Birds twittered morning songs from the rooftops of the Eastern Brecilian Forest. The air was heavy with pollen, flowers, and the scent of springtime. After months of winter sleep, woodland creatures awakened from their slumber. Migratory herds returned, bringing with them the predators that stalked them. Yet on this day, the hunters had become the hunted as it was those very creatures that Mahariel was searching for as she made her way quietly through the trees.

Years had passed since she began her training. Following her kidnapping at the hands of shemlen slavers, Firana had quickly decided. She took apprenticeship at her earliest birthday, determined never to find herself in such a position again. Her weapon of choice was the bow at long range and the dagger up close. Quick reflexes and an agile stature allowed her to wield two of them at the same time. A sniper at distance and a dual-wielding terror when approached.

And she wasn't the only one. Upon her return, Ashalle had been beside herself with relief, bursting into tears of joy. Her arms wrapped tightly around her, nearly crushing her with a vice-like grip. Right alongside of her had been Tamlen. After successfully reaching the encampment, he had summoned help and hadn't slept a wink since. The young elf looked ready to collapse when she saw him, but he came immediately to life when he met her gaze. As the elder of the two, he had taken up training his following birthday to join his brethren as a Dalish warrior. He had learned to hunt and to kill. He had learned to wield a blade and bow. He had learned to fight, and most importantly, to protect. His younger companion however…

"What exactly are you hoping to accomplish?"

"A successful hunt. Obviously," Mahariel answered.

Her response seemed almost irritated as she continued to creep through the forest. In truth, she was just as annoyed as she sounded. Tamlen, having started ahead of her, had already completed his trial. After bringing home a large forest wolf, he had earned the right to call himself a full-fledged hunter and received his blood mark; his Vallaslin. He bore the mark of Falon'Din, the god of death and fortune.

Firana, on the other hand, had been struggling to do the same for quite some time. Multiple attempts had led to multiple failures, often with her quarry barely making their escape. It wasn't for lack of trying nor was it for lack of skill. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Many in the camp would agree that Mahariel was easily the more skilled of the pair, both as a marksman and close combatant. She was also more quick-witted, cunning, and perceptive. Yet, somehow, her hunts always seemed to end in unfortunate, unforeseen circumstance that interfered with her ultimate goal.

"You remember what Keeper Marethari told us. That —"

"Rivers know this; there is no hurry. We shall get there someday," Firana recited, with a slight pang of irritation. It was a phrase she had been hearing from early on in her training, and one that she had quickly tired of. From the first month of her apprenticeship, the young elf excelled. She had proven swift and capable, running laps — both literally and metaphorically — around many of her classmates. With abilities such as her own, she should have been among the first to receive her blood marking and first kill... yet she wasn't. And according to their Keeper, the reason why lay within.

While exceptionally talented, Mahariel was impatient. She was driven and impulsive, sometimes to the point of recklessness which often led to missteps and revealing of her position. Her power was great, but her control was lacking, her balance between order and chaos terribly skewed. The now deeply ingrained phrase was a direct address to that fact, using the river as a clever metaphor. People often used water in reference to Mahariel, likely due to her eyes, blue grey like storm clouds.

Water was powerful. One of the strongest forces in nature, it was able to move mountains and shape forests. But uncontrolled, it could destroy everything in its path, blind to friend or foe. As the sound of the flowing river reached her ears, she began to wonder for a moment if that was precisely the problem. Perhaps Marethari was right. Maybe it was because she was trying so hard that she continued to fail. If she could learn better control, then...

"And yet, here you are, tearing through the forest again like an angry bovine."

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Mahariel snapped, spinning on her heel to face the trailing hunter. "You do realize I'm supposed to kill the quarry myself, right?"

Tamlen took a step back, her glare so forceful he could almost feel it. Raising his hands defensively, he shook his head. "I understand. I just —"

"Just what?" She could feel her blood pressure rising as a familiar anger began to rise from the pit of her stomach. Of all the people she wanted to hear this from, he was the last.

"I'm worried about you," he answered, eyes softening in the face of her enraged ones.

"…I see. Of course, you are…" Mahariel gave a bitter laugh. "You think me weak."

"No! The opposite. You are strong, lethalan… possibly the strongest among us. But that's the problem. You've become so…" Tamlen paused, taking notice of her narrowing eyes. Firana had always had a fierce temper. This had been true even as a child. But that fire had only grown following their assault in the forest and had never tempered since. "I'm worried that your pursuit of power is consuming you. You train night and day, dulling blades and snapping bowstrings just from sheer use. You're so driven these days it's like you see nothing else."

"And why shouldn't I be? Would you rather I rest on my laurelsl?"

"I'd rather you rest. Lethalan, you're exhausted... Missing one day of training won't be the death of you."

"You can't be sure of that."

"Firana, you're already so strong —"

"Clearly, not strong enough. I am the only one of our group that has yet to complete the trial!"

"You won't complete anything if you don't slow down."

"Slow down?! I can't slow down, Tamlen! Our clan needs all of the hunters it can get if we're going to —"

"Lethalan!" Tamlen stepped forward. Dropping his hands, he instead reached forward, wrapping them around her flailing ones to make her still. He could see the fire raging behind her eyes and hear the crack in her voice. When Mahariel got like this, there would be no stopping her unless he stepped in to calm the growing storm. Her hands were trembling in his grip, her entire body vibrating with strain.

Firana could feel her burning light dimming at the familiar touch. Tamlen had a way of assuaging her bitter rage. It had always been so, as it had always been the two of them. Both as a young child and now as an adolescent, he was the only one who could temper her flame. "What if the humans attack again? What if they find our camp and — I... I'm just..."

"This isn't about the trial, is it?" As Mahariel's eyes lowered to the ground, Tamlen knew he had hit his mark. He had always suspected the underlying reason of her compulsive behavior, but never openly addressed it. Behind all her rage and destruction, Mahariel was afraid. The incident during their youth had wounded her, and despite the passing of years, she had never truly healed.

"It doesn't matter," she muttered. Brushing off his hands, Firana heaved a heavy sigh and sheathed her bow. Before Tamlen could further question her, she maneuvered around him, stomping off into the forest back toward the encampment. She didn't feel like hunting anymore. Her heart was too strained.

Her companion followed behind her, a concerned frown growing on his features. "It's going to be okay, lethalan…" Mahariel didn't give an answer. "Look… there are a few hours until sundown. Let us return to the camp for the time being. Get some rest. Tomorrow is another day. You can start again."

Firana slowly nodded, without looking back. "Yeah. I know you are probably right." She said nothing further, even as Tamlen quickened his pace to walk alongside of her. The two moved in unison, enjoying the silence and each other's company.

Moving through the forest, they pair kept a sharp eye out as they moved. It wasn't until Tamlen broke the silence that there was finally sound. "Lethalan… you know that I don't doubt you… right?"

"Hmm?"

"I don't want you to think that my concerns stem from a lack of belief, in you or your capabilities."

Mahariel sighed, lowering her eyes to ground. "So… you're not worried I can't do it?"

Tamlen came to a sudden halt, startling her and turning to face her. Her eyes grew round like saucers as the older elf took her hands in his own. Their eyes met, icy blue and grey as the two stood hand-in-hand beneath the leaves. "Of course, not. Firana, you should know that. My concern is only for you."

Tamlen couldn't help but smile as the other elf flushed, mouth snapping shut. He didn't dare to tease her coloring face, for he was sure that his was a similar shade. Her fingertips smoothed across his digits, gently thumbing the silver ring around his finger. Unconsciously, he did the same, searching for its matching counterpart. But he faltered, feeling nothing beneath his touch. Ever perceptive, Mahariel frowned and lowered her eyes to her own hands. Her blood froze in her veins.

Her ring was gone.

Tamlen's calls went unheard as Firana spun on her heel, bolting into the forest thicket and out of sight.

. . .

Leaves and branches snapped and crunched beneath the elf's weight. Her hands brushed carefully, yet quickly across the surface of the earth, searching anywhere and everywhere for her missing treasure. Bellanaris. The sapphire twin to Tamlen's emerald ring. Discovered in the ruins as children, the two enchanted rings had become a pair of very important items shared between them. After careful examination, Keeper Marethari had determined that the items were not only safe, but elven in origin, and allowed the pair to keep them. Thus, the duo had dawned their precious gems, both as a memento of their adventure together and a symbol of their closeness. They had worn them ever since.

"Come on, come on… where are you…?" Mahariel mumbled, crawling along the forest floor in total desperation. She wasn't sure when or how the item had come off her finger, but it wasn't something she could afford to leave behind. The accessory meant too much to her. He meant too much to her. And she couldn't afford to leave it until morning. There were ravens, foxes, racoons, and all manner of other forest creatures that would be happy to make the shiny object their own. "Draas!" Firana cursed, slamming a fist into the thicket below.

What was she going to do? It was merely hours from nightfall and her light through the trees was growing dimmer with each passing minute. Though retracing her steps, she had no idea how far she had backtracked nor how far she was from camp at that point. To make matters even worse, she had left Tamlen behind in her moment of panic, so there was no chance she would be reuniting without a tongue lashing. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to care. She was far too upset. How could she have been so careless to lose one of the most important things in the world to her? Her heart clenched; Firana finally giving up with a frustrated sigh.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to forfeit and let the tears fall. But she knew she couldn't. Throwing a tantrum wouldn't bring her treasure back to her. Nor would sitting on the ground and sulking about it. Exasperated, Mahariel forced herself to her feet and turned to start making her way back to the encampment. She would return to Tamlen — who at that point, was undoubtedly looking for her — and receive her scolding, then return home where she would likely receive yet another lashing for returning after dark. Then, tomorrow, she would continue her search. There was no way she was going to let it go.

But maybe she wouldn't have to.

Like a beacon of hope, a small glimmer flashed at her from the corner of her eye. In a startled reaction, she spun around in search of the light. When she faced it, it was gone, vanished beneath the foliage. But Mahariel knew what she saw. Lifting a hand over her eyes, she leaned and bent, shifting her angle, imploring the object to make itself known again. When it did, she charged forward, nearly sliding through the grass and digging into the piles of leaves. When her fingers brushed over a cool, hard surface, she could feel her tears of anger shifting to ones of joy as the familiar azure gem appeared beneath the green.

The ring was on her finger in an instant, carefully secured and double-checked after shrewd inspection. She would be certain to find a better way to wear her ring in future. For now, she would return to Tamlen and receive her scolding.

SNAP!

Unless, of course, Tamlen had come to her. Resigning herself to her fate, Firana turned and raised her arms in surrender. "Ir abelas, Tamlen. Please don't be mad, I —" Her apologies halted in their tracks at the image of a large shadow approaching her through the trees. It was far too large to be Tamlen and far too lumbering to be shemlen. In fact, it didn't look bipedal at all. It wasn't until the creature lifted onto two log-like legs that Mahariel realized the monstrosity she was facing. "Creators, give me strength…"

Standing before her, bearing a row of menacing fangs, was a great forest bear. It was early spring, a time for awakening of the Brecilian Forest. And in her haste, she had inadvertently wandered her way right into the den of one of its most vicious inhabitants. Now, she was trapped and alone. A quick once-over of the massive animal told Firana that she was in a great deal of trouble.

The bear was large and bulky with broad shoulders, a thick midsection, and a massive head. Its ears looked almost out of place on the hulking mass and if that weren't enough, the scarring along its wide muzzle told the tale. This was a male bear, likely in its prime and fresh out of hibernation. Waking bears were hungry and easily agitated. They were also thinner with less extra fat and mass, meaning they were faster and more agile than they would normally be during the rest of the year. It was at this time that they were by far the most dangerous.

At the moment, however, it wasn't doing much of anything. Standing on its hind legs, it was observing her, nostrils flaring in curiosity. Averting eyes, she avoided eye contact, slowly moving along the clearing's edge. If ever there was a time that she needed to be calm, it was now. Her feet slowly dragged across the forest floor, silently inching her way towards the tree line. Perhaps if she moved cautiously, she could avoid aggravating further.

No such luck.

Keeping an eye on the impending threat, she failed to notice the tree root in her path. "Gah!" Her foot caught against the protruding wooden rope, causing her to lose her balance and stumble forward. At her sudden movement, the bear let out a loud grunt, a puff of air blowing from its open mouth. When its ears flattened against its head, she knew. She could not outrun a forest bear, and any chances of escape were dashed. There was no way she was getting out of that clearing without a fight.

With quick reflexes, Mahariel sprang into action. One hand reached behind her, grabbing her bow from its resting place along her back. The other grabbed an arrow from its quiver, flipping through her fingers in preparation. She had just nocked the arrow and drawn her string when the animal charged, massive feet thundering across the bed of leaves. Careful aim sent her arrow soaring across the clearing, striking the bear's shoulder with precision.

It wasn't enough. A grunt was the bear's only response; a reaction to the sudden discomfort, but nothing more. Mahariel took cover, leaping to the aside as the beast continued its charge. She could hear the loud thump from behind her where the bear had tackled, paw smashing against the tree trunk. Leaves fell from the shaking tree on impact, leading her to increase her pace. A great bear was more than capable of killing her with a powerful swing. One of that size could probably decapitate her with a massive paw. Distance would be her friend in this battle.

Reaching across the clearing, she spun on her heel, nocking another arrow. The bear turned as she released, letting out a pained snarl as the projectile pierced into its torso. A direct hit. It stumbled slightly, a ragged huff escaping as it curled its claws into the dirt. For a moment, Mahariel wondered if she was safe, watching her adversary lumber forward. Its haggard breaths told her she had pierced a lung, hopefully enough to drive it off — or at the very least, force it to reconsider.

Unfortunately, it didn't. Her assault only resulted in making the forest bear even angrier, rushing toward her with reckless abandon. Firana stepped back, readying another dodge from the approaching danger. "Hurk!" The trees struck again, another stray root catching along the corner of her boot. It wasn't enough to stop her, but it was more than enough to disadvantage her. The forest bear reached her, tackling her to the ground with the force of a battering ram.

She was taken effortlessly to the ground and the next thing she felt following impact was searing pain as three-inch claws tore into her shoulder. The air was filled with the coppery smell of her own blood; leaving Mahariel yelping in pain, trapped beneath her adversary. But she couldn't falter. She didn't have time. Now helplessly on her back, she lifted her bow in front of her as a shield to protect her from the second incoming blow. It was to no avail.

The paw snapped through her weapon like a twig, tearing across her collar bone and digging into her leather armor. Though the material protected her from certain death, she could still feel fluid seeping through wear the knife-like extensions had reached. Now, unarmed, she was in peril. Using what range of motion she could, Firana jerked her head to the side, narrowly missing the pair of snapping jaws that came down beside it. If she didn't act quickly, she would be mauled to death.

Thankfully, quick thinking was one of her strong points. Rapidly, her eyes darted around, taking inventory of her surroundings and the animal atop of her. It was heavy but tall, giving her a bit of movement should it shift its weight backward. Two arrows were lodged into its body, one protruding from its shoulder and the other jutting from its chest cavity. Her mind hatched a cunning plot, taking action the moment the bear lifted back to swipe her. Hissing in pain, she ignored the screaming of her body as she curled, lifting her knees to her chest. Then, with all of her strength she shot her leg forward, aiming a kick at the arrow lodged in its torso.

Her strike connected, forcing the arrow even deeper into the already pierced organ. Success! The jarring pain startled it, forcing it to draw back with an agonized roar. She had bought herself a few seconds. And Mahariel intended to use every one to her advantage. Rolling, she scrambled to her feet, grabbed a dagger from its sheath, and rushed forward. The blade burrowed deep into the side of the animal's neck, spraying a wave of crimson that dyed both fur and armor alike. Before she could free her weapon, the bear turned, swatting her back with a paw and sending her sprawling into the dirt.

The bear attempted to pin her again but was unsuccessful. Now, severely wounded, its movements were hindered, slowing it down and allowing her time to stagger back to her feet. Now, they were in a standoff, predator and prey staring one another down. Both were injured and one all but unarmed, eyes flitting around to look for an opening; anything she could use to her advantage. Neither of them were capable of another extended clash. The next move would decide it all.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw it. Her redemption. Spinning, Firana turned her back on the animal, rushing toward a nearby fallen tree laying against the clearing edge. Her turn triggered its predatory instinct, sending the bear charging after her with a loud roar. Footsteps hammered into the ground behind her as she moved, catching up quickly to its slower target. She could feel the rush of air pass her leg as leapt, landing onto to the log with both feet. Then, using it as a springboard, she threw herself into the air, flipping backward over the bear and landing on the ground behind it.

She didn't waste a moment. Drawing her final weapon, Firana struck, digging her dagger deep into the animal's hindquarters and aiming for its spine. She didn't hit her mark, but learned her lesson from their previous skirmish, yanking her weapon from its prison before the bear turned around. Then, finally, she saw an opening. The bear lifted onto its hind quarters; paw extended for a killing blow. But with her enemy covered in wounds, she was slightly faster.

Rushing forward, Firana roared, leaping upward with her dagger held high. Using her own momentum, she added force to her blow, driving the blade deep within the animal's chest. This time, she didn't miss. Typically, her strike would have been relatively ineffective. But having just woken from hibernation, the bear's body lacked its normal layer of protection, allowing her weapon to reach its vital organs. The steel hit its mark, burrowing through the chest and into the animal's heart, killing it almost instantly.

Her raven hair blew under its final breath as the bear stumbled forward. Its following motion send her eyes blowing wide as it tumbled toward the ground. Retrieving her weapon wasn't an option. Mahariel dove out of the way of the falling body. The loud crash behind her drew a relieved chuckle. She hadn't gone through that entire ordeal just to end up being crushed to death. Now, with her foe fallen, she finally collapsed, slumping to her knees on the ground in utter exhaustion.

"Lethalan!"

Firana heard Tamlen's voice before she saw him, slowly turning her head toward the tree line at the sound of his approach. Staggering to her feet, she slowly wobbled in place, trying to find her bearings. The brown bark dulled, dimmed, and blurred in her faltering eyes as her vision narrowed into a tiny pinhole.

Tamlen emerged from the trees, slowing to a stop at the carnage before him. After Mahariel darted off into the woods, he had taken immediate pursuit, rushing behind her. As the more nimble and agile of the two, it didn't take long for her to disappear into the foliage, leaving him running fruitlessly after her. With his companion gone, he had no choice then but to try and find her, preferably before nightfall. During his search, he had been alarmed to find that they were not alone in that part of the woods, quickly hiding behind a large trunk as a massive monstrosity lumbered slowly through trees.

The same monstrosity that now lay slain on the ground, eyes gazing unseeing with a long pink tongue lolling lifelessly out of its mouth. Tamlen couldn't believe it. Firana had done it. She had both survived and emerged victorious against a great forest bear, easily one of the most dangerous predators that inhabited the Brecilian Forest. And she had done it entirely on her lonesome. She had finished her first successful hunt, completed her trial, and narrowly escaped death all at the same time. He had never thought it possible to experience such a mixture of emotions at once: pride, anger, relief, fear. But with Mahariel, it seemed that almost anything was possible.

But his astonishment didn't last long. His eyes fell for only a moment on his bloody comrade before he was running, full sprint toward her wobbling form. The next few moments happened in a blur of motion. Mahariel didn't know when her companion had reached her, only registering a pair of strong arms around wrapping tightly around her body. Firana hissed in pain at the sudden contact, but Tamlen didn't seem to care.

"Lethalan! Thank the Creators you're alive… What were you thinking?!" Tamlen was beside himself with worry, the icy hand of fear gripping his heart as he realized just how close he had come to losing her.

Mahariel, however, seemed to share no such concerns. Instead, she offered a lopsided grin, eyes off-center as she slowly lifted her bloodied hand. "Look, Tamlen… I found it. I… I got it back…"

The older elf's fear ignited, erupting into rage as he pulled back from his embrace. "…That isn't important, Firana!"

Her happiness evaporated, her body recoiling from the harshness in his voice. "But I —"

"You could've been killed! Don't you get that?!"

She could feel anger slowly rising to the surface as her own temper ignited. Theirs was a treacherous profession, filled with risk and death at nearly every turn. This was what they prepared for. It was what they trained for. Similar things had happened to members of their own classes. Tamlen knew this… so why was he so angry?

"What would you have had me do…? You know how much Bellanaris means to me, just as much as yours means to you!"

"I don't care about the damn rings, Firana, I care about you!" The other elf fell silent. Her listless eyes suddenly grew alert, gaining light as Tamlen continued. "It doesn't matter what happens to them if something happens to you. Don't you understand? I can live without the ring, but I can't live without you."

"…" Mahariel said nothing. She simply stood there, staring slack-jawed and wide-eyed at the elf before her. Her mind was a hurricane of emotions, swirling through all the events of the previous hours and trying to place together the pieces. Her heart froze at Tamlen's words, her brain trying desperately to get on the same page. Then, it began to swell as they finally registered.

Tamlen's mind caught up a few moments later. It wasn't until staring at her gaping expression that he realized exactly what he had said. In his hysterics, he had lost control of himself, thoughtlessly spewing his most private thoughts into the open. Thoughts he had, until now, kept silent; locked deep within. Thoughts that, while true, he knew he couldn't act upon, for he was a hunter and Firana an apprentice. Thoughts that, he feared, she would not reciprocate.

But none of that mattered now.

Firana's stunned expression slowly softened, her flips pulling into a gentle smile. In her eyes, he could see a change. There was something different in her gaze following that moment. The way he looked at him, eyes lidded and cheeks dusted pink. Then, as she lifted her hand and rested it against his cheek, he knew. And Mahariel knew as well, as Tamlen returned her smile and leaned into her touch. There was nothing more to be said.

Silently, with a hand around her waist, Tamlen supported Mahariel's weight as the pair turned and slowly began the journey back to camp, the moon now lifting high into the sky.

. . .

*AUTHOR'S NOTE*

ir abelas - I'm sorry

Draas - Nothing. Literally means nothing, I just made it up.