Act 2, Chapter 2

It had been four months since Ynaevir had managed to save the cub, and it had long since been weaned off of halla milk and put on a diet of pasted grains and spare meats and fish. The dark-haired elf hadn't had an episode since the cub had been in his care, and it seemed that the happy child from four years ago had returned to the clan. He remained aloof, but then, Ynaevir always had. Most of his time was spent at the stream with his cub, standing very still in the water with his britches rolled up to his thighs, one eye watching the forest lion cub, and the other watching the stream for the next fish to dart between his legs.

His proficiency at fishing had increased to an admirable level, and the clan was beginning to see that Ynaevir merely needed what he considered a worthy incentive to keep working hard. The clan continued on as they had before, moving from place to place within the brecilian forest, remaining in one spot at their leisure, unlike the other dalish clans that had to camp in forests close to human settlements. Very few humans dared to enter the forests for very long, what with rumors of wolves that stood upright and walked as men did, viciously assaulting any living thing that came across their path. The clan, as luck would have it, had been able to avoid all but a few of the monsters, and those they shot down before they were able to land blows against the dalish.

Today, Hahren Vita had a lesson for Ynaevir, she would talk to him about the changes in his body and ask him of any thoughts he had had lately. His most recent growth spurt had Ynaevir only slightly shorter than most of the adult Elvhenn men, and it was assumed that he was going to reach puberty slightly early in comparison to the other boys. Gheyna had already started down that path. When she had been bleeding from the place between her legs, she had come first to Ynaevir, and like any worried friend would, he took her to his mother.

With lightning quick reflexes, Ynaevir thrust his hand into the water, grabbing hold of the wriggling fish with a tight grip, jerking it out of the water and holding it against his chest, somehow managing to avoid getting smacked in the face by the lashing tail. With a grunt, Ynaevir took his da'mi and stabbed it into the head of the fish, trying to stop it from struggling a little faster. He doubted that Da'gar was strong enough to kill a fish by herself. She enjoyed pouncing on the bodies, though.

Wading out of the stream, which had deepened with the spring months, Ynaevir joined the squalling cub on the banks with the bloody fish in his grasp. The cub pawed at his shins, butting her forehead against his ankles and then flipping over to gnaw on the side of his foot with her sharp baby teeth.

Wrinkling his nose at the unpleasant sensation, but treating her as patiently as one treats an infant, he crouched down and grabbed onto her scruff, making her go limp.

"Your teeth are sharp, Da'gar, they hurt," he told her, hoping that some part of her would understand, at least. It was debatable.

Releasing her once he had moved her several inches away from the sensitive insoles of his feet, Ynaevir dropped the mutilated fish onto the damp banks, watching it intently to ensure that it wasn't going to flop right back into the river before Da'gar had worked up the nerve to wrestle with the corpse. As luck would have it, it was indeed a corpse.

The forest lion cub tilted her head at this familiar treat, lowering her front to the ground and wiggling her rump in the air, long tail twitching and lashing behind her with interest. Taking several moments to size up her prey, the cub eventually launched forward into a clumsy pounce, tripping over her own paws and at least managing to fall onto the fish by some saving grace. Satisfied enough with her skills as a hunter, she turned her head up to Ynaevir and seemed to smile at him. With a gentle pat as a reward, she dug her claws into the scaly fish and bit at it several times.

Ynaevir sat back on his rump, bright green eyes drifting out farther into the forests. It often took Da'gar up to half an hour to figure out the best way to eat her food, and it was time enough for the boy's mind to drift to far off places. For the most part, he thought of simple things, like how deep earthworms dig, but sometimes, if he had been at the verge of one of his infamous Black Moods for quite some time, he thought back to the events that he didn't quite remember.

There was a face that made him stiffen when it entered his mind's eye, though all he could ever see of it was a bearded jaw and a sickly sweet smile. There was the smell of blood and gore, of acrid urine, and in the middle of all of the terrible things—such a wonderful warmth. He had looked somewhere, but try as he might, the fragments of sanity that the boy still retained refused to allow him to remember anything at all about those soulless eyes that held every moment between the beginning of time and the bitter end.

Most days, while Da'gar ate her fish, Ynaevir tried to remember what he had seen, and where he had been. The clan had asked him, once the terror of the ordeal had worn off, and he had not been able to say. In the end, he didn't even remember walking back with Danyla—the only thing that he could tell them was that he had been running after Ghedan, and then there were men.

The older clan members who were experienced enough to know what had happened gave thanks to their creators. Zathrian, it seemed, was the only one who remained unconvinced.

"Ynaevir!" Gheyna's voice startled him from the roadblock in his mind, and Ynaevir blinked several times, looking up in her direction and smiling, "Hahren Vita sent me, she's ready to talk to you now," Gheyna informed him, stepping down the slope to the stream, stooping to pat Da'gar on the rump and to help Ynaevir stand up.

"Can I carry her back?" She said.

Ynaevir nodded his head, even more at ease than before, though he hadn't thought such a thing possible. Grabbing Da'gar by her scruff, he hoisted her up and dropped her down into Gheyna's arms, and the red-haired girl immediately began to coo and gush over the feline, rubbing her forehead against the not-yet big cat's and touching their noses together. More concerned with what was practical; Ynaevir pinched what was left of the tail fin between his fingers.

"She likes to play with these, I take it away once it gets a little too smelly," Ynaevir informed his volunteer cub-sitter, stuffing the fin between Gheyna's fingers and snickering as the cub immediately started pawing at it.

"Do you think that you would ever be able to take her hunting with you when she's older?" Gheyna asked him as they started back up the slope. The thought gave Ynaevir pause, and the dark-haired elf shrugged his shoulders, lips pressing together into a lopsided line. He had never thought of it. Da'gar could eventually learn the necessary skills on her own, he assumed, but he wasn't altogether sure exactly how far instincts would take her. Most cubs had their mothers to teach them. What was left of Da'gar's mother had been used to line the finely crafted crib that got passed around between young mothers when needed.

"You could probably be a very skilled pair, if you could train her to work with you," Gheyna went on, her eyes alternating between focusing on where she was going and the cub that finally seemed to be settling down and realizing that no matter how much she squirmed, Gheyna was still going to be carrying her all the way back to camp. Ynaevir acted as guide for the most part, steering them silently around tree trunks and steeper slopes, nudging Gheyna around the thorny bramble patches whenever she was distracted.

Maybe he could train the cub. He had never heard of it, but he remembered hearing a story of an elf that could speak with sparrows and other types of birds, and they had helped him find his way home as a child, and later assisted him in guiding the clan to safety. It was all a fictional lesson meant to teach morals and inspire greatness, he was sure, but if the thought was there, perhaps the application could be, too.

"I don't really know how I would teach her," Ynaevir started, slowing his steps so they could talk a little more about the matter. It wouldn't be long before they reached the camp, he could hear distant voices ahead, along with bleating halla. "She would need to know commands that way she wouldn't charge ahead or get in between the animal and the arrow," the tall boy murmured, glancing at the cub in Gheyna's arms and reaching over to tickle his finger behind her ears.

"Oh, I guess you would need to figure that part out… Maybe if you just taught her to stay still? Instincts might cover the rest of it," Gheyna shrugged her shoulders.

The two of them entered the Dalish camp without much attention turning towards them. The Camp had moved much farther north, and it seemed to Ynaevir that they were dangerously close to Denerim. Whenever a portion of the city caught fire, he could see the smoke clouds billowing up and drifting over the forests. Sometimes he heard the hunters talking about travelers wandering through the woods, seeking shortcuts to long, dangerous roads. The forests were not at all hospitable to most humans, so why they tried, he wasn't sure. Regardless, it was here that the keeper had decided to move them, at least for a little while.

Tensions had been high within the camp because of it.

Of all the Dalish clans that wandered Thedas, Zathrian's was second among those least accustomed to sharing the lands with humans. The first among them was Hidukan's, who kept his clan deep within the Korcari Wilds. It had been over ten years since anyone had heard from them, as they had missed the last clan gathering. It was unknown if Hidukan even acted as their keeper any longer.

Passive aggressive arguments broke out amongst hunters when they tried to decide which direction they wanted to travel to hunt in. Game was surprisingly plentiful towards the northern edge of the woods, but many feared that humans would view the creatures that dwelled there as their own, and then seek payment for game that the dalish had rightfully caught on their own. Zathrian was ever more distant, trying to remain patient with his brood as they squabbled. It was necessary to be in the north. The clans would be coming to the brecilian forests for this decades gathering, and there had to be ample room. Five clans were expected to show up, all before the moon finished waning entirely.

Ynaevir, remembering nothing of the first and only gathering he had been to, was only concerned by the fact that they were close to a massive settlement of humans. Shemlen were filthy, evil creatures, and thinking of furred jawlines and fat round ears made his stomach pinch and turn, and his entire body would break out into a thin sheen of sweat. His only saving grace had been Da'gar, but even with her presence, sometimes the constant whispering in his head grew to be a steady, loud murmuring.

Reaching out to take the cub from Gheyna, Ynaevir faltered when the red-haired girl fixed him with an intense pout, ducking her chin down to rub it against Da'gar's shoulders.

"Can't I play with her while you talk to Hahren Vita? I'll bet that she'd get grumpy if you were distracted," Gheyna tried to tempt him, smiling sheepishly as her cheeks pinked. As she had gotten older, she had discovered that begging in this manner usually helped her get her way with just about every boy her age, and sometimes some of the older men of the clan. It didn't do much in the way of persuading the women, but that was another matter entirely.

Shifting uncomfortably, Ynaevir felt his heart beating a little bit faster and the idea of being separated from the cub. Gheyna would take care of her, he knew that, but it was the absence of a bundle of loving warmth in his hands that made him anxious. Surely things would be alright for as long as Hahren Vita spoke with him…? He doubted that he could devolve into an episode during such a short amount of time. Petting Da'gar one last time, he nodded his consent to Gheyna and then turned from her, finishing the walk to Hahren Vita's aravel. She was seated outside on the back steps, whittling as she often did to pass the time.

"You two took your time coming back," she chided him gently, smiling at the boy and rising to her feet. For as long as Ynaevir could remember, Vita had been old, but it seemed that lately, she had only grown even older, delicate bones protruding from sagging skin, her ear tips drooping down ever so slightly. Her eyes were slowly developing a delicate film over them, making them look glassy. She was stooped and frail, and it seemed that after each winter, there was less and less of her, and no chance of ever getting any of it back.

Dipping his head to the old woman, Ynaevir followed after her, prowling up the steps with an agonizing slowness born of hesitation. All of the children his age were required to have this talk, and from gossip, he had an idea as to what it entailed, and it made him even less eager to sit down and discuss it with Vita. Zathrian probed his mind often enough, always in subtle ways, but it never escaped Ynaevir's notice. He could only see this discussion turning in similar directions, seeing if Ynaevir's carnal urges—the possibility of him not yet having any didn't seem to be an option to any of the elders; all boys had them at his age, it seemed only natural—were healthy at their core, or born of the same violence that had been inflicted upon him several years ago.

Luckily for Ynaevir, in all truth, whatever violent thoughts were placed into his head by the awful whispering were never sexual in nature. It seemed that his body hadn't matured to a point to register such a possibility, and for that, he would have been grateful, if he had only known. As it was, making love to a mate seemed like such a distant, far off event that Ynaevir hadn't even started to consider what it might be like.

He knew of sex, as all Dalish children did, as the clan was never altogether shy about hiding their affections. Couples would make love with the doors to their aravels open, they would kiss each other, and men would cup their woman's breasts in their hands—all out in the open.

Ynaevir, as it happened, simply wasn't interested.

It was a thing that adults did with each other, and he wasn't yet an adult by Dalish standards. It didn't matter.

Seated across from Hahren Vita, Ynaevir fidgeted with his toes, bright green eyes trained down on the floor of the aravel, trying to identify where the different types of furs had come from while Hahren Vita explained the nature of their discussion.

"In a few more years, you'll be an adult in the clan," she started, studying the last of the older children she had to speak with, "When you're an adult, you'll be able to take a mate for yourself. Do you like the idea of that at all, Ynaevir?"

Ynaevir shook his head slowly, not looking up at her.

Vita smiled patiently, though her head tilted in a curious nature. Most boys didn't like the idea of settling with a mate, but with only very loose concepts of fidelity, there wasn't a necessity to do so.

"You don't have to have a mate if you'd rather not, Ynaevir, but just remember—our numbers are dwindling. Humans have many children together, and their children have children, but elves…" Vita tried to find the right words to explain her meaning to the boy that was approaching manhood, "We used to be immortal. A bonded pair may have a child together once every other century, but that isn't the way of things any longer. Our blood has quickened, our lives have shortened, but bearing children is still a rare and difficult thing." She wrung her hands together, eyes growing distant as she thought back to Ynaevir's birth mother. She had survived, initially, but in the days that followed, even with Zathrian's healing magic, the life faded from her more and more each day.

It was the unfortunate fate of a great number of Elvhenn women, but it did not change the circumstances. Their numbers had to increase. Zathrian and Vita had discussed it at length, and it was a matter that they would bring up in The Meeting of Keepers during the great gathering—each adult dalish in every clan should be responsible for producing a replacement for themselves, plus one more child.

"I don't want to have any children, Hahren Vita," Ynaevir murmured, the corner of his mouth giving an idle twitch. More than that—what dalish woman would want him to father her children? He was odd, and each of them knew it.

"That may change in the future, Da'len, and if it does, remember—you are responsible not only for yourself, but for what you contribute to the clan." The old woman reminded him, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. "Now then, lets talk about more present things."

Steeling himself for the invasive conversation ahead, Ynaevir nodded his head once.

Across the campsite, away from Hahren Vita and Ynaevir's discussion, Ghedan stood amongst a throng of other Dalish children, his eyes constantly flicking over to a blonde girl that would be on the brink of puberty at any moment, it seemed. She was sweet, and she liked his bold nature. More than that—sometimes, when it was cold in the mornings, he could see her nipples poking through the cloth halter that she wore.

That was, he decided, one of the best things about her.

"You know how to skin animals?" she whispered to him, grabbing onto his hand, as though she needed help in keeping his attention focused on her and her questions. Not yet considered old enough to help with kills the hunters brought back, Iniu had no reason to know how to handle the corpses, or what was done with them, but the knowledge the older boy held on them impressed her, even if it was unfounded.

The fact of the matter was that Ghedan didn't have the finesse to be a half-decent skinner.

The basics were simple enough, but the true art of it, like many other things, escaped him.

"Of course I do, I'll be a hunter soon," he forced a laugh that, to his credit, did not sound forced at all. The confidence that he carried with him had only grown larger with each year, though his focus and perspective on things were constantly jaded, despite all efforts from his elders to correct his behavior and outlook on life.

"Could you show me?" Iniu flashed him a smile, bringing her free hand up to swipe her hair back behind her ears.

Ghedan's eyes followed her hand, and his heart began to beat a little faster. When they were both adults, or perhaps a little before, if she didn't mind practicing, he was sure that they were going to mate. Perhaps he could father a child through her. Hahren Vita had told him about the lacking Elvhenn fertility, but he was confident in himself, if nothing else.

"Y-yeah, the next time the hunters bring back a…"

"But Ghedaaann, I'll never be close enough to watch you if it's one of those kills," Iniu protested, her lower lip beginning to stick out farther. In order to coach young children, the adults of the clan always hovered over them, watching their technique and offering pointers. As was the case in most things, children came last in line, unless they were being instructed.

"Oh, yeah, well… I'll—I'll find something else to skin for you," Ghedan promised her boldly, his eyes tracking around the camp, as though to try and seek out this unfortunate, unknown beast. The halla wouldn't do—none of them were going to die for a long time, and even when they did, they were buried with the same ceremony given to the clan members when they passed away. Chipmunks and squirrels were hard to catch, and not very impressive, larger predators were dangerous…

Unless they weren't. Unless they were still young.

Ghedan's eyes stopped roaming once they settled on the forest lion cub, pouncing on a fish's tail fin.

He could manage that.