth to what Duncan is saying, then the darkspawn may show up in these parts soon. We must get away from that horde." She turned and looked sternly at the hunter. "But that is not our only concern. Did you encounter any humans out in the forest?"
She nodded. "Three of them. We killed one as an example, keeper."
Marethari shook her head. It still worried her that there was no emotion in Aerianes's voice when she spoke of humans so. Tolerance did have to be found on both sides for any peace to ever work. She sighed and walked out of the tent, the young elf following suit.
"So I feared. You have stirred up a hornet's nest da'len. Their village blames us for your actions. As everywhere else, our people are not welcome here. We have stayed here too long and we must move on quickly."
Aerianes's anger flared up. Everything was seeming to go wrong and her head was spinning with all of this information. She just wanted the world to stop, if only for a moment, so she could catch up.
"You're just going to let those shemlen bastards drive us off?!"
The elder elf smiled gently, releasing any frustration from her gaze. "Our clan could slaughter their entire village if we cared to, but at the cost of bringing their king's rage down on our heads." She reached over and placed a warm hand on Aerianes's cold shoulder. "These are simple people and they have simple fears. This is their land, so we will go peacefully."
The grey eyes met those old green ones with defiance. "Are you not interested in the ruins? In that mirror?"
"I would be lying if I said I wasn't. Yet whatever knowledge lies in that cave is not worth our children. I send you back in hopes of finding Tamlen, and that's all."
"Then why should I take Merrill?"
"Merrill knows a degree of my magic, so Tamlen's chances of surviving are greater with her help. I also wish for Merrill to see this mirror. She has a sense for these things and could shed light on the nature of this illness."
Aerianes cocked an eyebrow. "But won't she risk getting sick as well?"
The keeper turned and smiled. "You recovered, and Merrill will too. Still, be careful. Should you come upon this strange mirror again, do not touch it."
The elf nodded. "I understand."
"Now go quickly. Tamlen's life hangs in the balance."
Aerianes bowed her head in respect. "Pray for me keeper."
She was not happy about taking Merrill with her, and as she walked away from the keeper, she cursed under her breath. Merrill was the apprentice to the keeper; meaning that one day she would be leading the clan when the keeper's time on this earth was finished. Normally, this wouldn't bother Aerianes. After all, they needed a keeper to…well…keep them. However, Merrill was full of herself. Interested mainly in the fact that she will get to boss others around as she 'keeps' the clan and tries to keep them safe from harms reach. Aerianes was not sure if Merrill would be up to the task of caring for others so deeply when she always seemed to be looking out for herself.
The other reason why Aerianes was not Merrill's biggest supporter was because they both competed for the place of keeper. Aerianes took great care when it came to trying to keep the clan safe when she scouted the borders and hunted. She was close with a lot of her clan members and felt their respect for her. However, there is only so much that a warrior can do…and a mage can do so much more.
Most keepers were, in fact, the magic type. They needed more than just the knowledge of potions and poisons to get by. Unfortunately, Aerianes was just not blessed with the talent. So she settled for her role as hunter and had been quite content ever since. However, she always felt the loathing from Merrill whenever they crossed paths, and she had to admit that the feeling was kind of mutual.
It was the keepers order however, and she had to abide by them.
"Lethallan! Hey, lethallan!"
Aerianes stopped in her tracks and saw Maren waving in the distance. She guessed there would be a few who would want to see her before she disappeared again. She walked up the grassy hill, past a few of the makeshift homes and greeted her red headed friend.
Maren smiled with her bright eyes and bowed. "Aneth dera. It's good to see you recovered!"
Aerianes smiled. She looked past Maren into the pen where the majestic white halla grazed. It was Maren's job to look after the creatures while they were at camp. Aerianes could not bring herself to mention the dead halla they crossed in the woods. It would break the poor girl's heart; even if it was just the circle of life.
"How are the halla faring, Maren?"
She looked to the pen as well. "They fare well. The keeper called for the clan to move on, and they will be ready to take us. One is heavy with calf, but it shouldn't be a problem." Her face grew somber as she looked back at her friend. "May I ask of Tamlen's fate? Some say the clan will leave before we find him."
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Aerianes replied, steel in her voice.
"The halla mourn the fallen. It is the most heart wrenching sound, their cries. But at least they will not be crying over you. They are quite fond of you." Maren turned and leaned on the wooden gate. "I admire them for their strength and pride. They are our equals; not servants like the shemlen horses…"
Aerianes shifted her stance eagerly. She had to get going before the sun set on the camp. She had little time to barter with friends.
"I'm sorry Maren, but I really must go."
Maren shook her head, returning to the conversation at hand. "I'm sorry, lethallan. Please find Tamlen quickly!"
Aerianes nodded and headed off to the archery row. She needed to restock her quiver before she departed again. She could see Junar practicing with another elf, one she had never met before. She knelt down beside them and started to sharpen the arrows quickly.
"Ah, it's good to see you're well!" Junar exclaimed happily. He and his friend had stopped shooting and stood before Aerianes, offering to help sharpen her arrows. "You weren't here when Pol arrived, were you?"
The new elf nodded and smiled at her. "I've heard of you. Everyone is talking about you and that other hunter. A Grey Warden even brought you back here!"
The thought of a human bringing her back to camp while she was vulnerable made her skin crawl. It stirred the rage in her again. "His name is Tamlen," she snapped. The elf named Pol looked very put off by her rigidity and she sighed, aware that her frustration was affecting her greatly. "I'm sorry. Stress. You're not Dalish, are you?"
Pol laughed. "That obvious is it? I just found your camp a couple days ago. Lucky for me. I had heard rumors in a nearby human village that a Dalish camp was close and I hoped to find your hunters in the forest."
Junar smirked. "You're lucky I didn't shoot you, Pol. I thought you were a shem, and a bandit at that. But you're not the first city elf to rejoin his people. I'm sure you'll find life among us more satisfying than with the shems, if no less harsh."
Pol nodded. "In the Alienage, we hear terrible stories about the Dalish. They aren't…true, right?"
Aerianes scoffed. "You have nothing to worry about, Pol."
The elf sighed a breath of relief. "Thank you. The clan has been very welcoming." He handed her the last of her arrows, all sharpened. "I hope you find your friend. I can sense how important he is to you."
Aerianes took the arrows and nodded. She slung her quiver over her back again and was off. No doubt Merrill would be waiting by the entrance to the forest where she and Tamlen were hunting the other day. The last thing she wanted was to keep her highness waiting too long.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ashalle, her 'mother'. Their eyes met and she could see the concern in the woman's eyes. Aerianes sighed inwardly and made a mental note to keep it very short. Tamlen's life was on a clock now.
Ashalle was Aerianes's parent after her parents were killed many years ago. Aerianes was almost too young to remember what had even happened, but the nightmares still came to her at times. Ashalle was an attentive and loving woman who treated Aerianes like her own daughter. It was touching and she appreciated always having a home to go to. However, Ashalle could be a little too overprotective at times, especially if Aerianes was ill.
"By the creators," Ashalle gasped, her skin warm from the fire next to her as she embraced the elf. "It is so good to see you! I was so worried!"
Aerianes rolled her eyes playfully. "You needn't worry about me so much Ashalle."
The old woman smiled wanly. "I can't help it dear. I've raised you since your poor mother died. I've been outside the keeper's tent the whole time. I have never been as relieved as when I heard you would pull through!" Her eyes softened and she took the young elf's hands in her own. "What happened? Everyone is saying that Tamlen is dead."
Aerianes kept her eyes on the ground. "I wouldn't say, not just yet."
Ashalle sighed. "That's awful. I know how much you and the lad cared for each other. It was always my hope that you two…someday… well, best not to dwell on it." She cupped Aerianes's face and wagged a finger at her. "But you must be more careful! If you were ever hurt badly… your parents – may they rest in peace – would never forgive me! Now hurry and try to find Tamlen quickly!"
The hunter smiled and nodded. She turned and ran for the outskirts of the camp. From a distance, she could see Merrill waiting for her, tapping her foot impatiently. Her short brown hair was motionless in the breeze and her short stature made it look comical whenever she had her staff slung on her back, like now. It stood out too far from her head, and it took much practice for her to bring it out in battle without dropping it or hitting something…or someone.
Aerianes made a mental note not to bicker. They had much more important things to attend to. She reached Merrill and nodded, catching her breath. Merrill just stood there, arms still crossed, foot still tapping.
"The keeper told me I am to accompany you back to these caves. As her apprentice," she put extra emphasis on that word. "I may see something you missed. But our main objective is to find Tamlen. We must make haste; he may not have much time."
"Aren't you…worried about getting…sick?" Aerianes panted, still catching her breath. Why was a simple jog taking so much out of her? Her body felt like a dead weight and her head felt as though she had one too many types of ale at a campfire.
Merrill looked thoughtful. "A little. But the keeper cured you. How dangerous could it really be? Even if I get sick, finding Tamlen – or something of value – will be worth it."
Aerianes cringed inwardly at the way she was taking this. Tamlen was something of value. Nothing would be okay again until he was found. And it was not as if she were some child who was faking sick! Something was very wrong in those ruins, and something made her feel the cold hands of death reach out for her. She was worried, as Merrill should be.
"Then let's go before we run out of daylight."
The two elves rushed into the woods, back to where it all began; back to where Aerianes life changed, and was changing still…
