The grace of the Clan showed itself to him again in their reaction to his embarrassment. One by one they went back to their tasks, as though such an occurrence was commonplace in their lives. The Keeper beckoned him, like he'd never stopped walking, and he tried to retain a measure of his usually steady demeanor as he complied. Even Nuriel, the sister who was every inch the Inquisitor until she opened her mouth to reveal an innocence and tactlessness Ellana would never have, was politely solemn as he approached. He rubbed his hands across his tunic and wondered what might have been broken between him and these people he'd started to respect.

The old elf on the ground opened with the same question he always did, the one that Solas never answered. "Will you tell us your name, stranger?" His eyes sparkled very slightly as he added, "It seems inevitable we'll learn it now."

He gave in as gracefully as he could. "Solas." When neither elf spoke, he continued, "I have no clan."

"Solas," said the Keeper. "Too much confidence. An unusual trait to carry. But then, you're an unusual man. Dare I say unique. I've never seen my former student lose her temper so demonstratively before. Except with Nuriel."

The girl grinned, and Solas relaxed a little. It was obvious they would stand against him, if necessary, but it was also clear they didn't see it as necessary. Yet, he reminded himself. "I worked with the Inquisition for a time, lending what knowledge and expertise I had to the cause. There came a point when I could no longer be useful, and I removed myself from its service." He cleared his throat. "I did not perhaps do it as formally as I could have."

"So you now float in and out of Dalish camps, performing favors without hope of repayment?"

"It seemed a way to atone for my absence. The Inquisitor once challenged me to help my people, and she worried about you frequently while she was away. Repayment was never necessary." A set of truths, as all good lies were. Never mind that this was the only Clan he visited. Never mind that he no more thought of them as his people than he thought of the dwarves as his people. Never mind that he was trying to repay a debt that he'd sworn no one would ever learn of.

"Very noble of you," said the Keeper, and surely it was only his imagination that provided the note of laughter in his voice. "Nuriel, please leave Master Solas and I to our discussions."

The young girl didn't protest, but she did ask her own question that never failed to appear. "Will you take dinner with my family tonight? We have enough to feed an extra mouth."

"I will consider it," he replied, as he always did. She sighed. He lowered himself to the ground as she walked away. He braced himself for more questions from this Keeper who saw more than he let on, but the man surprised him by asking mildly for what he'd brought to share with Lavellan. Solas's gratitude was complete, and he shared the news of both this world and the Fade which would be of use. He also warned him of a group of bandits that was operating in the area to the south, suggesting that the hunters take care and only travel in pairs when they wandered. He'd already passed the message along to the human ruler in the area, but it was always wise to be cautious.

Solas knew all too well how wise he'd never been.

He also traded his usual healing medicines for various Clan supplies. While the Dalish were good at gathering herbs, they were less skilled at turning them in to medicines that were as useful as they could be, and they welcomed his intercession with the humans. He always knew if they were trying to cheat him, and the few who'd taken the opportunity to try to kill elves with tainted medicine rarely made it to the next sunrise. Solas looked in the satchel the Keeper provided and said with some surprise, "No food?" He grimaced. "My apologies, I meant no offense." After all, who knew how scarce it might be for them, and he certainly could find his own.

"None taken. But I thought you might stay longer this visit. The roads you wander are dangerous, as you say. You can stay with me. I would be interested to learn the unfamiliar magic you use. You could take meals with us in payment."

Solas narrowed his eyes. "It's not in my nature to stay, Keeper."

The elder closed his eyes. "A strange thing, nature. People speak of it in themselves as though it's fixed and unchanging. Nature is never so. Lavellan has rested in this clearing a half a dozen times since my first memories. We never once returned to find it the same. And simply because something is new doesn't mean we are incapable of embracing it. Experience and nature are two different things." He chuckled. "Ellana tells us that there is a place in the world where the trees grow together like canopies overhead and drip water from their branches without ceasing. The elves who live there must not know what the sound of a dry twig crackling underfoot is, but that does not mean that walking in the woods is not in their nature."

"I might not be welcome."

"You are always welcome in this place, friend of Lavellan." The Keeper opened his eyes again and fixed Solas with a gaze no less powerful for its kindness. "Do you think I don't know you? Ellana is not such a poor correspondent as all that. She spoke of her companions, her protectors, often. To soothe us, she mentioned elf-kind whenever she could."

The man stretched out his finger and sent a jolt of healing magic into Solas's cheek. "Solas was the mage who saved her life. Saved us all, if the stories are to be believed. Two years ago she stopped mentioning your name. I feared you had died, and we'd never be able to repay the debt we owed. Now our debt is even greater. Don't allow your pride to thwart our obligations."

He laughed harshly. "She saved herself. And stories are just perversions of truth preserved in words. Any debt you owed me has long since been repaid."

The Keeper shrugged. "At least consider the offer of dinner. Nuriel's mother is the best hunter we have, and her plates are always full. And her daughters provide excellent conversation for both visitors and friends."

Solas's mind stuttered. He hadn't thought about who else might be at the gathering. To sit with her for an evening, even in silence. To let the feeling of her build inside of him again, for just one night, before he left again for good. The temptation was great, too great to resist, even by a man with a cheek that still tingled from the healing working through it. He was just about to acknowledge his interest when suspicion bloomed in his mind. He stood abruptly. "You told me last time we spoke that you were expecting an important visitor to Lavellan, but the day you gave was tomorrow. Was the Inquisitor merely early?"

"Certainly not. She's never been early in her entire life, but she isn't an important visitor. She's family. However, tomorrow I am expecting the lord of the hold's guard captain to stop in and talk to me about coordinating our people's defenses. She is very important indeed."

When Solas walked away to look for Nuriel, to accept her invitation, this time he was sure the laughter he'd heard in the man's voice was real.

Ellana wanted to crawl into the fire pit and die. She eyed the roasting ram a little enviously. At least he's past awkward dinners with his exes. If rams even had exes. If Solas was her ex. They never really gone far enough in to ex out of anything. She let that train of thought spiral inward more and more incoherently, filling up her mind to block out the nightmare that was happening around her. Solas, talking easily and naturally with her parents as if he'd known them his entire life. Nuriel's smitten face as she hung on every word. Her brother Falon and his lover smiling at the stories he told of the so-called inner circle of the Inquisition. And her, the only uncomfortable one in the group, with her familiar home unraveling underneath her into strangeness.

She would definitely trade places with the ram in a heartbeat.

A burst of laughter pulled her away from her thoughts, and she looked up. Her mother's shoulders were shaking. "Ellana, you never told us that the Inquisition had so many colorful characters in it. The way you speak it always seemed so grim."

Irritation flooded through her. Her usually calm demeanor seemed to have taken a journey this evening. Probably as far away as Tevinter, by the feel of it. "Saving the world wasn't exactly a laugh riot, as I recall."

Solas's eyes were infuriatingly calm. "It had its moments. Not that I enjoyed them as I should have at the time. I regret I didn't take full advantage of the friendships that were so valuable."

Oh really, she thought, gritting her teeth. She covered it with a shrug. "I guess I'm just not that good at telling stories."

Nuriel leaned forward. "Solas, what's my sister like at Skyhold? It's hard to imagine her bossing people around. People who aren't me, anyway."

"Your sister is a very capable leader."

"Pah, that's not what I mean. I mean what is she like, as a person. She's always so serious and thoughtful here, but the humans always talk about her like she's a flaming, inspiring symbol. That would take fire, and passion, and all sorts of stuff." She waved her hands through the air. "That's more than just capable."

Ellana steadfastly refused to look at him, even though his eyes on her skin were like a brand. "You would be surprised, I think, to see her in the world. She has all of the things you describe, and more." Blood threatened to rise to her cheeks. Yes, he knew about her passion. He'd never even taken an article of her clothing off, never touched a strip of skin that the world couldn't see, and still she'd practically thrown herself into his touch at every opportunity. All of those stolen moments with him, his lips on hers, his hands caressing every part of her body until she was breathless with wanting. They'd traded power back and forth like a dance, aggressive and submissive in turns, but every time it ended the same. She would remain, trembling and shaking with need, and he would walk away as calmly as if they'd merely shared a brief, chaste kiss.

Once she'd thought he was afraid, keeping control because of something that haunted him. She'd assumed it would end, eventually, if she loved him well enough. Now she knew it had all been a game, a way to amuse himself. He got what he wanted out of her, just as he got what he wanted out of the Inquisition. And now it was happening again. He was here, laughing at her, showing her that nothing about her was safe from him. And he was right. Even across the fire now, while she hated him, she still couldn't get away from the memories of her need. She knew that if he asked, she'd give herself to him before he could finish the question, and that was the most galling of all.

He'd continued on while she'd been cataloging her weaknesses. "You've raised an extraordinary woman. Very few could have done as she has. You should be proud."

Her father grinned and said that they were, but Ellana broke in. "I'm only as strong as my companions. Their loyalty and service is what allows me to be extraordinary. Of course, not all companions can be trusted to remain." She wanted to see him break, to feel even a little discomfort, but his impassivity was constant and smooth. Apparently she was the only one who couldn't keep herself in line.

"Ah, is that what the fight was about earlier?" asked Falon. When their parents looked at them, he said calmly, "There was a bit of a scrap between them at the Keeper's tent."

"Hardly between. It was very one-sided. She belted him pretty good, though," said Nuriel, giggling.

"Ellana, is this true?" demanded her father. Without waiting for an answer, he turned to Solas. "I apologize sincerely for the inhospitality of this child of Lavellan, Master Solas."

Ellana looked at the ground, ashamed and angry. She jumped as her mother took her hand gently, and she met her eyes and saw they understood far too much. Her throat clenched. She didn't want to cry here.

Solas spoke without malice. "It was nothing I didn't deserve. I dishonored the Inquisition, and through it the Inquisitor. It was her right to judge me." His expression lightened. "Besides, had she truly wished to hurt me, her fire spells would have been much more effective."

"I don't use my magic that way," she said, crossing her arms.

He laughed softly, and she glared at him. "But you could have."

"Well, I can't say I approve of this style of judgment," said her father. "Is this the sort of thing that human Commander is teaching you?"

"Cullen is much more bark than bite," she said. "He'll yell at his recruits, at first, but most of the time he ends up as their best friend instead of their punisher. Thank goodness his second-in-command has more disciplinarian in her. He's almost too gentle to command, but I'm lucky to have him."

And then, to her surprise, she got the break in Solas's calm mask she'd been looking for. His eyes narrowed. "How is the Commander? Still attentive to all of the Inquisition's needs?"

He's jealous, she realized. He thinks someone else has taken his place. She smiled to herself, both in triumph and at the ridiculous idea that Cullen would ever lust after her, a mage who could barely hold a sword the right way around. "Yes, he's doing a fine job. Fortunately his duties keep him in Skyhold much of the time, so I never have to worry about losing his services. He was sorry not to make this trip, but sometimes separation is inevitable." Solas's eyes darkened. Oh Cullen, forgive me for what I do to your good name.

She paused. And Cassandra, please don't dent my head with your shield.

Her mother spoke up. "But he didn't send any guards with you. Isn't that a bit of a misstep for a military commander? Our hunters never let the Keepers travel unprotected."

Solas leaned forward. "You traveled here on your own?" Disapproval was clear in his voice, and she bristled.

"I'm quite capable of handling myself."

"You represent more than yourself, Inquisitor."

"Not when I'm among my family, mage!"

"You don't get to abandon your role when it suits your whims. It's irresponsible and beneath you."

"I hardly think you're one to talk of abandonment."

Nuriel watched them argue with wide eyes and a grin on her face. "You're right, she does have fire. Who would have thought my sweet sister had it in her? I'm glad you came to dinner, Solas. I'm learning a lot."

Solas smiled then, but the look in his violet eyes was not quite nice. "As am I. Thank you for the invitation. In fact, the Keeper offered to shelter me for a time here in the camp, so perhaps I can return the kindness before I go."

Her family all agreed much too quickly. She didn't know whether she wanted to scream or punch him, but it was certainly one of the two. How dare he invade her life this way? A dark thread inside of her, one that noticed the muscles outlined by his leggings and the way his strong fingers curled into the grass underneath them, voted for a third, shiver-inducing option. That traitor voice whispered other kindnesses he could give her while he was near, pleasures that she hadn't had with anyone in so long. Goosebumps rose on her skin even as her mind raged, and the tension inside of her was a string that was begging to snap.

He didn't look at her again as he launched back in to more stories of the Inquisition, but his face held a self-satisfied smirk that shook her out of her haze. She would master this craving, and he would leave her. To get past him yet again. Ellana excused herself and walked into the tent to check on her niece while they talked around the fire without her.