The Vagrant
By Pyreite
Sequel to: The Trickster Returns
Chapter 7 – The Reclaiming
Ellana's guest emerged from the Eluvian. He came alone, as was his way, a ragged leather hat upon his head. He was pleased to see her, though he was anxious too. Ellana saw the uncertain looks he gave her retinue of guards. The sentinel elves, led by Abelas, refused to leave her side.
"Ir abelas, Cole", apologised Ellana.
"Precautions are necessary", advised Abelas.
"It's all right", countered Ellana. "He's a friend".
"That remains to be seen", said Abelas. "Cole comes as a messenger for Fen'Harel. Even if his intentions are peaceful, Ellana. Fen'Harel wishes to harm those that have taken shelter with us. I will not gamble your safety on the chance that Cole would further his goals".
"But he wouldn't!" protested Ellana. "He's a Spirit of Compassion not a Spirit of Vengeance!"
Ellana's plea fell on deaf ears. She didn't like seeing the arrows aimed at Cole. He had been her friend for five hundred years. Ellana trusted him even if the sentinel elves did not. She would have interfered if two hands hadn't grasped her shoulders.
"Nae", said Minaeve. "You must defer to Abelas's judgement. Caution is needed now, Ellana. We do not know why Cole has come. You should stay here with Hawen and I, until his purpose is known".
Abelas didn't argue. Their difference of opinion was understandable. Ellana and Cole had been friends since the dissolution of the Inquisition. The Spirit of Compassion had been a trusted confidante through the roughest parts of her life. Abelas thought him trustworthy, but he did not hold Fen'Harel in the same esteem.
Abelas was unsurprised when Cole proved more reasonable than Ellana.
The spirit was renowned for his intuition.
"He's right, Ellana", called Cole. "You need to be more careful. Solas is like a wounded animal backed into a corner, teeth bared, and temper short. He is dangerous and he is desperate. He knows what you did and why, though he doesn't fully understand how".
"I did what he wouldn't", declared Ellana. "Morrigan had suffered for long enough".
"I know", said Cole. "I'm glad you helped her".
Ellana stood on the threshold of her home. Minaeve to her right. Hawen to her left. They were enclosed by two circles of protection. Ellana's hut was warded with shielding spells. Six sentinel elves, armed with bow and blade, stood between them and Cole.
Their quivers full and bowstrings drawn. Their hooded faces were grim. They awaited Abelas's command. They would loose a volley of arrows upon Cole at the slightest provocation. They would safeguard the new incarnation of Mythal with their lives.
Cole was reluctant to descend the cobblestone path. Abelas had not signalled his fellows to lower their bows or sheathe their blades. Ellana watched him, expression remorseful, though she remained rooted like a tree. She listened, heart in her mouth, when Cole addressed her again. His words cut to the bone. His candidness suggested urgency of the worst kind.
"I'm not here to negotiate", said Cole. "There isn't time". He gave her an imploring look with his large sad blue eyes. He held out a calloused hand. His request was earnest.
"Please come with me, Ellana. Solas needs to see you".
"Nae!" snarled one sentinel. "The Dread Wolf will not devour our mistress!"
"He never betrayed Mythal!" retorted Cole. "He avenged her!"
"To the breaking of the world!" argued another sentinel. "He created the Veil and sentenced thousands to die in exile!"
"Venavis!" roared Abelas.
Ellana saw the difficulty her lover had quieting the discontent of his companions. The other sentinels were embittered by Fen'Harel's past judgement. They had lost more than friends and family. They had lost their purpose in life. Mythal's return, in the form of Ellana, had given them more than hope.
It had given them a reason to live.
Ellana watched Abelas engage in a heated argument with his comrades. They squabbled like children. The epithets cast back and forth were in the Arlathan dialect of ancient Elvhen. Ellana understood what was said. Mythal's memories were hazy, but her knowledge of language and custom was crystal clear.
Ellana shrugged off Minaeve's hands. She paused when Hawen tried to prevent her from leaving the sanctuary of her hut. The look she gave him made him tremble like a newborn fawn. Her melancholic smile curbed his resistance with gentleness rather than force. Ellana pressed a finger to his lips when he tried to protest.
"Atisha", she told him. "Tel'enfanim. Ara dareth ma elgar'falon".
Minaeve grasped Hawen's hand. She interlaced their fingers much to his astonishment. She did not smile with reassurance. The brand of the rising sun had burned away every shred of emotion. Minaeve still understood the importance of gestures of comfort. She gave Hawen what little she could.
It was enough.
He moved aside.
Ellana thanked him.
"Ma serannas".
Hawen watched her walk past him with a sense of awe. He noticed the change in her gait and posture. Ellana no longer slunk like a hunting wolf, every movement calculated and cautious. She strolled as if she had not a care in the world. Her back was straight, her shoulders square, and her head held high.
"She is fearless", murmured Hawen. "Like a dragon".
"Mythal was a shapeshifter", remarked Minaeve. "Her preferred form, according to legend, was that of a High Dragon".
They watched Ellana approach the arguing sentinels. She stepped between them. She tapped shoulders and pressed upon hands wielding bow and blade. Ellana's presence was like a balm, defusing their conflict with a soothing touch. The sentinels were startled by her actions. Their arched brows and wide eyes showed their surprise.
"Ar vallem ma atisha", counselled Ellana. "You should not be fighting each other like this".
She glanced from face to face. The vallaslin of Mythal proclaimed each sentinel as an acolyte. They were hers in all but blood. Their oath of service was as binding as their devotion. Ellana took a step forward. She stilled when a calloused hand gripped her forearm.
"Nae", entreated one sentinel. "Do not leave us again".
He peered at Ellana from under his embroidered hood. Wisps of auburn hair tumbled over his brows. His troubled blue eyes reminded Ellana of an orphaned child. He was afraid of loss just like Solas. Ellana was moved by his admission.
"We are nothing", said the sentinel. "Without you".
"Arryn", reproved Abelas. "Let her pass".
Ellana saw the sentinel's brows furrow. He was conflicted. He did not want to obey the command. He wanted her to stay where she would be protected. Ellana could see the indecision, the uncertainty, and she was humbled.
"Arryn!" urged Abelas.
Ellana looked from Arryn to his comrades. She saw his fear and anxiety reflected upon their faces. They worried for her and for themselves. Flemeth had been unconcerned for their welfare. She had left them to a fate of slow decline in isolation.
Only death or Uthenera had awaited them in the Arbor Wilds.
Ellana had forgotten the consequences of the bargain she'd made. She carried the last fragment of Mythal, like a seed sown in fertile soil. The first root preserved the sentinel bond. The second filled Ellana with shame for her own thoughtlessness. The third root ensured that she would always have a maternal concern for her acolytes.
"Ir abelas!" cried Ellana. "I had not considered you or your comrades, Arryn!"
Abelas smiled when Ellana comforted his subordinate. The gentle patting of Arryn's knuckles made the sentinel elf blush. Abelas had never known his friend could turn that shade of red. He was pleased by Arryn's reaction when Ellana apologised too. The sentinel's arched eyebrows and owlish gaping revealed his amazement.
Mythal had rarely made mistakes.
Her likelihood of admitting wrong and apologising was rarer still.
"If you want me to stay, Arryn", assured Ellana. "I will stay".
Abelas smirked when several mouths fell open. The dumbstruck expressions of his fellow sentinels made him chuckle. Ellana was unlike the Mythal they remembered. She did not cast aside their concerns. She listened with an attentive ear.
Her next statement soothed ragged nerves and fraying tempers.
"Flemeth would not assume Mythal's place", said Ellana. "So I must, which includes shouldering her responsibilities. Her surviving acolytes are mine now, Cole. I will not abandon them. I will remain here under the protection of my sentinels".
"It is where you belong", avowed a relieved Arryn.
"I know", agreed Ellana. "I do, but it will take me a while to get used to the idea".
"We have all eternity to accommodate you", Abelas reassured her. "My brethren and I are patient teachers".
Ellana rolled her eyes, although she was more amused than annoyed by Abelas's teasing.
"But Solas needs you!" insisted Cole. "He's in terrible pain!"
Ellana's smile dimmed. Some of her amusement ebbed. She loathed Solas, but even she could not help feeling a twinge of worry for him. Her perceptions were coloured by her predecessor's beliefs. Solas had been Mythal's closest friend.
"I know", acknowledged Ellana. "I can feel his agony. The power Flemeth lent him centuries ago now sears him inside and out. He has endured for days, but his strength wanes. The affliction has grown worse since I awakened".
"It has!", affirmed Cole. "He's suffering!"
Cole trembled when Ellana studied him. The way her eyes glowed like pools of amber fire made him wary. This was not the Ellana he'd known. She was changed, different, but still the same at the core of her being. Cole hoped her compassionate nature hadn't been consumed by Mythal's bitterness.
"Do you want me to help him?" asked Ellana.
Cole's hasty nod was confirmation enough.
"You presume much", remarked Ellana. "You know I hate him".
"Mythal didn't!" Cole reminded her. "They were friends! She wouldn't hesitate to help him! I know what he's done, Ellana! I know you're angry, but letting Mythal's magic consume him won't change the past!"
Ellana considered his plea. Flemeth had asked the same for Morrigan. Mercy was not forgiveness, but it was cathartic. Ellana had gained a new perspective. In liberating Morrigan, she had liberated herself from her own insecurities.
She was ready to return to Skyhold.
Ellana could finally lay her own demons to rest.
"It would even our score", she replied. "Every breath he draws is an insult to those he murdered".
Cole's face softened with concern. "Do not become the thing you're not, Ellana. You are kind and forgiving. You are loving and compassionate. Don't let your rage poison you with bitterness".
Ellana's smile was sad. "It's too late, Cole. I cannot forgive Solas for what he did. His selfishness ruined my life. I loved him with all my heart and I still couldn't dissuade him from plunging the world into chaos".
"I know", said Cole. "But now you have a chance to show him a new way, Ellana. It may have come five hundred years too late, but now is better than never. If you will not help Solas because it is right, than help him to help yourself. Let the past go and move forward, so you can have a chance to be happy again".
Ellana glanced at Abelas. "To be happy", she repeated.
"Yes", confirmed Cole. "Sometimes, it is not a terrible thing to be selfish".
Ellana knew what he was doing. Cole hoped Mythal's influence would soften her anger. His assumption was correct. Ellana's opinion of the Dread Wolf was changing. He was no longer the drifting vagrant in her tales of woe.
Solas was merely an old and bitter man.
"For Mythal I will make a concession", said Ellana. "For you I will grant Solas the help he needs". She gestured to the Eluvian. "Bring him to me before his pride destroys him. I will do what I can to ease his pain".
Cole sighed in relief. "I will!" he affirmed. "Now! Wait for me! I must fetch him from his bed!"
"Go", urged Ellana. "I will be here".
She watched Cole turn swift as a falcon on wing. He launched himself into the Eluvian. Ellana saw him leap out the other side. He hit the ground running. He was gone in the blink of an eye.
"Fen'Harel is undeserving of your compassion!", growled another sentinel.
"Ilcen!" barked Abelas. "Venavis!"
Ilcen spat on the ground. He glared at Ellana. He did not say another word, but his mood was clear. He did not approve of Ellana's choice. Abelas would have admonished him, but it was Ellana's response that quelled Ilcen's outrage.
"I am not helping Fen'Harel", explained Ellana. "I am reclaiming the rest of Mythal".
Ilcen frowned. "I do not understand".
"You will", assured Ellana. "Once Cole returns".
"Atisha ma falon!" hissed Arryn. "Give her a chance!"
"We will see", grumbled Ilcen. "If her judgement is sound".
Ilcen gazed into the Eluvian. He waited impatiently for Cole to return. His dislike for this course of action was obvious. His scowl revealed his displeasure. He did not believe that Fen'Harel deserved an ounce of kindness.
The Dread Wolf's pride had sundered the world twice. Ilcen was surprised Thedas had survived. He wondered if the Heir of Mythal would rebuild their ranks. Time had changed many things. Ilcen was certain that Ellana would change many more.
"Fen'Harel garas", declared Ilcen.
The sentinel saw two people shuffling towards the Eluvian. It reflected the image of Cole supporting an ailing Fen'Harel. Ilcen stared when he saw the Dread Wolf's ashen face. Black veins marred every inch of skin from his temples to his clavicle. Ilcen heard the laboured breathing and the muffled cries of discomfort.
He felt no pity for Fen'Harel's suffering.
The surface of the Eluvian rippled like water when Cole stepped through. Solas came with him, feet dragging. He did not have the strength to stand on his own. Lank black hair was plastered to his sweaty face. Dull grey eyes rolled inside his head. An arm, shaking with weakness, was thrown across Cole's shoulders.
"Ellana!" wheezed Solas. "I must see her!"
He could not take another step. His knees gave out, the power of Mythal bubbled inside his blood like molten fire. His agonised cry made Ellana flinch. She was moving before she was consciously aware. The insistent tug of Mythal's magic trumpeted like a hunting horn.
Like called to like.
"Ellana!" exclaimed Cole. "Hurry! Please!"
Arryn tried to pursue when Ellana rushed up the cobblestone path. She shook off his grasping hands. She stopped him cold with a terse command. The way she glowered got his legs moving. Arryn was smiling as he left to do her bidding.
"Get my blankets and bedroll from the hut! Go!"
Abelas was unsurprised when his subordinate sheathed his blade. Arryn darted past him to the hut beyond. The sentinel did not pause to ask for permission. Mythal had given him a task. He was quick to fulfil her request.
"Water, Ilcen!" called Ellana.
Abelas saw his comrade's nose wrinkle in disdain.
"Now!" snarled Ellana.
Abelas chuckled when Ilcen lowered his bow. The slack bowstring and the hasty return of an arrow to the quiver ended the stalemate. Ilcen presented Abelas with his weapon. He was not unarmed, magic was at his disposal, as well as a plethora of silver blades concealed upon his person. He grimaced when Abelas smirked.
"Keep that wagging tongue behind your teeth!" griped Ilcen.
Abelas accepted the bow without saying a single word.
His amusement annoyed Ilcen.
"Fenedhis lasa!"
Abelas looked on whilst Ilcen untied the waterskin from his belt. He was grinning toothily when his friend raced after Ellana. Ilcen had always been a tad high-strung. Too many centuries in Uthenera had soured him. Abelas was glad he would spend the next few years chasing after Ellana.
Ilcen had spent too long in isolation.
He needed to socialise more.
"You should not antagonise him", chided another sentinel.
Abelas chuckled. "Your bonded does that well enough on his own, Valoya".
The soft laugh, like the tinkling of silver bells, filled his ears.
"He does", agreed Valoya. "He feared Mythal would not return. He is glad she is with us again, though he would never admit it. Be patient with him, Abelas. Ilcen and I were cut off from our children when the Veil was created. Their loss has left an empty void inside his heart and soul".
"He will not forgive or forget Fen'Harel's treachery", concluded Abelas.
"Nae", stated Valoya. "He will not, but I am certain he will learn to trust your Ellana. She is kind like Mythal was before her death. Her anger is tempered with compassion. She is wise beyond her years, and more patient than I expected".
"She is young", said Abelas. "But she has born the weight of responsibility before. She knows the importance of her role. She chafes under the yoke, but she is capable of bearing it. Mythal could not have chosen a better successor".
Valoya heard Ellana thank her husband when Ilcen handed over his waterskin. The surprised look upon his face made her smile. Ilcen was unused to such courtesy. The Mythal to whom he'd dedicated his life had not been so gracious. It was odd to be treated as more than a member of her personal guard.
It seemed that Ellana was trying to cultivate a fledgling friendship.
"The All-Mother did choose well", affirmed Valoya. "Although I wonder what your Ellana will do with the authority she has".
Abelas did not answer. Ellana's frantic cry ended their conversation. His focus changed when she called his name. He left Valoya with an instruction to help Arryn fetch supplies. The other sentinels lowered their bows and sheathed their blades.
The urgency of Ellana's need spurred them to take action.
"Abelas! I need one of the sentinel's tents! I cannot take Solas inside the hut without the wards activating! We'll have to camp outside! Get one ready!"
"At once, Ellana!"
"Ma serannas!" replied Ellana. "Ilcen! Stop scowling and hold Solas's head up! Good! I'll get some water down his throat before we move him!"
Ellana uncorked the sentinel's waterskin. The leather was like butter in her hands. Her palms were sweaty. It almost slipped between her fingers. Ellana gaped when black-veined hands caught the waterskin before it could fall.
"Ma vhenan!" gasped Solas.
His shaking fingers curled around her wrist. His grip loosened when Ellana's black claws pricked his bare skin. He was startled by the change. His eyes widened when she brought the waterskin to his lips. He did not have an opportunity to comment.
Water filled his mouth.
He gulped thirstily.
Ellana lowered the skin when Solas finished.
His bleary grey eyes welled with tears. He looked at her long and hard. Ellana frowned when he wept. The tears rolling down his cheeks were shed in relief. He had feared the worst when the spell incarcerating Morrigan had broken.
"Ma vhenan!" panted Solas. "Ir enfanim ma di'nan!"
"Why?" asked Ellana. "You've never cared before".
Solas's composure crumbled. His brows arched in contrition. His mouth turned down unhappily. Ellana's statement stung. It hurt him to hear such callous disregard for his feelings.
"How can you say such a thing?" accused Solas. "Ma emma lath, Ellana!"
Ellana shook her head.
"Nae!" insisted Solas. "It is the truth!"
Ellana did not deny his claim. The fear was plain upon his face. He wanted her to believe him. Ellana thought he lacked conviction. He sounded sincere, but from experience, she knew better than to take him at his word.
"It was", murmured Ellana. "Once".
Solas's strangled sob moved Ellana to pity. She was grateful when Ilcen withdrew the open waterskin. They shared a single understanding look. He remained by her side, ever vigilant, when Cole relinquished Solas into her care. Fen'Harel was at her mercy.
"Only you can help him", declared the Spirit of Compassion.
"I know", confirmed Ellana.
Cole watched her anxiously.
Ellana caught Solas when he staggered on unsteady feet. She took him by the shoulders. She embraced him like a mother would hug a frightened child. Solas clung to her, the desperation clear in the way he grasped fistfuls of her clothing. Ellana let him drag her down, till their knees touched the cobblestones.
She knelt with Solas weeping inside the circle of her arms.
Ellana did not begrudge him the comfort he needed. She was patient when he buried his face in the curve of her throat. She combed her fingers through his lank black hair. She felt the hot tears trickling down her skin. Ellana laid her cheek upon his crown.
She sang an ancient elven lullaby. Her voice was cool and calm like the spring rain. Ellana rocked him gently, back and forth, as she would have a distraught child. Her song was simple. The words were meant to grant comfort to those with troubled dreams.
"Tel'enfanim da'len", recited Ellana. She knew the verse by heart. "Irassal ma ghilas", sang Ellana. "Ma garas mir renan. Ara ma'athlan vhenas".
The song ended on a single sweet note.
Ellana was unaware of the moment's poignancy. She did not notice the sentinel elves were watching and waiting with bated breath. Her only concern was for the man in her arms. Solas was her enemy, but he had once been her beloved. Ellana lifted her cheek from the crown of his head.
She eased away from Solas. She cupped his scarred cheek with her clawed hand. She studied the black veins marring his fair elven face. The pain was visible in his weary grey eyes. Solas was exhausted physically and emotionally.
Mythal's magic rebelled against him.
He was losing control.
"Your left hand", sniffled Solas.
Ellana nodded. "Mythal gave it back to me".
"Ir abelas", apologised Solas. "You should not have had to make that sacrifice".
Ellana smiled. "I made it willingly".
Solas stared at her. "Ma vhenan".
Ellana pressed a finger to his lips. "Atisha", she said, silencing him. She heard the thrum of the fire burning beneath Solas's skin. The power was there, flowing like a river. Mythal's magic was ready to be reclaimed.
"You must return what was given", advised Ellana.
"If I do", lamented Solas. "I will lose you forever".
"You lost me long ago", reasoned Ellana. "But you are still loved by Mythal".
"It is not Mythal's heart I desire", said Solas. "It is yours".
"Solas", reproved Ellana. "Mythal and I are one in the same".
"Not yet ma vhenan", corrected Solas. "Not completely, if you can discern between her feelings and your own. The merging of two souls takes time. Mythal is old and you are young. The transition will not be easy".
"I have eternity to find an equilibrium", stated Ellana.
"You will need a teacher", wheedled Solas. "Mythal's magic is volatile".
"Tel garas solasan", warned Ilcen.
"He wants to make amends", asserted Cole.
"Enough!", barked Ellana.
Ilcen and Cole eyed one another.
They did not agree on the Dread Wolf's intentions.
"Return what was given, Solas", urged Ellana.
Solas searched her face. He saw the hard glint in her golden eyes. She was Mythal, he knew, for the magic in his blood smouldered. It yearned to be reunited with its source. Solas groaned when Ellana stroked his cheek with a clawed thumb.
Her breath was warm on his skin.
"I will", promised Solas. "If you allow me to instruct you".
"Prideful and stubborn", said Ellana. "Until the end".
"I have to try to make you see reason", retorted Solas. "You are being irresponsible".
"Says the Dread Wolf renowned for telling elaborate lies", said Ellana. "If I said I would think on your proposal, would you be satisfied?"
"Nae", countered Solas. "I would have your agreement first".
"You are hardly in a position to negotiate", admonished Ellana.
Solas bared his teeth in a fierce snarl. "And you are being reckless! Mythal's magic is not a child's plaything! It is dangerous, Ellana! Only a fool walks into a bonfire without knowing how to douse the flames!"
Ellana regarded him soberly. "I have been burned before".
"This is not a game!" groused Solas. "I have carried Mythal's magic for five hundred years! I know its power! It will destroy you if you are not careful! You will need tutelage!"
"This is not about me or Mythal's magic", argued Ellana. "You fear losing us both, so you have invented a reason for me to stay with you. An excuse, Solas. I know you, and Mythal knew you better than I. You cannot deceive me".
A single tear slid down Solas's scarred cheek. His brows furrowed. He did not want to admit the truth. Honesty was not his forte. It was second nature to lie.
"You still need training", persisted Solas.
"I will have it", Ellana assured him.
"Only I can teach you".
"So you say", replied Ellana. "But I know better than to believe you".
"Ellana", pleaded Solas. "Will you not give me a chance?"
"Mythal would", she told him. "But she and I do not share the same opinion".
Ellana pinched the bridge of his nose. Solas gasped for breath. His mouth falling open. Ellana took the initiative. She leaned inward before he could protest. Her lips parted and her tongue was wet.
Solas's breath hitched when she covered his mouth with her own. The kiss turned heated in a heartbeat. Solas sucked her lower-lip between his teeth. He bit her in retaliation for her presumptuousness. They had not finalised the details of their arrangement.
Ellana warred with him for control. She came up for air once. She sucked in a hasty breath before Solas devoured her again. His mouth found hers. Ellana deepened the kiss, fingers grasping a ragged handful of his shaggy black mane.
"Fenedhis!" swore Ilcen.
He grimaced in disgust.
"Well that is one way to make peace", said Cole. "At least they're not arguing any more".
He cleared his throat with a hoarse cough when Ilcen glowered. He twiddled his thumbs when Ellana and Solas ignored him. He was glad when light poured from Solas's mouth. He waited whilst Ellana drank it like water, her throat bobbing with each mouthful. She swallowed the light until the black veins upon Solas's face receded.
The Dread Wolf's throaty moan made Cole uncomfortable.
"Love confuses me", he confessed to Ilcen. "So does sex". Cole gave the sentinel a calculating look. "You're bonded, I can tell. Could I ask you a few questions about ancient elven courtship rituals?"
"Fenedhis lasa!" cursed Ilcen. "Nae!"
Cole pouted. "Could I ask you later?"
Ilcen grimaced. "Tel'dirth elgar!"
Cole sighed.
Ilcen was revolted by Ellana's actions, though he understood the necessity. He shuddered when she resurfaced from the kiss. He gazed at her face. He was relieved when her eyes glowed blue-grey. He saw that each iris was in the shape of a burning flame.
"It is done?" asked Ilcen.
Ellana exhaled a lungful of black smoke. Her silent nod answered his question. Solas slumped in her arms. He was overcome by exhaustion. His eyelids closed and his face was slack.
"He will sleep for a time", said Ellana. "I took back part of Mythal's power. The rest resides within him. Solas will need its strength to recover. For now, he will rest in a place of safety and comfort".
Cole cautiously came closer. One step at a time. He sensed the change in Ellana more clearly now. She felt old, sad, and full of regret. He came to her side, knees bending, as he sank to the ground. He knelt behind Solas when Ellana released the exhausted mage.
Cole resumed his role of friend and guardian.
"Will he be all right?"
Ellana nodded. "In time".
Cole bit his lip. He wasn't sure if he should ask.
"Dirthera ma elgar'falon", encouraged Ellana.
"Will you stay until he awakens?"
Ellana glanced from Solas's slumbering face to Ilcen. She sighed when he nodded to the waiting sentinels. Abelas stood beside an empty tent. Arryn had a thick bear-pelt and a bedroll in his arms. Valoya watched her like a hunting hawk.
The other sentinels, all nameless faces wearing the vallaslin of Mythal, awaited her command.
"What does the leader of my sentinels say?" asked Ellana.
"It would be wisest to retreat", counselled Abelas. "While Fen'Harel is indisposed".
Ellana saw Hawen and Minaeve standing upon the threshold of her home.
They were still in danger.
"So it would", agreed Ellana.
She turned to Cole, the blue-grey fire in her eyes faded to a deep sunset gold. The power lay within her, a heady rush of magic and promise. She had many things to do. A small reprieve to tend Solas would not hinder her plans. Ellana would stay long enough to achieve two things.
"Hawen and Minaeve are my wards", she informed Cole. "They will retreat with a handful of my sentinels to a place of safety. I will remain here with a host of my own until Solas awakens. Afterwards, you will take him back to New Arlathan. He will be safest within the walls of his home".
"He will want to stay with you", said Cole.
"I know", remarked Ellana. "We have not, after all, discussed the conditions of our arrangement".
Elvish Translations: Courtesy of the Dragon Age Wiki – Elven Language.
Ir abelas – I am sorry.
Nae – No.
Venavis – Stop.
Atisha – Peace.
Tel'enfanim – Do not be afraid.
Ara dareth ma elgar'falon – I will be safe with my spirit-friend.
Ar vallem ma atisha – I bid you to make peace.
Atisha ma falon – Peace, my friend.
Fen'Harel garas – The Dread Wolf comes.
Fenedhis lasa – An elven curse, likely translated into 'grant or give me wolf crap' or similar.
Ma vhenan – My heart.
Ir enfanim ma di'nan – I was afraid you would die.
Ma emma lath – You are my love.
Tel'enfanim, da'len - Never fear, little one.
Irassal ma ghilas - Wherever you shall go.
Ma garas mir renan - Follow my voice.
Ara ma'athlan vhenas - I will call you home.
Tel garas solasan – Come not to a prideful place.
Tel'dirth elgar – Stop talking, spirit!
Dirthera ma elgar'falon – Tell me, my spirit-friend.