I love fluff stories, not good at writing them but I love them. Should anyone know any good dragon age/mass effect/elder scrolls themed fluff send me a link!
Regrets collect like old friends
here to relive all your darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
and all of the ghouls come out to play
One the first day of Wintersend my Salroka gave to me a chance to be with my now lover
One the Second day of Wintersend my lover and Salroka gave to me two secret kisses and a chance to be with my now lover.
Val Royeaux, a massive ass city full of fanatical Andrastians, it reminded her of home. Well, one of them anyway, a small group of both human and elven children ran past her dirt dusted their faces lightly. She smiled at the sight, it wasn't often human and elven children played together, especially in Val Royeaux. She looked around the market place for an old friend and waved to him when she saw him. He smiled at her, despite him only recently coming to the surface he seemed well adjusted, he wasn't even panicking over the sky or nothing.
"Good to see you, Salroka, how's it shaping?" he grinned at her, she grinned back, she and Loke had been friends for a while since she had made a few deals with the Carta through him. he was charismatic enough for them to become fast friends, though at first he seemed to do nothing but flirt.
"I'm faring well enough, haven't become a 'cloudgazer' have you?"He laughed.
"Not on your life, Salroka, I'm still able to hear the isana from kilometres away, even here in Orlais." They walked together for some time, commenting on the various citizens and their masks. "Now you wouldn't have asked to see me here if you weren't on loose sand, Salroka, what's the matter." Her smiled faded,
"You have heard about the Divine's conclave I would assume?" she asked softly, by the time the conclave was held it would be two years of the Mage-Templar war.
"Of course, who hasn't, she announced it a year in advance."
"I fear-no- I know that something bad is going to happen there and I also know that the Carta wants you or someone else to go there to check it out." He remained silent, but nodded to encourage her to go on, "please, Loke, don't go there. Let anyone else go there but, it'll be dangerous there."
"How do you know any of this for sure, Salroka?"He asked, though he knew the answer.
"The same way I always do, friend, the same way I always do." he smiled weakly at her.
"Alright, Salroka, I'll see what I can do to convince the Carta to keep out of the Conclave, now I won't have to wait for so long to hear from you again, yeah?"she chuckled.
"I'll keep that in mind."
..
"You trying to hide from me, Salroka? I'm offended." She shot out from under the bed and ran to embrace her friend.
"Loke! I had thought you'd still be near, well, some form of civilisation. How'd you find your way here?" he grinned at her and nodded towards Josephine for her to answer.
"Well, we had to get Lyrium for the mages somewhere, so I organised some deals with Carta, they sent your friend here and he told me about you, and some other friends you shared. I thought perhaps you would want to have someone familiar nearby during Wintersend." Josephine smiled at Audra who beamed back.
"Thank you, Josephine, truly. We haven't seen each other since-what- Val Royeaux?" she looked to Loke for confirmation, her rubbed his dark beard as he thought.
"Yes, that about right, Salroka, oh and before I forget." He reached around into the little bag at his hip, his hood casting a long shadow over his face. "Here, I got something for you." he produced a necklace with a large decorative pendent, it looked elvish in style but it was decorated with little bits of Lyrium.
"Loke, this is amazing! Where did you even get this? It looks like Orvil's work but he hasn't done jewellery in years."
"All I had to do was mention that it was for you, Salroka, you know us, and we care too much. Now at least you'll sing as good as you look." She laughed at his words and slapped him lightly on the back of the head.
"You ass," she grinned hugged him again.
"We had best leave Audra to get dressed; the Inquisitor wants everyone to have breakfast together on the main hall." She closed the door softly behind them, and set on putting on that dress she had pulled out of the closet earlier but she decided to abandon the mask. There wasn't any need for a mask anymore.
She checked herself out in her mirror, it had been a long time since she wore it and it now showed off a lot more of her bosom than she remembered. She adjusted it a little before heading out to the main hall. When she entered she was shocked at how loud everything was, song were sung both while drunk and sober in every corner of the room. She found a seat beside Loke, surprisingly Solas was seated not too far away usually he would even show.
"You still have that dress, Salroka?" Loke asked raising an eyebrow.
"Of course, I haven't worn it in a long time, and it's pretty."
"Ah, you know I can't disagree with beautiful women, Salroka." She chuckled again; brushing her white hair behind her ear she turned to face Loke more easily.
Josephine was seated across from Audra, they smiled at each other.
"Are either of you interested in playing Wicked Grace later? Varric's setting up another game." Loke grinned, Audra could practically see the gears turning inside his head, figuring out the best way to cheat and win.
"I'm always up to losing more money to you, Josie, what about you Loke? Or are you too afraid to mingle with surfacers?" winked at her before answering.
"I'm always up to playing with you, Salroka, you know how easy it is to win someone's money when they keep getting told how stunningly gorgeous they are." She rolled her eyes, and tore a small bread roll in half offering the other to Loke. Just as he took it he whispered to her.
"That elf over there has been watching you this whole time, something you're not telling me, Salroka?" she glanced up towards Solas quickly, he was indeed watching her, his expression was a mix between what she could only assume was some form of longing and possessiveness. She blushed, she looked down.
"Ah, um, that's Solas, the Inquisitor's arcane advisor, he's a Fade walker." She bit into the bread roll which was deliciously warm and buttery.
"He certainly has his eye on you, Salroka, be careful, your heart always breaks easily." She frowned at him, and folded her hands on her lap.
"I can look after myself, Salroka, I'm not a child, falling in love isn't the problem."
"S you admit that's what you're both doing." She glanced towards Solas again, now that she was made actively aware of him she fidgeted. She crossed her right leg over her left, then the other way, and then back again. "Let me help, Salroka." He rolled his eyes before gesturing for her to lean down. He told her to laugh and so she did. With one hand she covered her mouth. For a few minutes Loke flirted with her loud enough for it to pass onto Solas, who had risen half way out of his seat.
She glanced up at Solas only to see him completely out of his seat and making his way towards them. He dodged one of Cullen's recruits and a mage dancing and two dwarves precariously handling their beer and ale.
"Audra, I need to speak with you." his hand gripped the back of her chair, his knuckles white, Loke looked him up and down and raised an eyebrow in apparent disapproval.
"I'm sure whatever you need to say to my Salroka you can say in front of me." Solas narrowed his eyes and was no doubt about to hiss out a retort before Audra stood and spoke up.
"Its fine, Loke, I'm sure we won't be too long. Talk to Varric or Josie about Wicked Grace or something." Josephine watched their exchange with some interest. Solas grabbed onto her upper arm and lead her away from the festivities and into the gardens, they stopped under the pavilion. He let go of her then and turned away from her, she felt concerned for him
"Solas-"she began but wasn't able to continue before his mouth claimed hers, their tongues danced, and warmth spread to her cheeks. But he broke away far too soon for her liking. She reclaimed his mouth, on hand was on the back of her neck while the other rested on her waist. Both of her arms were around his neck, holding him as close as she could for as long as she could. When they stopped she rested her forehead against his, her eyes half closed.
"Ma vhenan," she whispered, more for herself than him, it was almost as if she wanted to reassure herself that he was hers and she was his.
"me vhenan, me enansal." She smiled and kissed his nose.
"I hope you've enjoyed your Winersend so far."
..
Sometimes she took him back to when the Elves were at their prime, when almost all kept slaves and those that didn't were slaves. She took him back to when there was another woman like her who dared argue against the gods and was punished for it.
When he had entered their throne room, it was already too late for Mythal to calm tempers, of either God or mortal.
She stood in the middle wildly and, of course, violently towards them more so Elgar'Nan than the others.
"You have no right! None! You believe yourselves to be gods but you are nothing more than children playing at being kings and queens! These people you have enslaved are just a capable as you!" her long white hair was flashing in the light cast by the fire around her. a circle of fire she had no doubt cast herself.
"We have every right! Who are you to gainsay us? Some foolish woman who thinks that she can simply join with another to try and make things right? You are nothing to us." Elgar'Nan's booming voice echoed around the room, but she stood tall and did not waver.
"I may be no true elf to you, bastard, but I know and have lived the future elves have because you set them on this path! You will disappear into nothingness! While I shall be here still trying to fix your mistakes!" Her greens eyes flashed in anger, "you are worthless the entire lot of you! Your people suffer because of you! These slaves are your people and you treat them like they are nothing."
He had to speak up; this woman would get herself killed, though she was formidable and no doubt a force to be reckoned with.
"Elgar'Nan, she is right, they too are elves."
"Starting to pity them, Fen'Harel?" He couldn't keep the sneer from his face nor the scorn from his voice, "I have heard enough today." He raised a hand to dismiss her, the woman's eye widened she knew that if he dismissed her she would never get through to him.
"NO!" she screamed, and raised her hands towards Elgar'Nan, Fen'Harel could hear the thoughts going through her head.
'so she lights up a candle for hope to be found
captive and blind by the darkness around
firm as a mountain she will never mourn
timeless awaiting the break of dawn'
To them both it was a prayer to what god was a mystery, but she pleaded for help all the same.
Snakes made of pure energy shot from her arms towards Elgar'Nan at the same time Elgar'Nan sought to mark her and the same time Fen'Harel sought to protect her, and so she was marked. The Vallaslin was Fen'Harel's but formed with the images of the woman's own snakes. A compromise, of sorts.
She fell to her knees, her hands covering her face; the room was silent save for her sharp breaths. Then finally she stood up, her hands left her face.
"I shall wear this as a badge of honour, though it will be my death, I will never bend to your will. For you have doomed your own kind and left only two of you to walk the plains of time." She raised one hand and the earth consumed her pulling her away out of their reach.
But her prayer still reached his ears.
'Can you hear the sailorman's hymn?
As it comes with the rise of the tide
It is sung where the rainbow begins
As a comfort for tears she has cried
She remains by the window alone
Staring into the rain
She is trying to guide his way home
Keeps on praying for god to protect him'
He looked at Mythal and knew that she heard only fragments of what he heard as clear as day, these messages were meant for him. Though they contained no meaning, other than that they were simply there.
..
"We'd best get back to the main hall." He said it reluctantly; it was clear in his voice. She sighed; she was perfectly content resting on the bench his arms around her and her head resting on his chest.
"Nadas?" she asked, pressing her face into his chest, his arms tightened around her.
"Sulevin" Creators, she could hear the smile in his voice.
"You sure?" he adjusted her so that he could carry her; her put her arms around his neck. She held on tight as he carried her back to the main hall, it was still only barely morning. They had only taken an hour or so. He set her down just outside the door, she grinned at him before leaning in close.
"I'll expect you later tonight, don't be late." She entered the main hall with as much flair as she could muster without setting something on fire, no that it wasn't tempting. Loke was laughing and joking with Josephine. She walked over to join them.
"Ah! Salroka! You seem to be in one piece!" his cheeks were rosy; he obviously had gotten into the alcohol.
"Don't believe I can't defend myself against on mage, Salroka?"
"Bah!" Audra laughed, and soon a question rose from Josephine.
"I've heard the word before but never learnt its meaning, what is a 'Salroka'?"
"Its casteless slang in the simplest terms, Salroka means friend and more literally translates to 'The One at my Side." Audra explained, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "even though it is dwarven not many of those with castes deign to use it. Other course with Bhelen now the king of Orzammar that may soon change, casteless will probably mingled with others with fewer, or maybe more, deaths than usual."
"Do you… approve of the Hero of Fereldan's choice to make him king?" Audra smiled at Josephine.
"I do, the casteless have a chance to prove themselves and they've even clamed a few more thiags, but I worry sometimes, Bhelen is willing to do anything. He killed his own brother and framed his other sibling."
Another chapter done!