"Ma serannas!" Anda exclaimed, picking up a large crate to carry over to the Keeper's tent.

The three elvhen Inquisition couriers bowed slightly before taking their leave. "Dareth shiral."

Excitedly, Andra began her short trek across the settlement. It had been a few weeks since the Keeper had confided in Andra about their dwindling resources and then tried pitching a plan to send out hunters to get more. Unfortunately, it was mid-Spring and the bears—which the Dalish usually had no problem slipping past—were in heat. All the animals were. However the bears, in particular, seemed extremely agitated about anyone getting even remotely close, and that made things difficult when the majority of the Elfroot and Embrium that was needed was in and around their areas.

For the last several weeks, the Keeper had sent out single people at a time to collect all they could without drawing attention to themselves. Many times, this proved fruitful, but lately, hunters were turning up dead and the Keeper was forced to prevent anyone else from wandering too far out of the camp. It seemed the animals were catching on.

"Keeper Sathari!" Andra set the crate down once she entered the tent. "You know that requisition I sent out to my friends? Well they filled it and sent us supplies!" But once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she found it empty. And outside, her luck was no greater in finding the old woman.

"Haren!" Andra called to an Ashihari elder, "Have you seen Keeper Sathari? I can't find her."

The old man's eyes lit up in response to knowing the answer, "She went to the old meeting place just outside camp. A visitor's come but she insisted on greeting them first. Some important business, I imagine."

That confused Andra. "She's meeting with someone?"

The Haren was quick to reassure the young elvhen girl, "Not with any humans, an elf."

"An elf…?" A stray thought shot through Andra's head and her blood boiled. Immediately, she turned on her heels and began storming to the old meeting place. If it was who she thought it was, she had a few choice words for that tel'athim.

"Da'len?"

"Ma serannas, Haren!" She then pushed herself into a full run, not wanting to give this new visitor a chance to escape.

.

.

.

"I only want to talk to her," The elvhen man pleaded. "Satha, Keeper, I've come so far to see her."

"It's been a long time since I've seen you." Sathari said, reminiscing, "And it's been quite a while for her as well. I'm sure she'd like to see you. No doubt there's some catching up you'll need to do."

"I still feel like we're as close as we used to be, but I understand if she no longer feels that way." He looked off to the side, pulling up old memories into his mind, "Though, truthfully, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my friend. They convinced me to come make the journey."

"Then you don't actually want to be here?"

"No! I mean, I do! I'm just… nervous… about how she'll react…"

"Sometimes, it's good to take a leap of faith, child."

The man laughed, "Ha! No one's called me that in a long time."

There was amusement in the Keeper's face, "You're not that old. Barely older than—"

"Keeper Sathari!" An angry voice shouted, "Don't listen to a word that bastard has to say!"

"Andra…?"

"He's nothing but a…" The girl trailed off as she reached the Keeper, taking in the sight of the elvhen man before her.

"Savhalla, Arasha," He said.

Andra felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her, "S-savhalla… Calem…" She stuttered.

"I know it's been a long time, but 'bastard'…" He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling even more nervous than he already was.

Andra's face went bright red, "I, uh… ir abelas… T-that wasn't about you. I thought… that you were going to be someone else and I…"

Sathari seemed to catch on, "You think, after everything that happened, that he would sacrifice his time to come all the way out here?"

"Haren told me you were meeting with an elf and he's the only one outside of our clan that came to mind…"

Sathari shook her head, "It was a bad idea to let you go off to the Inquisition. Look at all the hurt it's brought you. Human wars are not our wars."

"I agree," Calem added, his face stoic as he remembered something, "The shemlens only know how to hurt others."

Sathari looked hard into Andra's eyes as if to say 'I told you so' but Andra ignored her. "They have their moments…" she trailed off, not wanting to get into this sort of conversation, "but what brings you here? It must have been quite the journey!"

"Two weeks." Calem sighed, running a hand through his dark hair, "But it was worth it. Plus, I never would have lived it down if I hadn't."

"What do you mean?"

"One of my friends. I talk about you a lot, apparently." Calem laughed anxiously, "He pressured me into making this journey for a little over a year. I should have gone through with it when you were still with the Inquisition, it wouldn't have taken me as long, but I was just so afraid that you wouldn't remember me. But then my friend managed to hear word of you returning to the Dalish and… here we are." He smiled then, "I'm glad I listened to him. I didn't realize how much I've missed you until just now, seeing you in person."

"Ah…" Andra blushed, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, "I've... missed you too." And it was then that she really took Calem in—seeing him as a man instead of the kids they used to be; admiring the dark chocolate of his hair and the fiery gold of his eyes; noting how much taller he was than her.

"Well," Sathari cut in, clearing her throat to get the two's attention, "since you came to us, Andra, I'll leave you two to catch up. I have some things to take care of anyway."

That jogged Andra's memory, "Oh! Keeper Sathari! I managed to secure herbs for the clan, they're in your tent."

"Ma serannas, Da'len." And then the old woman left.

"You've really changed," Calem said, and when Andra's eyes met his, she felt the heat rush into her cheeks once again.

"Well, it has been a few years. You've changed too."

"But I mean…" He paused, as if searching for the right words, or for some sort of reassurance that he should say what he was thinking. "You're beautiful. I nearly… forgot how silver your eyes were. How blonde your hair was…" He trailed off, his own cheeks growing rosy this time.

Andra smiled and ducked her head, then looked off to the side, to the path that led back to her camp, "Come on, let's get you settled. No doubt you'll be here for a while."

Calem smiled as they began to make their way back to the Ashihari settlement, "Ma nuvenin."


ELVHEN USED:

Ma sarannas: "Thank you" / "My thanks"

Dareth shiral: "Safe journey", used as a farewell for most occasions.

Haren: "Elder"

Tel'athim: Literally-"no humility", but is used similar to "arrogant prick"

Da'len: "Child"

Satha: "Please"

Savhalla: "Hello"

Arasha: "My happiness", an endearment.

Ir abelas: "I'm sorry"

Shemlens: (Plural) Literally-"quick children", but it's used mainly as an insult to anyone that isn't Dalish.

Ma nuvenin: "As you wish"