"I thought I would drown, but its ok right now"
Chapter One- breath
With a silent and shuttering intake of breath did I pull back my arrow, my sight fully fixed on the deer grazing, I aimed and let go my breath silently as the arrow flew and spun in a graceful dance with the wind, only to sink into the flesh with a wet thud of the unaware deer.
I couldn't help the sad twist of my lips as I walked over to the dead deer. I crouched down and kissed my fingers and pressed them beside the doe. Her white fur was sodden with her bright red blood. Her brown eyes almost like my own were glassed over with death; she didn't even have time to run. I felt her pain as if it was my own. I carefully took out my arrow and set it beside me.
"Creators please bless this deer, for her life with up hold our own. May you smile upon her" I whispered softly to the warm wind. Soon, all too soon winter would be upon us. Already the leaves were changing to red, brown and the plants dying. In a few moon cycles the first snow of this year would fall.
"How did I do?" I called out as I gutted and skinned the doe.
"You did ok" Dorf'Fen's voice carried over to me. I turned and smiled at him. Dorf'Fen was my best and only friend. Dorf'Fen was a grey wolf, I was his only pack. He was the darkest of grey with black mixed into his pelt. His silver- grey eyes always there to watch for danger. He was my protector.
I was marked by the gods by birth, both physically and in the soul. I had green golden markings running along my body, every inch. I could feel every animal's emotion, what they were doing and see through their eyes if I wanted to for more than twenty feet away from me; I could also speak with them. But the strongest animal I could communicate with was the wolf- for I was most like the wolf.
Dorf'Fen often said I acted more like a wolf then elf at times, for I didn't trust enough. The only person—wolf I needed was Dorf'Fen. Like a wolf I needed – wanted a pack. I craved the pack's warmth, to hunt with a partner. Like a wolf I didn't trust Shem – humans- at all. Most of all, our human king Alistair; I couldn't help my distrust for him.
The king goes around Frelden visiting and traveling a lot. And every time he visits my people the Dalish, we have feasts and tell stories. For the whole time he and his family is here we celebrate. And it turns out that now he is coming in two sunrises. This is the third time he has come in fourteen years. He first came to my people when the Warden died. And I was born a few months after her death.
My mind was blank, all and nothing at the same time, as I skinned and chopped up the deer to carry to my adopted mother Ashalle. If I didn't get back soon she would worry.
"Come on" I said softly to Dorf'Fen and started walking away. He came close to my legs and walked beside me. Dorf'Fen came almost to my chest, I could easily put my hands through his fur, but I know I shouldn't. I sometimes dreamed of me on him into battle or just snuggling into his fur. Sometime he would be next to me as I sleep but mostly he makes sure nothing comes into the village.
"What are you thinking about to put on such an expression?" Dorf'Fen asked in his smooth rumble
"Nothing" I said turning my face away from him. He just snorted and nudged my waist and shook his giant head. In return I picked up my pace. Too soon we were nearing the edge of the small part of the great city Aneth Ara Elvhenan; it meant my safe place of our hearts. I heisted at the edge and turned to Dorf'Fen, He was looking at the aravels scattered around the space. There were gardens full of fruit, veggies and flowers. I looked once back at the darkening forest with longing and quickly dropped a piece of the deer for Dorf'Fen.
"Sweet dreams, Arinka" He said and walked away with the piece of the deer. I sighed and slowly walked into my small part of this great city.
Most elves live in Shem like type houses. But there are small parts of the city that still have the aravels. But still I wish that we lived like my ancestors; in the forest, running like the deer, for it seems that we have thrown playing in the forest to staying in the village. Only the elves that lived in aravels believed the same thing I did.
Like my feet were heavy rocks did I walk over to a medium sized aravel that had two crescent moons facing away from each other with halla like horns in the middle with a wolf howling from behind, Ashalle had added the wolf after I was born.
I pulled back the beautiful embroidered flap of our home to see Ashalle gathering our clothes.
"Ma, I'm gonna start dinner" I said almost setting down my pack of meat, but gladly I thought better of it.
"Good" she said as she patted my face lightly "I won't take long, why don't you ask Paivel to tell you a tale?" she smiled and I couldn't help but be glad she was my adopted mother.
"Okay, be safe" I whispered to her retreating back. Ashalle had light gray and silver hair that came down to her shoulders in a soft straight wave. She also had the darkest blue eyes that I ever seen. She had lines near her eyes and mouth from laughing, but many times I had to remind myself that she wasn't always so carefree. Strange that I was given to her.
My elves liked having their hair as short as their shoulder to their ears. I couldn't stand that, I love that my hair is way past my waist. And also most elves have blond, brown, silver, red but hardly ever black hair. Also most elves have green, blue, sliver, hazel, golden or the lightest or darkest of brown.
In this small part of the city we have about three fires in the center of our village. And in the very beginning of our village where it is kind of connected to the main city is the market place.
As I came near the cooking fires I searched for Paivel's aged face. He was at the last fire cooking his family's dinner; his grand-child was playing behind him. The little boy was about three seasons old.
I quickly walked over to him and started putting deer chunks onto a few cooking tools.
"Andaran atish'an, Paivel" I said smiling.
"Andaran atish'an, Da'len" was his answer with a warm smile. When people called me da'len, which meant little child, it seemed that they were thinking of someone else.
We sat in silence for a while till his grand- child, Alyan, raised his baby arms and said;
"Wadrin swory!"
"You want a warden story? Okay Inan, a story it will be" Paivel picked him up and set him on his knees. I smiled at the nickname Inan, it meant eyes or in this case dwelled place, as he gurgled happily.
"Before our Tiaura became a grey warden she was one of us, way before we lived in this place, we lived more freely. She—"
"Can you tell us about what her life was like before she became a warden not right before she did?" I asked blushing; I really hadn't meant to be rude.
"That's okay da'len, so let's see. . . Do you know what her relationship was to our keeper Merrill?" Paivel asked softly with a smile.
"Wasn't it normal?" I asked. There was a slight breeze making the shadows of the fire glow bigger on Paivel and Alyan, my long bangs that came to my first rib flew across my face, as if it wanted to get up and run with the wind. As if I could.
"No, way before she became the warden that the legend tells of, she was a girl that got into way too much trouble. Her mother and father were star crossed lovers meeting in secret when bandits had killed her father, her mother only kept her self alright to give birth and then she went into the moonlight. So she was brought up by Ashalle.
Tiaura never knew about her parents, so when someone would bring up bandits she never got the insult. But her two best friends knew it and fought them. Her two best friends were Tamlen and Merrill—"
"Merrill?!" I couldn't help my soft gasp.
"Yes Merrill, Merrill was always there to stop them from getting into too much trouble. After the falling out of those to Tiaura became the careful one."
"Why did they stop being friends?" I cut in as he took a breath.
"Merrill knew Tiaura was in love with Tamlen, but so was she. On day when Tiaura was sick did Tamlen and Merrill snuck into our drinks. Things happened and Tiaura found out that Merrill was with Tamlen's child. Tiaura was furious"
"I would be too! How dare her!" I said turning the meat.
"Tamlen had begged forgiveness and after moon cycles of the cold shoulder did she forgive him, but she never forgave Merrill."
"Pa, eat it's soon to be bedtime" Paivel's daughter cut in walking up to him, as she did so she glared at me. Aria was only a year older than me, fifteen. Aria hated me because of my markings; she had to wait to get hers. Her vallaslin was of June, the god of crafts, Aria all but dragged her father Paivel away.
I just sat their turning the meat, cold face, if I just keep my cold uncaring face everything will get better. It will . . . I just have to have faith in the gods and goddesses. Everything has a reason . . . I just hope it's a good one.
"It'll get better" Ashalle said coming back as I was taking the meat out of the fire. I just kept silent as I handed her a portion of the meat.
"In the morn we have to go to the market, we need warmer blankets for it's going to be the coldest winter we will have for a long time." Ashalle said as if she didn't care that it was like she was talking to a tree.
After a minute or two did I pack up the rest of the meat, I had only token a few bites of my food.
"Not this time young lady! You will finish all the food that has been laid out for you!" Ashalle said taking the pack and giving me back my food. I just stared at her with my medium brown eyes of ice, she stared right back. Slowly I ate the food; I wanted her to be happy.
Making sure I finished my food did she turn back and start walking to our aravel. That night it took me forever for me to fall asleep; I didn't want the nightmare to come back. But in the end I am weak and fell in to sleep.
The nightmare started out as any other time, I was walking out of the forest with a rabbit in my hands and my breath was coming out as white smoke. I was freezing, even though I knew what was going to happen I wished that it was something different.
In our small village was death, bodies freezing as their blood leaked out, their faces forever staying in the mask of fear. I passed the people I knew, my people that was afraid of me because of how I was born with markings.
Soon I came across the slumped form of Ashalle, she was holding onto her family's dagger, under her nails were damp blood, her clothes were torn and bloody and had mud caked to her. Her beautiful hair was out of her holdings and her dark blue eyes were open wide but were not afraid. I felt my throat close up and water fill up in my eyes.
I turned and started yelling for Dorf'Fen, but I couldn't find him. I ran and ran till I found his body lying on the frozen ground. Please this is where I wake up, please wake up! Please damn it! But it went on for the first time.
His body was lying in his own pool of blood, his mussel was open a crack, his beautiful silver eyes filmed over with death. I felt the tears fall and I was having screaming sobs that racked my chest. My chest was beating as fast as my heart, it hurt as the freezing air worked it's self into my lungs. The throat was getting raw, the tears wouldn't stop. Big puffs of cold air were by my face, I could hear the grass crunch, and I saw how Dorf'Fen's fur was getting snow on. I saw the dirty and bloody boots come.
I looked up into the eyes of Dorf'Fen's killer, a Darkspawn. I was glad that it was raising its straight sword—
I gasped and sat up, it was cold but I was in my bed, the dream was over. I wiped the tears from my face and got up out of my soft warm bed, It was still night. I just got up and slowly snuck out of our beautiful aravel with only a soft shirt that covered my blossom and short traditional bottoms for sleep, I left my shoes and bow and arrows in our aravel. My hair was unbound and flying around me as I ran into the forest, I ran and ran.
That night I ran with Dorf'Fen for hours and hours, just as the sun was coming up did we howl to the fading moon, I fell asleep next to Dorf'Fen's soft warm fur. I wouldn't worry about a thing until I awoke, and I didn't think about how worried Ashalle would be when I got back, no I just fell to the ground and snuggled into the warmth, Dorf'Fen would never leave me was the only thing I had thought as I closed my eyes.
Authors notes: I'm so proud of this, ^~^