Epilogue: The Dread Wolf Rises

A break in the clouds overhead parted the dark gray skies to let in patches of sunlight. The Storm Coast had been grisly for days, and this was the first opportunity Solas and Lavellan had to hike to their destination due to the disagreeable weather.

"All I'm saying is that people are always going to resist something new and unknown. I think the best way to have everyone get along is to settle in and become known. That's not so difficult, I should think," Lavellan said with a sigh. They had been helping a group of surface dwarves and Elvhen settle in the region and negotiations between the two groups were proving difficult when there was still a great deal of mistrust on both sides and the resulting frustration was grating on Lavellan's nerves.

"And I agree. But they are also new to this place, vhenan. It can be overwhelming at first. Do you not recall the first time you saw Val Royeaux and how strange it seemed? You were exceptionally wary of the other people there, were you not?"

She groaned. "Let us hope this goes over much better. I seem to recall a civil war in miniature taking place there. And while it would be satisfying to punch a few stubborn people in the face, I think we should try to avoid violent means if possible. I think it might help if we had a gathering or something like it to smooth things over. I wonder if there's a dwarven holiday coming up? I'm sure a few drinks and eating some good food will help ease tensions."

"It may. Or, it may not. Remember when your uncle bit into a peach at the meeting with the Dalish Keepers and the Elvhen historians?"

"How were we supposed to know that was offensive? Besides, you know what Alarion is like when he doesn't eat. He's crabbier than Dorian."

"At least he did not make a display of it, like Sera did," he said with a small shudder.

Lavellan suppressed a snort. "Oh please. I was there when Sera performed that little demonstration. As I seem to recall, you, Bull, and Blackwall were all watching transfixed and taking mental notes while pretending to be disturbed. Well, you and Blackwall were. Bull just seemed to admire the technique."

"I assure you my discomfort was genuine. I have never been able to enjoy peaches since."

"Oh, but don't you remember the peach pies that Lydia used to make at Skyhold? With a touch of nutmeg and cinnamon? They were wonderful. I haven't had one in ages. The kids always get to them first," she lamented, though it did not steal away her smile.

"Perhaps next season she will save one for Vhenara to try," he said, glancing at the baby girl on his partner's back who was staring at all the big tall trees and flying birds with wide, curious eyes.

"That would be nice." She stopped when they reached the top of the hill, readjusting the knot at her waist as she scanned the area. "Well? What do you think?" she asked.

They had arrived at the same spot on a cliff that overlooked a pebbled beach where they had once watched a dragon and giant fight one another in a vicious battle. "It seems an interesting choice. Are you certain this is where you wish to do it?"

"Yes," she said, setting her hands on her hips. "I think it's a fine spot. Well, at least it's better than putting it into flower beds in Val Royeaux like we did for Vivienne's ashes." She turned to him as he took off the knapsack from his back and removed the urn from it. The weight of it surprised her and she stepped out near the edge of the cliff where the wind whipped at her face. She put up a shield charm to help keep the wind off of them. But her hand stilled on the lid, unable to open it.

Solas put a hand on her shoulder. He knew how difficult this was for her. "Should we say a few words?"

"I don't know what to say," she admitted. "I've thought about it for months now. But nothing seems right. So I think, I'll just say goodbye." Taking a breath, she steeled herself. "Dareth shiral," she whispered, releasing the lid from the urn and letting the wind carry away her father's ashes.

"Dareth shiral," Solas repeated from behind her.

She watched until the ashes disappeared from view. A cloud parted overhead and rays of light fell upon the cliffside, warming the cold coastal air around them. Kneeling carefully, she set the urn down against a stone where it was not likely to be disturbed.

In the quiet silence, Solas thought deeply about his own role in her father's death. Because of his reputation as Fen'Harel, her father had been deluded into believing he was a threat to his daughter. And because she had loved him and wanted to be with him, her father had sought desperately to save her from his corruption. He had been so convinced that he was right, that his daughter had been corrupted by the Dread Wolf, that he tried to kill her. And when a sorceress promised him hope, he fell prey to her false promises. From an objective viewpoint, he pitied Haladavar and his end. It could have been avoided. If he had listened or believed his daughter, it might have never come to pass the way it did.

He looked at his partner and their child, wondering once again why she chose him when it came at such a terrible price. Was this the type of hero she was? The kind that was forced to sacrifice who they were and what they loved to become the saviors for their people? Or was it far more simple than that? Perhaps it was luck or fate that chose her. Watching her, knowing what she had done and sacrificed for the world, he couldn't help but think that there had to be some reason why she had been the one branded by the anchor. She had been the key to sealing the tears in the Veil and removing it altogether. Without her… nothing would be as it was now. All the Elvhen brought back, magic returned to this world, and false gods struck down: all because one Dalish elf was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And when the call came to stand against forces far greater and stronger than herself, she did not waver. Perhaps then, he was wrong in his assumption. In the path set before the world, she was the right person needed at the time. Whatever the reason, he was eternally grateful to have met her that fateful day all those years ago.

Rising, she turned to him and slipped her fingers through his. With a gentle smile, she led him down the goat trail to the beach below.

When they reached the rocky shore, he took their baby from the sling and each held one of her hands as they walked through the waves. The salt spray and wind pulled at her hair and a shining ball of memory floated to him as if summoned from the clouds above. Lavellan smiled and picked up their girl, settling her on her hip and pointing down at a tidepool where wisps of curious spirits poked at sea anemones, bubbling with delight when they moved. Watching her, he felt the memory linger upon his skin, pulling afresh the sights and scents of years ago.

It had been a day like this one: gray and stormy with streaks of light shining through here and there. They had fought a harrowing battle against a giant and emerged victorious. Yet despite the victory, their party was exhausted, sore, and weary from the fight. Lavellan had looked at them all, still catching their breath, and a smile stretched across her face. She turned and ran into the waves, jumping and kicking with child-like glee. When the water numbed her toes with its icy chill she ran out with a sharp cry and then chased the water and let the water chase her in turn. She laughed and danced in the waves, as free and weightless as a feather upon the wind. There was something so captivating about her in that moment. Iron Bull, who was still a newcomer to the party, raced Sera into the water, charging at the waves as if they were a mighty foe as he let out a war cry. Sera covered him in seaweed, laughing hysterically at his impression of a mermaid.

Solas was not a frolicing kind of elf. He had stayed back, observing the scene curiously as he leaned against his staff. Then she ran to him and took his hand in hers and pulled him into the water. He had resisted, but she had managed to pull him far enough in that the approaching wave caught them with its icy chill. She received the brunt of it, crying out as her lips scrunched together to suppress the cold shivers that ran through her. A second wave followed the first and she fell forward, pushed by the shifting water, sand, and slick stones, crashing into him and thoroughly soaking them both with icy seawater. And yet not even that had stolen the smile from her face. She had apologized profusely, gripping his shoulders for balance. Another wave soaked her afresh and she laughed. And it was that smile of hers which captivated him. Her freedom of spirit, her joy, her wonder at the world… all of it inspired a sense of hope. That this world was real. As were the people in it. She was real. And despite the terrible struggle against the dark forces at work, there were moments like this, when the sky parted and the light came through and there was laughter again.

The memory dimmed and flew away as the clouds overhead cut out the light. Somewhere in the distance over the sea the sound of thunder came with the promise of heavy rain and lashing waves.

"The rains will start soon," she said, peering up at the sky and putting Vhenara back in her sling.

"Perhaps it is best we return-" He froze as the ground beneath them trembled. Rocks rolled down the cliffs behind them and the trees shook. Several tree limbs snapped. When the shaking stopped half a minute later, he rushed to his partner's side. But her panicked gaze drifted away from his face to the ocean.

"Solas. Look," she said, pointing to the water. The tide was receding and patches of seaweed and even small fish were left stranded behind.

He followed the water's retreat and in the distance enormous walls of water formed up into the sky, reaching impossible heights.

A bone-chilling roar, deep and terrifying like the cry of a dragon ripped across the landscape.

Lightning flashed in the distance and he saw the outline of an enormous creature, large enough to cover a city, with thick tentacles and searing red eyes rear up out of the sea.

Solas did not wait, he grabbed his partner's hand and pulled her to higher ground, blasting away loose rocks and boulders that blocked their path. Rain poured down on them, drenching them as they went. Vhenara, soaked and cold, cried against her mother, who tried her best to soothe her, despite her growing panic.

"What is that thing?!"

"A creature from long ago. One that is incredibly dangerous. Quickly, you must run to the village. Get the villagers to high ground and take shelter in the dwarven ruins."

He felt her hand on his wrist and turned to see the worried expression in her eyes. Taking her hand in his, he brought it to his lips and kissed it.

"You're going to try and stop it, aren't you?" she asked, though she knew the answer in her heart before he spoke the words.

"Yes, vhenan. I must. Protect the villagers. And stay safe," he kissed her and then kissed the head of their baby girl before he turned away to face the creature.

"Wait!" she called back to him.

Pausing, he looked over his shoulder at the woman he loved, terrified it might be the last time.

"Come back to me! Promise me you'll come back." Though the wind and the distant roar of waves howled in her ears, she prayed he heard her. And in the distance, despite the lashing rain, she saw him dip his head as his lips said, "I promise."

She watched him disappear down the cliff path. Light bloomed below, glowing as a creature of shadow rose into being and she saw the Dread Wolf rise. But it was different from before. The eyes burned like blinding suns cutting through winter's morning fog. Before, the shadowy body absorbed all light as if it was made of darkness itself. Yet now stars and streaks of light shone from within it, in a glittering, ethereal manner. And it was larger too, growing in size as it stepped out into the ocean. The waters beneath its paws froze into solid ice. A cold chill swept the air and the rain turned to snow. Lavellan watched the Dread Wolf disappear, muttering a prayer beneath her breath for the god she believed in most, that he might return to her again. And the Dread Wolf looked back just once, before steeling its heart and charging into battle.

The storm and the sea raged, attacking as viciously as the hallowed beasts, and when it was done, the villagers huddled in fear, hardly daring to breathe. Hiding down in the dark caverns, too afraid to know which monstrous creature had emerged victorious. But then, of all things that could have happened, a knock came from the exterior door. Polite and perfunctory, but with a solid firmness so as not to be ignored. The door opened and a tall, bald elf with a staff entered the room. He peered around, surprised to see it was a gruff young dwarf who opened the door and not the person he had suspected.

"Well? What happened? Is the village still standing?" the dwarf asked Solas.

"Yes, the village still stands. There has been some damage from the storm but you are safe to return. The creature is dead."

An Elvhen woman hurried over to him, tear stains on her cheeks. "My boys. Have you seen my boys? They were playing in the forest when we left the village. We couldn't find them. Please, it's been hours…" she sobbed, gripping his coat.

He shook his head, his own dread growing as he looked around the cavernous room and did not see the two faces he sought. "I have not seen them."

The woman's fists shook as she tried to hold back her sobs. "But you must know. She went looking for my boys and she's always with you, that Dalish woman with the wooden arm and the baby-"

Something in his face must have frightened her for she released her grip on his shirt and stumbled backwards.

"When did you last see them? Which direction did they go?"

"By the river. My boys took their fishing poles."

"I'll find them," Solas said, fear settling in the pit of his stomach. Outside, a thin layer of snow coated everything. The sea was a stretch of ice cracked and splintered from the battle and stained with red from the creature's blood. It hardly resembled the land it had been before. But the snow and ice would melt in time and the water would wash away all marks that the creature had been there.

Solas slipped back into the Wolf, making himself small and nimble enough to traverse the landscape without destroying it. "Help me," he begged the Wolf. "Help me find them."

The Wolf's voice, old and deep, sounded inside his head. "We will find them. We found them before." The reminder was not cruelly meant, but Solas felt his throat clench in terror as he remembered being trapped behind the Dread Wolf's eyes before, finding her bleeding and in pain. She put herself in danger for him once before. He feared it was likely she had done so again.

He roamed until he found a secluded spot on the cliffs overlooking the river. A tall statue of a dwarven paragon rose up, covered in a layer of snow. The scent ended there, but his partner and their child were nowhere in sight. Solas transformed back into his normal body, searching the landscape for signs: tracks or a marker of some kind. And then a snowball landed against the tree behind him, bursting in a shower of cold snow.

"Hey! I saw that, Falin!" a voice scolded. Lavellan emerged from behind a tree, carrying wood beneath her arm. Waving her other hands, the snow fluttered away around the statue's base, where a frozen dome revealed a small giggling figure hastily crawling back under the dome.

Solas sighed in relief at the sight of her. A barrier spell went up in front of him just in time to stop another snowball from pelting him in the chest. Scrunching his brow, he turned to see a young boy of about eleven or twelve duck behind a tree.

"Da'salir, you're not fooling anyone hiding behind that tree. Come on out."

The boy dropped the other snowball in his hand and trudged back over to the dome where his brother, Falin, poked his head out to see what was happening.

"Sorry about that," she said, flashing Solas an apologetic smile. "They've been a bit antsy. We were huddled up in the dome for a while and boys that age just want to run around."

"I am glad you are safe, vhenan. How is our da'len?" he asked, pulling her close and kissing her cheek.

Lavellan peeked over her shoulder. "Better now. She cried for a while until the shelter started to warm up. Then she fell asleep."

Solas tipped her green knitted cap up ever so slightly to check on her. She yawned sleepily, but did not wake. "Her ears are cold," he said, warming them with his hands and a gentle spell.

"All our ears are cold," Lavellan chided, though a happy smile tugged at her lip over his fatherly concern. Turning back to the two boys, she called to them. "Come on, it's time to head home. Grab your catch and let's head back," she said. The boys exchanged a pouting glance. "Oh come on, your parents are bound to be worried sick. Besides, the fort will likely still be there tomorrow." This seemed to brighten things up and the two boys ran to the spot where they had buried their fish in the snow.

"You came back," she said with a smile, turning back to Solas.

"Of course I did. I promised I would." He took her hand in his and warmed it as well, kissing her fingers gratefully.

"I'm glad. We heard the sounds of the roaring and crashing from the battle, but it was too far to see anything. Are you alright? Were you hurt?" She touched his face, looking for any signs of bruising she might have missed. He looked tired, but no worse for wear.

"I will be perfectly fine after some rest," he told her. "What happened? You were supposed to meet me back at the dwarven ruins?"

"The boys had gone fishing up river. I went to search for them and had to set up camp here for a little while when the storm got bad. Oh, and I had to fight a bear who accidentally stumbled onto our path. Still, I'm more curious about your fight. Perhaps you can tell me what that great tentacled beast was? The boys were convinced it was something called a 'kraken' which is apparently a large squid. I got to hear many a fisherman's tale about that while we waited out the storm."

A shadow fell across Solas's face. "It is a monster. One made by Andruil when there were no more beasts left that posed a challenge. I'm afraid it is but one omen that marks the return of the Evanuris and other such terrors that have been locked away for centuries."

She bit her lip and took a deep breath. "So it begins again."

He slipped his hand into hers, threading their fingers together. "Worry not, ma vhenan. I have faith in us still."

"Var lath vir suledin," she said in a soft voice, smiling gently as she looked into his eyes and squeezed his hand in hers.

"Yes, ma vhenan. Our love shall always persevere. This I know." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, cherishing the familiar comfort of her hand in his.

"And you promise you will always come back to me?" she asked, looking up at him with that endearing smile he so adored.

"Yes, ma vhenan. I will keep you by my side forever," he promised.

"Well," she said, stepping closer to him, her eyes linger on his lips. "I suppose forever will have to do. An immortal lifespan sounds daunting, but I can't imagine my life without you, ma vhenan."

He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her and savoring the sweet taste of her lips and the faint scent of orange blossom from her hair. Nothing in this world mattered nearly as much as his family. Bound together forever in love, he knew that no matter what may come, they would always have each other.

"Var lath vir suledin, ma vhenan. I promise."

~The End~

Author's Note: Thank you all for reaching this part! I am so pleased to be able to share my writing with you. If you made it this far and enjoyed the story, please send me a review and let me know what you liked (quotes, characters, plots, etc.). It really helps my writing to receive positive contructive criticism. Please note that I ask for positive feedback, as I believe that negative criticism can discourage writers from writing and I don't wish to perpetuate that here, as all fanfiction is done out of love and meant to be shared with a community who shares that love. Please let me know what you liked, what you wanted to see more of, what scenes made you feel when you read them, and other points that you think would improve future stories. I read all the reviews I get and they really do make my day! I really appreciate you reading up to this point (I know, it was long!) and if you could leave a favorite, a follow, or share it with online groups/friends who you think might enjoy it, that will help a lot. I hope that this story helped fill the void as we wait for DA 4 (if it happens) and provided a fun vision about what a Solavellan romance plot might have continued on to be. This truly was a labor of love and I would really appreciate your support drawing in other readers to this story. If you enjoyed this piece, please check out the other stories I have on my page! Thank you again for reading!