Chapter 2

The Love of the Hunt

A/N: So guys, I got no reviews… it was a bit sad moment for me, it seem that reviewing is too hard or something, but please review! Well here is the second chapter; I hope you guys will like it

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age, Bioware does

Rue had no idea how long she had been running for, but by the slight bead of sweat on her forehead she guesses just over an hour, Her elven ears could still pick up the faint twig snapping from in the distance Tamlen, she rolls her eyes, he could never catch up with her, then again none of the clan ever could. Rue looks around at her surroundings, they were getting too away from camp, Rue tilted on her heels and turned around only to get a face full of Dalish cuirass, Rue let out an oomf as she looked up slightly and saw the hazel eyes of Tamlen.

"You finally caught up with me then?" Rue says as she stands back slightly but rests her hands on his chest, she lets out a wind chime laugh at Talmen's expression.

"Yes I did, it isn't my fault that you're a da'assan is it?" Tamlen sulks, Rue reckons the only reason they are good friends is because even though they are immature they shared the fact that they were not originally from the clan, this is what drew them together, well, Merrill, her and Tamlen. Rue smiled and she turned on her heels and sped back in the same direction. Tamlen curses and I hear him begin to start running after me, she laugh and yell back to him,

"Lethallin hurry!" Rue shouts as she begins to hear his swiftness and she begins to speed up, she can hear his breathing, how he ever became a hunter surprises her, he would have frightened all prey.

"Slow down Lethallin I can only Suledin so much!" Rue laughs as they take the shortest route back to camp. Rue slows to a walk as she enters camp and the attention of the camp falls on her. Rue knows that as she was coming of age she was supposed to find a suitor, but she just wasn't interested in finding one, she wanted to be with someone because she loved and frankly, she was waiting for the clansmeet for that, but still it doesn't feel right to her. Her love of fighting and messing around added together with tom-boyishness made her a terrible candidate for anyone who wasn't Tamlen.

Rue's armour was bespoke and was made from a combination of ironbark and leathers, and she walked with so much confidence that she swaggered when she walked and this had led to many more problems than those she caused with Tamlen or Merrill. Rue's hair was so long and she had it flowing free or tied back with little bit and wisps of it falling on her face framing her sharp elegant features, the morning sun was bright and it reflected off her skin and made her green eyes glow and show her magical roots as Keeper Malerthari claimed her eyes reflect the power of the earth. Rue's body was lithe and moved with the unmistakable grace of an rouge, though she wasn't the tallest elven woman although others who had known her mother had claimed that she wasn't very tall either and so it was no surprise that she took after her mother more than her father. Although her heritage had caused some upset within the camp and leading to some of the other clan members treated her oddly at first due to her shockingly stunning appearance and heritage but eventually that stopped and turned into pity as soon as they found out about her past which was a taboo topic in camp.

Merrill didn't even notice Rue's presences until Rue had her hands on her workbook which she was currently studying from the inside of her caravan sitting cross legged on the floor, Merrill eyes go wide and she looks up into the glowing green ones

"Hello Merrill" Rue says, her accent becoming heavy and with the undertone of sexual appeal, or so Merrill thought, Merrill's cheeks filled with colour and Merrill cast her eyes downwards and Rue just laughed and knelt down on the floor of Merrill's caravan and pushed her book away from her and leaned in closer, so close in fact that their lips were almost touching and when Rue began to talk the tips of her lips touched hers, Merrill whimpered and just leaned back in letting Rue dominate.

"You know, it is rude not to answer Merrill" Rue said lets her tongue roll over Merrill's name making the elf blush even more and Merrill cleared her throat and let out a shaky response.

"I- I... I'm fine, I-I was studying the folklore and then you came along" Merrill stutters and Rue just smiles at her coyness, Rue leans forward and grabs Merrill jerkin and pulls her on top of her and Merrill lets out a yelp and put out her hands to steady herself, her hands hit the floorboards beside Rue's head and Merrill is breathing hard, Rue just laughs at Merrill, Rue knows that Merrill hates it when she does that as she looks up at Merrill, Merrill looks down to Rue and she can see her eyes are glowing brighter and her lips part slightly, Merrill's eyes are glued to Rue's lips and she leans up and capture them in her own, Merrill moans into Rue's mouth as she taste like fresh fruit, Rue pulls Merrill harder to her on the floor and her hands lightly trace over Merrill in a teasing fashion.

Merrill lets out a frustrated sound as Rue's light touching isn't enough and she moves one of her own hands to Rue's and forces it down on her, Rue smiles, breaking off the kiss,

"My, my Merrill someone is eager today" Rue says but Merrill's growl silences her as her lips forces themselves onto Rue's, Rue's left hand finds a break in Merrill's jerkin and it slips under it and onto Merrill's skin on her lower back, she needs to be closer.

"Da'len you are supposed to be studying" Keeper Malerthari says as the two elves peer up at her the Keeper before Merrill scrambles off Rue and straightens out her jerkin,

"Keeper I-"The Keeper stops Merrill in mid-sentence and turns to Rue and smiles

"I am sorry Da'len but Tamlen has left camp after reporting that there were humans near and he went to deal with them, please could you go after him, control him and calm his mind Da'len" Rue nods and picks herself off the floor and brushes shoulders with Merrill who is still stood in the doorway, Merrill's eyes flicker to Rue's and she winks at her before walking out and grabbing her bow on the side and collecting a full quiver from the side, she runs out and draws an arrow at the ready, not knowing what she will find.

Not even a mile away from camp she finds Tamlen observing a group of human males running down the forest towards them, to alert Tamlen of her presences she lets out a four note tune and he turns back in alarm and his eyes search the trees until he sees Rue perched in one of them, he smiles before turning back, Tamlen pulls the bowstring taunt and fires it just in front of the men charging down the hill before Rue even had the chance to stop him, Rue sighs as the humans the let out a cry and stagger back, Rue leaps from the tree and lands near them and rolls out of cover and Tamlen already has reloaded his bow and it is pulled taunt at the humans.

"We mean no harm!" One yells out as they cower back away from her and Tamlen who has finally appeared from the foliage, Rue narrows her eyes and makes the observation that they are farmers or some other labourer, maybe they are just peasants but she could never be sure, they aren't armed in any visible way and even if they were they would have attacked already.

"Then what do you intend, since you are in the forest" Rue asks letting curiosity colour her voice but she doesn't draw her weapon and instead places a hand on Tamlen's bow.

"We are running from a cave! We were attacked by some undead creatures and then we just ran as fast as we could!" One shouts out and I wince at the loudness of his voice, human voices always seemed to grate on her hearing a bit and since they were sensitive already means she could have done without the shouting.

"Oh? And where is this cave?" Tamlen says in a patronizing tone, Rue rolled her eyes at him, She never really understood his hate for humans, and they were simple folk just like elves really… Just without the pointy ears.

"To the East! Oh please let us go! We found this in the cave and there was more of it too! We would have picked it up if it weren't for all the undead" One of them says throwing a palm sized rock in Tamlen's direction, he catches it and lowers his weapon, from the corner of Rue's eye we can see his face is one of shock,

"Elvish? This is written Elvish!" Tamlen exclaims before turning back to the humans raising his weapon again and looking at Rue.

"What should we do with them, kill them?" Rue opens her mouth when one of the humans says.

"Please don't kill us! We won't tell anyone were your camp is" Rue tilts her head to the side and then nods and they run past them away from their camp. Rue lowers her weapon and turns back to look at Tamlen with her hands on her hips.

"Look Lethallin, you have really got to stop attacking humans" Rue says and Tamlen rolls his eyes and lowers his weapon.

"Please, they are stupid shemlens" Rue folds her arms as she sheathes her bow.

"Don't call them that!" Rue says wearily.

"See? You are just looking for trouble with you soft spot for Shems" Rue scoffs.

"I just treat them as people and please, trouble goes looking for me" Rue says as she laughs when Tamlen begins walking away from camp and the way the humans came from,

"Where are you going?" Rue says and he turns around.

"To find that cave obviously" Tamlen says as if it is the most natural thing in the world.

"But shouldn't we inform the Keeper-"

"For once in your life take a risk" Tamlen says as he stands there impatiently and Rue bites her lip as bad feelings settle in her stomach, she shakes them off.

"Fine let go cave digging"

A/N: So there we have it guys and I pooped! It is so late and still am begging for reviews if you don't a baby halla dies so review please! - Bexaday