The Traveller's Life

Merrill had never felt so lost. When Mahariel and Tamlen died, she had had the Keeper. When Marethari died, she had had Fenris. But now she had lost him, not to death but to his memory. Her friends tried valiantly to cheer her up, to bring her out of her shell, an effort she appreciated. So she put on a brave face, a pale imitation of her former bright and bubbly disposition, but it was enough to keep them and their concerns at bay. Her smiles were hollow, her laughs short and forced. She spent most of her time wandering the keep alone, under the watchful eyes of Vivenka's wardens. She knew that everyone talked about her when she wasn't around, that they knew she wasn't quite right anymore, but she didn't care. A piece of her had walked out of her life, and it was all she could do to fight the sucking vacuum within her.

News of the civil war breaking out within the Circles and the Chantry soon reached them, and soon they were going their separate ways. Isabela's ship set sail from Amaranthine with Varric and Hawke on board, heading back to Kirkwall, where Varric and Hawke would depart, one to stay, the other to head north to Starkhaven. Anders was to remain at the Vigil under Vivenka's watchful eye. Merrill remained simply because she had nowhere else to go. The only people she really spoke to now were Anders and, strangely enough, Leska.

The sweet little six-year-old sought the elf out when ever she could; dragging her into games and making her forget her broken heart for an hour or two. Merrill was quite certain that the captivating little girl was one of the only reasons she was still sane.

A month after Hawke left the Vigil, Merrill paid Anders an early morning visit. Before the morning sun had melted the frost from the keep's windows, Merrill was gone, her room empty save for a note thanking the wardens for their hospitality.

The city of Amaranthine would once have been an intimidating sight to the young Dalish, but this is not the effervescent, naïve girl who could get lost ten feet from her front door. Her hair now fell to her shoulders, and in the clothes Isabela had bought her and a large navy cloak gifted to her by Vivenka, she was unrecognisable, her tattoos the only mark of the girl she had once been.

It was those very tattoos that caught the eye of another elf as she approached the city's gate.

Micah stood from his crouched position, brown eyes narrowing as he studied her. Life had gotten hard for Micah since the assault on Amaranthine. Colbert had died in the first attack, and Micah himself now sported a scar from the middle of his forehead, through his right eyebrow and across his cheek, a reminder of the cut that had almost blinded him. Without his human partner, none of their old human contacts would deal with him, and he could only sell the game he brought down to elves, who had little to pay him with. He'd had an idea knocking around his head for the last couple of years, and it was only now that this idea looked like a possibility. After all, who better to help him find the Dalish, than an actual Dalish?

He followed her into the city, wondering what she was here for, why she wasn't with her clan. She wandered through the marketplace, browsing through the wares of various merchants, before turning down what Micah knew to be a dead-end alley. He hesitated a moment before following. She was standing at the end of the alley, watching him approach.

"Why are you following me?" she asked sharply, cold green eyes levelled at him. Her accent confirmed her as Dalish, and Micah whooped internally, though outwardly his expression remained stoic.

"You're Dalish." It wasn't a question. "I was hoping you could help me find them." She frowned, thinking over his words.

"I don't know where they are. I'm sorry, I can't help you." Her voice had a note of melancholy, and Micah wondered if maybe her clan had been killed.

"But you know them," he pressed. "You know where they go, how they operate. If you tried, you could find them."

"They would not welcome me." Her voice and eyes were hard and cold once more.

"But would they welcome me?" he asked. Her expression became thoughtful, if still slightly suspicious.

"Most clans welcome city elves willing to return to the old ways. Especially if they have any skills particularly useful to the clan."

"Like hunting?" She nodded in response. "All I need is for you to help me find them. I can pay you a little, and I can protect you and hunt for you while we travel." She continued to look thoughtful. Micah let her think, he was well known for his patience.

"Alright," she said finally. "I could use a Keeper's council."

And that was how she came to be travelling with Micah, seeking out the Dalish. As they made their way towards the Brecilian Forest, more elves joined them, hoping to find a better life, or simply to escape the war. By the time they reached the edge of the Brecilian forest, there were over a dozen of them, possessions carried in a cart pulled by an ill-tempered mule. Somehow, everyone in the group deferred to her, often through Micah. She had taught them much of the ways of the Dalish, proper prayers and when to use them, how the Dalish lived when on the road and when camped. No one commented on her rapidly growing belly, and in truth, many assumed the child was Micah's, assuming that the two elves in charge were a couple. He had asked her, only once, when he first realised she was pregnant, who the father was. The look she had given him had been so desolate and heartbreaking that he had dropped the subject immediately, and when anyone asked him about the child's parentage, he had simply growled it was none of their business.

Four and a half months into her pregnancy, Merrill began to notice signs that a clan was near. One week later, a pair of halla approached their camp, and consented to pull their cart. Merrill was not surprised when the halla led them to a clan.

Lanaya was surprised, to say the least, to learn that it was Merrill leading a ragtag group of elves. She explained, when Merrill sat down with her, that her scouts had told her of the approach of another clan, and it was then that Merrill realised that was what they had become. She had fallen easily into the role of Keeper, with Micah unwittingly acting as head hunter. They even had halla now. Micah, sitting beside her and slightly back, nodded at this notion, and seemed totally unsurprised when most of their group elected to stay together and form a new clan. When she saw this, the vacuum within Merrill began to lessen, and she felt herself begin to feel whole again.

They stayed with Lanaya's clan for a month, preparing themselves for what they would need to be a true clan. Two new aravels were built for her clan, and lore that Lanaya could copy quickly was passed into Merrill's hands. She even had a First now, as one of the children in her group began to show signs of magic. As they bid Lanaya and her people farewell, Merrill did so with a true smile on her face, the first since that fateful day at Vigils Keep.

00000

He was no longer the man who had woken pained and confused on that cold stone floor, and neither was he the brooding, angry warrior his friends had known. He had never known the agony of the procedure that marked him, nor the torture that had been being Danarius' pet. He was a slave who suddenly found himself free, with no idea what he was supposed to do with his freedom.

He filled his days with training, at first discovering the skills he had once had, and then teaching them to Sebastian's soldiers. He still felt the amount of respect shown him strange, but as the months passed, he began to become accustomed to being treated as an equal, or more, as he was a close personal friend of the prince.

His evenings were spent with Sebastian in front of the fire, talking of things both past and present. In time, they were joined by Hawke, who was more than happy to help fill in the blanks, telling Leto of their adventures before Sebastian had joined them. Against Sebastian's warning, he told Leto of his and Merrill's unorthodox courtship. Leto had been gobsmacked when Hawke mentioned she was a blood mage. Leto did not have his former hatred of mages, but he still found the notion of blood magic repellent, as it had been a very real threat during his time as a slave. Hawke told him of the Eluvian and Merrill's obsession with it. He told of their arguments over it, and how Merrill had finally destroyed it for him.

After that, he found himself lying awake at night, trying match the beautiful woman he had seen with the idea of a blood mage. He could not imagine those bright eyes sparkling with glee and power as the blood of a sacrifice stained her hands. He had asked Hawke about it the next evening, and the rogue had explained that Merrill had never sacrificed anyone, and had in fact given up blood magic for him. That had appeased him, but he still lay awake at night, thinking of her, and the way she had looked at him. Her raven hair had reminded him of his mother, and fresh tears spilled onto his pillow. He clenched his fists, and winced as his brands flared with pain. They had begun to ache not long after they arrived at the castle, and progressively got worse, until it was a near constant throb under his skin. Sebastian and Hawke had not been much help, stating that in the past he had mentioned that the brands caused him near constant pain. Leto began to understand why he had apparently scowled so much.

One month after Hawke arrived, he received a letter from Anders, mentioning that Merrill had left the Vigil. Leto frowned at the news, and asked where she had gone. Hawke had cocked an eyebrow at him, but duly replied that Merrill had not told anyone where she was going. A heavy weight settled in Leto's gut, and it remained for days until he realised what it was. He tossed and turned for weeks, the worry eating away at him until he realised he couldn't take it anymore.

And so early one morning, Leto collected his meagre belongings, the coin Sebastian had paid him for training his men and said his goodbyes. He walked away from the palace completely unaware of the broad grins adorning the faces of his friends. There was hope for him yet.

A/N: I know I've been slow updating, but I finally know where this is going! Can't guarantee I'll update soon but I'll try, I really want to finish this.