Dragons and Thrones: Rising Tensions – Healing the Breach
Chapter 8 of my crossover story, enjoy.
Reviews
Thewritter1996: Thanks :)
Marina Ka-Fai: Thanks, yeah :)
Boris Yeltsin: Thanks, well, wait and see, it won't be long until we see just how little the Freys actually think of the Starks (in Solas' next chapter, although we will see them again in Sansa's which will come first), although that will lead to them making an unfortunate mistake, one which will compromise their alliance, but the fault will lie, unquestionably, with the Freys.
Veridissima: Thanks; glad you enjoyed it; glad you liked those parts :)
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)
coronadomontes: Thanks :)
Now onto the story.
Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin. Dragon Age belongs to Bioware.
Briala
The thirty-four year old Elven woman Briala sighed as she stood by the mouth of the grove. It had been well over a week now since she had fled Val Royeaux, fled Celene.
'She'll know with certainty by now, exactly what I've done...She must hate me now.' She thought sadly; before steeling herself. 'It is for the best, that will make it easier, when it finally comes down to what will likely have to happen...'
She straightened up from the tree she had been leaning against and moved into the grove. Here she had hidden away from Celene, from her loyalists and from Celene's enemy Gaspard and his loyalists. Here she was, in the Emerald Graves, a part of the Dales, the former homeland of her people after the fall of their great empire of Arlathan.
She shook her head. 'Now a mockery of what it once was, fallen into human hands, every bit of greatness destroyed, my people enslaved. No more, that has to stop. What better place to start than where our great heroes, the Emerald Knights fought and died for us.'
She was not alone in this grove, although she knew, if the number of followers kept growing, they'd need a different hiding spot. Adjusting her armour and daggers, Briala began picking her way through the grove, sitting around, talking quietly, or sharpening weapons, were many other Elves.
She sighed again as she considered them.
'I saved them all, then told them of my desire, my wish to free them, to create a better life for our people.' She thought forlornly. 'The cost in saving them has been high, only one group of Elves here was not freed via cost of human blood.'
That was true, many times she had come across an Elf or Elves being mistreated by a human, she recklessly charged in and killed the human. She would not weep for such people, but she knew the dangers.
So many humans started dying in that manner, the helpless Elves that remained would be the ones to suffer. The only Elves she had saved without killing anyone had been some of the Elves from Halamshiral; she got them out of danger and hoped to use their knowledge to save their fellows Elves still trapped there.
She shook her head. 'Those Red Templar beasts still hold position there. Celene aims to drive them out, but cares not if the Elves are slaughtered in the battle. I will not allow it, I will show her how it should be done.'
With that thought burning in her mind, she approached one of the Elves. A male Elf, carrying a staff, the one who set her upon this path, Felassan.
"Ah Briala, done musing?" He queried in an urbane tone.
She rolled her eyes. "For now. I was just thinking about our recruitments. Word of our efforts is spreading amongst them Elves. Whispered talks..."
Felassan nodded; a small smile on his face, confirming her suspicions.
She shook her head, turning to face him directly.
"So, it was you that started those talks?"
He nodded again, his smile widening. "Yes, indeed, look at the Elves we've recruited Briala, the ones we've rescued. They are all angry at how they are treated by the humans..."
"Especially the nobles..." She added.
Felassan's eyes flashed at that. "Noble, commoner, doesn't matter, all humans are the same. I would've thought you of all people would've realized that."
Briala said nothing, a little taken aback by Felassan's complete black-white morality view. Briala didn't think someone so worldly would be so close-minded. She wasn't as worldly as him, but she knew such a view was false, there was always a grey area.
Instead she sought to change the subject. "I'm still surprised so many have joined us, we won't be able to stay hidden here, not if more and more come to us."
"There are those who will take risks, will stay in place to act as saboteurs." Felassan explained, calming down. "All this was a long time coming Briala, the Elves just needed a leader to rally around...One they found, in you."
Briala tensed at that, somehow, his words made her uneasy.
She almost wanted to correct him, to state she wasn't a leader at all. How could she lead these people, how could she respond to their sudden faith in her.
'But if I don't, what then, this is all...' She paused; remembering. 'They need this, they need me, nobody else cares enough, or is brave enough...It was for that I left Celene. To do what she could not, to do what, so many could not.'
So, composing herself she prepared. She knew what she had to do now.
"We must begin our planning." She told Felassan. "We need to act quickly and deal with the first step for our work; we must end the stalemate at Halamshiral, while Celene and Gaspard are busy fighting each other...We must free our people and destroy those beasts holding the city."
Felassan nodded in agreement and together they turned, ready to make their announcement and begin their plan. The beginning of a new world, of a new dawn for the Elves was at hand.
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please
