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Zevran stayed and taught me about the poisons craft my father had not wanted me to learn. He taught me how to create the counter-toxins and I began to build up more of a tolerance, which I was not aware that my master had been doing for many years. It was the reason that when Zevran stabbed my hand with his dagger, I did not die quickly as was expected, but only started to feel ill. I would have died without the counter-toxin to be sure but it showed him what my master had started to teach me.

Unfortunately I was not as careful as I had been before and one day Roderick followed me to the clearing where I had previously met my teacher and later confronted me about Zevran. I confessed that he was now teaching me what my father had once forbid and I took him with me to meet Zevran. Roderick was no match for the handsome elf, who easily saw where his interests lay. Later that evening he snuck into Roderick's quarters and stayed until morning. One evening he brought Mirabella, a lovely elf who was to help me with my training. It wasn't until later that I discovered what her true purpose was.

And so it went for months, until Zevran was told that Victorio had still not been captured and was thought to have crossed into Kirkwall with his pupil. Zevran was to return to Antiva for another mission, since he did not wish to travel to Kirkwall, having "wasted" so much time in Ferelden. I had known this day would come. I was thankful he had not pursued my master and that he helped me to learn things I may not have been able to on my own.

Soon he was gone and things returned to normal. The lovely elf became my lady in waiting, as I dreaded my 18th birthday when I was sure Nathaniel would ask for my hand. I began to ride out farther and stay away from the castle even more, practicing my skills when bandits thought I was nothing but a helpless woman traveling alone. One day I happened upon the still form of a man, an elf who appeared to have been beaten, but still alive. It was beginning to grow colder and colder, so I struggle to place him on my horse and took got him to an abandoned shack that I had passed earlier that day. He was half frozen and bleeding. I started a fire and held him close since I only had my winter cloak and the blanket I had left on my horse. I melted water and wiped away the blood on his face. Thankfully there was nothing that a little rest and ointment could not cure. He shivered for what seemed like hours before finally completely relaxing.

The next morning when I woke, he was no longer cold to the touch and his cuts were looking better than the day before. When he finally stirred, I had brought in some food I had packed in my bag, after checking on my poor horse. The elf looked at me suspiciously and at first refused the food I was trying to give him, but soon could not ignore the pain in his stomach. He ate all the food and drank the water I had melted.

"I thank you for helping me, Shem," he said, trying to get up but still feeling woozy from his blood loss. I got up and he let me help him sit down under the cloak. Shem, or rather Shemlen,a term elves used to describe humans, and it was not always used in the nicest ways but I forgave him the use of the word, as it was most likely a human who attacked him. There were still many who treated elves as property or worse.

"I would not leave anyone to freeze in the snow." I said.

"I would repay you if I could….."

"You do not need to do anything." I said. "I would apologize for the poor treatment you have received but I am sure that means nothing."

"You did not attack me and despite how you found me, I was able to defend myself rather well until I was struck from behind." He rubbed the back of his head that I had checked and found only a large bump.

"Regardless, I will inform the Teryn to look out for the men who attacked you. No doubt they are at some tavern bragging that they killed an elf. I will see to it." I said.

"The Teryn does not care for elves," he said and I turned to him.

"The Teryn does not care for injustice done to the citizens of his bannorn!" I told him, getting up and walked quickly to the door so I might cool my head. As soon as I opened the door I was faced by a large wolf and I quickly took a step back.

I reached for my daggers as the elf got up and yelled, "No!" I looked at him as he walked up to the wolf and knelt in front of it. They stared at each other and soon the wolf turned and walked away. I stared at the elf as he got up and again sat down under my cloak.

"How in the Maker's name did you do that?" I asked.

"I am a Ranger," he said simply.

"A what?" I asked.

"A Ranger. I can call animals to me, can sense what they sense," he explained.

"How do you do that?" I asked.

"By living among them and learning their ways mostly," he simply said.

"By the Maker, I promise you, I shall find those men for you." I then decided. "You shall have your justice!" I declared.

"Why would you do that?" he asked.

"So that perhaps you can teach me how to be a Ranger? If you're willing." I hoped he would agree and he did.

"We should leave immediately, before another storm hits." I could not contain myself. He reluctantly got up and handed me my cloak. I shook my head and had him put it on since he was wearing such thin clothing and everything I wore was fur-lined. I helped him get on the back of my horse and quickly rode towards the castle, forcing him to hold on to me or risk falling off. I made it before the snow started and go off the horse as soon as I gave the reins to the stable hand. The elf looked around and was appalled to find himself at the home of the very Teryn he had insulted and was not eager to get down. Fergus and Roderick came out of the castle and found me about to drag the poor elf by some very tender body parts. Fergus cleared his throat and Roderick laughed to hear me swear at the man who would not do as I asked.

"We were about to send out a search party again for you, Auriella," said Fergus, again a little annoyed at my freedom to come and go. He was now a married man and could not go off unless so ordered by my father.

"Ah! Good, just the person I need to see! Roderick, I need you to help me find a group of men who assaulted this elf. I found the poor man half frozen in the snow and had to nurse him back to health before returning." I told them, knowing that no matter what my excuse, Fergus would no doubt tell my father that I was irresponsible and reckless. "Nicolas, can you call Nan here please?" I asked the stable hand who was still waiting for the elf to dismount.

When she came out I ask that she see to feeding our guest and getting him into something warmer. After a minute of being on the receiving end of her stern glance, the elf finally got off the horse and followed her inside.

"What are you doing, cousin?" Roderick asked me.

"I am simply acting on the need to serve justice on the behalf of our citizens. Is that so wrong?" I asked him, knowing he would cave and help me.

"Fine, fine," he said. "I believe I overheard someone mention the very group of thugs you mentioned."

"Fantastic! Fergus, could you send someone to get these, thugs as Roderick called them?" I asked as sweetly as I could.

"If they are the men Roderick mentioned, then it will be an easy task. They have been drinking themselves blind since the blizzard started." He said and walked off.

Roderick would not let me pass into the castle, waiting for an explanation. "Why are you really helping this elf?"

I threw my arm around his shoulder and steered him inside. "Have you ever heard of a Ranger?" I asked him.

"Only the little I hear, here and there. Why? None of the stories are true, cousin!"

"And yet they are." I said and proceeded to tell him about what happened with the wolf and how I got caught up in helping another elf whose name I had yet to learn.

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With the help of my brother and cousin, the men who attacked the elf, whose name I finally learned was Theban, were brought to the castle to stand before my father. There had been other reports of many more attacks by these same men on elves and humans alike, and they were sentenced, which Theban witnessed. I could see he had not expected my father to take such actions and was grateful that they would not be allowed to hurt anyone else. Theban was true to his word and agreed to train me as a Ranger, much to the dismay of my mother since the training was to be in the forest. She agreed only after I was allowed to take my mabari hound, along with a few weapons and armor I would need. I did not want to carry anything heavy because I knew we would need to travel far.

The training was unlike anything I had ever encountered before. Soon I could run through the trees without making a sound and climb trees as easily as any creature. I learned to track animals. After a few months I learned to call a wolf, as they were abundant in the area where we camped. My mabari did not trust the animals at first but soon realized that they would not harm me. Soon it was as if I could connect with them and they became a part of me. My final test was to call a bear. Wolves were simple enough but a bear was a creature that was much bigger and it took longer for me to do so. When I was finally able, Theban admitted he did not think I would be able to, as many people feared the large creatures. I found that they were no different than my hound, large and fearsome, yet playful as well.

Theban told me that to master two animals so quickly was something he had never witnessed. He had never met another ranger, much less a Shem, who could. Most could only handle one animal. He then said he had nothing left to teach me and I was sad to return, leaving the simplicity of the forest. Theban was a quiet man, not used to having someone as a constant companion and could go days without speaking. He was not used to cities and used mostly what he could hunt or harvest to survive. He taught me of the more exotic herbs that one rarely found in shops and how to make use of everything I found around me. We traveled back to my home in silence, with a few new additions who decided to go along for the journey. When I was close to Highever, I turned and hugged the man who had taught me something one could not learn from books or be explained in words. I knew he had no desire to return with me so I gave him the one thing I knew he could use but never ask for, my cloak. He smiled at the gift and was gone.

Soon I was in the clearing where I used to meet my master. Everything was as I remembered it and yet something was drawing my attention. I walked into the trees and spotted something faintly sparkle from a far off tree. As I reached it, I spotted three arrows still imbedded in the wood, no doubt mine. Strung up in the arrows was a locket I thought lost to me forever. I took the arrows down and unwound the locket, saddened that the necklace was no longer usable, having torn it from my neck long ago. I wondered how long it had been there. Slowly I opened the locket, seeing Duncan's face for the first time in over two years. With it was a lock of black hair.

I had thought by now my heart to be empty and yet it beat hard in my chest and I let my tears fall silently. I touched my cheek and recalled the last time I had cried. It was the night Duncan had left. Once started, I could not stop the tears so I sat by the tree and let myself mourn the love I had lost once again. My mabari came and licked my face. I laughed and got back up. I gathered the pack I had carried with me months back and again headed home, this time with the locket pinned inside my armor, close to my heart.