"What am I doing in the Emerald Graves?" Kaya questioned, looking at the tall trees around her.
She began walking through the trees, trying to remember what happened.
"We were fighting the Reaper...Leo opened a portal to retreat...we fell through… and then…"
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the tongue of the elves. She peeked around the corner and saw some Dalish elves discussing something, but she couldn't quite tell yet. This Dalish clan wasn't her's, but nonetheless she was still overjoy to find her people. She carefully stepped out from her hiding place and approached them with her hands up. Still startled from her approach, the Dalish elves pointed their arrows and swords at her, but didn't attack.
"What are you doing here flat ear?" one of the Dalish inquired. "And why do you wear the robes of a Keeper?".
"Do not mistake." Kaya replied. "I am Dalish, from Clan Lavellan and I'm my Keeper's First.".
"Ma harel, da'len!" the same Dalish elf interrupted. "Where is your vallaslin?".
"I tell you the truth!" Kaya returned. "I am Dalish. As for why I don't have the vallaslin...I don't think you're ready to know the truth of it."
The clan's Keeper focused heavily on Kaya and determined that she was a friendly. He ordered the other Dalish to stop aiming at her.
"Come da'len." the Keeper said. "What brings you here to the Emerald Graves?"
"I was...passing through." she answered. "I like walking in nature.".
Kaya looked around at the camp and saw that most of the Dalish wielded weapons of some type. The swordsmen were sharpening their swords with whetstones, while the archers practiced shooting against dummy targets.
"It looks like you all are preparing for battle. May I ask against who?"
"You are Dalish, no?" the Keeper asked. "Have you not encountered any of them?".
"Who's them?"
"The Inquisition." the Keeper answered.
"The Inquisition?" Kaya questioned. "Why is the Inquisition after you?".
"You must not be from around here." the Keeper shook his head. "The Inquisition and its leader are tyrants and we, the Dalish, are one of the few freedom fighters left in all of southern Thedas.".
"But I thought the Inquisition was supposed to help people?"
"In what world da'len?" the Keeper asked.
There was a moment of awkward silence between the two before yelling could be heard approaching the camp. The source of the yelling came in the form of a Dalish scout sent to look out for the Inquisition.
"They're here!" he warned.
Everyone in camp began assuming their positions. The archers began climbing up the trees to gain height advantage while the warriors took up positions on the ground, circumferencing the camp. The children, elderly, animals, and others who weren't capable of fighting were escorted inside a spherical, magical shield casted by the Keeper for protection. As all of this occurred, Kaya grabbed her staff and was prepared to defend the camp from the intruders.
The first shots of the fight came from a magic fireball landing in the middle of the camp, blasting a few defenders away. With the fire spreading from the middle and the Dalish staggered, the Inquisition made its move and began clashing with the Dalish warriors. The Dalish archers atop of the trees aided their warrior brothers and sisters greatly, saving them several times from death blows. This guardian angel method didn't work forever however. As soon as the Inquisition's rogues and mages saw where the arrows were coming from, they aimed their arrows and sometimes fireballs back at the trees.
The clan's Keeper did well fending off the Inquisition soldiers that tried attacking him for his old age. What came to a shock to him however was how advanced Kaya was at her spells. She fought well beyond the average First to a Keeper and even believed her to be better than his own late First.
A good ten minutes into the battle, the Inquisition had managed to break a huge chunk of the warrior circle around the camp. To make up for their loss, Kaya ran towards the broken area, much to the Keeper's surprise. However, his fear was alleviated once he saw her use knight enchanter abilities to fight the soldiers head on.
The Keeper had to divert his attention at his magical shield which was being bombarded with magic from the Inquisition's mages. The mages attacking the shield didn't see the Keeper approaching and he was able to stop them with bolts of lightning. He then approached to shield and saw the people inside crying and huddling in the center of the shield.
"They will not take you." the Keeper promised.
As the Keeper started pouring more magic into the barrier to fortify it, he soon felt a sharp pain sting him from the back. His magic started wavering and as he looked down at his abdomen, he saw that a sword had impaled him. He turned around to see that a templar trained soldier had stabbed him. He staggered back and tried to summon magic, but he was too weak to do so. The people inside the barrier looked in horror as they watched their Keeper succumb to his wounds and die before them.
Kaya had managed to take down a great deal of the Inquisition's forces, but as she tried returning to aid the Keeper, she found his lifeless body instead and templar trained soldiers breaking through the barrier. She rushed towards them, mana surging through her body, and although the soldiers managed to break through the barrier, she slammed a great deal of magic against them before they could land a single finger on the people.
She looked around and witnessed the rest of the Dalish protectors fall one by one from the Inquisition soldiers. However, as they made their way to the last remaining protector, Kaya, she stood her ground to protect the innocent Dalish people.
"Your efforts are futile!" the leading soldier spoke.
"I'm not giving up on my people!" Kaya returned.
"Then you will die with them." he returned.
The archers pulled back their drawstrings and the mages summoned mana. As they did this, Kaya flared up her anchor and lifted it to the sky above her. As the projectiles rushed at her, an aegis formed around her and the innocents protecting them. The leading soldier was amazed and stunned. He had only seen this power from the Inquisitor. He looked to the other soldiers and told them to drop their weapons.
"I have a proposition!" the leading soldier said. "You come with us and we'll spare their lives.".
Kaya was reluctant, but ultimately let the aegis down when she saw all the soldiers placing their weapons down.
"The Inquisitor will find you… interesting." the leading soldier spoke. "We're leaving for Skyhold!".
The soldiers gathered their things and started marching. Kaya looked back at the Dalish innocents and saw their gratitude in their faces. Although she was glad to have them saved, she feared for their lives.
This world would swallow them whole.
